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***Official Phish Thread*** (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Tiger Fan
- Start date
Nigel Tufnel
Footballguy
Skoo
Footballguy
Mine as well, at 54 shows I think.
Harpua and Colonel Forbin's are my big two.
Never going to live down skipping that Burgettstown show in 2003. Never.
I'm from Pittsburgh. All of my friends and my wife were at that show. But I was working a job in California and had to hear about it as it was going on. I caught Dark Star Orchestra that night in Santa Cruz and was bummed out the whole show. And then I had to go to work the next day.
pantherclub
Footballguy
http://underthescales.com/episode-011trey-guitars-1/
This is an absolute must listen to any phish fan.
The setlist discussion is pretty interesting. Trey is really revealing in this podcast
This is an absolute must listen to any phish fan.
The setlist discussion is pretty interesting. Trey is really revealing in this podcast
pantherclub
Footballguy
Neo
The Dude minds
I hear you pc. I'm doing the Sunday and Wednesday shows. Will probably do a Tuesday somewhere in there too. I think the last show is a must and, you know the old adage, never miss a Sunday show....and for some reason I see them doing something interesting on the weekday ones. Will be interesting to see if those shows are packed to the gills.
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Neo
The Dude minds
tommyGunZ
Footballguy
Neo
The Dude minds
I know a couple of people doing it. Ran them about a grand. I just couldn't do that many shows that close together. First off my wife would divorce me and secondly my liver and brain would be fried.
Interesting... for ####s and giggles I looked up tickets on stub hub and realized that only the Friday and Saturday shows are for the full venue.....i.e, seating behind the band. The rest of the shows are only 3/4 capacity. Will be really weird going to shows without the place at full capacity but makes complete sense.
Getting pumped for the Pittsburgh show and maybe I'll make it to an MSG night. I was commenting to my wife tonight how great it is that I get to listen to music all day at work. I'm a school administrator so I need to work all summer but no one is around. And with the 20-year anniversary of the legendary fall 1997 tour (possibly their best ever), I plan to listen to one show each day until I complete all 21 shows. If I have the tenacity, I'll write up a short review for each show in order and provide a link. Enjoy the long holiday weekend if you get it. I'll be back 7/5 with an overview of the first show of the fall '97 tour.
The fall tour began 11/13/97 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Vegas. For context, Phish found its funk groove in Europe earlier in the year (especially with the reworking of Wolfman's Brother on 3/1/97) and then "got serious" during a solid summer tour. Jon Fishman, the drummer and band namesake, donned a suit and tightly cropped hair as if he had turned a corner after Europe. A far cry from his tattered muumuu which would return within a year. But the message was clear--Phish was poised to Destroy America with their chops and their new-found Vermont cow funk.
The crowd really gets into the CDT opener. The raging Trey solo starting at the 5-minute mark keeps them into it, building to a typical 1993-1995 crescendo back into the melody but nothing as long and orgasmic as would have been typical back then. Right into the new funk of Black-Eyed Katy (later to become the Moma Dance). Great new funk tune but looking back at it now, I do miss the lyrics that “ought” to me there. No doubt the tune shows some promise, though, and the fans approve. Solid Theme from the Bottom, pretty TrainSong met by more effusive applause. The first set picks up the pace hearkening back to 1993 again with Split Open and Melt. Some butchered lines from Trey early on. Eventually got smoking but this Melt doesn’t hold a candle to many earlier versions. A couple more filler songs brings us to potential set-closer You Enjoy Myself. Trey and Page play off each other in the jam section with a nice, dirty sound from the guitar. Shades of the funk. Mike eventually takes over to get them to the short but freaky vocal jam as the melody dials down prettily. Character Zero immediately kicks in to close the set with a rocker, accompanied by some timely clapping by the audience. A sonic party to end the 83-minute first set.
Set two: Fish introduces some nice fills in the space that opens up in the Stash melody, all over the ride cymbal after some punchy work on the toms, ending with flourishes reminiscent of the opening of Maze. Fish continues the domination with some nice syncopation as Trey takes hold of the solo, teasing something I cannot quite put my finger on, but Trey keeps coming back to it. Page emerges with some counterpoint lines on the grand piano as the jam leaves Stash territory to explore new areas of dissonance. This is grown-up Phish, not for the faint of heart, a must-listen for the serious fan. Fishman re-emerges with splashy cymbals while he maintains a semblance of a Stash beat on the ride. Fish with some "Maybe-so, Maybe-not" rhythms at the 13-minute mark but Trey will have none of it as he goes deeper down the rabbit hole with some delay-loop swirliness until the jam mellows out, almost into an I am Hydrogen vibe. Definitely feeling like a Stash>Space segue but Fishman keeps the beat throughout the trippiness. Nope, there goes the beat—we are now in deep-space after fifteen minutes of gorgeousness. Trey strings together a guitar line out of the ether to get us closer to the main melody while Mike lays down a simple but potent low-end foundation to lead the charge home. Fish takes the cue, resuming the shimmering cymbals as Trey’s melody cuts beautifully through the haze. Page joins in, and the band is off and running to close out this monster Stash. But it will not go away quietly—some monster metal power chords drive us away and then back towards the melody to wrap it up after 23 minutes. Undoubtedly the highlight of this show and among the best versions of Stash every performed.
Since when is Punch You in the Eye a let-down? This standard version offers nothing new. Straight into Prince Caspian for a breather. Powerful Caspian with an extended beginning and an outro with Page taking the lead on grand piano before the traditional guitar outro. Straightfoward Bouncing Around the Room. Powerful start to Mike’s song which morphs into a very lyrical, quiet section before changing keys into a fairly quick-paced but pretty Hydrogen which ends up being marred by a handful of clams from Trey. Mike kicks the Weekapaug into gear in a fit of redemption and Trey gives back some funky grooves until the band ratchets up the tempo to a breakneck conclusion at just about double-time. I picture Trey’s hands as a blur coming down the homestretch, and Fishman keeps the train on the tracks until the reach the station. Before the conclusion, I wonder how Trey can possibly pull off the last riff up the scale towards the end but the Jedi comes through in a blaze of perfectly placed notes. And the crowd goes wild. Nothing special with the encore of Loving Cup, but a fun way to wrap up the first show of the tour.
Fishman is emerging as a true musical force, in some ways catching up to Trey, Mike and Page. Though he didn't steer the segues, he definitely kept the band together through some significant time changes in the Mike's Groove and he navigated the sections of Stash brilliantly. This fall tour (and all of 1997, actually) solidifies Fishman's place in this band of four rock maestros. Keep an eye and an ear on his re-emergence as a leader as this tour unfolds. See you tomorrow in Utah!
11/13/97 SET 1: Chalk Dust Torture, Black-Eyed Katy, Theme From the Bottom, Train Song, Split Open and Melt, Beauty of My Dreams, My Soul, You Enjoy Myself, Character Zero
SET 2: Stash, Punch You In the Eye > Prince Caspian > Bouncing Around the Room, Mike's Song > I Am Hydrogen >Weekapaug Groove
ENCORE: Loving Cup
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46tFRHAGR2o&list=RD46tFRHAGR2o#t=2
The crowd really gets into the CDT opener. The raging Trey solo starting at the 5-minute mark keeps them into it, building to a typical 1993-1995 crescendo back into the melody but nothing as long and orgasmic as would have been typical back then. Right into the new funk of Black-Eyed Katy (later to become the Moma Dance). Great new funk tune but looking back at it now, I do miss the lyrics that “ought” to me there. No doubt the tune shows some promise, though, and the fans approve. Solid Theme from the Bottom, pretty TrainSong met by more effusive applause. The first set picks up the pace hearkening back to 1993 again with Split Open and Melt. Some butchered lines from Trey early on. Eventually got smoking but this Melt doesn’t hold a candle to many earlier versions. A couple more filler songs brings us to potential set-closer You Enjoy Myself. Trey and Page play off each other in the jam section with a nice, dirty sound from the guitar. Shades of the funk. Mike eventually takes over to get them to the short but freaky vocal jam as the melody dials down prettily. Character Zero immediately kicks in to close the set with a rocker, accompanied by some timely clapping by the audience. A sonic party to end the 83-minute first set.
Set two: Fish introduces some nice fills in the space that opens up in the Stash melody, all over the ride cymbal after some punchy work on the toms, ending with flourishes reminiscent of the opening of Maze. Fish continues the domination with some nice syncopation as Trey takes hold of the solo, teasing something I cannot quite put my finger on, but Trey keeps coming back to it. Page emerges with some counterpoint lines on the grand piano as the jam leaves Stash territory to explore new areas of dissonance. This is grown-up Phish, not for the faint of heart, a must-listen for the serious fan. Fishman re-emerges with splashy cymbals while he maintains a semblance of a Stash beat on the ride. Fish with some "Maybe-so, Maybe-not" rhythms at the 13-minute mark but Trey will have none of it as he goes deeper down the rabbit hole with some delay-loop swirliness until the jam mellows out, almost into an I am Hydrogen vibe. Definitely feeling like a Stash>Space segue but Fishman keeps the beat throughout the trippiness. Nope, there goes the beat—we are now in deep-space after fifteen minutes of gorgeousness. Trey strings together a guitar line out of the ether to get us closer to the main melody while Mike lays down a simple but potent low-end foundation to lead the charge home. Fish takes the cue, resuming the shimmering cymbals as Trey’s melody cuts beautifully through the haze. Page joins in, and the band is off and running to close out this monster Stash. But it will not go away quietly—some monster metal power chords drive us away and then back towards the melody to wrap it up after 23 minutes. Undoubtedly the highlight of this show and among the best versions of Stash every performed.
Since when is Punch You in the Eye a let-down? This standard version offers nothing new. Straight into Prince Caspian for a breather. Powerful Caspian with an extended beginning and an outro with Page taking the lead on grand piano before the traditional guitar outro. Straightfoward Bouncing Around the Room. Powerful start to Mike’s song which morphs into a very lyrical, quiet section before changing keys into a fairly quick-paced but pretty Hydrogen which ends up being marred by a handful of clams from Trey. Mike kicks the Weekapaug into gear in a fit of redemption and Trey gives back some funky grooves until the band ratchets up the tempo to a breakneck conclusion at just about double-time. I picture Trey’s hands as a blur coming down the homestretch, and Fishman keeps the train on the tracks until the reach the station. Before the conclusion, I wonder how Trey can possibly pull off the last riff up the scale towards the end but the Jedi comes through in a blaze of perfectly placed notes. And the crowd goes wild. Nothing special with the encore of Loving Cup, but a fun way to wrap up the first show of the tour.
Fishman is emerging as a true musical force, in some ways catching up to Trey, Mike and Page. Though he didn't steer the segues, he definitely kept the band together through some significant time changes in the Mike's Groove and he navigated the sections of Stash brilliantly. This fall tour (and all of 1997, actually) solidifies Fishman's place in this band of four rock maestros. Keep an eye and an ear on his re-emergence as a leader as this tour unfolds. See you tomorrow in Utah!
11/13/97 SET 1: Chalk Dust Torture, Black-Eyed Katy, Theme From the Bottom, Train Song, Split Open and Melt, Beauty of My Dreams, My Soul, You Enjoy Myself, Character Zero
SET 2: Stash, Punch You In the Eye > Prince Caspian > Bouncing Around the Room, Mike's Song > I Am Hydrogen >Weekapaug Groove
ENCORE: Loving Cup
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46tFRHAGR2o&list=RD46tFRHAGR2o#t=2
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The second show of the Fall 1997 "Phish Destroys America" tour took place in Utah at an undersold venue called the E-Center outside of Salt Lake City. Its remote location and miles-away-from-Vegas culture kept the crowd small which often portends a big show from the boys. This night would be no exception (and they would similarly grace a small crowd at the E-Center in 1998 with an impromptu performance of the full Dark Side of the Moon album). This show was a harbinger of things to come later in the fall '97 tour, as the four-song second set would be a theme for the next several weeks. And it's not just the less-is-more of performing a literal handful of songs in 70-minutes; the revelations that began to unfold on this night were the patience, the space, the incessant beat-keeping and driving of Fishman with his newly-honed chops, the funk, and mostly the beauty of just about everything emanating from the speakers from Phish at the height of their collective powers.
With all of that said, this show's reputation is carried on the back of that four-song second set: Wolfman's Brother>Piper, Twist, Slave to the Traffic Light. I detect some Birds of a Feather teases about ten minutes into a smooth, patient Wolfman’s. Very deliberate tempo, funk-driven as in the seminal 3/1/97 performance, which allows us to hear the interplay between Page and Trey, and clearly reveals the clean segue into a compact but driving Piper. As one of only four songs this set, one might assume that this Piper would be jammed out long-form but that's not the case. Well-played and energetic but short, and into Twist but not with a proper segue. Just as Stash did last night, Twist becomes the star of second set and a must-listen. The sweet spot occurs in the 13th minute when the rest of the band drops out to a drone note while Trey solos beautifully over it. Shades of Robert Fripp (if Fripp used a heavy dose of distortion), a blissful soundscape which fades into noodling on top of more dissonance from Mike on the bass. Trey locates the opening riff of Slave to the Traffic Light which concludes the set with more patient crescendos.
The first set is nothing to sneeze at, with a fiery Maze led by Page, an unusually tight Guyute, and some really raw and crunchy guitar from Trey in the big Antelope closer. But there were missteps, too, with some uninspired passages in Gumbo (although never from Page who was in the zone tonight) and some loose funk in the 2001-theme that must have made for good dancing in the venue but is forgettable on tape. And some of the bigger clams really interrupted the otherwise beautiful rendition of Fast Enough for You. In short, this show has its high points, but it's still just hinting at what was to come as the tour really starts to heat up. A step up from the tour opener in Vegas but the band still hasn't quite hit its peak in 1997.
11/14/97 SET 1: Runaway Jim, Gumbo > Maze > Fast Enough for You, Also Sprach Zarathustra > Funky #####, Guyute, Run Like an Antelope
SET 2: Wolfman's Brother -> Piper > Twist > Slave to the Traffic Light
ENCORE: Bold As Love
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llPzyiKRYfo
With all of that said, this show's reputation is carried on the back of that four-song second set: Wolfman's Brother>Piper, Twist, Slave to the Traffic Light. I detect some Birds of a Feather teases about ten minutes into a smooth, patient Wolfman’s. Very deliberate tempo, funk-driven as in the seminal 3/1/97 performance, which allows us to hear the interplay between Page and Trey, and clearly reveals the clean segue into a compact but driving Piper. As one of only four songs this set, one might assume that this Piper would be jammed out long-form but that's not the case. Well-played and energetic but short, and into Twist but not with a proper segue. Just as Stash did last night, Twist becomes the star of second set and a must-listen. The sweet spot occurs in the 13th minute when the rest of the band drops out to a drone note while Trey solos beautifully over it. Shades of Robert Fripp (if Fripp used a heavy dose of distortion), a blissful soundscape which fades into noodling on top of more dissonance from Mike on the bass. Trey locates the opening riff of Slave to the Traffic Light which concludes the set with more patient crescendos.
The first set is nothing to sneeze at, with a fiery Maze led by Page, an unusually tight Guyute, and some really raw and crunchy guitar from Trey in the big Antelope closer. But there were missteps, too, with some uninspired passages in Gumbo (although never from Page who was in the zone tonight) and some loose funk in the 2001-theme that must have made for good dancing in the venue but is forgettable on tape. And some of the bigger clams really interrupted the otherwise beautiful rendition of Fast Enough for You. In short, this show has its high points, but it's still just hinting at what was to come as the tour really starts to heat up. A step up from the tour opener in Vegas but the band still hasn't quite hit its peak in 1997.
11/14/97 SET 1: Runaway Jim, Gumbo > Maze > Fast Enough for You, Also Sprach Zarathustra > Funky #####, Guyute, Run Like an Antelope
SET 2: Wolfman's Brother -> Piper > Twist > Slave to the Traffic Light
ENCORE: Bold As Love
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llPzyiKRYfo
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The third show of the fall 1997 finds the boys in Denver, their home-away-from-home ever since the legendary 1988 mini tour in Colorado. They don't ever seem to play a bad show in this state and 11/16/1997 would be no exception. But this show gets lost because of what would come over the next few weeks, starting tomorrow night in Denver at the same venue of McNichols Arena. With 11/17/97 going down as a top ten show of all time (can't wait to go to work on Monday to listen to it again!), it is no wonder that tonight's show is the ugly stepchild of the pair.
As in the prior two nights, one particular second set monster garners the attention, and deservedly so. To review, the 11/13 Stash and the 11/14 Twist won the MVP awards on those nights. Tonight it's the second set opener of Timber Ho! I won't analyze that atmospheric and thoroughly engaging monster jam here as it has been over-written about. And, indeed, the rest of set two is strong, especially the smooth transition into Simple and the powerful 1-2 punch of Harry Hood>Isabella to close the set. No, instead, I'd draw your attention and your ears to the first set 1-2 highlight of Cars, Trucks, Buses followed later by Taste. These two Billy Breathes tunes have always been underappreciated, in my opinion, and Page's playing in these two versions in particular stand out in an altogether entertaining first set. If you were to plop down smack in the middle of Page's first solo in CTB (for example, skip directly to minute 40:00 of the youtube link below (speaking of which, sorry for not providing links for the prior two shows. I'll edit those in)) you'd swear you were in the middle of a hot and heavy jazz quartet's jam session. Fishman's expert syncopation and Trey's cliched but effective jazz chords keep the listener guessing, but it is Page crushing the ivories that demands our focus. The sheer force and melodic lines interspersed with dense dissonance are worth repeated listens. Jumping to the 59:00 minute mark, brings us to another gem of a solo from Page, again on the grand piano, this time more subdued but still on point, playing off the Taste melody until Trey takes the reins and blows out his solo to end the set. Two great Billy Breathes songs which get a beautiful treatment here. Oh, did I mention that sandwiched in between these two gems we find a Scent of a Mule with a twist? A guest banjo player fills the space where the Mule duel usually lives and while I hate to hear a Mule with no duel, I found the change in tone and instrumentation a welcome one.
Whereas the Utah show from 11/14 feels overrated now that we can look back at history, this opening Denver show is significantly underrated, lost in the shadow of its big brother on the 17th (and some other seminal nights later in the tour). But so far, three shows into the tour, this stands out as the most entertaining and diverse of the trio. Enjoy the weekend and see you on Monday back in Denver.
11/16/97: Denver, CO SET 1: NICU > My Soul, Black-Eyed Katy, Farmhouse, The Old Home Place, Billy Breathes, Cars Trucks Buses, Scent of a Mule, Poor Heart, Taste, Hello My Baby
SET 2: Timber (Jerry) -> Simple -> Wilson > Harry Hood > Izabella
ENCORE: David Bowie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCKTuOGI35Q
As in the prior two nights, one particular second set monster garners the attention, and deservedly so. To review, the 11/13 Stash and the 11/14 Twist won the MVP awards on those nights. Tonight it's the second set opener of Timber Ho! I won't analyze that atmospheric and thoroughly engaging monster jam here as it has been over-written about. And, indeed, the rest of set two is strong, especially the smooth transition into Simple and the powerful 1-2 punch of Harry Hood>Isabella to close the set. No, instead, I'd draw your attention and your ears to the first set 1-2 highlight of Cars, Trucks, Buses followed later by Taste. These two Billy Breathes tunes have always been underappreciated, in my opinion, and Page's playing in these two versions in particular stand out in an altogether entertaining first set. If you were to plop down smack in the middle of Page's first solo in CTB (for example, skip directly to minute 40:00 of the youtube link below (speaking of which, sorry for not providing links for the prior two shows. I'll edit those in)) you'd swear you were in the middle of a hot and heavy jazz quartet's jam session. Fishman's expert syncopation and Trey's cliched but effective jazz chords keep the listener guessing, but it is Page crushing the ivories that demands our focus. The sheer force and melodic lines interspersed with dense dissonance are worth repeated listens. Jumping to the 59:00 minute mark, brings us to another gem of a solo from Page, again on the grand piano, this time more subdued but still on point, playing off the Taste melody until Trey takes the reins and blows out his solo to end the set. Two great Billy Breathes songs which get a beautiful treatment here. Oh, did I mention that sandwiched in between these two gems we find a Scent of a Mule with a twist? A guest banjo player fills the space where the Mule duel usually lives and while I hate to hear a Mule with no duel, I found the change in tone and instrumentation a welcome one.
Whereas the Utah show from 11/14 feels overrated now that we can look back at history, this opening Denver show is significantly underrated, lost in the shadow of its big brother on the 17th (and some other seminal nights later in the tour). But so far, three shows into the tour, this stands out as the most entertaining and diverse of the trio. Enjoy the weekend and see you on Monday back in Denver.
11/16/97: Denver, CO SET 1: NICU > My Soul, Black-Eyed Katy, Farmhouse, The Old Home Place, Billy Breathes, Cars Trucks Buses, Scent of a Mule, Poor Heart, Taste, Hello My Baby
SET 2: Timber (Jerry) -> Simple -> Wilson > Harry Hood > Izabella
ENCORE: David Bowie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCKTuOGI35Q
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I'm taking the train to NYC and meeting friends for the Friday 7/28 show. I decided to go without a ticket, confident that it should be relatively easy to get a single. I'd feel differently if it was Saturday night instead of Friday, or if I needed a pair together. But aside from those issues, I bet you'll be fine grabbing a ticket before a non-Saturday show for just one person. Good luck and enjoy the show!
In reflecting on the 11/17/97 show from McNicols Center in Denver, I am reminded of the Frank Zappa quote "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture." There really is no substitute for just listening to certain shows and this is the first among several from the fall 1997 for which the most apropos review would be: Just listen for yourself. The setlist looks juicy albeit short, but capturing the vibe during the first set Ghost or the powerful Down with Disease opener in set two is next to impossible.The Ghost is indeed special, though, showing that funk does not necessarily imply a slow tempo. The jam includes some nice, fast-paced noodling, interesting rhythms, but no slow build, trance-like dance music that Phish jams can sometimes slide into. This is in-your-face rock and roll, baked into a side of funk, that must’ve kept the thousands there dancing like June bugs. Ghost unwinds down into a space section around the 20-minute mark, smoothly into a high octane Fire to close the set “for your dancing pleasure.” Between the Reba, the Ghost and the Tweezer opener, I enjoyed the first set more than the second, but not by much.
On the strength of Johnny B Goode alone (starting at 1:18:30 at the link below), the second frame is another keeper set. I've suggested "must hear" tunes from the prior three nights and, odd as it may sound, JBG is my pick from this show despite being surrounded by other gems. This performance encapsulates 40 years of evolution of rock and roll. Launching into the tune seamlessly out of an oddly placed Olivia's Pool at a tempo Chuck Berry and even Michael J Fox would be proud of, the band completes a fairly straightfoward but clean and entertaining version of the song proper. Trey then time-travels from the 1950s to the 1970s by channeling Robert Fripp on a section which sounds like a Dave's Energy Guide but is really more like an homage to Fripp-era Discipline on guitar (at 1:32:00). Trey's playing is completely on-point, tight, and super interesting to hear. But then the jam, far from the JBG melody, continues in a very 1990s fast-paced Vermont funk, completing the evolution of rock from Berry to Phish with the touchpoint of King Crimson in the middle. Page picks up on the staccato Crimson-esque soloing which allows Trey to start laying down thick vibrating chords while Mike and Fishman keep the groove together. It's a dozen minutes of a pure band, all four members playing as a unit, to create an improvised piece of music a far, far cry from Berry;s original intent, ending with a futuristic-sounding new melody that could easily form the basis for some altogether new tune. A segue into the Blues with Jesus Left Chicago seems right, to close the circle back to where it all started with Mr Berry.
I've skipped over huge chunks of Phishy goodness in the spirit of brevity and because, well, I just don't know how to dance to convey the wonders of architecture. Twelve total songs, that's it, makes up this top-ten-all-time show. Now go listen to it.
11/17/97 SET 1: Tweezer, Reba, Train Song, Ghost > Fire
SET 2: Down with Disease -> Olivia's Pool > Johnny B. Goode -> Jesus Just Left Chicago , When the Circus Comes,You Enjoy Myself
ENCORE: Character Zero
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cIrHnqqm1I
On the strength of Johnny B Goode alone (starting at 1:18:30 at the link below), the second frame is another keeper set. I've suggested "must hear" tunes from the prior three nights and, odd as it may sound, JBG is my pick from this show despite being surrounded by other gems. This performance encapsulates 40 years of evolution of rock and roll. Launching into the tune seamlessly out of an oddly placed Olivia's Pool at a tempo Chuck Berry and even Michael J Fox would be proud of, the band completes a fairly straightfoward but clean and entertaining version of the song proper. Trey then time-travels from the 1950s to the 1970s by channeling Robert Fripp on a section which sounds like a Dave's Energy Guide but is really more like an homage to Fripp-era Discipline on guitar (at 1:32:00). Trey's playing is completely on-point, tight, and super interesting to hear. But then the jam, far from the JBG melody, continues in a very 1990s fast-paced Vermont funk, completing the evolution of rock from Berry to Phish with the touchpoint of King Crimson in the middle. Page picks up on the staccato Crimson-esque soloing which allows Trey to start laying down thick vibrating chords while Mike and Fishman keep the groove together. It's a dozen minutes of a pure band, all four members playing as a unit, to create an improvised piece of music a far, far cry from Berry;s original intent, ending with a futuristic-sounding new melody that could easily form the basis for some altogether new tune. A segue into the Blues with Jesus Left Chicago seems right, to close the circle back to where it all started with Mr Berry.
I've skipped over huge chunks of Phishy goodness in the spirit of brevity and because, well, I just don't know how to dance to convey the wonders of architecture. Twelve total songs, that's it, makes up this top-ten-all-time show. Now go listen to it.
11/17/97 SET 1: Tweezer, Reba, Train Song, Ghost > Fire
SET 2: Down with Disease -> Olivia's Pool > Johnny B. Goode -> Jesus Just Left Chicago , When the Circus Comes,You Enjoy Myself
ENCORE: Character Zero
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cIrHnqqm1I
It would be natural to expect a let down coming off the monster funk/rock fest of 11/17/97, especially given the logistics of the tour. The band just wrapped two nights in Denver and are scheduled for two nights, a Friday and a Saturday no less, at Hampton, so this mid-week, Midwest show would be easy to mail in. The first set certainly does not reflect that sentiment, although there are no new revelations, just more solid playing--an up-tempo, increasingly rare Llama and a steady if unspectacular Gin and Antelope closer. Nothing wrong with this first set, but it gets a bit lost due to another four-song, segue-laden second set once again. This is now becoming a trend with four straight shows featuring the "quality over quantity" of a set with five or fewer songs.
The second set of 11/19/17 in Champaign doesn't quite match the sheer fire of the prior show, but compared with 99% of other second sets, it holds its own. Two big highlights here are the 2001 opener followed by a Wolfman's Brother for the ages. Mike's playing was notable in the first set (enjoy the "Wiggle It, Just a Little Bit" teases in Gin) and he keeps the groove going with these first two songs. The Wolfman's (starting at 2:01:00 at the link below) features several improvised 'movements'. Some nice syncopated interplay between Fishman, Page and Mike while Trey noodles through the first solo. I find Page's synth work in the background more compelling that Trey's playing, and soon enough Page emerges a bit more while Mike pops away on his bass. The soloing turns dark and dissonant in a good way at 2:10:30, as if Trey was suffering from slow convulsions. There's plenty to chew on, even in this slower passage as Fishman adds color on the kit until the smoke clears and Trey takes over with an almost Johnny B Goode, old time rock and roll riff. Other than Fishman accompanying Trey on cymbals, it sounds like Mike and Page are just waiting until Trey gets this riff out of his system before they want to jump in. But Trey won't let it go and finally Mike and Page do join with a Tweezer-esque counterpoint. This could just as well be a jam coming out of a Tweezer--no signs of the Wolfman or his Brother can be heard. The full-bore rage lasts several good, and I mean good, minutes, before settling down into a tamer but fast riff reminiscent of Llama. I can't help but keep my head bobbing until the up-tempo section congeals into the thickness of power chords around 2:23:00. Sounds like a segue into Walk Away must be coming but Trey steers clear of that into the heady goodness of Makisupa Policeman after 29 solid minutes of a superlative Wolfman's Brother. The absolute must-listen of this show. The Makisupa is interesting in its different-ness but not much to say musically as it is filled with ambient swirls of sound building to a crescendo. It's a "you had to be there" moment, I'm sure.
Spoiler alert: The boys are headed to Hampton, VA for the 11/21 and 11/22 shows and I have a hunch this could rank up there with the all-time Phish weekends. Enjoy the shows.
11/19/97 SET 1: Julius, Bathtub Gin -> Llama, Dirt, Limb By Limb, Funky #####, Theme From the Bottom, Ginseng Sullivan, Fee ->Run Like an Antelope
SET 2: Also Sprach Zarathustra > Wolfman's Brother -> Makisupa Policeman > Taste
ENCORE: Possum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMMbniXfIDQ&t=9436s
The second set of 11/19/17 in Champaign doesn't quite match the sheer fire of the prior show, but compared with 99% of other second sets, it holds its own. Two big highlights here are the 2001 opener followed by a Wolfman's Brother for the ages. Mike's playing was notable in the first set (enjoy the "Wiggle It, Just a Little Bit" teases in Gin) and he keeps the groove going with these first two songs. The Wolfman's (starting at 2:01:00 at the link below) features several improvised 'movements'. Some nice syncopated interplay between Fishman, Page and Mike while Trey noodles through the first solo. I find Page's synth work in the background more compelling that Trey's playing, and soon enough Page emerges a bit more while Mike pops away on his bass. The soloing turns dark and dissonant in a good way at 2:10:30, as if Trey was suffering from slow convulsions. There's plenty to chew on, even in this slower passage as Fishman adds color on the kit until the smoke clears and Trey takes over with an almost Johnny B Goode, old time rock and roll riff. Other than Fishman accompanying Trey on cymbals, it sounds like Mike and Page are just waiting until Trey gets this riff out of his system before they want to jump in. But Trey won't let it go and finally Mike and Page do join with a Tweezer-esque counterpoint. This could just as well be a jam coming out of a Tweezer--no signs of the Wolfman or his Brother can be heard. The full-bore rage lasts several good, and I mean good, minutes, before settling down into a tamer but fast riff reminiscent of Llama. I can't help but keep my head bobbing until the up-tempo section congeals into the thickness of power chords around 2:23:00. Sounds like a segue into Walk Away must be coming but Trey steers clear of that into the heady goodness of Makisupa Policeman after 29 solid minutes of a superlative Wolfman's Brother. The absolute must-listen of this show. The Makisupa is interesting in its different-ness but not much to say musically as it is filled with ambient swirls of sound building to a crescendo. It's a "you had to be there" moment, I'm sure.
Spoiler alert: The boys are headed to Hampton, VA for the 11/21 and 11/22 shows and I have a hunch this could rank up there with the all-time Phish weekends. Enjoy the shows.
11/19/97 SET 1: Julius, Bathtub Gin -> Llama, Dirt, Limb By Limb, Funky #####, Theme From the Bottom, Ginseng Sullivan, Fee ->Run Like an Antelope
SET 2: Also Sprach Zarathustra > Wolfman's Brother -> Makisupa Policeman > Taste
ENCORE: Possum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMMbniXfIDQ&t=9436s
Rhythmdoctor
Footballguy
Northerly in 2 days!
Baloney Sandwich
Footballguy
That is the way to go, no need to deal with shady stink babies selling bunk tickets day of show if you don't need to
I group shows #6 and 7 of the 1997 fall tour together as possibly the greatest two-night run at a single venue outside of festivals. The band loves Hampton Coliseum and you know you're going to get a fantastic show there. But for my money, these two gigs on 11/21/97 and 11/22/97 represent the pinnacle of Phish (only to be superseded by the epic Big Cypress night). It's as if they consist of 4 second sets. Right from the get-go on Friday night, we get a goofy Emotional Rescue which suddenly turns into a nearly 20 minute improvisation into an old-school Split Open and Melt. Two significant jams to launch the weekend, with the rest of the opening set standing tall with fine performances of Chalkdust Torture and Caspian to close it. The second set continues the fall '97 tradition with a four-song set. Both Ghost and AC/DC Bag are all-timers--among the best versions of those songs to date. As a self-described AC/DC Bag skeptic (I just don't really like the tune), this one is worth seeking out and multiple listens. The rest of the set is standard fare which, for Phish, means rock and roll peaks in Slave and the high-energy Loving Cup closer. Tack on a now-rare Guyute encore and you've got a show that should be tough to top on Saturday night.
But top it they did, starting right out of the gate with a Mike's Groove comprising the first half of the set. The whole first set is near-perfect, again structured like a typical second set, ending back at the well of rock and roll with two covers of Frankenstein and Isabella. The set is only marginally marred by some bone-jarring clams from Trey's guitar during the otherwise beautiful Billy Breathes. The true second set fits the fall mold again (is redundancy a good thing if it means monster, funk-laden jams?) with big space exploration in Halley's Comet and Tweezer. Halley's is a lot like AC/DC Bag for me--I don't like the tune but this one is just different. Best ever? I don't know as I don't relish the idea of listening to all of them, but it's got to be right near the top. The new tune BEK into Piper into Antelope? Yes, please.
Spoiler Alert: In just a couple weeks, the boys will put together another two-night run to rival this one. I prefer the Hampton nights but it'd be easy to make a case for 12/6 and 12/7 with the band being even more on fire. Compare and enjoy!
11/21/97: SET 1: Emotional Rescue > Split Open and Melt, Beauty of My Dreams, Dogs Stole Things, Punch You In the Eye -> Lawn Boy > Chalk Dust Torture, Prince Caspian
SET 2: Ghost > AC/DC Bag -> Slave to the Traffic Light, Loving Cup
ENCORE: Guyute
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nUjBtAQCOk&t=2985s
11/22/97: SET 1: Mike's Song -> I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove , Harry Hood > Train Song, Billy Breathes, Frankenstein > Izabella
SET 2: Halley's Comet > Tweezer > Black-Eyed Katy > Piper > Run Like an Antelope
ENCORE: Bouncing Around the Room > Tweezer Reprise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjH4f7811NA
But top it they did, starting right out of the gate with a Mike's Groove comprising the first half of the set. The whole first set is near-perfect, again structured like a typical second set, ending back at the well of rock and roll with two covers of Frankenstein and Isabella. The set is only marginally marred by some bone-jarring clams from Trey's guitar during the otherwise beautiful Billy Breathes. The true second set fits the fall mold again (is redundancy a good thing if it means monster, funk-laden jams?) with big space exploration in Halley's Comet and Tweezer. Halley's is a lot like AC/DC Bag for me--I don't like the tune but this one is just different. Best ever? I don't know as I don't relish the idea of listening to all of them, but it's got to be right near the top. The new tune BEK into Piper into Antelope? Yes, please.
Spoiler Alert: In just a couple weeks, the boys will put together another two-night run to rival this one. I prefer the Hampton nights but it'd be easy to make a case for 12/6 and 12/7 with the band being even more on fire. Compare and enjoy!
11/21/97: SET 1: Emotional Rescue > Split Open and Melt, Beauty of My Dreams, Dogs Stole Things, Punch You In the Eye -> Lawn Boy > Chalk Dust Torture, Prince Caspian
SET 2: Ghost > AC/DC Bag -> Slave to the Traffic Light, Loving Cup
ENCORE: Guyute
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nUjBtAQCOk&t=2985s
11/22/97: SET 1: Mike's Song -> I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove , Harry Hood > Train Song, Billy Breathes, Frankenstein > Izabella
SET 2: Halley's Comet > Tweezer > Black-Eyed Katy > Piper > Run Like an Antelope
ENCORE: Bouncing Around the Room > Tweezer Reprise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjH4f7811NA
Rhythmdoctor
Footballguy
Anyone wanna attend to call the opener tonight?
My guess: Tube
My guess: Tube
Rhythmdoctor
Footballguy
Attempt.
pantherclub
Footballguy
Looks damn good
Huntington Bank Pavilion | Chicago, IL
Friday, July 14, 2017 | 7:00 pm
Poster by Delicious Design League | https://goo.gl/CRqM9F
Song Count | 70
Set One: 7:35 pm - 8:47 pm
What's The Use? >
Breath & Burning
Wolfman's Brother
In The Good Old Summer Time*
Everything's Right >
Limb By Limb
Nellie Kane
Theme From The Bottom >
Blaze On
Set Two: 9:26 pm - 10:43 pm
No Men In No Man's Land >
Fuego >
My Friend My Friend
Your Pet Cat ->
Golden Age ->
Your Pet Cat >
Leaves
Harry Hood
Shine A Light >
Julius
Encore: : 10:47 pm
Love Is What We Are*
Golgi Apparatus
* acapella - first "In the Good Old Summer Time" - first "Everything's Right" - "What's The Use?" teases in "NMINML" - "The Line" tease in "Your Pet Cat" - first " Leaves" - "Mountain Jam tease in "Harry Hood" - short "What's The Use?" jam in Harry Hood - first "Love Is What We Are" *dedicated from Trey to phantasy tour phish message board forum
Huntington Bank Pavilion | Chicago, IL
Friday, July 14, 2017 | 7:00 pm
Poster by Delicious Design League | https://goo.gl/CRqM9F
Song Count | 70
Set One: 7:35 pm - 8:47 pm
What's The Use? >
Breath & Burning
Wolfman's Brother
In The Good Old Summer Time*
Everything's Right >
Limb By Limb
Nellie Kane
Theme From The Bottom >
Blaze On
Set Two: 9:26 pm - 10:43 pm
No Men In No Man's Land >
Fuego >
My Friend My Friend
Your Pet Cat ->
Golden Age ->
Your Pet Cat >
Leaves
Harry Hood
Shine A Light >
Julius
Encore: : 10:47 pm
Love Is What We Are*
Golgi Apparatus
* acapella - first "In the Good Old Summer Time" - first "Everything's Right" - "What's The Use?" teases in "NMINML" - "The Line" tease in "Your Pet Cat" - first " Leaves" - "Mountain Jam tease in "Harry Hood" - short "What's The Use?" jam in Harry Hood - first "Love Is What We Are" *dedicated from Trey to phantasy tour phish message board forum
Rhythmdoctor
Footballguy
Eh. Friday was not a good show, imo. Last night was a hundred times better. I think tonight will top last night. Pretty stoked!
Baloney Sandwich
Footballguy
Anyone else catching the free webcast? Quality is top notch.
Free, Maze and Runaway were the highlights for me. Nothing too special first set, Trey sounds great though. Hopefully they unleash him second set.
Free, Maze and Runaway were the highlights for me. Nothing too special first set, Trey sounds great though. Hopefully they unleash him second set.
Nigel Tufnel
Footballguy
I'm watching. Not a killer set but it's still fun to see them. It's like pizza, even a mediocre slice is pretty damn good.
Nigel Tufnel
Footballguy
I think I saw shuke
pantherclub
Footballguy
not a bad set but trey pulled the plug on three jams. Crazy, 46 days and then runaway jim.
Baloney Sandwich
Footballguy
DWD to open the second set, a good harbinger
Baloney Sandwich
Footballguy
Some flubs but second set has been great, this Chalkdust is legit
Baloney Sandwich
Footballguy
Quick end to the second set and a lame encore
Bobcat10
Footballguy
I caught Ghost > Wombat > Chalk Dust Torture....that was fun.
Saw first 4-5 songs of first set. Kinda came out slow for my tastes. Didn't see Maze which can make an entire set for me. Overall, not a set list that does great things for me ON PAPER.
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General Malaise
Footballguy
Anybody seen Shuke today? 
pantherclub
Footballguy
Squirming coli for the win
shuke
Black Ice Skeptic
Incredible time! Looks like entire show is up on YouTube. I need to watch again. My mind was playing tricks on me I think. I swear I heard teases of Scarlet Begonias, Simple, and Hell in a Bucket during the second set.
Lot scene was pretty lame unfortunately.
I kept losing my buddy, including right after the show. Ended up at a bar across the street that had a pretty cool band for the rest of the night.
Just really cool/fun people the entire time
