trey - 05-26-03 Hammerstein Ballroom New York, NY

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

Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 12:34:59 -0400
From: Neil Sharma
Subject: Trey Hammerstein 5/26 review

05/26/03 Hammerstein Ballroom, New York, NY
Set I: Curlew's Call, Cayman Review, Simple Twist Up Dave, Flock of Words,
Last Tube
Set II: Mister Completely, Windora Bug, Cincinnati1 , Secret Smile1 ,
Spices1 , Drifting, Olivia, First Tube, Alive Again
Encore: Push On Til the Day, Black Dog2

1 new song; titles may be incorrect
2 with Mike Gordon on bass

I thought the show as a whole was underwhelming.  Could be b/c it was
first show out, and they were getting reacquainted musically.  There were
just points during many jams where they totally lost it, and killed
momemtum.  A lot of static, quiet parts that prompted the juvenile crowd
to start chatting and acting like idiots.  This goes on at Phish shows,
but the music is normally so powerful that it fades out the neophytes.

CURLEWS was a good starter.  Not the best version I've seen (Stabler tops
my cake), but did what it was supposed to do.  This is clearly one of the
best of the newer Trey songs.

CAYMEN was fine as well.  I don't expect too much out of this tune except
to do some fun shaking up and down.  Another song that filled its set
role.

STUD.  Big disappointment.  Never really went anywhere, and at times was
near-gruelling.  I've seen such great DAVE's - a la  the STUD>PLASMA>STUD
sandwich of Camden last summer.  This was the least memorable song of the
night for me.  Also the first hints of Trey overconducting this particular
evening.  After fall '02, I thought he was fading that from the 
experience.
Last night, he seemed to double it, and it hurt the flow of the evening.

FLOCK.  Very pretty, and good placememt.  Usually this is a breather, but
after the bad DAVE, it was somewhat of a highlight.

LAST TUBE.  Another disappointment.  This kicked ASS at Stabler last fall.
What happened?  Total bust in my opinion.  The middle of the song was
complete nothingness, with no direction, and no drive.

Whole first set was mediocre.  C+/B-

MR. C.  Decent.  The start of the song got everyone in the mood.  But
again, somewhere in the middle, the band just lost it.  Having now seen
Phish recently, I can't help the comparisons, and Trey's band just does
not hold it together as well.  Don't get me wrong, I love it, and its
refreshingly different, but there shouldn't be 8 moments a night where I
come back to reality, and think that Trey should move it along.  MR. C did
have one funky little light part.  Hard to explain, but new and
interesting.

WINDORA.  Good song.  Good placement.  The reggae vibe put everyone in a
good place.  Love the Tony/Russ vs Trey vocal interplay.  The spacey part
went a wee too long, and was a bit too spacey, with a slight lack of
music/guitar going on during it, but that's a minor point.  It seemed most
people were happy with this.
 

CINCY.  Fantastic new tune in my opinion.  Little Trey speech about how
he's been writing new stuff, and this one was a about the Feb Phish tour
Cincy hotel fire.  Starts out instrumental and jazzy, and then just lifts
into a totally fun, driving, groovy song.  Kind of a less powerful Destiny
- in the same vein though - and obviously not as good.

SMILE/SPICES.  Both slow, acoustic, and not that interesting.  These
killed the flow of the show.  After a lackluster first set, second set
needed to be straight through, and it wasn't.  Don't get me wrong, I give
Trey FULL SPACE to introduce new shit.  It is a total necessity.  But
these sleepers should have been introduced in a first set mini-acoustic
bit. And by the way, last night was the WORST crowd I've ever experienced
- Phish or Trey.  The most disrespectful a-holes I've ever seen.  Is it
really necesssary to talk about bullshit to your buddy all night?  Or to
yelp out nonsense during a quiet song?  Jeez

DRIFTING.  The best.  Always.  Did not disappoint.  Love the "stars" up
above from Kuroda.  I've seen slightly better Drifting jams, but whatever,
you are not always going to get best-of versions.  Totally a picker upper
from the slow new tunes.

OLIVIA.  Another momentum killer.  This one needs to be shelved, or at
least demoted to 1st set.  Doesn't do a whole lot.

1ST TUBE.  Highlight of the night, which surprised me, b/c it is not
usually my favorite tune.  Trey had the whole place jumping up and down
nonstop. Total energy boost.  THe place, esp. the floor, was going NUTS.  
Strong, strong version - perhaps the best I've seen.  Complete leg killer.  
My washufeetsies are hurtin'.

ALIVE AGAIN.  Not worth any commentary.  I don't know why Trey likes this
song so much, and gives it set closer or encore treatment.

POTTD.  Decent.  Lacked the "umph" of other PUSH's.  Trey antics with Jen,
while cute, break up the song too much.  I prefer PUSH's like Camden,
Stabler, and a host of others.  The "comeback" part was especially
disappointing.  The lights, and those characteristic notes, failed to
deliver to the crowd what they usually do.

BLACK DOG (w/ Mike).  Fun to hear.  Kinda gimmiky.  If Mike is going to be
onstage, I prefer to see him utilized, though.  He might as well not have
been there.  Do Led Zep when he's NOT there.  The Jones Beach encore with
Mike was SO SO SO much more meaningful and rememberable.  Jen's vocals
were pretty good, and she should definitely use her voice in more songs.  
But something about this whole things was a disappointment, after an over
disappointing show.  Oh well, there is always tonight.

Second set and encore were about B-.

PS., I am looking for 2 mezz tix for my 2 floor's, to get a different
perspective.  Any trades, email me at (nms2001@columbia.edu)



Neil Sharma

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