10-9-99 -- Pepsi Arena, Albany, New York

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Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1999 09:30:29 -0400 (EDT)
From: Thomas Torbik [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Review of Albany 10-9-99

I was very excited to be heading to the Knick for two shows to close out
fall tour I.  Memories of 97 danced in my head and I knew these shows
would rock.... if I only I knew how:

Night 1

PYITE-  Very predictable opener.  In the intro, Trey got some real cool
grooves going on, as he often does.  The dude right to me made the comment
that he never saw a bad show that opened with Punch, I agreed.  This show
would live up to our expections.

Wilson- Another predictable song.  Couldn't they have played Wilson, Punch
instead of the opposite so I could get some points for Phantasy Phish?
Oh well, this raged too, another good jam.

Guyute- Predictable, though I didn't see it in the third song slot, but I
did see eventually this set, hey it's Guyute, it rages, it was fun.

Ghost-  Here we go!  This was by far a fantastic Ghost, probably the best
I've heard and it was only the fourth song of the weekend and already the
band is at peak intensity.   I felt a segue coming on, what is it??

Free-   Shit!  I didn't know they were playing two second sets tonight!
This wasn't the best Free ever, but it was very good.  The set is getting
of control with intensity.

Sparkle-Continued the intensity theme of the set, standard, but tight.

Possum- Speaking of intensity.  The set came to a roaring after the band
nailed this one, the second in three days, I didn't hear any compliants
though.

*All in all, the set raged, I have only ever seen such intensity a few
times before, there were no pauses whatsoever and no slow songs, just 75
minutes of raging!

2nd set

Limb by Limb- Honesty, I expected 2001 to open set 2 and expected Limb in
the first set Sunday, but I was glad to hear it.  How could I not be?
This was the best Limb ever, hands down!  There was a brief Other One
tease(I know I heard it)before the segue into:

2001- there we go.  I was happy to catch an Also Sprach, but this was also
a great version.  There were several times when I thought they were not
going to finish it.  Trey just got so far off the theme that I figured
they were going to segue early, but some power chords brought them back 
around and led 2001 into:

DWD-  The most common 2001 segue in recent years has yet to let me down.
This was a fabulous Disease with the band, esp. Trey flying very high,
jumping up and down and what not, then they just bulit the song to an
exhilatorating climax and the band faded out after the chorus and Page
started a little piano serenade.  I thought Sea and Sand for a second, but
then he hit that familar G chord that we all know as:

Velvet Sea-  Good.  I really needed a breather and I was thinking to
myself, what is going to follow this?

Simple-  And there's your answer.  You tend to forget about this puppy.
At least I do.  However, it always gets great grooves going and this
version is no different.   Not the longest version, but a good exploration
before it was time to close.

Lovinc Cup-  Aww what a beautiful buzz.  Trey's solos were very tight and
it is so hard NOT to smile when this song is playing and I love it as a
closer.

ENCORE:

Slave-  Honestly, the surpirse of the night, I called it as a encore, but
only because I really wanted to hear, you know, the way you call Harpua
for every show cause you want to hear it.  But I found out later that
there was more to this than just a surprise encore.  I stayed with some
friends at the Omni, and one of the kidz there informed me that Slave was
played for a kid they knew who died in a car accident the week before.  He
was supposed to be at those shows and some friends of his got
backstage(this kid I was talking to being one of them> and told Mike about
the whole thing, how he was supposed to come to those shows and how Slave
was his favorite song and it would be fitting to play it, considering the
manner in which he died.  So please, I have heard people complaining about
the fact that this Slave wasn't strong or it was weak or it sucked or it
this or that or whatever.   This was EXTREMELY cool of the band to play
this in this person's memory, so let's not tarnish the kid's memory, but
this is HIS Slave.

Second night coming soon.

-Tom 

Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 19:03:23 -0700 (PDT) From: Bart Tantillo [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Review 10/9/99 First a disclaimer.....I'm crazy. O.K. Another fall tour has come to a close for Phish, four former misfits from Vermont recently crowned by Rolling Stone magazine as "The most important band of the nineties." Before I give my highly biased opinion of the last two shows of the aforementioned tour, I wanted to get a few general thoughts out there. First and foremost, Albany is a great town. Of all the cities Phish plays in, few are as welcoming and hospitable as the capital city of the great state of New York as far as I am concerned. The downtown area, with it's various bars, clubs, coffee shops and restaurants, is situated as nicely as anywhere I have ever visited. Hotels all within walking distance (at least mine was) of the venue, plenty of reasonably priced parking, and no visible effort from the local police to do anything more than keep us all safe. Take note Iowa and Illinois state police, maybe you morons were asking for trouble. Also to the guy sitting next to me in Section 121, Row BB, Seat 10 on Saturday night who had brown medium length hair, wore glasses, and had a New Years Eve 98/99 shirt: Congratulations! You have won the award for "Most Annoying Phish Fan in History!" Never before in my life have I met someone with the complete disregard and lack of courtesy for others that you possess. I wish you all the luck in the world as you make your way through life, however, I also sincerely hope that our paths never cross again. That being said, and without going further, let me get down to the good (and not so good) stuff. Actually, before I do, let me say this as well. Regarding segues, whomever is calling in the setlists to the PhishNet, please pay closer attention from now on. You have been mistakenly labeling perfectly clear segues as breaks between songs for some time, and in other cases the exact opposite; What is a clear stop after a song is labeled as a segue. Perhaps it is nitpicking, however they are a "jamband", therefore when they "jam" from one song into the next, it would be nice for them to get credit for it. I. Punch You in the Eye>Wilson, Guyute, Ghost>Free, Sparkle>Possum II. Limb by Limb>2001>Down With Disease>Wading in the Velvet Sea, Simple>Loving Cup E:Slave to the Traffic Light Being accustomed to Fall Tour closers in November and December, with temperatures below freezing, getting out of my car in Albany on Saturday and being greeted by 70 degrees and sunshine was a great feeling. The city was buzzing with anticipation, as I found out in my 45 minute trek around the downtown area in search of my hotel. It was similar to the "Look kids, Big Ben, Parliament." scene from National Lampoon's European Vacation. After finally settling in and resting a bit to the sweet sight of Todd Pratt homering the New York Mets one step closer to a Subway Series, we headed to the arena, about a 3 minute walk away. "Shakedown Street" or more appropiately "Fakedown Street" as I have heard it called, was right in front of the main arena entrance on South Pearl Street, making travel from one side to the other quite an undertaking. Just a sea of people, less vending than usual, and lots and lots of ticketless folks. Police on foot and horseback, making their presence felt, but by no means looking for trouble or even bothering anyone, surrounded the arena. I like the "Get 'em in safely, Get 'em out safely" mentality that city cops seem to have as opposed to the militant like force small town cops like to exude. So after perusing the landscape for a bit, it was showtime. I will spare you the details of the antics from the fucking idiot next to me, and tell you instead that the pre-show chatter consisted mainly of talk concerning the new live album "Hampton Comes Alive", encompassing the two classic shows last Fall at the legendary Hampton Coliseum. What an ingenious name. Set one opened in style on Saturday night with the great pairing of Punch You in the Eye and Wilson. Both played to perfection, the crowd was very loud and very alert right off the bat. Guyute, being played quite frequently this tour, was equally strong, and when Trey started those delay loops immediately after it ended, it was time to get serious. The Ghost>Free that followed was amazing, the former full of funk and after a perfect segue the latter was probably the best version I have heard. Easily the highlight of the the first set, if not the highlight of the five sets I had heard so far beginning in Nassau on Thursday. Sparkle was Sparkle, whipping the crowd into a frenzy before Possum ended the set. I didn't mind hearing it for the second time in three nights, it was shorter and to the point but they nailed it. A pretty good start to the weekend. Limb by Limb is a cool way to start a set. I loved it as an opener this summer at Merriweather, and Saturday's was nice. The 2001 was great, a very long spacey intro that made it tough for the band to get into the climax parts smoothly. It showed, as Trey just ripped into them, making for an odd transiton. Every time I say to myself that I don't want to hear Down with Disease ever again, I hear a version that blows me away. Deer Creek this summer was one instance, and Saturday night was another. Trey proved once again that when it is all said and done, Phish is in a way "his" band, with a solo that left me in awe. Wading in the Velvet Sea was a nice way to settle down, and for me, so was Simple. The jam, very Page heavy was nice and mellow, but sounded almost deliberately standard and very short. However Loving Cup, my favorite Phish cover for obvious reasons if you have seen them play it, closed things on a big note. All out rocking version, Trey jumping up and down, playing guitar like he had eight fingers on his fretboard instead of just five. Slave was a disaster. Sounded like they put on an old tape of them playing it and just let it go. Probably will get plenty of raves for the simple fact that it is Slave to the Traffic Light, and they played it as an encore, but don't believe the hype.
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 16:50:26 -0400 From: Danny Weinstein [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: 10/9/99 review So this was my first show of the falltour and since I only could catch 1 show over the summer I was so excited for these shows. First off the lots were way to crowded. To many people were there and the police were all over. So I went in. I was on Page side on the 200's in the middle. Good seats even though high up. Note that the ventalation system in the pepsi arena is one of the best things ever. PYITE- I have heard this a few times. Allways as the opener so I was not surprised at all. It is allways cool to hear this song. It has a lot of different parts which makes it diverse and great to hear. The Landlady solos were quite good. Wilson- It was an okay version. Picked up the crowd a little bit. It was really hard and rockin. Solid trey distortion in the jam. At this point I thought to myself could it be a gamehendge..... Guyute- My gamehendge theory was wrong but I wasn't expecting anyhting at all. It was a good version. I have seen alot of guyute's but htis version Trey was on. He didn't mess up that much at all and everyone sounded great. Probably one of the more solid ones that I have heard. Ghost- This wasn't that big of a surprise. I knew they were going to play this. It was good. Mikes base slaping was awsome but short. I thought they could have put more funk into it but instead it rocked out and built way way up. The jam was good. I wish it was funk but I loved it anyway. Ghost is awsome. Free- Free was one of the highlights of the show. Mike set up the jam perfectly. His base solo was long and great. If Mike had more solo's like that it would be great. After Mikes solo trey set up a sollid groove to be best Free I have ever heard. Sparkle- I was surprised that after that amazing Free that sparkle they played sparkle. It was misplaced in the set. But they allways look like they are having fun playing it so if they have fun I ghave fun. It was sparkle not good not bad just there. Possum- This was an awsome way to end the set. It rocked hard. Trey and Page sounded amazing as usual. This brought the crowd dancing and jumping around. I was glad to hear this song. I think the last time was Lemmonwheel. Over all this show was a great rockin show. I had alot of fun at this show. I give it a 8/10. I had a really great time and was excited for the next night!
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 14:37:24 -0400 From: Dan Buckley [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: 10.9.99 review this was somewhere around my 25th show (maybe 26thor even 27th, i cant remember), and i was psyched for the show, after hitting last year's thanksgiving eve rocker. the scene was the usual albany scene outside, too many people and too many cops, so i decided to head in. Set I PYITE: great opening song, i had a feeling we would get this one, if not curtain. i took my girlfriend to this one, her 2nd show, and she loved the salsa/landlady middle, and of course the dance that trey and mike do, good solid opener Wilson: after being overplayed in years past, wilson was a welcome 2nd song to get everyone into the groove. musically solid w/ some good lighting Guyute: after hearing this one 3 out of my 5 shows this summer, i was getting a little sick of it. my girlfriend even pointed out that it lacked alot of energy in the beginning, which i definitely agree with. it wasnt an especially poor guyute, but it was very far from some of the real good guyutes i have seen, like the one in the encore from last year's albany show. my overall feeling is that this tune could use some time on the shelf (this from a guyute lover) Ghost: after seeing the ghost from the molson amphitheatre in toronto, i felt as though seeing another ghost would be too soon. and i was right. the composed part went well, but it seemed as though the jam was heading somewhere, but it took forever and never really came together. which is fine w/ me, since ghost is a song which they always try to play differently every single time. Free: ahhhhh, yes. great segue which caught me by surprise. i havent seen this one in literally years, the last one being in the 97 worcester run, i think. the boys have really improved on this one, using that lame album version middle part and extending it into a great jam section. this may have been the song of the night, it really seemed to lift the place up. Sparkle: i thought that they would play something like a SOAMelt here or something of the sort, but sparkle, if you dont hear it alot, can be fun, and it was. Possum: another great version. incredible trey/page interplay on this one, and on that note: PLEASE TURN PAGE UP!!! anyone else have real problems w/ how overpowering trey is alot of the time? that was the case w/ this one, but the jam worked out well, some great intricate playing here, real fun possum, one of the better ones i have seen. set break was 45 minutes.....hurry it up, please.....less waiting time, more music Set II Limb by Limb: i think that they have played this one at every show so far, so i was expecting it sooner or later. i really dont have any complaints though, i fel that this was a real good version, a weird little funky, scratch jam going on at the end, which carried over to... 2001: never disappointed by this one, and once again, chris kicked some ass at the lightboard. i dont know how i feel about trey's little keyboard deal, it seemed as though page (again) wasnt quite loud enough to get the full interplay effect, but this song really turns the crowd on, and it did. good version Down w/ Disease: i hate to say it, but i have seen this one a little too much. i felt as though it was a good time for a maze (where did that one go?) or even something a little more riske, like a divided sky. i think that i have just seen this one too many times, and maybe it would benefit from some downtime. a good version though, and they boys brought it back nicely at the end. Velvet Sea: wow. what a beautiful song. easily one of my favorites off "ghost". that really all i can say, page once again showed us why he is one of the best out there today. Simple: i honestly cant really remember this one too well, which may be a sign that is wasnt too spectacular. a nice mellow jam, as always, ensued. another song i have heard too many times, a more lively song probably would have been a better choice here, maybe a theme here.... Loving Cup: i was really disappointed the last time i heard this, and felt that it was too much of a crutch for them to fall back on when the set was going bad. but it seemed like they put it away a little, and resurrected a classic for the closer. this one really brought the house down, a great song to just get down and boogie to. E: Slave: i have much better slaves than this, and felt that it was somewhat anticlimatic. trey just seemed to come in too heavy to early, kind of spoiling that beautiful page rhodes euphoria. oh well, you cant ask for too much, there was another show to be played overall this show ranks as a 6 or at best a 7 out of ten. it filled the phish void that i had been feeling after the summer, and will certainly hold me over until december. just too many songs that i have seen quite often...... dan buckley
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 15:26:35 EDT From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: 10-9-99 Albany first off, let me say that the staff and security at the Pepsi Arena were the rudest and most belligerent f$%ks i've ever had the displeasure of dealing with. as the show had already started five minutes ago, the whole right side of the crowd outside was stopped from progress by a fat pig with a megaphone: "back up folks or you'll be out here all night." well, we did already pay $30 for the privilege of being allowed inside, so i didn't feel it was that unreasonable that at least 3,000 were pretty upset to miss the beginning of the show due to some pompous pig's power trip. also, security on the floor was none too pleasant either. but anyway, let me also say that i thought friday night at nassau was just amazing, rivaling the marathon jam session held there last year on april 3rd from the island tour. just as the providence show after that was not overwhelming, this show left me with the same impression. set I: i was expecting after a night of relative rarities before, that tonight would open up, and probably stick with, the old familiars. PYITE, Wilson, Guyute are three songs that were played just about to death this summer, and though i was going with the phlow, i can't say i was thrilled. all three of these songs are always the same, so when the feedback intro to Ghost began, i was ready to get down. this Ghost was reminiscent to Columbus this summer, great lights and strong rocking grooves that eventually landed into Free. this version was not as good as 7-23-99 nor Columbus 7-31-98 (the best Free of the modern era). it was ok, got the crowd rocking, and was pretty amusing. then came *Sparkle* which i haven't heard for awhile, but Sparkle gave way to Possum, not my favorite tune at all and also a repeat from thursday. the set closed, i shrugged and said ok, and sat down to smoke a bowl. and then another, and then another... Setbreak: this was one long f%&king setbreak. the first set was short and imo not too exciting, and the boys really took a good long rest after it. when i see a weak first set, i don't expect much out of the second, but the long break gave me hope for something special. finally, after 10:10 p.m. the lights FINALLY go down and its time Set II: Limb by Limb is my highlight for the Story of the Ghost. the jam is sweet and spacey, and the lyrics intriguing and mysterious, egyptian likings to the dead's blues for allah. this version, like almost any second set opener, kicked. the space was phlowing and phlipping around, and when the jam finally subsided, fishman played with the lyrics alittle before a mellow jam not unlike 12-29-98 emerged. i was thinking maze, but 2001 came instead and you will get no complaint here. this was a very well explored version; i'm not sure how long but it was long enough. then came DWD which though common is nonetheless good to hear. this version was neither here nor there, but trey was bouncing around like a little kid and having a good time so that was fun to see. then a short noodling from page and the dreadfully boring though pretty velvet sea arose. here i sat down and did not really rise again. simple couldn't bring back the energy from before and i didn't feel that this was a particularly powerful jam. loving cup was good; i expected it to close nassau especially in light of the chaos that erupted there last year, and i rocked out with trey- "thanks, we've had a good time, goodnight." okay, not exciting, not expecting much from the encore... Encore: slave to the traffic light is a song that has been more or less left alone these last few tours, and i will admit that it is not one of my favorites, especially as the final song of the night and considering that we had to drive back to dc that night. this slave, imo, was one of the weakest of all time. the jam built for a few minutes, reached about 40% of the intensity of a regular slave, and then trey just ended it. no climax, no skyscraper jamming, no heroics, just slave, short and not so sweet. i know i'll probably be ripped for saying this in light of all of the other favorable reviews of this show, but i think that this was a night to get us excited for the tour closer. first night shows need to be topped the next night, but i was satisfied turning around, almost wishing i'd quit with a good feeling after nassau. anyway, maybe it was just my mood. see you all in december! peace
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1999 14:56:49 -0400 From: FSchraderMonroe [email protected] To: "[email protected]" [email protected] Subject: Albany I had a great time @ Albany this past weekend! Anybody else see Mike Gordon Saturday walking outside? He walked past me near the Twelve tribes bus and no one was following him or noticing him at all.....very exciting for me though..when I said hello he gave me a Billy Breathes style cover smirk and kept on trekking. Good enough for me it made Saturday special! Sunday I was right behind the stage and had a great view of Fishman drumming. Does anybody know the story of the tap dancing girl who tap dances to every show for the past several years on a riser behind the stage? Superstitious phish? Also noticed Trey talking into the mic cup a lot on Sunday which was interesting. I had a lot of fun at the shows and can't wait until Hartford and Providence!
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 12:18:01 EDT From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: review of 10/9/99 Gotta love it when Phish decides to rock. First all, I live all of 20 minutes from the Knick, so its the easiest show to get there. A home dinner with phriends and phamily and then its off to Albany. I didn't really spend too much time in the lot scene, but I did notice just as the last two years, the garages seemed to be the place to be. Anyway, into the seats, right in time to make our pre-show calls. My typical companion has never heard Bouncin' live, and keeps saying he'll see it. I grinned and said the boyz would rip out Punch You in the Eye, since they've played it at EVERY show I've been too so far!!!! (My luck must be good orr something... not like I could ever get tired of that one...) Another phriend, this was his first show ever, and he's always liked the tight Down with Disease. So as the lights went down we watched... PYITE- Yesssssss... heh heh... another one for me. My friends and I laughed, this one has pretty much become MY song, they've yet to go a show without it for me. Intro was good, the middle seemed a bit slow, and Trey seemed like he was stillwarming up on 'Landlady.' I love this song, but this version was nothing special since what I've seen. The set was rolling a bit until... Wilson- Nice! The "wilson" tunes back to back. Trey was strumming pretty hard, and the crowd really got up for this one. Rocked hard and the set was really on... Guyute- The opening of this song again seemed a little choppy, but once Trey and Page got down to the middle jam, they really settled in. Faster then usual, and about as clean as I've been privledged to hear it. As the closing chords rung out Trey turned on his reverb setting up... Ghost- This was funky and the jam was very tight. It seemed like they'd warmed up enough to be tight by now. I like Ghost, but I do miss the older more rocking Ghosts of the past (the one '97 here at the Knick was unbelievable) The crowd really stuck with this one too, clapping during one section of the long jam instead of just sitting and staring at the lights (Chris was incredible, like always...) Once the funk cleared out Mike started getting loud, my friend and I thought DWD was coming but instead they hit... Free- This one was excellent, I love this song, and they sit on that jam as the lights go all red- well- I was dancing my head off. The crowd was roaring at this point and they set into... Sparkle- My phriend who had never been to a show before loved this one. Otherwise, it was the same as it always has been... Possum- YESS!! They played this the other night, but this was still a hot closer. Trey ran the whole jam with what sounded like a slide guitar as opposed to a more distorted electric sound, it was pretty cool... between sets was crowded, the walkway is just packed all the way around in the Knick, saw a phriend tho so I can't complain... set II Limb- Not a usual opener, but very nice. The jam was more spacey then I'd expected, and I kept thinking they were setting up a 'Catapult' or something in there, but it never panned out. Oh well, it was still sweet and then the drums kicked up for... 2001- Ahhhh yes, this was just rippin!! It took them forever to get around to actually playing the theme, but it didn't matter. I was a little peeved that Trey was overpowering Page so much- sometimes I wish Trey could mic down just a little to let Page shine up a little more, and this was one of those times. It was very long, and funky to the extreme! The ending come down led right into Mike's solo for... DwD- Aww right! My phriend was totally jamming at this point, and this was a very tight DwD. The balance between the boys I thought was really good, both in volume and phrasing... Velvet Sea- I think this song is absolutely beautiful, and they gave the crowd a quick breather. Simple- Fish opened this one being very active, stomping the bass drum for about all it was worth, and Trey did some nice be-bop licks. The vocals were tight, and the jam at the end was great - I love this one when Page is on! But we knew the set was coming to a close soon and so they went right into... Lovin' Cup- WHAT?!?! I haven't heard this one since Lemonwheel, and I was getting down!!! The crowd was totally nuts, and this is one of my favorite covers by the boys. Ohh what a beautiful buzz...... Encore: Slave- A good ending, although after the Lovin Cup, anything would have been a little anti-climactic. I love this song a lot, so I was leaving with a smile on my face. Overall this show was excellent, and my phriend declared that he was a phan for life after this show. Thanks to all of them for converting yet another true phan for me! =)
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 14:58:47 -0400 From: Cluster User [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Phish Review Albany 9.10.99 First night Albany wasn't the best of the tour by any means, but was a good representative of the Phish '99 style...it was my girlfriend's first time to a Phish show, and she had a blast so I can't complain...if anything was the theme of the Albany shows it was probably "Calm down, Trey, turn down your guitar a little, try playing with the rest of the guys, and stop wiping your nose..." PYITE opener was definitely exciting for all, and got the entire crowd moving...not too extended of an intro, but not bad...standard version. WILSON was definitely in the line of the Hardcore Heavy Rock Wilsons that have become the staple these days...nowhere near the version from the E-Center in Jersey in Summer '99. GUYUTE was nice to hear, another big crowd pleaser, although again it wasn't the tightest version they've ever played...Trey was struggling to keep up with some of his own melodies...then...GHOST...okay now the show is really going to take off...it started with Trey setting up some loops...very, very slow version of this song. I'd have to agree with other reviewers that the long Am7 jam following always seemed like it was going somewhere, but never quite got there. Just a lot of noodling from Trey and Page on different melodies, but they never found anything new or inspiring in this one...so it quiets down and they Trey ripps the opening D-chord to FREE....yes, great choice here!! Everyone was loving it...very deep bass work from Mike here, and they were playing with renewed intensity. very nice version overall, not too long, but they all came back on the m6 Bb chord with perfect timing...then a SPARKLE...not much to say here, standard version, got everyone dancing...then POSSUM...once again, I agree with everyone, turn PAGE up, and turn TREY down, he is just too overpowering sometimes...he needs to lay off the ego-juice, maybe I should give him some leeway b/c he wants to party for the last two nights of the tour, but come on Trey, your solo tour is over!!! other than Trey's ego, Possum was a pretty good version, and it ended the set nicely... SECOND SET: Okay, after a long setbreak, Phish decided to drop some bombs in the second set...I don't think anyone was expecting a LIMB by LIMB openener, but that was okay, since they played an excellent version, and the jazzy 3/4 jam at the end was excellent...Trey really playing some nice melodic lines in here, one of the better Limbs that I've seen live...then, you knew it was coming soon, the space ship noises began, and it was time for 2001...super Phish phunk time. I thought this 2001 fucking rocked!! It had a lot of intensity, and Fishman had the beat going pretty damn fast. Page was definitely not loud enough once again, we need more Rhodes in the mix Paul....However, I for one really like Trey on Keyboards...his mind is so fucking tuned melodically that he can definitely pick up any instrument with ease. A lot of nice c-minor riffs swirling back and forth here, and Chris is always great on the lights to this song. They did two different Strauss C-major buildups...and then busted into DWD...another nice choice..played well, the jam was really sick!! I thought they all kept building towards that Phish climax you here in every Phish major chord jam. Very triumphant sounding, with lots of high notes from Trey...very life-affirming as Nietzsche might say...a pretty VELVET SEA followed that made my girlfriend very happy, into a SIMPLE...that to me was not very impressive...the I-IV jam following lacked the beautiful layering and buildup that they usually accomplish in a good Simple jam...set ended with a LOVING CUP...always a good ender, nice rock song with Trey on full throttle, finally some more chances for him to release all that "stimulated" energy. Encore was SLAVE - fucking great choice here...played well, and the jam after was not particularly spectacular, but built very nicely, and made me feel great about seeing my 60th Phish show, and brining my girlfriend to her first... ...one thing her that I would like to comment on...the new direction Trey and the boys seem to be taking for their jamming style in '99. I for one think that the new songs are really starting to sound like GRATEFUL DEAD...does anyone agree with me here...I mean Meatstick is essentially the chords to Fire on the Mountain, played in the same layed back Mixolydian style that the Dead used for so many years...and even all the new songs have something of a poppy, but Grateful Dead feel, think of Heavy Things for example...does anyone agree here?? I also think that in terms of their jamming style, they are still trying to create musical landscapes, but are doing it in a different way...Trey seems to be creating a NOTE CLOUD, a big mass of notes from whatever scale he's in that all kind of feedback at the same time...then when he thinks its appropriate, he will highlight or enlighten certain notes from this cloud, so they like JUMP OUT of this big mass of notes, and then swirl back into the tornado cloud...think for example of the DISEASE from this night or the 2001, same idea... Anyway, that's my two cents for Albany, see you all in PROVIDENCE!!! Doug E. Fresh
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 02:26:00 -0400 From: Jeff Tyler [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Review of 10/9/99 Hey phriends, This was a great show. very good vibes in the air, ya know. PYITE opener was sweet, i always love this one, but my friend who has only been to 3 shows, has seen this as the opener all 3 times. hhahaha. Wilson was cool as usual. GUYUTE is one of my personal favorites. I love the jig. Then OH MAN, 24 Minutes GHOST was incredible. SO SWEET. Free was rockin'. I had never seen Sparkle live until tonight, and it was really sad. My best friend who was coming up sunday, couldn't make this show. They played Sparkle...her song, the first phish song i ever played for her. Kinda a downer that she couldn't be there. Possum was groovin' as usual. Set 2 began with a sweet Limb by Limb. then 2001.....my friend was wishing for this, and he got it. Smokin' jam. Down with disease is always fun. VElvet Sea was so sweet and mellow. Made me feel like i was floating. After a Simple with a nice jam in it, they closed with my favorite cover. Loving Cup. I LOVE THIS SONG. SLAVE ENCORE WAS SO SO GROOVY. See you all soon, Jeff
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 11:32:10 -0400 From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Albany 10/9/99 review Pepsi Arena Albany NY 10/9/99 I thought I'd review the past 2 shows I was able to catch in Albany. I've been to about 40 shows in the past 6 years and have almost 1400 hours of Phish on tape so I have a pretty good sense about what makes a show and what does not. Saturday night looked to be a real tough ticket. I saw hundreds of people with fingers in the air and not many tix being handed out. I also saw Mike chilling out in the lot talking to some people. I waved, he waved back and that was about it. I didn't really want to bother him but he looked like he was having fun. After making my way in, my friend told me that Phish would open with PYITE since they didn't play it in Nassau. Well, he was right. Punch has always been a great opener. This one did not disappoint. Wilson was up next, and the crowd was louder than I have ever heard, chanting Wilson. There was a lot of energy with those two tunes opening up. I knew we would get a Guyute, I was just hoping it wouldn't be so early. I love Guyute but I enjoyed it so much more in 94 and 95, when it was a once in a while treat, and not an every other show kind of song. I went and got myself a drink and made back in time for the dark evil jam. They really ripped it up during the jam and next up was one of my favorite jams of the evening, Ghost. Ghost was super funky. I don't keep times of songs, but it seemed like a decent sized jam. Awesome light work. After the Ghost jam they went into Free. I was never a big Free fan until this past summer. With Mike now heavy in the mix, Free is one of my favorite tunes to see live. The jam really rocked. After these last 2 songs, I was pumped. This is what I drove three hours to see. My elation was short lived though as they busted right into Sparkle. Sparkle was sparkle, which is okay because its short. The band was playing at warp speed near the end of Sparkle. It always amazes me how fast the boys really go at the end of that tune. To close out the set, Phish played Possum. As my friend Jeremy says, Possum is Awesome. I felt some trepidation when the guys played this one. I knew that they had just played Possum in Nassau. There aren't many Phish songs that I don't like but I reallly dislike Prince Caspian. I knew that if they had played Possum, they could also play Prince Caspian. I quickly made the No Caspian prayer and got down to the possum. This was a typical Possum, which means purely rocking. It was a great way to close the set. After about 45 minutes, the guys came out for the second set. Limb by Limb was the choice. I was psyched. I love Limb. Great jam right into 2001. My favorite show from the NYE run from last year on tape was the second night, the 29th. That set also had a Limb by Limb>2001. Great 2001 jam then, great 2001 jam now. Definitely a highlight. The lights were incredible as they always are but it looks like Chris got some new toys to play with. Very cool. After a 20 minute jam, next was Down with Disease. Another tune that I have seen a ridiculous amount ot times but that I still enjoy. Disease had a rocking jam and wasn't too long which was nice. After that, I could have sworn they were going to break into Slave. I was jumping up and down and then it happened, page started playing, as my friend odb calls it, I've been waiting in the line to pee. Waiting in the line to pee was the perfect break to do just that. I think Waiting has some good lyrics but slow tunes are not my gig. It seemed like a really long song but then again, it could have just been that it was so damn slow. After that, they ripped into Simple. Simple has always been one of my favorite tunes, especially when its not part of the Mike's Groove. Last year in Worcester, the boys played an incredible Simple and this one was just as nice. Very nice mellow jam with some great light work. Next up was the ever energizing Loving Cup. The energy inside the Pepsi was almost palpable during this tune. I felt so great, it was such a beautiful buzz. The place was hopping, everyone was getting down and it was just a great way to close the set out. Phish came out and then I heard it. The first notes of Slave. I knew they had teased it earlier and I was pumped! I just love the mellow jam, Chris really works the lights out during Slave. There were so many beautiful moments during the song, where the band would be just sparsely playing notes and the lights would be sweeping all around. I find that song so mesmerizing. It was such a peaceful way to end the show. A fantastic Slave and just some awesome jams throughout the evening made this show for me. It was definitely a great time. Leaving the venue, I couldn't wait for the next night's show to start.
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 09:14:55 PDT From: Josh Cohen [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Albany Review Just some general comments about the shows..... Saturday Night- Tonight was a special show. The band really seemed to play to the 'traditon' of Albany, or maybe it was just respect for this very old and charming city. The entire first set was a highlight. Wilson rocked and the Ghost-Free was unbelievable. I couldn't help but notice how nicely Sparkle and Possum fit together. The second set was also phantastic. Limb by Limb really moved me and although I would never have believed it, it was a great set opener. The 2001 intro was really funky (and long) but the timing during the climax might have been off a little, didn't matter though, the lights were what counted. I couldn't help but feel that the band was making their pitch for NYE tonight and can't imagine what 2001 will be like in Florida. Maybe a set that is just 2001 with many twists,turns, and long corridors?..... Disease was nice and tight and very to the point. The Velvet Sea was so thick! Page's intro was beautiful and sounded like an enhanced Day in the Life intro. Simple was a highligh unto itself. The band started to slow it down last year, and this has afforded more opportunity for little statements from everyone. Trey's lick was was straight from the heart and will not be forgotten. The Simple jamed out for a while and sequed flawlessly into Loving Cup. Wow, what a beautiful buzz... I couldn't think of what the band could possibly play as an encore. It turned out to be probably the only thing appropriate- Slave. But everyone (including the Band) seemed so blown away by the night that I don't think anyone was really listening. I'll take that condition anytime. Special Show- Thanks Guys.
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 22:25:33 GMT From: Tree Top [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: review of 10/9/99 in albany so i came to this show after having seen them on long island on friday night. first off, let me say that getting into this venue sucked! especially after the ease of driving into and walking into nassau coliseum the night before, i can say that i am not a fan of trying to get into the pepsi arena. ran into some friends on the street that i really didn't expect to see, which was a nice way for the night to begin. SET I: because of the huge lines to get in, i missed pyite and the first half of wilson, but i made it in time for "can you still have fun?!" and rocked away for the end of that one. having missed those openers, i was glad to have guyute to help me get into the set. then came ghost with a great, long, spacey jam....great way to settle in. and then my friend calls the move into free....several minutes before it happened. and wow! i love free. i will probably always love it. this one had some great jamming and kept me moving pretty hard through the end. sparkle was a lot of fun. did anyone else hear runaway jim at the beginning? i was almost positive that i heard them start up jim, which got me really excited (while standing on the street earlier that day, a nice phellow in his car held his tape player out the window, blasting jim, so i could dance to it while he was stuck in traffic....thanks). the end of this one got so fast and fun, i was bouncing like crazy. possum got me rocking to finish up the set, but i don't know how you could listen to that song without having to bounce a bit. setbreak: lines weren't nearly as bad as the crowd you had to move through to get to the lines....found the friends from earlier along with others, but got back to my spot to secure myself a bit of space for dancing.... SET II: i heard the chords of limb start up, and wasn't quite sure if this song would be the type to get my energy sky-high for the rest of the set (like halley's comet did for me the night before), but wow! this version just rocked! by the end of that jam, i was pumped and ready for whatever they could throw at me. and they worked into 2001!!! so great to hear. man, that light show is incredible!!! thank you chris! wow. and the jamming on this was just great....as soon as it started up, the funk took over my body for the next long while. the energy on the climaxes is just incredible. i was very very happy to have seen this. dwd! mike fired that one up nicely at the beginning, and the crowd seemed excited for it. nothing too spectacular about this one, but then we settled down for....wading in the velvet sea! yes! the first time i ever heard story of the ghost, i knew i needed to see this in concert. it was a first for me, and i loved it. of course, how could you not love getting to hear page play and sing such a sweet song? thanks for that breather, boys, but can we just dance hard for the end of the set? the answer was a resounding yes. simple got me right back up and dancing hard, with a nice jam at the end. this couldn't be the end yet....loving cup! yes! well boys, if you REALLY want me to dance as hard as i can, i'll oblige.... ok, now i was tired....what would they bring us for the encore? a beautiful slave. what a nice way to end such an awesome set....a really nice tune that just makes you feel so much....i wish more people had been willing to toss their glowsticks/rings....you've had fun with them the entire show....just let 'em fly by the time we're nearing the end, so everyone else above you can enjoy the view.... great two days. thanks, boys....i'll see you soon. ~brl
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1999 20:40:22 EDT From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: The Funkiest Bitch First of all, the guy that wrote a "review" before me was not at the same show last night. In fact he wasn't in Illinois or even on earth for that matter. I think that he has been apprehended by a race of aliens calling themselves the "greys" and has been interrogated to the extreme.It seems that these "grays" have learned how much fun goes down at these shows and have become a bit jealous. So, lately they have been abducting kidz and turning them against theyre own Phamily.... Although I'm embarrased to admit this, I had my doubts going into the show. Coming off of Summer Tour I decided to bank for December Tour and Phlorida. But with the endless amounts of negative reviews , one of my boys came down from northern Michigan and we rolled into Chicago to see what was up. I try to not worry about what anybody else is doing ( custies, teeny boppers, etc. ) and kick it with kidz and phamily. Don't Wade in the Custie Sea bacause that type of shit will only bring you down.Y'all know the potential of goodness on the lot so find security in kickin it with your own kidz. The usual shit went down in the lot (except for the shwag weather wich made cooking scarce and not enough shwills to be bought-- which made this Shwill Kid a Pill Kid ). Sorry girl, I think I'll pass on the P.C.P. Although It might have been legit for the Big Black Furry Creatures. I"m really into all the new shit. So if you keep reading these bunk ass reviews and think that Phish has taken a wrong turn, don't worry, theyve just gone in a new direction. Afterall , isn't Phish an experimental band . I think all you oldschoolers should drop all your Antelopes and Tweezers and Slaves and YEMs and get ready for what's to come. Mozambique is dank ,GBOTT is funky and Heavy Things is fun to dance to. I hear people complaining that this song is too poppy--I think the sickest cover Phish plays ( although they haven't in a while ) is Crosseyed and Painless, by the Talking Heads, an 80"s POP band that obviously has been a big influence on Phish. Anyways, if you're just gonna complain then shut the fuck up and sit in the upper level so us kidz can have room to groove --or even better , stay home. And to the "oldschooler" who was complaining to me on the floor between sets that there isn't enough GAMEHENDGE lately, I agree. I also want you to tell me how many times they've played Famous Mockingbird w/o the Col.? I'd really be interested to learn some "old school" shit from such an "oldshool" expert as yourself. Sorry for being so sassay..... The highlights for me were Div. Sky ( next time you catch it live or just listen to a tape, the trey section after the "note"--imagine seeing a beautiful rainforest for the first time --- I personally had never seen one until the 4th song of the first set ) . BBFCFM was beautiful as always and maybe a little bit extended. The Encore was absolutely SSSSSIIIIIIIIIICCCCCCCKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!! Suga Blew !!! And blew and blew and blew and blew the soul outta that harp!!!!!!! Son Seals kinda scared me when he first came out, but hey that's between him and his leg. IMO that's how PHUNKY BITCH should always be played. Once you hear this, you won't go back to all those ol' BITCHES. I love when Cactus sings, but from now on they should play a recording of Son Seals singin the Bitch. Later-------Juicetin P.S.-- To Mr. Cactus Gordon: "Why do you try to kill me ? " -------- Because you play a sick ass bass and you know it!!
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 02:27:06 EDT From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: review of pepsi arena show night one First off.. getting into tonite's show was an event in it's self.. over 40 doors to be let in through.. and i would say only about 20 were active. if that.. standing in line i hear Punch You in the Eye.. i was still about 5 minutes from entering the arena. But finally i get in.. WILSON.. had started when i found my spot on the floor. it was and average Wilson.. there some good energy flowing from trey's screaming. ..".. Can You still have Fun!!!.. " Guyute.--- very pleased to have this as my first full song of the night... wonderfully placed to get this enormous crowd pumping. played to near proximity of recorded version. GHOST !!! incredible.. need i say more.. mike's playing ... so good.. harmonies of singing were on. the jam just blew me away.. then as it got slower.. and quiet.. They go right into: FREE:........ there was some unusual jamming througout this tune.. i believe only the second time of this tour. i enjoyed it.. not my favorite song.. but great jams.. but only to hear the next tune.. which i've been waiting for.. nothing a little blue-grass cant help ... Sparkle.. very good.. fishman kept the beat on this one so well.. and it's great that they were all on singing for the fast.. " laugh and laugh and fall apart.. etc" i recall them playing providence for the april 98 show.. trey just laughed his way through it.. it was quite amusing. anyway back to this show.. after sparkle.. i was expecting the set to end... but then.. a very enthused : POSSUM.. although they played it the other night(10/7) at nassau.. this one i must say had a bit more energy to it. the intro was more groovy.. the jam was oh so wonderful as well.. I danced myself silly.. that it was nice to have a set break afterwards.. after a nice smoking setbreak... here comes set 2.. LIMB BY LIMB-- a nice song to start the set off with.. it's a great song.. but i would've liked a more funky song to start the set off with.. being that it's following tune.. was .. : 2001....... OH my... about 9 minutes of just pure jam till the song actually lifted off..Trey just manhandling his keyboard like no one else's business.. Page looked a little annoyed that trey kept going on.. i guess taking the attention away from him.. haha. a little humor there.... then trey went into the traditional 2001 sound.. but not to let down.. they went back to the keyboard jam.. Awesome.. very exciting.. then anticipated what could come next.. .. : Down with Disease:... not to exciting.. some good jams at the end though.. Trey was strutting his legs around.. feeling good.. some bluesy jams throughout.. but wasn't the tightest DWD i've seen. Velvet Sea-- what can i say.. i love this song.. it was good to hear it.. but Page's voice was a bit weak. for this one.. not that i was too let down.. just an observation i made.. nice placement though to take a little break and sit for a minute. SIMPLE-- always a nice rockin tune.. Trey through in some nice stevie ray stuff for the small solos in between the regular riff of the song... good jam to close out the song.. a bit drawn out.. but not to shabby. then.. not expected.. they throw out.. LOVING CUP.. stick a fork in me.. i am done.. Not too many words for this one.. too much energy involved.. everyone.. just jamming out.. fishman.. doing some great fills.. treys solos.. just pure Rock n' Roll. great way to end the set. encore: wasnt sure what to expect.. then i heard those chords.. i knew it was slave.. Slave to the Traffic Light pretty groove oriented song for the nights end.. a mostly average version.. got pretty experimental in the middle.. almost as if they were going to kick into something else.. Mike was fiddling around with some funky bass line.. Trey looked confused for awhile like he wasn't sure what to do.. but he found the groove.. and the song picked back up.. the end really well. I had a great show tonite.. i am hear in my hotel room.. still partying going on out on the street.. tomorrow should be a grand night.. i can't wait.. sorry the review was jumbled.. it's been a long night. -chris
hDate: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 23:59:44 -0400 From: todd clouser [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: albany 1st night I headed to Albany for the show, having the albany 97 shows in my mind. Those were perhaps the best shows Ive seen. The infamous bringin the dude jam, the ghost, 2001 > camel walk. My god, anyhow, what I got was not much compared to those shows, but a memorable one. PYITE was standard. Its a great opener, and I dont wanna sound like a complainer, but Ive seen this opener a few too many times - last summer?? Wilson and Guyute - both fun - exciting, not too special as far as versions go, but nonetheless fun. Ghost - phat. Ive never heard a ghost jam and been dissapointed. although I prefer the old version, like others, as compared to the new, the jam was great and set a mood I looked forward to hearing more of. Free - another one Ill never get sick of hearing. Mikes bass solo in this one wasnt as long as this past summers, but it was an intense jam that kind of led into Sparkle - you know how it goes. Possum - i was very excited to hear this one start up. Good jam, not great compared to others, but it was great. Limb - phat, a cool opener, the jam was great, with trey working his shit, I was stoked for a great set and the spacey effects led into 2001 - this was the shit. It was very mellow and spacey with page doin some cool shit. Page is the greatest, I wish he had nore time to shine in this show. The climax was nice as this one was especially spacey and it headed into Mike and DWD - this was cool. Ive heard it a lot lately but its always a great jam for trey to shine and some good dancin around. Wading - this is a great song. It was nice and continued the mellow attitude of the set with a nice solo by trey. Simple - another one that not too many get people excited about, but it was cool, with a beautiful jam and some nice work by page and trey. i really enjoyed it. Lovin Cup - a standard closer - intense , great song, with page providing the always inspiring intro, but I was kinda bummed cause I was hopin there was gonna be a showstopper in this set, but i aiont complainin, at least we have a chance to see such a great band. Slave - phat. Out of many shows, ive only seen this a few times, and its always great. It was a great encore, remindind me of deer creek 98m with bittersweet motel and hood. dont know why, just the vibe of the beautiful mellow songs- ya know? I guess I cant rave about this version, but its enough just to hear, and it was played very well. Stoked for December
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 10:46:24 PDT From: Brendan Smyth [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Review of Saturday 10/9 Well, this was my 54? show and fifth show seeing Phish at the Knick since '95...and I have a few things to say about last nights show. I have caught the Nassau shows and man, they were SLAMMIN', highlights for me included that killer Mikes (listen to Page rip it up!) and McGrupp, and the Tweezer on Friday was rompin' stompin' groove...The whole Tom Marshall gig was pretty funny, (you can never take Tom seriously, and I loved when Trey was doing the windmill guitar swinging...it was Trey, rocker style!) but of all things to stick out, the Fee was really nice.. I didnt get to hear that Fee from Va. Beach 99, and I heard it was really similar...but the quiet, melodic space-like jam that follows Fee is really something else...so on to the Saturday show... The lot scene was jam-packed, people were moving around like sheep, Albany definetly gathers all the kids from NY and new england...lots of VT. peeps were here too, well, It was jam-packed because the Knick is enclosed by another street and theres no where to go, but there was limited vending, lots of mushrooms and Northern Nuggets, and nobody really selling any food...most of the time kids were looking for other kids, and all lost in the shuffle...it took a long time to get in. when my kids and I were at the top towards the entrance we all bum-rushed in because we started to hear the rumbling of Punch You in the eye...I thought it was First Tube from the outside, so on to the set review... First and foremost this show reminded me of Worcester 11/29/98 Sunday, I guess because the song arrangement is similar.... The first set was slammin' but not extraordinary...The Ghost was really long and spacey, and I kinda miss the choppy old style Ghost...remember Albany '97..that Ghost RAGED! >>> Free, on which Mike totally rips it up with that Funky Bass we all know of...man this song got the groove, definetly the bone shaker of the set...and Sparkle is fun, thats it...Well, I already caught a Possum in Nassau and it is obvious that they needed to play it again, man, what energy!, what energy!, they do something right whenever they play Possum...the crowd was so energetic! I loved it! Second set was good shit too...The jam on Limb by Limb was sorta like that Limb>Kung from Worcester 98..it had that quick, melodic groove, and I swear that I was going to hear a Catapult or something...>>> 2001...man this was so damn long, and really mellow, the reat of the set was full of energy, especially the Lovin cup,they were right on, on this set.. At this point I was kinda expecting a little more, like maybe a Fishman song, or a story, or something amusing...but the set was over, and I felt like they needed to play more...but WHAM...they hit us with a killer Slave...such an emotional song, this one really did it for me, it capped off the show in such a nice way...!!! yeah, and next time they play Slave, please be quiet during the quiet parts of the song, people were whistling out of control. See you all Tommorrow!!!!! Brendan.
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 17:29:01 -0400 From: TODD NATHAN [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: albany I'm off for another great night at the Knick and just wanted to note something that neither posts acknowledged. I'm sorry you miseed an awesome PYITE. The post about Trey not letting Page keep on with that awesome funky synth was right on. Page was on fire!!!!! We all love Trey but know that he sometimes powers over Page. I was loving what Page was doing. Chris was absolutely brilliant!!! I wasn't booming but didn't need to. ABOUT POSSUM!!!!!- tons and tons of energy with this Possum. Phish has always treated area to some of the best Possums (SPAC 95) and did so last night. Has to be considered one of the best ever. I simply can't believe that the other reviews missed the biggest part. Trey let Mike play lead for Possum. I was second level but front row right next to the stage and watched in amazement. Trey just sat back by his amp and let Mike go fuckin' nuts. It looked like Mike had has regular Bass but It certainly didn't sound like it. My friend and I had just been talking of how hot Mike and Page were and Mike just amazed me. Sorry to rant on my friends, but MIKE was SO ON FIRE for Possum. Looking forward to another great show at the Knick in a few hours. Peace to all.
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