Archives for August 2013

The Gorge is the absolute, most beautiful place I have ever been. I honestly had the best weekend with friends old and new. We spent Thursday night in downtown Seattle bar hopping and even danced to an R&B band. Friday we were up bright and early to start the 2 hour drive to The Gorge. A mile outside the venue we met up with about 8 other cars to caravan into the venue. Once inside we claimed the perfect campsite. A group from Oregon packed absolutely everything we could have needed for the weekend… pop up tents, tarps, sound system and christmas lights. Our campsite was a shinning beacon of light on the walk home. Each night ended with an all out dance party to 70’s funk and 60’s twist rock n’ roll.  The venue is quite far from the campsite but the walk only builds the anticipation to enter the breathtaking venue. Once inside you crest a small hill and drop right into The Gorge Amphitheater. There is almost a wall of people standing in awe and snapping pictures.

Friday we watched the sunset from the hill before heading into the wide open pit for the 2nd set. Friday was Chris Kuroda, Phish’s lighting director, birthday so Trey lead the crowd singing Happy Birthday. It just so happened to be my friend William’s birthday so we sang to him too. We also had a full moon that night so the band stopped playing and turned off the lights for a “Moon Jam” where the crowd howled at the moon!

Saturday we drove to a nearby boat slip and went swimming in the Columbia River. The water was freezing but really refreshing from the nonstop heat. Some friends rented jet skis and boats to cruise the river and look at the venue from the water (on the list for 2015). That night we had a great spot on the floor in front of the midway rail. Two young security guards sat behind us catching glowsticks and handing them to us. One of the boys asked, how we all knew when to throw the glowsticks? Trying to put that into words during the middle of Fluffhead was hard, but I told him to listen to the music building. I told them to listen for the crowd to yell “FLUFFHEAD” then to stand up, look back on the crowd and let’em rip. Their jaws dropped, a very cool moment for me and them.

I thought the shows were fantastic. A few repeats from the Merriweather show, but other than that it was all perfect. Highlights for me were Crosseyed & Painless, Roses are Free, After Midnight, Sneaking Sally > 2001 and Run Like An Antelope.

Night 1
Set 1: AC/DC Bag > Timber (Jerry), Wolfman’s Brother, Funky Bitch, Happy Birthday to You, Wilson > Possum, Tube, Secret Smile, McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters > The Ballad of Curtis Loew, Split Open and Melt
Set 2: Crosseyed and Painless > Twist > Steam > Waves -> Twenty Years Later >The Mango Song > Bug > David Bowie, Rocky Top > Character Zero^[1]
Encore: Harry Hood > Fire^[2]

[1] Band members howled at the moon.
[2] Alternate lyrics “Move over rover and let Jon Fishman take over!”

Night 2 
Set 1: Architect, Golgi Apparatus, The Curtain With, Kill Devil Falls > The Moma Dance > Maze, Beauty of a Broken Heart, Roses Are Free, Say Something^[1], Ocelot,After Midnight
Set 2: Down with Disease^[2] -> Undermind^[3] > Light -> Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Walls of the Cave > Fluffhead > Run Like an Antelope
Encore: Show of Life > Good Times Bad Times

[1] Debut.
[2] Unfinished.
[3] Fishman on Marimba Lumina.

Setlist from Phish.net

Phish typically plays the Gorge every other year, so if your enticed to go… we have to wait till 2015. I know, so long! But totally worth the wait!