7-15-00 -- Polaris Amphitheatre - Columbus, Ohio

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

Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2000 19:03:29 -0400
From: Dan Rapp [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Top line review:  7.15.00
 
With this post you'll get only the highest highlights of the show -- the kind
of stuff that makes you "need that tape."
 
Tonight, as always, the whole freaking show was hot.  But in particular,
GUITAR GENLY WEEPS is a treasure.  Played slowly, with each note being drawn
out, you could hear -- and feel -- the guitar's sadness.  Played like I've
never heard before.
 
PIPER -- always different; always hot as hell.  Fast paced, so be ready.  Not
for the weak of heart...
 
Hot all the way through:  1st Tube, Limb by Limb, Lovin cup.

Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2000 11:23:19 -0400 From: Jeremy Welsh [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Fwd: Phish - 07.15.00, Polaris Amphitheater During the last song of the second set on Saturday night, I was reminded of what could be my favorite part in all of Phish's music - "That is a pretty bold statement!" my brother said as I tried to explain what I meant. I don't know if it is bold - or just overly simple. The part I am referring to is one drum beat played by Fishman, a simple tap of a wood block during in the beginning of You Enjoy Myself (I believe the section that follows is fittingly referred to as Nirvana by Mr. Dirksen; usually around the 3:00-mark). I am always moved by that one tap, and the music to follow - the anticipation, knowing what is going to follow, the beauty of YEM. It is interesting to look back on Saturday, on the fun I had with my family and friends, and think of how the festivities and the music that filled that day in Columbus all led up to one tap of wood . . . Saturday unfolded to be great day, from start to finish. What a better way to start a day than cooking on a wood fire at a camp, playing cards, relaxing . . . my brother, his girlfriend Molly, my sister, and I took our time in waking up and getting ready for the show Saturday morning. After the night before, and the rather hard ground at the KOA, it took some time to shake those damp cob-webs from our heads. We headed out to the venue around three or so, hoping to beat the traffic and enjoy the lot for a bit. We had no traffic problems and made it in just fine, under a gorgeous sky. No rain! The only bad thing was that they were parking four cars deep, and we were the second behind a big RV. Might be hanging out late after the show . . . I was rather amazed by the hustle and bustle of the lot - I guess everyone wanted to get rid of their excess wares being that it was the last day of the tour. There were some moments when it was so packed I couldn't even move - kind of amazing. And we did our part by handing out as many Mockingbird magnets as we could. My sister was loving it, lol. Actually ran into David "ZZYZX" Steinberg by way of the magnets - as I handed him one, he introduced himself and said his batch got ruined in the rain on Friday, so I helped replenish his supply. For the most part, everyone was pretty positive - didn't see any Nitrous during the day, lots of people looking for miracles but most had smiles, was a bit surprised/disappointed by the lack of variety in T-shirts (at least four different vendors were selling the same shirts - where is the creativity?; grovel - anyone know where I can get a "VWs are People Too" shirt?!). I loved the people with the stationary bike-blender for their smoothies - completely organic, no electricity! As 6:00-6:30 rolled around, we walked around to the other side of the lot (Fishman-side of the amphitheater) - it was eerie how quiet and different this section was! I guess it was the VIP parking as we entered the venue through the "VIP" entrance. After a few hours of walking around, pre-show was relaxing. With the great sounds of Buena Vista Social Club coming out of the PA, we hung out, chatted, and played some cards; we were pretty low on the lawn, just Page of center. My good friends Marc and Barb (and Crew) were actually a few feet behind us; it was great to see everyone and spirits were high for the show ahead. I really didn't dwell on the fact that this was going to be my 20th show (in almost six years of seeing Phish - I had paced myself, lol); I was going to let things flow and have fun. And I certainly did that. Set One: AC/DC Bag, First Tube, Limb by Limb, NICE, Dirt, Roses are Free, Wolfman's Brother, My Soul, Julius AC/DC Bag is such a great opener, kicking things off around 7:45. I was hoping for a Tweezer, but the Bag was good - slower, building funk under a sunny sky. After the seven minute Bag, a nine minute First Tube followed. Nice and driving, without too much variation. I have always been a fan of Limb by Limb and while this version didn't chart any new territory, it was good none the less. My brother can't get enough of Trey's spiraling solo in this tune and I have to agree with him. Kind of in the same genre as Taste and Free - piercing and spiraling. I was pretty excited to hear my first NICE - I kind of lump NICE with Timber Ho!, Ya Mar, and Punch as songs that are upbeat and very danceable. This was both, albeit quick (4 minutes). They pretty much nailed the Dirt. After much discussion, Trey sounded off the beginning of Roses are Free. Along the same lines of NICE, it put a big smile on my face. The crowd especially loved the "Land of the Great and Free" line. While I was expecting some sort of exploration in this one (maybe comparing a bit too much to Big Cypress or the Bittersweet Motel version from Rochester 97), it didn't go too far and ended at only five minutes or so. They kept everyone grooving with Wolfman's Brother. Good version, around ten minutes long. Nothing out of the ordinary, though, as I can remember. *At this point, I got into a bit of a conversation with a guy next to me about placement and thinking too much into songs. I said to him that I thought they would wait for the full moon to come out before they played Wolfman's Brother - make it fit, you know? But we agreed that we, the fans, probably think into song a bit too much, predicting or analyzing a lot more than the band ever does. I mentioned to him all of my expectations for November Friday the 13th of 98, thinking they were going to play Wolfman's and all these other crazy things - and nothing out of the ordinary happened. I guess Friday night they made a slight reference to the rain in Punch ("The Rain had gone, the Storm had passed"). I was just reminded that I think a bit too much into what is played when, and I shouldn't guess what Phish's intentions are . . . and then I remember the Dead in 95 at Three Rivers when they played four rain songs in a row following a storm, or in Buckeye in 94, right down the road from Polaris, when they played five songs with rain references . . . oh, well. They are different bands, right? I thought the set would end with the My Soul that followed. I was actually impressed with the long bluesy solo that Page took - Page took a solo and I could hear it! I was thinking this might end the set, cutting it close to 60 minutes. But a bit of a discussion followed, and I thought a YEM would close out the set (a la YEM following Saw It Again at Shoreline in 97), but they launched into . . . . . . Julius. This would definitely close the set, and was much better than My Soul, imo. The last Julius I saw was the great jammed out version from Cleveland 97 and I was happy to hear them jam this out a bit. I would love to see them continue to push the envelope on this song. The set timed-out at just around 70 minutes. Not a bad set - no real complaints, but not much in the way of adventure, either (even with First Tube, Roses, and Wolfman's). It was a bit different from the night before, when the set ended when it was dark outside; Saturday night, it was still rather bright. We made our way up to Marc, joining their crew, wanting to share the second set with some more friends. Why not find more? So I went and found my friends Rich and Dave at set-break. Great to see everyone, and gather them around for the closing set. Macy Grey was over the PA. Second Set: Down With Disease->While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Makisupa, Piper>Mango->Have Mercy tease, Bug, YEM! encore: Loving Cup Had some hopes for a Tweezer to open, thinking we may still get YEM, maybe a Ghost. But at 9:30, I was far from disappointed to hear Mike slap out Down With Disease. Great, great stuff. It was fast from the start and really never let up. Around five minutes in is when it started to take off, with some nice playing by Page. At this point, I had a feeling we were in for a bit of a ride. ; ) 14 or so minutes in, it got just a bit mellower. That didn't last long, though, as Trey starting playing some reggae licks. Around 17 minutes, I thought I heard a bit of a Crosseyed tease - did anyone else hear that? Was this the tease/jam that they have been playing all summer? 20 minutes, Trey added some texture on the keys as the rest of the band quickened things up. At this point, I wrote down that "Fishman is a machine!" It is amazing as to how long he can keep a beat/rhythm going - does he get tired? (Thinking of the DJ Logic jam session down in New Orleans that lasted well into the morning, or the jam I just read about in Indianapolis . . . ). Fishman actually changed things up a bit around 25 minutes, playing a bit of a swing beat. A minute or two later, I heard Page playing something a bit different, teasing a song . . . I couldn't place it (boy was it bugging me, lol). And it became clear, just as my brother exclaims "It's the Beatles . . . ": While My Guitar Gently Weeps! Wow. Very, very cool. Wow . . . A glow war occurred during this tune, and while it didn't seem to go well with the music, it was pretty cool to watch. This version stretched out for about seven minutes - as my brother described it, it was very "breezy". I thought Trey sang and played very well during this song (*There was a couple times during the two shows that I noticed Trey flubbed some lyrics. oh well . . . ) Makisupa was fun, and "Heady Nuggets" received a huge ovation from the crowd. I was surprised at the roar, as was Trey as the screens showed him laughing and smiling. This was actually jammed out a bit, and Trey even moved over the keys for this one (rather surprised by this). I love how the opening notes of Piper seem to just float out into the air - I do wish, though, that Piper finds its role as a conduit again, floating in and out of jams (a la 06.25.97, DWD->Piper->DWD - still, one of my favorites). But who is complaining? This Piper turned out to be rather unique, with a rather different opening, with weird rhythms, and an absolute raging section before the second verse was sung - don't they usually build through the second verse, raging afterwards? Page stood out in the beginning of this version on the piano; Kuroda chimed in with those really cool "running" lights, just driving everyone into a frenzy. Around 8 minutes into the raging (Rich, loved to see you dancing during this one!), they sang the verse for the second time, with Trey adding the high "Red red worm". As the jam slowed down, around 12 minutes or so, I noticed the bright beautiful full moon, with the clouds passing in front . . . . . . as they moved into Mango. Very fun. Page again stood out on the piano. This moved out into a pretty mellow jam, which transitioned into a clear Have Mercy tease. I was so happy, along with some friends, to be hearing this song! . . . and then they stopped. WTF? I don't know who was upset, or disagreeing with the song choice, but after the abrupt ending there was long debate. If there ever was a tease in all senses of the word, this was it. After the debate, I was really hoping for Have Mercy to start again, but Bug began. I was a bit shocked by the lack of reception that it received - no Bug fans in the audience, I guess? And while it wasn't the song I wanted, I was hoping to hear this and was happy with the 10 minute version. I really love the lyrics to this song, and enjoy how the song climaxes with the chorus. No matter how much I like Bug, I don't ever think it will make me feel the way the opening notes to YEM makes me feel (or, as I talked about above, that simple wood block). I was pulling for a YEM for three and a half sets - I was so happy to hear this! This version got very funky, nice and deep, and included some really cool keyboards by Page and Trey. I don't know if I was imagining things, but I thought I heard some "Thank Yous" in the vocal jam - maybe like Peter Frampton's song? What a great way to end the tour, with a YEM. Trey didn't really give a long talk afterwards, but did thank everyone. As for the encore, I thought we might be getting a nice, upbeat Possum. But I was pleasantly surprised by the Loving Cup - I always can go for a drink! I just love this song. It was actually the first tune in my three summer shows that featured Page singing - what I was waiting for! Certainly left me with a beautiful buzz . . . as the Bee Gees filled the air. I thought it was a good run to close the Tour. Nothing crazy like the Tuesday before, the Moby Dick show, but just two days of strong songs. No real throw-aways, and nothing too adventurous. Highlights, imo, include: Timber Ho!, the Foam and Dog Faced Boy, Mike's->jam->Frankie Sez, the acoustics during Inlaw, definitely DWD->While My Guitar Gently Weeps, the interesting Piper, and the Have Mercy tease (come on, play it!). It was great to share these shows with my brother and sister (and Molly) (it's a family affair), camping out and braving the monsoon, and it was good to groove and dance and smile with Marc, Barb, Rhett and Pam, Rich, Dave, Dave, and everyone else. Good to meet the Timer, Mr. ZZYZX himself. And happy to see all the smiles and happy faces. I have always said, I will keep wanting to go to Phish as long as they make me smile and dance and groove. So far so good . . . But I am not ignorant to bit of ugliness - we all need to work to keep it positive, as I did catch glimpses of the underbelly (the pissing incident, dealings in the lawn, offerings of opium - wtf?!). Thanks for reading. Keep spreading the music, and Be Good Family. jeremy welsh "I call Architecture frozen Music." -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, (1749-1832)
Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2000 00:13:16 +1000 From: Cris Coey [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: 7-15-00 review By Cris Coey Okay, I won't bore you with all the details of my day or anything. So lets just talk about the show, shall we? Anyway, there were high expectations for this show, and rightfully so. I mean it was the end of the tour and there was a torrential downpour to delay the show the night before. So this night should have been intense from the first note to the very last, right?!? Unfortunately I have to say "No it wasn't!" It was a beautiful night when the boys finally came out, casually late as usual. The AC/DC BAG opener was really intense. Not one of the best AC/DCs I've ever heard (i.e., 12/03/99), but it was really solid. After playing the traditional AC/DC coda, they didn't waste much time before jumping into FIRST TUBE. Okay, not one of my favorites (none of their new songs are) but it still kept the energy up high. FIRST TUBE was very well played, but might have lasted a few minutes too long before it got old. Also, I know it's pretty new, but didn't they just play this at Deer Creek? (And what's up with them having a song called TUBE, and now a new song called FIRST TUBE?) Next came LIMB BY LIMB -- or the first mistake of the night. Now I'm not a LIMB hater or anything, I actually like the song. But it's way too slow to play after the first two. And again, didn't they just play this one at Deer Creek too? I mean, give us a break guys! After LIMB, the opening strains of NICU were heard and all was well once again. A sweet and mellow, but still funky version, it got the crowd back into it. And I know NICU is overplayed, but at least it's a great Phish classic for crying out loud and not some newcomer. But then came DIRT (second mistake). Oh boy! At this point I was saying to myself, "This show is gonna be up and down all damn night!" I hate DIRT... it's too slow and way too boring. All it's good for really is to pack up a bowl and talk to your friends for five minutes. After the suffering of DIRT subsided, they again decided to pick it back up (way up) and bust out ROSES ARE FREE. Being the first since New Year's, it was a more than welcome treat for this show, which had already become more like a roller coaster ride. ROSES was truly dank and the definite highlight of the set. They performed it so tightly that it had the crowd truly pumped up. Thankfully it was a nice and neat version with a little jam and not one of those half-hour long set wasters. WOLFMAN'S was next and is always welcome. The jam afterwards had some really great potential, but didn't quite get up there. I was hoping to hear something like another WOLFMAN'S> MIND LEFT BODY JAM (11-13-98), but to no avail of course. An enthusiastic MY SOUL followed, which is about all you can say. I mean MY SOUL is always exciting and good fun, but they could have played something better. Which brings me to reluctantly mention big mistake number three, a set ending JULIUS. JULIUS? JULIUS?! They ended the last first set of the summer with JULIUS?!? It was bad enough that they encored with it last year at Deer Creek to end the American summer tour, but now this -- doing almost the same shitty thing twice! Ugggghh! When I heard the first notes of JULIUS I actually collapsed on the ground in dissapointment (luckily I was in the lawn). But I had to. I despise JULIUS and have already heard way too many, especially since I've only attended a modest twenty shows. I just hope that one day soon JULIUS will hit the shelves for a long, long time. And then bam, that's what they left us with for the set break. What were they thinking? Overall it was a very, very average set, and definitely not even close to being tour ender worthy in my opinion. The initial sounds of the second set was the swirling bass effect from Gordo, so right away I knew DOWN WITH DISEASE (mistake four) was coming. Come on now! I just heard this one at Deer Creek as well. Did they just forget that fast or what? After it started I said, "Well hopefully they'll split it with MOBY DICK again." But no, they decided to do something even better, and out of DISEASE came WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS! Now this was something exciting. The introduction was nice and drawn out, and then the whole thing proceeded to be majestically jammed and breath taking. There was even a nice glow stick war that went along well with Trey's solo. And I was also happy to finally hear a Beatles cover besides A DAY IN THE LIFE. An oddly placed MAKISUPA POLICEMAN then followed GENTLY WEEPS, which was really fucking tight. The whole thing was just phat, with Trey even throwing in "heady nuggets" as the key word and doing some SEASTONES (or PHIL & NED) like electronic jamming during the break. After the GENTLY WEEPS/MAKISUPA powerhouse I was hoping they'd keep it up. But no, the ridiculously standard PIPER (or mistake number five) was next (which they also played at Deer Creek dammit). Like LIMB, I don't mind a good PIPER, but not two within the last three shows of the tour! And regardless, it was just your average PIPER. But I do like how Trey has started yelling his part at the end. Mmmm, MANGO SONG began soon after the PIPER faded away, to again pick the show back up by its boot straps. Being my very first MANGO, it was especially nice to hear at such a lackluster tour ender. Everything about it was beautiful, although I was a little dissapointed they didn't do the typical MANGO ending, going instead with some weird bass funk jam or solo from Mike. I think I heard someone say it was HAVE MERCY, but I couldn't tell to be sure. Then the show went back down again, with them playing yet another new one titled BUG. I don't care much for this song either, and all it did was bum me out because it made me realize that at this point in the second set, I probably wasn't going to hear the HALLEY'S, SCENT, or FLUFFHEAD I really wanted. Sure, there was around at least a half-hour left in the set. But I, along with everyone else at Polaris that night, knew what was coming after BUG. Then, of course, the obligatory YOU ENJOY MYSELF began to the surprise of no one. I mean, YEM is great and all, but they play it so damn much that it gets frustrating once in a while. Don't you think it'd be more special and welcome if they only played maybe one YEM a tour? Plus, I've heard tons of better YEMs than this one, in person and on tape. It was a good one, but definitely not an epic one. One notable is that the trampolines segment was really sloppy and short, with Trey and Mike not even in sync with each other until half way through it. After an unusually long encore wait, they came out with LOVING CUP (mistake six). Again, dare I say something like this, but a LOVING CUP to end the frickin' summer tour?! Are you kidding me??? First of all, like so many other songs played at this show, they played this only a few nights ago at Deer Creek. Secondly, there are tons of better Stones songs to play than this one (which has grown somewhat tiring over the past few years to say the least). "Oh, what a beautiful buzz!" just eventually loses its zip after a while. So all in all, what can I say about this show? I guess I'm just going to be blunt and speak my mind by saying it was a let down and a dissapointment, and it absolutely was! Only sparse highlights throughout each set prevented this show from being a total bust, and I myself can't stand to be writing this about a tour ending Phish show, but unfortunately I am. A show like this leaves me to wonder if the boys will ever get their act together again. It just seems like they're not trying that hard to impress people (especially their long-time fan base from the early 90s, etc.). I wish I could ask them why such great original songs like COL. FORBIN, WEIGH, ESTHER, MOUND, TELA, BROTHER, DINNER & A MOVIE, OH KEE PA, HARPUA, and SANITY have fallen by the wayside! I wish I could ask them why excellent newer songs, like SPOCK'S BRAIN, get left out in the cold for what is seeming to look more and more like forever! But unfortunately for all of us, I can't. All I know is that I went to the last night of Polaris expecting something that was at least remotely special with maybe even a break out or two, but instead all I got was just another average Phish show that ended their summer 2000 tour no less. Come on Trey, Mike, Page and Fish... relax and regroup over these next few weeks and then come back and try to goose us a little bit on this upcoming fall tour! I wish they would try to mentally grab us once again and say, "Take this!" and "Remember this one? Well we missed it too!" And I wish they'd stop saying, "We want you people to really like all of our new songs!" and then play a half-hour long GOTTA JIBBOO! Cris Coey
Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2000 20:43:57 -0500 From: dbalocch [email protected] To: dws [email protected] Subject: 7/15/00 Review Ok, here is part two of my Polaris review. If credibility is an issue in how much you value a review then check out the 7/14 review and that will tell you some specs about my experiences with phish. On to the show. Set I; AC/DC Bag- While I think this is a good opener and fun song, this version was very weak. There was barely a peak at all. But hey they were just warming up I guess. They did the standard Bag ending. Maybe the band just wasn't feeling the vibe of jam that DC Bag usually gives them. Oh well. First Tube- great energy here and Trey was just laying down some really cool loops inside the ending section of the song. I must give props to Mike and Fish for being so tight on this tune. Just solid rhythm section. Everyone was pumped during this tune. Limb x Limb- The jam in this was pretty good except for the fact that they just didnt really peak out the jam like the limbs I had heard before (most recently the 10/1/99 Limb). All in all though, very nice interplay with Mike, Page, and Trey. Honestly, this jam kind of reminded me of the Timber Ho! jam from the night before- everything was clustered and not enough space in the music to do much. Fish did the ending drum solo really well- entertaining. NICU- fun song and very welcomed by the crowd. I love the lead line on this tune wow very creative. Everything went smoothly- no flubs and much energy. Dirt- I'm not a big dirt fan but I do like the "new" arrangement. Brings the song together really well for the final chorus. Its not like I'm pissed that they played this song but I could have gone without it. Anyway. Roses Are Free- hell yeah. I dont care where you stick this tune it still rocks and lyrics were so appropriate for the end of the tour ("get in you car" line). Mike forgot the bass line to the pre-solo section but it still sounded cool. No jam afterwards but I didnt mind (would have been nice but hey I'll for sure take it). It was a nice change of pace for me considering the Roses that I saw at Cypress (WTF!) Insane Roses. Wolfmans- I really still dig this tune even though most the time these days it doesnt get the treatment that it did in 97 and 98. This version was funked out yet conservative as they stayed in the basic domain of the song. Mike was tearing it up at times but at other times he was playing very conservative. Trey was pretty much just giving us a solo fest- no chording or rhythm lead stuff, just straight up solo. this lasted maybe 8 or 9 minutes. They ended by going back into the main riff. And then the blues festival closed out the set. My Soul- trey had a cool new lead vocal twist I was diggin on the chorus which kept me interested in the tune. Very standard version (arent they all?) but a pretty cool song anyway. Julius- I really dont like this song as a closer (but I dont like Character zero as closer either so maybe its the big bluesy jam songs that I have a problem with as closers). I was just a little worn out of the bluesy stuff by time Julius kicked in and to top it off it was pretty fair if not a subpar version. Set II; short set break (for the record) Down W/Disease- I love this song to start out a set (I love it anyway but especially here). This was a pretty tight version and some great Trey led jamming here with some really spectacular peaks. But after about 5 minutes into the jam, Trey started laying off the lead stuff and settling down into a more atmospheric-type mood. I think Trey went over to the keyboard after he laid down some wah-pedal-induced loops and that is where the DWD jam segued into a JAM- I label this a jam because of three things; the key changed, the rhythm changed, and the chords changed. Mike was the man on this jam- just phat as hell playing. He has now in my book transformed from kickass bass player who play with anybody into kickass bassplayer who anybody can play with. What I mean here is that Mike has the ability to completely take over a jam and change its direction without causing anyone to be confused and does it very smoothly. He proved to me at this show (and I have over 300 hrs of phish and been to 20 shows) that he knows exactly what to do when he wants to change keys permanently and at the same time do it smoothly and take over the jam. It just blew my mind how well he played during this jam- it was Mike like I had never seen or heard him before. The only other time Mike has blown my mind (not as bad as this but close) was in the 8/1/98 Tweezer. After the intial mindblowing Mike dominance, I thought that they were going to go into BOAF but I didnt think it was in the right key (I think it was in E and Birds is in C I think). Trey was playing Birds like chords and Fish had that kind of drum beat going on-very up beat and high paced. With Mike going to town and Trey and Fish on rhythm, Page was left to get a nice merky solo on the moog- great work by page. This is a must hear jam here people! Get the tapes or Cds or whatever because this was some solid shit. the jam started to wind down a little and something was going on as Page snuck a riff in and Mike quickly grabbed onto it, then Fish and then finally Trey (who basically played rhythm guitar through the majority of the jam). I couldnt figure out what the hell it was and then trey started singing... While My Guitar Gently Weeps- This was really cool because I didnt see it coming and it was a great segue. Trey made up for not soloing in the previous jam by just wailing on this Guitar. I'm not sure but this might be one of the longest versions they have ever played. trey just would not stop shreading the guitar. Any guitar god would be drolling after being at Polaris and seeing and hearing the energy coming out of Trey's guitar during this jam. Solid, Solid, Solid. Makisupa Policeman- great choice here. I love reggae and this song is just classic reggae with a twist of jam in it. trey on the keys here and oh yeah, keyword; "heady nuggets." Everyone when crazy after this and Trey could not stop smiling and laughing. Piper- really cool opening as they probably went through the initial chord progession four times and then just jammed in an ambient type way for about two minutes and then came crashing into the chords and we were off. This piper just fuckin raged. I cant believe the lights and the energy coming from that stage. Hyperspeed piper with Trey building the wall of guitars effect into a shreading frenze. Crazy piper with the band trying to get back into the chorus again but it being too fast. Finally they slowed it down just enough to start singing over it. Lyric segment finished and then another short jam before a segue into... Mango Song- Very very well played Mango from what I heard. I love this song too and it was really cool to see a well played Mango after seeing that absolute disaster of a mango at Alpine last year. The jam segment was really nice and page had a really cool solo, but trey started playing this reggae thing and I didnt know what it was. They jammed on it for about a minute and it looked like they were going to jam into another tune but all of a sudden they just stopped. Mike was shaking his head before they stopped so maybe he forgot how to play it. I later found out that this was a Have Mercy tease. Oh yeah:) Bug- I like this song and the lyrics to it. Very cool heartfelt tearjerking jam after the chorus and another thing that was cool was that it was not too long. trey moves around on the fretboard so well, nice to hear him is such fine form these days. YEM- Well played yem and pretty much as nailed as you can get. The jam section included a really cool techno jam that featured Mike using his filter (wah type deal), Page on the moog and rhodes, and trey using octave, wah, phaser, and pitchshifter to make this really electronic type jam. this was phat as hell. This jam lasted for about 5-6 minutes and then into the vocal jam. Very cool vocal jam in general and the lights were very nice. Encore; Loving Cup- as soon as they started playing this I knew it was going to be a one song encore. Average cup is a good cup and that what this was. Note; this song contained the only non-trey solo vocal part of the night - Page sings one part that trey does not "I feel so humble..." part. Just noting that this was another trey dominated night. Overall, the first set was really just an average set at best. First Tube, Roses, and NICU were the highlights for me. The second set is probably one of the top 5 sets I have ever seen (not heard). DWD>jam, Guitar Weeps, and Piper were simply unbelievable. Get this set, period. Peace Dino
Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2000 08:51:04 -0600 From: "Wagner, Reid D." [email protected] To: "'[email protected]'" [email protected] Subject: 7/15/00 Polaris First off I'd like to point out in my opinion, Polaris is the best amphitheatre around. The sound is good in the lawn, the security is lax, and it only took 15 minutes to get out even though we were parked way in the back of the lot. Anyway, about the show. After seeing the set list from the 14th, I was really bummin' to have missed Foam and Timber Ho! among others. As this was my 81st show since 1990, I would have loved to have seen those classics. I've learned over the years not to get overly hyped up about what they're going to play. Yet, I could not help myself as this was the last show of the tour. AC/DC Bag opener was nice (I called it). The jam was a little short and did not end with its usual craziness (listen to Star Lake '99). Nevertheless, it's a great way to open a show. First Tube was really cool. Happens to be one of my favorite new tunes. Everything was very solid. Limb By Limb was ok. Sometimes this tune has tremendous emotion, sometimes it's just another good jam. I think this version was just average. NICU was nice to hear. Who is Capernicus anyway??? Dirt was incredible. This tune has rapidly ascended my chart of favorites. I really like Page's piano work and was glad that I could actually hear it. When they started Roses Are Free, all I could think of was the 40 minute version from Big Cypress. Anyway, I really like this tune. It's a good song for Phish to cover with its quirky lyrics and off-beat sections. Contrary to prior reviews, I was actually glad this was a short version. Why, I don't know. Some things just can't be explained. Although I think Wolfman's Brother is a good tune, I'd prefer not to see it live. It just doesn't do it for me. This version sounded very similar to all the versions I've seen in the last 3 years. Maybe that's the problem. My Soul was solid. Trey was really nailing it. The people in front of me were going absolutely nuts. Brief story... During the set break I asked these guys if My Soul was their favorite tune. They said yes. Then they told me "that song, Foam, from last night, sucks". I was in complete shock!!! Before My Soul ended, I told my show mate that if they play Julius, I'm off to the bathroom to beat the crowds. By the way the show was going, Julius was one of the easiest calls I've ever made. Julius happens to be my least favorite Phish tune but I do enjoy watching everyone else's enjoyment. The bathroom was actually kind of crowded. I guess there are more non-phans of Julius. When the 2nd set opened with DWD, I was excited for a great jam (which was delivered by the boys incredibly) but slightly dissappointed by the song choice. I was figuring since it was the last show of the tour, the 2nd set would open with something a little more classic (Wilson? Runaway Jim?). When they ventured into WMGGW, my dissappointment was validated. DON'T GET ME WRONG, Trey absolutely kicks ass when he plays this one but I wanted to hear some good ol' Phish tunes. My desire was answered with Makisupa Policeman. I haven't seen it since '95 and was very psyched. This version was quite solid to boot. "Heady Nuggetts" Piper. WOW! Previously this tune impressed me only mildly. This version, however, was insane. Also, for those of us on the lawn, we were treated to some of the most trippy and incredible camera work I've seen at a show. The screens were amazing. I'm glad I re-baked during Makisupa. For the last few years, the one song I've wanted see most is The Mango Song. Thank you Phish for making this wish come true. I haven't seen it since '94 and its delightful melody made me so so happy. I only wish they would have finished it though as I think the ending jam is a very cool jam. Bug was real nice as well. Every time I hear it (live or on CD) I like it more. Trey was on fire! You Enjoy Myself was great as usual. Go Mike! The Lovin' Cup encore was as predictable as the Julius 1st set closer. I feel the same way about this as I do about WMGGW. Slave would have been much more appropriate. All in all it was a good show. The jams were crisp and tight and the sound was great. Personally, I would have been better suited for the 14th but what can I do. I always enjoy watching others phans having the time of their lives during songs I'm not to crazy about. See y'all in the phall!
Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2000 14:58:09 GMT From: Dan Daly [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Polaris 7/15 Set I AC/DC Bag opener - Excellent opener! Nice and funky - very well played, really got things off on the right foot. First Tube - (well, there it is guys) - Another 'two opener' night in my opinion. First tube took the groove that Bag started and 'heightened the bar' so to speak. Limb by Limb - Very well played and the chorus at the end sounded very sweet. NICU - Wow! I can't say much more than that. This was just incredible - with EVERYONE singing along. The crowd is going nuts at this point. Dirt - I think that this looks like a weird placement when I look at the setlist, but somehow it fit very well. It slowed things down while keeping the groove going. The whole place was totally into it. Just as I noticed the night before during the quieter songs, the whole crowd was silent at all the right parts. Sitting among 18,000 (?) quiet fans on the lawn listening to a song like this is simply awesome. Roses are free - I didn't expect this one at all and it was great. They hit the vocals on this one better than I've heard before and Trey's playing would make Ween proud. Wolfman's Brother - I needed a bathroom break here, but what I heard was very funky. They sounded like they were really into this one, and so did the crowd. My Soul - I thought this might close the set and it could have. I love this song, the band nailed it, and the crowd was going crazy. Julius - very hot, excellent closer. Set II DWD - Continuing the 'album rock' theme of the night before, this was great. I've heard spacey jams in this song before but never like this one. It was very interesting and everyone seemed to be digging it. While My Guitar Gently Weeps - Definitely one of the biggest highlights of the evening - incredible. Trey couldn't have sung or played this one any better. Wow! Makisupa - Another Wow! This one carried the perfect groove that these guys started the night before and was played perfectly. Trey's "Heady Nuggets" lyric was spoken with a familiar awe and the place exploded. His resultant grin almost kept him from being able to sing, but he managed to get the words out while keeping the giant smile throughout the song. I don't know if it would be considered a new ending or what, but these guys kept the chorus going in a very cool round that pleasantly surprised many of us. Very, very cool. Piper - Tight, excellent Mango Song - Another weird placement that worked well. I think there were a few flubbed lyrics, in addition to the intentional ones, and maybe a tad sloppy - but very well received, nonetheless. A big favorite and very pleasing. I didn't know what the jam was at this point (reported as "Have Mercy") but it was short and sweet. I was disappointed that this didn't develop into a whole song. But they quickly beat my disappointment with... Bug - Yes! What a great song to hear live. I was fairly confident that this wasn't the closer, but again, it could have been. YEM - What more can be said? Sounded great, fancy trampoline work, perfectly executed. The voice jam at the end was fairly mellow but cool. Encore - Loving Cup - Not expected - The place was going nuts and the band had a great time with this one. This one song encore was strong enough to stand alone. There were little drops of rain throughout the night that gave us flashbacks of the hell we went through the night before, and the sky still looked a little ominous at times, but very cool. And yes, Joepa, the burgers at Steak and Shake are very good.
Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2000 18:04:16 -0400 From: Ben Meyer [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: 7/15/2000 I don't know if it was just me or what but saturday nights show was the biggest let down of any show that I've seen to date. Being my 21st show, I am not the most experienced fan but I've seen enough to know. As a show in general, it was mildly entertaining at times to exciting at others. But as a tour closer following what was probably one of the top three best shows for me (7/14/2000) It downright sucked. I mean every song that they played was a total repeat and standard at that. AC/DC- I called it and was psyced to hear it. at this point I was like right on, this is gonna be a funked out show. First Tube- always good, but the fourth time I had heard it in 7 shows and my 8th time all together so getting a little old. Limb by Limb- oh my god shoot me. I swear to god they know what shows I am at and play this every time on purpose. Standard version, no heart, suitable for maybe a phish cover band. NICU-happy to hear it but they just played it the same way that they did at Alpine. Dirt- my first and a beautiful version but they might as well have put on the album and left the stage Roses- Now we're talking. Rareity and a good one at that. solid with some good funk. Wolfman's bro- see above explanation for limbXlimb My Soul-Same as NICU. awesome version but it sounded just like alpine less than a week earlier. Julius- good jamming and a crowd favorite. Shouldn't have closed the set. DWD- good jam. Can't believe how obvious of a set opener it was though. what is this the letterman show?! WMGGW- Awesome. Probably my highlight. tight jamming, beautiful guitar work. Makisup- Always ready to hear this. HEADY NUGGETS; nice Piper- even though I've heard it so much I never get enough of it. second best version I've heard. Best was alpine. Mango- I was sooo psyched to hear this. And then they fucked it all up. Trey and Mike started arguing and the show lost some momentum that could have saved a great night Bug- After how bad they messed this up at Antioch it was nice to hear them play this tight, phat, all together pretty perfect jam. YEM-Did they forget how to jam the end of this song? I'm hoping for something to remind me that yes this IS the tour closer. LOVING CUP- I was happy to hear it but I was not so much when the house lights came on and that was it. All in all this was the worst show that I saw this tour. Highlights were the WMGGW and the Bug and the Roses and that's it. Skip the tape. This tour ended the night before. Goodnight PEace
Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2000 20:58:28 -0500 From: Jon lake [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: 7/15/00 Polaris Amphitheater My anticipations were extremely high for the last show of the tour. Luckily, I was granted a first row ticket by the Ticketmaster gods to this special show. The band came out and busted right into a rather standard AC/DC, I'd predicted this opener so I was rather enthused. Next came an energized 1st Tube. I could feel the power of Trey's guitar within my soul, strong version, however not in the same league as the Alpine 1st Tube. Limb x Limb and NICU were rather standard, but always good tunes to hear. Dirt was strong, at least they aren't overplaying this Farmhouse selection. Roses Are Free!! I was so pumped to hear this one. Not the greatest Roses of all time, but still a thrill for me. Then came the handsdown highlight of the set, a phunked out Wolfman's. This surpassed the 7/8/00 version in my opinion. They just settled into the most outrageously funky groove, I was lovin' it down. Mike was in rare form, god bless Cactus. The set ended with average renditions of My Soul and Julius. Besides the Bag, Roses, and Wolfman's, this set was quite forgetable. Needless to say I expected a lot more from the second set. On this tour it hasn't been as much of a question of whether a song would be played, but rather when. Hearing DWD again didn't surprise me one bit. This was a fantastic version, I prefered this one over the DWD>Moby Dick>DWD. It really stretched out and by the end I had absolutely no idea which song they intended to go into. This was pure improvisational jamming at it's very best. At last While My Guitar Gently Weeps became barely recognizable. Great placement of this song. Next came the most humorous part of the show, Makisupa. My friend and I had been making fun of the over usage of the term "Headies" all tour long, and to hear Trey bust out the "Woke up this morning........Heady Nuggets" was a classic moment. Then came my third Piper in the last six shows, not even close to the Alpine Valley Piper, but the boys were quite enthusiastic. The familiar intro to Mango put a huge grin on my face, strong jam. During Mango this dumb security guy proceeds to ask me what Trey had said that made all the people laugh during the previous song. I don't believe that guy had ever previously purchased any headies. I actually really wanted to hear a Bug on this tour, so I was content with the next selection. I could feel the anticipation building after the conclusion of Bug, the crowd almost knew what was next, and of course they busted out only the third YEM of the summer tour. The part following the "Boy, Man" section was absolute gooey funk. Earlier this summer Kyle Hollingsworth had displaced Page as my favorite keyboard player, however when Page began pouring out that outer space phunk from his Hohner I knew that Mr. McConnell was still the reigning champion. It's always fun to see the Tramps come out, and the vocal jam was short, yet tight. Great ending to an awesome second set. Trey thanked the crowd for the great tour, and they returned to play a rocking Loving Cup encore. Very solid show indeed. Of course the mark of any good show is the presence of The Bee Gees on the P.A.after the show. The selection of "More Than A Woman" always makes me smile. I can't wait until Fall Tour. Jon Lake
Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2000 20:36:54 -0400 From: John Dunn [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Polaris Night 2 As usual I will give my QUICK, to the point review. VENUE: I personally love Polaris. The lots are easy to get around and the staff are great. The actual amphitheatre is really nice and ALWAYS serves up a great show!! 1st SET: Nothing too out-of-the ordinary. Very grooving version of Roses Are Free, but NO JAM !!!! Couldn't believe it. (Check out Roses from 4/3/98!!) 2nd SET: I've heard a lot of DWD's but this one takes the cake. Unbelievable. Not so much rocking as it was SERIOUS DANCE MATERIAL. While My Guitar Gently Weeps is usually a song I am not overly excited for, but this one continued the DWD groove. Great Piper, fun Makisupa and standard everything else, IMO. ENCORE: Would have LOVED Rock n' Roll, but can't complain, this Cup was hot... Do your self a favour and get DWD->WMGGW on tape. You'll thank the me later....
Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2000 11:05:35 -0700 (PDT) From: Jay Sell [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Polaris 7/15 review This was my 11th show of the tour and I had a great time last night at the closer. Polaris isn't my favorite venue, but it was really nice to have the tour closer ten minutes from my house. We had seats right behind and to the side of the tapers. on to the show... Set I AC/DC BAG~ Sweet opener. Played pretty solid version but w/ no crazy climax like some versions(7/4/99). Still, its bag, so you can't complain. First Tube~ Solid version of a good newer song that Trey loves to play. It was high energy, but nothing like the orgasmic Alpine version imo. Limb X Limb~ A welcome song in the first set. This one wasn't as spacey as 12/3/99, but had a good peak once Trey plugged into the zone. NICU~ Another great first set song. Standard, but enjoyable as always. This got the place moving. Dirt~ One of the better more recent slow tunes imo. It was a good break for the rest of the set to rage. Roses are Free~ Gotta love it. Great tune w/ perfect placement in the last show of the tour(get in your car and cruise the land of the brave and free). This version seemed kind of cut short, but next came was the first funk song of the night... Wolfman's~ This was your average funkfest 2000 Wolfman's, w/ Mike slappin' away and leading the groove. Nice Wolfman's at around ten minutes. My Soul~ I had to piss and this was the song I picked to miss. My girl said it was standard. Julius~ I have been sick of this song lately for some reason, but this one got me going nuts. Solid Julius to close a solid first set. Nothing too crazy, but a lot of fun. Set II DWD~ A repeat from Deer Creek, this Down was long and jammed out thoroughly. I heard a bunch of teases/directions that this could have gone. They jammed on the classic Trey jam (you all would recognize it if you heard it) for a while, then slowed things down and segued into... WMGGW~ This was great to hear in a spot other than the encore. Trey was getting off in a big way on this one as usual. Then a total change of pace... Makisupa~ Hell yes! The "heady nuggets" call from Trey was classic. This Maki was fun, w/ Mike taking a non-bass solo and Leo tweeking on the mini-moog and the synth. Piper~ Another repeat from the Creek, but this version blew my mind! The lights were probably the best I've ever seen during Piper w/ the spinning and twisting lights going all over the place(major props to Kuroda). Then they brought it back down and went into... Mango song~ My first! This was a solid version with page stepping it up a bit here. The crowd responded well to the classic and then ?@?@???, more reggae?... Have Mercy tease~ I would call this a tease. It was probably only about 30 seconds of the Have Mercy chords, then they just stopped. I was thinking maybe a little start/stop jamming, but instead... Bug~ This is s really good song, w/ great potential in the jam section. This version was jammed out nicely in the same manner as usual with Trey going all out, then returing to the chorus/ending. A better first set song imo. YEM~ Everyone in the place knew it was coming and and it was very well received. Pretty tight intro and nice work by Leo and fish keeping a tight beat(as always) in the funk section. This YEM was more old school jammed w/ less Mike Liquid bass and more raw band sound. Short, but nice vocal jam w/ awesome lights again. E: Loving Cup Another repeat from Deer Creek, but it was a solid Loving Cup and put a good close to the end of a super solid summer. This show was a very good tour closer, a lot better than 7/26/99 and 10/10/99, but not close to 12/18/99. Second night Creek is the best show of the tour hands down, so seek out those tapes first. See you in the fall, Jay Chalkdust tortuuuuuurrrrrrre!
Date:Sun, 16 Jul 2000 09:03:57 -0500 From: Eric Zielinski [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: 07/15/00 Polaris Amp., Last night of the last night of the tour in my hometown. I was not as pumped as I had been the past couple of nights, but I still was interested in what the band would pull off tonight. Also please see my Polaris review of 07/14/00. At the bottom were my picks for the 07/15/00 not bad guesses, maybe I should take up some Phantasy Phish sometime. If you see a * that means I predicted this tune. ACDC BAG I love this opener, one of my favs instantly brought me back to the New Orleans Jazz fest in 96'. I was a moving!! First Tube * - I had not heard this live and I was ready for it. I love the instrumental guitar work very kind tune. Limb By Limb - Good choice an oldy but goody well it's not that old but I have seen this tune a lot pretty tame last night. NICU - Well they played this tune last year at Polaris I love the song and it does make me groove a bit, pretty tame... Dirt * - good to hear another tame one, I really enjoy the words to this song.. Roses Are Free - I knew it!! I knew they'd get me back in the groove!! They did it with the classic Ween tune. I totally forgot about this one.. Loved it loved it loved!! Wolfmans Brother - I used to really get hiped when they would bust this one out, but now it's just like Red beans and Rice, You start to eat your RBAR and it's not bad not your fav but when you get to the bottom of the bowl you say Boy Man! That was not that bad... My Soul - Bringing down the house with some blues!!! My daughter missed the show tonight but I wish she could hear her fav tune.. She's only 2 but she can sing the "mamamamamamamamama My Soul it's my soul." I told her they played it and she started singing it. Julius - typical set closer had me moving abit. Set break was great this time around I got to hang in the VIP lounge and avoid all the bathroom lines, thanks to my wifes mom for hooking us up with those VIP passes.. Set II: DWD - they started with some intense feedback that got the crowd all worked up then they hit the beginning notes to the tune, the jam had its ups and downs, but it did go on for a long time I heard teases of Maze and GBOTT during this jam get the show see if you can hear it. right near the end of DWD they went into WMGGW - Holy shit!!! They really had me pumped.. Glow stick war in the middle of the jam the longest version of WMGGW I have heard from Phish.. Makisupa Police - Trey played keys for a bit, I thought he said Phatty Nugs not heady but I guess we will have to hear the tapes to find out. Great vibe and also I must point out the diversity at this show, reggae, blues, and jams.. Not bad. Then they go into Piper and the lights on this Piper were by far the highlight of the song!!! Crazy lights!! Good intensity by the band... Mango * typical with Have Mercy jam. Bug - Not reviewed YEM *- Not reviewed Loving Cup - Not reviewed Sorry guys I had to leave a little early to get my daughter home for bed. Wish I could have seen the Loving Cup / YEM Great little run I had the people were very kind this tour keep it up I will see you in the fall.. Peace, luv, nugs Eric http://www.ericz.org
Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2000 17:44:59 EDT From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: 7-15-00 polaris The second night of a show is always a little more relaxing because you've gotten past the obstacles of where you're going to stay and getting there. The later being quite an ordeal on the Ohio interestates. Saturday morning my friends and I awoke on the river bank of a beautiful farm. The rain had passed and my friend and I spent the afternoon under a willow tree strumming guitar while others fished and tossed a frisbee. Everyone must have had such a day because the amphitheatre was beeming with excitement and enthusiasm before the show. Trey said recently in an interview that they really feed off the energy of the audience. Opening with AC/DC Bag into First Tube was perfect. The place was movin' as they slowed the momentum and flowed into Limb By Limb where I realized in the middle of it that my body was moving to the delicacy of the cymbals and percussion. This song has the haunting beauty of several of their newer numbers that I'm delighted to hear. Keeps things a bit wicked. This jam flowed into NICU a crowd favorite obviously.I love hearing that organ roll through. Back to that haunting beauty I was talking about with Dirt. Everythin just kept getting better and better as they played Roses Are Free which was my favorite of the set. This song was an uplifting piece that complemented Dirt well. It's filled with great lyrics and verse. Wolfman's Brother picked things back up slowly and funky again continuing the diversity of the set. I love this song and each time I hear it, it's easier and easier to celebrate through. My Soul was the intensity that was waiting to explode followed off by a nice Julius- "wake up in the morning we'll be gone." Set2 opened with Down With Disease which flowed into a 15-minute jam that was sick. Liquid base that segued into that organ and finally Trey peeking out. The jam had me laughing outloud at times as I was estatic and happy that it was so easy to get lost in the music. This jam drifted down and into a slow and beautiful While My Guitar Gently Weeps. Makisupa Policeman was a transition from the dark to the light with it's humorous beginning with Trey laughing through the intro "heady nugs" or something like that. He smiled through the whole song as they played to a dancing crowd. This was appropriate after the hour ride in on Polaris Pkwy where 8 officers on bikes wove in and out of traffic pulling people over. Many folks were cuffed on the side of the road. I'm very disheartened to see folks be so careless out on the scene with so much to lose. It's like shootin' fish in a barrel for the police. Play it cool! Piper was next and we were back into intensity reminiscent of My Soul. Piper and all it's chaos turned into harmony with The Mango Song and a beautiful Bug. The set closed with the last long dance of summer, You Enjoy Myself. The fellas encored with Loving Cup which is one I was hopeing to hear and got as a goodbye until Fall. I can't say enough about this run of shows. There's so much diversity in the sets which offers you everyhting from calm to chaos and it's woven like a beautiful quilt. It's great to be back on the train!
Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2000 04:29:32 EDT From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: 7-15-00 The last show of tour always has something magical about it. Although the lots and masses of people weren't as large as they were at Deercreek, but I had a great feeling about tonight. Last night's show was fun, but a soggy me lacked the energy to move much, so tonight I was extra ready to share in the groove. I got in the venue around 7:30, and by the time I'd reached the lawn the band had just walked on stage. From the moment the tunes started I was hypnotized. The energy in the crowd was great. By the time the first set had rolled into force following the quick AC/DC bag, I was positive that a great show that would leave me wanting more. That's exactly what I got. I just rolled though the first set, and the songs seemed perfectly placed. Everytime my weak smoker lungs started to tell me to take a break, the jams just seemed to slow down just enough for me to catch my wind. Wow, I was having the time of my life when setbreak came. Knowing how awsome of a time I had during the first set, I just knew that the second set would just be an explosion everything that the boys had left in, and needed to get out before tour ended. That it was and so much more. The DWD was wicked cool! I've never busted my ass like that before. Everything just seemed to flow together and just got better and better. I was under the complete control of the sounds that were flowing from the stage. I've never enjoyed a tour ending show as much as I did this. By the time the show had come to a end, I had no clue what to make of what I'd just experienced. I was so overflowing with feeling after that set, I felt more human than I did when I walked into Polaris Amphitheatre. In otherwords, this show was as close to perfect as perfect gets. 2nd night Deercreek was good. Starlake was good. From what I heard Memphis was unreal, but in my humble opinion this was better. A perfect ten! -RT
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