10-3-99 -- Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, Illinois
review submisions dws@www.phish.net
or dws@gadiel.com
Date: Thu, 21 Oct 1999 19:52:10 -0500 (CDT)
From: balocchi dino wayne dbalocch@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: Review; 10/3/99 Allstate Arena Rosemont, IL
Ok, this is my second review in past couple of days. First off,
this was my 17th show and like I said yesterday, I have about 250hrs of
phish that I have collected of the past 3 or 4 years. Therefore, I'm not
saying I'm an expert by any means, but I'm definitely not new to phish's
variety of sounds. But anyway, that stuff really doesn't matter and
besides lets get on with it already...
I had will call tickets to get before the show, but shortly
afterwards my friend and I made it down to the floor. Page side, 10ft
away on the floor- closest I have ever been at a show and I was loving it.
Boys came on at about 7:55 and wasted no time jumping on into...
First Tube- As I've said before, this tune rocks and I was really
happy to see Mike and Fish lock into the groove at such a short distance.
Trey's opening line is so sweet, reminds me sooo much of a techno
snycopated layering groove. Page doesn't do much in this song except
support Trey. Guitar loop done here was especially sweet. Keep on Jumpin
Trey!
Farmhouse- This song is pretty cool but then again I'm a sucker
for complex vocal interplay. Three different melodies- I like. Trey was
doing some crazy shit while staring up at the sky- like talking to himself
...or the gutiar gods:) Did I forget to mention that being this close was
very intersting and entertaining? Never ever heard of cluster flies...
Dog Stole Things- First set song that really likes Chicago and
I..heard it at Alpine, UIC, and Rosemont...all the same, but a cool bluesy
song. At a way Trey!
Divided Sky- This made the set worthwhile. Being up so close for
a Divided Sky was a treat for the night...I kept on thinking that these
guys have been playing this song for about 12 or 13 years and they sound
as fresh as ever on it. The silent section was incredible as Trey and
Mike has the most serene, peaceful, meditational looks on their faces.
Glorious moment for the band and the fans who were really into this song.
By the way, I never yell during this part and when I was that close I
noticed that not too many people around me were yelling...I wish there
would be a Divided where people actually remained relatively quiet. Now
that would be a trip. Anyway, this version was very strong and most of
the composed sections were nailed- Trey, you must see something that we
dont because you were totally focused all night on roof of the Arena.
Heavy Things- see my other review for how I really feel about this
song...boring and Hanson are synonyms with Heavy Things...nice solo by
Trey though.
Horn- I like this song and I like the tempo it has settled into
these days...not too slow like the one from Sandstone this summer(I
thought they were just going to keil over and die up there) and not too
fast like the early ninties versions. The solo is so beautiful.
Carini- I must confess that in this song I don't really like the
backwards guitar effect that Trey does, way too muddy. Also, Mike looked
even more bored that he normally does with this song. I like the first
time they played this song...Carini>Black-Eyed Katie:)
Ginseng Sullivan- Mike requested that they play this song and he
did it in such typical Mike fashion. He took one giant step in Trey's
direction and spoke and then Trey shook his head in approval. Mike's
singing was a nice change of pace. He forgot the lyrics momentarily at
one point and I think I saw a smile come over him-I got a kick out of it.
Get Back On the Train- I decided that I think this is a cool tune
and very phish-like. I wish they would have jammed it out but it was
still cool. This song also reminded me that there were no jams yet and I
was wondering if they were going to break out any. Sounds like Possum but
in a different key.
Maze- After hearing the Maze from Sandstone this summer I was
really pumped to hear this song. Unfortunately, this Maze was really
standard and Trey's solo was almost album like (really straight forward).
I guess my expectations were a little too high. oh well it was still fun!
Bouncin Around the Room- I still think this song has cool vocals
and I've only heard it once before live so I enjoyed it. Trey looked like
he was having a good time and so did Page.
Guyute- seeing this song so close is really amazing especially
when Mike is kicking major ass with his bass lines. Very tight Guyute and
a great set closer.
First set had good songs in it but there were no jams at all that
went out on a limb. Very conservative, yet tight in the songs they chose
to play. I was hoping in the second set for a DwD or a 2001 or at least
something they could let go on.
Twist- nice and tight Twist (whoeew!). I did think that they
would let go on this tune but the jam stayed very intact and was wrapped
up with a return of the vocals. Nice work in here for sure by Mike. I
think Mike is grand!
Possum- no ">" here, but nice interplay by Mike and Trey in
opening build up. Trey was all over the type I jam as well as Fish.
Nothing too spectacular here, but a good possum is a highlight in most
other bands' shows.
TMWSIY>Avenu Malkenu- what started up next is a very beautiful
combo that seems to follow me to the shows I attend. They played it once
this summer (I saw it at Alpine) and once or twice last fall (saw one at
UIC 98) and I have to say this was a very solid version. TMWSIY is one of
my favorite instrumental pieces ever. AMalkenu was fun but unfortunately
some kid was trying to hide from security right by us and the cops busted
him which kind of distracted me for awhile. Next thing I know, Trey
starts pounding out some chords like a banshee which turned out to be...
BBFCFM- This was absolutely hilarious. Mike was funny as hell and
then trey playing rock star with the gutiar behind his head for a solo
made me about piss my pants. Funny song but it had me wondering what the
hell they were going to follow this up with...how about
David Bowie-This had to be some kind of joke...think about David
Bowie and think about Ziggy Stardust who was allegedly from Mars...what a
funny little joke Phish put together (coincidence or not). This Bowie
intro was hot. Great ambience and not too long or too short. The jam
section featured again more Mike. They let this guy just shake the place
for about 2mins with Fish until Trey and Page came back in. Fun dynamics
in here with major jamming, minor jamming, and Bowie jamming. above
average Bowie. This sinks into...
Wading in the Velvet Sea- I actually liked this song basically
because the lyrics are good and Page has a great voice. Trey's solo was
very heart-felt and I appreciated it, however, I think this might
translate better on tape. I was thinking maybe a closer at this point and
I was right with...
Harry Hood- This was seriously a solid version. One of the best
I've heard in the past couple of years on tape or live. The beginning
section was excellent with a little extended jam. Composed section was ok
but the jam was very texural and ever-changing. We still got a standard
ending, but I kept thinking of how I actually liked it about as much as
the one on "a live one." Great set closer.
Set two was fun but like I said I thought there were going to be
some Type II at some point but it really never took off anywhere. Hood
and Bowie were highlights of 2nd set and 1st set highlights were Divided
and First Tube
Encore: Funky Bitch, Messin with the Kid- Funky Bitch was cool to
hear with Son Seals but I have to admit that I like it better with just
Phish. Messin With the Kid (Jr. Wells tune) is a favorite of mine to play
at the local blues jam so I enjoyed hearing Phish pound it out with that
great hamonica player, Sugar Blue.
Overall, this was a decent show and I have to say that while Phish
is playing extremely tight these days, I still miss the exploritory
jamming that use to pop up more often in the past couple of years. Oh
well, we have to complain about something otherwise we would be bored.
Remember though, any average Phish show swamps most other bands' great
shows. I give this show a C+, B-. Peace Dino Balocchi
(Alto Heceta-"Multi-faceted" Iowa
City rock band)
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 09:12:04 -0500
From: michael.e.powers@ac.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Cc: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: Reviews
10/03/99 - Allstate Center (formerly Rosemont Horizon) - Rosemont, IL
I (1:28): First Tube, Farmhouse, Dogs Stole Things, Divided Sky, Heavy Things,
Horn, Carini, Ginseng Sullivan, Get Back on the Train, Maze, Bouncing Around
the Room, Guyute
II (1:18): Twist Around, Possum, The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday -> Avenu
Malkenu, Big Black Furry Creature from Mars*, David Bowie, Wading in the
Velvet Sea, Harry Hood
E: Funky Bitch**, Messin' with the Kid (w/Son Seals on guitar and Sugar Blue
on harmonica)
We arrived at the Horizon, rather, Allstate Arena quite late. I believe I was
parking around 7:35 for a 7:30 show. It was cold (a record-cold October 3 for
Chicago, only 44 degrees for the high temp) and rainy walking in. I had
dropped some friends who were looking for a ticket on the way to park, and I
was confident we would see them, because there were SO many extras around –
some offered to us for $5, some for free. Once inside, people were heard
talking about how they couldn’t give the tickets away. One guy I met the next
night used his extra Rosemont ticket to get in to the show in Normal! Our
seats were in the first row off the floor even with the soundboard on Trey’s
side. Great seats for watching the lights, and with the reduced number of
seats and the other renovation work done on the Hor…er…Allstate Arena, the
sound was much improved from previous shows seen there (many Dead plus
Halloween ’95 Phish). On to the show.
First Tube opened in fine, funky fashion, and was a hoped-for repeat from
Ames. I think instrumental openers are great (Landlady, Buried Alive, Oh Kee
Pa), and this one built and built and the hyped Horizon (Allstate) crowd was
going nuts, as they finished and Trey dragged his pick down the neck of the
‘doc. Farmhouse started almost immediately, and is a favorite of mine (and of
my touring buddies), and was pretty standard but fun to hear and sing along
with. The first nod to Chicago’s blues came in the form of Dogs Stole Things,
which honestly, I could take or leave. Divided Sky popped up next, and the
crowd was going nuts! I loved this Sky, I’ll have to hear the tapes to assess
properly, though. I had the pause at 1min 45sec. Great ending jam. I didn’t
notice any flubs, and the transition to the ending composed section seemed
organic. Great Sky, great fun, 4 songs into the first set, halfway there? Not
quite. Heavy Things, the other hoped-for repeat from Ames, is probably my
favorite of the new bunch. I love the little jam at the end, Trey just dances
back and forth, groovin the whole time, looking like he’s having a great time.
The ending "Ooh ooh, wah ah" section just sounds so good every time. Phish
followed a very light, bubbly sounding Heavy Things with the slow, dark Horn,
which was well-played and another crowd favorite. At this point, I thought
they boys might be up to some setlist trick, as the first letters of the first
six songs were F, F, D, D, H, H. Coincidence, I guess. More darkness with
Carini (incl. Naked Dude verse), which had some quality dark jamming before
coming back around. The mood was lightened again with Ginseng (the boys were
all over the map, tone-wise). Mike blew the start of the second verse, and
everyone had a good laugh. Fun. Get Back on the Train was fun-ky. Tons of
clav-funk from Page. Excellent. Maze was spooky as ever. Great lights,
another one I’ll have to hear on tape to get my head around. I thought the
set might end there, but Bouncin’ started soon after, the crowd went nuts
again, and I thought it might be the set, but they came with Guyute, which had
no apparent flaws, and brought a close to a great long set. This set had
something for everyone: tight composed sections (First Tube, Divided, Guyute),
jams (Divided, Maze), country (Ginseng, GBOTT), whatever you need.
The second set started with Twist, which was at the top of my wish list, since
some of my friends had heard it only on tape. This was a powerful Twist that
didn’t explore to many areas, but rocked out and seemed just about the right
length. Possum was next, and had some crackling solos, a fine Possum.
TMWSIY started, in Chicago, again (see also UIC ’98 and Alpine ’99), and while
I’ll never get sick of it, I wouldn’t mind a different treat once in a while
(how about a midwest Halley’s, eh?) But I’m not complaining. TMWSIY was
right on, and Avenu rocked, with a nice bass solo. Instead of returning to
TMWSIY, however, BBFCFM started right away, and while I prefer the craziness
afforded by a small club show, this one was pretty crazy with lights,
feedback, Trey playing the guitar behind his head, etc. Bowie came next, and
they took their time building it up, another installment in the line of great
Bowies the band has been putting out. Wading started with a single piano
chord, and was beautiful start to finish. Hood was probably the highlight of
the set for me. The intro was fantastic. They really took their time, and
each member took a solo, which the other 3 watched, then came back to the
intro reggae theme together. Sweet. No glowsticks came out during the jam
(having previously appeared several times before), which was nice, as Hood
finally got to just go. Great Hood, probably my favorite version I’ve heard
recently.
Almost immediately after the band left the stage, they brought out the monitor
and mic cord for the guest(s), and after quite a break, they came back out
with 2 figures, one I recognized as Sugar Blue (harmonica), and one I had to
have introduced to me as Son Seals (guitar). What can I say about the encore,
it smoked. I love seeing Phish with guests, and Sugar Blue loves to play with
Phish (I’m still pissed that I missed the ’93 show at the Aragon where he sat
in with them for a significant portion of a set). My only complaint would be
that the guests levels were a little low, but damn did they smoke. Son Seals
sang Funky Bitch, and he led the number, indicating who should solo, etc. He
was trying to get Page a solo, but the cross-stage communication wasn’t going
on. All the other solos wailed. Page got one in the Sugar Blue-led Messin’
with the Kid, and Sugar Blue was going insane, possessed by musical demons, he
threw himself all over the stage, his hat flew off, and he blew some mean
licks.
Great encore, great show.
Overall, this was a well-played, rockin’ show, with a few musical chances
taken (the seldom played TMWSIY>Avenu Malkenu>BBFCFM as well as the presence
of real live blues musicians for the encore), and a lot of good versions of
great songs, with a few standouts (Divided, Hood).
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 1999 20:44:41 -0500 (EST)
From: Adam J Hatch ahatch@indiana.edu
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: Review of Show: Rosemont Horizon (the "real" venue)
The drive to Iowa I thought was bad, but nothing is comparable to
miserable ride I endured on the way to Rosemont 10/3 to see Phish. After
6 and a half hours I arrived and needed the ultimate lift, a dank show
from Cactus and his band. In the end I was blown away by the excellence
of the show and overall gave it a HEADY 5 star review.
*Trey comes out with winter hat on his head. HAT=DANK SHOW*
First Tube- great song from Trey's Solo Acoustic/Electric Tour. Played
with greater funk than the Iowa show and overall played exceptionally
well.
Farmhouse- good tune but not what i desired. Reminded me of Nannis and
the Klinical Klub back at Avoda. Right on!
Dogs Stole- glad to hear. Not much else to say.
Divided Sky- Now I am drawn in. Rarely played so surprised and excited to
see. Band jammed amazingly and the crowd was in a zone, great compliment
to the Antelope at Iowa.
Heavy Things- my favorite tune from the Solo Tour. Great beat and lyrics;
Trey always seems to enjoy playing this song. I see no harm in that.
Horn- This song evening. One of Trey's favorite and when played usually
signifies how great of show is on the way. Gordon cranked bass, and
overall, where has this song been lately?
Carini- HELLS YA BITCH! Extremely intense and blew me away. Could barely
stand after hearing. One of top Carini's I've heard and totally energized
the crowd.
Ginseng Sullivan- good bluegrass tie-in. Like to hear and gave me a
chance to catch my breath and my bearings.
Get...Train- another chill, cool song. Like Heavy Things, good addition
to the song rotation.
Maze- Ok, I thought Carini would be the highlight but I was sorley
mistaken...Best Maze since the funk maze at Providence (4/5/98). 15
minutes of jammin' with Trey and Gordon..what could top that. LOVE this
song and overally enthused to hear.
Guyute- I assumed the set was over...I was completely wrong. Another epic
song that extended to set almost 90 minutes. Used to better when it was
rare before CD version, but always well received the Phanatics.
2nd Set:
Twist Around- OH MY GOD! Lot of phans dont like it, but I love it.
Different type of song that just draws me to enjot it. Sorry Kreppel, you
missed out. Best 2nd set opener I have heard.
Possum- the Horn Myth goes on with an unscathed record. Another long
tune, pure funk and energy from the crowd. Always one of my favorites for
the 2nd set.
TMWSIY > Aveenu Malkienu- too much funk might be bad for the body..maybe
not, but good to hear this combo. Granted it's a Jewish prayer, it's a
better rendition than the one I hear during services.
BBFCFM- SUCH AN AWESONE DANK SONG! Crazy energy by band and crowd. Band
plays with passion and violent attitudes. I'll tell you this much..wish I
can jam to it every show. Always crowd pleaser.
Bowie- great spacey jam leading into it..and then BANG..it just explodes
no you. Spectacular tune and unexpected so early in the fall tours.
Wading...Sea- another cool, chill tune that gets to you. Great to hear
and loved it.
Hood- Love ending the set with this song. I have always loved this tune
and perfectly ended the night.
Funky Bitch- Son Seals and Sugar Blue were great musicians and
personalities. Played with passion and determination and outshined the
band...the way they were suppossed, but Trey was jammin with seals.
Messin w/ Kid- Blue was crazy and song was OK. Good to hear, but the act
by Blue was better than the tune. Sorry phans.
Heady Hatch
Date: Wed, 06 Oct 1999 01:16:45 -0500
From: Phil O'Neill gyute@mindspring.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 10/3/99 Review
So I get to the lots about 3:30, absolutely nothing going on due to the
shittiest weather I've seen in a while. I had to drive by myself in my
sister's tin can of a car (mine was being fixed) with a stereo I
couldn't hear over the rain, so I had some time to kill. I put in
7-13-99 set two and took a little nap. I woke up about 5:00 feeling
refreshed as Tuesday's Gone was just finishing up and I decided to head
over to will call to meet some friends. Well, they never showed up, so
after a good hour of standing in the freezing rain, I headed into the
venue, which was not as much of a temperature change as I expected. I
found my seat up on the second level, formerly Fish side, right in
front. Real nice view for a second level seat. So I sat there
shivering until the band walked (or in Page's case, hobbled) on to the
stage when I totally forgot that I was cold. They start playing a song
I recognize as
First Tube: I remember this one from the Trey tour and it didn't sound
much different. It was a great opening song. Very nice groove and easy
to dance to. I gotta say this is one of my new favorite openers.
Farmhouse: I used to really like this song, but lately it's kind of
become a first set throwaway standard. I've seen it so many mediocre
first sets that I'm kind of sick of it. It's a good song, I've just
heard it one too many times.
Dogs Stole Things: see Farmhouse.
Divided Sky: NOW we're talking. I do not hear this song enough.
Always been one of my favorites. This version is executed wonderfully.
I don't remember any major flaws in the beginning composed part, and the
beautifully uplifting end jam had me flying. When played well, this
song can raise some real emotions and lift an average first set into
something pretty good. Of course it can't carry a bad set on its own.
Heavy Things: I remember liking this song a lot more on the Trey tour.
I was just bored during this. Seems like another Bouncing or
something. Eh. At least it's short.
Horn: Always a good one to hear. No flubs that I recall.
Carini: YES. This is one of my favorite songs of the past couple
years. I love the jams that have come out of it lately, i.e. Great
Woods second night. This was no slouch from what I remember. Lots of
heavy, scary chords. I really enjoyed this.
Ginseng Sullivan: Good song. Mike forgot the words and I think I saw
him smile. It made me laugh.
Get Back on the Train: I must say I like this song. It's very catchy
and danceable. Not as cool as the one at Oswego with Del McCoury,
though. I still like this song a lot, though.
Maze: I was happy to hear this one. Ever since I heard the one at
Sandstone at the beginning of summer tour, I expect this song to rock
more than it usually does. This one was kind of disappointing. Page's
solo was very nice, but Trey's really went nowhere and ended up at the
end or something. One thing I love about this song is when everyone
around me hears the hi hat and immediately thinks it's Bowie. I usually
get a laugh out of that.
Bouncing: Eh. It's Bouncing. The kids seem to enjoy it, though, so
who am I to question it.
Guyute: I knew I wasn't gonna get away from this song. When ever I
hear the opening chords to Guyute, I immediately roll my eyes and think,
"Guyute again?" Of course two minutes later I'm dancing my ass off and
enjoying it as much as when it was a rarity. I love Guyute, okay?!
Leave me alone!
So that's set one. There were some good moments, but all in all, pretty
average.
Set break: ran into some friends I met on the summer tour, got crushed
trying to get to the bathroom, like you care.
Set 2:
Twist Around: My friend called this one. I was quite happy. This is a
great song, and the jam was pretty nice, led nicely by Trey, with Mike
coming in for some nice grooves near the end. I was very happy with
this version. Some great things going on with this song.
Possum: How can you not love Possum? An average Possum still rocks the
fuckin house, and I'd have to say this was above average. Some
excellent guitar work by Trey. The jam was very musical and it got me
dancin pretty hard up until the very end. I'd say Possum's probably my
favorite straight-out rocker that Phish does. Great song, great
version. You gotta love this stuff.
TMWSIY: This is a song where I like to just close my eyes and let it
take me somewhere else. This was a pretty good version with no flubs
that really detracted from the beautiful melody of the song (unlike
Alpine's version). This song really touches my soul from beginning to
end. I knew they were coming up with Avenu Malkenu so I had to get back
into dance mode as the song came to close, but I knew the song would be
back again after Avenu. Of course it wasn't. It was none other than
BBFCFM: I've been dying to see this song ever since I first heard it on
tape. I laughed my ass off the whole time. I always wondered what Mike
looked like as he screamed the lyrics. Well, not much different. Then
Trey with the guitar behind his back. Funny, funny stuff.
David Bowie: Ahhhhh, my absolute favorite Phish song. The intro seemed
long and was really freaky spacey. Very cool. But when the drums kick
in, it's like no other feeling in the world. Composed part was good,
very few flubs. Then they brought it waaaaaaayyyyy down into a sea of
radiant green muck and stirred around in there a little until emerging
as a giant beast about to kill us all. It was truly sublime. I love
the way Bowie is going these days. See 7-12-99 Bowie for another
example.
Wading in the Velvet Sea: I needed this after that raging Bowie.
Actually would have rather had a Brian and Robert or Mountains in the
Mist, but oh well.
Harry Hood: Good Hood, jam was a little short, but it's still a Hood,
so I'm not complaining. Love it as a set closer. Much better than,
say, Character Zero or Cavern.
Second set recap: Very enjoyable set. I'm really looking forward to
getting this one to hear if it was as good as I thought. People seems
to be raggin on it a little.
Encore:
Funky Bitch: Let me say this: after seeing FB twice with Son Seals, I
don't think I ever want ot see it without him.
Messing With the Kid: Oooh, that Sugar Blue is such a showman. He was
absolutely SMOKING in this song. I love what (I think) he said after
the song about Trey, "I don't listen to guitar, but he's good!" My
sentiments exactly.
Phil
Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 20:36:33 EDT
From: Golgi1112@aol.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: Review of rosemont
Hey what's going on? This was my 7th show just for your knowledge. Let me
start off by saying that the parking was a lot of fun despite the rain.
There was just something in the air i guess. Anywase here is a song by song
summary of the show:
First Tube: Not a bad opener, it was my first. I was hoping for something
along the lines of 2001 or a Wolfmans.
Farmhouse: I think that this song is great. The first time I it was at
Farm aid. I think that it gets better. It was not as good as last years,
but it is always good to hear.
Dogs Stole Things: Not very familiar with this one. It wasn't that bad. I
enjoyed it.
Divided!!!- My first, it just rocked. I liked when the band stopped a few
minutes into the song. Everyone just stopped then the jam continued. Just
awesome.
Heavy Things- Not bad. It was a nice to hear.
Horn- My first. It's not my favorite but it was fun.
Carini- Simply awesome. I thought this song was great.
Ginseng- They seemed to be having a lot of fun. Great song, a lot of fun.
Nice to hear some blue grass.
Nice to hear some blue grass.
Train- Nothing too spectacular. Good dancing tune.
Maze- My first, it was a lot of fun to hear.
Bouncin'- My first, and it was great, I dont understand why people put this
song down.
Guyute- 3 in row. This was absolutley flawless. Unfortunatley it ended the
set, i was hoping for a chalkdust.
only one complaint about the set break. No where to sit down.
Twist Around- Not a big fan of this song, but it worked.
Possum- Damn!! This song is spectacular. Great version. Chris was doing a
great job with the lights during this one.
TMWSIY -> Avenu- I can't complain about this one. Always nice to hear a
little Hebrew.
BBFCFM- When Trey ripped out the opening chords I thought, damn! This was
my first. It was a great jam with Trey staring at the lights above the
stage, and waving his guitar to create this awesome feedback. This was the
highlight of the show for me.
David Bowie- Right when I heard the opening cybals from Fishman, I knew what
was coming. Simply an awesome Bowie. There was a glowstick war during the
jam, I got hit in the head. People around me were trying to throw them on
stage, and someone even hit Fishman's set.
Wading- Crack out the lighters. Very nice song. Great way to cool us down
before...
Harry Hood!!!!- Great choice, my first. Simply awesome. Always nice to
hear the reggae. I did not expect this to close the set. I was honestly
hoping for either an Antelope, or limb by limb.
Encore: Right when I saw them setting up the extra mic, i thought to myself
here comes John Popper. There was a rumor that he was going to come out
with them. But to my surprise, Sugar Blue, and Junior Wells. Funky Bitch:
was ok, Messin with the kid- I saw this at New world 97. Great harmonica
solos in both songs. I was not that impressed by Junior. To close i was
hoping for a Sweet Home Chicago. That would have put an awesome end to a
great show.
Set 1: 9.0/10
Set 2: 8.5/10
Encore: 7.5/10
See you all in Florida
Peace- David
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1999 14:23:10 -0400 (EDT)
From: Marcus Pearson marcusp@lexis-nexis.com
Newsgroups: rec.music.phish
Subject: Rosemont reviews
Disclaimer: my 62nd and 63rd shows, 1100 hours on tape and these reviews are
more directed at collectors than anything else.
I don't mark stop-start > on my setlists (I mean who really cares about them?)
and the number following a song is roughly the time in minutes.
10-03-99 Allstate Center Rosemont, Illinois
I (1:30): First Tube, Farmhouse, Dogs Stole Things, Divided Sky, Heavy
Things,
Horn, Carini, Ginseng Sullivan, Get Back on the Train, Maze,
Bouncing Around the Room, Guyute
II (1:15): Twist (12), Possum (11), The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday,
Avenu Malkenu, Big Black Furry Creature from Mars, David Bowie
(18),
Wading in the Velvet Sea, Harry Hood (16)
E (0:17): Funky Bitch*, Messin' with the Kid*
* with Sugar Blue and Son Seals
What a long show, 3 hours of music! Not much to say about the first set,
there were a lot of songs so I'm sure everyone got to hear something they were
looking for. But as most first sets go these days there was very little
improv.
Second set opened with an increible Twist (I guess this is the correct title
according to the August 97 This Month in Phishtory). I loved the jam in this,
they were in such great sync with each other and there were fantastic licks
from everyone. It did stay firmly within the Twist structure and all and I
gather most of the versions this fall were fairly similar to it. But I can
see why so many people have loved it this tour. Possum raged per usual and
the BBFCFM was pretty entertaining, but not as funny as seeing them run around
the stage or Mike and Trey playing their guitars while laying on their back.
Nothing too special about the Bowie or Hood, but they are always nice to hear.
But they tore it up on the encore with Sugar Blue and Son Seals.
Overall, the length, the Twist and the encore push this one up to a 3.0
rating on the Scott Jordan Concert Review rating system. There really
needed to be some more group improv or at least a hint at a type II jam
for this to be rated any higher, imo.
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 02:53:40 EDT
From: Mojibaki@aol.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: it will always be the rosemont horizon
man, i also had a broken foot, but was cured with the phatest chicago set
since the arogon ball room march 1993
Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 17:43:03 -0500
From: "Murphy, Jonathan" MurphyJ@staff.abanet.org
To: "'dws@gadiel.com'" dws@gadiel.com
Subject: 10/3/99 Allstate Arena
The Horizon (oops, I mean Allstate Arena) wasn't nearly as bad inside as I
remember it. Maybe I was just happy to be out of the cold, rainy weather.
But I think they may have covered the ceiling with wood-paneling (maybe fake
wood) to make for better sound. In any case the sound wasn't too bad, and
compared to the enormous United Center, and even the UIC Pavilion, it seemed
downright cozy inside.
I really enjoyed the first set Sunday night. Not a set for the ages, but a
very good one. Maybe if it had followed an epic show, I might have been
bored or disappointed with the lack of jamming, but on this night, I really
enjoyed hearing these shorter, poppier tunes.
First Tube is really a cool instrumental. It pops along a nice clip and
reaches a nice little climax near the end. It didn't vary much form the
Trey solo versions I've heard. Great opener, I hope they don't overdo this
one, though. I also really like the two other new tunes from this set,
Heavy Things and Get Back on the Train. Both were performed very well, and
I really hope they make it onto the next studio album.
Along with those tunes, Farmhouse is another great example of Phish's
improved songwriting ability. I can't understand why some fans dislike this
tune. It's just a great, catchy pop song. This version was solid, although
this year's versions seem a little slower than the earlier renditions.
Divided Sky was very nice to hear, as usual, but I must say that I think
this song might suffer a little bit from how infrequently it is played these
days. The band seemed a little rusty during some of the composed portion -
but the ending jam was outstanding. I would vote for them to start playing
this one a little more often to try and irons out those kinks.
The other standout tune in this set was a great Carini. Sometimes I still
can't believe that this is a Phish tune - I guess somebody in the band is a
big Rage Against the Machine fan or something. But it really just gives the
band one more persona it can adopt throughout the course of a show. And how
many bands play rockin', edgy songs like this, followed immediately by a
sweet bluegrass cover like Ginseng Sullivan - and pull it off? Answer:
nobody. (Well, other jam-bands might try, but Phish the only one that does
it so well).
Dogs Stole Things, Horn, Bouncin', Maze, and Guyute were all pretty standard
- in the case of the last two, that means great. Those two songs gave the
set some real weight, and helped close the set out emphatically.
Other than Twist Around, which featured a driving ten minute jam, and a
high-energy Possum, the second set really was not all that great. I find
The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday to be a pretty boring tune, something you
need to patiently wait out to get to Avenu Malkenu, which is a nice tune to
hear every now and then. I liked Mike's bass solo in this version, but
generally speaking this song failed to move me very much.
Things went downhill in a hurry when the band decided to eschew the
customary return into TMWSIY in favor of the idiotic Big Black Furry
Creature From Mars. But judging from the crowd's reaction, this might have
been the highlight of the second set. I'm sorry, but I just don't get it.
I do appreciate the band having a sense of humor, but I would much rather
hear them settle into a cool jam or play a 'real' song than listen to this
stuff.
I was pleased to hear the start of David Bowie, as I thought this would get
the band back on track, and after the verses when Mike delivered a nice,
slinky bass solo, it seemed like they would. But following this gripping
Mike-interlude, the song just sort of fizzled into nothing, as Trey stood by
the drums, with his back to the crowd fiddling around for a few minutes.
This was no mind-numbing meltdown jam, it was more or less a halt to the
song. The crowd was so bored that it was forced to entertain itself with a
glowstick war, something I don't think I've ever seen before during Bowie.
Eventually, they returned to the standard Bowie jam, and closed out this odd
version well.
Both Velvet Sea and Harry Hood were average, nothing to really improve my
opinion of the set.
The encore was pretty sweet, though. It always cool when the band is joined
by bona fide Chicago blues legends, and on this night they were joined by
two: Sugar Blue on harmonica and Son Seals on guitar. Funky Bitch was an
obvious choice as Seals is the author of the tune, and they've performed it
with him before. I must say, Trey's solos absolutely blew away Seals's.
His tone is sort of weak in comparison to Trey; almost like an electric
mandolin. (Maybe it is). His vocals were cool, though, and Sugar Blue
played bandleader, ensuring that everyone got their solos in. He was
extremely animated, obviously enjoying himself.
Messin' With the Kid followed, and again Trey distinguished himself very
well, and Sugar went absolutely nuts on the harp - it sounded pretty cool.
Not something I'd want to hear all night, to be sure, but pretty cool
nonetheless. He also handled lead vocals and did lots of jumping and
dancing around. Generally speaking, the band sounded very tight during
these two numbers, and it was a great way to close out a solid - but flawed
- show.
Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 15:49:37 -0500
From: Peter Norman pnorman@prairienet.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 10/3/99 Rosemont Review
This was my second Phish show, my first being 8/8/97. WOW!!! Two Sugar
Blue appearances in a row! What are the odds??? Weather sucked!!!
Parking sucked!!! Got in line to park at a little after 7, didn't actually
park until after 8. The show had already started and I was pissed. My
friend got caught at the doors with some pot which was promptly
confiscated. Security REALLY sucked!!! I walked in during the final bars
of Dogs Stole Things, so I'll start by reviewing Divided Sky.
Divided Sky: Totally made up for missing the first three songs. I just
love this song and the silent part was hilarious. This song just jammed.
This was my friend's first Phishy experience, and I was worried that losing
her pot would ruin it for her, but she looked completely content. A great
way to start the show for me.
Heavy Things: Never heard this song before, but I guessed it was one of
those Trey songs. My Uncle (who turned me on to Phish and has seen some 15
odd shows) didn't even know what this song was, as it was his first time
seeing it, but he REALLY loved it. Very poppy, bouncy song. Really dug
it.
Horn: I went phucking nuts. This is one of my favorite songs from Rift.
My friend too went nuts. Very well played.
Carini: Had to ask my Uncle what this one was. Instantly became one of my
favorites. The lights were sick during this song. Trey was REALLY on
tonight. Rocked us hard. Had to settle down for a little bit, and...
Ginsing Sullivan: was the perfect way to do it. I was in the mood for a
bluegrass song, and would have prefered Uncle Penn or Poor Heart, but
Ginsing pleased me well. Well done Mike.
Get Back on the Train: Pretty sweet. Nothing really ground breaking.
Good to dance to. By now I was in the mood for some hardcore rock jamming.
Maze: Didn't let me down. When it first started I was thinking "Maze or
David Bowie". I soon realized it was Maze.
I'm not the biggest fan of this song on Rift, but this version smoked.
Trey was all over the place. Page had a good solo too.
Bouncin': My friend went phuckin' nuts this time. I was pleased. Sang
along at the end. Standard version.
Guyute: Dude, I think this is their most played song for the past couple
tours, but since I only go to one or two shows per tour, I was happy. This
song rocks. The devilish voices at the end were scary with the red lights
on the stage. Didn't think they'd end the set with this, but I was sadly
mistaken.
Setbreak was long and crowded. Saw someone get tackled down on the floor
and hauled out kicking and screaming. Man, security sucked.
Twist Around: Not the biggest fan of this song, but I was happy with it.
I was hoping to god they wouldn't segue into Piper, and my prayers were
answered. Instead got...
Possum: Happy as a clam for this one. The end was awsome with Trey
building up the ending. The lights were awsome here too. Chris was really
on tonight. Was in the mood for something quiet. Got...
TMWSIY: Had to ask my Uncle what this one was too. I loved this song.
Avenu Malkenu was fun. Was expecting segue back into TMWSIY, but instead
got...
BBFCFM: I went crazy. This song is soooo fun. Especially in a big arena
like Rosemont. Again, excellent work Chris. Trey went crazy on this song
waving the guitar in front of the mike to create feedback. That really
works on this song. Better that Character 0 or Chalkdust. Very fast,
furious, and fun.
David Bowie: This time when I heard the cymbals, I knew what we were
getting. Long drawn out intro. My friend also loves this song. One of
the highlights of the show for all of us. Very minor glowstick war. Now I
wanted a ballad. Waste, Strange Design, something slow. We got...
Wading in the Velvet Sea: Sweet!!! This is my favorite slow song. Lots
of lighters out. Very heartwarming. Trey's solo almost brought me to
tears. Had a feeling we were going to get one more song. I was right. We
got...
Harry Hood: Fantastic choise. The ending of this song is one of my
favorite Phish pieces of all time. Beautiful. No glowstick war in this
song because that got used up during Bowie. I knew this would end the set,
but I was still hoping for another. It didn't happen.
Encore: When I saw six members come back on the stage, I knew we were in
for a treat. When I realized it was Sugar Blue I almost shit my pants.
Two shows in a row for me. Holy shit!!! I didn't realize who the guitar
player was until I saw his name on Phish.net. Son Seal rocked!!! They did
the Phunkiest Bitch of all time. I was hoping for a Jesus Left Chicago
with harmonica, but instead got another Messin' with the Kid. The only
song I've seen Phish do twice so far. Much better version than 8/8/97 with
Sugar Blue truly "messing with the kid" (Trey).
All in all, a fun show. My Uncle said it was one of his favorites after
Halloween '95 and the second Red Rocks show in the 4 show run of '96. I
just wish I hadn't been late and had seen the whole thing. Oh well, the
next night made up for it. See my review of the Normal show, which I
wasn't late to. Keep on rockin'!!!
Date: Mon, 04 Oct 1999 16:48:18 CDT
From: Steve phishhead99@hotmail.com
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: Rosemont Review
Hey there--- After a wonderful experience in Minneapolis the prior night,
I had high anticipations for this one...I was happy and disappointed at
the same time...happy with music, disappointed for security/venue. I
loved the Target Center...very modern, new, spacious, etc. The halls of
the Rosemont were so cramped with people and the seat aisles were so
narrow it was hard to dance without constantly bumping into someone else
or banging your leg on a chair...but the venue was very
intimate---small...that I liked a lot. Anyways, security was
REDICULOUS---my friend had an $8.00 water bottle that he bought at a
camping store....it was empty and like at most venues, we assumed that we
could take in empty containers...guess not. They ripped the tickets first
then checked bags, so if you had anything you had to ditch it, no ifs ands
or buts about it. So the guard says, "You're going to have to throw that
away." and my friend said politely, "but it's no disposable"...the guard
said, "Well, I'll dispose of it for you." He grabbed it out of his hand
and chucked it...after a minute of explaining that it wasn't your average
water bottle, the guy let him take it in, but "If he saw us throw it, we
were history"...security all over was just brutal, I guess a guy
fell/slipped on the floor and a guard kicked him??? I didn't see this but
heard about it...at break, a girl was "escorted" out rather roughly---four
guards, looked like one holding each appendage. Is there really a need to
physically carry someone out by their arms and legs? I was VERY
disappointed with security there...anyways, enough negatives...
I hadn't heard any of the Trey stuff WITH Phish yet, and frankly, I'm one
of those people who would rather see the Trey songs remain JUST Trey
songs...but they weren't all that bad I guess...1st Tube opened and it was
basically all Trey, but Page did add a little more than with Russ and
Tony. Farmhouse next---I love this song, but it never seems to take off
with me, I guess I'm always in a mood to shake and dance and this is a
"swaying" song for me...it was nice though...OK, now just my highlights...
Dogs...nice. DIVIDED!!! YES! My first in 7 shows...I LOVED IT. Trey
ripped so many notes in this one, lights were awesome, but I didn't really
dig all of the cheering during the silent jam...oh well. Awesome,
probably my highlight of the set/show...no noticeable flubs, I was in
heaven after this...they could have ended the set here for all I cared!!!
Heavy Things---nice again, my fave Trey song. Horn, eh, this is OK, it's
really not my fave but it was a first so I ate it up. Carini---heavy
song...it was nice to hear. Ginseng---Mike messed up the second verse,
Page just kept on laughing throughout the song...Mike looked kind of
disgusted and I thought that Trey would rag on him for sure but no such
luck...anywho, awesome song, I've always loved Ginseng. Train---PAGE!!!
Page Funked the HELL out of this song on the clav...oh baby! All I did
was listen to and watch Page on this one. Maze...is it Maze? Or Bowie?
I was hoping for Bowie, it was really tough to tell, but the click-clack
came in w/the hi-hat so we knew we had a maze...nice, but Page seemed to
have difficulties with the B3 at first, he kept on futzing with the knobs
and didn't do too much at first, it suffered from here on in. Still
decent and Trey really made up for it, Trey was really on tonight...Page
was on too, but just had some difficulties with the B3. Oh well...still
nice to hear! Everyone dancin'...
Bouncin---I don't care, "WHY DISLIKE BOUNCIN'?" I used to be sick of this
song but now the crystalline vocals and sweet guitar at the end do it for
me...I enjoyed it, flame away!!!
Guyute---Trey was doin' the quick paced strumming at first, me and my bud
looked at each other and both mouthed "GUYUTE!!!" NICE NICE version, my
third, hard to compare/contrast because they're all pretty similar, nice
lights, weird devilish voices at the end. Nice set, Divided took it for
me!
Set II--- Twist---YES!!! Awesome funky tune...WOOH! Wouldn't Twist
around! Possum---Wowee, this one smoked my only other possum from
11/6/98...Trey back-built the ending 3-4 times and hit THE NOTE every
time...the whole place was gettin' down (except for the 4 guys in front of
me...??? Whatever.) One of the better Possums I've ever heard.
TMWSIY-->Avenu---Nice slow-down from Possum, I got my first at Alpine 99
and this was pretty similar...Avenue had some nice work from Mike and
Page. BUT WHAT???
BBFCFM---OK, things are starting to get crazy...never would have guessed
this...Trey did some spacy effects, really cool but a little long,
(holding his guitar up to the mic, etc.) but it really added to the
effect...craziness!!!
Bowie---another hi-hat!!! BOWWWWW-IE!!! YEAH! I have been waiting on
this for as long as my Coil at Target Center...NICE bowie, but I think it
was cut short due to a glowstick war...STOP THROWING THEM ONSTAGE!!! But
still a beautiful bowie, awesome light work, nice playing all around
Velvet---At first, page played like 2 notes and I thought they were doing
On Your Way Down again!!! But then Velvet started...nice cool down again
after a ragin' Bowie. Hood---Oh yeah...they all congregated in teh middle
and nodded in agreement and Fish kicked in the drums...nice version, NOT
ONE GLOWSTICK!!! I was SHOCKED! A Hood and not one glowstick...that's
gotta be the first since the first glowstick hood...awesome...
E---I was expecting Popper, but I'll take Sugar Blue and Son Seals...both
were great, I'd really like to see Sugar Blue ham it up with Fish
sometime...but man, they were great...Funky Bitch sang by Son Seals, just
a religous experience all around...what a show...what a show...
---Steve
Date: Mon, 04 Oct 1999 08:02:12 PDT
From: Kevin Liska runawayfox@hotmail.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: Rosemont Horizon Show Review
Kevin Liska (PhreePhish) runawayfox@hotmail.com
10/03/99 Rosemont Horizon Show Review
Rainy, shitty, crappy day in Chicago....what new?
Drive/lots weren't bad at all getting in.
Fairly crappy seats; but hey, at least I was in!
anyway...on to the review....
The boys hit the stage 7:55 (Yes!!)
First Tube? (7:20)- My first one. Very groovy. It almost reminded my
friend and I of something...we just don't know. Maybe a less-busy and much
longer Buried Alive? Anyway, pretty cool.
Farmhouse (6:45)- The inevitable. Always nice to hear, though it opened the
last concert I went to.
Dogs Stole Things (4:37)- This song never excites me too much, and I usually
fast-forward through it on tapes, but I guess I really can't complain. Got
it at UIC Pav last year. Didn't jam too long at all.
Divided Sky (16:44)- Gotta love it! pretty much nailed. After a while the
ending jam got really fun (it always tapes them a while to really heat up
the end jam in this song I feel). Another one from 3rd night UIC, but you
really can't complain when it's the Divided Sky!
Heavy Things? (5:57)- Another new one to me. Pretty groovy sound (and
drums). Nice lyrics. Nice.
Horn (4:05)- Another one from 3rd night UIC, but always nice.
Carini (7:30?)- That's what I'm talkin' about! Very rockin' as usual. Had
the naked dud lyrics (as usual now). Phriend of mine loved it (his first
one)! First thing when the concert was over, he wanted to hear that one
again (I gladly set him up with 7/13/99)
Ginseng Sullivan (4:15)- Go Mike and Page! My first one of this tune live.
I love the lyrics, sound, and just everything about it!
Get Back On Th Train> (5:15)- Loved this one every since I heard it. Very
groovy sound/drum beat. Not stretched out very far at all though! Sort of
segued (I think?)into......>
Maze (11:40)- Maze? Bowie? It was to be Maze. Very fast insane jamming as
usual. Seeing it live always adds so much to it.
Bouncing' (3:50)- Boy, for a song everyone hates, everyone sure was loud
enough for it! I don't mind it at all. I mean they barely play anymore
anyway! By the way, this getting to be a very long set I realized at this
point!
Guyute (11:00)- One of my phav's. Boy we've been getting this one a lot (no
complaint here-- I new it was due and was looking forward to it!) Man it's
taking me forever to learn the drum part on this one (it took me almost a
year to get Limb By Limb down pat) (in case you're wondering, YES I am a
drummer)!
13 songs, 89 mins. WOW that was huge. It didn't seem that way?
well, a modest break (~43 min)...and we're off again....
Twist Around (11:40)- I love this one. Doesn't sound like anything else of
their's. A very unique song I think. Very nice song/jam sections. Fits
very nice as a Set II opener, but don't you think they're over-doing that
slot for it a little?
Possum> (11:50?)- Aw ya !!!!! always nice. Very many peaks and valleys in
this rockin' Possum. Trey was just goin nuts at the end. Sort of a segue
into.....>
TMWSIY>Avenu Malkenu> (7:25??)- It's strange, out of all their shows in the
last 2 years, they've only played it 3 times....And I've caught it all
three!!!!! I won't complain because I absolutely love it!! TMWSIY was
absolutly beautiful as usual. Avenu Malkenu blew my hat off as usual (Great
solo Mike!!), and instead if the usal endind TMWSIY, trey starts up......>
BBFCFM (6:15)- The ominous notes of BBFCFM. You've got to be shitting me!
Always a novelty. Trey went apeshit with guiar feedback and played verse
with the guitar behind his head. Rather long (reminiscent of 5/2/92
enchore?). Ended with the space of....>
Bowie (17:27)- Is this the ultimate Phish jam song (except maybe the old
Ghost in my opinion)? 3 min of space opening, then BAM! Composed part
pretty much nailed as usual (one minor flub?). In the intro jam, they
played with this huge bass feedback chord for a couple of minutes. Insane.
As the jam started, a glowstick war started on the floor. Very intense,
dark, groovy jamming at it's best. I must also give credit to Chris K on
the lighting for this one and the rest of the concert (especially set II).
Knock-out job as usual CK.
Wading' (6:45)-- Always nice. Did they rearrange the backing vocals on this
one? Or maybe I was just hearing more Trey than Mike. Their was a smaall
indecision in the beginning, but that didn't hurt it too much. I think I've
heard better versions of this one.
Harry Hood (15:50)- Boy the boys must be going overtime tonight!! A very
good Hood to close us I must say. It's amazing...I didn't see one glowstick
during this one. Guess it's 'cause they already threw them during Bowie. I
don't know. Anyway....
7 songs, 77 mins. Very long conert! You gotta love that!
a very long break to the enchore (5 min+)
The boys made it back on stage with phriends! I recognized Sugar Blue once
again, and then Page and Son Seals crutched their way on stage (you guys
gotta be more careful!!). Well we all new we were getting Funky Bitch, and
as Trey strummed the first few notes, I wasn't surprised, but I new we were
in for a treat...
Funky Bitch (11:30)- Son Seals just 'bluesed' the shit out of it. And with
Sugar Blue ripping it up as usual, I think this would have to go down as one
of the just Bitches' of all time!
They didn't leave the stage just yet though (11:45?). Man I was screaming
for Jesus Left Chaicago, but we got...
Messin' With The Kid (8:00)- Much better than 8/8/97. A ripping way to end
a show (at about 11:50!!!!!!)
3 hour and 6 minutes on stage!! unbelievable!!
Between Alpine Valley and this, I may have caught the best enchores of the
'99 season!! (Ya, maybe Shoreline and NC were better, but I'd have to hear
the tapes for any conclusions)
Later
(hmmm.... I wonder what Son Seals and Sugar Blue thought of BBFCFM??)
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1999 15:21:27 -0500
From: "Datz, Greg" DATZG@DraperandKramer.com
To: "'dws@gadiel.com'" dws@gadiel.com
Subject: rosemont observations
You phish "fans" really know how to overanalyze a show. You're like a whore
that cant get off anymore because you have become overstimulated. I was at
the Rosemont and they rocked every song. if you didn't see the excitement
in Trey's face when playing I don't know what to tell you. These guys do
this night after night, and just tore the shit out of everything. I have
never seen a bunch of shit talkers in all my life. You shit talkers are the
biggest bunch of whiny coddled babies I have ever heard. There was so much
energy pouring from that stage you could see it. especially when trey was
doing the feedback thing. There was a wall of energy going from the
speakers around the stage to the guitar. If anyone would have touched that
guitar, they would have exploded. If you thought that the Maze was
"disappointing" and BBFCFM" is "idiotic" you need to get a different hobby.
Go back to the nice SUV that mom and dad let you have and go back home to
the suburbs. you really bring the scene down.
Apathy doesn't mean that you're cool. It means your pathetic. Let those
who like to burn through life have more room to dance.
Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 20:03:52 EDT
From: RageJones3@aol.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 10/3/99 AllState Arena
10/3/99 was a fantastic show from start to finish. Phish really played well
(with the exception of a few minor flubs). The show started rather quickly
in comparison to other shows, so that was great. First Tube has been played
quite often this tour, but i enjoyed it none the less. Famhouse was
exceptional and so was Dogs Stole Things. Now on to the bread and butter.
Divided Sky...My favorite song from the first set. The guys really nailed
this one. I can't wait to hear the tape. Heavy Things was really cool and
Horn was a great one too. Carini was incredible. Everybody in the house
was rocking out. When I heard the opening from Ginseng, it was over. I was
so ecstatic. Get Back on the Train was really cool, though I hadn't heard
it too much. Maze had a really cool vibe to it and Bouncin and Guyute were
pretty normal too. I thought it would be hard to follow up a long intense
first set. But I was suprised when they busted out Twist Around. Great,
Great fun. Possum was phenominal. TMWSIY was really good too. No different
then when I heard it at Alpine Valley except for the segue into BBFCFM..
David Bowie was awesome. I called it at the beginning of the show so that
was cool. Long intense jam. Wading was decent and Harry Hood rocked. I
immensly enjoyed myself during the second set as well.
The encore was nothing short of breathtaking. I love the blues. Sugar Blue
was cool. He really got the crowd going. I wish that the guys would talk
to
This show gets an A+ in my book
~Wojo
Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 17:48:40 EDT
From: Sarmedgar@aol.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: Allstate Arena 10/3/99
This is the fifth show that I've gone too, and the cool part about the show
was that the third was my birthday. Although the day had a festive ring too
it..........when I arrived at the lot I was terribly disappointed. We found
some pretty decent glassware being sold for reasonable prices, but it was
hard too do much at this piece of shit lot because of the rain. If it wasn't
raining it would have been 5,000 times easier to make your way around the
lot. I saw a cop pull his gun on a young kid who was maybe 15, 16 at the
most and then slam his head against the hood of his lame police cruiser and
then the pig ileagaly searched a MINOR robbing him of what I thought was
abpout 100 dollars worth of SHIT. While the pig searched the one kid two
other young guys that were with him at the time started running, and I had
to laugh at these guys because their pal sat there and spread his legs for
the officer and they took off and left that poor kid to hang. This was the
worst Ive seen security for a while. But when I walked into the Allstate
arena all the negatives were soon to change.
P.S. Great Performance of Divided Sky
Date: Mon, 04 Oct 1999 11:04:04 -0500
From: Jim Lange jlange@rcgdirect.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: Chicago Review
1st Review, 34th show:
Better than average show in cold rainy Rosemont, IL last night.
The Scene:
Non-existant - Cold & Shitty. At least the security let people in
quickly with no pat down.
The venue:
It used to be the worst place to hear live music. The acoutics are
supposedly improved and I thought it sounded pretty good (I was straight
back near the tapers). I can't vouch for the upper level.
1st Set
1st Tube - First time for me. Pretty cool song.
Farmhouse - Mellow but played beautifully.
DST- Could do without-bathroom break
Divided Sky - the usual - spectacular - this song is better served
outside though IMHO
Heavy Things - 1st time - Really dug this uptempo song. This has
incredible jam potental and I hope they expand it soon. Gave me the
same feeling I had when I saw Limb x Limb the first time.
Horn - Standard
Carini- Time to stop with the mellowness. Loud and powerful.
Ginseng - The boys milled around a bit and finally pulled this out. I
love this song but it's put a lot of people back in their chairs.
GBOTT - They seem to love this one. It's OK.
Maze - Raging - Page and Trey whooped it up ala 93-94 Mazes.
Bouncing - Kind of a tired rendition. I looked at my watch and they had
been going for almost 1:20 at this point. Thought they were beat and
needed a time filler until
Guyute - I've seen it a dozen times, but never get tired of it.
Spectacular.
Setbreak - Lots of humanity. Reletively mellow crowd probably due to
the weather. Saw one guy get hauled off the floor kicking and
screaming. I remember thinking back on Kudora's lights. He is truely
the shit. I always fascinated by the pictures he paints
2nd Set
Twist - Not a huge fan but a nice rendition
Possum - Loud. Trey was in full effect with the cressendos.
TMWSIY - Alvenu - Standard, beuautiful. I was waitng for the seuge back
into TMWSIW when out nowhere
BBFCFM - Whoa! Now were rockin. Trey was going apeshit with swing
guitar rock-god thing. Picture trey holding the guitar straight over
his head with a single spotlight shining down. Goose-bump stuff. I
still miss watching Trey running around during this though.
Bowie - Standard. The jam section was OK. Nothing mind bending but
solidly played.
Minor glowstick war.
Velvet Sea - Pretty. I needed a break.
Hood - Awesome stuff. They could play it every show.
Encores:
Funky Bitch, Messin with the kid - Always a pleasure to see Sugar Blue
with Phish and Son Seals for added messure. If you've never heard Sugar
Blue your missing out. Chicago RULES!!
Summary: Better than average show, well played, though not epic like a
couple of the setlists I've seen for this tour
The Happy Phisherman
Date: Sun, 18 Jul 1999 13:00:00 -0500
From: John T. Glynn jgynn@interaccess.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: Chicago 10-3-99
I first saw Phish in 1991 at the Cubby Bear in Chicago. I've probably
seen them 20 times since then. I listen to Phish at home but prefer to
see them. I have seen some great shows and I have seen some shitty
shows. Tonights show reached that level of greatness that I come back
for. I don't need to go into the song listings but ther was one song in
the second set that I didn't know and it was like a hardcore punk song.
What was it?
I brought Sugar Blue to the show tonight. He's the house act on
Thursdays at my restaurant in Chicago (The Boulevard Cafe) and we talk
about Phish alot. He played Mikes wedding and has sat in with the band
on two other occasions which I saw. I asked him if he was going and he
didn't even know about the show. We ended up with extras and brought his
family to the show.
Sugar Blue did the solo on Miss You by the Stones as well as a number of
other tracks. He was (is) Poppers biggest influence and is regarded as
one of the greatest living harmonica players. He did a great job
tonight. The crowd went ballistic. You can see him in a small club
nightly and be blown away even more. I hope everyone takes notice, he is
worth checking out.
John WWW>Boulevardcafe.com !
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1999 17:33:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: Nate Bayko baykon@umich.edu
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: 10/3/99 review
Having heard only bad things about the Rosemont Horizon, and given the
setlists from the previous couple of shows, we didn't really expect a
whole lot from last night's show. What we got was what I would classify as
an average Phish show, which is, as we all know, a well above average
experience.
Lot was completely dead. So we weren't too surprised that when we went in
early to get a decent spot on the floor, there was a pretty good amount of
activity in the concorse. Just a lot of people hanging out basically.
I had no idea what the venue looked like, and all of the bad acoustics
rumors immediately made sense when I entered the arena. The place
basically looks like an airplane hanger, with a slightly sloped wooden
ceiling. Since we were on the floor, I still don't know if the acoustics
were as bad as everyone says.
First Tube was a first for me, and I think it fits the opener position
perfectly. What kind of interested me was how similar it sounded to the
Trey versions I've heard. I always assumed that if Phish was going to do
some of the Trey solo songs, they would have to make them a little more
"phishy", cause the songs seemed so simple and perfect for a power trio.
They kept it true to its original form though.
Farmhouse was farmhouse, and DST was short and sweet. Nice soloes by Trey
and Page as they paid homage to the home of the blues. Divided was
extremely well played. No noticeable flubs in the beginning, really long
pause, and an ending jam that had a little more improv than usual from
what I remember.
Heavy Things was the Trey song I wanted to hear along with Jiboo. Slightly
different than the Trey solo versions, as Trey doensn't do what many
people called "beeping" throughout the song. I also think the vocals
sounded better with Russ and Tony, but it was still sweet. Beautiful solo
from Trey, and I'm wondering if this is the song that the guy below
described as containing jerry-esque soloing. Me thinks so.
Carini was great. Had a short, but dark and funky jam after the closing
chorus. After a few minutes of that they came back to the Carini Had a
Lumpy Head chorus which made for a nice, completed version.
Mike forgot the lyrics to the beginning of the second verse of Ginseng,
and he wore a big smile as a result which is always nice to see. The rest
of the set was pretty standard--everything was pretty tight but no real
jamming except during Train. Place went absolutely nuts for Bouncin, and I
heard many expressing their approval at setbreak. If it makes that many
people's night, then I'm all for it.
The Twist jam was basically all Trey rock-star style, but Mike started to
take over a bit towards the end. Really nice lights throughout this one,
as well as the entire second set. Possum was good fun. Standard and
awesome. I seem to be a TMWSIY magnet as I've seen four of the last five.
Really beautiful and a perfect segue into Avenu. Avenu was fun as usual,
and Mike's solo didn't disappoint. Right at the close of Avenu Trey busted
out the opening to BBFCM, and it was on. No megaphone madness, but before
Fish counts "1,2,3,4!" Trey led a huge feedback/guitar god session like we
seem to see all the time now. He played one of the verses with his guitar
behind his head, and everyone got a good laugh.
Bowie was next and all I have to say is that it was probably the best
version I've seen since 94, when Bowies were truly experimental. This one
had lots of spacy jamming (with Trey on keyboards for a little) and
traversed many soundscapes before returning to the final crescendo (the
segue into which seemed a bit forced IMO). Wading was a predictable
follow-up, and despite Page being a little late on the opening lyrics it
was a nice breather after the Bowie madness. Hood had a really nice
opening jam. Real long with everyone taking soloes. Fishman got a little
cocky and ended up not being able to end his solo on time, but it was a
nice try and he certainly got a good laugh out of it. Nice buildup and
release. No glowsticks (most of em were busted out during Bowie).
Besides the Bowie, my highlight for the night was definitely the encore.
The extra mics had made their way out, and I like many others was
expecting Popper. I was psyched when Trey introduced S. Seals and Sugar
Blue. I'd seen the Oswego Bitch and it was perhaps my favorite moment of
summer tour. This Bitch absolutely RIPPED! Son's soloes were straight
blues and sounded perfect over Trey's funky chording. It looked like Sugar
Blue got dissed a couple times when he tried to go for his, but when his
turn came around he absolutely raged. A real showman is that Sugar
Blue.Really long version as all four
soloists got a turn.
Messin w/ The Kid was another funked-out blues number, and it really
served as a vehicle to let Sugar Blue really show his stuff. His hat flew
off his
head as he just BLEW! and the crowd went nutty.
Overall I'd say the show was pretty average, with lots of songs coming at
the expense of relatively little jamming. Definite highlights: Sky, Bowie
and the encore. Just as 97 and 98 had sort of musical themes (funk and
ambient, respectively), 99 continues to be the year of the guest
appearance (Phish and Phriends if you will). See everyone in Auburn Hills!
Nate
baykon@umich.edu
rn came around he absolutely raged. A real showman is that Sugar
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1999 21:44:37 EDT
From: Zarahann1@aol.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: October 3 Show
Allstate Arena October 3rd show was awesome. In the parking lot it was cold
and pouring rain. But it was making the people were just all waiting for the
show to begin. It started off mellow and got faster and faster. The most
incredible thing happened. They were all playing then on a one note they
just stoped completely not moving or anything. Everyone didn't know what
happened at first but then everyone realised that they all just stoped on
that one note. Everyone was just like ho woh yeah and just started screaming
as they stood in silence not moving for like five minutes it seemed.
Everyone was going crazy! It's was an undescribable feeling. Then all of a
sudden they just started playing the next note of the song. It was just
amazing!! They played a lot of good songs and I got to jam my heart out.
The lights were trippy as hell too even know it wasn't Alpine they put on a
great show. I can't wait till' Florida, it's going to be crazy.
*Nicole*
Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 11:17:59 -0400
From: Casey Kim caseyk@c2is.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 10/3 Rosemont Review
I'm sick of all this negative shit. This show was tight. For the people
who weren't there and want to know what REALLY happened, here's my review:
1st set: Wanted a First Tube but wasn't sure I'd get one. Surprise! Great
way to start the show. Good upbeat energy. I knew we'd get a Farmhouse,
and this one was nicely played. Didn't expect the Dogs Stole Things, but I
love this song. It too was well played. Always love Divided; it takes me
back, and always sounds awesome. The boys held out for a long time on the
note and it got the crowd pretty worked up. Then the Heavy Things and Horn.
I can't remember the last time I heard Horn, but it's a great song. Then
Carini - I knew we'd get Carini! I didn't expect it though out of the
mellow Horn jam. Wicked as ever and I loved it. The Ginseng was next,
sounded great. At one point Mike started the wrong verse and the band
started laughing a bit. It was funny to see the even keeled and always cool
Mike crack a smile. Then the Back on the Train... the intro was different
from the ones this summer and earlier in the fall. It was tighter and more
intense, sort of leading up to the song. Sounded sweet. Then the Maze -
always intense! Especially in the Rosemont, that place is such a maze. So
is Chicago! Then the Bouncin and Guyute - both well played.
2nd set: Wanted a Twist 2nd set opener and got it! Nice one, too. This
song gets better and better every time I hear it. Then the Possum - I was
glad the band was maintaining the energy created by the Twist. Then
TMWSIY - didn't expect this but I'm always glad to hear it cuz it's kind of
a rarity these days and it always leads to... Avenu Malkenu. I love this!
At the end I was all ready to switch back over to TMWSIY when suddenly -
BBFCFM!!!! Shit! Haven't seen one since Hampton '98 - and this one blew
that one out of the water! Trey was a madman - playing his guitar behind
his head, passing it through his legs and swinging it around to a long
feedback jam at the end of the verse only to plunge back into it again!
Awesome! And after energy like that you have to keep it up with Bowie -
nice tight Bowie. Then Velvet Sea and Hood - nice way to bring down the
set. And THANK YOU FOR NOT DOING THE GLOW STICK THING DURING HOOD. I'd so
much rather listen to Phish play than dodge projectiles. I came to see
Phish, not throw things. (And everyone who needs to do that to have fun
obviously isn't listening to the band.) For the encore, we were expecting
Popper, but were just as glad to see Son Seals and Sugar Blue taking the
stage. We knew Funky Bitch was coming and it rocked with Son Seals on
vocals. Saw it in Oswego, but was superglad to be able to see it again up
close. Sugar Blue was having some tech difficulties for the beginning, and
you could see him struggling but when he finally got his mic working - WHAM!
Perfect timing! He blew the place apart! The Messin' with the Kid rocked
too, I love this tune. Hadn't heard it since the '97 show at the World.
In closing - this was a great show. Anyone who hears it will agree, it was
a solid performance. And anyone who says it sucked should quit writing
reviews of shows (and quit coming to shows, while you're at it) cuz no one
wants to hear your negative drivel anyway. When your multi-million dollar
grossing band has been around for 16 years then you can complain, but until
that time you need to RECOGNIZE and show some respect. QUIT YOUR BITCHIN'!
Love and hugs to the real fans out there - see you at the shows!
Casey Kim
Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 00:07:23 -0700 (PDT)
From: David Lynch dmlynch@ucdavis.edu
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 10-3-99 Review
Just wanted to let everyone know that the intros to Bowie and Maze are not
the same -- not even close. If you can tell the difference between the
intros for YEM and Bouncin, then you should be able to tell the difference
between Bowie and Maze. Thanks for your time!
Dave
Date: Mon, 04 Oct 1999 20:07:15 -0400
From: Dennis Harrell harrellky@worldnet.att.net
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 10/3/99 Phish Review
I planned this weekend trip to Chicago before news hit of the two shows
in my hometown of Cincinnati. I can usually only get to the local
shows, but felt the Chicago show was my only chance to see them before
New Year's Eve. In my case it was a fortuitous blunder.
Earlier on Saturday evening, I was strolling down Michigan Ave.
and saw
a man dressed head to toe as Jesus (white robe, long hair, crown of
thorns and big wooden cross) hopping on a city bus. The "Jesus just
left Chicago" comment was simply too much to resist. Anyway, Sunday
brought cold rain to the area, and the lot was dismal. I had no luck in
unloading the extra ticket I had, as some tickets behind the stage were
still on sale, and the few offers I did get were so laughable. I refuse
to sell people tickets for 5 bones because that encourages more
penniless people to show up, taking up space and clogging the roads to
the venues. It's like feeding the dog from the table. My friends and I
don't jive well anyway with the scene, so we stayed in the car and
listened to 11-2-90 while the rain pattered down.
Much in-depth analysis is contained in prior reviews, and no doubt
you
have read the set list, so I'll try to be as brief as possible.
I had not yet heard First Tube, but given the song's growing
reputation
as a solid piece, I assumed this was it. I think it's perfectly written
for an opening song, just as Tweezer Reprise is well suited as a
closer. I just hope they don't wear this one out as they have done
somewhat with Reprise.
The ending jam (Gus' Theme) of Divided Sky took on a smoother,
more
liquid feel than the choppy block chords we're used to. Trey made the
crowd earn The Note as well.
Heavy things was another first for me, and I thought it was well
placed
in the set. Horn really allows no expansion, but is so well written.
Trey's shifting of the tonal center via his solo would make Zappa
proud! Carini has truly taken its place as the signature evil jam it so
richly deserves. The jam out of the song was violent start-stop and
dark.
Kudos to Kuroda for his work during Maze. The band was no slouch
either! Nothing else can be said about Guyute other than it was
nailed. I really wish Trey would start writing fugues again. All in
all, an impressive mixed bag of a first set.
Twist Around brought as much improv as we were going to hear on
this
night. It was as if the band knew they would not be forging new
terrain, but kept the energy level high, and brought the refrain back
around before it got boring. Phish seem to know when to quit while
they're ahead these days more so than before. Possum simply
demonstrated the infinite potential of the I/IV/V progression.
TMWSIY showed how tender and beautiful arena rock can be, and
thankfully the crowd shut up so I could enjoy it. BBFCFM was not
expected, and as the feedback rolled in and Trey was waving his guitar
with the look of a man possessed, I couldn't help thinking of the person
who just came to hear "Bouncing" and their reaction to this melee. Ha
Ha.
I thought Bowie would wrap things up, but as the opening stains of
Velvet hit, I knew this was a well-placed breather of sorts and a
precursor of something bigger. I got what I was hoping for, a solid
Hood with great timing and feel. The lack of glowsticks was odd, but at
this point I didn't care.
With a tip of the hat to Chicago's rich blues heritage, Funky
Bitch and
Messin' with the Kid were given more careful treatment than usual.
Sugar Blue got so involved in his soloing that he knocked his hat clear
off twice! It felt good to see Phish mine the blues in such good
company. In all, a great cap to a solid night. Not so many musical
risks were taken in this show, but the playing was as precise as you're
likely to hear these days. Finally, the security was not much of a
hassle besides a brief pat-down at the door. Don't alienate these guys
or they will hold a grudge. I saw a mere slip of a youth in the lot,
who when asked to return his beer to the car with no further
consequences by the police, smashed the bottle on the ground and ran.
Thanks for being part of the solution, jackass.
See you in Cincy, Ryan Harrell
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1999 11:16:19 -0400
From: "Gagliano, Michael (Cahners - CHI)" MGagliano@cahners.com
To: "'dws@www.phish.net'" dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: rosenont 10/3
I've see about 45 shows, 7 this year and last night's show was tremendous!
The weather sucked as it rained from noon till midnight, but that didn't
matter. This was a total band performance last night.
First Tube started things off to a rocking start. This has become a big
favorite as of late for most fans. Farmhouse was OK as was Dogs Stole
Things. However the Divided Sky that followed totally ripped!! The band
was ON for this one, trust me! Trey definitely lead this one. Heavy
Things, another Trey song, was well placed as a breather from the smokin'
Divided. Horn, Get Back on the Train and Maze(not listed on setlist?) were
the remaining highlights of the 1st set, especially Maze. Page was
shredding his Hammond Organ and Trey followed with a roof raising climatic
solo. Little did we know we would get 2 more songs(12 total) to close the
set including a great Guyote. A definite 9/10 for this 1st set!!!!!!
The second set was good, but not particularly inspiring. Twist Around was
heavily extended as was the rippin Possum. However I didn't much care for
the next 3 songs(TMWSIY>Avenu>BBFCFM). Trey has to tame his guitar god
stunt a little and I was relieved when they went into the Bowie intro.
Great meltdown action before and during Bowie. Wading and an expected Hood
closer put a rap on a pretty good second set. A 7/10 for set 2.
But with Chicago based bluesmen Son Seals and Sugar Blue driving the two
encores, I left Rosemont fully satisfied.
In summary a great show, but I've seen better second sets.
Bring on Normal, my Alma Mater!!!
Mike Gags
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1999 02:48:34 EDT
From: Sojahseh22@aol.com
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: Chicago: 10.3.99 Allstate Arena
Just got back from the show at 12:50 am. Snuck out the back exit of the
lot, took a short cut since I'm from around there, and was on the expressway
in minutes. Having spent hours on summer tour stuck in line, this was a much
welcomed relief! A little about the day: Probably one of the ugliest
Chicago days this year: Cold, Rainy and Windy. Pulled the bus into the lot
around 4:15, and first thing I noticed was the cops in squad cars patrolling
the area like sharks. It was really read-icculus to see. Planned on giving
out lots of hot chocolate to all the cold, wet kids, but the rain never let
up and prompted us to stay dry inside the van. Met up with some nice pholks
and got excited to go in..... side it was warm and the energy was
contagious. People were ready for rockin show and they were about to get
one. Including the encore, 21 songs were cranked out by the boys which
ended around 11:45. First set highlights included a solid First Tube
opener, which they keep playing so strongly as if it were already a concert
staple. I really like this one, as well as GBOTT and Heavy Things...Great
additions to the repertoire. What stands out in my mind the most about the
first set, however, was The Divided Sky. In the 28 shows I have seen, I've
never seen them wait so long for "the note" to begin the second half of the
song. It must have been a good 90 Seconds. The crowd went nuts. Crazy.
Second set went off with a bang with Twist Around. During Possum, Mike
switched a verse..you'll hear it on the tapes. No big deal. TMWSIY was
beautiful, but instead of coming back to it after Alvenu, BBFCFM came in
instead and Trey once again put on his Rock Star Act and proceeded to play
with his guitar over his head, playing for a minute of so like this..It was
pretty solid. Some glowsticks made it out towards the end of Bowie, but
incredibly, there were none during Hood--I don't think I've seen a
glowstick-less Hood since "95, and was a nice change. The post-- "Thank you
Mr. Miner" was done very nicely. Also, the beginning of Hood featured a
solo by each of the boys, and was a nice addition you'll hear on the tapes
as well. The biggest part of the night came however, for the encore. Once
again, two special Chicago musicians made it onto the stage for what may
have been one of best encores I've seen with Phish (Alpine this past summer
was pretty tough to beat.) Sons Seals and Sugar Blue both have appeared with
Phish before (Oswego, and Tinley Park, respectively, but never before
together. By far the best Funky Bitch you'll EVER hear, and Messin' was a
treat to hear again (since '97).
All in all, a really nice show. It was great to see so many kind pholks
again during Ames--->Chicago (Lauren, Phil, Hugs, Wendy, Parum, Dano, Sara
and Kevin).
Help keep the positive spirit of Phish alive so we can continue to enjoy
this for years to come. See ya in Big Cypress...
Date: Mon, 04 Oct 1999 16:47:57 -0500
From: Scott Solish slsolish@students.wisc.edu
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: Rosemont 10/03/99
Can we please give up on Chicago during the fall tour? As if UIC last
year wasn't bad enough, Rosemont was just a larger version. The sound was
awful, security was rediculous and the conditions getting in and out were
pathetic. Thank god for the Steak n' Shake (whatever the hell that is?)
parking lot or I would have missed the whole show stuck in traffic on the
city's awful highways. Why not play Madison or Champaign or anywhere but
in Chicago. The band knows it, the crew knows it, and we know, no more
Chicago.
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1999 09:41:07 -0500
From: SBirenberg SBirenberg@gofen.com
To: "'dws@www.phish.net'" dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: First Show
This was my first show after about 50 Dead shows. I'm almost 40 and felt
like one of the oldest people in the crowd. I was very impressed by Phish.
I expected a good show from what I had heard about the band live, but it
greatly exceeded my expectations. The band is very tight and plays an
intricate and complex set of tunes. I told a buddy who I attended with (his
second show, after about 50 Dead shows) that at times Phish sounded
influenced by everything from the Allman Brothers to the Dead to Yes to
Jethro Tull. In the end, I decided it just sounded like Phish. I must make
special mention of Avenu Malkeinu. As a Jew, I recognized it right away.
I've always loved the prayer and the melody and it was really cool, though
sort of startling, to hear. I thought that Possum was by far the best piece
of live music I have heard since Jerry passed. There was another mellow
tune in the first set, with a long Jerry-like guitar melody by Tre, that
also really made me smile and remember the old times. However, what I am
thinking on the morning after is that I've got some new good times to look
forward to. Finally, a special thanks to the fans sitting behind us who
graciously shared some inside scoop and the band, the music, and the band's
shows.
Steve B. a.k.a. Direwolf
Date: Mon, 04 Oct 1999 11:03:00 -0400
From: All Users bg22022@yahoo.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: this show was poop...
Phish has sold us out. They play poop-quality songs, the lot sucks now,
and this teeny bopper shit is out of control. I will now never go to
another concert again(of any band) and will probably go live and be a
hermit.
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