From: James Treworgy 
Subject: 12-31-91 NYE reflections

Howdy All,

Just got back from NYE show... I didn't keep a setlist but they played just
about everything you would expect (i.e., no big surprises... I think they
had this one pretty much figured out before they hit the stage).  Not to
say that's bad.. the show was killer!  They were really on fire.   

The "New Aud" is a pretty cool place, great dance floor, unfortunately no
alchohol sales (but you could buy some non-alcoholic brew for only $3.95!!)
I was near the soundboard during the first set and the sound kind of sucked,
couldn't hear a word being said (what did Trey say during a song break in  
the first set???)... but after that I moved up front and the sound was
fantastic!!!

High points for me included... divided sky (1st set), runaway jim, and
the entire third set...  the most incredible Mike's Groove I have ever
heard. The jam in Mike's song was driving! This was a very sizable
chunk of the third set.  Forgot 1st encore, second was rocky top
(yay!) and then tweezer reprise ended the show.

Wierd points: I thought Antelope (2nd set) was pretty strange, halfway
thru the beginning part Trey started doing the end part (y'know the
chords where they are singing "run run run run run run run run"), and
it was otherwise generally wierd.  Squirming coil (3rd set) was pretty
strange too, but sweet!  And it took about three or four tries to get
started on Esther, which was killer (one of my favorite tunes ;-}
(And what was that thing Trey was doing at the beginning of Wilson?
Some kind of little digital voice thing saying "fuck you fuck you" ...
he was getting a big kick out of it).

Anyway, to sum up... hot show, great performance, no skeletons from the
closet. 
--  
James A. Treworgy    "And it all would be so crystal clear, if it wasn't for
jamie@digex.com         the foam..."            jamie@sun.astro.wesleyan.edu

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From: Matt Laurence 
Subject: A Phish in every pot...
Date: Fri, 3 Jan 92 00:33:46 -0500


Howdy, phishpholk!

Yes, the New Year's Eve show was intense. The first
set, maybe set and 1/2 was only mediocre, but things
definitely picked up after that. The new lighting and
sound systems were absolutely used to the max, and the
new Minkin painting is stunning - depending on the
lighting Topher uses on it, it can resemble a startling
array of different images and colors. Incredible.

Did anyone think that the light show might have been just
a TAD overdone? I loved all of it, but at the end of the
show when the fog started billowing out again and all the
lights went on and the siren lights started spinning, it
seemed like something approaching and Iron Maiden concert  
(I'm assuming, never having been to one). Just an observation;
I certainly liked ALL of it.

Well, the boys have hit there first major coup in "the big
time." This was the largest venue they've ever played, I
believe, and the sold out show was a roaring success. I  
particuarly liked Trey's Aul Lange Syne over Buried Alive
2 minutes before midnight (and how about those confetti cannons!).
Excellent. Simply excellent.

The only way it could have been topped (besides them having played
something a bit more obscure and surprising than just McGrupp,
which, for those who do not know, is NOT a new gamehendge song -
it is the ORIGINAL gameghendge song, the one from which all
others sprang. Don't ask me why they didn't include it in the
Thesis) is if they had let me bring the PhishNet shirts
into the New Aud and hand them out. But, as many of you discovered,
no such luck. So as a result, I am going to start sending them out
ASAP (tomorrow and Saturday, whatever time I can snatch), and
they will be to you as soon as is humanly possible (given the
limitations of the US Snail Mail service).


PICTURE OF NECTAR!!!!!

Matt

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From: Hayduke lives! <92MDB@vax.cc.williams.edu>
Subject: NYE and stuff

If anyone can stand any more comments on NYE, here's my $0.02:

First, the show was amazing.  And the crowd was also pretty cool.  The  
costumes and "creative formal attire was really excellent."  We stood
next to Santa Claus!  And some guy was dressed up like Waldo from those  
Where's Waldo books.  When I went up to the balcony to visit some friends,
we played a live version of "where's waldo."  No scroll.

Second, I met a few netters.  It was good to put these anonymous names with
faces finally.  I used my real name when I introduced myself though, so I'm
not sure how many people recognized me!  

Third--and this really shows how cool the band is--Phish did a dedication in
the first set just befor the divided sky.  Trey said, "We'd like to make a  
dedication to someone who's had a tough last five months or so.  Chris
Gainty, if you're out there, this is for you."  Here's the story behind  
that.  Chris (who lives in Paxton, near Worcester) actually introduced me
to Phish back in 1988 sometime.  He's been a fan for a long time, and has
been to a lot (25+) shows.  Well, he got hurt really badly in a car crash
this last October (five months, three...what's the difference), and was  
in a coma for about three weeks.  Well, he finally came out of it and is now
walking and well on the road to recovering fully.  But sometime during that
ordeal, a friend of a friend of a friend of his wrote to Mike Gordon (whom
this person went to school with) and asked if Phish could maybe do something
to make him feel better--send a tape, visit, a card.  Well, NYE was Chris'
first outing since the accident, and Phish gave him his present:  a dedication.
What an excellent band.

That's all for now.

--Mikey  (Mike Bruce in introductions)

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From: WYDL9273%WOOSTER.BITNET@ohstvma.acs.ohio-state.EDU
Subject: NYE show

Well, the NYE show was outstanding. It was only my second show, and quite a
treat.  After the opener (possum) I turned to a friend of mine (his first show)
who had a huge grin on his face and said "And that's only the first tune."  I
really enjoyed the light show, especially the strobes near the end and the
lights shinging on the disco ball sending little eyeballs of light zooming
around the Aud.  The siren lights didn't really do it for me, though.  The
painings were really cool.  By the third set, which I thought was by far the
most intense, I was almost too tired to dance!
        A note on the jumper: (a friend of mine saw most of what happened)
Evidently, the guy (dressed in a pregnant nun costume) was playing bongos
somewhere in the corridors when security came along.  He dropped the drum and
ran down the hall then up the stairs to the balcony (sending at least on guard
sliding on butt).  Once in the balcony, he moved to the railing and when the
guards came towards him, climbed over the rail and hung there until they were
on top of him, then dropped to the floor (making his escape, I guess).
        I hope noone was hurt when he fell.  Other than that, i thought the
whole thing was sort of funny.  Not that this is the sort of thing that should
go on at Phish shows, but I enjoy seeing security guards outfoxed.  Earlier in
the show, the guy had passed us and mumbled something about what he had for
sale which is probably why he ran in the first place.  Opinions as to whether
this sort of thing belongs at a Phish concert will probably vary greatly, but
all in all, it added to a great night of Phish and Phun.

Fuck 'em if they can't take a joke.

-David

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