Phish is more than just a band; it is a way of life, a worldview that transcends jamming guitars and drums. Experiencing the live performance stirs up waves of emotion that make you move and dance with a freedom that can only be described by simply saying, “I was at a Phish show, man.” And man, Phish’s Festival 8 proves that the Phish way of life is stronger and more vibrant than ever.
The three-day festival kicked off in high gear with “Party Time,” and sustained the energy with “Chalk Dust Torture.” For the rest of the first set, Phish gleefully played many songs from their new album Joy, and sprinkled in a couple of classics like “Stash” and “NICU.”
As the band prepared for a second set, the crowd had doubled in size, and the anticipation felt explosive. Capitalizing on the increasing energy, Trey and company pounded through slamming renditions of “Punch You in the Eye” and “Down with Disease.”
Adding to the festive vibe, some in the crowd were exhibiting early Halloween costumes. We saw moms dressed up as Jedi knights and babies dressed as Yoda. We saw others take advantage of the night by creating inventive lighting: dancers with lit hula hoops, walking pieces of art with glow stick lit frames. The band’s version of a Halloween costume has been to play an album of another band. With Festival 8, their album choice remains a mystery [Ed. - They played Rolling Stones’ Exile On Main Street. Tune in tomorrow for the review!]. For weeks, Phish’s website has teased us with a list of potential albums, eliminating some by axing and stabbing the album art. One of the most exciting moments of the night came when Trey said “Here’s a little hint for our Halloween set,” right before breaking into the song “David Bowie.” Phish is known for their red herrings, so we’ll have to see if it really is a Bowie set on day two!
As Phish broke into “Harry Hood,” a massive floating bouquet of balloons made its way above the crowds and around the fields. The balloons cycled through different colors, sometimes spinning and twirling, adding to the spectacular light show from above the crowd. For even more spectacular lighting effects, the palm trees behind the stage and lining the fields were all lit with colors that changed with the mood, on beat with the music.
Phish is not just back in full force; they are better than ever. One long-time Phish fan, Emily, told us that this was the best they had played since the late 90s. We heard the same opinion echoed throughout the crowds.
Set List:
Set 1: Party Time, Chalk Dust Torture, The Moma Dance, NICU, Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan, Stash, I Didn’t Know, Poor Heart, Cavern, Beauty Of A Broken Heart, Ocelot, Time Turns Elastic
Set 2: Punch You In The Eye, Down With Disease -> Prince Caspian > Wolfman’s Brother -> Piper -> Joy, David Bowie, Harry Hood, Golgi Apparatus
Encore: Character Zero
DOWNLOAD: Phish - Soundcheck (Hartford, CT - 8/14/09) (MP3) or Follow us for more Phish MP3s (Twitter)
Two songs go in, one comes out. Pick a side.
Columbus Short Would be an excellent match for Sam Cooke (especially if this movie was to include Sam’s Soul Stirrer years). Just as long as in the movie Sam does the singing of course lol. But as far as physical resemblance my boy Columbus Short all the way. View this clip of Cadillac Records were he played lil walter… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmxTbcnW6bY
by Akin Z on Wed Feb 1, 2012 at 12.37 am from the entry: Sam Cooke to get a movie
Oops meant Aloe Blacc not Black. Sorry about the typo. If you doubt that he should play Sam check him out here on you tube singing Loving you is Killing me. The likeness is uncanny - but the voice is quite different.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yJuyaVcL2I&feature=artist
by Tamara L on Tue Jan 31, 2012 at 08.30 am from the entry: Sam Cooke to get a movie
I have read the Peter Guralnick book and it is thoroughly researched down to the minutest detail. Amazing.
I would go for Aloe Black because he looks so much like Sam, but for heaven’s sake why are we talking about the quality of the actor’s singing? Sam’s singing has got to be dubbed in. We want the real thing not an impersonator. There is only one Sam Cooke. The actor can act, let Sam do the songs.
by Tamara L on Tue Jan 31, 2012 at 08.24 am from the entry: Sam Cooke to get a movie
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by Dirty Ice on Tue Jan 24, 2012 at 11.04 pm from the entry: Yasiin Bey - Fete (Providence, RI; Dec.10, 2011)
John Boutte should play Sam Cooke. Except the point someone made about him dying young, this is true. Boutte may be a bit too old.
by Brendan on Tue Jan 17, 2012 at 06.17 pm from the entry: Sam Cooke to get a movie
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by asdsad on Tue Jan 17, 2012 at 04.29 am from the entry: Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic Weigh In On Kurt Avatar
Blacks say the word 50+ times a day. Fuck the double standard, stop trying to create controversy.
by Steve C on Fri Jan 13, 2012 at 02.00 pm from the entry: John Mayer is about to get swallowed up in public outrage
Phish really got the vibe going for Halloween with their mind blowing acoustic set...it was amazing how crowds continued to multiply as the weekend progressed....I came across this amazing review that really summed up the performances well…