Alpine Valley WI: Phish 7/1/12
Dick Bong Recreation Area
The powerfully talented Vermont jazz rock ensemble Phish closed out its two night run at the legendary Alpine Valley Music Theater in rural WIsconsin last night. Not a sellout, but over 30,000 in attendance in 90 degree prairie heat.
Two night runs are nice for the fans because it gives them a day to sit around the pool listening to Garth Brooks or to get out and enjoy the local tourist attractions, like the famous Dick Bong Recreation Area.
Here is the man-made ski hill at Alpine Valley that killed Stevie Ray Vaughn -- Stevie was no Sonny Bono.
Our seatmates were from all over -- Section 203 row FFF, Section 201 row GGG, Section 202 row HHH, the lawn, and this chap from Reykjavik.
This fan may have been sandusky'd by the University of Wisconsin mascot Bucky.
We were again in scalper Section 202 row CC, dead center with a nice view -- you dont need no education to see that. But the tranquil ambiance of this shot was overrun by seathopper nation, who (for reasons unknown) assume the true owners of dead center close-in seats will choose (for reasons unknown) not to sit here in the lovely Section 202 row CC seats they purchased, but instead (for reasons unknown) choose to sit in lousier seats, say in Section 201 row GGG, or Section 203 row FFF.
Seathopper nation was out in force tonight, using the old-fashioned "multi-person stubdown team" technique, or the newer "print multiple copies of the one good ticket your crew has" technique, and even using the clumsy "crush-past the cute Wisconsin teenage ticket-checker like the boor that you are" technique. We even saw married seathoppers and seathoppers with jobs. A highlight in the quest for personal space, however, was seeing one bedreaded profiled seathopper get his ticket tossed by an unassuming blonde beauty trying to hold onto the space she deserved. But overall, the ridiculous logic and anti-social selfishness of the push and shove seathoppers is a miserable side effect of Phish.
On the bright side, here was a fan and magician with a very small sign chasing four songs but trying to do so in a manner not to affront the band or the sight lines of his neighbors. Alas, he didn't get any of his wishes, including Section 202 rows AA, BB, or CC.
The band does not care about seathoppers or other frustrations of the fans, and why should they -- they have music to make.
Set I:
Soul Shakedown Party -- "I need your concentration just to feel your vibration" indeed.
Lonesome Cowboy Bill -- You've got to see him yodel.
Vultures -- As seen in in the Blue Lot before the show feeding on the remains of heat stroke victims.
Gotta Jiboo -- And they keep on drinking too.
Song I Heard the Ocean Sing -- Phish 2.0 mini-set in progress.
Access Me -- Wasn't this song thrown away during Phish 2.0?
Meat -- Halting, with fake-out endings. And just while you were wondering where the Meat vocal special effects were, Page alights from his piano bench and dons the keytar.
Frankenstein -- Edgar Winter loved to wear a piano around his neck.
Fee -- With Trey on bullhorn! Just like you remember from the first song of the first side of the first Phish record you ever heard. Crowd on the "You're trying to live a life that's completely free" -- the seathopper dichotomy.
Maze -- Hard to get out of the maze when the seathoppers are humping each other like cords of mexican jumping beans.
Squirming Coil -- Page continues his MVP performance channeling George Gershwin and closing the set alone.
Set II:
Crosseyed and Painless -- Fish was strong on vocals all weekend, or are you still waiting?
No Quarter -- Just like you remember from Houses of the Holy.
Light -- Superb Phish 3.0 with delicate interplay from all four in the quartet.
Story of the Ghost -- One of the elderly Wisconsin $2-per-ounce wine slingers expresses surprised approval.
Crosseyed and Painless -- Still waiting no longer.
Get Back on the Train -- The Chicago EL commuters are reminded tomorrow is a workday.
Farmhouse -- More melodious than you remember.
46 Days -- Powerhouse dance craze, including even a few of the flashlight toting pretend security personnel.
Heavy Things -- You know, for kids.
Joy -- People cried at the Grateful Dead, but apparently Phish phans are more emotionless (for reasons unknown).
Julius -- Nice power version. Don't take another step down the 45 degree lawn!
E: Meatstick -- With Japanese lyrics. Phish shocks the brain again.
See you in Stockholm for Pearl Jam!