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Talk about opposite extremes.
Phish’s Trey Anastasio gave a sublime performance with the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall last night, wowing the crowd from the first notes of the “First Tube” opener to the last moments of a 14-minute orchestral “You Enjoy Myself” finale (the heavy brass in place of the vocal “Boy/Man/God/Shit” drew audible groans of glee from the audience). The fact that most fans were sporting blazers and button-down shirts gave it a touch of class befitting of the nation’s oldest symphony orchestra in the Western Hemisphere’s most revered concert hall. It was a memorable evening for a very special cause – the memorial fund for Trey’s sister Kristy who passed away of cancer earlier this year.
So what was it like outside? A raging nitrous scene. It began well before the show and popped up again right after, continuing unabated for at least 45 minutes after the “If I Could” encore. This wasn’t the sort of back alley, slightly down-low nitrous scene we’re used to. It was completely out in the open, with hawkers walking around with 4 balloons in each, right on the corner of W 57th and 7th Ave.
There was no shortage of Phish fans in sport jackets sucking it all up.
Nitrous started to hit hard in New York City last summer, and there’s seemingly been no attempt by the NYPD to stop it. The hippie crack dealers must read JamBase – because they can be found at any show likely to attract a heady crowd. Even ones at Carnegie Hall.