Phish @ Merriweather

My first run of Phish shows for the tour was a two night gig at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Maryland. Teri and I hooked up floor tickets right in front of the stage for Saturday night. After having trouble getting rid of extra tickets last year we decided to wait and get Sunday tickets on Saturday or even Sunday before the show. I was even able to get a hotel room for the night just a few days before at some Studio Plus place after all the main hotels have been sold out for months. We had everything we needed and headed up early to party on the lot. Last year we were the first car denied access to the lot and had to go park at the mall across the street. Just as we were about to turn in to the lot this time I realized I left the tickets on my desk at home. We made a U-turn and headed back to DC traffic. Not cool. We made it back just after 6:00 and of course the lot was full. We headed to the mall with a few hundred other people. Everyone at the mall lot was partying as well. I got lots of comments on my Big Lebowski Jesus shirt. The woman at the gas station went off for five minutes about how much she liked the movie. Lots of people at the show made comments.

We got down to the floor after getting our obligatory Starr Hill beer. By the time we got down during the third song it was absolutely packed. We had no choice but to push are way in. The dude I stopped in front of wasn’t happy but I explained that this was were my seat was and allowed him in front of me. Later he was friendly with his supplies. As the show went on and we moved to the other side of the floor space opened up. At one point Teri had a handful of glow sticks that she tossed. Unfortunately she tossed my glasses along with them. So I’m standing in the middle of the pit packed with people in the dark and my glasses are on the floor somewhere. Thankfully the folks around us were very nice and helped look. I thought it was hopeless. Someone busted out their phone for a light and actually spotted them. I couldn’t believe it. I would have been blind without them.

The show rocked. The set list...

Set 1: Daniel Saw the Stone, AC/DC Bag > Ocelot, Access Me, Vultures, Wilson > Sand, Roses Are Free > Reba[1], On Your Way Down > Run Like an Antelope[2]

Set 2: Birds of a Feather > Tweezer > The Horse > Silent in the Morning > Waves > Chalk Dust Torture[3], Rock and Roll > Albuquerque > Piper > Wading in the Velvet Sea > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan > Suzy Greenberg

Encore: Show of Life > Tweezer Reprise

[1] No whistling.

[2] On Your Way Down teases from Trey.

[3] BOAF tease.

Notes: Daniel Saw The Stone was played for the first time since August 3, 2003 (137 shows). Reba did not contain the whistling ending. Antelope included an On Your Way Down tease from Trey. Chalkdust included a BOAF tease.

On Sunday we woke up at the hotel, packed up, checked out, and hit lunch at Teri's favorite Red Robin. There was a beer store and beer bar that I had heard about in Columbia so we had just enough time to relax and check them out. The beer bar is called Frisco Taphouse & Brewery. I’m pretty sure they don’t brew beer. They had a nice tap list with an electronic board that updated in real time above the bar. I liked the screen prints of beer labels and breweries around the bar. The afternoon we went there was a sort of wake going on for someone who had recently passed away and they were all celebrating his life. After having a couple nice brews we headed to the Perfect Pour to pick up some drinks for the show. This was quite the place. Tons of beer and wine. They had pretty much everything. I was impressed. Almost worth the drive all the way out there.

We got to the lot at a decent time for once. The mission was to find some good tickets up close in the pavilion. Although tickets were not as prevalent as we had expected and as there had been last year. We left the main lot to troll the far areas as people were pulling in. We found some lawn tickets for cheap so we picked them up just in case. We heard about a few pavilion seats being sold but didn’t see any ourselves. Finally we found someone who just pulled in and sold us two up close. He said they were better than his seats which made us wonder. Sure enough they were second row behind the pit. We also picked them up for face value. Perfect! Time to forget about any worries and enjoy the afternoon/evening.

On this day I was wearing my Grills Grills Grills shirt and again got a lot of comments. We also ran in to someone selling jewelry by the same guy who made the silver Grateful Dead belt buckle I got last year. The guy had a nice one that looked more intricate than the one I bought for about $325 last year. The first day I was told the price was $500. The next day he said $400. I talked to him about it and that is how I found out that it was made by the same guy I bought the previous one from. I offered $350 and he started talking about how much he put in to it and needs to get back. I forget the actual numbers but he wasn’t making too much and when people are that honest about their markup I don’t mind paying. We decided on $375. It wasn’t until I got home that I realized the buckle mechanism on the back was put on backwards so the buckle shows upside down. I have to put my belt on backwards to show the buckle correctly!

It was another great show. The set list for the second night...

Set 1: Buried Alive > Lonesome Cowboy Bill, Ha Ha Ha, Sample in a Jar > The Divided Sky, Wolfman's Brother -> Boogie On Reggae Woman > Gumbo, Halley's Comet > Bathtub Gin > Jesus Just Left Chicago, Character Zero

Set 2: Party Time, Crosseyed and Painless > Steam > Light > The Wedge, Alaska, Halfway to the Moon > Harry Hood > Backwards Down the Number Line, Loving Cup

Encore: Sanity > Makisupa Policeman[1] > First Tube

[1] With lyrics referencing blunts and bundt cake.

Notes: Lonesome Cowboy Bill was played for the first time since July 30, 2003 (141 shows). Makisupa included lyrics referencing blunts and a moist bundt cake.

This year they arrested about 35 people but almost exclusively for drugs. Usually they are pretty harsh about everything including open containers. We didn’t see as many cops as usual so they must have been mostly undercover. It was another good set of weekend shows close to home. Hope they come back again next year.

my pics

official Phish video from Saturday and Sunday