Subject: Hampton Show Review (and Grovel)
From: coreyshapiro@juno.com (Corey M Shapiro)

Since I feel bad groveling without adding to the .net, here is a
scattered, but fun review of what was a very high high energy show...once
they started they didn't stop but for a brief strange design

Well....The show started out rough...very very late due to traffic...way
to much traffic...got in  the middle of makisupa (actually assumed it was
the first song...wrong they started  with Taste i was told)...
Unfortunately I didn't write down the full setlist, but my memory is good
(I hope)

First let me begin by stating the Theme From The Evening: Tom Marshall's
Zany Lyrics....For the following reasons (which also make for interesting
commentary)
Reason 1) Worst and least exciting song -- Billy Breathes
Reason 2) The clarity, excitement and emphasis with which Trey sang words
like "Copernicus drank from the vessel that stank" and "and feed arachnid
as I die", etc...
Reason 3)Tube, NICU, Cavern, Guelah, Maze, Timber Ho!, Squirming Coil,
and Stash
Reason 4) No Talk, no Waste, no Theme, no FEFY
Reason 5) No Gamehendge related songs...interesting huh?

Okay now for more commentary...
First Set-- The Billy Breathes was truthfully awful...I was seriously
looking forward to this song live...it has so much potential...But it
came up very very short...It fits so nicely on the album, but did nothing
for me live. THe show up till now has been average/decent.
        The real excitement began when Trey announced how much he loved
the Coliseum. He said he liked both the GA seating, and the sound of
Hamption (which was very nice)...They then went into a fabulous
Stash...It was definitely outstanding.
Guelah kept the energy going and of course Trey was digging the lyrics.
Mound was intense...Mike was definitely enjoying himself...The show
picked up some serious energy at this point...Then came the always fun I
Didn't Know...Fishman came out for a nice Electrolux solo, only it was no
solo...I would definitely classify it as an all out jam...There was some
real harmony and melody.
        Squirming Coil, which  of course is beautiful, but the end jam
had some excellent work between Trey and Page before they all left the
stage...Overall the bad beginning countered the great last few songs so i
would say the set was about a 5.5

Set Two...Opened with Tube!! There had been somebody in the front row
holding a Tube sign...so if you're out there THANKS!! Great song...Energy
was sky high!!! Then a nice slow beginning a la Billy Breathes for Prince
Caspian...Now I always knew this song had serious potential..but they
definitely too the middle to the extreme...I LOVE THIS SONG...A definite
Highlight was this jam...What was most interesting, however, was what
they didn't do...Just like on the album, they slowed down and the jam
became smoother and quieter, until that last few measures of the
album...they did the same thing...now although they didn't continue with
it last night., give them some time, I can almost guarantee that  will be
the next evolution of what is now a great song.
Then back to high gear with Timber Ho!! Great Song...Try of course loving
the opportunity to say crazy shit...then i believe was NICU....i kept
thinking what a strange set so far...then came an amazing Free...aside
from Caspian, this was the only time they took a jam out of its
"composition", since there was no tweezer, no mike's or yem...it served
its purpose, and maintained the energy....which clearly explained the
need to slow things down and move into a nice strange design...it
definitely was the only slow ballad  would have fit in with the
theme...Anyway...not much else to say about it. TWSIY was next...it
seemed a little longer going into Avenu than usual but maybe not.
Anyway...Avenu rocked (pretty funny to see some of the reactions around
me to this song)...Mike's bass solo was outstanding...Not much more to
say....just listen to the tapes (which reminds me...I would love to
trade...I have over 90 hrs. of Phish and GSW)...Hood was next...Not the
greatest Hood ever...but on par with the excellence of the evening...THen
to close the evening's energy filled part of the set ...Cavern...Again,
not much to say, the song doesn't really ever have better or worse
versions (although Trey dfeinitely was sloppy with these lyrics...the
only time he didn't go along with the Theme)...Finally to end the
show...Star Spangled Banner...This was the first time hearing this and i
was extremely surprised at how well done it was...I don't think they are
taking their assignment lightly...it is a beautiful arrangement which
sounds professional...no joking around, no silliness, no tongue in
cheek...it does the song justice and we should be very proud when they
sing it in LA....
Encore -- Although I didn't think they would play it, Johnny B. Goode was
a perfect closer...Trey was having a blast...the song kept going and
going...sort of like a Go..Bunny..Go..Go (as in Energizer)... Great
Finale
Overall Score -- 8 ... The song selection was outstanding and each song
was played just about as well as possible..with a little bonus for the
energy...I must get the tapes!!!

So...there you have it..albeit scattered, incompletel, and not very
detailed.

Once again if you have this on tape PLEASE email me!!!
I would love to trade or send blanks...I have a great list :)

And don't forget to exercise your right to vote next Tuesday!!!!!
(now why won't Phish announce this every night???? especially during the
SSB)

Corey
coreyshapiro@juno.com
cshapiro@pfaw.org


--------------------------------------------
Subject: Hampton review
From: "Jeremy Gans" 

I've seen only one review so far, and disagreed with it, so I figured I'd
write my own.
Set I:
Ha Ha Ha, Taste, Makisupa Policeman, Maze, Billy Breathes, Mound, Guleah
Papyrus, I Didn't Know, Stash, Squirming Coil

Set I had its moments.  I didn't mind Ha Ha Ha as an opener, but I've
never
been a big fan of Taste, so that was a let down.  I will say, though, this
is by far the best Taste I've heard.  Makisupa was cool as usual, but
nothing spectacular.  Maze was one of the highlights of the set for me.
At
the show it seemed to be the best I'd heard, but listening to it on tape
it
seems only slightly above average. Very well played, just nothing to
adventurous.  Billy Breathes has a lot of room for growth.  It should be
(imho) another song like Hood, Slave, theme etc.  It's not there yet.
They
seem to have so much room to jam the end of this song, yet they never do
it.  It was nice to hear live, but it just didn't do too much for me. 
Mound was Mound.  i heard them soundcheck it and hoped against hope they
wouldn't play it.  No luck.  Guleah...not much to say.  The vacuum solo
during I Didn't Know was actually pretty cool.  The vaccuum jam had much
more structure than most I've heard.  Stash was by far the highlight of
the
set.  I'd heard it at MSG on Monday, but this was much better.  Not
incredibly long, but very well done.  Only behind 6/17/95 for Stash's I've
seen, and among the best I've heard.  Squirming Coil was pretty good.  

Set II:
Tube, Caspian, Timber Ho!, TMWSIY>Avenu Malkanu>TMWSIY, NICU, Free,
Strange
Design, Hood, Cavern, Star Spangled Banner E:  Johnny B. Goode

Tube was awesome.  I love Prince Caspian.  This one was around 8 or 9
minutes and excellent.  I sort of wish they'd saved it for later in the
set, or closed the first set with it.  It would just seem to work better
at
the end of a set.  Timber Ho was very well played.  Fishman's drums seemed
especially intense.  TMWSIY...seen it before.  I guess it was cool to play
Avenu on Shabbat, though I'm skeptical that crossed their mind.  NICU was
enjoyable.  Again, I've seen it a lot.  Free was extremely disappointing. 
It was MUCH shorter than Free's of last winter and this summer.  It was
the
first time I've thought Phish may alter a song because of how it's done on
CD.  Maybe, after seeing the 11/22/95 version of Free I'll be disappointed
by any subsequent versions.  I don't know.  I've never liked Strange
Design
much, so I have nothing to say about it.  Hood was absolutely phenomenal. 
An almost perfect version in my opinion.  Cavern... Star Spangeled Banner
was actually pretty cool.  As said in earlier reviews, the crowd was LOUD
during the time the band was gathering around the mikes.  It took a while
to get started.  I also loved the very loud "O" during the "oh say does
that..." part of the song.  Nice to see Orioles fans so far south.  Johnny
B. Goode was a nice encore.

I don't want this to be perceived as too negative.  Everything was very
well played and played with a lot of intensity.  I saw the first MSG show
and the band was much more cohesive tonight.  However, I was a little
disappointed with the setlist.  Especially with regards to the first set,
how many of those songs would you say, "I hope they play.... tonight."
For
me, it would probably only be Stash.  With the exception of Maze, the rest
of those songs are pretty much the same every time they play them.  I
don't
know many people who say, "wow, I hope they break out a crazy Mound."  Or,
"Guleah is my favorite song!"  I personally like seeing Phish because I
like to see something I've never seen before.  The second set was better,
but again, with a couple exceptions (Hood, Caspian) everything was merely
well played, not unique.  I enjoyed the show, but I was a little
disappointed.  I haven't seen a ton of shows (16) but many of those I have
seen have been truly great shows (4/7/94, 6/30/94 (why doesn't anyone talk
about this show?  The second set is awesome.  YEM, Harpua, an amazing
Antelope), 12/7/95, 12/14/95, NYE, Ball), so maybe my standards are too
high.  No one can expect them to play those types of shows every night.  I
think many of you have the same expectations I have.  You want something
you've never seen before.  I didn't get it in Hampton or at MSG (again, I
only saw MOnday's show).  They are playing very well, so I expect the rest
of the tour to be great.  I hope I'm right.

Congrats to the Yanks.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeremy Gans                                                                
                 
1400 20th St.
Apt 816                         
Washington, DC 20036 

"Beware of the man who works hard to learn something, 
learns it, and finds himself no wiser than before.  
He is full of murderous resentment of people who are 
ignorant without having come by their ignorance 
the hard way.'
--Kurt Vonnegut
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------
Subject: Hampton Review!!!! <><
From: lhgroovin9@aol.com (LHGroovin9)

Hey Everyone,

Last night's show was my first of the tour, but I can honestly say that it
was incredible.  The song choice was interesting, and there wasn't that
one song that was out of place (ala, Sparkle, Sample, etc.)  Everything
clicked.  Well, enough rambling here's the list:

I: Ha Ha Ha, Taste, Makispua > Maze, Billy, Mound, Guelah, I Didn't Know#,
Stash, Coil

II: Tube, Caspian > Timber Ho!, TMWSIY > Avenu Malkenu > TMWSIY rep.,
NICU, Free, Strange Design, Harry, Cavern, The Star Spangled Banner

#w/ Fish on vac


Ha Ha Ha-  Great opener!  I was in the front row and the boys were really
enjoying this one!  Everyone I was with was giggling hysterically, and the
show began in a wonderful fashion.

Taste - This song has really started to take off since summer '95.  This
version was excellent and Page was REALLY on!  Trey's solo was a little
more loose, but eventually settled nicely.  Excellent placement!

Makispua!!!!! - Trey and Page were all smiles.  Again, Trey forgot the
"woke uo in the morning" part and proceeded to sing "Dank"!  Page was hot
on the clav here.....which segued  into..

Maze - ok, so this song is overplayed a bit, but tonight's version was
incredibly intense!!!!!  Yeah Page!!!

Mound- fun as always

Guelah- I love this song, and since its more rare these days, I was
psyched to hear it!!!

I Didn't Know- fun!  the boys were all smiles during Fish's solo (even
Mike) Trey introduced him as Norton Charlton Heston

Stash- The ONLY low point of the night, still not bad

Coil- I thought Stash would be it, but Coil brightened things up.  Trey
flubbed the beginning solo, but Page soared as always

II

Tube- YESS!  Excellent opener!  Trey on percussion

Caspian- this tune has come a LONG way, just beautiful

Timber Ho! - INTENSE!!!!  Extremely tight, mike smiling AGAIN!

TMWSIY > Avenu > TMWSIY - what can I say, there were tears in my eyes

NICU- wow!  It just gets better and better.........

Free- ok , so this version wasn't anything like Landover '95 but at the
same time it was great.  Made me realize what a well written tune it is. 
The jam was short but tight.

Strange Design- mellowed things out, Page was solid

Harry- let the games begin!  this version lacked sheer beauty, but was
INTENSE!  I'd say it was definitely a well above average version. Bravo
trey!

Cavern- The  energy was HIGH!!!!  Ok, so this is another terribly
overplayed tune, but this one rocked! really!!!!!

Star Spangled Banner - The loudest crowd noise ever heard through over 25.
 Mike was smiling!!!!

Johnny B. Goode - perfect closer again the energy was there. 


The highpoint for me was when Trey told everyone that Hampton was his
favorite venue!  The sound was also great.

The scene was also great.  A lot of ticketless, but people for the most
part were very courteous.  I would definitely reccomend getting the tapes
of this show!

Have fun everyone! :)
............................><> Lane <>< .......................
-------------------------------------------
Subject: 10-25 Hampton setlist
From: jon boltz 

it's 5 a.m., i have the setlist, i'll review it in a few days when
i wake up.

set 1
ha ha ha
taste
makisupa policeman->
maze (page!!!)
billy breathes
mound
guelah papyrus
i didn't know  *,#  
stash
squiriming coil 

intermission: mmw-friday afternoon in the universe

set 2
tube #
caspian
timber ho!
tmwsiy->
avenu malkenu->
tmwsiy
nicu
free #
design
hood 
cavern
star spangled banner  **

E: johnny b. goode


# trey on his drum kit
* vacuum solo - announced fish as charlton hestin
** a capella


highlights:

maze-page was nuts! great version, but not as good as pitt last week.

stash-very solid, started like it wasn't gonna be that good, but quickly
grew and became very solid.

coil-longist page solo i've ever heard.  crowd went nuts after he
finished.  the first set seemed to feature him alot.

tube-totally unexpected! great opener.

timber ho!-insane jam.  not the best i've heard, but still a very
good version.

free-i was very interested in seeing how they'd play this.  it seemed
very tight, and not nearly as spacy as it was last fall.  probably
about 6 minutes(?).

hood-incredible energy.  better than pitt last week.


well, i guess that was sorta a review.  if i missed something,
than....i don't know, i'm tired.

jon
----------------------------------
Subject: 10/25/96 - Hampton Review
From: kazdeyna@aol.com (KAZDEYNA)

Sunday Morning, Yankees are world champs!, and two days late, but I
figured I'd give my thoughts on the Hampton show.

   Hampton Coliseum is a great place to see a show, small, GA, great
sound, you can go outside on the ramp during intermission, it's got it
all, but everybody knows that by now.... Traffic was backed up 25 miles
from Hampton on I64, but it could've been worse if the Coliseum wasn't so
close to the highway exit, but it still made the drive from D.C. 4.5
hours.

    From the begining you knew this was going to be a great show, the HA
HA HA opener was nice and solid, and Trey pumped his fist a couple times
to Page after they finished,  then a great Taste, once again as MSG the
vocals were great!

       The Maze was probably one of the hihglights of set 1. Page played
the "synth" for the solo (Page's piano solo at MSG was better) but the
highlight was Trey's solo. Lots of Tension a huge Release. I think the
ultimate Maze from this tour, would be a plunderphonics (Greyfolded)
version of the MSG Page's piano solo with Trey's guitar solo from Hampton.

      Guelah Papyrus with the dance was nicely done, I haven't seen this
one in a while and it was very melodic.  Fish's Vac solo was the best vac
solo I have seen, no kidding,  not to long and he actually tried to play
something and it fit in nicely with I Didn't Know this night.  Page stole
set 1 with his piano solo to close set 1.

      Fans had a sign in the front row for Tube and Tube opened set 2.
This was the 8th show of the run and the setlist obviously showed it, a
lot of less frequently played songs, I was hoping for a Col. Forbin's but
I'll take what I got!  Tube -> Prince Caspian -> Timber Ho! all went into
one another with no stop. Timber Ho might have been the best of the show.
It was forceful, driving, incredible, I was ready to haul some timber logs
after it.  Set 2 kept on going strong with NICU, then Free might have been
the worst part, not that this song is bad, it's just that they seem still
to have nothing really thought out for the solo jam in this song besides
that "broken airplane" sound as I call it.  Page did a wonderful job on
Strange Design, and Harry Hood had the crowd grooving as always!!! A very
good, rock n rollish JBG for the encore, not as fast as the one in Tweezer
at Nissan '95.

 The best show of the three I have seen on this run by far (both MSG were
the others)!!!! The playing was intense, soild all night!

  The band has come a long way, I have been saying that the Clifford Ball
was almost like Phish's Inaugural Ball; that after 10-12 years of touring
and playing they have finally arrived with an amazing festival near their
home town.
 Now it's the second stage (all arena tour, different album feel, etc....)
and it's going to be as great as the first!

Enjoy the rest of the tour.

Peace,
Kaz

Kazdeyna@aol.com
wrzeszcz@udel.edu

After the Hampton show, it was back to NYC for the World Series, sorry for
all the Yankees content, but.....

"Yankees Win,  THE Yankees Win!!!!!!!!!!!!"
-----------------------------------------------------------
Subject: hampton thoughts, the scene
From: Chris Michael Ellis 

Ok, my 2nd show of the tour. Pittsburgh was terrific, I was hoping for the
same in hampton. A very solidshow, maki supa, maze, and squirming coil
especially were very nice, and tmtsiy-->alvenue(sp?)-->tmtsiy was
absolutely beautiful.
        However good of a show it was, the scene really worked against it.
First of all, the 2 hour traffic holdup on 64 was absolutely ridiculous. I
blame this on ticketless, smelly, dirty people who packed the parking lots
in their winnebegos begging for tickets. Sorry folks, jerry's dead. Go on
with life. Phish is a totally different groove. Stay the hell away.
        I'm not saying all hippies are like this, but people on "tour" are
a bit nuts. If you come for the music and enjoyment of the band great.  If
you come to spin around to music you cant spin to, and beg for free
tickets from good people just looking to get their money back on a few
extras, you're in the wrong scene. Go on tour w/the further fest or
something. Yes, I do feel bad that all these deadheads dont have any band
to follow, but c'mon, you cant try to recreate the same scene with a band
that is totally different.
        These people beggin for tickets have money- they're just spending
it on acid. I enjoy indulging in lifes finer things myself, but you gotta
balance your finances. If I gotta decide between a phat 1/4 and a phish
ticket, I take the ticket every time. Trying to take advantage of hard
working people who have a few extras just looking to get their money back
is wrong. 
        OK, enough bitching on that-on to the venue. Hampton coliseuim has
the worst sound I have heard in my life next to the spectrum. I couldnt
tell if gordo was even plugged in-didnt hear him all night. I dont even
know how the band can hear themselves.
        I know the secne and the big venues arent gonna change any time
soon, but do me a favor next show you are at and tell the miracle seekers
looking to take advantage of you to get a life, and take a shower  once in
a while.
cheers,
---------------------------------------------------
Subject: Charlotte and Hampton Reviews (long...)
From: golgi@email.unc.edu (Matthew Hoffman)


Hampton Coliseum Hampton, Va 10-25-96
Set 1:
Ha Ha Ha
Taste
Makisupa Policeman-->
Maze
Billy Breathes
Mound
Guelah Papyrus
I Didn't Know
Stash
The Squirming Coil

Ha Ha Ha started out at around 8:05...i was kind of happy to hear this...i
heard it at my first show at lakewood amphitheatre in 95...this song was
short, tight and standard...a kind of bland opener....

which led into taste... i really liked this song (again i heard it at the
lakewood show)...this version is far superior to the 95 versions...making
the able has really done a lot for the album show...i waws highly
impressed with this taste, but there wasnt much out of the ordinary
here...

Makisupa Police man started and i kind of went nuts...i havent heard this
song before live (only on tapes) and i think that its a cute song...it
also manages to be freeform, but constant at the same time...lyrics
bland...(dank)...nothing really out of the ordinary...the jam at the end
immediatly became very mazeesque and bowie esque...i told my friend that
were about to get a maze...the jam went away from maze....i thought maybe
we wont...and then went into maze again...very nice
transistion...reminiscient of the 95 charlotte makisupa-->maze...it was
loads of fun when....

Maze Started!!!!! My first live maze was very nice...the lighting was
wonderful...i dont know how this compared to other mazes this tour but
this maze was very nice...page was wonderful...the jam was good..but tight
and not too drawn out...the band seemed to be in complete control of
everything i this jam...i was very impressed...i danced my ass off...i was
very happy to hear this...

Then we got a break with billy breathes...i really like this song...and i
think that the band does a good job conveying the emotions in this
song...very beautiful...

I was very surprised when billy ended and i heard the great opening to
MOUND!!!my fist mound!!!! i really have grown to appreciate this song both
on the album and live in concert....i dont think it was out of the
ordinary compared to other mounds...but this one was a lot of fun to
listen to...the band had me goin....after the song ended...trey stopped
and thanked everybody for being there at hampton and told everyone that
people ask them where there favorite venue to play is...and then he
said...well its definately hampton...you have the water and its general
admission you can go whereever you want and it sounds good...everyone went
nuts..

this was cool...and i was particularly impressed when guelah papyrus
stepped up..i really like this song...so i was definately happy to hear it
live...everything was done beautifully...tension built well..etc..good
guelah...

the i didnt know that folloowed was spectacular...my friend and i noticed
the trombone on stage before the show...so we thought that we were getting
a trombone solo...no sirree...the vaccuum was in effect!!! fish was
introduce as morton charleton heston and the vaccuum solo was ripe...then
the otis redding at the end...was good...i thought that htis i didnt know
was good...but not up to the level of intensity to the atlanta 95
drone/psychedelic i dint know...

after i didnt know i heard the opening notes to stash and
thought...yess!!! i like stash...and this one was pretty good...excellent
opening section....excellent jamming..good use of tension to make the song
explode into maybe so's and maybe nots...i really enjoyed this and about
went nuts when

i heard the opening chords of The Squirming coil...This Squirming coil was
excellent...after that stash...i had a smile on my face all throughout
this song...the piano solo at the end was long, and excellent...page
played beautifully...sound tight but jammy...definately one of many
highlights of the night...after this the set ended...

the setbreak was long!!!!!way too long!!!!!1 5 minutes tuned into like 1
hour...in some ways it was nice to have a while to get readdy for the
second set...but i thought that this was a little long...or maybe it was
just me...

The lights went out and Tube opened up...i had never heard tube before so
i dont know how this one was...it sounded like a cool song but i didnt
know what it was...i thought it sounded really 70's ish but i dont know
how it was...would appreciate others comment on this..im happy to have
heard it tho...

after this Prince Caspian started...and i got a big smile on my face..they
have really improved this song since before the album...the song jams more
now and isnt boring anymore..i really likd what the album has done for the
live performances....

Timber Ho! started up and i went nuts...i really love hearing timber ho!
on tapes and hearing one live brought an immediat  smile to my fac.e...it
was here that i realized thta the second set is going to outshine the
second set....after this i went nuts when i heard the opening notes to...

TMWSiY...this was really really pretty...it almost brought tears to my
eyes...a good build up of tension...gkept going up and up until ...

]The Pause[ this was a little too long for my tastes...kind of nice but 5
secs is too long in my opininon....

Avenu Malkenu very very nice...this got my in a real festive spirit...i
dont think anything can fuck this song up i was glad that we heard the
first one of the tour...the band seemed to be really enjoying themselves
here...loads of fun!!!The song ended and i twas nice to hear the TMWSIY
reprise...really pretty and seemed to me to be kind of drawn out...i
really really loved this whole song...i was very happy and didnt think
anything could keep this momentum going until i heard...

NICU!!! i was very happy to hear this...the crowd was going nuts...the
band was goin nuts...great job guys...and i didefinately was surprised
when the band upped the tempo a little more with...

Free!....excellent job..long intro...screaming verses...grealt
lights...kewl doppler effect jam..everyything seemed to be working
nice...i love the new album songs now...they are so fun to hear live...
esppecially free...


the band and the crowd had to take a breather then...strange design was,
nice pretty and emotional...this was my second strange design out of four
shows and i was really happy to hear it...but i got even happier when i
heard the opening percussion to....

HARRY HOOD!!!! harry hood was so amazing...i wasnt expecting hood to be
THAT incredible live...the jam was simply amazing...mikes bass seemed to
be turned up and on point...i really loved this song...everything clicked
to getheer...this was definately the best part of the show for
me...everybody seemed to be groovin together...bringing the intennsity up
and  up and up until trey, page, mike and fish exploded...chris did a
wonderful job on lighting and the band GROOVED!!!!wonderful hood you
should definately give it a listen if you can i really enjoyed it...

and was still happy when i heard cavern...i know that some people dont
like cavern but the intensity seemed to be so high after that hood that
the cavern really kept the crowd going...very nice cavern to here...even
though there was a lyric flub by trey (again!)...the song sounde
good...was expecting the set to end here... wehn...

they sang the star spangled banner...nice song to here...like how it
sounds liek its been done before...i was kind of expecting someone to say
play ball or something afterwards...mike looked confused when everybody
eslse went to leave...he could tell his bass was sounding good and wanted
to pla somemore..it looked like ehe was reluctant to leave the stage...

the crowd went nuts whe the band left the stage...i was expecting
something good after that wonderful show and got it with Johnny B.
Goode...ive only heard the 12-31-95 version of this song and thought that
it was very good...it smoked...the band went wild...so did i..and so did
the rest of the crowd...fun song to dance to...

i thought that we might get another encore when the band left the stage
but after a couple of minutes the lights went back on...there was a
definate Clean it up atmosphere after the show...the best lot scene ive
seen in a while..and everybody seemed to be having a good itme...is the
green crew still around????i havent seen any green crewers at charlotte or
hampton...i was kind of disappointed because theres no chess game but ob
la di ob la da life goes on...
i had a happy time at both charlotte oand hampton but ive taken up too
much time with this post so ill review hampton later...see y'all in
atlantaa!!! (where i think we'll get a talking heads cover or violent
femmes..) btw did anyboy here any take me to the river teases in
charlotte...i think that i might have...

see ya at ween...
matt
------------------------------------
Subject: Hampton Thoughts
From: Scott Holcomb 

Just a couple things I wanted to mention about this show:

1.  Traffic was unusally bad Friday night here in Hampton Roads.  I found
out from a 
friend that the Hampton Roads bridge (the main one that's about 3 miles
long) was closed 
for a couple hours on Friday night.  That meant that all the traffic to
and from Hamton 
Rodas was going by the I-664 bypass.  Sorry 'bout that y'all.  I didn't
know about it 
either, and my 15 min. drive to the Coliseum stretched into over an hour
and I walked in 
during the end of Taste.  Oh well.  Luckily I've seen Ha Ha Ha before, or
I would've 
been pissed.

2.  There were lots of tour breakouts in Hampton (Ha Ha Ha, Makisupa, I
Didn't Know, 
Tube!, Timber Ho!!, TMWSIY > Avenu Malkenu > TMWSIY, & NICU), but the one
I wanted to 
mention was the Cavern!  That's right.  Nobody mentioned that this
"overplayed" (as was 
even mentioned in a couple reviews of the show) tune didn't show up this
tour until the 
8th show of the tour.  Maybe this one will become a rare treat?  Nah!
Probably not.

Well, y'all, Hampton & Charlotte were great, but I'm counting on Atlanta
to blow them 
both away.  See you there!

Scott
---------------------------------------
Subject: A worthwhile review of Hampton
       From: gilmour@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu (Jeremy David Goodwin)

There is one major theme to what I learned this weekend: in October of 
1996, on any given night, Phish is a _great_ band. I managed to journey 
out of the nation's capital for a brief adventure in Virginia and North 
Carolina,  two states to which I previously have had little or no 
exposure, to see for myself what Phish is up to this fall.
        After hearing reviews and comments of the shows so far from a 
couple friends (and lots of strangers), I had gotten the feeling that (1) 
things had started out slowly, (2) they were playing a lot of "new" songs 
(post-Lowell), and (3) two nights at MSG and one at Hartford seemed to 
mark a return of pretty exciting music. So I was looking forward to 
seeing what was going to happen in Hampton Friday night, as the band 
brought the momentum they had built up in their ever-so-brief visti to 
the Northeast down the Atlantic seaboard towards Atlanta and other far 
away places.
        I would be penetrating the South to a greater extent than I ever 
have before (with the exception of a brief two days in Virginia Beach 
many years ago, my previous experience out of New England has been 
limited to a few winters here in Washington), and I was relishing the 
idea of hitting two truly random venues. Far away from the inherently 
"noteworthy" feeling of any show in New England, and the utterly surreal 
feeling of being at the very core of the Phish experience that permeated 
the Ball.

        The Hampton Colliseum looks like a futuristic edifice, like a 
huge steel tent thrown up on the surface of the moon, or something. Right 
off the highway. A blue fountain in front, that seemed to me to be very 
pleasant and calming. I ran into a friend from home that I've barely seen 
in the past few years, wandering the perimeter of the fountain. 
        While picking up my tickets at Will Call, got to hear some 
soundcheck (Dog Log and Funky Bitch while waiting in line! Ha!). General 
admission. Like seeing Phish in a club (if you don't look back). Very 
exciting. There will be no Tweezer or Mike's. Maybe Gin or Stash? Who 
knows. It'll be fun, though.

        I should preface this by saying that I've been a fan and 
supporter of Ha Ha Ha since Great Woods last summer. I was sorry to see 
it in such sporadic rotation last Fall, and in fact the first question I 
asked Richard Griehr (when I got to meet him in the General Store of Ball 
Square, but that's another story...) about the advance tape of the album 
that he had was if Ha Ha Ha made the cut. I was afraid that it would get 
shleved in the near future, perhaps by this tour. So I was pretty 
satisfied with the first HHH of the tour to open the show. I think this 
song is basically their reply to Frankenstein ("I know you're gonna say 
that this song is just a riff"--Bob Dylan). And then Taste. Much of the 
aforementioned applies to this as well, in tha tI've felt somewhat of a 
personal connection to it as I rooted for it last year, convinced that 
the end jam could really be something breathtaking if it opened up over 
time. And I was pretty glad to ehar from reports of other shows this Tour 
that apparently this tune has been getting a more serious (extended) 
treatment. And yes, I was pretty happy with what I saw Friday. If I 
recall correctly, it included a turn by Trey on percussion (that's like a 
red flag to me that something cool is happenning..I like the percussion a 
lot..for instance, on Buried Alive!), and overall I thought Trey's 
soloing was energetic and powerful. This could be a great Page song, too.
        Makissupa Policeman. I think this song is relaly effective when 
it's paired with something else slow and spacey near the beginning of a 
set, but this brought the mood down to slow and funky real quick. We got 
a "dank", which I was pleased with. As the song spaced along at the end, 
trey picked up the megaphone and scratched it on his strings. Yeah. Mike 
thumps the Maze intro and Page proceeds to tear things up. Maybe I'm 
biased to Page because I was so close to him this set, but I thought he 
was stellar in this tune.
        Billy Breathes brought down the building excitment about this 
set, but I was nevertheless looking forward to seeing if Trey's solo at 
the end gets any better than (what I think is a very good and perhpas 
even moving) performance on the album and last Fall. It didn't seem that 
it did. Then Mound. I enjoyed the chance to see Mike sing up close.
        Guelah Papyrus. I appreciated the choreography quite a bit. 
Always like I Didn't Know, and FIsh came out wearing one of the pairs of 
green carbdoard glasses that I had noticed on one of the amps before the 
show. Great vaccum solo, maybe the best I've heard. It was very melodic 
(yes) and with Trey on percussion it was more of a Fish-led jam than a 
"solo". I look forward to hearing this again.
        Then Trey, who had seemed very expressive towards the crows 
already throughout the set, took to the mic and said something along the 
lines of: "A lot of people ask us what our favorite room to play is, and 
basically this is it. It's general admission, you can all stand wherever 
you want". Then he broke out the opening riff to Stash and I thought, 
"this is pretty fucking cool". After that build up, I couldn't wait to 
see what they'd do next in the "favorite room". 
        I thought Stash was excellent and was surpirsed when trey led 
them back to the closing lyrics, because I thought it could and should 
have gone on for a few more glorious minutes. But they kept jamming after 
the lyrics, adn hen came back to them, and then jammed again befor ethey 
sang the closing "maybe so, maybe not"s for a third and final time. I 
hope a review of the tapes confirms this impression of mine of a 
(relatively) extended post-maybe so jam. Squirming Coil, but hey, there's 
another set to go.

        I ended up a few feet over by the end of setbreak (MMW is always 
enjoyable) and I was directly in front of Trey (by about ten people), 
with an unobstructed view. Trey came out and did something unaccompanied 
on guitar, and suddenly they were playing fucking Tube. Tube set opener! 
Aah! I was laughing uncontrollably. Then the extended chord intro that is 
today's Prince Caspian. I was just assuming all this time that they'd do 
something to add to this song, and I think now it's something to be 
enjoyed rather than yawned at. The end part could definately continue to 
get more interesting. And besides, C.S. Lewis was my best friend for many 
years in Elementary School. 
        The Timber Ho! lick, and by now I'm feeling pretty good. Enjoyed 
watching up close as Trey played a flawless lead to TMWSIY. Chris' blues 
and greens really added to the calm and serene atmosphere. Our Father, 
Our King, and the Man again. I was trying to read Trey's lips as he 
shouted to Fishman, and I thought he was saying "Weigh". It turned out to 
be Free. It was so great to revel in that long riff-laden intro again. 
This jam was interesting and entertaining but as usual I was dissapointed 
when trey threw down the drumsticks and brought it back to the closing 
lyrics (hurriedly, I thought). As much as I love Free, after Landover 
last Fall I guess I'll always be dissaointed a little in case something 
similarly crazy happens (which I hope and expect it will...).
        I try to read Trey's lips again.  I replay it in my head very 
quickly a few times, and then the thought rushes to my conciousness: 
"Strange Design". An instant later, "Iiiiii mean it...". Aw. I think this 
may have improved ever so slightly with the adaptation of the acoustic 
arrangemtn they did last summer. Now Trey chords (and I guess the rest of 
the band plays too) during the verses, when Page used to sing and play 
unaccompanied.
        Not surprised at all to hear Fishman start Harry, as this was one 
song that I expected (whether justified or not) to hear, given my perusal 
of recent setlists. I thought at the time that it was your typical great 
Harry Hood, nothign out of the ordinary or necessarily spectacular, but 
Hood nonetheless.
        Cavern. I think that someday we will see something stranger than 
Cavern>Wilson>Cavern; I often feel they're on the verge of screwing 
around with this but then my hopes are dashed...I thought there was some 
cool jamming (obviously brief) at the very end of this set closer.
        
        All show, I thought Trey really seemd to be into what was 
happenning. He gestured towards the crowd a lot, and seemed genuinely 
excited (of course he always looks excited, but I think the energy was 
deifnately there Friday). These sentiments seemed confirmed when they 
broke out Johhny B. Goode for the encore. I've only heard Sugarbush and 
MSG before, but I assume that no one would have any complaints with the 
version we got at Hampton. And of course, this may be a case where teh 
decsion tolay the song may mean more than the actrual version played. 
That's a really special moment, when there's a storng feeling that the 
band is communicating to the audience by choosing a song, or turning on 
the Hose. This is an idea that I'll explain further at some future point.
After the show, I kept saying to myself and others, "Tube!".

--


                Jeremy

"...and the Western school of thought led to a proliferation of cows"
        -- Trey Anastasio
*****************************************************************************
        Inanity is a good way to pass the time.
--------------------------------------------------------
From: Dave Barton 
Subject: Hampton Coliseum - 10/25/96

from dbarton@ea.net

I won't repeat the list, but I thought Hampton was a well played show 
that got better as it went along.  It took until Mound for the band to 
get in a groove, and get the sound dialed in.  Also, the traffic jams led 
to a lot of late entrants.  1st set highlights were Guelah and Stash.  
The entire 2nd set was well played and well composed, the songs flowed 
nicely together.

There were a lot of ticket seekers, but the show was way sold out, so 
anyone who didn't get face value for their tickets didn't try very hard. 
Also, we had to show tickets to get in the lot, which is good.  As an old 
concert goer, I'll advise to try and self-police your scene.  My car was 
broken into during the show by someone who stole beer, wine, and food.  
Very attractive!  Enjoy the tour and be safe and kind.

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