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Went to see Phil in Rochester NY in the Hale Auditorium at Roberts Wesleyan College last night (4/17).  It's a long drive from me, about 420 miles, but worth it (actually I have family that lives about an hour and a half away from Roberts and I went to school at Roberts for two years so it's not really so strange I would travel so far).

I bought the tickets to this show about 6 months ago and was a bit nervous when folks started talking about the recently scheduled Texas Glass Harp show the following night. I thought maybe with two gigs so far apart on the same weekend we might not get as complete a show as we otherwise would.  My worries were without merit, as he put on a spectacular show of about 3 hours (including the intermission).

The concert was scheduled for 7:30 and started about 10 minutes late.  On stage was an Olson and a white Zion, and array of pedals, the JamMan, and his tray of toys (eBow, shaker, finger cymbals, plastic thingy).  The announcer made note of the fact that the concert was being recorded including the audience's feedback (which seemed to increase the applause and cheers, at least at the beginning of the concert).  They also had a photographer come out and take a photo of Phil with his back to the audience so the audience would show in the background (left the house lights up for this).

Phil started with some noodling on the Olson with the JamMan.  This included a driving rhythm, backwards loops, slap harmonics, eBow, and volume swells (using a volume pedal).  Eventually, he quite seamlessly slipped into FROM THE BEGINNING.

Next up was SHADES OF GREEN.  Which Phil called his `Two Capo Song'.  He said something to the effect that it was nice to do a song that depended on something as simple as a pair of capos instead of all the gadgetry he was using on everything else (and then he went on to use all the other gadgetry too).  He started with a long version of  "Memory" (the normal intro to Shades of Green) this was partially due to trying to get the tuning just right (something he did during several songs, sometimes in pausing the JamMan to tune a string and then restart the JamMan and pick up where he left off).   During the song he used the  "Plastic Thingy" which he weaves through the strings.  This one was white colored and thicker looking than the clear one I have seen him use several times before.  It gave a more muted sound, especially when he placed it quite a ways from the bridge (almost over the sound hole).  He later moved it back right next to the bridge to get a different sound.  (After the song he commented something to the effect of:  "better music using things found in your kitchen".)  He finished SHADES OF GREEN by layering a bunch of tap harmonics into the JamMan and then reversing the loop.

Next Phil played LOST IN YOU (off of It's Personal).  I like the Amazing Grace bridge in this song.

Phil spoke for a moment next.  The Hale auditorium holds about 1000 people and it was almost completely full (I did see a few empty seats, but not many).  Phil commented on how glad he was to see so many people.  He said that in the concert he did earlier in the week with Lawrence Juber and the Nashville Chamber Orchestra that quite a lot of time and effort was put in by all the performers, but only 134 people showed up to see the performance.  He then quipped something to the effect of `That's Nashville for  ya, perhaps if I showed up with a 10 gallon hat instead of a barret more people would come to watch'.

He then played THIS IS WHAT THE LORD WILL DO FOR YOU.

FULL CIRCLE was next.  During this song he inadvertently pressed the button to reverse the loop, but quickly corrected it.  He commented that he was trying to turn one of the knobs on an adjacent pedal with his toe and accidentally hit the button.  Later in the show when getting ready to start a song he accidentally caused the JamMan to replay the last stored loop but it came out VERY loud and distorted.  Several people jumped a bit.  Phil quickly said  "Scared me too!"

Next was HAPPY ANNIVERSARY LOVE.  Phil explained that he wrote this for Bernadette as a surprise for their anniversary and was not going to put it on the Special Occasions CD (which was to be released before their anniversary), but when the CD was delayed past his anniversary he was able to add it to the CD without spoiling the surprise.

Next was MOTORBIKE with a quick explanation of the origin of the song.

Next was SALVATION ARMY BAND (aka Strong As Dirt).  This was done similar to the way he did it on the Huntley Street show (with the tuned down bass string, scratching, and a jazzy lead), but with other experimentation.

Phil seemed to be in a experimentation mood and tried a lot of effects and layering on many songs.

Earlier, someone had shouted out that they wanted to hear UNDER THE GRACE.  Phil indicated that although the house mics were ment to help him connect with the audience better he couldn't hear the request.  It seemed as though he was joking around and knew what they were requesting but didn't want to play it yet.  When they shouted  "Under the Grace" he would say something like  "What's that, Alexander The Great, Oh yeah  he was a great leader!"  Anyhow, at
this point he finally played UNDER THE GRACE.

Next was YOUR LIGHT (from It's Personal).  This also got the reverse loop ending treatment.

He then said for the last song before intermission he would play PAKA (which several folks had shouted the request).  He gave a brief intro and went into it.

He then did WHO WILL SAVE THE CHILDREN before actually stopping for the intermission.

During the intermission they did a talk on Compassion International and also gave away a guitar in a drawing which was used to raise money for local youth ministries.

He began the second half of the show with a rendition of HAPPY BIRTHDAY to a girl named Teresa.  It seemed to be an ad lib thing with parts of the Beatles Happy Birthday but at a much different tempo etc.

He then did JOHN THE REVELATOR.  He started the song out on the Olson, and after doing a verse or two set up a rhythm in the JamMan and then switch to the Zion to play the lead.  This had some of the typical parts of JTR, but mostly in snippets.  At one point he played the first line of Day Tripper.

Keeping with the Zion he played HATCH OF THE MAYFLIES.  This transitioned into a sequence of his signature volume swells using a finger on the volume control on the guitar while picking.

Next was DUCT TAPE UNIVERSE.  He seemed to get through it with all the lyrics.  To my ear this rendition sounded better than on the CD (Uncle Duke).  It seemed to come through with more feeling.  This included some mouth trumpet and scatting along with the guitar lead.

I believe it was at this point that he switched back to the Olson (but my notes don't say).

Next he did the first verse and chorus of WHAT A DAY and then transitioned into LOVE BROKE THROUGH.

He next did DREAM AGAIN which he introduced as not on any album yet.

Next he did THE BLOOD (from It's Personal).  He commented on seeing the movie The Passion and how this song relates and then said that the most important songs that he has done are this song and MAKER OF THE UNIVERSE.  He then in a half mumbled voice a list of other songs including UNDER THE GRACE (as he nodded toward the folks who had requested it).

Next he did IRISH BLESSING (from It's Personal).  He dedicated it to Dave (I think) who helped organize the concert and who had recently returned from a trip to Ireland.  This was a very pretty song.  He finished with a kind-a jig-like lead.

For his last song he did TRUE BELIEVERS.  This was the typical version (like Strings Attached) not the inside out version other folks were talking about.

Everyone gave him a standing ovation and he came out to do a couple more.

First he did HOLD ME JESUS.  This is always a concert highlight.   This time he did something I've never seen him do before.  The main part of the song is done in an alternate tuning with three strings turned down (DADGAD perhaps?).  After the main part of the song completed he continue then main theme and then tuned up with the JamMan overdubbing, the tuning slurs timed to make a very nice addition to the loop. Very mellow and very cool.

His very last song was a song I did not recognize, but probably based on Psalm 91.

Overall it was an excellent concert.

John Irwin

Page Last Updated: April 19, 2004