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A Tale of Two Phish Shows: Albany Review

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After a two-day Phish run in Albany, N.Y., complete with singing, dancing and partying till the wee hours of the morning, it’s solidified– Neil and I are party animals

The weekend started with a full belly, as the first show was only a day after Thanksgiving and I had stuffed myself to the point of wrenching pain less than 24 hours earlier.

[You can thank Rod Bunt and his delicious stuffing for us being well-fed. – Neil]

Me, Neil and some of our friends stayed at the Clarion in Albany (Neil’s hometown), and when we arrived at the hotel around 3 p.m. the hippie invasion had already begun.

Don’t forget the Dead!

This one’s for all you jam-band junkies out there. Guest writer Neil Benjamin, a sports writer for the North Adams Transcript, taps his true talent: getting into the music. He can probably get you into the show, too. – Alicia

With all the frenzy surrounding the return of Phish, it’s easy to forget about all other music. I mean, let’s face it, Phish are musical gods.

Trey Anastasio and the boys returned from a nearly five-year absence in March, and it was all anyone seemed to talk about. Or maybe it was just me. Dreadlocks everywhere smirked with excitement.

But if you need a reminder, another fabulous band has recently returned to the spotlight. The band that originally made 20-minute songs hip is back. Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, the surviving members of the Grateful Dead, along with friends Jeff Chimenti and Warren Haynes, embarked on their spring tour on Sunday.