From: Charlie Dirksen
6/30/95 Great Woods, Mansfield, MA The Possum in this set is an excellent version, imo and fwiw... MikeS came out of
Avenu. No TMWSIY Reprise at this show, for the first time in quite awhile, apparently (it has only happened a few times in
Phishstory)... MikeS starts up immediately following Avenu (it is actually a smooth transition, but not what I'd call a segue).
Opening standard. Tramps segment at normal time (2:30ish). Opens as usual with Mike and Page funking along with Fish..
Mike is a bit more active than normal in here, arguably. Trey comes in after a longer delay than usual, off-key sustaining in an
eerie fashion... not jamming as much as he was on 6/25 at the beginning.. no wait! He gets more active pretty quickly. He is
doing that two-note rapid-fire sort of jamming.. I don't know what you call this sort of guitar move. Whatever. This isn't as
interesting as 6/25 though... The end of the tramps segment comes in at 5:15 or so, and the post-tramps jam starts twenty
seconds later (sounding briefly like it may go into Simple). Very intense opening to this tramps jam -- lots of powerful dark
jamming from Trey. He finds a theme around 6:15 and works with it. Now THIS is a JAM! Like 6/25, this post-tramps jam
kicks butt, although this is even better than 6/25 so far (7 mins). Oh well. Kinda fudges out.. Trey gets stuck on the same
chords. Not pretty. At 8 minutes the jam is stuck in this somewhat peculiar jam (Trey and Mike and Page are on some weird
groove). Fish drops the beat entirely at one point, and at 8:40 or so kicks in a MMGAMOIO (Mind) beat, which people in the
audience clap along to. Unfortunately, the jamming from Trey is really lame in here. Just nothing especially melodic. Very flaky
(improv that sounds like improv). Mike and Page are trying to make some sense with Trey.. but no. At 10 minutes the jam
changes direction (serious herd of buffaloes material in here, fwiw)... Fish kicks in a jazzy beat, and well, as one might expect,
the jam kinda jazzes out for a little bit (lots of Mike), but then this chords out in a psychedelic, dissonant fog.. Fish goes nuts.
Great drumming in here. Chording from Trey, misc. from Page and Mike. The jam sucks in here, in my opinion (11:40), but
then, fortunately, within ten seconds, Fish kicks in a MikeS beat that Mike jams on with him.. and then Page comes in on, too..
Trey is still flaking around. Damn. I wish everyone had jammed like Mike and Fish were. Oh well. So much for a potentially
awe-inspiring groove to develop (Trey just didn't do anything). The jam falls into a haphazard, stop/start sort of groove.. typical
fusion in here (is it jazz, is it funk, is it rock..). Sounds very awry. I like this sort of grooving every once in awhile, but hell, I'm
rating these damn jams, and well, this improv isn't that exciting to me. Although I like the bass Mike puts forth. Starts getting
spacey after 14:15 or so.. Trey starts the effects (sustained, mazy, swirling, soupy chords). Fish is jazzing out. Page is on the
clavinet, but isn't doing too much. Mike is in here, lightly.. At 16 minutes, everyone is still spamming... Page gets on the piano a
bit here and there. Trey's effects fade out by 16:50. By 17:30, Fish has dropped out. Mike gets louder, and then Trey starts
playing Contact. (18:05 or so) This MikeS had its moments, to be sure, but I thought 6/25 was more concrete (even though its
ending wasn't that hot). This segue into Contact wasn't even vaguely as enchanting as the one on 6/20/95. Contact is fine...
Weekapaug at 24:09 or so. Mike's opening solo is ***FANTASTIC***!!!!!! One of the best I've heard him do.. very snappy,
funky and quick in the typical way, but well, you'll just have to hear it for yourself. Sorry. It isn't as long as 6/25 but it is much
more exciting an opening! Trey immediately starts melodically soloing in the opening of the jam segment. Very similar to 6/25, in
the sense that this jam is quite pleasant. Very active and thematic jamming from Trey, and the accompaniment from the others is
excellent, too. At 27:15 or so, Trey is in the midst of a hose everyone down moment... WOW! This jam is really awe-inspiring.
God I love this tune!! Trey is glorious in here, as is everyone, frankly! At 28:50, Trey starts chording as if to signal a dive into a
more quiet segment, but NO! Everyone maintains the momentum and keeps wailing away!! Just spectacular. This Weekapaug
just has not f#cking slowed down at all.. finally, at 30:50 or so, it drops into The Quiet Mode, but like previous quiet modes, it
doesn't get that quiet. Fish maintains the beat soundly, though with less fire. Page funks out on the clavinet. Trey plays a Suzy
Greenberg-esque style of jam for a bit. Mike funks along with Page and Fish. At 33 mins, they are still in this quiet mode ..
Mike is more active. Audience clapping. Fish stops drumming non-stop.. At 34 minutes, the Audience is still clapping.
Meanwhile, Trey is in this SICK groove.. Fish is hitting the drums with Page and Mike chording every few beats -- but Trey
jams in between their chords! At 34:30 or thereabouts they magically kick the jam back into Weekapaug. At around 35
minutes, Trey nearly teases the Divided Sky ending solo.. this finale jamming is jaw-dropping. Closing lyrics segment kicks in at
36:10 or so... It is standard. Total time: 37:06. Well, this is easy. This is the best god damn Weekapaug I think I've ever
reviewed. I have to take another listen to 12/31/95, NOW, in order to rate this fairly (12/31/95 is the only Weekapaug I have
heard that can compete with this..). I have just listened to 12/31/95, and well, to be blunt, it blows this one away, and it blows
every Weekapaug I've ever reviewed away, too. It may require a new rating, even after I've gone through the Fall 95 versions...
;-) Anyway, to be fair, this 6/30 MikeSGroove was fantastic. The Weekapaug is GREAT. Better than 6/25, however I like the
6/25 MIkeS more than this one, for certain. So, this version gets an A-, too. I think both 6/25 and 6/30/95 are better than Red
Rocks and all of the Fall '94 MikeSGrooves that I reviewed... get them! Hear for yourself!