Can I go to Reading by bus ?!

by Yome NetSan 12. August 2013

I live near Lyon, France. And it looks like there's a direct bus from Lyon Station to downtown Reading, PA !
It's Route 22 from Batrabus.
Very convenient ;)

From Berlin to Chicago : 3 wet nights of Phish

by Holger 31. July 2013

Will 2013 be finally THE year ?

by Yome NetSan 29. July 2013

When the fall tour 2013 has been announced last week, I read the news like any Phish tour announcement for sixteen years. Where will they play ? How many shows ? Basic stuffs. But when I saw that they'll play 3 days at Atlantic City from October 31th to November 2nd, I got pretty hyped : Halloween + 30th anniversary show during the same run ?! I HAVE TO GO !

Ok, I realized a few minutes later that their birthday was on December 2nd, not November 2nd...

Nevertheless, my brain was already on fire. The run will be at the very end of the Toussaint holidays in France. I already planned a family trip to Morocco but it won't last the 2 weeks. With one flight to the U.S.A., I could attend 3 shows, including a pretty rare Halloween 3-setter ! I talked about it to my wife and her answer was both encouraging and full of common sense : "How much would it cost ?"

Yes, the main concern will be the money, as it has always been.

The following day, I checked several websites for flights booking to have an idea of the grand total.
First surprise : Atlantic City International airport can't be reached from Europe. So I search for Philadelphia from Lyon, Paris or even Geneva. I found several possibilities with or without stopover for a price from 600€ to 700€. I can find cheaper with 2 stopovers but I don't want to spend 24 hours in planes and airports...
A 3 day ticket would be 180$ but I have to add the fee and shipping for a total of 217.10$.
I have also to count 4 hotel nights, a way to go from Philly to Atlantic City (it seems I won't be alone), food and pocket money.

OK so I have to find a 1200€ bill.

I could fight against my habits to buy countless video games or vinyls to finally save this amount until October. The problem is I have to spend most of it (tickets, plane and hotel) at least in august and I don't have it now. So, like many times before, I dug the idea...

 

On Saturday, I received a letter from my company about my annual bonus. Usually it's stuck on a special bank account for 5 years unless I get married, have a baby or buy a house, which is not planned. But for the first time, this year, I have the option to request the full amount to be paid immediately.

 

Wait a minute...

 

This morning, I did something I've been dreaming of for sixteen year : I request tickets for a Phish show on tickets.phish.com

Oh my. I'll go to a Phish show !

What a long, strange trip it's been

by Yome NetSan 20. April 2012

I promise, this will be the last article about Jam in the Dam 2012 but I wanted to conclude with a collection of all the articles.

The whole experience has been great with lots of highs and a few downs. The shows were spectacular and it was very funny to travel with my little boy. I'll keep a lot of good memories from those 5 days...

 

Waiting and planning

2011-03-17 It's the closest to a Phish show we get for several years !
2011-07-20 Jam in the Dam, here I come !
2011-11-22 Jam in the Dam schedule

2012-02-08 I'll be tripping with this strange design
2012-02-27 Amsterdam is getting closer and closer
2012-03-05 QR Code card contest
2012-03-12 Setting up and loosing money

 

Live reports from Amsterdam

2012-03-14 Jam in the Dam : Live tweeting
2012-03-15 Jam in the Dam : Night 1
2012-03-16 Jam in the Dam : Night 2
2012-03-18 Jam in the Dam : Night 3

 

Post-trip reviews, photos and recordings

2012-03-20 Amsterdam : Travel and discoveries
2012-03-21 Amsterdam : Arriving at the Melkweg
2012-03-22 Amsterdam : Jam in the Dam 1 - Lotus
2012-03-23 Amsterdam : Jam in the Dam 1 - Mike Gordon
2012-03-23 Amsterdam : Jam in the Dam 1 - Dark Star Orchestra

2012-03-29 Amsterdam : Third day and signing session
2012-03-29 Amsterdam : Jam in the Dam 2 - Keller Williams
2012-03-30 Amsterdam : Jam in the Dam 2 - moe.
2012-03-30 Amsterdam : Jam in the Dam 2 - Mike Gordon

2012-04-10 Amsterdam : Day 4
2012-04-11 Amsterdam : Jam in the Dam 3 - Mike Gordon
2012-04-19 Amsterdam : Jam in the Dam 3 - Keller Williams >
2012-04-19 Amsterdam : Jam in the Dam 3 - Dark Star Orchestra >
2012-04-19 Amsterdam : Jam in the Dam 3 - > Lotus >
2012-04-19 Amsterdam : Jam in the Dam 3 - > Dark Star Orchestra (Reprise) 

 

The pictures I sent during the festival can be seen as-they-were-sent on LightBox.

I don't know if it's really worthwhile but for the sake of completeness, here are all my Amsterdam tweets.

/image.axd?picture=/2012/4/Amsterdam Tweets/mini/01 Discovering the city.png /image.axd?picture=/2012/4/Amsterdam Tweets/mini/02 Arriving at the Melkweg.png /image.axd?picture=/2012/4/Amsterdam Tweets/mini/03 Jam in the Dam 1.png /image.axd?picture=/2012/4/Amsterdam Tweets/mini/04 Jam in the Dam 1.png
/image.axd?picture=/2012/4/Amsterdam Tweets/mini/05 Jam in the Dam 2.png /image.axd?picture=/2012/4/Amsterdam Tweets/mini/06 Jam in the Dam 2.png /image.axd?picture=/2012/4/Amsterdam Tweets/mini/07 Jam in the Dam 3.png /image.axd?picture=/2012/4/Amsterdam Tweets/mini/08 Jam in the Dam 3.png
/image.axd?picture=/2012/4/Amsterdam Tweets/mini/09 Leaving Amsterdam.png

 

 

And finaly, a list of links with reports, pictures and other stuffs :

 

See you at the next Jam in the Dam ?

2013 ?

2014 ?

Amsterdam : Jam in the Dam 3 - > Dark Star Orchestra (Reprise)

by Yome NetSan 19. April 2012

Saturday 17th march 2012 @ 03:00

And I'm back for the last songs from Dark Star Orchestra in the final set of Jam in the Dam 2012. I arrived during the great Not Fade Away sandwich, supposedly the last song of the show. With this one I collected one more song I wanted to catch along with Truckin', Casey Jones and China Cat Sunflower !

But after a thank you speech for the staff, the band came back for one last tune to finish this incredible festival all together.

After the show, I met Stephen one last time before parting ways and I rushed to my hotel to fall in my bed.

 

 

Setlist :
5/10/72 Concertgebouw Amsterdam Netherlands

Set Two :
...
Beat It On Down The Line
Two Souls In Communion
Sugar Magnolia
Ramble On Rose
Sing Me Back Home
Not Fade Away > 
Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad > 
Not Fade Away 

Filler :
Ripple

Notes :
Original Grateful Dead show went "Two Souls In Communion, Ramble On Rose, Sing Me Back Home, Sugar Magnolia"

Amsterdam : Jam in the Dam 3 - > Lotus >

by Yome NetSan 19. April 2012

Saturday 17th march 2012 @ 01:00

It was already late and I didn't want Jam in the Dam to end without dancing my ass off... so I went straight from Dark Star Orchestra second set into Lotus final act and didn't regret my choice.

They were jamming like crazy with their electro-jam-rock style. The groove was intense and everybody was dancing hard. The whole room had entered a big trance party and the light show was gorgeous ! I kept moving my bones until the end of the set, along with my new hundred-or-so friends !

Recording can be found here : http://archive.org/details/lotus2012-03-16.tlm170.flac16

Setlist :
1. Age of Inexperience
2. Kodiak
3. Livingston Storm
4. Wooly Mammoth
5. Massif
6. Disappear in a Blood Red Sky
7. It's All Clear To Me Now ->
8. Lucid Awakening
9. Break Build Burn
10. Greet The Mind
11. Sunrain ->
12. Flower Sermon ->
13. Sunrain

 

Tired but happy, I went back to the end of Dark Star Orchestra show...

 

Amsterdam : Jam in the Dam 3 - > Dark Star Orchestra >

by Yome NetSan 19. April 2012

Friday 16th march 2012 @ 22:30

Tonight, Dark Star Orchestra had the longest spot of Jam in the Dam because they were about to perform the Grateful Dead show played in Amsterdam during the famous Europe 72 tour : a 4 hours, 30+ songs orgy !

I was front row again with Stephen for the first set and I enjoyed every minute of it. Evey band member knows his job and I've been very impressed by the female singer.

The only drawback was that I found the sound too loud. Maybe I was a little tired after 3 days but it was too much for me.

Funny note : the bass player had a Guitar Hero II bracelet on the right arm.

Setlist :
5/10/72 Concertgebouw Amsterdam Netherlands

Set One :
Bertha
Me And My Uncle
Mr. Charlie
China Cat Sunflower > 
I Know You Rider
Black Throated Wind
Loser
Next Time You See Me
El Paso
He's Gone
Chinatown Shuffle
Playing In The Band
Big Railroad Blues
Jack Straw
Tennessee Jed
Big Boss Man
Greatest Story Ever Told
Casey Jones

Continue reading...

Amsterdam : Jam in the Dam 3 - Keller Williams >

by Yome NetSan 19. April 2012

Friday 16th march 2012 @ 21:45

After a little break to eat a home-made sandwich, we went to The Oude Hall to witness Keller Williams jamming with half of Dark Star Orchestra ! That was the end of the set but the few minutes we catched were grooving.

Recording of his first night shows that he also jammed with DSO band members :
http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=554113

Unfortunatly, this seems to be the only recording made in the small room during the whole Jam in the Dam festival...

 

After the end of Keller's set, we stayed there for the big Dark Star Orchestra extravaganza...

 

Amsterdam : Jam in the Dam 3 - Mike Gordon

by Yome NetSan 11. April 2012

Friday 16th march 2012 @ 20:00

3 Mike Gordon shows in three days with 2 in a row in less than 24 hours.

The final Jam in the Dam night started with the final Mike Gordon show in Amsterdam. As usual, I arrived early and found Stephen right in front of the stage. He finally got his bass signed the night before ! I was so jealous ! During the afternoon, he listened to the soundcheck and heard two noticeable songs. One of it was The Who's Won't Get Fooled Again that they finally didn't play in the show. He also told me he met Scott Murawsky during the day and also crossed Mike's path with his family. The band didn't show up for the signing session the night before because they have been caught in a tour boat for longer than they planned ! Too bad...

Arriving on stage, Mike started toying with a Korg Kaossilator, asking for a number to choose the sound. Another Door was the first song, followed by Crumblin' Bones, a Tom Cleary original. I didn't know the next one neither so I already had hard time tweeting the setlist !

Each song seemed shorter than the ones from previous nights with less jamming. But the playing was great with nice solos from Scott.

Mike came back several times to his Kaossilator, asking for number (I asked "7" and he heard "17"). He even passed it to a man on my right for him to play ! Later in the show, that's Scott who came on the edge of the stage to hand the pad to several people, including Stephen and myself.

The highlight of the night came with a perfectly played Mound. That was the second song Stephen heard during soundcheck. I really love the way they play those Phish songs with extended parts and new arrangements like the vocal "Time Time" break. Scott was killing in the intro !

Again this night, they gifted us with a new cover : Toys R Us by the Greyboy Allstars. It's good to see that they really wanted to do something special for this festival and we all appreciated.

As the end of the set was approaching, I clearly saw someone backstage give Mike a sign that there was 8 minutes left. But they were already waving and the left early. This was the shorter set of the three nights, the recording is 84 minutes long.

Unfortunately, I didn't catch the setlist to complete my collection but Stephen got Mike's pick.

And that was it. Mike Gordon stepped off stage and I don't know when I'll be able to attend another concert.

Continue reading...

Amsterdam : Day 4

by Yome NetSan 10. April 2012

Friday 16th march 2012 @ 8:00

Early wake again and a nice breakfast.

On our way to Centraal Station, we bought tulip bulbs at the floating flower market. We also walked several street with a lot of mushroom shops. But no psychedelic stuff for me : I bought myself batteries and a 4Go SD Card for my photo camera because I was already short of space after 3 days !

10:00

This time we had taken the tickets with us for the City Tour Bus. The first part of the tour was real hell because we're upstairs without air conditioned nor open window. It was like 8000°C in here ! The bus was packed without a lot of room between the seats. My wife had my son on her knees because I had most of the bags and we weren't feeling good. My son felt asleep because of the heat and we were trying to cool ourselves the best we could.

A stop was planned at a Diamond Factory and we all stepped out of the bus like if our life depended on it ! But new passagers started walking in before we could go out so it turned into a hurry to move out with our bags, the stroller and our sleeping son.

We realized later this day that, in the haste, we forgot the flower bulbs bellow our seats. It didn't costed a lot of money but it was a little too much for my wife after the Groupon fiasco.

We barely had the time to catch your breath before following the group inside the Diamond Factory. The visit was shiny as you can expect it and quite interresting.

Thankfully, the next bus wasn't the same as the first one. We stayed downstairs anyway and the second half of the tour was much more pleasant.

13:00

On our way back, we walked along the tilting houses, wondering how we didn't saw them before...

We almost visited the Game Museum Amsterdam but my credit card decided otherwise. The setting looked cheap and we weren't sure what to find inside (How big is it ? Are there more items than in my own collection ?). The price was 12.50€ per person and, at first, they wanted my 2 years old son to pay full rate ! But we didn't have enough change and my credit card mysteriously didn't worked. I don't know why, but I think it's a good thing we didn't go...

14:30

We finally ate at Burger King again before going back to the hotel to take a nap.




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