5/6/99 The Riviera, Chicago, Illinois
Date: Sat, 08 May 1999 17:58:32 -0700
From: Dan O'Malley domalle@luc.edu
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: chicago 5/6 review
Well, it's time for a show review. It's been two days since the show
now and I had a chance to hibernate for the time being to regain my
strength. This show wore me out like no show I can remember. The show
ended 10:45-11:00 and I was home by 11:15. At 11:20 I was asleep and
woke up late afternoon on Friday. As much as this show wore me out,
though, it was definitely worth the effort.
I headed down early, very excited for this show. The show was only
four el stops away, no driving for me! I took advantage of this by
getting a few beers in me and then headed to wait in line around four
thirty. After walking around to get rid of an extra, I came upon a
large metal door on the side of the venue. As I passed, I heard some
noise but payed no attention until a guy quickly pointed out that the
noise was sound check! Wahoo, the night begins. This was a metal
garage door used to get equipment in and out so it was about five feet
from the stage. If you put your ear to the side of the door at the
cracks you could hear the sound check in very good detail. After listen
to Tops Off, the band began something that is best described as Syd
Barrett-esque. They played this twice before the other guy listening
with me wondered if the door was locked, as there was no lock on it.
Sure enough, we lifted the door about a foot off the ground. Score!
Quickly we laid on our stomachs to hear the sound even better, which it
was. Looking inside we could see how close we really were to the stage
and some of the stuff behind the stage. As Trey finished (after about
thirty seconds), the guy next to me yells out, "Yeah, Trey!" Good call.
We saw everyone's head turn around inside and even got to see Trey's
little head peak around to see what was going on. Of course within two
minutes security went around the outside of the building and told
everyone to keep moving, but we got our kicks out of it.
Then I proceeded to get in line. Outside the venue was very chill.
I saw very few looking for tickets. Most of the ticket seekers had
other tickets to trade, and there were no problems that I saw what so
ever. Chicago, or any big city for that matter, is really an odd
experience to see a show and this was no different. There are some
strang people walking around in big cities. While we were waiting, Russ
came out a took a picture of the Riviera's marquee. No one at all
recognized him and he quickly popped back inside. They let us in half
an hour early with a quick pat down and they scanned most everyone's
ticket with the blacklight on the way in.
Inside the Riv is really cool. It is the largest theater in
Chicago that I've seen (not having been to only the Aragon) and it is
really quite pretty. It's rather old with a good sized stage, a big
balcony and really cool antique crystal chandeliers along the walls. I
really wish String Cheese would've played here over Easter because the
Vic was just way to fucking packed which really took away form my
enjoyment of that show. This place was nice, though. Even close up on
the floor I had quite a bit of room to move around when I wanted.
Security, which is usually very strict for the Chicago shows I've seen,
was non-existent. People were puffin away long before Trey walked out
for his acoustic set, and it didn't stop all night. The place reeked
like bud, and there didn't seem to be any schwag around. The drugs this
night were of quality and quantity. I got to watch some of the
stealthers work this night and that was a really treat. The guy next to
me was really cool. He'd just gotten back from Jazz Fest and he had a
blast. Btw, when I asked him what was the crown jewel of the shows he
saw (of which, he said he caught em all), without hesitating for a
second he said String Cheese Up All Night from 2-8 am. If you haven't
heard these guys, look out, they're not adequate to describe with
words. They're really THAT good. So this guy sits down and busts out
this bottle of Lambris (or something like that, if I'm incorrect, could
somebody let me know cause that stuff was Un-be-lieve-able ). It was
very raspberry flavored champagne and I can't wait to get my hands on
more sometime in my life. That stuff was good. Scott, if you read
this, I can't thank you enough. So, I was feeling pretty good when Trey
came out.
It is definitely an experience to see that guy come on stage. He
was dressed with a black shirt and a blazer, looking pretty good. I
haven't heard any of the other shows on this tour so my knowledge of the
new acoustic songs isn't great, but I really like all of the new
acoustic stuff he played. Mind you I said the new stuff. It was all
very mellow and pretty. Farmhouse was nice. I like that song, but it
isn't sending that chill down my spine like it used to. PYITE was
definitely the highlight. He introduced it by saying something like,
"This is going to sound weird", or something to that effect. He cracked
up several times while whistling the Landlady part which was hilarious.
That part is really difficult to whistle by yourself, especially when
there are a couple of thousand silent people staring at you. The
Runaway Jim I also loved. Overall, though, this was not the best
acoustic set, and no one at set break was really that impressed. Sample
is no better acoustic then with Phish, Brian and Robert has no energy,
and Trey just can't sing When the Circus... very well, especially by
himself. At one point, I believe during B&R, a girl in the front row
said something to Trey and, without missing a beat, he got a little
sheepish grin and said thank you. It was funny to hear her voice, which
could be heard a couple times during that first set through the mics,
and it seemed Trey acknowledged her each time. He seemed nervous
throughout the acoustic set, appearing kind of timid and not really all
that talkative, especially after reading about some of his other on
stage ramblings at other venues. Overall, there were some highlights in
the first set, but like I said, it just didn't blow me away. The crowd
was very quiet for the most part as most talking and screams were
immediately shooshed out. Btw, when we were standing in line, a girl
came and passed out a flyer about the acoustic set that basically told
everyone to shut the fuck up during the first set. It was written in a
very tactful and eloquent manner. It was signed by Rob (who I think one
of my tickets went to) and either way, Rob...Very well done. Thank you
for putting in the time to do that. You message was very well written
and it really got the point across. If you haven't seen the show,
really make sure you get that message out. I, along with everyone who's
seen it, can guarantee you that there is PLENTY of time during the
second set to make as much noise as you could ever want. Keep it down.
And for those of you who just have to get out a wahoo during some of the
acoustic jams, just make a shooshing noise, I'd rather hear that then a
bunch of wahoos and it get everyone to be that much quieter.
Well, the second set was, well, ... Set break was as laid back as
you could be. Tony and Russ joined along for the second set and it was
fun. It's odd to see just Trey with other musicians on stage, but Tony
and Russ are cool. I kept thinking during that second set that Russ
really reminds me of Max Weinberg, a lot. Anyone else get that
impression? Tony is a funny looking little guy that can keep up on bass
really well with anything Trey pulls. At first when I heard these two
on tape I thought that there was something lacking from their playing
abilities, but it has dawned on me. Those two are there only to
showcase Trey, and they fill that role well. You will not hear any bass
or drum solos, that's left to Phish. These two strictly lay down the
beat that allows Trey to do absolutely anything that he wants to, and
they do an amazing job. But, this is the Trey Solo Tour, not Trey and
Friends or anything like that. As for the music, it was very blues
laced. Very heavy guitar, and boy Trey can really get it going when he
wants to. A word of warning to all going, there is a shit load of
music. I'm only seeing that Chicago show, and after the night was over,
I know I made the right decision. The song highlights were, well,
everything. Tops Off I love. I remember some of the new songs, but
can't place their order in the set or the name, but the music was good.
After Jiboo I started to get pretty tired, and it got worse as time went
on. The floor got to a boiling temperature and I remember the jam after
Ooh Child to get pretty mellow. I believe I was really impressed with
Somantian, but around that time I was beat. The last two songs of that
set though closed out the night with a huge bang. Those songs raged and
got me using any energy I had left to get down. Silicon Fairy also just
closed the night with a kick. That song is cool. The night ended well,
began well... Trey is definitely worth seeing.
After the show was an exodus to the cool outdoors. That place got
hotter en' hell, and everyone needed to stretch. I'm only twenty and I
still spent a good ten minutes stretching my legs and back after that
one. A quick warning if you haven't seen the show: get rest, food and
water before going in. It is a long night that is guaranteed to wear
you to the bone, and going in less then full strength will not make the
night as enjoyable as it could be!! I hope you enjoy yourself as
throughly as I did and hope that you don't have to get up really early
for anything the next day.
Thanks for reading if you got this far. I'd like to send a shout out to
Mike and Richard from Ann Arbor and to Stealther Scott. If any of you
guys read this, drop me a line to say high. Enjoy the shows, and I'm
looking ever forward to summer tour. Hope to see ya there.
Later
Dan
oSCIc: 4/17/98 :)
Date: Fri, 07 May 1999 13:37:17 -0500
From: Peter Fikis pfikis@balash.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: Riviere Review
I have never had an experience at a concert like I did last night. A
full house at the Riviera and everyone watching and listening in silence
to Trey's every move. The crowd was very respectful and more so, just
wanted to hear Trey's every word. I actually got to the show during the
second song Farmhouse, due to Chicago traffic, and upon entering the
venue, you wouldn't even know Trey had started, As I got closer to the
stage, I could finally see Trey, he was sitting down strumming his
acoustic guitar. Farmhouse was really good as was Sample in a Jar,
with some of the crowd singing along at times. The new song, Snowflakes
in the Sand is excellent and has really cool lyrics. After the song
Trey says how much he loves Chicago and playing here, everyone of course
cheers! Brian and Robert was just beautiful, it's a perfect song for
an acoustic set, as was Circus Comes to Town. Pyite was my highlight
of the first set, it was pretty funny when Trey whistled the guitar
lines, he laughed several times. The crowd added back-up Heys! and
Trey made the most of his acoustic guitar. The first set ended with an
energetic Runaway Jim that got the crowd moving a bit.
The second set started with Trey in the front on the right, Russ Lawton
in back/center, and Tony Markellis sitting (he's a big guy) on the left.
The three started just jamming together nicely setting the mood. I
didn^Òt know most of the songs, but it still was awesome, Trey is
amazing, he used a keyboard to set some sounds and just jammed several
times throughout the set. The third song with lyrics Moma to groove
possibly, was one that Trey jammed throughout and Russ and Tony added
back-up vocals. I can see clearly, obviously put a smile on everyones
face and had them dancin. Ooh child did the same, it was surrounded
by a lot of instrumental and jamming featuring Chris on lights. He used
speakers on both sides and the walls up high as backdrops for some cool
patterns. Tony started the vocals on Wind or a Bug with Trey coming in
later, this one had a pretty good grove to it. Then, ^Good Times Roll
ended the set with Trey going crazy on his guitar at the end. The
encore Silicone Fairy, was catchy, but probably not what most people
wanted to hear for an encore.
Overall, the show was incredible. It was definitely a different
experience for Phish fans. But, once again Trey shows how amazing he is,
changing from one soft beautiful acoustic set to completely jamming out
in the next. I had a great time and am now even more psyched for summer
tour. Everyone who has a chance to see a show on this tour will be more
than pleased.
Pete Fikis, webmaster "Ficus Files"
http://www.balash.com/ficus.html
Date: Fri, 07 May 1999 14:42:40 -0700
From: Jon Murphy jonmurphy@mailcity.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 5/6/99 review
Trey Anastasio
5/6/99 - The Riviera, Chicago, IL
I (acoustic):
Get Back On The Train, Farmhouse, Purple Hue, Sample in a Jar, Driver,
Snowflakes in the Sand, Brian and Robert, When The Circus Comes, Mountains
in
the Mist, Punch You In The Eye* > Runaway Jim
II (electric, with Tony Markellis, bass, and Russ Lawton, drums):
Jam**, Will It Go Round In Circles, Jiboo, Where They Hoped I'd Be#, Tops
Off,
I Can See Clearly Now, Pistol, Aqui Comma Alla, Ooh Child, Somantain, Wind
Or A
Bug,
Come On (Part I), Let The Good Times Roll
E: Silicon Fairy
* - Trey whistled written guitar lines
** - Possibly a re-used theme?# - Tentative title based on lyrics
I came into this show without lofty expectations and left three hours later,
exhilarated. With a few excellent new songs, Trey displayed his matured
songwriting, and didn^Rt fail to put on a guitar clinic in the second set.
The first set was almost like Trey acting as the opening band for his own
electric show.
He definitely knows his limitations as an acoustic guitarist, and thankfully
didn^Rt try to jam things out too much. I was very impressed by the new songs,
particularly Get Back On The Train. It has a very authentic bluesy sound, and
the lyrics sounded like they were definitely worth paying attention to.
Musically, it doesn^Rt sound much like anything Trey has written before, which
led me to speculate that it might be a cover. It is so good, though, I can^Rt
help but hope that it is an original, for Trey^Rs sake. Snowflakes in the Sand
is a good new tune also, although the lyrics seemed to be teetering on the edge
of clichi. (^SI^Rm big, she^Rs small; I^Rm weak, she^Rs strong,^T etc.) They
worked for me, though, so I shouldn^Rt be too critical.
Other first set highlights were Farmhouse, When The Circus Comes, and Runaway
Jim. (It seems like people often bitch about ^SCircus^T when Phish plays it,
but interestingly, it was greeting with enthusiastic applause on this night).
Generally, I was very impressed with this set, especially in contrast to the
few acoustic tunes I heard Phish do last fall (UIC 11/7, MSG 12/28), which I
think sound sort of tepid.
The second set was amazing. Tony Markellis and Russ Lawton seem to be solid
musicians, but they clearly don^Rt have the musical chops to engage Trey in any
sort of group improvisation. Fortunately, they seemed content to just lay down
a solid rhythm, while Trey delighted the audience with his flights of fancy. I
thought this show was much more accessible than a Phish show. This tour is the
one that people should bring skeptics to, I think they stand a good chance of
being converted.
The set started out blazing, got a little off track in the middle, and closed
out with a tremendous bang. Even the parts of this set that didn^Rt work as
well were interesting, it^Rs just that they seemed to get mired in slow,
repetitive groove-jams a bit too often (especially during I Can See
Clearly
Now).
Highlights of the set were the opening instrumental, Billy Preston^Rs Will It
Go Round In Circles, Gotta Jiboo, Pistol, and Let The Good Times Roll. Gotta
Jiboo was jammed out for nearly twenty minutes, but it only seemed like five.
Hearing Arsenio Rodriguez^Rs Aqui Como Alla (also covered by Marc Ribot) was
nice, and I even really enjoyed Somartin, which I can barely listen to on the
Story of the Ghost outtakes tape I have.
The encore, Silicon Fairy, was, as a Wall of Sound review noted, ^Sdownright
poppy.^T It started out mid-tempo, but sped up near the end and closed with
some outrageous fanning from Trey. I can^Rt wait to hear more of this
song.
In short, the highlights of the electric set featured amazing, raging,
make-your-eardrums-bleed playing by Trey. I had a great time and will
definitely seek out tapes of this show.
Date: Fri, 07 May 1999 16:13:57 -0500
From: Jason Glassman GD32392@worldnet.att.net
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 5/6 Review
I'm not gonna go through the setlist cuz Im sure everyone can check that
out easy enough. I just want to say that I was thouroughly impressed
with the show last night. I was not quite sure what to expect, but
after reading the interview with Trey in the Tribune, I quickly realized
that this was not going to be anything even remotely resembling a Phish
show. I have read a few reviews, some great, some not so great. The
bottom line is that if you go to the show expecting it to be a Phish
show, you will be dissappointed. If you go to it looking forward to
hearing Trey experiment with a different genre of music, I guarantee
that you will have a tremendous time and love every minute of it. The
only thing I would have liked to have been different would have been a
longer acoustic set. I really enjoyed watching Trey perform all aspects
of a given song. It seemed really intimate as everyone was quiet for
the most part which contributed to a beatifully mellow atmosphere which
seemed a bit odd at first but soon became quite enjoyable. So, if you
are gonna check him out on this tour, go with an open mind, don't go
wanting to hear this song, or that song, and it will truly be a night to
remember.
Jay
P.S. It is really nice to see Trey in a small place again....it's been a
while.
Date: Fri, 7 May 1999 14:36:07 -0400
From: "Gagliano, Michael (Cahners - CHI)" MGagliano@cahners.com
To: "'dws@www.phish.net'" dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: REVIEW OF 5-9-99 RIV
THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I'VE SEEN TREY ALONE(LIKE MOST PEOPLE). I HAD HEARD
THE TAPE OF HIGHER GROUND FROM 2/99 AND WAS NOT OVERLY IMPRESSED. BUT I
ASSUMED THAT AFTER SOME REHEARSALS AND 2 SHOWS UNDER HIS BELT, TREY WOULD
COME OUT SMOKING! INDEED HE DID. I CAN'T RECALL THE EXACT SET LIST BUT HE
DID PLAY A LONGER ACOUSTIC SET THAN HIGHER GROUND 2/99. SONGS PLAYED INCLUDE
BRIAN & ROBERT, CIRCUS COMES TO TOWN, DRIVER, FARMHOUSE, SNOWFLAKES IN THE
SAND AND A FEW SONGS I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE. TWO PLEASANT SURPRISES WAS THE
JAMMING PUNCH YOU IN THE EYE AND THE RIPPING RUNAWAY JIM.
THE RIVIERA IS A QUITE A RELIC IN CHICAGO. SITUATED NEXT TO THE ARAGON AND
ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE EXTINCT UPTOWN THEATRE, THERE IS NO BETTER PLACE
TO SEE A SHOW ON THE NORTH SIDE. WITH BEERS A PLENTY AND EASY OUT AISLES,
WE WE'RE RIPPED AT HALFTIME.
THE SECOND SET STARTED WITH A ROAR. THE FIRST THREE SONGS TOTALLY JAMMED,
BUT BY THE FOURTH SONG IT SEEMED TREY BEGAN TO WANDER A BIT. ON AT LEAST
THREE OCCASIONS THE SONGS WOULD JUST END ON A SSSLLLLLOOOWW FADE. MANY
OTHERS IN MY GROUP LOOKED ON WITH SHRUGGED SHOULDERS AS IF "WHAT'S THIS?!!".
WHILE I MUST ADMIT I DIDN'T KNOW EVERY SONG PERFORMED, SUFFICE IT TO SAY
THAT I BECAME BORED BY THE END. TREY DID PLAY CLOSE TO 3 HOURS. 45 MIN
ACOUSTIC AND 2:15 ELECTRIC. THE SIMPLE AND SILLY LYRICS OF THE ENCORE
SILICON FAIRY PRETTY MUCH SUMMED UP THE NIGHT. I'VE SEEN ABOUT 40 PHISH
SHOWS SINCE '96 AND I'D RANK THE RIV SHOW AT #41.
PEACE,
CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER TOUR!
return me to the trey solo page