It’s the day that many in the jamband world have been waiting for….the PHISH Summer Tour dates. Drum roll please….
Phish’s 2016 Summer Tour begins on June 22 with the band’s first concert in the Twin Cities since 2000, and culminates with its sixth year of summer-ending shows in September at Dick’s Sporting Good Park in Commerce City, CO. The tour will include the band’s first appearances at Chicago’s storied Wrigley Field, as well as returns to Saratoga Performing Arts Center, The Mann, and The Gorge Amphitheater.
As a So Cal person, when I look at this tour, I’m happy and angry all at the same time. The Gorge in Washington is a sight to behold and worthy of a two night run. Camping is close by and it’s so far out in the sticks that you don’t want a single night, there and gone, kinda experience at that venue.
HOWEVER, three nights in San Francisco whilst screwing the starving Phish phans in Los Angeles with a single night is hardly worthy of praise. I have this overwhelming feeling of Oliver Twist in the soup line…”Thank you, Trey, but may I have some more?” followed by a bellowing, “MORE!!! YOU’LL GET NOTHING AND LIKE IT!”
Let’s break it down right now for those of you who say, “oh, we can do SF, LA and Chula Vista!” Sure, I suppose, if you pack 10 to a room like Syrian refugees at the Hilton you can swing that. Three nights (and days, don’t forget the days) in one of the countries most expensive cities will set ya back a couple duckets. Not to mention the shows in SF are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday so, no work for you (assuming you have one of those job things.) Then there’s a break in the action on Thursday with LA’s sole show on Friday and San Diego on Saturday.
I’ve tried to do two and three night runs in SF for Grateful Dead shows and it never falls short of a multi-thousand dollar excursion between tickets, hotel, food, booze, transportation and ancillary costs that always arise (blew out my flip flop, stepped on a pop top…you get the idea). Are they assuming that the whole Phish phanbase is dripping in disposable income? I’m sending this out to the Phish-iverse. Why can’t you do M-T in SF and Th-F in LA and finish strong in SD with a Saturday? I’m sure there are logistics and shit like that involved but didn’t that thought even cross your minds?
It all comes down to money. Where are they going to sell the most tickets. From last years turn-out at the Forum, you could buy tickets at the venue the night of the show. The one way to assure them that LA is a good/safe bet…GO TO THE SHOW! Sell out the Forum and next time around, they’ll think twice about short sheeting the LA market.
Phish Summer 2016 Tourdates
06/22 Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN
06/24 Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
06/25 Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
06/26 Klipsch Music Center, Noblesville, IN
06/28 The Mann Center, Philadelphia, PA
06/29 The Mann Center, Philadelphia, PA
07/01 Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
07/02 Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
07/03 Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
07/06 Cross Insurance Arena, Portland, ME
07/08 Xfinity Center, Mansfield, MA
07/09 Xfinity Theatre, Hartford, CT
07/10 Lakeview Amphitheater, Syracuse, NY
07/15 Gorge Amphitheatre, George, WA
07/16 Gorge Amphitheatre, George, WA
07/18 Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA
07/19 Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA
07/20 Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA
07/22 The Forum, Inglewood, CA
07/23 Sleep Train Amphitheatre, Chula Vista, CA
09/02 Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO
09/03 Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO
09/04 Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO
An online ticket request period is currently underway at http://tickets.phish.com and will end Sunday, February 21st at 11:59pm ET. Tickets will go on sale to the public beginning Thursday, February 25th. Specific on sale information for each show is available at http://phish.com.
