SHARING THE SHOWS
That’s what I said to my friend Mark who ribbed me gently about me taking time off from my administrative responsibilities in a Facebook group I’m devoted to. But, to put it simply, vacations are good. After an easy Amtrak ride up to Philadelphia and a nap, I took the time to indulge in the requisite Philly cheesesteak at Cleaver’s, recommended by my host (which I like to call “Bypass in a Box”). I tried to take SEPTA’s Trolley Line out to the Mann, but it was conveniently shut down for a few weeks. I then remembered hearing about a Loop Bus that went from downtown Philly to the Mann Center, so I headed over to Rittenhouse Square. I had trouble locating it, but was informed by a pair of friends named Jesse and Jaime that I was at the right spot. I can’t recommend the Loop enough to go to the Mann. For only $2.50 (exact change only, as per urban public transportation), it’s a nice 45-minute ride out, and it’s a nice way to meet folks. I had a nice conversation with my seatmates about what we’d hope they’d play that night. Upon arrival, I thought back to that two-show run I attended back in 2016 with Drew/Brometheus, Scott, Ashley, and Chelsea. It seems like such a ways away now. But after filling my water bottle at one of the stations (much appreciated in this motherf*&ing heat wave), I met up with Pete at our seats, where he showed me a couple of the mist fans set up throughout the venue. Another G-dsend. Running into Fred (10/20/18) was a nice surprise as well. Pete also led me to some spots where I could get could shots, which I bestow upon you here. The band started with one of my favorites, a funkified “Steam,” followed by “Runaway Jim,” another top five tune. The wistful “Tela” is a rarity, and the jam that accompanied “Kill Devil Falls” ignited my spirit. “Theme from the Bottom” is always a nice one, during which I fist-bumped at “Keep what’s important, and know who’s your friend.” “Birds of a Feather” was next, which was the song that pushed me into Phishdom.
Anecdote: I may have written this before, but back in the 1990s, I was the DJ for my fraternity’s parties, and a group of Phishhead brothers who had pledged before me (Keith, Travis, Sloz, Al) used their rank to get me to play songs off Story of the Ghost. It wasn’t long until I got the album, joined their ranks, and it was all downhill from there. I sat down during the a capella tune “I Didn’t Know”, but stood back up to see Fish vacuuming in his trademark dress. A rockin’ “Funky Bitch” was next, and “Split Open and Melt” got deep and psychedelic to close the set. During setbreak, Pete and I cooled off as we walked above the lawn (our seats were in a sauna). I tried to get single dollar bills from the bus, but in post-COVID, none of the vendors were taking cash. Fortunately, Pete was able to help (know who’s your friend). The second set was jam-heavy. I started with “AC/DC Bag” followed by “Soul Planet”. From there, they started the opening chords of “Simple” (Bruce’s fav) in an F-sharp key with a nice transition to F. “Light” (another top song) was next, and then the highlight came: an intense “Party Time” jam. The boys slowed the tempo with “Lonely Trip,” the melody of which had me in a reflective state, thinking of the past eleven years I’ve been sober and have been able to enjoy life and these shows in ways I never could when I was drinking. It hasn’t been a lonely trip, that’s for sure. A nice “David Bowie” jam closed the set. Pete and I found a spot closer to the exit so we could beat foot traffic out. We found the beautiful spot not far from the pavilion that you saw at the top. “Waste” (another fav) opened the Encore, followed by the Rolling Stones’s “Loving Cup.” After Pete and I parted ways, I found the bus waiting, and there was already a boisterous group of people chatting manically about the show’s highlights. I sat next to a cool guy named Adam, a high school math teacher from Boston who’s doing the whole tour (sans Atlantic City and Bethel), where we compared show notes and talked education. It was a ten-minute walk from Rittenhouse Square to my Airbnb, where I winded down with some Netflix and snacks. It was too hot this morning to walk around Philly in the limited time I had before my Amtrak took off, but I was stoked to see I was right next to Suprema Coffee, a cool shop with fresh roasted coffee and giant pastries, a perfect way to recuperate when you have another train trip and another show. Vacations are good.
2 Comments
Brian Slosek
7/21/2022 02:29:22 pm
Those fraternity parties rocked. Sounds like you had a good show. We gotta catch one together asap!✌
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Craig
7/22/2022 06:40:16 am
Yes on all three counts!
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