#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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There is a weight and energy to Mike's playing all month that influenced my tuba playing on the spot in real time.
John Bonham comes to mind with regards to the heaviness combined with a seemingly limitless forward propulsion to the groove. So does John Medeski.
Mike is always a great example of this. But his playing in June 2004 encapsulates it beyond perfectly. I'm a better musician every time I put on June '04 and focus on Mike.
That's some powerful shit! #phish
4/4
Drew but 7/27/25 GA ➡️ Reprise
Captain Twinkie Bucket