Phish headlined the friday night of ACL this past weekend along with the Strokes. Although the Strokes may have drawn a bigger crowd, Phish was right on par with their musicality and showmanship that has led them over the past quarter of a century. Austin360.com analyzed their show and concluded that, unfortunately, Phish is not a band for everyone. Their music is unique and diverse which is not accepted by everyone, however, loyal Phish fans were enthralled by their performance on Friday night.
According to Austin360.com, the last time Phish played in Austin was in 1999, before the band took a break for a few years. At that time, according to Austin360.com, Phish had become "the godfathers of the jame band scene" but they were growing tired. After two decades of touring the quartet decided it would be best to split from each other and from touring.
This split essentially lasted until 2009 when they came back rejuvenated and in full swing. This rejuvenation was exemplified by their performance on the friday night of ACL 2010. Phish came right out of the gates when one of their tested classics "Down with Disesase." According to Austin360.com, "the song was tight and crisp, but not in a worklike manner." Phish was effortlessly souding spot on, much to the delight of their loyal fans.
They continued to play their classic live songs throughout their set, but, managed to integrate covers that would tailor to the crowd. On their second song, Phish came out with a cover of the Talking Heads "Cities". Following that Phish played a cover of the Velvet Underground's "Rock n Roll". Covering these songs provided unfamiliar Phish fans with a chance to appreciate the bands talents while listening to songs that they might actually be familiar with.
This idea of tailoring to the crowd continued when the band came out with a "country-inflected 'Possum' that had Trey Anastasio's quitar dripping with Texas twang" according to Austin360.com. "Possum" is one of Phish's oldest song but in light of their recent revival they were able to add the necessary twist to it that provided a spark plug for the band and the fans.
Phish continued to play lights out through the rest of their set. Along with the aforementioned "Texas twang", the band was able to integrate sounds from blues, jazz and pure rock and roll. Phish's whole set was fueled with energy and passion and this was reciprocated by the audience. The crowd was not as large as usual headliners but they were "having the fun of 150,000 people" according to Austin360.com.
Despite their age, Phish played every bit as well as they have over the past 25 years. Their temporary break seemed to have served them well as they are back in action and playing just as well as they ever have.
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