8/1/98 - Alpine Valley, East Troy, WI
I've been lucky enough to catch Phish at Alpine every time they've
played there and I must say that anyone who has the tapes or has also
been fortunate enough to see all three Alpine shows over the years will
back me on much (hopefully) of the opinion in this review. The 1996
show didn't really do it for me, probably becuase of the long ass haul
from Red Rocks. 1997 showed Phish in a newer form, relatively
unpredictable first sets with songs randomly chosen from albums,
standards, and the occasional rarity bust-out. The second sets became
intense hour-and-a-half long jam riddled rock-outs, with that lovable
Phish tranquility woven in here and there. It seemed the boys had a lot
to live up to as 1998 rolled around, and sure enough they're here to
show all of us why their the best goddamn band on this planet.
Alpine Valley is a great place to catch a show, especially if you score
good pavillion seats. From my experience there it seems like the sound
gets really inaudible towards the back of the HUGE lawn and we all do
love getting down 20th row, Mike's side....
Ramble On: Wow! What a great tune for Phish to cover, and the first
time every! At this point the entire place knew we were in for a ride...
SET I:
Mikes: Shit... How many times can you say that you've seen them bust
out a Mike's in the first set, let alone the sencond song into the
show!! Not the best I've heard but nice and long, Trey really leads a
nice savage sort of jam (see Gorge 7/17/98 Mike's!) and then comes down
into a nice...
Esther: After 30+ shows over the course of the last 4 years I had yet
to see this one and I got it here. Very fun to watch. Good choice,
mellow things out a bit.
Weekapaug: I figured this would be next. Weekapaug is ALWAYS a blast
and it was here where I really came to realize a sort of phase Phish is
in at this point, FUNK! (Listen to the 7/18/98 Weekapaug towards the
closing jam... ;) )
Gyute: I've heard them play this song probably 6 or so times and it
never gets old. This set was beginning to show the band's versatility
and creativity, well most of their shows do but a definite randomness
was forming as far as the song choice went. I love to watch Trey and
Page on this one mimic one another at a few key points at rapid fire
pace for seconds on end. It really is amazing to say the least.
Ficus: A new song and also the first time I had heard it. Kind of
wierd but cool in a Phish way. Mike is always welcome on lead vocals in
my book!
Birds of a Feather: Definitely one of the bands favorite to play this
past summer. I had seen this in Portland so I knew what it was this
time. I really have developed a liking for this song, both the music and
the lyrics. Trey wails like hell on this one....
Lawnboy: Ahhh... one last break until the set closer. Lawnboy is
great, Page gets up and does his lounge act and you can tell by the
looks on each of their faces they're having a ball up there. Above all
else, you gotta love the sense of humor these guys have...
Funky Bitch: Cool song, nice closer. I was ready for the set break at
this point, but the bitch is always a good tune to get the groove on so
I proceeded to dance.
Overall a very kickass set. One thing I really don't like about some
show reviews is that people compare the set to others. What this does,
at least for me, is that it takes away "the moment", which is one of the
most uncanny things Phish does, provides that "moment" throughout the
show where you really can't believe the music being performed in front
of you. I think the Deadheads called it "getting it".
This set basically gave a little bit of everything.
Set II:
Piper: Really an excellent opener. I've heard quite a few people's
disgust for this opener but at Alpine it REALLY got things off to an
energetic start. Trey began to into and each member one-by-one
followed, winding things up to a point of near explosion and then...
that tranquility I mentioned before, it was on a , excuse the French,
fucking dime and then faded off into...
Wilson: This was the call for the opener but it came second. I took a
liking to Wilson probably only a year ago and after hearing the new
"Heavy Metal Jam" or whatever at the end, I could now lay my hate on the
evil bastard...
2001: Now as far as I'm concerned, when you are actually watching a
2001, you are taken somewhere else. Don't get me wrong, many of Phish's
song have the same effect, but the NEW 2001's they've been playing is
some of theeeee SICKEST shit I've seen, this one being no exception
whatsoever. Kuroda, what an all-star...
Magilla: bam... Phish at their best, nobody there couldv'e called this
one. A gem to see, my first. These boys can swing.
Tweezer: Tweezer is one of my favorite Phish tunes. This particualar
Tweezer was very very nice. Listen to the last few minutes of the
building jam... simply beautiful. This melted into...
Fluffhead: Always a fun tune. I sat back and watched this one, trying
as hard as I could to follow the roller-coaster of time changes.
Awesome!
Brian and Robert: Another new tune. This one is ok I guess, hasn't
really grown on me (yet).
Albuquerque: A neil Young cover done justice. Such a good song for
Phish to cover.
Chalkdust: The end was near as Chalkdust usually tells but they were
not going to let us go before Chalkdust picked us all up one more time,
spun us around and slammed us down only for...
Frankenstein: ..to pick us up and pound our measly little bodys back
in to ground. A powerhouse closer.
Encore:
Been Caught Steelin': A new trend for Phish! Even more random covers!
This was a lot of fun. As an old Jane's fan I really could not believe
it. I think the band's entire crew was off stage left watching them do
this one, pretty cool.
Tweeprise: Expected. Put a nice big ! on the night. A perfect night in
my book. Thanks boys for another great year at Alpine!
-Jason Everson
eversojm@selway.umt.edu
WARNING: If you do not like negative reviews, read no further. I have seen
a lot of people comment on this show and I see it differently, and I call
'em as I see 'em.
Pre-show we got a special treat. As we were sitting out in the lot Mike
and Page drove on over right next to us and parked for awhile. Cool to
talk to them. Some lady asked Page to play Strange Design. I chuckled.
Hope she saw Deer Creek. I'll take the Tela from K.C. and run with it,
though:)
Ramble On: I would comment on this one but I could barely hear it. We
were out on the lawn and the PA was so quiet you could drown it out by
whispering at this point. It slowly got louder during the set, then was
quiet again for the second set and slowly got better again. It was never
at concert level, though. It's a shame, I probably would have liked this
one.
Mike's: Psyched to see this one. What I could hear, though, was
definitely a mediocre Mike's, and nothing more. Probably should have gone
later when they were more in the groove of the show.
Esther: Good song, not the best place for it, though.
Weekapaug: Great opening by Mike. The jam in here was good, I felt like
they were finally starting to get something going. Still not a monumental,
all-time Weekapaug by any means, though.
Gyute: Very well played, can't say much more. Definitely one of the
highlights of the show, but it still doesn't lend itself to much improv.
Ficus: Won't comment on this one because I don't remember it other than the
fact that it was there and it didn't do much for me or anyone else I saw.
Birds of a Feather: The part where they sing this song is repetetive and
just plain not very good. The jam was decent, definitely in a
Julius/Chalkdust/Character Zero mold, but not close to as good as the one
I've heard from the Spring run (not sure which one).
Lawn Boy: My friends and I always seem to get this one. Whatever novelty
this song has is lost by being far away.
Funky Bitch: Good, but not great. The one in Kansas City was considerably
better.
Piper: I like this song, but not as an opener. Just doesn't work there.
Like BirdsOAF, I like the jamming but the part where they sing does nothing
for me at all. This was, again, one of the shorter and weaker Piper's I've
heard.
Wilson: I was in the minority on the drive home, and apparently on the net
too, but this heavy-metal jam was HORRIBLE! If I were to talk up a new jam
band to people and then give them a tape that cut out the Wilson except for
this "jam" people would think I was deaf. One of the most un-musical, lame
moments of Phish I've ever heard (soon to be outdone, though).
2001: At this point I was nervous even at songs I love like this one. 2001
was excellent. I am usually more of a music kind of guy, but the lights
here just kicked ass. The playing was dark and groovy at the same
time...very nice. Now we're getting somewhere. Wish they could have kept
it going even longer, but alas, all things must end.
Magilla: Went to the bathroom on this one, so I can't comment. I had held
it through 2001, because, well...
Tweezer: Highlight of the show. Not groundbreaking in an exploratory
sense, in fact it was very grounded on earth, but a nice jam. The type of
improvisation that Phish should mix in more of. I hesitate to call it
mellow, more like melodious and beautiful, soul-inspiring even. Reminded
me of something Zero would play. In fact, Mike (who was very prominent
here) was playing licks at one point that made me think the type of jams in
Zero's Golden Road. Maybe not the notes, per se, but the style. There was
about 1 minute of (unneeded) atonality before they settled in for some more
groovy jamming, and then went to Fluffhead. Clocked in at a little under
20 minutes.
Fluffhead: A bit of a bring-down for me as I had been floating in the
clouds of the heavenly Tweezer. All composition, and not their best one,
at that.
Brian & Robert: My friend and I were laughing at how Phish could write a
song this bad, so I guess it does have one redeeming quality (humor).
Albuquerque: A decent ballad, but suffered from poor timing in the setlist
(as did much of the show). We didn't need this one right after B&R.
Chalkdust: A decent version to get us rocking again, but only average in
the realm of Chalkdusts past.
Frankenstein: If you've read this much you can probably tell that I like
originals over covers and improvisation over composition, so this one
doesn't do a whole lot for me after I've heard it God-knows-how many times.
Was better than most, though, I guess.
Been Caught Stealin: I'm going to try to keep my comments short and to the
point on this one, but why musicians as talented as Phish would want to
play this crap is utterly beyond me. Maybe that's the point, though, I
don't know. I better leave it at that, if you want my in depth feelings
e-mail me :)
Tweezer Repr: I was still shaking my head so I don't really know, but
sounded like the regular Tweezprise.
I had an overall great time, and there were moments of excellence
(enchantingly beautiful Tweezer, 2001, Weekapaug, Gyute...). It just
didn't stand up as a full show to many I have heard. The newbies I came
with all thought it was fun but not amazing. Of the two people who had
seen shows before and heard numerous tapes, one of them panned it even more
than I did and the other thought we were too negative but agreed it was
only an average show. Take it with a grain of salt.
rodirks@binary.net
This was the first show of ny three-show run this summer (Alpine plus
both Deer Creeks). This venue is gorgeous. A very natural, wide-open
atmosphere encompasses the stage. My only complaint is that some of the
lawn spots (including mine) are difficult to see from due to the slopage
of the ground. Anyway, the show...
Saturday, 8/1/98, ALPINE VALLEY: "Expect the unexpected..."
Set I:
Ramble On: This was my first show since fall, so I was waiting to be
overwhelmed by an exciting opener. It took me a second to recognize this
tune, but I was quite happy to hear it. As if the boys needed to prove
their penchant for the unexpected any more...The version was faithful to
the original, short, and got everyone moving. Great opener.
Mike's: Yeah! My first. Being the huge Phish dork that I am, I went so
far as to high-five my friend Phil as this tune began. I'm such a loser.
But hey...it's Mike's! This version was nothing spectacular, mainly
permagroove type stuff. Still very cool.
-> Esther: Wha?! Trey and Fishman really flubbed their entrances here,
to the point where I thought it was an Esther tease from Page and we
were getting the standard Hydrogen. After that, however, this was great!
Again, unexpected. Terrific!
Weekapaug: Yeah. Good segue. Mike funked the hell out of the opening. I
first wrote Weekapaug -> funk jam -> Weekapaug on my setlist. Very
funky, then the jam got hot. Overall very pleasing, one of the better
jams of the night.
Guyute: Trey took a long time deciding what he wanted to play, but as
soon as this tune began, everyone was quite excited. Perhaps not the
best tune to follow a ragin' Weekapaug, but still very well played. The
crowd loved it, though it was pretty much standard.
Ficus: Whoa! This was really excellent. I'd never heard this before, and
I loved it right off the bat. This song has a quirky, dark quality.
Excellent composition.
BOF: My first. Brought the energy up. Decent version, but it got its ass
smoked by the next night's version.
Lawn: Fun to see live. Good Mike solo.
Funky Bitch: Had my friend Kula happy. Good set-closer. Short, sweet
solos from everyone.
Overall, pretty decent first set. Weekapaug was the only really
well-jammed tune, but the song selection was pretty cool, very enjoyable
set.
Set II:
Piper: Wha? I LOVE this song, but it should not be an opener. It
basically has no beginning, and is an easy tune to segue into. This
version was dissapointing. Vocals sounded shitty, no good jam, either.
It was cool how they just stopped on a dime and began Wilson, but why
sell Piper short? It's certainly not a 5-minute pop song. It's all about
building energy, and they didn't give it a chance to breath. Anyway,
I'll post a review of it when I get the tapes.
Wilson: Cool. Funny, I was toward the middle of the lawn, and I found
myself wishing they would turn up the PA. You couldn't just scream your
head off like you can in an arena. Here, we would have certainly
bothered someone. In fact, Kula jokingly sang a G so they we could
harmonize our "Willlllsssssson!" chant for fear of offending a nearby
phan. At any rate, this Wilson rocked. Then, at the "You got me back
thinking, that you're the worst one..." section, they lanuched into this
ragin' heavy metal jam which I've never heard before, then finished the
song. No one head-bangs quite like Trey, Brock-tune.
ASZ: Yes! I was really excited for this one. Great lights, Chris!!! The
jam was goovin' perfectly. Very cool.
-> Magilla: Wow. Expect the unexpected. Good Page-led segue, the only
true musical segue of the night. This one added to the already eclectic
setlist. I love Phish-jazz, and especially getting to hear Page stretch
out. Nice.
Tweezer: As Magilla finished, Fish started up the ASZ beat, but Trey was
having none of that. This tune always excites me with its jam
possibilities, but perhaps we were getting a little late in the set for
that? Opening was standard, and the jam, unfortunately, did little.
Fluffhead: Whoa, Fluffhead following Tweezer? This was a treat for all,
from beginning to end. Excellent.
Brian and Robert: Break out those lighters and hold 'em high. This one's
for you...
Albuquerque: I love this tune. But right after B+R? Talk about changing
the flow of energy...
Chalkdust: Nothing better to get the hearts pumping again. Fairly short,
rockin' version. Trey went moderately nuts.
Frankenstein: Wow, a lot of songs so far. Kept Chalkdust's energy
flowin'. Good closer.
ENCORE: Tweeprise? Well, not yet. A bit more of the unexpected. Been
Caught Stealin' COULD NOT have been any more perfect. Wow. Pure genius.
And then, Tweeprise. Great ending.
Overall, judging just from the selist, it seems Phish played a bit too
many songs. By this I mean that they didn't really allow enough tunes to
stretch out and go places. There were a lot of great songs, played VERY
tightly, but not much jamming to speak of. The Weekapaug and ASZ->
Magilla were highlights, and the Ramble On opener and Been Caught
Stealin' encore were both treats. Overall, little of it seemed to stick,
however, and the sets were not really musically coherent. Still, this
show was a lot of fun.
Thanks for reading. Deer Creek reviews to follow.
Later,
CDH
Hey everybody,
Well, the day was absolutely perfect and cooled off by the afternoon.
Alpine Valey is the most beautiful venue I've been to; the densely
wooded hills create a breathtaking backdrop to the pavilion. Security
seemed cool all day but there was a scirmish in the lot which I just
caught the tail end of. Security had broken it up and people were just
crowded around when I saw it, but apparently somebody offered a bunch of
shrooms (which turned out bunk) for free. Everbody of course swarmed to
get a piece of the prize and security got scared. This kind of thing has
to stop before it grows and keeps Phish out of certain venues. Besides
that incident, everyone had the vibe.
Ramble On: What a great opener. Very fitting to the beautiful sunset.
The boys were loving it and they were very excited; basically screeming
the chorus. Trey's usual energetic style jamming for a Zepplin cover.
This REALLY got the crowd pumped for the night.
Mike's: The one-two punch. The first Mike's in a long time (for Mike's)
and the crowd went insane. A didn't think this Mike's was anything
spectacular, although it was definately great. They played it here last
year, too. Decent funk groove that didn't get too bizaare....
Esther: Mike's into Esther? I don't know of this ever happening before.
Esther was very enjoyable, but again not necessarily noteworthy. I wish
I had more to say about it, but I can't really think of anything else
about it right now.
Weekapaug: I really felt this one coming (who didn't?) The intro was
one of the best. I've never heard a bass pop like Mike was then. It
didn't even sound like a bass guitar because the popping was so
profound. Every note: pop pop pop, not just the accented ones as usual.
Trey was doing this funny 70's style disco dance during Mike's intro. It
turns into a good funk groove that didn't last so long that it got
redundant. It drifted farther from it's structure, then they suddenly
stopped playing at once. Pause for a few seconds, then a few bars of
Mike's intro solo, then back into Weekapaug. Reminded me of 11.22.97
Weekapaug. Still funky, moving towards the closing segment but they just
didn't want to end it and drew out the approach. I didn't know how long
they might delay it, but I was loving every monent. Finally wrapped it
up with the usual granduer of a Mike's Groove (no H2, but Esther!!)
Gyute: They paused for a long time before starting Gyute, Trey talking
to Mike for a while. This was a tyically great Gyute, although it could
have been tighter. I've never seen them build so much energy in the
crowd before, but what do you expect with these first four? I remember
thinking how lucky I was to have two more consecutive nights ahead of
me.
Ficus: Another long pause before beginning. I hadn't ever heard this
before. The crowd never really got it either. It had a very eery sound
with Fish using mallets and overall had an Egyptian or Eastern feel to
it.
Birds of a Feather: Another unfamiliar one to most of the crowd,
although they were loving it after it got moving. I had only heard the
spring ones, and it didn't sound any better or worse than those. This is
a great mid-first set song to keep things energetic.
Lawn Boy: A crowd pleaser to see Page slinking around the stage. Mike's
solo was strong and more intricate than most that I've heard.
Funky Bitch: A great closer. Page was very stong on the organ solos,
and everyone held their own. Featured short solos by each guy towards
the end of the jam, starting with Fish. Each was no more than a few
measures long, but you typically don't see this kind of soloing and
everybody else sitting back and taking a near-total break for a few
beats.
What a first set! Everything, except for Ficus, got everyone moving,
including the band. Started on a high note, ended on a high note, and
kept it up all the way though. The only one that really stands out
_individaully_ is perhaps Weekapaug, but the overall quality was
unbelievable. The work was well underway for a classic show.
SET II
Piper: Sounded great, although I don't remember it being outstanding.
Very solid, though.
Wilson: We got this one last year also, and this one had a funny heavy
metal type jam. I still love the audience participation on this song
too. Even though I don't really care about this song too much, it turned
out to be entertaining on account of the metal jam. Trey was doing some
Trey-style headbanging too.
2001: Not exceptionally long, although a great lead-in jam. The
audience picked up on the regularity of the beat and began annoyingly
clapping. Mike was coming through strong and Page was coming up with
some creative and spooky sounds to accompany Trey's delay loops. The
lights were outstanding as usual for 2001. I still haven't heard
Crosseyed and Painless so I didn't recognize the tease....
Magilla: This one's bouncy circus feel didn't really fit with the
progression of 2001's dark and spacey feel, but that kind of unexpected
spontinuity is what makes the shows so great. Some fun noodling back and
forth between Page and Trey....
Tweezer: During 2001, I kept thinking how a Tweezer would fit so
perfectly as the next seque, but I thought it may be too late in the set
to begin a journey such as Tweezer. Mike was stood out well in most
sections. It didn't get too outlandish but worked into a decent funk
groove that worked into....
Fluffhead: Talk about thowing more opposites out. This was well
received and well given. The jam was strong, led by classic oldschool
Trey solos. The guys were really giddy, much like the enthusiasm from
the Ramble On opener.
Brain and Robert: I've never heard this before; it didn't do anything
for me.
Albequerque: Never heard this either; still didn't do anything for me
but the crowd liked it a little more, perhaps because it is more
lyically based.
Chalkdust: A great energy comeback! This one screemed as is typical for
the pure energy thriller. At the first notes I assumed that this would
close the show; Trey gives his usual thanks and they hit the final chord
but didn't bow. Hmmmm, what now?
Frankenstein: I guess they just needed more. I was happy to see this
for the first time since I've heard it on tape so many times. Standard
until the distortion part towards the end, which was drawn out longer
than usual. Now Trey again thanks the crowd and they really are done.
ENCORE:
Been Caught Steeling: Stage hand brought out the tramps and everyone
got pumped. Then the song started and people about lost it with
excitment. Mike and Trey jumped in unison facing the audience for a
short time, maybe only 30 seconds, but it was well worh it just to see
once. I love these unique moments where they break new ground....
Tweeprise: I think most everbody saw this coming which maybe made it
better. It was so powerful that it brought the guy mext to me to
tears.
Overall, this show was _outstanding_ although there were few parts the
were _outstanding._ The highlights for me would be the Weekapaug and
2001 and general excitement of the band and audience. This show had
_INCREDIBLE_ energy, and no bluegrass or Billy Breathes, neither of
which I'm a big fan of.
Peace,
Elliott
In lieu of the Copenhagen webcast a month ago, I wasn't expecting too much
out of this....the chatroom beforehand was absolutely full, and some guy
kept on writing "FUCK" and just bombed it so no one could chat...pretty
frustrating...anyways, "rollingstoneisaac" was apparently backstage and
let us in on what was going on, which was pretty cool...pre-show music was
fairly standard pre-show music....pretty laidback.
So I go to the bathroom and Zeppelin's on as more pre-show music....except
there's lots of crowd noise in the background....I nearly died when I
realized it was Phish...the video was kind of choppy and about half way
through it, I just sat in the common room and listened to the audio while
watching the White Sox get their asses kicked by the Rangers. Ramble On
was nice.....completely suprised to hear it....Page belting out lyrics
better than Plant can now....I saw Page/Plant a few weeks ago and he
didn't even sing the "now the time the time is now..." and "going 'round
the world, I'm gonna find my girl" and the other such lines....Page
sang the ad-libbed vocals from the studio version. Does anyone
else remember the *distinct* Ramble On teases during the Deer
Creek Cities last year....I think the band totally knew it too,
at least Trey did, because GT,BT followed right after. Anyways,
Ramble on was perfectly played, nice mellow jam at the end, which faded
out into Mike's....well-played intro...jam was rocking....standard type I
Mike's jamming, reminded me of the Tweezer opener in Providence...rock-out
nothing too out there.. It was actually pretty funny...me and friend were
just sitting on the couch groovin' and he suddenly said, "wait, have they
modulated to F yet?" Sure enough, less than 5 seconds later, Trey hits
the F, seemingly out of nowhere....pretty weird....F-jam was short, sort
of faded out into Esther...completely caught me off guard, but not too
surprising considering all the bustouts at the last three shows....I was
definitely expecting one more from this show and I got it (MAGILLA!!!)
Esther was well played...it's amazing how Trey can lose it during Fee, but
remember all the lyrics to this one....can't wait to hear this live again
(if I ever do...). Weekapaug started out of the end of Esther...no real
-->, but I'd put it there, just because all Mike's grooves are connected
by one big ------->....always. I mean there are obviously times when a
song fully stops before weekapaug kicks in (i.e. Alpine last year), but it
always deserves a segue arrow, IMHO. Rockin' weekapaug....stayed at the
high-energy Week jamming for awhile, then sort of died down into a funky
weekapaug jam, then built back up....standard Week (not weak) ending.
Trey begins strumming Guyute after a short pause, making me realize that
this is definitely, by far, the best four song opening to a show, beating
out the one-two-three-four Axilla-->Peaches-->PYITE--->CTB knockout punch
of NYE '96 (no amazing jams then, but completely kicked my ass). Guyute
again, played amazingly well, compared to many of the botched '97
versions....Trey's solo cut off, though...have they been doing this in all
of the '98 versions? It's usually end lyrics, Page solo., Trey
solo...at Alpine, Trey just sort of came in at the end of Page's solo and
the song ended a verse early. Ficus was interesting...kind of eerie first
time since the show started that I actually had a chance to
breathe....Birds of a Feather was nice....jam was kind of standard...I
think this song is becoming a sort of Chalkdust/Character Zero, standard
type I jam, bring the crowd up song, rather than the jamming monster it
had potential to be after the 4/4/98 version...I could be wrong...I've
only heard three versions now....will comment more upon further listening
to other summer BOAFs if I can get my hands on any of them. I simply love
the delay ending effect that they end it with on 4/4/98. Lawnboy and
Funky Bitch were both pretty standard. A little disappointed with the end
of the set after such an amazing beginning....but I think me and my friend
were a little antsy to go out drinking at this time as well. Anyways,
during set break we were just chilling and there were rumors going around
the chatroom about guests for the encore or a suprise encore, but I took
them with a grain of salt....tuned back on in the middle of Wilson....the
metal jam in the middle is interesting...not sure if I quite like it, I'll
have to hear it again....so, my friend was like..."let's leave after
Wilson, unless the next song is good..." 2001 made us stay....went back
to watch the video for this one....still kind of choppy, but entertaining
nonetheless....Trey has really taken the front seat on this song, whereas
once he was just simply chording, now he adds a solo flavor to this, which
he's been doing pretty much since 4/4....it's turned quite into a nice
segue song, although removing the second "verse" kind of
disappoints...segued nicely into Magilla, which I was psyched to hear but
we went out drinking anyways. Overall thoughts.....great first set...give
it a 9.0 as far as first sets go, only hindered by the choice of the last
two songs....Webcast ruled....nice to hear a show live...you still get
that "what are they going to play next?" feeling after the jam takes a
different direction or after a song ends and you still get the "NICE!!!"
or "WHHHAAAATTTT?!" after they bust out something like Ramble On or Esther
and the "Damn, I'm going to sit down and have a cigarette" feeling after a
perfectly played Gyute.
On another note, I came back from the party we went to around 12:00-ish
because I didn't know anyone there and it was schwaggy beer anyways....so
it was off to another party, but not until I stopped at my house to
relieve my bladder. I was tempted to check to see what the encore would
be (it was about encore time, then). God damn, I was hitting myself all
night after I came home and checked the net at 3:30am and found out they
played Been Caught Stealing...anyone who heard it how was it? Did they
jam at all.....did Fishman bark at the beginning? Who sang? The big
question is, will this be in the rotation from now on?
GROVEL!!!!! Please...please if anyone has this show, please please e-mail
me....I have no summers...yet. But I have lots of goodies to offer,
including the Chameleon Disco Biscuits show, which I will offer up for B&P
to anyone who wants....the 1999>Mr. Don is truly a masterpiece of
techno-rock improv....and it's also a great intro to people who haven't
heard the Biscuits yet...anyways, take it easy..
"An asteroid crashed and nothing burned, it made me wonder..."
-Fishman
"We will be back in EXACTLY fifteen minutes..."
-Trey
Wow. What a show. Even though it was my first show, I know enough.
And what I don't know about, I won't comment on. I've got the tapes,
blah blah blah, so I know all of the songs, except some of the new ones
of course. On to the show.
I had reserved seats, way to the right, about 20th row. Took a lot of
good pictures of Fish's back. But we could see everyone. There was a
huge marshmallow throwing fight before the show, that was pretty funny.
It started up in the grass area, then they eventually made their way
down into the pavillion seating. It was a tasty fight.
The guys came on REAL LATE. Maybe by around 8. At around 7:30, half
the pavillion was still empty, and there was some eerie Godfather type
music playing, but then it got happier.
The show begins...
Ramble On---I didn't know this one at first, but my bud Mike told me,
and they cover all Zep tunes so great, if I had to guess at a band, I
would've guessed Zep. Great cover, started the show with some nice
energy. About 6-7 minutes.
Mike's---I knew it was coming, along with everyone else. I mean, 6
shows and no mike's? C'mon! I guess Alpine is the place for Mike's,
and big ones at that. Last year was a big one, and this year
was...interesting, to say the least. I thought they'd keep it till the
second set for sure, but then again, who am I? It was loud at first,
both the crowd and the band. Typical lyric part, up until the part when
they start to jam. The jam was...very smooth flowing. It was a bit
light almost, for Mike's, but suddenly came alive. There weren't any
teases, either Hydro or Simple, I was kind of surprised to not hear
anything. So they jammed it. Really jammed it. For about 12 minutes.
Then it got a little more quiet, then we knew that something was
brewing.
Esther. NO WAY! First time US Summer, Right when Page started the
little carnie line, I went nuts. So did the rest of the 45,000 people.
It was a great version, Trey remembered all of the words, and they even
jammed the end out a bit more than usual. About 10+ minutes. Then
straight into Weekapaug.
Weekapaug---It was excellent transition. Just do it in your head-Da, da
da, da da da da da, Boom, Weekapaug bassline starts. It was perfect. L
O N G Mike Solo, good one too. Then they really jammed this one, for
almost 12 minutes. Straightforward jamming, some good noodling at first
by Trey, and then he really turned it up. The end was very energetic.
Possibly the hilight of the show.
Guyute---With Whistling, oh yes. It was good, I'm not MADLY in love
with this song, but I like it a lot. So I enjoyed it, very comparable
to the 11-14-97 version from the E Center in Utah.
???--I think this was Ficus, Mike sang it. I thought that the first
word was Ficus, other than that, I had no clue. It was decent-dark like
Weigh, definately another weird Cactus Tune.
Birds of a Feather-On paper, this song sounds kinda dorky, but I really
liked this one. The chorus is catchy, Perhaps my favorite new one
played tonight.
Lawn Boy-Page really had fun with this one, crooning and struttin' his
stuff to everyone. He even had a little finger snapping going on during
Mike's slow (but good) bass solo.
Funky Bitch---Standard, but it was good.
All in all, I thought that set 1 could have ended a little better, the
energy from Mike's kinda was killed off by the slow new one.
Set II.
First off, they took a LONG break. I had so much time that I found my
friends 30 rows up, and walked all the way up to the t-shirt vending
place way up in the corner of Alpine, and all the way back down to my
20th row seats, and still waited for 20 minutes. Maybe it just seemed
long. Oh well, it was totally worth the wait. `
Roget-I am also not sure on this one, someone just told me that it was
Roget, so I am trusting her. Whatever it was, I liked it a lot. It had
a little reggae/calypso flavor to it, not as much as NICU or anything,
but just a tad from Page.
Wilson---The crowd was real loud chanting "WIL-SON!", so that was cool.
Kind of a heavier jam in the middle, totaled out to be about 7 minutes
long.
2001-This was so spacey, and where we really saw Chris's magic take
over. The lighting was practically the song itself. It's
indescribable. It was totally amazing. They segued well right into
Magilla---This was a treat to hear. Happy and well done. Segued right
into...
Tweezer---You knew that after 2001, they were gonna do something big,
and Tweezer was over-due. Glad to hear it, but I was pretty surprised
about the jam-It was soft for Tweezer. It was a very good jam, but IMO,
Tweezer jams are usually weird, funked out, and...keep a Tweezer theme.
This one didn't. It went on for 18 and a half minutes.:) I knew that
something was up,and sure enough...
Right into...
FLUFFHEAD!!!!---YIPPEE!!!! YIPPEE! Oh joy. I was shocked to even hear
this and Esther in the same show. It was so great, and jammed out at
the end. Total, ran about 15 minutes. The guys went from
2001>Magilla>Tweezer>Fluffhead. How many times have you seen that
before?
Staring at the Walls.---Ho hum. Ok song. Better than...
? NEW SONG ? I don't know the title of this song, but I want to find
out so I don't have to listen to it when it's on the new CD. I was
tempted to sit down, but decided not to. A lot of other people did
though. I didn't like the choice to stick this in here, it kinda ruined
the flow that was going...But it would return later...
Chalkdust.---Half of the flow was regained by This one. It was good,
clocked out at 7 minutes.
Frankenstien---Oh Yeah!!! Frankie! Yes! It was your standard
Frankenstien, but a standard Frankenstien is still a great song. Thank
you Mr. Winter.
E---
I really wanted a Hood or Possum Encore, and I already knew that they
were gonna do Tweezerprise, so I had my hopes up. But, this was just as
good!
Been Caught Stealing---I recognized the riff right away, and did a
frickin' double take! No way! This was toooooooo awesome, get the tape
just for this!!! They did a quickie on the Tramps, and then...
Tweezerprise. Yeah. Bound to happen. Great show.
Overall, Chris really made himself seen in the second set. The
lighting was spectacular, and that's an understatement. 2001 had the
best lighting I've ever seen, along with Chalkdust and Been Caught...
This was my first show, and it was quite an experience. PLEASE E-mail
me, I like to hear from everyone!!! I hope that Andy puts this up, my
e-mail is phishhead99@hotmail.com
See ya'll IN MAD-TOWN NOVEMBER 6 AT THE KOHL CENTER!!! HOORAY!
---$.02, Stevo
I just got back from Alpine Valley and had a blast. They opened up with
Ramblin' On by Zeppelin and Page hit the notes perfectly. The first set was
incredible with a constant speed that kept the dancer moving. Set 2 was
equally as good with Wilson including the heavy metal jam, and Chalkdust
Torture into Frankenstein. The biggest point was probably when they pulled
out another new cover for the encore, Been Caught Stealing by Janes'
Addiction. Everyone seemed to know the words and Trey was in perfect form
singing. Ending with a Tweezer reprise brought the conclusion. The lights
were also great, especially in 2001 and the Tweezer reprise. I finally was
able to see Phish live, and it definitely won't be the last time. See you in
Deer Creek.
Summer Reviews
Andy's Phish Page