[Originally posted on Fri, 7 Jul 2000]

None of the reviews I've seen so far have described my experience, so here goes:

I've now seen a few shows, and the first night of Hartford was a whopper, so I had high hopes for this show. The "Ha Ha Ha" opener from the night before had hinted that they laughed at us not knowing what they'd unveil. So I was still waiting for something big.

The first set opened with Buried Alive, so I was thrilled. I haven't seen one since Prague 98, and this version was awesome. The energy was on tap and flowing, so we were psyched. Most folks love Wolfman's Brother, but for me it's hit or miss. I wasn't crazy to hear it, but this was a nice version. Axilla followed, and though it was fun to have an upbeat rocker, it was still a regular. Poor Heart was great, good and speedy, and Sample was clean and well played. But still, the set was shaping up to be entirely standard fare. No great jams to speak of, no real rare gems...

Tube relieved the tension. This funk-a-rific version featured a few measure-long start/stop section that really brought my head back. I mean, who could be disappointed at a show?!

Beauty, which I usually consider a great song, started strangely. It took me until the lyrics to identify this one, which is strange since I know the song pretty well. I think the intro was kind of muddy. But the high of Beauty subsided into the carefree-ness of Roggae. I've loved Roggae since it's debut in Europe, and I still love it. This relaxed me and got me perfectly prepped for the highlight of the show, the super-underrated Vultures. Well jammed and extremely high energy, this one grabbed me and rescued the first set from blandness.

Dirt followed, but, in my opinion, the new Farmhouse version doesn't compare to the 1997/1998 versions. Sorry folks, I really dug it, and now it's losing it for me. But Melt is one I'm starting to appreciate more and more. It was the Big Cypress version that got this one on my hot list, and this one supported that by ripping shit up.

Overall, a fairly tame first set whose highlights included Buried Alive, Vultures, and Melt.

Setbreak: After a pretty normal first set, high hopes for second set. Some Mass-holes behind me spread loads of bad karma around after insisting that everyone around had brought in weed but that we're all dicks for not letting them borrow our bowls. Tuned him out and sat back.

Gotta Jibboo was about twice as fast as usual. The super version made up for the hyperactivity, but the lyrics sounded really rushed. Very cool. Bug was actually better than the last few times I've heard it. They're really milking that whole "rock-star" thing, and I can't say I disagree. Say what you will: it really rocks. First Tube -- wait a sec -- THIS ONE really rocks. I mean like crazy! I was losing it. I was transported by the chaos to that place. Trey was jumping around like a Mexican bean. Absolutely nuts!

Mike's Song, pretty nice. Pretty regular version. No teases, no other-jams, nothing really unique here (ps no Simple teases, just that one note that often throws off newbies), just the dark rich groove that sets in pretty reliably and moves you so well. I could smell the Hydrogen from a mile away. I was thrown off by the Swept Away > Steep. Nice to hear, it's been like 2 years for me on those songs. But sure enough, then came my favorite sweet instrumental -- Hydrogen. Always, and I mean always, a treat, I sat back and let the mellow vibes of H2 surround me. Very very very cool.

Weekapaug is smoking and of course this was no exception. I was happy to hear this. I'll need a second listen before I can say whether or not this was great. Ghost was like the cherry on top. If I recall correctly, I really enjoyed this version. It was played like they wanted it to be great.

Encore: A fantastic rendition of the White Album classic While My Guitar Gently Weeps served as the perfect encore. It's always been one of my favorite Beatles songs, and short of them busting out Dear Prudence again, exactly what I would've wanted to hear. It almost made me cry. Trey had to strain to recall all the lyrics, but he got em all and they pulled off a perfect end to a great show. I'll have to say that this was a great show, but I don't think it topped 6/30. But you know what? Hartford two-nighter was a blast.

And my girlfriend loved her first two shows. Ha Ha Ha!

Got drunk with a friend, did a free hugs and high fives line, saw a good 1.0 show in Hartford.

(Published in the second edition of The Phish Companion...)

This was the second night of Phish's first time at the Meadows, the closest thing to a "hometown" show for me since the New Haven Coliseum closed. The Meadows is known for a fun lot scene, and these shows definitely did not disappoint. These two nights were probably the most insane (read: fun) Phish lots I've ever experienced outside of at a festival. The party atmosphere was in full swing well before showtime, and as the masses entered the venue the energy was already through the roof.
Expectations were already high after an amazing first night, so when the boys opened with “Buried Alive” we were prepared for anything. Next was “Wolfman's”, and it was evident they weren't holding back anything. A standard run through “Axilla”, “Poor Heart”, and “Sample” got the band warmed up for the next song, the highlight of the set for me. “Tube” is a song that I'd be happy to hear at any show, and the longer the better! They brought the funk, giving the hyper crowd the perfect music to dance to. It's songs like this that keep me coming back. Some nice keyboard work by Page, and Mike's bombs, kept the funk rolling along. When Trey hopped on his little keyboard, I knew they had the crowd eating out of their hand. Unfortunately all good things come to an end, and “Beauty of My Dreams” was next.
After a nice standard “Beauty” and then “Roggae”, I was thinking the set closer was coming. A rare appearance by “Vultures” got the crowd even more pumped, then “Dirt” gave us a quick breather. Fishman started his intro to “Split Open and Melt”, and the crowd roared in appreciation. “Melt” gave us the jam that the first set was noticeably missing. The first set was pretty ordinary, but you wouldn't know it by he mood of the crowd.
Setbreak gave all of us dancing fools a chance to rest up for the rest of the show. Trey's opening chords to “Jibboo” got us back on our feet in a hurry. This being the "Farmhouse Tour", I was surprised this was the first song from the album. The “Jibboo” jam was a super tight groove, with some nice work by Trey. Then came a rip-roaring “First Tube” that drove the crowd into a frenzy. As if we needed more, “Mike's Song” was next. If anyone had any doubts about the night, they were silenced at this point.
“Mike's” segued into the interesting “Swept Away”/”Steep” combo, and I was sure “Weekapaug” was next. Not so, as Trey started playing the beautiful notes to Hydrogen. The expected “Weekapaug Groove” followed, giving the crowd more to shake our booties to. Thinking they couldn't possibly play another song next, I was sure surprised when I heard the bluegrass coming out of “Weekapaug”. Another rare song, “Nellie Kane”.
When “Ghost” started up I thought I would explode. This is my kind of show! This “Ghost” raged, pure and simple. The theme of the second set seemed to be nice tight grooves, and this “Ghost” followed suit. Trey was wailing, playing like man possessed. It was fitting that the encore was “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, as Trey was on fire all night.
Although exhausted and drained both mentally and physically, my friends and I left the venue still in the mood for a party. It seemed we weren't alone, as about thirty of our closest friends showed up for our aftershow party. The debauchery raged on until morning, when we all got some much needed sleep. Camden was far from my mind, as were thoughts of the real world. Ah, those were the days...

Well, I had the option of either going last night or tonight...

What I think I missed in song selection and setlist last night I made up for in groovyness tonight!! It was such a tight, phat groove heavy show, with some of that great new "Farmhouse" groove that's so dominant in songs like Sand and 1st Tube worked into old classics like Tube and Mike's. Lawn seats, right in the middle, below a video screen. This was going to be fun.

Started it all off with BURIED ALIVE! Oh my god, how long has it been since this one was last played!??!! My first, and with a rare classic to start it all off like this, how can you not have a great show??? It was a pretty standard version, played well. After the final chord of buried, we were treated to the opening piano choard of WOLFMAN'S. Ah so solid! A great first set warm up song, and played very cleanly. Trey's voice sounded superb on this one. FOr the jam, it started out with some basic but well-played noodling from Trey before being led into a dark, sinister and groovy beat. It stayed there for a while, never realy leaving ther boundaries of a Wolfman's jam, before finally drifting back into the theme. I couldn't believe the AXILLA I we got next!! I was going nuts, jumping up and down, just happy to hear a fun rocking song. Hmmmm, so far, three relatively short songs - I think I see a long set coming up ahead. And oh was I right! POOR HEART followed to give everyone a break and to start off one of the night's three bluegrass tunes. And oh how nice was Page's solo during Poor Heart??? Virtually no Trey soloing, concentration on the baby grand the entire time. Page was ripping up and down some happy bluegrass licks, with a lot of support from the rest of the boys. Next came actually my first SAMPLE. Well, no big deal, fun tune, good melody, and "I am a rock star" soloing from Trey. You know, the same type he does during "Bug." I called TUBE as one of the songs tonight, and I was psyched to hear I was right again!! When the jam started, it was right away that super-groovy summer sound that Phish has been putting on most of the new album and a lot of other things too! This was a very tight, crisp jam, with some loops from Trey, and his very own keyboard solo. BEAUTY OF MY DREAMS followed, with some dank Mike soloing. ROGGAE was a beautiful song, and Chris helped make it a true "circus of light" with his incredible show, as always. It seems that every tuime I see Phish, the lights are even better. The next song puzzled me at first, but then I realized it was one of my long-forgotten newer favorites, VULTURES. Great com[posed section, with a new vocal arrangement that suggests to me studio reworking has been done on it. Look for Vultures on the next Phish studio release. The lights at the end were intense, with Toph rotatiog the lights around, so incredibly fast! And, along wiht those lights, Trey was giving a distortion heavy, metal jam with power chords and everytthing! Dirt was a fun cigarette song, and then MELT started. Ah thank you, Phish gods. A well-played and energetic Melt finishes off the first set in [phine style!

JIBBOO opened up the second set after a typically long break. This was a lot of fun, with Trey talkikng about Toph and Sands in the lyrics. But the amazing thing about tonight versionw as its new and classic style of jamming. The jam actually built from the typically laid back and playful Jibboo lines to a raging, chord heavy and crash cymballing finale before resting back to the Jibboo theme. This build was similar to a Hood or Slave build, putting a great classic spin on a new tune. BUG followed, and I was SO PSYCHED!! I liove this song! FIRST TUBE just plain rocked, and then the glow stick/ring war broke out on the lawn. WOw!!! First Tube went on for a while, Trey jumping up and down on stage, and jamming on the major section for a long time. The opening notes of MIKE'S started up and we knew we were in for a treat. But little was I to know that this would be the best Mike's I have ever heard! It started nicely, typical, until the jam started, when they settled into a heavy groove. The bass was wet and sloppy, Page was on the Moog, and Trey was adding color and hue to the sound. They put a new spin on this classic piece, which grooved just as hard as the first Tube that preceded it! Then, as the groove wound down, Trey started playing some classic, choice Mike's licks, which were very reminiscient of older shows' sound. It was great how in the same jam they put together their old and new sounds. They segued into what I thought sounded like Simple, but it was really just a change of pace and key and that's when the fog came out. They took it down, in the fog, really slowly and chill, and Tr4ey started to play SWEPT AWAY! Wow, a while since this one! And it was such a perferct segue out of Mikes, I couldnb';t believe they pulled it off. After an obligatory STEEP, Trey was making loud wailing noises from the doc as the rest of the band took the slow pace of Swept Away, and added the drums and bass to HYDROGEN! I didn't get to hear a H2 or a Weekapaug at the last Mike's I heard (5/23/00) but this was a beautiful and slow versionb of H2. Extended it seemed, I didn't remember it being that long! It went naturally into WEEKAPAUG, with Mike slapping the shit out of his bass to start. Some great Trey soloing in this weekapaug when, after a good deal of jamming, Trey began to tease a bluegrass song I knew. it turns out that the whole band heard it and segued SO NATURALLY! into NELLIE CANE. This was a bluegrass song that I love that I had never heard before! My other prediction of a GHOST closed the set, with an extremely intense and fast jam at the end which sounded nothing like the Ghost we know and love, but it still sounded fuckin amazing!!!

wow, encore was WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS, and that's just what it did. Trey cryed his 'doc into the night and we left with smiles and veggie burritoes in our hands. The highlight?? This Mikes>Swept Away>Steep>H2>Weekapaug>Nellie Cane MUST BE HEARD IF YOU LIKE GOOD, SEAMLESS SEGUES! So dank... AH well, catch you all on phall tour..

Intense versions of Vultures, Jibboo, Bug, and Ghost are the jam standouts of this show but the surprise segues in the second set are really nice too. I especially like the transition to Hydrogen out of Steep. Anytime Hydrogen can emerge from an ambient jam is fine with me. Not really a fan of stacking up the Farmhouse tunes at the start of the second set though.

7/1/2000 was my last show of the four night run my sister and I did for summer tour. After the 6/30 show, we had our driving routes through Hartford down, knowledge of the crazy parking lot system, and were even meeting up with some new friends that we had met on the lawn the night before. The weather was perfect, Phish had just killed it for me for three nights in a row, I believe Mike was wearing a neon green sleeveless tee with white slacks, as only Mike Gordon could, and I was ready to leave it all out on the table this night before I had to go back to work the next day.

As with HA HA HA the night before, the Buried Alive opener set the tone and remains the only version I've been lucky enough to see so far. Wolfman's Brother came in at a little under ten minutes and built up a standard type 1 jam to get the juices flowing so to speak. Axilla came through the door throwing punches out of the Wolfman's jam, followed by Poor Heart. This was the first of a few bluegrass tunes we would hear throughout the night which I felt built on the Ginseng Sullivan the night before. A standard good Sample fed from Poor Heart and then went into a short but sweet Tube.

Almost like a nod to the Europe 1997 tour, Beauty of My Dreams added to the bluegrass followed by a beautiful Roggae. I was on the lawn and there were a bunch of white balloons getting bounced around my region, it felt very serene.

If you are a fan of Vultures and have never heard the version from this show, do yourself a favor and check it out. It is the best Vultures I have ever seen and one of the best I've heard. It builds to a tremendous peak and comes slamming down with ferocity. As the Vultures left our bones, the only logical next step was to live beneath the Dirt. We caught our breath before witnessing a raucous SOAM to melt our faces to close the first set. Set 1 didn't feel as crazy as Set 1 the night before, but it was still absolutely solid and well worth a listen.

Gotta Jibboo opened Set 2 for roughly the first thirteen minutes never leaving the groove but remaining in the pocket. Bug put us all in a really good mood out on the lawn and we were having fun. It had high energy and went for eleven minutes. It ended with a spacey ominous tone that clicked off into First Tube. It was the second one I was catching from my run, and I couldn't have been happier about it. I love this song, its Santana-esque tone always hits me just right. It remains my favorite song from the entire Farmhouse album. This was a great version that even Trey was pumped up for.

I was more surprised to hear the second Mike's Song of the run when it emerged from the ashes of First Tube. It was much different than the Holmdel version however, and stayed the course of the "classic" Mike's jam instead of the dark techno from New Jersey. Mike's transitioned to a light and spacey F Major key and Fishman was riding the hi-hit with intermittent snare rim hits. I thought for sure Hydrogen would rise, but I was surprised to hear Swept Away>Steep instead. They were both played very well. From the aftermath of Steep arose the aforementioned hi-hit/snare rim combo again and Hydrogen swept us away in a light euphoria. Mike and Fishman conversed on the Weekapaug intro out of Hydrogen and the light fluffiness was pushed aside to get back into rage mode. I danced hard because I figured this was the set closer and the last breaths of my Phish experience for the summer. I was really shocked to hear Nelli Kane merge out of the Weekapaug jam, but I remembered hearing the tease in the Runaway Jim the day before. I was delighted because it meant the show kept going and it added to the bluegrass theme of the weekend.

The siren indicating Ghost sounded off from the last moments of Nelli Kane and I was filled with excitement. Let me tell you about Nelli Kane's Ghost; whoa, Nelli! Ghost stays pretty straight-forward until it starts picking up speed around the 7:30 mark. At the 9:30 mark it had transformed into a powerful freight train. At 11:00 it was teasing a fast riff from the jam in the 6/28 Bathtub Gin, by 14:30 it was a high speed Lamborghini, and at 15:30 it was a boiling tea kettle. Luckily there was no roof over Meadows Music Theater in Hartford, because it would have been blown off. I think Kuroda hit every button at once because I can't even describe how crazy the lights were. The tea kettle was taken off of the stove so Trey could pour us a cup and thank us all for a wonderful time, and then it was placed back on the burner for one last boiling exclamation point ending! This show undeniably went out with a bang and delivered us all our bang for our buck.

While My Guitar Gently Weeps felt like Trey was telling us it was hard to say good-bye. It was a solid version with a really tight and heartfelt guitar solo.

My sister and I looked at each other gleefully and contently as the house lights came on. It was an amazing run of four shows that remain high on some of my most fond Phish memories. The second night did not have the same kind of magic as the first night, but it was still a great show. Vultures, Melt, and Ghost are all very exceptional, especially Vultures and Ghost.

Just wanted to add this quick blurb about July 1st. The songs, both quality and placement, were excellent. They showcased their ability to throw out tight, groovin' versions of all the songs, and they saved the segues for the second set, which featured a great Mike's Groove, with a fine Nellie Cane bridge between the rythmic Weekapaug and the _insane_ Ghost.

For those who arrived early, we were treated to one of the most laid back lot scenes, with no security hassle. Vendors had a field day, and anyone who didn't procure what they needed was looking in the wrong place. Anyone who was in the Jai-Alai parking lot had a great pre-show time. Shakedown was hopping!!! I have never seen glass at such low prices. But anyway, I get ahead of myself. The combination of scene and music was perfect at these two shows, and for all those who are lucky enough to continue on with the tour (alas, I have to work), have fun....the boys are on fire this summer!!

Peace,

Evan

PHISH, SATURDAY 07/01/2000
MEADOWS MUSIC THEATRE
Hartford, CT

SET 1:

Buried Alive: Standard.

Wolfman's Brother: Standard. >

Axilla: Standard. >

Poor Heart: Standard. >

Sample in a Jar: Standard.

Tube: Standard.

Beauty of My Dreams: Standard.

Roggae: Standard.

Vultures: This version starts with a seemingly straightforward, yet fervent energy gradually intensifies, reaching a crescendo that resonates with fans, as evidenced by the enthusiastic reaction around the 8:08 mark. Trey's skillful trills and powerful delivery drive the rendition to an exhilarating peak. This climactic moment then transitions seamlessly into a section of cool riffing, with Mike and Fish establishing a tight rhythm that propels a playful musical run. Trey enhances his guitar tone, adding layers of depth to the sound. Would recommend!

Dirt: Standard.

Split Open and Melt: Standard.

SET 2:

Gotta Jibboo[1] Standard.

Bug: Standard. >

First Tube: Standard. >

Mike's Song: Standard. ->

Swept Away > Steep: Standard. ->

I Am Hydrogen: Standard. >

Weekapaug Groove[2] Standard. ->

Nellie Kane: Standard.

Ghost: Fairly typical Ghost but once it gets through it’s normal progressions this one highlights those signature 2000 sounds and then they ramp this one up into light speed for an intense jam to close out the second set. Strong version and would recommend.

ENCORE:

While My Guitar Gently Weeps: Standard.

Summary: Looks good on paper, but it’s a bit of a paper tiger. Two highlights yikes and on a Saturday night in Hartford? To me, it’s shows like this in 2000 that showed that the band was growing stale and having challenges coming up with fresh ideas. Still, the setlist is strong enough that even with just two highlights that this show merits a 3.9/5 rating.

Replay Value: Vultures, Ghost

[1] Additional lyrics that referenced Chris Kuroda and Brad Sands.
[2] Unfinished.

Jibboo included additional lyrics that referenced Chris Kuroda and Brad Sands. Weekapaug was unfinished and included a Dave's Energy Guide tease from Trey. Ghost contained a San-Ho-Zay tease from Trey.
SHOW RATING
Ratings are currently offline.
Overall: 4.007/5 (>50 ratings)
JAM CHART VERSIONS
Vultures, Ghost
TEASES
San-Ho-Zay tease in Ghost, Dave's Energy Guide tease in Weekapaug Groove

Don't remember much. Remember jumping the rail during Buried Alive and rocking my face off. Ran back to the lawn for WMGGW and was glad I hadn't stayed there!

Listening back, what a great show. Wolfmans is rocking, Tube has a great Jam and the SOAMelt rocked set one. Set two had a killer Jibboo, plus the special Mikes and a Nellie taboot. That Ghost though!