Date: Thu, 02 Nov 2000 17:32:07 PST
From: M P fenwaypahk@hotmail.com
To: dan@archive.phish.net
Subject: Fwd: FW: Fillmore review 10/15/98
Fillmore - San Francisco 10/15/98
Phish at the Fillmore on a Thursday night in San Francisco...wow, what a
sweet tiny venue. It was THE ticket to have. You could immediately feel so
much musical history when stepping inside...Fillmore concert posters
everywhere! Phish celebrated their upcoming release of Story of The
Ghost(out the following week) by performing 10 tracks off the new record.
They also snuck in a couple of timeless oldies with Bowie and Reba.
Chalkdust was a thrill as Kuroda had fun with the chandelier lighting and a
glowstick-less Harry Hood closed out a young second set. Dirt and Limb by
Limb surprised everyone as the encore, but all in all, it was a special show
in 1998. Special props to my buddy, the Gould, who made the 400 mile
midnight trek from Los Angeles to secure us tickets the month before!
-powers
fenwaypahk@hotmail.com
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Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1998 03:54:54 -0700
From: Charles Dirksen
Subject: Phish at the Fillmore
****PHISH****
AT THE FILLMORE AUDITORIUM
IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
October 15, 1998
SET ONE (90): Ghost -> Water in the Sky, Wolfman's Brother, Gumbo, David
Bowie, Brian & Robert*, Reba > Character Zero
SET TWO (87): My Soul > Chalk Dust, Roget, Moma Dance, Velvet Sea,
Prince Caspian, Frankie Sez, Birds of a Feather, Lawn Boy, Harry Hood**
ENCORE: Dirt, Limb by Limb
* Fishman lit up by yellow light.
** Trey teased Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man"
EXCITED!!? I had not been so excited before a Phish show since
10/31/94 Glens Falls! And I was not alone.
It was the most difficult Phish ticket to score since the Third Ball
on 6/6/96 (being blessed enough to get one was a miracle of sorts).
But unlike that tiny Third Ball gig, which brought back memories of
The Early Years in bars, this show's music celebrated the majesty of
Phish's more recent musical trends in larger spaces: 1994 leap of
faith exploration (Reba), 1995 full-band improvisation (Gumbo),
1996-98 space-funk-rock-groove (Ghost, Wolfman's). Only days before
Phish celebrates 15 years of gigging, everything would be in focus, in
alignment and in tune, much as it had been after the 12/31/95 Madison
Square Garden show (though the music of tonight's show was not in the
same league as much of the music on that legendary NYE).
The pre-show scene outside the Fillmore was not the anarchic circus
folks had predicted. Cops were not present, and only a handful of
Fillmore security guards were around to tell people what to do (mostly
to keep moving). There were only about 200 people outside when I
arrived around 4pm. By the time I got in, at 6:45 or so, there were
only around 300 people outside and 300 in. If ever there was a time
to be amazed by the spectacle of desperate, pleading, ticketless fans,
this was not the time. Things really weren't that bad at all outside.
A special thank you to all of you who refrained from showing up
ticketless. I am exhausted and wasn't going to make the effort to try
to review this gig right now (2:30am), but I'm doing it for you,
because I know what it is like to miss a potentially awe-inspiring
show and await word on what went down. FWIW, the vast majority of the
folks who showed up looking for tickets (maybe 200 or so, tops) were,
naturally, that subset of our community that cares the least for the
scene we create -- and leave behind -- at venues, i.e., wookies. But
all were in rare, well-behaved form tonight, imo. One guy had a 1971
Nolan Ryan Topps baseball card which he offered to trade for an extra.
(most people, though, were simply using 'ween tickets as tradebait)
If you have never been to the Fillmore, it holds around 1200 people
(or so they say). Red carpeted stairs greet you, and take you up into
the warmth of a red carpeted, narrow, rectangular hall with walls
adorned with gorgeous, framed pictures of some of the musicians who
have played here (the Dead, Santana, etc.). The main room features a
spacious, freshly polished, wooden dance floor bounded by modest,
well-worn carpeting. Chandeliers hang tastefully from a high ceiling
(with a disco ball in the center). A balcony stretches across the
room's entire left (stage right) side. Five or so feet off the floor,
a huge stage formidably fronts the room.
The vibe as Phish took the stage (about 8:20pm) was unforgettably
intense. People were beyond ecstatic, beyond euphoric, beyond
enchanted (and beyond the average age of a typical Phish audience, in
large part because of the significant number of friends and family of
the band in attendance). Everyone was ready for ENLIGHTENMENT with
the first notes the band played. The ZONE was already forming before
the band would shoot spirits and souls even more heavenward with their
music. I was reminded of the vibe before 10/31/94 Glens Falls, and
before "The Other Ones" took the Warfield's stage earlier this year on
June 4th. Not having the funds to catch Phish in Europe these last
several years, I had not seen Phish play in such small room since my
first show at the Paradise on 10/6/89. I was a jaded oldbie turned
giddy fan boy for the occasion, hell-bent on having a good time, AND I
DID HAVE A GREAT TIME, despite repeated elbowing in the ribs by
savagely euphoric fan boys. And girls.
Phish opened with a predictably powerful Ghost. It wasn't a monster
like 7/3/97 Nuremberg, or a *RAGER* like most of the recent summer
Ghosts, but the crowd loved it! It segued masterfully and wondrously
into a lovely "Water in the Sky" (the upbeat, latest version).
Wolfman's and Gumbo followed, and were the highlights of the first
set, as I heard it. Although Wolfman's funked mightily away for the
most part, it ended with a whimper. Gumbo, on the other hand, was
awesome from start to finish, with an impressively unusual jam segment
that you MUST hear for yourself. Easily one of my favorite versions
and I'm looking forward to hearing it again!
After Gumbo, Fish began rattling out Theme's opening, using the ride
instead of the high-hat, but Trey gave him the Bowie signal, and Fish
promptly started Bowie's hi-hat intro. Bowie's opening composed
section wasn't as tight as you've often heard it, but the jam segment
was short and sweet (reminded me of early versions). Brian & Robert
mellowed out (but did not silence) the typically chatty San Francisco
crowd. Trey commented before they launched into it that one of the
many things Fish hates is "the yellow light." Trey asked Chris to
keep the yellow light on Fish for the entire song ( Trey and Page were
trying to hold back laughter at times during this non-serious version).
Reba featured the only real "Type II" exploratory improv of the
evening. After a somewhat sloppy opening segment, the jam began with
help from THE DISCO BALL!! =^] The jam took a predictably Reba path
for a long, long time (accompanied by the Disco Ball), with heavy
noodling from Trey, until something Weird clicked in Trey's mind and
he forced the groove into a disturbingly dark, twisted form.
Definitely the only real "what the fuck!?" event of the evening, and
not an especially pleasing one to my ears, either. It certainly won
the award for The Most Queer Type II Jam of the night. No whistling
ending... just a leap into a frightening Character Zero closer.
Set break lasted about 40 minutes. We were treated to a CD's worth
of the Afro-Cuban guitar stylings of Marc Ribot.
The second set opened with passionate versions of My Soul and Chalk
Dust, two of Phish's most basic songs. As Chalk Dust started, the
crowd was so crazy with excitement that I thought people would begin
slam dancing. I had been hoping for a more memorable Event
to kick open the set. But these two typically great (blistering)
Phish tunes clearly pleased most in attendance.
Roget was beautiful and perfectly placed. I really needed a good
melodious kick in the ass after what I thought were two LA TI DAH
openers. It wasn't a flawless version, but it's one of my favorite
Phish songs, and I was THRILLED! I also love Moma Dance, which came
next, but unfortunately, Phish has apparently decided not to take this
tune OUT THERE yet. This was a perfectly average Moma Dance. Sure it
was funky, sure I loved it... but it didn't do anything different from
almost all of the versions you have heard.
Fans of Velvet Sea will probably really want to hear this version
(Craig!). It was the first time I think I actually enjoyed hearing it
*live*. Trey seemed *very* into the solo, and, if memory serves, it
went on and on and on. I'm not sure how well it will come out on
tape, though, because of the (typically) inconsiderate, chatty San
Francisco crowd (yes, even at tonight's gig! I couldn't believe it!).
Fuckerpants (aka Prince Caspian) was the highlight of the second set,
easily, in my opinion. Fishman *KICKED* *OPEN* the jam segment with
thunderous cymbal & tom work, and everyone else followed suit and
played the most balls-to-the-wall version of Caspian **EVER**.
Must-hear, even for folks who don't like Caspian. Floating on the
waves?!? More like THRASHING!
The soothing, gentle, mellifluous and charming Frankie Sez, another of
my favorite Phish tunes, came next. Very strange placement. An
enormous contrast to the Caspian. The placement of this version
caught me off-guard and didn't sit with me too well. (btw, if you
haven't heard the second set of 4/2/98 yet, with the Sneaking
Sally->Frankie Sez, **GET IT**).
Like Moma Dance earlier in the set, Birds of a Feather was basically
played the same as it has been all year, with just a bit more of an
EDGE to it. The jam segment sounded more like Chalk Dust than
Crosseyed and Painless to me, this time, though. I'm hoping that they
use this tune to go new and different places sometime. Soon.
Lawn Boy was perfect for the intimate Fillmore, of course. Page sang
very well, and all were amused. Mike took a solo.
Harry Hood featured a very eccentric opening segment.. lots of toying
around from Trey. It wasn't all that tight. The jam segment was..
was.. was.. Original. It opened with Trey briefly teasing Copland's
"Fanfare for the Common Man." Strangely and unfortunately, there was
no long, Slave-like, bewildering crescendo/build in this version.
Rather, Trey seemed to be fighting with ideas.. He'd start something
and then change direction and then start something again and change
direction. I felt that it was aimless and sad, but some folks seemed
really into it. I had high hopes in its intro, and was disappointed
that nothing even Typically Great (for Harry) seemed to materialize.
The version also ended half-heartedly, and many, including Mike
Gordon, didn't expect it to close the set.
The encores (Dirt and Limb) were very unusual. As you might expect,
since the band had already played for three hours, they weren't
perfect versions. But given the circumstances, they were quite good I
thought. The BALLS it took to close with Limb by Limb! Such a
complex song, in six, so late in the show... but they ripped out an
unusually fierce, somewhat chaotic and SOAM-like version.
All things considered, the *vibe* and the *scene* of this show won
more points than the music, in my opinion obviously. It was
**wonderful** to be so close to the band members again. I have seen
bands play the Fillmore for years now, and I never thought I would see
Phish perform here. To look up and see them having a good time
playing on that stage was the greatest highlight of the
evening for me.
I've been falling asleep at the keyboard more/less, but hope that I
haven't put you to sleep. Even though the music could have been more
tight and more magical, it was a beautiful, unforgettable evening
overall.
G'night and two cents,
charlie
p.s. An excellent Fillmore poster commemorating the evening was
available for free post-show...
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Oct 1998 16:40:42 GMT
From: Darren Grover
Subject: Fillmore Review (Oakland Tribune 10/17/98)
>Phish, the reigning kings of psychedelic improvisational rock, took a backseat
to history Thursday night in a rare small-venue gig at San Francisco's most
storied room, the Fillmore Auditorium.
>
>But not for long.
>
>The quartet from Burlington didn't disappoint the neon-colored legends staring
down from the rafters, wowing their normally-picky fans, who usually see the
band in sports arenas.
>
>The group was in town to play even more rare acoustic sets today and tomorrow
at Neil Young's Bridge School Benefit at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain
View and figured a sneaky, intimate night with rock history seemed to fit the
bill.
>
>The 1,200 lucky Phish-heads at the Fillmore spent all of Thursday night nodding
in agreement.
>
>In fact, the four-piece band (lead guitarist/vocalist Trey Anastasio, bassist
Mike Gordon, keyboard player Page McConnell, and drummer Jon Fishman) lived up
to its growing hype as leader of the post-Grateful Dead era, stirring up a
three-hour sonic boom with a two-set, two-encore genre-bending musical space
voyage.
>
>The Phish sound is closely related to the rambling mind of maestro lead
guitarist/vocalist Trey Anastasio, who has the ability to play any distinct
guitar style he chooses.
>
>At the turn of a Fishman time change, Anastasio switches gears from obscenely
fast classical scales to straight-up bluegrass fingerpicking, from gentle,
liquid rock ballad lines to throw-down funk.
>
>And right now, the funk is the featured element of "The Story of the Ghost,"
Phish's new album slated to hit stores on Oct. 27 and the source of six songs
from the band's 20-song setlist.
>
>Bathed in purple light from the historic Fillmore chandeliers, Phish took the
stage and didn't say a word.
>
>Gordon slapped his way into the new album's title track to start the
proceedings.
>
>Phish followed with a gorgeous backroads country-fried "Water in the Sky,"
featuring barbershop harmonies from all four band members and Fishman on a
cowbell.
>
>Funked out, extended Phish classics "Wolfman's Brother" and "Gumbo" were next,
with Anastasio starting the exploration into heavy jazz fusion, gyrating his
skinny frame to the beat and singing his wa-wa guitar riffs to himself a la
George Benson.
>
>Songs and musical thoughts blended into one another, starting and ending with
the same dissonant wandering and rediscovering perfected by the Dead.
>
>"David Bowie" was a highlight film for the band's gaudy talent.
>
>Wrapped in the constant funk theme, "Bowie" took fans on a journey from Bach to
speed metal and back.
>
>The song, which lasted close to 20 minutes, has only four words, spoken from
time to time between lightning-quick breaks: "David Bowie, David Bowie...UB40,
UB40."
>
>After a mellow "Brian and Robert," cast in yellow light, the band closed out
the set with their muscular live standards "Reba" and "Character Zero."
>
>Each song was taken to furious length as the fabulous Fillmore disco ball lit
up the huddled mass.
>
>The second set featured more typical Phish exploration.
>
>The blues standard "It's My Soul" was dedicated to Santa Cruz-based "musical
librarian" Glenn Howard.
>
>"Chalkdust Torture" was pure rock, with Anastasio fueling the crowd with the
anthemic chorus "Can't I live while I'm young?"
>
>"Roget" eased Phish into a soothing, gentle groove that continued into the
superfunk "Moma Dance" off the new record.
>
>Phish kicked back with poignant tones in "Wading In the Velvet Sea," "Prince
Caspian," and "Relax," before finishing off with the new, poppish "Birds of a
Feather," a short but melodic "Lawn Boy," and what might be their live
masterpiece "Harry Hood."
>
>"Hood" starts out as an instrumental reggae progression, drops midway into
prog-rock bars, then smooths out and builds back to a stunning climax of soaring
classic rock notes.
>
>By the time Phish had expertly pulled off encores "Dirt" and "Limb By Limb" and
fans picked up their free posters, security was busy emptying the bewildered,
sweaty groundswell onto Geary Street.
>
>They were the only ones happy to see it end.
>
>By Doug Miller towerofmiller@hotmail.com
>
>Staff Writer, Oakland Tribune
------------
Date: Sun, 18 Oct 1998 06:21:52 GMT
From: FahtHarpua
Subject: Jam.TV Fillmore Review....
Copied from http://www.jamtv.com/
------------------------------------------
Big Phish, Small Pond
The Fillmore, San Francisco, October 15, 1998
The outskirts of the legendary Fillmore concert hall were bristling with
free-market energy Thursday night as Phish fans wheeled and bartered for a
coveted ticket to the evening's show. Among sacrifices ready to be made: a 1971
Nolan Ryan baseball card.
No word on whether anyone took the budding tradesman up on his offer, but given
the size of the venue (capacity 1,200) and the fact that the show was opening
yet another chapter in Phishtory, his offer didn't seem especially outlandish.
Thankfully, the beefed-up security at the venue kept the pre-show hysteria
level to a minimum and those lucky tie-dyed fans with tickets peacefully made
their way into the ornate hall.
Inside, bassist Mike Gordon milled about the back hallway, chatting up fans who
knew enough to recognize him in his everyman attire. Up above in the balcony,
guitarist Trey Anastasio and keyboardist Page McConnell peered down at the
quickly assembling crowd before ducking backstage. Worshipful fans accustomed
to seeing the band in cavernous arenas or outdoor festivals were giddy at the
prospect of seeing their heroes up close.
The band shuffled onstage smiling, undoubtedly excited to debut some of the
material off the soon-to-be-released album, The Story of the Ghost (Oct. 27),
Phish's first studio release in two years. As soon as drummer Jon Fishman had
gotten comfortable sitting in his frock (his typical stage attire), the band
slipped into the title track of the new album.
Though only one song on Ghost breaks the five-minute barrier, live Phish is all
about extended jams. Perhaps it's not surprising, then, that Thursday night's
show provided a little of both. Riffs from the first song were still sounding
fifteen minutes after the song had started, much to the delight of the fans,
who were hi-fiving each other in the crowd. But the show quickly reeled itself
in, reflecting more of the restraint that characterizes 1996's Steve
Lillywhite-produced Billy Breathes as well as their latest album.
This move toward subtlety was met with an unfamiliar sound in the midst of the
third song, however: that of people loudly chatting at the bar, who, while, in
the process of declaring to each other "Dude! I'm so fucking psyched to be
here!" failed to realize that in doing so, they were missing the very show they
were so fucking psyched to see. The band, used to rapt attention and uproarious
applause, seemed slightly taken aback by the noise, and found itself in the
unfamiliar position of having to retake the room.
But Phish promptly regained their composure and silenced (or drowned out at
least) the socialites with a ferocious version of "David Bowie," off their
first album, Junta. The band pushed the energy and the volume level even higher
for the remainder of the ninety-minute first set.
Any trace of restraint disappeared completely in the second set, as the band
found its moorings (or cut them, as it were) and let loose with the
free-for-all, Zappa-esque jams that have made them one of the country's most
successful touring acts. Gone from the scaled-down show were some of Phish's
more gimmicky stage maneuvers, such as the synchronized trampoline jumping and
vacuum cleaner solos, replaced instead by artifice-free jamming.
After nearly three hours of bombardment, the crowd was practically numbed,
swaying in appreciation. At one point, during what was arguably the evening's
highpoint, "Birds of a Feather," (Story's first single), Anastasio also seemed
lost in the moment. Staring distantly with his tongue wagging in the corner of
his mouth and peeling off blistering runs up his guitar neck, he personified
Phish's hypnotic music. And in doing so, he and the rest of the band finally
reached that rarely attained zenith of live music -- the point at which band
and audience are in exactly the same place.
ERIC HELLWEG (October 16, 1998)
---------------
Date: Sat, 17 Oct 1998 13:39:33 -0700
From: Sam Gustin
Subject: Fillmore in Review
The following is my subjective opinion of the Fillmore experience.
Here's the setlist:
SET ONE (90): Ghost -> Water in the Sky, Wolfman's Brother, Gumbo, David
Bowie, Brian & Robert*, Reba > Character Zero
SET TWO (87): My Soul > Chalk Dust, Roget, Moma Dance, Velvet Sea,
Prince Caspian, Frankie Sez, Birds of a Feather, Lawn Boy, Harry Hood**
ENCORE: Dirt, Limb by Limb
* Fishman lit up by yellow light.
** Trey teased Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man"
My brother and I got to the venue at about 5:00 and promptly got in
line. I felt extremely lucky to be going into the show. This was my
first time at the Fillmore, so I was fairly ecstatic. There were
signifigantly less miracle seekers than I had expected. Thanks to those
who resisted the temptation to come without a ticket. The line started
moving at about 5:45 and proceeded at a slow pace. When we finally got
our tickets at the window, we raced up the stairs and assumed a position
on the floor.
The Fillmore is a great room. High ceillings punctuated by chandeliers
that were actually glowing purple thanks to some nifty lighting provided
an expansive, psychedelic atmosphere. There is a long bar on the side
and a small one in the back. Not only that, there was the cutest girl
walking around delivering beers all over the room. When we got in, the
seated people in front of the stage were only about 4 deep so we were
able to get quite close.
Several Black Butte Porters later and we were about to explode with
anticipation. The crowd reaction to the band's appearance on stage was
more emotional and intense than anything I'd seen previously at a show.
The place shook.
A word about expectations. We were anticipating that they would play
crazy shit for this small crowd and hallowed venue. We thought a Forbin
or Harpua was all but guaranteed. Furthermore, we couldn't help
speculating about the possibility of a Destiny or Alumni Blues. Sure,
we knew they'd bust out Ghost, Moma and possibly Birds/Roget. In
hindsight, I think our expectations might have set us up for
dissappointment, (they always do.)
The Ghost opener was extremely funky, and set the tone for the show. It
was very long and delved into some nice areas. We were loving it.
Although I am a fan of the old Ghosts, this one was as jammed out as
most I've seen. Water In the Sky was kind of a letdown. The fact that
I immensely prefer the old rendering of this tune is only part of it.
After Ghost's funkiness I was jonesin' for more booty-shaken.
Nevertheless, the Bay Area crowd seemed to enjoy the song.
Curtain->Jim, anyone?
Wolfman's was a welcome tune and severely jammed out, though not as much
as '97 Gorge and Worcester versions. Great tune, great placement.
Gumbo rocked _hard_. If I recall, Page took a great solo and was
generally stupendous, as was the rest of the band. This was possibly
the musical highlight of the evening for me. Indeed, it seemed to me
that after the high energy of this song, the vibe of the show changed.
These three songs were very well received. More importantly, the band
looked happy and comfortable. Mid-first set, though, something
happpened and to this subjective observer it appeared that the energy
tapered off from here on out. Furthermore, for the rest of the show,
Trey seemed unhappy, smiling rarely and appearing very self-conscious.
More on that later.
Bowie was extremely welcome and very fun although musically nowhere near
other Bowies. They just weren't as tight as they have been. Trey
botched some of the composed section and the jam didn't have the
inspiration that others have had. The finale was sweet as always.
Brian and Robert was the third new tune of the set and pleasant, if not
particularly enjoyable. Now I like this tune, unlike some people, but
this one just didn't do to much for me.
I was elated to here Reba, one of my favorite tunes. It took a second
for Fishman to find the groove, but when he did they clicked.
Unfortunately, some boor was screaming the lyrics as loud as he could
right next to me, but hey, shit happens. The composed section was
fairly sloppy, and Trey looked like it was all he could do to play it.
I wonder how much they rehearse nowadays (of the old stuff.) Stuff like
Reba, Bowie, Divided Sky and others is musically insane and since they
don't play these songs every night like they did many years ago, I
wonder if they _ever_ rehearse them. The jam clicked on and Chris
flooded the place with spinning disco ball lights, that effects debut
that night. In my heightened state, I was bordering on ecstatic as the
jam flowed forth. The beginning was quite gorgeous although the energy
just couldn't get going and after a few minutes I was appalled as the
band _abandoned_ Reba in favor of some heavy riff-oriented stuff
reminiscent of that second set jam from Worcester '97 that sounds
vaguely like Heartbraker. When Fish tried to bring it back, Trey loudly
announced the Character Zero intro. I would have loved to see a YEM in
this slot, but I know how hard Zero can rock. Additionally, I know Trey
loves this tune and I was hoping it would get him fired up. It did
slightly, but as I said earlier Trey looked frustrated and under
pressure. The jam shook the Fillmore. Type I rock and roll. Long set.
At the set break we consumed some more Porter and pondered the first
set. It seemed to me that they came out with an "arena" type attitude.
They could have been playing Shoreline. They were in a small club and I
would have expected more energy and excitement, but Trey in particular
was quite aloof. They crowd was very atypical. It was more of a
club-type audience and less of a "Phish Head" crowd. During the quite
parts, no one screamed. During Hood later, _not one glowstick_ was
thrown. Let's keep this trend up people. On the other hand, the crowd
didn't seem as devoted and critical to the music as I've seen at other
shows, particularly on the East Coast. No one was shouting "Destiny,
Forbin, Gamehendge, Harpua," some of the songs that we had hoped to
see. Later on I screamed "Hood, damnit" at the top of my lungs. Being
about five people back and tall, Trey heard me, nodded to Fishman and
they played it. At least that's how it seemed to me.
After about 40 minutes they came back on. My Soul opener. Well jammed
out, etc. Chalkdust was a treat, and ripped. People were going crazy
in front of me and booties were shakin.' Now, I like Roget, but is this
second set Fillmore material? My Soul, Roget? The jam went to some
nice places before resolving back to the groovy theme. Again, nothing
too spectacular here. Moma Dance is probably my favorite new tune and
this one seemed quite good. The breaks were all well excecuted and the
funk was thick. While not incredible, this song introduced the meat of
the set. I think Velvet Sea has some charming qualities and while the
placement wasn't great, I enjoyed the song. Caspian. Come on!?! This
song has two chords, is quite repetitive, but hey, a major pentatonic
scale sounds great over it. While I can't say that Caspian didn't rock,
the band just wasn't going anywhere substantial, IMO. As Frankie Says
and Birds were played, I realized that we would not see Forbin or
Harpua, (even YEM, Antelope or Mike's) let alone an Alumni Blues. The
new album's coming out, the boys were in PR mode. Rock star mode. They
seemed like they were playing for music critics and reviewers.
Birds did have its nice moments as a dance song, but never really went
anywhere trancandental. Quick transition into Lawn Boy, which is always
welcome. This time, Page looked tired and frankly worn out. The crowd
loved it though and Mike took a nice solo, though nowhere near the
Slip/Stich version. That one is sublime. Hood was just what I wanted
to hear. The first section was nice, although at one point they got the
two reggae parts reversed. The correction was quick and well done.
Trey continued to not look happy at all in my opinion. The rest of the
composed section was fun and when the jam dropped in, I was lovin' it.
Again, however, although the boys took the jam to some nice places, the
energy seemed lacking. Hood was unfinished with Trey going into a
feedback jam and then leaving the stage with a quick smile and wave. I
don't think the other band members wanted to stop or something because
the slowly left and Mike just stood there for awhile and then left.
The Dirt, Limb by Limb encore confirmed the "new tune" orientation of
the evening, but I like both of these songs particularly Limb by Limb.
The past two Shorline shows have included absolutely incendiary versions
of this song and I think SF loves it. That they ended with it seemed to
allude to those Shorline versions. Fishman was marvelous all night and
during Limb he pulled out all the stops, turning the 6 into a slow 4 and
back again. I noticed him staring at some fans below him, unleashing
one bomb after another with his bass drum, grinning and joking around.
Of the four, he seemed the most with it and energized that night.
All in all, I had a great time. The experience was great, the
atmosphere was great, the sound was great and it was thrilling to be
that close to the boys. Musically, they had an off night. I don't know
if they played so many new tunes 'cause the album's about to come out or
what, but the list of what the _didn't play_ is so long that it is
fruitless to say, "I wish they played this or that." I have said that
Trey appeared unhappy. I'm curious if anyone else noticed this or if I
was just "trippin' out."
I'm not going to try and rate the show, I'll let others do that.
Comments, questions and flames are welcome.
Thanks for stickin' with me.
See you all at Vegas,
Sam
----------------
-----------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1998 14:15:47 -0700
From: Michael Cohen
Subject: Phish at The Fillmore: ~it was nice~
Hi Everybody!
I can honestly say that it's been a long time since I had as good a time
at a Phish show as I had last night. Not to say that my other recent
Phish experiences haven't been great, because they have, but last night
was so good that it made me feel six
years younger. I mean, the atmosphere of that show was circa 92-93, and
to me
was a truly magical experience. The scene outside was not nearly as
chaotic as many (your humble author included) had expected, with maybe
100 - 150 ticketless mostly confined to the parking lot of the nearby
KFC, and keeping as low a profile as ticketless phans can. I even ran
into a few souls there who weren't even looking for a Fillmore pass so
much as they were looking for one of those many Halloween extra's that
suddenly appeared once this show was announced.
Once inside, an incredibly contagious electric excitement enveloped the
entire building. Smiles, hugs and high five^Òs were in abundant
display, and strangers were truly stopping strangers just to shake their
hands. Kudos go out to a guy named Kane who bought everyone at the bar
a tequila shot just as I was ordering up my first round of beers for the
night -- if you happen to read this, Thanks man!!
After my tequila shot I spied Mike milling around, and thanked him for
doing this show. He was genuine with his "you're welcome" as he started
to make a cellular phone call........I wonder who he called....?
Anyway, the main room was very dimly lit, and people were just milling
about, chatting, sipping their cocktails, meeting their neighbors and
settling in as much as was possible given the aforementioned electric
vibe permeating the place. The band hit the stage at a prompt (for
them) 8:30ish and immediately kicked into Ghost. I gotta say -- at this
point -- that particulars of many of the songs are somewhat lost on my
brain, but I'll try to be as descriptive of the music as my memory will
allow. Let me begin by saying that even though the setlist may not rock
many boats, the performance of every song was on, and for me, right
there. The jams were tight, flowing and incredibly beautiful. I
can't think of one point during the night when I was let down by the
music (except for when it ended!). The Ghost raged from the outset,
and if I remember correctly seemed to flow right into Water In The
Sky. I love this new version, and they seemed to be pretty psyched to
be playing this one. The triple shot of Wolfman's, Gumbo, Bowie rocked
the house and at certain points I realized that Phish no longer plays
smaller venues simply because they've outgrown them, but because I'm not
sure some of these smaller buildings are able to seismically take the
force that this band creates. They quite literally blew the roof off
the joint on more than one occasion, and the rockers of the evening
(Character Zer0, My Soul, Chalkdust, Birds) absolutely smoked. Also on
the fringes of being declared Rocked-Out-Tune-Of-The-Night was Caspian.
The end jam crescendo-ed to a point that I've never heard Caspian take
(although the Albany 97 version is a good indication of what it sounded
like last night), and if every Caspian were to sound like this I think
there's be many more Caspian supporters! Robert and Brian is a stunning
new tune with hauntingly relevant lyrics for a good chunk of our culture
and I just love this new song. The Reba. Ahhhhhhh what I can say
about this Reba........the chase, the chill, and then,..............the
disco ball. The jam was amazingly frenetic, energetic and
just raged.
I know many folks were hoping for something big to start the second set
(author included), but the one, two punch of My Soul and Chalkdust just
kicked serious ass! The lights during Chalkdust were amazing as Chris
found the control to the chandeliers (see Charlie's review) and did this
kind of wave thing as the chandeliers were quickly turned on and off in
a manner that looked like a wave of light was flowing from the front of
the room to the back (the Tevil really seemed to like this effect!!).
I'd seen this done once before, at a Leftover Salmon show, and boy was I
psyched to see it again! That stuff'll give a guy a big ole'
shit-eating grin (and it did!). Roggae was a cool chill period after
the two previous ragers, and then, The Moma. The boys did it again, in
a manner of 15 minutes they turned that room into the rockingest place
in The City (ala My Soul, Chalkdust) to the disco-ingest spot in town.
People were *Getting Down* and the groove the band produced
was pure ear candy. This may have been the musical highlight of the
night for me, as it is the moment that my mind continually revisits this
day after. Velvet Sea was sweet, matching the highs that to me it
achieved at The Wheel, and I've already stated how I feel about the
Caspian. Relax is the one tune I have no clear recollection of for the
evening, and Birds again tested the foundation of that old,
history-laden building on the corners of Geary and Fillmore. Lawn Boy
was sweet, with Page -- with overwhelming approval from the crowd --
repeating his emphasis of the "moist green organic" lines like he did at
The Wheel. The roll out of Harry was pure joy, and the bizarre opening
segment must be heard. At the time I just thought it was just me that
it sounded somewhat crazy, but reading these other reviews reveals that
it really was an odd (yet *VERY* enjoyable) intro to Harry Hood. . To me, this Hood was great, with an early fizzle of the
jam, but a truly powerful culmination leading into the "You can feel
good, good about Hood" part, but, alas, no final "I feel good!".
At first, especially with the Dirt, I thought the encore had the
distinct feel of either an extended encore, or even a small third set.
The Limb by Limb reinforced this feeling, but it was not to be. Limb by
Limb was a great closer though, and I can think of worse things than
being sent into a cool San Francisco fall evening with the wonderfully
trippy chorus of that song going through the mind.
They were indeed giving out posters and they either completely ran out
or ran out of their currently supply one person in front of me, but I
did score one of the cool bumper stickers. The sticker is yellow, and
in big green print it says Phish at the Fillmore. In smaller print
above that it reads "I've just come back from" (or something like that)
and under it it says "It was nice". I thought that was freakin
hilarious!
Thanks to the Phish organization and the folks at the Fillmore for
putting this show on, and also thanks to Ron Harris for scoring me my
ticket. I'm a lucky man to have him as my bud! This is how cool this
guy actually his: he called Bill Graham Presents in an attempt to sign
over his entire voucher to myself and my wife as a wedding present,
pretty damn cool, huh?
Have a great Fall tour everybody, and I look forward to catching up with
the circus in Vegas!!
Mike
------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 21 Oct 1998 01:37:52 GMT
From: Kentalope
Subject: Fillmore Notes & Tape Offer
Ahh, indeed it was nice. I'd never been to the Fillmore before, so this was
quite the occasion for my virgin eyes. Had some beers at a bar right next to
the Fillmore called "Somewhere Else" and met a lot of people.
Getting in was interesting. Had to go through about 4 checkpoints before
finally getting your tickets. Inside was relatively mellow. I was really
surprised at how empty the place was. Plenty of room to roam.
Anyways, we found our little spot right up front between Mike and Fish and
voila, there they were: right in front of our face.
quick note: To me, it seems like the band has never been more relaxed.
The slow grooves are sometimes just as intense as the fast ones, as the band
has mastered the art of subtlety and nuance. This show really exemplifies
that. Also, it seemed like more of a rock-show than a psychedelic melt-down.
And as 9 out of the 12 songs on the new album were played, it was definitely a
showcase of the new album.
I'll just touch on some of the personal highlights...
Set One
Ghost opener - They didn't fuck around in getting right to the point. This
Ghost is very very multi-textured. There are crescendos in it, albeit not as
intense as say the Phoenix Ghost, but as far as band-improv goes, they sounded
really incredible.
Wolfman's - Deep deep deep deep. This was a lot of people's favorite part of
the show. They get on this one particular groove that is somewhere in either
the Kansas or St. Louis show (Kansas Sneakin' perhaps?), but where it ends the
song in this show, at the Fillmore they dragged it out, with Trey eventually
hitting the cracks of the wah-wah and then they all fill in (you know those
breaks they've been doing lately? Like the Dayton Tube? Slow it down to a
crawl and that's what it sounds like).
Gumbo - More deep in-the-pocket stuff. There are a couple of grooves in here
that are really spectacular. All of them complimenting each other and just as
tight as can be. Incredible moments that I haven't heard them delve into
before.
Bowie - Opens with some Hawaiian slack-guitar sound Trey is doing. I saw him
play air-drums like he was hitting the snare, then saw Fish say "Bowie?" and
then Trey nodded his head, and voila.. Smoking towards the end as usual.
Reba - Really melodic, beautiful standard Reba fare. Lights go down and Chris
focuses all the blue lights onto the disco ball for a great effect. I have a
picture of it that I'll post soon. Towards the end, they delve into weird
dark shit out of nowhere - pretty interesting Reba. No ending.
Char 0 - Trey channeling Hendrix. Ripping to say the least.
Set Two
My Soul opener - I'm not the biggest fan of this song as I've heard it a lot,
but suffice to say, Trey ripped this song a new aney. I couldn't believe how
hard and intense this was jammed out. This got the energy really high right
away.
Chalkdust - Standard great Chalkdust.
MOMA - This will probably become my personal favorite version of this song.
If you notice, it's slower than usual - but probably the tightest of them all.
As far as what Phish is trying to accomplish with the nuances and subtlety,
I can think of no greater example. Slow, HEAVY HEAVY funk.
And the ending part? FREAKSHOW. If you saw Farm Aid and saw how they tried to
freak the end out, but failed a bit, this is the outcome - really really great
version.
Sea, Caspian, Frankie Sez - Can you say "Tweezer"? (actually, Caspian was
quite good)
Birds - Above average version - delving into the psychedelia meets rock like
Chalkdust.
Lawn Boy, Harry, Dirt, Limb - Ehhh.. Harry was pretty, and Limb was tight,
but sub-standard by most opinions.
Spread the muzak!
\\ k e n t a l o p e //
-------
I was really let down. They started out good with thick funk and digital loops in Ghost. Theband seemed energetic and nervous from the hype. The heavy funk stayedthrough the first half of the set. The first set finished strong and rockin', but Character Zero is a let down.My Soul and Chalkdust are great rockin' tunes, but it was downhill fromthere. I love Moma Dance also, but the set was surrounded by lame newertunes. I don't really have high regards for the likes of Prince Caspianin concert. One or two of this type of song per show is acceptable. But the second set could've done without Roggae, Velvet Sea, Caspian,Relax, and Birds of a Feather (which I put in a category along with Character Zero and Sample; cheezy songs that Trey likes to "rock out to"and "get the crowd going") Lawnboy is always fun, but it couldn't savethis set. And Hood has lost it's charm for me. Along with Slave, thesecond half of the jam is a bland, unoriginal jam that puts me to sleep.The encore was a kick in the teeth. Some of the stuff they've been doing lately in concert has been justwhat the doctor ordered; long, flowing, funk, funk, funk. But alot oftheir newer stuff is cheezy and commercial. This has been reflected inthe crowds over the last couple years. Maybe my lowlight of the showwas when a group of 2 guys and 2 girls huddled in a circle and bouncedto Character Zero. I'm hoping LA and Vegas help change my spirits.
Hans EricksonMountain View, CA
----
10/15/98 - The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
Well, after reading the two reviews posted today, I felt inspired to write
my review. The Fillmore was filled with nothing but good vibes all
night, a few cheezy people aside. I feared it would be too hot, or too
crowded, but it was none of the above. Although the set lists did not
contain any crazy shit that many people were anticipating, the jamming was
dynamic, funky, and hard all night. The Bowie was
fantastic....completely old school and tight. Reba was a highlight as
well. As they busted into the jam, all lights turned off except a dull
purple, blacklight haze over the stage. A spot light turned on the
Fillmore disco ball, as tiny reflections spun around the room. Though
spacey and a little evil for a minute, it twisted back to its traditional
path and crescendoed to the delight of everyone. The Character Zero to end
the set was unreal. I normally am not a big fan of this song, but I have
never heard such a long intense jam as the played on this one. Trey took
this to places you wouldn't believe. The second set was probably not what
everyone expected or hoped for, but was well played with some intense
jamming. Although we would have liked a crazier setlist, it was great to
hear some of the new tunes which were well played with good jams.
For those of you who are trying to gauge what it was like, Phish fans from
the New York area will get this. It was like seeing them at the
Capitol Theater in Portchester, NY in 1991 and 1992. But this was
difficult for many of us to comprehend since so much has happened since
then....the scene was very surreal. You had to keep looking around to
believe you were really seeing Phish jamming in the Fillmore. I was only
a little dissapointed in that they didn't really talk to the crowd to
acknowledge this momentous occassion. Then again, they probably figured
nothing needed to be said about jamming in a place as great as the
Fillmore. Much thanks to Phish for such a treat.
B. Sturmak San Francisco
JamTV Review
I can honestly say that it's been a long time since I had as good a time
at a Phish show as I had last night. Not to say that my other recent
Phish experiences haven't been great, because they have, but last night
was so good that it made me feel six years younger. I mean, the
atmosphere of that show was circa 92-93, and to me was a truly magical
experience. The scene outside was not nearly as chaotic as many (your
humble author included) had expected, with maybe 100 - 150 ticketless
mostly confined to the parking lot of the nearby KFC, and keeping as low
a profile as ticketless phans can. I even ran into a few souls there
who weren't even looking for a Fillmore pass so much as they were
looking for one of those many Halloween extra's that suddenly appeared
once this show was announced.
Once inside, an incredibly contagious electric excitement enveloped the
entire building. Smiles, hugs and high five were in abundant
display, and strangers were truly stopping strangers just to shake their
hands. Kudos go out to a guy named Kane who bought everyone at the bar
a tequila shot just as I was ordering up my first round of beers for the
night -- if you happen to read this, Thanks man!!
After my tequila shot I spied Mike milling around, and thanked him for
doing this show. He was genuine with his "you're welcome" as he started
to make a cellular phone call........I wonder who he called....?
Anyway, the main room was very dimly lit, and people were just milling
about, chatting, sipping their cocktails, meeting their neighbors and
settling in as much as was possible given the aforementioned electric
vibe permeating the place. The band hit the stage at a prompt (for
them) 8:30ish and immediately kicked into Ghost. I gotta say -- at this
point -- that particulars of many of the songs are somewhat lost on my
brain, but I'll try to be as descriptive of the music as my memory will
allow. Let me begin by saying that even though the setlist may not rock
many boats, the performance of every song was on, and for me, right
there. The jams were tight, flowing and incredibly beautiful. I
can't think of one point during the night when I was let down by the
music (except for when it ended!). The Ghost raged from the outset,
and if I remember correctly seemed to flow right into Water In The
Sky. I love this new version, and they seemed to be pretty psyched to
be playing this one. The triple shot of Wolfman's, Gumbo, Bowie rocked
the house and at certain points I realized that Phish no longer plays
smaller venues simply because they've outgrown them, but because I'm not
sure some of these smaller buildings are able to seismically take the
force that this band creates. They quite literally blew the roof off
the joint on more than one occasion, and the rockers of the evening
(Character Zer0, My Soul,
Chalkdust, Birds) absolutely smoked. Also on the fringes of being
declared Rocked-Out-Tune-Of-The-Night was Caspian. The end jam
crescendo-ed to a point that I've never heard Caspian take (although the
Albany 97 version is a good indication of what it sounded like last
night), and if every Caspian were to sound like this I think there's be
many more Caspian supporters! Robert and Brian is a stunning new tune
with hauntingly relevant lyrics for a good chunk of our culture
and I just love this new song. The Reba. Ahhhhhhh what I can say
about this Reba........the chase, the chill, and then,..............the
disco ball. The jam was amazingly frenetic, energetic and just raged.
I know many folks were hoping for something big to start the second set
(author included), but the one, two punch of My Soul and Chalkdust just
kicked serious ass! The lights during Chalkdust were amazing as Chris
found the control to the chandeliers (see Charlie's review) and did this
kind of wave thing as the chandeliers were quickly turned on and off in
a manner that looked like a wave of light was flowing from the front of
the room to the back (the Tevil really seemed to like this effect!!).
I'd seen this done once before, at a Leftover Salmon show, and boy was I
psyched to see it again! That stuff'll give a guy a big ole'
shit-eating grin (and it did!). Roggae was a cool chill period after
the two previous ragers, and then, The Moma. The boys did it again, in
a manner of 15 minutes they turned that room into the rockingest place
in The City (ala My Soul, Chalkdust) to the disco-ingest spot in town.
People were *Getting Down* and the groove the band produced was pure ear
candy. This may have been the musical highlight of the night for me, as
it is the moment that my mind continually revisits this day after.
Velvet Sea was sweet, matching the highs that to me it achieved at The
Wheel, and I've already stated how I feel about the Caspian.
Relax is the one tune I have no clear recollection of for the evening,
and Birds again tested the foundation of that old, history-laden
building on the corners of Geary and Fillmore. Lawn Boy was sweet, with
Page -- with overwhelming approval from the crowd -- repeating his
emphasis of the "moist green organic" lines like he did at The Wheel.
The roll out of Harry was pure joy, and
the bizarre opening segment must be heard. At the time I just thought
it was just me that it sounded somewhat crazy, but reading these other
reviews reveals that it really was an odd (yet *VERY* enjoyable) intro
to Harry Hood. . To me, this Hood was great, with an early fizzle
of the jam, but a truly powerfulculmination leading into the "You can
feel good, good about Hood" part, but, alas, no final "I feel good!".
At first, especially with the Dirt, I thought the encore had the
distinct feel of either an extended encore, or even a small third set.
The Limb by Limb reinforced this feeling, but it was not to be. Limb by
Limb was a great closer though, and I can think of worse things than
being sent into a cool San Francisco fall evening with the wonderfully
trippy chorus of that song going through the mind.
They were indeed giving out posters and they either completely ran out
or ran out of their currently supply one person in front of me, but I
did score one of the cool bumper stickers. The sticker is yellow, and
in big green print it says Phish at the Fillmore. In smaller print
above that it reads "I've just come back from" (or something like that)
and under it it says "It was nice". I thought that was freakinhilarious!
Thanks to the Phish organization and the folks at the Fillmore for
putting this show on, and also thanks to Ron Harris for scoring me my
ticket. I'm a lucky man to have him as my bud! This is how cool this
guy actually his: he called Bill Graham Presents in an attempt to sign
over his entire voucher to myself and my wife as a wedding present,
pretty damn cool, huh?
Have a great Fall tour everybody, and I look forward to catching up with
the circus in Vegas!!
Mike
Well, after reading the two reviews posted today, I felt inspired to write
my review. The Fillmore was filled with nothing but good vibes all night,
a few cheezy people aside. I feared it would be too hot, or too crowded,
but it was none of the above. Although the set lists did not contain any
crazy shit that many people were anticipating, the jamming was dynamic,
funky, and hard all night. The Bowie was fantastic....completely old
school and tight. Reba was a highlight as well. As they busted into the
jam, all lights turned off except a dull purple, blacklight haze over the
stage. A spot light turned on the Fillmore disco ball, as tiny
reflections spun around the room. Though spacey and a little evil for a
minute, it twisted back to its traditional path and crescendoed to the
delight of everyone. The Character Zero to end the set was unreal. I
normally am not a big fan of this song, but I have never heard such a long
intense jam as the played on this one. Trey took this to places you
wouldn't believe.
The second set was probably not what everyone expected or hoped for, but
was well played with some intense jamming. Although we would have liked a
crazier setlist, it was great to hear some of the new tunes which were
well played with good jams. For those of you who are trying to gauge what
it was like, Phish fans from the New York area will get this. It was like
seeing them at the Capitol Theater in Portchester, NY in 1991 and 1992.
But this was difficult for many of us to comprehend since so much has
happened since then....the scene was very surreal. You had to keep
looking around to believe you were really seeing Phish jamming in the
Fillmore. I was only a little dissapointed in that they didn't really
talk to the crowd to acknowledge this momentous occassion. Then again,
they probably figured nothing needed to be said about jamming in a place
as great as the Fillmore. Much thanks to Phish for such a treat.
B. Sturmak
San Francisco