Date:    Fri, 20 Nov 1998 22:24:38 GMT
From:    Soulish 
Subject: Greenville and Winston Review

these two shows i think fit very nicely with each other and since i only get to
go to two shows this fall i like shows that fit to-gether.  The first set of
the Greenville show was good, i found the energy a bit lacking, both on the
fans part and the band, but whatever they were lacking there they made u p for
it with a really fun set.  Starting off with back at the chickenshack (no one
knew what this was so we had to wait til after the show to find out the name)
which was a really nice way to start off the show, i had a really strong
feeling the Birds was next, and i was right.  The birds was a pretty tight
version, and went strong for a little while then ended.  and they did farmhouse
next, i liked this, nice slow song, but not too slow (like say Robert and
Brian) The Lawnboy was great, anytime we can get Page out singing like a lounge
singer i think is great, and mike had a nice solo.  Then Love me which mike
hammed up was pretty funny.  My soul, my third, and apparently for all the
people around me the song they all came to hear, i dunno i like page's little
jam but trey's solo never really does much for me here.  The Gyute we got to
see next was about as close to a flub free preformance as i've ever seen or
really heard.  That song is always great fun and the crowd really loves it.  I
was extatic when i realized they were playing Bowie next as i've wanted this
song for a looong time. really nice version of it, pretty mellow through most
of it though the energy did get up there but i knew the set was over.  The
Carolina was pretty funny though we all knew what was coming when the mics came
out.  the flub was on fish's part, but page said it was his fault, but reallyit
doesn't matter.  this set was only an hour and ten minutes, but that's pretty
good time i say.

Second set go started with a bang.  Wolfman's was really well played, i really
liked it and the jam started to take on a very free like progression (at least
that's what struck me at the time) and then a minute later i got my show wish,
 LIZARDS--- a guy at setbreak had told me we'd get a gamehenge, because i had
my Gatorade/Gamehenge shirt on, and so i was extatic (tho i knew he wanted the
full gamehenge, and knew this was all we'd get).  Page's jam as with all his
jams these two shows, was really good, tho the crowd would scream when he got
really quiet, and be quiet when he was loud, but alas.  Moma dance had a  short
intro which ticked me off, b/c i loved Black Eyed Katy and think that the jam
before the lyrics but what we got was energy packed.  Alberquerque, usually a
bit of a let down, but here it was soooo perfectly placed i really liked it,
and anywya it only served as  a launching block for slave.  The slave was
excellent, the tension and release was perfectly done, and this really got the
crowd into it i thought.  The fluffhead was well played and high energy with a
really tight end jam before the final fluffhead.  the character 0 obviously
cued me in that this was the end of the set, but it was pretty good, and as par
a fun song.
for the encore we weren't sure what to hope for, but robert and brian wasn't
it, so we knew that wasn't all.  and trey picked up his acoustic and we got a
nice sleepy song, which i spose was ok, but i don't know about having it in the
encore, the DFB was nice as well, but knew this couldn't be it either.  and so
we got a nice coil.  pretty well played, and a beautiful jam at the end.  Page
was chatty after lawn boy and coil  mainly just thanx, and "ya'll are too
kind".  Overall the show was really good and fun, i won't rate it as i have
nothing to compare it to, meaning that on a 1-10 scale what would be 10, could
there be a phish show which was a 1?  anyway

-----

11/18/98 - BiLo Center, Greenville, SC

 
From: JamesPage6@aol.com
To: andy@gadiel.com
Subject: FALL_REVIEW

11-18-98 BiLo Center Greenville, SC
I. Back at the Chicken Shack , Birds Of A Feather, Farmhouse, My Soul,
Guyute, Lawnboy, Love Me, David Bowie, Carolina`
II.Wolfman's Brother  Lizards, MOMA Dance, Albequerque, Slave to the
Traffic Light, Fluffhead  Character Zero
E- Brian & Robert, Sleep*, Dog Faced Boy*, Squirming Coil

*acoustic

ok this is my first review and just 2nd show here..so bear w/ me!!  but i
have around 30 shows of PHiSH...includin a bunch of 98s..so im NOT a
newbie! My seats were Upper Bowl 219 M..pretty high up, but kinda cool to
get the "god- like view"!  when the lights go down and the show
starts...this dank haze covers the entire stage!!!  i was gettin the
feelin....(of a phat show!)  


First Set:  Back at the Chicken Shack...nice nice!!!  i think its a bit
longer than the version on 10.30 (which was called Down and dirty blues on
the hpb earlier).  one thing is for certain though..from the first song on
i could feel page gettin his groove on..this was gonna be a special
night...  very nice version..dankness startin to sneak up from first song
on. Birds...WHEW!!!  trey had a longer than normal solo version goes into
Farmhouse ala Farm aid...not the best ive heard but i dont think it was
all that bad.  In fact it was quite sweet with Trey pouring in emotion
with the solos. next was My Soul...i like to sing along, crowd responded
very well to this one.  the entire scene was very sweet...the emotion and
energy were in the air. Guyute..standard solid performance
Lawnboy...Page croons to left side of audience..very nice..he gets drowned
out at the end by applause  he responds by saying "y'all are too kind!"
very nice Love Me..dont really care for this one (i dont like Mike singing
that much--cept catapult and mike's song)
David Bowie...nice 20 min long funked out jam, trey does the end theme
noodling for 5 thrill repetitions with very spacey interludes instead of
the standard 3. they get up and...
break into Carolina!  but they're off key and forget it so trey says
"we're gonna do it again" this time carolina is much more crisp.  page was
leadin the boys in the song, snapping fingers.  good end to 1st set

2nd one...
i missed beginning of wolfman takin a leak, but the jam was really really
funky! it kinda flows into  Lizards!!!  Grrreat song...i love it!  very
tight performance with page adding a little more than the usual in his
solo parts. whew!  this 2nd set was what id call "Shit eating"...you know
how trey gets into that mode when he's really "in" the solo..he starts
that huge shit-eating grin, and moving his head back and forth?  well he's
doin that a lot in this set!  damn..this is taking longer than id though
but anyway, back to the review ok..MOMA....MIKE IS JUST RIPPING THE
CHEESE....entire crowd was diggin it, dancing around, he was awesome.
entire song very tight and funky. perhaps my fave of the evening
next up is Alberquerque...theyre slowing the pace and energy down to set
up this next one...i feel it....
SLAVE!!!  the opening intro is short, but not bad.  but the jam after
"seethecity", is soo nice.  emotion is pouring outta the 'doc, and
everyone is just flowing with trey.  awesome...SHIT EATING!  didnt expect
it but next was...
FLuffy!!  my favorite phish song of all time....in fine performance.
maybe the best ive ever heard outta the 98 versions.  page as he has been
all nite is ripping up his sections.  the organ buildup was very phat.
whew...and then the part that is labeled "Part 5: Bundle of Joy" on Junta
in fluff's travels has lyrics!!  mike (or fish?) says something like "it's
nothing but my bundle of joy"...very funny!  best song of the nite id say,
but many close to it  Character 0, i dont really like this song all too
much, but the trey solo was pretty nice and the crowd was singing the
chorus ending!

now the encore
Brian and Rob...not really into that song, hoping for a phat funk encore
song...next one trey gets up...and breaks out the acoustic!  plays a quiet
song called Sleep (trey announces the title).  dogfaced boy is next, good
clean version...trey then puts up the 'coustic...but he picks up the 'doc
back!!!  Squirming!! perfect end to a perfect nite, while page has an
extra long, bootiful solo.  this one was an excellent show...one of the
better shows to check out the tapes of!

thanks for your time
and keep feeling allright
James                        



Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1998 12:17:39 -0500 (EST)
From: Joshua Parsons jdparson@edisto.cofc.edu
To: andy@gadiel.com
Subject: Greenville Review

Andy, I hope this is the correct address to send this to. If not sorry..

Bi-Lo Center, Greenville, SC 11/18/98

The first set was interesting to say the least. I knew what to expect
given the past few nights setlists. However I was hoping for something a
little bit stronger to kick off South Carolina's first show in 2 years.
We all remember how sketchy North Charleston was. But overall the first
set sounded better than some of the previous sets leading to Greenville. I
liked "Back to the Chicken Shack," however I feel it is not a strong
opener. BOAF was pretty standard. I like this song but man we need to give
it a couple shows rest. If Phish were to shelve this song and bring it
back sporadically like Free, life would be much more pleasant. Farmhouse,
finally woke me up. To all those who dislike this song you need to get
offyour "high" horse. This song is beautiful and was one five songs that I
wanted to see in the SC-NC-Hampton run. My Soul= standard, nothing
special. I am really not at all impressed with this song, we need to put
this one into retirement. Then things started getting better.
Guyute...well well. Life started to spawn in the Bi-Lo center. And then
Lawn Boy. THANK YOU PAGE!!! I have been waiting to catch a Lawn Boy and
always miss them. It was excuted quite well with the exception of some
minor microphone problems. Treat me Like a Fool. Not Bad but was looking
for something to intensify then situation and then it happened. One big
phat-assed Bowie. Very nice, tight, and musically precise. Then funk, I
mean "cow funk" was starting to make its appearance. To end the set, and
we knew it was coming during some point of the show or other was Carolina.
What happened? They started singing the for the first time but aborted
about a couple of bars in. The band, obviously having a very good time,
was dying of laughter. Fish explained that it was his fault and they
started again. A tribute to those who live in Carolina and its sketchy
ways. Thanks guys... Set two: OH MY FUCKING GOD!!!!! Whatever happened at
setbreak I don't
know.. The boys definetly pulled it together for that second set. FUNKY
Wolfman's kicked it off. Did anybody else hear the Theme and Free teases
at the end. But I am certainly not complaining in their choice not to play
either of those tunes but instead bust out one of the best Lizards I've
heard since Great Woods in 94. I love this song and it was very well
played and then followed by one of the best new songs. MOMA DANCE, super
funky but it was obvious that Trey wasn't in much of a phunky mood last
night. He ripped out guitar riff after guitar riff. As an "old-schooler" I
was in heaven. And not to worry it keeps getting better. ALBUQUERQUE. I
LOVE THIS SONG. very very nice placement and a very beautiful rendition. I
hope that they do not overplay this one though..What was to follow this
made my whole show. SLAVE= the best version that I have ever heard. I had
goose bumps the entire time and was lost in the churning of Trey and Page
as they ascended to the absolute beauty of this song. SLAVE was followed
by FLUFFHEAD. Very nice again. The energy at this point was near meltdown.
Although I somehow knew that a Fluffhead was coming again I wasn't
complaining because it was phat!!! and lastly CHARACTER ZERO. NICE. tight
closer but what would they encore with?
ENCORE: Brian and Robert. At this point I was thinking "ARE you fucking
kiddin me?" If they had ended the show with this song, which I do like, I
would have been extremely pissed. But somehow I knew that tis wasn't so.
Trey went acoustic and busted out a new tune which had been played on the
West Coast. He finally gave us an official title SLEEP. Very beautiful.
But moving on to third encore and explaining of a longing for acoustic
songs he reached into the bands never ending bag of tricks and treated us
with a DOG FACED BOY. My first and I must say that was impressed. Now
would this be the icing on the cake. NOPE!!!!!!! Back to the electic for a
very rare quadrupal encore. Squirming Coil. Short but beautiful and by far
the best song to end a show with. THANK YOU PHISH SOUTH CAROLINA HAS BEEN
REDEMEDSee you tonight....JOSH PARSONS

Joshua Parsons                  jdparson@edisto.cofc.edu 



Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1998 16:32:00 -0500
From: "Granger, Matt " Matt.Granger@turner.com
To: andy@gadiel.com
Subject: 11.18.98 Review

     Greenville was a great place to see a show - though the Bi-Lo is a
new
     arena, the people there had thier act together, were very nice, and
     security seemed laxed. A well played show no doubt - and plenty of
     funny moments with Lawn Boy and Carolina. I didn't expect to hear
     Bowie but after a strange intro - it was long and jamming. Wolfman's
     has really developed into a GREAT groove, and the Lizards afterwards
     was, I thought, a treat. I hadn't heard it since the Fox shows in 95.
     Slave was above average - and the four song (allbeit short) encore
was
     a nice way to end a great show.

     Mg