7-6-00 -- Molson Amphitheatre - Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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

From: Brian Daniels [email protected]
Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 18:15:34 -0500
From: Brian Daniels 
To: [email protected]
Subject: Toronto 7/6/00 (review)

I'm still thinking about how great this show was.  This was indeed the best of Phish that
I had ever seen and I had the opportunity to do so w/ my best buddy.  Thanx Phish!
Oh yeah..Chris, I'm never gonna forget the end of intermission just as LimbXLimb came
on...

Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 04:32:47 EST From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Toronto 7-6-00 This was my first show and I went with my younger brother who is an avid follower of Phish. I had listened to Phish during High School a little bit but never got into them that much as I was a large supporter of the Grateful Dead and was always a bit skeptical of Phish. I went to the show because my brother's friend had to back out at the last minute. We went to the show and from the minute I got to the parking lot, it was nothing but good vibes. People were friendly, everyone smiled and said hello and I felt right at home. We were a bit late getting into the show because it was so crowded trying to get in but Reba had started up as we were walking to our seats and already things were starting to rock for me at least. I was in for a treat tonight because now, more than half a year later, I am constantly searching for bootlegs and different versions of each song. With them taking a hiatus, I unfortunately gained much appreciation for them a bit late. Better late than never though, right? I know that t his was my first show and I have no other shows to compare this one too, but I personally felt that it rocked. I was moving the entire time, the people around me were awesome and I had the opportunity to hear many classic Phish tunes. Harry Hood and Down with Disease are my two favorite songs live and being able to hear Hood was awesome. The first set lasted 1:50 minutes which was very sweet. It was my first show and it was just what I needed to get hooked on the phenomenon. I love this band because it also did something that I don't think would have happened otherwise. Just spending time with my little bro and experiencing something that we both now love so much brought us closer than we have ever been. We both had a great time and as one fan put it after the show, "This show rocked. They covered everything just about." I'm going tonight to see Trey's solo concert in Philly and I'm pysched as all hell. I envy all the fan's who have seen countless amounts of shows. I just wish that some people woul dn't be so critical of everything. Not every song is going to be played to the same highest level everytime, but these guys go out there each and everynight because they love playing and the crowd and them have a connection that could never be felt by so many of these "here by day, gone by night, one hit wonder bands." My plea to many of these critical fans is to just go and love every minute of what you are experiencing. Also Sprach Zarathustra was awesome. All in all, I left wishing that I didn't have to leave and that it wasn't over because it was one of the highlights of my life. Keep it real everyone because everyday you are walking and breathing, its Christmas brother!
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 20:56:57 -0400 From: John Dunn [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Toronto Show This will be a quick, to the point review.....(my 32nd show) VENUE: beautiful, no problems getting in, a little slow getting out. 1ST SET: good Reba, KILLER MOMA!!!, good 1st tube and YEM 2ND SET: great 2001, different rockish Piper jam!, weird stop-start jam in Hood! ENCORE: pretty weak, but hey gotta love Page Great show, can't wait for Polaris....
Date: Sun, 09 Jul 2000 18:34:24 GMT From: Nigel Graves [email protected] Reply-To: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Toronto show reviews I am from the UK and have been a fan for about five years, so although I haven't seen the band as much as some of these self-appointed experts on Phish and their music, I reckon I know enough about them and have experienced enough first hand to say that many of these people are talking out of their arses. I have been reading the reviews for the Toronto show and I cannot believe the fucking GALL displayed by these idiots who obviously get to see Phish a lot more than I do: I had to fly all the way from England to see that show (as I did last year when I saw them in Camden NJ - something which I think shows a great deal of commitment considering what a shithole that town is), so don't give me that "I had to drive eight hours for that show and I'd only give it 5 out of 10" bullshit - count yourselves lucky that you live on the same bloody continent as they do. I mean, let's just say that this show, or that show, or whatever show actually WAS the worst one that Phish ever did: so fucking what? I am a musician myself, and even if I didn't love the band I could show nothing but respect for a bunch of guys who produce at least one CD every year, tour incessantly, play a different set every night, AND play sets twice as long as most touring rock bands anywhere in the world. You whining ingrates sound as convincing as that fat twat who runs the comic book shop in The Simpsons: who says that every show you can be bothered to drag your ballooning great arses to should be catered to YOUR requirements? If I were a member of the band and I read the inordinate amount of crap that you morons shovel out after each show, all I would say would be: "Tough luck - I don't play music for you; if you don't like it, no one forced you to come - so why don't you eat a full bag of shit?" One other thing that amazes me is this criticism of individual songs. What's with the guy who said "I think Bug's an alright tune but it's basically the Prince Caspian of the new millenium" or some such crap? Oh sure, pal, I bet you have stack of songs at home that would make Trey and Tom Marshall shit themselves. And as for the ones who say things like "Yeah . . . that YEM was pretty good, but you should have heard the one on New Year's Eve 199Whatever . . ." - GO FUCK YOURSELVES. What would you know about it? What would you know about getting up there night after night and playing your fucking heart out? You make me sick. I am not saying that this show or any show by any band is totally flawless - that's called being a human being. Nothing is perfect; the closest any band can get to perfection is with recording where they can work on songs over and over until they produce something that is so polished that there is no way they can capture that kind of perfection on stage. Farmhouse is an outstanding achievement, as are all the albums - but I tell you this: as breathtaking as that album is, I thought the peak of the jam in Moma Dance at Toronto was worth the price of the ticket alone.
Date: Sat, 8 Jul 2000 23:48:04 EDT From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Review - 7/6/00 Molson Imagine this. It's the summer before you're a senior in high school, and you're 16, and you're on one of the last summer vacations you're ever going to take with your parents. This is very bittersweet to you, because you have really, really amazing parents. So you're on vacation. You're in Toronto, which you think is cool. You have stuff planned for every night of the week except for Thursday and you're reading some newspapery thing to find out what you're going to do on Thursday. And you see that Phish is playing at the nearby Molson Amphitheatre, which is really close to where you're saying. You had just seen them at the second PNC show the previous week, but you want to go again because you've read in a newspaper that they're going to stop touring soon and that makes you sad. And so you say to your dad: "Dad, we have to go," because they're Phishheads too and this is one of the things you like to do with your folks, go to concerts. And he says: "We'll see. I'm sure it's sold out." And you're sad. But you kind of forget about it, because you have a really exciting and Fun Day, and later that evening, when you get back from dinner together, your dad says: "Oh, so, I called the place and there's no tickets left," and now you're really sad and you feel like crying cause you were getting hopeful. And then your dad says: "Oh. But. I forgot. We have tickets." And you're all "WHAT?" and then you see them and you have seats at this show that you hadn't even known existed. And you reaffirm your belief that you have the coolest parents on the planet. I'm mostly not a reviewer, but I mostly wanted to share that story with y'all. But I'll do this review thing anyway. We were sitting on Page's side, kinda far back, but we had seats and stuff, not lawn. SET ONE: Reba - Oo. It was sad, because, the soound was /screwed up/ for most of this, which was depressing because I've allllways wanted to hear this. It was pretty good though, and I was still sort of floating because we were just There. Dog Stole Things - I don't remember this at all anymore, honestly. Taste - This was kind of eh? The sound was icky again, I thought. It was sad, cause this is my favoritest song on Billy Breathes and I was psyched to hear it, but I guess I was just not Prepared for it yet. I kept getting distracted by the crowd and there were people talking and stuff. Eh. Dog Faced Boy - I didn't recognize this until about halfway through, so I was too busy trying to figure out what it was. Heavy Things - I really like this song more than I thought I did. Notnotnot as good as the one at PNC, though. They weren't really stretching out on it like I had hoped they would, but it was nice anyway cause we were all singing along. Moma Dance - Yea! This is one of hte best songs on Ghost /anyway/, and I was starting to dig it and everyone was into it, and it was groovy. The set really just picked up here. FIRST TUBE! - Heart attack city. I did NOT expect this. I wanted to hear it sooo mcuh at PNC, but I didn't get it, and this was sooo a killer version. Kind of right-off-the-album-y, but the /album/ version rocks. I think the sound was finally totally straightened out by now, too. I Didn't Know - With Vacuum! We saw Fishman do the vacuum the very first time I saw Phish, last summer, and it was hilarious to see him doing it again because I had a better view this time and actually knew what was going on. Some guy had a frog. Just fun. The Inlaw Josie Wales - OK, this was SO nice. The sun was really setting by now and the sky one one side was just firey and the sky on the other side was purply and there were seagulls wheeling over head and Trey was playing it was so NICE to be alive and there and everything. Kind of a zen moment, really. I like this song anyway. I was crossing my fingers for Bela Fleck to come out, but no dice. ;) Prince Caspian - Whoa. OK. I don't like this song THAT much, but this was soooo good. I was kind of needing to be uptempo a little more, but this was good anyway. Nice jammage and everyone was into it, which is my favorite /anyway/. Golgi Apparatus - I so thought they were going to be done after Caspian (actually, I had thought they were done after Tube) and then they whipped out the Golgi! I love this song, anyway, and it was what I needed, too, cause I got to dance and jump around and kind of enjoy. Kickass. YEM!!! - This guy that was sitting behind us at the beginning of the show /called/ it. He was: "YEM, with the trampolines, first set," and we were like, yeah, whatever, and even more so after Golgi. And then, just: Woo! Really nice. ********COMPLAINT STARTS******* I like quiet audiences, and I hate people who talk, and these really drunk people to my left were talking and YELLING for some guy who was all the way, like, three sections over. It was: "BUDDYYYYYYYYY!" every four seconds all through the beginning of YEM, and I was getting really pissed, cause, yeah. :P Go ahead and drink or whatever, but don't lay your bad trip on me. :P ********COMPLAINT ENDS********* So anyway, the YEM was really, really nice. I think that Trey had a pretty killer cold and so I was pretty impressed, all things considered. Nice beginning (er, what I heard of it), good scream, and then the rest was highly of the good. Yay with the trampolines! I felt bad for Trey, cause, yeah, cold and trampolines probably don't mix much. But good. And then the vocal jam was out of this world. Not as long as I would have liked, cause I really, really like the vocal jams, but good. And more applause for Chris Kuroda and his amazing, amazing lighting. The first set was, like, TWO HOURS. Whoa. Then we went to get beer and soda and we were stuck on the line for all of halftime and through almost all of the first song on the next set. Sad. But, we met this guy and I hope he reads this cause he was really cute. ;D And me and my mom talked to him for a while about stuff and we bonded and then went back when we were done. SET TWO: Limb By Limb - I can't really comment cause th esound over on the beer line was crappy, but when I got back they were in this sort of weird, spacey jam which was cool and not what I expected from a Limb by Limb. 2001 - I was so dying with laughter at this point because I swear I didn't believe people when they said that Phish did this, and it was so funny. And good! Kind of hardcore, which I was not epxecting. Very cool. Bug - I love this song sooo much. I heard it I think the first time they played it, second night at Nassau on this fall tour, and I like it more now because I know what it is. ;D Piper - I never know what this song is until it's over, and this was no exception. I was like; "Oh. That was Piper. Heh." It always bowls me over. Goodgood. Driver - I thought this was still Piper, I guess, so no comment! In any case, I just thought this was some awesome, spacey jam. It was nice, anyway. Hood - /Yay/. My mom was hoping for thsi and then I got all this prescience during Piper (Driver?) and I was: "OK, they're going to play it," and she was like, "whatever" and then they did. It was too short, though? Really, really good. It rocked the whole way through and then it was over and I was sad. ;P They did this cool thing at the beginning though, where they stopped playing and did some acapella thing? It was cool, worth hearing. Loving Cup - I had never heard this song, Phish or Stones or otherwise but I was so glad to hear it. It was the perfect end to the set. I knew they wouldn't play much longer at this point because Trey was Sick and I felt Bad for him, but this was just a fun, fun song. E: Squirming Coil - I had been feeling a serious lack of Page and I just love him so much so I was really, really, really happy to hear this and hear him doodle a little bit. Just happynicegoodness. Anyway. A great show. It's worth it to get the tape for the vacuum, I swear, and just for the compilation of lots of good, good things. First set's AMAZING... by the second set, you could hear that they were getting tired and that Trey wasn't feeling good. It kind of bounced around, but.... such, such, such a good show. Another note - if you can see a show at Molson Amphitheatre, it's worth it. It's such a nice place to be, just like all of Toronto. And as a disillusioned Jersey girl, I get to say that. ;D * Jessica Burke *
Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2000 20:10:55 EDT From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: toronto extras nobody remembers Doesn't anyone remember the vacuum solo?!!!! The a cappella I Didn't Know? The Trey acoustic In-law? The trampolines in YEM? Page solo to end Squirming Coil? I do. Believe it or not!!!!!!! KURt Wewer
Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2000 19:01:59 -0400 From: Vicki Wesling [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Toronto it was the best show i have ever see it was awesome THANK YOU PHISH
Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2000 14:58:35 -0400 From: Mark Shepard [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Phish@toronto This is to all the people who attend 2 shows and then blast people who criticize phish in their reviews: Have you ever been to a sporting event? When I spend 50 beans to see the Buffalo Bills and they don't have a good game, I don't say to my friends, "Dude, we should be happy that the Bills are alive and grateful that we got to see them." No, I have seen what Phish can do, and they totally killed the momentum they had going out of 2001 with Bug. And as far as those who think phish is the only good band going right now, go to the Berkshire Mountain Music Festival and your opinion will quickly change. And as far as those who play phish in the lots after the show, give me a break. Trey himself would be disappointed that you have absolutely no other musical taste. And as for those who play Dave Matthews, I don't even have to get into that. That will turn a good trip upside down. Anyway, phish rules and I can't wait to see them again this fall.
Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2000 09:21:00 -0400 From: Marcus Thunich [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Trey's Toronto 7/6/00 Comments Just thought I'd post the Trey banter from this show. Has anyone knows of Trey speaking so highly of a place/venue the band was playing in? I've listened to the show a few times and transcribed what Trey said. at the end of YEM in set one Trey said: " we're gonna take a quick break...thanks so much..we love playing here..great place..thank you" and the big gusher was at the end of Harry: "great time tonight, last night..seriously we always have such a good time here and you have a beautiful beautiful city, great people and a great place and thank you for having us to play here and hopefully we'll be able to come back soon..we really mean that, it's really great here..so thank you and well see u next time we come back..take it easy" Way cool IMO! Hopefully they'll be back to Molson Amp for a 2 nighter.. -Marcus
Date: 3 Aug 2000 15:54:39 -0000 From: Dan Starr [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Addition to Toronto 7/6 Reviews. It should be noted that the first two minutes of 2001 in Toronto had this crazy hammer-on/pull-off riff that makes it unlike any other 2001 intro I have ever heard. If you can find the MP3's or whatever, download it, listen to it, and FUCKIN' LOVE IT BABY!!!
Date: Sun, 09 Jul 2000 21:10:15 -0400 From: Rick Wright [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Toronto Review First OFf i wonder if this is really how you send in a review. I wonder about the negativity I have read In the other reviews of the show. I am a huge fan but this was only my second show, I wish I could see more but hey. It is hard for me to believe that a band could put on a better show than phish. You so called Phisheads are spoiled Even phish's weaker stuff is better than 99% of the other crap out there. They were obvisously playing harder than anyother band I have seen. I wonder why Page never really got into the show, I think he was the only element missing. THank YOU PHISH for playing First Tube. That is the greatest song ever. 2001, momma dance and first tube were easily the highlights. Someone said the show slowed after 2001, were you not there for Piper? what was that? they were totally into it. YEM, Love that funk, better than last year's at the toronto show. And to all you complainers, you sound like a bunch of millionairs complaining about taxes. Thanks Phish for making my summer. [email protected]
Date: Fri, 07 Jul 2000 15:04:14 -0300 From: alan tenenbaum [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: TORONTO SHOW Alright, here's the Toronto show in a nug shell: This was my first show of summer tour, making it my 37th show. I am also a Toronto native and attended the show with my home town friends. I was also gratefully accompanied with my girl friend for it was her first show so it was somewhat fun hearing last night's songs and partaking in her reactions as if it were my first time seeing Phish too. Mail order hooked us up with phat 200 section seats. Lot scene: no shakedown st. but definitely allot of excited people. This was definitely a hometown show for many. For those unfamiliar americans on tour, the Molson amp was definitely a scenic and lay back treat. There were even these orthodox Jews in attendance who I got the chance to put on teffilin with( an ancient Jewish tradition). I wonder what these guys do when Phish play on the sabbath? As for security, it was a joke. I was able to get in hassle free with my napsack and all! First set was indeed a blast. The first Reba of the summer tour was an interesting and fun way to kick things off! Although my friends and I were already hooked, I think the jam lost a few people for it was too early in the set for an epic song like Reba to suck everyone in, especially those up in the lawn. Dog Stole Things was the perfect opportunity to go to the bathroom. If you ask me, Dogs Stole Mound. After years of experience, my girlfriend was very suprised how quickly I made it back to my seat. Taste was sweet with a few small tweaks from Trey that would just get everyone in the front screaming for more. Yet it was still too early in the evening before the band could whisk the crowd away into unbound psychedelic territory (if you know what I mean). My old school buddy who came down from Florida called Dog Faced Boy. I thought we were in for a DOG theme tonight. Heavy Things was fun. So far my girlfriend was having a good time being intrigued by the scene/phan devotion/ and musical complexityfrom the band however she wasn't getting down (dance wise) just yet. I thought Heavy Things would do the trick however she saw right through the tune's cheesiness. Oh well, different strokes for different folks. Then Moma Dance came. Here's where the first set takes a turn for the better (not that it wasn't good so far). Phish definitely had the entire crowd in the palms of there hands at this point. This Moma was on the ball with Trey just wailing for a good while during the song's peak. I'm also sure I heard a Tweezer tease woven in there. My girl and I got down on the dance floor real hard for this one and I would probably rank it as my favorite one witnessed live! Up next was the tune I crave the most from the new album, FIRST TUBE!! Man I love this one. Here's where the set starts to get real intense. I Didn't Know couldn't have been more perfect for a fun breather. I was also very excited for my girlfriend to witness her first vacuum solo, which was excellent. Inlaw of J.W. was also nice and relaxing. Got a phat back massage from my lady! Now I'm not a big fan of Prince Caspian however the latter part of the tune where the jam kicks in definately gets my attention. Tonight's version was the most intense and tweaked out I've seen live since MSG '98. It was too good that my buddy had to keel over from the intensity and the Jaggermeister he drank before. Golgi was fun. Then out of left fucking field came the second YEM of the summer tour. Who could of called YEM to close Toronto's first set two years in a row. You could imagine how stoked the crowd was for this. Very tight jam that was low in bass which made the funk groove extra chunky. No Trey wailing however it was surely fun to boogie to. I'd give this first set a fat and phun 8.5-9 rating. I'm not quite sure how it will transpire onto tape but it was definitely a great time had by all. Now if i recall, the set break wasn't too long at all, which is a good thing. Limb by Limb kicked off the second set. When I first heard this tune at the Great Went I loved it and was hooked. However nowadays I've seemed to have lost interest with it. Maybe it's because of the new arrangement that just doesn't tend to take you anywhere most of the time. Tonight's version though derailed from its normal self and had a deep dark funk groove in it. Up next was 2001 and was the highlight for my girl. The lights were sick as always (especially being as close as we were) and there were definitely some tasty funk/disco grooves flooring us all. The entire pavilion was going hysterical every time the band brought the funk back to the 2001 theme. "BUG, IT DOESN"T MATTER", hey the band said it, not me. I'm indifferent to this tune. I don't despise it yet I don't crave it in anyway. To me this song feels like the "Prince Caspian" of the new millenium, so considering we already heard it in the first set, Bug was the perfect time to go to the bathroom again. Now here's where the beef of the set comes in with PIPER. This jammed hard (type II style) with varioations of musical realms being explored and driven by the band. I could get literal and graphic but I'll save that for Mr Minor. Overall Piper was the experimental jam highlight for my friends and I. As the jam began to wind down it felt like they were going to reprise the tune however it settled into Driver which was a nice breather. Another phat back massage from my lady who I truly adore. Hood was great. The band also tweaked out one section by singing the notes acapella style rather than playing there instruments (anyone else catch that?). I guess you'll have to listen to the tapes to see what I mean. Loving Cup rocked as always however the song's vocal reprise caught me by surprise which usually doesn't for I'm always on the ball for this song (Exile On Main St is by far the best Stones album and was the peak of their career!) I was also caught off guard that L.Cup closed the second set for the set seemed kind of short. So naturally I was expecting a huge encore (maybe a Rush or Guess Who song for us phine Canadians, or maybe an acapella of our national anthem). Squirming Coil wasn't what I was expecting but nevertheless it was an excellent version. Page's solo was also a sweet way to end the show for my friends, my girl and I. I'll tell you another thing: Nothing beats seeing a Phish show in your home town where your bed, bathroom and a stock full of food in the fringe are just waiting for you at home. Period! So the second set gets a fair 7.5 with the 2001 standing out visually and the Piper exploding experimentally. Overall the show gets an 8.5. See all of you at the Creek and Polaris. Look out for the Lesh/Dylan (Phylan) and Phish commemorative t-shirts we'll be selling! "Phylan Your Dish with Phish" peace in the middle east "Let's be for ever let for, ever be free" -Ween
Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2000 02:22:31 -0800 From: bosman [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: TO. show "WORST EPISODE EVER"...actually it was pretty good.Very long 1st set with a shocking(for me)Reba with whistling and all.Flashbacks of last year's stop were definitely apparent.YEM,2001...uhmmm,brain- phart,anyway I though the 2nd was very dissapointing for me PERSONALLY.It might have blown some people away but the last of the Jersey shows were the goose-bumpers for me for sure!Anyway,Id like to offer the hippie geeks we call Phish a formal invitatio to also play other cities than VAN. & TO.Try the crowds in Montreal,they have enormous spirit!!Well,all in all maybe a stronger encore would of set me straight but hey...THE ENERGY,MAN!!!!!!!Peace & Nugs,Mike Bos
Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2000 21:00:10 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Alexander Sutherland [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Review: Phish in Toronto Most of the dedicated and hardcore phish fans will no doubt skip through my review once they read that this was only the second time this overjoyed canuck has seen phish, but I still feel that I should voice my opinion. I reel at all the comments the so-called phans make about how certain songs were lacking or just not very good. I am sure many feel the same as I do and it makes me sick. Consider yourselves lucky that you have the phenomenon known as Phish around in your lifetime. You can see them live in concert and enjoy their music and witness the miracle of live jams and improvisation that no one else will get to see ever again. It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime event and you should count yourself lucky you get to see them. Cherish the time you spend with them. Put down your pencils at the show, stop writing your little comments about each song, and dance. Dance like you've never danced before. Feel the groove that Moma Dance throws at you and cry when Dog Faced Boy steps into the light. In many ways I am a simple man. With simple ideals. All I ask is that you appreciate Phish with the devotion you claim to have and enjoy yourself. PHISH RULES CANADA WITH AN IRON FIST, AND YET IS SOFT AND WIELDING LIKE A NERF BALL.
Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2000 09:36:16 EDT From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: July 6th Review Well what can i say? Actually i can say a lot! I just cam eback from teh 6th up in Toronto and the 4th in NJ and let me say that while i thought the 4th was a phenomenal show, i think the 6th was right up there with it. First off, the Molson Amp. is a DOPE place to see phish, along with any other band i would assume. The security was tight but chill, the bathrooms were CLEAN (i could drop a deuce in there and not worry about grime) and the people were very friendly. PLus the whole arena is small enough that we on the lawn were afforded a phantastic view. So onto the show itself, the Reba opener was an interesting choice, and it was a fairly solid version. HIghlights for me were the unexpected YEM (with a wonderfu lvocal jam) the I Didn't Know and Fishman's ridiculously amusing vacuum solo, the Dogs Stole Things, and of course the only opportunity for F U N K the first set- teh Moma Dance. It seemed to me that the entire first set was very light and melodic while the second was more jammy and fast...which has been a trend most recently, i.e. a more song laden first set with a more jammed second. BTW- we found dope nugs and shrooms in the lots and i hope everyone else was lucky cause you knwo the border, the fact that we were in a foreign country...etc. The second set...i was calling a NICU opener (played 2 days later) bu teh limb by Limb was fine and i called the following 2001. I agree that teh Bug after 2001 was a buzzkill but hey, its phish and we should enjoy the tunes they play so thats the end of that. It was my girlfriends frist show and my 10th and she and i enjoyed it immensly, we even met this dude who knew my girlfriends best friend in a random way- you never know who you will meet... Well see yall in Albany and Darien Lake Peace and Love Jeremy
Date: Fri, 7 Jul 2000 16:26:08 -0400 From: Thomas TJ Haykel [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: toronto review Reba was quite a sweet opener, and the jam took off quite nicely. The crowd was into it and it gave a sense of hope that the show might be special. Unfortunately, nothing really epic materialized out of that fine Reba. From there the set, and the whole show for that matter, kind of puttered along pell mell, and never sustained a solid high for any appreciable length of time. While tunes like Taste, Moma Dance, and First Tube are nice tunes they were kind of lost in the midst of Dog Faced Boy, Heavy Things, and I Didn't Know. Fishmans vacum solo was nice too see, however. Caspian/Golgi was alright, and the YEM was a real surprise and a nice treat. Again, I would have to say that, although the set was quite long (1:51), it was kind of all over the place and not great. The second set started very well. Limb by Limb is a great tune and was played with a lot of force and then 2001 had the place hopping with psychedelic aniticipation. However, instead of launching into something great they ended 2001 and then decided to play Bug, which in my opinion was a disapointment. Its a good first set tune, but killed the energy coming out of 2001. Piper was hot, and built some nice dark energy of its own, but then, alas, they go soft into Driver. Again, I though that was weak and disjointed. Finally, they ended with an average Hood and a rockin', always good to see, Lovin' Cup. I liked Lovin' Cup. The encore of Spuirmin' Coil was not what I wanted, but sweet none the less. It was well played and contained a nice Page solo to cap off a very long night. All in all, it was not a great show to anyone who has seen Phish at their best, however, people I encountered seemed to like it none-the-less.
Date: Sat, 08 Jul 2000 03:28:31 -0400 From: Peddle Bob [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: (no subject) hey. saw toronto last night and before i get everything said i would like to say that the only thing thing that burns me out about phish is you 'phans' who think your too important to attend an 'average' show. i am a ween fan who attends phish shows with some regularity and i think you guys are exposed to some amazing entertainment every time these guys hit stage and there is nothing worse than hearing y'all complain about what they should've played.....fuck...you have nothing to do with writing the music...so stop thinking that you have anything to do with the setilists...on a completely unrelated topic....did anyone see ween in toronto last month...amazing!!
Date: Fri, 07 Jul 2000 11:36:44 -0400 From: Marcus Thunich [email protected] To: [email protected], [email protected] Subject: My Toronto review Phish's second visit to Molson Amphitheatre affirmed my feeling that this venue is the crown jewel on the summer tour circuit. Once again, access in/out and parking were incredibly quick and painless. Getting inside the attractive surrounded-by-water shed was even easier. Like last year,there were generally no body searches whatsoever, just a friendly ticket rip and you're in. It'd be nice if many of the venues south of the border where one must endure Gestapo like searches to get in would send reps up to Molson Amp to see how paying customers to their facility should be treated. It was a rare treat to actually enter a venue without being treated like one was entering a prison. A polite hello and a smile gets a lot of mileage and respect IMO. Set 1 (110min) Like Toronto 7/20/99, this year Phish played another very long first set, clocking in at almost a full two hours. Unlike 7/20/99 which had moments of uninspired and slopping playing, this set was very very tight and full of confidence. Highlights included a rare (and 1st of the summer) Reba opener. The even rarer Dog Stole Things followed. Moma Dance however, was the finest version I've ever seen live. Tight and scorching are two words that come to mind. Trey's solos had the hair on the back of my neck standing up. Very impressive. At the conclusion of Golgi, it was almost certainly time for setbreak as the set had already been ~90 min when Trey looked to Fish and mouthed "YEM". Like Toronto '99, Phish concluded the first set with a typically solid version of the classic warhorse that neither the band nor Phans seem to tire of. Setbreak (~35 min) Set II (85 min w/enc) Set two began with a solid well executed Limb By Limb which not surprisingly, was highlighted by scorching solo work by Mr. Anastasio. Once again Toronto was treated to a long funkified 2001 highlighted by a superb light show from CK5. However, the momentum generated by this hot 2001 quickly vanished when the band brought this powerhouse version to a complete standstill and launched Bug. A seque right into another song riding off the momentum of 2001 would seem to fit best but, alas, a picky Phan's gotta have something to moan about right? The rest of this set was fairly standard save for a ripping Loving Cup, once again, featuring exceptional work from Ernest Guiseppe Anastasio III. A fine Squiriming Coil encore with a beautful Page solo to cap it, concluded Phish's second Molson Amp. appearance. Overall, this show was far and away a much stronger and more inspired affair than Toronto '99. This is probably due to the fact that Phish hadn't just come off the marathon sets @ Oswego. Also general concensus is that Phish so far in 2000, are playing much tighter and more consistently than in '99. I agree. It's also clear that Phish really enjoy playing Toronto and Molson Amp. At the end of set 1, Trey spoke something like "this is a really great place..back in 15 min.." At the conclusion of Harry, Trey commented how much they "love coming here","it's a really great place" and "you've got a beautiful city" and something along the lines of "we hope to come back ASAP".Also they could've easily kept the tour stateside as the routing for this show was not exactly convienient since the prior shows were an 8.5 hr drive away in NJ. Kudos to Phish for returning to Toronto and letting Canadian Phans see a show in their home country. Here's hoping for a two show run for Summer 2001!. Now *that* would be sweet. -- *************************************************************** Visit my CDR and DAT Trading Page here: http://members.home.net/marcust99/home.htm ***************************************************************
Date: Sat, 8 Jul 2000 13:31:08 EDT From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Toronto Show First of all, I work for a Talk radio station in Toronto and I can't believe we were giving away tickets to see Phish. (Just imagine the kind of people who listen to talk radio shows like Dr. Laura) Hopefully, the winners of the tickets gave them to their children, but I did see some middle aged guy who looked like he was there to see Johnny Cash or Loretta Lynn. Quite the culture shock I'm sure. I agree with the other reviewers in that this show lost momentum after '2001' which was the hi-lite of the night. Where was the showmanship like last summer's Toronto stop when they launched into the 'Misty Mountain Hop' coming out of '2001'? It was a pretty subdued show with the band alternating from Classic Phish to their new stuff from 'Farmhouse' while ignoring rockers like 'Chalkdust' and 'DWD'. The reviewer in the Toronto Sun newspaper, who panned the band last year, was swayed by popular opinion and gave a more positive review this time around, which certainly displays his depth of character. The death theats must have gotten to him. Was it worth $45 Canadian to see Phish this year? Sadly, I have to say "no" it wasn't. Compared to the other four acts I've seen this year, Phish would have to rank tied for 3rd with Bela Fleck And The Flecktones, behind Tony Trishka and the best show I think I may have ever seen, John Paul Jones. (all of whom were a lot less expensive) Phish just didn't leave me breathless and wanting more this time around, but I think I did hear Trey say something about coming back again and then he ended it by saying, "take it easy, eh."
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