..there are also combo reviews here that are about both days,
or the whole vegas picture
..please review the show, not the other reviews...not everyone has the same
opinion as you...
Date: Tue, 3 Oct 2000 21:46:53 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: second night in VEGAS
Sitting in the second level off to the side the first night, the 'orange pant
patrol' decided to hit the floor, or attempt a shot at some better sound
positioning. Wasn't too bad, but as the time winded towards the opener, it
was crazy balloons everywhere. Hippy Birthday Trey, read orange balloons,
the poor tapers looked with disbelief, these never ending farts of
distraction on their once in a life time chance to archive the night. pop!
They come out on stage, my last phish show until? How will I feel at the end
of the night? 1. Walfredo, as Hank Hill say's, "what the Hell." trey on
keys, gordo on guitar, fish on bass, page drums, never heard of this song.
Mike wasn't bad on the axe either. Over all I think the crowd was
dumfounded. 2. Roggae, decent version, was hoping for something a little
more jumpy to start the set, but like the repetition in the jam, Mike goes
up and down on this one theme that is really cool. 3. I didn't know, an
oldie, one of their classics in stage presence. Fishman introduced as
someone but he cut Trey off and told that crowd that he was Jo C (Kid Rock's
mini side kick) He has gotten a lot better on that Vacuum, its not really
funny to me anymore but rather impressive. 4. Mikes>Simple, Mikes was a nice
space funk build up to the exchange into simple, but slowed down when it got
to simple. I like when they keep everything the same. Simple, I never get
tired of, sometimes I turn into a violent dancer, hitting drum fills and
symbols, can control it. The singing was below average, jam o.k. next came
7. Saw it again, they played this on the 4th of july, so I saw it again.
Pretty cool, like these evil songs i.e. Carini. There was a maze in this set
that I forgot to mention. I liked it but I can't forget the year of 94, they
used to really jam this song, but always a great song to dance to and Kris
Kuroda can get juicy on this song. so after Sawit again, they start the
Kuroda can get juicy on this song. so after Sawit again, they start the
carnival music, 9. Esther, here they started experiencing some feedback
problems, which maybe distracted Trey enough to forget the lyrics, (or maybe
just too much partying with the Kid) anyway, he took the cheers like a man
and just said, "she died ok, she's dead." then to make it worse he flubbed
the guitar solo, which isn't too hard. As I said in my first night review, I
was impressed with their effort all weekend, in pulling out all of these
great lost songs through out the whole fall farewell tour. Here again, I was
glad they played esther. 10. weekapaug, Mike's slapping intro put people
into a frenzy, me as well to the start with the rest of the band. Very long
as I remember it, Mike getting a lot of control of the leads during the jam,
and a nice build up to the cllimax of the song. Me and my friend O.P. posse
"mahk" kept on getting hit by this idiot on the stairs to the floor with some
feather sash this guy was waiving around with his eyes closed. Finally I
grabbed it and yanked it, If I was anywhere else I probably would have hog
tied him with it. What an asshole, hate it when people invade dance space,
don't mind if you're dancing out of control, just keep you're hands out of my
face. I had to leave the floor, the great sound, the pictures I took from the
railing will hopefully turn out nice though.
Set 2. Love it when the lights go out, it all happens so fast. This was
the last time, the first era is now the past....... usually the crowd goes
wild, but this time it fell silent to an air horn that this guy Dirty Bill
supposedly had. After the signal, the lighters went up and everyone sang to
Trey. I think he knew it was coming, but he was still impressed. This had
to pump him up. It was incredible, the fans really love these guys and they
will be missed that's for sure. 1. Tiber Ho! Cool, very tasty choice. Jon
Fishman doing some very impressive stuff here, I was on the secnond level
looking over the right side of the stage, sound was washy, but had to get
used to it. We were with the OP posse and sometimes you have to make musical
sacrifices to be with you're crew. Fishman MVP. 2. AC/ DC bag very cool
here how the crowd was singing a long everyline, this usually bothers me at
other concerts i.e. dave, but this was Trey's night and the fans were letting
him know it. I'm breathing hard open the door! The band didn't even need to
sing. Lets get this show on the road, got a huge holler. It was coming
clear to me that this weekend was a blast, it was coming to the end. 3. Col
Forbin, fabuli, can't say how much I've wanted to hear this, mainly for the
mockingbird I was dissed at Darien in '97 when they played Camel Walk instead
on the night of Ken KEasey's BOzo's. Trey's rap during the song was nice,
thanking the crew and the fans for being there, and how they want to go 17
more years. Yeah Trey! The raisin, earth closer to the sun, everything
vivid, good story, not too much Trey rambling, more like the old gamehenges
where he's really rolling off words. Now onto what was the highlight of the
weekend, or perhaps the tour 4. Mockingbird. What a great song, page and
mike doing the flyyyyyyyy, the band played it tight, love all the different
parts to the song,and especially how it ends. Crowd was very quiet during
the song, much respect phishmen. 5-7 Twist Sand, Day in the life. It didn't
matter anymore, I was just dancing having fun enjoying the ride these guys
have given me for the last 7 years. They played Emotional Rescue, Mike
singing falsetto like the Bee Gees, really going for it, sometimes I felt
embarrassed for him, but these guys don't really give a fuck. I find this
very inspiring with my whole approach to music, you really can't be afraid to
try anything, singing like Mick Jagger in his knee pads for instance. They
didn't play the exact record of the song, missed parts, the guys had to
remind Mike of some of the sections, but they took their time and worked it
out,and over all it was fun. I love the stones, and this was the only other
song I have ever heard them play besides loving cup.
As the show ended with Mike and Trey, having lightsaber fights with their
axes and playing hopscotch, and having an old western standoff, I began to
realize that I was not saddened that this was all over. They really need
this, and so does the scene. Time to regroup, write some new songs and
realize what a special audience they have. Now its to the Casino, I think I
like Roulette. What am I gonna do for new years? Haven't thought about that
for a couple of years.......thanks phish, take five, smoke if you got em.
I'll be back in full stipey orange bregade. bernie
Date: Fri, 6 Oct 2000 17:12:01 -0400
From: "Killion, Jeff" [email protected]
Subject: 9/30/00 Vegas Review
Happy Birthday Trey!
Well, here it is. The review of my last show for quite a while.... I was
actually going to wait until I got the discs and listened to it one more
time before I wrote this, but I just can't stop thinking about this show...
It's now the Friday after, and I'm sitting in my office while a few of my
friends are out in Frisco getting antsy for the blow-out weekend at
Shoreline. And it ain't easy coping with the fact that I'm not there, so
I'll redirect my thoughts to the good times of last weekend. Where to
start? I guess I'll just kinda ramble the highlights of the day leading up
to the show.
Got up around 11 or so and went down to the Sports Book at Tropicana
(not a terrible hotel, but nothing compared to the MGMs, NY - NYs, Luxors,
Caesars and such of the strip --- We had the Hawaiian Tropic Pageant
though!). Made a few bets for Sunday's NFL games, and actually won $70 for
the day. Met back up with the crew (Shane, Katia, Franci, Judy, Travis,
Bridget, Greg, and Megan) for brunch. Ran into a phriend there who I hadn't
seen in months (Hello Michelle) :-). Went over to New York, New York and
rode the roller coaster. $10, but well worth it! Then we started to get
everything together, and head to the arena... It was a little tough,
realizing that it was going to be my last show for a while. I'm gonna miss
you guys, but I'll get into that later.....
We didn't spend much time in the lot. I think we were all very
ready to just get inside, find some good seats, and soak in some good vibes.
I'm guessing we got in around 6:30, so we had some time to kill, but plenty
of toys to do it with....hold on 1 sec while I throw on my Red Rocks '94
disc... ok... Willlllllson!.... We settled in in the corner behind Page
and a little after 7 we started blowing up our balloons. If you were there
I'm sure you saw the 7 big multi-colored balloons. I hope you enjoyed the
smiling :-) yellow one that bounced around until it got too close to the
tapers. The blue one almost made it to show time, and would've if they came
out before like 9:00!! They pushed it late, but who cares? We knew we were
in for a treat. So I guess it's showtime!
SET I
Walfredo - They came out with Trey on keys, Page on drums, Fish on bass, and
Mike on guitar. It took them a second to get the keys to Trey's liking, but
it was worth it. He thanked us for our patience and we got the first
Walfredo since Europe '97. I was one of the few who knew what it was, just
because I happened to have a copy of the Belgium show where the played it.
The adlib lyrics were fantastic, and it was just fun to see my first
rotation playing.
The Curtain With - A treat again, even though I've seen all 3 this year.
It's a great jam, especially when it gets into the Reba section. They're
getting it very pulled together very tight too, which makes it extremely
powerful. Secretly I was hoping for it to go into Reba, but no luck.
Maze - I used to love this song, then I didn't hear it for a while, and now
it doesn't get me too excited. That said, I really enjoyed this one anyway.
I didn't get the same feel from it that it had in '97 but it was fun. Great
job by CK5 as always, and the place was just getting pumpin'!
Roggae - OK. Here's the one song I was disappointed with the entire
weekend. I like it, but it kind of brought the place down after we had just
gotten going. I would've loved to get something like a Cavern, Gumbo, or
Julius here; but I later found out what they were saving their energy
for....
I Didn't Know - Always cool to hear. And it was the first time for a couple
people in our crew to see Fish on the vacuum, so that was nice. I kind of
spaced out here, and don't remember a whole lot except Trey fumbling of what
to call Fish, and Fish saying, "Just call me Joe C.!"
Mike's>Simple>I Saw it Again - !!! Here we go! I was really hoping for a
Mike's (as always) and this one was nice. Mike's got a nice funk going, and
Simple was very simple. I was actually expecting >Hydrogen>Weekapaug right
out of this, but I was pleasantly surprised with I Saw it Again. This just
got the place rockin'. I Saw it at Camden too, and it was just as nice the
second time! Add it to the list of treats for the weekend.
Esther>Weekapaug - Ugghhhhh!!! It's tough to explain how good this was. I
hadn't seen Esther in forever. Trey fumbled the lyrics at the end... and I
was a little disappointed until he made up for it with "She died... She's
dead!" Good recovery, and the place laughed :-). Not a spectacular Esther,
but I was so happy just to hear it.....into THE BEST Weekapaug I've ever
heard. I know some might and will argue this, but I've never heard one
better. Weekapaugs usually have a pretty standard layout, but this one was
just TIGHT and they got funky. Trey was locked into Mike and they were
feeding off each other. I had a perfect view of the look on Trey's face,
and I think he was punishing himself with the funk, because he had that
constipated look on his face :-) Please get the tapes just for this
Weekapaug. It's a classic.
SETBREAK
-Kinda pulled myself back together and got ready for a journey around the
arena. Shane and I grabbed a couple empty water bottles and headed to see
Julie (the girl in the gold sequen dress in the front row on the rail about
halfway back on Trey's side... if you were there, you saw here throwing
down!). It was a good walk and nice to see a smile on the person's face who
I hooked up with tickets for the weekend. We made a pitstop to piss and get
water on the way back. The guy in front of me got stage fright, haha, so
it took a little longer that expected... but we made it back with plenty
of time to spare, and in time to see the stage guy rock the place! A
Frisbee that was being thrown around landed on stage. Someone on stage
(Don't know who it was) picked it up and stood in the center of the stage.
After a couple seconds of teasing he whipped it across the floor.... right
into Koruda's hands!!!!!!! A hell of a throw and he got a HUGE ovation.
And he soaked up every bit he could :-). I'm sure he'll never get cheers
like that again, but he deserved it! Brought a smile to everyone's
faces.....
SET II
Happy Birthday (sung by crowd to Trey) - Great job Dirty Bill. You did an
amazing job organizing this. The place belted this out beautifully, and
Trey was a little choked up. He thanked us, and then....
Timber (Jerry) - I was actually hoping for DWD, but as usual they basically
said, "Why would you want that, when we'll play THIS?!". Great, great
Timber. I'm not sure it measured up to Oswego, but it had a good funk to
it, and really got people moving. I've been lucky to see this relatively
often (3 times in 33 shows).
AC/DC Bag - For some odd reason, I never usually get excited for Bag, but I
LOVED this one. I think it's the best I've heard. They were extremely
tight, and continued the funk. It kept the crowd moving and prepared us for
THE TREAT of all treats of the weekend....
Colonel Forbin's>Fly Famous Mockingbird - What can I say? Incredible as
usual. Not really danceable, but beautiful songs... and narration. I know
I don't have to get into the whole narration, because I'm sure you've read
it before. But the feeling that Trey envoked saying, "...so we can come
back for another 17 great years." is absolutely indescribable. I admit I
almost cried at this point, and I'm fighting tears as I think about it
now.... whoo... I'm going to miss you guys..... well anyway, then Trey went
into his dream and made me laugh in astonishment numerous times at how
freakin' funny he is. A quick rundown... Meadow>People coming at
him>Apple>Can't eat it>1 tooth>Pile of people>Earth shrunk like raisin>Pile
of goo>Gamehendge is a state of mind.... OK, got that? What a nut. Then
into Mockinbird, which I almost couldn't listen to because I was still
trying to sort out what Trey had just said... I know it was well played,
but I don't remember much about it.
Twist>Sand>A Day in the Life - Well, it was great. If anyone didn't like
the Twist, I'm sorry. I hummed the first 5 notes about 100 times for some
reason on the way to Vegas, and there was no way they weren't going to play
it after that. I didn't exactly want to hear it.... I just couldn't get
those notes out of my head. It was a great Twist though, so I shouldn't
have upset anyone.. I hope :-). Sand was great as always, though I could
have really done without the clapping (hint, hint). Sand has really
developed since last fall and went into some nice jams....> A Day in the
Life!! I was smiling ear to ear thinking about my friend at home (and
summer tour partner) who'd been calling this for the last year at every show
we went to... Unfortunately she wasn't there to see it, but she was in
spirit. They rocked this one and it was a great way to close an incredible
set......
---Glowstick war during encore cheering---- now that's a good time for it!
Besides the ones thrown at the lights and stage equipment, it was nice.
ENCORE
Emotional Rescue - There was some conversation going into this between Trey
and Mike. Not sure exactly what it was about, but it had something to do
with their little post show antics:-)! I'd seen ER at Hampton in '97, and
was glad to hear it again. Mike singing just cracked me up. It was nice,
but kind of lost all my attention when it ended and THE DUEL began!! As far
as I know, they've never done anything like this. It's really hard to put
in words, but Trey and Mike basically put on a hilarious duel skit while
Page and Fish jammed for about 4 minutes or so..... They shot each other,
grappled, hopped around their instruments on the stage, laid on their backs
doing "the bicycle", danced, wore funny hats, and ran around.... I don't
know... It's something that you just had to see to believe.
OK, that's it. I was absolutely floored by this show. The Roggae was long
forgotten, and my face was blank. We sat as long as we could to soak it in.
Especially those of us who were headed back here to DC, not going to see the
boys for a long time.... which leads me into...... I don't know where to
start, but THANK YOU ALL. I'm going to miss you guys more than I can say.
I've made more amazing friends in the last 4 years than I could have ever
dreamed of. Every one of you has been a big part of my life, and you keep
me smiling every day. As Trey said, 'We've really got something special
going.' I just hope you all realize how great it is and the impact we have
on each other and everyone we interact with. I could go on with my
sentimental babbling thoughts forever, but I think you understand. Please
be proud, and never take for granted what we've got. I'll see you all
whenever and wherever the reunion is. Until then, good bye and take care
of yourselves.
Peace,
Jeff
Date: Fri, 6 Oct 2000 14:25:23 -0400
From: "Marcell, Alyson" [email protected]
Subject: Vegas baby Vegas!!!
9/30/00
It was about 6:00 so we headed inside and ended up in almost the
exact same seats as the night before. Here I must add that a Dirty Bill
message had been circulating around the internet, trying to organize a
"happy birthday" for Trey at the sound of an air horn as soon as the lights
went down for second set. Well, there were huge banners hung off the upper
deck once just said "happy birthday" and the others said "Happy Birthday
Trey Love Dirty Bill" We were speculating before the show about how many
people had been reached through the internet, but we knew after seeing the
signs that at least everyone there now knew it was his birthday!! Once
again, they were very late starting, just about 8:20, to make everything
stranger, Trey sits down at the key boards, fishman picks up the base, Page
hops on the drums and Mike grabs the guitar. we knew right away that we
were in for something if that is how they open the show. With an
understandably shaky beginning, they began Walfredo, which I had never heard
before, and was great!!! Good song, and once they got it started they were
all doing really well it sounded really excellent. The kid behind me said
before it all started that it was his first show, and I hope he was able to
appreciate it, because what followed was the ultimate Phan's show, for the
people who had been there for a while, a newbie really wouldn't have
appreciated the bombs that they dropped. Oh well, I'm sure the kid was
impressed! I was happy to see a new tune for me, that doesn't happen too
much, so it was pretty cool! Then they went back to their spots and busted
into Curtain, which I love so much, I feel like that song is the epitome of
Phish, "as he saw his life run away from him, thousands ran along, chanting
words to a song" and the light show, it was phenomenal! There was a
"curtain" of light hanging over the floor and b/c we were on the side we had
the best view of it, I wanted to cry it was so beautiful. AND they played
the extended version which is so sweet and slow, it was magical, and so
special. I had never heard it before, but it really was a gift. Maze
followed, it was a really good Maze, and the lights were great, I'm not a
big Maze fan, but I was definitely dancing for this one! Roggae followed I
think they were getting ready for the sickness, and then it came : " I
Didn't Know" in the middle of a set?????? That for me was unheard of, I
guess they've done it before, but not that I had heard, it was so cool, and
the crowd was so good, none of that obnoxious yelling in the middle of it, I
hate it when people do that, like they want to hear! Then Mike's, hands
down the Phattest Mike's I have ever seen, It is almost always good, but
they were so on it, and the funk, oh my!!!!!!!! #1 absolutely, Mike's into
Simple, I love Simple, I don't care what anyone says. Into "I Saw It Again",
which was really great, I didn't like that song the first time I saw it, but
this time I loved it!!!! the guitar riff is so cool! Then into Esther,
which I didn't even know when the last time I heard that, but it was a while
ago, that too made the show really special, I was totally happy, and my
friend had been saying it too, so it was great! then Esther into Weekapaug I
gave the last Great Woods Weekapaug an "Egh" not terrible, but no sparks,
well this one went to that place that I can only call "sickness" So good!
The set break was breathless, I was really wondering how many people
would do the happy birthday. In Memphis the year before it wasn't organized
very well, and it was auditable, but everyone was singing at different
times, so it sounded pretty sh*tty, but this time the lights went down the
air horn went, and every last soul in that place BELTED out happy birthday
in unison, the crowd was like one person singing, it was beautiful! Trey
had a big smile on his face, it was so great! They raged Timber (Jerry)
which was so good, I had only heard it on tape, so it was really impressive!
It fit perfectly with the AC/DC bag that followed, that song got the place
PUMPIN' and then the BOMB: Forbin's, now, we have been waiting for that
song forever, and I had pretty much given up all hope of ever seeing that
song again, the last time I heard it was the Gamehendge show at Great Woods
7/8/94, and the crowd ROARED!!! It was so great, everything we could have
hoped for, and the story that Trey told, and the talk in the middle of the
song made it all so damn special, it felt like Trey's birthday party, and we
were so lucky to be there. Mockingbird was wonderful, and then Twist into
Sand, sickness!!! Their best new songs, and the old school stuff, oh it was
the best!!!!! A day in the life was sad, we knew it was going to end soon,
but the song was good and the boys were great, and Emotional Rescue as the
encore was something else I had never heard. It was so wonderful, we
walked out with the biggest smiles on our faces, SATISFACTION!!!! We stood
in the parking lot for about half and hour, and just kind of "absorbed"
everything we had seen and experienced, it was fantastic! That night we
walked all the way back to the strip (about 2 miles) we were so energized by
the show that we could have walked for MILES!!!
These 2 shows were some of the best music I have ever heard them
play. I realize that we aren't supposed to critique the reviews posted
here, but I gotta say all the negativity I'm reading here should stay inside
the negative little minds of the writers. This band had been cranking out
living music for 17 YEARS, I wonder if half the people writing these reviews
were even born when Phish first started playing. Where the hell did anyone
get the right to down a band who gives SO MUCH to their audience. I have
been going to Phish shows since 1993, and that does not make me an expert,
it makes me a fan, and the way that I show that is by my continued
attendance at these shows. I have never posted a review on line, but after
seeing what these people were saying, I felt it was about time that I said
my piece. Phish has FUN when they perform, and that is why they are so
good! I pity the poor people who can't tap into that vibe, but maybe if you
all put down your little pads of paper and pens and cell phones and actually
started listening instead of critizing, maybe you'd catch on. Every last
one of you with that attitude might as well stay home, save your 30 bucks
and save your sh*tty attitude, you're not impressing anyone with your
ability to down a phenomenal band, it's petty and stupid, oh who can critize
the band the most??? ITS ALL ABOUT THE GROOVE! and if you can't get there,
don't take it away from anyone else!!!!
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2000 20:14:12 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: phish review for 10/30/00
Phish
Thomas and Mack Center
9/30/2000
Throughout my experiences that have been with Phish, which have spanned from
1993 to the present, I have witnessed many miraculous endeavors reached by
the efforts of these four men. As the years proceed so do the creative
forces which strive the band for success. Each year has brought upon new and
exciting twists in their music as well as new themes to go along with their
perpetual touring. An example of this can be seen as far back as Phish
themselves go, but as of recent the band has really been creating a type of
narrative hook to reel in new as well as old phriends. In '98 Phish created
the idea of playing unprecedented cover songs that would swell the crowd with
deep emotion as the collective energy burst and disgorged a beautiful array
of happiness(Trenchtown Rock - Starlake) In '99 the tours thematic approach
showed the band delving into the idea of bringing guests on stage to engage
in a full jam session lasting long enough to allow fans to marvel in the
history witnessed in front of their eyes (Del McCoury, Son Seals - Tennessee
and Oswego respectfully). This year has brought upon a very special "kick"
if you will, of brining out otherwise shelved tunes that excite the crowd to
the point where playing the song only once is not even close to being enough.
Songs that have not been played for over 100 shows, songs that have not been
played in over 600 shows. These songs that have been taken from the shelves
have no signs of malformation due to the length of time since they have been
played, rather the songs have a type of cryptic message behind them that
force true phans to spew with such intense emotion that the shows pinnacle or
epiphany occurs more than once. This intense vibe that I have tried to
duplicate with sensory detail was the underlying force at the Las Vegas show
on 9-30-2000.
The theme previously stated was emphatically enforced as the band opened up
with a song that was written on the European tour and not played for over 243
shows called Walfredo. The wonder of this tune however did not end with the
fact that it hadn't been played in so long, but that the boys came out all on
different instruments. Trey was on keys, Jon on bass, Page on drums, and
Mike on guitar. The song started with a slow progression but the attention
was clearly placed on the fact that each has the talent to comprise a tune on
different instruments. Walfredo was followed up with a The Curtain With
which sped up the pace with ebbing tones and a beautiful and melodic Rift
tease . Maze followed with thundering progressions as the pace of the show
dramatically changed. Again the pace began to float with an always ethereal
Roggae. This song is a trippers delight as the melody stays even throughout
the song and the lyrics force you to think about the reality of life.
Following Roggae came an I didn't know with the lovely Henrietta appearing
with her solo. This is the point where things began to get very interesting
as a whaling Mike's torched the crowd and ignited what was soon to be an epic
Mike's Groove. In between the Mike's and Groove, the band decides to show
the crowd I saw it again but decided to blow the crowd away with a way
overdue (141 shows) Esther. Although the dust from this song showed as Trey
flubbed the lyrics, the placement of the song was again genius as not a soul
expected it and not a soul was not entertained by the beauty of it. If
nobody knew it then everyone now realizes that Esther is in fact dead.
The second set of this show was probably the most special set that I have
experienced in all of my 67 shows. Before the boys came out to blow us away,
the crowd did a wonderful job of blowing the band away by joining in a happy
birthday song that surprised Trey for his 36th birthday. But the joyous tone
of the beginning was quickly swept away as a serious set was soon underway
with the opening of Timber Ho and an extremely energetic AC/DC bag. This bag
hit pinnacles that no other bag has ever hit. The levels reeled their ways
toward the roof as they exploded and rained stamina not only to the crowd but
to the band as they dared to play a song so overdue that they almost paid
fines on it. Forbin's > Mockingbird hadn't been played since 8/7/98 but
really hadn't been seen by a majority of people since 10/31/96 in Atlanta.
The entire crowd burst with zeal as the tune brought so much to the table.
At this point Trey took the initiative to speak to the crowd and inform them
of the inevitable hiatus that the band will take after the Shoreline shows.
It was incredible to see a man of his stature explain to a roaring crowd how
much love he felt for us as well as his crew and the other band member. It
was at this point that I remembered why I had crossed this bands path. Trey
also stated that it was time to spend more time with family which really
touched the hearts of the phans that understand the reasons behind this
sabbatical. After this calming speech given by Trey the band proceeded with
a very mellow version of Twist Around into an always funkified Sand. The
closer however kept the effervescent tone alive as they went into A Day In
The Life. They left the crowd ultimately fulfilled until they pulled off
another great encore with Emotional Rescue.
The band knows how to pull of the unbelievable as they do it time and time
again. There is no doubt in that. This show was a perfect example of the
power they can create by simply playing songs that haven't been seen live for
long periods of time. Imagine what this band will do when after a year or
two of not playing anything, we all appear at their first show back. The
power will be tremendous and the energy will ascend to climaxes never
attained by musical endeavors
Todd Butler
Date: Wed, 4 Oct 2000 02:11:33 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 9/30/00
I agree with the sentiments of at least a few others that analyzing a missed
a change gets you, nad the band nowhere. We go to see phish because we enjoy
their music, their improvs, and their humor. No other shows out of the 40 or
so Ive seen captured all these elements like the second vegas show.
I personally thought the instrument switched walfredo was one of the coolest
things ive ever seen. To say that they were not"particularly skilled" on the
other instruments is in my opinion a bit naive. I think we all know that they
play EACH OTHERS instruments much better than any of the musicians we see on
mtv and in the press (that may not say much, but is still admirable).
Anyhow, other highlights were the always cool and smooth esther, a good
mikes, and one of the best AC/DC jams ive heard, although not too lengthy.Oh
yea and of course the Forbins, myfirst.Timber ho is a phat opener.
In conlusion, go see phish and have some fun, theres no reason to hinder the
time youre having with one of the greatest bands you'll ever see by analying
negatively.
Thanks to the phamily, the band and all the peeps.
Date: Wed, 4 Oct 2000 13:29:47 -0500
From: [AR]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 9/30/00--Vegas
This is for everyone who was not blessed enough to be in the Thomas & Mack
Center on this magical evening.
I have seen 50+ shows now, including some damn good ones--Columbus '94, OJ
show '94, UIC '94, Denver '97, Shoreline '97, Radio City '00, etc. But
this night was on another level from anything I've ever seen before.
I guess it all started on Friday morning at 5:00 A.M. when we rolled into
the Mandalay Bay and the first two people we saw in the casino were Trey
and Kid Rock. Needless to say, this was sweet--Trey hooked us up with
tickets, since we didn't have any when we got there. What a way to arrive
in Vegas. Now to the show...
Sick, Sick, Sick, is all I've got to say. I've never reviewed a show
before, but this one demands it. First of all the energy in there on
Trey's Birthday was unbelievable. Everyone was raging. Song Selection,
Strength of Playing, Intangibles, all of it was A+. The only moment of the
show that could even be called near shwag was the Roggae. I don't really
want to go into a song by song analysis of this show, just get the damn
tapes. This was old-school bombs being dropped baby.
Timber>Bag>Forbin's>Mockingbird---can it get any better? I don't think
that I will ever see a show of this caliber again. This was just four sick
musicians at the peak of their powers. This was maybe like actually being
in the building on 5/8/77 Ithaca New York, if you know what I mean.
I will continue to go to shows for sure after this...but it will all be
gravy, because I have seen the greatest display of music that I will ever
know. As I walked up from the floor after the show ended, I saw tears
streaming down the faces of many, many people, including many
old-schoolers...Tears of Joy. THANK YOU TREY,FISH,MIKE, & PAGE You guys
are modern-day shamans. You have given me so much joy over the years, and
I love all of you for it. [AR], Chicago, Illinois
...
Date: Tue, 3 Oct 2000 14:16:37 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 9/30/00 review
Gamehenge is a state of mind. Trey's narration/dialogue explained to many
that don't understand, why I love Phish. Especially the people I work with.
The ask me "why are you going to see seven Phish shows?". Trey explained
that to them in the same way i explained it to them. I love Phish because
they Love their phans. I have only been to 10 (14 after this Phall), and
this was the best show for me. Even Vegas police (which is where i live)
were laid back. They were the most laid back than I have ever seen them.
The mood outside and inside was absolutely positive. Love was in the air. I
must get this show on cd. Phish during this show said Jessie, welcome to our
family.
Date: Sun, 01 Oct 2000 21:03:15 -0700
From: Charles Dirksen [email protected]
Subject: 9/30 PHISH IN VEGAS review
"Gamehendge is a state of mind."
-- Trey Anastasio, 09/30/00
DISCLAIMER: Nothing to disclaim at this time.
09/30/2000 Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
The presence of Las Vegas's finest was impressive. I had never seen so many
cops inside and outside a Phish show before (I'd seen more cops OUTSIDE MSG at
NYE in past years, of course, but not inside the venue). I didn't see anyone
get hassled or arrested, but I didn't spend any time in the lots over the
course of the weekend.
The show took a long time to begin. Usually Phish shows will start
approximately 25-35 minutes after the time on the ticket (anywhere from five
to ten minutes after Chris and Paul are both behind their respective boards),
but this evening, the show didn't start until more than 50 minutes after the
7:30pm time on the ticket... and Chris and Paul were waiting behind their
boards for awhile, too, also waiting for this show to begin.
Some people were thrilled to get "Walfredo" (Trey on keys; Page on drums; Fish
on bass; Mike on guitar) to open the show, and more power to them. I have
never been impressed by this song, or, for that matter, by anything the band
has done in the "instrument rotation" format. I find it amusing, of course,
but can understand why some people think it is amateurish for the band to play
on instruments that they are not (particularly) skilled on. Mike did take a
cute guitar solo in this "Walfredo," though.
"The Curtain With" was a first for me and I enjoyed it. The "Curtain" portion
wasn't flawless, but the slow "Rift" measures were played well. The jam
segment wasn't as awesome as I'd hoped it would be, but was still fun to hear.
It has enormous potential for transcendent hose (check out the 8/21/87 Ian's
Farm version). I really love this tune and am so glad and thankful that Kevin
Shapiro (the band's archivist) urged them to bring it back.
"Maze" was greatly appreciated by the audience and contained a really strong
solo from Trey. I have no idea whether Page soloed at all in it, though,
since I was out in the hall during the opening segment and beginning of the
jam. But Trey's soloing was strong. The version closed well and was a good
one, though not otherwise exceptional. "Roget" contained one of the most
beautiful jam segments I've ever heard in this tune. Probably THE longest and
most beautiful jam, actually. But the closing section was ruined by a few bad
chords from Trey. I still want to hear this "Roget" again. Everyone seemed
excited to be getting "I Didn't Know," and I was hoping that Fish would take a
vacuum solo. Not only did he take a vacuum solo, he took a vacuum solo so
amusing -- and so technically/bizarrely proficient -- that it was
unquestionably the highlight of the first set, IMO. Which itself is pretty
damn funny.
The "Mike's Song > Simple > I Saw It Again, Esther, Weekapaug Groove" (there
was no segue into Weekapaug, if I recall correctly) was a mixed bag. "Mike's
Song" was very forceful, but was still very repetitive. It didn't enter into
any melodious, transcendent territory, and those are the versions I always
prefer. It was still a good, kickass "Mike's Song" -- just nothing
exceptional. I cannot stand "I Saw It Again." I actively dislike this song.
I love Esther, but this was easily the worst version Phish has ever performed,
and I bet Trey (who is his own worst critic) would agree. Trey forgot lyrics,
chords, even the key at times.. it was wretched. In his defense, he had to be
exhausted. He apparently played for an hour with Les Claypool at the House of
Blues AFTER Friday's show (!). He probably didn't sleep more than 8 hours in
the previous two to three days. Nevertheless, to hear a song as beautiful as
"Esther" get performed so poorly was upsetting (but forgiveable!).
"Weekapaug Groove" was, like the "Mike's Song," performed well but very
repetitious, never quite going THERE. There were two guys in the front row in
front of Trey who did this annoying "dance" (involving their arms and elbows)
for basically the entire jam segment; a "dance" which in its repetitiveness
may have distracted at least Trey and affected the jam (which really didn't go
anywhere). This 'Groove, though nowhere close to an exceptional version,
nevertheless closed the set on a pleasant note.
The highlight of the show IMO easily occurred when, after the house lights
dropped for the start of the second set, an air horn was sounded and thousands
of fans raised their lit lighters in the air and began singing "Happy
Birthday" to Trey. Cynic that I am, I never thought that the effort to get
everyone to do this (fans were passing out flyers before the shows about doing
this, as well as spreading word online) would work. But not only did it work,
it was beautiful. Just a wonderful moment that is, IMO, further evidence of a
genuine Phish community and the love that fans have towards the band members
and their music. I don't mean to get too sappy, here, but this was easily one
of the most touching things I've ever seen at a concert. Interesting to
juxtapose this moment against, say, Kid Rock strutting around the stage
grabbing his dick and screaming about "fucking god damn Rock n Roll" the night
before.
"Timber HO!" (a song which I cannot bring myself to refer to as "Timber
(Jerry)" even if that is the correct title) was unfortunately a disappointing
opener. I was one of the people begging the band to bring this one back in
1995, and I was thrilled to get it at Sugarbush that year. But this version
was a yawner and short. "AC/DC Bag," on the other hand, was fired-up and
performed admirably, even if it wasn't an improvisational monster or anything
otherwise exceptional.
I was thrilled to get Forbin's and of course narration. Forbin's was
performed fine (it didn't matter; the crowd was psyched to get it). If you
haven't heard about the Forbin's narration, Trey began by acknowledging the
Internet webcast (this gig was webcast) and the fact that tens of thousands of
fans were effectively present for the show and could hear what he had to say.
He thanked the fans and the crew (paraphrasing, "the greatest crew in the
history of music") for helping them for 17 years. He said that though they
were taking an indefinite break, they hoped to use the break to write and
recharge, and hopefully give us 17 more years. He then talked about a dream
he had had earlier in the day ("last night").
He was sitting in the middle of a field on a beautiful day, when suddenly he
saw -- in his peripheral vision -- people walking towards him. An army of
people began surrounding him and then sat down. One of them took an apple and
handed it to him and explained that they wanted him to eat the apple as a
gift. But he realized then that he had no teeth. Suddenly, a giant tooth
grew out of his upper gum. But since you can't eat an apple with one tooth, he
began to get nervous that people would wonder why he wasn't eating the apple,
and he had a moment of panic. Luckily, at that moment, the sun flew closer to
the earth than it ever had in the past. His first thought was that the earth
would burn up, but instead, the earth acted in the way that a grape acts: it
shriveled and turned into a "raisin version of the earth." The ground
wrinkled and became mountains, and the people got crushed together into a big
pile. All of his senses became much more vivid in the way that "a raisin is
more intense-tasting than a grape." Sounds, emotions, and love all became
more vivid. And just as the earth was becoming a much more rich and vivid
place, he found himself in this pile of people. This pile of people became a
"groping pile of love and goo" and he then realized that "GAMEHENDGE IS A
STATE OF MIND" and you don't have to get there physically. He decided then
that everyone needed to know how simple it was to turn yourself into a
seething pile of goo, and so he called upon the Famous Mockingbird to spread
the word about this. [thanks to whomever transcribed his narration for the
Phish-news setlist!]
"Mockingbird" has always been one of my favorite Phish songs. It's an
incredibly complex tune that features Trey's virtuosic playing. Unfortunately,
Trey really faked his way through it (though Fish, Mike and Page played it
well). It wasn't a good version. But it still warmed my heart to hear it.
I hadn't heard it since Red Rocks in 1996 (a version which Page, of all
people, flubbed on).
"Twist Around" was good but not great. Not a remarkable jam, in my opinion,
though I still enjoyed it. "Sand" really didn't do anything at all. Trey
tooled around here and there on his keyboard, or just danced around. I
imagine this was great and intense for people who were trance-dancing, but for
many of us, it was hard to stay awake. It's a version that I'm sure to
appreciate more on tape -- on my bed, on my back, preparing for sleep. The
"Day in the Life" closer was fun. I hadn't heard it live in years. The
audience seemed to enjoy it, too.
The "Emotional Rescue" encore was musically uneventful, except for Mike's
enormously amusing vocals, of course. As you may have heard already, the
ending featured this bizarre piece of performance art or play-acting or
Whatever from Trey and Mike. Trey and Mike let loose some digital delay
looped sounds, and Fish and Page just started going off on drums and keys in
insane accompaniment. Then Trey and Mike proceeded to duel with their guitar
and bass.. and put strange hats on Page and Fish (Page's hat looked like a
birthday hat of some exceedingly tacky sort). Trey and Mike then walked
around the entire stage carrying their instruments as if they were guns. Then
they pretended to shoot eachother as if in a duel. Mike fell down as if shot,
and then Trey put down his guitar, walked over to Mike (who was on his back
playing dead), and proceeded to make motions with his arms/hands as if he was
trying to cast a spell to bring Mike back from the dead. Mike was risen by
Trey from the dead, and they hugged and danced together in an enormously
hysterical, unforgettable manner. And I am not making this up.
All things considered, the Vegas shows this weekend contained more Trey-errors
than any two back-to-back Phish shows that I have ever heard, and musically
contained only moments of brilliance, instead of long jams of brilliance. I
thought Mike, Page and Fish played well in both shows, but no one seemed to be
"at the top of their game." Of course, given his heavy partying, it's
arguably awe-inspiring that Trey played as well as he did overall. I don't
think I could have even stood up on that stage on so little sleep, much less
held a guitar. Notwithstanding the musical flubs, the shows were
unforgettably amusing, phishtorically important and made sense as Vegas
spectacles! =^]
two cents,
charlie
Date: 03 Oct 2000 17:36:39 Z
From: Peter B Conway [email protected]
To: dws
Subject: 9-30-00
I must admit how shocked I am to see such negative reviews about such
incredible shows. Why does every version of Mike's Song have to be as
good a the one from Big Cypress? Why does a flub in a song ruin it?
Esther was flubbed but I think Trey made up for it with some humor and
do you think he was really worried about it? I doubt he was saying
"that was not as good as Esther from 8-9-98 and therfor it sucked..."
I doubt he even knows the last time they played it. I doubt he thought
twice about it after the song was over. They are bigger people than
that I think. Seriously people, hasnt the analyzing gotten a little
overboard? Fun is the first reason I come, and if that means to you
that I am saying "its all good" , then so be it. But I have seen ten
shows this year and these were great. I think I could judge as well as
anyone else if the music was decent, I have seen many shows like many
of you. I guess - Maybe there is a group of people that know more
about how Phish should sound than Phish does. Its so strange - those
people knew while Phish was playing that what they were doing sucked
but somehow the band was oblivious to this? How do you know a jam you
thought sucked they may have thought was unbelievable? The only
conclusion( .....) must be that they were wasted, right? Yeah, lets
attribute this to their endless partying (which can only be accounted
for via rumor apparently but is nonetheless fact, right?) (sarcasm)
Kid Rock was not great and that messed up one of the best shows I have
seen in a while. I guess he didn't ruin it but certainly I would have
preferred at least just a Phish encore.
Date: Mon, 2 Oct 2000 17:52:59 -0700
From: eli [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 9/30/00 Vegas and CHARLIE
If you have read this far, I am not sure what you are looking for. There are
so many wordy reviews here, from different people and all walks of life - but
i just wanted to address a couple of things.
CHARLIE, it is not about you. And it is not about flawless playing by the
band. Your Disclaimer does not make your harsh comments acceptable! Being a
careful listener is different from crying about not getting what YOU want!!
This music has heart - if you seek perfection, listen to the studio versions!
That said, I am a hugely critical being. I felt that most of Wilson and
Bathtub Gin were extended VAMPS waiting for somebody to take the lead. That
is a harsh read on my part, because I know other people were digging those
tunes.
The second night, however, I felt the band was really trying. If for you, the
highlight, the only thing of NOTE, was that we sang happy b'day with our bics
aglow, you missed alot of important contributions by the band.
In the film BITTERSWEET MOTEL, Trey talks about "missing a change" in a tune.
That doesn't mean anything. I noticed the flubs in Esther and in
Mockingbird, but the fact that they can play those songs for us is the point
- those songs in addition to the other 197 songs that those guys know and
play with conviction night after night. I am 31 years old and fuck knows if I
can remember anything I did in college - and yet Trey, celebrating his 36th
year on this earth in Las Vegas, is expected to play intricate tunes
PERFECTLY that he wrote in the early 80's??
If you wanted to give Trey a real b'day present, give him a break! It would
mean alot more than your lighter fluid.
Date: Mon, 2 Oct 2000 11:47:09 -0700
From: Mark Hales [email protected]
Subject: Phish 9-30-00 Vegas Review
Phish 9-30-00
What a fantastic weekend! This was a very fun show. I only made it to
Saturday (& I'm kinda glad, I have little tolerance for the Kid)
When the band finally arrived on stage they each sat down at different
instruments for Walfredo. Fun opener, made the crowd feel at home, with a
kind of impromptu jam session feel to it. Mike tossed in a few bluegrass
guitar riffs which sounded great.
I was psyched to hear The Curtain. I personally thought this version was
wonderful. The sound was thick, Page's organ was singing and after Walfredo
it really kept the positive vibe alive, which I dig. The ending segment was
beautiful. It blossomed into a rebaesque jam with some profound melodic
playing by Trey before falling into...
Maze. This rocked! Get the tapes for nothing else but to hear Page punish
the Hammond. Fantastic, inspiring Hammond work by Page here, with some
spacey chord bending accompaniment by Trey. Trey's solo smoked. Wonderful
placement too I thought!
At this point the arena was one giant throbbing organism & Roggae provided
welcome relief to the surreal mayhem of Maze. Roggae had an incredible -
beautiful jam in the middle unlike any other version I have heard. Quick
melodic playing by all members that kept growing and morphing creating a
serene soundscape. I bet it will transfer nicely to tape so seek it out!
I Didn't Know was sung well, and Joe C's vacuum solo was almost like a muted
trumpet in parts... very cool vacuum solo!
Mikes Song raised the anti. The vocal section was played nice and loose B4
the jam dropped into a quick funk section. Trey then molded it into the
dark wicked goop which we all know and love. No melodic ending, which I did
miss, but it wasn't in the cards, it was time to rock -
Simple was shorter than I would have wished but Mike was seriously on fire
in the jam. Slapping his bass, creating these abstract melodic patterns
that I was seriously digging! I don't know any bass player alive today who
plays with such finesse and power at the same time. The Simple jam melted
into space and then...
I Saw it Again started up. This was frightening. Get the tapes.
After a brief conference Esther began. I love this song flubs and all. The
musical themes were poignant and Trey's searching for the notes reminded me
of Jerry in a good (we are all human) kind of way. I thought it was a great
version simply because we were all right there with the band trying to get
through it, hearing the notes and trying to find them. Smiles.
Weekapaug was sick. Mike's intro was long and possessed. Vocals sounded
sweet, but what we need to discuss is the jam. Syncopated Martian funk.
Whatever it was it had the crowd grooving - hard. It started out with Page
plucking the clavinet, then Mike mimicking him, then Trey dropping in for
the challenge then Fish doing some sick backbeat. When it all gelled we had
ourselves an all out freak-fest Vegas style Weekapaug. Came back to the
lyrics and ended.
Super enjoyable 1st set! I personally thought the playing by all was
aggressive and meaningful. They were all "there"
After a touching arena sung "Happy Birthday" Set Two started off with
Timber Ho which contained a jam I could have listened to for another 10
minutes, but that's ok because next was the song I was personally hoping
for...
AC/DC Bag was tight, rocking, fast & syncopated (once again, I wouldn't have
minded another 10 minutes of it! :o)
Col. Forbin's was a treat. For those who like this song there's nothing
like it. I really couldn't believe they played this. I was really *really*
happy to hear it. Charlie did a nice job describing Trey's condolences and
dream sequence which I found very entertaining. Of special importance was
Trey stating that "Gamehenge is a State of Mind" Think about it.
On a personal note I am happy that the band has decided to take some time
off. I think they are setting a healthy example for all of us & I believe
it will be very beneficial to the "scene"
Famous Mockingbird was beautiful. Wonderfully played cascading keys, bass &
guitar lines flowing through the arena. The lights (as they were all night)
were amazing. Very enjoyable versions of these tunes linked with a sincere
stream of consciousness by Trey.
Twist brought us back to planet earth, and the jam was tight and energized.
The lights were fantastic during this tune. Spinning 360 degrees around the
arena.
Sand was the dance song version not the rocker, with lots of loops, keys and
effects by Trey. Page was doing some nice Rhodes & Moog work & Mike and
Fish were tight. It was hypnotic and spacey with very little Guitar work by
Trey, but also very enjoyable at this point of such an exhausting show!
A Day in The Life was executed perfectly. The ending crescendo was
extremely intense and a perfect way to end the set.
Emotional Rescue is all about Mike's voice. If you haven't heard it just
wait! You'll love it :) Smiles all around for this one! The antics have
been described by others in detail, they were fun to watch and I think
genuinely displayed the affection these four musicians have for each other.
All in all this show was completely satisfying. Great crowd, nice venue,
awesome sound and lights, strong playing. If you weren't able to make it
find the tapes!
Date: Mon, 2 Oct 2000 03:28:09 -0500
From: Jason Fladager [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: review Thomas Mack
I can't believe how some people criticize Phish in their reviews. The show
at the Thomas and Mack took everyone on a spin. I used to go and analyse
ever detail of the shows, but after Vegas, I can honestly say I will never
have a bad time at a Phish show. I danced and appreciated this band more
than I ever have. They showed many different sides of themselves this
night. The human side of Phish, the mindblowing side, the struggling side,
the phatty side...the band GIVES and GIVES and doesn't stop. Thanks for the
best show of my 30 or so I've seen. No critique here...only appreciation.
Thank you Phish!!! One the greatest rock and rock bands EVER period.
Date: Sun, 01 Oct 2000 14:26:15 -0700
From: Daniel Pennington [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 9/30/00 review
We spent a good portion of the day riding the roller coasters and
bumper cars at Circus Circus,
and got to the lot right about 4:00, when we got directly into line. We
ended up with much better seats than the night before, Page side about
halfway back the first
section, right about on the 50 yard line. The view was much better than
the previous night, and the sound was heads and tails above. There were
some nice folks from Canada next to us, which was interesting, because I
don't think anyone I met there was from anywhere near Nevada. I met
people from two parts of Canada, Illinois, and New York. Fans had
traveled from all over for these shows, and the second night completely
validated it all. The Walfredo (6 min) opener was a solid hour after the
scheduled start of the show, and it was cool to see it played for the
first time since 1997, and for the first time in the US. The lyrics were
really interesting, they seemed semi autobiographical, it referred to
specific events and venues they've played. The instrumentation was Trey
on piano, Fish on bass, Mike on guitar, and Page on drums, which excused
any goofs they may have made. Mike took a solo of sorts, but was really
quiet and didn't seem too confident on guitar, so that didn't last long.
The Curtain With (15) got the show really going, the pre-Rift jam at the
end was really good, and built to a great finish. Maze (12) was really
tight and had a great jam. Roggae (8) was good, the lyrics about the
circus seemed very appropriate for Las Vegas. I Didn't Know (5) had a
nice vacuum solo by Fish. Apparently "Joe C," who Fish introduced
himself as, is a rapper in Kid Rock's band. Mike's Song (9) was a bit
short but really tight and intense, before going into Simple (6), which
had a very short jam at the end. I Saw It Again (7) was solid, followed
by an Ester (9), where Trey screwed up the lyrics at the end really
badly, and just concluded that "she died" in place of the entire last
verse. Weekapaug (9) was a really intense jam with Mike leading with a
really fast, complex bass pattern with Trey playing some mean funk. This
jam couldn't have been much tighter, I think. I said after the set that
I would have taken it over either set from Friday night, and it
completely made up for any sloppiness the night before.
The second set is one of the best I've ever seen, and also had some
of the most emotional high points of any show I've seen. The whole crowd
sang "Happy Birthday" to Trey as they came out for the second set,
(kudos to the folks who organized that) and he thanked everybody briefly
before they tore into a sick Timber Ho! (7) which was followed by an
AC/DC Bag (10) with jamming on a theme, going faster and faster in a
"gear shift" sort of incremental increases. Col. Forbin's Ascent (6)
followed, the crowd was being worked into a frenzy at this point, the
energy was amazing. At the beginning of the narration (total 8 min) Trey
took the time to thank everybody for their support. He explained that
the show was webcast so that they could thank the people who couldn't
make it to the show and the people who do so much for them on the
internet. This was really touching, I'm not sure I can really describe
this accurately. The narration that followed was of course very strange
(and well described on the phish.net setlist). When Trey concluded that
"Gamehendge is a state of mind," we were convinced that we were going to
get a Gamehendge set, but I don't think anybody ended up disappointed
that we didn't. The Mockingbird (7) was good. The Twist (10) and Sand
(14) that followed were both really tight and exploratory, I'm going to
start running out of adjectives if I try to describe them fully, and I
won't do either one justice. Trey got on keys during the Sand jam, which
resulted in this very cool jam where Trey and Page were playing some
seriously spacey keys over a solid (almost electronica) beat by Fish and
Mike, it was really amazing. The transition into A Day In The Life (6)
was one of those emotional high points that I wrote about earlier, it
was just jaw dropping. Emotional Rescue (16) was a really good ending to
the whole thing, Trey and Mike got really into their antics at the end,
sword fighting with their guitars, playing a sort of hopscotch over
them, marching around and shooting at each other like they had rifles.
It was really bizarre and very funny, I hope I get to see it on video
some time.
I really can't say enough good things about the second night,
especially the second set. I'm still a little blown away by it. Shows
like this are the reason I go see these guys. What else can I say? Get
it in your collection and hear for yourself. After a quick stop in Prim,
NV (the most depressing town on earth) to get refueled and well
caffinated, we completed the drive back to Claremont in a leisurely
fashion, arriving at 5:30. Driving through the desert in the middle of
the night is a very strange thing, try it sometime. Thanks to Jeremy for
the ticket trade, I really appreciate it.
Date: Tue, 3 Oct 2000 04:08:03 -0400
From: Mike [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Las Vegas Review 9/30
The fugus was among us under this crescent Vegas moon, kicking in during my
gatorade for nugs trade during I Didn't Know..... Good God did I fly for the
rest of the night starting with a phat daddy Mike's>Simple>I Saw It Again,
Esther!!!!, Weekapaug. Set break led me to my 150 degree waiting room to
piss, sat alone under the stairwell to collect whatever thoughts I could
muster at this point..... Give me Darkness and MUSIC quick!!! Ahhhhh, Happy
Birthday indeed and..... Timber Ho we go again acending with Forbin, flying
away to spread the word that GAMEHENDGE IS A STATE OF MIND...... AMEN.
Coming down from flight to land with my feet Twisting in the Sand. Oh, what
A Day in My Life.
PS--Thank you Phish for touching me and moving me in ways I didn't know
possible for the past seven years I've been listening. Enjoy your time
off....nobody deserves it more.
Date: Mon, 02 Oct 2000 01:47:21 -0600
From: Doug & Heidi Anderson [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: [Fwd: Vegas 2nd night encore...]
Parts/Attachments:
1 Shown 1 lines Text
2 Shown 1 KB Message, "Vegas 2nd night encore..."
2.1 Shown 10 lines Text
----------------------------------------
[ Part 2: "Included Message" ]
Date: Mon, 02 Oct 2000 01:44:58 -0600
From: Doug & Heidi Anderson [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Vegas 2nd night encore...
Vegas - 2nd night - encore - I was up above, behind the stage and
everyone including the band was watching these two particular phans down
in the front row doing a crazy synchronized dance with their arms all
night long - It seemed like they were trying to hypnotize the band or at
least get a reaction. We believe the last part of the encore was a
mockery right back at them, especially since at one point during that
crazy moment, Trey and Mike both kneeled down right in front of the two
phunny-phans and did the arm waves right back in their face. It seemed
they got a reaction from the band alright.
Date: Sun, 1 Oct 2000 19:35:02 -0500
From: Kory and Lang [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Kid Rock?
Honestly, do you really think that Kid Rock "tore it up"? I was sitting down
pretty much after Walk this Way...the beginning of a major let down. One
song was funny, but four! Kid Rock obviously took advantage of the large
crowd and emerged himself in the scene - pretending phans were his.
Furthermore, he didn't have the musicianship to know when to say goodbye &
bow gracefully! (Wife beater, black leather pants, and white tennis shoes -
please EXIT!) Kid basically rode on the coattails of successful hits from
the past and was too afraid to play his own urban hit, I Wanna Be a Cowboy
Baby!
And, with Rappers Delight, Fishman was merely demonstrating how anything sung
to a rappy-beat can sound good. Example: "Kid Rock, Cock Rock." (...making
fun of it, but still having a fun with it.) As Kid droned on I kept waiting
for a show-cane to come out and take him away by the neck... or possibly a
large gong would appear. Please tell me you saw Saturday's show! I will NOT
say that Friday was the worst show ever (word on the street), because I
always enjoy experiencing a PHISH performance. I will say that it is a
notable show. Notable for the oddity of it all.
PS... and Fishman's dropout in Rift seemed more of a splash of style and funk
rather than a mess. Overall, first set was crunchy and rockin'. Second set
had potential but Kid literally tore it to shreds. Eddie Money would have
been better.?!
Date: Sun, 1 Oct 2000 13:40:28 -0700 (PDT)
From: dave willemssen [email protected]
Subject: 9.30.00 vegas review
Hi folks.. this is my first review, and I've "only" been to 9 or 10 shows,
but after last night I feel that I've been to the Phish show to end all Phish
shows. The energy was just absolutely amazing. First of all, Las Vegas is the
ultimate party city. Everyone here has one thing only on their mind. The
scene on the streets all day Saturday was so mellow. (Thanks to Twit from S.D.
for stopping traffic on the Strip to let us pile into his van, and for the
cookies!) The fact that it was Trey's birthday, and their last night in Vegas
for a while, I just knew that they were going to pull all the stops.
We sat right behind the stage, and it was there that I realized fully that
Chris Kuroda IS the fifth member of the band... the lights were truly
beautiful. Right when the band came on, I could feel the intense energy of the
music. You know when they just click, on certain old bootlegs from 96 or
whatever. They were completely hooked up last night.
I thought that because the webcast cameras were there, they were putting a
little extra into parts of the show, which made it that much better. Each
member of the band was a total rock star at some point. Mike just belted out
Weekapaug and was *hilarious* during Emotional Rescue.. Page's singing in
ADITL was fantastic.. Fish's vacuum.. each of them was just having a blast.
And when Trey got intimate with the crowd, it just sealed the fate of the
night. When he said, "...so we can come back for another 17 years" the house
was nearly brought down!
"Gamehendge is a state of mind," he said, and I was thinking that they were
going to do all of Gamehendge as a birthday stunt. But in retrospect, I don't
know that they could've chosen better songs to play.
Well, I could rave on and on about the show.. If they top this at Shoreline
next weekend, I will probably need the break as much as they do.
Muchos thanks to Phish for the gift that last night was.
Later,
Dave
[email protected]
Date: Sun, 01 Oct 2000 05:01:07 EDT
From: Joel Olive [email protected]
To: [email protected]
i just got back to my hotel room from the show. just wanted to write a
little something before a night out on the town. I've never written a
review, and this is an overview of the whole night (weekend).
first of all, i want to say thanks to Phish. they have made my life so full
of happiness and appreciation for absolutely unbelievable music. they
deserve the time off, but jesus there will be a whole lot of missin em while
they are gone. THANK YOU!!!!!
Second, on a personal note, i think it's fitting for me for this to be my
last show in awhile. you see, it is a very rare occasion for the band to
play emotional rescue. my first show was hampton '97, and they opened with
this song. never having seen the band before, and mike singing those crazy
high lyrics, i figure out what this band was all about. an entire new world
has opened up to me since that night (song). and now, not seeing phish for
awhile to come, it the perfect song for them to leave me with.
Tonight was an incredible show, with many treats and rarities. and where i
used to go to shows to hear certain songs, now i go to hear songs i haven't
seen live. the energy created tonight was unreal. from the opener, to the
happy birtyday, to the encore, the amount of electricity that those four men
are able to generate just keeps me in awe. some personal highlights for me
were a very long awaited and sinister sand, incredibly rockin ac/dc bag, the
mike's jam (which wasn't the best i've heard--that was big cypress), but
that groove they get going is just so tight. col. forbin's was great,
ADITL, and of course, emotional rescue. for the songs and jams i didn't
mention, none of them disappointed at all.
well, this is it for awhile. i also wanted to thank my long time (all of 3
years anyway) phishing buddies, andy edds (wish you were here), his
wonderful girlfriend meghan black, mr. lil' trey hampshire, and of course,
my incredible girlfriend tara fry. i look forward to doing this with you
clowns for may years to come. now i guess i'll get back to richmond and
back to that little thing called work. peace.
joel olive
below here are reviews of other reviews, ie people talking about others reviews
Date: Mon, 02 Oct 2000 08:44:00 -0700
From: John Warner [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: review for vegas
I find Charles Dirksen amusing
click here to return to the 2000 reviews page
hits (many)