Date: Thu, 7 Aug 1997 03:40:45 -0500 (CDT)
From: Ed c622428@showme.missouri.edu

St. Louis, Riverport Amphitheatre 8-6-97
I: NICU, Stash, Beauty of My Dreams, Twist Around > 2001 > AC/DC Bag, Ya
Mar, YEM
II: Runaway Jim > My Soul, Ghost, Caspian, CTB, Sample, Antelope >
Makisupa Jam* > Antelope
E: Julius
*Mike on mini-drumkit(?), Page on Theremin

We missed the NICU opener b/c of the ridiculously zealous Riverport staff
patting down anyone and everyone attempting to enter the venue with some
sort of protrusion whatsoever in their clothing. That really burned me.
Not a good way to start a show. But STASH was nice and BEAUTY OF MY DREAMS
is growing on me as a nice bluegrass tune. I hope to hear this more. TWIST
AROUND surprised me a bit. They stretched it out more than I expected, or
I should say more than I had heard from reports. It left a good first
impression with me. It faded into...2001, about the last thing I was
expecting. Great, patient version - better than some I've heard. AC/DC BAG
was good, nor great. The last few versions I've heard haven't hit 12-30-95
material, rather fading a touch at the apex of the jam. YA MAR seems to
follow me quite a bit. I don't dislike it, per se but I don't chant for it
in the parking lot by any stretch. So so version. YEM capped off the set
and I think it baffled a lot of the obvious first timers. But that's what
it's supposed to do, right? Anyway it was very nice and groovy, featuring
some nice work from Page (who sounded good all night) early on. Pretty
standard stuff, I guess, but I'll take Phish standard any day! Grade: 5.0
without the NICU which I missed. The set lasted about 90 minutes.
	Set two featured the nice RUNAWAY JIM and MY SOUL combo which was
very good. Jim lagged a little but caught a nice blues swing led by Trey
and Page. The jam was different (I even went so far as to label it so)
before slowing down a little and heading into My Soul. I liked this first
timer for me a lot. Phish and blues really wrok for me sometimes, others
not so much. Tonight Il liked their sound. It was flowing, never forced at
all. I figured we'd hear GHOST since it's being played just about every
other show now. But it'll take me a while to grow tired of this one. This
version was tighter (and a bit shorter) than the first time I heard it in
Dallas. It followed a straightforward funk progression which had Trey
groovin' for a while. Mike was also present her as well. PRINCE CASPIAN
sounds nice but I just down woo this song the way some people do But
neither do I detest it. Well played. CTB was funkified and anyone who
groans about hearing this one can go home - I love it when it catches the
right groove. SAMPLE was standard. I had a thought in the lot (That
rhymed!) that they'd play this one. It was one of the better ones I had
heard in a while. They took their time playing it, yet it didn't lag. They
stretched the jams, but didn't thin them out any. It was just a well-done
reading of the song. The MAKISUPA JAM dropped in at the end was nice also,
featuring Mike on some kind of mini-drum pad/kit/thing (my eyes were too
dry to focus) and Page on the theremin. The closing jam was good. JULIUS
lacked energy until the end. It had a bluesy feel but it was just there.
Nothing more, nothing less. Grade: 6.5 with some nice moments in
Runaway>My Soul, Ghost, and the Antelope. Nothing crazy, just good.
Overall - 6.0 solid, solid, solid. Just wish everyone would be more
attentive to the music at St. Louis shows. Very weak audiences at many
shows I've seen in this city. Oh, well.

Eric Edholm
c622428@showme.missouri.edu

------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 08 Aug 97 09:17:29 -0700
From: Janet Kirby 
Subject: 8/6/97 riverport review

well heres a recap of the nights events. 
As always riverports security was very bad, i even saw a hippie in a 
headlock! I guess some meat heads get off on this. Well, the pigs created 
a line to get in the strechted very far and i was near the front and 
still missed NICU which ive never heard! Well when i heard the familar 
notes of stash i ran to my seat and crept over almost spy style to where 
my buds were. We were just outside the pavillion so we had a good view. 
The stash was really good, they jammed out on the end. Beauty of my 
dreams was new to me and i enjoyed it.  The 2001 was amazing, it even 
beat out champaign 96's . The lights and fog and the intensity of the 
song just made the show for me, one of those natural highs.  It dropped 
right into ac/dc bag which was a nice unexpected transition. Next was 
Yamar the first tune i ever heard live so it was a treat. Then, the song 
i came to hear, YOu Enjoy Myself!! Sure it probably wasnt the best 
version ever, but ill never forget this great song. Plus it was one of 
the best bowls i ever smoked, i mean a bowl of KB to YEM what can top 
that?? The vocal jam was also very cool with some great lights.
well after 30 minutes...
Runaway Jim: always a pleaser, they jammed out of course into a nice 
blues jam in which trey was on fire.
Ghost was next another new tune which i liked, kind of repetitive though.
Sample in a Jar was very tight, they didnt miss a beat, i always enjoy 
hearing this one. Then of cource the Antelope. I love this tune and 
always will. This was a different version that ive ever heard, very 
funky. Then towards the end Mike had some wierd instrument out and page 
got on the theremin which was cool. Trey intorduced page as marco 
esquandolas which was neat.  Then what would be the encore....Julius
A first time for me, they jammed out on the end.
Overall an intersting show, my first of the tour. I like the way the boys 
are going, more jammin'. The only negatives were all the people there, 
just cause its the thing to do, they just take up valuable dancin room! 
Some even werent dancin during YaMar, now how can that be, Well see ya at 
deer creek!!
Peace, 
Paul Pearman
PnkFlyd79@aol.com

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Date: Wed, 13 Aug 1997 16:52:20 -0500
From: Dennis Creighton Creighton@mindspring.com
Subject: Reviews of 8/6

From: Eric Creighton

I thought I would share my reviews if the shows I have just seen.  Some
may agree some may disagree.  I just wanted to voice my opinion about
the direction that phish is headed towards.

8/6/97  Riverport Amp.  Maryland Heights, MO

I: NICU, Stash, Beauty of my Dreams, Twist>>2001>>Ac/Dc Bag Ya Mar,
    YEM

II:  Runaway Jim>>My Soul, Ghost,  Prince Caspian, CTB, Sample
    Antelope>>Makisupa tease>>Antelope

E: Julius

Opener:

NICU:  Nice song to open,  always welcomed in my book.  It really got me
jumpin, standard version (although I have never heard an improved
version so I was content)

Stash:  Pretty nice version, not drawn out and aimless.  The jam
followed at a pleasant pace with nice noodling from trey.  Wasn't
expecting to here this one actually.

Beauty:  Ah, my first one and let me tell you I loved it.  This litte
bluegrass number is great.  Fun for all to sing a long, not to complex
it kept the fun energy floating around the crowd.

Twist:  I was caught of guard by this one.  I had heard it on some
summer 97 tapes I got before the tour, but in person I thought it was a
much better song as for most of the new songs that i had encountered.

2001:  Really great version of this song.  Playing it out with a long
intro.  I really got into the show by this point,  wasn't expecting this
in the middle of the set that is for sure.  Got me excited to hear

Bag:  Glad to hear this one.  Suprisingly only one of the few gamehendge
tunes I heard on the tour.  Solid version of this.  A little more than
standard I would say.  Nothing spectacular, just really tight jam
section.

Ya Mar:  I love this song, but I really wasn't up for hearing it right
here.  It was a good version of the song but I really didn't enjoy it to
the fullest;

YEM:  Good funky version of this song.  Trey seems to love his new super
chorus funk tone that he has brought out.  He seems to throw it on every
chance he gets.  I had missed YEM throughout Summer and Fall of 96 so I
was happy,  Last one I heard was jazzfest.

Really solid first set, and there was more to come.

II:

Jim:  Good standard jim that started to lose my attention until trey
started to rip of this incredible blues licks that were really driving
me insane.  I knew we were in for....

My Soul:  God, I love this song.  Strict easy blues progression with
trey and page jamming over it.  It was meant to be I tell you.  Thanks
guys.

Ghost:  I was wondering when I would hear this.  Phish=Phunk seems to be
the motto of this tour for me.  I have noticed everything has gotten
more funky.  Really great song with slow funky beats.  Good to hear
Gordon's slap thorughout the song.  Great new tune.

Caspian:  Nope,  didn't want to hear this at all.  I used to love prince
caspian but lately i have shyed away from it.  This placement was just
not right.  I was in the mood for some more upbeat stuff.  Could have
done without.

CTB:  Here it is, more upbeat.  I can never get sick of this song. Just
when page is finishing masterful playing trey comes in with the wah wah
backround chords to bust you and Page right back up.  Love it.

Sample:  It was sample.

Antelope.  good solid version of antelope.  Crazy noodling by trey.
Everytime I hear antelope they seem to find a way to build up more and
more tension for Rocco.   Good to see the theremin isn't in the attic
either.  I thought we were in for an entire makisupa, but It was cool
enough.

Encore:

Julius: this tune never really gets me going. Actually I enjoyed the
11/25/94 Uic version but that was about it.

Overall the show was good.  On a scale from 1 to 10 I gave it a 6.5

Well on to Tinley Park, the shitiest Venue in all of north America.
Industrial Shithole here we come.


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