6-10-09 - Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, TN

please review the show, not the other reviews....

From	Lawdog
date	Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 10:38 AM
subject	Phish Show Review 3-10-09 Knoxville
hide details 10:38 AM (2 minutes ago)
 
I guess I’ll give my quick stats as that always let’s you know where 
someone is coming from.  14th show, almost 30 years old.  I’ll say that 
I’ve seen some phenomenal shows (Big Cypress, Greensboro 2003) and some 
not so great (Coventry).  I would rank this show on par with any of the 
best shows I’ve been to.  And it might have been better.  You’ve always 
gotta factor in your stage in life, frame of mind, etc.  And with all of 
that being considered, this was the best show I’ve been to.  Phish or 
other.
 
I’m a huge fan of Runaway Jim mainly due to its happy overall effect as 
well as 8/17/96 set 2 being my favorite set of all time.  So this was very 
welcome.  Prefer it outdoors but I’ll take it anyway I can get it.  Punch 
was probably the song I wanted to hear the most and was anticipating the 
most, so my crew and I lost it when we heard the first few notes of this 
one.  While I’ll say there were a couple of flubs and tempo issues, 
overall couldn’t complain.  Ocelot, the first new song of the show and 
that I’d heard, was really fun and I enjoyed it thoroughly.  I believe 
that these guys need to test the waters with all of these new songs so 
that a handful can rise to the top and make it in to the repertoire.  I 
can see this one staying around.  Foam was solid, again a few tempo 
issues, but great.  Train Song I love because it gives you the warm and 
fuzzy.  As is normally the case with this type of song, no attempt to jazz 
it up in any way, just played it straight up and I respect that.  
Undermind may have been the surprise of the night.  When I say that, what 
I mean is initially I was disappointed as it’s not one of my favorite 
songs.  But after the band settled into it and worked up a good groove, 
they really knocked it out.  And Mike launched into a spacey funk effect 
that surfaced a couple more times later in the show and took the song to a 
whole other level. 
 
Just like Punch, it only took 2 notes of Mike’s Song to launch the crowd 
into ear blowing applause.  Mike’s itself was good, not great, not bad, 
but on par.  Regardless, it takes a lot to mess this song up because the 
whole crowd knows for sure what else they are getting and the other 
likelihoods for the next 20 to 30 minutes.  And for that reason, my 
personal take is just to get into the groove and forget about picking 
apart what they did right and what they did wrong.  ANYHOO, I was really 
hoping for the last 30 seconds of Mike’s that Hydrogen would make it in 
instead of Simple and it worked out in my favor.  That’s a whole other 
discussion to itself but as always, Hydrogen was so beautiful and relaxing 
and gave me the much needed 3 minute break and time to reflect before the 
heat came down.  And did it ever!  Was hoping they would squeeze a Kung in 
the groove but hey, we can’t always get what we want right?!?  Mike pulled 
out the semi-distorted space funk effect for the second time here and it 
was perfect.  The Groove (both Weekapaug and the suite itself) were great.
 
As we’ll see later in my review, it’s tough to top/follow certain songs 
and I kind of expected that to be the case, which it was, after Mike’s 
Groove.  Not sure if the boys intended it this way or miscalculated the 
length of the set.  Regardless, Squirming Coil is always fun, as is 
Character Zero.  At that point I was just happy that they were still 
playing and hadn’t left the stage yet!
 
The first set was so good that it was hard to expect the second set to be 
better.  But having been to a number of shows before, I should have known 
better.  They kept their unspoken word to give every show everything 
they’ve got until the end.  Set started out a little slow with Back on the 
Train, Waves, and Song I Heard the Ocean Sing but each had its highlights.  
Back on the Train is just such a great dancing song that you’ve gotta love 
it.  Waves was as spacey, jammy, and tight as I’ve ever heard it.  What a 
great song, and always the chance for Kuroda to bust out.  And Song I 
Heard the Ocean Sing they destroyed even though it’s not my favorite.  
Bowie…what can I say.  Tight as hell and they knocked out the complex 
fast/slow parts with perfect precision.  Reba was perfect, Julius was just 
a blast.  Cavern made the place go nuts and then Hood was truly utter 
disbelief.  Hood was astounding and perfect in all ways.
 
We were all expecting a Rocky Top encore but instead got a sick, rockin 
Frankenstein with Page on the keytar.  Still thought they might come out 
and do Rocky Top after that but maybe they are saving for Bonnaroo.
 
Overall an A+ show.  Hope they keep up the pace for the rest of this leg, 
rest of this tour, and on into the coming years.  We’ll all be able to 
relive and continue living the dream and get to enjoy the greatest band in 
the land.



from	bmrobin
date	Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 8:12 AM
subject	Phish show review - 6/10/09

Let me start by saying that this show was, from start to finish, one of
the most energetic concerts I've ever seen. The band was spot on all night
long - Page was hammering out some great work on the keys, Trey was very
very tight, not over-doing anything, Mike and Fish were on fire with the
rhythm.
My friend and I were stuck in traffic for 45 minutes at a stand still
trying to get into the Knoxville area, and we made it there about 15 min
before the band came out.

Runaway Jim - awesome opener, full of life
PYITE - this version was very, very good. page blew us away when he took
his solo during The Landlady. Trey and Mike were having a great time doing
their dance!
Ocelot - this is my favorite of the new songs. it's very upbeat and happy,
and the jam on this version leads me to believe that this song will grow
into a real fan favorite because of how much fun they seemed to have
during the jam.
Foam - i was pleasantly surprised to hear this song. the jam was quick and
jazzy, and Mike completely ruled this song. I like to hear experimental
Phish and during the middle of the jam they broke down and got quiet, then
they let the jam build back up to the chorus refrain.
Train Song - finally got a chance to relax with this beauty. Back in the
day it used to be pretty much just Trey and Mike during this one, but I
like how everyone plays along with it now. Good vocals by Mike too.
Undermind - Never before Knoxville have I really been a fan of this song,
but the boys brought this one out with more gusto for this tour than I've
heard before. The ending was drawn out longer when Trey missed Fish's cue,
but they laughed it off and continued with a funky/bluesy jam involving
cool drum fills by Fish. Definitely worth checking this version out.
Mike's Groove - clocking in around 20 minutes, this Mike's was shorter
than some, but made up for it with tons of energy in the jams! I was
expecting to hear these 3, but not during set one! Immediately I knew that
this show was only going to get better after getting Jim, PYITE, Foam, and
Mike's Groove all in set one! But I degress...the vocals in this Groove
were solid, but the jam took off very quickly and the energy just built up
more and more. The entire arena was going nuts during the jam and closing
chords of Mike's, which gave us all some resting time during Hydrogen
before Weekapaug. Mike's slap on the intro was so, so good! Once again,
the jam took off right away, showcasing mostly Trey. After a great jam and
the level that Weekapaug ended on, I assumed we were looking at setbreak,
but Trey and Mike exchanged words, Mike passed it on to Fishman, and...
Squirming Coil - starting chords were off, but no worries :)  the rest of
the rehearsed part of the jam was perfect, leading right into a beautiful
solo by Page. It was really neat to see Trey and Mike standing near each
other just staring at Page while he played his heart out during the
ending. Right after closing out the last note, Trey cut right into...
Character Zero - got the whole arena bouncing around the room and rocking
while Trey stole our faces before setbreak

Back on the Train - opened up the second set with a good, but short
version. The band didn't really jam it at all, which was satisfactory
though because Trey struck the opening notes to...
Waves - This version was a lot more lively than some of the slower 2003
versions, and the jam is absolutely amazing. Good work by everyone during
this cool jam. Towards the end the band goes into a spacey loop/delay jam
while Chris Kuroda lit up ambient style lighting on the crowd directly
behind the stage in various colors while the band made their cool effects
in the darkness. The crowd went wild over this cool spectacle, and you can
hear them very well roaring in the recording at this point. Provided a
nice segue into...
Song I Heard the Ocean Sing - Great vocal work from the guys, and the jam
from Waves into this number is really cool too. Trey really let us have it
during the jam, continuing with all the energy built up in set one. The
jam seemingly faded away at the end, but Fish kept going on the cymbals
letting us know it was time for..
David Bowie - one of the most lively Bowie jams i've heard - Trey's
awesome guitar work was being fueled by the ecstatic crowd.
Army of One - gave me a rest off my tired feet from the past 3 nasty jams.
still a great version, but not really a dancing tune. Page did an awesome
job with the piano and vocals. Trey threw in some nice bluesy fills too.
Reba - this is one of the best Reba's i've ever heard. the fast verses
were performed accurately and the rehearsed jam part was perfect. The jam
was amazing because of the variations from other versions past. It started
out typical noodling around by Trey while Mike and Fish kept the beat
going. The jam built up very slowly to a great level, then got really
quiet while the guys took in the moment. They let the crowd no they
weren't finished by keeping a little playing going, but it was almost like
they had completely broken down the jam just so they could start building
it again from the ground up. They did this magnificently and one guy in
front of me who had seen many Reba's said this was his favorite because it
was so unique. Trey's guitar tone sounded like it was straight out of the
late 90's during the jam - very clean and crisp
Hello My Baby - after such a sick set of jams, there was nothing left to
do but chill for a minute or two with a great a capella tune
Julius - this song was terrific and the jam was great. Hearing the chorus
sung so joyously made everyone in the arena jump around like crazy. This
jam led nicely into the beats of...
Cavern - I assumed this would be the set ender because they delivered the
verses and final chorus with such enthusiasm while the crowd sung along at
the end. In between verses Trey was flooding us with funky blues riffs
while the other guys kept rocking hard. Great high-energy ending to the
song too. I assumed this would be the end of set two, but once again I was
wrong. As they were strumming out the final chords to Cavern, Fishman
delivered the opening hits to...
Harry Hood - everything up until the end of Mr. Minor was great, and the
jam that followed thereafter was typical Hood. Started out soft with Page
and Mike playing the most while Trey noodled in the background. Given the
amount of great playing up til this song, it was understandable that the
band didn't build this one up to the levels that Hood used to reach, but
still consistent version throughout. (This was the only 'downer' part of
the show for me, and even then it wasn't bad, just more relaxed)
Frankenstein - perfect rendition and great a great choice for an encore.
we got to see Trey, Page, and Mike lined up close by each other which was
very cool. Page sported the keytar (it sounds awesome!) and Mike featured
a new bass that is designed like a Hot Rod, with the body being red and
yellow, cutting away at the bottom like flames. Very neat bass.

All around I thought this show was very good and the energy from the band
and crowd really made it amazing. Lots of variety with the songs and jams,
and the band looked like they were having a blast. I give it an A-


June 10, 2009
Thompson-Boling Arena
Knoxville TN

A review by James D. McCallister, filed from Team Dmac World Headquarters, 
composed while bumping along I-40/I-26

Set 1
Runaway Jim (called by the author)
Punch You in the Eye
Ocelot*
Foam
Trainsong
Undermind
Mike’s Song>
I Am Hydrogen>
Weekapaug Groove
The Squirming Coil
Character Zero

Set 2
Back on the Train
Waves>
A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing
David Bowie
Army of One
Reba (w/out whistling outro)
Hello My Baby
Julius
Cavern>
Harry Hood

Encore
Frankenstein


A ribbon of asphalt through mountains hacked, roughhewn, towering walls of 
craggy stone: I-40W, the Great Smokey Mountains, a haze in the air but not 
blue like the peaks would appear were we at a summit rather than rolling 
through a valley artificial.

Peaks and valleys. A band like Phish, predicated on both complex 
composition as well as gestalt-driven improvisation, experiencing those 
hills and troughs in its now long career, a career recently rebooted not 
unlike a Hollywood franchise.

But unlike recasting beloved characters in an entertainment property--or 
more apropos in this case, the formation of a musical simulacrum like The 
Dead, forever absent its guiding musical force and most crucial 
member--Phish is intact, its four virtuosi alive, youthful, and ready to 
again play. Phish, its leader Trey Anastasio ready to embrace rather than 
shun his group’s legacy, returning not as a lark, a shortlived reunion 
tour, but back, ostensibly, for good. “We’ve figured out a way to do this, 
we hope, for a long time.” Another quote: “We want to be like the old 
swing bands during the depression, going around and giving people a good 
time during hard times.” Noble; a cynic might wish to note the lucrative 
lure of a beloved arena-rock band returning to its previous level of 
success, every show a sellout. either way, the idea of bringing joy to 
those in need a high ideal indeed.

***

A luxury pyramid of a Marriott, a check in, directions to the venue, 
walkable--but not toting a cooler laden with American craft beer. My 
cohort in phishing decent enough a soul to drive us the mile to the venue. 
And an oddly placed venue, a university basketball arena and an aging, 
patched together football stadium crammed into a corner of downtown 
Knoxville along the river. A parking garage looms, but few cars and no 
parking lot scene to be had therein. Rain looming gives the garage a 
thorough and reasoned consideration, but garage lot scenes tend to be 
cacophonous, damp, claustrophobic. Heading around a bend, neath two 
elegant arched bridges, past the arena, following a set of railroad tracks 
to a lot wherein we’d been advised additional scenesters to be found, old 
friends of this writer going back two decades, faces seen with ruinous 
infrequence.

A smell in the air; “it’s only the river.” And yet not: this remote lot, a 
mile in the opposite direction from the venue, L-shaped, situated amidst 
the roiling cesspools of the municipal waste processing facility. Strange. 
Asked of the attendant: “How the hell do we get to the arena from this 
lot.” An answer: “Oh, you walk right along those railroad tracks right 
there, uh huh.” “Uh huh,” indeed.

The familiar smells and sights of the modestly-scaled lot scene take shape 
over the course of the next hour: food vendors, tie dyes, dreadlocks, ice 
cold everything, gingham and Guatemalan clothing, Phish, Grateful Dead and 
Bob Marley T-shirts, burning sage, the wafting aroma of exotic tobaccos, 
untethered dogs, bare feet blacker than printer’s ink, battered sandals 
and sneakers. Delight at finding the old friends with ease, glad, too, to 
find ourselves beside an old-line shirt vendor, a famous name in the
Phish vending world.

Fat Tire. Terrapin Ale. Sierra Nevada Pale. Laughter, rain, no one 
melting, no one made of sugar. The rain ending; oohing and ahhing: An 
elegantly curved rainbow in the sky, its pot of gold end somewhere in the 
vicinity of the otherwise ordinary cube of concrete that is the basketball 
arena. “I’ve seen this before,” I say to a young lady snapping, a photo, 
starry-eyed. “The first Dead show after Brent’s death in September 1990, 
and then again at the 2002 Family Reunion.” She is so blissed at the 
thought of a cosmic blessing on this night for her band that she doesn’t 
really even respond.

***

A trudging, almost silent processional along the gravel and cinder strewn 
rail tracks, no shoeless travelers able to take this route with any degree 
of comfort, but then, Birkenstocked and aging peds in no better shape. 
Shuffling along the rocky trail, pilgrims, sandaled, unconcerned by 
hardship: showtime approaching.

Finally on proper ground, asking two Knoxville police officers: “Is there 
an easier way to get to that parking lot? Those tracks are hazardous.” 
Cop: “Walk in the street.” Muttering to myself, “This trail of tears is 
the one of the most egregious threats to public safety that I have ever 
seen. The concern of the peace officers over this issue seems muted.

Up a steep city street, around a corner, crowds growing, the discovery of 
phisherpeople streaming down from a much closer lot; live and learn, we 
say, but frankly the important part has been hooking up with friends, not 
convenience.

A concern with convenience thankfully not felt as the enormous clusterfuck 
of all time makes its presence known by the throng of people filing slowly 
through Checkpoint Charlie, which isn’t even the problem. A long, steep 
walk up concrete ramps, aging legs complaining, crowd growing, making a 
few friends along the way, my celestial do-rag along with sardonic 
witticisms about how cattle must feel met with smiles and goodnatured 
agreements. University cop searching my line apparently having problems 
with successful bowel movements, feeling up individuals with a 
sedulousness bordering on the erotic. By the time this writer makes it up 
to the search, his hip pack free of contraband but for devices chosen to 
record thoughts and setlists, Cpl. Diligence has been replaced by a female 
officer whose cursory look into my pack and brief dalliance with hands 
along hips leaving her quickly satisfied that bearded man presenting no 
threat to homeland security.

Another cattle call inside, the curving lobby packed with showgoers, a 
nightmare of damp meat and bumping elbows. Passing by a familiar face or 
two, producing a smile despite annoyance and a bladder like an overfilled 
waterballoon held gingerly in the hands of the last guy on the roof ready 
to toss below at an unsuspecting classmate. Readers easily wearied by 
gratuitous body function humor, relax; no further description of the 
depraved scatology on display by the pack of saturated menfolk in the 
undersized, humid restroom need be offered.

Seats at last. Perfect, straight back, twenty rows off what will be the 
writhing GA floor, and directly up from my old haunt the taper section, 
now tiny in the age of download-the-soundboard first thing in the morning. 
The band, taking their time to come out, knowing, probably that many 
hundreds if not thousands struggling through the morass of bodies trying 
to make entrance to the hallowed concert hall.

And then, the lights go down, and exultation takes the place of what had 
been the murmured cacophony of the anticipatory faithful. How many like 
me, wondering, here for their only grab at the ring this summer? Many, of 
course, heading onto the Bonnaroo Festival to begin the next day; this 
middle aged Phish fan already a little wiped from all the walking, knowing 
that a huge campout in the Tennessee countryside hardly the remedy to the 
desire for more Phish this writer may harbor. Instead, wishing godspeed to 
those going on up head to carry the torch no matter how hot the coming 
show to be.

***

And the band comes out to play: Seemingly only seconds after the fall of 
the lights, the familiar ringing guitar intro of a classic traditional 
opener, Runaway Jim, companions noting the acuity and alacrity with which 
this scribe predicted this fine, Phishy start to the show. Going right 
into Punch You in the Eye, the first since the end of the retirement, and 
this veteran showgoer feeling the energy and renewal of a band having 
overcome whatever problems plagued it during the last period of activity: 
the stageset is back to the original, four-across lineup of musicians, Jon 
Fishman’s drumkit retaking its position at the far right of the stage. 
This setup always making the most sense in a symbolic sense: This is a 
band with four component of almost equal musicianship, deserving to be 
presented in this manner.

Next, one of supposed 20 new tunes, and the brightest surprise of the set: 
Ocelot, a catchy tune with a bouncing, traditional seeming Phish tone and 
melody, and then jammed into a crescendo of power.

Classic Phish continues with Foam, played well, followed by the 2009 
reappearnace of Mike Gordon original Trainsong, here played with a 
tentative sense of jesus-we’ve-not-played-this-one-in-a-while. Then, a 
rearranged and vastly improved version of the title cut from the “final” 
Phish album: Undermind, now with a kind of reggae beat and a much better 
vehicle for improvisation than the prior version.

And then… Mike’s Groove, possibly my favorite sequence of Phish music, 
often rejiggered and enhanced by the addition of different tunes mixed 
into the sandwich like slices of flavorful cheese or unusual condiments, 
as had been played a few shows back. Here, though, a traditional 
presentation of the original three compositions, played with gusto, power, 
and confidence. A fantastic way to end the set on a note of energy that 
doesn’t get much higher.

And then… this writer is pinned to the wall by another favorite, the song 
that’d ended my very first show 15 years earlier: The Squirming Coil. I 
know, to the uninitiated, a seemingly silly sounding song, but to these 
ears a lovely composition and epitome of all things Phish, a traditional 
set or show ender, the three others making their way offstage while 
keyboardist Page McConnell offers up a soaring, exploring piano solo.

And yet, this time, the other band members do not leave, and as Pages 
finished with a flourish of delicacy and taste, straight into rocker 
Character Zero. Not a favorite tune by any standard, but a song of great 
energy and power, ending on a note of loud, arena rock and roll.

Setbreak: More old friends, faces not seen in some time, including an 
important character far from zero: Robert, with whom I’d trekked to Deer 
Creek in 2004 to say my goodbyes to the (ostensibly) retiring Phish. Hugs, 
warm feelings, a bottled water rationed and sipped. Discussion of what had 
been a tremendous first set.

And lights down again, seconds later, Back on the Train, now an apparent 
nod to those of us with the misfortune of staggering along rails and ties, 
a bouncy, fine set opener. Next, an interesting combo of tunes from the 
previous two albums:
Waves, a reasonable rendition (though of Round Room tunes I’d much rather 
have heard Walls of the Cave or 46 Days) going into a brief jam that fails 
to gel, fading into Undermind’s jamming vehicle A Song I Heard the Ocean 
Sing, notated in setlist as “Waves>Ocean.” Clever, I get it, played with 
power but ultimately not that interesting.

Making up for this passable but uninspiring suite, the first of three 
classic, touchstone Phish numbers: David Bowie, played with precision, its 
intricate, angular tempo changes intended upon original composition by 
Trey to be a song “that would be impossible for people to dance 
consistently all the way through.” A cursory attempt at dancing through 
David Bowie demonstrates that the songwriter’s conceit a successful one. 
The Bowie jam takes a while to gel, but once it does, like a racehorse 
galloping along with traction and speed.

A soulful Page number follows, Army of One, a lovely composition, nothing 
about which to write home. Next the second of the “big three,” one of the 
silliest Phish lyrical achievements, and yet a platform for what normally 
turns into a composed melody of considerable beauty: Reba, absent the 
“whistling outro,” made up for by the next bit of Phish classicism, the 
barbershop quartet presenting Hello My Baby.

Phish again seems ready to close out this interesting set with a 
barnburner not yet played since the return: Julius. Before you take 
another step/don’t blame it on yourself. A big rave-up, a suitable set 
closer of high energy… and yet seguing into another bit of tradition with 
Cavern. Cavern, as on the final 2004 tour, seeming to give Trey problems 
belting out all the lyrics. To be forgiven; this night has been filled by 
complex compositions, enormous arena rock electricity and energy. A strong 
show closer.

But then… Hood. A composition dating back to the early days of the band, a 
most desired bit of Phish business, a glowstick war attempted (the second 
of the evening) but for nought. Turning to a companion: “Don’t these 
Tennessee crackers know you’re supposed to pick up the glowsticks and keep 
throwing them around?” Disappointment at this failure; the glowstick war 
witnessed on July 4, 1999 in Atlanta during Silent in the Morning one of 
the most inspiring moments of band/audience gestalt ever experienced, 
counting even the most transcendent of Grateful Dead spiritual peaks. 
Alas.

An encore, then, fun and bombastic, but to these ears a classic rock 
throwaway: Frankenstein. Phish, settled into their groove, a typical 
encore, nothing special.

Except, perhaps, that this is a band rejuvenated: Trey often taciturn and 
closed off during 2003-2004 performances, here pouring himself into solos, 
making eye contact with the lucky revelers along the rail, seeming to play 
to them the way Jerry Garcia once did before himself becoming closed off 
and isolated in the later years of adoration and adulation. All four 
members, Page, Fishman, Mike “the cactus” Gordon, and nominal “leader” 
Trey seeming to revel in their reunion, playing with precision and verve 
and joy.

Make no mistake, this version of Phish is the real animal, a band that 
hasn’t existed quite in this form for much longer, in my opinion, than the 
five year retirement itself now permanently (?) mothballed. Thank you, 
guys, for coming back, but not only that: for doing so with the 
acknowledgment that what you’ve already accomplished deserves continued 
exploration, as well as the fire in the belly to make the new myths and 
legends that a band like Phish is capable of producing. Rest assured, any 
hardships endured like cattle calls and railroad tracks were more than 
worth the hassle for the joy received in exchange: I felt the flow from 
band to audience and back again; the world needs this feeling now more 
than ever. Keep it up, Phish.

Endnotes: I don’t know offhand if lighting director Chris Kuroda is still 
behind the board, but Phish’s computer-programmed lighting designs are 
some of the most beautiful and creative concert lighting I’ve ever seen, 
at times absolutely breathtaking, and presented most certainly with the 
lysergically-enhanced concertgoer in mind.

Finally, blessings, love and affection going out to Mike, Glenn, the Lupos 
Robert and Nicole, Kelli Rae, Sean, Samantha and the other familiar faces 
and new friends that I made: You are all as much of this experience as the 
band itself. See you at the next show I attend… whenever that may be.


from	eric tipton
date	Thu, Jun 11, 2009 at 8:27 AM
subject	Knoxville review

Thanks Dan!

From: Eric Tipton

Phish

6/10/09 Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, TN

SET ONE

Runaway Jim (8:16)

Solid as a rock and just as standard.

Punch You in the Eye (8:27)

They must have been practicing this because it sounds light years better 
than what it has. Still not perfect but one hundred times better.

Ocelot (8:51)

What I have come to expect which is: a nice, tight little jam.

Foam (8:42)

Very well played. I could go for a little more 'oomph' in Trey's solo. But 
it's all good.

Train Song (3:04)

Meh.

Undermind (7:18)

Mike owns the last couple of minutes with some quirky sounding bass 
effects.

Mike's Song (8:55)

Pretty damn good. But I could do without Trey's tone. He switches it up at 
8 minutes in to one that is better sounding to my ears. Good transition 
into Hyrdogen.

I Am Hydrogen (3:04)

Clean as can be. Bravo!

Weekapaug Groove (8:51)

Short, crisp Mike solo. You can tell Trey is clean and sober the way he is 
picking his axe through the first 3.5 minutes or so. Short and sweet.

The Squirming Coil (7:59)

Tight. Pages typically beautiful solo gave me goosebumps.

Character Zero (8:02)

Rocking close to the set. Standard as can be, but rocking just the same.

SET TWO

Back on the Train (7:02)

Standard.

Waves (11:21)

Some killer peaks in between the first and second chorus. After the second 
chorus they take it out into pretty deep psychedelic space, nice. Not for 
too long mind you - nice and tasteful.

A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing (8:05)

Trey shreds this big time - now, this is what I'm talking about. It's akin 
to the Tweezer from Camden just on a much shorter scale. Page lays down 
some nice effects from 4-5 minutes then goes back to the baby grand. The 
whole time Trey is nailing it! At 6:38 they bring it back to the original 
theme of the song. Spacy noise from 7:30 up until it seques into Bowie.

David Bowie (11:27)

Super clean intro. The jam is dominated by Trey who just picks the ever 
living shit out of it. He brings it up to a nice peak at 9:30 and trills 
away. KICKS ASS!

Army of One (4:41)

Utterly perfect placement. Kudos to the setlist writer!   I love Trey's 
mournful soloing in this tune. Good vocals from Page. I don't remember the 
backing vocals (ie the "Oooooooooooooooohs") Can someone tell me if that's 
a new arrangement or are the other versions like that too? I don't 
remember it being like that. Perfect breather.

Reba (13:45)

Nice! Nice, clean composed section. Very quiet beginning to this jam. 
Crowd goes crazy briefly. Picks up speed at 10:10. Pretty mellow peak and 
then Fish is drilling the woodblocks. No whistling.

Hello My Baby (1:28)

Last time played: 12/5/99 - 136 show gap. I wonder how many timies they 
rehearsed this because it sounded great.

Julius (7:44)

Again, killer placement. 6 minute mark sees Trey destroying it. Whew! Rage 
and roll! Sorta segue...

Cavern (4:30)

Intro: Fish stayed with the cymbals a bit too long methinks? Lyrics: 
nailed. Atta way Trey. Right into...

Harry Hood (14:39)

Ahhh, sweet. Cool, funky effects from Page and Mike during the intro. Trey 
doesn't exactly nail the sections up to the Mr Miner part but he is 
getting close. Lots better than the past few Hoods I thought. I would 
prefer Trey use a cleaner tone for a song like Hood than he has been. He 
builds this one up pretty well but just doesn't take it to that peak that 
this song is meant for. Oh well, still not a bad way to end a hell of a 
solid set.

ENCORE
Frankenstein (5:25)

Nice way to cap the evening with an ass shaker. Crowd goes ape for it.

Ok:

My favorites:

Waves > A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing > Bowie.

Kick ass show - hope those that attended had a GREAT time!!!



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