Subject: St.Louis & Omaha review (long)
From: Saul E. Wertheimer" 

Well, well, well, lots to say about this weekend.  It was my 3rd & final
weekend in a row of seeing PHiSH  :(  

The 4 of us set out Friday morning after the usual delays, & planned to
caravan down there with some phriends.  Anyway, their bus broke down...
they
missed both shows :(  THey got shafted by some asshole mechanic in
St.Louis
that told them something was wrong with the wiring in the engine.  After
paying him to fix it, they broke down on the way to Omaha... turns out it
was the alternator.  Anyway, on to the shows...

11/15/96 St. Louis
1: Wilson, Divided Sky, Bouncing, Character Zero, PYITE, Caspian, Ginseng
Sullivan, Train SOng, Chalkdust, Taste, Cavern
2: Makisupa > Maze, McGrupp, SOAMelt, TMWSIY > Avenu Malkenu, My Mind,
Mike's Song!!!!!, Sleeping Monkey, Mean Mr. Mustard*#, Weekapaug*
E: Popper Bitch*

* W/ Jon Popper
# 1st time played

First set was OK.  I always enjoy Zero, Punch, & Chalkdust.  Sullivan was
a
first for me.  Taste has improved from last fall, imo, when it was known
as
the Fog that Surrounds.  Trey seems to be soloing better at the end.  

During setbreak, some dude in front of me struck up a conversation, & this
is basically how it went:
 
Dude In Front Of Me: So, what'd you think about that Oh Kee Pah?

Me: Huh?

DIFOM: You know, that Oh Kee Pah.

Me: There was no Oh Kee Pah.

DIFOM: Sure there was, my buddy & I heard it.

Me: Um, no, they didn't play it.  If they did, it would've been about 2 &
a
half minutes long, & it would have been followed by Suzie or Bag.

DIFOM: Are you sure?

Me: Um, yeah.

Anyway, I tried to be as polite as possible, but I thought it was pretty
amusing.  It provided us with some laughs throughout the weekend.  Anyway,
I
wasn't expecting much out of St.Louis, & I was mostly excited about the
fact
that I had 4th row seats, but the 2nd set kicked my ass.

During the "Buddy Brown" part of Makisupa opener, Trey said, "Woke up this
morning.... Stinky kind."  The place went wild, of course.  I got the
"Maze-
followed-by-a-raging-set vibes" during the Makisupa, & I told my friend
Ali
that Maze was next.  She seemed quite surprised when they went into Maze.
Maze, was, well, a Fall '96 Maze.  In other words, it fucking raged!!  Of
the 3 I've seen this tour ('Ween, Champaign, St.Louis) I'm not sure which
one was best.  

McGrupp was very appropriate, mellowing us out after that hot Maze.  I
always love McGrupp.  THe Melt that followed was excellent, although not
as
hot as the Auburn Hills Melt, imo.  We listened to Auburn Hills set 1 on
the
way down, so it was pretty fresh in my mind.  The St.Louis Melt was still
great, though.

TMWSIY > Avenu Malkenu is something that I've been waiting a *long* time
for.  I missed it last year on Holiday Tour, & I think I've needed to hear
this since before I had even heard PHiSH.  I can't quite explain this, but
it was amazing; maybe some of you out there understand what I mean.

Mike's Song: Holymutherfuckingshitdidthiskickmyass!!!!!!!  Of the 4 Mike's
I've heard, this was by far the best.  Started off pretty standard, & then
mellowed out a bit.  Just a bit though... Right when I thought, "Hey, this
is getting kinda mellow," Trey shifted it back into
"Kick-Saul's-Ass-Mode".
I definitely need to hear the tapes to say with 100% confidence that this
is
one of the hottest Mike's I've ever heard, but it smoked!!  They stuck
with
the kick-my-ass mode for a while, & I would say that I was definitely
hosed
down, with full-blown authority.  I really didn't expect to hear this
tune,
& I especially didn't expect to hear it this hot.  I wish I could
elaborate
more about this, but it was way too good for words.

Sweeping Monkey was great.  I had already seen Popper standing on the
sidelines, & when they started playing this, I expected him to jam on it,
ala 3/14/92.  I really like this song.  I sat down for this & laughed, I
was
so delirious from the Mike's.  

I expected Weekapaug next, but Mean Mr. Mustard followed, surprising the
hell out of me.  This is the 2nd time I've seen a Beatles song debuted
(the
other was Come Together, on 12/8/95).  Anyway, Popper comes on stage
wearing
a cloak/cape & hobbling with a crutch.  He was the "dirty old man" in the
song.  Weekapaug followed, & was possibly the shortest ever.  I really
didn't care for it, bc I think Popper's playing is so completely
gratuitous,
that it bothers me.  I would much rather hear PHiSH jam with Howard Levy,
formerly of Bela Fleck & the Flecktones.  But it was cool to see a special
guest with PHiSH.  

During Mr.Mustard, Trey announced that the show was brought to you by the
letter M & the number 420.  Once again, the crowd went nuts.  Trey really
is
making it blatant that he smokes dope.  I'm not sure if I like this, but
oh
well.

Encore: Funky Bitch is definitely their special-guest encore.  (See also
11/2/96 w/Butch Trucks; 12/11/95 w/Warren Haynes, & maybe others).
Anyway,
it was cool, but I was slightly irked by Trey's orchestration of it.  He
turned to Fishman & made a cutting motion across his throat, indicating
that
he wanted Popper & Mike to solo together.  It was cool, but Trey seems to
be
getting more & more egotistical.  If it weren't for the fact that he
always
has such a big-ass grin, & if they didn't make me so happy, I would be
*really* irritated.  But it was fun.  Popper gave Trey a hug afterwards.   

Overall, on the Scott Jordan scale: 
Set 1: 5
Set 2: 8.5
Overall: 6.75

Oh yeah, during setbreak I was wandering around handing out candy, making
my
way to the tapers' section, to meet up with a taper-friend.  I am tapped
on
the shoulder by a security guard, who says "Excuse me sir, that man over
there would like to see you," motioning to a important-looking security
dude.  So I went over there, having no clue what was going on.  The guy
turns out to be one of the heads of security, & introduces himself.  I
introduce myself.  He asks me how I'm doing.  I say that I'm doing pretty
damn good.  He comments that he likes the peace symbol around my neck
(inside a SYF).  Then he says, "I was wondering if I could get one of
those
Werther's from you."  I grin & give him a bunch, telling him to enjoy the
second set.  He says thanks.  This was such a pleasant surprise,
considering
that the security guy in the aisle near my seats was wearing a hat that
said
"I don't dial 911", with a picture of a pistol on it.  

saul e. wertheimer             *  "head busted, stomach cracked,
1130 church st. #4-4           *   feet splintered, i was bald, naked...
evanston, il 60201             *   quite lucky to be alive though."
847-492-1283                   *          - bob dylan
sauldude@merle.acns.nwu.edu    *
-------------------------------------------------------
Subject: St.Louis thoughts
From: cbabbitt@walkernet.com

     
     After allowing ample time to digest the happenings of 11/15, I'm 
     presenting a compilation of thoughts (and non-targeted responses to 
     previous discussion.)
     
     Arrived  to the a lot 15 minutes before scheduled start of the show. 
     Didn't see much of a scene as I was more interested in unloading my 
     last-minute 12th row extra (I don't miracle and I don't sell above 
     face - made somebody really happy, though).
     
     Last months haircut and a clean outfit enabled me to slide through 
     security with minimal effort, although they did seem on top of their 
     game.
     
     Kiel Center; this place is what Assembly Hall in Champaign isn't. 
     Slick marble floors, spacious corridors, huge. Wow!
     
     12th row center. Best mail order to date. It was kina neat the way 
     they laid plywood directly on top of the ice (there was a big hole 
     where 4 corners met and you could see the ice), which kept it pretty 
     cool on the floor - not to mention damp towards the end. Nice wide 
     isles allowed the spinners to do their thing, and still allow room
for 
     passage. Security was enforcing the "This is a non smoking venue - 
     please extinguish smoking materials" before the show, but it was a 
     lost cause from there on. I knew they'd take swift justice to the few 
     who decided to light the sprinklers in front of me - must have been 
     neat from above. I also heard the pink wristbands looked good from 
     above.
     
     As my personal vendetta against glowsticks strengthens, I was 
     delighted by the lack of said weapons flying through the air this 
     night. My ability to transform into a glowstick magnet on the night
of 
     a show causes me extreme displeasure. It just so happens that the
only 
     one I did notice landed 4 seats next to me, which was empty.
     
     I'll leave it up to others to review the content of the show. I do, 
     however, have one comment concerning the appearance of John Popper.
It 
     seemed on WeekaPopper (?) the harmonica was overwhelming (almost to 
     the point of unbearable) as opposed to  the Funky Bitch encore, I 
     could barley tell when we was and was not playing. Anyone else
notice? 
     Where's the M in Weekapung?
     
     Also, I was trying to figure out the purpose of the taper-like mikes 
     located on the sides of the stage. As I recall, there were three.
     
     
     Until Vegas...
------------------------------------------
Subject: St. Louis 11-15-95 Review (long)
From: DS0623@aol.com

Hi all,

Well here is my light review on the 11-15-95 show.  I consider it a
*light*
review because until I am able to hear a copy of the tapes and really pick
the show apart,  I would rather on my mood and emotions during the show.  

Pre-show:
The lot situation actually was spread throughout several parking lots, as
Kiel Center does not have it's own parking...sans an indoor 4 level
garage.
 What I found increadibly amusing was the fact that most of *action*
(vending
and partying in general) was taking place in the parking lot for the St.
Louis City Jail.  I found it most ironic to think that many people that
were
inside the jail were there for some of the same violations that were
occuring
on the jails lot ;^)  Not to mention the amount of officers that must have
been inside.  Otherwise, not much different from any other show.  So I
grabbed a drink and made my way into the Kiel Center.

Venue:
Living in St. Louis, I knew what to expect. The place is massive.  It
seats
over 21,000 for hockey and basketball games, although the behind the stage
seats were not sold, so I would venture to say there were 16,000 or so
there.
 Beer and mixed drinks *were* sold.  They do have luxury boxes that are
sold
on a yearly basis, and it was pretty obvious to spot out those that were
at
the show for that reason.  One of the more satisfying aspects of the show
for
me was to here the people in front of me after the show discuss why "Free"
was not played.  Throughout the whole show they kept hoping it would be
the
next song and then *knew" it would be the encore. :):):)

Set l

Before the opener, Mimi Fishman addressed the crowd.  She introduced and
thanked her doctor (a St. Louis'n) and mentioned that Phish was donating
$5,000 to a certain charity (don't remember which).

Wilson - I had predicited a My Friend opener, although looking back at the
recent set lists it seems Wilson could have been an obvious choice.
Nothing
special here, but it did get the place going.

Divided Sky - Well they played it back to back earlier in the week, so I
did
not think it would be played.  Too my surprise it was, and a very nice
version IMO.  It set the stage for what I had thought would be a pretty
solid
first set.

Bouncin -  I had to use the restroom, so the timing was good.  Don't get
me
wrong, I find BATR a fun song, but for some reason I catch it at about 60%
of
the shows I go to.  

Character Zero - Fun song, some nice jams although short in length.  Works
well in an Arena astmosphere, but I was expecting something a little more
after BATR.  I had a feeling we could be dealing with a subpar set.

PYITE - Very nice version, and always one of my favorites to hear.  Gave
me a
chance to get my dancin back in sinc (sp?)  Yes, there were hopes for this
set after all.

Prince Caspian - Like Contact, I find this a very happy song.  Although it
brought me back down again after a rousing PYITE.  It seemed as though the
set was not taking any difinative direction.  Very sweet ending to the
song..nice work by Page as always.

Ginseng Sullivan - What a surprise!!   Now they were really confusing me.
I
was expecting maybe an extended Bowie to end the set.  The table seemed
set
for something really special.....and then....

Train Song, Chalkdust, Taste, and Cavern to bring set l to an end.  4
rather
short and too often played songs.  

In all a dissapointing set.  I had it rated as a 3 on the 1 - 10 scale.
Way
too many short, standard songs in one set.  There was something very
positive
about it though.  They had played so many of their standards, that there
did
not seem to be any left for the 2nd set.  In fact, I turned to my friend
and
expressed my thoughts that the 2nd set had to be a "monster set" to redeem
the show.  They had played all the *fluff* and as far as I was concerned,
and
they were due for a Bowie and Harry and maybe a surprise or two in the
second
set.  Little did I realize, nor did anyone else, what we were about to
experience.

Set ll

Makisupa Policman - Wow!!  The intro sounding like it was going to be an
Also
Sprach, but much to my total suprise, Makisupa emerged.  A very energetic
way
to open the set.  Segue into (although the set lists I have read don't
show a
segue...but it was)

Maze - Not quite as insane as the 11-8 Maze, but then again it was very
different.  Page carried the song well into the jam before Trey took
control.
 This is one of their songs that brings me past the point of dancing.
Yes, I
truly have to just stand there and close my eyes to really take in the
climax
of this song.  

McGrupp - Alright, now this set had the makings of being something
special.
 The third song of a set is often the make it or break it song, and this
took
me by total surprise.  I am still smiling :)

Melt - Very intense as SOAM's go.  Always fun to hear and very well placed
to
pick up the pace.  Insane ending.

TNWSIY>Avenue - C'mom I thought.  Makisupa, McGrupp and now this in the
same
set??  Yes, they were in the  process of playing the *monster* set I was
hoping for.  
Segue into,

My Mind's Gotta Mind of It's Own - I surrender...they were pulling out all
the stops.  The show could have ended at this point and I would have went
home happy.  Yes, you expect amazing set lists at the special
shows....'ween,
Clifford Ball, NYE...but this is St. Louis.  I thought this must be some
sort
of Mimi inspired show...or maybe they realized the fluff of set l at
break....it didn't matter, as I was having the set of my life:)

Mikes Song - OK, what more could they possibly do? How 'bout bring out the
trampolines for an extended Mikes Jam.  I was not paying attention to my
watch, but maybe 4 or 5 minutes of bounc'n/jamming.  Mike could have gone
longer, but Trey seemed to be losing his balance a little.

Sleeping Monkey - I was now ready for the "We're not worthy" bow.  My mind
also drifted (only for a second, mind you) to the thousands that were
there
to see "Free" performed.  They had to be wondering what all the fuss was
about.  I truly had to pinch myself as they continued to play a complete
set
of songs you hope to hear even once or twice a complete tour. Reviewing in
my
mind....Makisupa, McGrupp, TMWSIY>Avenu>TMWSIY, My Mind..., Sleeping
Monkey..same set??  No way!!

Mean Mr Mustard (1st time played)  Yes, this was it.  This was the straw
that
broke the camels back. This was the needle in the haystack found.  This
was
opening the oyster to find the pearl. This was reading the morning lottery
ticket results only to find a match.. Yes, this Beatle song, was my
favorite
at the ripe age of 13 ( I am giving away my age here)  Yes, Abbey Road was
the first album I ever bought.  Not only was this my favorite album, but
it
remained on my turntable for months at a time.  It is very difficult to
truly
express my feelings properly, but a lump developed in my throat.  As the
song
was coming to an end John Popper joined the band on stage.  Now, I will be
the first to express my dissapointment in the mainstream direction that BT
seems to be taking, but, Popper is a tremedous at what he does as this was
truly the icing on the cake.  Great jamming proceeded as they went into,

Special Note - Trey announced that the show was "Brought to you by the
letter
"M" and the number "420", similiar to the way Sesame Street episodes end.
It
did not strike me until after the show the meaning behind what he had
said.
 Notice the set list for set ll up to this point.

Makisupa
Maze
McGrupp
Melt
Man Who Stepped...
Malkenu
My Minds...
Mikes Song
Monkey
Mean Mr. Mustard
(and we all now what letter "420" begins with)

Unless anyone can correct me (Dean, Charles, Ellis, etc?), they have never
based a set list on the alphabet.  What brought this on?  Could it have
been
Mimi? (she did make a short speach before the show)  Curious minds want to
know.

Weekapaug - Now this was the only song during the set that I did expect.
 Some great dueling between Trey and Popper and then later some nice
jamming
between Fishman and Popper, although Trey appeared to want it to last a
little longer.  Nonetheless, a wonderful climax to a set was every bit as
good as it looks on paper.


Encore - Funky Bitch - well what else did you expect.  Seems to be the
boys
favorite song to jam to with guests.  Didn't quite match the Sanatana of
7-25-92, but some very high pitched noises generated by Popper.  Trey was
having a very good time on stage, but nothing that compared with the time
had
by yours truly in the stands.

Trey, Page, Mike and Jon....thanks for the most amazing set I have ever
witnessed live (and there have been quite a bit of them).  Remember, we
did
not have the expectations that one has attending NYE, 'ween or CB.  I
think
that's what made this set do for me what it did.  Rating?...yes...let's
call
it a 9.5 out of 10.  

-David Shulman
-----------------------------------------
Subject: 11.15.96 Kiel review......(long)
From: c668508@showme.missouri.edu

11.15.96 
Kiel Center

I.  Wilson, Divided Sky, Bouncin' Round the Room, Character 0, Punch You
    in the Eye, Prince Caspian, Ginseng Sullivan, Trainsong, Chalkdust,
    Taste, Cavern

II. Makisupa Policeman, Maze, McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters, Split
    Open and Melt, The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday-> Avenu Malkenu->
    T. M. W. S. I. Y., My Mind's Got a Mind of It's Own, Mike's Song,
    Sleeping Monkey, Mean Mr. Mustard *, Weekapaugh Groove *

E.  Funky Bitch *

(* w/ John Popper!!)

Hey everyone!  Just to let you know, I'm a student at U. of Missouri,
and this was my ninth show, my first show since Red Rocks, and I
was quite impressed!  A couple of general comments- I heard a lot of crazy
security stories down on the floor.  We were up in the club level and had
no trouble, I'd be interested if anyone down on the floor would care to
comment on the security scene.  Parking was a breeze, and overall the
scene was pretty cool from my perspective.  Lots of first-show people in
attendance, but in 96' that's almost to be expected.  On to the show!!

WILSON - Everyone and their grandmama called this one.  High energy,
fairly standard.  I noticed Trey is using a darker colored guitar, has
this been the case all tour? (like I said, this is my first show since Red
Rocks) At any rate, set one began @ 7:30.

DIVIDED - This one's been played alot lately, and I can see why.  The
band, and Trey in particular, were ON THE MONEY.  This one is soo pretty.
Ahh, the pause that refreshes.  Sheer beauty.  

BOUNCIN' - This got everyone dancing.  Can't say too much else about
it.  Your typical Bouncin.

CH. 0 - WOW!  I have heard good things about this one live, and it didn't
dissapoint!  Hendrixian wah-wah heaven!  Overall the vocals were pretty
tight on this one, cool little a capella segment at the end.  

PYITE - Uh huh!  I love this song!  Very tight jamming.  I've seen this
one a couple of times, and I like it every time.  The Landlady portion is
always fun. The dance seemed to pump up the crowd, as the band moved
into...

CASPIAN - Very mellow.  This tune has come a long way.  I was a little
dissapointed with it on BB after Summer Tour, but live they jam it out
alot longer.  Complete with the Pavement ending.  I dug it.

GINSENG - Thank you very much!!  I've been waiting a while to hear this
one live, and I kind of expected it in St. Louis.  Nice one!!

TRAINSONG - I've heard people bitch about this one live, but I thought it
was cool on the electric guitar.  Harmonies were TIGHT, and me and my
buddy Jeremy loved it!

CHALKDUST - Fairly predictable, tight, lots o' energy.  We figured the set
was over, and would have been quite pleased, but.....

TASTE - Yeah, they did play it the night before, but (as Miles would say)
so what?  I love the extended jam at the end, and Fishman is funny as hell
(as always!).  We were pumped for one more before halftime...

CAVERN - Alright!! I've seen this one done very sloppily, but this was
very tight!  Nice closer, and the boys left the stage @ 8:38.

It was hard to move around at halftime, but we managed somehow.  The Kiel
Center is a big place to navigate!!  Anyhow, we were madly trying to guess
the opener, when all of a sudden....

MAKISUPA - Dear lord!  We were REALLY pumped now, especially when Trey
said "Stink Kind":)  .  The boys were smoking on this one (ok, so was
everyone in the crowd)! Page was awesome!!  He took a fairly lengthy solo
on the Moog, and I had a feeling he was about to take over!  Set II opened
@ 9:23.

MAZE - The tight corridors at setbreak had me primed for this one.  Page
was blowing on this one, and the lighting was as crazy as ever!  Thanks
Chris.  Trey, not to be outdone, smoked his segment!!  This song has
always been good, but it seems they've taken this one somewhere else!!
BTW, Page is a madman!!!

MCGRUPP - Awesome!!  This is the first time I've seen this and it was
gorgeous!  Flawlessly played by Page in particular. Nice choice.

SPLIT OPEN - Crazy!!  This one never fails to satisfy.  Mike's bass tone
was huge all night, and he shined on this one.  Split went on for a looong
time, and the a capella segment was nicely done. 

TMWSIY> MALKENU> TMWSIY - Another first for me.  I loved it.  The chords
are so beautiful.  Very mellow (which was cool after the wacky Split).
Nice choice!

MY MIND'S - Wait a minute, didn't we already hear this one?  Just kidding,
although Ginseng and My Mind's are pretty similiar.  I'm not
complaining.  My buddy Jeremy was going apeshit over this one!

MIKE'S - Oh yeah!! We knew this was coming, and it was PHAT!  Trey was
berserk on this one, the tramps came out, and the place was rocking!!
Trey was doing some very David Gilmour type of bends all night, and I
heard a few of them in Mike's.  Loong, loong, version, not unlike Deer
Creek 96'.

SLEEPING MONKEY - Would have preferred the Hydrogen but this was a nice
change of pace.  Fishman was a crack up, and we knew what was coming
next...

MEAN MR MUSTARD - Or did we??  This was nuts, as a caped, hunched figure
walked out on stage.  Who was it?  None other than John Popper!  All
right!!  Trey also pointed out that the show was brought to us by the
letter M (hmm, alliteration), and the number 420!!!  Stink kind indeed!!

WEEKAPOPPER - This was a pretty short version of this tune, but Popper was
jamming hard on it!  Trey had a huge shit-eating grin on his face and gave
Popper a big hug {the only kind of hug you can give Popper :) }  The set
ended @ 10:35.

FUNKY BITCH - What an encore!!  Popper and Trey were trading licks left
and right!!  Everyone dropped out but Fish and Popper for a segment, and
the lights went back up @ 10:44.

 
What a show!  I would give the first set a 6 on the Jim Peters scale.
Very standard songs, but extremely good performances.  The second set gets
an 8, as Popper rocked, and the songs were a bit more adventurous.
Overall, a 7.  I thought the sound was fabulous at Kiel, and I've never
heard Trey's guitar sound better.  Any info on his new axe would be
appreciated.  Thanks for reading this, and I'll see ya in KC on the 19th!!

Jim Peters
c668508@showme.missouri.edu
---------------------------------------
From: Brant Gregory Arthur 
Subject: 11-15-96 (Review)

The setlist goes like this oh my brothers:

I:
        Wilson, Divided Sky, Bouncin, Character Zero, Punch You in the Eye
>
Prince Caspian, Ginseng Sullivan, Train Song, Chalkdust Torture, Taste,
Cavern

II:
        Makisupa Policeman > Maze, McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters,
Split Open and Melt, Man Who Stepped into Yesterday > Avenu Malkenu > My
Minds Got a Mind of its Own, Mikes Song > Jam > Sleeping Monkey > Dirty
Old
Man > Weekapaug*

E: Funky Bitch*

*with Mr. John Popper

        We had the pleasure of seeing Mimi Fishman walking around the
stage
before the show, and then about 15 minutes before it actually began, she
went on stage, and talked about here struggle with Glocoma (Sp?) some many
years ago.  She was at a booth collecting donations at the intermission,
trying to match Phish's $5,000 dollar contribution.  Then the lights went
out, and they played....

Wilson:  Great to hear as an opener.  This was a bit shorter than I'm used
to, but that's O.K.  To hear mike thumpin that bass, as the first thing
you
hear is is great.

Divided Sky:  They had played this recently, so I wasn't expecting it.
This
was also long, around 15 minutes.  I have never heard them wait so long at
the break before.  They all just stood there stoned faced for the
looongest
time, with the crowd going nuts.  Besides that, Trey was really pumped for
this show, and it showed.  Awe inpsiring.

Bouncin:  Yep, nothing really new here, good to hear after an over the top
Divided though.

Character Zero:  Well they definetely jammed this one out, despite what
people are saying about it.  I have no problem with them playing this a
lot,
seeming that it's the first time out, and it's a rockin song.

Punch You in the Eye:  I was very very excited about this, it's been the
song of the week for me, and so of course it was great to hear.  They
repeated the landlady refrain and breakdown about four times, the lights
were awesome on this, and very fun to watch.

Prince Caspian:  Going into this from PYITE was cool, and the subsequent
jam
is a great addition to this song.  Trey was on the kit for a bit of this,
and he also some delay peddle going on it.

Ginseng Sullivan:  Cool change of direction.

Train Song:  I liked this, not alot, but good to hear.  Pages little solo,
and deep drone make this better by far.

Chalkdust Torture:  This to was long, and of course wonderful.  Page came
out on this one, and played right over the others for a while, great.  I
was
afraid the set might be over at this point, but no.

Taste:  I love Fishman's oohs in this, and then there was a great jam
stuck
in there.  Trey was all over this, and it sounded almost composed, though
I
don't believe that it was from any other work.  This was great.
 
Cavern:  Great set closer, so much energy.

-So far, we'd seen lots of Gamehenge in this, as well as BB.  Very good
first set with many highlights.  The set break was very long, 1/2 hour to
45
minutes, I didn't really mind though.

Makisupa Policeman: I always love this song and I was quite excited that
the
boys opened the 2nd set with this.  It seemed to set the mood for one of
the
most increadible sets I have ever
witnessed!
  
Maze:  Now, I'm not much of a Maze fan, but this was rockin'!  Page had a
MONSTER solo and then Trey started ripping it up all over and by the time
he
was done I was *quite* tired -- but they moved on with...

McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters:  This is one of my favorite
Gamehenge
songs.  I don't know why -- but it is.  It was well played and I thought
that they were going to segue into Possum about half-way through, but they
didn't.  The song had a strong end and it was all good.

Split Open and Melt:  WOW!  This was just great!  Jam was huge and it
seemed
that everyone was in on it.  The croud at the Keil Center was great and
everyone was dancing.  This was one of the highlights.

Man Who Stepped into Yesterday: I've never been into this song and I felt
that even though it's a bit of a treat to hear it -- it slowed down the
mood
of the place (which was rockin'!)  But the segue was great...

Avenu Malkenu:  It was nice.  People started dancing again.  The whole
mood
of the place picked up again and I laughed like a crazy man.

My Minds Got a Mind of its Own: I like the songs Mike sings.  The whole
southern 'twang!' thing is so cool.

Mike's Song & Jam: THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE ENTIRE PHUCKING NIGHT.  wow.
That's
all I can really say.  Oh yes, there were tramps.  Trey is bouncing and he
turned around to check his setup and Mike turned around too and then they
spun around together and it turned into this whole spinning thing that
went
with the music.  The lights added to this spectacle and it was just
insane!
They got off the tramps and went into this jam that just went everywhere,
and lasted forever. (sounds pretty good, eh?) 

Sleeping Monkey: Wow, this was a suprise!  When was the last time they
played this?  Fishman solos are the greatest.  He just looked so cute
standing on top of his stool, all alone in the spotlight, singing.  

Dirty Old Man: Actually didn't know this song, but I did notice the dirty
old man walking across the stage.

Weekapaug: Suprise!  The dirty old man is none other than... John Popper.
The only way I knew that this was Weekapaug was the guitar riff that was
played over and over and over and over by Trey while Popper soloed.  It
was
great.  The place just went crazy and the dancing got hectic and out of
control and all through it I was screaming.

E: 
Funky Bitch: I'd been kinda hoping for this and it was a dream come true.
Popper came out with the band and it turned into a
who-can-play-higher-and-screachier contest between Popper and Trey.  Trey
stopped Mike during his vocal bit so that Popper and Fishman could go at
it
for a bit.  Although it was good, it could have been MUCH longer. Always a
pleasure to see Popper, though.

Overall, this show was siiiiiiick (sorry, I heard somebody else say that),
it was a great one.  I'd give it an 8 if you don't mind.  The sound was
good
too, and Trey mentioned that the show had been brought to us by the letter
M, and the number 420, this sent our pot loving crowd hog wild.  Pretty
good
crowd though overall, there were some really young kids there though,
what's
with that?

This review was crafted by your brothers,
        Brant Arthur
        Brooks Williams

-See yall at some other show

---------------------------------------------
Subject: Weeka-Popper review (wasRe: 11-15-96 == PHATTEST SHOW OF 1996!!!
            Here is the SETLIST)
From: shahs@ix.netcom.com(Sunil Shah)

   Before Mr. Mustard, Trey gave a rather lengthy good-bye speech. 
Something like "I want to thank you for a great time and so does Moses,
Mike, and Mr. McConnell."  Then he talked a little bit about Mimi
Fishman and donating money to that glaucoma fund at the greenpeace
table.  I think he threw in another short "420" quip somewhere that got
the crowd going nuts.  The band was playing the Mustard groove/song as
Trey was saying thank you. Then they played/sang the Murstard song and
Popper slowly walked out hunched over wearing a black cape and using a
cane, I believe.  He was walking from like the corner by Fish and the
audience right across the row of monitors and up to Trey, I believe.  I
am 80% sure that he started jamming along with the Mustard song--BUT
the song was basically just a groove at that point.  Popper jams really
high pitched and somewhat forceful.  Then, if I am correct, Trey joins
in with Popper doing a "call-respond" sorta thing, and in the meantime,
Page, Mike, and Fish slowly faded out of Mustard to let Trey/Popper
jam--which was maybe only like a 30 second at most solo sorta jam.  In
the middle of the last big harp licks from Popper on the Mustard jam, I
think Mike and Fish signaled the start of weekapaug, and Popper's
harping continued onto the beginning of Weekapaug.  It was pretty
obvious when they went into Weekapaug.  I think Popper kinda backed off
and the Weekapaug beat was coming in.  After the main riff was played a
few times, Popper jammmmmed!  Loud, HIGH pitched jamming!  Then Popper
backed off the volume a little(or maybe Languedoc did it from the
board) and the singing came in.  Then they all jammed some more, but
Popper was THE jammer of this song.  
  He stood in between Mike and Trey kinda in the background.  He seemed
shy or timid or something.  Every once in a while he would kinda move
more upstage but he kinda seemed sluggish. I noticed that Trey had to
really give him some big nods and hand waving to get him to start
jamming.  I think it is because they planned it so loosely.  I'm not
positive, but I don't think Tery ever introduced Popper.??
  Well, that's my review of this.  PLEASE keep in mind that I was
watching from the first row of upper bowl-kinda far from the band.  I
also have a terrible memory from concerts, but I'm pretty sure about
this stuff.  But the music sounded great and the lights were always
hitting us dead on!  I thought is was better being sober compared to
being high.  I think I will remember that for next time!
Take care,
Sunil  :-)
--------------------------------------
Subject: St. Louis, Sesame connection
From: aaron cary denosaquo 

I've read a couple post's about Trey's mother working for sesame street 
magazine, and last night in St. Louis, Trey said "This show is brought to 
you by the letter M, and the number 420."  Just like a sesame street 
episode.  What he meant by the letter M might not be that important to 
most people who were at the show, but    after the show I went over to 
the soundboard and lighting booth, and from what I learned at the 
champaign show, that the lighting guy is given the set list just before 
it is started,  I asked him for the setlist.  He willingly gave it to me, 
and it read

Makisupa
Maze
McGrupp
Melt
Mango
Mound
Mike's
Monkey
Banter (?)

e:  Mean Mr. Mustard

Plenty of M's

Acually after Melt the played TMWSIY->AVENU->TMWSIY, My Mind's got a mind 
of it's own, Mike's ->Sleeping Monkey, Mean Mr. Mustard*, Weeka   E. 
Funky Bitch*             *-Popper


I got his set list at the champaign show too, and the strayed from it 
then too.  I love it.   Both were great shows, but that it till next
summer.
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