10-1-99 -- Hilton Coliseum, Ames, Iowa

Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1999 21:07:42 -0500
From: balocchi dino wayne [email protected]
Newsgroups: rec.music.phish
Subject: 10/1/99 Review Ames, IA
 
Ok,
        This is probably my third or fourth review in the past three years
but i thought since I have a little extra time on my hands this week, why
not share my opinion of this show.  This was my 16th show
and I have about 250hrs on analog so Ive heard good amount of Phish in the
past.  My judgement might not be as valid as say Mr Dirksens' but not too
many are these days.
        Anyway, on to the show.  First off, my friend and I decided at
about 3pm to make the drive from Iowa City to Ames for the show with no
tickets.  We took off at 5pm and got in the parking lot at about 7:15 and
purchased our tickets at about 7:30- balcony first row Trey side directly
horizontal.  Got to our seats at about 7:45 with a couple of drinks and
the boys came on at about 7:50.  I was really happy first off with the
sound (cant believe it with all the rumors I heard of the sound) and my
seats- there were about 10 people in our whole section which actually
provided a wierd kind of intimacy and freedom with the band. Enough of
that-Music.
        Chalkdust- This was a strong version.  Pretty standard but a good
way to get the crowd going.  Also, I was having a good time watching Trey
(who I now realize has more pedals that any guitar player ever- the pedal
dance) play with his pedals, using and perfecting the art of effects and
live music.  Good work here also by Gordon, he's so loud nowadays.
        Moma Dance- The funk was really limited in this version.  Played
very tightly and studio like.  The end was funny because Fishman kept on
singing the ending melody over and over while Trey tried to play different
licks in his solo...too bad he was overwhelmed and drowned out by Fish's
singing.  Its ok I thought it was entertaining.
        Sparkle- You have to be in the right mood to enjoy this song and I
was in that kind of mood- especially considering the boys were playing so
tight.  Straight forward version as usual.
        First Tube- I heard this when Trey opened up the Fillmore and I
think this song rocks.  To me, this song and Sand prove that Phish (or
maybe just Trey) are listening to some trance techno these days.  This
song is high energy and hypnotic- reminds me of Chemical brothers.  Also,
I'm not sure what I think about the backwards guitar effect thingy that
Trey has been using-sometimes sound kind of muddy.  And where the hell is
Page?  Overall though, great high energy song.
        Bathtub Gin- Ok my friend really wanted to hear this song and I
will never complain about this song as it is for sure a top five favorite.
There's Page!  Thank you.  Faucet Lick in full effect and I was loving it.
The jam took a while to get going but ended up taking off into 98 Gin
range.  Lots of melotic work by Page and Mike and eventually Trey (took a
while as he was doing a lot of screwing around on the effects).  I have
seen some great Gins (7/29/98 30min Riverport Gin #1 and UIC 98 #2 and
Champaign 97 #3 and others) and this one was great but not historic- worth
getting the tapes and listening to.  About 18min in length- gin ending and
all.
        Heavy Things- 2 things to say about this song- good time to go to
bathroom and get a couple of drinks.  Boring 2 chord pop song- sounds like
hanson (ok a little more that two things:)
        Limb x Limb- I really use to be indifferent with this song but its
grown on me.  I like to hear it live and this version was great.  Great
work by the whole band especially Mike and Fish.  Took on sinister and
harmonious tones which was really due to great band communication.
        Cavern- the set is over and while I like the lyrics to this song I
sometimes find myself bored when I'm listening to it.  Straight forward
rock song with wacky lyrics.  cool!
        Highlights of first set were Bathtub and First Tube.  The only
improv involved in the set where they actually took any kind of chance
was in bathtub...and they seemed reluctant.  Song selection was pretty
good so I couldnt complain.  Second set.
        NICU- I really dig this song and it makes everyone so happy.
Anytime "Pay it Leo"  gets screamed through an arena its cool.  Perfectly
executed and a great opener.
        Antelope- I though this might branch out into new territory and it
for sure did.  Not standard by any means.  the opening was average length
but had a nice bounce to it.  No Trey chording, more Trey solo licks-
almost bluegrass like.  Jam section begins and we have a mellow setting
with a distorted chord being looped and Mike laying down the techno bass.
The line he put down here was phat as hell.  Trey moved to the backwards
guitar effect and page moved to the moog.  excellent jamming here as the
mellow groove was sustained for at least 4-5 mins.  Afterward we move
closer and closer to typical Antelope land until boom -its reggae time.
More techno from Trey and hot bass line from Mike.  "Do You have any spike
man" and we're out and runnin like Antelopes.  Great version- must hear (I
know, I know, all Antelopes are must here but this one has a different jam
in it:)
        Horse>Silent-Trey cut off the beginning of Horse and just started
singing right away.  Since when did he start doing this?  What is he just
too lazy now or does he really think it sounds better?  I thought it
sounded cheap but Silent was awesome I have always loved this song (I love
Page's voice though too so that probably wouldnt hurt).  Silent
soared and glided along with Fish's syncopated ride beat and melted gently
into...
        Gumbo- yeah! glad to hear this song.  I hadn't heard it since the
version at Deer Creek 98.  This was a tight jam but the ending turned to
dark cloudy Pink Floyd on their best days jamming.  I really liked it as
it was completely led by Page on the Moog. I could tell that Mike liked
Page's chord progression too because he picked up on it right away and
stuck with it.  However great it was, they definitely took it nowhere and
settled, coasting along into the melotic land of...
        Mountains in the Mist- first time I heard this song and I think it
sounds great.  Good riff and great melody.  Trey sounded the best I have
ever heard him on this song ( with the exception of Circus acoustic at the
Fillmore- wow).  Harmony was great and the band worked together in the
middle section- no solo really.  Pretty cool tune but I needed something
pick me up.
        Julius-  Yeah this song is cool but I was just not ready for this
at all- I was thinking something funky but oh well.  Great guitar work
here by Trey-at least hit 3 or 4 peaks in this one before heading out.
One thing I always think of when I hear this song is the jammed out
versions of this song in Europe 97...those were the days when nothing was
safe from not being jammed out.  Thought this was the set closer for sure
but...
        Fluffhead-man, I tell you this song is pretty rare these days but
I seem to catch it at almost half of the shows I go to and believe me
after hearing the Alpine sloppiness this summer I was expecting them to
butcher it again.  Wow, I tell you I couldn't have been more wrong.  Just
goes to show, with Phish you can never tell how or what they are going to
play- I was very impressed.  Probably the tightest version of Fluff I have
ever heard.  Arrival was done very well and Trey was soaring- guitar
heaven would have been proud as trey was looking up there for most of the
night.  I thought for sure the set was over but with no introduction..
        Slave to the Traffic Light- Another one of my top five Phish songs
of all time and this version was a dandy.  Played very well in the
composed section- during the rock out parts Trey was loving the pitch
shifter- sounded ok.  The jam section was so beautiful.  Mike, I love you
for the great lines in this section - you made my night.  Mike was the
melotic force in the jam and everyone else followed.  Great powerful
ending to a long second set that seemed to just keep on going.  This was
only the third Slave I have heard but this one takes the cake for sure.
        Encore; Axis Bold as Love- Ok version of an Ok Hendrix song.  Page's
voice
(again) was very note worthy as usual and trey also played well.
Wow, I'm pooped so I'm going to sign off but I have to say that All in
All, this seems to be a pretty good show compared to the other shows
surrounding it (at least set list-wise).  I can't help but to think that
the other shows were played just as tight, but I also think this show is
worth getting on tape and deserves at least a B or B+.
Till next time,
Peace Dino Balocchi
Alto Heceta

Date: Wed, 06 Oct 1999 18:16:31 -0500
From: CMC Student 
To: [email protected]
Subject: 10/1/99

Of the shows i have seen, this one will always atand out as a personal
favorite.

Chalkdust:  predictable opener, the band probably plays it too much, but
I must say that from the Camden Chalk on i have been really impressed.
This one had a short, tight rockin' jam, with none of the lows that
typically turn me off.

Moma:  at my first show of this fall i could have asked for nothing more
than Moma this early.  They are just always so tight during this tune, i
cant get enough.  I personally love how they jam out the black eyed Katy
part to start the song before they finally become very tight for fish's
vocals.  This was a typical Moma, and that all i need

Sparkle:  Well... i always feel bad complaining about sparkle.  I've
seen it many times and it truthfully doesn't thrill me.  However, I have
recently begun to enjoy songs that "the general population" enjoys.  The
same people that enjoy sparkle are confused during songs like Icculus.
I like it when the crowd has energy, and sparkle supplies it.  I have
nothing more to say about sparkle.

First Tube:  I was blown away by this one on Trey tour.  it is nice to
see the band playing it.  Tons of energy, everyone grooves, it could be
part of any good set list (as they have proved this tour).

Bathtub:  I remember them opening summer tour with Gin in Kansas, and
feeling alright about it... the kansas gin was like all the others
before it.  HOWEVER... like Chalkdust, Camden New Jersey this summer was
the turning point.  They tore it up there, and it is even better now.
This bathtub will forever stand out in my mind as one of the best
moments i have ever had musically. Absolutely mind blowing...  IF U
WERENT THERE... GET THIS ON TAPE...  AMAZING!!!

Heavythings:  Saw it and liked it on Trey tour.  Enjoyed it by the
band.  I especially like the contrast between the two new songs this
set(First Tube is an insrumental, this one is all vocals).  Treys voice
was beautiful.

Limb:  I've seen this one around fifteen times, however, they were so
tight this set that even limb was inspiring.
personal note:  when they debuted this song summer '97 it had the old
ending with fish ripping by himself...  when they began to rework this
one for story of the ghost they eliminated that ending... I remember
reading on a fall 98 list that trey said at a show he wanted to do the
old ending, but Fish struggled the subsequent times i saw him try it.
In iowa he nailed it, i was very impressed, i like this version better.
This is a perfect example of how tight they are playing these days

Cavern:  no matter how many times i see this tune i love it.  it is the
perfect set closer.  like sparkle it makes the crowd happy, and trey
avoided his usual mistakes.
I found myself doing trey and mikes cavern dance (if u know what i mean
good, otherwise it doesnt matter) after the show... good sign.

II

NICU:  what Cavern is as a closer, this tune is as an opener.  They
played it very well... they were sooooo tight in iowa.... trey really
ripped his guitar line(u know which one), especially tight with nice
variations... better then the New Years NICU which says a lot...Tight
Tight Tight

Antelope:  When i first started seeing the band i was unhappy with the
Antelopes i saw compared to the ones i had on tape.  However, this tune
proves that the band is better today then they were a year ago.  really
tight and flowing, upbeat.  Antelope is now one of favorite "rotation"
songs to see.  in addition, i really dont like it how antelope is
generally a set closer... i enjoyed it this early in the set.

Horse->Silent:  What happened to the Horse guitar part, trey just
started singing the words like he did on July 4.  However, this tune has
become rare and special, and this silent was much better than the one in
Atlanta.  Very tight, i was waiting for page to sing one.

Gumbo:  best version i have ever seen, amzing, tight, beautiful.  Again
i will say that this tune is an example of Phish being better than they
were a couple of years ago.  They needed to improve and did.  Great
Gumbo, possibly the highlight of the four shows i did this tour(Iowa,
Minn, Chi, Normal)

Mountains:  Saw this on trey tour, and probably about five times on
summer tour.  I actually like this one, heres why.  1) after Gumbo i
need to chill, great placement. 2) beautiful harmonies, i like what mike
and page do to the feeling of this song, the contrast between treys
voice alone and the three of theres is really pretty.

Julius:  truthfully one of my least favorites.  I figured it was the
closer( way to early).  However, they were so tight at this show that
even i liked Julius.  Plus this is another crowd fav and i think that is
important.

Fluff:  Great, much more screaming vocals then this summer( they played
a lot of songs chill this summer)  travels wasnt perfect, but good, trey
really felt it more than played it if u know what i mean and i like
that.  Fluff is always a treat, and everyones grooves.

Slave: i felt slave tonite... told the guy next to me it was time( he
wanted Bowie). they hadn't played it yet this fall, and it was nice.
Like fluff, Slave wasn't tight and typical as always, more improv and
feeling from trey, as a result they both didnt really fit the overall
feeling of the show, but were both beautiful.  Even after a dozen slaves
i still love it.

E:

Bold as Love:  Mellow, perfect after a great show.  Also, a classic
encore which has to be appreciated so many years later.  Maybe on
another night i would have expected more... but tonite it worked 

Date: Sun, 03 Oct 1999 12:38:03 -0500
From: Casey Logan [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 10/1/99 Hilton
 
Personal info, for those care: this was my 31st show, dating back to
June 94; it was my first and only show this fall.
 
The lot setup at ISU was much better than a lot of fall venues, as
everything was pretty much in one lot (as far as I could tell). Not A
LOT of vending, but some activity and a generally mellow vibe. Several
were looking for tickets, but not willing to pay face. I mention that
only because of how it contrasts to the last set of fall shows I was at
- the much-anticipated UIC shows in 98 - where hordes of people were
falling over themselves to get a hold of a ticket. As it turns out,
tonight's ticket was worth much, much more . . .
 
Chalkdust: Good opener, even if common. Took Paul a few seconds for the
sound to really kick in, but once it did we got a good, tight Chalkdust
that opened the show nicely.
 
Moma Dance: Excellent placement for this song: all of a sudden, the show
becomes total funk. By now the sound was fantastic and the show was in
full gear. Standard Moma, but played very well. It was apparent early
that the boys were tight - now it was just a question of where they
would go . . .
 
Sparkle: Nothing fancy, other than it kept the pretty lively crowd
moving. I'm glad they decided to keep the energy up, rather than dipping
into something lighter - a Dirt for example. No matter what people say,
IMO Sparkle is not as overplayed as some would suggest and I almost
always get a kick out of it.
 
First Tube: This was the first time I've heard this song and, along with
all the others, I am very impressed. Sort of a controlled funk (ala the
opening of PYITE, as one person noted), not so much the wah-wah funk of
a Moma. Very, very cool. Probably the most impressed I've been about a
new song -- right away -- since Black-Eyed Katy.
 
Bathtub Gin: The set was coming together beautifully at this point -
this was a great slot for something long. I can't remember anything
specifically about the jam other than Trey tore it up, as he did the
entire show. Segue back into the BG theme was nice (for a while I
thought we might get a segue into another song, but it ended). Met a
girl in the lot with a Bathtub Gin shirt who was seeing her first
concert ever - not just Phish concert, but first concert ever. She was
goofy - kept striking cheerleader poses in the lot - and I remember
thinking about how cool it was that she got to see "her" song at her
first show - whether she ever realized Bathtub Gin was played or not.
 
Heavy Things: I really liked this somewhat poppy, bouncy tune. Placement
was huge here also. Great song right after a solid Gin jam. Two for two
on the new songs.
 
Limb by Limb: Much better than the last one I saw live - in Chicago last
fall. Solid, solid, solid.
 
Cavern: One of my favorite set closers. Not the tightest version, but
not exactly sloppy. Ended a solid set on a typically high note.
 
Set One notes: not particularly long, but it SEEMED like they played for
a while. At least, to me. Nothing to complain about at this point -
everything was played well and there was really no breaks in the action.
High energy all the way through.
On to Set Two:
 
NICU: Always seems like a strange set two opener, but it was welcome and
played well. No "Cactussssss" call from Gordon though   : (
 
Run Like an Antelope: Here's where it got NASTY. I was psyched that it
showed up so early in the set. Last time I saw an Antelope that didn't
close a set was Madison '95, and we all know what ensued that evening.
Antelope stole the show this night as well. Started really mellow and
built into an incredible frenzy. Kuroda took the lights to 2001-esque
extremes and the crowd really started to get down. I remember saying to
my buddy at some point that maybe they were peaking too early - which
turned out to be right, but they never really let down the entire set.
Excellent, excellent Antelope. Best since Madison? Not sure - too soon
to tell, and I'd have to hear the tapes. But great version anyway.
 
Horse->Silent in the Morning: I love the Horse, and this combo was
perfectly placed after such a monstrous jam.
 
Gumbo: This one really surprised me. A friend called this for tonight,
but I don't think any of us expected here. Not only was the playing
really on tonight, but the vocals were hot as well - exemplified in
Gumbo. The jam was a tight funk (with some great Page), not sure how
long, that seemed to end rather than seque into . . .
 
Mountains in the Mist: My first time hearing or seeing it, and it really
didn't do a lot for me. On the positive side, this was about the only
part of the concert (except maybe the encore) that didn't do anything
for me.
 
Julius: I thought it would end the set, which seemed on the short side
but had been great. Somewhat strange things popped up allover this show
- things my car mates and I had somehow discussed or listened to on the
ride up (ex: early set Antelopes, Hendrix's Bold as Love, Horse->Silent)
and this sort of falls into that category. We were listening to 11/11/95
from the Fox Theatre, specifically the Chalkdust during which Trey holds
a note for awhile, and the rest of the band builds up an amazing amount
of tension. The Hood from Omaha in '96 is another good example. Same
thing occurs from Trey here in Julius, which had us looking at each
other in amazement. Overall, it was a solid Julius that would have made
a nice set ender. Oh, but . . .
 
Fluffhead: I thought our chance for it had come and gone, forgetting the
late set Fluffheads from the summer. They'd have to screw this song up
pretty bad to ruin it for me, and while it wasn't a perfect version, it
was well received. The climax didn't hit quite as well as usual, but
they seemed to make up for it with an extended "FLUFFHEEEEEAAAAAAD"
scream. Fluffy, fluffy, fluffy, fluffy, fluffy, fluffy-head.
The afterplay of this song wasn't quite as long as some from this last
summer, which made me think that maybe they weren't done yet. Sure
enough, they ended and made no move to bow, instead starting up . . .
 
Slave to the Traffic Light: Who could complain? We had gotten one of the
best Antelopes in a LONG time, as well as a Fluffhead-Slave closer?
Showmakers right there. Beautiful Slave all around. A phenomenal end to
a phenomenal show.
 
E: Bold as Love: I'm not a real fan of this song, or Fire for that
matter (although I do like Isabella). I wasn't disappointed by any
means, but along with Mountains it was a slight dip in the constant
action for me.
 
Overall, my initial reaction is that this is the best show I've seen
since Alpine 98, and in many respects I think it was a better show than
that one. I enjoyed this last summer's shows -- better than last fall's
-- but it seems the level of playing this fall has simply gotten better
-- if this show is any indication of what the tour has been like. In
short, they were certainly hot this night, all the way through. The last
time I left a show THIS satisfied with the overall performance was
Alpine 98, and before that 11/19/97 in Champaign (which, I might add,
was also the last time I felt compelled to write a review. Does it
show?)
 
Casey Logan

Date: Sat, 2 Oct 1999 17:12:59 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: review 10-1
 
On a personal notew, this was show #25 for me, a bit of a milestone =)  Just
wanna start of by saying I had alot of fun at this show, and the drive up
from Columbia, Mo to Ames was worth it.
 
Set 1:
Chalkdust  -  got everyone going. The climax was ok, a little rusty. All the
composed parts were dead on, this song is in heavy rotation right now, so
they should be nailing it. Solid Opener.
 
Moma Dance  -  Here's the FUNK! A little shorter in the beginning than some
I've heard. But, I can never turn down a little slow white boy funk.
 
Sparkle  -  This song is always the same live, and I know its kinda cheesy,
but its a fun song, and I danced hard.
 
First Tube  -  OH Yeah! This song is slick as a baby's ass. really groovy.
Page seemed to lay back alot. I first heard this on Trey tour, and it wasn't
quite as high energy as that performance, but it was definitely rockin. The
set was starting to pick up!
 
Bathtub Gin  -  This was the jam. Probably about 15 minutes long. The jam
started off kinda mellow, with alot of interplay between Trey and Page. The
jam eveolved, and really started to take off. Fish was screwing with the
tempo a few times, and it soundede cool as shit. As the intensity bulit,
Kuroda started to get excited. This was a solid high energy Gin Jam.
Highlight of set 1.
 
Heavy Things  -  I also heard this on Trey tour. Its a catchy tune, but I
like that after a big jam. Its got a good feel song. Short and sweet. "Oooh
Oooh Wawahhh."
 
Limb by Limb  -  Another tune in heavy rotation, very well played. The jam
was slick, and it built to a nice peak. The crowd was in the groove.
 
Cavern  -  I knew this would close the set. No flubs by Trey. I decided to
move up into the hall aisle for this one and dance. I like Cavern alot. It
was played well.
 
Set 1 in short was very well played. Not that memorable, but it flowed
nicely. Highlight was the phat Gin jam.
 
Set 2:
NICU  -  Another GREAT song. It was played the same as usual. "Play it Leo"
got a huge response. I have always loved NICU. I decided to dance in the
aisle for a while. The band was on.
 
Antelope - AWWW SHIT!  Suprising to hear this one so early. It was awesome.
The jam began really slow, groovy, and mellow. I moved back behind the stage
and found I spot where I could really study the band, and see them
communicating. I was looking right donw on Page piano. Really cool. The jam
took off. Page started nodding and getting into it. There was some AMAZING
interplay between Page and Trey. At one point, Page played a cool lick, and
then Trey matched him about 4 measures later, then they both kinda weaved in
and out of the little line that Page began with, then it took off towrads
the peak. Trey hit the g spot, and we got the funk section. They really were
playing loosely all night having fun. This RY RY part was cool, they
actually jammed it a bit. Great Antelope
 
Horse>Silent  -  Great way to slow down after the intense Antelope. This
song
is beautiful. Its a rarity now too.
 
Jam>  -  This was a short one chord (G major) sustained section where the
band just kinda held out this mellow feel. It seemed like Trey was going
into
Caspian. I could almost hear the beginning of it, but ohhh no.....
 
Gumbo!  -  Ohh my god, the funk was soooo deep. A neck brace couldn't even
have kept my neck still!   This went into a GREAT jam. I can't really
remember too much of it, but it had many different great themes, and the
playing was stellar.
 
>Mtns in the Mist.  -  This song is beautiful. Really great harmonies.
Meaningful lyrics, not cheesy at all.
 
Julius  -   RAGED!  I was a little let down when they started this one, but
the jam was sick. At one point, Trey began to sustain one note, he held it,
sustained it, held it some more, the band jammked underneath it really hard,
he kept holding it, and just when you thought he'd start going again in his
solo, he held it for 12 more measures!  GOD DAMN!!!!!! He peaked this one so
hard after that. Trey is a rock star!
 
Fluffhead  -  I thought Julius would end the set, but boy was I wrong.
fluffhead is such a rarity now, and the barely ever play it, so
understandable, the composed section was very rusty. Lots of mistakes, bu
hey, its Fluffhead. They nailed a few of the parts, and Pages solo in the
middle was PHAT!  The end was ohhh sooo sweet, they held the
"FLUFFHEADDDDDDD" part for longer than usual. I was grinnin really big by
now.
 
Slave  -  Ok, they are out to floor everyone in the buliding!  Slave was
EPIC. Beautiful, the lights (as always) were awesome. Chris Kuroda really is
amazing. The peak was long and beautiful. It capped off a Solid, flowing,
wonderful set of Phish.
 
Encore - Axis:Bold as Love - I've never seen them do this before. It was
cool Page doesn't do Hendrix as well as he does Robert Plant. I liked the
song, but kinda wished they'd a played somtehing else, but nonetheless it
was good.
 
I thought Phish sounded much tighter, and better over all than this summer.
Of the six shows I saw this summer, none of them were that great over all.
Trey was out of it kinda, and the shows were forgetable, however, it seems
this fall that they are playing with a renewed source of energy and
inspiration. It was a solid Phish show full of good songs, and very few
mistakes. I never got bored. No weird spacey jams where they lose the crowd.
It was just a solid show.
 
See you all on NYE,
Sean Canan

Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 09:12:04 -0500
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Reviews

10/01/99 Hilton Coliseum, Ames, Iowa

I: Chalkdust Torture, Moma Dance, Sparkle, First Tube, Bathtub Gin, Heavy
Things, Limb By Limb, Cavern

II: NICU, Run Like an Antelope, The Horse>Silent in the
Morning>Gumbo>Mountains in the Mist, Julius, Fluffhead, Slave to the Traffic
Light

E: Bold As Love

We made it into the lot around 7:40 and headed into the arena.  Lots were
fairly dead, but it was late and it was COLD.  We found our seats in the front
row of the lower bowl about halfway back on Page�s side, and we didn�t have
too long to wait until the boys came out and opened with Chalkdust. Chalkdust,
Moma, and Sparkle were all standard.  Things started to pick up with First
Tube.  Bathtub Gin was the highlight, featuring some nice funk. Heavy Things I
think a) I could hear at every show and never get sick of it and b) if
recorded could be a pop hit.  Nice, Trey was groovin, dancing back and forth
while showering us with a bubbly ending solo.  Sweet harmonies on the ending
"Ooh ooh, wah ah."  Limb By Limb was up next, and this song gets my vote for
Most Improved in �99.  Another great Limb provided another opportunity for the
boys to stretch it out.  Moved through many places (jazz, rock, etc.).  
Cavern rocked things to a close.  A fun first set.

Set II opened with an NICU sing-along that featured some nice work by Page.
Antelope appeared and hey, here�s our first big jam tune of the night � sweet
Antelope!  They really took their time building it up.  The Horse>Silent in
the Morning was a well-deserved breather after the fury of Antelope, and it
too was a sing-along.  Gumbo DROPPED on us out of the end of SITM and was
quite funky and very danceable.  The crowd got really quiet for Mountains in
the Mist, and the sound was quite good.  Nice vocal effort.  Julius started,
and I was afraid that that was the set.  But about midway through Julius, I
didn�t care, because the Julius was smokin� the part of my brain that worries
about such things.  I�m no fan of Julius of late, especially not in a late
slot in the show, but this version RIPPED.  It won me over, and it no longer
mattered if it was the set closer or not � I was happy!  Turns out Fluffhead
began instead, and seemed good but short (the Alpine 30+ minute Fluff has set
the mark, I guess).  I reallly liked the Slave closer.  Again, Phish took
their time building it up � very pretty and powerful.

A short rockin� Axis wrapped up the show for us and sent us out into the cold,
cold night.  In short, the first set was fun, with First Tube through the end
of the set (esp. Gin & Heavy Things) making the 6 hour drive worth it, and the
second set found the boys in excellent form, stretching the jams out and
easing into a great weekend of shows.  Both sets featured a good mix of jams,
composed pieces, and straight-ahead tunes that made up a well-balanced, fun
show.
 
 
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1999 12:56:03 -0500 
From: Joe O'Toole [email protected]
To: "'[email protected]'" [email protected]
Subject: ames show
 
I drove to ames from kansas city on friday and was very glad that i made the
drive!  listened to white album cover for the last 30 miles or so, hoping to
hear while my guitar gently weeps, but they played that in
minneapolis.....but was not let down at all.  The show was great.  Parking
lot scene was average.  it was kind of cold, so we didn't spend much time
out there.  feelin' good right before the show until some iowan came up to
me while i was waiting to get in and started preaching the virtues of the
bible to me....this kind of freaked me out. but, into the show......
 
chalk dust:  great way to start the show. i've seen this several times and
it never gets old.  it got me dancing from the start! 

moma dance:  first time i've seen this live....funky as hell.  this isn't
what i expected it to sound like live....i love the jam to start out the
song. sparkle:  not too bad...i had a good time to this song, but it's not
my favorite. they did a good job on it though...everyone seemed to enjoy it.
first tube:  kick ass!  i have seen this on the set lists but had not heard
it yet....this was the highlight of the show for me.  i danced hard to this
song. everyone, if they knew the song or not, was freakin' out to it.  i had
a feeling that this was first tube during the song.  i have heard a lot
about it and thought such a good song had to be the one i had been hearing
about.  i need this song on tape....look forward to finding one. bathtub
gin:  this song was a lot of fun.  the jam, which i think was 13 or 15
minutes long was great.  transition back into the chorus was perfect.  i was
sitting there wondering how trey was possibly going to work back into the
ending of the song...and he nailed it.  perfect gin. heavy things:  first
time for me on this song.  i enjoyed it for the most part. good follow up to
gin. limb by limb:  everyone says the more they hear this song, the more
they like it, but i don't.  this song kind of annoys me.  maybe it was the
16 year olds next to me who went nuts anytime they heard an album song.  i
don't know, but i didn't really like it. cavern:  yes!  great song to close
the set.  loved it from start to finish. whatever you do, take care of your
shoes! intermission music:  tom waits is great.  i've listened to this cd
over and over again.  nice way to relax. NICU:  don't remember much of this
song...i was spacing out a little at this point. antelope:  oh yeah,
baby....run run run run run run .....i haven't seen this song live in a
while.  loved it!  got me out of my seat and woke me up! out of control and
off the hook! the horse>silent:  i was just talking to my brother before the
show about how i would like to hear this....it was nice and slow, but i
wasn't that impressed. after antelope, it's hard to be impressed again
whoops, change that idea gumbo:  this was awesome and i wasn't expecting it
at all!  phunky and phun.  everyone was dancing and having a good time to
this song. mountains in the mist:  first for me....nice and mellow. pretty
song.  let me relax after gumbo.....but not long before.... julius:  now a
lot of people bag on this song, so i didn't expect much....it was pretty
damn good, though.  the jam was excellent and from what i can remember, they
played for 8 or 10 minutes...thought for sure they would end it w/ this but
no..... 

fluffhead:  are you kidding me?  what a surprise!  haven't seen this
in a long time...lots of fun.  the end of the set right?  nope, not yet!
slave:  seen the city, seen the zoo....haven't seen slave live before.  one
word: awesome!  lights were great...did anyone else notice the green,
yellow, red light combinations?  maybe they always do that, but my first
slave!  what a kick ass performance.  phish suprised us with this one, too.

encore:  maybe we'll here tweezer reprise...or something fun...yep:  bold as
love:  i was a little disappointed w/ such a short encore, but bold was
pretty cool to hear.  thought maybe one more song, but end of show. overall
this show was simple but a lot of fun!  well worth the drive!  it looks like
both minneapolis and rosemont got great shows, but unfortunately i couldn't
make it to those!  good times 

 
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1999 10:27:11 CST 
From: [email protected] 
To:[email protected] 
Subject: ames
 
This was my personal best show ever!!  Being from Kansas City, this
wasn't that far of a drive so we got to the lots early.  I did what
people do in the lots, and we made our way to the hilton.  Cool, laid
back venue and security.  Chalkdust opener was ON, and Moma got the
funk groove going.  Bathtub Gin was on of the highlights of the first
set, with extended jamming and Page pounding the keys to open.  Heavy
Things is a personal fav, and Limb by Limb was sweet as well.  I
thought the Cavern was on of the best I've heard.
        2nd set was THE SH*T!!  NICU>Antelope!!??  Are you kidding me?  NICU
was a great way to set the tone for a set that funkin rocked the
whole way!!!  I thought the antelope was soooo danceable, more so
than the one in deer creek this year.  Silent was beautiful, as was
MTNs. in the Mist, which was great this spring on trey tour.  I liked
Julius better than usual, and when they went into Fluff I was
ecstatic.  I felt as though they were singing Fluff for me and me
only.  To understand why, let me tell you a story.  During antelope I
was dancing at my seat on the 21st row of floor, center stage.  I
mean dancing like I might never live another day to dance. You might
have seen me, for I happen to be pretty tall and was wearing a jersey
with the number 25 on it.  Anyway, towards the end of antelope, my
buddy grabs me and says,  "You have to come with me"  This began our
journey to the front row of the floor.  We were rejected at first by
security, which led us to the back of the floor.  While I was
walking, I realized that trey was playing in time to our steps!!  I
laughed it off but when we got slowed up in the crowd, trey was
laughing at us and stalled his playing!!  Throughout out this I shoud
mention I had MUCH eye contact with the band, exspecially trey.  So
as I was saying, we went to the back.  Danced around, smiling at
trey.  When they went into Fluff's, I started laughing and waving my
arms at trey, as to say, "Aw you shouldn't have."  Trey laughed back
at me and looked over at Mike.  I was euphoric.  We made it back up
front for the end of slave and the encore. Slave was perfect.  That's
all I can say.  Bold as Love encore was a nice way to end, as my
travels through the floor had brought me right in front of Page.  I
got to mouth the words "thank you" to Mike and Page.  Page bowed
deeply to us as we roared our approval. I hope you all anjoyed this
show as much as I did.  Minneasota sure had a lot to live up to in my
book.
 Peace,
warren

Date: Mon, 04 Oct 1999 08:49:10 PDT
From: Jeff Kaisershot [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Ames review
 
It rained pretty hard on my down to Des Moines from Minneapolis. I could not
help but think of my aborted trip to the ^�96 Ames show, but that was under
much worse conditions than I experienced Friday.
 
Chalk Dust was okay to open the show. Moma Dance was a welcome treat. No
matter how many times I hear it I am never disappointed, and it rarely
changes from version to version, either. I do not hold much esteem for
Sparkle, but thankfully it is a quick song. First Tube was a great followup.
I am glad to see Phish add another instrumental to their repertoire. BT Gin?
Ohhhhhhhhhhh yeah! Phish took awhile to figure out what they wanted to do
with this jam, and twenty minutes later the song ended solidly. It was not
the caliber of the 11-9-98 version which I bowed before, but I still enjoyed
it. Heavy Things was a nifty little number. It is good for the band to throw
a simple song into the mix occasionally. Somehow the bassline to this song
sounded eerily BT Gin-esque; maybe it was the proximity to BT Gin. Did
anyone else notice this? Limb By Limb was great to hear, as was Cavern. Many
people are tired of Cavern, but it never gets old for me. I think singing
the ^�Give the director a serpent deflector, a mudrat detector, a ribbon
reflector^�^� lines makes it endlessly fun. Hey, at least they do not play
it
at every show anymore^�This set was pretty good, nothing stellar but not
terrible by any means.
 
NICU is another song I never tire of hearing. The bounciness of this one
always makes it a candidate for a set opener. Things were rolling. Antelope
was next?! That caught me off-guard. Usually it does not pop up this early.
Typically this one gets rather chaotic, but I was a little surprised Trey
held back on this one. Hmm. Interesting. Gumbo! The last time I heard it was
my very first show (11-16-96), and I knew this version would be much better,
since there is a jam appended to it. Yes, it did not disappoint. Take a
ladle full, everyone! Mountains in the Mist is just a beautifully gentle
song, a treat for the ears. With the opening notes of Julius I figured the
set was over after this rocking tune. But no! The opening notes to Fluffhead
emerged over the din of the crowd. Two things I wondered: 1) This is a
closing song? That seems to be odd to end a show with Fluffhead, though not
totally out of the realm of possibility, and 2) Will they do to this song
what they did to it at Alpine two months ago? Fifteen minutes later the
answer to both my questions came: no. Those magical few notes that begin
Slave gently glided off Trey^�s guitar, and everyone knew another treat was
in store for us. Is there a version of this song that sucks? I doubt it;
count this one as another never-tire-of-hearing-this-song. Wow!
 
Bold as Love was a nifty encore. I noticed every time Page mentioned a color
in the lyrics Chris Kuroda flashed that color on stage. Cool^�yes, I am
easily entertained. Overall this song was solid. It was not a  NYE ^�95
contender, but it was not a bottom of the barrel show, either. The friend
who went with me also liked it, and it was his first show (my eighth).

Date: Sun, 03 Oct 1999 02:26:22 -0500
From: Sean Gamble [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Ames 10/1/99

Last night in Ames was my 16th show, coming up on my 4 year anniversary
of my first Phish show...  That said, it was an enjoyable time.  Ames
was your typical great phish show- Chalkdust was a solid opener,
followed well by Moma.  First Tube had terrific energy right off the
bat, and the Bathtub Gin was easily the highlight of the set... they
laid back on it (especially Fishman) and allowed the groove to develop
gradually and naturally, and the result was a mid-range energy that
built and filled the room.  Very solid.  Heavy Things,  Limb by Limb and
Cavern were played fine, nothing extraordinary.  The best part of Cavern
was glancing over at a guy in my section who was on crutches and still
dancing harder than most of the people in attendance.  A great sight!
First set was 65 minutes by my watch, with the Gin weighing in at 20
min.
Second set began with a danceable NICU, followed by a quality Antelope.
As always a great light show, but I was disappointed at one point when
Chris turned on a crazy, swirling effect way too soon in the jam.  I
thought it would have been best employed at the climax, and I felt the
band was distracted a little bit by the premature use.  Horse -> Silent
was fine, I felt they were catching their breaths for a monster set...
but the rest of the set was played only average.  On paper, the Gumbo,
Mountains in the Mist, Julius, Fluffhead, Slave combination looks pretty
good, and they were well played, but I thought it could have been a lot
more, especially considering the placement of the Antelope.  Oh, well.
The Axis encore was my first time hearing it live, and it brought a grin
to my face.  85 minute second set, 6.5 minute encore.
No disappointment here, as the show was well played and enjoyable.  Both
sets get a 5.5 rating (out of 10, 5 being an average excellent Phish
show) from me...
Also, on a personal note, the show was my first alone with my father.  I
wasn't sure if I was even going to find a ride, but my Dad came in town
for business and extended his trip a day so he could take me.  It was a
wonderful evening and drive over from Omaha, and it had a "field of
dreams" vibe to it, being out in the cornfields of Iowa and all...  :)

-Sean

Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1999 01:21:36 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Ames
 
I just got back from the show in Ames.  My third since McNichols in Denver,
1997.  I'd have to say that the boys were definately on.  I don't think I
stopped smiling until I reached the bitter cold of the parking lot.
Highlights of the show: definately First Tube, which i only heard for the
first time the night before on my way out.  Bathtub Gin was seriously funky,
Moma dance was so deep, Mountains in the Mist almost made me cry.  So much
good deep belly music.  Absolutely wonderful night guys.  Can't wait for the
Auburn Hills, Cincinnatti shows in December.   Looking forward to the 30
hour
drive to Everglades.

Date: Sat, 2 Oct 1999 18:55:47 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Review of Ames
 
Just got back to Kansas after the show.  I thought the show was awesome.
Chalkdust was a great opener and got the crowd moving right away.  Moma
Dance, tube and Sparkle were all solid and then they played a great bathtub
gin that was nice and funky.  Lim by Limb was nice and really liked cavern.
Second set started off fast with NICU. Always love to hear this tune played
it great. Antelope was the highlight of the show with a great light show and
nice jammed out version.  It was the first time I''ve heard antelope live
and I was realling waiting to hear.  Great song. Then they mellowed out a
little and played a funky gumbo. Julius was great though I thought they were
going to end the set with it.  Fluffhead was a treat. Always great to hear.  
Slave was awesome nice long secon set.  I was suprised with the encore of
Axis Bold as Love but thought it was great.  I heard it once before and
didn't really remmeber much.  Really liked this song nice jam song to finish
with. Overall another great performance surprised with sound quality and
great lights at the Hillton.
 

Date: Sat, 02 Oct 1999 12:26:43 -0500
From: Matthew D. Tabaka [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Ames review

Just returned to minneapolis from ames at 6 in the morning.  The lot was
nice and mellow, Hilton Coliseum is very nice as well.  Security? What
security?  A long haired security/student told us to be discreete when
smoking, and we stubbed down two friends and got ourselves to
practically the front row page/mike side.  On to the show.  Chalkdust,
Moma, sparkle=fun openers, personally I did not get into the set until
1st tube, loved that song then a great bathtub gin.  Heavy things is
okay kinda poppy, then limb by limb my 7th in the twelve shows that i
have seen.  I love the tune and it was played very well, Cavern closed
the set(my first) so all was good, no lyrical flubs or anything.  set
break we moved up to the second row,previously we were in the tenth.
NICU yes good, I wanted to hear this so I was pumped, Antelope was great
mellow groovy, think and chunky. the horse>silent was cool another first
for me so I was pleased, Page sounded strong.  Gumbo was nice slow funk,
The set kinda slowed down here with moutains in the mist which I really
don't recall except that it was a ballad.  JUlius was solid and
rocking.  I hoped that the set wouldn't end here and Fluffhead emerged(
here is another oddity I'e heard fluffhead 5 times now, all but one was
in the upper midwest)  Then slve came out, I felt they were being
generous here, especially woith fluffhead and slave being the first of
the tour of I'm not mistaken. Slave was very nice.  Axis as an encore
was completly unexpected by me and I really enjoyed it.  It was as the
whole night was solid.  It wasn't realy a freaky show or a crazy affair,
just solid and good.

Date: Sat, 2 Oct 1999 23:09:59 -0500
From: Randall Strohl [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Ames 9/1
 
This was my first Phish concert. I had heard maybe 3 songs by them prior to
this on the radio. I was completly unprepared for what I heard and saw. The
first set was excellent. Not being familiar with the music did ot detract
at all from how good it sounded and the energy of the audience made it easy
to jump right in! The second set blew me away! NICU, Bathtub Gin, and
Fluffhead are the ones that kept playing in my mind on the way home and
today. I just got back from buying a couple of their CDs! I owe my nephew,
Jeff Landes, BIG TIME for turning me on to Phish. This is the kind of
concert experience I remember (and MISS) from the 60s and 70s. The music
was intense but joyfull and the audience happy and friendly (no wonder so
many former deadheads are in to them).
I'm already looking foreward to the next show.
 
 
Randy Strohl

Date: Sat, 2 Oct 1999 20:06:57 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: hilton in ames
 
That was the best phish show i've attended and all i want to do is thank the
members for their awesome vibe and great performance. if god would have
taken me that night i would have died in bliss. thanx again for all this
happiness.


Date: Sat, 02 Oct 1999 13:43:18 -0500
From: Karsten L Anderson [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: ames review

Well, this show was awesome...Chalkdust opener...very hip and got the
place moving right off the bat.  I was asking and hopign and praying for
Bathtub, and i got it :)  Mr. Sam Adams had company so he was pleased as
well. awesome awesome jam.  The sound at Hilton was impressive, which is
good, considering most of my shows will be there for the next 4-5-....
years.  I would say it was definately a good night for Page...i was really
groovin to the ivory.  very hip night.  Thx again dudes.


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