Phish Fans Venture to Blossom, Not Harkness

When was the last time Harkness hosted a Phish concert? Still thinking? While it is inevitable that a trip through Harkness will saturate your eardrums with about as many different versions of "Mike's Song" as varieties of body piercings, something may still be missing.

The answer is not surprising: Mike Fishman, Trey Anastasio, Mike Gordon and Page McConnell. The only way of taking in Phish in its fullest and most exciting form is to see a live Phish show. With that in mind, last Monday I made the trip in my friend's car to the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls.

I was disappointed that we wouldn't get to spend much time in the parking lot due to my 4:30 class, but I was still very excited about seeing my favorite band for the eighth time. As we drew closer to the venue, we began to see the usual increase in traffic and cars with Phish stickers all over the back.

I had sensed the popularity of Phish on campus, and was not surprised at the number of Oberlin stickers I saw. Luckily, heading into the parking lot, we avoided the ubiquitous concert traffic jam, and we were able to zip into a parking space.

Our pleasant grass parking lot was filled with the usual hippie-types roaming around. In the distance we could see a crowded section of the lot filled with people walking through a line of VW buses, old RVs and small tents. This section was known as Shakedown Street in the days when the Grateful Dead were still on tour. It is the place where most of the parking lot vending takes places.

When we hit the beginning of Shakedown Street, the smell of grilled cheese, veggie burritos, pot smoke and body odor told me that I was definitely at a Phish show. Walking through this madness, one can find a variety of jam-band oriented t-shirts, food for all dietary preferences, hemp styled jewelry and all sorts of drug paraphernalia.

However, the largest and most lucrative money exchange is in the drug dealing. Every three seconds I passed someone announcing the names of the drugs they were selling, watching for the next customer. For those who wish to partake, there is certainly plenty to choose from.

After a very satisfying slice of French bread pizza and a water, we decided to head toward the gate. The only complaint I had about this venue was the distance from the parking lots to the ampitheater itself. It was a good twenty minute walk from the end of Shakedown Street to the gate. When we finally arrived at the gate, I was surprised at the lack of security getting inside. It is not uncommon where I come from to have your entire body felt up and down by security, then have to lift your shirt above your belt and turn around in a circle. That was not the case here and it made for a more pleasant vibe throughout the crowd.

Phish was playing the first song, "Carini," as we made our way to the center of the lawn to find a good place to dance. One must understand that, for the most part, no one sits down during a Phish show. Everyone is dancing and it's quite a sight to see about 20,000 people moving together.

We found a good place to watch near the center, just high enough on the lawn to see the entire stage. During the first set, Phish wove in and out of songs such as "Maze," "Rift," "Sample in a Jar" and "Prince Caspian." The energy in the band was high and they sounded as tight as ever.

Like always, the light show was more than amazing. The lighting director synchronized the lights to the music like a fifth member of the band.

I was a little surprised when the first set ended after only an hour, but not dissatisfied about the music at all. When the lights come up for set break I saw a horde of people heading towards the bathrooms and beer. The remaining concert-goers sat down to discuss the first set and await set two.

With such a short first set, a huge second set seemed in order. When the lights went down, the crowd erupted and Phish took the stage again. They immediately ripped into the funky "Boogie on Reggae Woman" that resulted in about fifteen minutes of intense jamming.

Three songs later I was very impressed once again at how tight Phish played and I went crazy when they began to play one of my favorite songs "Halley's Comet."

This version was amazing and they jammed it out for around 20 minutes. Then came the surprise of the night when, before the song even ends, Trey Anastasio, guitarist and leader of sorts, left the stage. The rest of the band quickly finished the song and exited. The second set clocked in at under an hour which would have been unheard of during past Phish tours.

Phish returned for one encore with a great "Axilla" and "Taste" then left for good. Everyone left a little confused at the length of the set but I was content nevertheless. Driving away, I realized that I will not be seeing Phish for a long time, because after this tour, they are taking a well deserved year off. I am already looking forward to seeing them in 2002.