LawnMemo

The Daily Ghost

The Daily Ghost #138 08/11/2015 The Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA

Background (Set: 1 of 2 – Song: 11 of 12 – Show Gap: 3)

“Ghost” pops up in a non-traditional spot, basically closing out the first set (“Grind” was the actual closer). If you are unfamiliar with this set, then you will want to check out the bad ass “Martin Monster>Axilla, Skin It Back->Martian Monster” sequence. “Ghost” will make use of this “Martian Monster” theme.

Composed Section (0:00-3:21)

Whoa…

What is this?

Spooky ghost calls!!!???!!!!

And spooky wind ghost sounds?!!!!

This is super cool!  

It also cracks up Trey as he starts the lyrics. Phish exists as a band to essentially make Trey laugh. And for super nasty jams.That too.  

Decent pace here and a bit more upbeat than usual. The solo section features a heavy dose of Page on the clav and Trey with a gritty tone. Nothing to write home about. The lead is going along and then…

“Martian Monster” teases! Dope! Phish actually works the drop in decently after the teases. Not bad guys! Not bad, at all. 

More Martian Monster>We Don’t Know Where To Go (3:22-7:30)

The jam starts right away with a bunch more “Martian Monster” madness. “Your trip is short!”  Unless it’s 2020. Then your trip is long as fuck. Not a good trip either.  

Would just like to throw in a quick note about the Mann before we get too deep. Awesome venue. Great old shed. Great sound, huge lawn, and a fun lot scene. Hopefully, Phish goes back there again… someday. 

Trey comes off the “Martian Monster” stuff with that same dirty tone from the solo section. Page works the clav hard to start. If you didn’t follow Phish and read that sentence you would probably think that was porno talk.  

©©©©©

The jam tries to find direction for a bit, once Page moves from the clav. That happens at about 4:20 and Fishman plays a smoother beat to try and break the jam down.  

Unfortunately, there just aren’t a lot of ideas here. Mike tries his deep evil alligator tone, but the rest of the band doesn’t fully link up.  

Some signs of life perk up around 5:30 and Page finds the Rhodes to work in some cool background textures. Trey then switches tones and begins to find it around the 6-minute mark, but begins to stray shortly after.  

Trey Strays. I just trademarked that. Trey Stays ©.

Trey struggles in this jam, no doubt about it. The jam is ALMOST cool. There are some eerie and ominous tones, but it just doesn’t click.

Mike tries a lighter tone that doesn’t pack as much punch, while Page starts some “What’s The Use?” type sounds around the 7:30 mark. 

This is some good music to space the fuck out to. This is great mind wandering music where you think about the haircut you had in 2004 and wonder who was your hairdresser back then? Then you start thinking who the hell is your hairdresser now? Is my hair even cool? Should I get a new hairstyle? Why am I thinking this much about hair?

Nobody can even see my hair under this helmet, anyways.  

I kind of like those moments at shows. “Get some thinking done” is the line I believe.

Getting Cooler! But Not For Long>Dud Peak (7:31-11:08)

Page is damn stud. After the “WTU?” noises, he goes to the B3>Rhodes>Baby Grand with ease. Just effortless for Page. When I play close attention to details, like rewinding this “Ghost” jam MANY times, it allows me to appreciate the brilliance of every note that Page plays.  

I should probably mention Fishman. He’s more of a metronome here. A quick driving pace instead of the 14 arm beats he sometimes throws down. This “Ghost” is closing the set so I suspect Fishman’s goal is to push this thing to a monster peak. 

I dig this section at the 7:30-8:30 mark. 

Fishman then flips the switch at 8:31 and the hyper journey forward commences. Trey solos with a gritty high pitch tone. Mike is also great here. Shortly after, Page hammers on the baby grand.  

The band is killing it around Trey.  

The peak however doesn’t really come. 

It’s like horrible sex. Lots of excitement and you still feel something, but it just could have been so much better. 

I hope you don’t think that I have ever thought a woman gave me bad sex. I’m just assuming that is what many women think about me post-coitus. 

I guess there is kinda a peak at 9:35, just not what I would expect from a set-closing “Ghost”. Trey’s tone is not my favorite. It’s a shame, the band was throwing it down around him.  

I mean, I still had fun! It’s “Ghost”, but more like the subdued fun you have at your in-laws family reunion. 

This set-closing “Ghost” is certainly no Van Andel. 

There is almost no outro jam. Phish simply just returns to the “Ghost” theme.  

Final Thoughts

One of the cooler composed sections in recent years, plus some nice leverage of “Monster Monster” along with closing the first set initially gave me high hopes when I sat down to write this post.  

I was at this show, but didn’t really remember this version. Well, it’s obvious now why I don’t remember it now.

This “Ghost” just never fully clicks. There is no real memorable section, and the peak is hardly that.  

What’s crazy is that 2015 is such a great year, and the next night at the Mann would produce one of my favorite sets of all time.  

You wouldn’t know it from this “Ghost”.

I do want to give props to my man Page though, who moves all around his rig and finds all kinds of interesting melodies. Other than that, not much to see here. Move along.   

Don’t worry. Things get better…

Score: 5.9