9-8-00 -- Pepsi Arena Albany, New York

 
Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2000 15:51:38 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 9/8/00 review
 
i wanted a my friend my friend opener.....but i supose i can live with this!!
...especially since i got my friend the next night...
 
ok...here we go.....
 
mellow mood....i said like 15 minutes before they came out..."i'd love a bob
marley cover tonight"....awww shit...mellow mood is like my favorite bob
marley tune and i never expected it....play beautifully and the backing
vocals were fabulous. perfect opener.
 
limb by limb....let the jams begin...i wasnt expecting this and i was
pleased...very well played ...allways love a limb by limb
 
ghost....sick...just sick...i loved this ghost..trey was fuckin rockin it up
and groovin the whole time (he was groovin around all weekend) they seemed to
be really into this and it was an exceptional ghost that is definetly worth
checking out.
 
bouncin...no complaints...i refuse to say bad things about phish tunes so...a
cool little break in the nasty jams.
 
horse->sitm.....this was real cool except i wish they still played the whole
horse guitar opening part....still a very cool tune and a pleasure.
 
i saw it again....i knew something good was coming when they talked for like
3 minutes....i love this fuckin song and they play it sooooo well...it rocked
and did anyone see fishman getting into it and swaying around like a rock
star?...great tune!
 
nicu.....always love this...happy songs are awesome and this is very very
happy....trey did the main guitar lick real weird the first time...cool tune
and i loved it...keep the mellow mood going...
 
glide....i love glide...does anyone not love glide? i saw this at 3rd of july
and i was like...glide rules...i didnt expect it and it was a fucking great
suprise....love to hear older rare stuff.
 
axilla I.....superfly....didnt really fit in with the rest of the set but i
will never complain about an axilla...axilla II ending was phat too...
 
taste...this was the best taste ive ever seen live....i would definetly
recomend getting this if you want a good taste.....page was so fucking on for
this tune and i loved it.
 
golgi....great energetic golgi...no complaints...good set closer. cant wait
to see what the second set will hold.....
 
birds....very nice...havent seen birds in a while....glad to hear it and they
rocked it...i was having some fun dancing and i loved this tune...then...
 
windora bug....i loved this song....an instant favorite...i think definetly a
highlight of the evening....reggae tunes kick ass and the mellow mood opener
plus this windora made this a great show for reggae. fun fun fun...super tune
 
bowie....super super phat bowie....high hat intro was pretty long with trey
on keys..very cool and they jammed like noithing else..this bowie rocked and
i looooved it.
 
chicken shack.....soo good..i never expected this...i love this song and i
love phish playing bluessy tunes...this was definetly a highlight...so much
fun.
 
bathtub->jam->bathtub.....this was an amazing bathtub....very improved...very
fun....jammed out real nice with the vacuum jam in the middle....i was so
blown away i cant really write much about it.....definetly worth checking out.
 
character zero....cool song to rock it up and end a great set.
 
fire.....i havent seen this since 11/29/97...i was pumped phiosh plays this
so good...trey rocks and i was real happy to hear them end with something
uncommon like fire...
 
overall great fucking show!

Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2000 09:28:17 -0400
From: Kristen Hurd [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: albany 9/8
 
I was so psyched for these two shows.  They're the only ones I'll see
this tour and obviously the last for a while considering there's an
unannounced amount of time being taken off after.....
 
Set I:
MELLOW MOOD:  great opener, you gotta love Bob and phish doing Bob is
just too cool
LIMB:  good tune, but uninspired.  did anyone get the timing on this?
I've got it down at 3 minutes, but that can't be right...
GHOST:  One of the better ones from this set, good energy....again i
think my timing is off on this one, i have it at 19 minutes....does
anyone know?
BRTR:  OK, I used to be a fan of this one, but lately I've been on the
anti-BRTR wagon....
HORSE>SILENT:  Like it?  Love it...and then when the crowd goes nuts on
"just last year"!!!  love that shit!!
I SAW IT AGAIN:  Never heard this one before, was OK...maybe once i get
the tapes it'll grow on me...
NICU:  one of those ones I can't ever get enough of
GLIDE:  had been a while on this one....the 45 second (?) pause where
they stood like mannequins was great...they can be such a tease
sometimes.  What I really love about this one is that the whole crowd
is singing along and we're telling phish that we're glad, glad, glad
that they're alive, and they've arrived....and they're saying the same
thing to us!
AXILLA:  always a good one for sweating my ass off
TASTE:  good breather...wipe the sweat from my brow, take a haul off
that water bottle, light up a smoke and just grooooooooove!
GOLGI:  been there, done that....although the "ticket stub in your
hand" always gets me.
 
Overall, Set I was somewhat of a disappointment.  Ghost, NICU, Silent
and Glide were the highlights.  Spent set break lounging and
desperately trying to not be too discouraged, after all, any phish show
is a good phish show.....it's just a matter of varying degrees of
enjoyment.  I mean, they can't play all my favorite songs all the time,
even if there are 30+ to pick from!
 
Set II:
BIRDS:  nice energetic opener, liked the green spinners CK had going
WINDORA BUG:  first i called hood, then changed my mind to makisupa
because of the reggae beat...but this one came from outta nowhere.
Really liked it, i guess it's from Trey's last solo tour and the first
time played with phish?
BOWIE:  definitely called this one, but then I got thrown for a bit
because of the ambient jam they went into, however, that tick tick tick
of the high hat was there all along and when they finally went into it
I went crazy.  Upon hearing my complaints about set I, my friend Dave
asked what I would like to hear, I listed off at least 20 songs, and
this was one of them.  CK had some really nice combos, I especially
like the teal, gold, aqua and purple glittering circles that undulate
across the crowd....
CHICKEN SHACK:  Again, another new one for me, really liked it though
and can't wait for the tapes.
BATHTUB:  tight, tight jamming.  The boys were really on a lot more
with this second set. Page, baby I love it when you play like that,
truly inspiring....Again, CK5 did a great job, esp. the pink and blue
pastels with those white twisty spinners I love....
AMBIENT JAM:  crowd went nuts when the vacuum appeared, I thought the
whole thing was fab, but was a little disappointed in the crowd's
response at the end.....he deserves so much more than that!
CHAR 0:  mediocre set closer, I expected a bit more than this after the
second set improvement, but hey, beggars can't be choosers
 
FIRE:  nice cover, good way to end the night.
 
Overall, Set II was MUCH better, but still I feel something is missing
here.  Of course as I write this review I have full knowledge of the
second night and the absolute insanity of it so I'm kind of partial.
 
Despite any of my previous comments, I'm just glad to be part of all
this.  I find my own criticism of the sets hard to deal with on a
personal level, but I feel that they band really deserves this break
they are taking and know they will be that much better when they come
back to tour after recharging with their own personal ventures....
 
Kristen

Date: 09 Sep 2000 16:56:08 EDT
From: James D. Karczewski [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Albany review
 
Hey there kids, here's some reflection on what went down in Albany last
night...
 
The preshow scene outside the Pepsi Arena is always a good one, except for the
freaky NY state troopers mounted up on horses that do nothing but fill the
streets with stink. Some excellent t-shirts on the streets though. Love the
Fluffhead with Rastaman Sideshow Bob, classic.
 
How about the high priced ticket sales these days? You just can't hope to come
to a show and pay face for an extra anymore. Everyone is asking fifty and
sixty bucks for upper level seats behind the frickin stage! Just an
observation, I was thankfully set up with 15 row Trey side, so my concerns
were minimal. Only bummer on the way into the arena was watching two girls (in
tears) get tossed out of line for fake tix... Here's a lesson for everyone,
fake tickets make people sad.
 
The Pepsi crew are generally good natured people, it's pretty much a drink,
smoke, and be merry type scene. You can burn your joints, and drink your
beers, but whatever you do-- don't stand in the god damn isle when the music
starts, or else you'll be accosted by an Isle-Nazi with a flashlight and a bad
attitude. The seats are comfy, and the sound is great, so I guess they're
doing alright for now. Anyway, onto the show...
 
Mellow Mood: "I play your favorite songs, Darling. You can rock it all night
long, darling!" First lines of fall tour ring through the Old Knick, and they
couldn't have been more right on. I think most everyone recognized it was a
Marley tune from the first few notes, but not that many people new the name.
Such a feel-good opener. This song personifies what I love about Phish. They
add such subtle humor to thier increadible stage presence, it just brings a
smile to my face. Trey slinked right into these Bob lyrics, his voice was a
pefect fit (unlike the Trenchtown Opener at Burgettstown in '98, for those of
you who've heard it). Mellow Mood is something they should definately consider
keeping in the reportoire. I was just glowing after this tune...
 
LimbxLimb: "I come unglued... but in mid air, I land to reform!" Always a
welcome tune in my opinion. Great lyrics, great stop/start rythem late in the
song, happy to hear it. Did anyone else notice Fishman's ZESTY drumming, I
think he's fired up to be back on tour.
 
Ghost: I saw the first Ghost in the States back in '97 at Virginia Beach, and
I was instantly hooked on the song-- since then I always wonder... "but maybe,
he's still with me?". The song was made huge strides in the last three years,
and it always gives me the chills. Downright spooky, and they've really
started jamming it out to a fierce climax.  Always happy to get a visit from
the ghost.
 
Bouncin: I know alot of people feel cheated by hearing this song, and for
others it is the highlight of the concert. For me, it's pretty obvious that
the song has been drastically over-exposed, and there's really nothing more
that Phish can do with it. My recommendation: Shelf it for 5 years and bring
it back with Fishman on xylophone, HA!
 
Horse->Silent: Mediocre tune, seems to be a bit of a crowd favorite though.
Always enjoy the crowd's reaction to the "Just last year" line. Seemed
particularly applicable on this night being that phish was playing in Albany
exactly 11 months ago to the day. I could do without the extended SITM sing
along at the end though...
 
Saw It Again: A bit of a rarity, which makes it nice to hear. I'm sort of
unfamiliar with the tune, but enjoyed it's energy. Not crazy about it, but
like hearing new and different stuff.
 
NICU: Hell yea, the opening notes of this tune got everyone's attention right
quick! "Ferocious Tenaciously Clawing at me!" NICU is a huge crowd favorite,
and well deserved. I always feel like I'm at a Hawaiian Lua with electric
guitars when I hear this song, you know what I mean?
 
GLIDE (my first!): Ansolutely one of the highlights of my time in seeing
Phish. Glide is such a tricky little tune, I just love hearing Trey dance all
over this one. Seemed alittle bit rusty at first, but I suppose that may be
attributed to the fact that they only play it about once in every fifty shows.
 
Axilla: They had really cranked into the over flow tank at this point. A nasty
tri-fector of tunes to get the energy nice and high. Always love Kuroda's
strobe work with Axilla, nice work by all on this one...
 
Taste: Terrific jam, we all got a taste for free during this tune. Not a huge
favorite of mine, but this version really rolled.
 
Golgi Apparatus: "I SAW YOU!" The ultimate old school Phish tune. I've really
taken a new- found appreciation to this song. You know how you get that with
some songs, go through alittle two week streak where you just want to hear it
over and over? Can you imagine Trey brainstorming these lyrics in Junior High,
and playing them for 20,000 people twenty years later. Really psyched to see
them finish strong after questionable mid-set selection's like Bouncin and Saw
It Again. Almost 80 minutes, and 11 songs-- few complaints from anyone I
talked to. Couldn't get the Mellow Mood out of my head at set break... "I PLAY
YOUR FAVORITE SONGS, DARLING!"
 
45 MINUTES LATER...

Birds Of A Feather: Not crazy about the Birds... Was sort of hoping for Sprach
Zarathrusta to rear his spacy head to start the second set. I spent the
majority of this song trying to find a way to not piss people off while
finding my seat on the floor, sorry to those I chafed...
 
Windora Bug: SICK tune. Not a rager by any means, but such a great vibe.
Started out like Makisupa or Have Mercy, but then Mike chimed in with some
deep bass lyrics about "Is It a bug?" or something. Really dig this one. Great
overlaping lyrics with Trey singing something about "We got the rules down
now, and we're stuck at the edge of a cliff...". Wish I could add more, wish I
could hear the song again. Hopefully a few more of these to come on tour this
fall...
 
Bowie: The ratio of Maze/Bowie is really not equal for me. I always find
myself hoping for Maze during the intro, and out pops Bowie-- sort of found
myself drifting here. Not a bad Bowie, just too many of them for me to get
psyched. (I don't think they will ever top the Bowie that was played on 8.2.98
at Deer Creek with Divided Sky and Possum teases)
 
Back At The Chicken Shack: Low down dirty blues at it's best! Songs such as
these exemplify Phish's versatility. First heard this one from the 10.30.98
Vegas show when it was stuck in the middle of Mule-- loved it ever since.
Extremely psyched to hear this rare cover! Very slinky and bluesy...
 
Bathtub Gin: Who doesn't love to take a bath? The lyrics to Gin, combined with
the roller coaster melody always keep me on my toes. This version had some
fairly crazy peaks towards the end-- I was hoping for a bit more vocal
harmonies ala Big Cypress. But instead, we were treated to a bizarre ambient
suck-a-thon performance from Henrietta. Good for a laugh, but not much more.
 
Character Zero: This song, along with Bouncin, needs to be retired for a short
while. Why they choose to play songs like Taste and Zero from Billy Breathes,
but neglect stuff like FREE, is competely beyond me. More Free, Less from the
man Mulcahey.
 
Encore: Fire! Yeah, I like it like that! Really a raging version of this
classic Hendrix song. Sort of short at four minutes, but lots of fun. I think
they could have followed it up with alittle something else taboot taboot, but
no complaints from me. Hoping for something wild tonight-- keep an eye out for
the Fish, I think we had alittle forshadowing last night!
 
Peace,
DylanK

Date: Sun, 10 Sep 2000 12:24:10 EDT
From: JM (reba616)
To: [email protected]
Subject: Albany reviews
 
09/08/2000 Pepsi Arena - Albany, New York
 
 
Set I (76 min.): Mellow Mood*, Limb by Limb, Ghost, Bouncing Around the
Room, Horse > Silent in the Morning, I Saw it Again**, NICU, Glide, Axilla
***, Taste, Golgi Apparatus
 
 
Set II: Birds of a Feather, Windora Bug, David Bowie, Back in the Chicken
Shack, Bathtub Gin -> Ambient Jam^ -> Bathtub Gin, Character Zero
 
 
Encore: Fire
 
 
   Show began with a "Mike's" tease and a crowd roar.
   * Bob Marley tune, first time played by Phish!
   ** Trey thanks the crowd
   *** "Axilla (I)" lyrics with "Axilla II" ending (see explanation of
differences)
   The setbreak CD, which included the theme to "Greatest American Hero",
had a scratch and was skipping
   ^ 7.5 minutes long, with Henrietta on vacuum and Trey on drums
 
 
 
Mellow Mood- NO WAY!  Took everyone in the crowd by surprise, a great tune,
set the reggae mood, first time played!
 
Limb by Limb- Very cool.  Very nice version, better than last years, not an
enormous jam, Limb can get pretty tiring when its jammed out for a half
hour.
 
Ghost- YES!!!  Loved it!  The jam just kept getting more intense, and more
intense and more intense until all of a sudden... it just stops!  One of my
fave tunes of the night.
 
Bouncing- Nice placement, kind of a breather.
 
Horse->SITM- Couldn't stop smiling or dancing if I tried.  I was so thrilled
to hear it.  Another fave tune of the night.
 
I saw it again- Never heard it before!  Pretty cool song too.
 
NICU- Not so good.... Trey fucked up the lick pretty badly if I remember
right.
 
Glide- WOW.  Rarity, great to hear.  Trey and Mike paused for about a
minute, standing perfectly still in the middle of the song, until they
finally went back into it.
 
Axilla- The arena was definitely moving during this one.  I don't care too
much for the song, but I was dancing just as hard as anyone else.
 
Taste- Very nice.  Jammed out well and long.
 
Golgi- Good set closer.  Everyone was singing the words, the chill jam in
the middle was the best part.
 
*~SETBREAK~*
 
Birds of a Feather- Definitely good version and set opener.
 
Windora Bug- SWEET!  Continued reggae theme, this song had vanished from my
memory until they started playing it this night.  I loved it.
 
David Bowie- Big suspenseful buildup, decent version.  Trey's solos at the
end were nice, but besides that nothing great.
 
BATCS- Ugh.
 
Bathtub Gin- Wasn't thrilled to hear it, but it's always cool to hear "We're
all in this together, and we'd love to take a bath!"  Crowd unity baby.
Progresses into...
 
Ambient Jam- Nice.  Fishman grabs the vacuum, Trey  takes the drums, and the
crowd goes nuts.  We had all been wanting to hear the vacuum, and finally it
came.  It sounded like there were a million ghosts echoing off the walls of
the arena, very eerie.  Kicks back into the end of Bathtub Gin.
 
Character Zero- Ugh.  Could've done without it.
 
*~ENCORE~*
 
Fire- YES!  Would have never thought they would've brought it back in
Albany.  Got everyone into it, and we thought there would be another after,
but alas- nope.
 
 
First night overall rating- 6.  Had the time of my life, but musically it
was a little better than average.

Date: Sat, 9 Sep 2000 12:05:29 -0400 (EDT)
From: Iii  William F Luke [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re:9/8 Review
 
Well, I love seeing  Phish in Albany because its my home town. I had a
great time, the show was good, i'm expecting it to be better
tonight. Windora Bug was one of my favorite tunes from Trey's solo tour,
so that was a treat, as was Back at the Chicken Shack. Great time, great
town, great people everywhere, see you tonight!! WOOO HOOO
        BILL


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