7-7-00 -- Star Lake Amphitheatre - Burgettstown, Pennsylvania

review submisions to me, dan schar at [email protected] or [email protected]

Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2000 15:56:24 PDT
From: Gary Fischman [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 7/7 Star Lake Review
 
I've read the reviews of this show so far, and let me just say, I don't
agree with the majority opinion which seems to say this show was totally
awesome.  I'm not as down on it as the last guy, Mercatoris, or whatever his
name was, but I would have been had they not pulled out that killer Mike's
Groove at the end.  My opinion was somewhat skewed by strange circumstances
which had me waiting outside well into Divided Sky for my brother to show up
- he did later, but I didn't see him the whole night and was worried and
bumming.
 
(I) The first few songs I heard from the lot, my attention on finding my
brother and later, selling the ticket that I was sure he wouldn't get to
use.  What I heard of Chalkdust sounded raging, but not too disappointing to
miss.  Gumbo and Divided Sky were another story.  With Gumbo, my thoughts
went back to the 1997 show with the amazing, 20 min Gumbo with a jam at the
end that sounded like Franklin's Tower, which I only heard when I got the
tape, because I spent the whole thing in my car on the way in.  This one
funked nicely for a while, but ended way too soon.  When Divided started, I
thought, better sell the ticket now and hurry in.  Little did I know there
were still tix for sale.  I couldn't get much of a deal, since the only
people left outside were Miraclers.  I finally started in on the final
section, which went on for a long time, but never really sizzled like the
version I remember from 1996.  Oh, that sustain at the end, though!
The rest of the first set was strong, but nothing too spectacular:
 
Boogie on Reggae Woman was pretty standard - I went to the bathroom on it
only because I absolutely had to - waited at the door for the final note of
Sky.
 
Funky Bitch rocked.  Page solo well up to his usual, solid bass, just
ripped.
 
Maze - they took a long time to get this one started, but then another great
Page solo burst out.  In the middle of Trey's solo, he started playing a
familiar sounding theme, then Mike joined him, then the rest of the band.
Shafty!  How appropriately placed, as Maze is about being stuck in a
terrible place, while Shafty suggests you could be in Hell and not even
know.  Kind of point/counterpoint.  From Shafty, they shifted smoothly back
into a standard but furious Maze ending.  The definite highlight of the
first set.
 
Back on the Train - nice funk from Page, could funk out for a long time, but
not that night.
 
The Curtain - Yesssss!!  My first since 1995, and I didn't recognize it
until they started singing - just stood there and marveled at what the hell
was this great tune they're ripping out?
 
Character 0 - Oh well, it beats Sample or Cavern, and this was an intense
version.
 
(II)  Unfortunately, this set failed to build on the energy of the first
set.  Instead, the band spent most of it meandering through one limp jam
after another.
 
Ghost - I was psyched to hear this one after an awesome version in Philly
last fall.  But this one was just tepid, a lot of repetitious, waffling
chords from Trey and Page.  Mike and Fish kept up a good groove, but the jam
only peaked once, and then only somewhat, although it was hard to hear over
the crowd screaming at the glowstick war going on simultaneously.  Yes, a
little more volume would have been appreciated - or am I going deaf?
 
Jibboo - Again, this version paled next to the excellent one from Philly
last fall, my last two shows.  Even lamer than the Ghost, Trey's solo was
just too laidback and mild to add much to the proceedings, and then he went
back into the song and ended it.  Just like that.  The song has such an
infectious groove though.
 
Split Open and Melt - Woe is me.  I've been waiting for this great song for
4 years, and when I finally get it, they butcher it.  Not that there was
anything wrong with the composed part, that was fine.  But the jam, after
moving into a dark and scary feeling that could have been built into a
monster, just wilted instead.  Repetitious, boring, lifeless.  Trey started
to pull out of it with a lead, but apparently decided it wasn't worth it,
and the song just ended.  The biggest disappointment of the show.
 
Roggae - After the wipeout that was Melt, I had pretty much written off this
show.  I probably pissed people off around me by saying out loud, "They just
don't have it tonight."  This song came as a relief.  Finally, a song that
was just beautiful on its own, that didn't need a lot of energy to be played
well, that fit the laidback mood of the evening.  I sat down, relaxed, and
spaced to the music, only to be jolted out of my space by . . .
 
Mike's???!!! - What?  I had just about given up on this show.  Stunned, I
got up thinking, I just hope they don't mess this one up as well - it'd be a
waste of a Mike's.  No, they didn't waste it.  Trey served notice from the
beginning that he was taking charge now.  As the fog rolled out over the
stage, the irony hit me that the band was coming out of the fog they had
been in all second set and starting to rip.  A few minutes into the jam, I
realized, this wasn't just a solid Mike's, it was a GREEEEAAATT Mike's, far
better than even last year's Star Lake, or certainly the one on Hampton
Comes Alive.  Then the strobe thing started, and I couldn't resist whooping
and hollering out, "THIS is Phish!"
 
Simple - It seemed late in the set for this one, as it usually goes into a
long spacey jam.  Apparently, the band decided they'd done enough meandering
(although all the Simple jams I've heard have been exquisite), and they
didn't want anything to take away their energy now that they finally found
it.  Simple ended quickly and abruptly.  Then ...
 
Weekapaug - Mike just humped that bass intro so fast and furiously that he
even ignored Trey's attempt to start the song so as to play another round of
ripping riffs.  Then the song started, fast enough to begin with, but
building to such an extreme tempo, it was all I could do to dance in time.
All the while, all four musicians played with searing intensity, but
especially Trey, who just nailed that racing to the finish fluorish he does
so well.  Machine Gun Trey was back, and I was loving it.
 
Frankenstein - Not much to say.  Well played, just like every other time.
 
The show was getting a 3 from me until the Mike's started.  Overall, I give
it a 5.  Summing up, this show was one in which the new school style failed
miserably, but the old school stuff arrived to save the day.


Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000 11:19:18 -0400 From: Gary Nader [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Review of 7-7-00 Finally, Phish has come back to Star Lake!!!!! From what I have gathered and what my friends who have been to the other shows this tour- Phish has been HOT!!! Star Lake is my home venue and also a great place to see a show. I left work at about 12:30 (Yes!!!), arrived in the lot around 3:30- lots of people, chill scene, no trouble from the security. This is the first show that I saw since the craziness of Big Cypress. I have been going to Phish shows regularly since the summer of 95. I love Phish! I love the music, I love the fact that tons of my friends are there and its just great to get away and dance our asses off!!! Anyhoo- the show. I was not going in w/ impossible expectations. I wanted a solid show and that is what we got! The first set: Chalkdust, Gumbo, Divided Sky, Boogi On>Funky Bitch, Maze>Shafty>Maze, GBOTT, Curtain>Char Zero I was hoping for a My Friend or Curtain opener, but Chalkdust so fine. Actually- As they took the stage I turned to my brother and said Chalkdust, but thats not important! The Chalkdust was jammin.....We decided to get closer, then Gumbo started- YES- and did they bring the FUNK! The first Gumbo of the tour proved to be a good one. Page was moving through it smoothly and Mike was getting it on as he did the entire show, esp the 2nd set! We got the Divided Sky that we were hoping for... and it was nice. The ending was a bit different, but still a Divided Sky is rare these days. I started to make my wa down in the pavillion w/ no problems when Boogi On started...WOW- everyone around me were Freaking out...I ended up behind the soundboard. Everyone down there were gettin it on and I was loving it!! Boogie On was not that long, but it went into Funky Bitch! I could hear this song anytime, anywhere. That is one thing that is cool about FBitch is that is can be played anywhere! It was a good..Trey and Page going back and forth and the lights started to take an effect as the sun started to make its way down! By the way- the weather was great- perfect day in PA! As Funky Bitch ended- the dude next to me and I started to talk...They started Maze and we both freaked! This Maze was pretty normal, then Trey started doodling and the rest of the band picked up on it and they went into Shafty! This is the first Shafty since the only one they have ever done- in Copenhagen, Denmark. I was actually at that unbelievable run in Denmark in 1998!! Anyway- I was in a bit of shock that they were doing this and praying that they would go back into Maze and do the HUGE ending- which they did and did well! GBOTT was good to hear. I really like this song, especially that crazy noise that Trey makes, it was a pretty standard version. Next was...Curtain-YES!! I love Curtain and accidentally slept through the Big Cypress version. (I made it through the midnight to sunrise set, but slept a bit too much on the 30th) Thsi Curtain was great- back and forth, it was great to hear them bust this massy song out!! They kind of went into Char Zero. I was happy with the set so a Char Zero set closer was cool. This was one fo the best versions that I have ever heard. I also wish that they would not always close a set w/ this song. It jams and would be a nice opener of middle-of the set song. Just a thought! The set break was cool- met up w/ some friends and partied down. Everyone seemes happy w/ the set and lots of good energy was flowing at Star Lake!! I believe that the set break was about 45 minutes- the usual, if not longer. Sometimes I think that a longer set break is good. Second set: Ghost>Gotta Jiboo, Split Open, Roggae>Mikes>Simple.Weekapaug Encore: Frankenstein Everyone was greatly anticipating the second set. They dropped a Phat Ass Ghost- WOW- Mike was all over the place- just straight up Dropping Bombs! This Ghost rounded out at a little over 20 minutes. I was really into this jam as it went many places. They were having a good time- smiles galore! I cannot stress enough how Mike was on- The crowd really feeding off of him! INSANE!!! The jam ended up at Gotta Jiboo- which is a great song and has been jammed like crazy this summer! This one did not disappoint, but was not as long and crazy as some others this summer. I was happy with the set so far. With Mike going off- they kept it going w/ a Bad Ass Split Open!! I am a huge Split Open fan and always welsome the opening bass line. This version was SWEET! I got a little lost in the middle jam, but they came full circle and Trey went off at they end- (FYI- my favorite version of Slpt Open is 12/29/95 show opener- Huge!) Everyone was boogying like crazy- what a great site -Phish jamming Slpit Open and 22000+ dancing like crazy people! I was soooooo happy! Roggae was a nice breather, but it really wasn' t a breatherv at all. I am a big Roggae fan... this one was a nice, melodic version...My brother and I (among other people) and kept saying that we were definitely getting a Mikes tonight! And we did! Roggae slid into Mikes nicely. It was not the best Mikes that I've heard, but needs to be heard. I was hoping that they would not go into Simple, but they did. It was a decent version, but nothing to write home about! We wanted a Hydrogen, but Mike started Weekapaug with a Bang! God, Mike was going off- seriously!! The Weekapaug was good, really good- it was all Mike. The build up and the end was great and I knew that that was the end of the set. The encore- Frankenstein- AWESOME, but really hoping for another song after, but what can we do?? I love this Edgar Winter Group instrumental! It was thick and hit the crowd hard! All in all- I was very satisfied w/ the show! My girl and I are going to Columbus this weekend!! I cannot wait AND I am surprised that Phil did NOT come out w/ them in Deer Creek, but there is still two more nights and I am sure that it will get NUTTY! I went to Deer Creek in 1996 (Div Sky, Tube, Tela, Maze secong night opener), 1997 -great shows and in 1998- Awesome! My point is that Deer Creek never disappoints! Anyhoo- Phish is on Fire right now and the fall will get better! Take care everyone and we'll see you in Columbus!!!!!!! Gary
Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2000 01:13:09 EDT From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: FRONT ROW!! I don't know how to explain how I felt being in the front row. I have been seeing them for about 6 years and I have been in the 3rd row, all the way to the rafters, never in the front row. I was right in front of Trey, which was a dream come true and the feeling I had was overwhelming, like an orgasm. This was my 3rd show of the tour, Camden were my first 2, and after each of those shows I left very happy. So, I really wasn't hoping for anything spectacular but being Starlake I had a few expectations like the cover tune and maybe Bittersweet, concidering they played it at Camden I didn't think they were going to play at Starlake. I was just happy I was in the front row. I am going to share my feelings with you all, on how I felt the show was. I may be alittle bias. Chalkdust: this was a pretty good opener. Your basic CDT. Gumbo: Great tune. It's been Starlake '97 since I last seen this one and that one was like 25 minutes long. Divided: Always great. My friend who was also in the front row was all smiles with this one. Boogie on Reggae Woman: There is a funny story with this one. Did anyone see a white T-shirt on the stage? I threw it up there. Page picked it up. It had a drawing of the T-shirt with Disco Stu from the Simpsons on it with the saying, BOOGIE ON. Some of you have probably seen this shirt around. It was funny. Funky Bitch: Pretty Good your basic bluesy bitch Maze>Shafty>Maze: Awesome. I was so happy with this one. It was my first Shafty. They pulled that off perfectly. Back On The Train: Sounded good. Curtain>Char. 0: Where did curtain come from. I almost forgot about this one. It has been awhile. Character, not being one of my faves, was welcomed. Trey did a great segue into after the chaotic ending to Curtain. Set 2: Ghost: This always gets me at some point in a tour. Eversince Virginia Beach '97. It was good. Pretty short. Jiboo: My second one in 3 days. This was also short considering the one in Camden was 30 minutes. I don't think any Jibbo jam will touch the one on the 4th. Split: It's been awhile sine I have seen this one. Great version. Roggae: Good tune to slow things down. Mikes>Simple>Week: Never expected another one of these at Starlake. this one seemed so short. This went by pretty quickly. Encore Frankenstein: Good tune I was hoping for something else but it was good. All in all it was great show. it's weird hearing what they say on stage. The other 3 people with me were smiling happy when we left. I was too. I still can't believe it. it went by so quickly it felt like a dream. Thanks for reading, and I will see you at Polaris. Peace Kevin
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 13:10:50 -0400 From: Jeremy Welsh [email protected] Subject: Phish - 07.07.00, Star Lake Amphitheater (Let me apologize for the delay in getting this out; we have had some problems here at work with our In-coming and Out-going mail. Hopefully everything will be up and running later today . . . ) Have you ever attended a show where you felt like you were "inside" of the action? Not behind the stage or directly involved or anything like that, but you were so close to the action that you felt a bit removed? I am not saying this is necessarily a bad thing, but that is a bit how I feel about Friday night's Phish show at Star Lake. All in all, I thought it was a very good show - everyone was grooving hard, the funk was nice and deep at points, and we were treated to some great music. We didn't get Bittersweet Motel or a cover break-out (or My Friend My Friend), but I don't think those "misses" will cloud my memory of my 18th show. I left work around 6:15 on Friday with my girlfriend Laura; we were going to meet my brother, his girlfriend, and my sister at our seats if we didn't see them earlier. I knew earlier on in the week that Laura was going to have to work pretty late, so I accepted the fact that I was going to miss most of the Lot festivities (which is ok - I am sure I will get enough out at Polaris). We really didn't encounter any problems with traffic - I may not have even needed to take the back roads. The procession to the gates were in full swing as I headed in the VIP lane (connections are nice!). Coming in the lots around 7:15, along with parking in the VIP section, were the first things that worked in "removing" us from the normal show activities. Out of pure coincidence, my brother and sister were right across the aisle! Great stuff. We hung out for a while and I did my best to pass out Mockingbird Foundation magnets (now accepting pre-orders for The Phish Companion - check out www.phish.net/mockingbird). Around 7:35, we made our way to the gates; the lines were surprisingly long, the longest I had ever seen at Star Lake actually. I guess they were being a bit more thorough with the bag checks, not even allowing blankets inside. I didn't get checked too hard - it was just a slow process. Now, I knew our tickets were going to be nice - 5th row Page side. But I couldn't help but smile this big silly grin when we got to our seats. I knew this was going to be fun! We were a bit outside (to the left) of Page, but we had a great view across the stage from where we were. These great seats became another reason that I felt I was a bit in front of the action Friday night. It was almost as if the band was playing over us, to the crowd behind. Kind of interesting . . . I had been that close before, but not since Prague 98. And with my last show being Big Cypress, this was a bit of a treat. Everyone around us was cool, and we made quick friends passing out magnets and Swedish fish. Set One: Chalkdust Torture, Gumbo, Divided Sky, Boogie On Reggae Woman->Funky Bitch, Maze->Shafty->Maze, Back on the Train, The Curtain->Character Zero The first set started around 8:16. I was hoping for a Tube or Ya Mar opener, something light and funky to get going. For some reason I didn't really think about Chalkdust - so when it began, I wasn't too thrilled. While it wasn't spectacular, the ten minute version proved to be a good one to get everyone up and dancing - "Can't I live while I'm young?!" Now, it took me a few seconds to ID Gumbo. One of the fun things about being so close is trying to read the bands lips - for some reason, I thought Trey was saying Ya Mar (or maybe my subconscious was putting those words in his mouth). But I quickly started jumping up and down when I realized what they were playing - this was a great surprise, and I thought back to the monster Gumbo that we got in 97. This version was a bit shorter (9 minutes) but featured some funky repetition and some nice playing by Fishman. At this point, I was happy with the way things were going - a full lawn behind me, grooving, positive fans surrounding me, and a beautiful sun setting off over to my right over the lawn. I was in no way expecting to hear Divided Sky. My brother and I talked earlier about hearing this song, but I thought it was a very long shot. Wow. I thought it was pretty well done - the excitement and beauty out-weighed the rough edges. (I loved being so close for the minute-long Pause) As it seemed as though they were winding up, I turned to my brother to see what thought and just saw this huge smile on his face - to our surprise, the ending was drawn out nice and long. (15 or so minutes total) *I really haven't mentioned the playing of the band members yet, so let me just comment on a few things. For this tour, I had been reading the reviews rather religiously, and I was happy to read so many positive postings. And I was excited to hear what all the talk has been about first-hand. So I made a point to try and listen to Page, to see if I could hear him and how he interacted; and I listened to Trey and see if I could hear him lay off a bit; and I listened to Mike - boy did I listen to Mike. ; ) And I did notice some of what people were talking about - Trey stepped-up when he needed to/was expected to, but I did see him hold back a few times; Mike was pretty damn amazing all night, especially that second set (Ghost and Weekapaug!); Page was a bit low in the mix, but I could hear some really nice playing coming from his piano. I actually didn't listen to Fishman too too much on Friday - but imo, you can always count on him. My joy kept increasing with the opening notes of Boogie on Reggae Woman - great song, great placement, and great grouping with Funky Bitch. Very well done. This got everyone dancing nice and hard after the beauty of Divided. I was expecting a longer Boogie On (5 minutes), but the segue into Funky Bitch was pretty good and kept things going. Page took a nice long solo on the piano during Bitch, and Trey answered back a few minutes later (Funky Bitch was about 8 minutes total). *From our vantage point, Page reminded those of us in my group of Schroeder from the Peanuts - with his hands upwards above his head as he played the keyboard above his piano. Just kind of funny . . . The opening cymbal of maze was unmistakable - and should have been predicted. In the past, Maze has been a great Pittsburgh song, with a few versions dedicated to Mario (in 95 and 96). I was looking forward to Page's solo and wasn't disappointed - he was playing some heavy organ! And the Trey solo wasn't too strong, and actually had some good interaction with Page on piano. About 7 minutes in, Trey kept repeating a few notes, but I really couldn't ID it - he kept looking over our direction, to Page, probably hoping Page would pick up on what he was playing. It took a few moments, but everyone caught on . . . and Trey started singing Oblivious Fool, er, I mean Shafty. wtf?! I really didn't think this was planned, as I think Trey needed to convince everyone. Wow - the first Shafty in 145 shows! It was played for about 3-4 minutes before the band headed back into Maze. Very cool . . . (15 or so total) Get Back on the Train seemed decent, I guess. I have to admit I am not a huge fan of this song - so I headed to the restrooms. And while I was in there, I heard the opening notes that I just couldn't recognize from inside . . . but as soon as I got outside, I ran to my seats - The Curtain! Very cool to hear this one (funny, though, missing the beginning; I missed The Curtain at Big Cypress, not knowing when they would start that 2nd Set.) This was well played . . . my girlfriend turned to me and said "This is a weird song" - yes, it is, I guess. And I was getting all into the climax, as they built and built and . . . Aaarghh. The transition into Character Zero was rather ugly. They just kind of halted Curtain, and tripped into Zero. Oh, well. We were already at 75 minutes into the set, and with the Chalkdust Torture opener, I guess Zero would have to do. All in all, a very interesting and cool first set. Lots of surprises, very dancable, and a good way to start. I was happy . . . I think they were playing Stanton Moore at set-break (All Kooked Up?). Used the break to meet up with my friend's Rich and Jenny, ran into Marc (lovin' the beard), and relaxed. Set Two: Ghost->Gotta Jiboo, Split Open and Melt, Roggae, Mike's Song->Simple->Weekapaug Encore: Frankenstein My friend Rich was actually stubbed-up by some friends, who were only two rows behind! And while we were taking our seats, Rich kept saying he was holding out for his AC/DC Bag and Ghost - well, he got at one. And boy what a nice one it was. The Ghost was very well played, pulling in at about 22 minutes in length, and started things off very well. Mike was nice and fat through-out (actually, for about all of the set!). At one point, about 17 minutes in, it got nice and slow reminding me a of a 2001 sort of jam; it was at this point that Trey played with is keyboard, but that was actually really limited (almost not worth noting). It was about this point that a bit of a glow stick war began - while it was kind of cool to watch the lawn during the war, it definitely was not cool that someone hit Mike. Why would you try to throw a glow stick at the band? I do not understand . . . The Ghost picked up just a bit, getting nice and funky, as they transitioned rather well into Gotta Jiboo. Should have seen it coming . . . Again, this was very well played. Page and Trey had some really nice interaction going about 4 minutes in. Kept the funk going for about nine minutes. There was a bit of discussion after Jiboo ended - I guess Mike wanted to tell everyone that this was his set. So they kept the funk going with a tight twelve minute version of Split Open and Melt. Wow, was Mike on top of this one. Mike had a great solo early on, with Page adding some organ work and Trey holding back a bit. So great to see him slapping like a madman from so close. The jam really started to take off seven minutes in, with Page contributing with his "chunky" organ. The transition back into SOAMelt was done rather well. Roggae was a great break. Boy, do I like this song. Very nice, giving everyone a bit of a breather. Now, I have been noticing a -> from Roggae into Mike's, but I didn't mark one down in my book. I guess the opening notes of Mike's did come out from within the closing Roggae jam, but it wasn't that note-worthy a transition. By now, four songs into the set, I had stopped thinking about what they would play next - so the Mike's came as quite a surprise. Two years in a row for Star Lake - and my expectations jumped, hoping for a rival for last year's monster (or something that could compete with Big Cypress). And while this Mike's was good, it wasn't as big as those versions mentioned above (imho). The Mike's lasted for about seven minutes; as I was hoping, the jam turned a bit dark and Kuroda joined in with some evil red lights (along with smoke that completely enveloped Fishman and Page). *I haven't mentioned the lights. And it could be that we weren't able to get the full effect being as close as we were. But I did notice them during Funky Bitch (cool pink lights), Maze, Mike's, and Weekapaug. I can't get enough of those "Strobes" that spin vertically, as though they are running really fast over the stage. I was hoping for something other than Simple to come out of the Mike's, but Simple came. And it wasn't much to speak of. I always like Trey's little lick after " . . . a band without bee-bop" but that didn't come through. And I really like the jam after the singing is done, but that didn't last too long. I did notice some nice work by Page near the end of the 6-7 minute song. I was really prepared for a Hydrogen, telling Laura to keep her ears open - but what we got was a rather abrupt (and kind of tough) transition move into Weekapaug. Huh. Maybe they wanted to be done with the set. But even though the segue was a bit troubling, my worries didn't last for long as Mike started slapping away. God, he was all over the place! Really good opening, with things slowing down a bit for the middle part. But just as I thought it was going to end normally, I was proven wrong again - Trey just kept building, faster and faster. I wrote "super fast!!! (piper)" in my book - it was really cool, with Trey egging Mike on, and Mike stepping up to the call. This got a huge roar from the crowd . . . Very impressive. Let's see how it transfers onto the tapes. With a build-up like this, I knew it was going to end the set. And it ended with a huge smile on my face, with hugs all around. "Lighters are pretty" I wrote down during the pause - as we turned around, the whole expanse of the big Star Lake lawn was covered with lighters. It was a nice scene . . . I was really hoping for a Bold as Love, to go with last year. I kept saying it was Page's night (with us standing right there) and while his playing was very good, from what I could hear, he hadn't sung anything yet. So with the opening notes of Frankenstein, I was hoping it was the first of two songs. But alas, I would have to deal with a solid version of the Edgar Winter song. I think they might have been tired, or couldn't decide back stage what to play, so they pulled this one out. No worries. I left Star Lake Friday evening very happy and satisfied - while there really wasn't any mind-bending, type II jams, Phish did treat the 22,000+ in attendance to the first Divided and Gumbo of the tour, an interesting Maze->Shafty->Maze, a great grouping of Boogie On->Funky Bitch, and a second set featuring a great, slap-happy Mike. You know it is a good show when Laura was grooving along, and was still smiling when we left. ; ) It was great to be so close to the action - but as I tried to explain above, I felt a bit like they were playing "over our heads" to the lawn behind. It made for an interesting time of watching and observing, and I found myself talking about what was going on on stage a bit more than usual. But it was nice to be dancing with so many friends, treated to so many smiles and laughs. Friday night at Star Lake only helped in increasing my excitement for Friday and Saturday in Polaris. Thank you, Phish, once again. Holding out for a My Friend in Columbus . . . jeremy welsh "I call Architecture frozen Music." -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, (1749-1832)
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 13:38:42 -0400 (EDT) From: Harrison Clement [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: star lake review first off, this was my only show of the summer tour. my last show was 12/15/99. pittsburgh was my 18th show. being the only show i'd get to see until fall, i was really hoping for a huge show. that kind of expectation only sets up for dissappointment. luckily, i wasn't all that dissappointed. we got to the burgettstown around 5 but were stuck in traffic for a good hour before getting into the venue. apparently al gore was coming to some restaraunt called the pepsi roadhouse, which is right next to star lake. i heard that al was a zappa fan; maybe he would come by to check out the phish show. we drove by and saw a cool-looking helicopter parked on the restaraunt lawn. the lot scene was bigger than i expected sinced pittsburgh was out of the way for all of the tour-heads. we met some really friendly people. at 7:30, we strolled into the ampitheater onto the lawn. we sat three or fours rows back from the front toward the center. good seats, nice music before they came out. they always play some weird shit before the show starts. i've heard everything from total hick country music to luscious jackson. they came out at 8:15 and opened with chalkdust. i thought it was going to be a killer version because trey was building up unusually slowly. but then mike was taking charge and brought the jam to its climax a little early; you could tell trey wasn't ready but ck5 followed mike and trey had no choice. it was still a firey version. then gumbo started which was awesome. i wanted to hear it so bad and was ecstatic when they started it up. the funk started and i thought it was going to stretch out. after a little exploration, they didn't really find anything worth pursuing, so they stopped. divided sky started which really got things going. right after the pause, the helicopter i saw came around from behind the stage and circled to the lot and lowered out of sight. yeah al! i hope he stuck around for the rest of the show. (just as long as he didn't dance - have you ever seen that video clip with him and tipper cutting a rug? - disturbing). a really good divided sky - maybe a little cut off at the end. then after some discussion, boogie on reggae woman. this is one of my favorites - being a beginning bass player. mike just went to town and really set the tone for the rest of the show. it was definately mike's night. page was doing some coool stuff too. funky bitch was a spirited one and well placed. nice page solo. nice trey solo. then maze started and was pretty cool. page really got busy with the dark tension and release style. then, when it was trey's turn, it seemed like he didn't really have anything to say (which was true for most of the night), so he forced a shafty segue. interesting but not a show stopper. then back into maze for a standard but great finish. get back on the train seemed like filler at this point. a chance for the band to relax into something well rehearsed. the end was stretched out with some interesting interpretation from ck5. i started to really dig this one. but then it ended. the cutain was a pleasant treat. played really well. i love old trey tunes that seem to pop up randomly. i knew they weren't going to close the set with that but was surprized to hear a character 0. it didn't seem like it fit. it was a good one with the audience chiming in. i'd say the set was average. they didn't know what tonight was going to be like and the first set told them what to focus on in the second set. the set break was pretty cool with some mmw playing over the speakers. we moved away from the annoying people we were next to during the first set. they were obviously not paying attention to the music, which is fine. but when they are talking the whole time about how drunk they were at "john's house the other night" and invading you're dancing space, they tend to suck. it seemed that the crowd at this one was a little younger and more immature than what i'm used to at phish shows. maybe i'm just getting older. the new spot was cool. ghost started up the second set. this was definately a good choice because mike needed some more time to show off. the jam was very interesting. it jus kept geting more intense, while sticking to the same basic groove. you could tell that the boys were having a great time up there. a glowstick war started up which seemed appropriate. (though i am against glowsticks, but for glowrings). gotta jiboo was a great choice for those that like to dance. a first for me. trey was feeling it and was trying some really obscure riffs to turn the jam to type II. they were almost melodic and had great potential but needed fishman to break out to get going full force. fishman stayed where he was so they went back into the song and finished it out. split open and melt was a great choice for this point in the set. the crowd had yet to receive the hose. the jam started off real well but seemed to fizzle out rather than get stronger. oh well, it was still great to hear. i don't really like roggae all that much, but this seemed perfect here. mike was absolutely beautiful. much more melodic that trey. it was awesome. (don't get the impression that trey was bad at this show. he was just quiet and much more focused on the groove and adding to the band rather than controling it.) than trey started up mikes. i was surprized because i thought they were going to save it for alpine. but being mike's night, it's only right that they played mike's groove. i've seen a buch of mike's, but this one was up there at the top. mike was going insane. he was so into it. he was playing supportive bass rather that taking the lead, but it complemented trey's fast, intense guitar incredibly. they really belted this one out perfectly. then they went right into simple. it started out great but instead of going up and down the scales like he usually does, trey busted into ambience. after about a minute of that, mike tore up the house with the weekapaug intro. but he didn't settle down at all for the rest of the song. he was on fire! he was fucking his bass hard. it was like the bass was this direct channel into his frantic mind. faster and faster, he was still coming up with new shit. unbelievable. i was in complete awe (and i thought o'tiel might have been the one to look up to. nope. mike isn't flashy like victor and o'tiel. but when he does show off, he is king.) frankenstein was great for the encore. i love the part where page first comes in. cool as usual. all in all a great show. but most phish shows i go to are great, so it was average. i can't wait until merriwether and hershey. -harrison
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 15:01:37 -0400 From: Felix Gottdiener [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: starlake review This was the only show of the summer for me and three friends, so i went into it without any high expectations. traffic increased our trip from buffalo to about five hours, but we made it there at about 8:20, let my friend park and go to his pavilion seat, and went to will call. we missed chalkdust and gumbo(shit!) but made it just in time for the pause in divided. Divided: The crowd was really into this one as trey took his solo. it is awesome to see 20,000 phans jump in time to the music, like surfing a wave. we could pretty much see the entire crowd from where we were on the lawn. the ending jam built up to great heights, and the crowd moved along with it. Boogie On: WOW! This was already shaping up to be a great setlist, regardless of the show. Everyone was dancing as they moved from the lyrics into some funky space, type 2 stuff. This tune has potential for some great funk jams, but after a short time Kuroda turned on white flash-of-inspiration lights as they moved into: Funky Bitch: I wasn't sure this fit, but the crowd loved it. It definitely kept everyone dancing. As the solos started Page began to rip! He was on fire in a way that I have never heard before, on tape or otherwise. It was as if the band had said "Alright Page, give 'em all youve got." He took us through some great jazzy jamming, building the energy over and over again. It really stretched to confines of the solos they usually do in this song. Great stuff. Treys solo was good, but typical stuff. Maze: Wow. One song I definitely was not expecting at this point. Strange lyrics for such a nice evening. As the jam started it was page again, totally leading the way. Down into some really dark rock explorations. It was great to see him taking control like this. They built it up again, and trey started playing a riff which i thought was just improv but was actually the beginning of: Shafty: Wow, didnt know what this one was until trey said "oblivious fool". a definite surprise. Maze: The band exploded back into Maze and totally nailed the ending. Awesome. BOTT: At this point i didnt really matter what they played. they decided not to really jam on this one and cut it pretty short. Curtain: WOW! One song I really wanted to hear but didnt expect to actually get it. Although they seemed a little rusty, I still loved it. The sang the vocals like true arena gods. Character Zero: Nice choice for a closer, even though its not my favorite song. During the jam, they didnt seem to be able to get the energy going. The set so far had been all about page, and trey didnt rip as much as he usually does. they eventually got it going though, and finished the set in fine fashion. Setbreak was pretty long. I got back on the lawn with time to chill before: Ghost: The band stared a funky jam that got everyone moving before introducing the theme. Ghost is a great way to start the second set. The jam almost immediately moved out of funk into more rock territory, with Mike really laying down some great lines. This was no doubts a great jam, but it started to get repetitive. I wish they had given it some room to breath and explored more. Eventually trey started playing the riff to: Gotta Jiboo: Oh, what i would do for a Ghost>Sand...but it was not to be. I hear the 7/4 Jiboo was a huge yawning behemoth, but this one didnt really go anywhere. it fell on trey to guide the jam, and he really wasnt going anywhere tonight. still a nice jam. Split: Awww yeah!! My first ever. The jam started very funky, with lots of blue coloring (music and lights). Even with that little addition they managed to funk it up. The crowd was really getting a kick out of being knocked off by the weird time signature. They dropped it before long and moved into complete free form. The jam got far away from Split territory, slower and funkier, but it didnt really move anywhere. Just stayed down there until we didnt know what song they were playing. Not especially good or bad. When they started playing something recognizable i thought it was a segue but it was actually the end of split. Roggae: I love the jam the have been doing lately where the beat shifts and they just start to build, and Mike and Fish wasted not time in getting to that point. Very nice. It built beautifully back into Trey's raging chords. Mike's Song: Wow. This was a great choice. Mike sang the vocals like he meant it. Once the jam started Trey really seemed to find the energy he was missing the rest of the show and started to rip. Just a hard rocking Mikes, not evil at all. Very cool. This definitely got the crowd going. Medium length, hitting the end chords ferociously, then a uncomfortable segue into: Simple: I normally like this song, but it didnt hit tonight. The segue into was kinda botched, and there was no jam, just a pause then paug. But Mike was solid on the lyrics, that about the only good thing I can say. Weekapaug: Very long Mikes solo, Trey started the chords then backed off and let him funk some more. He was on fire! This was a short but very intense weeakapaug. Trey ripped it up finally. A great closer. Encore: Frankenstein: Great choice. Not as intense as it could have been, except for the page and fish solos, which totally ripped. Overall: Very fun. The first set was better than the second in terms of jamming. Get the tapes, if only to hear page absolutely tear it up on Funky Bitch and Maze. If Trey was really on this would have been a truly great show, but it was still a lot of fun. great crowd, venue and security. I am very excited for my next show, the band seems to be headed in the right direction. -felix g
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 00:05:44 EDT From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: 7-7-00 Review Finding our way to my last show of the summer was a whole lot easier than in Jersey. I loved it when we cut through West Virginia. 70 mph speed limit means drive 85! Fun! The campsite was way down in the corner of PA, about an hour from the venue, so we went there first and then had to deal with some crappy Mapquest.com directions to get up to Burgettstown. The lot was weird. First of all, they charged $7 to park, which is outrageous, especially when the tickets say right on them "$2.50 parking fee included." Okay, sure. But whatever, we were there to see a concert. Set 1 Chalkdust: They start this off and my friend and I look at each other like "okay, fine, I guess," because that�^�^�s what they opened 6-28 with, the first show we saw this summer, with only 6-29 in between. But Chalkdust always rocks, and it basically sounded like 6-28�^�^�s. Gumbo: A real pleasure to hear this one. A pretty rare tune, too, so much that you always want to hear it but rarely think of it. There was a nice groovy jam, pretty chill too. Trey�^�^�s still a little subdued on the soloing, so I�^�^�m waiting for him to crank it up. Divided Sky: Now, you never really think you have the balls to call a song like Divided before a show, but I basically did, and man was I soooo happy when they whipped this out. Just the kind of song that puts a smile on your face. Boogie on Reggae Woman: I like this song, so it was good to hear. Now forgive me, I may have this mixed up, but I believe it was during this song that Page had just an amazing turn at the piano, just fabulous. If I�^�^�m wrong, then it�^�^�s during Funky Bitch, but I�^�^�m pretty sure it was here. Funky Bitch: Another repeat from our last show, but I don�^�^�t mind, this one�^�^�s a real rocker. Maze: Finally some Rift material, which my friend and I were denied at PNC. Page took a very extended organ solo, doing some weird stuff. Page was probably thinking, Trey gets all the solos, so I�^�^�ll take this opportunity and run with it. Shafty: Wow. Very surprising. When Trey said the first line I couldn�^�^�t make out what he said, so I thought he was just talking, but I recognized Shafty by the second line. I guess it�^�^�s a simple enough song to segue into if you�^�^�ve got the right beat. Maze: Of course they were going to finish it. A strong Maze, and a very surprising insertion of Shafty. Back on the Train: I�^�^�m not going to complain, it�^�^�s a good little song. I still think it�^�^�s unusual that the Free riff is stuck in there. Curtain: Another pleasantly surprising rarity. Character Zero: Another repeat from PNC. I�^�^�m ambivalent on this song. It rocks and all, but I dunno. I knew it would be the set closer, since they love to close stuff with this song. But I'm glad they got it out of the way early instead of deciding to close the show with it, a la 6-29. That kinda bummed me out. Set 2 Ghost: Very good, pretty weird stuff. There was a glowstick was in this that my friend who we were taking to his first Phish show really enjoyed. A really nice Ghost. Gotta Jibboo: Okay, yes, another PNC repeat. I really feel sorry for Mike during songs like this and Sand and First Tube because he just stands there indefinitely doing the same thing while Trey gets to mess around. It sounded for a little while late in the jam like Mike was ready to break free of the looping bass line, as he started to play variations on the line, but then he went back into the standard bass line and the song closed out. SOAMelt: It took the Big Cypress CDs for me really to get into this song, so I was pleased to hear it. It seemed like they wanted to go further with the jam, but they brought it back into the composed outro before that could happen. Roggae: Now I personally like this song, especially live. The jam (that is, the stuff that�^�^�s not on Story of the Ghost) really isn�^�^�t a jam; it�^�^�s bascially the same every time, but I like it nonetheless. It�^�^�s a chill, almost beautiful (there, I said it) song. Mike�^�^�s: Now here�^�^�s a PNC repeat that I�^�^�m definitely not going to argue with. This Mike�^�^�s raged, with Trey playing as fast as I�^�^�ve heard him play in recent memory. (If you ask me, it seems he�^�^�s slowed down a little. By choice or circumstance, I don�^�^�t know.) Simple: My friend, the one seeing his first show, was really pleased with this one. Man, his face lit up, so it was worth it for me. This was a pretty abbreviated version. Weekapaug: Yeah, Mike tears this up every time, and he didn�^�^�t stop tonight. More shredding from Trey. I especially liked the ending, where Trey starts strumming faster and looks at Fish to get him to speed up the beat, and the whole song just gets crazily fast. I think there was a little holdover in the outro when it seemed as if they were still a little accelerated. Encore: Frankenstein: Another PNC revival. But I like this song a lot. It�^�^�s a real hard rocker, and my friend, who�^�^�s a drummer, was really digging the drum solo. So I�^�^�d say it was a really strong show. Highlights would probably be Gumbo, Boogie On, Maze>Shafty>Maze, Ghost, and the Mike�^�^�s Groove. Afterwards we figured that by the time we found the campground in the dark, and set up our tent, we�^�^�d get like 3-4 hours of sleep due to work the next day, so we just drove straight home from the concert and rolled in town around 5 am, just in time to see the sky lighten up.
Date: Sun, 09 Jul 2000 16:38:08 EDT From: Matt Panza [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: 7-7-00 review I usually go to a Phish show feeling quite nervous whether it will be good or not. I've seen my share of below average shows and not enough above average ones. Most of my tapes from shows i haven't seen are just spectacular which leads me to believe that Phish IS awesome, i just go to the wrong shows. I've noticed the reviews from this tour have been mostly positive and the setlists seem more experimental than recent years so i went to Star Lake with high hopes. Now i think i can say that i have finally seen a truly great show put on by the biggest and one of the most talented jam bands around. Phish was really together on Friday nite. They didn't waste time building up the energy when they threw Chalkdust in our faces. Yes, i agree with all who've said the volume was low throughout the show, but the sound quality was fantastic. The thing that impressed me totally about the show was that Phish didn't let their jams get pointless or end up drifting into ambient space that leads nowhere. Even throughout the extended jam after Ghost, they still had focus. By the way, if i were on top of the pavilion looking down on the glowstick tossing, i would think that it would be the most fantastic sight. But being in the middle of the crossfire makes me feel like i'm naked in a hail storm. AND PLEASE DO NOT THROW AT THOSE GUYS ON STAGE. Anyway, back to the show. I felt that every member of the band contributed to each jam and stepped forward when necessary. Fish pounded away on Char 0 and made the song swing back and forth. Trey made Roggae shine with gentle playing. Page's solo on Maze was truly sinister and kept us lost in the maze. And Mike... he kicked our asses all nite with thump after thump. And when he wasn't thumping he was weaving intricate designs on tunes like % Sky. Thanx alot guys for creating great music. See you in Columbus.
Date: Sat, 8 Jul 2000 12:38:20 EDT From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: star lake review I just got back from Burgettstown and whew boy, was that one hell of a rockin', tight show. This was somewhere in the 50's as far as number of shows and I was incredibly impressed. I saw the boys play Camden and I got what I expected from the venue, but this was night and day for difference in mood and show. Lot was kickin, no problem vending and tons of good energy. You could feel a good show in the air. Beautiful night, I had seats under the pavillion which seemd a must after the lawn on the third(can you say soggy), but the wheather was awesome. Boys soundchecked with back to back dog logs, big teaser as it would be but still promising to say the least. I wont do a song by song as it seems popular, but rather an overall review. Opened tigfht and fast, good chalkdust, funky gumbo- smooth divided. The Soud in this place is incredible. Mike was off the charts, divided was so appropriate with the whether, and beautiful. Boggie on was sooo unexpected but completely welcomed. It was shjort but really funky, leading in to an off the charts Funky bitch. I am a little tired of this tune but not tonight baby, oh yah. Maze was deep and dark with an equally deep Get back on train. The nclose out a HUGE set with a crisp curtain and Character 0. I cannot begin to explain the how tight the band was during this unusual set and how alive and energetic the band was, feeding and looping off each other to a tee. Then we were blown away by the second set. Mike took over from the beginning with an UNBELIEVABLE Ghost, so tight and fast. Just as the light sticks got outta control and one hit Mike they pulled out and did a really fast Jiboo. I was bummed at first because it felt like the boys pulled out because the crowds was getting too hyped, but all they did was change the lyrics, Mike pulleed them into the same wavy bass groove that settled in for the rest of the set. Mike-simple-weekapaugh, what can I say, the band was a machine tonight. The communication and energy at the core of each tune was just amazing. By far one of, if not the best Weekapaugh I have ever seen, never seen Mike sooo Fast, reminded me of Wooten. I am sorry the review was much longer than I planned, but check out the tpaes and you'll know why. Namaste
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 00:49:47 -0400 From: Chuck Vion Jr. [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Phish 7-7-00 Few would disagree that this show was awesome. I too felt the energy and good vibes throughout the air. I've seen over 30 shows including all the big ones through the course of eight years and this was one of the best! The music was clean and tight with an imaginative setlist. They didn't zone out and produce noise for a 30 minute song. Most fans would rather hear a variety of songs, am I right? I gathered from staying the remainder of the weekend in Pittsburgh(A rock'n city), that Phish doesn't have a huge fan base in that area. During the summer months the average age is much older than many other cities. The fact that one could still get tickets the day of the show helps attest to that. So, the bulk of the fans traveled to the show. The very KIND setlists and groovy jams laid down may have been a Thank You to all those on Tour. I was lucky enough to be a part of that concert. Unfortunately I do have some bad news. While at the show our truck, parked under spotlights, was broken into. The thief took the driver's prescription eyeglasses along with other valuable items, yet some things of value were left behind?? Who steals someone elses eyeglasses? The perpetrator even used one of the stolen credit cards for gas before the cards could be canceled. Luckily I was tying one on inside and had my cash and license with me. If not, I wouldn't have been able to fly home to New Hampshire. The parking lot scene was chill so I was surprised to learn of the robbery. It seems that the fan base grows at the younger end of the age spectrum much faster, giving us young fans without respect for themselves or others. I don't want to acuse or stereotype anyone, there are tons of good kids out there, but there seems to be an increase of bad ones at the shows. I want the crowd of Phish fans to be as diverse as their music, but we all must respect and help each other if we want to keep the vibe positive. I know a number of older fans who have dropped out of the scene because it is getting too sketchy, too many instances of theft and violence. That's not what those four incredibly talented and caring musicians are about. Can't we all just get along. Sorry, didn't mean to get on a soapbox. The thief could just as easily been a townie. Everyone have a Phun Philled tour and I'll see ya at the Tweeter Center. Oh yeah, for those who sat in traffic Friday night, use your map! We found another way into Starlake and sat in only 15 minutes of traffic, and that was to park.. Late, Chuck
Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2000 00:54:51 EDT From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Star Lake After sitting in traffic for nearly two hours it felt good to hop out of the car to be reunited with all my phriends. The lot scene was much chiller than I remember Star Lake being so the night was off to a good start even before we headed inside. My friend and I sat in the pavilion for this one and after eagerly waiting for half an hour the boys finally came on. A song by song breakdown isn't necessary, but the first set rocked. Chalkdust was a nice way to get the crowd rockin', the highlight for me though was the Divided Sky followed by a groovy Boogie on Reggae Woman (my personal favorite). The boys were definitely hot and I was ready for a killer second set. I was pleasantly surpirsed to hear the opening chords of Ghost followed by a funky Jiboo that the crowd definitely was into. Unfortunately I was a little dissapointed by the Mikes > Simple > Weekapaug. First off, they played basically the same thing last year at Star Lake, and secondly it seemed that the boys wrapped this one up too quickly with this standard jam, although anyone who saw how crazy Mike was jamming was not dissapointed. Frankenstein is always a favorite, although a Rocky Top first would have been nice. Anyways, overall a good time with an especially sick first set. It's been a phun summer tour so far, bringing out all those things that only summer tour does. Everyone with sundrenched smiles and that look of timelessness in their eyes. Hope all you guys are having a good time too, let's ride this wave as far as it will take us. See y'all on soon - John
Date: Sat, 8 Jul 2000 08:00:34 EDT From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Starlake 7.7.00 For any phans going to the show, there was no better way to have a pennsylvania day. talk about beautiful-infact, many people were complaining that they got sunburned in the parking lot. Anyways it was a great festive atmosphere (as is always guarenteed with a phish show) and i was stoked to be there. The boys opened with chalkdust torture, which i don't think they played since PNC Arts Center. a genuine rock song, you know? after looking at setlists i could feel divided in my bones (but not until after gumbo ofcourse)...Boogie on reggae woman was just jammin right into funky bitch and just when you think the jam has been laid out, maze crawls out of its hole and they take it to town. thank god bott was better then conan. It seemed it would be hard to top the first set, and when i heard ghost my heart about sunk. unfortunatley i've seen this one too many times (as i'm sure others have) and i worried that we would get a bouncing, bold as love, or god forbid another squirming coil in the burgh. but hell no, gotta jibboo showed its face and i was loving it. this is usually the second set opener, which although common, would have been better then ghost. right after jibboo my buddy beth and i booked it to the little girls room only to here the fist three notes of Split open and melt---we booked it out of there. walking back to the stage it was great because people everywhere were singing "down down down, we breath deep..." i love this crowd. anyhow, roggae took the level to serenity for a few until the band busted into mikes>simple>weekapaug. similar to last year, yet missing my left toe. anyways page busted a funk on the groove and anyone who saw a brown haired chick with gems in her hair and a pink shirt on (me) would know how absolutley i was loving it. frankenstein was the encore, not one of my personal favorites. sample or dirt would have rubbed me better...but i'll just have to wait till the creek! pura vida phish phriends Dawn
Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2000 11:57:54 -0400 From: c [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: star lake 7/7/00 This show was sweet. It was my first phish show and it definatly won't be my last. There was ton's of energy before the show in the parking lot. We got in the venue several minutes late due to crowds at the entrance. It was definatly one of the best concerts that i have seen. chris w [email protected] p.s anyone have any spare columbus tickets
Date: Sun, 09 Jul 2000 23:10:12 EDT From: katie goad [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: 7.7.00 Starlake A great time for my first phish show. Never had an experience quite like it. Not like any other concert I've ever been to. I started at the top of the lawn and just HAD to boogie my way down to the back of the pavalion seats. Unlike seasoned Phish followers, who seem to be not thrilled with repeated songs...I was completely exhilarated to hear ANY song for the first time live. Chalkdust got everyone moving. Divided Sky is a personal favorite. I as well as the audience welcomed it. Off the new CD, Back on the Train is one of my favorites. I once said to my boyfriend who graciously introduced me to Phish and took me to this show, "Phish sounds like a couple guys riding a train." Many of their songs just remind me of a crazy train ride. We were dancing to Boogie On and I said that I would like to hear a train song! So along comes Train. The first set was great...the second set was even better. Ghost was awesome..but Gotta Jiboo was amazing...its also one of my favorties. The glowstick things were going crazy sometime around this portion of the show....so cool. The lights also went crazy sometime toward the end of the show...if you weren't trippin already, you would've been after that. Frankenstein left me wanting more...even though i was freezing. I would have stayed all night to listen to more jams. All in all...a great show. My best ever. Kate
Date: Sat, 08 Jul 2000 17:11:10 PDT From: "James Derdock, Jr." [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Star Lake Review I started out the show in a bad mood because my water was "over 20 oz." so I couldn't bring it in. I ended up paying 3 bucks for a water and they wouldn't even give me the bottle. Oh well. The show opened with Chalkdust, which is not too exciting to hear anymore but I don't mind it. However, I really minded it this time because the volume was down A LOT lower than usual. Unfortunately it stayed like this the whole show. I didn't really get going until Boogie On. I called this one before the show and was excited to hear it. After a good Funky Bitch, they broke out Maze which was wacked out. It had a super dark and almost evil feel to it which was spooky and great at the same time. The transformation into Shafty was perfect and it was perfect back into Maze. This Maze>Shafty>Maze may be one of the best things I have seen at a Phish show. The rest of the set was inspired as well, especially Cuirtain. I got over the volume thing once I got into the music, but some people didn't. I think this is one of my favorite sets I have seen. I didn't feel the second set was as strong, but by no means a disappointment. The Ghost was unbelievable, but the rest was pretty standard. I enjoyed Mike's playing in Weekapaug. He was going off and Trey started to come in, but Mike gave him a look like "Wait a minute, I've got more" and he just kept going. I can't wait to here that on disc. I like Frankenstein as an encore, but here the volume really ticked me off. Frankenstein NEEDS to be loud. Page sounded great, but just way too quiet. Overall a good show, but Boogie On through Ghost were unbelievable.
Date: Sat, 8 Jul 2000 01:13:19 -0400 From: Joseph Scaletta [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Starlake review Chalkdust opener: Standard - but not loud enough. The volume needed to come up a notch all night Gumbo: Rare (1st this year?) Serious type II jam after verses Divided Sky: A surprise - well done - the crowd begins to lively up. Boogie On - Sweet but cuts off short with excellant seguae into : Funky Bitch - Go Mike! Maze: Sounded excellant with smooooooth transition into: Shafty: wow. surpise back into Maze Train: Almost expected the Shafty>Maze reprise to close the set. Standard but sweet. The Curtain!: Wow - from out of nowhere Character 0 > Sweet transition from Curtain - jammmmmmmin' Long first set with some nice surprises. Excellent weather and a cool scene - not many hassles. II Ghost: Solid > Gotta Jibboo Hot, crowd definately into this newer tune. SOAM: funky but basically standard. Roggae: Nice placement and great transition into: Mike's > Simple > Weekapaug: It was due. Whole crowd was shaking their asses hard. E: Frankenstein: Sounded great. We were expecting a Velvet Sea afterwards but this ended the show. I could go into further detail about each song but I won't. The show was excellent and the boys are sounding great these days. They seem to have gotten away from the continuous type II stuff from 99 and are really mixing it up. Trey is playing some inspired jams these days ( in my humble opinion. ) Thanks! Joepa
Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2000 01:55:04 -0400 From: Robert Montgomery [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: phish I gotta tell ya, they seem to like this place. StarLake seems to capture them in a festive mood.
Date: Sat, 8 Jul 2000 01:35:31 -0400 From: Jake Mercatoris [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Phish 07-07-00 I'm not going to do a full song by song breakdown, because I don't feel that this show warrants such a thing. I only have one word for the show as whole, however, and that is nothing but WEAK. These are some of the most talented musicians on the planet, and they have the most capability, but they churn out a run of the mill performance like this. I'm truly disappointed. Jake
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