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Highway 50 Day 4: Fallon-Elko

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Highway 50 Day 1-3

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Still Upside Down

By Jeff Williams - 7/19/18

Coming off a solid slow burner of a tour opener Phish took the stage for the second of two nights in Tahoe with all the confidence of a band that now fully owns that little strip of blacktop the casinos call a venue.

The rousing opening notes of ‘AC/DC’ always snaps the crowd to attention and this night was no different, a straightforward version got the show on the road and after the peak and fade the band decided to take us from the road out into the atmosphere with a short but funky ‘Martian Monster’. Coming on the heels of this we were treated to the Jon Fishman masterpiece ‘Ass-Handed’ which spread the smiles wide all around.

After this opening warm up lap the boys were ready to get down to business, ‘Everything’s Right’ has really grown on me and represents the strength and maturity that I feel marks a lot of the newest batch of songs from the last few years. Patiently and expertly Page took the lead around 5 minutes in and Trey quickly followed with a complimentary vocal scat then used the beautiful layers Page put down to sketch out a nice floating tapestry that meandered along for several minutes in a highly danceable way. Next came the Gordo gangster noir of ‘555’, it stayed pretty much true to form as expected. After that we were treated to ‘The Wedge’ always a great mid set boost, this one was fairly textbook with a little extra mustard at the end.

Ever since the Baker’s Dozen ‘Lawn Boy’ has new meaning, this night’s version stayed within the bounds of sanity but gave Page a chance to croon and all of us a moment to swoon. Next up was one song I’d really been hoping they’d play. 18 years ago I set out on fall tour and ‘Get Back on the Train’ was my buddy and I’s theme, this tour led me to living in Tahoe in a roundabout way for all that time between then and now. Two days after these shows I moved out of Tahoe possibly for good, my time to get back on the train had truly come and I’m really happy Phish concurs.

‘Ocelot’ a cat that usually only ranges as far north as extreme southern Texas made an appearance all the way up in Tahoe, normally not much to talk about this ‘Ocelot’ sighting was different, a fiery version with legs that was starting to roam far and wide until an abrupt ripcord around 9 minutes in. I got the feeling Trey was like wait a minute this is getting too good and it’s only ‘Ocelot’ I better wrap it up. Next we got the second Fishman classic of the set ‘My Sweet One’, possibly my favorite from his limited oeuvre. After that came the appropriate ‘Theme from the Bottom’ which led into a set closing ‘Bathtub Gin’, while nothing too crazy to write home about it sent everyone into break pumped for what was to come.

The familiar rumbling murky tones of ‘Down with Disease’ got the second set rolling along, this was a fairly contained version that set the stage nicely for the ‘What’s the Use’ that was to follow. Majestic as always, WTU never disappoints and this night was no different, soaring to the hazy heights of the peaks and plumbing the depths of the deep these guys do a lot with a mere 5 and a half minutes. ‘Blaze On’ jumped into the saddle for the mid set rocker slot, with apropos lyrics and an uppity, ansty jam this was probably my favorite of the night, nothing outrageous just Phish being Phish. Next came the badass Page tune ‘I’ve Always Wanted It This Way’ a showcase for all his new tones and toys this song is an instant classic in my opinion, can’t wait to hear where they take this in the future. Really loved the middle section where aliens invade your brain, great stuff...then they played Joy.

Moving on into the final quarter they came back strong with a ‘Limb by Limb’, lyrically always one of my favorites I never tire of hearing this tune, a stout version here that nonetheless packed a punch and bounced us all nicely right into the dance party jam of the night ‘2001’ which got the butts moving all over that hot patch of parking lot. Closing a set with ‘YEM’ will never get an argument from me, the ovation after the vocal jam was well earned this night. A quick shot of ‘Suzy’ encored the proceedings no time to mess around since the crew had to make the lengthy journey to the Gorge with the whole circus in tow.

In the long run not the most memorable Phish show but it was the show we got this night and it did its job, we laughed we cried and most importantly we danced. Much love and safe travels out there people because shit is definitely real this summer. Bang a gong it’s on, Phish Summer Tour 2018 buckle the fuck up…

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Laos-penglow: Sunset on the Mekong

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Laos: Siren Song of the Mekong

Flying in to Luang Prabang the bare mountaintops are numerous, these old small scale slash and burn gardens yet to be reclaimed by the jungle speckle the landscape’s high points, in between the hills and valleys are choked with every shade of green. Terraced farms dot the patchwork quilt below, crude shacks clinging to hillsides, jungle and fields swap places over and over, here and there a muddy river meanders by drawing a squiggly brown line through the lushness. Landing in a prop plane and setting foot on the scorched, radiating tarmac feels like a step sideways outside of time, a simplicity hard to find at an international airport these days. Verdant hills thick with under, over, and all manner of growth surround, edging right up to the runway as if to say this is mine whenever you’re done with it. The airport is small and underwhelming, the heat and humidity are profuse and overwhelming, customs is a laid back, sweaty affair full of double checks and minor bribes. The cab situation is pleasantly low key like everything else I was to experience while in Laos.  Luang Prabang is a sleepy town, especially so in face of the oppressive midday sun, chickens and ducks flit about while dogs and people laze in the shade. Pinched between two rivers (the mighty Mekong and the mellow Nam Khan) and laid out on a peninsula the town is an undeniably charming affair; smoky, dusty, patrolled by young monks in orange and saffron robes it’s a peaceful place to stroll about soaking in the atmosphere. Chock full of mysterious Wats of varying sizes and intents, its mellow tranquility can’t be overstated, no one seems to bothered about anything except their smartphones or a siesta when the sun gets to be too much. Rainy season is ending, the river is lowering & garden plots are sprouting up all along the fertile banks of the Mekong. Looking at things I doubt much has changed agriculturally since humans first came to Laos & began farming (which was a long, long time ago human skulls have been dated to 46,000 years old) the major difference now is the farmers & their kids have smartphones to pass the idle hours.   As the sun sinks behind the hills a hazy orange glow envelopes the place, families shuttle back and forth across the river in narrow wooden boats, cooking fires are rekindled and tourists emerge from their air conditioned sanctuaries. The night market springs to life at dusk but it has to be the most laid back version of lively any market can be, no aggressive touts hawking their wares, deals can be had with the young girls running the stalls though they can barely be bothered to haggle, this lack of hassle & hustle is refreshing compared to Thailand or Vietnam. The town is home to many graceful little villas some run as small hotels by absentee owners and happy locals, others shuttered awaiting their ex-pat dwellers and some half finished soon to join the enchanting facade of the block or alley on which they sit. Ostensibly a communist country Laos is mostly free of the propaganda you find in Vietnam. No posters or loudspeakers proclaiming the greatness of their leader, who is actually in charge? The military and some generals apparently but aside from immigration their seemed to be no authority ruling over anything, it’s the lackadaisical land of Laos.  An ethnically diverse country with an astounding array of ancient peoples, more tribal & independent then united under any simple banner like communism.  A third of the people live on less then $2 a day and nearly 70% of the population lives a rural farming life, simplicity is implicit.    “From 1964 to 1973, the U.S. dropped more than two million tons of ordinance on Laos during 580,000 bombing missions—equal to a planeload of bombs every 8 minutes, 24-hours a day, for 9 years – making Laos the most heavily bombed country per capita in history”  This unfortunate distinction makes even less sense once you’ve visited and looked around and wondered what the hell did they bomb (it’s all jungles and mountains and scattered dots of ramshackle villages) and how could this bombing have helped any cause? Some rumors are rather then bring weapons back after the Vietnam War it was just dropped on Laos a kind of doomed dump was how it was viewed I guess.  The food is great and unique compared to its neighbors Thailand or Vietnam, not as spicy and more herbal. I ate everywhere from Michelin starred restaurants to alleyway noodles for a dollar, a whole pig’s head or an entire duck can be found for a steal from the right stall. In the alleys tough old women cook over open fires while the dogs await the hoped for scraps and the travelers drink and eat cheaply but well. Couples carouse by candlelight over cocktails on the numerous verandas of the posher places in town. Tranquility seems to be the only common course that’s taken. Mired by stultifying corruption, little to no infrastructure, and it’s relative obscurity Laos looks to remain a laid back paradise free of the sort of over development that would usually threaten somewhere so pure and pleasant to visit. Tourism is up but seems unlikely to overwhelm in the way it might in Vietnam one day. Thankfully and blissfully off the beaten path Laos has a lot to offer anyone not looking for much. 

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The opium addicts den: this guys was quite the eccentric, ambling through the market with his wobbly gait and jovial blissed out ways, chatting with everyone he even offered me a fresh hit off his bamboo tobacco pipe. Happened to see him duck into his little nook of an apartment to eat a banana.