12-11-99 -- First Union Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
review submisions [email protected]
or [email protected]
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 2003 20:33:04 EST
From: [email protected]
Subject: 12/11/99
�� The best show I've ever seen period.� Well the best regular 2-set show
I've ever seen anyway.� 12/31/99 of course is and always will be in a
class by itself.� However this is the show that truly touched on the
depths of my soul and changed my life.� Now I've said that before about
shows, (8/17/97, 12/30/97, 11/20/98, 12/29/98, and 12/31/98 come to mind)
but this was the one baby.� This was the show that made me realize I had
no business being anywhere else on the planet on a night when Phish was
playing.� This was also my at the time 15 yr old brother's first show and
I was so excited for him.� The energy in the spectrum on this night was
high octane baby.� I mean even before the boys hit the stage people were
doing the wave all around the arena and fucking screaming.� There were
also balloons everywhere.� It was like New Year's Eve or something.�
Before the show about 20 of us in our section were calling openers which
I always try to do.� I knew by the energy in the crowd that it would be
something big.� This was not the type of crowd that would have accepted a
Sample opener or something like that.� No way man, last nights opener was
Tweezer and we knew tonights would be something special.� I was calling
for Gin because it's my favorite song and I love when it opens a set.� I
turned to my bro and said what's it gonna be tonight Nicky?� He goes
ummmmm Harry Hood.� Well we all got a nice laugh as I informed him that
such a thing was only happens in the movies.� Thats like saying I hope I
find a buried treasure in my backyard......can't happen.� Well the lights
went down and IT happened.� HarryfuckingHood.� Unbelievable man, I lost
it.� I mean I really truly lost my shit.� I was so happy I thought I was
going to explode.� And the jam was gorgeous.� With the chain of glowrings
cirlcling around the arena and the sublime playing I thought I was in
heaven.� The jam peaked and we were told to feel good about hood and I
swear I knew what was coming next, I just felt it when lo and
behold....Mike's Song!!
The place fucking exploded.� We were going nuts and lovin every minute of
it.� Mike's finally wound down into Simple which is usually the case
these days.� I love Simple by the way and I especially love it comming
out of Mike's.� Simple was beautiful as usual and melted into Hydrogen.�
It was at this point that my bro Nick sreamed YES!!� He loves Hydrogen
and he really wanted to hear it.� I was just so happy.� Weekapaug came
next.� Oh man what a fucking Weekapaug!!!� Trey destroyed it.� I mean it
peaked so hard I thought I was going to fall over.� He was popping and
kicking balloons every which way and jamming his balls off.� Not just
Trey of course, they were all in such a deep groove it was amazing.� As
Weekapaug wound down they stopped playing for the first time in the set.�
The Spectrum errupted in cheers.� Circus was the cool down song, and let
me tell you that this is my absolute favorite
i-gotta-catch-my-breath-cause-that-last-jam-was-so-intense tune.� It was
beautiful as usual and appropriate after the fucking circus we had just
witnessed.� The Mule that followed was total sickness.� Not only was it
the first and only one of 99 but it was far and away the best one I've
ever seen or heard.� There was this trippy, psychadelic jam in the middle
that was awesome.� I can't even begin to explain it, you must hear this
Mule!!!� Finally Cavern closed out this amazing set in style.� I couldn't
move at setbreak.� I was so fucking blown away I didn't know what to
say.� People were comming up to me like oh man what a sick set and I was
just like yeah.� It was all i could get out.� I was stunned.� This set is
in my opinion the greatest first set of all time.� I give it the slight
edge over 11/22/97 and 12/31/98.� I had no clue how they planned on
topping a set like that.� I figured they couldn't and that was fine by
me.� How could a band possibly top a set that was to my ears flawless in
song selection, energy, and excecution???�� The answer lay ahead as the
lights went down and they busted into Boogie On.� I love this song and I
was thrilled to hear it open the set.� It was funky as hell.� Next
up....AC/DC oh wait no Sneakin Sally!!!� YES!!� Another one of my
favorites.� The jam was very groove oriented and a bit dark.� It was
delicous.� It segued *perfectly* into Ghost, and what a fucking monster
this was.� This Ghost was spellbinding, hypnotic, mesmerizing, and
anything else you can think of.� Just totally SICK.� It started out
groovy as Trey was repeating this one lick for a couple minutes with the
rest of the boys pounding out this thick luscious groove, then it peaked
and morphed into this fucking evil, spacy trance.� Mike started
*POUNDING* out these *HUGE* notes that shook the entire arena.� It was
chaotic but in a sublime sort of way.� That fierce, thrilling space
finally gave way to none other that 2001.� Of course!!!� I was hoping so
much that my bro would catch this one at his first show� because seeing
this song live has hooked more of my friends than I can count.� This
version was fantastic as usual.� I was so happy at this point they could
have closed the show with Bouncing>Sparkle>Sample and I would have loved
it, (actually I would have been so pissed that they killed the set!!) but
instead they charge out DWD.� I really thought the roof was going to tear
off the Spectrum at this point.� The place exploded yet again.� During
the *ripping* jam Trey was jumping up and down with a HUGE smile beaming
from his face.� Phish knew at this point that they had just put on one of
the best shows ever and the whole crowd was GETTING OFF big time.� The
Disease was short but so so so fucking hot.� Trey's solo's were peircing
through my body and it felt so good it almost hurt.� I knew this would
close the set as it wound down and I was screaming THANK YOU PHISH!!!!!!!
at the top of my lungs.� I have never in my life been so satisfied.� I
lost my virginity a second time.� It was that good.� The encore..........
I knew the encore would be something energetic.� I was thinking Golgi or
Suzie or something along those lines.� Needless to say I was thrilled to
get a Possum.� The all fall down signal was the icing on the sweetest
most delicious cake I've ever had.� After a show like that they deserved
a little break to lie down for a little bit.� When it was finally over
and the lights came up I didn't want to go.� I wanted that feeling to
last forever.� This is why I travel around following these guys spending
my last pennies and exerting all my energy.� It's shows like this that
make me beleive music can change the world.� Thank you
Phish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AJ
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 13:17:14 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12-11-99
12-11-99
Well I wasnt sure if the boys could top the night before, but they did, and
the indication was clear from the beggining. with ....
HARRY HOOD!!: The last time the boys started a show with hood was eons ago,
so it caught many by surprise, and it also preceeded the hampton one by a
good week. I was getting sick of Hood this summer, it was so anticlimatic at
Oswego, so the boys played around with it a little, great jamming here,
awesome hood which led nicely into....
Mike's Song: Ummmm....Ok....Now I was losing it, great stuff here, awesome
Mike's, the place was really rocking and the groove led right into...
Simple: Nice Simple always love to here it, I like how they have been trying
to stay away from Mike's->Simple but this was cool nonetheless.
Hydrogen: Great, now we knew what was to follow...
Weekapaug: Nice Weekapaug the whole place was smile's and you could tell that
the boys were in a jamming mood tonight fight from the get go.
Circus: A nice breather, alittle sick of this one.
Scent of a Mule: Welcome back!! HAvent seen this one in a while, but the boys
nailed it, it featured a sick middle-eastern jam in the middle, I couldn't
beleive how good it really was.
Cavern: Standard set closer, some serious vocal flubs by Trey but we all
laughed it off, because the set was so damn good.
Great set, wasnt; ready for part two at all.
Boogie On Reggae Woman: Love it, hear it a lot but love it anyway good
version which led to:
Sneaking Sally: Started as AC/DDC Bag, kinda wish it was, but Sneakin is fine
with me, great version, the jam at the end led mezmorizingly into....
Ghost: Sick Sick SICK!!! One of the best Ghost's ever, the boys really
jammed this one well, it seemed to be the centerpiece for the weekend and
then came.....
2001: Some had said the boys really don't play a bad 2001 ever. And ya know
what he's right..awesome stuff here which led into a fired up
DWD: Nice set closer, really had the crowd bouncin of the walls. Loved every
minute of it.
Encore:
Possum
Nice Possum, the secret language"all fall down" which they do nearly every
time they come to the spectrum was appropriate, as the boys had played their
balls off all night. Great weekend, Great Show!! 10!!
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 1999 04:18:01 -0500
From: jasonlehigh [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: the 2nd night at philly
unfortunately, i had to miss out on the first night of the 2 show run in
philly. but i was glad to be there on this night with out a doubt. phish
playing the spectrum!!! well, there is one thing i know. when phish
plays the spectrum, it is sure to be a night to remember. the lot scene
was pretty descent. the cops were definately a pain in the ass though.
then it was kind of hard to find out which building was the spectrum,
considering that there were three stadium like buildings sitting side by
side. it was the middle one. but still my friend and i were confused.
some people were saying that it was a 76ers game or something. but i
could tell that everyone was in line for phish. back to the cops again,
no need to frisk us. were just here for the good vibe. we managed to get
what we needed through though. now, the moment i've been waiting since
summer for. when we got in there werent many people lingering around
inside. we found our seats. some lady said we were further down. so we
went down further to a boxed in section, right behind the stage. she
walked us down, and we kept going down until we were in the first row.
she checked the seats, and they were right. i almost shit my pants!!!
1st row right behind the band. last time i had seats that good was at
hampton in 98, and even that was to the side about 5 rows back. now i
was really pumped. i could'nt wait for the show to start.
it was probably about a few minutes after 8:00. i knew they would
be coming soon. where they came out from was right under us. it's the
closest i've ever seen them. anyway, the show was about ready to take
flight.
harry hood- as an opener?????!!!!!!! this is still one of my
favorites even if it does get a little played out. not the best version
i've heard, but always a pleaser.
mike's song- did i miss the first set or something. this show was off
to a jamming start. this was about like any other average mikes song
i've heard. i use to like this one alot more than i do now.
simple- i like this song now more than i used to. but this
version was nothing in comparison to the i heard at starlake on 7/21/99
i am hydrogen- never seen it live. interesting though, nice jam. it
fits in there really well
weekapaug- nothing much to say about this one. it was about average
circus- really a nice breather. i've seen it few times. the song has
some really good lyrics. my friend loved it
scent of a mule- i could not believe it. i really wanted to see this
one at a summer show. but finally , they played. one of my favorites.
really nice version i thought.
cavern- again, i used to like this one more than i do now. would have
liked to see something else close out the set, but i'll take what i get
overall : set I was not that impressive. scent of a mule was the
highlite for me. i thought maybe it should have been the second set or
something. i was afraid they disbursed to much energy on set I, and that
it might have effected set II. i was wrong!
boogie on reggae women- i love this song. i did'nt expect to hear this
one. first time i've seen it live. boogie on guys!
sneakin' sally- awesome. i havent seen this one since my first show! i
simply can't get enough of this song.
ghost - another favorite of mine. again , first time live. very funky
song. gotta love this one
2001- i was'nt sure what was going on here, but i soon figured it out
. i have not seen this one since my 1 st show either. this was causing
flashbacks! the light show was absolutely incredible. keep up the good
work ck!!!!!!!
dwd- first time for me. i thought this song was way over rated at one
point, but eventually got into it. very good way for mike to showcase
his talents! nice live song to get the crowd going nuts, but to end the
set. it was'nt even an hour yet. i was quite dissapointed, although i
loved the second set.well i thought that the encore was going to be
something special.
e: possum- i've heard this song many times, but still i think this
song is awesome. nice version and drawn out , 13 minutes too! i dont
like as well as an encore. maybe hood and possum could have been
switched.
overall : the second set( and encore ) was one of the best i've seen.
it really jammed well. but the first set really seemed to drag down this
show. as complete, i would give this show a 7 out of 10. alot of songs
i've never seen, and a few rarities, really made it a sweet ride, an a+
job on lighting , thanks chris! this show is worth getting, especially
if you were there!
-jason lehigh
e-mail: [email protected]
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 18:58:34 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Sat in Philly
Enough has already been said about this amazing show. Just wanted to
thank the band for yet another wonderful weekend. One note, I have to hand
it to the kid around section 15 who single handidly started the wave
during setbreak, and walked from section to section getting people into
until the whole Spectrum was raging. Thanks for putting a smile on my
face. Who ever said one person can't make a difference.
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 15:56:22 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected], [email protected]
Subject: 12-11 Philly Review
Hello all-
Wow ... it's been a long time since I have posted here. Anyway, just
wanted to offer up my thoughts on the excellent show in Philly on Saturday
night. Here's the setlist, as I saw it (got the set lengths from the
phishnet; the list is somewhat changed from theirs) :
I (1:13): Harry Hood, Mike's Song -> Simple > Hydrogen > Weekapaug, Circus
Comes to Town, Scent of a Mule, Cavern
II (0:59): Boogie On Reggae Woman, Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley -> Ghost ->
Also Sprach*, Down With Disease
E (0:13): Possum
# - first (known) Harry Hood opener since 10-30-85 (thanks, ZZYZX)
* - with an opening jam that was *possibly* something from "The Siket Disc;";
with Trey on keyboards
The weather in Philly was quite windy and cold, and because of this and
the fact that my friend and I couldn't find any real scene, we just headed
inside. Our seats, which were first balcony near the back of the arena,
offered fairly decent sound (maybe we were just at a good spot, but I
didn't think the sound really lived up to the bad reputation it so often
receives). It was not great, but didn't *completely* blow, either.
Security was non existent in the balcony, which made for a relaxed show
setting.
The show started at about 8:00, and it appeared that the boys had a little
conference to decide what to open with. Luckily, the wait proved to pay
off, as we were treated with the first Hood opener in a damn long time
(the Phish gods were watching over me, as Hood was my wish for the night
:-) Thankfully,
the pitiful glowstick war that developed quickly died out a few minutes
into the jam, leaving the music to flow without distraction. A rather
long opening segment ensued, and was performed almost flawlessly. While
the jam lacked a huge peak (I'm thinking fall 95), the conclusion was more
than satisfying after a beautiful and very textured Hood jam.
I guess they decided to *really* blow the crowd away right at the start of
the show, as Trey wasted no time and launched into the opening Mike's riff
out of the feedback finale of Hood. The jam was 100% standard Mike's Song
fare, and because of it's brevity and somewhat raucous style, it seemed
that it could've easily been pulled straight out of an early 90s show.
The last couple minutes were dominated by Page, who was pulling out some
of those fat Mike's hammond chords -- but generally playing nothing that
was really out of the ordinary. The key change resulted in a clean segue
into Simple, which delighted the crowd. It matched up to (but did not
exceed) the standard that has was set in 1996 and has been carried out
ever since. It provides Trey with a nice little spot to play a pretty
solo.
As the jam began to lose direction towards the end, Hydrogen was
definitely a good choice. I was amazed at how well it was played
considering that it is relatively rare these days; it was executed
perfectly and beautifully. Weekapaug continued the early times Mike's
Groove theme (in fact, minus the Simple, this seems, essentially, like an
old school Groove). Though it wasn't very long, it raged consistently
from start to finish, and featured heavy amounts of Trey machine gunning.
The rest of the set was solid and standard, but what could be expected
after such a strong opening? Circus was well played (even though its not
#1 on my breather song list), and Scent of a Mule even deviated from its
normal form a bit, as Trey didn't take a solo after Page did in the duel
-- instead, he, Mike and Fish played a really neat, bouncy little jam that
fit in perfectly. Besides, you can't really argue with a well played
SOAMule when it's the first version in a fairly long time. Cavern was a
fun way to close out the set, although it was presumably no different from
any other version you have heard of the song.
The crowd was going wild at the end of setbreak, and a fairly successful
wave started that involved the top and bottom levels of the arena. The
band returned to the uproar, and opened with Boogie On's subtle beat.
The version got the whole place groovin' in a party-type manner. I was
hoping for a monster jam after the reviews I'd read of this year's Chula
Vista Boogie, and although this did not happen, the improv was a very
collaborative effort between everyone, and as a result, some very good
grooves started up. I am almost positive that the jam did not segue into
Sally, as I distinctly recall an abrupt ending to the song. Of course, as
always, the tapes will tell.
Sneakin' Sally was a great surprise, and, if memory serves, it featured
some slight AC/DC bag teases at the beginning. However, the opening chord
patterns of the two songs are rather similar and as a result, I may have
been imagining it. Sally was drenched in the funk, and offered up some of
the best dance jamming of the night. The jam had only progressed for a
short time when Mike's Ghost intro bassline became audible. Even though
it cut Sally short, the segue into Ghost was *fantastic*, and was great
because it was just so natural. Also, true Phish segues are becoming more
rare these days, it seems. The jam just glided along so smoothly into
Ghost that it seemed almost pre-planned ... but I guess that's just what
all great segues are like.
Ghost was the standout jam of the night, as I saw it. It was electrifying
throughout yet was built up in a fantastically gradual manner ... imagine
a good Hood or Slave build but in the form of a Ghost jam. As it peaked,
Trey was wailing on the 'doc's upper levels in a beautiful fashion. The
whole version reminded me of a slightly calmer, more polished 12-13-97
Ghost. As the jam calmed down, it led into a long space jam that was a
fairly obvious pointer towards 2001 or Down With Disease. Also Sprach was
the choice, and the version was long and progressed fairly well ...
sometimes I feel that the jams in this song need a little more direction,
but when they are on, they are sweet and spacy. This version did not
stand out, in my opinion, above most average versions of the song that
I've heard, but to me, an average 2001 is pretty damn powerful. The peaks
were well executed and the lights were as grand as ever (CK was ON as
always during this song, and he perfectly timed the switch to the
black->purple flood at the beginning of all the main song builds).
The ending madness of 2001 dissolved into Mike's rumbling bass line for
the Disease. This whipped the Spectrum into a frenzy, and the energy level
was going through the roof! The jam was just a tad longer than what seems
to be a standard length for this song nowadays (~10-15 min), yet nothing
really experimental occurred -- just the band tearing shit up based on the
song's chord pattern -- and even though the grounds were provided for some
good improv, they seemed to just want to blaze through some classic Phish
jamming, which was fine by me!
The fully standard Possum encore was really not different from any great
Possum, but it was still just exactly that ... lots of fun. The "all fall
down" secret language lick received barely any participation from the
crowd, but Page, Mike and Trey collapsed on the stage amusingly and Trey
and Mike continued playing for a short time before rising again.
This review might seem to offer nothing but praise for this show, but I
really do think it is *fully* deserved. Perhaps everything just sounded
great to me and I was having a good night, but I thought that whole show
was just amazing and was *so* solid all around. Even though none of the
jams stand out to me as "best ever" versions, the entire show was put
together in a really nice fashion, and was very coherent and consistent.
Also, even though set II was short, it was nonstop fun with some great
jams, and the band essentially did not take a breather (unless you count
the pre-2001 space). I would even probably say that I liked set II better
than the first ... at least from a jam standpoint. I would recommend
seeking out tapes of this show ... lots of energy, some good jams, and
just all around superb!
We hit the post-show scene, and to be honest, it really sucked. From what
I saw, the nitrous dealers were in full force, and it was living up to its
notorious Philly rep, sadly. There were tons of smashed beer bottles
everywhere, too. However, inside the show I'd met some truly nice people
(hello, Patrick) so that canceled out the bad vibes outside, in my mind.
If you've made it this far, thanks for reading my long thoughts. I would
love to hear flames, comments or anything about the review/what you
thought differently about the show. And, to all going to New Year's,
having a *great* time!! It should be wonderful.
-Alec
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 16:07:58 PST
From: Jimi Hendrix [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: PHISH 12/11/99
Great show!!!!!
I loved every minute of it! I didn't have quite as good as a "HIGH" on
that night as I did the first but it was more of an intimate feeling going
on with music. What can I say DWAD was my highlight of the show, I
declared that night that Trey is better than Hendrix, by far! He was just
blowing my mind away the whole night. We sat first row behind the stage.
During the Jam before 2001 we lost sight of PHISH in the FOG. They really
had things going on for them. They have improved in the lighting
department. I danced the whole night, didn't stop till this morning. What
can I say, Thank you Jerry, but thank you more Trey for saving the day!
Keep the music alive! Jim hendricks "really" not joking!
Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1999 01:48:20 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Review of Phily 12-11-99
What a fabulous show! This picked up right where second set first night
left off:
1st set!!
Harry Hood- What!? HUGE surprise as an opener. Not only did it open, but
it was a fantastic version. Great opening jam before the Harry part and
the You Can Feel Good jam was awesome, I was thinking that nothing could
follow this and be on the same page, but I was wrong:
Mike's Song- Damn! One surprise after another. Great jam for the second
song of the night and it really got me going. Trey ended the jam abruptly
and did that C D E jam that lead us to:
Simple- Nice! A very good version. I wasn't really in the mood for a
Mike's set, like a set that has Mikes>Simple then a bunch of unrelated
songs and then Weekapaug, but that wasn't to be and instead Simple led
into:
Hydrogen- A little sloppy, but when it went into:
Weekapaug- it was a show for the ages. This was an unrelenting version.
Climax after climax after climax, after the long opening run, we all
needed a break and thankfully, they obliged with:
Circus- Standard version, a much needed breather
Scent of a Mule- Welcome back!! First Scent since 11-28-98. And a great
one at that. Page did his solo, then Trey jumped in and led the band in a
mesmerizing jam and then wound it into the If I Were a Rich Man jam,
simply awesome.
Cavern- Always a good closer, Trey messed up the lyrics pretty bad, but it
was great fun.
First set was absolutely perfect! I give it a 9 and a half out of ten,
get this set!!!
2nd set:
Boogie On- Again, Trey messed up the lyrics, but this always gets me
moving. Not really jammed, instead it ended and the band started:
AC/DC Bag- Wait a minute, it's just a tease, it's really:
Sneaking Sally- this was not meant to be played, Trey took the band into
it out of the intro of Bag. This was very sweet and the smooth transition
into:
Ghost- was a highlight of the show. This Ghost ripped!!! Jammed out
superbly and then wound into the Trey keyboard jam that has become common
place for:
2001- There is no bad version of 2001 anymore and this is no exception.
The lights seemed more on with the music than normal and it wound around
into(which has become common place as well):
DWD- Always rips. Great version, a little shorter than usual and closed
the set to my astonishment.
Overall this set was short, but the Sally>Ghost>2001>DWD run is awesome. A
must hear.
Possum- All fall down language. I fell down, but didnt see many people
around me down. I was though before the best Possum I have ever heard.
Trey was soaring very high and Possum went from what I thought would be
the first leg of a two song encore to not being able to be followed with
anything. Closed out the weekend in style!! Overall this show is a
definite 9, fabulous jams and great fun, everything you want from a show.
Hampton's gonna rip, I can't wait.
Date: Wed, 15 Dec 1999 14:46:24 -0500
From: Everlast [email protected]
To: "'[email protected]'" [email protected]
Subject: PHILLY-TOWN
Saturday night in Philly was my 77th show... My first four shows were in
Red Rocks '96...So I have seen quite a few over a short period of time.
I have never written a review, although I have read many. However,
Saturday night was one of the most complete shows I have seen in quite
some time. Mike's through Weekapaug was incredibly tight and was truly of
classic proportion. MULE was a nice treat... Even though this comes from
a guy who wears a "SMELL MY MULE" tee at every show he attends- MULE WAS
AWESOME! The Hood opener was a sign from above that this was going to be a
special night....and any night with a Mike's -> Weekapaug, MULE, 2001,
Sneekin Sally and POSSUM should not be taken lightly...This show makes the
TOP 10 list of the 77 I've seen - and that's some list... I'll see you all
in HAMPTON, VA!!!!
Date: Sat, 18 Dec 1999 19:23:24 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12/11 Spectrum Show
Hey....This is my second Phish show and it BLEW MY MIND!!!!!Before the
show started I had a good felling....My seats wear all the way in the very
back center. 3min into the first set , I hopped up to the 22nd row on the
floor left side!! SWEET!!!!No hastle... Any way, it was amazing!!
Hood-I had an obssecion with this song for about two weeks before the show
and i didnt know why!!!Now I know.Very good opener.
Mikes groove w/simple-Mikes song was one of the first phish tunes Id ever
heard and wanted to see it live for a while.I like Mikes remark in the
shvice about his ney years resolution to not make his voice waver on
"BLocking my wayyyyyyyy"
Simple-Again i was hungup on this tune for a while before the show.....
Hyrdogen-nevr heard it before but gave me a smooth feeling
Weekapaug-Im a bassist so i have to love this song...I was starin at mikes
hands the whole intro .....
Circus-My girlfreind really wanted to dance with me and this was the
perfect tune....almost made me cry.....
Scent-Again never heard it....
Cavern-Great way to end the set ....I liked the spot light on Jon during
his
fills
The glow stick war was amzing...thanx to whoever threw me the pink one
Set II
Never heard the fist two tunes but I danced just the same!!!
Ghost-This one has such a heavy groove...I makes you move I had no choice
but to rithe in ecstacy
2001 was in there somewhere and Chris , if you read this , You are a
phucking genious!!!The lights were sick the whole concert but something
happened suring 2001 that defies explenation
The wave during the set break was very cool....for those of us on the
floor.......thanx for the show!!!!!It was very cool I think it made it
around strongly 5 times then It began to die..
Possum-heard it once on tape...was hoping it was my sweet one at first but
was not dissapointed...The whole falling down thing was cool...Trey was
beaming the whole night and everything was exectly the way I should have
been .
Thanx guys
Paul
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 15:39:32 -0500
From: Erik and Elizabeth Swain [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Newsgroups: rec.music.phish
Subject: REVIEW: 12/11/99 Philadelphia, PA
Words cannot describe how awesome this show was. But I will try. Suffice
it to say that I have been to well over 100 concerts by various artists
(this was my 10th Phish show), and this was the best show I've ever seen
by anyone. And I don't make statements like that if I don't mean it.
I went with a high school friend, David, who had seen them only once
before - 10/18/91, while a student at Stanford. Boy, was he in for a
surprise. They're a completely different band now.
The band likes to emphasize how its performance feeds off the audience.
There is no better example of that than this night. Sitting in the 6th
row directly behind the stage, I got an up-close perspective of how this
works.
This was the most electric audience I've ever seen - I guess this is
what a Hampton show feels like. A whole bunch of balloons were being
bounced around before the show, then as the boys hit the stage to a
deafening roar, some gigantic orange ones with song names written on
them (one had "Windora Bug"!) were released. Many of these, as well as
the smaller balloons, made it onstage, and the band members kicked some
away, while Trey popped others with his guitar. Trey must have been
impressed with the crowd's electricity because he went over to Fish to
change the game plan, and Fish started...
HARRY HOOD - WHAT!?!!?! Do you realize (according to ZZYZX) the last
time they opened a show with Hood, it was 10/30/85, the FIRST TIME IT
WAS EVER PLAYED!?!?!
It started very ambient, with Trey fooling around on the small keyboard,
and then became more or less standard. But something very important
happened here that won't be picked up on the tapes. For the first half
of the song, the crowd was absolutely hysterical and continued to throw
balloons onto the stage. Then the jam section hit and the glowsticks and
glowrings started flying, some of which unfortunately made their way to
the stage as well. How the band managed to keep their concentration in
spite of all this bedlam is beyond me. But I could see that all four of
them were extraordinarily calm and locked in a "zone." They were feeding
off the crowd's energy but not getting overwhelmed by it. And they were
perfectly in sync with each other. What they had to do for the first 3/4
of the song was equivalent to walking home in a hurricane - and they not
only survived but persevered. And in the energetic finale, they
displayed all the enthusiasm of a kid after it has stopped raining.
They realized right off the bat they had something special here, and
segued (yes, segued, Trey started playing the guitar part before the
others had finished) into...
MIKE'S SONG - Good lord! I've now got 11/22/97 on my mind, which started
Mike's Groove, Hood. I am, quite literally, fighting back tears at this
point. I am overcome with emotion. I have a feeling this is going to be
one of THOSE shows.
The Mike's was an extremely funky version. They locked into a groove and
Page dazzled with an organ solo. Unlike some recent versions, there was
no dithering around here. They found a path and pursued it directly.
This was textbook post-'96 group jamming. Segued into...
SIMPLE - Hard, loud, forceful. Fish teases GBOTT as if he wants to segue
into it, but the others don't follow. At the end it became very spacey
(maybe a My Left Toe tease), which wound down as the band decided what to
do next. I could see that Fish kept tapping his drums (so it does count as
a segue for those who would dispute it) as Trey told the others to go
into...
I AM HYDROGEN - AH! The perfect Mike's Groove. Simple provides the best
segue out of Mike's, but Hydrogen provides the best segue into Weekapaug.
Hydrogen was pretty standard, which is to say, gorgeous, and Fish hit the
final drumbeat more forcefully than usual before going into...
WEEKAPAUG GROOVE - Great soloing from Mike at first. Not as forceful as
7/16/99 (my last in-person Weekapaug) but more intricate. Then it
developed into a very nimble Trey-led jam, darting here and there, more
reminiscent of a '93 version than a current one. Great moment - Page cues
Kuroda to intensify the lights, Kuroda responds with some fast-moving
streams, and Trey responds with a lightning-fast solo. I could also swear
the band was feeding off a guy in a mask who climbed atop someone's
shoulders and was swaying. What syngery!
WHEN THE CIRCUS COMES - NOT a buzzkill. I figured a slow song was coming,
but this was perfect. I think Trey's choice here was inspired by the
raucous crowd and the balloons. What better way to describe it than a
circus? Another example of the band's performance feeding off the vibe of
the audience. This was a particularly emotional version.
SCENT OF A MULE - WHAT?!?!?! Just when you thought the set couldn't get
any more surprising, they break out this one for the first time in '99.
Despite the 61-show break it did not sound rusty at all. Page's solo may
have teased something but I'm not sure what. And in lieu of the Trey solo
there was a neat little band jam, then the Russian dance part, then back
to the main theme.
CAVERN - Of course they had to play this. It follows me around. Six shows
out of 10. I figured this would be the place for a short, forceful closer,
and this fit the bill. Trey's lyric flub was fun.
Being behind the stage, I could see them as they came off and Trey was
beaming. He had an extra spring in his step. This confirmed that he shared
my feelings about the greatness of this set.
This was the best first set I ever saw. No contest. It may have been the
best set, period. It was certainly unmatched for emotion and surprises.
"You could not have asked for anything more," people were saying in the
bathroom during set break. Indeed, the blueprint was in place for this
show to become one of the all-time greats. The only quibble with the first
set was the relative lack of envelope-pushing experimentation. If the
second set could provide that, we could have a near-perfect show on our
hands.
The crowd did the Wave during setbreak, and remained raucous when the band
re-emerged. Trey started chugging out a rhythm which turned out to be...
BOOGIE ON REGGAE WOMAN - Ladies and gentlemen, we have Cow Funk. Despite
another lyric flub by Trey, this was an outstanding groove. The jam here
showed why Phish is so far ahead of its competition. Mike plucked out a
solo on the bass, Page and Trey handled the rhythm, and Fish timed his
fills as a counterpoint to Mike's melody. What other bands could switch
roles like that?
This came to a stop (no segue) and Trey started chording what I thought
was AC/DC Bag but turned out to be...
SNEAKIN' SALLY - This was a remarkable version, IMO the best since 4/2/98.
In tune with the rest of the show so far, there was no meandering here. It
was also appropriate for us because David's last name is Palmer and his
father's name is Robert. They locked into a groove and just ripped. Layer
upon layer of Cow Funk, just heavenly. Then Trey teases...
GHOST - ...and my heart just stopped. I fell in love with this song the
last time I was at this venue, 12/2/97. If they would segue into it here,
I was gonna die. And a few minutes later, they did. What a segue it was.
And what a Ghost. Pure hose. I was once again fighting back tears. It was
that good. One of the very best post '97 Ghosts, that's for sure. Page was
the star of this jam, just tearing up the clavinet and synthesizer. Then
the rest of the band dropped out and left Page to fill the hall with eerie
synthesizer noises (eventually joined by Trey) - could this be the concert
debut of one of the noisier Siket Disc tracks? This part of the set was
where Kuroda took over. I could not believe what he was doing here. And I
was sober, imagine what it was like for those who were tripping. I told my
friend there were only two possible next moves from here - Also Sprach or
DWD. I'm not kidding. Soon after, out comes the fog and we get a lengthy
transition into...
ALSO SPRACH ZARATHUSTRA - I've only heard one version, 12/29/98, that's
even close to this. This became a jam in itself, really led by Kuroda. I
can't describe this other than to say "Mindfuck." As the jam built into
crescendo after crescendo, I figured they would segue into an epic rocker
to close the set. Again, I said, DWD is the choice here - it would be an
easy transition because the spacy bass intro, and then tear the roof off
the place. Lo and behold...
DOWN WITH DISEASE - This was even better than I could have imagined. Trey
took over and just tore the song apart. The crowd was foaming at the mouth
by this point. Phish went for the home run here and just nailed it. They
couldn't have continued after this, just too draining.
Wow. Remember the "zone" I was talking about during Hood? Well, they were
locked in it for this entire set. I have never seen five people meld into
one (Kuroda was ESSENTIAL to this process) as completely as happened here.
Egolessness, hose, whatever you want to call it, here they achieved it in
spades.
At this point I officially declared this a historic show. Not only for the
parallels to 11/22/97 (Hood and Mike's Groove in 1st set, incredible crowd
energy, sickening funkfest in 2nd set capped off by a Big Rock jam), but
for how it combined every element they've introduced since '97 - funk,
ambient, techno, emotional balladry. This show, I think, is where they
realized what all the summer and fall experiments were building up to.
In shows like this, the encore is beside the point. I would have perfectly
understood if they just did Bouncin', Rocky Top. I wondered what was up
when Trey left the stage and immediately ran over to Fish, probably
proposing an idea. Imagine our surprise when they ripped into...
POSSUM - ...and then surprised us by playing the "All Fall Down" signal,
then falling down, then starting up again while still on the ground.
(Can't blame the crowd for not falling down - we'd have crashed into our
seats!) This version was yet another exceptional Possum of '99. Trey was
providing all these interesting extra fills during the song, and tore up
his solos as if it were '95 again. There was no topping this, and off they
went, Trey beaming just like before.
Sure, the sets were short, but who cares when they're as packed as these
were? Did you ever notice how some of the very best shows (12/31/95 and
11/22/97 come to mind) have short sets, probably because the band was at
such a peak that they couldn't possibly have pushed themselves any
further? A lot of people after the show were saying it was the best they'd
ever seen. Count me in on that, too.
I don't know what else to say. I sincerely believe this will go down as
one of the best of '99, and hopefully one of the all-time greats. The only
'99 shows I've heard that I place in the same category are 8/1 and 9/17.
I'm afraid the tapes won't quite bear out some of the things that made
this show so special - Kuroda's contributions, the crowd's energy and how
the band fed off of it - plus the venue's acoustics aren't that great and
tapes suffer as a result. But no one will ever be able to convince me that
this was not one of THOSE shows.
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 13:34:43 -0500
From: Ali Cohen
To: [email protected]
Subject: Phish evolution coming out for Sunday 12/11/99 at First Union
Spectrum,
whoever gets this please read it because i think you might see what
i'm
talking about
Date: Tuesday, 14 December 1999
From: Matt Cohen [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Newsgroups: rec.music.phish
Subject: Phish's evolved state for 12/11/99 First Union Spectrum, Philly
and Rochester thrown in as a warmup
What happened here on sunday was something I wish every phish phan had
been able to experience. It was the hump phish has wanted to get over
since '97 began and for all this time was climbing enlessly to achieve.
The band we all love and know inside and out has reached it's ultimate
goal after all these years. Phish has completely evolved into the
tightest transiest band I've ever seen. All of their work with the siket
disc and their control over their new jam style was shown off perfectly
tonight.
Last week I attended Rochester for my 13th show (I had a great vibe
all along, I went to the show with three other kids who I had only
recently befriended and we were all seeing our 13th that night) and I
couldn't have been more amazed at the band I've been following for three
years now. But as I look back it was only a warm up for what was to come.
At Rochester they turned Gotta Jiboo, Get Back On The Train, Sparkle, and
Twist Around into the absolute spaciciest jams I've ever heard come from
those songs. I mean Sparkle and Space I've never heard go together before,
but it was absolutely brilliant. And that was only in the first set, and
not including the opener Carini, a very chill Bug, a nice hammy Lawn Boy
and a kick the door down Tube all in the first set. After that I didn't
know what to expect and we all received a set that was one of my
favorites, but nothing that compared to the second night of Philadelphia.
I can't talk any longer about Rochester because my fingers are aching to
speak about Philly so hear it goes.
Got there with the greatest vibe possible. I didn't have a ticket,
but I stepped out of my car and it was waiting for me the second I got
out, and I do mean the second I got out. Then I met a beautiful japanese
girl with a purple and yellow jacket on in the parking lot who if anyone
sees give her a hug because she's an amazing person. Well she had a
wonderful treat for me and I now love her forever for her kindness and
honesty. And if you read this you bringer of ultimate happiness thankyou
once again. So we got in to the show with enough time to chill and a nice
bird's eye view style seat. But you could have sat anywhere and it
wouldn't have mattered because nothing could have stopped the energy from
flowing through everyone that night.
My friends and I were waiting anxiously for the night to begin and
when those lights go out I don't think excitement is even the word for it.
But whatever the word is was buzzing through the crowd like no other.
But i don't even want to just straight talk about the show because you can
read every one else's reviews for that because their all exactly right.
But what phish did tonight totally blew my fucking mind. They came out
and they knew they wanted to do something special. And everyone was right
there with them. They couldn't have opened with a more classic song than
Harry Hood, I mean who doesn't rank Harry Hood as at least top ten for all
phish songs. I mean There ain't a better place to be when the lights go
out than at a phish show. And it was my favorite Harry Hood that I have
ever seen or heard. Total pyschadelia and CK5 is a genius. Then Phish's
crowning achievement none other than Mike's>Simple>Hydrogen>Weekapaug,
what does every fan dream about the night before a show, well this is what
I dream about. And it was an unbelievably rocking Mike's Groove. Then
phish couldn't have played a more fitting song than When the Circus Comes
to Town, because it is the song about the scene. At every phish the
circus is coming to town, no lie. As my wise friend John Cyr said the
greatest thing is walking around and looking to see a first time phish
showee and see their mouths drop below their chest at what is happening
around them. Cracks me up everytime. Then Mule, oh my goodness the timing
this band has with each other is unlike nonother and there is no more of a
fun country style tune than Scent of a Mule and this is a completely other
aspect that this band has incorporated into their sound along with all the
funk, rock, pyschedelicness, and everything else that makes up this great
band. Then to close it all out what more could you ask for than Cavern.
I mean this song is total energy all the way through and when it gets to
the end everyone is jumping. WOW, HOLY SHIT, OH MY GOD, what else can you
say. I mean I could have died a happy man right then and there, but there
was a whole other set to play, a whole other set.
During setbreak they must have been like 'we fucking rule' backstage
because they knew along with everyone else that they totally kicked ass
like never before in a first set. I mean if you have ever heard of a
better first set played than that please send it to me because i would
really like to know, my emails' at the top. Think about this, look over
that set and think if Phish played everything in this set to the best of
their ability what could possibly be better. I really think that they
couldn't have played any of those songs better than they just had.
I think Phish knew that too. And bam what has a better just funky
dancey groove to start it off than Boogie on, I love that shit man, I mean
"I want to see you right across the floor, I want to make love to you to
till you holler for more" Who doesn't love Stevie Wonder, all blind, just
chillin', lovin' life more than anyone else with his head bobbing every
which way. I mean this guy thinks he's the luckiest man on the earth and
he has no eyesight how can you not respect and love that. And he whips
out this fucking unbelievable tune and phish does him justice everytime
they play it. Then Sneakin' Sally, same style tune just keeping the
groove on, with this unbelievable flow like only phish can do. And after
this the show really and i mean really begins. So for that I must start a
new paragraph because this is unworldly.
Ghost is such a significant song in phish history, I mean 2001 was the
beginning don't get me wrong, but this is phish's own 2001 like song. This
is where the space took form for them. When Trey started using that
repetitive waaaa waaaa waaa, that's when this band become unlike no other.
And this was the Ghost of all Ghost's this was the beginning for taking me
places I didn't think I could possibly go. This is where Kuroda makes
Phish different than any other live act ever, and I do mean ever. The fog
started rolling in and the lights disappeared from the stage and just
started fucking with everyone there. And phish entered into deep space.
deep deep deep space. This is where their work with the siket disc and
all of their endless rehearsel time came out in it's fullest form. The
only word to describe it was Entranced. They entranced the crowd it was
unlike any thing I had ever heard from phish, I mean total complete
entrancement. They finally took the crowd on a trip out to where they
have been and where there musical genius lies. Unfucking real, the five
of those guys transformed the spectrum into another world. And then the
drumbeat, the fish man kickin' that beat like no other, and there it was,
2001. Can I get an amen for that 2001, I mean how awesome was it. Just
kickin' like it has always meant to be played. And then after that
orgasmic song what better than DWD I mean what could end a show like this
other than this I mean "Waiting for the time when I can finally say, That
this has all been wonderful but now I'm on my way, But when I think it's
time to leave it all behind, I try to find a way to but there's nothing I
can say" Could you ask for a better closer to the greatest show in phish
history I don't think so. And the encore was yet to come. Possum with
"All fall down" secret language perfectly timed and it was a great possum.
Really as my man Aultchsuler says "What more could you ask for" Really
if you go through this show it had it all, everything that is Phish was
here in high form tonight. Sick segues, an AC/DC Bag tease before
Sneakin' Sally, Secret Language, Crazy Crazy Space, balloons bouncing
around before the show and Trey popping them with his guitar, and
absolutely the sickest light show I have ever seen, Thankyou phish for
finding CK5 along the path of life. What more could you ask for than that.
And in my eyes and mind that is why this is the greatest phish show in
history, and the possibly one of the best live experiences by a band ever,
and I am including the Grateful Dead.
If you made it to the end thankyou for taking the time to read this and I
hope you enjoyed it and maybe just maybe you agreed with some of my
thoughts.
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 09:21:42 -0800 (PST)
From: Michael Fowlkes [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12/11/99 show review
my thoughts on saturdays show can be simply summed up by one
word....WOW!!! this was my first show of the tour and was hoping for
something special, i read these reviews everyday and sometimes let the bad
reviews get me down a little, but for anyone who thinks that the band is
taking a downward turn, this show would have proved you worng!!!
after putting up with a long wait to get into the spectrum (still dont
know what took so long, they weren't searching all that hard) i walked in
and heard what i though was harry hood, it was! i couldnt hardly believe
it, i knew that we were in for a treat!! the first set was great, many
highlights, a few slow momments that i could have done without, but the
first set was great, i was sitting too close to the exit and the lights
from the hallway were too bright so we decided to move down and stand on
the bleachers for set 2. man was i glad we did this, the second set
smokes start to finish!!! IF YOU WERENT AT THIS SHOW, GET THE TAPES!!!!!
i dont want to get into song details, you can see the setlists and hear
what others have written, but what you will never understand if you werent
there was the love that was going through the building, everywhere you
turned people were grinning ear to ear, it was AMAZING!!!! i am hoping
for the same at MCI, Hampton and of course, BIG CYPRESS!!!!!!
ps. CK5 IS THE BOMB!!!!!!!
whenever you get the chance, let him know how much you
appreciate his presence, phish is a 5 man band!
have a kind one,
Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1999 02:23:36 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: SPECTRUM FIRE BURN !!!
For weeks and weeks, I anticipated the Philly shows, as I knew the
band was gonna turn the shit out in the city of brotherly love, and in my
home venue. Site of my first concert, Motley Crue Dr. Feelgood tour 1990,
and my first few Dead shows, beginning with 3-28-92, home to Allen Irieson
and the Sixers, LeClair and the Flyers, and cheesesteaks, and to the
delight and dismay of many, Nitrous-fests, the Spectrum is the hallowed
arena of my musical experiences.
Friday nite was a nice warmup for the band, with some quality jams and
a professional performace, good crowd energy, etc ( my cousin Dan thought
it sucked.), so I was anticipating a great show on Saturday nite. So were
many of my friends from the area, many of whom have grown disinterested
with Phish and their mediocre performances, the sometimes gross scene,
because they too have an affinity for the room of so many memories. We all
were amped up in the ride over the Ben Franklin ( Big up Jerz!) and the
hour chilling preceding the show, but nobody could have dreamt of what was
to take place in the Spectrum on this fateful Saturday nite.
HOOD! I love the soaring tune, and its reverberating climaxes and anti
climaxes, and this version was a gearing warmup, twisting and turning,
never really peaking, a great opener, a foreshadowing of the sickness to
come, which arrived in the smooth transition to MIKE'S, with a driving,
energetic groove, featuring the vicious Page Hammond shreeks and
scratches, deep and delicious, with a perfect hit into SIMPLE, a tired
song given new life with the crowd energy, tight delivery, and pervading
vibe that something special was finally happening again, and the audience
quieting during the serene end jam testifies to their attention level.I AM
HYDROGEN, like a perfectly executed Chris Jericho suplex, was tight,
concise, a clinic of sorts.The tune,( much like Metallica's "And Justice
For All" polyrhythmic madness) is a chore to focus on and reproduce in a
not-so intimate setting like arena shows, but they hit it without a flub
noticed. WEEKAPAUG!!!always awesome, tonite was exceptional, rising and
falling, rising and falling, climaxing and descending, screaming through
the Spectrum roof to the heavens, the speedy groove sustained and
ferocious underneath Trey's Steve Vai-esque dive bomb shredding.CIRCUS,
our first breather, serene sit down, subtle serenade, puff, and boom,
SCENT, further evidence of tonite's ever-evolving enthusiasm. The Philly
faithful were pumped for this shelved rarity, complete with an extended
Arabic middle jam during which Page once again displayed his ivory
virtuoso. A rousing, stomping CAVERN completing this Johnny Blazin' first
set, including a lyrical muff that added comedic relief to a set full of
serious business. Delaware Valley renowned Phistorian J.Abrams, amisdst
his stupor, lamented during the setbreak " They took Mike's Groove to a
new level." Most others in the building shared similar sentiments mulling
about the concourse during intermission.
Second set, same deal. BOOGIE ON, we were a hoppin, and bumpin around,
head bobbin' like emergency brakes as the band delved into the looping
groove of Stevie's timeless classic. Garcia's documented affinity for the
tune only accents the fact that it can cook!! Shorter than some but still
ripper. A teasing start to SALLY, Robert Palmer eat your heart out. What
have we done to deserve this ( aside from bear with the band through some
pretty average.com times).? Another perfect segway, this time into a
cosmic GHOST, bordering on acid jazzy trip hop, complete with stoppstart
loops, analog synths, and a crowd that was fully grooving with reckless
abandon. The brooding tone continued into the spacey interlude that
precedes SPRACH and DISEASE, which it did, both, respectivley. 2001 was
another tightly maintained danceathon, straightahead, loop oriented, and
demonstrative of the sublte, avant-garde, border-line electronica vibe
that their explorations ( and newfound control of ) aspire to. The Nature
Boy is out on the town tonite! Disease, arena rock shredfest, complete
with crowd sing along and guitar god antics, a gassing ( no pun intended)
set closer . POSSUM encore, with the play dead language gimmick, was
another crowd pleaser and somewhat rarity, The song was good, although
slightly anti climatic ending ,to a killa set for all of us believers out
there. They came into the city and set all you internet whiners straight.
Ya happy, kids. I sure am. Next time y'all complain about setlists and
shit, remember the hallowed Spectrum ,fire burn!!
---- interesting notes: Trey repeated nosewipes after returning from
intermissions. WHATEVER MEANS
NECESSARY!!
No bad vibes after the show. Philly behaved.
There is hope!
Keep on keepin on!
BGetz
VT 4NOW
NJ 4LIFE
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 19:48:50 +0000
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12/11/99 !!!!!
First off, let me say that this is probably the best show I have ever
seen. I don't know about the other problems people were having with
security because where I went in the guards who were supposed to check you
were basically just watching us walk in and saying "no cans or bottles"
Not bad at all. You could feel the energy before the show and people were
already tossing a lot of balloons around the crowd before the show got
started. Then the boys came on.
HOOD: A Hood opener? Oh hell yeah!!! I was in disbelief and could not
even imagine what kind of a night we were in for. The boys were on and I
think they could sense the crowds energy and were definitely feeding off
it. Excellent way to start the show and let us know they were out to get
us tonight.
MIKE'S: Again, shocked by what this show was turning into and was going to
be. Mike's so early is something special and they got down to some good
jamming here. Short, but good jam into...
SIMPLE: Fantastic! I love this song and the crowd really fed off it well
too. This song has always been something special to me and it didn't
disappoint tonight. Again, the band was on and tight. At this point, I'm
not sure if anything would disappoint.
HYDROGEN: Here we go, the calm before the storm. I was so excited to hear
this to fit another piece into the Mike's groove puzzle. A beautiful song
and a great intro into...
WEEKAPAUG!: So early in the night and we were already getting Weekapaug!
The place erupted and was offically of the walls. People were so happy
and dancing everywhere which was great to see. I loved it and just danced
until the end. Great, high energy weekapaug.
CIRCUS: Needed this one to settle down. This first set was killer so far
and everyone needed a little rest. Great song for it though. I could tell
Trey likes this song.
SCENT OFA MULE: Never heard this song live, but I love it on the tapes,
was really exited for it. Great version, the jam was good and it was
great to hear Page get a spotlight for a solid 3 minutes. They sped the
song back up perfectly and had the place going nuts again. Everyone was
charged and I knew there would have to be 1 or 2 more before set.
CAVERN: Nice way to end one hell ofa set. Good version, pretty standard,
but real good for a closer.
Unbelievable set that just left me speechless. I couldn't imagine what
they were gonna do next set to live up to this, but they really did.
BOOGIE ON: Awesome. Haven't seen this since new year's run and I
absolutely love the tune. Great way to start the set and the jam was long
and tight. I thought I heard Sally sneakin' her way in, but it was a
different key. AC/DC bag? No, changed the key and right into..
SNEAKIN' SALLY: WOW! I was going fuckin' nuts at this point, I love this
song and haven't seen it since Merriweather 98. I almost gave up on ever
seeing it again and this just made my night for the greatest show. The jam
was so good and just kept groovin'. Perfect, I mean perfect transition
into...
GHOST: Allright, allright allright...I said earlier in the day how phat it
would be to hear a great Ghost tonight. It lived up to everything I
wanted and was a great Ghost. Reminded me of 7/15 in Holmdel. A solid
jam into a very spaced out jam.
SPACE JAM: Reminded me very much of Pink Floyd type music. Like something
from Animals, Meddle or Piper at the Gates. I said I thought 2001 was
coming out of this and at the peak of the jam, breakdown into...
2001: At this point, I wasn't sure if they were really doing this and I
was really witnessing a show this good. Solid 2001 with excellent lights
to go with it. The peaks were amazing and I realized I haven't said a
word from watching the lights for the last half hour. The feedback at the
end led into
DWD: Very nice. I gave all of what little amount of energy I had left for
this song and it was a good one. Full throttle all the way through the
song. I could only imagine how tired the band was at this point, so I was
not surpised this ended the set.
Basically the band did not stop the entire set and kept believe how good
this show turned out to be and it left me guessing what kind of encore
could follow this.
POSSUM: Excellent choice. I thought it would be there last night, but I
knew it had to come. Really good intro to the song and the band breaking
down to playing dead was cool. It showed me how they were tired as shit
from this show, but while still on the ground, Trey and Mike brought the
intro back and the band all got up to start the peak into the song. Good
possum. Solid all the way through and a great way to end one crazy
weekend. Tweezer reprise? Oh well.
Overall I thought both nights worked real well together. First night
seemed to me like one great, giant first set and second night was just one
fantastic giant second set.
Thank you Phish for one excellent weekend.
Jeff
Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1999 12:43:00 -0500
From: "St.Pierre, Timothy" [email protected]
To: "'[email protected]'" [email protected]
Subject: review of 12/11/99
Well, I'll keep this sorta short and sweet, since many folks have itemized
the entire show. And what am I gonna tell you about Hydrogen and Cavern
that you don't already know?
My crew was Trey side, center, behind the floor, second row. This group
of about a half dozen girls next to me kept slingshotting over the divider
one at a time, eventually they were all dancing right in front of me on
the floor. I was pretty psyched about them all.
Highlights of the show - 1) Harry was right on the money. The intro
section was exceptional and very spacey, with Trey and Page having little
cosmic keyboard conversations. The body of Harry was particularly stunning
in that it was the show opener, so that bouncy little rift they play over
and over with increasing intensity and the 'thank you mr. minor' parts
were very powerful. The jam was great, all those balloons and glowy
stuff, not too Trey heavy (but he was still wailing). Very glad to have
"my good friend Cid" with me.
2) Simple - the deconstruction of the jam, while sometimes a bit tedious
to me, was excellent. They held that big "up in the air" Simple feel for
awhile, then slowly began to deconstruct it, until they wound up in the
"underwater" feel that becomes Hydrogen.
3) Mule - If we have to hear a bluegrass tune, this one might as well be
it (not to knock Ginseng or Blue & Lonesome or Long Journey Home). The
traditional Russian Page solo was exceptional. He threw in some straight
jazz stuff over the top at times, harkening Rhapsody In Blue. Then other
times he got melodic. The ensuing jam with the whole band was top notch -
maybe I just miss this song but the way all of them tumble and stumble
over each other while holding down the same theme is just brilliant.
4) The whole second set... It just built this groove. It started slow
and kept getting crazier and crazier. Sneakin Sally - people were talking
about Bag teases and stuff but I didn't get that - they just switched keys
after a few measures of Bag/Sally guitar rhythms... The jam from Sally to
Ghost was super smooth; all of a sudden Mike was just bumpin' what could
of been Ghost, then it most definitely was Ghost.
2001 - I was wearing the '2001 - Super Space Funk' shirt thats been on
sale from 2001 guy and his bro. I was calling it all night, it was just
in the air. The little spaceship space that took place before the drum
beat kicked in was fucking awesome. Kuroda nailed the light show... it
reminded me of a vocal jam light show, with all the lights on the band,
then expanding out to vocal jam light show, with all the lights on the
band, then expanding out to the audience and then back to the band.....
Diseaser - what can i say?
After the second set, I looked at my boy Christian and said, "the only
thing they can play right now, the ONLY thing, is Possum" love it when
your calls are right... the secret language was cool for me to hear too,
since i've been around since 91 and saw them teach it in the portchester
antelope 5/14/92.
this was a great show by all standards.
see you at mci, hampton and big c.
tim
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 15:26:10 -0500
From: Jerome Mabb [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Philly 12/11
Set I
Harry Hood: Unheard-of opener. We are in for a good night.
Mike's Song: Had trouble getting in Friday, so "Big dude in the doorway
blocking my way" line rung truer than ever. I was stoked to hear it, but where
was Trey? Does anyone remember when Trey's
guitar would scream during this song (circa 1992)? I digress.
Simple: Trey still seemed hesitant to solo in this song. Good thing he's up
there with three other musical geniuses. Phil's stack makes Mike sound great
even in the "Philthy Rectrum."
I Am Hydrogen: Phish's most beautiful song. Loved it!
Weekapaug Groove: kicked ass as all Weekapaugs do.
When The Circus Comes To Town: appropriate in it's description of the "scene."
Scent Of A Mule: It had been a while for this one and I missed it. I really
enjoyed the jam in the middle as opposed to the long drawn-out "muel duel"
Cavern: Straight ahead rocker! Flubbed lyrics are irrelevant in this tune.
Set II
Boogie On Reggae Woman: I love Stevie and Phish's version even more. I was all
smiles and danced my ass off!!! Trey was much more confident in his soloing
during the second set.
Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley: Noone knew if they where playing this or
AC/DC Bag. Enjoyable confusion. They grooved this one for a long time until it
smoothly segued into Ghost.
Ghost: This is why I still go to see Phish. They jammed the living hell out of
this song. Then it started. Meltdown! Good time to be straight. It was one of
those timeless moments where the band
brings us to an altered consciousness (drugs not necessary) on another plane.
Kuroda blew my mind! There were these white lights that literally flew around
the venue in figure-eight-like patterns. It
was as though you could see the light as tiny particles flying around the
place. Wicked cool!
Also Sprach Zarathustra: Kicked it up a notch!
Down With Disease: Great closer. Trey just kept taking it higher and higher,
until I thought I was going to tear out of my skin. "This has all been
wonderful.." line always gets me. I have seen Phish
4 or 5 times a year for the past 7 years and have had at least 10 "last shows."
Many things about the "scene" nowadays really bothers me to point that it
sometimes makes me physically sick. I probably
like this band too much. I don't want any sort of negativity to be associated
with them. I love them sometimes to the point of crazy obsession (hard to
believe since I work at IBM and don't tour). To
make this short: STOP LITTERING IN THE PARKING LOT!!! MAKE AN EFFORT TO FIND
GARBAGE RECEPTACLES. THE WORLD IS NOT YOURS TO TRASH!!! Kids who tour just
because it is an easy place to sell drugs to
"custies": there is plenty of drug trafficking in our countries major
cities.
Please go there, and ,failing to do that, go to hell!!! If you do not like the
band Phish, stay the fuck home!!!
PeaceJerry
P.S. Possum encore was sweet. I fell down.
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 10:51:45 -0500
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12/11/99 Philly Review
Saturday night's show in Philly was to be my last in the 1900's. My
heart was racing once I met my friends in Hoboken and we hit the NJ
Turnpike. Special thanks to the guy at the newsstand who gave us great
directions so we'd get there sooner. Of course we got slightly lost
again but made it into the lots by 7:00. Went off on a mission and
made our way to the gates. I had an extra for the show so I miracled
this girl (purple head band, dress, dark hair...thanks) I highly
recommend every phan out there to miracle someone at a show. She gave
me a warm hug and many thanks which just set the mood for the evening.
This show being in the middle of the holidays, I felt her happiness
like a child opening a present on Christmas morning. "A gift" was what
we were about to hear to be given, and the boys just kept giving....
We scrambled in as the lights went out and perched in the aisle right
next to Page.
HOOD - WHAT! From the first minute we heard Fish start up this one, my
long time phishin' companion Tim and I gave each other a huge hug.
Pure magic! And again "a gift" since the guy next to us said they
haven't opened with Hood since the first time played. The glow ring
war was wonderful.
MIKE'S GROOVE - Yes! Poured in the funk, Spoke sweetly at times and it
was at this point I decided to venture out. Had a few things to
do...first, bathroom, second, water, third, I always like to check out
my ticket section just to get a different persepective. Does anyone
else do this? Coming out of the bathroom I ran into the girl I
miracled. Once again, her joy gave me the warmest feeling. Filled up
my jug and checked out my section. Although I wasn't as close, this
section rocked. Everyone was going wild when SIMPLE hit and
unfortunatly since it was bad timing on my part to move since my other
bud Tom (his first show) wanted to hear this tonight so I wasn't there
to thank him for wishing for this sweet tune. HYDROGEN was a perfect
transition, a moment to covet in relaxation while the music wrapped
around your mind and body, bringing you up to the celebration that is
WEEKAPAUG. Does anyone else do this? Similar to the "trampolines"
dance to this groove while turning after a while so your facing all
sides of wherever you are. I really felt I got in touch with the vibe
that was growing throughout the audience who were just as wild.
Happiness is....
WHEN THE CIRCUS COMES - Very emotional, I felt a tear...made my way
back to my friends...we were all so happy to be together again and I
knew the boys wouldn't let this moment down with what was to come.
SCENT OF A MULE - Fantabulous!
CAVERN - It's crazy, but I just felt and knew this was going to end
the set, building off "the gift". This was the Phish tune that got Tim
hooked so it was just perfect that I made it back to them in time to
share this gem. Outstanding!
Absolutely an all time great first set. A tease for what was to come.
Like slowly undoing a ribbon on that great big box before finding the
surprise inside.
During the setbreak, my pals and I chatted and we all checked out the
other section I was in during set one. They didn't stay since we were
really close before, but I had found my place for this show. Probably
because of the happiness I felt during Weekapaug. They understood and
just before the lights went out, we wished each other a fabulous
second set and...
BOOGIE ON REGGAE WOMAN - Oswego came to mind and I was hoping they
would play this tonight. I got my wish with an extra pinch of magic.
Confirmed that this was a personal "gift" when I heard SNEAKIN' SALLY.
GHOST - I'll have to admit I was sitting down for most of this tune.
Not that it doesn't get me going, far from it, but I just had to stop
and collect myself. Beautiful with a dark edge.
2001 - Yes...oh yes....the highpoint of the second set...chris was
amazing...some of his best work.
DWD - Perfect ending... and once again, I felt the "gift" vibe flowing
through this tune til the end...like Santa being discovered by a child
on Christmas Eve. Only she just wants to give him a big hug knowing he
has to be on his way.
Encore - POSSUM - The icing on the cake. "All Fall Down" language was
a fantastic surprise.
Since I can't make the New Year's festivities in Florida, I just felt
I needed to share my thoughts on my last show of this century. Almost
as a archived memory that I or others can look upon years to come...
one thing I must say again is what a great feeling it is to miracle
another phan. If you, yes you the person reading this, is the girl
with the purple head band and dark hair I would just like to say
thanks. What a wonderful gift in return.
Happy holidays everyone.
Peace on earth
Boober
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 10:18:14 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: (no subject)
Well, well.......a second show in Philly was all I needed to close out a
great weekend of PHiSH and I can say without a doubt that this one ranks
way up there on my list.
Getting in was a little more difficult tonight since Tubby the security
wonderfuck decided to get a little more frisky than last nit. The crowd
tonight seemed much more energetic, specially since they had so much to
cheer about. Had seats way up in sec 43, but the VIEW of CK's handiwork
is great from up there.....very different persective than last nite, but
very cool...and now to the music....
Harry: To open?!? Hell yes, I think this set the mood for the entire
night and was a full-throttle way to get started with some old school
PHiSH. Thank Mr. Minor and the peeps who started tossing glowrings during
the FIRST SONG.....the multi-colored glowring worm snaked its way across
the floor all during this one made the visual parts even better
Mike's : OK, this is about the last thing I would have expected this early
on, one humdinger after another. Cool Mike's, excellent lights
throughout. One thing which would have made this even better is if they
turn down Mike just a wee bit. Now I now PLM will fight me to the end,
but it did drown out a lot of Trey and Page tonight but the rafters were
shaking during this one and also into.....
Simple: Never heard the vocals so good as this one, crowd was going NUTS.
I am Hydrogen: Haven't heard this one since my early shows and it was
beautiful. Just the rest I needed for.....
Weekapaug: A tight version, Mike was LOUD during this one and his bass
intro is no longer shaky, but a really great way to start the dancing.
This one had the crowd making the spectrum look like it would crumble
Circus: Thanks for the breather guys.....I think we all needed this one
Scent: WOW.....this one was great and I really can't think of a cooler
way to get the crowd into it again than the ever-accelerating klezmer
(sp?) type dance.....Jen, MY sweet one, loved this one especially Mike's
crazy lyrics and the lights during the "now we shower ourselves in
lightness."
Cavern: Love PON and this one was high energy. You could hear the crowd
singing along throughout the ENTIRE song and the first set closed out with
a bang
This first set blew me away....I cannot remember a show I have seen where
the boys were reared and ready to go from the very beginning and never let
up. Much different than last night's first set, but in a good way. I felt
like they couldn't possibly keep up this energy for the second set.....boy
was I wrong!
Second Set
Boogie on Stevie Wonder : I had a feeling this one was coming and knew
that the boogie would probably keep going ALL NIGHT. In last nite's
review, I remarked how there was a lack of noticeable segues......well
spank my ass and call me Susan cause this set the music never
stopped!---------->
Sally: WHOOPEEE.....can't stop dancing during this great version......and
TWO covers right off the bat too! From here, these amazing musicians
smoothly, and I mean REALLY smoothly segued into--------->
GHOST!: Holy crap! Three of my favorites right off the bat and this one
did not disappoint.......lights were AWESOME, thank you CK. This was
where my girl and I probably did not talk for over 20 minutes because we
were so freaking mesmerized by the music and lights and were to follow.
The spacey jam as its being called was intense, reminded me A LOT of early
Floyd. I figured at this point, the groove was never gonna stop......and
I was right.....
2001 : After wiping the expression of disbelief off my face, I sat down
for a bit since my legs felt like they were gonna melt and took in this
beauty of an ASZ in......I tell ya, even if you're a mile away from the
stage in the upper deck, the lights made me forget what planet i was on
and forget the notion that Phish is moving more towards radio length
songs........this one rocked the house
DWD: What the hell, I don't need all this cumbersome brain matter! High
energy, but you could tell the guys were getting little tired. Hell, they
just played continuously for longer than most people can LISTEN to music.
Not too long, but grooving, just as the entire set was....Thought we might
get another song in there since it was relatively short, but oh so good
Encore: Possum.....old school to open and close this show, and it was
great....I guess this is why they kept the 2nd set short to make room for
a slowly building but intense encore. Was praying for a MMHop or Ramble,
but hell this one was just great by me
Overall : God this show was good.....better than every show I have seen
except Halloween 96...GREAT setlist, flawless and smooth segues all over
place, and I can't think of a better view than I had last night. I
thought the Godfather theme music over the PA after the show was so
appropriate for our paisan in the Philly area....it was indeed a family
affair.
The crowd was very appreciative of what the boys did tonight and it showed
in their performance.....I tell ya, even concerts have a "sixth man" or in
this case a fifth one. If you give these guys your energy and fun vibe,
they will pick up on it, absorb it, channel it together, and fire it right
back at ya with 100 times the intensity and that's what they did tonight.
Although i really like the Friday show, this one turned it over and
spanked its backside
Thank you sir, may I have another?
Allen
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 11:18:00 -0500
From: David M. Goldstein [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12/11/99 notes
Hey now,
No time for a full review, but there seem to be plenty of those up
anyway. Sixth show I've seen in 1999, and by far the best. Blew Friday
night out of the water, no question.
- Never going to complain about a Mike's Groove so early in the first
set, but is it just me, or was Trey more or less non-existent during the
heavy bass (F#) section? I live to hear him go off here, and he
didn't. The 32nd note frenzy in a fantastic Weekapaug more than made up
for it though.
-Circus needs to be retired permanently. If a breather is needed, play
Tela, or FEFY, or Mtns. in the Mist, or Bug....whatever.
-Trey blanked on the lyrics in Cavern
-The Sneakin' Sally was arguably the highlight of the night. Very deep in
the groove...serious funk. The band seemed confused at the beginning. It
sounded like they were playing Sally in the key of ACDC Bag. Half of them
even seemed to be playing ACDC Bag. Wierd. Then they kicked it back into
B major, and everything was all good.
-Excellent Ghost. very textured and complex. Not frenzied rock and roll
(11/24/98, 11/11/98), but very smooth and interesting. Can't wait for the
tape.
-Huge, frightening space jam before 2001. Entire stage was shrouded in
smoke and spinning lights, Mike looked like a silhouette. Very droning,
very dark, and the tapes unfotunately won't capture the visual spectacle.
Maybe a few minutes too long, but this was way cool, and probably caused
many a doser to scream in agony!
-I've seen 25 shows, and the lights during 2001 were the best I've ever
seen. Either Kuroda's getting more inventive, or there's more lights on
board, I dunno. The song itself was a solid version....though hardly
the "best ever" as seems to be the call. C'mon now...who's heard 11/26/97
(Hartford)? Or the Great Went version? Those versions had the FUNK. It's
all personal preference of course...but take a listen to 'em.
-Surprised to hear DWD 'cuz it was played in Portland. Not complaining
though. VERY bright version. Strictly type 1, about 10 minutes or so,
rather "teary eyed". Trey was incredibly animated. Hopping from foot to
foot, jumping in the air, rocking back and forth etc. Loving it. I dig
this as a set closer, and it helped to cap off a fantastic second set and
a very good show. Solid Possum encore.
dave g
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 16:44:01 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12/11 Philly Thoughts
My 33rd show, tons on tape. My first of this December run was a very, very
good one. Bordering on great. Very close.
*I was happy to hear Harry Hood as an opener rather than late in a set.
Nice, faster version which started with Trey doing some crazy stuff on keys
and ended strong.
*The Mike's was dark, like I like it. Page rocks this one on organ.
*Simple sounded great, ready to hear it as part of Mike's again.
*Always a treat to get Hydrogen, beautiful.
*Mike was loud during a good Weekapaug. A frenzy.
*Circus Comes was a needed break and was very well played. I like this song.
*Scent of a Mule was a big break-out in my mind. Haven't heard it since
Nassau '98. Very cool, I love Page during this one. Trey and Mike
dancing.
Excellent.
*Cavern is always fun and a good closer, even though it sounded like Trey
forgot some lyrics or maybe his mike went out.
*Somehow I seem to see Boogie On, one of my favorites, a lot these days.
Cool, longish version.
*Sneakin' Sally did start out sounding like ACDC Bag, but ended up being a
very above average Sally. Great stuff here. Another bust-out.
*The Ghost HAS to be heard. Long intro with Mike out front. Probably the
best "new" Ghost I have seen. Jammed out hard. Went into this crazy,
Siket-like jam.
*2001 was awesome musicaly and visually (Kuroda!), but my feelings about the
set changed here. After the first three I was calling it epic and hoping for
something less standard. 2001 and DWD are always great, but I have seen
so many.
*Same with Possum, but the secret language was very cool.
Great show, especially good crowd considering it was a Saturday night.
Can't wait until Hampton and New Year's.
Brian
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 10:13:54 EST
From: David Urban [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12/11/99 REVIEW
What an amazing day. The fact that my friend andy and myself were in philly
to see this show was pure fate. No need to get into the details. All that
needs to be said is that we were all blessed last night by what could
arguably be the best phish show i've ever seen. Everything was on last night.
When we arrived at the spectrum, i was a bit worried. didn't see much of
anything in the parking lot (of course we stayed in one small part)and the
fascist security guards at the front gate didn't exactly get me enthralled
to be in philly. no need for the rough pat down boys. i still got my drugs
in (as did everyone else).
I could sense from the crowd however, that this might be a very fun night.
The balloons were great. I haven't seen this much pre show enthusiasim
since new years.
The lights dim, the crowd erupts, the boys get on stage, the crowd goes wild.
Why oh why did they start with Harry Hood. I mean in most concerts, you
start with a popular song, and then build to a "favorite". If you start
with one of "the favorites" where can you go from there? Harry was
phenomenal. The glowrings were nice, the build up in the song was mind
blowing. I knew we were going to get something special last night.
Mike's- again, one of my favorites, and this version kicked ass great outro
jam into simple.
Simple- not one of my favorites, but i prefer it when it's in Mikes Groove.
They let loose more and experiment more, and take us all on a great trip.
Hydrogen- beautiful. It was at this point that the guy sitting next to me
offered me some of his pot. THANKS ALABAMA DAN!! You really made the show
last night.
Weekapaug- Wonderful. So, So tight. The jam, again, was just so intense.
You could just tell that they were so into it last night.
Circus- Finally i could catch my breath and sit, and just listen. I love
this song. It's so beautiful and heartfelt. I just sat there, sang along,
regrouped and then it was onto...
Scent of a Mule- HOLY SHIT- Never heard it live before. I can't believe
i've been missing out. The slow eastern european dance thing just sped up
and up with 20,000 people clapping in unison, faster and faster, louder and
louder. Trey was looking around, huge grin on his face. Then bam- right
back into the song. Unreal.
Cavern- always fun and last night's, maybe because the rest of the set was
phenomenal, just seemed to be a bit better than other versions i've heard.
Set 2
Opened with Boogie On. Not a real favorite cover, but last night's was
great. Long jam that was just what this song needs. They took this song to
another level last night.
Sneakin Sally- never heard it before, it too kicked ass. Another great
jam.
Andy called ghost.
Andy was right- sweet version another great outro jam into the weird sicket
like jam (i thought maybe Bowie would be next but no, again Andy called it)
2001- that was the one song my friend wanted to hear. He's going to korea
for a year, so this is the last chance he has to see them in a very long
time. This was simply a mindfuck. I have had many wonderful musical
moments at shows before (including hearing this at PNC this summer), but
nothing comes even close to what i experienced during 2001. i wish i could
describe the music itself, but when can't. all i can say is that CK's
lights were unreal. Every note was played just right, every cue was on, the
whole arena was so into it. it was just a total union of band and audience
and music. That performance right there for those few minutes exemplifies
what music can and should be about. It was beautiful.
DWD- Rock on man. After some the etherial feelings, they brought it back
down to earth and just rocked. awesome. Great way to end a set.
Encore- Possum- again, holy shit- the all fall down bit was funny, but then
they start playing on their backs and don't miss a note when they get up.
Again, a kick ass version.
Everyone around me said this was now in their top 3-5. For me it's #1. I
don't know if Phish will ever be able to top themselves with this one, but
if they don't, who cares. I experienced something truely great, and if i
don't experience anything like it again, at least i'll always know what it
was like to reach xtasy at a show.
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 10:44:48 -0500
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12/11/99 First Union Spectrum
I just finished reading the rave reviews of this past Saturday's show and
I must say I completely disagree. I felt the performance lacked
intensity, emotion, and overall fun. This was my eleventh show and the
first one I have been to in over two years. Somewhere over the past two
years things have gotten very boring. I was very pleased with the song
selection, however at no point did I feel that Trey played up to his
potential. I kept waiting for something to happen. He toodled around
playing abbreviated licks in solos that never went anywhere. I felt like
if it weren't for the changes in lighting, people wouldn't have known when
to cheer. He needs to turn up the gain, turn off his echo and chorus, and
begin to move his fingers with some verve. Yo Trey! Let's lay off the E
and play your frickin guitar. I don't know, maybe it's just a whole
different scene and the music has taken a new turn. I just want my old
Phish back. Where's the creativity? This whole groovy extended intro
thing with impressive lighting makes me sleepy. A slow Mike's Groove?!
An even slower Possum!?! Come on. At one point before Sneakin Sally
(highlight b/c it's a rare one-----it's not a new tune for all you
Stepfords!) we thought we heard an AC/DC Bag tease. Instead of getting
excited, we were apprehensive. We would much rather not hear the tune,
than hear it played in their new, vanilla style.
For nostalgia's sake, I had a blast. The gas is still fun and the hippies
are still hypocrites (I've never seen such disregard for a piece of
property in my life. Its called a trash bag you lazy criminals, they're
cheap and easy to locate). I guess I am just used to the jaw-dropping,
mind blowing, innovative guitar jams circa 1992 that made me a Phish fan
in the first place. I have always been very critical of the band, but
also exceedingly appreciative and inspired when they pulled off a great
set. Last Saturday was fair at best.
By the way, they're new material is weak. Did I hear a love song in
there? If someone would have told me in '93 that Hoist was going to be
their last decent effort, I would have laughed heartily. Now I am just
grateful I was around for the good stuff!
Thanks for allowing me to vent. See you next time.
Pso
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 18:01:14 -0500
From: Rob Kallick [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12/11/99 Review
I attended both Philly shows and here is what I thought:
I have been reading all the reviews up until these shows, negative and
positive and I could see where people were coming from. Phish is a band
that constantly changes. I have walked away from shows where I could
hardly speak I was so happy (12/31/95, 11/27/98) and shows where I was
not as impressed (11/8/96), but either way I'm happy because I just saw
Phish! So anyways, I went to Philly with a different perspective. I saw
the Albany and Nassau shows in October and I left wanting more, I was
very disappointed with the croed, how they played, song selection, etc.
I couldn't think of many good things to say about that run of shows,
some people loved them, many didn't. Over the past few months I came to
realize that I had to accept anything they choose to do, no matter what.
So, with that in mind I headed to Philly. I thoroughly enjoyed the first
night. Mainly because I brought my friend to his first show and he loved
it. Absolutley loved it, every second and that helped frame my new
perspective as well. I was ready for night 2.
Hood - What a fantastic opener. The crowd went absolutley nuts and they
did a great job as usual with this song. It built to a great ending that
flowed into...
Mike's - YES! The excitement got even higher and the crowd erupted. At
this point I felt the energy of the show was as high as any I'd ever
seen. Quite different to many reviews of previous shows, it just shows
what these guys are capable of. Mike's was solid and segued into...
Simple - Trey was all over this one. Very tight and the jam at the end
got very quiet and quite beautiful. Next was the obvious...
Hydrogen - I love this song. Great version. We all knew what was next...
Weekapaug - An extremely intense version from start to finish. The crowd
was nuts and everyone was dancing their asses off. Trey brought it to a
nice ending and the first half of the set was over.
I knew they needed a rest after ru of songs like those. Hoping for a Get
Back on the Train or Strange Design but we got
Circus - Don't like this song, never have. But oh well
SOaMule - Great choice! Haven't heard this in a while. Jam in middle was
great.
Cavern - Nice finish to set, Trey flubbed a few verses, but oh well...
Overall first set was spectacular. They grabbed the audience from the
first note and the energy was insane! It was during set break that I
noticed I had been sitting in front of my professor the entire time! Who
knows what he saw me doing, but he was having a great time
dancing...very cool.
Set 2:
Boogie on - Love this song. Very funky, but kinda short.
Sneakin Sally - Great choice, slight AC DC tease at beginning. Funk jam
segued perfectly into...
Ghost - Highlight of the night for me. Jam was standard at first, but
morphed seamlessly into somehting incredibly beautiful, but funky as
hell. I can't wait to hear this jam on tape, it's that good.
2001 - Before this was a very spacey jam, but as soon as Fishman kicked
in we all knew what we were in store for. Very long and funky. Great
lights by Chris as always.
DWD - Very tight and energetic. Great work by Mike, and Trey brought it
to a rocking close.
Possum encore was fun wiht language signals.
Overall this show was what I needed. It had everyhting, rock, funk,
antics, fun stuff that makes phish great and a band i will always go
see. The tour is definately picking up. Hampton will be great.
See you in Florida!
Rob
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 16:25:16 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: review: 12-11-99
Holy Sh-ee-ite!!!!!!!!!! They were smokin' tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've been
to plenty of plenty of shows, but none like this one!!!!!!! Mike's and
Weekapaug seem to follow me quite a bit!!!! Hood opener!! Thank you,
guys!!!!!! Trey seemed to be groovin' quite a bit as was Page. One the
greatest things about this show, other than the incredible jammmms, was
the spirits of the crowd the whole way through. Not any lot violence where
i was at outside, and those of us back behind the stage were well rewarded
with quite the noise when we got the whole place doin' the
wave!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Only one thing--the balloons!! I must say that Trey's
gettin' quite skillful at poppin' the bastards, but if I was up there
jammin' I'd want 'em out of the way too!!!!! The guys knew what they had
with the music the whole night too, and you could tell they we're all
lovin' it!!!!!!! Dank you, dank you, we ALL FALL
DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 01:40:13 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12/11/99 REVIEW
Hey guys...This was my 8th show...I'm SALVO from RMP if some of you care..I
held up the Buried Alive sign Night 1, and the BRO-THER sign Night 2
Ok.. all I have to say is that this was the best show I've ever seen. People
all around me were saying the same. Set 1 was a typical sick Set 2...Set 2
was well...heaven!
Oh, by the way, the lights were the best CK5 has ever done...especially
during 2001..WOW! And Page was louder than last night! good
HARRY HOOD: WHAT?????????? Are you joking? This was well recieved, and a
weird ass encore. Things had to be epic tonight-and they were! The Hood was
pretty mellow and chill, like most of the other songs, but that doesn't mean
they weren't intense. They just weren't screaming loud..ok, enough.
MIKE'S SONG: Ok, that's it. I screamed at the top of my lungs, and I knew I
was witnessing something special. Very special. This wasn't very long, but
it was very...methodical? Mike was chugging along on his bass, with the band
following. Maybe 8 minutes later they went right into >
SIMPLE: YES!!!!!!!!!!!! Standard simple which means they boys were loving it,
and the crowd was siniging along. At the end, I swear to whatever higher
power there may be, first they teased GBOTT..Fish was kickin the drum beat,
but the rest of the band wanted to stay mellow...So, then I heard MY LEFT
TOE...Yep, no doubt about it...However, it went into >
I AM HYDROGEN: That was it...I dropped to my knees for the first part of the
song, and lifted my head up to the ceiling. The most beautiful song in the
Phish repetoire. That's all that needs to be said...Trey didn't butcher the
ending either!!!! And with that, a first set Mike's Groove leads into >
WEEKAPAUG: Ok...We're 5 songs into the first set....45 minutes....And
they're playing fucking Weekapaug Groove!!!!! Oh boy...This was a night to
remember..Groove just raged. CK5 was doing awesome things with the lights,
and Trey was firing bullets on his gee-tar.
WHEN THE CIRCUS COMES: As much as I didn't want to hear this, I welcomed it
because we needed to slow down after such ferociousness (word?) Anyway, it
was very short and sweet. I sung along and that means I liked it.
SCENT OF A MULE: Ok, I couldn't believe it. I wanted to hear this more than
anything (minus Buried alive and brother) and they hadn't played it in
SOOOOOO LONG!!!!!!!! I lost my mind and orgasmed...Whoops. My bad...Anyway,
This was sooo phat...Page was doing wonderful things during the Muel Duel.
Trey didn't do the duel, instead the whole band picked up and I thought they
went into
YERUSHALAYIM SHER ZAHAV to celebrate the ending of Channukah last night I
think...Maybe it was just a Middle Eastern jam. what the hell do I know.
SCENT...Finished it off, and I just nodded my head in amazement to what I was
witnessing.
CAVERN: Trey goofs up the lyrics, which is always funny...They resung the
"Mop the slime from where the slug" verse. Great way to end the set
I give this a 10...nothing else...I'm sorry.
BOOGIE ON REGGAE WOMAN: I thought it was Meatstick for a second, but then
recognized the Stevie Wonder tune...My first live one...I liked the song
better in 97 because it raged a little more..It gets a little repetitive
every now and then, but nothing was going to make me unhappy now..Not even
Heavy Things...
SNEAKING SALLY: Ok, I thought this started as Bag because it was in the key
of A, but then they jumped up to B and Started Sneaking Sally...OH BOY> First
one of the tour???? This kicked complete ass...They just kept going until
Trey teased the lyric line to Ghost on his guitar. Then he started the delay,
then they segued seamlessly into... >
GHOST: YEAH BABY!!!!!!! This was becoming a set for the ages...This Ghost
was one of the better ones I heard...they just jammed away, until dropping
into space and feedback
FEEDBACK/SPACE JAM: OH wow...This was ridiculous. CK5 was doing awesome
things with the lights, and the fog surrounded Mike to make him look like a
silhouette. This continued for like 7 minutes until They built tension around
the "C" and I called the 2001...
2001: Best song of the night...The spaceship lights, the white lights...I
mean, this really did make the evening. I'm not even going to describe this.
DWD: The feedback out of 2001 was obvious that Mike would step up and thump
out the bass to the intro of DWD...Ok, Trey wailed wailed wailed wailed on
the jam in DWD...He was moving all around and put every inch of soul into
that guitar.
A short set, but what can I say...it gets a 9.98 only because it was 1:03
POSSUM: WITH SECRET LANGUAGE!!! ALL FALL DOWN!!!!!!!!!! I LOVED IT! THe jam
built and built to a climax, and then it was over. the best show i've ever
seen was over. I was drenched in sweat from dancing...I never got down as
hard as I did that night.
That's it for now...Hope everyone else loved this show as much as I did.
Peace,
Salvo
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 15:38:13 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: philly
just to keep this one really short. WHOEVER THINKS PHISH IS GOING
DOWN.....YOU OBVIOUSLY WEREN"T HERE! the second night was one of the best
ive seen in 30 shows. GIVE IT UP TO CK5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!The best
lights i have ever witnessed at a show during ghost, 2001, and the rest
also. he truly kepth the jams alive when they were beginning to dwindle.
peace out and see you in DC
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 14:35:11 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12/11/99
Last night was my 25th show,,, and without a doubt,, it ranks up there as
one of my favorite! I still cannot believe what I saw in the first set
last night. HARRY HOOD opener!!!! Give me a break.... IT'S ALL HOOD,
BABY!!! Mike's->Simple->Hydrogen->Weekapaugh,,,, Wow!! I could barely
breathe after that incredible jam! And then a nice, perfectly timed,
Circus.... and then Scent of a Mule, which I haven't seen in about two
years,,, and then the perfect set closer of Cavern. The buzz in the air
after this set was intense. And the second set did not disappoint.
Boogie on.... to open,,, and then for a second I thought it was AC/DC Bag,
but it broke out into Sneaking Sally,, and then a great Ghost (with an
awesome jam attaced) into a stellar 2001 (with some of the best light work
I have ever seen - including Floyd shows - and then a hot DWD to end the
set.
Possum was a nice encore as well,,, it was just an all and all terrific
show.
I mean, that show is the reason why I got to Phish shows so much... And I
was so pleased it was in the greatest city in America --- Philadelphia...
Way to go, guys!!!!!
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 03:11:53 -0800
From: Ben [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Sat 11 1999 Phila
Hood- Great version, intro was great. I was not expecting this strat
but I knew It was going to be a good show.
Mikes- It was a good Mike's but I wasn't surprised. Gordan had the funk
tonight. Kept the energy going. I was pleased so far.
Sinple- Phatty. Really wanted a simple. A crowd pleaser as well.
Hydrogen- Sweet, always is.
Week- Gordan was funky and it was was a phat jam.
Circus- i needed a little slow song so this was good.
Mule- i loved it . First time I evr heard it live and there were no let
downs there. I love the jam.
Cavern- Always phat to hear nice way to end of the set.
I thought it was a little short but i am probably wrong.
reggae women- i love this tune. Great opener
Sally- I was dying to hear this one has well. Keep the energy going
through the rest of the show.
Ghost- Great jam, very phunky.
this went into a phat spacey jam which went into 2001. high point of
the show fof me. The lights were phat and the build was nice.
dwd- phatty jam, could have gone for another closer, but it was phat.
Possum was an excellent energtic closer. great jam
I loved this show. They were grooving tonight. If you weren't there,
you missed a good one. Get the tape.
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 11:10:03 -0800 (PST)
From: Bart Tantillo [email protected]
To: [email protected]
[email protected]
Subject: Review 12/11/99
And away we go! I am going to keep this short, even though I have had a
change of plans and will now not be going to Hartford this evening, a
decision that will surely lead to a classic Phish show in my absence, as
seems to be the norm here in the Northeast the past few years. But what a
show last night! I have expressed my disdain for Harry Hood in the past,
my feeling is that the song has grown stale and needs a break, and I am
not here to say that last night's version was any different than the ones
I have grown tired of hearing in the past year or so, but to open a show,
it was quite a moment. I knew that last night had to be incredible to
keep this tour afloat, and it sure as hell was. How about
Hood>Mike's>Simple> Hydrogen>Weekapaug, and you are just five songs into a
show? Incredible. Even another oddly placed (though well played) When
the Circus Comes, a severely flubbed Cavern, and my least favorite song in
the world, Scent of a Mule, couldn't put a damper on the set. In all
fairness to Trey by the way, his microphone did go out for a moment during
Cavern, however he still manages to murder those lyrics every once in a
while. I remember Hartford in 1997, when he got so pissed at himself he
took off his guitar and started wailing it around his head, a practice
that is now commonplace at end of sets/shows, where he messes with
feedback and Page by raising his guitar and/or hand. Anyway, they were
back, even if it took some of the oldest songs in their catalog to get
there, they were back.
Set 2, Yahoo! As corny as that sounds, I know, but it contained moments
of genius. The Sneaking Sally>Ghost>2001 was mind-blowing to say the
least. One of those pieces that will be talked about for some time. I
said to myself during 2001, "Any song but Down with Disease", and as
expected, I got another one. It takes a Deer Creek caliber DWD to get me
to enjoy it. The fact that I have seen it more than twenty times, coupled
with the repetitiveness of the jams I have witnessed during it, have made
me into an angry old man when it comes to this song, however, much like
the last three songs of the first set, nothing was going to rain on this
parade. Rotation jams have been something that has separated this band
from many of their peers. The ability to be so in-tune that they can each
pick up one another's instruments and still sound somewhat together is the
stuff legends are made of. Philadelphia has hosted two rotation jams that
I know of and have seen, so it wasn't out of the question for them to
break out another one in the Spectrum. It wasn't to be, however, the
secret language "All fall down" that preceded Possum was a nice gesture,
not only to the venue, but to the city and it's fans, who have always been
some of the best this band has anywhere in the country. A fitting end to
two shows that proved how unpredictably amazing this band still is.
Thanks to the folks who joined me this weekend, you know who you are.
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 03:00:47 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: A PHINE Show
Hey, I am just about this _________________ fed up with the nast reviews
that the shows are geting recently. I went to Cincy and Philadelphia.
Thought both cities were really good, with the exception of the police in
Philly. I flew in from St. Louis tonight expecting the police to be a
little more laid back. You know Philadelphia I would think would be in the
heart of Phish Country.To my surprise they weren't, we had to be out of
shakedown at like 12:30 which was pretty crappy. Well Anyway about hte
show tonight, First Set was pretty phat. I have never seen tem open a show
with Hood so it was a pretty sweet treat. YOu know if they play Mike's
Song early on its going to be a pretty sweet show. First set continued on
to be really groovy. They threw in some really cool spanish type groove in
between I am Hydrogen and weekapaugh during weekapaugh. Circus was pretty
sweet. A really nice version of Scent of a Mule, Cavern was really sick.
Set 2 was a real nice. Boogie was a really really nice way to start of .
Sally was really really good. The spacey jam was out of this world and
Kuroda really really took the the drivers seat and went full force
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 13:59:10 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Philly 12-11-99 review
Last night was my 24th show. This is my first review.
During the second set, I was thinking to myself "I'm going to write the
most detailed, in-depth, long winded review ever. I'm going to tell the
world about this incredible show and how the Harry opener was blah blah
blah.....the Mike's Groove was sooo blah blah blah.....Scent? are you
kidding blah blah blah..... The best Ghost you've ever blah blah
blah....."
I think you see what I'm getting at. You've read the other reviews. You
saw the setlist.
Words CANNOT DESCRIBE what went on last night.
Everyone is putting this show in their top 3 or 5.
For me, it's number one. It's not even close.
Last night was the reason we go to every show we can get to. Because you know
that Phish is capable of miracles. They don't always happen, but you know
that one of these nights, for just two sets, EVERYTHING is going to be
perfect, and you don't want to miss it.
Get the tapes. They will be talking about this show for years to come.
Just in case the band reads these reviews (I hope they don't, but just in
case):
THANK YOU PHISH
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 13:11:44 -0500
From: Jason Miller [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: philly 12/11/99
i made a rule a while back that said the later you arrive at a phish
show, the better it is. while i always TRY to get in early, sometimes i
can't help getting there late. first nite in philly, they started two
minutes after i walked in. last nite, the nazi security had us in line
outside for 25 minutes. came in during middle of hood-about as late as i
ever want to be again! and my reward? the phattest, phunkiest, most
phabulous show i've seen in a looooong time. actually, no better show
comes to mind. first set was like butter-hood opener?!! followed by a
solid mike's groove(first time i've seen them play it staight through!).
circus was a nice breather, and then scent- first time i've heard that
song all year- and it was well worth the wait. cavern was as good as
ever-complete with a lyrical flub by trey.
second set- can you say DYNOMITE!!!! boogie on was longest, jammiest
version i've ever heard, and yes they did tease ac/dc bagon their way
into the grooviest sally ever! and then- a phatty ghost that just would
not quit. but then, could it be, 2001! first time i've seen it indoors
with the new lights- thank you CK!!! DWD could not have been a better
closer to the best show i've ever seen. but the possum encore was to die
for( am i the only one who played dead other than the band? let's review
our language lesson tapes a little more often)
after a two year absence in philly, the boys came back in STYLE! thank
you guys, you never cease to amaze, impress, and delight all of us!
Date: Sat, 11 Dec 1999 22:45:32 PST
From: Brian Sappio [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Phine Night Phor A Phish Show...
Phello Phanatics,
First let me say that I'm still worked up after seeing this show tonight. I
went last night also, but tonight just seemed more alive (and colder
outside). The lights first of all were phenomenal...thanks CK. I really
don't remember the set-list too well, so I'm just going to comment on the
songs that really stuck out. Harry Hood was one hell of an opener.
Phantastic. Simple was nice. Scent of a Mule was really cool to hear. First
time I've heard it live. The Russian sounding jam was just awesome in the
middle of it and Trey and Mike did a cool little dance to it. Cavern and
Ghost were typical. 2001 was just.....I'm speechless...with the lighting and
everything....I have no words for this one. They ended with Down with
Disease. It seems every show I've been to I hear this one, but it just
seemed to rock more tonight. A definite treat. The encore was a rocking
Posseum. Overall the show had to be one of the best I have ever seen. See
y'all in Florida.
-Sapp
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 02:10:04 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12/11/99 the spectrum
The first few notes of the opening song should have been enough to let the
audience know that they were in for a show with great potential. As Harry
Hood played on I'm sure many were wondering what could really kick this show
into gear. Within the chaos comes a Mike's Song that let audience know that
they definitely were in for a treat. From space trekking to a soft drifting
groove came Simple which brought the fans and band together. Keeping the vibe
going into Hydrogen, Phish brought the Weekapaugh groove into to close a
great combo. A cahnge of pace gave the audience a catch of breath. They
needed it after the country-tingling with a twist, The mule smelled. Cavern
close the set with trey flubbing the lyrics. Set Two open with a feel-good
Boogie on Reggae Woman, continuing the flow with Sneaking Sally. Ghost put us
back into Phish bowl as the jam slowly erupted into Also Sprach Zararthustra.
With great lights by Chris Kuroda the Sprach breached into Down with Disease
which closed the show with a bang. The Possum encore brought back good
memories with the long-forgotten "secret language." Paul Schmaltz
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 03:20:09 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: (no subject)
12-11-99
I've been to about 25 shows ad this is defintely top 5. There was not a
single song that I was dissapointed in. The jams were not as long and complex
as they could have been but the substance was thick.
hood-was a quality opener with great enthusiasum, always a crowd pleaser.
mike's>sipmle>hydrogen, this run of songs is common but extremely welcome to
anyone who enjoys mike's fast paced, precision bass, at this piont I
couldn't be happier with the set and I more than expected to be
disappointed
with the rest of the show after I had sat through a number of slow songs the
previuos 2 shows.
Weekapuag> was frantic and powerful, with great reaction from the crowd,
these last 4 songs often coincide but are never a let down, even if they are
not played to their full potencial.
When the Circus Comes> was definently the least favorite song they played
although it was good, it was slow and calmed the mood they had conjured. I
love los lobos and Phish covers it well,it didn't seem to fit set that well.
Cavern> I had to get a beer so I missed most of this song but I was
completely happy with the show thus far.
boggie on, sneakin'sally> these 2 covers make me so happy especially back to
back they have such a good grove to them it is remarkable, although they
didn't draw the greatest reaction I am always excited to here the boys try
their hand at funking up others work.
Ghost> was entered smoothly from a sneakin' groove and although the verse
isn't the greatest Phish really hammers the tune well and this was no
different tonight.
at this point there was no stopping the flow, If they had coverd Yanni, I'd
still have no complaints,
2001> this was no joke, the lights were great, phish has really got a great
crew. the technitions have this down to a tee. I was overwelmed with joy as
they conjured a great jam and a fever pitch through the arena.
down w/ disease I heard this 3 days ago so I took the time to call a buddy
and brag that I was at a great show and we should immediatly get the tapes
for our collection, I enjoyed the time I had and was even further impressed
when Mike nailed the vocals to the encore, Possum. Sometimes it hurts to
listen to mike sing but tonight they were on a roll and they nailed the door
shut with a wonderful encore. If they could do another show with a better
setlist I honestly hope I am there, after 2 portland an 2 philly the
best show was by far tonight.
Date: Sat, 11 Dec 1999 22:35:05 -0500
From: Bryan Bachrad [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Review of 12.11.99
Saturday night was filled with high hopes that the band would do something
to top Fishman's wild laps around the stage and incredible second set.
Instead, the show started with an hour of unemotional music. The song
selection was great, but the heart just wasn't there. The Hood, Mike's,
Simple and Hydrogen went by without any real jams. The Weekapaug seemed to
wake everybody up. Oddly, this burst of energy set up a terrific When the
Circus Comes to Town. Scent of a Mule really got the crowd going. The first
set finished on a high note as an energetic Cavern set the precedent for the
rest of the evening.
The second set was short but the best set out of all four from the weekend.
The Sneakin' Sally was outstanding and had a nice funk twist added to it.
Ghost was the highlight of the set. To be honest, I wouldn't have
particularly wanted to hear that song, but from now on, that will be on my
list of favorites. Funk was a theme through Sneakin' and Ghost with Mike
leading the way though the two. The 2001 was the best I've ever seen, the
lights during the jam were intense and went well with the music. For a good
portion of it, the band was in the dark and the dark and Chris took center
stage. This was the visual apex of both nights. To close Down with Decease
wasn't spectacular but it was a solid close to an unreal set.
The encore of possum was good but the band really looked tired during it and
didn't get into it the way that they had been earlier. I was surprised that
they only played one encore after a short second set.
Overall, this show was solid with some really great highlights.
JG
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 02:57:27 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: nothing to say but........
Amazing. I'm very spent right now, and I'd love to review the show, but I
just can't. All I have to say is that show was the best show I've ever seen
them play. I couldnt ask for more. Thanks guys. Goodnight.
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 02:45:26 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12 11 99 review
this show was a wu-banger....
Harry Hood: hakim would've loved this one...cool way to start the show
Mike's Song: pretty good...sweet little jam
Simple: i think this song is rather boring and redundant.....
Hydrogen: phatty!! trey was on with this song.
Weekapaug: Awesome...kick ass slap intro....personally, i thought mikes
finger was going to break off and get stuck in my eye.
When the circus comes: trey's the man!!!
Scent of a mule: good god!!! this was a particularly neat version...i was
diggin it.
Cavern: nice....just remember...take care of your shoes....got me pumped
set 2. (i took a piss now...there was a girl in the dudes
bathroom...if you were wondering.)
SET 2...
Boggie on Reggae woman: good version... the crowd was really into it.
Sneakin Sally...: first time i heard this tune...it was cool.
Ghost: sounded a little different than usual and i liked it better. Phat little
jam that led into...
2001: Definitely the highlight of the show. this is my favorite song to hear
at a show. the lights were absolutely stunning. Chris Kuroda is
the MAN...god dammit. Really spacey, with smoke in the
backround.
Down with Disease: Good ass version...tons of energy...crowd was
bumpin'kind of disappointed with such a short 2nd set.
ENCORE:
Possum: Even Kunta Keentay was jammin to this one...who doesn't like
a possum once and a while...Superb way to end the show and
to send people into the streets of Philadelphia Pennyslvania
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 12:31:24 +0900
From: blutz [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12-11-99 Review
12/11/99
I came into the Spectrum really expecting a big show because of last
night's weak selection. Yesterday they didn't really seem too into it,
the jams were kinda off not to mention the huge Bowie-escapade
Anyway, I came into the spectrum early, grabbed some nachos and waited
for about an hour as the arena filled up. There was a guy with a viking
hat on spraying bubbles all over the place and people were blowing up
tons of orange balloons. Right before the show started, you could feel
the energy build
As trey came out, they huddled and out came HOOD. Not your usual opener.
The crowd seemed to eat this up. I was pretty pumped. I was expecting
the goods to come out, but not that early! The jam was pretty mellow,
not too crazy until the glowsticks came out. I was thinking "Man, we're
like 10 minutes in and the glowsticks are out!! Trey was lovin it. There
was a really cool glowstick snake makin its way across the arena which
was freakin my friend out!
As the jam wound to a close and the band started again, I couldn't
believe my ears. They were going straight into Mike's! Damn!
Hood>Mike's. Not too shabby. By this time the crowd was going nuts.
people were flippin out all over. The jam was pretty tight, not too
crazy just like hood, but you could tell they were into it. They were
makin all the changes and I think it was the mike's jam that told me
that they were on.
Then, straight into Simple, no pauses. Now, the fans were pretty rowdy.
Just like the two before it the jam wasn't unbelieveable but pretty good
anyway. The jam slowed to a stop, and then I heard fish's ride and knew
that hydrogen was coming.
The hydrogen was really great, and again really standard. However, the
lights were unbelievable. Kuroda was going crazy. It built up and up and
then Weekapaug!
now everyone in the whole place was freakin. I've never ever seen Mike
do a bass section like that ever. It was really fast yet also tight and
not sloppy. The jam was better than the previous songs, hitting a lot of
peaks. As the song ended, I was praying for a rest.
Thank god we got circus. Everyone seemed to sit down,so i did too. I was
drained already.
As circus ended, i figured that now was the time when trey would make
this an epic or not. He chose scent, a song i have no partiality to, but
not the epic maker I was hopin for. The "russian dance" as my friend
calls it was funny though and I'm glad they did it. Closer was cavern,
nothin special but the mics stopped working and they had to redo a
verse. Anyway, really good set. Can't complain
During the setbreak, there were several let's go flyers chants! Hell
yeah! and there was also a huge outbreak of the wave! It was going all
around the arena. This pumped everyone up for the next set
Set2 - Trey started Boogie on after a little delay. I was so glad. i
really wanted to hear this and it was a great version!! This snaked into
Sneakin Sally, which my friend was dyin to hear. Mike was rippin up a
storm! He was really really on. The light show at this point was getting
crazy! At the end I thought i heard ghost, but they came back into
sneakin.
Finally they did go into Ghost. Wow. really really funky and trippy. The
lights were.....how shall i say... undescribable. Finally ghost would
down and fog poured on the stage.
everyone stood still at this point. The audience was really quiet as
trey and mike and page worked their effects. You couldn't even see the
stage!Then came the best light show ever! without a doubt. People in the
audience were just still.hypnotized by the lights and sounds.Then out of
the darkness came
2001- wow. This was the downright spaciest version i've seen before. The
lights and fog really did it. As they climaxed at the end, i was hopin
for another big gun, most importantly Slave. yet we got,
a Down with Disease. I should have known. they were really funky that
set so they stayed funky the whole time. Trey at this point was so into
it. He was dancing and boppin around just smilin at everyone. Wow i've
never seen him that happy. As dwd closed, and they said goodbye, i was
kinda wondering about the length. It was a pretty sort set and they did
the space jam so this set didn't really have a lot of material, yet it
was really funky. i don't think tapes will do it justice, because the
lights were out of this world.
Encore: possum. Not what I was expecting, or anyone else. I think they
were makin up for the short set. I was a good possum with a language
signal- all fall down- which everyone loved. Never seen that before
live. Possum was pretty good, good end to a good show, much better than
friday. easily one of the best of the tour.
See you in Florida!
Lutz
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 12:28:12 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12/11/99 Review
Never done a review before, and not about to get all detailed about the
show...The boys flat out blew the roof off the joint, as I was hoping they
would...I was having flashbacks of the glory days of 1994 throughout the
first set, and got a taste of the new millenium Phish in the second...Trey
flubbing the lyrics to Cavern is forgiven, as I forgot the words myself as
I silently sang along...You can't win 'em all...Wow, it's 12:30pm the next
day and I'm still dazed...The only thing that would've made this show tops
on my list of all-time would've have been a "Reba"...Thank y'all for da
Reba...Overall, a mystical, insane-O night...Time to put up the Christmas
lights...
Farmer George
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 12:54:18 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: >((()))*>
All i have to say is the show was great. The lights and the energy in the
crowd were just amazing. Everything went together well. Ghost into a
space jam, then 2001 was the high point of the show. They sounded so
smooth. Only one thing killed the remainder of the night. Some big fat
security guard decided to bust me for having a nice bowl of sweet cheeba.
I was so pissed off because i know that a##hole was outside smoking a
phatty with his big power trip. Oh well, i still had a good time because i
picked up some nice caps to help me on my journey. This show was one of
the best I've seen. I can't wait for Hartford. Take care.
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 05:54:47 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Saturday night at Philly
Lets just say this show BLEW my mind!!!! They rocked the roof off that
place. Opening with Hood was just wonderful, tonight's show reminded me
of VA Beach 8/9/98.....complete dancing concert. I loved it and had the
best time!!!! Hope everyone feels the same. Phish's second set was so
awesome, I didn't want it to end. They were so great tonight!!!!
Peace,
Jennifer
Sunshine Daydreams
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 01:23:31 -0500
From: Walter J. Brower [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12/11
Everything went perfectly. Wacked-out jams and great songs. fishman in
his dress, but no vacuume 2 nights in a row. That is all.
Peace,
Chuck
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 02:07:29 -0500
From: Crystal
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12.11.99
Never buy any tickets outside from those ghetto people outside...we got
beat 90 bucks tonight..we tried to get in both nights..no luck last
night...tonight they were fake...Hope everyone else enjoyed! Take Care!
click here to return to the 1999 reviews page
hits (many)