Permalink for Comment #1376111721 by AlbanyYEM

, comment by AlbanyYEM
AlbanyYEM First off, if you want to talk about meaningful participation, I think we've buried the lead here. I'm not a huge fan of the woos, but if it makes you happy I guess go for it.

I just want to give a sincere and grateful thanks to @tweezer who has somehow managed to single-handedly retrieve one of the most hallowed jams while showing grace and respect for the band. I am still amazed something like this even happened, much less actually WORKED. It is a reflection of both Drew and Phish that such a meaningful interaction took place between the community and the band, where Phish really does care and Drew had the balls to mention it (though in a tactful and respectful way).

This would be a cool story if it were about bringing back some long-forgotten bust out for a single show--it's a mind-blowing story because to me at least, there's nothing I would've wanted to say to more to them than that if I had somehow been given a platform to actually talk to Trey. Just on a personal level, as someone who has the quirky stats of seeing the band in 1.0 but only a couple of shows a year, getting a great Mike's was NOT a foregone conclusion because it's real easy to just barely miss it year after year.

When they got back together in 3.0, THIS is what I was chasing. More than Peaches, Curtain With, Glide, etc. Although I love the song itself, and appreciate just getting it at all (don't get me wrong), the type II Mike's that comes after the closing chords just delivers time after time some of the greatest music I've ever hear them do. It's right on the threshold of going major or back into minor and seems to slam you right into the deepest waters of thematic playing because of both the build to get there and the emphatic end to the closing chords. There's simply no more time to hesitantly try out ideas or fill the musical space with noodle. It's a fulcrum moment that truly launches you into the deepest jam space.

So it appears my favorite moment of Phish has returned. I shredded my vocal chords with a single yell last night that exorcised the demon of a 17 year wait and the joy of knowing that this would not be my last second jam. THAT'S what this show means. As Zerbo mentions above, 'edge of their seats' was (for me and probably a lot of other people) a bit of an understatement. Like a true fulcrum, the moment of the closing chords was the very top of the roller coaster, a breath-holding moment of anticipation like none I have experienced at a Phish show. And then, to get it. Until then, we just didn't know if it was going to be a one-off type of thing, where in a moment of graciousness Phish allowed us a glimpse into the echo of the past and the joyous unknown of the future jams, to feel again the piss and vinegar of an unbridled Mike's, just to show us that they do care.

But it was more than that. It feels safe to assume (though you really never should assume anything with this band), that Mike's is here to stay. I'll leave it to the imagination to think about the setlist possibilities having this back as a major jam vehicle offers, but I'm just happy to get that Mike's.

If someone gave a hypothetical scenario of the events leading up to this moment, I wouldn't have believed them for a second. That this has happened is about the coolest thing that has happened with the community and band that I could possibly imagine. And for me, the most meaningful.

So, thanks @tweezer. Thanks, Drew.


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