12-8-99 -- Cumberland County Civic Center, Portland, Maine

Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 21:28:30 EST
From: RingoRev9@aol.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: Review

12/08/99 Cumberland County Civic Center - Portland, Maine - Reviews
I: Limb by Limb, Get Back on the Train, Down with Disease, Fast Enough For
You, Ya Mar, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Run Like an Antelope
II: Sand, Dirt, Piper-> Dog Faced Boy, Lizards, You Enjoy Myself -> Tweezer
Reprise Vocal jam
E: Golgi Apparatus, Tweezer Reprise

This was my 11th show and my last show of the year. Great way to finish off
my decade of Phish. I can't write a long review so I'll just give you the
great points that stood out that night.
First set, Limb was a great opener. I looked around (and so did the band) and
all we could see was huge balloons. I loved them. They just gave a great vibe
to the show. Also, being on the floor, kind of 20-30 rows back, I could see
the band, and also the great lights.
DWD was great with a lot of energy.
The night before, after I got back from the first night of CCCC, I listened
to FEFY and Horse and Silent, to put me to sleep. I thought "Wouldn't it be
great to hear them tommarrow.", but I knew that wouldn't happen. They never
play FEFY and hadn't played H/S since the wheel. But oh yes, they did. I was
soo happy. FEFY was so beautiful too. I loved it.
Ya Mar was nice but the jam was very nice. It was so different. It wasn't as
"happy" as the jam usually is. It went somewhere where it's never gone
before. Listen to the tapes!
I had alsways wanted to hear an Antelope in a first set, because every
Antelope that I've seen ends off a second set. My wish came true. It was long
and had so much energy.
Set-2-
My friends and I were now about 4 rows back in the middle of the stage. Very
close. Sand, (which I always thought was one of the Tubes) started off and
was very long.
Piper- I've seen so many of these. This one had another extened jam such as
Oswego which made it very unique.
DOG FACED BOY!- YES, I love this song. I never thought I would hear it. One
thing I love about this show, is that I saw many of my fav. slow songs.
(Dirt, Dog, FEFY, Silent)
Lizards- There we go. Great song to hear. I love the piano solo so much. So
does Trey. He looked at Page the whole time. I was kind of bumed because it
was already 11-15, and they were probably close to done, like last night. I
would of liked to hear a long song.
Then, I was happy to see that the band was not ending. and being so close, I
could see Trey say "You enjoy myself" twice to Fish and Mike. I yelled to my
friend Aaron "YEM!, Trey just said YEM" and oh yes, They played it. I love
this song and it always makes me feel good in concert. In the jam, Mike took
some solo's which were standard YEM bass lines, but it just made the energy
go up. Not too much of a jam after that, but the Vocal Jam was great. It was
long, and fun. Then, Aaron and I heard Tweeprise, and we knew what they were
doing. I wasn't sure if Phish knew it or not though. But then they started
singing "Step into the freezer!" and it was official.
I figured that they would play Cavern and Tweeprise for an Encore, but
instead we got  Golgi and Tweeprise which was even better. In Tweeprise, a
long haired man was grooving and head banging like crazy. I was laughing
hard.
This was Aaron's Birthday and he got a great show.
Thanks PHISH

 - - - - - Taylor - - - - -
My Page

Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 12:29:11 PST
From: Andrew Rose arose_13@hotmail.com
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: 12/8/99 Review

12/8/99 CCCC, Portland, ME

I  (8:10-9:30) LimbxLimb, Get Back on the Train*, DWD^->FEFY, YaMar**
Horse->Silent, Antelope

*extended jam/tease(?) that ended the song - really cool
^mind blowing, much different than typical DWD
**best jam of the night, techno space funk (the Dec 99 sound ...)

II (10:15-11:35) Sand^^ Dirt, Piper#->Dog Faced Boy, Lizards, YEM##
E: Golgi, Tweezer Rep.

^^20 min, out there and back again
#w/ ambient like jam after 14 min
##w/ Tweezer Rep. vocal jam

The first set of this show was perfect from start to finish. I can't
remember the last time I heard Trey so damn tight. The setlist doesn't
tell the story hear, trust me. Then again, I've heard reviews that don't
tell the story either. Sigh ... if the Ya Mar was "flat" then the fall 97
tour was boring. The second set had weak spots, that's certain, but the
potential that these shows exuded has me so excited for Florida I can't
express it.

LimbxLimb was a fantastic opener. I've grown to dislike it since 97,
usually Trey just fucks around a bit, a comes back to the theme. This was
tight and really intricate. Get Back on the Train I LOVE. It's so funky
and danceable ... this version was perfect, and I don't know if it was a
tease or just a really sweet little jam, but if not, this song looks like
it might get an addition to it ... or at least a segue partner.

Disease was absolutely smoking. Again, this tune doesn't excite me NEARLY
as much as it used to. Pretty much every 98-99 version I've heard is the
same long jam, which can be great when you're dancing, but on tape
(there's a expression that's dying ...) it just doesn';t do it for me. I
think this one will stand the test. I don't know how to convey how this
was different than your typical, rocking DWD - just hear it.

Ya Mar was the highlight of the night for me. They played the compose
verses and stuff and out of nowhere were in this layer of sound tempo
altering out there jam last lasted for a good 12 minutes. This has to be
the techno space funk that came out of that Bathtub to start the tour.
Can't wait to hear more.

Antelope was the best I've heard since 12/29/97. That should say enough I
think. Energy ernergy energy.

Sand turned out to be a 20 minute jam fest, which is always good to open
the second set. I got really out there, really spacy and then rockin ...
Trey was going off everywhere throughout the whole show, but it was
intricate soloing, not just loud noodling.

And finally Piper was gorgeous as always. They seem to be extended it all
the time now, and I like the fact that on this night after the Dwd like
jamming that tends to emerge, the boys turned on the ambient stuff again.
Really nice.

They were amazing shows. Weak spots are inevitable ... I don't know how
many of you listen to entire sets anymore - but I don't. I tend to lay out
my mp3's with my favorite gems from numerous shows when I'm listening to
stuff ... I'm sure the rest of the tour will be sprinkled with setliosts
with one too many new songs that don't go anywhere, or an old tune you
just wish they would replace with It's Ice (arggh! I was sure we were
gonna get itb after that Wolfman's on 12/7 ... two year anniversary of
Dayton) but for every moment like that there's gonna be a sick jam that
more than redeems it. Watch out for those Philly's, those Hampton's and
hell, everything in between. There's gonna be some beautiful gems, and
maybe even a couple perfect sets here or there (like 12/8 I). Oh, and
watch out for Florida
...
hmmm Gamehendge pt. II - they're writing it right now.

Andrew

Date: Thu, 09 Dec 1999 09:58:11 PST
From: Carsten Sorensen carsten11@hotmail.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 12-8 review
 
   The Portland C.C. is a great small venue.  The smallest I've been to
since Glenns Falls. The sound board and tapers were all the way in the back
of the floor so there was plenty or room in front and it was a GA show which
is always a plus.  Traffic and security were both nice and relaxed. It was
my first time in Portland, I wish I had gotten there a bit earlier to check
out more of the city.
set 1:
     Limb by limb- Good opener, pretty standard version that got everyone
going.
     Get back on the train- I really like this song. I thought it fit in
well after limb. Trey eased back a few times toward the end to let Mike drop
some nice bass lines which kind of foreshadowed the next song.
     Down w/ Disease- Great bass intro to lead into a nice Dw/D.  Not extra
funked out as some are, but a solid jam with extra credit for Mike.
     Fast Enouph... I didnt mind the slow down and although its never been a
  favorite, it is a well written, heartfelt song.
     Ya Mar- Always good to hear. Good pick me up. Trey really seemed to be
in an excellent mood last night. smiling and being silly all night. Everyone
was right on on this one
     Horse>Silent- A few smooth songs. Ive heard some choppy Silents, but
last nights was crisp with good harmony. Seemed like more of a happy version
rather than extra serious, but maybe i was just having a good time.
     Antelope- Good end to a solid first set. This Antelope wasn't extra
special ,imo, but rocking as always.
 
set 2:
     Sand- Not too vivid i my mind. I think I was busy preping for the
second set.
     Piper- Seems like every Piper is a treat lately and this was another
Tasty one. Trey got funky out with all those trippy effects and paige was
messing with us on a whole other level. They definitely had me lost on that
one.
     >Dog Faced Boy- Perfect contrast to Piper. Almost all vocals with very
soft instrumentation. Not your average uptempo Dog Faced Boy at all.
     Lizards- One of my favorites at the moment. After looking at the last
few set lists I was hoping to hear it last night and was thrilled to fish my
wish. Relatively standard version with notable mention to Chris Kuroda for
his great lighting here and all night. Lizards really got the second set
into full swing, if piper hadn't already.
     YEM- As far as im concerned, you gotta be happy with any set with
Piper, Lizards and YEM.  Great jam segment with more psychodelics.  Complete
with trampolines and acappella segue it was a full YEM with all the bells
and whistles. I kept catching myself smiling too hard and thinking the only
one having a better time than me is Trey.  My only complaint about the night
was that when they were slowing down YEM going into the acappella part the
audience was too loud and clapping along.  It seemed like they wanted to get
into a quieter funky acappella but couldn't.  don't get me wrong they did a
sweet acappella but they never brought it way down to the point were its
just a few seemingly random sounds that come together to lead back into YEM.
     Tweezer- the end of YEM eventually lead into an acappella Tweezer.
Again the lights were excellent here. I was trying all trough this one to
figure out what they were doing and i must confess i didn't call it until
just before the chorus.  But that just goes to show you how different this
one was.  Im actually a bit tired of tweezer so it was great to see it done
so atypically.
encore:
     Golgi- Very average. A big contrast from the spacy YEM and Tweezer,
though I think just about any song would have pulled me back to reality a
bit after the nights ride. I was wondering if there would be a tweeprise but
my question was answered when Golgi ended in normal length.
     Tweezer Reprise-  I dont think I have to say anything about Tweezer
Reprise. Its a good way to end with a lot of energy.
 
overall I thought it was a great show and I hope they visit Portland again
soon for another small-venue performance. I hope this is sign of things to
come in hartford and prov. see you all there.---carsten


Date: Thu, 09 Dec 1999 10:56:02 EST
From: bill witts witsy21@hotmail.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 12/8/98 Review
 
Getting to this show turned into quite a production, but when doesn't it.
Lets just say we were trying to get through Boston in Rushour traffic around
5:00 when the show started at 7:30, enough said. Some how we made it their
just in time for the opener so that was great. We missed the lot scene but
ya know life will go on. This was one of the best venues I have ever seen
Phish at. It should be this way every night. I have never seen them with
this amount of people. Something like 8,000 it was amazing, not a bad seat
in the house. Their was plenty of room to dance and the floor wasn't even
that jammed. Nothing beats a good New England show. Best of all everyone was
cool, no complaining or Glowsticks flying everywhere. Well on to the music:
 
Limb- Normally this song doesn't do too much for me but this night it was
the perfect opener. It got everyone going
 
Get Back on the Train- I love this song. I thought the handled it particular
well this night
 
Down with Disease- The highlight of the show as far as I'm concerned. Always
makes a show for me.
 
Fast enough into Yamar into Horse into Silent- a perfect happy assortment.
 
Antelope- I've become a little to accustom to hearing this one live, but hay
I'm not complaining.
 
Sand into Dirt into Piper- Blew me away. Everyone was going nuts too Piper.
 
Dog faced Boy- Good way to slow things down
 
YEM-Always a crowd pleaser. I loved the Tweezer tease
 
The encore was a little predictable, Golgi and Tweezer Rep. I have probably
heard these two songs as encores more than any other two. They were still
quit enjoyable though.
 
All and all an excellent show as far as I'm concerned. I hope the rest of
the winter run just keeps getting better.

Date: Thu, 9 Dec 1999 18:47:53 -0800 (PST)
From: Bart Tantillo btantillo@yahoo.com
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: Review 12/8/99

I. Limb by Limb, Get Back on the Train, Down with
Disease>Fast Enough For You, Yamar, Horse>Silent,
Antelope
II. Sand, Dirt, Piper>Dog Faced Boy>Lizards, YEM
E:Golgi, Tweezer Reprise

  If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.  I'm
sure I'll get some flack for this one, people telling me to stay home and
stop wasting tickets that could be used by people who really care.  
However I trust that those of you who know me will understand.  A few
promising moments, more than a few moments of disarray.  We all know about
this bands ability for quick recoveries, so let's see what happens at the
Spectrum, a place where many magical nights (12/15/95, 12/28/96, 12/3/97)
have taken place.



Date: Thu, 09 Dec 1999 17:45:57 -0500
From: Dan Buckley dbuckley@Bowdoin.EDU
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: 12/8 portland review
 
ahhh, phish redeem themselves.  after the first of two nights at the
portland CC, i had my doubts about the run.  a weak setlist filled w/
new tunes that didn't gel in those specific performances and a
energy-less first set kind of killed the show for me.  this was as i
indicated in my review of 12/7 posted on this page.  and i got shit for
it.  i actually got emails from people who were mad at me, or
"disgusted" as they put it, for writing a negative show review.  this
totally blew me away.  i don't understand how people refuse to think
that phish can have a bad show.  what the hell is the point of going to
a show, where no matter what they play every one will yell and scream
like its the best thing they have ever heard?  one of the greatest
things about art---whether its music, literature or painting---is that
you can have a myriad of converstations about it.  you can take sides
and say you like something or dislike something, and then support your
ideas w/ facts.  thats what i did and i got flamed for it, big time.
but its just like phish said; the first time that phish toured in
europe, they were booed off the stage.  they said that that was a
positive experience, b/c it didnt let them get a swelled head, that they
have to come out to play every night.  if no one feels disappointed  and
no one speaks out when there is an below average show, then how can the
band judge where they are going?  they cannot.  so, please don't get
pissed off at those who write negative reviews; they have a right and a
duty to do so.  and it wasnt like the 12/7 show was a little off---there
were very few versions of songs that really ever got off the ground.
sorry for the lecture, but i felt it needed to be said.  with that......
 
the scene beforehand was great like last night:  plenty of people in the
lot, good scene, no pigs.  the first night i opted for the floor, about
10 people from the stage, right in th middle.  i paid for it:  hot,
pushy, annoying.  so last night i went straight for the seats:  page
side, real close, great sound and great view.  the guys came on at about
8:10.....
 
Limb by Limb:  i knew i wouldnt see 2 shows in a row w/out this one.
good version though, got the crowd really going
 
Get Back on the Train:  i thought they would keep it going with a good
rocking tune, but played this instead.  i like it a lot better as it was
on the trey solo tour; acoustic and concise.  never really got off the
ground but perhaps we should give it time.
 
Down w/ Disease:  i know everyone has heard this 100 times, and so have
i.  i was actually a little upset once mike started going off on his
bass for the intro, but i was pleasantly surprised by the jam, they
brought it back nicely at the end for trey's 32nd notes....
 
FEFY:  this was a first in around 30 shows for me.  beautiful ballad,
good version
 
Ya Mar:  usually love this one as an opener.  as it was, it took a while
to go anywhere, pretty flat actually.
 
The Horse>Silent:  my first since my first show, 12/31/94.  always a
good tune to hear.
 
Antelope:  ahhhh.....quintessential phish.  someone posted a review that
said "you have to get used to hearing antelope..." as if it was a pain
in the ass.  not for me.  i can never get enough antelope.  this one was
nasty, trey building to no end.  it went on forever.  great end to an
above average set.
 
-------
 
Sand:  didnt get to hear this one on the trey tour, and LOVED it here.
it took a while to get going, but then trey and page just ripped it up.
it was great.  good tune, sounds a lot like 1st Tube, but still an
excellent jam song.
 
Dirt:  havent heard this in a while.  beautiful as always
 
Piper:  whoa....hands down the song of the night.  right from trey's
opening licks, i was dancing.  always a song i want to hear, and this
one did not disappoint.  reminiscent of the great woods 99 piper.  page
was magical on this one.  it took a different turn from other pipers;
after a great buildup and trey/page interplay, they went into some real
trippy stuff w/ page on his moog and trey abusing his effects pedals.
would have been great if i decided to eat.....
 
Dog Faced Boy:  great follow up.  everyone seemed thankful for a rest.
this was a first for me, and its just a funny song to hear live.
 
Lizards:  good as always.  i dedicate this one to my friend sam who went
to the 12/7 show REALLY wanting to hear this after not seeing it in a
long time.....sorry
 
YEM:  knew this was coming.  never sorry though.  great version, w/ the
space building forever.  got the place jumping.  i thought they would
give us a climatic jam instead of the funk, but we got the latter.
thats fine w/ me as long as its a downright funked-out jam, and it was.
just fun to dance to.  cool vocal jam w/ tweezer REPRISE teases.  great
set.
 
-----
 
Golgi/Tweeprise:  was hoping for a beatles cover here for the 1st
encore; maybe a day in the life of while my guitar, but they gave us
golgi instead.  i havent heard golgi alot lately so it didnt bother me,
but these two together arent that great.  they are too similar.  but i
knew they would play tweeprise after the vocal jam.
 
overall, great show.  it was 100x better than the first night.  maybe an
8.5 or 9 out of 10.  strong 1st set bolstered by nasty 2nd set.  a good
end to the portland run.
 
db

Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 00:46:18 -0800
From: ToM nAgLe tnagle@bates.edu
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 12/8 review

To preface this was my 8th show having seen my first in 96 and this
being my 6th of 99.  I have a large collection of tapes and take my
phish seriously.
I had been to the show the night before and was familar with the scene
and only had a short drive down from my new home at bates college.  We
had scoped out a nice lot the night before after making the mistake of
parking a crowded garage.  I had to pick up my ticket at will call.
then we checked out the lot.  Pretty chill as far i could tell but I had
no business to accomplish there so we (me and my buddy Tim) headed
around to the short line in the back of the building (page side) around
5:00.  we were probably only ten people back in line when we got there
but the lack of organization in the line meant we didn't get in as fast
as wew were hoping.  Still we ended up with center floor seats 15 people
back.  The floor got pretty packed as we waited for the show to start
then after everyone had stood up and was anticpating the awesomeness to
come some messed up guy puked about three or four peopl in front of me.
It smelled nasty and opened up a huge hole right in front of me.  Anyone
notice that hole from their seats?  The security that was basically
non-existant inside that place continued to be non-existant as we were
forced to "clean it up" by throwing whatever paper products we could
find on it then try to ignore it.  receipts were coming out the wood
work and eventually it was covered and forgotten.  On to the show
LimbXLimb
Not my favorite tune but got the crowd going quite well.  The jam was
not anything to write home about.
Get Back on the Train.
Tim had called this one and we got it.  Good slow groove set down.
really an opened up version.  sligthly better than greatwoods but not as
good as my tape from NC.
DWD
Mike starts doing this weird funky spacey effect where he hits the face 
of the bass in different places to create a tone.  I have no idea how he
did it but it was amazing to watch.  The bass was way up in the mix and
grooving.  The jam was a pretty standard disease jam.  this is the song
i have seen most often having seen it now at half of my shows.  hasn't
gotten old yet
FEFY
well i wasn't quite ready to slow down yet as nothing had really rocked
me yet but I like this song.  Favorite version has to be the St Micheals
College version with the pedal steel guitar.  This one had no tricks to
it but still solid
Ya Mar
This song had me speechless
I like the song to begin with.  it got me dancing hard untill the play
it leo jam when I had to stop and watch.  Page tore it up.  I literally
was blown away.  They jam after they go back through the chorus was
where it really got intense.  I was standing stock still just being
blown away waching it all happen and trying to figure what they were
doing that struck me as sooo different.  the entire band jammed out on
the song.  it didn't do the tension build and realease format but
instead went in what seemed to me as aentirely original direction.  i
was trying to figure what they were segueing into but there was no sgue
just nasty jamming.  it got so far away from the song that i and those
around me were blown away when they finally pulled it back in.
Awesome,  Highlight of the night just like halleys was last night
highlight.
Horse>Silent
It literally took me untill the very end of horse to recover and realize
what they were playing so i have no comment on that part.  Silent was
flawless and beautiful.  I really like this tune for a slow song.  It
crescendos nicely and has soul and feeling.  well done
Antelope
Good slow build.  dissapointed by the overly screaming top of the jam.
it just got out of hand.  they had sooo much noise.  didn't appreciate
it nearly as much as i do a more controled peak.  the ligths were the 
only thing that saved that section from really pissing me off.  Nothing
else that comes to mind on that

setbreak
no one puked.  so it was good enough for me

set 2
Sand
I had never heard this before.  I thought it might be last tube since
the bass line sort of reminded me of first tube but definatly was not
first tube.  Once i realized it was sand I was intrigued.  that feeling
didn't last for long as the song got stuck.  It didn't progress at all.
Mike's line doesn't change and trey and page aren't doing anything
spectacular.  I was hoping it might progress when I first heard the bass
line becasue it reminded me so much of first tube but nope.  didn't
really pay any attention to the lyrics and i kinda wish i had so i could
comment on them. 
Piper
Cathartic!  I just let it all out when I hear this song.  I love it.
This one had basically the standard build then the Jam got really spaced
out without slowing down that much.  i really appreciated this song as
it was the first extended period that caused me to just dance my ass
off.
Dog faced Boy
well last night when I got home I checked the stats and it was 65 show
break out.  i knew it had been a while.  I dont listen to hoist very
often and i dont particulary know of any tapes that I have it on so it
was a nice treat to hear it since I never hear it otherwise.  also it
was a great breather after they kicked my ass with piper
YEM
My only correct call of the night, and i am sure everyone else knew it
had to be coming.  watching the tramps from up close was an experience
and the jam that followed got wicked funky.  they got the crowd clapping
along as they got into a nice little groove and explored a little.  the 
clapping died out as they veered away from the basic funk and got a
little more intricate but they brought the clear groove back and back
came the clapping as they went into the vocal jam.  the vocal jam was
cool.  i wish i could have seen there faces during it but CK had a cool
back lit thing going and that was also okay with me.  the tweezer could
be heard emerging and the entire band joined in for the step into the
freezer line which repeated a few time before the vocal jam went on and
rapped up.
Encore
Golgi
great energy. good encore song. sort of thought that might rap it up
since it had been a long set but no...
Tweprise
didn't expect this at all since there had been no real tweezer but a
welcome end to a fantastic night of phish.
All in all I would stack this up there with some of the other great
shows i have seen.  definatly better than the first night (still got to 
respect that halleys).  As good if not better than second night GW from
this summer and second night Albany this fall.  I wish to God I wasn't
in the middle of finals for the rest of the north east shows casue i
would have gotten my ass down to hartford and providence no questions
asked after seeing these two shows.  It has been fun procrastinating
from my term paper but it si due tomorrow and procrastination can only
go on so long.  please send me you comments.
peace
Tom
YEM1980 

Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 16:53:32 -0500
From: The McAllisters gmcalli1@maine.rr.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: Problem with security?

I can't remember the guy's name that wrote that he got kicked out of line,
but I remember it happening.  I was standing by the ambulance out front
and saw these guys getting yelled at by the head guard, so i just assume
it was you, though its possible it wasn't.  anyway, don't ever trust the
guards when they tell u they'll let u back in.  they just say that because
alot of them hate the fans. P.S-there are water fountains in the
cumberland county civic center.  I don't know how you could have missed
them.


Date: Thu, 23 Dec 1999 01:03:43 EST
From: GUINNES842@aol.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: review 12-8-97

one of the 3 best shows ive seen out of 50+, the best light show ive ever
seen, and a great setlist.  The jams went beyond normality, and the energy
was high, and trey and the boys were really hot.  Antelope and the
piper->dogfaced ->lizards was some incredible work in the musical
portrayal of emotion.  Ill admit that i was dosed, but i am at most shows
and this one was special.

thanks, i just got home, and ill see you all at newyears,
joe


Date: Thu, 9 Dec 1999 13:39:59 -0500
From: Matthew_J_Cardullo@keane.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 12/8/99 review
 
12/8/99-Portland, ME. Well, after a decent show on Tuesday, I was certain that
we would get a great one on Wednesday.  I was almost certain that I would get
my very first Sand, easily my favorite of the new tunes.  I had an experience
before the show that I thought was kind of disheartening.  I was talking with
this girl before the show and she asked me if I had gone the night before.  I
stated "yeah, it was a good show, I'm looking for something hot tonight"  She
then asked me how many shows I had attended and I mentioned somewhere in the
area of 40-45 shows (I've lost count).  She then said "you've been to that
many shows and you thought last night was good?" with this incredulous look on
her face.  I asked how many shows she had seen and she replied that she had
seen 20.  I asked her why she didn't like last night's show and she said that
Trey had 4 mistakes in his playing. I then proceeded to tell her that the last
time I checked, the members of Phish were human, and those kind of things
happen when you are a member of our race. It was my first face to face
experience with these types of critical phans, and if you're one of them, I
think you'd probably be better off listening to some tapes from 1993.  Phish
was very tight, had more than enough time to practice and often didn't make
"mistakes".  Phish of 99 is not Phish of 93.  I personally find no faults in
Trey when he flubs things, hell for all I know he's doing it on purpose.  
Anyways, on to the show..... Limb by Limb was the opener and I thought it set
a great mood for things to come.  One of my favs off SOTG, this song rips.  I
love the jam and the energy was flowing.  Next up was Get Back on the Train.  
I love this song.  I love the way it sounds like a train rumbling thru the
arena.  Mike really is the man. His bass just sounded so fat.  Especially when
Down With Disease started up. Great tune, great jam.  Energy was high in the
CCCC at this point.  To be honest, I was sweating to death on the floor.  It
was the one time in my life where I was hoping that Phish would slow it down.  
I was really psyched when I heard the opening notes to Fast Enough for You.  
Its such a beautiful song.  I don't think I've heard it since Worcester of 95.  
Great placement for this one, I needed a breather.  Up next was Yamar. I was
pumped.  The jam in this song was outstanding.  In fact, about 10 minutes in,
I looked at my friend Darren and asked him what song they were playing, they
were really out there.  It was great and will definitely translate well onto
tape.  After this fantastic* YaMar, Trey started strumming Horse.  I felt like
I had been transported back to 1995. All the ballads were these great songs
off of Rift.  It was my thought that if they're going to play slow stuff, play
old slow stuff.  Silent was nice, because it has been so long since I've seen
it live.  I knew it was no closer, though and then Antelope started up.  This
was a crazy Antelope.  The best word to describe the jam section was LOUD.  
It was just mayhem on stage, CK had these crazy strobe light type effects
going on.  I think the particular lighting he had working would be perfect for
BBFCFM.  Unfortunately, they didn't play that one.  Antelope was nice and
long, and definitely was a great way to close out the set.  Set break was
about 45 minutes, standard.  We decided to move over from our present floor
spot on Trey's side over to get a better view of Mike, who I thought for sure
would be ripping some serious funk.  When I heard his opening notes, I nearly
lost it.  Sand!  I had been waiting so long to get this one, I was flipping
out.  This Sand was amazing.  It had to have been about 15 minutes long, and
the jam was pumping.  I just love the fact that Mike is so heavy in the mix.  
This song just showcased that fact.  It was incredible. After this long Sand,
they cruised right into Dirt.  As I stated, I'm not really one for ballads,
but I love Trey's guitar work in this song.  It was also a nice chance to take
a breather.  After Dirt ended, the opening notes of Piper were heard.  I
really like Piper.  I know people complain about how the jam sometimes doesn't
go anywhere but this time the jam was awesome.  It was a great Piper and me
and my bro, Darren were getting down. It was probably about 25 minutes long or
so.  Just a great jam.  The band decided to next go into Dog Faced Boy. Again,
I haven't heard this ditty since around 1994.I like it a lot though, its nice
and short and is a capella to boot.  The opening notes of Lizards started up
next, having seen this song at Great Woods this summer, I felt blessed seeing
it twice in one year.  It packs so much energy and such a great vibe. It
wasn't overly long and then came the song that everyone knew was coming, YEM.
This YEM was heavy on the funk which I was psyched about.  Mike was laying
down these fat lines and Trey was doing his thing right on top.  Page was
ripping it up, I love when Page gets into the mix and really starts playing
some notes. When the vocal jam started, CK started working his magic as usual.  
His lights were right in tune with the band, it was very cool to see.  I
realize that on the Phish.net setlists, it says Tweezer closed out the set but
that's simply not true.  Trey basically started singing "step into the
Tweezer" at the end of the vocal jam and the band just started singing it with
him.  It couldn't have been more than a couple of minutes long at most.  The
band left the stage and then came back out to perform Golgi.  Golgi has been
played a lot in the last year, but if you can't get off on the"I saw you with
a ticket stub in your hand" section, then I'm not sure why you'd come to see
Phish.  The place was rocking. After Golgi, Trey started up Tweezer or so I
thought.  I couldn't believe that they were going to play Tweezer as an
encore.  I knew Trey had sang a little of it in the vocal jam but once I heard
the notes from Page signaling that it was actually Tweezer Reprise, I was
almost relieved.  It was a great way to close the 2 night stand in Maine.  At
this point I looked at my watch and realized that it was almost 12:00. These
shows were both great in length and song selection.  This was my last show in
99, hope you all have a great time in FL,, but I just can't swing that trip.  
Thanks for reading and if anyone happens to come across these shows on tape or
CD, I would be forever grateful for a B&P...


Date: Thu, 09 Dec 1999 19:19:39 PST
From: Erin Gregg pipes102@hotmail.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 12-7/12-8 Reviews/Complaints

The two nights of Phish were awesome, just like they always are.  The
Cumberland County Civic Center absolutely sucked, though.  The first
night, my group and I only saw the first set...when we first went into the
civic center around 7, we asked if we could leave and then come back.  We
were told no, but during intermission that we were allowed. So, we left
during intermission...finding it strange that no one else was doing the
same.  We come back after hanging out back at the car for a while.  They
won't let us in!  We had our ticket stubs and everything.  We were trying
to explain to the event staff, who was standing near the door the whole
time even when we left, exactly what we were told.  No, she wouldn't hear
it.  Then, after we finally couldn't take anymore of her shit, we decided
to leave.  After we had started to leave, she called security on us!!  
Like we were some threat to her!  So, we missed the second set, which I
later found out was awesome, with Suzie Greenburg and Simple.  Then, the
second night, we decided we would try to forget about the night before.  
We tried to put it all behind us like it never happened.  So, we are
waiting to go up and are about to go up onto the ramp leading to the
doors.  I got separated from my group, so after I got onto the ramp, I
decided to wait for the rest of my group. Well, this huge black guy, who
was on a major power trip, told me that I had to go in.  I told him that I
was just waiting for my group, which would have only been for about a
minute.  He said no, if you're gonna wait, get back outta line...he
grabbed me by the shoulders and shoved me back!!!  I was like fine,
whatever man, I'll go.  He's like, no, you won't, you'll stay here.  So
finally, my group came and he was trying to get them to keep on going, and
they wouldn't, without me.  So, he was like, no, then you're all not going
in!  So, we got the attention of one of the two security guards on the
ramp, and the guy was wondering why we weren't being allowed in, because
we had perfectly legitimate tickets, so he asked the big black guy, and he
wouldn't answer.  So then he asked the other security guard on the ramp,
who was at the end, and the security guard just said, well, he's the
gatekeeper, he decides who goes in or doesn't!!  And then they both turned
around and ignored the situation! They didn't have the friggin balls to
stand up to the guy.  So, finally, the guy decided to let us go through.  
I have no idea what the hell this guy's problem was!  Hey, if anyone
remembers this happening, e-mail me!!  Then, on top of it all, we were
locked in the building for 6 hours, not being able to get out.  There
weren't even water fountains, so we were bound to by their 2 dollar
bottled water! I wish Phish knew what was going on with the security!  I
know they would be thoroughly pissed.  But, they still played awesome
shows.  Halley's Comet was really cool, and Lizards.  Golgi Apparatus and
Tweezer Reprise were awesome.  So anyway, aside from the messed-up
security, I guess I had an ok time...although my past experiences have
been far better than this one. Phish had nothing to do with it, though.  
So, until next time, You Enjoy Myself!


Date: Thu, 09 Dec 1999 08:35:00 +0000
From: bdiamond73@att.net
To: dws@archive.phish.net
 
I'm not going to get into the 'review wars', but I want to say that Mr. Kuroda
put up the greatest light show I've seen almost a hundred shows.  HATS OFF!!
 
bdiamond73@att.net

Date: Thu, 9 Dec 1999 15:54:57 -0800
From: Bill Dolan billd@wccls.lib.or.us
To: "'dws@www.phish.net'" dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 12/8 reviews

Thanks everybody for bringing me back to reality.  I don't tour anymore
but when I check out happening's on-line I get nostalgic for the days...
that magical feeling of joy walking out of a theatre, or stadium...smile
plastered on my face...feeling better than ever...with Brokedown still
ringing, or Rocky Top's rhythm running.  Going to shows is great fun. I
understand that giving the band a hard time is part of the fun of being
into that band - you know them, you'll be with them through several
nights, you feel entitled. But the kind of comments I've been reading has
made me realize that, as exciting as it may seem, no band is going to give
me the kind of uplifting of my soul that I'd like. The harder I try to
make a band, or anything temporal, fill that place the further away that
thing becomes. Thanks for reminding me so I wont be pining after the days
of the tour and I can get on to uplifting my soul for real. Peace.


Date: Thu, 09 Dec 1999 02:32:02 -0500
From: HSIHd phishman@ime.net
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: review of 12/8/99
 
    I'm just getting home on the night of the second Portland show, and
since I live only an hour away, there's a lot that's still fresh on my mind.
    The Civic Center in Portland is a wonderful venue to see any show for
two reasons: it's small, so any seat is a good seat, and the security
doesn't exist except outside the doors, or if someone is dying. Anyway, I've
been to plenty of shows since the early nineties and anyone who remembers
tiny venues was happy to be at the show tonight (and last night). But I felt
pretty let down in terms of the band's setlist and performance, so here's my
mediocere review:
 
Limb X Limb: I've loved this song since the first day I've heard it. I like
this song anywhere in the setlist but I love it best as an opener. But,
imho, the show took a nose dive like an Egyption pioleted aircraft (*rim
shot*) from here.
 
Get Back on the Train: I've heard this song a few times on tapes but never
had the misery of seeing it live. Many people seemed to have just smoked
through this one. I wish they'd leave this one back on the bus.
 
D w/D: I'm really impartial to this one. I used to hate it but in the past 2
years or so, I've grown to like it. It was good tonight, pretty smooth
transition from the jam back in to the familiar soloing phrase of trey's
32nd notes at the end (right before 'waiting for the time' outro)
 
Ya Mar: I think I'm the only phish fan ever to dislike this song. I've never
cared for it, and tonight was no exception. Page's solo seemed flat to me.
 
Horse --> Silent: This song never has potential to hit or miss, b/c its
played the same way every time. It's kinda fun to hear, but I guess "I think
that this exact thing happened to me, just last year" means so much more on
nye...
 
Antelope: In my opinion, the band could play this every time I see them and
I'd never get sick of it. Tonight though, I'm not sure I've ever heard a
more out of control (in a good way) antelope ever. It was fucking
amazing...normally the part before trey speaks builds and builds and ends
really in sinc, but tonight it built and built...and just when you thought
it couldn't build anymore, it built...some more. Best song of the night. I
was with a bunch of friends tonight, one of which has very very limited
phish experience, but he made  kind of a funny point during antelope's
amazing climax...he said, "I've never seen a band rock so hard and stand so
still at the same time." Antelope kicked ass tonight, can't wait for the
tape.
 
Intermission: I got to meet up with my old english teacher susan paluska who
was flaunting her backstage pass and hanging out with her son john. If
anyone noticed a gray haired lady talking with Kuroda at setbreak, that's
the toughest paper grader you'll ever see.
 
Sand: This song blows. I can't stand it, and it never seemed to end tonight.
I was hoping for the second set to save the first but it didnt.
 
Dirt: I can't think of a more obnoxious thing to do but to take a pretty
slow, sleepy night and add dirt to it. I think they're starting to have one
too many one- sylable  songs anyway ;-)
 
Piper: I don't know if it was planned, or the band fucked up, but time frame
before the band hit the fast part of piper seemed to be about 40 seconds.
Maybe i wasn't judging space and time very well during this song, but it
seemed like the shortest piper ever, and the build up to the singing part
wasn't built at all...I've always loved this song, and tonight was the first
time I ever hated it.
 
Dog faced boy: This was actually pretty awesome. Had i seen this on paper
and not heard it, I'd have passed it off as yet another slow song on the
evening. Tonight however, they really did a good job, and harmonized
perfectly. Most importantly though, it was as close to a capella as you can
get w/out having any instrumentation. I really enjoyed it, and was actually
one of the highlights of my night.
 
Lizards: If ever there was a doubt that the frat boys came out to the show,
this put that to rest.
 
YEM: Always awesome, play it every night as far as I'm concerned. Tonights
had some funky bass solos and a very very good vocal jam. I've yet to ever
be dissapointed by this song.
 
Golgi: For many people this is their bouncin'. I happen to love the energy
from this song. While i can understand why people do collectively seem to
dislike so tunes this is one I never understood for several reasons. One,
its got a great building part where trey hits minor second after minor
second and comes back into the chorus. Two, its a short song. If you hate
this song don't worry, it's over in a few minutes, as opposed to hating
tweezer, where if you hear that opening riff you know you're fucked for the
next 20 minutes. And finally, like I said, it's pure energy and fun.
 
Tweezer Rep: I wouldnt have called this one from a mile away, except for the
vocal jam. It's quick, its fun, it's energetic, but I don't care either way
about it. It's the same every time, including the lighting for this song,
which seems to have not changed in years. It's fun, but its old and
predictable. I was kinda looking for a fluffhead --> harpua --> maze to save
the night but then again a winning lottery ticket would have been nice too.
 
Overall: It was a let down as far as I'm concerned. The band didn't feel
tight, they fucked up and amazing antelope at the end and it just seemed to
be a 'ho-hum' kinda show. Two things I want to comment on though (as if i
havent taken up enough bandwith already...this page is probably still
downloading as you're reading this). A local Portland paper ran a story
regarding Phish's lean toward simplicity, and their desire to move away from
YEM's, Reba's and Fluffhead's in favor of "famhous's jennifer dances', and
other billy breathes/top 40ish tunes. I have to agree with the article in
that I'm noticing that trend too, and with that I am saddened that the very
band whose epic, jazz influenced, multi-part songs that made me fall in love
with their music, is being traded in, all in the name of progress and
change. Dont get me wrong, I love evolution in music and I love a lot of the
new tunes, I just wish the band would write another David Bowie soon.
I'll end with a positive note however. I don't know if Chris added a newer
lighting pattern, or is playing with a lot of different computer-saved ideas
and patterns, but tonights lighting is some of the best I've ever seen. He's
always been amazing, but is it possible that he's actually getting better? I
appreciate your reading this everyone, I'm hoping for improvements for
Hartford/Providence.
 
phishman@ime.net

Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 11:54:52 -0500
From: Terry Bennett tbennett@ispchannel.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: Wed, Dec 8, 1999 Review

Incredible show! Unbelieveable Piper. If you weren't able to go where
Phish was taking you than I am very sorry. Light show was stunning. So
many treats.
Acappela Tweezer -sweet!
Phish is in top form right now- enjoy the upcomming shows.
                                                            Terry
(Must get tape of this one)


Date: Thu, 9 Dec 1999 12:35:02 -0500
From: jane manza jjmanza@nemaine.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: review 12/8/99 Portland
 
    LORD OF ALL THE MUSICAL SAINTS! What a stand in Portland! Just got back
from the Portland shows. First night blew my mind, and I didn't think they'd
be able to top it. Then, BAM, what a show! These shows are a must have. I was
placed both nights dead center 10-15 ft away. Gotta love general admission!
Just behind me was Randy Billings of "The Billings Brew Band."  I wasn't sure
it was Randy until I saw his bro Mike with him after the show. Check 'em out.
They're are a "known" band but they should be bigger for their bluesy jam
funk style. Anyway, really enjoyed hearing JENNIFER DANCES. The first night
brought the funk. And the second night definitely showed the psychadelic side
of Phish.
    Had a little trouble before the second show. I was supposed to meet a
friend (Bruce 'Lee') at four at the Civic Center, and I would've been there
on time but something vanished from my sight. My Car!!! My first thought
wasn't "AHHHH, where's my car?" it was "OH NO my tickets!" I left my tickets
in the car. So I scurried around town made an appointment to pick up  my car
and happily paid the 50 duckets. The towing guy said I was the happiest guy
he'd ever seen that found out his car had been towed. I thought it was stolen
first, and that would've meant no ticket, and no show. Plus I had Bruce's
ticket, and he would've exploded if he couldn't go to the show. This WAS
Bruce's first show, so I got a beachball and requested ANTELOPE and YEM ( a
couple of regulars, but I wanted him to hear the classics so he could get a
good dose of Phish. WOW did he get it). ANTELOPE  was great but YEM was
amazing! The entire show rocked. You've seen the setlists for both nights.
Just imagine great effort going into every song both shows. Didn't see my bro
or friends either day, I knew they were there, but no sight until I pased my
bro on 95 heading back to Orono. In closing, I'd just like to thank Phish for
giving Bruce an unbelievable first show and CK for shining those crazy lights
in my face. Time for a shower and some sleep, CJ Manza


Date: Thu, 9 Dec 1999 11:59:48 -0500
From: "Dambrosio, Nick" Nick.Dambrosio@LibertyMutual.com
To: "'dws@www.phish.net'" dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 12/8/98 Review
 
Went to the show, listened to an incredible band play some incredible music
at an incredible venue, had an excellent time.  Thanks to the boys on stage
and to Mr. CK.  I don't know where I would be musically with out them.  I
think I speak for a majority of the fans who enjoy the music no matter how
many times we hear the same song.
 
Yes phishman@ime.net, I do not know anyone that does not like Ya Mar


below are reviews of the above reviews, reviewers or the opinions
expressed by the authors
 
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 19:46:17 EST
From: HGale66@aol.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: Review of the reviews of 12/8/99

Having just returned to my home base in NH from Wednesdays show in
Portland, I decided to read some reviews of it to see what other phans
thought. Well, kidz, imagine my surprise to read some of the nasty, petty
bickering that was going on between some of you.  First of all, if you
really want Phish to stay exactly the same forever, just stop buying
tickets to shows, and crank yer favorite summer '93 tape over and over
again.  I guarantee that they won't play Sand!  I was going to actually
write a clear, honest, unbiased review of what I personally thought was an
amazing show, but now I'm not.  I didn't go on tour this Dec. because I
finally went out and got a job, and wednesdays show was exactly the
therapy they needed.  I didn't even ingest any hallucinogens, and they
carried me on a journey. I remembered, once again, why I fell in love with
these guys in the first place - its not about what they play, or how well
it will translate to tape, or how technically polished they sound.  Its
about the vibe, the flow, the community, the old phriends you run into,
the new phriends you meet, the way that the music hits you and makes you
move, makes you rejoice in the fact that you are alive and here to be part
of such a magical experience with so many other people.  It's about those
four men onstage playing from their hearts, playing what they are feeling,
picking up on their audience's energy and relaying it back.  So what if
they started singing Piper too soon, and Lizards got the frat boys
groovin?  Personally, I think the more frat boys who get it and boogie
down, the better.  At least they aren't looking for reasons to bitch.  
Remember, we are all here to have fun, if youre not having fun, there's
always Dave.


Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 13:18:45 -0500
From: Dave Wolcott dwolcott@CompassRoseIntl.com
To: "'dws@gadiel.com'" dws@gadiel.com
Subject: Dric

Amen to Dric.

See everyone at MCI & Hampton.


Date: Thu, 09 Dec 1999 12:28:00 -0500
From: Lawrence A. Bock bockla@erols.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: reply to phishman's
 
Although the review was a little harsh, I still think he was right on some
stuff, especially on Piper and Sand.  I had the exact same criticism.  But
when you go to so many shows, you're bound not to see your greatest one every
time.  phish is fun, maybe not as fun as we want them to be all the time.  I
think eventually though, Phish comes through to the faithful.  Maybe most of
songs were'nt great--but Antelope was! take what you can and leave the rest.  
--joe b.

 
Date: Thu, 09 Dec 1999 20:41:20 -0500
From: Travis Stieren jiboo9@earthlink.net
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: review of phishman's review

I just was wondering if phishman@ime.net was actually at the show last
night.  I've been to 35 shows and I was sitting with about a dozen of my
friends who average at least 40 shows a piece, several of whom have been
to over a 100, not that the number of shows really matters.  After the
show we were all hugging and laughing and congratulating ourselves for
being at this show.  We all agreed it was about the best show we've seen
in a looooong time, and none of us were halucinogenically enhanced.  I
would put last night's show in my top 10 list of all time going back to
my first show in 94.  No last night was not perfect, but it was full of
energy and magic, the band pushed themselves in some points and
surrendered to the flow in others, and a good time was had by all.  My
question is simply this, if last night was such a bad show, then what
shows have you seen?  I would love to get copies of those tapes!
Believe me it doesn't get much better than last night's show.

Thanks, can't wait for Hartford and Hampton 


Date: Thu, 09 Dec 1999 09:05:13 PST 
From: stephen andricos plushlush@hotmail.com 
To: dws@gadiel.com 
Subject: response to "phishman"'s 12/8/99 review
 
As a person with a full time job, I only get to go to 4 or 5 shows a year,
so I periodically peruse reviews of shows to try to enjoy them vicariously.
Although I have found countless reviews in the past completely laughable
(i.e. "Trey's on E!!  He sucked last night!", etc.), phishman's review
completely disgusted me and illustrated what I lament about the current
state of some of the Phish community.
 
First of all, it's a total joke that someone who seemingly suggests to have
had numerous great occassions provided by Phish feels that they have the
right to criticize the band's musical decisions and performances.  Even
looking beyond the issue of negative "reviewing," don't you think that love
and hate are strong words to throw around when you're talking about a live
musical performance?
 
My other problem stems from phisman's frat boy comments about "Lizards."
I've always enjoyed the counter-culture musical scenes, in part because it
was an escape from the b.s. of regular society.  It did NOT make assumptions
about people based on race, age, etc.  I would rather have a whole arena
full of frat boys who are jamming out to "Lizards" than one full of
close-minded, pretentious "phans" who want to sit back and give the world
their opinion of what was wrong with the show that night.
 
Please lighten up, relax, dance, and have a good time or else do not buy a
ticket or do not post your negativity and holier than thou attitude on
phish.net.  Some of us long-time phans are still having a great time and
don't want to hear about the band's "decline."  Peace to all and I'll see
you at MCI, Hampton, and most importantly New Year's!
 
-Dric

Date: Thu, 09 Dec 1999 07:12:06 PST
From: Doug Schneider dschneider1@hotmail.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: reply to "phishmans" 12/8/99 review
 
I've never felt compelled to reply to any review before, but yours just
caught my ire.  I can understand not liking versions of a song at a given
show, but you seem to just dislike a lot of their songs in general these
days.  If this is the case--stop going to shows, go home and romanticise
with your hissy '89 soundboards!!  They've changed for the better and will
never be like the old days again.  I relish the fact that they can pull off
a great ballad, a calypso cover, and a funky country tune in addition to the
wonderful extended jam songs of old.  Simply stop going to shows and give me
more room to boogie!!

click here to return to the 1999 reviews page


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