8-10-04 - Tweeter Center, Mansfield, MA

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Date: Thu, 12 Aug 2004 22:29:54 -0400 From: Jeremy Stein Subject: 8-10-04 Great Woods This was to be the last of our Phish shows, I could think of no better venue as I have seen a great number of shows at Great Woods (NOT THE TWEETER CENTER). The traffic coming in was horrific, some of the worst that I have ever seen. Once we got into the lot we were told there was no more parking, but my wife leaned out and told the parking attendants that she was 8 month pregnant and we got bumped into the handicap parking and made it in just before AC/DC started ripping. It felt very fitting that our last show began with such a good vibe (one of many with the band over the years) As many other reviewer has already said, it was not the best show ever, but it did serve as a retrospective for me. Each song brought me back to another show in another city with different people hearing the same song. Theme from the Bottom is not one of my favorite songs, but it is the song that I have heard the most and that made me smile. The Harry was the embodiment of all that is good about Phish. By the end of the song my mouth was fixed in a permanent smile and I was smelling Play-do (all that is good in the world) All told, not the best but still a great end to a great decade. Thanks boys jeremy
Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2004 15:02:18 -0400 From: Lester22 Subject: Phish Review 8/10/04 Great Woods (Tweeter Center) A few thoughts on last night�^�^�s show, the first of my grand finale run of Phish concerts. First of all, let me note that the traffic leaving Great Woods was so bad that I didn�^�^�t get home until after 3 am, causing me to be pretty much totally wiped out all day today. It didn�^�^�t help that the cops on bikes treated my cousin and myself like we were part of the Bataan Death March. Seriously, talk about truculent and unnecessarily surly. We were sitting outside of his minivan, chilling out after the show, waiting for the traffic to clear a bit before attempting to leave. Suddenly, three bike cops come up and huff, �^�^�Pour out your beer and leave, NOW!�^�^� We say, �^�^�OK, fine, we�^�^�re leaving, no sweat,�^�^� and proceed to commence packing up. Well, apparently we weren�^�^�t moving with enough alacrity, so they stood there and screamed at us for a few more minutes before leaving to harass some other peace-loving guys. Incredibly annoying, and made worse by the fact that upon getting into my car, I didn�^�^�t move for a full hour and a half. Hence the late arrival in Boston and my grumpiness today. (It�^�^�s wearing off �^�^� the second show approaches, which has a correlative effect on my mood.) Anyhow, on to the show itself. Some general notes: overall, a solid show. Nothing too inspiring, nothing to write home about, but also nothing that stuck out as being horrible. Trey played well, and didn�^�^�t commit any of the mental mistakes that he has been prone to making in recent years. The boys were tight and the singing was in key, more so than usual. Page was particularly impressive with his fingers. The atmosphere was nice, a little euphoric, a little sad, and a little bit overly anticipatory, as if the crowd expected the second coming of Jesus Ernest Giuseppe Christ. To that end, let me note that there is a certain element of people at Phish shows that really bums me out and detracts from my enjoyment. These are the people who are way too fucked up and behave irresponsibly, whether it�^�^�s stumbling around like a lost child, getting sick, saying inappropriate things or talking at an inappropriate volume or during a quiet song, pushing, crowding the bathrooms, acting very impatient, and just generally being Not Cool. Look, I have no problem with recreational drug use at concerts �^�^� God knows I have done my share at Phish shows, and last night I was happy and high �^�^� but be responsible. Don�^�^�t let yourself turn into an asshole, people. We all love this music, we�^�^�re all here for the same good vibes, so be aware and be considerate. The tunes, in brief: The preshow music was the Buena Vista Social Club, which put me right in the mood for the show. SET I:AC/DC Bag �^�^� What a great way to open a show. I had been humming it earlier in the day (along with about a hundred other Phish tunes) so I was psyched to finally hear it. An extended jam, but nothing too inspiring. Heavy Things �^�^� This isn�^�^�t one of my favorite tunes, so I was less than thrilled to hear it, but again, they played it well. Punch You In The Eye �^�^� Well, this was a nice surprise, seeing as I have never heard it at a show before. An oldie but goodie for us older but gooder folks. Wolfman�^�^�s Brother �^�^� I love this tune, and they did a fantastic job of it, getting into some really nice jamming at the end. I was a bit dismayed that they didn�^�^�t play the accelerando section, but hey, that�^�^�s the beauty of live jams �^�^� the music goes where it is supposed to go. Also, I kept wishing for horns; this ties into my greater wish that they�^�^�ll bring out the Giant Country Horns for at least one set between now and Sunday. Theme From the Bottom �^�^� Another of my favorites. I spent a lot of time wishing the people around me would lower their voices. Also, I was impressed that they nailed the vocal fugue at the end, since I�^�^�ve heard them screw it up many times. Birds of a Feather �^�^� I don�^�^�t love this song, but it was rockin�^�^� and they had a nice jam at the end that went to a lot of different places. Trey teased �^�^�Simple�^�^� a few times, which got me all sorts of excited, but they never hit it. For the rest of the show, I was calling �^�^�Simple�^�^� as the next song out of every jam, to no avail. Oh well, perhaps tonight. The intermission music was Miles Davis�^�^� concert from 1964 called �^�^�Four and More�^�^� featuring George Coleman on tenor sax. I love this album because Coleman wasn�^�^�t the most amazing saxophonist, and he plays out of his shoes on it. Very sad when they cut off a solo of his to bring out the band for the second set. OK, maybe not that sad. SET II:Mike�^�^�s Song>I Am Hydrogen>Weekapaug Groove �^�^� I knew they�^�^�d play these three at Great Woods. Weekapaug is only about an hour and a half away from here, and I�^�^�m sure there were a lot of audience members who had been there. Myself, I�^�^�m from there. Literally. Weekapaug is a village that�^�^�s part of the town I grew up in, Westerly, RI. So I have spent many days on the beaches in Weekapaug. I was psyched to hear Trey�^�^�s finally tell the story of where the song came from. Apparently, in the summer of 1987, the band was playing a private party in Weekapaug, and the song �^�^�December 1963 (Oh What a Night)�^�^� by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons came over the radio in their Plymouth Voyager. Someone in the band changed one of the lyrics to, �^�^�Tryin�^�^� to make a woman match your moves,�^�^� and phishtory was made. The three songs were all great, and the end featured a nice, solid jam. A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing>Piper �^�^� Trey wrote this for a friend of his who is a sailboat captain. I�^�^�m not a big fan, and it seemed like the band isn�^�^�t either. Pretty uninspired playing; could have passed for a studio track. Piper is a perennially favorite, but it�^�^�s actually one of the Phish songs that I actively dislike, so I was less than thrilled to hear it, especially given what it came out of. Makisupa Policeman �^�^� Man, I love this one. Just to hear it makes me happy, I almost couldn�^�^�t care less how they play it. The secret word was �^�^�Cactus,�^�^� and instead of Trey referencing a spliff, he said something to the effect of, �^�^�Woke up this morning, drank a cold glass of milk,�^�^� which got a chuckle out of everyone. Dog Faced Boy �^�^� Wow. Totally unexpected, at least by me, and a lovely, lovely surprise. If the people behind me could just have shut their faces for two minutes, I would�^�^�ve enjoyed it even more. Friday �^�^� Eh, this is another take-it-or-leave-it tune for me. Last night, I could�^�^�ve left it. The vocals were very rough in spots, and it�^�^�s just not a really interesting tune. But fortunately, they followed it with�^�� Harry Hood �^�^� Damn, what a great show closer. The glowsticks were a-flyin�^�^� and the jam was a-rockin�^�^�. Thank you indeed, Mr. Minor. ENCORE: Possum �^�^� Whoo! Another great one. Very solid, and it�^�^�s just a fun tune to begin with. Well placed, good energy, and I can�^�^�t stop grinning when I hear Trey play that distorted guitar hit right after the lyric, �^�^�Someone hit a Possum.�^�^� I was hoping for another encore, but the silly blue laws in Massachusetts mean a large fine for anyone who plays past 11 pm. Fortunately, I get to see a whole different show tonight. I am expecting it to have a completely different feel, at least in terms of energy from the band and song selection. Still dying for a Simple, though�^��
Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2004 13:44:40 -0400 From: pell2 Subject: Phish show review-8/10 Mansfield My first ever review but a�fan since '94. Let's start with the lot before the show: � My friend and I were situated way back into the farther-most reaches of the lot on the left-hand side against the woods, which turned out to be a very chill spot (no cops or security ever came by, great for pissing only a few steps away from the car, and the best spot to hear the soundcheck-which I couldn't make out what they were playing anyway, but still nice). Never left the spot to see what Shakedown may have had to offer (not in the mood to trip out tonight-maybe tomorrow night). Instead, we sat and quaffed a few Sammy's, smoked a little schmoke, talked about the previous night's setlist�at Hampton and what they might play tonight, and went inside about 7:15pm, a half-hour before the band got onstage (unbeknownst to us, otherwise could've enjoyed another beer). � Now I'm not one to break down each song measure by measure; rather I give my feelings about the sound of the song itself overall. I'm actually pretty easy to please as I see many people seem to be quite critical of Phish's shows and song selections. Take it easy pholks, this is not the Sox in the World Series with Trey surrendering the walk-off homer to lose it all. If he flubs a few notes or even if the band plays a slow (even shitty) selection, my night's not ruined and neither should yours'. On to the show........ � Set One: � AC/DC Bag:��� Was a very good opener, crowd was happy and singing along. This one went pretty long too, about 16 minutes if memory serves correct. � Heavy Things:��� Every time I read someone's review with this song in it, this gets trashed. Yes, it's very pop-y, but it's very�special to hear (especially for me as I had this played during dinner time at my wedding last year). Again, the crowd was singing along word for word so it didn't appear to bother anyone. � PYITE: Excellent! Crowd going nuts now, especially during the build-up to the HEY parts. This had at least one additional (encore)??? I'm sorry, I don't know the word to describe the ending of this song, but you may know what I'm talking about anyway. � Wolfman's Brother: Very nice slappy funk laid down by Mike. Not a very long version either, pretty tight.....about 8-10 minutes. � (Side Note): Now, we're four songs into the set and so far, this absolutely wasted funknut next to me has managed to slowly get under my skin with his completely out-of-it head bobbing and spinning around�while staring at the�people behind us. I don't care what you do at the show, but please keep it in you own space! This assbag (although we had an empty seat between us) was literally resting on me at times, rubbing his greasy "not washed since IT fest" hair against my back. I managed to gently shove him off me and that was finally the end of it as he was nowhere to be found during the second set (thank goodness). I wouldn't dare start an argument or fight over something as little as that, but seriously, it bugs the shit out of me to be bothered like that during "my band's" last performances. OK, enough ranting.... � Bottom: Awesome to hear. This may be the last time we hear this tune as it's not frequently played. Pretty short version though; didn't ever really get to that "rolling" drawn-out ending, but still cool. � BOAF: Another tune that I see people getting bored of-not me! Love this tune although this was not your standard 8 minute Birds. This one got spacey for a while (at which point someone in front of us yelled "Get ready for 'What's the Use' !"). Once I heard that, it was time for a bathroom break as I was made susceptible to that 15-20 min. piece of crap the last time the boys were at Tweeter Ctr in Sept, '00. Alas, they did not go into WTU and instead kept BOAF going for a good 20-25 minutes altogether. � SETBREAK: Nothing much going on � Set Two: � Mike's Song>Hydrogen>Groove: Fantastic! Simply fantastic! My favorite Phish sandwich! Although I didn't notice anything spectacular, it was still mind-blowing. Mike's rocked, Hydrogen was mellow and sweet, and Weekapaug sped everything right back up. After Weekapaug, Trey took the mic for the first time tonight and gave us the story of the origin of that song. Of course, I already knew about Weekapaug (being from RI, and making several trips a year down to Misquamicut Beach-the best beach in RI) but it was nice to hear Trey mention it. � ASIHTOS: One of the best new songs from the album and one that my friend had wanted to hear. Pretty heavy version, but was cut fairly short (around 6-7 minutes) to go right into � Piper: Boy, they sure do love playin' this tune. Third time this tour so far and almost a guarantee to hear at Coventry. This one didn't get out there too much and was cut short by Trey (rather abruptly) and led into � Makisupa Policeman: Cool tune. Reggae vibes. Key word was something to the effect of "Woke up the other morning, drank a pitcher of soy milk" which is kinda funny because my brother is a vegan/religious nut and drinks that crap. Can't really say anything about it, I've never tried it. This tune was short and sweet and ended after about 5 minutes. � Dog Faced Boy: Doesn't qualify as a bustout, but only the second time played since haitus ended. Obviously, a slow-down but nice to hear as Hoist was the album I first purchased. � Friday: Quoting someone else's review�of a show in June, "You could almost hear a collective groan through the crowd". Actually, it wasn't almost; I distinctively heard a collective groan and why not? This songs stinks! Actually, I can take it (as I said, I'm pretty easy to please), but not right after another incredibly slow tune. Kinda ruined the mood and made me think twice about downloading this show, but it's only 6 minutes of boredom so I'll go through with it. � Harry Hood: Alright! We're back in this! Nice version, nothing out of the ordinary. Fairly weak glowstick war. (This has been said hundreds of times but I must concur, STOP THROWING THEM AT THE BAND!! It's so fucking stupid as to think what could be going through the person's mind at the time they throw it. Do you want to hit someone and cause the band to stop playing? Get a clue!) � Encore: � Possum: The only thing I called all night and it was a good one. Excellent song to close a night with and get us thinking about the possibilities of the next night's setlist. (I also close this as the song to close Coventry for the contest, we'll have to see what happens) "Your end is the Road".........Indeed it is. � Until the next show and Coventry. Steve P
Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2004 13:43:53 -0400 From: Carmine Nardone Subject: phish show review 8-10-04 "You deserve better and once I was it" I really took guts for Trey to stand before a SOLD OUT Great Woods crowd and sing that line, mainly because it is so true. Last Night started off on the right track, and after a BIRDS 1st set closer, anticipation could not have been higher for the second set. Many friends told me Hampton was ok @ best, and I think we were all waiting for the house to come down. Unfortunately, the second set was filled with the worst of Phish. I'm not saying the set was horrible, but it never hit stride. The mistakes were numerable, and the frustration was obvious. I'm starting to look @ this whole last run a little differently now. I just hope we can hit a point of TRUE MAGIC @ least one time. Trey pulled @ my heart during DOG FACE BOY. "But ask me, and I'll do anything for you." I don't have to ask...you already know what I want. oh, and from the bottom of my heart...THANK YOU.
Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2004 08:59:04 -0400 From: mark or karen Subject: Phish review Aug. 10 2004 Great Woods Tuesday, August 10, 2004 Tweeter Center Boston, Mansfield, MA Set I: AC/DC Bag, Heavy Things, Punch You in the Eye, Wolfman's Brother, Theme from the Bottom, Birds of a Feather Set II: Mike's Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing > Piper, Makisupa Policeman, Dog Faced Boy, Friday, Harry Hood Encore: Possum I thought the Tuesday "Great Woods" show was great. The opening AC/DC bag rocked out and then evolved into a heavy syncopated jam that went on and on, without becoming too repetitive, which can sometimes happen with these guys ;-) Punch You in the Eye and Wolfman's Brother were also very well played. The band seems to be reaching in a new direction, searching for a new sound, which is both refreshing and poignant, given that we won't be able to see how this sound would have evolved over the next year or two. A great Mike's Groove opened the second set, again very well played. The middle of the set was somewhat mellow until Harry Hood appeared. Overall I preferred the first set, but the second set was certainly enjoyable. Hoping for a rockin' Great Woods closer on Wednesday! Mark A. - Nashua, NH
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