Loring Commerce Centre Limestone, ME
tour
notes
This was the second show of the IT festival. Chalk Dust contained DEG teases from Mike. The ending of Chalk Dust was performed at near double-time. Trey omitted a verse in Wilson. Afterwards, he announced that it was the “shortest version ever” and dedicated it to Phish archivist Kevin Shapiro. Trey then humorously announced that the band would next play the “longest Bittersweet Motel” (traditionally one of the shortest songs in the Phish canon) while Page teased "Charge!" The crowd responded with a passionate “Fluffhead” chant, but Trey responded: “Mike says no” (prompting laughs from the other band members). Appropriately, Trey launched into Mike’s Song but Mike had the last laugh: during the Mike’s Song intro, Mike sang his “Hendge” lyric that had been omitted from Wilson. YEM contained the event-appropriate lyrical change “Boy, Man, God, IT,” a Frankenstein tease from Mike, and a vocal quote of Daniel Saw the Stone. The band vamped on the theme to Chariots of Fire (a Phish debut) while Trey introduced the top finishers in the Runaway Jim 5K race. During Antelope, Trey thanked the staff, road crew, caterers (“part of the reason we’re playing so well is because we have the best food this tour that we’ve ever had”), and fans. He concluded by encouraging everyone to drive safely and noted tongue-in-cheek that next year’s “IT 2” would have a traffic-free entrance. Antelope also included Under Pressure and It’s Ice teases.
This was the first show of the IT festival. Ya Mar, DWD, and Seven Below were unfinished. Birds was followed by a “Meatstick” chant from the crowd, prompting Trey to note that the band would “like to honor” the request. After a long pause, Trey commented, “We’re taking our sweet time up here because…we have no place to go for two days.” DWD contained a San-Ho-Zay tease from Trey and multiple Scents and Subtle Sounds teases. NICU ended with a bass solo from Mike at Trey’s request (“Play it, Cactus!”). Seven Below contained an On Your Way Down tease, Scents and Subtle Sounds included Seven Below teases. Before Dog Log, Trey remarked that the band couldn’t figure out what to play, and noted how, on this tour, the band made a conscious effort to not think about what songs they were going to play next. The fourth set “Tower Jam” found Phish playing on top the old air traffic control tower near the concert field. The set consisted of roughly an hour’s worth of unscripted jam material, with no notable teases or jams present. While Phish jammed, Chris Kuroda illuminated the tower’s interior and exterior with a light show and dancers suspended by wires around the side of the tower performed on the structure.
This Friday night soundcheck for the IT festival was simulcast via “The Bunny,” the official festival radio station.
This was the second show of the Lemonwheel festival. Trey teased Jean Pierre in Possum. Disease was unfinished. Fish alluded to Terrapin (“a love song about a turtle”) after a long HYHU intro but instead led the band into Sexual Healing. Antelope included Sexual Healing teases in the intro and a reference to “Bob Weaver” instead of Marco Esquandolas in the lyrics. 2001 contained Crosseyed and Painless and Super Bad teases from Trey. WMGGW returned for its first appearance since February 26, 1997 (103 shows). A fireworks display took place behind the stage in the jam out of Hood. The jam also featured Fish on trombone. Baby Elephant Walk was played for the first time since December 1, 1992 (516 shows).
This was the first show of the Lemonwheel festival. SOAM was played by request for an eight-year-old boy named Sam Jarvis. Cities and Halley’s Comet included alternate lyrics relating to the concert grounds. Gumbo included a Tweezer Reprise-esque jam. Sanity was played for the first time since Halloween 1996 (140 shows). Bowie included a lengthy intro and Mission: Impossible theme teases. After Tweezer Reprise, Trey made a long announcement thanking people for coming and remarked on the fun and joy of the summer concert festivals. He said that there would be some more music, played by the light of candles made that day by fans. The ensuing “ambient jam” was in the style of Brian Eno and was nearly an hour long and included Albert teases from Trey.
This was the soundcheck for Lemonwheel. The set took place on Friday night beginning a little after 11pm, and was broadcast live on Lemonwheel’s official radio station, 88.9-FM, “The Badger.”
This was the second show of The Great Went festival. Tweezer contained Simple teases and the Digital Delay Loop Jam included London Bridge is Falling Down teases. Disease was unfinished. Bathtub Gin contained a Proud Mary tease from Page. Throughout the weekend, fans painted pieces of wood that were assembled into an Art Tower. During Disease, Page and Fish painted their portions of the Art Tower; Mike and Trey painted theirs during 2001. The Art Jam saw the crowd carry the pieces of the band’s art to the side of the venue where it was hoisted onto the Art Tower and added to the fans' art. During Tweezer Reprise, the Art Tower was burned to the ground as The Great Went came to a close. As the Hood jam kicked in, Trey asked Chris to turn the lights off and the band jammed while the front section of the audience engaged in the first Hood glowstick war. Trey remarked to the crowd at the end of the jam that the visual display was cool. Between the first and second sets, the Bangor Symphony Orchestra performed selections from Stravinsky and Debussy as a red-smoke-spewing glider synchronized its swoops and dives to the music. Buffalo Bill was played for the first time since December 31, 1994 (204 shows).
This was the first show of The Great Went festival. Harpua picked up where the Clifford Ball Harpua left off. After Chalk Dust, Trey remarked that the first three songs served as the soundcheck, which the band did not do before the show. The jam out of Simple, the beginning of My Soul, and the jam before Slave included Odd Couple theme teases. The jam before Slave also contained an Entrance of the Gladiators tease. Halley’s Comet included On Your Way Down teases. The lyrics in Cities were changed to reference Fishman sleeping in the daytime. The Julius intro was partially performed a cappella with finger snaps. Funky Bitch featured a fireworks display behind the stage that culminated as the song ended. After the show, the members of Phish DJ’d under pseudonyms at a festival tent in what has become known as the “Disco Set.”