Top Five Late Summer 2009 Phish Shows

1. 08/14/2009 Hartford, CT - Barnburner! THE show of the year (so far)! Highlights: Entire show!


2. 08/11/2009 Bridgeview, IL - Great flow from start to finish. Big jams and segues in second set. Highlights: Backwards Down the Number Line > Carini > Gotta Jibboo and Wilson > 2001 > Chalk Dust Torture


3. 08/07/2009 George, WA - Extended first set jams. Huge second set! Highlights: Sally Through The Alley > Cavern AND Bathtub Gin > Harry Hood


4. 07/31/2009 Morrison, CO - Another good one from start to finish. Highlights: Second set!


5. 08/02/2009 Morrison, CO - Biased pick since I was there. Second set segue-fest! Highlights: Boogie On Reggae Woman > You Enjoy Myself > Undermind > Drums > Seven Below > 2001 > Waves > Character Zero

This list is bound to change since these shows are in constant rotation and I'm prone to changing my mind quite often.

Phish - Red Rocks - July 30, 2009

This was my first Phish show since 2/18/2003 and the first time I've gone to a show without having a ticket beforehand. I rode my bike to the lots in hopes of finding an extra and at the very least getting a nice evening ride. There were very few tickets available and the few that were selling were going for $200 and up. I had all but lost hope of getting in and was literally riding out of the last lot when a group of guys, one with an extra reserved ticket, walked right up to me. I asked how much, he said $100, I paid! I rode back up the hill to the upper north lot (my third climb up on my 39x16 fixed cross bike!), locked my bike to my brother's car, and went in to the show!

I must say, I don't think I've ever been so happy to get into a concert! It took until about half way through the first set for me to even believe I was there. I said all along that if I was going to get in, it would have to be a right-place-at-the-right-time sort of deal, and it was. Divine intervention? Sometimes I have to wonder.

I'll spare you the blow-by-blow details, but a few highlights are in order. The show really was solid from start to finish, with no significant low points in the setlist. Dividid Sky and Stash stood out in the first set. Ghost > Wolfman's was THE highlight of the show.

More photos will be posted here, on my site, on my photography blog, or on my flickr account.

Setlist/Download (livephish.com)