DAY ONE REVIEW: Phish on Friday proves a tasty treat | MyDesert.com | The Desert Sun

DAY ONE REVIEW: Phish on Friday proves a tasty treat | MyDesert.com | The Desert Sun:

"Their opening night at Festival 8 proved two things to me.

1) They’re a distinctively charismatic band that can jam without sounding repetitious. The Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers could do that and Phish can, too, with their own unique sound.

2) Following a band around on tour is fun. I followed the Dead from San Francisco to Los Angeles to San Bernardino in the late 1970s and it was a fun adventure and listening experience since the Dead never repeated more than a couple songs. But having a band come to you for three days in a row is and never repeat a song is even better when they’re playing in a venue that fills you with sensory overload like the Empire Polo Club.

To this novice Phish phan, Friday’s opening set showed how polished they’ve become. They played three songs from their new album, “Joy,” which many critics have called their best album ever, including “Time Turns Elastic,” which some critics have called Phish’s equivalent of the Dead’s “Terrapin Station.” It has so many unique components, like “Terrapin,” it’s almost a suite. That makes it a difficult song to expand upon in a jam because its growth is built into its structure. But, it was a treat to hear them perform the song expertly even if it didn’t improve significantly on the recording." Sphere: Related Content