#NowPlaying The gloriously stupendous 6/19/04 Piper. #phish #DrewsPicks
This jam is Christmas morning when you're 5 years old levels of magical.
The sustained intensity is superhero stuff across the board and is NOT easy to do. If you hear a youth orchestra play a Mahler or Bruckner symphony, the louds are all really loud, right out of the gate. It feels like you're getting yelled at after a while, no matter how pretty the sounds are that they're making.
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For an improvisational rock band to be able to have this kind of a sustained build where the intensity never levels off for even two bars is close to unheard of.
And like a great orchestra, there is a nuanced conversation happening within the tsunami of volume and energy - all four leading while also slightly changing musical direction almost constantly in order to play off of the others. #phish
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Wearing both the leading and following caps simultaneously is rarified air for musicians and all the greats do it. This 2004 SPAC run is a masterclass in it.
And this sounds like hyperbole but I think that Mike Gordon's June 2004 is the best individual month that any member of #phish has ever had.
He is the one driving the bus on almost every jam in a way that is truly remarkable. Close your eyes and focus on Mike during literally any June 2004 jam and you will be transported. #phish
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Drew but 7/27/25 GA ➡️ Reprise
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