From cdirksen@earthlink.net Sat Sep 12 23:35:41 1998
Date: Fri, 10 Jul 1998 19:27:44 GMT
From: cdirksen@earthlink.net
To: dan@netspace.org
Newsgroups: rec.music.phish
Subject: 11/13/97 Vegas Mike'sGroove

11/13/97  Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV

Can't wait for 'ween in Vegas this Fall!!! I bet tix for the 10/30 and
10/31 shows will be the toughest Phish tickets to get in Phishtory.
The cheesy Excaliber has rooms with 2 queen sized beds for $97.01 a
night (tax included), and I'd recommend making your reservation
quickly.. (702) 597 7777.  Suffice it to say that I will be trying to
get as many tickets to the Vegas 'ween shows that I possibly can. I
strongly urge you to mail order even if you know you can't go.
Everyone I know is mail ordering.  I'll send you 18 Phish tapes
priority mail for every 10/30 or 10/31 ticket you can get me!! =^]

Typical Mike's opening.. tramps segment starts at 2:39 with Trey
grooving along with Mike, Page and Fish.  Trey starts soloing at 3:21,
repeating a very Dark, Fearsome riff over and over again.
At 4:30 or so, Trey climbs a few octaves and starts soloing even more
maliciously than before, revisiting the evil riff he'd been repeating
a bit earlier.  A remarkably forceful Mike's Song that doesn't feature
the dreadful, off-key, erie crap of early versions. The jam is
gripping and intense, but not melodious in a YEM sense or anything.
Around 6:54 Trey teases something that sounds familiar, briefly, and
teases the riff again about 7:09 (something I know I've heard him play
before in YEM, but which I can't name or place).  Around 8:20 Trey
sustains an effect-heavy note and Page takes off a little.. very
psychedelic jam ensues.  At 8:57 Trey comes back in soloing
ferociously, and Mike starts slapping fiercely, too!  This Mike's Song
has "blow them away" written all over it... just a ferocious JAM that
demands attention.  At 10:12 the closing chords to what is usually the
"tramps segment" are played, and at 10:29 the Note that ordinarily
begins Simple gets played.

But Simple isn't played... instead, an enchanting, mellifluous, spacey
jam ensues.  One of my personal favorite jams in any Mike's Song.  At
11:07 Trey *clearly* and *obviously* begins teasing a song by
Creedence Clearwater revival.  He continues teasing the song for
several measures (it is the repetitive opening riff of "Born on the
Bayou"), but he stops around 12 mins. I wished at the show (and still
wish) that he'd really taken this CCR tease further.  Mike's playing
throughout this jam, btw, is thoughtful and melodious.. just excellent
accompaniment (if you can really call it that.. it is more Mike in
here than Trey, who primarily just plaintively chords along with
Fish's delicate but steady rhythm).  I love introspective jams like
this.  Who ever said that Phish wasn't soulful?  I nevertheless wish
more had been done with this groove, since I thought it had more
potential than was realized.  It is still one of my favorite Mike's
Song improvisations.

The aforementioned gorgeous jam soon segues (with a key change)
-> flawlessly into Hydrogen at around 15:20.  Hydrogen is good but not
as perfect as it usually is...

Weekapaug kicks in at 19:37, and yes there's a snappy, quick and
BADASS solo from Mike in the opening!! Jam section starts up well
(after the opening lyrics of course), akin to most other versions.
Trey's out of the gate.. soloing in straightforward 'paugian fashion.
This part of the jam is pretty ordinary for Weekapaug (typically
Great, in other words)... Trey really tears it up around 24:30, but it
isn't SOOOO amazing.  At 24:47 I thought for sure he'd start strongly
teasing Dave's Energy Guide but he doesn't.

At 25 mins Trey starts chording as if to segue into a "Can't You Hear
Me Knockin'" jam, but he doesn't bother, instead opting to funk this
groove up a bit (25:30).  Fishman starts going bananas, though --
magnificent playing from him!!  Traditional 'paug soloing kicks back
in at 26 mins, for a measure or so.  Page unleashes on the clavinet
for a measure or two before moving to the piano and playing Weekapaug
chords.  Fish starts picking up the beat at 26:40.. a lot... beat gets
more and more and MORE and MORE intense, as does Trey's closing
soloing!!! =^]  (27:30)

Christ!!!  Easily one of the fastest, most crazy endings to Weekapaug
on record.. It's amazing how accurate Trey is at this speed.  If
anyone doubted that Trey was a virtuoso.. get them this PAUG!!!!!!!!
=^]  A SPECTACULAR CLOSE to this Weekapaug!!! At 28:30 Trey starts
jamming Can't You Hear Me Knockin, but they launch HASTILY (at this
crazy thunderous pace) back into the closing Weekapaug segment!!!
AHHHH!!!!  Closing lyrics at 29:16 (still, a very very fast pace..).
HOly shit.. what an ENDING!!!  Just an AWESOME close to a set of Phish
and the Fall tour opener.  Total time:  30:26.  Got to give this
Mike'sGroove an easy A-.. very highly recommended..
Magnificent closing few minutes of the Weekapaug, and a charming jam
in the Mike's Song that is must-hear (at least imo).

I strongly recommend getting a copy of the 11/13/97 show.  The show
has an above avg YEM, a spectacular Mike'sGroove and a thrilling,
unusually intense version of Stash.  This show holds its own against
most of the subsequent Fall tour 1997 shows, in my opinion.

two cents
charlie

p.s.  For more Mike'sGroove reviews, check out
http://www.phish.net/hpb/mikes.