SHARING THE SHOWS
I’ve always been a planner. So when it comes to shows, I typically get tickets the day they go on sale. I hadn’t planned on seeing any Phish shows; after all, I saw that Allman Betts show earlier this month with Pete. That would break my “one show per month” rule!
I had planned to leave New York, where I’d been for the holidays, on December 27. But the flooding that pervaded the East Coast ruined that plan; I wasn’t going to risk hydroplaning, especially not with Chester in the car. And when they predicted rain the following day, I remembered Phish was starting their run on the 28th. Due to life circumstances, John and I couldn’t get together for dinner the week prior, so I figured it would be fun to hit a show with him. I could also see Laura, who I’d missed as well. I was able to get the ticket for $109 on Stubhub about seven hours before the show. It saddens me to say that was the first time I’d gotten it for less than face value (the ticket for my first show in ’99 cost around $30). I met Laura (a Single Person at Heart I know from my awesome Community of Single People page) and John (a fellow Single Person at Heart and showgoer at NY Pizza Suprema, home of some real New York-style pizza, where we talked about a variety of topics, such as music and mental health in higher education, and Laura guided us toward one of the few places in Manhattan one can use a bathroom without purchasing anything: the Old Navy on 34th Street. John and I parted ways with Laura so we could get into the show. After going through an airport-style security check (I expected to be strip-searched), we made our way in. Pro-single anecdote: we passed a couple arguing. The woman said, "I didn't wanna fucking see this show! You made me see this fucking show!" They walked behind us pretty much to the ticket-takers and went back and forth. We looked at each other, and I whispered, "Thank God I'm single” to which he nodded. John and I talked near his section; he told me the story about how a dude threw an M80 into the crowd during a Led Zeppelin show at MSG in 1977. I just can’t imagine that now, but I guess that was the time period. We headed to our respective seats, and the first set consisted mostly on old standards. “No Men in No Man’s Land” opened the show. I didn’t care for it at first (nor was I fan of Big Boat) but that song has grown on me recently. “Runaway Jim” and “Bathtub Gin” were the highlights. They appeared to tease “Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S” before launching into “Ghost” for the first set. I was a bit bummed, particularly when I learned they closed the show with it; I had exited after the second set to beat the crowd out of MSG. That line going downstairs moves verrrrrrrrrry slowwwwwwwwwwwlyyyyyyyyyyy. I’ll circle back to the beginning of the second set, which opened with two fresh tunes for me, “The Howling” and “Wave of Hope,” which I fell in love with when they played it at MSG on 7/28/23. I had tried to sneak down to John’s section, but just like during the summer shows, security pulled me out between “The Howling.” Oh well. I still enjoyed the view from Section 212. On the train to Secaucus, I talked to a kid named Zack from New Jersey about the show’s highlights. He’d be going to Friday night’s show as well and was ecstatic that he’d gotten to the venue early enough to get a poster before they sold out. I remember when I used to collect merch; these days, I’m all about just enjoying the memories, but it’s like the song goes, “Now the world don’t move to the beat of just one drum, what might be right for you may not be right for some…” It’s 12:32 a.m. on January 1 as I type this from my desk in my DC apartment. On New Year’s Eve 2020 and 2021, we were still on lockdown, and I was perfectly content to chill at home with Chester watching movies and eating junk food. Last year, Shana (who was at the remaining three shows of this run) and I hit moe. in Philadelphia. I consider this show my New Year’s show. And I did go hiking with a Meetup group morning, so I got some social interaction in. But I am running on some caffeine, and I did a double feature (The Hangover and Gung Ho!), so I’m pretty primed to write. Random thoughts:
I’m happy to be starting off 2024 doing two of my favorite things, writing and listening to Phish. I hope y’all are kicking off your New Year doing something you love, whether it’s being at a show, writing, sleeping, whatever. And if not, that’s cool too. Love you folk.
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