SHARING THE SHOWS
Correction from last night’s post: I popped Maggie’s Phish cherry. She’s now officially a wook.
Fred crashed on my couch last night. I was up until 2:30 writing on last night’s show but still managed to wake up at 8, same as always. I was foggy, rather groggy, but Fred and I made it to the car and to Waffle House, a Southern staple. I’ve eaten here once in the time I’ve lived here, so it’s cool that an out-of-town guest got me out of my comfort zone a little bit. I ordered the All-Star Special, which consists of eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast, and waffles. A total carbfest. What was amazing was that I managed to eat the whole thing. Phuck it, it’s Phish, right? Fred, a language scientist from Rockland County, New York, was a good conversation partner with respect to the differences between how New Yorkers talk and how Southerners talk. I’m a bit of both. I taught him the phrase “’preciate you,” which I’ve adopted as a Hampton Roads resident in the last year. It’s a marker of the politeness that governs Southern values. There’s also “bless your heart,” which marks the passive-aggressiveness of some aspect of Southern values (“You won’t bless my poor heart again” was another Phish lyric that came up, as was “You won’t steal my crab cakes”). Later on, Jesse and Drew met us at the Cove, this kickass seafood place that’s a two-minute walk from where I live. We talked music, communication sciences, and more music. The drive was painless, and Fred was able to sell his ticket for $50. And he showed me how to use that Pindrop feature on my phone. I’ll never lose my car again! And nowwwwww…the show. After giving Ashley our hugs, Jesse, Drew, and I attempted to find five seats inside, but to no avail. Note to self: get to Coliseum early if you hope to find a group of seats of more than one. But the floor offered a different perspective. I felt “in the mix.” Once Mark arrived, the show could actually start. J The show started with “Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan.” From there, I heard a new one (or a new tone to me): “Skin it Back.” “Brian and Robert” was mellow, “Timber” and “Simple” were energetic, and it was nice to finally hear “Mexican Cousin” live. I LOVE “Camel Walk” live, which is where I do some serious high-stepping. “Back on the Train” has a great rhythm, and “I Saw It Again” evokes images of Mike Myers coming back to kill Jamie Lee Curtis forty years later…bwwhahhahah.. During the setbreak, I caught up with some awesome folks:
Set 2 started with “Waves,” which is always welcome. “Rise/Come Together” had me grooving, as did “Light.” And now we get to “The Line” and “Wingsuit,” which hold a special meaning for me. When Fuego came out in stores in June 2014, I wasn’t going to shows (again, in long story), but I felt the need to get the album. My sight of the Hampton Coliseum had awakened the dormant Phishhead that resided in the recesses of my soul. I played it over and over, and I had that album playing when I got an e-mail from Hampton University with the offer later. I’m 90% sure “The Line” was playing. But, anyway, that album holds a special place in my heart. “Your Pet Cat” played, which I insist is about my cat/son Chester (later, I would receive a text from Kelly that read “Chester!”). He is a big beautiful black animal, and each day, when I come home from work, he rubs his sleek fur against my leg. It’s like the voice from the “Thrilling Sounds” album peered into my house every day between 5:30 and 6:30. The lights started shaking, and I had to look around to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating. I guess cats make some people shake, particularly when they start clawing at you maliciously. Me, I still love them (shout out to ailurophiles such as Gary, Christina, Elizabeth, Nicole, Mark, and Sheila, and my apologies to all I’ve neglected). “What’s the Use?” is equivalent to the Dead’s “Drums/Space” sequence for me, so I hit the bathroom. Apparently, I was in the minority because the bathrooms were empty. There was that one guy that said, “What’s the fucking use?” Agreed, brother. Agreed. “Possum” came on to close the second set, and “the rain came down” in the form of confetti. The band encored with “More,” which always gets me thinking of that wonderful video Kelly Morris did. It so enraptured me that I had to have my students critique it for its verbal and visual arguments and ask Kelly questions about her process. (Kelly, whenever the band plays “More,” your name goes in the blog. You’ve earned it). After “More” was no more (pun intended), I was about ready to exit, but I was in the minority. The crowd screamed and cheered, and lighters went up. The band obviously read the energy because they came out with “You Enjoy Myself,” which boasts some of the most profound lyrics I’ve ever heard: “Boy. Man. God. Shit.” Seriously, though, that’s some talented musicianship. When we met at the show, Jesse and I remarked that he wore his “YEM” shirt (written in the IBM-like font) last night and I wore my “Your Pet Cat” T-shirt (a Cheshire-like cat wearing a backwards hat and drinking a 40). The next night, our mind control powers would prove effective, as they played both songs. As we waited for Fred, we joked that he was waiting for a third encore (SUPER: 10 Hours later CUT TO: Fred saying “one more song” as he’s on the verge of passing out). Some final thoughts: it was fitting that this run happened at the very halfway point of the semester, which is when I could use a break. And it happened right when I submitted my first draft of my dossier to my Department Chairperson for review. After many hours spent selecting, writing, printing, and organizing over the past month, on top of all of my other work- and life-related responsibilities, it was nice to get a break. And it was great seeing current friends (Drew, Mark, Jesse, and Fred) and making a new one (Kelly). As I walked out, I felt like I would tear up. Tomorrow, it’s back to life, but it was a nice breather. And only two more months until the next Phish show. Woo-hoo!
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