I'm a sucker for a great rock 'n roll show. Before climbing, there was the Grateful Dead. I discovered them in high school and spent oh so many memorable nights during college following them all over New England and the mid-west. For me, it was an adventure. New places, crazy people, excellent music and great friends.
From the beginning I was skeptical of Phish. They felt contrived, rehearsed, manipulative - no soul - couldn't sing the blues - sang about silly stuff. I saw a bunch of shows in college, but none really stuck out in my mind. I graduated, Jerry died, I moved to the west coast, I started climbing, and suddenly I find myself looking at 40 years old and Phish is supposedly coming out of retirement? For the second time? How the hell did that happen?
The cell phone rings and its Oppy. I know he scored tickets to the reunion shows, but I also know he's the only one we know who managed to luck out with the lottery. By god, he wants me to go with him! I told him I needed to think about it, hung up and talked to Kristin, decided I had to go, and called him back later that night.
A couple months later I'm on the plane back to Portland from Norfolk. Its 7:30 am, and I haven't slept yet. The after show let out just on time to catch a shower and a cab to the airport. Its over. Three nights at Hampton. 2009!? Oppy and Eli. Did that really happen? Hell yes! And it rocked.
They're back. And they're better than I remember. The friendships are stronger, and after all these years, the songs actually mean something! Check 'em out.
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