, attached to 2011-06-01

Review by funkydanceparty

funkydanceparty Phish's second night at the PNC Bank Arts Center in New Jersey was another setlist packed with gold, but venue authorities caused a few impatient moments from Trey. While the first night at the PNC Arts Center rang in around 2 hours and 50 minutes, the band had to crunch and crunch during the second night in Holmdel and this was felt in 'Seven Below', 'Carini', 'Piper', and 'Ghost'. Opening with the strong 'First Tube', the band unconventionally lifted the song out of its second set placement, where it recently has been making the encore appearance. Phish then trudged their way through 'Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan', 'Camel Walk', and 'Heavy Things'. Last December, 'Heavy Things' made its way sounding more like the studio version (at least with Page's lines) but this time around they seemed to have gone back to the laid back style of the song. Things seemed to get better as the band rolled into a cooling 'Gotta Jibboo', still featuring a little Whale, something that Trey has been waning off of as of late. A jarring and awkward 'Wilson' made its way to the first set, but the night was quickly saved with the first 'Seven Below' of the summer. Personally, I expected a nice transition into 'Ghost' to make like old times.. but what can you do. At least they played it that night, right? 'Kill Devil Falls', another repeat of the summer, didn't quite make the same impact as the 13 minute monster unleashed in Bethel Woods, but it still brought the house down. With rain drenching the lawn section, the band treated everyone to the new summertime anthem. After a fairly standard 'Axilla', Phish broke into their first 'Split Open and Melt' since Utica, NY on October 20th, 2010. One of the songs that truly makes a lasting and unique impression every time it has been played over the past year, this version likened itself to the dark creation from Hershey Park on June 13th, 2010. Again, Page takes the cake for probably the hundredth time the past few days when they closed up the first set with 'Suzy Greenberg'.
The sense that Phish was being forced to end the show earlier than Tuesday was certainty felt in the second set, save a grand twenty minute opening segment of 'Tweezer' > 'No Quarter', the first time performance of the Led Zeppelin song off Houses of the Holy. Page took lead on vocals and treated the crowd to another psychedelic gift. As if to show that they have their own Zepp style, Phish broke into 'Carini', the dark and jarring rock song about one of their crew members. 'Carini' floated into a nice easy jam and could have continued for a few more minutes, but Trey left the piece unfinished and moved onto a short and quick 'Piper'. A rough transition into 'Twist' made it clear that a 'Ghost' was definitely around the bend. 'Twist' was given decent treatment and made its ambient way into 'Ghost', confirming what I knew would happen after hearing 'Seven Below'. This barely 8 minute version was strong despite its tiny size, containing 'No Quarter' teases. The set closer, the summers second 'Backwards Down the Number Line' also was fire but felt rushed. Only a few minute after 11 o'clock the band broke into the first of two encore songs, 'Show of Life', the newer and slow paced retrospective rock ballad followed by the predictable yet fun 'Tweezer Reprise'.

From http://funkydanceparty.com


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