7-9-98

Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2001 19:53:30 EDT
From: Tylerblue1@aol.com
Subject: Phish Review-7/9/98


Phish
7/9/98
Club Zeleste
Barcelona, Spain
Set 1: Carini>Reggae Woman>NICU,Split Open & Melt, Meat, Poor Heart, Tweezer, Ragtime Gal
Set 2: Drowned>Theme, Circus, Scent>Blister in the Sun>of a Mule, Hood>Izabella  
Enc:Chalkdust
Torture

I was just perusing the 1998 reviews and noticed that 7/9 had not been commented on.  
Seeing that this was, in my opinion, the finest show from start to finish on the Europe
tour, it more than deserves a review.

I was fortunate enough to see the whole Europe 98 tour, seeing a total of 27 shows in
that summer all together. Overall I've seen about 87.  Anyways, my friends and I went to
Europe that summer with huge expectations based upon the amazing music produced there the
prior summer.  It is never a good idea to have huge expectations as the 8-show (not
including the festival)  run demonstrated.  There were great highlights at a few shows
like the Tweezer>2001 from Kobenhavn (7/1) as well as moments from 7/2 and 7/6.  But
overall, this was a vacation for Phish, not a serious tour.  They gave little thought to
their setlists, and, more than once, lost all their momentum as shows progressed.  A
great example of this was the first night in Spain (7/8)  which started out great but
totally fizzled.

I don't want to drone on, but the stage needs to be set. So on 7/9, the second to last
show of the tour, my friends and I were extremely disappointed and questioned whether the
band was so out of it that they had lost sight of how to play an exceptional performance.  
For those readers who don't think most of Europe 98 is subpar, the fact is indisputable
that the boys just weren't playing anywhere near as good as they were capable.

I was in a bad mood all day on 7/9 yet still had enough fire inside to hope for a
dramatic turn of events.  The show that night was the most dramatic turn of events I
could have ever dreamed.  The band made a conscious decision that night that they were
actually gonna take this show seriously.  They came out with the summer's first "Carini",
providing the dark edge needed to shake things up.  This was the perfect call since
Carini himself had to come out the previous night to remove some fool from the stage.  
After this sharp intro the band never let up.  They segued into the much-loved "Reggae
Woman" which had a nice little groove to it, then spilled into "NICU."  The mood was
already set and it was clear that the band was out to have a good time.

Phish was making all the right calls this night as they exploded into the summer's first
"Split Open and Melt."  I had been waiting for this one and boy did it deliver.  The
intro was so fat and precise.  Fishman was locked in.  This was one of the cleanest
versions I've heard.  It was followed by "Meat."  As far as I'm concerned, they've never
topped this one.  It had these little nuances which were so funky and so representative
of how on they were. "Meat" even had a short outro funk jam.

Next was "Poor Heart" which was also the best version I've heard.  They blazed through
this often forgettable tune.  It was particularly appropriate because a taper had his
gear stolen from the show the night before or before this show, I forget which.  Whether
you like "Poor Heart" or not, it is almost always a sign of something big to follow.  
Sure enough they dropped into a rare first-set "Tweezer."  It was interesting to hear how
different this version was from the one they played in Kobenhavn.  It was a little
shorter at about 18 minutes, but it was nearly as thrilling.  I felt like I was being
"pinballed" by Mike's bass from the middle of the packed Zeleste floor.  When the went
into the "jam", Trey immediately started with this trippy, underwater tone unlike I've
ever heard him do.  This was definitely an evolved "Tweezer."  The set ended with
"Ragtime Gal."

Barcelona had the most diverse crowd of any of the European shows.  It was cool to hear
different languages being spoke all around the venue. People seemed to be getting along
quite well.  The place was very packed though and it was challenging to find a comfort
zone.  I moved back a bit for the second set and couldn't have been more ready for the
music to begin.

They made one of the best calls I've ever seen by opening set two with my first
"Drowned!"  I was so elated that I basically screamed without any sound throughout the
whole tune.  It was intense to hear this song in such a small place. Mike was belting it
out and it felt so perfect to hear him singing about the ocean since we were so close.  
Trey was in full "rockstar"  mode for the second set.  All of his solos were very
aggressive and extensive.  The "Drowned"  jam was filled with relentless guitar work and
spiraling group interplay.  They chose to steer it into "Theme" which was another
perfect, ocean-infused selection.  "Theme" has definitely lost a step since '97 but it is
still always a pleasure.

"Of course they gotta go screwing up a perfectly good show with Scent of a Mule," is what
shot through my head immediately.  Not the first time I've thought that.  The irony is
that I think it's a great song.  It's just that it doesn't fit into the flow very well at
most shows. Probably best to keep it in the first set.  Anyways, they played a ripping
"Mule" and threw "Blister in the Sun" in the middle which I'm sure most of the crowd was
into.  I just wasn't into anything but serious playing at this point though.

As we reached that point in the set where you know they got to play something big, here
comes that familiar drum progression that leads into that epic song about a milk mascot.
I wasn't thrilled that they were opting for "Harry Hood," since they had featured it now
at all three of the cities they played.  Nevertheless, it is their "flagship" song so why
not treat another crowd to it.  This one was unique because it wasn't finished, as the
jam steered off into a full-on Trey-induced meltdown with notes flying everywhere.  Trey
was totally dominant, playing at full speed, slamming into "Izabella" like a runaway
locomotive.  Jimi would have been proud.  This rocker ended the show in style along with
a "Chalkdust" exclamation point as the encore.

I was so drained after this marathon that I could hardly stand up.  Fortunately a friend
came to my rescue with a banana, giving me just enough energy to make it back to La
Rambla.  Sadly, this show pretty much ended up being the unofficial end of the tour as
the next night was totally tainted by equipment malfunctions (which were so reflective of
how the whole tour had been).  I cherish 7/9/98 so much and all the feeling I
experienced.  Phish has spent a lot of their career "holding back", whether consciously
or subsconsciously, and how sweet it was watching them shine in their full glory. Thanks
for listening.

Yours Truly,
Tyler Blue
tylerblue1@aol.com


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