7-14-00 -- Polaris Amphitheatre - Columbus, Ohio

Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2000 10:54:53 -0700 (PDT)
From: richard duke [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 7-14 polaris review
 
Second year of seeing Phish, second review...here we go.
 
Wow! Could this traffic situation be any worse? Let me figure this out. This
city, which hosts Ohio State football games six or seven times a year, can
cram 90,000 people in a stadium with no real problem, but you try and get
30,000 people into the Polaris area, and you have to sit in traffic for 2 1/2
hours? Insanity, man. Pure insanity.
 
Got to our parking spot at 7:45, got out of the car, looked above, and WHOA!
Big Momma Cloud coming down on me. Scared the crap out of me, I've got to tell
you. We started running for the gates to get inside. The rain started coming
in sheets as I flew down the lawn to try and find my seat in the amphitheatre
all to the muffled tune of "Sample"...very cinematic stuff, man.
 
As I sort of pushed my way up to some form of shelter, Phish said they would
wait the storm out before continuing....good move, guys. Actually, I think
they are required to, but either way, it allowed the hordes of people in the
aisles to relatively disperse.
 
It took me all 25 minutes to make my way to my actual seat, and when I found
my compatriots, we look up and Phish is back and into...
 
PYITE: HELL YEAH! This is a favorite song in our caravan of phans. Screw the
elitists that complain that it is "standard"...it rocks! Great mood changes
throughout the song from rock to latin and anything else. Loved it!
 
TIMBER HO: First time I have seen this, and I can't get the song out of my
head. Really cool driving beats during the verses. Will definitely put this on
my short list of songs to listen more of.
 
GOTTA JIBOO: You know, I haven't even seen any shows this year, and I am
already sick of this song. Not because of the song, per se, but because of
this whole Phantasy Phish fiasco. My friend casually placed GJ on his second
set opener slot, so he has been kicking my ass all summer. This just rubbed my
face in it. Great groove, though.
 
BOOGIE: You can never go wrong with this. It just makes you feel all happy and
glad to be alive, as if surviving the thunderstorm wasn't enough reason to be
happy to be alive.
 
STASH: Always enjoy the audience participation songs, except...please clear
this up for me. The riff ends with the audience going "Clap, Clap, Clap,"
right? Some dude next to me was only giving it two claps, and he looked as if
I didn't have a clue when I added an extra clap...well, I digress...
 
BOUNCIN': For all those (once again) elitists, who hate this song, I have to
say, everyone I saw around me was digging it big time. I think that sometimes
Phish likes to play these songs that have gotten bad press just to say, "Screw
you! This is a damn good song, and we like it, and a lot of other people like
it, too! So we are going to play it!" Good show, boys.
 
FOAM: Just recently rediscovered this tune in the last couple of weeks...like
it alot. Lights started taking effect because the show was running late.
 
DOG FACED BOY: Bringing it down, now. Calming everyone down. Nice.
 
FARMHOUSE: Once again, people are starting to rag on this one as well. I think
it is a nice tune, beautifully played. They built it up at the end, and I
thought that would be the set...
 
TASTE: Cool. Set ain't over yet. Really groovin tune. Nice jam going, and I
thought this would end it...
 
GOLGI: There we go! Crowd was loving it. Phish really played it up for the
ticket stub chorus, and it left us weary when the set was finally over. Great
closer!
 
SET BREAK: Still wet...gettin cold...
 
MIKE'S SONG: Never heard this live, so I was excited...Mike is, as we like to
put it, a "Rock And Roll Superstar!" Thought we heard "Simple," we were
expecting "Simple," but they jammed out instead. Hey, whatever floats your
boat, man. I'm just along for the ride.
 
FRANKIE SEZ: This song has a special personal meaning to me, and only my
friends know it (Brownies....etc.) so I was smiling when this came up. Page is
my favorite, probably because no one talks about him like they do the other
three...so I'm starting a Page fan club right now...Who's with me?!!!
 
BOWIE: Don't have much to say about this, but we were all grooving
hard...actually I did think about that rumor that David Bowie and UB40 will
record this for the Tribute album...why would Bowie do that? I mean all he
would do is walk into the studio and sing his name four times and leave...but
I digress again...
 
WASTE: Beautiful song. One guy on this review page wrote "NO COMMENT" on it.
Damn elitist! Sure, Trey can jam with the best of them, but he can also write
beautiful pop songs....yes I said it...Pop, Pop, Pop! Get over it. Songs like
this or "Sample" or "Heavy Things" are melody driven, and Trey writes these
songs like a freakin expert. So sit back and enjoy it!
 
SAND: Really good groove...for some reason, we thought it was a different
version of "First Tube." Brain fart, I guess.
 
LIZARDS: This is the song I came to hear...It is my favorite, once again for
the changes in mood that blend so well together. And the end is so freaking
majestic...Trey needs a choir to sing background while he plays that last
movement of the song. It is perfect! Trey would be really great at scoring a
movie...
 
WEEKAPAUG: The return of Mike Gordon, Rock And Roll Superstar!
 
INLAW: I thought I read somewhere that Trey was really feeling acoustic
lately...maybe we will get more of this...hope so...
 
DRIVER: The highlight of the week for the rest of my friends, which included
all of the Deer Creek shows, was actually meeting Mike Gordon Thursday night
at the Dark Star Orchestra concert in Columbus. I was driving to meet them
there that night, so I missed out. Mike was really cool, and as they were
leaving, Shannon, one of our group's two female members, yelled out, "PLAY
DRIVER!" Coincidence? I think not...that Driver was for us!
 
GUYUTE: Good ending...nice and spooky...pretty much dried off now.
 
Great show...the weather helped out, which was nice. I saw the second show,
but this is the only review you all get....See you at Shoreline!


Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2000 11:09:31 -0500
From: dbalocch [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 7/14/00 Review
 
Ok, so the Polaris shows were my first of the tour and I usually do reviews
for the shows that I see...so here we go.  Reminder; I have been to 20 shows
now over the past 4 years and have heard many o'tapes so I have a pretty good
idea of how well phish is playing when I see them and I'm usually pretty fair
when I say "this version is stellar" or "this song was really weak."
     On to the show.  Although many had a very tough time getting in and out
of the venue, I have to say my friend Tim and I had a pretty easy time in
traffic.  Lot scene. whatever, lets get to the show.
The thunderstorm was unbelievably huge and nasty and I cant believe phish even
came on...this was like tornado warning weather.  As the rain came we just
made a mad dash for the pavillion and fortunately we made it through the whole
show in the pavillion by the box seats- very cool view between tapers and
soundboard.
Sample- this song was cut short and I dont know how anyone could pay attention
to the music at this point because of the thunderstorm (wow!)
rain delay- I understood but I was anxious to hear the band since the last
time I heard a live tune was on 1/1/00.
PYITE- love the energy here...standard intro and rest of the song but I dont
care this song still kicks out major energy and thats what you need for an
opener.  Didnt hear any flubs at all.
Timber Ho- great suprise here.  The jam was a little different here than back
in the days of 97,98 ho!s.  Much more straight ahead jam- Trey led the way and
filled the spaces with many notes- made it hard for the song to really go
anywhere. Check out 7/26 and 12/7/97 timbers to see what I'm talking about.
Anyway, cool to hear cause its had been a while since they had played it.
Gotta Jibbo- Ok I know they have been playing the shit out of this song but
give me a break man they could be playing heavy things or caspian this much
and beleive me you would be complaining even more.  I thought this song kicked
major ass and had some really solid group grooving going on here.  Mike's bass
line in here is so fun to dance to.  Trey's melodic playing in here is very
textural and dreamy- I like.  No rock and roll solo for a change-nice.  This
lasted for about 12 minutes and then we get on to...
Boogie On Reggae Woman- I love the groove of this song...yes its funky but in
a different way than most of phish phunk...which is probably why they play
this song.  The end jam was not too long but Mike was tearing it up...I got
the feeling he was playing a bass solo at times- Go Mike.  This song has some
serious jamming potential (as it has been displayed in the past) but this
version ended short and we were then treated to...
Stash- I love the jamming in this song so I get a huge kick out of hearing
this one live.  Plus the audience plays in this song (I declare clap clap
clap!)  trey and mike led jam and very eventful.  lots of weaving
instrumentation.  I love how they catch a groove in here, lock into it for
about 10 seconds, and let it go and look to find another groove to latch on
to.  very psychadelic and erie stash.
Bouncin- I dont mind hearing bouncin in the context that it is played these
days.  It really is a good song and besides anyone who likes that "one phish
song, dude!" probably wont even know this song anymore...its not the hip song
anymore.
Foam- I have to say that this was a pretty weak foam even though they dont
play it very often (which is suppose to be a treat right?).  I think I have
heard a few good foams before and this was pretty sub par- Trey's solo usually
rocks (in a jazzy way) and it didnt and page's solo is usually cool and really
wasnt that great.  So there, not that good of a foam.
Dog-faced Boy- this was cool and I wasnt really sold on it before.  harmonies
are great on this song.
Farmhouse- I've recently kind of figured out that I dont really like this song
and I can see why people think it might sound a little like No Woman No Cry.
I think the multi-melody thing is always cool but thats about it on this song
for me.  Standard Trey three solos- heard it before- boring.
Taste-  wow I really dont like this song in general so I dont know if I should
comment on it but I do think that for the people who do like it was an ok
version. Trey didnt really weave through the different scales as much.  Felt
kind of standard.
Golgi- cool set closer.  I really like the composed parts of this song so I
really get into it especially as an encore or a set closer.
 
Set II;
Mikes Song- cool opener and you know that you're in for something special.
The opening jam segment was very monotonous- not to say this was a really bad
thing because the groove they had going was fat as shit.  Trey worked on
atonal sounds and continued to work on his My Bloody Valentine wall of sound
before dipping into the solo.  The jam built into a sinister rock Pink floyd
like heavy jam and without really getting a peak and then the closing chords.
Afterwards, it sounded like Mike and Fish wanted simple but Trey opted for a
jam- at a way!  This was a very melodic jam in which Trey now went over to the
keys to work on the atmosphere a bit and page worked the baby grand.  Some
really nice work in here by everyone but Trey-  I kept on wishing he would
just move over to the guitar and play some soulful shit over this great
melodic jam in the key of F.  I dont think him being on the keys is very
cool-he doesnt do much and rest of the guys just kind of wait for him to do
his thing (which is fuck around on the keys).  But really even without Trey
this was a beautiful Mike led jam.  When Trey did come back to life, the band
started working towards something that I could not figure out for a while
until trey really played his part.  A nice segue into>
Frankie Says- Cool song and perfect placement in the set.  Page's first solo
vocal effort and what a reminder that Pages voice is great.  cool
arpeggiations by trey and led the band as it drifted off into space and...
Bowie- a pretty straight forward, tight, Bowie with some standard dark
jamming...again look to stash to tell you why I like this song's jam.
Waste- hmmmm...I just dont know about this song.  The lyrics are cool but I
sometimes wonder if people understand what the song is really about.  I just
dont get into this one as much as other slow songs.
Sand- ok, this song kicked out some major grooving and I proceeded to really
let the dancing shoes take over.  Sand has great lyrics and a fat groove.
Mike really worked the bassline with Fishman.  He would move away from the
bass line for a while and then go back to it and then work with Fish on
it-doing this stop and start kind of jamming.  Trey again working on the
atonal sounds and Page relentless on the Rhodes.  Trey finally started working
on a lead line that was rhythmic and not so spacey and the jam had somewhat of
a peak (not too much of one) and then a return to the original guitar riff to
end the song.  this faded off and the next thing I could hear was...
Lizards-Ok so trey botched the lyrics a bit it...it wasnt nearly as bad as the
Cavern from the Roseland.  it was only one line that he forget and then he was
back in stride.  Jam from Page was really good and the ending was just as
powerful as its ever been.
Weekapaug Groove- This was a really standard kick ass version.  The best thing
I thought was the extended bass solo for mike.  This version honestly reminded
me of an 80s weekapaug because it was almost like they just pounded out the
standard solo on top of the original bass line, chords and drums...but hey
this is one song I could hear all night long so I'm not really going to
complain.
Encore;
Inlaw Josie Wales- I like this acoustic piece and I thought it went really
well as an encore with...
Driver- nice song and a cool piano solo taboot.  Lyrics to this song are funny
and was also entertaining.
Guyute- I didnt see this one coming but a decent choice.  Guyute is a well
composed song and I can always appreciate that.  There were long pauses in the
dark section "Guyute glances in my eyes..." part.  That was fun.
 
    Overall, this show ws pretty good although most of the songs were
standard.  Highlights for me included Jibbo, Stash, Mikes>frankie says, and
Sand.
Check out my review of the 7/15 Polaris show coming within the next couple of
days.
Dino Balocchi

Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 07:06:04 -0700 (PDT)
From: c t [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Columbo (no arrows)
 
Our Trip to Columbus
By The Poet, also featuring Cobra and Mr. Wiggles
 
	So the trip to Columbo went off rather seamlessly, it's been a week
now since we went and I feel obliged to tell the story, not that anything
truly memorable happened, just that it was a nice trip and most importantly it
was a successful trip in that nothing BAD happened.  We rented a fully loaded
mini van complete with tinted glass (the Buck Rogers 2000 stealthmobile) and
left New York City on Thursday night.  All three of us have been seeing shows
for a long, long time but we've never done a full tour or really any extended
touring for more than a handful of days at a time.  That^�s reality when you
have jobs and fianc�es and responsibilities. Pennsylvania is a long state that
doesn't look very interesting in the middle of the night.  Cobra was "feeling
it" and drove most of the way with Gang Starr, Stereolab and LTJ Bukem
blasting from the speakers.  Ohio is flat.  After some haggling for a room
early on Friday morning and a quick stop by the Waffle House we ended up
crashing out. Rock steady Japan.  We awoke in the afternoon to hail, tornado
warnings, and tons of trash and empty beer bottles in the parking lot of the
hotel. One thing that became apparently clear to us on our way into Columbus
was the massive amount of construction being done on the main artery, route
I-71.  We recognized this due to the limited travel lanes on the highway and
the big striped orange blockers on the shoulders.  I don't like having to wait
in traffic going to shows and I knew taking I-71 (the advertised way to get to
the venue) would be a disaster.  Cobra hates waiting in traffic more than I do
and will do anything to avoid it. We knew based on the relatively urban
setting of the hotel and the venue that there would have more than just one
road in and one road out of Polaris so we called the highway patrol and
secured an alternative route (snake route). We always do that.  I don't want
to give away our tour secrets (which is what I'm doing) but every venue has a
snake route.
	On our way down Cleveland Avenue, circumventing  I-71 we were stopped at a
red light and I asked the driver in the car next to us, who had Ohio
plates,  how far Polaris Parkway was.  He said he didn't even know if
Cleveland Ave ran into Polaris Parkway.  Ahhh- what a snake route- a local
didn't even know about it. Next thing I know we're in the lot
I had an extra for the first night and so I set off to try and trade my
ticket for a pavilion seat for Saturday night (I actually had one extra
for both nights and but wanted to upgrade from the lawn to the pavillion).
 The lot scene was typical.  All of the following was available: fatty grilled
cheese, fatty garlic grilled cheese with onions, dank organic garlic balls,
fatty goo balls, dank ganja balls, fatty Sammy Smiths, fatty glass, fatty
veggie burritos, dank veggie burritos, fatty vegan burritos, dank fatty veggie
burritos, bangin' cold ass water, fatty margaritas, fatty t-shirts, fatty long
boards, heady nuggets, dank nuggets, heady molly, fatty molly, dank molly,
fatty stickers that said "Thank you Trey", dank organic lemonade (which was
amazing), fatty dancing pants, fatty glow sticks, fatty sodas, and dank
patchwork dresses.  There were also a number of "kind brothers and sisters"
who wanted me to help them get their friends out of jail by giving them money.
Another guy who could barely open his eyes told me all his tickets got stolen
in Deer Creek.  When I asked him how he quietly explained that he got way
fucked up and couldn't remember where he left his stuff.  Oh and someone made
me feel guilty that I didn't give them money to get home to Seattle. Oh yeah,
I forgot to mention that someone else said I was causing bad karma when I
didn't trade my extra Saturday ticket with them for some "heady nuggets".  On
a side note, how come so many people manage to get to shows but so few people
seem to take the 10 minutes necessary to complete the mail order form and
actually GET tickets? Oh the wonder of the Phish parking lot scene. P.S. who's
got my "no dogs on tour" t-shirt?  P.P.S. Why are the girls on tour always
from Scarsdale?
	So we went into the venue and I was pleasantly surprised.  The place
was pretty small in my opinion and the security was nonexistent.  Lots of
different amenities like Nacho Fries and $7 big beers.  I walked right into
the pavillion and settled in the first row right behind the specialty boxes on
Page's side.  Then I looked to my left.  Mr. Wiggles asked me if I had ever
seen clouds rolling in any quicker.  We eyed a low level of gray-black clouds
that appeared as if they were no more than 100 feet off the ground.  They were
moving quickly as if someone on the other side of the lawn was yanking a huge
rope, pulling them across the sky.  Or as if they were propelled by a huge fan
from behind.  I was well within the pavillion when the rain started and I kept
looking down at the stage and then back at the clouds.  I could feel the rain
and the mist and the wind and within a matter of minutes I was soaked, and I
was IN the pavillion. Later, I overheard someone saying that the rain was
coming down sideways. The first set was very good.  Timber had an extended jam
that had some determination, maybe some kind of response to the swirling winds
and rain that had just passed. Stash contained a rather blissful build/release
deal-i-o that we could all see coming from a mile away but still enjoyed
nonetheless.  Wind, rain and the suddenness of nature, ala the quick storm
blast just minutes before, translated nicely into this jam.  Before the show I
was speaking with Mr. Wiggles about the environment playing a subconscious
role in the texture of jams- the storm, the clouds clearing, the pale, pale
blue of the sky all were reflected in this jam.  The Foam was interesting and
I was happy to hear it in the same set as Stash because I remember leaving my
first show in 1992 and saying,"My two favorite songs were 'Maybe so, maybe
not' and 'Falling into a deep well'. Taste had a sublime jam with some
passionate playing from Page that seemed to reverberate deep in my stomach.  
The jam had a sort of swirling, busy, polyrhythmic feel to it that marks some
of the darkest places Phish can take their exploratory jamming.  Very murky,
but at the same time- crystal clear and vivid. I was on the lawn and the
clouds had moved on and the sky had cleared. Lots of red and pink clouds with
a pale blue sky background. Set break seemed short.  Mike's was pretty typical
until it got to the end crescendo part where they sometimes segue into
"Simple".  I thought they were playing "Simple".  I may have even started
singing Simple.  Do you know those deeply disturbing moments at shows when you
forget what song the band is doing?  Knock, knock- right here for me. But no
Simple- Instead the groove wound down and down into a space like place that
sounded similar to the end of Birds from PNC 6/29/00.  The spacey texture was
wonderful and it eventually wound further down into Frankie Sez.  This was
EXACTLY the kind of jam that I drove 9 hours to see: unexpected and loose,
like a snowball to the side of the head. The Bowie appeared from nowhere and
Fishman was playing with intensity that was inspirational.  I was getting
tired, he was keeping me energized.  The jam in Bowie was high energy although
somewhat short.  I felt satiated after the first show, but as is the case with
all two-packs, we were left looking for more. What would we get?  We still had
some hunger pangs deep in our belly that even a late night stop at TeeJay's
BBQ couldn't satisfy.  Reba? Slave? The power-dank YEM? Mango? They were all
possibilities.
	We didn't do anything on Saturday except eat at Don Pablo's, where our
waitress had a tongue-ring, and watch Carl Everett embarrass himself on
national TV. Oh yeah- I also drank a Heineken at the hotel and saw various
heads arguing with the front desk clerks at the hotel. Someone said the
hallway smelled "dank". Someone else said they had been out in the parking lot
smoking stink weed for, oh it had to be at least 20 minutes.  Another guy told
me that Trey had been wailing so hard the night before that the kid had to
simply hold his head in his hands and wonder, "Will Trey ever stop wailing
sooooo hard?"
	The second night had a much different feel.  Last night of tour, I
guess. When we were driving in on the second night I noticed a few out of town
plates and stickers on the snake route.  Alas- as expected others had
discovered it but not enough to make it backed up.  We were in the lots in a
flash. One Sammy Smith later we're back in the venue and staring straight down
the barrel of the last night of a summer tour that has exceeded all
expectations.
	I can picture, quite vividly, the head of security for Polaris
Amphitheater yelling at his staff after the first night.  Telling them to
crack down and check ticket stubs ("make sure the stub says Polaris, not Deer
Creek!!"), telling them to prevent people from entering the pavillion, telling
them to act like REAL security guards.  Crack down they did.  The pavilion was
like a sealed vault but if you wanted it bad enough then the comfort of being
under the roof could be had- for a price. I ended up on the lawn for the
average first set. Roses was great to hear and the Wolfman's Brother jam was
moving at a nice clip before abruptly ending.  Sometimes I get worked up when
a jam just fizzles out, but I bit my tongue, hitched up my belt and let the
music do the talking.  Dirt was also nice to hear.
	The second set was the best of the weekend.  I cracked the code and
found myself deep under the pavilion's vast synthetic roof for the DWD, ending
up about 15 rows back on Trey's side.  The jam meandered along for a bit
before dropping into a territory that was completely separate from DWD. The
jamming at one point had a swing kind of feel and Fishman was playing with a
passion and a purpose that marks a great set.  The jam in DWD encompassed our
journey from New York City to Columbus- straight forward like a determined
train on its steely tracks, unexpected- lots of minor ups and downs like a
bottle neck slowdown as a result of construction or a minor veer to avoid
something in the road, but overall very determined, forceful and memorable.  
Kuroda was swirling blue lights.  I could feel While my Guitar Gently Weeps
coming from deep within the DWD but I didn't believe it until Trey started
singing.  The song was slow, wonderful, and well placed.  Piper raged. High
energy. Fishman was pounding.  I was expecting the YEM. The jam was a bit
shorter than usual but Mike touched on the theme he's been playing in YEM
since the December 1999 tour. This repetitive bassline, best exhibited in the
Hampton 12/18/99 YEM, serves as a good foundation for Trey to sit back, smile
at the girls in the front row and play chords.  The band was swinging and they
were grooving and we had a long drive ahead of us the next day but that's why
I go see Phish. These two shows were solid and had their moments.  They were
the only shows I saw this summer along with both nights at PNC.  The band
seems to be playing with a certain assurance right now.  Not quite the manic
urge that marked the early 90's but a more confident, self assured groove. I
like it.
 
Thanks for reading,
The Poet  


Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2000 23:44:21 -0700 (PDT)
From: Geoffrey Grant [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: 7/14/00 Polaris
 
Polaris has a SERIOUS parking problem...
 
This show was a killer.  The rain was much worse than Raliegh '97.  I had my
ticket stub in my wallet, but the rain still turned it into mashed potatoes.
 
   Set I started with a drowned-out Sample in a Jar, then there was a 25
minute "rain delay."  I don't blame the boys for waiting til the storm passed.  
The rain actually hurt as it hit bare skin.  And the clouds were darker than
Wilson's heart...
   After the delay, the band kicked out a tight PYITE and the crowd shook the
water off as best they could. Everyone was dancing, including the 4 naked
women behind me.  I really don't blame them...  Timber Ho! followed.  The
highlight of the first set if you ask me -- rare song with a great jam.  They
groved pretty hard here, and then followed with a Jiboo.  Gotta Jiboo has been
the theme song of the tour, and I don't mind that they play it as often as
they do.  Great groove (Mike is a machine...) and a nice melodic jam (although
it is rarely varied).  Boogie on Reggae Woman came next.  Textbook version of
this great song.
 Considering the people behind me, they should've called it "Boogie on Naked
Women."  Stash was great -- the crowd actually clapped in rythym with the
song.  I was sooo proud!  Bouncin' followed, and I was real worried that the
boys would finish the set with this tune.  It's a great song and all, but I
was dying for an Antelope.  I got even better -- 5 more songs!!  The first set
went on for days!!  Foam was great. Definately one of my favs.  Page was
killer on the keys.  His solo was so solid.  Dog-Faced Boy was nice, but not
as much fun as the Tenn version (Hood!). Farmhouse was textbook, as was Taste.  
Trey played some great stuff during the Taste solo.  And a Golgi set closer ta
boot!  This song has too much energy -- I thought it would bring more rain.  
I would have put my stub in the air if it was still solid...  Good first set.  
Not great or incredible, but worth the soaking.
   Now here comes one of the best sets I've ever heard.  This was the apology
for the rain (as if it was their fault).  Mike's Song started it off, and Trey
was just ripping the solo apart.  Kuroda's lights were sick as hell.  Just
incredible.  The song's energy slowly faded after about 10 or 15 minutes and I
could hear a few familiar notes...  Would it be Hydrogen??  Please??  Then I
heard Mike hit a few F notes and I detected another
Mike's->Simple->Weekapaugh.  Wrong -- they got REAL spacey and pulled a
Frankie Sez outta nowhere. Sounded sooo good.  Erica (who I love dearly and
want to marry...) was even happier than I was.  What a great segue.  Then
Fishman started playing that all too familiar High hat rythym.  Bowie!!  I
could've fainted.  And it was tight, don't even kid yourself. Trey hit those
notes in the ending jam (we all know those notes) and the crowd just exploded.  
Then came Waste.  An intense Bowie followed by a mellow Waste? Why not.  The
lyrics are just beautiful, and Trey's ending solo cancelled my intense desires
for a Tela. Suddenly Waste didn't seem quite so mellow after all. The Sand
that followed was all most as good as Raliegh 12/16/99.  The groove was tight
and streched out way over 10 minutes.  Trey's solo was golden.  I swear he was
playing keyboards and guitar at the same time just before the ending solo.  
He even played the hand over the sound holes of the 'doc game.  Awesome
feedback and delays (get the tapes, brother).  Lizards was great too.  Trey
flubbed the lyrics twice, which somehow made the song more real.  Everybody
got a kick out of it.  Then a textbook (which means good) Weekapaugh ended one
of the best sets of the summer (with Raliegh set 1 and the Moby Dick Dear
Creek extravaganza).
   A three song encore was the icing on the cake. Minestrone/Purple Hugh/Inlaw
Josie Wales was absolutely beautiful.  For those of you who may be confused --
if Trey picks up the acoustic, that means we are in for a special treat and
you should acknowledge the situation by being QUIET and NOT YELLING or
WHISTLING like a bunch of grade school kids during inside recess.  Why do
people do this??? Driver was nice, as was the Guyute.  The second verse was
whistled perfectly (by Trey).
   Awesome show.  "Thank you's" go out to Ryan for the hotel room, Letterman
for the trip down, and Erica for being the most beautiful person at the show
(sorry Fishman).  And thanks to everyone who makes the scene what it is.  I
love you all.
 
Peace,
geoff
[email protected]

Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2000 23:28:05 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: polaris 7-14-00
 
Rolled out of Louisville before noon, three hours later in Columbus, three
hours later-still in Colimbus. Sittin' in traffic on the highway,  but that's
how she blows sometimes. My friend and I had no plans where to stay and
contacted a buddy who was camping on a beautiful 5-acre farm with a half
dozen other folks. Thanks for the hospitality and great energy after a long
day on the highway. Onto the show- just as things start looking brighter the
dark clouds roll in. The worst torential rain I've ever been out in. I
thought sure they'd have to pull the plug. When all was said and done
however,  the stars where shining as bright as the show. Missed the opener
because I felt it prudent to retreat to the beer barn with a roof- smoked and
sat the first song  out with a cold beer. A wise decision on my part I feel
after seeing all the shivering folks strolling around. Punch You In The Eye
helped warm things up as everyone celebrated in puddles with reflections of a
welcomed sun. Timber Ho was tough rock and roll with great lyrics that helps
add to the changing mood this band is able to create. Gotta Jiboo did it's
rhythmic magic of establishing a tribal groove reminiscent of me settling
into Bill and Mickeys' percussion with the Dead. I know many folks frown at
comparisons, but it's all I have to relate it to experientially and the
comparisons are their and I'm grateful for it. Boogie On brought you out of
the trance and into a celebratory version that was bright and uplifting. Foam
was one that I got lost in and totally forget-perhaps a sign of
contemplation? Dog Faced Boy was another one that I love because of its'
haunting beauty and lyrics. Farmhouse is another tune that I love because of
its' harmony and verse.Easy to dance to. Back to the rhythmn with Taste and
raw jam in Golgi Apparatus. It's easy to find what your looking for on any
night with these fellas.
The house lights went down for set 2 with anticipation of more justification
as to why I travel through wind, rain, and construction to see these guys.
The beauty of Mike's Song set a mellow tone for a bit to sway through and
explore. Frankie Sez flowed into a psychidelic David Bowie. Waste flowed into
Sand, a tune i've welcomed with open arms. Another tune that streches into
the unknown. Lizards was probably my highlight of the shows I saw. The energy
was perfect as it transcended into this jam and got me really going- unaware
of anyhting but the song moving me physically and mentally. I was exhausted
when they came out for the encore and delighted to hear an acousitc charm
like Inlaw Josie Wales. Folks need to quiet down for this one, all the hooten
and hollerin' was distracting. Driver polished things off again with
beautiful and thoughtful lyrics to soothe the soul. A long day calls for a
long encore and guyote finshed things off with an extra cherry on the sundae.
Whistled that whistelin' part leaving the amphitheatre satisfied and grateful.

Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2000 17:57:11 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Polaris Ampitheatre... Friday, July 14, 2000
 
 
    Great show.  And just to set the record straight, that storm was just one
part of a weather system that included a few tornadoes.  The first thing I
saw on TV when I got home to Charlotte was a CNN report on ^�Central Ohio
Storm Damage.^�  No kidding.
 
    The whole experience came out of those five minutes before the show.
That black cloud was so low, so thick, and so dark.  It came at the venue
like a damn avalanche.  I was scared...laughing, of course, but honestly
concerned.  I saw it coming and jumped the rail to get under the pavilion.
Honestly, for self preservation alone.
 
    It was simultaneous...the band hitting the stage and the storm hitting
the show.  It was as exciting as any moment I've ever experienced in forty
nine shows.  I was on the far left side of the pavilion, so it took less that
a minute for the rain to soak me right down to the money in my wallet.  I
couldn^�t even hear ^�Sample^� over the noise, but i danced my ass off.  It
was
beautiful.
    I think the band knew it was going to be a five minute affair.  There was
no way they could play in that chaos.
    Everybody handled that 25 minute break very well.  My props to everyone
around me.  I shivered, violently, the whole time... not to mention my brain
being a little tied up, having to crouch down to stay below that driving
storm.  But no worries.
Met a really cool girl from Nashville...another reason i had a great time.
Margaret, you^�re greatest...   lamenting sigh   ....
 
I:  Well, the rest of the show was one for the books.  It was dance, or
freeze to death.  ^�The storm had passed,^� and the sky opened up in red and
blue, dotted with Midwest clouds.  Ahhhhhh....   Not to be combative, but at
times like this, i think anyone who lets ^�bad calls^� disturb them either a)
isn't paying attention, or b) needs to take a year off themselves.  The show
was hot as hell, and the vibe was fantastic.  No, perfect.  Timber Ho!...Was
the Jibboo really that fast?  Whew!  Dare i say, they even jammed Bounce^�n
out...a little bit anyway.  Foam was suitably beautiful.  One more note,
Taste is now a traditional thunderstorm song.  I wanted that set to last
forever, and i rarely feel that way.
 
II: Very nice.  Long story short: on a good night, Phish has their music by
the balls.   And what a joy those nights are.  I^�m still smiling.
 
    My thanks to the band.  The crowd was ok too, so I'll thank y^�all as
well.  And to the playwright from from Nashville, I owe you candy.
 
Until Phall, all my best everyone,
 
Wilson
[email protected]

Date: Sat, 15 Jul 2000 17:55:07 -0500
From: Eric Zielinski [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 07/14/00 Polaris Amp., review
 
After a long drive from Deer Creek to Columbus the night before and then
camping till dawn I was beat!  I gained some rest and managed to make it to
the venue about 5:30pm it would have been about 8:00 but I took the chance
of parking in the lot by Target..
 
As the time passed and it approached showtime I was extremely amazed by the
weather.  Phish came on exactly when the rain started to drench!! It was
beautiful, they played Sample In A Jar which in my opinion is not the best
way to start a show but none-the-less the crowd was digging which helped to
bring my spirits up.
 
After the long 25 min break it was showtime PYITE was an absolute killer!
All the kids were splashing as hard as they could in the puddles and loving
every bit of it.  Now thats my idea of starting show.  Very routine intro >
the standard verse/chrous > standard outro.
 
Next came Timber, my first Timber and it was so tight and it kept the
energy rolling!  Great choice!
 
Jiboo, this was my first Jiboo but still I have heard a million times on
tape so I felt like I have already seen this tune, still it had it's high
points.
 
Boogie On Reggae Woman, man that soothed my soul.  I was shaking all around
the scene splashing in the puddles along with the rest of the kids.
 
Bouncing was what Columbus was waiting for apparently.  I am from columbus
yet when Bouncing comes on I must rest my groovin soul. It was time for a
drink.
 
Foam was a brilliant choice although I am not one to groove to Jazz'd out
arpegios.
 
Dog Faced Boy emotional, it made me think that the message they were
singing about had some truth to it.
 
Farmhouse I was hoping they'd change this up a bit but it still sounded
like the ripped off Bob Marley's No Woman No Cry.  Still a great tune yet
lacks some originality.
 
Taste, after seeing the 3rd night Deer Creek show I could swear by the end
of the tour they would have played the whole Billy Breathes record, theres
still hope.  I love the end of this tune, it really gets the jitters out of
me.
 
Golgi funny tune, almost blew the roof off the amp., but Phish realized we
needed to stay dry so they left it on...
 
Bathrooms suck at Polaris no matter how you look at it.  I felt like I was
about to faint waiting in the lines for the bathroom.  One way in and one
way out...  Urrghhhh.....
 
Set II:
This is where it starts to really peak folks.  I mean the first set pretty
tame some good picks and some bad picks, but set II - just get this show
and listen for yourself -
 
As soon as those opening lick came out bursting my brain was shocked by
sharing the groove to Mike's Song,
 
Frankie Sez unpredictable, it just fell out of the sky somewhere, short and
sweet..
 
Bowie never would have thought about it.  In the middle of a Mike's Song,
this Bowie was very well perfected.  Especially right at the last few loops
where Trey goes off on his tripplets then into some spaced out trauma notes
then back to the tripplets he did until he perfected it.  Bravo! Bravo!
 
Waste good tune to settle down the crowd, relaxing on the wet lawn to a
very chillin tune..
 
Sand not really what I was hoping for, which was Sand>First Tube since they
both have the same groove yet different tempos and chords/notes.. Still by
all means this Sand was not one to be looked down upon.  It was carried out
for a while with great time and sounds.
 
Lizards I was too busy dancing to this one so I didn't even notice the
flub.  One of my favorite classic Phish tunes around now a days.
 
Encore:  After a set like that I was hoping for the sky, I was looking for
a great Harpua or a Destiny Unbound, yet both of my wish's were not served
instead they treated us to a sweet and lowdown acoustic Inlaw > an Electric
Drive, and then Guyute.  I enjoyed Inlaw and Driver yet Guyute is always
going to be Guyute there is just no way around it.  Oh well tonights my
last night and the last night of the tour I am hoping for a Harpua or a
Destiny but I will probably be served a Twist, First Tube, YEM, DWD, Slave,
Axis, Ghost, Esther would be nice, Mango, Dirt, Camel Walk
 
Peace,
eRic ZieLinski
http://www.ericz.org

Date: Sat, 15 Jul 2000 17:00:19 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 7-14-00 (C-bus)
 
I am very sad this was my last show of the tour, but very happy with the
outcome of this summer. With a weak showing in 99, this tour started where 98
left off. IMO Creek nite 2 takes the gold. Anyways.............
 
First off C-bus has the WORST traffic system in the world. Got to the venue
at 5:30 entered the venue at 7:45. Thats how long it took to park. Don't even
get me started on the way out!The sky looked like a spawn of hell, and a lot
of people started getting scared. If you remember last year it rained hard as
hell at the end, well.... it rained 3 times as hard tonite. I was hoping for
a monster opener to get the crowd warm and thoughts off the rain. Boy was I
ever so wrong....
 
Sample: Needless to say that this song sucks. I hate it as an encore and
really as an opener. Its always the same, and left me standing in the T-storm
to a corny ass song. Then Phish just up and leaves us, and we're all alone
with no shelter. I was so angry with the band for not playing, and taking
their sweet ass time in the process. When they came on I knew they'd make up
for it.
 
PYITE: Obvious choice with the lyrics about the cleared up storm ect.. I love
pyite because it always gets me going. This version was solid and really fun
with cleared up skies.(Into)
 
Timber Ho!: Yes! I wanted to hear this song all tour and am so glad they
played it. Awsome jam too. They never missed a beat. Really had everybody
grooving and drying off.
 
Jibbo: Can't believe they played this song AGAIN. Every other day. Too
predictable. Better then a second set opener. It had a pretty good jam;
really something you can shake to. Not as long as some others but short and
sweet. The last of the summer, and I'm glad I had a chance to see it AGAIN
 
Boogie: Solid good grooving tune. I love this bass line. Stevie Wonder would
be proud of this version. With all this grooving I'm starting to get dry. No
thunderstorm is any match for Phish.
 
Bouncin': Ouch! This really got the C-bus yuppies dancing and singing. I can
wait a few minutes though....
 
Foam: Yowser Yowser Yowser. Hell yes, I can't get enough of live Foam. This
was a mean funked out version. I just imagine this song handing out poison to
little kids. I was shocked there was not nearly as many people dancing to
Foam as there were to Bouncin'.Ashamed.
 
Dog Faced Boy: Yep its Dog Faced Boy
 
Farmhouse: Felt like I was at a Dave concert at this point. Redundent.
Remember when Sparkle and Bouncin' were the only songs to fear. Now its
getting out of hand.(Into)
 
Taste: Nice. I like Taste and this version was very rockin. It built and
built and exploded into a mass of jam. Solid Solid Soilid
 
Golgi: Got the crowd into the show. Very explosive closer.
 
Short set break, very long set. The whole venue was sloppy and wet. Can't sit
down, no need for the break was short.
 
Mikes: Right when you hear this as an Opener you know you are in for a treat.
This Mikes was spacey and got everybody cheering and dancing. After the Mikes
they went into a weird space jam and into...
 
Frankie Sez: Everyone knows the lyrics, nobody knows the name. Its a cool
song. I'd rather of gotten a H2.
 
Bowie: Wow!! never expected a Bowie in the middle of a Mikes. Nicely jammed
out. Very cool. Not too spacey but to my liking.
 
Waste: No comment
 
Sand: I've heard this song a lot, and love it even more every time. Its
always the best jam of the night. Trey went on the keys for a bit, and mixed
it up nicely.Everyone was digging the strong bass grooves.(Into)
 
Lizards: Another fan favorite, but I like this song too much to bad mouth it.
Yeah Trey flubbed a bit, and the jam was scratchy but honestly I think its
too easy for Trey and he likes challenges like Sand and Bowie. Lizards makes
me really happy.
 
Goove: Oh Yes! A perfect end to the set. Really Funky and fun. I really
enjoyed the set a lot. This Mikes Groove will go down as one of the most
interesting; thats fo' sure.
 
Josie: Cool to see Trey on acoustic. He really kicks ass.
 
Driver: I was glad to get a 3 song encore; Driver was cool I guess.
 
Guyute: Guyute is Guyute and a fun way to end the night
 
Overall a really long night and a fun one at that. I'd give it a 7/10 for the
cool Timber Ho!,Mikes,Sand, and of course the funkdafied Groove. See-ya in
the Phall
Joe

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