Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas 11/13/97


Date: Fri, 9 Jul 1999 14:50:52 -0700 From: Mike Indgin [email protected] Phish Beat the House Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas 11/13/97 Once again, they've done it. Taken it to the next level. Made me a Phish Head renewed. Trey is one sick puppy! No special guests like the Aladdin, unless you include Trey's new Midi-equipped(?) guitar, the new light show and the facial hair on all four members faces. Yes, they've ALL got beards now and are entering the Sgt. Pepper's phase of their career. The light show is now similar to the Dead's in the 90s with oval and triangle shaped light screens. Chris did a fantastic job and our view from the risers straight back was one gorgeous light sculpture after another. The other big news is the return of Fishman's dress (although he was wearing jeans under the green dress, a fashion don't.) Had to work in LA the day of the show and the day after, so I flew out at 4 pm and didn't get to sleep that night till the morning came around. My pal Frank decided to join me as I was leaving for the airport, giving him "most spontaneous road trip of the year" honors. Plenty of tickets still available at showtime. Inside, they had a curtain backdrop cutting the floor in half and making the big basketball arena actually feel intimate. By show time the floor was jam-packed as was the whole joint. And it was jumpin'. The crowd was the loudest I've ever seen at a Phish show. Of course, I've seen most of my shows on the Left coast. Chalkdust opener. Loved it. Similiar to the Ventura 97 version in that is was long and got real "out there". Then a new funk instrumental. This one started with a Talking Heads feel and then jammed into Medeski Martin and Wood territory. It had some cool changes written into it and was well received. Also well received was a well-done Theme from the Bottom. Then we got Train Song. Nice. Followed by one of the tunes I was most jonesin' for: Split Aces and Melt! Not the best version of all time but still epic. Beauty of My Dreams followed, then M-M-M-M-M-M-My Soul. A great version to close out the first set. What the hell am I talking about? We just thought the set was over, but they pulled a Shoreline and did YEM!! Only one of the sweetest versions ever!! Trey had the mojo working all night, especially on this journey into Happyland. The trampoline act was flawless as well. And then a rocking Character Zero to close out a 2 hour and five minute first set! Ah yes, how do you top a profoundly hot first set(their tour warm-up set no less)? Well, maybe with one of the finest Stashes to ever grace the boys amps. That's right, a Stash second set opener. Unconfirmed reports had it lasting 23 minutes. I can't convey the subtle beauty that Trey found in the trance he fell into during this song. All night long, the jams had that "they've cranked it up another notch" feel to them. PYITE was no exception. The Landlady samba section in particular was nailed perfectly. Then we were treated to the most unique solo of the night, a melodious, epic Caspian. After a long midi-filled journey into the heart of Narnia we were brought back down to earth with a fine Bouncin. Then, the only possible song that can top YEM...Mike's. Again I'm without words that can describe the vibe of the jam. Lots of 70's guitar hero teases. A long time later we went into Hydrogen which was Trey's only folly of the night. He massacred it in true Trey style, going into the change too early and never getting back on track. I mean he butchered what is usually the most beautiful of transitions. I think he even purposely played the last note wrong to seal its fate as the Worst Hydrogen ever. Knowing that this version would never end up on a CD, he decided to redeem himself by doing the wildest Weeks ever. It started out normal enough, but Trey signaled Fishman to speed it up, then speed it up again, then again until it became the fastest Weekapaug ever. I'm talking double time. Really. It was wild. When it was done the roof was nearly blown off the place by the audience reaction. The encore was, alas, not as historic as the Primus Harpua Cowgirl Elvis Yodelfest, instead we got Trey referencing his Hydrogen debacle by playing Loving Cup and emphasing the "You know I play a bad guitar" line. What a show. I even won 45 bucks at the Hard Rock blackjack tables afterwards and although our plane was delayed and we didn't get home till 4:30, I'm so glad I went. Phish is still a band that must be respected, enjoyed and of course, feared.
Date: Sun, 16 Nov 1997 18:41:30 -0800 From: Nate Mordo [email protected] Subject: Vegas + Utah review Las Vegas NV 11-13-97 Thomas & Mack Center, --------------------------------------------------- Set I: Chalkdust Torture, Black Eyed Katie*, Theme From The Bottom, Trainsong, Split Open and Melt, Beauty Of My Dreams, My Soul, You Enjoy Myself, Character 0 Set II: Stash, Punch You In The Eye, Prince Caspian, Bouncing Around The Room, Mike's Song -> I am Hydrogen -> Weekapaug Groove E: Loving Cup * First time played, new funk instrumental Preshow: We arrived in Vegas at around 3pm, looking to meet our friend Dave at the Hard Rock Cafe. Nobody in the car knew where the HRC was, but we enjoyed driving around the strip gawking at the Vegas sights.  In truth, I was somewhat let down by Las Vegas.  Sure there were crazy elaborate buildings, but they weren't quite as close together as I was expecting. Maybe I would have been more impressed if I had gotten there at night. Anyway, as soon as we arrived we noticed a strong Phish-head presence, but nobody looked twice as we were in Vegas baby!  The vibe was so good that it was palpable. Everyone was psyched to  be there, and the people who had made the trek were hard-core fans. The sun started to set... The Venue: The Thomas + Mack center is located a few blocks off the strip right next to the Hard Rock Cafe/Hard Rock Hotel/Hard Rock Casino.  It is an unassuming structure, spartan actually; a stark contrast to the  rest of the architecture in Vegas.  It is the home of the UNLV basketball team, the Running Rebels. The lot scene was pretty standard: Vending, Music, Drumming, etc.  Beer was somehat hard to come  by, but the attitude was epitomized by one security guard's comment to me as I held my bottle of beer:  "Son, there's no alcohol allowed on the premises, so you're going to have to pour that into a cup." Vegas baby! When we went in we discovered that about half of the stadium was curtained off, creating a sort of ampitheater.  It was cozy, and didn't feel too crowded.  Guesses abounded about what the boys would open fall tour with Security: Ha! The Show: Nobody would have guessed that they were going to open the show with Chalkdust.  I'm not complaining, but all in all it was a fairly standard Chalkdust - energetic, rousing, and fun. When they busted into the next tune, Black Eyed Katie, I instantly knew they were busting out with a new number.  BEK is a FUNKY instrumental piece which will get you out of your seat.  It's definitely the culmination of the funky style they've been perfecting all summer long. Awesome. Solid versions of Theme and Trainsong were followed by an excellent Split Open and Melt, which I hadn't heard since Red Rocks. A great call. After a fun but unremarkable Beauty of my Dreams the boys busted out with a JAMMING My Soul, which is easily one of the better versions I have heard of this song.  Explosive and dynamic. The YEM and Character 0 were good, but I can't seem to remember many particulars. ;-) I was happy for the setbreak as this was a LOOOONG set. Setbreak: At this point I was wondering why the band had yet to play any of their new tunes (e.g. Ghost, Limb by Limb, etc...). I guess My Soul counts, but I was expecting some more funk. Didn't know what to expect for the second set... Set II: The band opened with a LONG, dark, jammed-out Stash.  This went on for at least 15 minutes, and contained some beautiful moments, yet losing me at times. A good-but-not-great Punch you in the Eye followed, which got the crowd whipped up to a fever pace. The Prince Caspian that followed was long and emotional, with Trey furiously strumming the ending.  They were into it, I was into it - An awesome Caspian. When they went into Bouncin I knew that they were setting up to do something BIG.  As they foreshadowed on the Conan O'Brian show, the boys went into a ripping Mike's song that needs to be heard by all.  I can't possibly  describe what went on except to say that it was spectacular, and needs to be heard by all. At the point in Mike's where they often go into Simple, they continued to jam and slowed down to a melodic, airy groove.  Now I have been wanting to hear Piper again since I realized that it was one of Phish's most "feel-good" new songs.  I could have *sworn* that they were about to break into Piper, and I was getting so excited - I had even emailed the boys a few weeks earlier to request that they play Mike's-> Piper -> Weekapaug. (Ted + Erin - you remember me telling you that last week, right?). Anyway, as it turned out they worked their way into an extra long, beautful Hydrogen.  We all quaked with anticipation as they got ready to break out into Weekapaug... Weekapaug was easily the highlight of the show for me.  They kicked it off with a siiick Mike Gordon bass groove which is rapidly becoming the norm (see: 7/31/97, 7/22/97).  This 'paug was tight, fast, and everything else that a good weekapaug should be.  The best part was after the jam segment.  As they brought it back to the "Sharing in the weekapaug groove" part they sped the tempo up until they were playing at least twice as fast as normal.  It was a peaky weekapaug.  Get the tapes, see for yourself... The encore of Loving cup was a great choice and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  The rendition was only slightly marred by static in Trey's effect pedal toward the end of the song. In sum it was a really solid tour-opener and I did not leave the Thomas and Mack center dissappointed. To be fair though, I didn't leave there saying that it was one of the best shows I'd ever seen.  It was a great, tight show with many highlights, but it was not "epic". Side note:  The band said next-to-nothing while on-stage.  Trey mumbled soemthing incoherent at the close of the first set, his standard "We'll see you in 15 minutes spiel, I think).  Again at the end of the show  I think he said something else incoherently.  Kind of weird. After the show we went to check out Vegas's offerings, and ended up in a motel room, trying to get into the hot tub that they insisted we could use *before* we had paid.  But that's another story... -------------------------- Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 18:20:11 -0700 From: Amanda Snider [email protected] Subject: Vegas and Salt Lake City reviews Organization: Northern Arizona University Thomas & Mack Center--11-13-97 Las Vegas, Nevada Background: This is my first stab at one of these reviews, but think I gathered my thoughts fairly well about how i felt about the show.  We got into Vegas wednesday night and camped out at Red Rocks west of town.  Got up early the next morning and I was amazed at the beauty of the area (this is definatley not what you expect when you go to Vegas!).  We planned on doing a six pitch, tradition climb and then going to the show. It sounded like a good way to spend the morning and afternoon before the show, and it was!!! We ended up 730 feet off the ground with the most undescribable natural. Anyhow, we almost ended up staying the night as it got dark and started to rain :(   Finally, we found a way down and boogied to the car at about 5:30 or 6. The show started at 7:30 so we had to haul ass to get to there on time. It was really weird going from this crazy natural high to getting wacked on goodies for the show :)!! So, the show..... We got there at 7:30 and the vibe was FUNKY, security was super-slack, everyone was puffin' and drinkin'. This was Vegas, the place was getting packed, and people were gettin' crazy!  You could just feel the energy there and know this was going to be a sick show! None of the folks i was with were expecting the... Chaldust opener!! I thought this was good surprise. Right off the bat they were soundin' really tight and looked as happy and into it on stage as everyone around me.  This opener ended up setting the tone for the night, as they were just busting out amazing older stuff that was funky(YEM, SOM, PYITE, Mike's.....).  All these older tunes had a little extra FUNK in Vegas.  Everyone in the place was jumpin! Black-Eyed Katie: Holy Shit!!!!! This is the funkiest grooves i've heard out of these guys in a while! Everyone in Denver, Champaign, and back east...you all are in for some funky-ass shows, I hope everyone gets to hear this sometime this tour. This is a brand new instrumental that just grooves! You'll know it when you hear it. Everyone was high-steppin' and movin. Theme: Tight Theme that a I liked alot.  The jam followed with some funky tones reminisent of the last song. Trainsong: Not one of my favorite songs, but again was played tight and sounded good. Split Open and Melt: Yea!!  Wasn't expecting this one either, and loved it. This is becoming an amazing set! SOM was pretty long and again had some seriously funky sections.  At this point I could barely see across the arena...mass roasting...I was loving it! Beauty of my Dreams: Tight. You just gotta love Trey singin the bluegrass! This was a nice change of pace, but at the same time it continued the high energy felt by everyone that was around me. My Soul: I really dig this tune and this one was possibly the best I've heard. The song has a high energy edge that fit the set perfectly so far. Trey looked liked he was loving it! YEM: The FUNK returns!!  Right at the climax "BOY!!!!!" part, I looked around and everyone in the entire place was shakin it sooo hard, I know i was! The jam wasn't super long but it was the funkiest I can remember.  I don't know if it was just me (the "E") or if this funk wasn't really there...looked to me like alot of others were feeling it. YEM -----> Character 0: Great way to end the set.  The crowd was lovin it and everyone on stage was too! We could only guess what may lay in store for the second set. This had some of the funkiest moments i can remember. I hope this style continues for the whole tour. Set II Stash: this was a change of pace from the first set and ended up being another great surprise. This one had to be at least 20 minutes. The jams went on strong most of the song and let everyone get really spaced out before hittin with a strong... PYITE:  This was tight and movin!! This got the crowd back to shakin' in a hurry. The Funk returns in a cool way throughout this one.  The energy level was way back up! Caspian: This was a great Caspian and Trey was just belting this one out. They kept the energy going in a positive way. Bouncin': I don't think i expected to hear much of what they had played so far...and this was no different.  For once, most of the crowd seemed to really get into the Bouncin'. This was a super-fun Bouncin'. Mike's>Hydro>Weekapaug:  This was unbelievable!!!  The Funk was all over the jams in both Mike's and Weekapaug! The Hydrogen was nice and tight, really mellow.  The Weekapaug was the second Funkiest moment of the night, behind Black-Eyed Katie.  Again the whole crowd was movin and shakin all over the place!! Everyone needs to get these tapes. Unbelievable! Loving Cup: What A Beautiful BUZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I didn't think it could get any better, this was the best  encore they could have played.  Trey and the boys looked like they were having the time of their lives. The jam in this was again strong, tight, high energy, and crazy funky. Loving Cup just capped this amazing show perfectly and sent us all into the Vegas night with such a wonderful buzz! ( and that is a whole different story !!) You couldn't expect anything less in Vegas. Everyone is in for some tough Funk for the rest of the tour... ya better put on a pimpin' outfit for the shows! I hope this new style continues for a while. My first east coast shows are going the be 12-29,30,31-97 and I hope the funk is heavy! -------------------------------------------  Date:  Fri, 21 Nov 1997 23:43:09 GMT  From:  Andrew N Hitz   Subject: Fall Tour Review Pt. 1: Las Vegas, Nevada Hello everyone,         I have had a month for the ages and this Vegas show has been the highlight of it so far.  As always, I must get on with the usual business:  Warning: If you are offended or insulted by someone who gives strong opinions about Phish and presents them in a head-strong manner, please stop reading this.  If Bouncin' is your favorite song, great! But it is not mine and I will say so in this review.  I've heard through the grapevine that people have been criticizing reviews which refer to previously played versions of songs.  If that is the case you can:  a. Not read my review b. Crawl into a hole c. Crawl into a hole AND not read my review And for some context, I have heard about 600 hours of live Phish and this was exactly my 80th show since NYE '93.  And I'm still deaf and stupid...  On to the craziness which was 11/13/97...  November 13, 1997 Thomas and Mack Center Las Vegas, Nevada I: Chalkdust Torture, BLACK-EYED KATY!!!!!, Theme from the Bottom!!!, Trainsong, Split Open and Melt, Beauty of My Dreams, My Soul, You Enjoy Myself, Character Zero (1:23)  Chalkdust Torture: This has always been one of my favorite openers because it contains INSTANT energy.  As my friend Peter Bothe once proclaimed, "The best rock guitar riff ever."  At least pretty damn close.  This Chalkdust was well jammed out but I thought that it was rather abruptly ended.  After seeing the Tension and Release Masterclass on 7/30/97 I (otherwise known as the Chalkdust from Ventura) I have very high expectations for this song. This one didn't quite make it.  BLACK-EYED KATY: Holy shit folks! Everyone should have taken a big deep breath before this one because the funk quickly got so deep that I could barely breathe.  The band has matured as an ensemble so much it has scared me.  This tune for those who haven't heard it yet, is pure uncut funk with an occasional rhythmically jarring bar or two by the band which leads right back into, you guessed it, FUNK.  The band sounded both incredibly tight and inspired during this tune.  I don't know who was grinning more, Trey or myself.  Theme: Wow has this song progressed over the years.  One of the first versions I saw of this tune was 7/1/95 from Great Woods which has still withstood the test of time as one of the finest.  And this was one of few versions of the 12 I've seen since that have measured up.  The jam segment of this tune has truly become just that, a jam.  The chord which Trey strums right at the beginning of the jam segement was played with such passion and perfect execution that I almost cried.  Really, when a jam segement is led off with such authority it can't help but be amazing, which this one truly was.  Check it out.  Trainsong: A nice little ditty.  I don't dislike this tune as much as some others but it doesn't really do that much for me either.  It was relatively well sung and Page took a nice solo.  Split Open and Melt: I called this one moments before they started it.  I kind of got that evil Split vibe from the band.  This SOAMelt really reminded me more of 1995 that of 1997, and that is not a good thing in terms of Melt.  I thought that even while seemingly ever other song blossomed during Fall '95, Melt had a slight personality crisis and never really went anywhere.  This Melt was in the same vain.  Very jammed out and spacey but with no apparent purpose and never really led anywhere. There was of course some moments of brilliance, this is Phish 2000 we're talking about here.  But they have raised the standards of music higher than I ever could have imagined and now they must live up to them.  Oh how they would...  Beauty of My Dreams: I really like this tune an awful lot and I feel a very strong connection to it.  Trey really struggled with the singing on this version but made up for it on a truly beautiful solo.  He, as well as the rest of the band, really have a much firmer grasp on this style of music that they did even a year ago.  My Soul: This tune is quickly becoming not one of my favorites.  Don't get me wrong, I like it.  But I like all but about five Phish songs out of the 450 or so.  This version did have a truly great Page solo in the middle.  He seems to have kind of made this tune his own.  My mind was wandering quite a bit during the last four songs.  Thinking about things other than Phish for some reason.  I think it was because the Black-Eyed/Theme combo was so unbelievably smoking that the rest of it seemed a little lackluster. Again, they've raised the standards.  Kind of like when Michael Jordan scores 25 points with 6 rebounds and 4 assists he has a "bad game".  Sure...  You Enjoy Myself: I truly didn't know what to expect out of the band at this juncture of the show.  Needless to say I was very pleased with both the selection and the placement.  As I declared while stretching my legs with Saul Wertheimer and two friends from ASU at the Hoover Damn "1st set YEM's are the key to eternal happiness".  Am I a prophet? More like a lucky windbag.  Regardless, this YEM was declared by Charlie Dirksen (while losing money at Circus Circus at 3 am) as the funkiest YEM ever. It truly did get down.  I wonder if the band is ever going to play the typical Scream->WUDMTF->Page Solo->Trey Solo->Mike Solo->Vocal Jam progression ever again.  As soon as the tramp segement ends they just poured on the funk and sat on it with an apparently great deal of satisfaction.  Trey did end up wailing a little bit at the end.  YEM has definitely become much more of a group effort than each of them soloing in their respective slots.  You can't ever be sure what you will get out of this tune.  And the vocal jam, in the vein of this summer, segued out of a groove rather than on Mike's cue.  And it was a very crazy vocal jam with Chris hitting on all cylinders for sure.  I figured the set was over for sure.  But no...  Character Zero: When I first heard this tune on the Third Ball tapes I thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread.  I have simply seen too many of them for my own good at this point.  But the most repetitive aspect of this tune is the placement.  How many first sets have I seen end with Character Zero? Too many to count.  But since I thought the set was over I treated this as 100% bonus Phish.  II: STASH, PYITE, Prince Caspian, Bouncin', MIKE'S SONG!!!!->I am H2!!->WEEKAPAUG GROOVE!!!!!  STASH: This is the first time I have ever seen Stash open any set and only the third second set Stash of my Phish career (7/8/94 from A Live One and 7/1/95 both from Great Woods).  I thought that this set a very positive and ambitious tone for this second set.  After the Katy, Theme, and YEM they had their hands full topping it.  This Stash was 23 minutes long for any of those who have not already heard.  A *VERY* exploratory Stash.  This one went OUT THERE and they came back around in almost symphonic style.  A true masterpiece although a shadow of the Orlando Stash.  If you consider yourself an educated Stash fan and have not heard the Orlando version from Fall '95 first get a life and then get the tape;)  During this entire 23 minute Stash I think that Fishman's left leg stopped beating the high hat for maybe a total of 30 seconds.  The man is machine and not human.  Or an alien! I thought that when the Stash chords reappeared towards the end of this very long jam that they were going to end it more like 7/8/94.  But instead, in an equally satisfying way, they ended it much more similarly tothe Orlando version.  Kind of quiet and reserved.  Probably in respect to the Mike's Groove that they were going to shortly tear the shit out of.  A great Stash and amazing set opener.  PYITE: Every version of this song that I have ever seen has put a big fat smile on my face.  This was not exactly the most inspired version that have ever run into but it was effective none the less.  During the fast jam at the end I turned to Saul and said "Imagine a Stash, PYITE, Mike's Song opening to the set".  He looked at me as if to say "Get real but you have a point".  Little did I know that they were about to put me on an emotional roller coaster.  Prince Caspian: When I heard Trey strumming the first chords of this song I felt my throat tighten, my head pound, and my feet hurt.  This song has been the cause of so many traumatizing Phish-related experiences in just the last year plus it makes me dizzy.  I am a firm believer in the theory that the third slot tune in the second set is a very important moment in the show.  Can make it or break it.  Once I sat down and rested my aching body I must admit that the jam out of this was truly better than any other Caspian I have heard.  At end of this jam I stood up with just as much anticipation as at the end of Punch.  I saw Trey turn to Fishman and say a two syllable word that began with a B.  At this point I was in complete disbelief.  And then it happened...  Bouncin: I enjoy this song less than having a cold male hand grab my crown jewels and tell me to cough.  Really.  It is not just a pop song but a terrible one at that.  If they ever bury it for a whole tour the beers are on me afterwards.  Some thoughts that went through my head during this three minute gem:  "Is this happening?" "Aren't we in Vegas?" "Is this real?" "Am I real?"  "Am I being infiltrated by the Secret Agenda?" "They'd better play a god damn Mike's Groove after this!"  MIKE'S SONG: Woo hoo! And there was joy in Mudville!  Open basket, insert biscuit. Now this was the kind of THROWDOWN I had envisioned from the beginning.  If you can all imagine the very ending of Bouncin' (which is one of my favorite moments in all of Phish for the record), imagine Trey sticking the Mike's lick right after the final bass note.  If that doesn't put a Phishy smile on your face I'm not sure if anything will.  This Mike's Groove really did live up to expectations.  The noodling by Trey at the beginning was some of the finest pre-tramps segemnt jamming I have heard. And when the tramps segement did come around did the place GET DOWN.  Phish 2000 in its uncut, pure, and completely in your face way.  The tramps segement was very bad ass and very directed.  This Mike's had the momentum of an 18 wheeler driving 80 down the highway in a blizzard. And to quote Dirk420 again, the post-tramps segemnt was "exquisite".  Some absolutely breath-takingly beautiful playing by the entire band.  It seemed the band had been waiting to finish what they started on Conan for an entire week.  Similarly to the Raleigh Mike's->H2, this Mike's jam just gradually became Hydrogen.  Very cool.  ->I AM H2: This is the wackiest, most fucked up, most disturbing version of Hydrogen I've ever witnessed or heard of.  Very similar to Vegas:  wacky, fucked-up, and disturbing.  At first, Trey was really struggling with some of the melodic lines.  In the process of butchering them he turned to Fishman and got a huge grin on his face.  He then proceeded to absolutely 100% slaughter the rest of the tune on purpose.  I'm talking some parallel tritones, some bitonality, everything.  And the very ending of Hydrogen is one of the funniest moments I've ever experienced at a Phish show.  Not only does Trey miss every single note on his final ascending line but he finishes it about a full second after the rest of the band is thinking Weekapaug.  WEEKAPAUG GROOVE: This humorous moment was VIOLENTLY interupted by Fishman but more importantly Mike.  Mike went apeshit.  Really.  I most impressed with his articulations during his usually hectic Weekapaug solo.  Those notes which he used to ghost are now deliberately placed "black notes" as we call them in the business.  (And for the musically inept or the socially sensitive, this refers to the amount of ink used on the page to write 32nd notes and has NOTHING to do with race or anything else important at all.) Mike's energy quickly translated into a rocking Weekapaug chorus.  The first 75% of this Weekapaug was only average.  That is, average for Phish 2000.  And Phish 2000 will probably never play an uninspired Weekapaug ever again.  But then after maybe 8 minutes or so (I pulled that number out of my ass for the record), things got real interesting real fast.  And I mean fast.  Trey began settling back into the standard Weekapaug opening/closing chord riff.  Those who thought they could rest their aching feet shortly were sadly mistaken.  Trey turned to Fishman with an incredibly mischievous look in his eyes.  After getting the entire bands attention he then proceeded to begin an accelerando (started speeding up) which was an   accelerando for the ages.  Fishman caught on to this and went right along with him.  With the amount that they sped up (to about double time or well over quarter note=200) I expected them to sound or at least look like they were laboring.  But no.  They are fucking aliens and I often times forget that.  Once they settled into the new double-time groove (which was so fast I could barely keep up with it and I was only listening) TREY BEGAN SOLOING SIXTEENTH NOTES! My pathetic brain still can't believe that he can solo, as in formulating ideas and then exectuing them, sixteenth notes at more than 200 beats a minute.  For the mathematically impaired that is 800 notes a minute!!! The entire band was just hopping and you could tell that were really enjoying themselves.  They had also succeeded in working the crowd up into a foaming at the mouth frenzy.  Just before the end the band all teased "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" by the Stones which if you didn't know that have used many times to end rocking jams (example: Seattle DWD from Fall '96).  I was REALLY hoping to hear the ending of Weekapaug at this assinine tempo and I was not to be disappointed..  They teased "Can't..." one more time before finally settling back into Weekapaug for the last time.  The singing at the end was great because it was so damn fast.  And they stuck the ending, bowed, and walked off stage leaving me and thousands of others like confused piles of dog shit.  Translation: I enjoyed this Weekapaug a lot.  E: LOVING CUP!!!: Simply put, the best Loving Cup the band has ever played. They are a grooving machine that you can not stop.  And if you try, you might just get run over.  This one blows even the Red Rocks '96 version (my previous favorite) out of the water.  But that is Phish 2000 for you: bigger, badder, faster, funkier, groovier, and just plain better than anything ever preconceived by this race Hartford is only 5 days away and I really hope I can make it until then.  To any friends, I'll be around the taper section before and after the Hartford and Worcester shows.  Come say hello.  I'll be the one at Will Call at 6:00 shivering like a true resident of Arizona.  Finally, I'd like to thank fellow netters Saul Wertheimer, Charlie Dirksen, Eric Burns (who I'm convinced is clinically insane in the best way possible), and Eric Angel for showing me a great time in the most bizarre town of them all, Vegas.  I beat that town.  I saw a Mike's Groove and only lost $7 before getting the hell out of town.  Until next time...  Drew ------------------------------ Date:  Sat, 22 Nov 1997 18:43:30 GMT  From:  Shawn Wiley  Subject: Re: *11/13/97 Vegas Review* Great.  Just great.  I was %!*#&^% WRONG.  Not to rate the 11/13 Vegas Stash over the 7/2/97 Amsterdam performance (although I may yet regret this as well).  I was wrong because I damned the 7/2/97 Stash with faint praise.  I did say I loved it.   I've listened to it many times, but I didn't *hear* it until tonight.  I really can't tell you why, except that the first 4 to 5 minutes of the jam are hypnotic as hell.  I must have suffered brain lock--the final 12 minutes of this nearly 27 minute (!) performance is some of the most incredible music I've heard this band produce.  Georgeous.  Amazing.  And the other 15 minutes certainly don't suck.  The TMWSIY tease/shadings I spoke of are around 15:00 (rough estimate).   Right before that, you hear a faint echo of Timber.  There's a sweet group jam around 12:45.  The most amazing section is the groove they get into around 18 minutes into the song.  this sounds like a tease, or a full jam from another song--anybody identify this?  And the nod to floyd during the final 3 minutes is great.  =^)  I don't know if I still won't enjoy the compact expression at Vegas better, but that really isn't the point.  The majesty of this Amsterdam performance shouldn't be understated.  Penitence is in order.  Anyone reading this who does not have the 7/1/97 or 7/2/97 Amsterdam shows, drop me a line.  I'll do blanks and postage for up to ten.  --Shawn ------------------------------ Date:  Sat, 22 Nov 1997 05:25:45 GMT From:  "DJ Saul T. Nutz"  Subject: Sauldude vs. Vega$ Ladies & gentlemen, tonight, Thursday, November 13th, in the year nineteen hundred and ninety-seven, we have a battle for the ages.  In this corner, hailing from Funk Central Station, weighing 145 pounds, and wearing a burnt-orange leisure suit, is sauldude.  In that corner, weighing, uh...  Mean and Obscene, is the city of Las Vega$, AKA Los Wages.  This bout is bound to be one that you'll tell your grandkids about!!!  On his way into town, sauldude mentally prepared by taking a gorgeous drive through Arizona, and stopping at the Hoover Dam to ruminate the vast implications of PHiSH vs. Conan.  That bout was judged a TIE, because PHiSH chose to start something, and not finish it.  Needless to say, sauldude is looking for some closure in Vega$.  Ariving in Vega$, sauldude pulled into The Frontier parking lot with travelling compatriots Drew Hitz, Mike, & Liz.  Score one for sauldude:  Free parking!  In the hotel, sauldude, Hitz et al, check in with Charlie Dirksen, Eric Burns, Eric Angel, Rob Boyle, Tiger Tom, Mark & Bill, who help prepare sauldude for the impending bout.  Score two for sauldude: Sahweeet hotel room, and good people to have on his side, taboot.  An agreement is reached that a Mike's Song could be the pivotal point of the bout.  Sauldude dons his burnt-orange leisure suit, & waits for its nearly inconceivable powers to kick in.  This suit has been used at other bouts, such as 10/31/95 and 12/31/96.  Nothing can help sauldude more than the suit.  It contains powers which are often misunderstood by laymen.  The whole posse makes its way to the Thomas & Mack Center.  Seats are taken in the lower level, Fishman side.  ROUND ONE:  As the lights go down, excitement builds.  In The Frontier Casino, sauldude has put all his money down on the Highway to Hell opener.  Alas, we are not on our way to the Promised Land quite yet.  Sauldude is hit with a fast CHALKDUST, & before he has much time to think about it, PHiSH hits him right where it counts: The Funk.  At the time, the most appropriate name sauldude can think of for this new song is, KNEE DEEP IN THE FUNK.  And indeed, sauldude is now up to his waist!!  Good Gawd, shake everything you got!  Where have you been all my life!?!?!?  This tune will have you questioning your beliefs, especially in a town like Vega$.  "You may say to yourself, How did I get here?"  Ladies and gentlemen, if you cannot handle The Funk, DO NOT attend PHiSH shows.  For you will be thoroughly Funkified.   Score three for sauldude.  THEME FROM THE BOTTOM is a fitting follow up to Knee Deep In The Funk, because it's jam segment is stunning, probably the best I've heard.  Sauldude's eyes were closed the whole time, hoping that the rest of the show is this good.  Score four for sauldude.  Uh oh!  Sauldude is knocked in the chest with a TRAINSONG which temporarily takes the wind out of him.  Although an adequate performance, it is certainly not a song which will help sauldude win.  SPLIT OPEN AND MELT opens up, and things are looking good, as sauldude is reminded of the Deer Creek Split from 8/10/97.  Unfortunately, sauldude's Leisure Suit powers begin to melt away, as this performance meanders aimlessly.  BEAUTY OF MY DREAMS is next, & has sauldude grinning.  MY SOUL is just an OK performance, and sauldude is beginning to worry: What has happened to The Funk?  Oh, here it is: YOU ENJOY MYSELF.  To quote Andrew Hitz: "First set YEM's are the key to eternal happiness."  Sauldude has suddenly bounced back up, & is now gettin' down.  Bombs are dropped, courtesy of Cactus Gordon, and, once again, sauldude is in control of Vega$.  Score five for sauldude.  As the vocal jam drifts away, CHARACTER ZERO is fired up, & is a decent end to the first round of sauldude vs. Vega$.  ROUND TWO:  Aw shit, what an opener!  STASH is 23 min long, and contains some very tight and exploratory jamming.  Sauldude is diggin' it, & it looks like Vega$ could be in for a serious whuppin'.  Score six for sauldude.  PUNCH YOU IN THE EYE is a great follow up, although it lacks the energy of other PYITE's in Phishtory.  Nevertheless, things are lookin' good for sauldude.  Oh shit, a low blow!  Score one for Vega$!  PRINCE POOPY is not fair in the second round!  Even though the jam segment was better than the average Prince Poopy, it's still a low blow!  Oh dear God, it's not... Oh please help me, it is :( BOUNCING is like a kick in the groin for sauldude, who can only mutter the word "Guh?"  Score two for Vega$!!  Things are looking grim for sauldude, as his hopes and dreams are slowly being bashed to pieces with a big ole hammer.  Sauldude is down, & receives a standing 8 count.  The bout now seems tied: sauldude: 6; Vega$: 6.  That Bouncin' really hurt!!  Oh but he's up as MIKE'S SONG threatens to tear down the house!!!  Score seven for sauldude.  Aw shit, now PHiSH has bust out the industrial-size can of Whup Ass (tm), & proceeds to play some awe-inspiring music.  The Tramps segment is phenomenal, & the post-tramps segment contains some beautiful HOSE.  The band teases Green River by Credence Clearwater (or is it some other CCR tune, I'm not really sure, they all sound kinda similar), & this is the best Mike's sauldude has ever seen!  Sauldude is basking in the glory of this gorgeous version, and looks unbeatable. Score another one for sauldude!!  Nothing could stop him now, except maybe a segue into Simple, or another Bouncing.  I AM HYDROGEN follows, & nearly ensures sauldude of the prototypical linking of Mike's > Hydrogen > Weekapaug.  Sauldude rubs his tummy & says, "Mmm, Hydrogen."  Mike snaps & funks up the intro to WEEKAPAUG GROOVE.  Things are rocking along at an average-for-1997 pace, until Trey looks -- no, glares -- at Fishman, & starts speeding up.  Suddenly, Fish catches on,   as do Mike & Page, and it is almost as if they say, "Oh, I get it ;-)"  This Weekapaug starts to smoke as quickly as a Carlton 100, & before sauldude knows it, it is SO DAMN FAST, that he's not quite sure what to do! (!)  Weekapaug screeches to a halt, after a Stones "Can't You Hear Me Knockin'" jam.  Score 9 for sauldude.  At the end of Round Two:  Sauldude: 9; Vega$: 6.  What better way to follow up that STUPENDOUS set (yes, even with the Prince Poopy & the Bouncin), than to jam the shit out of LOVING CUP!!! Score 10 for sauldude.  What a beautiful buzz...  One may think that the bout between sauldude & Vega$ is all over now, but there is one more matter to be seen: Can sauldude get out of Vega$ without losing all his money.  The answer: Of course!  (But only because sauldude can't afford to lose money).  In the end, sauldude won, largely because of a death-defying, high-flying, Mike's Groove.  Oh, and Las Vega$, don't forget: next time PHiSH is in town, sauldude will be there!  (Hope you all enjoyed.  Please cc me comments at , or <[email protected]> if responding afterNov.23rd.)  Saul E. Wertheimer -- [email protected] -- (847)674-1445 "Any damn fool can make things complicated. It takes a genius to keep it simple."          - Pete Seeger, paying homage to Woody Guthrie ------------------------------