6-23-00 -- Lakewood Amphitheatre - Atlanta, Georgia

Date: Sat, 19 Aug 2000 17:25:16 -0400
From: ben shooner bshooner@mrsi.com
To: "'dws@www.phish.net'" dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 6/23/00 Atlanta, GA review
 
        After the 4th of July last year, I was really looking forward to
visiting Lakewood in the ATL once again. The venue is sweet, in the middle of
the 'hood, with a creek bed running through parking lot. You can see the
Atlanta skyline from the venue. Plus, this weekend we had a special treat: my
brother's-girlfriend's-brother just happens to work at the Ritz-Carlton
Atlanta.  Needless to say, we got hooked up phat. After roughing and camping
at nearly every Phish show, I was looking forward to a super-custy rock star
accomodations we were going to have. There were also rumors that the band was
staying there. Well, when we rolled in from Cincinnati late Friday afternoon,
we saw the bus outside the hotel. It looked as if they were about to go do the
soundcheck.
        We waited outside for a few minutes and a scruffy-looking skinny short
man came walking out of the building. It was Page. We said what's up to him
and wished him luck for the show tonight. He replied "We'll need it." My ass,
I thought. What he really meant was, "Boy, if you had any idea what I'm gonna
do to you tonight, you wouldn't be wishing me luck!" He didn't say that
though, he was very polite. We then saw Fishman get on the bus with a Japanese
girl on either arm. We waited a bit more, then Page got off the bus and ran
inside. He apparently was going to get Mike, for they came out together.
Before they got on the bus and took off, I was sure to show them my shirt that
simply read: "Have Mercy" Also, as they stepped on the bus, my brother turned
and saluted them with the "devil horns" (you know, the heavy metal hand
gesture with the pinky, index finger and thumb extended) my brother then
screemed, in classic fashion "Rock and Roll !!!!!!" Page and Mike looked at us
bewildered, like "who are these rowdy freaks who somehow know where we're
staying?" They got on the bus and left.
        In the traffic jam to the show, my boy Tony was lucky enough to get a
Creek CD from '98. He danced about in the frozen I-75 traffic (which was
probably not too wise). But he was happy that he was going to see the show,
after he had just had participated in our magical encounter about an hour
earlier. We arrived at the lot and decided that it would be best if we all ate
of the forbidden fruit that made Leary, and Zandoz, famous. The sultry
southern heat and the oncoming psychedelic sensations let me know it would be
a good night. Atlanta and the South in general is really the bomb. The phans
down there know what's up and they know how to party. For the longest time,
Phish phans have seemed a little too reserved to me. Down there it was much
more like, "let's drink Budweiser and get rowdy" and if any Phish phan is too
good for that, they can cash in their trust fund, hop in daddy's SUV and go
check out Dave Mathew's or something. But I digress.
        I
        YaMar: Sweet opener. The liquid was really kickin' and Trey's licks
towards the end were truly haunting, ringing through my head the rest of the
night. Plus, at this show, there were so many young kids (compared to me, I'm
an old timer at 23) that it really tripped me out. YaMar is a coming of age
song about growing up. It's happy sounding, but it's also sort of sad. "She
used to be an elf-child, running in the yard. Now that she's become a woman,
looking very proud.." Anyways, this song is great for sunset, and this YaMar
was a jam.
        MySoul: Sweet blues jam. At this point, I felt taken back in time to
the 4th of July '99. They opened the 4th in ATL with MySoul then YaMar. This
time they switched the order. Pretty cool. Plus, down south you have to wail
the blues and although this isn't my favorite song, it's always a good song to
see.
        Bathtub Gin: Yess!! One of my all time favorites. At this point I went
to my pavillion seat and was absorbed by the music. My consciousness hovered
above the stage and all the people. As my sight was transfixed on the band,
the music lifted my spirit. I soared in the clouds as every note moved me in a
different direction. As the song wound down I looked about and thought that I
was still on the lawn with Tony. How did this concrete get here? And this
seat? And what about this roof over my head? I soon remembered walking to the
pavillion.
        Heavy Things: Cool. Top 40, yes. Good song, yes. Still, it made me
feel old when the crowd totally went nuts when they started playing it. It was
phunny too because the crowd chanted "cheesecake" afterward a la Big Cypress.
This song is cool though. I like the fact that their newer songs sound a
little more traditional than their older songs. This one is somewhat of an
anthem.
        Back on the Train: OK, let's play the songs from the album. I am
amazed that more people don't get off on the reference to "Mountain Girl" in
this song. Whenever they say that line, I let out a whoop. But this song has
been the bomb ever since they debuted it. Still, it was no great surprise or
treat to see it.
        David Bowie: Right On! I've seen Bowie more than any other song.
Honestly, whenever they start it, I'm always hoping for Maze. But after this
one, I am convinced that I don't give a damn if they play it every show I go
to. What can you say, it's totally a classic. The triumphant crescendo at the
end should signal the end of the set. But No!
        C,T+B: Da funk. After seeing Page at the hotel, I took this as a
personal gift. This is the one Phish song that solely fits into the "acid
jazz" category. It's always good to see, and being a dancing person (with lots
of practice seeing Ray's Music Exchange from Cincy) it's always good to get
down with some funk.
        Farmhouse: Good shot. Sweet song that anymore is almost a given at any
show. Having it close the set let everybody simmer down and get the nugs ready
for a set break puff down. Plus, having it as a set closer let everybody know
that there was plenty of music still to come.
 
        II
        Rock 'n Roll: If you've read this far, thank you. But If you've read
this far, you know that we had shouted these exact words to Mike and Page at
the hotel. We didn't ask them to play this song, we just commissioned them to
play "Rock and Roll" the genre. Well, we felt like we got way more than we
asked for. As others have said, this Rock 'n Roll rivaled Big Cypress as far
as intensity goes. They truly jammed, giving us what we had asked for not just
the song "Rock 'n Roll" but truly the music, as in
                 "Rock and Roll !!!!" (lightsticks and all) Regardless if
whether or not they did this as per our request, at the time, it seemed that
they clearly did this because of our interraction with them. I have never felt
closer to the band than at this time. And I knew that for me, my brother, and
my friends this song was just for us.
        Jesus Left Chicago: True blues. Great segue. Only had seen this once
before so it was a treat. I really dig the words to this song and once again,
Page was kicking us in the ass for wishing him luck. A weird two songs to
start out with. Man, I sure do feel like.....
        Down With Disease: Oh yeah! I like this song more and more as time
goes on. They tend to do DWD and Gin in the same shows. If you're tired of
either of these tunes, just listen close to the lyrics. They're sort of
metaphorical. But as far as I can tell, they're both about the band, and the
phenomena of the fans and the music. Also, as time goes on, I find that the
time when I can finally say this has all been wonderful never comes. Because
Phish for me is not something that "was" or you "did" because it's always here
and now, in the present. When I think it's time to leave it all behind, I try
to find a way to. But there's nothing I can say to make it stop.
        Twist: A like this song. I like it better the way they used to do it,
the beginning was different. But I'm starting to like it the new way and it's
a good rocker. A really like Mike's booming bass lines. These 1st four songs
were really "rock 'n roll" songs and that seemed to be the theme for the
majority of the set.
        Contact: Lovely. I felt so bad for my roomate because he loves this
song and has only seen it once (Clifford Ball). Needless to say he wasn't in
ATL. It's a great sing along, but it's real phunky at the same time. Doin' the
windsheild wiper thing is real cool with the whole crowd. Plus, I this was my
first road trip in my new car, so it was sort of romantic.
        Makisupa: Always phat. "Keef" A simple song, but it never ceases to
please. I was hoping they'd go into Have Mercy, but I knew they probably
wouldn't. Anyways, it's always fun to do a reggae bop to this song. Good old
mellow energy.
        Character Zero: I know they do this a lot. But really, this song is
phat. Just a quiz: What are the three segments of time that are described in
this song? (a month ago, yesterday, now) The end is bad ass. Whoah Oh! Oh, Oh,
Woah! At this point, swinging my arm in the air, I actually felt an electric
shock from the music and the people around me. Pretty weird. Although it's a
little played out, this is still a quality song and a good closer.
 
        E:
        Brian and Robert: Spooky. Not what you'd expect. A sorta depressing
song, but also cool. Had never seen it before. It embodied the ambivalence
that the psychedelic experience often brings. Joy and despair, all at once.
Still, as I told my bro, "this better not be the last song"
        Possum: Excellent. It's cool to end on an energetic note. This possum
was better than others I'd seen. I was very happy. Not a lot else to say. You
are a blessed soul if you've read all of this. It was a very memorable night.

 
Date: Fri, 07 Jul 2000 04:41:25 -0700 
From: Greg Peeler harpua13@theglobe.com 
To: dws@gadiel.com \
Subject: review Lakewood 1
 
Lakewood first night: Words for the day: "You know you're in the South when
everybody is asking you if you want a "bear."
 
MMMMMMMMM.....Lakewood.  The jewel of the South and home to some awesome shows
(97,99) Best ampitheater on the East coast IMHO and better that DC by a mile.
Awesome security (what security?), and a mile long shakedown...another day
roasting in the sun made bearable by our compatriots finding a nice spot in
the shade and the addition of sqirtguns to our arsenal. Too hot to get drunk
because it sweats right out of you, so Its Gatorade and Diggety before our
usual 8:00 showtime! I called the Yamar opener (after bailing on my origional
Peaches, which I will probably never hear again with the exception of some far
flung NYE which is where I got my other two) this was #95 BTW. Aiming for 100
1ST Night at DC:)  Nice Yamar with the "Play it pretty for Atlanta Leo"
referencing last night's Freebird. Then after five minutes of 12 bar blues
vomit (god, quit playing that stupid song, its too early in the set to smoke
because Im bored) everything changed with BTub Gin another (easy) call from
me, this got the entire group into zone and we all (love to take a bath!)
danced our asses off. Good old BTG! After a whatever Heavy (is there any
other?) the GBOTT (getting better, this song is gonna really open up soon)
Bowie (Wham! An awesome intense version that resembled the version from
Lakewood 95)  and completely unexpected CTB that raged (Yeah Page !) which
made up for Crackhouse ending the set. Who cared at that point!  Nice set. I
was psyched for set2 because people, they were ON!!!! They sounded not just
tight, but energetic as well. After another chill setbreak, they lights went
down and man THEY BLEW THE FUCKING ROOF OFF PEOPLE!!! Wham, they walk out to
Rock and Roll which just RAGED. I mean RAGED! Almost as good as the Cypress
version. The best thing was the impromptu glowstick war which broke out
immidiately upon the jam, people on Page side were throwing piles of different
colored glowsticks out at regular intrevals, like a fireworks show! Amazing
the place was going apeshit I tell you, apeshit. Awesome version I danced my
ass off..."And it was all right..." winding down into...JJLC!!!!!! Are you
kidding me! What a Pagefest this was! Great JJLC with a better blues jam than
the regrettable My Soul. Page and Trey wail their solos and Page sings the
lyrics (and actually remembers most of them, a rarity) like he wrote the damn
thing. My second JJLC after all these years. WOW. Even DwD couldn't kill my
buzz and this was actually a good Disease intense all the way through that got
the whole crowd jumping again before diving into Twist which I enjoyed, but I
think is starting to wear on some heads, all I have to say to them is...Whooo!
Twist spaced out for a while and all of a sudden they are playing Contact.
This Contact was a riot, the band and the crowd were both very into the song
and it became a huge sing along with smiles all around a great moment as the
boyz then slid seamlessly into...WHOA...Makisupa!!!!!! This late in Set2????
WOW, again.  I went out of my skull at this point. The keywords were (closely)
".... (somebodys name I did not catch) brought some Keef" Which was funny
because two of my companions had bought Keef boxes in the lot earlier (look
that guy up if you can, those keef boxes are stylin!) I love Makisupa and
could have danced all night to that tune. Awesome night. Standard newbie
pleasing Character Nada and thank you goodnight. Encores were the way up/way
down pairing of B/R and a kickass Possum (wheres my phatty dank secret
language teases?) which sent us out in a good damn mood. MMMM nice nice show
for me the highlight of the whole opening run. And they didn't kick us out of
the lots until 3AM. Man I love this place:)
 
  Greg Peeler

Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2000 17:03:37 EDT
From: GrtScott13@aol.com
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: 6/23/00 Lakewood Ampitheatre
 
I arrived at the lots at 3:00, and cars were already starting to back up and
snake around into surrounding neighborhoods of Atlanta.  Lots of people out
in the lot selling all sorts of things, and the tremendous heat above all our
heads was almost unbearable.  I hung out right by the front gate, reading a
book to kill time and watching various people walk by and getting a kick out
of seeing so many walks of life.
 
The show started a few minutes after 8pm, and nightfall was an hour away.  I
was on the lawn, center-stage, just as the hill of the lawn was beginning.
 
1st set:
 
Ya Mar -- The band jumped right into this one.  Set a great mood and got
everyone on their feet.  Lots of jamming from Trey, but Leo's solo seemed cut
off.
 
My Soul -- My first time ever hearing this one.  Didn't take long to figure
out which song I was hearing once the chorus started.  I like this song alot.
 It's got a great blues riff, and everyone was grooving during the guitar
solo.
 
Bathtub Gin -- Oh, yeah!!  Now the rollercoaster has begun!  Everyone was
singing along, and going nuts during ".....and we love to take a bath!!"  and
the jam on this one was near-perfection.  A definite first set highlight.
 
 
Heavy Things -- I knew this one was coming when I heard Page's keys tease the
opening riff.  This song is starting to grow on everyone, I've noticed.  No
one's bashing this song as much as they were last year.  The people around me
were enjoying it, that's for sure, and I was among them.  Great performance.
 
Back on the Train -- It was a sure bet this would be played one night this
weekend.  Standard "Train", nothing special.  Towards the end, Fishman kept
hitting that cymbal, and we all knew what was next .....
 
David Bowie -- Wow, what a jam!!  The band tore this one apart, and blew the
roof off Lakewood, it seemed.  It rivaled the Gin played three songs earlier.
 Could this already be the end of the set??  Nah.....
 
Cars Trucks and Buses -- Where did this song come from?  Wasn't expecting to
hear this at all.  A nice treat though, nonetheless.  This was a precursor
for the Page-filled 2nd set to come.
 
Farmhouse -- Ahhh, always nice to hear this song.  The band played great
during it, too.  Not sure if it's worthy of a set-closer though.  But
however, it did put everybody in a primed mood for more music.
 
2nd set:
 
Rock N' Roll -- Another song to hear for the first time.  Wow, this one was
incredible.  The glowsticks were all over the ampitheatre, too.  Great
performance that segued into:
 
Jesus Left Chicago -- Two covers to open both sets!!  Pretty cool, and I love
this song!  This was beginning to Mr. Page McConnell's night, I could tell,
and he took advantage of it -- singing his heart out, and hitting just the
right notes.
 
Down with Disease -- Gadiel doesn't mention this, but the feedback segued
into this one, if I remember correctly.  Love this song!  The entire crowd
was dancing their asses off.  Trey's solos were rocking hard, and as the jam
started to die down, I was waiting for them to return to the theme, but they
never did.  Instead they segued into....
 
Twist Around --  All-around good performance.  Not one of my favorite songs,
but I can't complain.  They did it justice.
 
Contact -- Okay, again, not one of my favorites.  I can't take this song
seriously, but yes, I did participate in the sing-along part and enjoyed
every minute of it!!
 
Makisupa Policeman -- Always liked this one.  Couldn't make out the keyword,
but it's listed as "tacky and keef" or something like that.  Nice little
reggae jam followed, and I love the "policeman, policeman" part sung in
rounds.
 
Character Zero -- We all saw the "man Mulcahey" during this one, I think.
Trey's solo was over-the-top and powerful.  A great set closer to an equally
great show.
 
Encore:
 
Brian and Robert -- Yuck, I despise this song.  Please don't let this be the
only song......
 
Possum -- YES!!  This is more like it.  What a great song, I love this one!!
Trey gave an awesome solo with so much momentum.  Take a bow, guys.  You
deserve it.
 
Show highlights:  Bathtub Gin, David Bowie, and the entire 2nd set except for
Contact.
 
Can't wait for tomorrow night.  :)

Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2000 19:54:28 EDT
From: JLK870@aol.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: ATL Review  6-23-00
 
Here are my reviews of the two Lakewood Amp shows....
 
6.23.00
SET 1
YA MAR: This was a rather mellow YaMar for most of it, but what they were
playing was so beautiful and lyrical it could have gone on forever.  It all
went with Trey's "play it pretty for Atlanta, Leo."
MY SOUL: Don't know, maybe it's just me, but this song seems to be getting
slower and slower. Maybe I'm just over it, but when it got to the blues jam
both Page and Trey were right on. Trey had some real bad-ass tone going for a
bit towards the end.
BATHTUB GIN: When isn't Bathtub Gin appreciated? Page brought the house down
from the intro, and it kept going from there. This has turned into the
ultimate sing-along number. The jam kept building and building, as Kuroda was
able to play along as the Sun was mostly down by then.  What can I say? I
love this song, and when it sounds like this, you'll know why.
HEAVY THINGS: It was Heavy Things, what more do I need to say? Other then the
abomination on Letterman, when has this song sounded different? Either way,
it's bouncy, it's fun, and it's over in 5 minutes.
GBOTT: Had it's moments, and early sign of funk to come.
BOWIE: Now, I will admit, I got burnt out on Bowie's a few years ago, but the
one at NYE got me back, and this one, OH MAN! This was one sick Bowie from
the onset to the last note. Kuroda was going insane with the lights
(particularly the multicoloreds that shoot up from behind the boys.  Not a
soul was sitting for the duration of this song, as it would have been
impossible. I know people who don't like this song who said if Bowie sounded
like that, they could hear it every night.
CTB: If you were about halfway up the lawn and heard someone utter a very
loud "THANK YOU PAGE!" that was me. I love this song, and had never gotten
one before, and boy did Page treat me to a super sweet and long version of
this. He drew out the end and kept switching keyboards. It was fantastic.
FARMHOUSE: While I do like this song (despite its regularity in setlists) I
really hope Trey doesn't make a habit of ending sets with it. The version was
really nice and the jam was pretty, but it just doesn't work as a closer for
me.
SET 2
ROCK & ROLL: I came wanting to hear Page sing, and man did he ever. From the
opening riff they played the hell out of this song. Trey was on fire, and
Page was belting the lyrics in perfect Page voice. The glowstick war that
came during this song is something I won't even bother trying to put into
words because they would never do it justice. It was easily the most intense
glowstick war ever, and it was apparent that the band loved it. Kureoda's
lighting seemed as if he were participating in the war itself at some points
(he'll never cease to amaze me). I couldn't even imagine what they could
follow that up with, and then...
JESUS: This time I screamed "Thank you Page!" This was the best version of
this I've ever heard them play. Page's singing and playing were outstanding,
and Trey was ripping this one up. Mike was getting very active towards the
end, and then I knew why...
DWD: Lakewood carries the sound of Mike very well, and Mike tore up the
intro. All four of them nicely combined funk and spacey elements to make this
song what we all love it to be.  Trey's keyboard playing was just out there
enough to really add the proper dosage of spaciness. As the jam got slower
and spacier I could tell the next song would be something way up...
TWIST: This was one rippin' Twist Around. The entire audience was on cue and
loud for every "Whoo!" and the bands vocals were super strong.  Overall, if
you like Twist, which a lot of us do, you'd like this one.
CONACT: I can not tell you how happy I was to get Contact. THANKS MIKE for
playing it in Atlanta again this year, as I didn't go to last year's Atlanta
show but to NJ instead. Anyway, this was a really funky and really
beautifully played Contact, and Mike just seemed to bask in the glow for
awhile while directing the waving. This version reminded me of what made me
love this song when first I'd heard it.
MAKISUPA: When I heard the reggae intro I thought for a moment "Stir It Up,"
since I heard them sound check it, then, as I do these days, I hoped it was
Windora, but it was Makisupa, which still pleased me. This song is so much
fun and even the people who don't seem to know what to make of it still enjoy
it.  Double keywords are fun to try to write down in the dark and, well, "at
a show," so to speak. Was it just me, or after the "tacky and keef" thing did
Trey not mumble something about coffee?
CHARACTER 0: I really don't care how many times they play this, this song
ROCKS, and this one was no different. Zero is a significantly better closer
then Farmhouse, and I had better closure on my second set.  The vocals were
strong, and the jam, as usual, was flat out rock and roll. Trey drew a
massive crowd roar with the feedback jam at the ending, waving the axe in a
big sweeping arc and finishing with it high over his head. The rock star
thing is working well for Trey, and he's damn good at it.
ENCORES
BRIAN & ROBERT: Let me preface this by saying this song is very pretty. That
said, if I hear this as an encore one more time I'll be out at Shakedown
buying T-shirts before the rest of you leave your seats. I got it in Jersey
last summer, and it just isn't working as an encore for me, even with
something raging afterwards. Bittersweet songs for an encore work well when
they are drawn out and extra special, not B&R which, while beautiful, sounds
the same every time.
POSSUM: Again, I preface by saying I am so over Possum. That said, if you
still like Possum, you'll love this one. It was very upbeat, Mike's singing
was right on, and everyone I was around danced their asses off to it, so
there you go.
One last note on this show... Trey was sporting a lot-purchased T-Shirt
featuring the Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons dressed as a taper and
sporting a shirt reading "worst show ever." I know this because that
afternoon in the lot I bought the same t-shirt from a guy walking around in
the asphalt lot (who I think is the only one selling that shirt, so props to
him, it is the best shirt I've ever seen), and all day Saturday when I was
wearing it people kept asking me if I gave the one to Trey the night before.
 
Thanks for keeping this site going. It's greatly appreciated.
-Jayson
Tampa FL

Date: Fri, 14 Jul 2000 01:56:40 EDT
From: Jwaxjwaxjwax@aol.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 6-23-00 review
 
I would like to add to the other reviews by saying that the BATHTUB GIN was
phenomenal. I saw 7 shows this tour and I will dare to say that this song was
the highlight for me. Get a copy of the show and check it out. The jam had
such a natural buildup, combining their new trance style jam with a real
groove and Trey at his best slowly going up the scale while adding melodic
lines. The jam was consistent, yet grew with intensity and became less subtle
until it just busted out and Trey held the highest root note for about 15
seconds while still playing over it (using effects).
    ROCK AND ROLL was also killer and is the best version I've heard. I like
Phish's intensity and this show had plenty of it!
Jamie Wax
 
Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2000 15:37:30 -0500
From: Tory tory@apex.net
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 6-23-00 Review
 
YaMar: Great opener, the boys seemed to be putting their toe in the tub
My Soul: got the crowd ready for an exciting evening
Gin: Very good choice at this point, the crowd seemed to really appreciate
this one
Heavy things: I expected to hear this one. Played very well.
GBOTT: I always like this one, 'specially wit' sum funk
Bowie: Kuroda seized the helm from this point on. The start a the best light
show I've seen.
CTB: My friend John called this one. What a treat.
Farmhouse: It was inevitable to hear this one. Seemed like it was played
well.
 
Rock & Roll: I enjoyed this one much better than 12-3-99. Must have been the
spectacular light show. Kuroda was good too. This was only my tenth show,
but the glowring/stick war was phenomenal. At key points in the RNR jam
large surges of rings would surface. Purple, red, green, but not necessarily
in that order. If you were there, you know, it was great.
Jesus: a first for me, glad to see Page sing a couple
DWD: Called it. I've seen DWD 5 out of 10 shows. This version made me wish I
had seen it 10 out of 10. Not sure if it was the sounds or sights, but I
loved it.
Twist: Got the crowd together & pumped
Contact: This was a TREAT!
Makisupa: This surfaced from a Contact jam, trey started the reggae riff, it
was all good.
Character 0: Didn't care for this song too much till tonight. Don't know if
it was a great version or not, but I felt good about it.
 
Brian & Robert: I really appreciated the intimacy this provided for the band
& phans.
Possum: DID ANYONE else see the look PAGE had during this one? I looked up
to the screen, and PAGe had a look I can't describe on his face. The crowd
seemed to feed off of it, & he off the crowd.
 
OVERALL I could not be happier with the band. CK5 made this show for me. I
love trading discs, but they seem like songs without words, when you can't
experience the sights & lights. nothing beats being there.

Date: Sat, 24 Jun 2000 23:26:51 GMT
From: Danon Lucas joeldanon@hotmail.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: Lakewood Amp.  Review 6/23
 
Hello all,
 
Short review here now that I have had a chance to collect the images and
sites from 1st night at Lakewood.  Friends and I attended Nashville as well
but all consented that Atlanta is the place to be for the jams we come to
expect from Phish...and we were not dissapointed at all.  So on to the sets:
Ya Mar--very nice, with tight little jam at the end to get things
started...recalling last year in Atlanta and about that time the boys break
out into
My Soul-- Again well played, short jam that lasted just long enough.
Alright by this time I am anticpating something to get the party started and
well on its way.  Wishing for a older, jamming tune... (well it was my 23rd
birthday)
Bathtub Gin--normal opening and so forth but the jam was enough to get
everyone pumped.  I started thinking that I was back in '97 with this jam,
which is something to smile about :)
Heavy Things-- was very fun and a good dance tune as
Back On The Train is to.  The jam in this one had me thinking about the old
Dead jams where the Phil's loping bass carries the song into a very nice
place.  A swell tune, began what I called the "road" motif to the rest of
the show.  Did anyone else notice this?
David Bowie--what can you say?  Bowie is ALWAYS rocking, this one was no
exception.  Remember the end was particularly exciting, good stuff
CTB--Another tune that had me thinking back to 1997.  Don't know why, guess
the first year you Phish you always remember certain things.  Page was
warming up (IMO for the second set extravaganza)
Farmhouse--great song, another seemingly "Atlanta tune".
Another long set break but enough time to do almost "anything"
First set evaluation--very good 8/10.
Set II
Rock& Roll--I love this cover.  The song was great, lights were great, and
with the help of the crowd the lights became the most awesome spectacle I
personally have ever seen.  The glowstick war was utterly amazing...can't
describe in words the way it enhanced the song.  Jamming, jamming and then
Jesus Left Chicago--Always wanted to hear this one.  Continued the road or
traveling motif.
Down w/ Disease--I knew Trey had been the man so far but this soon changed.
Mike started banging the notes to this one out with real force.  I really
enjoyed the jam at the end.  Ambient type of jam, before it got too far out
the descended down to
Twist--Have to the truth couldn't pick this one out right off, having heard
it only a few times.  Mike really seemed to being into this one.
Contact--speaking of Mike?!?  HOW GOOD WAS IT TO HEAR THIS TUNE??  Road
motif again, more of this in a sec.  I'll need the tapes but Mike was
definitely stinky on this one.  His vocals were great too.  Noodled around
w/ this until Trey sparked up
Makisupa!!--yes I had been thinking how that tune would be so appropriate
for this night.  Trey was in fine form when it came time for the keyword(or
words).  He had quite a laugh with this.  Everyone else did as well.  When
this finished up I thought were in for at least one more
Character Zero--excellent!!  Everyone was jammin' and very happy to be at
such a fine occasion.  This capped off the 2nd set with a very nice touch.
Someone lit up a bunch of sparklers at this point, kinda weird on the mind.
Encore had to be good...
Brian and Robert-- "..If you're just staring at your walls..." never held
truer, I was just amazed with the sites, scenes and yes I guess the "smells"
to.  Knew this wouldn't end the evening though...
Possum--ok my bud picked this for the opener but funny how things worked
out.  Finished that road motif--all the driving time is a real drain but is
worth it when showtime starts.  And we only traveled from Alabama to Antioch
and Atlanta.  For those that do it more--more power to you!  I completely
enjoyed this show from start to finish. Wish I could be there tonight!!  By
the way if anyone knows the whereabouts of this show when it comes out
please let me know.  I would really like to have it.  It was my birthday!!!
Peace and Tunes,
Lucas

Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2000 17:26:20 -0400
From: Carolyn carolynjones1@mindspring.com
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: 6/23/00 lakewood show
 
I am from hotlanta so this show really had me pumped. I paid for a ticket on
the lot. My girlfriend and I had just broken up when they went on sale and i
missed the boat. I didn't get scalped though. I would never sell a scalped
ticket or buy one. I just had to say that bit. Sorry for too much opinion. I
really don't know what show this was for me. I think around 50 or so. You
really do lose count. Well,depending on the effectiveness of your
memory. This is my first review. I really just wanted to talk about how great
the show was and how beautiful the community of phish has become. I hear alot
of comparisons to other bands all of the time,but I would like to say that I
think they sound more like the beatles than any other band. Well back to the
show. The Ya Mar was fun. It got everyone smiling. Bathtub rocked. The first
set was very well played. I try not to analyze or criticize any aspect of the
show too much. I enjoyed hearing the Bowie and even Heavy Things is starting
to really grow on me. I would like to throw in my 2 cents for Farmhouse also.
It was extremely well played. I heard someone say one time that all of the
best songs are country songs. That is not to say that all country songs are
the best. Well setbreak went by pretty quick for me. They really tore off the
roof  2nd set. The Rock N' Roll was pure rock n' roll. The glowstick war was
amazing. Better than New Years. I will probably get criticized for saying
that, but it really blew me away. DWD is a great song for this town. They
play it alot here. The Jesus smoked. I hadn't seen it since my first show,
which was atl civic center 94. Contact was a total treat. I didn't think they
would play it again after last year. It is not a regular. Possum encore was
the topper. I don't care how many times I hear it. It rocks. Show was a
definite plus. They like my hometown. Lakewood is a great venue. The people
of the town embrace the scene, and the cops are very congenial, comparively
speaking.
- Joe

Date: Sun, 25 Jun 2000 22:56:41 -0700
From: david moss drkstr@mail.alltel.net
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: atlanta shows
 
whats up pholks, just got home phrom the ATL showz, had trubble gettin down
there friday, but my seats more than made up 4 that, middle of the house was
bumppin!!! YA MAR to start, how bout datt!! MYMYMYMYMYMY SOUL, ITS MY
SOOO-OUL,
HERE COME THE AMBASSADORS, nice phat GIN, GBOTT was alright, BOWIE was wierd
and dark, PHUNKY CTB, NIIIIICE!!! PHARMHOUSE to end, oh well setbreak : [
set 2: WE STARTED DANCIN TO THAT PHINE PHINE MUSIC,
ROCK AND ROLL> JESUS LEFT CHICAGO, GRRRREAAT!
DWD, TWIST good songs, love em, but way over played in the last year, CONTACT
WAS SWEET two years in a row,
MAKISUPA just put me inna good mood as this is in my top 5 songs list!!! PHOR
THE RECORD, TREY SAID "TAKKY KEEF"
CHARACTER ZERO to end , this was an A - 2ND SET
time phor a phatty encore: two of my phavorites:
BRIAN AND ROBERT, NICE RARE TUNE
OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH POSSUM!!!!!!!!   IN THE ZONE

Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2000 23:38:45 -0400
From: Amy C Stitzer amy.c.stitzer@gte.net
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: phish is rockin'
 
i don't know what happen to the band but it was something great. i haven't
heard the band jam this hard in three years. i guess its those over seas
tours. they are jamming more than ever and seem to be having alot more fun.
in atlanta 7-23 i was on the lawn and noticed between jesus and dwd  on the
screen theres was a glowstick being shook back and forth then they put up a
glowring. during this phish was doing a spacey jam and it got happier with
glowring appeared. in my opinion from the first four shows its gping to be
Page's tour. PLAY IT LEO!!!!!!!!
 

Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2000 18:06:30 -0500
From: John Cassibry jcassibry@yahoo.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 6/23 review

6/23/2000 - Lakewood Amphitheatre - Atlanta, GA
 
   I must admit after seeing the 6/22 setlist I was a little bummed out
going into this show.  The Jibboo, 2001, Hood, and others I really wanted to
see went down the night before, but I knew the boys could still pull out a
winner.  So they came out ready to play -- Trey opened up Ya Mar while Page
was still a good 15-20 feet away from his piano riser... nice melodic Ya Mar
jam, Page's organ was super-heavy in the mix for his solo, which was great.
In My Soul, Trey's playing really started to take off (as did Page and the
rest of them).  The Gin smoked;  it was fantastic, one of the best I've
heard.  Heavy Things was pretty standard - I had fun watching Mike sing
"Ooh-Ooh---wah-ah" over and over again.  GBOTT - here things get a little
crazy... they take off on the jam as usual, but it was anything but
standard.  It eventually got really soft for a bit, then faded out almost
entirely into the Bowie intro.  During this intro, Trey kept coming back to
some GBOTT-ish phrasing, some of that blues-country-funk goodness.  At times
I heard hints of Birdland, but no flat-out teases, it all just kind of
weaved in and out, with the hi-hat going strong of course.  The Bowie jam
was very nice, I wanted it to go on a little bit longer, but Trey decided to
end it and cued Page for CTB, which was very tight.  Again here Page's organ
was very prominent in the mix, and it sounded great.  Farmhouse was also
really tight, and I'm glad they bagged that mellow intro.  Not a powerhouse
song, but I didn't mind it as a set closer.
   On to set II....Rock and Roll took me completely by surprise, they rocked
out on it as they usually do.  When the transition began for Jesus Left
Chicago, I got serious chills.... I had never seen this one and it was tops
on my list.  Finally!!! Anyway, it was great, I kind of got the feeling the
band was in a bluesy mood due to the southern location, with My Soul, the
bluesy GBOTT jam, and now JLC.   I relished every second of it, nothing too
unusual about this version but I loved it.  After Trey ended it there was
some space, and Mike's low resonance sound keyed us that DWD was about to
begin. Now this Down With Disease.... what can I say?  This jam went
everywhere and back.  Just incredible, they REALLY took off on this one.
Towards the end the groove had a slower feel, and Chris was favoring almost
all red lighting, and I had the distinct feeling that we were all landing on
Mars of something.  Unreal, you just have to hear it.  They somehow segued
from this "Otherworldly Jam" (as I called it) directly into Twist, with no
intro.  The chords just kind of rose out of the jam.  Twist was great but I
don't really remember anything specific about it.  Mike started off Contact,
which I thought was a nice choice to mellow everybody out after the
superjams.   At the end (I think it was this tune) Trey kept cueing
everybody to punch the ending note again.  And again.  And twice in a row.
This went on for a little while, then he tried to sink it into a reggae
groove, but IMHO it was not a smooth transition.  All the same, Makisupa is
always welcome and did not disappoint on this night.  Keyword was "Toffee
and Kif(Keef?)".  At least that's what I heard, maybe it was coffee?
Anyway, Character Zero was hot... I had read that it sounded different now,
but it didn't to me.  SERIOUS Trey Jedi action at the end of the set, went
on for a while.
  And for the encore, I was personally very psyched for Brian and Robert,
another first for me, and I've really been digging this tune lately.
(didn't really like it when "Ghost" first came out, but now I'm hooked.)
Possum was good, but not really noteworthy.  All in all, a good show.  The
band seemed very tight for the beginning of a tour, no doubt due to the
recent warmup week in Japan.

Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2000 21:26:45 EDT
From: Stoney6562@aol.com
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: It was extremly good, just like every year in ATL.......
 
     Now that the dust has settled, and my brain has fully taken in all the
events of last weekend, I must admit that the boys never disapoint when they
come to Atlanta.
I thought that the first nights show was solid, but only a precurser of what
to come. After blowing the roof off in Nashvile, it was expected.
I saw the first nights show from the 2nd section of seats, and thats OK, but
not really where I like to be. After that show was over I knew that tomarrow
night would be the night to be up there on it.
Needless to say the second night I was on the 7th row, centered up right in
front of  Mike.
     They did not disapoint. Momma Dance. For the 3rd year in a row!  It got
me fired up so much, that about half way through the song I found myself
saying "wow, and this is only the first song!".Fire rendetions of Tweezer (30
min, are you freakin kidding me?!!)  Antelope, and Frankie Sez were to
follow, then............they dropped the bomb. CARINI. From out of nowhere.
The solid red lights hit, and Trey cranked out the opening cords.I about lost
it. This is one of my all time favorite tunes. To get to hear it last year
was a pleasure, but this year it was even better.They jammed it out for about
7 or 8 min, unlike last years short encore. FIRE
     I wont go into anymore detailes, but if you were there, you know what I
am talkin about.
Cant wait for Deer Creek!!!!!!!
Peace
Brent "Norm" Waldrop
 
PS.  Just a thought I would like to share with you: The first night I was
very near the isle, and I was watching the security gaurds for some reason or
another.  I happend to notice one in particular. This huge black security
gaurd was about 6' 6", and probably weighed in at 350 or so. He was having
the time of his life at a phish show. He was dancing and singing to Makisupa,
like he payed just as much to get in as I did. It made me smile from ear to
ear.

Date: Sun, 25 Jun 2000 14:18:09 EDT
From: DAbellera@aol.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: atlanta reviews
 
saw the boys for the first time a little less than a year ago in my hometown
venue lakewood.  fri and sat were my 6th and 7th shows.  overall i thought
fri was good, sat was incredible, but for the most part they seemed to play a
lot of songs from last year's atlanta shows.  namely the ya mar, my soul
opener of fri in reverse of last year's 7/4 my soul, ya mar opener.  bowie
and farmhouse also in the same first set as last year's.  at first i was a
little disappointed but the bowie was great to make up for it.  second set
picked things up with a phat rock n' roll opener>jlc. personally, i love
watching the glowsticks fly through the air, esp at outdoor venues.  this one
was no exception.  i know there are a lot of contact fans out there, but
having seen it 3 times in 6 shows, i dont really enjoy this tune that much.
makisupa was my first, with the keyword being "tacky keef."  a pleasant
surprise, of course.  loved it.   not a fan of character either but it keeps
up the energy.  the b&r encore, eh... but possum was needed to end the show.
overall a 4/10 i thought.
sat.'s show much much much better.  i brought my sister, brother in law, and
brother in law's brother, all former deadheads going to their first phish
shows.  they didnt know many of the songs but seemed to absolutely love it.
moma dance opener- wow!  bring out the funk.  runaway jim next?!  two great
extended jams there.  a standard bouncing, then incredible, long, phat
tweezer.  my first strange design, nothing too impressive, then a rockin'
cavern that really got my siblings psyched and enjoying the show.
second set wow.  boaf started things off great, followed by bug, always a
treat.  not a big phan of the phish bluegrass so my sweet one didnt do much
for me, but i had fun dancing anyway.  antelope was antelope, which means i
had a blast.  i love this song and the build up to the lyrics was intense.
have never heard frankie before, didnt know what it was.  didnt do much for
me either.  carini again reminded me of last year.  my first squirming coil,
amazing.  page's piano is beautiful.  prince caspian i think has a bit of
cheese to it, but i still enjoy listening and dancing to it.  not a very
interesting closer but there was more to come.  when they came back out and
started guyute, i was in heaven.  i used to despise this song but have grown
to love it.  josie wales was great, unexpected.  it's a nice tune i really
dig.  i knew there'd be more but what?  i figured they would go off stage and
come back, but nope they stood right where they were and continued with
driver, my first and very good.  still i knew there would be more although i
couldnt believe it.  oh yeah, they played tweezer in set one, that seemed
like ages ago!  tweeprise ended things on a upbeat note and left me with a
smile on my face.  cant wait for camden, my next!
p.s.  gordon sat in with col. bruce fri night (maybe sat too im not sure) at
the variety playhouse after the show.  too bad i sold my tix b/c my friends
were too fried to want to go.  apparently he played the entire second set
lead guitar.  thanks for reading this far.

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