The cutest!

All Good Festival Summer 2008 062
Originally uploaded by karpfj

Tell me this is not the cutest picture ever. Even the young ones can safely enjoy the festival. Rock on!

One Big Sing Along

Oh come on, is this guy serious?

We all know this guy and often we are this guy...or gal. Sometimes the overwhelming desire to rock simply takes over and there's nothing we can do but sing along...often to the frustration of others.

Rocking the Omnichord

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Originally uploaded by karpfj

Jim James is rocking the omnichord in this stirring rendition of "Touch Me I'm Going To Scream - Part 2. Amazing.

Happy birthday to me!

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Originally uploaded by karpfj

No better way to kick off the weekend festivities then a little MMJ at Radio City!

Batman

Unfortunately it was not the dark hero magically appearing in my apartment last week. It was a bat of a different kind. There's nothing like a chance meeting with a shreeking bat floating over your bed to make you appreciate the things you have. We often take for granted the tranquility we have in our homes; and often need a terrifying event such as a home invasion by a flying rodent to get us perspective. The safety of your bed can quickly be removed and replaced with panic as you await the dark menance's next move.

Sacrificing the Patriots hat that the sly bat was napping in was a small price to pay to ensure the intruder was gone; and yes, he tested negative for rabies which was comforting. Still, one can't but wonder if he left friends behind; and if so, when he will seek revent for his friends untimely capture....perhaps Batman Returns.

Weekend Fun

Spent the weekend in Martha's Vineyard; good times off the cape as always. Good weather. It sad that I will probably never be able to ski on just one ski; but one can always dream. Traffic on the way home sucked.

I'm A Really Bad Bowler

Champagne, red wine, coors light and jack sounded like a good idea on a sunny New York afternoon at 3. I had hoped those violent drunken episodes had vanished with college and Winamp, but alas I was wrong. Now all that is left are a few apologies, a wrinkled shirt and a headache. Hopefully we’ll have better luck at the wedding.

Although, I will admit that a good bachelor party is always a reminder of how much I suck at bowling. It's that Southpaw hook!

Straight Outta Brooklyn

There were few more gratifying experiences then trading phish tapes in high school. It was tough to top the utter joy of getting that package in the mail with those bootleg tapes, the satisfaction of brokering that deal online, my MSG show for your Camden. Looking for that PNC show where they played Halley’s Comet>into a bitchin’ Bathtub Gin, and teased Rock N’ Roll and Stairway 8 minutes in. The gratification of forging that connection with someone seemingly so far away but equally passionate about the band.

A little time and technology, and the invention of a little thing called the IPOD, and now we’re downloading over the internet in real time as the shows end. Or, for better or worse, buying the shows straight from the band at lossless sound quality. I imagine there are some who find utter hypocrisy in purchasing these soundboard quality shows as opposed to doing it the good old fashion way. For my money, I’d just assume drop the 20 bucks and know I’m getting the best quality available. (Although I do miss those funky “fillers” on the ends of some tapes where the entrepreneurial taper would drop nuggets rarely found elsewhere. Can anyone say McGrupp>Gamehendge in its entirety??)

I intro with this prologue because the band who arguable drove these innovations in music distribution delivers once again with “ Live in Brooklyn,” a concert film that presents all that is great with the way music is delivered today. Epic, cinematic film from the show and super-crisp audio, “Live in Brooklyn” is a beautiful snapshot of a fleeting moment where the band rocked and the fact that it was all ending had not quite yet set again. Phish announced they were breaking up a few weeks earlier. The band held its final show two months later at Coventry in Vermon. Phish had earlier teased a breakup and then reunited, but most knew that this time, they were serious. While the hope that they reunite always looms, most knew that it would be a long while, and it would not be the same.

All this gave these Brooklyn shows, the first of the final tour, added importance. This show was simulcast across the U.S. (make it the logical choice for the DVD set). Highlights include an extraordinary, funked-out “Suzie G” in the second set, with Trey and the band picking up after the song concludes with what seemed to be an outro but morphed into full on jam with Trey and the boys straying far from the structure of Suzy. The first set popped with “The Curtain (With)” in its entirety, a solid Sample in a Jar and “Moma Dance” into “Free” combination. “Moma Dance” was at first quite tight, and fast, and then got very dark as the band segued into Free. They also were not shy about diving into “Undermind,” its then, just-released final album. A personal highlight was the band’s live interpretation of “Nothing,” which took on a slow, deliberate pace live versus its somewhat “Beatles-esque” quality on the record” Song I Heard The Ocean Sing,” which opened the night, exploded and grew in epic proportions over this tour. Its driving guitar and built-in exploration made it an instant hit and would have only grown overtime. “46 Days” opened the second set (perhaps a nod to Coventry, which was actually not precisely 46 days away but close.) A solid 2001 and the aforementioned Susie G highlighted the second set. The band was enjoying its final together as were the thousands in attendance.

The following night, also at Coney, saw a surprise (and bizarre) appearance by Jay-Z for 99 Problems>Big Pippin. The duo was excellent and presents an important moment for the band as they enjoyed their final moments together; all building up to the chaos of Coventry. “Live in Brooklyn” is a must-have for Phishheads looking to relish in the time that once was; and most likely will not be again…