Phish New Year’s third Set is all about our Oceans, National Geographic: Ocean Odyssey, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Art and China after 1989: Theater of the World, American Natural Museum of History, Airbnb, Lost Phish Dry Goods Jacket

Leading up to Midnight and after already playing two sets at the Madison Square Garden on a cold New York city evening, Phish starts their midnight 'gag' as they refer to it as (or what I call its' 'gala festivity' (Bill Graham blurb)) and I loved it!
 
For many reasons I loved it. 

I mostly loved it for what I was considering to be an overall message being sent to Phish Heads.
First off, I never heard that song they began the third set with that is called 'Soul Planet.' It is a cool song and no doubt did I notice that it was about our "oceans". 

It was also the debut of it which is why I never heard the song before and then after 'Auld Lang Syne', they went into 'Free.'

I then started thinking right away that they (Phish) are they singing about how all Dolphins, Whales and all beings from the oceans (and animals and wildlife all over the planet quite frankly) should not only live in a 'free' environment in our oceans and in our sea's, that they should also be able to live freely in their own natural environments

That is how I took it and again, I was psyched!

Free:
I'm floating in the blimp a lot
I feel the feeling I forgot
of swimming weightless in the womb
or bouncing gently 'round the room
In a minute I’ll be free
and you’ll be splashing in the sea

I feel no curiosity
I see the path ahead of me
in a minute I'll be free
and you'll be splashing in the sea
we'll hear a tiny cry
as the ship goes sliding by

I thought to myself 'do they know about this hunting season we go through every year of the coast in Taiji, Japan and do they really know that we are going through right now and for another two months?


Then came 'A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing'.

A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing
A song I heard the ocean sing
A shining light in darkness deep
I prayed a prayer into the tide
And both they soothed me in my sleep

For every season that has passed
I prayed a prayer into the tide
A shining light in darkness deep
In my ten years before the mast

For every season that has passed
I laid my body o’er the side
A shining light in darkness deep
I prayed a prayer into the tide

How can I answer questions I’ve known?

A song I heard the ocean sing
A shining light in darkness deep
Ten years before the mast
I heard the ocean sing


'Moma Dance' came next and by now I knew this oceans themed set was in affect.

Moma Dance:
All throughout I gaze and glimpse you
loving never did convince you
I see you when you're all alone
It's like a person, I've not known

The moment ends though I feel winds
Blowing differently then ever before
And they're pushing me further from shore

The moment ends / though I feel winds (x8)
The moment ends / The moma dance (x8)

a frothy cap the steady slap
of lines against the rail
a biting rain take in the main

Up the rigging
taking sail 
mind the skipper 
we'll not fail
He'll bring out wine 
and we'll be fine 
just heed the order 
watch the sail

The moment ends / though I feel winds (x8)
The moment ends / The moma dance (x8)

Setting all of that aside, they were playing so great all night. 

My god kidz were at their first show and so I jumped around after trading my floor seat this night to Section 108 in Row 8. 

I hung with one of my oldest friends, let alone a friend I had seen probably about 100 or so Grateful Dead shows with, but what is best is that he was with his son. Whom I love. This kid is so far ahead of his 18 to 19 year old time, that I lost track that he was not a fully grown adult. He is very smart in a worldly way which I love. Plus, he plays Tuba on the Cal Berkeley band team which I think is bigger than life. I was so impressed on opening day this season when I saw posts of his son on the Berkeley field. It was surreal. I was real proud in some odd way and I made my friend know damn well how impressive I thought it was. That was a half a year ago now and regardless, I had a great time spending time with them, and notably getting to better know his son.

They were in Section 107 on the aisle. It was very easy to hang with them and especially because the seat in front their row was emptied and you know why? Evidently some dude set up in one of those suites behind every first level section had started dumping all types of food and drink over that barrier or wall and on the heads and bodies of the people at the top of Sections 108 and 107. It is a suite where a bunch of people can stay during an event. There is generally a bathroom in there and you basically get your own bar to share with a minimal amount of people. 

I did that at the Wells Fargo Center this year for the Guns N' Roses show.

So then fights ensued and people got tossed from the venue because of the melee.

However, I then jumped to Section 2 where my friend set me up with that seat and which was also in a row in front of my friends and god kids. There is glass partition set between the Section 103 and Sections 1, 2 and 3 (we were on the aisle) which was the only thing in between us. I spent the entire second set and part of the third set in 107 and in Section 2 accordingly. 

I had the best of every world. Remember too, I spent the first three shows on the floor in General Admission. Having a seat was a thrill.

I spent listening from 'Prince Caspian on (Prince Caspian > Wading in the Velvet Sea > First Tube)  back at my other seat way up front in Section 108. And, getting back there was fun. I met these great people that took me in with overwhelming warmth. 

That rounded off the night perfectly and the rest of the songs in the set that I mention above are indeed about our sea's (or about playing in the them).

'Loving Cup' was the encore and so we are reminded again to love our oceans and everything in it (the entire set list is below somewhere).

Ironically, we all went to the National Geographic: Ocean Odyssey exhibit just off Times Square:
 
 
 

 

 
Every show this week was amazing! 

The 30th was off the chart even though someone inadvertently swiped my jacket so I was jacket less for a few hours after the show. The thing is that it had a bag I got from one of the Grammy Awards show in it along with my key to the place I rented via Airbnb. Besides losing my very rare Phish Dry Goods Ski Jacket made by Spyder, the key being lost was awful. However, there are these places called 'KeyMe' in various markets and in this case, it was in a 7-11. I spent $17.99 getting keys made in automated ways literally at 2AM. 

Then, there are other nuances such as being told to get a mail key but that could not be done (I know around my house, you have to get mail keys duped at an actual Post Office) and in the mailbox evidently there is a key to the front door. We could not get the mail key to get the front door key and so what did we have to do? We pressed every button constantly until someone got so annoyed they buzzed us in. It was horrible to do to anyone at 2:40AM but I was also not about to stand out front waiting for no one to show at the part of the night (the next night on the 1st at that hour, four other people entered at the same time we did) and in 10 degree weather.

That was my only real issue all week that I cared about because if we stayed at a hotel, losing a key is a non issue. You get another one at the front desk. I felt so badly for contacting the landlord or in this case, the people that currently live here. 

It was weird. It was awkward. It revealed something about Airbnb stays.

I have never stayed at a place where it was the actual peoples house or abode that they lived in. Every other Home Away, Airbnb or Vacation Rental I have stayed at since 2009 have all been second houses to whomever that owns them. Do not get me wrong. They are have furniture and they all have decor but in no way did they live there.

My point is that I highly doubt I will use those services again. 

There were also too many moving parts. I had to park. Then I had to go get the key and of course they were not in this box at some organic market and so I had to contact them before I had even checked in (I was supposed to get there after 330PM and it was 316PM, however, in defense of it, the Stewart Hotel allowed us to check into our Penthouse Suite at 5PM yesterday).

That show on the 30th from beginning to end was something else. 

Many people loved the first night which I thought was great, but I also thought of three pre New Years Eve shows or these shows leading up to it, they all progressed from being great to being over the top perfect right up the line from the 28th to the 29th and then again, to the 30th:


This show was webcast via Live Phish and featured the Phish debut of Soul Planet. During Soul Planet, the stage was transformed into a massive pirate ship with sails blown by fans, cannons blowing confetti, and a Phish 'Jolly Roger' flag. Fans were given bracelets that illuminated different colors depending on where seated during pirate ship sequence. All of the songs after Auld Lang Syne centered around a water theme. A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing contained Shipwreck quotes. Moma included an Auld Lang Syne tease.
This show was webcast via Live Phish.
This show was webcast via Live Phish
This show was webcast via Live Phish.
Also this week, I was able to get to two museums, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (Art and China after 1989: Theater of the World), American Natural Museum of History:

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
 
American Natural Museum of History