Friday night Ann and I went clubbing at Avalon. Okay, so we didn't go to gay night at 11, we caught the Vida Blue early show at 7. Despite what you may have heard from the naysayers, Vida Blue was excellent.

They aren't Phish, of course (but they did bring some of their equipment), but how can you not love seeing Page on stage? It was a special feeling, just like seeing Mike play with Trey at Great Woods this summer. Call me a sentimental idiot, but something about seeing anyone from Phish play music just makes me feel giddy.

Vida Blue really gives Page a chance to stretch out, and while some of his lyrics are a bit...unsophisticated...his keyboard playing is first-rate. Page truly has his own sound which sometimes got overshadowed in Phish - you really get a sense of what each of his 8 keyboards sound like. If you go to the show expecting Medeski you will be disappointed, but if you go in with an open mind you'll have a great time. Page's rhythm section (or is the whole band a rhythm section?) lay down a great base for his techno/funk/classic rock explorations, and Oteil sings a damn good "Manic Depression." Hearing Page sing through the voice changer on Zepplin's "No Quarter" was a dream come true.

Of course it didn't hurt that it Paul Languedoc and Chris Kuroda were along for the ride. As you can maybe see in the Kuroda Pic, Chris has a piano keyboard that he uses to control the lights. It was amazing to watch him work, because you can never get that close to him at a Phish concert. He even brought the high beams!

All in all it was a great night, and well worth the price of admission. If only they could have had a better beer selection!