9-17-99 -- Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, California

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Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 16:37:55 -0700
From: Charles Dirksen [email protected]
To: Daniel W. Schar [email protected]
Subject: 9/17/99 Shoreline
 
DISCLAIMER:  Nothing to disclaim at this time. (See 9/16 review
disclaimer, if you want details re this reviewer's Phish experience)
 
 
09/17/99 Shoreline Amphitheatre - Mountain View, California
I: (1:18?) Free Thought, Guyute, Ghost > Lawn Boy, Peaches en Regalia >
     Moma Dance, Water in the Sky, When the Circus Comes, Get Back on
     the Train, David Bowie, The Squirming Coil
 
The first set is almost not even worth commenting on, in light of the
second set, which was one of most inspired sets of Phish of the last
few years, as I heard and saw it.
 
Fish came out wearing his Zeroman frock again (if memory serves) but
more particularly that viking helmet. I thought for sure things would
really smoke from the start.  "Free Thought" was really cool.. had a
Jingo Va (Santana) vibe to it which I enjoyed.  Once the WHOLE BAND
starts getting into this jam segment (it isn't much of a song IMO), it
should be a strong opener.  It ain't there yet.
 
Guyute is always fun to hear, and the "newborn elf" segment of this
version was darker and deeper and more dreaded than usual.  Otherwise,
it wasn't a clean version (a flub here and there, though nothing
major), but so what.  I love Guyute.
 
Ghost had a beautiful jam segment.  It didn't strike me as profound,
though.  Lawn Boy was fun, as always.. Page the lounge act singer.
Page stepped into the darkness, out of the spotlight, for a large part
of it, too, very close to the front of the stage, which was highly
amusing (or maybe Kuroda just chose not to shine the light on him).
 
I was psyched to hear Peaches!  They played it pretty well, too,
though not flawlessly.  I still love Moma Dance, though I don't
understand why they (apparently) refuse to really funk this one out.
They should listen to their mid-1970's Miles Davis discs some more and
do something worthwhile with this groove, IMO.  Anyway, this was a
Moma Dance you have probably heard before.
 
Water in the Sky and Circus made up the "first set lull" tunes, of
course, and lulled the audience they did.  I really like Get Back on
the Train, but this version outright sucked, to be frank.  It went
absolutely nowhere and ended so shamefully I was laughing at it.
 
David Bowie, on the other hand, though not as tight as it once
consistently was in its composed section, nevertheless had an
inspiring, fired-up jam segment featuring lots of Full-Band,
collective IMPROVISATION!  It was a DELIGHTFUL version of Bowie, and
though it wasn't the 20 min 7/31/99 Japan Monster, it was definitely
in that league, imo -- it was very strong, especially in light of the
last few years of Bowies.  Page stood up at the end of it, as if to
say "Let's end the set, Trey, Bowie kicked ass," but it was not to be.
They Coiled us, and it was flubbed in the composed segment (like all
versions of the last few years, right?), and it was obvious to me that
Page wasn't that psyched about playing Coil at that point.  His piano
solo was great, as always, but was bereft of the intensity and
brilliance of many of his Coil solos in past years (see, e.g.,
10/31/94 Glen Falls again!).
 
Second Set (about 1:33 or so)
II: Runaway Jim, Sand, Piper -> Jam, Roggae, You Enjoy Myself* > Bass
    Duet* > YEM* > Bass Duet Again*, Wolfman's Brother, Cold Rain
    and Snow**
E: Viola Lee Blues*** (about 13 mins or so)
   * - with Phil Lesh on bass (and trampoline on "You Enjoy Myself")
   ** - with Phil Lesh on bass and vocals
   *** - with Phil Lesh on bass and Warren Haynes on guitar
 
Oh my GOD!!!!   ***THIS*** is why I still love Phish!!! =^]
 
Runaway Jim opened the set well, and was typically awesome in light of
all the raging versions of the last few years.  Fun opener!  SAND
kicks ass, IMO.  Like some of the other new Trey tunes it has this
Santana-esque vibe, only Sand is more FUNKY and GROOVY than the
others, and could easily be SANDwiched into jam segments of real
songs/tunes, like YEM or Bowie or Gin or... Anyway, I hope they turn
this into a true SAND-like number, because it is very versatile and
has that HOOK, you know, to become another Monster Excuse to Jam.  At
least, IMO.  This version honestly didn't really GO ANYWHERE, but so
what, it will, eventually!
 
I sat down in the opening seconds of Piper.  Piper as you know is
virtually Weekapaug's main chords repeated o'er and o'er again in a
lower key.  And so I *like* Piper, of course, since I love
Weekapaug... but I just haven't been that amused by anything but the
most amazing versions (e.g., 7/18/99 Oswego, which is awe-inspiring).
Anyway, this was the best god damn Piper I have ever seen and is
certainly in the same league as Oswego's.  This Piper started out
typically standard, through the motions.  But after the opening five
or so minutes, almost all of a sudden, the band **CLICKED** in a
collective manner and then just SKYROCKETED into IMPROVISATIONAL ROCK
HEAVEN!!!!  It was GLORIOUS!!  A SPECTACULAR, PHENOMENALLY GOOD
VERSION!!!  And then it came back down to earth, mellowed nicely and
enchantingly and mystically, and... though it could have segued nicely
had Trey just started playing Roggae, he waited to inform the others
to play Roggae, and, therefore, there wasn't much of a segue (just a
>) into the Roggae.  This is a HEAR AT ALL COSTS Piper.
 
I love Roggae, always have, always will.. this version wasn't anything
special, though. I was surprised to get YEM. Phish really "put it all
out on the table" at these Shoreline shows, in a setlist sense.  Lots
of Big Tunes and lots of New Tunes and well, a LOT OF MUSIC.  More
than three hours each night I believe.
 
YEM's opening segment was standard, nothing unique, although Mike's
solo section was pretty cool if I remember correctly (Mike was, of
course, showing off for Phil all night -- lots of exceptional Mike at
this show!!).  Actually, Brad brought out three trampolines instead of
two during the "pre-charge" section, which I suppose was special. :)
 
During the trampolines section, as you have undoubtedly already read,
Phil lesh kinda snorked onto the stage from stage left audience right
and lept onto a trampoline (at stage left).  He tried to keep up with
Trey and Page, but only lasted about 20 seconds (until the first
turn/signal) before jumping/falling off. It was hysterical!!!! 8^]
 
There were some significant monitor or on-stage sound problems that
affected Phil's playing in this YEM.  I think he had trouble hearing
himself (Mike didn't seem to have any sound problems until much later
into this very long YEM, when he spoke to some techs *during* the YEM,
which I don't think I'd ever seen before;  actually, Phil also, during
this YEM, spoke to some techs, and seemed annoyed).  Anyway, Phil had
his back to the audience, looking at his amps, for much of the
first five or so minutes that he was on-stage.  It was a little
unsettling, and frankly reminded me of Kimock. :)
 
The first bass duet was a bit hesitant and insecure of itself, but
still pleasant.  The groove returned markedly after this duet, though,
when Fish and Trey lept in, and raged for a while. There has, of
course, never been a more bass heavy You Enjoy Myself. Not even the
12/6/96 Vegas version. It was insane to have all that bass on that
stage... But anyway, after a strong jam, the second bass duet kicked
in, lasted for several minutes, and was beautiful, for the most part.
Completely improvised, of course.  Then it ended. And everyone,
including Page Trey and Fish, applauded Mike and Phil.  This was
easily an "N/R" rated You Enjoy Myself, for those of you who give a
crap about my ratings, and worth hearing again.
 
Eventually, after a lot of warm applause for Phil and Mike, we got
Cold Rain and Snow!! =^]  This version was a bit shaky for the first
few minutes, since Trey obviously didn't really know how to properly
play the song.  But so what!  Phil sang, and it was fun to hear, and
it eventually started to **RAGE** -- some incredible Rock Star Trey
licks!  He just took this version's concluding jam segment for
strong! An awesome way to close a well above average Phish set!
 
I was thinking Terrapin, or hopefully Shakedown, for the encore. Viola
Lee didn't even enter my consciousness, and I was psyched as all hell
to hear Phish cover this.  It has always been one of my favorite Dead
tunes!!  This version wasn't as impressive overall as the one from
Philsh in April at the Warfield, or Dead versions, IMO, but that isn't
a fair comparison to make of course.. My point I guess is that it was
really moving to hear this played by one of my favorite bands, and I
therefore loved it unconditionally!  And it was performed very well!
Again, Warren and Trey accompany each other beautifully, and all that
bass and guitar in THIS tune was very, very cool indeed!  It had some
substantial jamming even though it was short by Viola Lee Standards.
 
Anyway, seek the tapes of this (overall) above-average Phish show.. I
don't have them, or even a line on discs of 'em, or I'd have offered
them up at this point.
 
THANKS PHISH!!
 
two cents,
charlie

Date: Fri, 1 Oct 1999 16:13:06 -0700 (PDT) From: Greg Kuchar [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Review - 09/17/99 What a magical, mystical and fantastic night! Let me tell you the Story of the... I returned for night two at Shoreline around 4:00 PM. The lot scene was pretty cool...except for the roving bands of "security" kids. It seemed that these "security" people were the eyes and ears of the local police...they would locate some type of "illegal" activity and report it to the police. Also, the "security" force all seemed underage...and they all had the ego trip working telling older people to pour out their beers, etc... Oh well... However, I managed to get through the hassle...and headed into the show around 6:30 PM. I knew when I received my mailorder tickets that my seats were pretty good. I had row "BB"...and thought that these seats were after the single digit letters...But, I began to get the feeling that my seats were even better when the usher said to me..."Oh, man...you are soooo excited with your seats!!!". I started walking down the isle and started looking for my seat around row 30...but, I kept walking down...down...down...all the way to the 4th Row...Center Stage!!! I couldn't believe it...and I proceeded to sit in my seat in a complete stupor...amazed with the blessing that I received from mailorder. The 1/2 hour leading up to the start of show was amazing. I just watched Chris, Paul, Carini, etc...all hard at work running around the stage getting everything ready for the show. Also, some woman came down from the back stage and came up to me and my lucky neighbors and said..."You have no idea how happy you are going to be tonight!". Perplexed, I asked..."What do you mean?" Her response, "Wait and see"...with a wink of the eye. Well, she couldn't have been more right! When the Boys finally hit the stage...the place went crazy! I was no more than 15 feet from them...and I got a nod of acknowledgement from Trey, Page and Fish. Mike just kept his head down...I guess concentrating on the jamming that was about to commence. (I know you might be wondering...how would I know that they were actually nodding their head to me...Well, I'm 6'4" and about 250 lbs....so I stood out really well. I had on a blue t-die shirt...so it probably wasn't too difficult to spot me quickly in the crowd. Also, my seats were almost eye level...) When they started the jam of "Free Thought"...I noticed a shadow of a very familiar person. I've seen this person many times before... Could it be???? Yes, it was Phil hanging on the second level tier of the stage setup. He was there...with his wife and two kids running around. I knew we were all in store for a big one! (Also, Trey was wearing a really nice grey shirt...it looked like it was silk or something...basically it wasn't his usual t-shirt look. He was dressed up for something!) The first set consisted of a jammed out "Ghost", a sweet "Peaches > MOMA" and an extremely rocked out "David Bowie" with a soothing "Coil" to close out the set. The "Ghost" was my personal favorite of this set...Trey seemed to be really enjoying himself...Again, I might be completely crazy, but I was convinced at the time that Trey was jamming the "Ghost" jam with my "heavy metal influenced" type dancing. (Ok...I was a "metal head" when I was young.) When I was in the middle of an intense "head banging" session during the jam...I could swear that Trey was looking right at me...and raising the levels of the jams to the intensity of my "head banging". True, I can be completely nuts...but when I started getting dizzy from going nuts dancing...I started slowing down and Trey's jam did at the same exact time. My friends all noticed this as well...what a cool experience for me! Well, after a pretty mellow intermission...which mainly consisted of me making fun of my friends who had seats much further away...I headed back to my location...15 feet from the stage. :) The second set started with a ripping "Runaway Jim > Sand". It was cool being one of the only people around me who actually knew "Sand". What a cool tune! The fun didn't begin until "YEM". During the trampoline section of the song, out came 3 trampolines instead of the usual two...What was going on! So, when Phil walked out on the stage...all hell broke loose. I've never had a bigger smile! Phil came out and gave his best try on the trampoline. Phil seemed like he was pretty close to falling down...but he pulled it off! (Note to Phil: My recommendation is to have your guitar harness completely strapped on before jumping up and down on a trampoline.) After the trampolines were taken away...they just jammed out "YEM" for a bit...skipping the vocal jam section....from there...the bass duel jam. Mike seemed kinda nervous about what was going on at that time...I could see the tension on his face. He was just trying to be cool around his idol. During this bass jam, I spent much of time just watching Trey, Fish and Page's facial expressions. Trey had his mouth open...just standing there in a stupor. Fish began clapping his drum sticks together...with a huge grin on his face. Page, was just the "cool cat"...as always...just chilling out during the performance. (One question to Page...how can you cross your legs during some of those jams. He just sits there...thinking what he is going to do next...while Trey, Mike and Fish are absolutely ripping it!) After they finished their bass solo, Phil put his arm around Mike...I wish I had a camera for that one! Then, I saw Trey yell to Page..."Wolfman's"! "Wolfman's" started up with Phil on backup vocals. Cool version. What a site seeing Phil sing..."It's the Wolfmans Brother!...Coming down on me!" From there...I can't believe it!!! "Cold, Rain & Snow"! I was shaking my head at this point...completely blown away with what I was witnessing. I had a funny feeling that they were going to jam "Viola Lee Blues". This is one of my most favorite 'Dead tunes...and I kinda felt they woud play it. I read in a few articles how blown away Phil was with Trey and Page during the April Phil & Phriends run in San Francisco...especially during the first song "Viola Lee Blues". It's the perfect song for Phish to cover...alot of room to just jam... Warren Haynes sealed the deal with his amazing guitar licks. In conclusion, I really have difficult putting my thoughts and feelings into words concerning this night of music. Amazing and beautiful...wonderous and magical... I LOVE THAT BAND. Peace, Greg Kuchar Las Vegas, NV [email protected]
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 14:37:45 -0700 From: Mark Hales [email protected] To: "'[email protected]'" [email protected] Subject: **9/17/99 Shoreline Review** Shoreline is a magical venue. The buzz before this show was insane - lots of positive energy. So here we go... Free Thought - opened things up with a bang. This fast dance song was played very well and got people moving right away. I enjoyed this instrumental opener and it set the positive tone for the evening... Guyute - was executed to perfection with Fishman wearing a Vikings helmet complete with horns, classic. The song raged with Trey really getting into it. Ghost - Personally I love the delay loop, it gets me in the groove and while it continues throughout the song it provides a very deep funk polyrhythmic dynamic, what can I say, I dig it. This ghost did not disappoint. The jam wondered through some miraculous places and finally settled into... Lawn Boy - Oh yeah, that's right we're in the first set I almost forgot! Lawn boy was lawn boy. Always a pleasure with Page soaking up the audience's joy from his Sinatraesque performance. Mike's bass solo was understated and well played. Peaches - What a terrific song to pull out of the hat. Exceptionally played and Page's organ screamed. Sweet! Moma Dance - Can't complain about a little funk break. Well played. I keep hoping they will stretch this out and take it places. Mike was dropping nice bombs all night and he was very generous during this tune. Water in the Sky - This song has really evolved nicely. They've been stretching it out a little more during the solos which is great. Very well played. Circus Comes to Town - I love this song simply because Trey loves this song. It's great to see a musician really get into a song, you could tell Trey was really enjoying playing this. Nice breather before... Get Back on the Train - Wow! What a great song. It's like riding a big rig into a thunder storm. A rolling rhythm that makes you start grooving. The jam in the middle was deep funk, loved it. Bowie - Ohhhhhhhh yeah! They rocked this out. Mesmerizing... The light show all night long was fantastic. Bowie just cooked from beginning to end. I couldn't take it anymore - this version killed me........ Squirming Coil - One of my absolute favorite phish songs. Perfectly excecuted and the drifting solo by Page was a wonderful way to close the set. You really could tell by this point that it was a special night. Set 1 was great... couldn't possibly ask for anything else. In fact, during set break I forgot the fact that we had an entire set of music left. Set 1 was that good - solid! Runaway Jim - Yeah! Sweet song, well played and jammed out. Great choice to kick off the set. Sand - Hadn't heard this yet. Boy did they jam this out... I forgot what the hell they were playing by the time they brought this beast full circle. jammed & jammed & jammed & jammed...... great song Piper - This it THE piper - get the tape. Roggae - One of my favorite new tunes, love the lyrics and the peaceful music. The quiet section in the middle was intense and relaxing at the same time. Really enjoyed it. YEM - Here we go!! From its first notes this song swept me off my feet. The composed section was played to perfection and was spaced out nicely. We were on our way to the funk station when three tramps came out and mighty Phil graced the stage. The feeling was incredible. I've been into the dead for a looong time and seeing Phil on stage with the phish boys was awesome. The jam started slowly with Phil adjusting his levels and searching for the sound and then it took off.... Phil started throwing down loooong melodic lines while Mike complemented his every move. Trey was on fire, & Page and Fish had huge grins - you could tell they were all having a ball. For your own sake get this jam on tape! It wound down and down and down until only a spotlight glowed on Mike & Phil as they weaved in & out of eachother... the bass jam went through so many different spaces from classical to funk to simple improvised perfection. After the jam you could tell both were blown away by what had just transpired and we had only just begun.... Wolfman's - Was an appropriate choice and phil did a nice job on the back up vocals. The jam that insued was really well developed as phil & mike again complemented eachother perfectly. Mike handled the slapping and phil created waves of sound - again spectacular... Cold Rain & Snow - was by far the highlight of the show for me. Mike had this really groovy chord slapping bass thing going and phil laid down the lines while belting out this dead classic. When Trey started his solo I knew things were going to fly, but I didn't realize how high. He kept pushing and pushing the envelope of the theme until he was laying down 16th and 32nd notes all over the place it was a very spiritual musical experience and with one look at phil could tell you how much he was lovin the moment. E: Viola Lee Blues was a nice jam to close up the night with. Warren came out and laid down some slide work that complimented Try's style very nicely. The Vocals were solid and the jam became very intense before they stopped on a dime and returned to the final verse - how do they do that! What a solid show, Phil's appearance was icing on the cake. I could not have imagined a more inspired set of music. For those who were there congratulations, & for those who were not the tapes will speak for themselves... Incredible.
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 1999 17:40:52 -0700 From: Mark Hales [email protected] To: "'[email protected]'" [email protected] Subject: 9/17/99 Review Follow Up I listened to this show again on CD and I stand by my 1st review. Simply an incredible performance. One quick fun note I wanted to pass on: Listen carefully to Trey on this YEM.... right after the last onceyoufixitdrivemeto.... chorus as Page is making his first little synth fill - Trey is playing the opening riff to China Cat Sunflower in the background, like he's saying "come on out Phil & join the party!" sooo sweet....
Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999 13:51:24 PDT From: Ryan Vandenbroeck [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: 9-17 REVIEW! ================================================= I: Free Thought, Guyute, Ghost> Lawn Boy, Peaches en Regalia> Moma Dance, Water in the Sky, When the Circus Comes to Town, Get Back On the Train, David Bowie, Squirming Coil II: Runaway Jim> Sand, Piper, Roggae, You Enjoy Myself > Bass Duel, Wolfman's Brother> Cold Rain & Snow E: Viola Lee Blues Set I: Free Thought- We had to pick up our tickets at will call, which means we had to get there by a round-a-bout way and if that didn't take up enough time, there were some problems at will call. Unfortunately, when we got in, this song was already over. Guyute- We arrived as the long instrumental segment was beginning. IMO, this is the part that really makes the song what it is. It was played really well and really raged with lots of energy. Nothing out of the ordinary, though. Ghost- Played well and jammed out well. I noticed Fishman is getting really good at being a drum machine- very solid and smooth. The jam had some great moments, but I think that Page was turned down way too much- I could barely hear the keyboards at all! Mike, on the other hand, was turned up _very_ loud and I think that the rest of the band was following his lead. Lawn Boy- from what I remember, there was a good segue. Other than that it was pretty standard with a good bass solo. Peaches en Regalia- stellar performance. I didn't expect them to play it because it had been played at Boise and is rather rare, to say the least. Nothing else to say I guess- it was standard, but excellent. Moma Dance- nice funk. Very similar to Ghost with Fishman in drum machine mode, Page way too quite, and Mike extremely loud. Furthermore, I noticed how well Fishman can mimic the bassline on the kick drum. Good jam despite the lack of keyboards- they brought it to many funky climaxes. Water in the Sky- Standard. I was really impressed at their melodic ability- the vocals sounded excellent and worked well with the bluegrass-esque feel of the song. When the Circus Comes to Town- One of the better slow tunes that's surfaced in the late 90s, IMO, but it didn't do that much for me in the moment. I'll probably enjoy it on tape, though. Get Back on the Train- My first time hearing this tune and I was very impressed with it- very very funky and they did some great stuff jamming on it. David Bowie- Whoa! This is the first Bowie I've seen live and I don't know if others measure up, but this one blew me away. Raging energy from beginning to end. I figured it was going to close the set but then... Squirming Coil- One of my favorite Phish tunes and the first time I was able to see them play it. It was played well, but not the best I've heard. The closing piano solo was a great way to give Page center stage after being in the background for so long. The solo demonstrated the "less-is-more" thing we've been hearing a lot about lately. Page played sparsely and not for an especially long time but it was very enjoyable nevertheless and a great way to end the set. Set I highlights- Guyute was nice and the funk jams during Ghost and Moma were great, but Peaches and Bowie were fantastic. You couldn't have asked for more than what we got during those two songs. Set II: Runaway Jim- not one of my favorites, but it was played well. The jam segment was absolutely great- undoubtedly the best jam I've ever heard out of Jim- it hit many high points. Sand- The first time I've heard this and I don't really remember it. Piper- The best version I've ever heard, hands down. Piper is a sort of make-it-or-break-it song in my book- it's so repetitive that if the band doesn't get into it, it's boring. If, on the other hand, they are able to bring a good amount of emotion to it, they'll make that 4 chord progression rage like nothing else. This version, I don't hesitate to say, fell into the latter category. Cool tortilla war, too. Roggae- not one of my favorites, but this version was performed exceptionally well, IMO. The band was tight and hit some tough changes excellently. YEM- I seem to catch this one very often (not that I'm complaining). I don't remember much about the composed section until I saw an extra mic and three trampolines brought out. When Phil finally came out, it was right as the organ solo was beginning and the crowd erupted. He immediately jumped up on the trampolines and, for a couple measures, was able to keep up with Trey and Mike. Soon, however, he couldn't pick up on the choreography and, to me, looked like he was out of breath. He hopped off the trampoline, tried to catch his breath, then started fooling with the knobs on his amp. (I nor, I assume, anybody else, noticed the organ solo too much as there was a novelty, to say the least, on stage.) When Trey and Mike jumped off the trampolines, we got our first taste of Phil really jamming with Phish. Phil kept fooling with the knobs on his amp, but when he would play, it sounded flawless. There were twice as many bass notes being played, but, with closed eyes, one could not have been able to tell that there were two bass players. It's not easy to play with two bassists, but Mike and Phil pulled it off better than I could have imagined. Bass Jam- The transition was excellent, with the rest of the band slowly fading out until finally there was only a spotlight on the two bassists and they played together in different, but complimentary styles. VERY impressive- a bass jam is not easy to pull off and they exceeded expectations. I probably can't describe much more about it until I listen to the tapes, but I'll say that it was a much better way to end the song than the usual vocal jam. Wolfman's Brother- After a long and raucous ovation, Phil got hit with a glow ring and the whole crowd simultaneously said, "awww." It was pretty funny. Anyway, they began to play Wolfman's. This was a fairly obvious choice as Phil & Friends plays it now and again. The song was performed well and jammed excellently. Cold Rain & Snow- I had never heard this song before, but it sounded good. The jam was absolutely excellent, with the band following the lead of the basses. Great way to end the set. Encore: Viola Lee Blues- Another song I have never heard (obviously, I haven't heard many Dead songs) but it was an incredible performance. When they started bringing out the extra guitar equipment before the encore, many guessed at who it would be. I was hoping to see Steve Kimock and I heard someone behind me say, "I hope it's not Bob Weir." It was Warren Haynes, who I was not the least bit disappointed to see, after his stellar performance during Misty Mountain Hop the night before. I was really hoping they'd either encore with a Phish song or a cover (Wish You Were Here, perhaps)- I felt that a Dead song would have been inappropriate. It was a Dead song, however, and although I wished they had played something else, they played this tune magically. Excellent work combining the two bassists and Trey and Warren interwove their guitar notes as well as they had the night before (I know Phil is the talk of the show, but if you get the tapes, listen to how well Trey and Warren played together). The jam absolutely raged for a few minutes before everyone brought it to a sort of climax (the kind you'd hear at the end of a jammed-out song, similar to Freebird, for example). At that point they stopped on a dime and shot right back into the chorus- wow! Excellent performance (even though I hoped for something else). Set II/Encore highlights- The Jim jam raged and Piper was played, IMO, better than it ever has been before, but this show will be remembered for Phil's appearance. YEM was great as was the bass jam following it and the Wolfman's. The two Dead songs were also performed and jammed stellarly with Warren being a well-kept secret. I hoped that a Phish song would close the set (I did, after all, buy a ticket for Phish and not Phil Lesh or the Grateful Dead) but the performance of Viola Lee Blues had nothing anyone could have complained about. I'm sure the Shoreline shows (and this one in particular) will be some of the most sought-after tapes in phishtory, so if you are able to get them, I highly recommend them- it was better than any hype you could have heard!! -Ryan Vandenbroeck
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1999 15:12:05 EDT From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: 9/17/99 Shoreline Review 9/17/99 Shoreline night II More thoughts on Shoreline:I think last night was am omen, they were really trying to tell us something. We knew that something monumentous was going to happen this second night, and we had a feeling who would make this so monumentous. Ashley's Dad and Stepmother showed up to see what all the hubbub is. A lot of my friends were at this show, I'm glad I got to share it with so many people. The setlists from the 2 nights at Shoreline combined are an exact repeat of last years Shoreline 1st set, sans Sample. They even went a couple songs into the second set from last year. The show in itself was incredible but then.... I:Free Thought-I love this instrumental. I'm glad to see more instrumentals in their reportoire now. Got the crowd jumpin. Guyute-Another Guyute!!! I started off not being too excited about this, but hell...it ended up making me move my ass anyway! Ghost->-A great feel on the intro. I'm alone on this:I like the new Ghost much more than the old ghost. More of a grooo-veee feel to the new one and this one did not disappoint. great feel throughout the entire Jam before deflating into... Lawn Boy-The video screens at Shoreline are great, there was great camerawork all night. I love seeing the look on Page's face when they do this song. Very understated solo from Mike, considering he's been a maniac on the bass all night. Peaches en Regalia-Not being the avid Zappa fan, I had to ask if this was Peaches, but noone seemed to know. I've heard it a few times a long time ago, and It's cool to actually see Trey's fingers move on the notes. They pulled it off remarkably, I think they were testing their chops for the insanity to come. MOMA Dance-Along with Ghost and Guyute, another repeat from last year. I was hoping they'd give us the MOMA here. Again, something sounds so different, but I can't put my finger on it. Very funky intro, the guitar solo shimmered as usual. Because of the title and the lyrics, and the fact that this is the first song from our first show, MOMA Dance has a very unique meaning to us. Water In the Sky-People seem to moan at this song too...are you even listening? Page's cascading piano, Mike's smooth bass, Fishman's complex rhythm, Trey's gentle pickin'...and they really jammed this out taboot! I was overjoyed by the end...I needed something sad. When the Circus Comes-Perfect! I read a review saying how much you can hear the Dead's unfluence in Los Lobos writing, especially in this song. Amen to that. Trey always pours out a soulful rendition. Get Back on the Train-I've only heard the Trey acoustic versions, so again...neat to hear it electro-Phishefied. I read people talking about the funk in this song...I hear an amzing dose of Honky-Tonk here. The sound goes well with Phish. This got the crowd up again, and then some...the harmonies are great and the song just has a great feel. David Bowie-I don't know what happened here....Mike is a monster again!!!! They highlighted Mike the whole night. This Bowie raged, again, I think they were making sure those chops were on. But is the 1st set over? Hell no.. Squirming Coil-I'd never have thought we'd get another Coil...and Page let us rest before what was to come. He sounded brilliant, hell...they all did. A welcome repeat. II:Runaway Jim-A standard Jim...which of course means stellar. Some great builds and releases in this Jim. Sand-Hearing this one a second time is just what the doctor ordered. We could really hear Mike and we were blown away further by how solid he is!!! This song had everyone moving and shaking and jammed for a long time. The excitement was definitely building. Piper->-This Piper set a new standard for Piper. I've seen it as piper->jam...no shit!!!! Phish? Jamming? Something happened where the song stopped falsely, Jon just started up the rushing beat again...to our delight they jammed the crap out of it before fading into... Roggae-I've seen people talking about how they don't like this song, fine, and saying how standard this version was...are they even listening? They stopped and let the "wander over grounds" harmonies carry themselves back into the beat, then jammed with Mike taking beautiful solos over the most gentle, breathing, swelling bliss before settling down back into the song. I actually almost completely bawled...tears were welling up in my eyes. This Roggae made my night...and I was wearing the "I love the shiny music that descends from overhead" shirt I bought in the Gorge lot. As the song faded... You Enjoy Myself-The joy that ran over the crowd was overwhelming enough...Trey did get caught up in it and missed a few notes...oh well. The "nirvana" section was bliss. The section after that just clocked right in on the noggin. Then the buildup!!!!!! I saw 3 trampolines so I knew what was going to happen...I just didn't believe it!!!! I didn't think 2 bass players of that caliber would sound so clear, but Oh My God...it's like they were meant to play bass together!!! Instead of the usual vocal jam, they kept it going with this amazing bass duet...the pure sound, the sheer beauty of it all...it sounded so composed...was it? They brought the jam back in again with Trey just ripping it up and settled down again for more Phil and Mike!!! I was gripping my head in awe. Wolfman's Brother-More? I knew this was coming though as Phil loves to play this song..the focus was on Phil and Mike and they made the song sound so neat, and they weren't drowning each other out at all...man these guys not only know how to play with themselves...but everyone else too! A short jam but up comes a bubblin... Cold Rain and Snow-Right on!!!! And Trey really made this his own. A perfect song choice for 2 bassists. This ended the set though, and I wanted more Phish and friends. e:Viola Lee Blues-I've always regretted missing this at the Warfield shows, especially after hearing the tapes. Warren came on so there was 2 of each stringed instrument...they kept playing and playing until they pulled the plug...well, not really...but they did stop kind of abruptly. Great encore and a magical night, I felt I was a part of history. This is my favorite show...so many incredible things happened throughout the night, Phil was just the icing on the cake. Phil and Mike were crystal clear from the lawn!!!! The vibe kicked so much ass too, even the staff were great! I almost burst out in tears at many moments. I'd say that constitutes a great show. Talk about an understatement! -John Pett
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 11:31:03 -0700 From: Raphael Aglietti [email protected] To: "'[email protected]'" [email protected] Subject: A review for 9-17-99 Well after a strange unbalanced show on Thursday I was hoping that Phish would really rip it apart and leave me seriously contemplating the tip to my college hometown San Diego. Again a strange show for me, but then again it they seem strange don't they. Well here again is a set by set breakdown. Set 1 Free Thought- I liked this jam pretty cool; but for some reason this jam led me to believe that this would be a mellow night instead of one of those "evil" nights with Tweezer, Brother, It's Ice, and Bathtub Gin Guyute- This song used to be so cool when it was a rare appearance but I will take fluffhead 10 out of 10 times instead. Ghost- Interesting song I have heard enough of these on tape to know how jam works so I will bite my tongue until I can see a few more of these. Lawn Boy- A great segueway from Ghost into Lawn Boy. The song was well done and I'll always want to hear this song over any ballad. Peaches- I have seen this one 3 times now which is actually a lot for 14 shows. A rare song in the playlist. This version seemed very sloppy. Tsk Tsk. Moma Dance- Only heard this a few times on tape so not so sure about it. I need to hear more Water in the Sky- This song is another which forces me to say, "Stick with your jam songs guys." As it relates to other version this seems like a solid well played version. Circus Comes to Town- Arghh this may eventually pass Prince Caspian in annoyance. Nothing kills a crowd more than this song. I was hoping they might pick up the energy for the rest of the show after this one since it seemed to lull the audience to sleep. Get Back on the Train- Good jam song probably would have stood out more if it had been sandwiched between jam songs and the energy was much high going into it. Bowie- Called this one as the closer I probably should have been right. A solid version with good jamming and high energy. Obviously not at the lvl of 12-30-93 or 12-29-94. (Why is it that they play the best bowies at the end of the year?!?) Although the energy level regressed when thery went into .... Squirming Coil- Never heard this in my first 13 shows so I knew i was due but this version didn't do enough to make it on my list of songs I need to hear again. Welll played just sorta seemed like it almsot studio like. Set 2 Runaway Jim- Defintely caught me off guard I thought maybe Maze or Wilson here or even My Friend My Friend. Good version by all means. I think this song is sorta a neutral song for me. Doesn't really do that much but then again it is fairly cool song. Sand- Pretty cool song with very interesting jam sections. Neat for me I guess Piper- It is amazing to me that Phish can make so much out of so little music. If you look at piper it is skeleton music wise. There just isn't much to it. However this song just rocks and has great potetnial. Although not as much potential as Carini. Roggae- hum hrmm... I was thinking about the next song during this one so it didn't do much for me I guess YEM>- Always a great song but I hear it too much I would have preferred any jam song to this. It is not that I don't like it I just feel it is overplayed. Pop a Free in here instead and I am estatic. A nice version but it wasn't out of the ordinary until..... Bass Duet- Enter Guest star #2, Phil Lesh. I called this one before the two shows as well. I didn't know about the sound check but I was nonetheless excited. Bass duet was really cool. Now if they really want to get crazy bring out the other great bassist in the area....... Les Claypool. Now that would get out of control. Wolfman's brother- Fairly cool song I used to hate it but the Wolf's Bro at Ventura 7-30-97 changed my mind. Cold Rain and Snow- Sweet really glad to hear it. It had been four+ years since my last dead show in Vegas so hearing a DEAD song was really cool. Not what I expected but nonetheless cool Encore: Viola Lee Blues- I definitely didn't expect this one. I was think more along the lines of Tennesse Jed and one other Dead possibly Phish song. This was awesome. When they brought out the extra amp I knew it would be Warren Haynes but I was hoping maybe it would be Neil Young and they woulf play Watchtower. Hell the encore was still great. Set 1 4.0 (Out of 10) A sub par set energy was really low and song selection just didn't do anything for me. Set2 before Phil 3.5 With Phil 5.5 (Out of 10) Again a lackluster 2nd set Imo and it was saved by Phil's appearance. I think if Phil hadn't been there this show would have been suitable for my toilet. I guess the boys were wiped out from Thurs and that insanely ridiculous 14 song first set. Overall about 4.0 maybe 4.5 An ok show but it was historic due to Phil's presence. Thanks Raphael G. Aglietti
Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999 11:44:15 -0700 (PDT) From: Ryan David Blitstein [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Shoreline 9/17/99 Review Obviously, this was an historic show. here are my thoughts... I arrived at my 20th show pretty excited. The previous night was quite solid, particularly the second set. Immediately after i walked in, i was informed by a friend that the soundcheck was Cold Rain & Snow and Viola Lee Blues with Phil. A lot of people heard about the soundcheck, or just that Phil would show up, so the anticipation level was higher than at most shows. The buzz about Phil dominated the pavillion crowd as the band came out. Curiously, people weren't really going that crazy when they walked onto the stage. In fact, most of the first set was mellow in the audience. I guess everyone just spent the whole show waiting for Phil. They launched full-on into the instrumental Free Thought. I couldn't tell how much of it was composition and how much was jamming, but this song sounded great. Very much a combination of the funk and the fast dance style (like First Tube). Well played and a pleasing opener. Guyute was next. They have really been playing this song way too much. It's getting to the point where it's no longer a treat. But as a result of the overplaying, it sounds amazing. Trey was really enjoying himself, changing the composed elements just enough to make it fun but not so much that they seemed unfamiliar. Fishman's 'evil' voice (during the I'm bouncing like a newborn elf part) was really funny. One of the best versions I've seen of this song. Trey kicked on a delay loop and Ghost began. Is anyone else annoyed by the delay loop? It seems louder than anything else Trey plays, and it is completely off-tempo from the rest of the song. At this show it was particularly loud. And Fishman's singing on this song was bad as always (how can they have him sing sometimes and laugh at him, and other times be serious?) The jamming was standard for a Ghost, with a few Mike bombs thrown in. Lawn Boy was the same as always. Hilarious crooning by Page, a beautiful understated solo by Gordon. I've been waiting since my first show to see Peaches en Regalia, and although I was very psyched that the band tossed it out, I would almost rather they hadn't. They had just played it two nights before in Boise. Once they start playing it often, it's no longer an extremely pleasant surprise. However, this version was as good as you could ask for without an extended jam. Every part was nailed, and Page's organ sounded great. MOMA Dance came next. Good jamming, but nothing amazing. Again, could have done without off-key singing by Fishman. And the introduction part is getting to be repetitive, much like the last section of PYITE. Really cool the first ten times you hear it, then you just get sick of it. And once again, Mike dropping bombs all over the place. Water in the Sky was solid. Go back and listen to some tapes from early '97, and you're realize how much this song has improved. Certainly not one of their best songs, but I could listen to those 3-part harmonies and Trey's quasi-bluegrass soloing all day long. As different versions go, this was very well done, but obviously not that special. I could also do without When the Circus Comes. I can understand why Phish covers songs that people like (i.e. Crossroads) or obscure tunes that they know people will dig (i.e. Funky Bitch). However, my feeling is that obscure, slow songs like Circus are energy killers. New fans are not psyched, and old fans aren't either. This Circus just seemed to drone on. Luckily, Get Back on the Train brought the energy back up. Disappointingly, the jam was pretty short. But it was quite hot. This is one of my favorite Trey tour songs, and I'm glad the band decided to pick it up. Page and Mike had some great fills, and Trey played great throughout. I only wished it would keep going. Then I heard the opening drum beat to Bowie. Is it me, or is Mike doing _way_ more slapping nowadays on Bowie? He was kicking ass even during the early composed sections. The jam was pretty good for a few minutes. After a while, though it kind of dragged and I was thinking, Where are they going with this? Then Fishman started laying down a new beat and the rest of the band picked up on it, as did Kuroda (whom i haven't mentioned, but the lights were fucking great the whole show). The band jammed on this for a while and then busted out the conclusion. I've never been a huge fan of Bowie, as the jams usually get a bit wierd for me and I find the lyrics to be annoyingly mindless, but this version was very hot. I need to listen to the tapes before I can be sure, but i think this is one of the better Bowies I've seen. A nearly flawless Squirming Coil closed the set. Page's solo at the end (after the rest of the band left the stage) was short and sweet. It got everyone ready for # II. I'd give this set 6.5 out of 10. Definitely an above average set. Set II opened with Runaway Jim. I was waiting in line for a pretzel during most of it, but what I heard was good. Nothing spectacular, but a good opener. Sand was next. I can't decide whether I like this song or not, but the jamming on this version was great. It blew the Trey tour versions I've heard out of the water. Pure rocking by Trey. Piper built up well. Not as intense as the Deer Creek version I saw a month or two ago, but very good, nonetheless. The setlist says Piper->Jam, but I really think the jamming was very Piper-like. They didn't visit unchartered territory, although the jam was great. Trey just got hotter and hotter throughout the show. Roggae was a good time to chill. This song is really pretty, but this version, like most of them, didn't really go anywhere. Oh well. It gave me a chance to sit down for a bit. YEM. YEM. That's all I can say. Yes, it _was_ that good. The composed section was dead on. Then they brought out three trampolines and separated Mike's bass rig in two (although Phil's rig may have been next to Mike's rig the whole show and we just didn't notice). After BoyManGodShit, the jam and the tramps began, and Phil came out. Phil took about 10 bounces while holding (though not playing) his bass, then jumped off to set his levels. It was really funny. The jamming was great. Mike made sure to judiciously slap while leaving room for Phil's melodic lines. I was really happy that Mike got to play with one of his major influences. I had felt really bad for him at the April Phil&Friends shows while watching Phil royally fuck up Down With Disease. Trey got a chance to "be" Jerry for a few days, but Mike had to just sit at the side of the stage. This was his chance, and he took advantage. Phil did as well; he gets better every time I see him. But I can't forget to mention Trey's performance during YEM. It is easily one of his best. I don't know whether he was trying to impress Phil or he was just really excited, but he was _on_ _fire_. YEM led into a bass duet between Mike and Phil. Afterseeing the Last Day Saloon bass jam on wednesday, I knew what Mike was capable of, but this blew me away. It just sounded so damn good, and lasted just long enough. A guy jumped on the stage during the duet, and was promptly tackled by a security member. Very weird. They then played the obvious Wolfman's Brother. A great version, only because Phil was there and Trey was still ripping it up. And hearing Phil sing "Shirley Temple" is great. Pretty short jam, though. But that's okay, because it jammed into Cold Rain and Snow. First of all, this is one of my favorite Dead songs. One of the main problems I've been having with Phish lately is Trey's sloppiness, and what can only be described as his unwillingness to really play. Actually, that's not true...you could call it unselfishness. But Phish wouldn't be Phish without Trey being excited to get out there, take control, and jam. This is what he did on CR&S. I can't even emphasize how much better this version was than the red-hot Phil & Friends 8/20/99 version. Trey seemed so psyched about being with Phil and playing Dead. He was just great. Fishman had some notable fills as well. Just an amazingly well-played version. It did sound like Phish playing Dead, but awesome nonetheless. What a set. They brought out an extra amp before the encore, and though I was hoping Kimock would come out, we all knew it'd be Warren Haynes. I really wanted them to surprise me, but they busted out Viola Lee (hey, i'm not complaining ;-) Mike's slappy line set the tone for the whole song. The jamming was excellent, and though I'm not a huge fan of Warren's playing, his slide work added a lot to the jam. And, of course, Trey kicked ass. Again. The vocals left something to be desired, but this was a solid Viola Lee. A great ending to a great show. Set rating: 9 out of 10. There really wasn't much more they could have done besides bring out Kimock and an orchestra and played the Terrapin Station album. Overall, 8 out of 10. Obviously, you need to get this show. Til next time, Ryan
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 12:54:56 PDT From: Mason Rippey [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Shoreline Review I would like to offer a review of my own in response to the influx of mixed reviews the second night of Shoreline has received. I am not going to point any fingers, in an effort not to a hypocrite, but I would like to make a point that I think a lot of us have been missing. I had just enough time after work to get to the venue, get my ticket and enter the show, I missed any speculation of a possible appearance from Phil or anyone else for that matter. As far as I knew, it was one more Phish show at an excellent Amphitheater. I got to catch the Gorge and Portland Meadows, but due to being a West Coaster, and in school, this was to be my last show of the tour. The first set seemed like a "Gorge's Greatest Hits", but from a non-analytical point of view, it was smokin'! I could hear the Moma Dance forever and still be satisfied with its gooey funk. And Trey's new ventures are great, too. Peaches was tight, and Get back on the Train is slowly becoming one of my favorites. So good! By the time the second set rolled around, I had heard about the possible Phil appearance from some folks beside me, and of course I was excited about the chance to see yet another crossover of the two best jam bands in history. When Phil took the stage, it was all I could do to keep from running laps around the lawn in ecstasy. And this is where I digress. No matter what they played, Phil Lesh was onstage with Phish! The energy of the crowd and seeing a giddy Phil Lesh take a try on the trampolines was absolutely wonderful. True, he's not as young or nimble as Trey and Mike, but just the fact that he was playful enough to come out and do a couple jumps was so great. Besides, I don't know too many people that could get up there and do a perfectly coreographed tramp with Trey and Mike without days of practice. Bottom line: Wonderfully Historical. The second night of Shoreline further broke down the speculated rivalry between Phish and the Dead. It showed that Phil still knows how to have a good time and that Phish is not so high on the horse as many people think. The colabertion was a musical, visual and spiritual gift and I refuse to trivialize it by over analyzing the music or critiqing their song choice. This show was a gift, and I think everyone that got to see it should put the calculator away for a minute and just soak in the image of Phil singing backup on Wolfman's and Trey and Page singing backup on Viola Lee. Thanks guys, it was fantastic! Mason Rip
Date: Mon, 20 Sep 1999 10:29:00 -0400 From: Casey Kim [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: 9/17 review This was my 58th show. I've never written a review before but I think some kids out there would like to read a review from someone who's seen some shows... Well - this show was the bomb, for obvious reasons. Sure, there were rumors Phil was coming out, but I was there to see Phish; Phil or no Phil. And the boys didn't disappoint. Loved the Free Thought and the Lawn Boy - and the Peaches was amazing - wanted one for so long! Always love a Moma and Back on the Train - lots of energy in those tunes - and Bowie was the shit, as usual. I expected Bowie to end the set but Trey was pushing Page both nights at the Shoreline, it seemed (Lawn Boy, Misty Mountain Hop, On the Way Down), so Coil was a real treat. Who could ask for more than Runaway Jim 2nd set opener? This new tune Sand is really the shit, and people who haven't heard it or people who have just heard it from Trey's tour need to get the tapes from this fall. It's incredible. Tons of energy during the Piper (thanks tortilla people!), tight Roggae, then the YEM. I was 15th row, so I had a good view of Brad bringing out 3 trampolines and a huge rig being pushed forward between Mike's rig and Page's piano. As this is going on, Phil comes creeping out and squeezes between the piano and his rig... plugs in and gets on the trampoline with the boys! When they got to the first turn though, he jumped off - couldn't hang on the tramps but what a sport for trying!!! Phil seemed to be having a lot of technical difficulties; problems with his amp and feedback. It kind of distressed Mike and Trey, and despite trying to fix it he had problems through the end of the 2nd set. It didn't stop them from jamming though - shortly after the tramps section of YEM, Trey and Page stepped back and let Fish and Mike jam with Phil which was really cool since they had their time with Phil this April. Fish was really showing off his amazing talent and it sounded great. I was wondering if Phil would get in on the voice jam at the end but - surprise - no voice jam. Instead a bass jam! I was so happy for Mike, you could tell he was having the time of his life. Then Wolfman's - pretty amazing. Heard the Phil & Friends version of this but it's totally different with Mike and Fish in on it. Then into - Cold Rain and Snow! So much great energy - you have to get the tapes. The Viola Lee encore blew me away - to have Warren Haynes come out too - it was way too awesome. There is only one negative thing I can say - some asshole ran out onstage during YEM and lunged at Phil - show some respect man, that's not cool - and some other asshole hit Phil in the chest with a glow stick before Wolfman's started. What the f@#k is that? The man is a guest on Phish's stage, not to mention a legendary musician and thanks to these two assholes he probably has a bad impression of Phish fans. Hopefully the dank people showed through too and Phil will feel welcome to join Phish onstage again someday, but come on people! I don't care what your reasons are - behavior like that is not acceptable. Have some class. I wish I could've seen more than these two shows on the west coast but I'm glad I saw these two shows - it was incredible. Thanks to the excellent quality of people who were around me both nights and the super-friendly Shoreline staff. I maintain that the Shoreline is THE DANKEST VENUE IN THE COUNTRY. Nobody can beat the sound and those huge jumbo-trons in the lawn. Peace out and get the tapes! Casey Kim [email protected]
Date: Sat, 18 Sep 1999 14:30:51 -0700 (PDT) From: Gene Lantigua [email protected] To: [email protected] Cc: [email protected] Hi. I would like to post this as a review for 9/17/99, Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View CA. I usually post on Andy's board as St. C, and if this is selected to represent either the general consencus or a specific opinion (how ever you guys do it) of this show, i would be more than happy to write up a review of the first night as well. Thanks alot, and enjoy the review, and eventually, the tapes!! I almost don't know how to express in words seeing and hearing and FEELING what I experienced last night...and I was only stoned! ;) I'll describe what I remember, and I'll give ya the whole show too, cuz it wouldn't do any justice to review only Phil's involvement, cuz the show (and the run of both nights) would've ranked highly sans Phil as well!! SET I: Open with a Trey solo instrumental, hot, Santana sounding, 1st for me cuz I didn't do any Trey shows earlier this year...Guyute is always good...triiiiippy and surprisingly wonderfully bluezy intro to Ghost, with a great jam, into the ever delightful Lawn Boy..i remember thinking to myself, after Mike played his solo, "that's some of the best bass I've ever heard at Phish....." HAD I ONLY KNOWN!!! Next up, PEACHES!!! ZAAAPPPAAAAA!!!! total crowd pleaser....Moma was hot and fun-kay (as if it ever isn't)....Water In The Sky, so pretty, so HAPPY...Circus Comes To Town...if you actually really listen you can realize how well written this song really is...totally noticable Dead influence in Los Lobos' writing style...i've really grown to like this song...Get Back On The Train: one of the BEST new Phish songs, sets the mood so well, lyrical phrasing as clever and well written as Phish has ever gotten, layered vocal harmonies as the verse progress...luv this tune...BUG OUT BOWIE...great jam....ah Coil, my friend....ends in a beautiful, touching, sweet Page solo...so intimate...little did I know it would not be the last intimate moment of the night.... SET II: (the watershed) Runaway Jim: the Jims of the last few years have found the band playing softer, yet tighter, still taking the song to new and wonderful places...i always picture myself running (twirling) with that dog...on endless green fields as the band sends us flying...Sand: ALL of the new material from Trey's solo tour has floored me, from the "Johnny Cash rides cross the desert on his stallion chased by the Law" feel of the previous night's 1st Tube to Gotta Jiboo (which i was hoping for this run)to the afore mentioned show opening Free Thought...this was no exception..MEAN and funky rhythm....and ya can't forget the chorus: If you hear the symptom, and can't effect the cause, you don't hear the symptom...Piper...swirling and swirling and building AND BUILDING AND HAPPINESS FROM EVERWHERE ROUND AND ROUND AND ROUND!!!! some crazy jamming, they don't want to stop, and then they bring the jam down and go bluesy once more, then softness...ethereal...Roggae... If life were easy (the circus is the place for me)...then...WE ENJOY OURSELVES...the trampolines alone would've left everyone feeling starstruck, showcased, like we got a PERFORMANCE tonight...hmm..someone else on the trampolines for a brief instant, the crowd starts to buzz, and cheer...then that same someone walked out of the shadows, with a bass guitar....at this point I want to commend the camera crew who worked wonderfully last night, cuz when I saw who it was, my heart almost stopped...PHIIIIIIIIIILLLLL!!!! I screamed, and the place just BUZZED..and didn't stop buzzing....problems with Phil's amp, some tweeking here, sound adjusting there, finally Trey, knowing how HUGE this was, cues the band to drop out, and its just Phil, and Mike...and man, if ANYONE ever said Mike played like Phil...here was proof to the contrary..they jammed so, so fucking ON...then the rest of the band comes in, and there's no mistaking Phil's lines from Mike's..YEM, with TWO basses, WITH FUCKING PHIL!!! more stellar jamming, Trey cues the band again, and its just bass, AGAIN....this time, more melodic, so beautiful, point and counter point, melodies within harmony, working, playing with each other, TO each other...so awe inspiring that a couple of phans couldn't take it, leap on stage to hug, touch Phil, get quickly and thankfully intercepted....music, of just two basses, so beautiful, as they finish together....WE GO NUTS.......but it ain't over...Wolfman's, and Phil's singing backup!!! PURE GLEE.....so tasty...jam fades...talk among Phil and the band, and then, the opening licks to the 1st tune I ever got at a Dead show...I FUCKING LOST IT....screaming uncontrollably..Phil at the mike, "Well I got me a wife, she's been trouble all my life..." PHUCKIN PHENOMENAL..in the b/w verse jams, Trey's solo's are some of the best guitar playing he's ever done...invocing Jerry with some serious, FURIOUS! right handed repeat note/chord antics...song ends, and they walk off...I CANT TAKE ANYMORE ANYWAY!!! PLEASE DONT STOP!!!! They ALL return, with Warren Haynes in tow, still in town and ready for more..ITS TOO MUCH TO TAKE!!! Some more talking, adjusting of levels, and right into it, no fucking around damnit!! Smoking Viola Lee, everyone singing, Warren and Trey cuttin heads, dueling guitars, Warren grinning form ear to ear...jam spaces out...then builds into a fury..THE BAND CAN GO ALL NIGHT..then back into it...finishes the groove, song ends, lights stop, hearts shudder, skin tingles...APPLAUSE.........OH GOD THANK YOU..Phil enthusiastically hugs Page, and Mike, as all leap and bound off the stage, like fucking little school boys who just had their best after school playtime EVER.....fucking HARDCORE folks....PURE BLISS....... St. C
Date: Sat, 18 Sep 1999 11:22:09 -0700 (PDT From: Bart Tantillo [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Review, 9/17/99 Well it was another one of "those" nights. A night where if you were there, you left with memories to last a lifetime, and if you weren't, the joy of the setlist you saw this morning (Or if you waited until 4:00 a.m. like I did), is quickly overshadowed by the grim reality that you were not there, and another one has slipped through your hands. It is a reaction that I can imagine people had after seeing the setlist from the first Deer Creek night this summer, one of amazement, awe, and anger all at the same time. How is it possible for this band to continue pulling tricks out of their hats after it appeared as if we'd seen it all? Shoreline, from the moment Trey and Page stepped onstage at the Fillmore last April, had Phil Lesh's name written all over it. For most, it was simply a question of when he would show, and in what capacity. Would he play a supporting role, laying down some grooves with Mike and not stepping on any toes? Or would it be one of those magical moments, another instance of spiritual connection between two scenes so alike and so different at the same time. What those of you got who were there was all of the above. I wasn't at Shoreline this week, although the thought more than crossed my mind for about a month of flying out to witness what would predictably be another classic moment in Phish's career. Instead I opted to stay home here in the eastern half of Pennsylvania, braving a slowly deteriorating hurricane and doing nothing of any significance. So here is my review of 7/17/99. What I did instead of going to see Phil and Phish at the Shoreline Amphitheater. At 7:15 p.m.(pretending there is no time difference of course), rather than stand up in my chair to see the band come onstage for what had the feeling of being a special night, I was at a restaurant in Yardley, Pennsylvania having dinner with my parents, hoping time would stop while I flew out to California after finishing my salad. Instead, as the band took the stage and broke into Free Thought, a Trey solo tune, I took my last bite of lettuce. Moving through the meal as quickly as possible so I could get home and attempt to make plans that would take my mind off the show, the band simultaneously wove through a first set that included another Guyute,another Peaches (back in the rotation? I hope!), a spacey Ghost (I'm sure), and another great Get Back on the Train. Whether a jam song or not, this one is a great song. After a smoking Bowie (probably) and a nicely placed Squirming Coil set closer, it was break time for the band, and phone call time for me. However it was not to be on this night, perhaps it was too late, everyone had gone out, or perhaps I was being punished for coming home from school for no apparent reason. God thought that if I wasn't going to go to Shoreline, that I should have to sit at home and think about it all fucking night. Well o.k., I can handle that. Or can I? O.k. I thought no big deal, I'll go rent a movie and make a few long distance calls to some old friends. Well needless to say, all my old friends were out partying with their new friends, and being the poster boy for indecision, I came away from Blockbuster empty handed. Meanwhile in Mountain View, California, Phish took the stage for the set of the tour so far. As I ran home to execute plan b, I could hear the openingchords of Runaway Jim in the distance (not really). After a Piper that saw the new fad on Phish tour, tossing tortillas at crucial glow stick times, took center stage, I was online now, checking my e-mail (again) and searching for a first set. I found it and thought "uh-oh", I could feel Phil just waiting backstage. After a Roggae which most likely afforded everyone sufficient time to make final preparations, and as I closed my computer and opened up "On the Road" for the hundreth time, the band started YEM and it was on. How, when, and where would Phil show? Maybe the band, playing the selfish rock star role, would keep this night for themselves? Nah, this is Phish, not some ego-maniacal top 40 outfit. As Brad brought out the extra trampoline during YEM, and the crowd erupted (I'm sure they did) Phil came onstage and hopped on, creating the best two bass player band in rock history. After making Mikes dreams come true (it is Mike who said jokingly that the name Phish comes from Phil Lesh, minus the two l's and the e), they broke into a song Phil has taken a particular liking to, Wolfman's Brother. As I threw the book against the wall, unable to concentrate, the new 5 member Phish closed the show with what I am sure was a beautiful Cold Rain and Snow. But now what? It's encore time, and I can imagine that Trey's mind was working like a war room on N.F.L. draft day. Viola Lee Blues, the tune that opened the Phil and Friends shows last April (excluding the Hello Old Friends that he played with his kids), was I'm sure a poignant way to end the now historic run at the Shoreline, complete with a return showing from Warren Haynes. And as I clicked on the "Current Setlists" section of the PhishNet at 3:30 a.m., I realized two things; I can get these tapes and Phish will be here in a few weeks. Dammit.
Date: Sat, 18 Sep 1999 23:55:28 -0700 (PDT) From: Dave Lynch [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: 9/17/99 Review Just wanted to say a few words about Friday's show -- I'm going to take the unpopular stance that the first 3/4 of the show was better than the end. Let me explain. I'm no huge deadhead, but I do enjoy the music from time to time. I own 4 or 5 CDs, and have heard a small number of live recordings, and from what I have heard, I personally prefer the music of many other bands. But I do enjoy it (you don't buy a 5th CD if you hated the first 4), and I definitely WANTED to see Phil at the show. The security guy told us ahead of time that he saw Phil's equipment being set up on stage, but he said it was just for the encore. So I knew it would probably happen, and I hoped it would be really cool. hoped it would be really cool. The beginning of the show was spectacular -- Free Thought, Ghost, Peaches, GBOTT, Jim, and Sand were all Grade A Fresh Phish -- it had already proved to be a great show by the time they started YEM. So then they bring out the THREE tramps, and I know instantly what's happening and my hopes and expectations are VERY high. So at the beginning of the tramps segment, Trey and Mike jump up, start bouncing, and look around confusedly. Phil comes rushing over from the right, goes behind the equipment, squeezes in between Page's piano and Mikes amp, and gets on his trampoline. He nearly falls off, and looks at trey and mike as if to say, "how the hell are you guys doing that? help!" He can't keep the rhythm or play, and forget about doing the turning part, so he jumps off. OK right now you're saying, "So what? so he couldn't jump on the tramps -- it's not like he has done this 400 times like trey." And I agree with you -- except that I think they should have rehearsed this beforehand -- they went to the trouble of getting another tramp -- he should have at least tried it once, and the boys should have told him when to come on, and what they would be doing, etc. If he couldn't do it then, he shouldn't have tried it during the show. Very poor planning, I thought. But I could have overlooked all that easily if Phil had just been able to start jamming away. But no -- he had to spend a full 5-10 minutes trying to get his damn bass to work. He would appear to play a few notes, turn around, and fool with his monitor and amp for a while, and turn around again. Just when you thought he was going to break it down, he'd turn around again, maybe yell at some techies for a minute, and try to play again. He literally spent nearly the first ten minutes **with his back to the audience, not playing a note**. At this point, I felt nearly sick to my stomach -- I wanted Phil to have a really momentous occasion on stage with the boys, but they were totally unprepared. I felt totally embarrassed for Phil, and there was not much the boys could do except keep YEM limping along as they tried to figure out what to do. Phil finally got his instrument to work, and it looked as if it could only get better, but no -- it got worse. As soon as he stepped up to play, some damn fool hit him square in the chest with a glowstick. This was the point of no return for me -- it totally ruined the Phil part of the show. I had lots of melodramatic images running through my head: --Phil on a treadmill that somebody keep turning faster and faster until he stumbles and falls (he could NOT keep up with phish onstage, and the crowd was not willing to help) (the world DOES move a lot faster than during the dead's golden days, and it's a lot meaner) --That glowstick being the final nail in the coffin of the final chapter of the dead -- I could see it slam shut BAM right when it hit him -- especially since it happened in San Francisco. The world has officially moved on. (I started feeling sad for the world in general at this point -- there's really no return after that) Although these were a bit of an overreaction, I had another thought then which I still stand by -- there were many many years in which phish didn't play any dead tunes because they wanted to avoid being labeled as just another dead cover band, and I think they should have kept doing that! Now all of a sudden they are treating themselves as the heir to the dead throne, officially commemorating dead landmarks (9/8/98), and getting old band members up to play dead tunes. Guess what -- you're NOT the dead, nobody WANTS you to be the dead, you should not be TRYING to be the dead or the new dead, and any more steps in that direction are a mistake. I go to a phish show to see the band PHISH! Anyway, to wrap it up, the music after YEM was okay. Too many musicians onstage makes it hard to hear any one of them, and no one looked as if he was having a particularly good time, and I was feeling too embarrassed for them all to really enjoy it, but the music was okay. I guess better than okay if you really like those dead songs. But that's why I say the non-Phil part of the show was better. For me, it really was. Flame away
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 08:58:30 -0600 From: Rob Mottice [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: A word on that ONLY bad Phish and Phil Review Just a quick word for the guy who had so many nasty and uneducated comments on the second night at Shoreline... They should've rehearsed the trampoline bit since they went to all the trouble of getting a third trampoline? Plug your brain in, pal. Just because Phish went to all the trouble of showing up to play for you that night doesn't mean they should have every moment choreographed. They are an improvisational band. If you weren't blowing hot air out of the ass you call a mouth, you would know that. You might also know that last year Phil Lesh got a new Liver, which makes it damn impressive that he was even on a trampoline at all. Thousands of people dreamed of being there and you piss on them saying you were embarrassed for all of the guys on stage. If you want to see rehearsed, perfect and flawless music that is totally predictable, leave right now and I hope the door hits you in the ass on the way out. You deserve it. I was 5 rows from the stage that night and they were all smiles. I have pictures to prove it. SHAME ON YOU. FLAME ON THAT.
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 22:19:07 -0700 (PDT) From: m pasikov To: [email protected] Subject: 9/17/99 phish and phil > > Howdy Heads- > After reading all of the show revues for the "Phish > and Phil" show, I had to throw in my 2 cents... > First off, for all the folks who were teed off that > phish played 2 grateful dead songs at the end of one > of their many shows, because after all they paid to > see phish and not phil lesh and the grateful dead > and > that this was somehow innapropriate, I have to ask: > were you upset the previous night that they played > Misty Mountain Hop because you didn't pay to see led > zeppelin? Or that they always play hello my baby, > and > you didn't pay to see Frank Sinatra or whoever wrote > that song? > I have to say that I was bothered by this sentiment, > partly because I feel it borders on whining, and > secondly, because music is about having fun, > experimenting, and taking chances. Especially Phish > music. Do you think trey and mike give a shit that > phil couldn't keep up on the trampoline? Probably > not. They probably were exstatic that one of their > musical influences (not to mention living legend) > came > out and had some phun with them. Fun being the key > word, because this is what the > whole scene is all about. Besides, everyone got > there > moneys worth of Phish music before phil even came on > stage. > And for all the people who think that it is somehow > taboo for phish to play the occasional dead cover > cause they should strive to differentiate themselves > from the dead, do you think that they should play no > covers at all because this makes them unoriginal? I > don't know the name of the song, but I remember some > phish lyrics(repeated at the end of a song)"it > doesn't > matter", "it doesn't matter" etc. > One thing that keeps phish so cool is that they > never > come out on stage and tell people how to live or > what > to do, cause it doesn't matter. We shouldn't preach > at them either. > I think that it is fair to say that the model of how > the grateful dead operated in the music business > influenced phish. After achieving a high degree of > success in the biz themselves it seems perfectly > natural that they have a few of there friends come > play with them. > And in my humblest opinion, Viola Lee was a perfect > choice. > I wrote a letter, > I wrote a letter, > mailed it in the, > mailed it in the, air indeed-y. > I wrote a letter and mailed it in the air. You know my buddy > I've got a phriend somewhere!! > Thanks trey, mike, page, jon and phil. > and warren too, you hold the torch with steady > hands. > see y'all in gamehenge > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com
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