12-10-99 -- First Union Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
review submisions [email protected]
or [email protected]
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 23:59:03 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12/10/99
Whats up guys. im a pretty big phishead i got 81 cds..you could say i am in
love. here's my review.
Lot-the lot seen was kinda beat since it was rainy and cold, but my friends
and i were able to do our "things" without any trouble from cops. There was
some old guy with a nice glass display. alright on to the show:
First of all the show is in Philly which guarantees a good show
Tweezer-Very strange song for a Philly opener. solid song. Every time i hear
it, i like Tweezer more and more. This song got the crowd moving. I did not
see one person standing still.
Bouncing-I love this song and it got a great response from the crowd. I know
a lot of people hate this song but its one of my favorites. good placement
too.
Horn-first time hearing it live-no biggie
Heavy Things-YES! this is a great song and always puts on a smile. Its such a
happy song and it got a great response from the crowd. everyones lips were
chanting oooh oooh wa la.
Dogs Stole Things-uhhhh terrible placement. not a big phan for this one
MMGAMOIO-never heard this one before-sounded alright though
Roggae-good song to just sit down and smoke and thats what most people did.
good lighting
BOAF-Seemed to be a little hesitation on what was to be played next. this
song is always fun and just makes you wanna dance.
Guyute-first hilight of the night!! i love this song and Trey went off. his
guitar solos ripped through the crowd. i couldnt stand up. (maybe that was
thhe beer though :) ) Everyone was feelin it.
Loving Cup-Not expecting this at all but always welcomed-good closer
the first set was a good one. i was having a blast. there were no segues
though which was kind of unusual. The break was song as usual but the came
out with a BANG...
Gotta Jiboo-I was hoping to hear some of their new stuff tonight and i got
it. trey and mike were going off on this ine and i could tell all 4 of them
liked playing this one.
The Wedge!!-HUGE RESPONSE this is one of my favorites as well i was so happy
to hear this and to see that everyone else was excited to hear it as well. on
to..
David Bowie-totally unexpected. what a great song and good lights for this
one. this segued into..
Have Mercy-I had never heard of this song and i could tell it was rare becase
the look of puzzlement struck a lot of people around me. good mellow tune
though right into..
Cracklin Rosie-VACUUM!!!! i almost fainted when i saw trey go back and awitch
instruments and then when fishman grabbed his vacuum i almost died. the crowd
got sooo loud and the solo was pretty funny. Fishman sung a good Cracklin
Rosie and did a little cymbal action this went into..
HYHU-fishman decided to do a little exercise by running a few laps around the
stage. He thanked the crowd twice which was nice.
Twist-another new song. this is fun to dance to, which a lot of people did.
Waste-i like this song a lot but not as a closer-it was kind of a
disappointment.
Encore
Ride Captain Ride-SO UNEXPECTED i was the only one to recognize this out of
my friends. give Page more songs-what a voice!
The second set was amazing! and the encore blew me away. another good show
for Philly.
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 13:14:54 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12-10-99 First Union Spectrum
The Spectrum for me was anticipated with great joy! I go to school in Philly
and the venue was so close and legendary. My expectations were high since the
boys hadn;t been around in a while, since 97 to be exact, and emotions ran
high. The lots were pretty good, cant complain, so on to the shows:
12-10-99
Tweezer: Whoa!! Great way to open the show, the crowd was so stoked, the boys
had ended the show the previous night with tweezer (rep) and started the next
show with a Tweezer, a full 20 minute Tweezer to be exact. Awesome jamming
here, knew that this was setting the tone for the rest of the weekend.
Bouncin: Well, it wasn't my first choice, but hey, I've learned to accept
bouncin'
Horn: Good version, no flubs, always nice.
Heavy Things: Great song I really like this one a lot, It seems like the boys
like it a lot too.
My Mind: Haven't heard this in a while so I was stoked when they played this,
it was really good.
Roggae: Good tune, weird placement, it seemed as if the set was really
slowing down after Tweezer...but
Birds of a Feather: Nice Birds, really nice jam section which really took
off, followed by
Guyute: Thought for sure that thge set was over after I heard Trey scratch
out the beggining of this one, standard Guyute, and then
Loving Cup: Hey say what you will, but there is something about the jam in
this song that turns a place upside down, great closer..
Good set, not the stellar stuff I had hoped for but way above average.
Gotta Jibbo: Ya have to love the boys for openeing the set with this one, God
I love this song, it is so much fun, and led beautifully into->
The Wedge: WOW!! Not only has it been a while, but this wedge was nice and
long with some great jamming, I didin't even care what they played after
this, but the boys unleashed...
Bowie: This was an exceptional Bowie, it reached the point in the jam where
the buildup should have taken place but instead Trey started playing some
reggae like chords, I thought Makisupa....or ....
Have Mercy: I love this song and after oswego, I thought I would never hear
it again, great stuff but the have mercy jam just kept going into .
Reggae Jam: the boys just kept going, when I saw Trey put his guitar sown I
thought, rotation jam???? But fishman emerged with the vaccuum, and treated
us to some of his antics, antics that included him forgetting most of the
words to....
HYHU-Cracklin: Funny stuff here with Fishman galavanting around the stage so
many time I lost count, I figured that the boys would definetely slow it down
now...but...
Twist Around: nice Twist, however I hate the new arrangement, it just doesnt
sound right, this lead into
Waste: Finally a breather, hadn't heard waste in a while, nice but when it
closed the set I was a bit dissapointed.
\
Encore: Ride Captain Ride
Never in a million years did I think this, but it was really cool, Great
show, couldn't wait for tommorow.
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 15:55:56 -0800 (PST)
From: Bart Tantillo [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Review 12/10/99
On Thursday evening, after arriving in Philadelphia earlier in the day,
Mike Gordon and Jon Fishman were spotted at a KVHW show in Ardmore,
Pennsylvania. Now this probably comes as no surprise to those of you who
frequent Andy Gadiel's pages, where it was posted, as it is not uncommon
for band members to check out other bands on nights off during a tour. I
haven't seen KVHW live, but have heard a few tapes here and there. However
that isn't the point, I think Mike and Jon got a wake-up call of sorts at
that show. I'm sure they were aware that so far on their own December
tour, they had yet to hit their stride, and were in desperate need of
finding it soon and saving the eight shows that remained. Seeing a lesser
known band with some incredible talents, having a blast onstage and
creating magic, may have given them the shot in the arm they needed. Of
course, this is just one theory in a long line of theories that have
surfaced about the bands sudden fall from grace. Well whatever it is they
were looking for, they found, and this tour is officially underway after
two incredible nights at the storied Philadelphia Spectrum.
I.Tweezer, Bouncing, Horn, Heavy Things, Dogs Stole
Things, My Minds Got A Mind of it's Own, Roggae, Birds
of a Feather, Loving Cup
II.Gotta Jiboo, Wedge, Bowie>Have Mercy>HYHU>Vacuum
Solo>Cracklin Rosie>HYHU, Twist Around, Waste
E:Ride Captain Ride
Set one of this show began with a bang, and I had a feeling right away
that things may have changed for the better. Tweezer was close to 30
minutes, and seemed to be a statement from the band saying "Don't count us
out just yet you idiots". Bouncing Around the Room was great to hear.
After years of playing the role, like so many others, of the
"anti-Bouncing guy", I have come to fully appreciate this song and what it
means to so many fans who heard it when they were first introduced to
Phish. I welcome it every once in a while, and can even stand the drunken
sing-along that seems to follow it like a shadow. Horn is cool from time
to time as well, but it felt like the band was just taking a quick
breather after the Tweezer bomb they had just dropped to open the show.
Not that they were lacking energy, in fact, Trey was more alert then he
looked in Maine, communicating with the fans in the first few rows, and
doing that little hop that we all love to see, like when you just know he
is totally immersed in the vibes coming from the crowd. Nothing too
spectacular for the remainder of set one, a pretty good Birds, and the
always welcome Loving Cup to close out a set that felt like we were
heading somewhere, but nobody was quick to jump to any conclusions and say
that the band was back in top form.
Well they are. Set two was the beginning of this tour as far as I am
concerned. No offense to those of you who liked the shows you saw in
Maine, Cincinnati, or anywhere else, but of what I have seen and heard
thus far, Friday's second set began what will hopefully be 8 incredible
nights of music from what is still very much the best band in the world at
this moment. Gotta Jiboo, hell yes! Play it every other night the rest
of this tour, I wouldn't mind one bit. The Wedge has that edgy "we're
making an emotional statement" feel to it, and is perfect in it's current
role of coming out once in a great while, not to make a set on it's own,
but to help the cause. Then things took off. Bowie>Have Mercy>Fishman
Craziness, was one of the best things I have ever seen this band do. A
beautiful segue out of Bowie that could have become a number of songs,
such as Makisupa, Cities, or Boogie On.., it had that reggae feel, but I
am glad they settled on Have Mercy, my second time hearing this great
tune. Some very welcome Fisman antics, and once again the band had told
this Philly crowd subconsciously, that it is one of their favorite arenas
to play. Twist Around, one of my favorites, and a song I have been
waiting on since I last saw it early on in the summer tour, was exactly
what I hoped they would play once Fish got back to his drums and Trey
strapped on that Languedoc Magic Wand. It has been slightly altered
lyrically, and I don't know if I like it more or less now, but I still get
the chills from it so I guess all is well. Waste, I suppose becoming more
of an anthem these days with it's encore and set closing placement the
past few tours, was a nice way to end things. Sure it wasn't 12/28/96, but
it was damn good, and I had a hunch that Saturday's show could be the one
that set the tone for the remainder of this tour, as I said in my note
yesterday morning. Ride Captain Ride encore, what more do I have to say?
As Matt Kennedy would say, pertaining to what songs seem to be ready for
breaking out on any particular night...Everything's back on the board!!
Date: Sat, 11 Dec 1999 23:18:02 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Philly 12.10.99
Phish - Friday, December 10, 1999
First Union Spectrum
Philadelphia, PA
Set 1:
Tweezer(8:10pm), Bouncin^� (8:24pm), Horn (8:28pm)
Heavy Things (8:31pm), Dogs Stole Things (8:38pm),
My Mind^�s Got a Mind of It's Own (8:42pm),
Roggae (8:46pm), Birds of a Feather (8:55pm),
Guyute (9:04pm), Lovin^� Cup (9:15pm)
(9:24pm)
Set 2:
Gotta Jibbo (10:15pm), The Wedge (10:30pm),
David Bowie Intro Jam (10:39pm) ->
David Bowie (10:44pm) ->
Have Mercy (10:55pm) -> HYHU (10:59pm) ->
Vacuum Solo -> Cracklin Rosie (11:02pm) -> HYHU
Twist Around (11:09pm), Waste (11:17pm)
(11:26pm)
Encore:
Ride Captain Ride (11:30pm)
(11:37pm)
No much of a scene, maybe it was the rain, or may be since I arrived
early (6:50pm via Amtrak from NYC) and went almost directly inside I
didn't get a chance to see one develop. However the feel of the crowd was
very calm and mellow all night, only when they really had something to
cheer about they would genuinely get excited, but overall it seemed like
the crowd wasn't offering too much in return, just content to bob and
dance in place all night. Also the sound in the Spectrum is still
horrible, there are only certain spots in the arena where you can find a
patch of good sound. This isn't a knock on Phish's sound since they have
some of the best sound in the business (go see a Dave Matthews Band show
and see what you think of their sound), but I was sitting on the floor,
Section 105 and the reverberation from the bass was drowning out much of
the sound the whole night. It started during Roggae in set one and then
was pretty much present throughout the entire second set. Also the band
now has a sectional canopy over it's head with one hexagon in the middle
and four triangular canopies around it to shine the lights on.
Set 1:
The show started of great with a wonderful Tweezer. It almost sounded as
if the band was about to play Wilson and a few people around me called out
Wilson and were about to start chanting, but Tweezer appeared. I really
like first set Tweezers, they usually get right to the point and have a
general exciting feel to them (try 11/14/98 Cincy for an amazing two
chorus, two solos, fading into a McGrupp jam, as a nice example of a first
set Tweezer). This version wasn't a monster by any means, but it had a
nice jam segment which got me dancing right away (turns out it was some of
the most dancin' I did all night), and in a good mood. The jam started
very evil and thunderous, and then this opened up allowing for Sweet
Emotion-like jamming from Trey for much of the remainder of the song which
ended in a swirl of sound with Page hammering on the piano.
After this the rest of the set was rather subdued until the end. Nothing
much to it. We received a volley of 4 minute songs, Bouncin',Horn, Heavy
Things (ok 7 minutes for this one), Dogs Stole, My Mind. Bouncing almost
seemed forced, with Trey really going through the motions, having to force
out the playing for the "that time then" final portion of the song, you
could see it in his face. Horn, once again was Horn. And then we were
clued into Heavy Things with Trey testing the tapping sound prior to the
song, good version, nothing to it. My Mind featured a nice quick
bluegrassy 2nd piano solo from Page to close. As you can see I'm
struggling' to write something here for a set 1 review.
Roggae was ok but the bass reverb was really hurting my enjoyment of the
song, I don't know if the band was effected by it also but they did seemed
a little preoccupied with something other than playing, but maybe they
were just concentrating or something. Seemed like they were trying to get
the kinks out of their soloing in this version.
BOAF was a way to bring the energy back into the crowd and did a good
enough job of it, standard version slower then most in the beginning and
then picked up to a typical fast moving jam for the end.
Guyute follows. I think I see it every 3rd show, fitting we should get it
in Philly since it made it's debut about 60 minutes up the road at the
Stabler Arena in 1994, but I am no longer fazed by it good or bad.
Lovin' Cup brought back the opening energy of the arena for this first
set closer. The band went all out, it wasn't as hard of a heavy metal
rocker as 7/16/99 Holmdel, but a nice energetic classic rock n' roll-ish,
the way it should be played, version. Fish was pounding away on the drums
during the ending jam, crashing the cymbal, closing his eyes, squinting
his eyes and squirming his face, nodding his head for approval!!!!!!!!!!
Good Job Fish, he really got into it!!!!! Chris fully lighting the behind
the stage crowd during towards ending.
Set 2:
Gotta Jibbo, wow, what a long version!!!!!!!!!! Maybe it's a preview of
things to come with this song. They really stretched it out, it had a very
mellow feel to it, and the jamming was similar to the mellow soft style
you heard on Trey's solo tour back in May, but they really put a lot of
effort into it!
The Wedge was standard and nice, and lot more reverb for Kaz.
The Bowie Intro Jam was the longest I've seen to date (others MSG '98,
Nassau '99) and was all synth driven over the cymbals, with Trey creating
a lot of rumbling and swirling sounds, building in tension and then
releasing with the "DIE, DIE, DIE" (this is from the game Doom right?)
effect that is in a jam segment (maybe Sand) from Trey's 5/11/99 9:30 Club
show and which I have also heard on tape (or maybe live at Nassau) during
the Fall'99 run, but I just can't place where. It finally ended with a
Pink Floyd feel (the song on Dark Side just before all the alarm clocks go
off, I'm having a mental blank right now, they teased with it at the
beginning of Halloween '94).
This went into a full David Bowie which could be labeled as unfinished
since the jam went into a bouncy, reggae grove than fell into a very
reggae-ish version of Have Mercy, included Page playing the reggae organ.
Fish then speeds up this jam with the high hat for a minute and it seems
like he wants to go into something else, however the rest of the band has
another plan for Fish and we get HYHU.
A real Vacuum solo, no song was being played just Fish and the
Electrolux. Mike comes over and hands him cymbals, holding them in front
of him as he is soloing, for about a minute before he actually takes them.
After Cracklin' Rosie, Fish does 2 passes around the stage for his reverse
Fishman bow, and Trey is having such a good time checking out Fish and
playing the drums with a schoolboy's exuberance, that he encourages Fish
to do another lap and bow for a 3rd time.
Twist Around was fun with a picking, stuttering feel from Trey during the
solo, and the rest of the band holding a good grove with Page finishing up
the jamming well on piano.
Waste was very beautiful. It started out with just a solo spotlight on
Trey, him singing and playing completely solo. Mike was on, and the final
jam just carried you away with it.
The encore Mystery Ship or Ride Captain Ride whichever your preference,
was a lot of fun, with the crowd a little caught by surprise by it, but
well done by Page on vocals and ended the night on a very fun well played
note!
Set 1 you can pass by if you have limited space for tape storage, ask for
the Tweezer as filler on set 2 or maybe the Lovin' Cup if you are looking
for a good solid version of Lovin' Cup.
Overall a nice show, set 2 made up for a standard really uneventful but
well rounded set 1. The show may have been a bust if set 2 didn't come
through with some zest.
Thanks for the time,
Peace,
Kaz
[email protected]
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 1999 23:47:55 -0500
From: Chris Rash [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12/10/99 First Union Spectrum
I'm always sorry to put down Phish but tonight the energy just wasn't
there. It beyond mellow to the point of lethargy. I guess they were saving
it for the next night. Anyway, let me break it down song by song:
Set I
-Tweezer: Apparently, this was the first time Tweezer was played in
Philly. It was pretty standard really. There was no "prolific" jam to
speak of. I was happy to hear it though.
-Bouncing 'Round the Room: It's really not a bad song, but it just gets old
after a while. Plus, they never alter it. It's the same thing every time.
This lowered the level of vibe in the room for both band and audience.
-Horn: I love this song, but there was nothing really great about this one.
It sounded like they just put the CD on over the P.A. There was no energy!
-Heavy Things: This was a first for me. Neat little tune, but there's not
much to it. I can see it becoming like bouncing.
-Dogs Stole Things: This isn't my favorite song but it's ok. Bad placement
though. They needed something to get the energy up. But I guess they had
gone beyond the point of no return with the lackluster set.
-Roggae: I really love this song. It's mellow, but at least it had a good
jam with some groove. Things are looking up.
-Birds of a Feather: I don't care if other people hate this song, I love
it. It raised the intensity and had a good jam. Well done.
-Guyute: What else can I say but, "this is a good composition." Great
writing and arrangement. It was real tight. Nice work.
-Loving Cup: This saved the set. There was some real heart coming off the
stage.
Set II + Encore
-Gotta Jiboo: Another first for me. I really liked this song. It's got a
great hook and it flows well. It's a tad pop-ish but not bad.
-The Wedge: Where the hell did that come from? Pretty random. I love the
song and it was a decent version, but what made them choose that? But it
gave way to a great...
-David Bowie: Oh shit! When I heard Fish start in on this with trey on the
keys, I almost shat myself. I can never get enough of this song. It didn't
really go where I wanted it to but it was still great.
-Have Mercy: Not bad. I enjoyed it.
-bowie jam/reggae HYHU jam: I'm so glad I got to see a vacuum solo. Fish
is so proficient at his instruments (except the trombone). It was nice to
hear Cracklin' Rosie, since it is a rarity and all.
-Twist: I loved this one. I'd never heard it but I though it was called
"Twist Around". Oh well, although it is still along the pop-ish lines, it
still rocked out. Keep up the good work boys.
-Waste: I really like this song. It was kind of odd to end the second set
like that but, it's a nice little tune and I love Trey's solo.
This was definitely not the best show I've been to but a happy memory
all the same.
Chris
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 16:15:26 PST
From: Jimi Hendrix [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Review PHISH 12/10/99
What can I say the first night in philly, we left the place a mess. I met
some real cool people there. I traded my extra to a girl that was very
kind and sweet, she gave me a Jerry Bear and PHISH at Red Rocks from '94.
We had a great time. The show didn't have a great set list, we all cleared
that up. But I bet all the people giving PHISH bad reviews also were
dancing the whole night. The highlight of the show was the great Raggae
Jam that had me going the whole night. And I bought a Veggie Burito
outside for the first time in 2 years! What can I say I loved it, and you
know why? Because its PHISH!
Jim Hendricks
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 15:07:07 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Review of Phily 12-10-99
I was excited to be going back to Phily for another two night stand.
Visions of 97 danced in my head and I was hoping for two fantastic shows
once again, it started off in good fashion:
1st set-
Tweezer- Damn! I thought this was the sign of great things to come in the
first set, standard Tweezer, great jam for the first song of the night, it
came time to go into something else and Trey chose:
Bouncin'- Not good. I really wanted the vibe for Tweezer to continue, but
it made a lot of people happy in the audience.
Horn- I love Horn, always love hearing it
Heavy Things- I like this song as well, but I was a little confused as to
where the set is going
Dogs Stole- Another one I like. But this set was confusing the hell out
of me.
My Mind's- Not the best version, Page and Trey's solos were very short and
not really that good.
Roggae- Good version, nice take on the dreamlike jam
Birds- A very good version, great jamming, first of the tour
Guyute- Standard
Loving Cup- good, but I am of the belief that the band has to work their
way thru a sick set to get to Loving Cup, and this set did not quite fit
that bill.
Overall the set was okay, lots of songs I love to hear, but not all
together in one set. The set was 76 minutes long.
2nd set:
Jiboo- Awesome! They came back with a very sick Jiboo, best I've ever
heard, live or on tape. What a great way to start things off
Wedge- Another great version of a great song, almost ten minutes long,
they just kept taking it around again and again
Bowie- Way phat! Excellent intro and then the jam really started taking
off and then wound around into a reggae jam that had me thinking Boogie
On, but instead:
Have Mercy- Very cool, not as intricate as the Oswego version, but it was
welcome nonetheless, it wound around into a vacumn solo and then Mike came
around and gave Fishman the cymbals and we all knew what was coming:
Cracklin' Rosie- Nice! Fishman sings for the first time in a tour and a
half. He forgot most of the words and it was great fun!
Twist- I heard the new Twist arrangement at Rochester and after hearing it
here, it really has grown on me, great jam on this one, lots of fun.
Waste- Very good version and a cool closer, the second set was
phemonminal.
Ride Captain Ride- Completely made up for the first set. Jammed out very
hard, fabulous version.
Set 2 and E was 82 minutes. All together, this show is a 7 and a half,
would be much higher with a Gin or a Stash in set 1.
Date: Sat, 11 Dec 1999 15:32:58 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12-10-99 philly review
First night in philly was a happening show. I'll get right to the chase.
First Set Tweezer: Sweet, the jam lasted about 15 min and was your normal
tweezer jam, nothing out of the ordinary to speak of. Then came
Bouncing: I was a little dissapointed to hear i guess, but i haven't heard
the song in a while so it was alright.
Horn: Awesome, I never thought they would play this tune. Everyone
around me was diggin this including me. From there it went to
Heavy Things: I love this new tune. I was just listening to it on the
way to the show. It was a good version.
At this point i am little dissapointed though, no good jam songs yet.
Maybe more to come.
Dog Stole Things: Just an alright version. Nothing to jam on in this
song.
MMGAMOIO: I happy to hear this. Haven't head it in a while, and don't
have it on many tapes. I thought the show started to pick up from here on.
Roggae: Nice version. Good slower song. GOOD GROOVE!
Birds: Hell yeah! I love the solo section of this song. I did not
disappoint this night.
Guyute: I really wasn't in the mood for a guyute. I think they have been
playing this tune a little much lately. Oh well. Next came
Loving Cup: This song really got the crowd movin. A real good version.
This song would cap off the set.
Overall set was average but better things were in the future for the next
set.
Jiboo: Never heard this newer song before and i dug it. Cool lyrics with
backup vocals and all.
Wedge: YES!!! Fishman seemed to be getting a little tired. This jam
really extended longer than i was expecting. Awesome version though.
Bowie: A soon as fishman did his hi-hat thingy i knew it was comin.
Trey was getting some sick ass noises from his amp. It sounded as if it
was a voice talking or something. Cool stuff. This jam extended about 15
min which is shorter than they used to play it. No finish but what
happened next made up for it.
Have Mercy: Cool Jam. It seems to show up with MMGAMOIO.
Craklin Rosie: The trey/fish switcharoo on drums was awesome. It started
with a vacuum solo without any music before rosie came in. I think
fishman might have forgot some of the words on this one. Oh yeah, fishman
wouldn't stop soloing. Mike kept handing him the cymbals for crakling
rosie to no avail. Finally it was over though. Then after rosie came the
whole hyhu thing. Fishman did tons of laps around the stage moving faster
than i ever saw him move before. It was halarious. After it was all over
fishman said to the crowd that you are really too kind, a couple of times.
Twist: I love the old way of this song, but i do enjoy the new
arrangement. Very unexpected from me.
Waste: They slowed things down a bit with this song which i can
understand. It was a super high energy set. This song ended the second
set.
Encore: Ride Captain Ride: I was totally not expecting this tune. Very
rare song from phish.
Overall an awesome show. I can't wait for tommorrow. See-ya there
Date: Sat, 11 Dec 1999 11:58:24 PST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12/10 Spectrum
Rather than analyze the show, I'm going to try to relate what happened in
the jams...
The Tweezer jam was large and relatively slow. Lots of drone notes and an
overall big sound from Mike. Trey played barely anything for the first
part of the jam, mostly light chording. Same for Page. Towards the end
Trey started pasting together long strings of chords, creating a sort of
cascade effect. It was hard to hear Page during this part of the jam,
largely in part to the lovely acoustics of the cavernous slab of concrete
that is the Spectrum. The jam was not really dynamic in that there were
no changes to speak of. It got on a plain and then just rode it out, with
cascades of sound from Trey. Will probably sound even better on tape when
there's time to listen to all the different parts.
Bouncing Around the Room - One thing I like to think about during songs
I'm not crazy about is that most likely there is someone in the crowd who
is thrilled that they're playing that song. For a group of people near me
this one seemed to make their night, which made me happy. I think
watching someone else's happiness is a nice way to enjoy a song even if
you don't like it.
If you like music theory, next time you hear a Horn try to figure out how
the solo/jam ends up with the root a half step lower than when the jam
started. (i.e. it starts in E major and ends in Eb)
The Birds of a Feather jam was similar to many BOAF jams that have been
played lately -- loud Mike playing lots of roots and octaves with a few
different colors here and there, and Trey soaring above the band with a
melody. CK went nuts during this one.
Loving Cup wasn't as big as it sometimes gets.
All the segues on the setlist are a bit overstated. The only real segue
was David Bowie > Have Mercy > Vaccuum Solo. Everything else came to a
complete stop.
Jiboo got into a groove and stayed there. Trey was quite inactive during
this one... I miss the nastiness that he delivered during the solo tour. A
sidenote - I think Mike is entirely too loud now. I play bass, so I like
hearing Mike as much as anybody, but I can barely hear Trey, Page and Fish
sometimes because Mike is so loud. Bass way up in the mix is great but
the higher voices and melodies are honestly more interesting than fifteen
minutes of the Jiboo bassline.
Trey didn't wail on the end of Wedge as he has been known to do. I'd walk
a mile to hear a (Wedge) though, don't get me wrong.
The David Bowie jam was great. It reminded me very much of some part of a
Reba jam... soft blue and green lights, an odd Mike bassline that started
simply and grew, with many different colors to it... simple piano notes
from Page that blended perfectly with Trey noodling... very light tension
and release.. a few purple and yellow lights here and there... soft
peaks... Very nice stuff. I'd be anxious to hear this one again. The
beginnings of Have Mercy came from a small Trey pattern and the transition
flowed well.
The Twist jam seemed... awkward. The lights were very interesting though,
and it seemed like the band was kind of following the lights at times.
Waste was pretty big by the end, which was impressive. It came close to
being as big as Loving Cup. Probably Trey's best solo of the night. Big
yellow lights during this one.
Hope this makes the show seem clearer for someone.
Date: Sat, 11 Dec 1999 15:51:34 EST
From: Max Wade [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12/10/99
I NEED to clear something up here. First off, I agree w/ the other
reviewers in that the first set was tight, and the highlight was
definitely Loving Cup; however, I thought the jams were mediocre and it
was a bit of a lull. The second set was SO much better, w/ a great start
w/ Gotta Jiboo, and a great version of Waste finishing up. Now here's what
i need to clear up: During their cover of Have Mercy(which was sweet by
the way), FISHMAN SCREWED UP. I know, that seems impossible, but he did.
He suddenly sped up, and the other guys followed him a little, but no one
knew where he was going with it, so they stopped. Fish tried to pick up
where the fault occured, but instead, Trey came around and took over the
drums. Fish made up for his moment of confusion with a very skilled and
amusing vacuum solo, plus some bowing and laps around the stage. My
proof: Fish said to the crowd, twice, 'You are too kind.' This hasn't
changed anything in my mind. Fish is still the man.
MG
Date: Sat, 11 Dec 1999 14:57:28 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12-10-99 philly review
First night in philly was a happening show. I'll get right to the chase.
First Set Tweezer: Sweet, the jam lasted about 15 min and was your normal
tweezer jam, nothing out of the ordinary to speak of. Then came
Bouncing: I was a little dissapointed to hear i guess, but i haven't heard
the song in a while so it was alright.
Horn: Awesome, I never thought they would play this tune. Everyone
around me was diggin this including me. From there it went to
Heavy Things: I love this new tune. I was just listening to it on the
way to the show. It was a good version.
At this point i am little dissapointed though, no good jam songs yet.
Maybe more to come.
Dog Stole Things: Just an alright version. Nothing to jam on in this
song.
MMGAMOIO: I happy to hear this. Haven't head it in a while, and don't
have it on many tapes. I thought the show started to pick up from here on.
Roggae: Nice version. Good slower song. GOOD GROOVE!
Birds: Hell yeah! I love the solo section of this song. I did not
disappoint this night.
Guyute: I really wasn't in the mood for a guyute. I think they have been
playing this tune a little much lately. Oh well. Next came
Loving Cup: This song really got the crowd movin. A real good version.
This song would cap off the set.
Overall set was average but better things were in the future for the next
set.
Jiboo: Never heard this newer song before and i dug it. Cool lyrics with
backup vocals and all.
Wedge: YES!!! Fishman seemed to be getting a little tired. This jam
really extended longer than i was expecting. Awesome version though.
Bowie: A soon as fishman did his hi-hat thingy i knew it was comin.
Trey was getting some sick ass noises from his amp. It sounded as if it
was a voice talking or something. Cool stuff. This jam extended about 15
min which is shorter than they used to play it. No finish but what
happened next made up for it.
Have Mercy: Cool Jam. It seems to show up with MMGAMOIO.
Craklin Rosie: The trey/fish switcharoo on drums was awesome. It started
with a vacuum solo without any music before rosie came in. I think
fishman might have forgot some of the words on this one. Oh yeah, fishman
wouldn't stop soloing. Mike kept handing him the cymbals for crakling
rosie to no avail. Finally it was over though. Then after rosie came the
whole hyhu thing. Fishman did tons of laps around the stage moving faster
than i ever saw him move before. It was halarious. After it was all over
fishman said to the crowd that you are really too kind, a couple of times.
Twist: I love the old way of this song, but i do enjoy the new
arrangement. Very unexpected from me.
Waste: They slowed things down a bit with this song which i can
understand. It was a super high energy set. This song ended the second
set.
Encore: Ride Captain Ride: I was totally not expecting this tune. Very
rare song from phish.
Overall an awesome show. I can't wait for tommorrow. See-ya there
Date: Sat, 11 Dec 1999 14:37:53 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Philly
Greetings from Philly,
Last night was Phish Phriday in Philly. Whew...First off, I am almost
31 yrs. old have essentially grown up with Phish. From my first show at
Haverford College in 1989 to the 23 East in Ardmore, to the Chestnut
Caberet, to the Keswick Theatre, the Mann, the Tower and all the way to
the Spectrum, I have seen the good, bad and inspiring. Last night 's show
far passed any expectations. Good job boys, I hope to catch y'all for
another 10 years.
Date: Sat, 11 Dec 1999 11:30:28 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12/10/99 philly review
Thank God Phish finally made it back to the Spectrum...Although in the
beginning I was getting worried about the show, by the end of the night I
was sporting a huge smile...
Tweezer: Good if your in the mood for a tweezer...a tight
version...nothing spectacular
Bouncin: (no comment)..except my disappointment that this got the biggest
reaction of the night
Horn: Love Horn...not too much room for improv but how many times to you
get a horn...come on
Heavy things: First time I heard it and I dug the tune...A welcome
addition to the repetoire.
At this point I am slightly disappointed...it seems they are not mixing up
the song types very well...wishing the would pick it up a little bit more
Dog Stole Things: NIce little rare one...alright version though...I was
noticing that Trey was starting to have a little trouble up there which I
will mention in a bit
MMGAMOIO: Another Sweet little treat....still show seeming a little slow
Roggae: I can't help but dig this song...I Like the feel of it...They did
some nice things with the jam, some moderate tension and release technique
by switching the timbre of the song between kind of heavy and kind of
heaven
Birds!!: I love this tune live...it is so easy to dance to...finally we
are starting to see the show pick up a little...I thought this was a tight
version...Trey still having a little trouble up there.
Guyute: If they busted this one out once or twice in a blue moon I think
it
would hold that place in our hearts with all the other rare gems (i.e.
harpua, camel walk) but since they put it back in the rotation they're
killing it...
Loving Cup: This is always so rockin...Perfect placement...they left me
pumped when the lights went up...Also...since Trey had been noticeably
flubbing a lot during the latter part of the set, like in Guyute, in an
effort to further connect the band and audience they chose Loving Cup for
the line "I know I'm playing bad guitar" possibly as Trey's way of telling
us that he knows he's been a little sloppy on his axe
The second set totally ( in a sense) made up for the pretty weak first set
Jiboo; F#$kin Awesome...Possibly the best thing to comeout of the solo
shows...Picked up right where the left off on the energy level of Loving
Cup...sweet song
Wedge: You gotta love a good wedge
Bowie: The intro was damn deep...After Lemmonwheel I felt that Bowie's
were getting kind of weak as the jam section seemed to be going nowhere,
then they started taking off the ending (WHAT??!!--only the best part of
the song) But last night's version was sweet and although they did not
finish it what they did do was even better. i.e...
Have Mercy: Nice!!!!!! Sweet reggae jammin back in bowie
Cracklin Rosie: I don't know how he does it but he plays a damn good
vacuum...As soon as I saw the cymbals I knew right away, as did anyone
else who saw them, what we were in store for...I never thought they were
going to pull this one out...Nice to see or hear rather that Fishman's
vocal stylings have improved considerably since awful yet hilarious
singing of all the Syd Barrett tunes in '87 and beyond...
Twist: Definitely had a new intro...This was the first one I've seen and
I was totally psyched...Another one of those tunes that just pumps the
whole crowd up
Waste: Not a show stopper but a solid song as a whole...Not what you
would think would end the second set but it was a weird night alot of
surprises I thought...I also thought that this version was real good...
Ride Captain Ride: Hell yeah...that's all I gotta say...yeah Page!!!
As a whole I think the show was sweet... In true Phish, two night runs,
and Spectrum Style, we should be in for a killer show tomorrow
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 01:22:14 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Please post!!!!!!!!!( Philadelphia,Dec 10th)
December 10,1999,Spectrum
It was my first Phish show. I was very,very,very impressed, I've been
listening to them for a while and have'nt gotten the chance to see them
until last night. I was'nt really exactly sure what their set would sound
like. As soon as the lights went out I was soooooooo pumped. I could just
tell that there was a great vibe in the air and that in the next few
minutes I would be exposed to the #1 best live act around. as soon as I
heard the opening riff to "Tweezer" I went nuts. I thought it was a really
solid jam and I really liked how they played it out. I thought
"Bouncing..." was a good choice but was poorly placed in the set. I
thought "Birds of a feather" was awesome...Its a great song but live its
so much better. "Guyute" I thought this tune could have been left out. I
just was'nt very into it...Its kinda like a Gilbert and Sullivan musical
number. I had to leave early and I am sorry I missed the second half of
the second set
I left with 3 words in my mind:
PHISH IS GOD. (or close)
Dan, Philadelphia,PA
Date: Sat, 11 Dec 1999 17:18:57 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Dumb Thought
Hi -
Here's a dumb stats thought about last night's show... Tweezer was
played for the first time in Philly, but in 1995, there was a Tweezer
Reprise unaccompanied by Tweezer - 12/15/95, at the Spectrum. Granted,
that one completed the one from 12/14/95, and they'll probably play
Reprise tonight in the encore, but it's a thought.
Erik
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 13:02:18 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Dec. 10 Philly Review
This show totally blew me away. Some great jams. Wasn't expecting this
at all
First Set
Tweezer: Was hoping for Tweezer, but didn't think there was much of a
chance. Great jam...nothing different than usual.
Bouncing: Same as usual. Didn't get me moving too much. The Crowd loved
it though.
Horn: I came to this show having not listened to Horn in more than one
year. I regret that. It was incredible. The song got the crowd going.
This song got me grooving pretty well.
Heavy Things: First time hearing this song. I thought the music was
excellent. However, I could feel that there was room for a great jam in
this song and it never came.
Dog Stole Things: Totally wasn't expecting it. Short, but sweet.
My Mind's Got a Mind of Its own: This song was pretty good. I never heard
it before this show. Once again, there could've been a better jam.
Roggae: Very mellow as usual. The music is great however. A good soft
jam.
Birds of a Feather: Maybe the greatest Birds I've ever heard. The energy
was high and the jam was incredible. It may have been the best jam of the
entire night. This song picked up the pace for the rest of the show.
Guyute: My personal Phavorite song. Even though the song doesn't change
much from time to time, I grooved harder here than the rest of the show.
Loving Cup: This song had more energy than all songs in the first set
combined. Amazing. Even a good jam. One of the best covers in Phish's
repetoire.
So far the show has been great. I was looking forward to the second
set at this point. My friend thought he saw Trey talking to the Dude
behind the stage. They came out to start the second set strong with...
Second set
Gotta Jiboo: Funky, Long, Great Bass Jam. Only my second time hearing
this song. One of the greatest musical points of the night.
The Wedge: Good song. This is a song with a great jam and good lyrics.
Thanks for this one.
Bowie: I was pumped at the start of this, but it left me hanging. The
start was great, but it went into this next song too shortly.
Have Mercy: Good Reggae tune. They nailed this one and followed it by
many good jams. The song led into a Bowie Jam in which the lights were on
Fishman. Page began to play HYHU. Trey took off his guitar and walked
towards Fish's drums. The crowd went nuts.
Vacuum Solo: Very cool. Mike was holding a pair of cymbals. After the
Solo, Fish grabbed the cymbals.
Cracklin' Rosie: The song and crowd reaction was good, but the symbals
didn't make any sound. It was great to be there for this.
HYHU: Fishman ran laps around the stage many times, bowing and dancing at
points. Kuroda did a great job with following Fish with the lights. At
one point, Fish grabbed the mic and said you are far far too kind.
Twist: Decent song. Good soft jams. Wasn't expecting this at all.
Waste: Huge reaction from the crowd. Trey may have had his greatest solo
of the night here. Although I don't like this song too much, I managed to
get into it after a little while.
Enc:
Ride Captain Ride: They should definetly play this one much more. Page
sounds here. Everyone loved this. I was hoping for Tweezer Reprise
afterwards. We never got it, but I had nothing to be disappointed about.
Great Show. The End of the first set and the entire second set were
especially great.
Date: Sat, 11 Dec 1999 01:48:15 -0500
From: Jonathan_A_Pron/Student/Student%[email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12/10/99 review
12/10/99 First Union Spectrum - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
My hometown! I've been excited for months for this one! And you just know
that when Phish opens with:
TWEEZER - it's gonna be a good show. The jam was not the best I've ever
heard, but I can't complain.
BOUNCING AROUND THE ROOM - played in the standard way, just like every
time, but the vocals were particularly good tonight.
HORN - not my favorite song, but the best version of it I've heard. Then,
it was my first ever...
HEAVY THINGS - and I enjoyed it very much. I hope this makes it onto their
new CD... can't wait for that!
DOGS STOLE THINGS - It was a good version of this song, but at this point,
they started to lose me. The excitement just wasn't there.
MY MIND'S GOT A MIND OF ITS OWN - Also a good song and played well, but
still losing me, and then...
ROGGAE - Completely ruined the mood. It was even slower than on The Story
of the Ghost (like most of the live renditions of this song). I didn't
think I could be brought back to life. Especially not by a song on that
CD, but then came...
BIRDS OF A FEATHER - and it was the best version of that song that I have
heard live, on TV, or on the disk. Who would have predicted that BOAF
would have been the song to save a lull in the set?
GUYUTE - Another one from Ghost?!? I hope they're not trying to promote
their newest recorded effort; it's so unlike them. But this song was
incredible. As a guy behind me said, it doesn't change much from show to
show, but it's always a welcome addition to the setlist. It really got ME
moving at least!
LOVING CUP - I was hoping for this one! A great way to close out the first
set. A great song, and they played it expertly. Way to go, guys! You gave
us a positive way to remember the set by putting this incredible version of
Loving Cup last.
SET 2
GOTTA JIBOO - Wow! Possibly the best way to start out the second set.
Whatever funk they had gotten themselves into for awhile during the first
set, they worked it out backstage and came out strong. All thinking of
promoting a CD or playing to a higher-concentration "newbie" crowd went
right out the window.
THE WEDGE - One of my favorites! They played it SO well too!
DAVID BOWIE - Not my personal favorite, but this version was excellent,
especially with the long spacey jam intro and jam.
HAVE MERCY - So cool! And fit in so well with the rest of the set. This led
into a reggae jam, which was great. Trey's guitar work made us all jump
around. Then Trey put his guitar down and circled back behind his amps and
took a drumkstick from Jon. They played a measure or two together, then
Trey took over drums completely, and Jon slowly made his way to Trey's
position. Of course, as Jon moved, the band played...
HOLD YOUR HEAD UP - With all the lights on him, it happened. Johnny B.
Fishman picked up... his VACUUM! I was dying it was so funny. And the
coolest vacuum solo I've had the pleasure of witnessing. Mike came over to
him twic to give him cymbals, which he kinda played, but then threw them
around a bit. Jon stayed there and sang...
CRACKLIN' ROSIE - next. Not bad at all! My friend Ann thought it was so
cool; it was her first show and she never expected anything like this! Then
Jon decided he needed some exercise. He ran several laps around the stage,
pausing at certain points for applause and to bow in the Fishman way to the
audience. Nudity? Nope. Maybe next time!
HOLD YOUR HEAD UP - So Fish can get back to his drums.
TWIST - My first Twist in concert, and wow, what a performance! WOO!
WASTE - A great song that I love to play myself. It sounds much better from
Trey though, and was particularly great tonight. A great closer for a great
set.
ENCORE:
RIDE CAPTAIN RIDE - Page! What a singer... let him do it more often! What,
no Tweezer Reprise? I've been good, I deserve it! I was looking for a
Tweezer sandwich, but unfortunately no. I read that there were actually TWO
Reprises at their last show (which I was unfortunately not at) in Portland.
So, maybe that's why? What do I know?
Jonathan Pron - [email protected]
Date: Sat, 11 Dec 1999 05:31:13 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12/10/99
I thought the show was excellent. I made it there late so I can't say how
the first couple songs were but I thought they jammed really well and the
music was so beautiful. They touched my soul, once again.
Life is all about the music!
Sunshine Daydreams~
Jennifer
Date: Sat, 11 Dec 1999 15:10:33 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: review of 12/10/99 @ The Spectrum
Well, after not having seen the band since the E-Centre show over the
summer, i was pretty pumped about this show....The Tweezer opener put a
smile on my face, but i wasnt really in the mood for a Bouncing, which
followed....Horn is always a really nice tune to hear and they gave us a
pretty nice version....I LOVED Heavy Things; it was my first time hearing
this song, after hearing about it from other people and seeing it appear
on so many setlists, i was pretty pumped, and i must say, it was really
sweet. Dog Stole Things is always a good tune, and then it was followed up
pretty well with MMGAMOIO....Roggae, to me, is a downer, but the jamming
on this one was pretty good, so i coudlnt complain....BOAF fuckin rocked!
ive never danced so much in my life! it put me in a really good mood and
i was ready for the very nice version of Guyute which followed...I was
very surprised to hear Loving Cup, but it no doubt left me with a really
good feeling about the second set....
The second set was probably one of the best sets i've seen in a
while....they were sooo on, and every second was very precious......The
Jiboo>Wedge we were treated with, which opened up the second, was sweet as
shit....the jamming was soooo there and they took me to that place that
only Phish can take me to.....The Bowie that followed was very sweet, with
a good 2 minutes of some weird intro. jamming....During Have Mercy, i made
my way down to the entrance to the concourse which looked like it was a
very good place to dance....it indeed was, and there, i thoroughly enjoyed
the Hilarrious Rosie which followed....is it just me, or did Fishman
forget almost all the words to this oldie?? oh well....it was still very
entertaining....I absolutely love Twist, and we were treated to a very
VERY good one...the Waste that followed was pretty solid, but we still
needed more....i wanted one more phishy surprise to close up my
night....and then they came out for the encore.....RIDE CAPT. RIDE:):)!!!
WOW! Page really rocked this one, and it was a very very nice ending to an
above average night....Good goin guys!!
Date: Sat, 11 Dec 1999 11:20:10 -0500
From: David M. Goldstein [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12/10/99
Hey now,
Here's my take on the first night up in Illadelph, home to one of the
shittiest concert venues in America, the country's lamest cops, and
parking lots with more nitrous than a dental warehouse. Nothing beats
trying to leave the parking lot while dodging losers strung out on hippie
crack.....And what was up with the lack of port o' johns? Walking to
Veterans Stadium to stand in line for 3 toilets, and then walking back to
the Spectrum is uncool.
But on to the show you say.....overall, the key word is "decent". Nothing
to blow your skirt up, or scream, "This is why I see Phish!!!!", but
tight and competent, with some definite goodies.
If you've seen the list for set I, it basically speaks for itself.
Jampacked with pop tunes that were tightly played, if little else.
Bouncin' as the second song in the set followed by Horn made me feel like
it was '91 all over again. Tweezer is always cool to open, and some of
the Kuroda effects with these white and red swirly/strobe lights were
insane. Anyone else think that Heavy Things sounds a lot like the Who's
Sally Simpson? Good BOAF, but nowhere near 7/10/99, and I'm waaaaay sick
of Guyute and Lovin Cup.
Second set was a whole 'nother ball 'o wax. I'm familiar with Gotta Jiboo
from a Trey solo tape, and the thought that always came to mind
was..."great bassline, catchy tune, the midsection goes nowhere". Guess
what? Phish plays it the same way. Mike lays the shit down HARD, but the
mid-section found Trey not trying very hard at all, and I found
myself thinking about the history paper I have to write tomorrow as
opposed to the show. I've always loved the Wedge...great lyrics,
great vocals, Phish's songwriting at their best. Thought the fade-out
solos were a bit lengthy, but always a welcome tune. High-hat usually
means Bowie....Mike was fooling around with some excruciating bass
effects during the intro that brought to mind the pain inflicted on the
audience whenever Bobby used to take slide guitar solos. I thought my
head was going to explode due to the BASS. Trey fooling around with his
keyboard too I believe. Tight Bowie that segued into some reggae
beats with Mike playing a bassline that sounded like "Mirror in the
Bathroom" a'la 11/27/98 (sick, sick, show). The reggae turned out to be
"Have Mercy". Woohoo! Just like UNH 5/93 (another sick show)! This segued
into a long and loud vaccum solo, followed by Cracklin Rosie, followed by
laps upon laps around the stage. This was hilarious...a friend said it
was the "Fishman spectacle to end all Fishman spectacles", and he may
have been right. Twist was nice. Pure, unadulterated rock n' roll with
nice Kuroda strobes, but I'd be lying if I said I liked the new
arrangement better than the old one. They've taken out some of the
lyrics, and sing the "Woo!" part a few more times. Waste closed the set,
and although Trey sort of managed to rock the ending Lovin' Cup style, I
don't think they should make it a habit to close sets with this......Did
I like set II? Sure did. Jiboo needs practice, but there was creativity
evident throughout.
Ride Captain Ride was an unexpected and kick ass encore. Great Page
vocals, great classic rock.
And so it goes. Decent show...relatively unexciting first set followed by
an above average set II. Here's hoping for a rager tonight, and then I
hope Phish never plays the Spectrum again. Lousy lots, parking is a
bitch, and the venue looks like its going to cave in. Indeed.
dave g
Date: Sat, 11 Dec 1999 02:25:27 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: (no subject)
Well, tonight was an interesting show, and I can say that the day of rest
really shows when Trey is playing well like he did tonight...
Started the show LATE which is great for all of us who are late for
everything ourselves
Tweezer: I thought this might make it in tonight, but certainly not to
open....Solid tweezer, not to long which was nice, nice guitar work by
Trey....Thought we were in for craziness after this but,
Bouncin : Eh
Horn: This was pretty cool, with CK doing up those great blue lights a la
Rift artwork..weird placement I thought but the entire first set was a
strange brew of phish
Heavy Things: Love this new one and the quick almost marchlike drumbeats
never missed a step....cool vocals and great little dance tune
Dog Stole Things: Mmmmm
Mind's Got a Mind : Fun little country tune. Would have loved to hear Water
in the Sky instead or a Poor Heart
This is where things ended up with a bang......four very different songs that
span a huge variety of music in this great string of songs
Roggae : Dreamy and very Pink Floydish, thanks Kuroda again here a stellar job
BOAF : Fun and Trey had a great little series of riffs that really can extend
this song from its FM radio form to a great jam
Guyute : yeah, its played a lot now but I actually have not heard it live in
over 30 shows so it was a treat. My girl and I were about to bust into
riverdance during the Irish jig part of the tune. Tight version, GREAT LIGHTS
Loving Cup.....this song has a special meaning as it is the first song I
heard them play in concert at the Roxy in 93....great set closer
First Set was definitely different.. When Tweezer reared it head to start, I
though we'd have a freaky set...Nice variety of tunes but NO segues at all.
Each song like a CD.....I guess that's what the second set is for then.....
Second set
Jiboo : Another new song that is fun to dance to .....anyone notice the
similarity between Heavy Things and this....same meter.....great to boogie to
Wedge : Knew this was coming and was listening to it as I walked out of my
place to got to the show. Love the beats fishman can lay down....Ok what to
do now....
David Bowie : Started out with a cool intro with crazy sound bouncing off
everything but it was pretty short, first segue into Mercy......cool reggae
feel for a while in this tune but nothing earth shattering as far as the
improvised part....was really searching for a segue into boogie on reggae
woman and it really sounded like they were headed there but....
A loud vacuum cleaner.......REALLY LOUD......a cracklin rosie followed and
fishman tonight took more bows than any one man should ever take in one
night.....Jon loves that front and center state and the crowd was really
going nuts
okay.....lets close it out strong guys
Twist : Interesting song but Trey seems to have a hard time with this
one.....never really sounding tight.....and then the ultimate surprise
Waste : To close? damn, this one really had me scratching my head
encore Ride Captain This was fun and I love Page on this one. Was hoping
for another but that was it
Overall :
Well, show was very fun, with a lot of musical variety....First set was
pretty great, specially the closers but the second was a little shy on real
inspired playing....fishman took up a good part of the set with his fun, but
the show seemed like it needed a few more at the end to complete what was a
solid show.
I swear in the first set when Trey and Mike were figuring out what to play
after Roggae, Fishman looked like he was getting pissed because they were
taking so long...when he started up BOAF, it looked like he just started it
to get em playing and it took a little bit the rest of the boys to catch
on..after that it was all good
Kudos to Kuroda for giving those phans sitting behind the stage their own
personal light show during portions of the sets....after seeing the lights
from their vantage point, it was really cool of him to give em some love
Well, I look forward to a Saturday Night Special in Philly and hopefully a
few surprises await us...
Allen
Date: Sat, 11 Dec 1999 09:31:11 -0500
From: David Gobel [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: (no subject)
This was my 2nd Phish show and I really enjoyed it. I took my son (I
turned 50 Feb 20). I thought the show was at First Union Center and was
v glad to see the crowd in front of the Spectrum when we turned off
Broad St. The ceiling at the FU Center is much too high-the sound is
lost (I know). Parking wasn't too bad, I guess-behind Veterans
stadium. I was v glad it wasn't raining-it was when I left work at 4.
I was surprised that they opened with "Tweezer" since they had just
played it in ME. They started 45 min late and I couldn't figure out
what the music playing was-sounded OK. The crowd was hollering after the
end of each-was ready to rock. "Bouncing Round the Room" was 1 of the
first songs I heard from Phish CD and it always feels like an "oldie
but goodie" for me. The next 3-4 tunes I really didn't know. The band
seemed tight. "Birds of a Feather" was a blast-the best of the night for
me. It was just solid version (nice Trey jam in the middle) and great
to sing with. I thought I was tired of hearing "Guyute" but they put
something new into it this time-a crowd pleaser. "Loving Cup" was a new
song for me and it was sweet.
The mens was incredibly packed-what a relief when I finally got to
the urinal. Set 2 started slow-I thought. "Gotta Jiboo" was kind of
funky and improved toward the end. "David Bowie" and then into reggae
jam that was v. cool- great dancing music. Johnny B Fishman loves the
spotlight and he revelled and rocked and belted at the front of the
stage tonight. I didn't like the vacuum part too much, but "Hold Your
Head Up" was excellent and Trey got to show off with the drums. I had to
laugh at Fishman circling the stage-Phish gives you a range of
emotions. "Cracklin Rosie" sounded like Neil Diamond to me-something
you hear at the Jersey shore. I had no idea that this was part of their
repertoire-a guy behind us with a Santa hat on said they play it now and
again. The last song "Waste" was a new 1 for me- liked it. Encore was
"Ride Captain Ride" and I couldn't remember who originated this- doesn't
matter- for me-just the right finish-an up tune. The lights throughout
were good-I especially liked the white-red ones that "vibrate"-anyway,
we are ready for tomorrow night.
--
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)( )( )( )( )( )(^^^^^^^^^^)( )( )( )( )(
)( )( )( )( )(^^^^)( )( )( )(
)( )( )( )( .. )( )( )(
Date: Sat, 11 Dec 1999 03:01:19 -0800
From: Brian Russ [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12/10/99 First Union Spectrum - Review
12/10/99 First Union Spectrum - Philadelphia, PA -
time 1:40am right after the show...
How else does one describe his or her first real Phish show, other
than by saying it was abosuolutely awe inspiring. Before I get into the full
review, I first have a quick story to tell. I am a freshman at St. Joe's
University in Philly, and being a freshman, I'm not allowed to have a car on
campus. So I went home to get my car to bring up so I could have a way to
get to the show. Well on the way back to school, me and my friend got in a
terrible accident when a guy coming out fo a merging lane didn't look or use
the 3000 yards of merging lane to blend in with the traffic, instead of being
cautious he decided to pull right out coming within one inch of hitting my
car, so I swervede inot the other lane struck a van, and my car was spun 90
degrees so we were completely horitzonal with the road. For some reason God
must have not wanted me to die that day, because in the middle of morining
rush hour we didn't hit any other cars on our juorny back into straignt
travels. Why didn't God want me to die? He wanted me to see Phish at Philly
on the 10th!
Being my first show I had proir feelings that it HAD to be awesome,
all my friends had told me it would be the time of my life, and after almost
dying, I put alot of pressure on the band to pull through witha great show.
Althought I was not completely pleased with the setlist, I did in fact have
the time of my life.
Tweezer was a good opening song. Nothing extremely amazing happened
durin tweezer, Trey plaed it just as we know it, but it was a great way to
set the tone for a strangely hilarous and loving night. When mike hit the
first bass lines for bouncing, the croud suddenly transformed into a group of
people, to a family of people.. Love was the main theme of this show, it
could be felt all over. The band showed their love of the fans, the fans
showed their love of the band, and even the security seemed pretty pelased
with the experience of phish. Horn brought out a vibe that was felt later
many times in the show, it was in a way a foreshowding of mysticisim. Heavy
Things and Dogs Stole things were pretty average in my mind, but My Mind's
Got a Mind of it's Own, brought out that wholesome loving feeling once more
with the crowd, and the height of the bands performance for that night came
within the closing songs of the first set. Birds of a Feather was
phenomonial, despite it being more of a poppy tune. Perhaps it was the best
song of the night. Trey did an excellent job of jaming it out, and when the
chorus came up, everyone in the crowd sang it with great admiration and
love. Guyute was right on the money it fit in so well within the setlist,
and hardly a mistake was made in this complex masterpiece of a song. Ending
the set with "a loving cup," was so fitting, it told the crowd that a new
phish was on its way, and the same old phish still existed with a genuine
love.
The second set was so full fo energy that, it emotionally drained the
crowd. Gotta Jiboo and the wedge, helped to rengenerate the vibe that was
being felt at the end of the first set, and the Lead in to Bowie was
phienminal, it sounded like some sort of pink floyd composition. The band
built up a great amount of suspense. I was pretty sure it was going to be
bowie, but the fact that they played the intro out so long was incredible the
corwd emotionally was just wiaiting for that first chord to bust out, but the
band kept dramatically delaying. Trey began doing some funky floydish stuff
with his guitar, it souned like it was talking real in a freaky voice. The
Bowie jam was pretty average, until it smoothly transformed itself into a
Marley sounding beat that got the crowd swinging and swaying like crazy.
When Fishman started teasing the band, by changing the drum beats, and
then doing a neat little drum solo, trey was busting out in elated laughter
as if this was the 2nd year the band had ever been touring. Cracklin Roise
was probably one of the funniest things i ever saw, because Fishman worked
the crowd in John Belushi style. When he was holding up the cymbals that
said "B""AH" on them, the look on his face alone was a great comparison for
the entire concert - Loving and Humerous. Any songs coming after the big
Fishman thing were following a tough act, therfore Twist didn't have as much
energy as it could have. But the decision to play waste at the end of the
second set brought out the best in everyone. It was like the last slow
songs of the senior prom, the love had been building up all night, and
everyone knew it was almost over, so just taking in and absorbing waste
proved to be very fulfilling. Plus the band did a nice job jaming the song,
turining it into a song that had the qualities to end a set. The encore,
"Ride Cpptain Ride" was just fun. It was so alive that it seemed like the
band came out to open the first set.
I think Phish must have known that the 10th of Dec, was going to be my
first show. Because after a rough week of school, and accidents, I was in
need of LOVE and Phish provided.
Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1999 16:13:46 -0800 (PST)
From: Erin Neiles [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Philly 12/10/99
Hi!
I was checkin the set list out for the first night of
Philly 12/10/99 and I remember Tweezer was unfinished
without the Reprise (which happend at the 1st or 2nd
night of the Albany show on Fall tour). Jus thought
you might like to know that too for the set list.
Erin
Date: Sat, 11 Dec 1999 09:18:15 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Friday spectrum
Can someone in attendance Friday please tell me I'm NOT crazy because I
thought that middle/outro jam in "Tweezer'' sounded a whole lot like Kid
Rock's "Bawitdaba''
Good stuff.
Date: Sat, 11 Dec 1999 02:55:36 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12/10/99
Just got back from the bars after the show. It was a smooth night all
around. The Last show I saw In Albany left me wanting more, especially for
the tour closer. This show was pretty fucking rockin though.
The first set was pretty standard and very predictable. It was played
well though, nice and tight. The highlight was definitely loving Cup. All
this Ghost was a little too much in one set, but they were still really
tight. Tweezer opener was quite a surprise.
The second set started off well. I had never heard Gottta Jiboo, but it
was funky as shit and Mike was dropping bombs. I was waiting for the Bowie,
& they hit it hard. Really crazy intro, with Trey kicking a serious delay
loop that sounded like some talking. Those who were there know what the fuck
i'm talking about. The Bowie segued perfectly into Have Mercy. Alhtough the
Craklin Rosie was great to hear, Fishman forget most of the lyrics and ended
up just kinda humming along. The Waste closer was a bit of a disapointment,
but the encore was absolutely fabulous. Page was the perfect way to end the
Show. See ya there tomarrow night.
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