By Michael Walsh
Let’s put aside all bias right now. Phish is my favorite band. There I said it.
But I’m not about to limit the enjoyment of Phish 3D to fans only. If there were ever a game-changer for someone on the fence of the popular counterculture jam band this 3D concert film is it.
Phish 3D highlights Festival 8, the band’s most recent music fest held over Halloween weekend in 2009.
Phish played a total of eight sets of music that weekend, including a special daytime acoustic set and the complete covering of The Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main St. album, a performance that kept up Phish’s tradition of covering an entire album as their musical Halloween costume.
Musically, Phish 3D excels in all the right areas. What it brings is some but not all of the band’s best and tightest jamming from that weekend. Sure, 2009′s best jams might not be included here, but this is still worthwhile content. The film’s first third is highlighted by a menacing “Tweezer” that goes right into a psychedelic “Maze,” as well as a funky and dark “Undermind.” Guitarist Trey Anastasio absolutely dominates the early stages of the film with blistering guitar play, but the rest of the band aren’t far behind either.
The night then turns to day, saying goodbye to the glow stick wars and the flashy and mesmerizing Chris Kuroda-controlled light show, bringing on a relaxing sunlight. The acoustic set contains a few softer gems like “Strange Design,” but the main focus is certainly the dazzling version of “The Curtain With” and a energizing performance of the fan favorite “Wilson.” I can’t forget the unique “Back on the Train,” a tune that usually is one of their funkiest but made mellow by the acoustic setup.
The final third of the film is utilized to showcase part of the band’s excellent Exile on Main St. performance. A standout moment is their electrifying and chilling rendition of “Loving Cup,” a song they had been covering since 1993. The entire set was aided by the amazing Sharon Jones, whose backing vocals add a level of soul and dimension to the performance, and the accompanying trumpet, trombone and saxophone.
The four tracks in the Stones segment capture the festival’s energy in no other way possible. Anastasio hardly wipes his signature grinning smile off his face the entire time, and that level of joy carries right through the screen. More focus on this part of the show wouldn’t have been a bad idea. I’m always amazed at how this band can pick another artist’s album or song and replicate it in their own style so flawlessly, and the four tracks chosen here (“Loving Cup,” “Soul Survivor,” “Happy,” and “Shine a Light”) absolutely epitomize their ability to turn out a brilliant and inspiring cover.
Fans will enjoy what they see and here, some will complain and wonder why a certain track wasn’t picked over another, but that’s going to happen when more than 12 hours of music has to be trimmed down to just over two hours. Sure, the song selection is a little mainstream friendly, but big deal. The only thing that I question is that the songs that were picked weren’t always played in the order they came in, a strange decision if you ask me. The magic of editing helped the concert flow, but it’s something that’ll be very noticeable to fans who pay attention.
Visually Phish 3D thoroughly impresses with crystal clear cinematography. The crew used the benefit of the 3D technology to try and put you in the shoes of a fan lucky enough to actually attend the festival, putting you right in the middle of glow stick wars and in way of errant balloons you wish you could reach out and hit. Brought to a new life are Chris Kuroda’s always spectacular light shows, with colorful flashing lights that can easily put any mind in a state of trance. The entire festival leaps into view, bringing the weekend’s vibe and energy right into the theatre.
The camera constantly soars above and around keyboardist Page McConnell’s giant and all-encompassing rig, putting you right on top of the action. Nice close-ups of Anastasio’s guitar playing and bassist Mike Gordon going at it are also cut to quite often and help add a lot to the detail level of the film. It was also nice to be so close and personal to Jon Fishman’s drum set, a point of view you can’t get otherwise.
Phish 3D is truly an experience that any Phish fan won’t want to miss. The sights and sounds won’t leave my mind for quite some time. I can’t promise it will convert a non fan or someone who isn’t really sure what they think, but the bottom line is, fans will have to overthink the film and go out of their way to not enjoy this immersive experience that works as an engaging and entertaining appetizer to the band’s upcoming summer tour.
