Headstash

PHISH Summer 2012 in WORCESTER

Photo Credit: Holly O'Connor

As the preeminent jam band in the country ventures off on their 2012 Summer Tour, various fans, Headstash staff writers and even some random, first-time Phish-goers will submit reviews of each night. They'll tell you their favorite songs and segues, how the crowd reacted and whether this show is worth buying, downloading or skipping altogether.

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It's that time of year again where Trey, Mike, Page and Fishman head off to some of the coolest outdoor venues and jam the warm nights away. After a pretty quiet beginning to 2012, leg one of Phish's 2012 summer tour is upon us. Their first stop was a two-night stint at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA.

For a complete list of tour dates, check out Phish's official website.

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June 7 – DCU Center – Worcester, MA

Set I: Buried Alive, Runaway Jim, Torn and Frayed, Funky Bitch, The Moma Dance, Rift, Nothing, Ocelot, Beauty of a Broken Heart, Possum, Rocky Top
Set II: Carini > Taste > Ghost > Boogie On Reggae Woman, If I Could, Mighty Quinn (Quinn The Eskimo), Harry Hood, Cavern > Buried Alive
Encore: Loving Cup

Crowd Atmosphere: Everyone was ready to rage for the tour opener. The rowdy crowd was screaming and clapping long before the band even came close to hitting the stage. Multiple tweets, photos and other social networking updates to fans in the days leading up to these shows built up a lot of hype and phans’ expectations were high.

Best Song: Rift

Best Jam: Boogie On Reggae Woman

Best Segue: Ghost > Boogie On Reggae Woman

Best Lights: Ghost

Sloppiest Moment: Tough to pinpoint, but the beginning of "Carini" may have been a tad rushed.

Twitter Recap:Tour opener didn’t disappoint. “Buried Alive” was a complete shock and “Boogie On Reggae Woman” stole the show. Phish was locked-in all night long

Rating out of 5: 4.5

Buy/download/pass: Buy this show. You will be glad you did.

Other Notes: The energy in DCU on Thursday was electric. The entire crowd was more than ready for Phish’s summer tour. All of the band’s practicing in the days leading up to the show shined through as well.

There were many amazing parts of this show but “Boogie On Reggae Woman” was something that I could listen to again and again for a long time.

Not only were Trey, Cactus, Page and Fishman all playing flawlessly, Chris Kuroda displayed what seemed like a new set of lights to the already stellar rig. It goes without saying that the fifth member was just as in tune with the music as the band itself.

If the tour opener is any indication, we are in for a wild ride this summer.

- Holly O'Connor

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Photo Credit: Holly O'Connor

June 8 – DCU Center – Worcester, MA

Set I: Free, Kill Devil Falls, Roses Are Free, Theme From The Bottom, Axilla, Julius, Bouncing Around The Room, Maze, Bathtub Gin
Set II: Down With Disease, Sand > Nellie Kane, Mike's Song, Makisupa Policeman, Weekapaug Groove, Wading In The Velvet Sea, Also Sprach Zarathustra, Character Zero
Encore: The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony, Suzy Greenberg

Crowd Atmosphere: Friday night’s sold-out show in Worcester was even more rowdy then the first. Many people scoured the lot looking for tickets hours before doors opened, but extras were few and far between. Still, it was apparent once inside the DCU Center that the crowd had almost doubled in size compared to the night before. Stories of groups of phans ambushing the doors buzzed throughout the crowd. It was a full house and then some.

Best Song: It's really close. "Maze" and "Roses Are Free" were both great in different ways.

Best Jam: Roses Are Free

Best Segue: Sand > Nellie Kane

Best Lights: Bouncing Around The Room

Sloppiest Moment: Compared to the rest of the night, "Character Zero" had somewhat of a meandering jam that didn't seem to go anywhere.

Twitter Recap: Friday in Worcester was jam-packed with fun and energy. "Roses Are Free" paid homage to Ween and Mike Gordon was the night's MVP with "Mike's Song," "Makisupa" and "Weekapaug."

Rating out of 5: 4

Buy/download/pass: Download. But if you're feeling the setlist, then buy it because it did have some standout versions of classic songs.

Other Notes: The show was packed and it was difficult to leave your seat for the bathroom or to get a drink. Luckily, the music was too good to pry away from anyway.

"Free" opener really set the tone for the funky goodness of the evening. Some of the best slow Phish songs as well in "Theme From The Bottom" and "Wading In The Velvet Sea."

“Roses are Free” as an ode to Ween, who just announced their break-up, had enormous energy and it was great to see them jam it out with flair. The crowd was absolutely going nuts during this song and you could tell Phish was having a lot of fun with it as well. “Julius” had a great jam, but “Maze” stole the first set for me, as it was played patiently and with grit.

After a short but sweet set break, “Down with Disease” and “Sand” helped re-energize the crowd.

My favorite segment of this set has to be “Mike's Song, Makisupa Policeman, Weekapaug Groove.” Mike Gordon was slapping the bass non-stop during these songs and his sound echoed throughout the venue like thunder.

During “Makisupa,” Trey had some fun with the crowd saying, “Woke up this morning, thought I had the measles so I laid back down and hit the sour diesel,” and the whole crowd roared in laughter.

All in all, these two shows at Worcester had style, grace and jams that did not disappoint. I probably enjoyed the first night a tiny bit more, but that could have had something to do with the less packed crowd.

- Holly O'Connor

Photo Credit: Holly O'Connor

Photo Credit: Holly O'Connor

Photo Credit: Holly O'Connor

Photo Credit: Holly O'Connor

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Stay tuned as we continue to publish quick-hit fan reviews from each night of Phish's Summer Tour 2012.

What did you think of the Worcester shows?