7-13-99 -- Great Woods, Mansfield, MA
review submisions dws@www.phish.net
or dws@gadiel.com
Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 15:08:05 -0400
From: Dean Vaccaro deanv@gateway.net
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: Great Woods Final Thought--SCOTTY ROCKED!!--7-13-99
An important reflection about the second set and the Possom. Max
Creek's Scott Murawski (aka Scotty) was incredible. It didn't take him
a while to settle in, and he wasn't overwhelmed. He was absolutely
tearing up Possom with some incredibly hot licks that brought the song
to new heights. The band was riding the crest of his raw energy--it was
obvious. I wished they'd brought him out sooner because he brought life
screaming back into a second set that was getting boring. As the song
closed you could hear the Creek fans in the back screaming out,
"SSSSCCCCOOOOOTTTTTTTEEEEEYYYY!"
Having Scotty on stage with Phish was truly a legendary moment. Get the
tape and crank it!
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 1999 17:39:10 -0500 (CDT)
From: Arjun Malavia malavia@webtv.net
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: great woods
I realize that it is a bit late to be writing a review for a show that
was a month ago, but after readinga few reviews on the2nd night I had to
let my opiions of what took place be heard. 1st of all I have been to
30 some shows and have listened to my fair share of tapes and stuff. I
am not a phish expert but i do feel that I can tell when something
magical happens and i felt it in the 1st set of the 2nd night. An nicu
opener is always refreshing and from the very few shows i have seen with
this opener I knew we were in for a stellar show. I try not to expect
great things from anything because that is how you can easily be let
down but you could feel it in the air that night. So nicu was sweet and
it had everyone bouncin and then from out of nowhere came the curtain
crashing down onto the stage. this is one that i never expect to hear
unless it opens the show, simply because of its title and all but i was
just getting down so hard i couldn't even think about it at the time.
It was the 2nd curtain i had ever heard and it was just as much fun as
the last time. Then after the curtain came the sweet sound of HALLEYS!
Yes yes yes. another favorite of mine and by this point i had to
perform a brief reality check and make sure i was still breathing and my
feet were still touching the ground. I was also pleased to note that
halleys didn't hit the hood blimp or else who knows what would have
hapened. (maybe a quick segue into tube? Crash) I dunno my imagination
was running wild at the time but anyways the halleys jam was pretty
tight and trey managed to stay away from the damn loops and actually
make beautiful music wth his guitar for the most part. I felt the band
as a whole was really moving and together. This slowly started to go
into Roses which blossomed when trey took his solo. Awesome awesome solo
great song selecton just perfect. Then came the chaos and what is a
phish show without a little bit of chaos. N2O!!! I dont know where the
hell that came from but i didn't care. So up until this point things
were unreal I was waiting for them to bust an acoustic antelope or
something even more out of this world followiig that N2O which i have
only heard on the white album. Thank god they played a lawn boy because
I was like okay this is a real show the boys are slowing down wonderful
this is all really happening. Thank you page we all were overwhelmed it
wasn't just you. then came the opening notes to reba which is always a
treat. It was a nice reba up until the chill jam and this is what made
me have to write this incredibly long review. I was just shocked when i
read on a review how the reba was great and how the crowd was clapping
so tight and in unison to it. Hello people this is what makes me red in
the face. Phish is a rock band full of very talented musicians. They
can play the most complex and abstract music so WHY IS IT THAT PEOPLE
DONT THINK THEY CAN KEEP A BEAT. THEY CAN COUNT TO 4 AND IF THEY
COULDNT THEY WOULD HAVE A FUCKIN TAMBOURINE PLAYER OUT THERE TO DO IT
FOR THEM. THE CHILL PART OF REBA IS SOMETHING YOU HOLD IN YOUR ARMS AND
ROCK VERY VERY SLOWLY AND GENTLY BACK AND FORTH. YOU LOVE IT AND HOLD
IT AS IF IT WERE YOUR OWN VERY MUCH LIKE THE POST MINOR JAM OR THE CHILL
PART OF SLAVE OR LIKE THE CHIILL PART OF LIZARDS. IT IS IN MY OPINION
WHAT MAKES UP A HUGE PART OF LISTENING TO PHISH. TREY AND THE BOYS LOVE
THEIR MUSIC SO LOVE IT BACK! For some reason beyond my fucking
comprehension people clapped thru the first like 10 measures of trey's
solo. This keep in mind is the quietest , most delicate and fragile
part of this beautiful song. I suggest and am surprised noone else has
suggested that trey was like okay if people can't hear what i am playing
or can't appreciate something this soft and intimate then forget it and
I will give them someting that they cant clap over and alas the segue
(which wasn't at all smooth or seeming like it was planned) into
carini. which rocked but my point is well i dunno my point whenever i
discuss or even think about this steam just comes out of my ears. I am
sorry i don't mean to be one of those people but i am and it just
frustrates me so much because i have heard phish abandon the jams that i
travel across the fuckin country for due to clapping. I know i am
selfish and there are 1000' s of other people aside from me at these
concerts. I just can't help it. It is so rare to hear musical gems i
am just one that wants to hear them stretch out for an infinite period
of time. I apologize if i offended anyone just keep in mind yes im an
asshole but i have soooo much love for you all.
brother vij
Date: Wed, 21 Jul 1999 12:57:37 -0700
From: "Powers, Mike (MAV)" mike.powers@maverickrc.com
To: "'dws@www.phish.net'" dws@archive.phish.net,
"'dws@gadiel.com'" dws@gadiel.com
Subject: Great Woods 7/13/99 Review
It's been over a week since the "big boom" hit Great Woods Tuesday
night...my head is finally clearing up and I think it's time to post a
review....
First Great Woods run in 4 years...can't believe it's been so long since the
good old days in Mansfield. Monday night was fun, but Tuesday was IT. The
Hood blimp over the lots during pre-game was a great sign for what was to
come that evening (unlike that Massachusetts State Police chopper that was
hovering Monday night)...
NICU brought immediate cheers, but the Curtain that came after it raised
everyone's spirits. Halley's out of Curtain??? Halley's in the first set???
Wow. That Halley's is where the magic of the night began. The ending of
Halley's was jammed out so well and transported the crowd of 19,900 into an
epic Phish set. The seg into Roses are Free continued the magic of this
show. A bunch of us "thought" we heard a Mound coming out of Roses....but
boy were we wrong! People were already in a trance and then along came
NO2...No way! What a way to bring summer '99 back into memories of summer
'94. The crowd was in shock. My buddy had made an N02 sign for Monday's
show (during which Trey had given him several nods) and was wiggin' out that
this was happening a night later. It was even an "old school" ending of
N2o, the instrumental was beautiful. Lawn Boy gave us a sweet breather and
then Reba kicked in. It was an incredible Reba, one of the best I have ever
heard (right up there with 7/8/94, 10/31/94 and 10/28/98). The sun was
setting, I had a Wachusett Nut Brown Ale (local Massachusetts brew) in my
hand, was with my best friends who were with me here in '93 and Phish was
exploding a wicked Reba for all of Great Woods. The clapping of the crowd
during Reba was so tight and in unison. Then came the Carini seg...Awesome.
Trey was possessed during this Carini. The ending was so jammed out and I
was sure that this would close the set. But then, Funky Bitch. Phish always
surprises us. Great Woods was shocked from this set. Epic.
Set break was crazy. People were buzzing with energy from what they had
just witnessed during the first set. One of the best sets I have ever seen
in my 8 years of seeing Phish. The crowd new that they boys were seriously
on tonight. Set 2 approached...
Before the show, I really wanted a 2001 set 2 opener, but it didn't matter
what Phish gave us tonight. Wolfman's kicked in and the groove began again.
As Wolfman's winded it's way around Great Woods, a magnificent glow stick
war began in the lawn. After 20 + minutes, this Wolfman's trance turned
into a booming Piper. I have seen this transition before at Salt Lake in 97
and Halloween in Vegas, but this Wolfman's/Piper combo tonight was fierce
and tight. Next up was Bug. This song was incredible live...."It doesn't
matter" is still echoing in my head. I can not wait to see what this song
develops into during the next year or so. It has a heavy-weight future in
the Phish song family. Trey knew what he was doing as he led us into the
Mountains in the Mist...a much need breather and relaxation. It all changed
tempo once again as Antelope kicked in. Ferocious! Trey then threw
everyone off in a good way as he spotted and gave a shout-out to his friend
Dave in the audience during Antelope. I can't even explain how strange, but
cool it was at the time to hear Trey do that. I also have to give Chris an
enormous compliment on the lights during Antelope this tour. The lighting
in Atlanta and Great Woods for Antelope was unreal! Ok...once Antelope came
to a halt, Scott of Max Creek came on stage for a killer Possum. Possum
finished up and the place went nuts! What could they do for an encore???
Tuesday's Gone!!! Unreal... Just as Foreplay > Longtime opened things up on
Monday, Tuesday's Gone was perfectly appropriate. The song exploded on
stage and Great Woods was once again in awe. A wicked cool ending for a
great two nights. 7/13 was unreal.
So yes, I have really gone off here, but this show hit me really hard....I
woke up the next morning wondering if I had really experienced all of this.
I was brought into the Phish world in '92 and this was show # 55 for
me....this had to be one of my top 5 shows ever. The way the first set was
performed reminded me of the New Year's '95 vibe at MSG....very very
dream-like. The tradition of strong New England and Great Woods shows was
continued during these 2 days and taken even further on this Tuesday night
in Mansfield. I'm glad that I came in from my new home on the west coast to
my old home for these shows. Thank you Phish.
- Mike Powers
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 1999 11:26:09 -0700
From: Jeff Harris jeffh@eclipseinc.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: GW, 7-13-99
WOW! Couple of my friends went to their first show on 7-12-99, and I
talked with them when they got home. They said it was awesome. Upon
checking the setlist, I was psyched. It looked like a lot of fun. On
tuesday I couldn't sit still in anticipation of the show. I arrived at
3:30 or 4 and to my disappointment, the cops were not very nice. Seeing
as they let anything go on at a football game I wasn't expecting them to
be assholes, but what can you do.
NICU - Great opener. The crowd was rocking.
Curtain - I was getting worried that the first set wasn't going to be
incredible but....
Comet - When the first few notes were struck.... I knew that they were
going to be hot tonight.
Roses - The transition seemed to be not-so-perfect, but how else could
you change from Comet to Roses, two completely different tempos.
NO2 - The whole day I was ready for gamehendge..... on 7-8-94 it was
raining, so when it was raining earlier in the day I got hopeful. But
this song is always great. Interesting effects.
Lawn Boy - When the music died and Page took the mic I knew that this was
going to be awesome! A real treat.
Reba - Just seemed to melt from Lawn Boy to Reba. I love it when a set
is very mixed up with so many different types, speeds, of songs.
Carini - Somewhere into the solo of Reba, the heavy cords of this song
seemed to set in. I have never heard this song before so I took me until
the chorus to realize what it was. This song is great.
Bitch - I was expecting the set to end after Reba but no!!!!! It is
always a pleasure to hear funky bitch. Great song and very well played.
Awesome first set!!!!!!
Wolfman's brother - Good set opener, especially after the first set. The
jam was somewhat reminiscent of the one on Slip, Stitch, and Pass. A
half hour, got boring after a while but always a pleasure to listen to
relaxed jamming.
Piper - Great song...... Well placed.
Bug - A new one. I rather enjoyed it.
Mountains - I noticed that the second set was quite mellow. But hey,
it's a Phish show and I appreciate everything they play.
Antelope - I was getting worried that the set was going to completely
drag but what a treat this was. Loud and very well played. One of the
best/better versions I've heard!!!
Possum - I love this song..... Something you can really jam with. When
steve came on I knew it was going to be great. It seemed like it was
more jamming and less singing, but when you have trey and steve trading
solos and licks, who can complain!
A good second set. Nothing spectacular but it was still awesome. I
thought I had heard a few pick scrapes in there, it sounded like the
beginning to AC/DC Bag. But nothing came of it.... I'm almost positive
that it was right before Antelope.
It was at this point that my friend turned to me and said, "Wouldn't it
be great if they played some Skinard (sp?)? Tuesday's Gone would be
perfect, after all it is Tuesday." Well, he got just what he asked
for!!!! What a treat! From opening with Boston, closing with Rock and
Roll, and then closing the second night with Tuesday's Gone, who could
ask for more?
Overall, it was a great show... Sure it dragged here and there but when
you look at the whole thing.... Who can complain! It was definitely
worth putting up with the cops before and after the show (Although I
would've liked to have hit one of them).
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 1999 10:44:11 -0400
From: Rob Pierson rupert@drej.com
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: great woods quick review...
I had to miss the first night of great woods because i was in
NY having a cast put on my arm...(skateboard accident in Camden!)
But, the second night picked up my spirit, and releaed all the pain...
My favorite was Wolfman's, bercause I could't sit down...My arm was
feelin' good and man, was I movin'!Anyway, that was my last show this summer,
Touring was a blast, and I guess I'll see y'all in the fall...
Always be safe, and watch out for each other...
We are all good people!...Enjoy the summer!!!
Fellow Jon...
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 1999 09:16:03 -0400
From: jpedjoe jpedjoe@davisad.com
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: 7/13/99 review
MA native review- We parked in the $20 lot this time, nobody was in the mood
for "imperial entanglements." After a walk down Shakedown for sustenance we
headed into the show early to avoid the rush. Eighth row on Page's side,
much better view than 12th row the night before.
NICU- Fun opening to the show, the sun was still shining and this got the
crowd moving--->
The Curtain- I saw this on 11/28/97, IMHO this version at the Woods beat
that---->
Halley's- Are we having fun yet? The jam settled into a nice groove until we
were surprised with --> Roses Are Free- Some kid asked me what the song was,
I should've told him to pick up that Island Tour tape, Things seemed to be
clicking, and this was still the first set! The jam got dark and led us into
NO2, the last appearance was 7/16/94 and they had played it at Great Woods
to send the crowd into Gamehendge on 7/8. This was a treat.
Lawn Boy- Page's side....This "woke" up the crowd on the GA Lawn.
Reba- Yes! I was waiting for this one, my friends weren't excited with the
prospect, but I told them the middle section would be great on this summer
night...Then Trey decides to really mess with me (us)...CARINI! Great stuff,
this is one of my guilty pleasures.
Upbeat Funky Bitch closer.
SET II
Wolfman's- My friend Pat called this one, waiting for some 97 funk jam,
which they turned on.
I heard them pull the PIPER switch, this song gets better every time I hear
it.
BUG- I like the new material. I think Phish's harmonizing and vocal
abilities have been getting increasingly better, especially after performing
Loaded. This song has been in my head for days.
Mountains In the Mist- Need to get the tape for this one.
Antelope- The crowd started to get going again and I can only imagine how it
was up on the lawn, woah! Not the best Antelope, I would've like the Rye Rye
and Marco part funked out a little more, but I shouldn't complain, it's a Lope.
Special guest, couldn't hear his name at first but he's from Max Creek? Fun
Possum (come from top the mountain, baby) Took a while for the guest to
settle in, it might of been a little overwhelming at first and I don't blame
him. They settled into a groove and it worked.
The Encore: Anticipation is a bitch, first two notes the guy behind me just
says it...
TUESDAY'S GONE- Couldn't have said it better. Quite emotional for many people.
Overall, I had previously gave 7/12 a 10 all around. This show was fantastic
but the segues in the first set is true Phish magic, I have to go hunt down
the tapes (CD-r's) Peace.
Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 21:26:05 EDT
From: Marble34@aol.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: review of greatwoods
Let me start off by saying, that the two show run at Great Woods was probably
the best two show run ive ever seen. I havent seen the guys play with sooo
much energy in a long time. The setlists from both nights speak for
themselves. From Bostons "Longtime" all the way through to Skynyrds
"Tuesdays Gone" is pretty unbelievable. They not only played some of their
best stuff, but they funked everything out into extended jams. Everyone in
the crowd could just feel the energy and everyone was groovin. Then they go
and play Nitrogen which i cant even remember the last time they played it.
For everyone that wasnt there u really missed out, but ill see everyone in
Osweego...peace
matt
Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 00:14:58 -0400
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: Great Woods reviews
This is a satellite mail, different from my normal pqxp@umich sends.
I won't bore everyone with the basics...all songs are subjective, and Phish
is usually good. The GW 2 day, however, proved to be a perfect opener for
my summer tour. i'll comment on the scene, as most everyone will comment
on the songs. Boomy sound set 1, but the rest was gold.
I'll begin with my take on the taper's section, as i usually consider our
little haven behind the board to be the last bastion of hope for what
amounts to overcrowded, psychotic experiences in both the lot and the
venue. I had few problems getting a good spot and great tapes, but the TS
was grossly over-packed for the space we were alloted, and the overflow in
to the surrounding rows caused more grief than most tapers are used to. I
counted 50 pairs of mics on 7/12, 58-60 for 7/13. Decks were in the
hundreds. Yikes.
I love to tape live music. I firmly believe in the phish tapers' ability
to self-govern on the priciple of 'first-come-first served" for seats in
the section (it's run as general admission policy in a res. section
setting).
Had the shows not been as phenomenally played as they were, the conflicts
that came about on 7/13 would put my vote at "not worth it." The problems
of over-crowding the section spilled into the surrounding seats, causing
many to have to haggle to keep their rigs stable.
Most phans respect the taper section as a place where sacrifices are made
for the greater good. Several people insisted that they get their seats,
despite the tapers attempts to stub them in to other suitably close
sections, causing many problems. This brought about a lot of questions...
1. The tapers never really had problems sorting out space before...why now?
2. Was the TS oversold for the space? Usually there are about 2-3 seats
per person in the section, allowing for stand footprints and deck piling;
it almost came to 1 stand per seat.
3. Are too many decks being brought in by people without taper tickets?
Yes.
It was obvious that many 1st timers were holding tickets to the surrounding
seats, as most who encounter this problem will take it upon themselves to
help alleviate the situation for the sake of the tapers trying to lay the
show down on tape. This wasn't the case at either show. I did not
encounter this in my space, but most of my neighbors had to negotiate their
space in order to keep their rigs up. Several rigs were moved or attempted
to move. Tempers flared and several nameless people in the section made a
scene that i would like to forget. Taping is a priveledge, everyone with a
ticket is equally entitled to tape, regardless of how long they've been
touring (I've been on the road since early 93 and even the new tapers get
my ok if they follow the rules). Thanks to a few people who think they run
the taper scene, we may face new restrictions. I won't post names or rigs,
but their actions were ridiculous and embarassing, and I would not be upset
to see them out of the section.
At this moment, it became all too obvious after that that it's getting
crowded and the rules by self-governing will soon come to a head. My
tickets came by extreme effort (thanks for the swap, Will!) and getting the
rig set up is no easier. It's about cooperation, and it only takes a few
people to shoot their mouths and ruin the scene under the priciple of
selfishness.
I look forward to the midwest where the taper section will hopefully be a
little less of "I've been here longer than you" and a little more of "hey,
I'll help you out if you'll help me."
Incidentally, the Makisupa call was "stink." Pure throwdown.
Dave
Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 10:37:22 EDT
From: Boudreau66@aol.com
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: 7.13.99 Great Woods Review
First of all...wow. Can't believe it. I spent the weekend preparing for The
Meatstick, and we even learned the dance in the Lot before Monday's
show...but I was not disappointed, even if there was no Meatsick. You will
see why....
7.13.99
I: NICU, The Curtain, Halley's Comet>Roses Are Free>NO2>Lawn Boy,
Reba>Carini>Funky Bitch
II: Wolfman's Brother>Piper>Bug>Mountains In The Mist, Antelope, Possum
E: Tuesday's Gone
NICU: Since when do they open with this?? Unreal...just unreal. Great Jam,
loved it and it gave us a clue that we were in for some real good music.
The Curtain: I will refrain from comment. Good Jam, I just don't like the
song as much as I like most other Phish songs.
Halley's Comet: I loooove dancing to this one. GREAT JOB!! =)
Roses Are Free: This was my friend, Cicero's fault. I love "Roses," he
loves "Roses," and we both love WEEN. Cicero played Chocolate and Cheese
while we were munching in the lot. That's why Phish played it. Good call,
Cicero.
NO2: "You're pretty out of it, aren't you??"
Lawn Boy: Page just stood up and took it. Nice. Eat your heart out, Sinatra.
Reba: Always a good jam
Carini: I love this song. It's a rockin', sockin' ass kicker. I still like
the "Piece of Ass" lyrics as opposed to the "Naked Dude" lyrics, but oh well.
Funky Bitch: Good Bitch. Always a Good Bitch.
Wolfman's Brother: Incredible, great Jam. Glowstick WWIII out on the Lawn
for this one.
Piper: Awesome, well jammed
Bug: cool. First Time hearing it...nice.
Mountains In The Mist: See above
Antelope: ABSOLUTELY SICK!! GREAT JAM, I'M STILL TRYING TO PUT MY EYEBALLS
BACK IN MY HEAD!!!
Possum: With Scott from Max Creek. Scott took a couple of Jams and you had
to be happy for him. He rocked the house. Trey hugged him after the jam.
It was all so happy, it brought a quick tear to my eye. Don't miss Camp
Creek, Kiddies.
Tuesday's Gone: Wistful. I never really wanted this Tuesday to end, but I
guess it had to. Peace
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 12:36:34 -0700 (PDT)
From: Robbie Price rprice23@yahoo.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 7/13 review
While Pedro Martinez - the Dominican Dominator and President of
Red
Sox Nation - was making history on the lush historic stage that is
Fenway Park, the Rock and Roll All-Stars, Phish, were blowing the
half-roof off of The Tweeter Center, and as ESPN's Kenny Mayne
might say, they were "EN FUEGO!" Last night's show was an insane,
hair-raising, mind-blowing display of musical wonder.
I must make a retraction. After Camden and the first night at the
Tweezer Center, I had the feeling the band was headed in a generally
mellower direction. Last night blew that theory WAY THE F*** out of
the water. In between sets as I waited painfully for my turn in the
bathroom - while continuing to down a beer - I couldn't even believe
what had just transpired. Just to look at the first set on paper makes
me ecstatic. And believe me when I tell you, it was even better
than you can imagine. As this was my last show of the summer tour, I
will be spending the next two months - until New Orleans - searching
frantically for these CD-R's.
(Unless someone wants to hook me up right now : )
We got down to our seats (lower middle section, halfway back) just in
time b/c the band strolled right about 7:45. You wouldn't know from
their relaxed, smiling faces that they were about to completely explode
on stage. And did they ever! I am finding it very hard to remember a
first set this good, and that may very well be
b/c I haven't seen one.
7:45 to 8:25 pm on Tuesday July 13th, will go down as one of the
happiest times of my life. The setlist, the playing, the weather and
the super vibe all came together in unbelievable sychronicity. I think
Saturn must have been lined up directly with Jupiter and Massachussets
last night. I haven't danced that excitedly since
1994!
NICU was a really zippy version and Mike was immediately prominent in
the mix. They ended the song with a "big finish" which seemed strange
and then up rolled The Curtain! I love this song and it did not
disappoint. I think it really fired up the crowd and I was catching
surging waves of energy all around. The Curtain was played
very emotionally and went right into Halley's Comet. Almost always a
sign of a good show....this was one is a must-hear. Fabulous playing
that grooved into a nice space-funk piece about five minutes into it.
Then the jam chilled into a more driving Mike-led pulse, and RIGHT into
Roses Are Free. Let me preface that I am a huge
Ween fan and i was amazed with this version. I really think we should
see a Ween guest-appearance sometime soon. They nailed the scripted
part of this song - perfectly - and then jammed the hell out of it.
It descended after about 8 minutes to a bluesy jam and then
spacey-noise, which once I finally made out Mike's voice
was a rare NO2.
The stream of consciousness set finally seemed to lose steam and then
we were treated to a great Lawn Boy. Page of course, singing and
playing like the rock star that he is, and it was a welcome rest from
the intense jamming. It was reminiscent, in the sense of the vibe, to
the great coil solo page took at Great Woods in 93. You
could feel the love.
At 8:28, Phish ripped into REBA. I knew this one was coming, and it
was phantastically played. Mike and Fishman were all over it, and the
whole band was on fire.
Mike was particularly amazing on this - he is a MONSTER - and i would
put this up with any Reba out there (even unfinished). At 8:35 or so
Trey gave a big arm-up signal
for his guitar and he went screeching into the Jam. They somehow ended
up in Carini around 8:45....I think I lost 7 minutes or so in the
jam...the result of either alien
abduction, out of body experience or just plain mind-melting jamming.
Carini ripped. What a great song...funky bitch was awesome too...at
that point I would've been psyched for anything.
Set 2 rolled at about 9:30ish. I was caught in the flow of dancers
after a bathroom/beer run and ended up enjoying myself immensely, just
psyched to be in the building. The crowd was great, I thought, good to
see so many smiling faces. The jam has to be heard, not alot I could
do to describe it, but it was "way cool."
Piper mutated in at about 9:57, while somewhat awkward through the
transition, it is always a treat and one of the great buildups phish
does. They slammed this Piper home very very hard and the crowd was
exploding with energy.
Bug (10:05) was really cool - first time ever hearing it, live or
otherwise and it moved prettily into Mountains in the Mist (around
10:20). This song really makes from some interesting playing
during the segues, but having just seen it in NJ, I was a little
surprised.
They took a bried pause and launched into Antelope about 10:24. Again
I was reminiscent of shows gone past and couldn't help but get into
complete and utter mania: spinning, pumping my fists and boucing and
running in place. This was a standout version. Trey was really
pouring it on.
Around 10:33 Trey introduced Scott - of Max Creek, I later found out -
who joined in for a raucous Possum, with some scintillating back and
forth with Trey, on another Languedoc axe. They really rocked it out.
Nice capper for the set. It ended around 10:42.
Quarter of 11, they returned with Scott for Skynyrd's Tuesday's Gone.
A nice touch. Page took a really nice solo in there I seem to recall.
All in all a phantastic show, I may be going overboard, but I'd put
this in the upper echelon of the shows I've seen(it was #50!!!!). Fun,
fast, and surprising.
Play more Ween!
RWP
Date: Sat, 31 Jul 1999 19:03:33 EDT
From: Oopap@aol.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 7-13 very quick review
With the exception of Oswego and Atlanta, I do believe this was the best
show of the tour... Everything clicked... No matter what kind of fan you
are, I hope everyone got the full Woods experience.. sick sick sick..
Step into the Tweeter..
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 15:19:23 EDT
From: Digiphish@aol.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 7-13 setlist addition
7-13-99 Great Woods / Tweeter Center
Great show, box seats dead center...
slight revisions:
Halley's was also unfinished. The raging giutar bit at the end was skipped
entirely, realy a bummer if you ask me.
During the Second set opener (Wolfmans') there was a glowstick war over the
lawn. And if I could just add in... after being to countless shows and
collecting hundreds of DATs I have got to say the Jam following Wolfmans was
one of the best I have ever heard live. Type 2 jamming.
Maybe this is getting two specific but Reba was more than just "unfinished"
it was cut off entirely by trey. The other guys kept playing while trey
kicked in some major distortion, it was rough to say the least... OK, one of
the worst transitions ever.
-Rob
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 15:09:53 EDT
From: JasperKO@aol.com
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: Great Woods review 7-13-99
Alrightie........I wrote a review of the show on Monday night........somebody
wrote to me and told me that I was way to critical of Phish.......I apologize
to that person......I hope that he reads this because I would like it to be
publicly known that I LOVE Phish........And I apologize for being so critical
about Monday nights show........If you read my review it was the asshole in
the front row that made me be so critical.........and I know.....I should
have just moved....but I was at the perfect spot and I just couldnt part from
being 10 feet from Trey.........Last night I didnt have to deal with any
assholes.....The show kicked ass..........Phish kicks ass...........and dude
that wrote the reply to my review..........thank you for setting me
straight.....maybe I will bump into you at Volney....I just want to mention
one thing about the 2 Great Woods shows the past two nights.............THANK
YOU to everyone who made it such an enjoyable
experience!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!and Thank you Phish for such wonderful
encores!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Tuesdays Gone.........who the hell could have ever
called that!!!!!!!!
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 16:57:38 -0400
From: David Goldstein divsky333@snet.net
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 7/13/99
My take on Great Woodz night 2
Spent the day in what I believe was nearby Attleboro. Went to someplace
called the Emerald City Mall which despite having a nice layout is
loaded with crummy stores, and checked out the South Park movie. It was
a riot. Nothing like blaming all of our problems on Canada ;-> Did the
weather get nice or what? Lots were much more pleasant because of this,
and the simple fact that we didn't witness anyone getting screwed by the
man this time around.
Seats were much farther back than on the first night, and this made for
a clearer sound mix. Regardless, did anybody else find the Great Woods
run to be uncommonly loud? I can usually make it through Phish shows
without earplugs and minimal tinnitus. but ear protection was needed
this time.
I: NICU, Curtain > Halley's > Roses are Free > N20, Lawn Boy, Reba >
Carini, Funky Bitch
NICU: Always a fun ditty, and a solid opener. Minimal variation, but it
was well played, and the "PLAY IT LEO!!!" scream was as loud as ever.
Curtain: See above. Fun, solid, and well played, despite no variation.
Halley's Comet: This is a treat to hear in the 1st set. If there's one
good thing about Halley's, it's that the band never wrote an ending for
it, so there's always a form of variation. This time, instead of going
for the breakaway guitar solo out of the last vocals, the band simply
continued the groove minus a strong guitar lead. The resulting jam was
dark, tight, and included some delay loop work courtesy of Trey's rig. A
good example of the band working as a unit, and a solid groove which
remained interesting despite minimal guitar leads. Fish was certainly
locked in. For awhile it seemed as if Ghost would surely be on tap, but
we received..
Roses Are Free: Most of the audience still doesn't know what the hell
this is, but it's a fun rocker, and I love the lyrics. For some reason,
Trey chose the end of this song to go off rock star style. Rapid fire
licks, heavy crunch chords, feedback etc. It was almost as if he was
lampooning the rock star pose that Ween so wonderfully lampoon
themselves in their live shows (which are priceless). At any rate, it
was a joy to watch. I can't remember how, but this eventually segued
into...
N20: ...shit that's random. For those who haven't heard this song before
(it's on the White Album and 3 '94 shows)...think heavy bass wierdness
alongside Mike saying stuff like "this may hurt a little bit". Strange
but effective. I could've sworn I heard an instrumental composition
occur after this and before Lawn Boy, but I didn't see anything on
Phish.Net, so maybe I just dreamt the whole thing.....
Lawn Boy: Campy and great.
Reba: Composed section was tight, and the jam once again reflected much
of the ambient, minimal Trey leads, feel of the tour (that I've seen).
The key signature was definitely a Reba jam, and it was of course
pleasant, but you've got Trey attempting to layer sounds, screw with his
volume knobs, use multiple effects etc. Almost seems like an attempt to
trimuph style over substance. Regardless, this was an enjoyable, if
different Reba jam, and whatever lack of Trey leads had been witnessed
previously would be put to rest with...
Carini: Yeah! RAWK! RAWK! The midsection of this song was the most
jammed out I had seen to date with tons of trilling and crazy flashing
lights. A great rock and roll spectacle.
Funky Bitch: Great placement. Page owned this one, and stepped up to the
plate with fat, torrid, organ runs. Trey was no slouch either, and the
song contained a funky raunch feeling that the best versions do.
This was in my mind the best set of the Great Woods run as it was in
many ways a full course meal. Perfectly played versions of standard
tunes, blistering rock and roll, ambient jamming, random song selection
etc. It was all there. Excellent
set break muzik: Miles Davis- Tribute to Jack Johnson. Good disc,
although my pick from that era would be "In a Silent Way". Due to the
Great Woods location, and All-star game location, it was tough not being
a Red Sox fan during setbreak. GO METS!
II: Wolfman's > Piper, Bug > Mtns. in the Mist, Antelope, Possum
Wolfman's Brother: Slap that thing Mike! No complaints at first. Just a
solid, confident Wolfman's that would soon likely morph into something
else. The ensuing jam however, despite lasting over 25 minutes, never
got off the ground. Trey just kept playing chords, and the band simply
seemed to play behind him, in a relatively uninteresting fashion. Some
interesting clavinet work by Page, but perhaps in attempting to shoot
for a more ambient, subdued style, they've forgotten that they can
become of all things, BORING. This jam was BORING. Judging from the lack
of movement in the crowd, I have a feeling others felt similarly.
Piper: This was a valiant attempt to pick up the sagging energy level.
I've forgotten how fun this song is to see live. Trey always looks like
he has a blast playing it. The guitar/piano interplay was enjoyable to
watch in this song, and the song didn't seem as scripted as previous
versions. Great buildup as always.
Bug: A first timer for me. Interesting lyrics, and a big chorus that
sounded like "Bug, doesn't matter!". A pretty conventional song, but
Trey rocked the song Loving Cup style before returning to the chorus,
which was nice. Good tune, questionable placement.
Mtns. in the Mist: Speaking of questionable placement...Two new songs
back to back in the second set, let alone two songs so similar in
structure, is a pretty bold move if you ask me. I like this song a lot.
Trouble is, it was played in Camden, and it's a Trey-ballad that can't
help but bring the energy level down. The Wolfman's jam contained enough
low energy to keep me satisfied in that department for a looooooong
time, so this was rather uneccesary. Right now, despite an energetic
Piper, the set is mellow to a fault.
Antelope: The placement of this song almost seemed like a safety net.
It's old school, it rocks, and it should give the audience to sink their
teeth into after heavy doses of mellowness. As such, I thought it was a
pretty basic version of a consistently great song. Rye, Rye, Rocco
section was rather standard, and it wasn't even that long...maybe 11
minutes. Great tune of course, but it just seemed a little forced. A
song that was placed for a specific purpose, as opposed to a treat (e.g.
closing out set II of 11/27/98 which would've been amazing regardless of
the Antelope).
Possum: They brought out a guest guitarist for this one. Didn't add too
much, save a few blues licks here and there. O.k. version of a fun song,
but I would've preferred something with a little more kick.
As much as I'm loathe to say it, I thought this second set was dull. A
shame considering set I was anything but. In trying to get in touch with
their "ambient" side, Phish seems to be losing heavy doses of the rock,
and build up and release that makes them so good in the first place.
Trey seems to be trying too hard to be the Tom Morello (Rage Against the
Machine guitarist) of jambands....As in less concerned with leads as
opposed to experimentation....multiple effects, delay loops, volume knob
twiddling, sound layering etc. All of that is good in doses, but let's
not forget to let loose once in awhile!
As for the encore, "Tuesday's Gone" was a fun choice, and a nice piece
of Southern melodrama. I wonder how many people were yelling "Play some
Skynrd!!" when the band came back on stage? Another thing, why are these
guys so fascinated with encoring with other people's songs? Not a
complaint, just an observation.
Well, three summer tour shows is all I can afford for right now, so
that's it for me.....sort of bummed that they I didn't hear a
Meatstick....they play it virtually every night, and then go three
straight shows (Camden>both Great Woodz) without. Oh well. Waaaaaaay too
much nitrous in the lots going home. Such worthless hippie crack that
stuff is. Much thanks if you've read this far. peace
dave g.
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 17:48:27 EDT
From: Guyute15@aol.com
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: my review 7/13/99
okay, monday night's gig was a blast but could phish put on another great
performance for tuesday?? bet your ass..
let me start off by saying that for the record, this was my 18'th show and i
don't know if anyone there noticed.. but did page look real f*ucked up last
night?? maybe so maybe not, be he sure as hell played like a man posessed. we
were sitting real low, page's side and he had this real lazy-dopey grin going
on.. he jammed sooooo hard these past two shows. happy to see him step up and
rip the boards
7/13/99 Great Woods (Tweezer Center). Mansfield, MA set i
NICU: didn't expect this one to open up the show with. maybe i should have.
included killer jams from page ;)~
Curtain: my first since worcester 97'. had been calling it before the show.
we danced our asses off in excitement
Halley's Comet: yeeeeesssssss!! can never get on board the comet enough. huge
& melodic jam following the lyric segment that lasted a while until the
opening sounds of Ghost came floating down, but no, the song was to be
instead..
Roses Are Free: absoulutely took me by surprise and boy was i psyched. waaay
phatter version than 11/29/98's. the jam was grand & then got real strange.
weird mechanical sounds coming from mike's amp warping my mind until mike
stepped up to croon out..
N2O: i recognized this immediately from my 7/16/94 sugarbush tapes and
thought that it as a cool thing to hear, nothing more than that. though i
really couldn't hear mike all that well. to much feedback and delay loop's. i
prefer a catapult or kung, but N20 was fine. the first in like 400 shows or
something. nothing amazing, but gave my feet a chance to rest
Lawn Boy: ohhhh boy, page is getting up to sing. well, what can you say..
it's lawnboy. better version if only for the fact that we were sitting so
close
Reba: pumped new energy in and sucked the old out. very hard jammed. not as
great as last summer 8/15's but soild. the jam strayed until it wasn't
evident that it wasn't coming back. ended up in..
Carini: now let me start off by saying, that before the show started, debbie
& i was talking to one of the band' smonitor mixer's (set up next to page)
whose name was dave?? at least i think that was his name.. sorry bro if you
read this and it's not, and we were just talking about the tour and what not.
so i asked this guy dave if he could get pete carini to sign my hat. (pete is
fish's drum tech). so dave takes off with my pen and hat in hand and goes
back stage to find pete. after a while of waiting, dave come's back and
grinning hand's me my hat signed by pete. he told me that everyone back stage
was busting pete's ball's because i wanted his autograph, and i got it!! then
they the boy's broke out his tune.. Carini!! rocked better and harder than i
ever thought possible. and just when we thought that the set was over..
Funky Bitch: blew away the end of the set. possibly the best bitch i've ever
seen. song and the set ended, and what a bitch it was.
One of the best first set's i've ever witnessed. definitely up in my top
three favorite's of all time. such beautiful and melodic jamming throughout.
i'm sure you all will get the tapes
setII
Wolfman's Brother: talk about jam's! this tune rocked for over twenty-five
minute's until the opening chords of..
Piper: sparked the crowd into a frezy. probably generated the loudest crowd
response of the night. the jam was insane, unlike any Piper i've ever heard.
everything just rocked sooooo hard. absolutely brilliant
Bug: new tune for me, kind of catchy. i liked it
Mountain's in the Mist: we all were expecting another jammathon like tweezer
but got this new tune instead. at this point i could see the energy leaving
the pavillion and floating away into the sky above the lawn. good song but
something big was needed next.. and believe me, the boy's didn't dissapoint
Antelope: jammed more hardcore than i've ever seen!! so powerful with every
member taking their cues to higher levels than i ever thought possible. the
music was so powerful that i almost fell over. some people in my aisle
actually did
Possum: scott murawski from max creek, came out and wailed on guitar, rubbing
out this tune with him and trey taking & trading lick's. great version with
more crazy jamming. trey and scott absoulutely wailed. not my favorite, but
sounded good non-the-less
Encore- Tuesday's Gone: aaahhhhhh skynard!! thought we were all in for a
freebird, but this tune was just as good. like the song state's, phish and
scott blew the roof off with this rendition. one of the best encore's i've
seen as of late
Waaaay better show than the night before, and i thought it'd be close. best
first set in a looooong time. every song was unbelievably played. there was
so much energy flowing from the band and audience. everyone seemed locked in
the groove together. great run! we all love great woods. see you'all in NY
p.s. carini's gonna get 'cha!! <"((>{
peace,
brendan
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 19:01:42 -0400
From: S Kaplan skaplan@logicalcommunications.com
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: Great Woods 7/13/99
What an incredible evening!!! I have only seen the Band twice before,
however it was acoustically at the Bridge School Benefit Concert in October
of 1998 at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Cali....but this show was
incredible!!! Trey is an amazing artist!
I happened to have been speaking to a friend of mine who had an extra
ticket and he asked me if I wanted to go (which meant driving 2 1/2 hours
to get to GW from Connecticut)...I am SO VERY LUCKY (Thank you
Jonathan!!)!!! In addition to that I arrived at 8:10pm so I missed the
first couple of songs....got to my seat...and grooved in the aisle for a
while and then decided to make the trek out to the lawn....
....I had a mission....to find Brian Schrader in the sea of people on the
lawn.....he was there by himself and didn't know I had gotten a ticket....I
searched for the rest of the first set and into the set break. I decided
to take one last glance around as I was walking on the path in between the
lawn and seats and THERE HE WAS!!!!!!! Dumbfounded to see me....I was so
excited to have found him...kind of like looking for a needle in a
haystack...but I found him!! We were able to both go down to my seats for
the second set.....all I can say is AMAZING!!!!! Mts in the
mist...Wolfman...Antelope (and the infamous green t-shirt...schrader!) and
Tuesday's Gone......Right On!!!
I had a Phenomenal Phishy-Phish Experience!!! Unfortunately can't be there
in Oswego...but looking forward to the fall tour! Until then,
phriends...have a great tour!! shari
Shari Kaplan
Project Director
Logical Communications, Inc.
800-422-0016 (phone)
203-866-4563 (fax)
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 19:35:55 -0400
From: Brent Rolen BROLEN@brattle.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 7/13/99
They had IT during Piper. (Some of you know what I
mean.) And the "It doesn't matter" jam in Bug proves
that they're getting very close, and IT does matter.
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 14:23:01 -0400
From: Matthew_J_Cardullo@keane.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: Great woods review
well, thought I'd put my next review up for last night's show at Great Woods.
First off, I'd like to thank Mark, Sarah, Jeff and Darren for being my compadres
for the last two nights. They all had to listen to me scream for the Curtain
between every song on the first night and then listen to me talk about how sure
I was that they were going to play it. It was quite a run in Mansfield, MA. We
got to the show about 4:00 in the afternoon. No traffic again for the second
day in a row. Cops were again out of control, I swear most of them were just
out to start trouble. More on that later. On to the show. NICU opener. I
wasn't expecting it but it got things off on the right foot. Next up, they
rolled right into Curtain. This is probably my favorite Phish song. I just get
so much energy out of it. I was hopping around having a grand ole time. they
next went into Halley's which I thought for sure they wouldn't play until
Oswego. It was awesome. I love that song. Next was Roses are Free. Darren is
a pretty big Ween fan and was hoping for this tune so I was glad they played it.
I love the groove that goes on in the jam segment. They ended Roses and as the
sounds of Nitrous Oxide rolled in, I was suddenly transported back to 7/8/94,
Gamehenge at Great Woods. It was the same way they opened up the set on that
night. I didn't think they'd play Gamehenge but at that point I wasn't really
sure. Lawn Boy was next, I was on the lawn so I couldn't see Page crooning away
but I thought it sounded great. After Lawn boy, I turned to Darren and said,
"nice time for a Reba". Lo and behold, the first Reba of the summer started up.
The creamy middle section was so jammy. It was sweet. Reba ended up being
unfinished as the rumbled into Carini. Definitely a fav of my mine. Trey was
doing the rock star gig, throwing his guitar around like a madman. They closed
out the set wtih Funky Bitch. Great version. That had to be one of the best
first sets I have ever seen. Yesterday, I thought the monday show was a top
fiver for me. I now think that if they could pair the second set from the first
night, with the first set of the second night, it would be my top show ever. It
was just wicked cool =^). Set break didn't seem that long to me, standard,
about 30 minutes or so. I thought for sure that 2001 would open the second but
instead they started up wolfman's bro. It was a long funky version which moved
into some mellow jamming before the first sounds of Piper started up. I love
Piper. It just builds and builds and builds some more. definitely a phishy
tune. After Piper, they played a kind of slow tune, which repeated the chorus
"it doesn't matter" I think its called Bug. I thought it was okay but I was
hoping that Phish wasn't going into the downward spiral of mellowness. They
then played mtns in the mist which I had heard in Camden. This really mellowed
me out. I was hoping for something upbeat when I heard the first sounds of
Antelope. this was a smoking version. the jam just rocked, trey mentioned
something about Dave being in the audience, a childhood friend of his I believe.
Next was Possum. they brought out this guy who I later found out was in Max
Creek. He was impressive. both he and Trey seemed to feed off each other. It
was a great jam. I wasn't sure about the encore but I was really hoping for
Harpua. They came out and raged Skynyrd's Tuesday's Gone. It sounded great.
That man from Creek can really play. It was totally unexpected. overall, those
were some great shows. The only bad part was being out in the lot after the
show and having to deal with dickhead cops. At one point, people were just
hangin out and all of a sudden 6 cops on horses bust on the scene. They were
literally running people over with their horses. One cop looked really
frustrated. He was losing it totally. A great mix, a cop with a bad attitude,
running down phishheads on a 2000 pound horse. this guy was really trying to
hurt someone. It was so sad. Looking forward to getting back to the airport
feel without all the cop attitude. See ya'll in Oswego..As always, I try to do
B&Ps as much as I can to help spread some good music around. you can check out
my site at http://members.tripod.com/Cardullo/opener.html peace...M.
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 13:45:28 -0400
From: gilmour gilmour@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu
Cc: bforman@gwu.edu, chriscam@rounder.com, dws@archive.phish.net,
glide@gwu.edu,
zooropa@gwu.edu
Subject: surprises
Last night was better than any show I've seen since the Island Run. It's hard
to believe that it was the same band that played at Great Woods each of the
last two nights. After a deceptively tame opening (Nicu, Curtain), they
offered Haley's. I think I can say that, other than 12/14/95, I've personally
seen every exceptional Haley's (8/17/97, 11/22/97, possibly 12/28/97). Last
night was a monster. The jam out of Haley's was led by Trey, and was
incredibly heart wrenching and inspiring. His guitar lines were both fiery and
eloquent, and caused me to look back at my friends in disbelief several times.
It's possible that this is one of the best Phish jams I've seen personally.
It's up there with your favortie jams from 1995.
I don't know how smooth the segue into Roses Are Free is, but I don't think it
was just a case of Trey playing the opening over fuzz.Roses was 8 minutes,
loud, heavy and a bit repetitive. The spacey fog that envelopped NO2 was
enjoyable to my ears, especially the part after Mike was done talking (the
sequence lasts a good six minutes, and possibly requires that untidy "->
Jam").
And Reba. Reba reba and more reba...woah this Reba is *really* good...whoah
this reba is long...whoah something really strange is happening...woah they're
playing Carini!
I haven't thought about this kind of thing too hard yet, but this is clearly
going to rank as one of my favorite first sets, period. It would have been a
totally satisying second set.
In the first set we heard a blistering perfomrance from Trey, and seductively
juicy space. In the second set we heard two more faces of this band.The
Wolfman's jam opened with a long stretch of the first funk I'd heard yet in
these two shows. It sounded different from the 97-stye cow funk that we all
know by heart, though. I think Mike was playing more aggressively, while Trey
was playing those bassy, rhythmic parts that dominate his solo shows. At Great
Woods, I heard Mike louder and clearer than ever (literally). The end result
is that the funky part of the Wolfman's jam was enjoyable rather than
boring.
Eventually, the jam went into that brand of spaciness that has been called
"ambient". A distinctly different animal from the space of 94 or 95. For the
latter part of the Wolfman's, Phish created a cloud of sound that seemed
otherwordly. This and the Haley's are what make this show truly special, from
a jam perspective.
Antelope and Possum were tight but not out of the ordinary, and the rest of
the second set and encore were crammed with ballads.
It amazes me that this band can be fun (but decidedly mediocre) one night, and
exciting (and brilliant) the next. They clearly still have it in them! They
can summon the Muse on special occasions...so where is it the rest of the
time?
-Jeremy
height: 8.9
width: 7.5
"Just tell me where it hurts you honey
and I'll tell you who to call" -- Bob Dylan
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 09:25:09 -0700 (PDT)
From: Daniel Alford djalford@yahoo.com
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: 7-13-99
Phish at Great Woods, Mansfield, MA 7-13-99
By Dan Alford djalford@yahoo.com
Day 2... the eighth anniversary of my first show at BPAC and number 48
by my count. An early rain subsided leaving a blue sky and smiles from
last night. The follow up was spectacular. NICU is always welcome,
especially as an opener. This version had a weird end, as though it
was the closer... The Curtain followed; let me rephrase that... THE
CURTAIN FOLLOWED! Such a great song, one of my all time favorites,
plus it was the opener of my first show... so glad to see it back in
rotation. I was set at this point. They could^Òve played Ginseng
Sullivan over and over for the rest of the night and I would^Òve been
happy, but an epic Halley^Òs Comet followed. There was no ordinary
blazing tail on this one but a faint quiet jam that slowly churned into
a monster delay loop groove a la Ghost in Copenhagen... pure bliss.
Finally it went into a rousing Roses Are Free. It tore through the
crowd, everybody moving. A gritty wind down led into a rare and
flawless NO2, featuring an pretty, delicate headphones jamlet. The
Chairman strode out for a welcome Lawnboy featuring a sparse and fun
filled piano solo and just to be classic they embarked on Reba. Mike
took the lead early on and the final jam was gorgeous; everyone
jelling, and Trey hitting just the right notes. Mike and Page jumped
out in front just before Trey sent the tune grinding into Carini.
Funky Bitch, another favorite, closed the set. Again Mike and Page in
the forefront; the keys were phenomenal.
Set break was eighties Miles; experimental and accessible at the same
time... Miles...
Wolfman^Òs, another launching pad for great jams, did not
disappoint.
At close to thirty minutes this was a monster of jaw dropping jamlets,
leading off with heavy handed rock > groove funk > some serious
space... a landscape of infinite mountains and swamps and
possibilities. It got really quiet, and then Piper. Not the smoothest
transition but those first chords give me chills every time... I^Òve got
chills now. The boys were riding the Great Red Worm... A pair of
newish tunes followed. I heard Bug on studio out takes; it^Òs a good
song of the BOAF ilk made great by wonderful singing... one of those
situations were group vocals excel; Mike was particularly strong.
Mountains was pretty but a fairly standard Anastaiso ballad... I like
it better acoustic. Antelope... either I was really spaced out or it
was short. I remember the beginning and then found myself in the midst
of the final jam... very heavy and chaotic... ^ÓLet^Òs hear it for Dave!^Ô
Possum with Scott Murawski of Max Creek! He BLAZED; I mean he
absolutely ripped it up! Get this on tape! Hugs all around after that
closer. The full five returned for Skynard^Òs Tuesday^Òs Gone, eliciting
huge cheers from the masses. Framing these shows in classic rock was
perfect and Scott and Trey duo solo was phenomenal. We wandered off
into the starry night, Tuesday was gone...
General notes... seemed more crowded and there was more talking where I
was, but if you ask nicely most folks will keep it down. No Tweeter, I
mean Tweezer, which is good. I would hate to see the guys endorse a
corporate acquisition, especially as the Fleet Center shows were titled
^ÓThe New Boston Garden^Ô... Also no Hood although the Blimp was cruising
above... The venue has Bose equipment, which explains the good sound
quality.
_________________________________________________________
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 10:26:46 EDT
From: Nate Hereford nadar24_@hotmail.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 7/13
ok, i knew last night would top the night before and it did. the scene
seemed more laxed then the day before, but the coppers were still annoying
everyone. they arrested a girl for painting faces for free! but we came
for
the music so onto that
nicu -opener, solid - tight. page's solo tore the house down
curtain came up next always love to hear this one, easily one of my fav's.
halley's - was great the post halley's jam was even better, that slid into
roses are free - a great cover song and had a powerful jam in it.
lawn boy - good to always see page sing one for the crowd
reba - now i knew we were in for some fun. this was so tight, they were
flying through as if they knew the whole thing in ther sleep. me and my
friend went to get a drink when i heard the opoening rip to
carini!0-melted out from reba, awesome- such a rocker
funky bitch- closed a great first set with no complaints.
wolfman's - a nice 25 + minute version, solid, missippi river bed thick
jamming. my friend threw one glowstick that soon ignited a massive glow
stick war, which was really cool, wolfman's found its way into
piper- this one never gets old
bug - first time hearing phish do this live, i heard anphibean do it and
have the bearsville outtakes and i like this little diddy
mts. in the mist - i like this version a lot better then the trey solo
version
antelope - ry ry rocco - solid well jammed
possum - with some sick guiutar player named scott or steve. he ripped
him
and trey were have a grand time upo there.
now onto the highlight of the evening
the encore
tuesday's gone - which it really was. incredible
from the boston opener the other night to rovk and roll for an encore to
skynyrd. goddamn phish is incredible
peace see ya's in ny
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 02:02:27 EDT
From: Mrturtle@aol.com
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: 7/13/99 Tweeter Center
I'll cut right to the chase:
I don't know what it was - but when they began playing NICU there was
something about Mike - he sounded great tonight - deep, strong, clear stuff
that made the place shake; okay way to open the show; strange ending
The Curtain was a surprise to hear, and it foreshadowed a not-so-normal first
set - a lot of weird stuff to come - phat lights during Curtain
I was actually expecting to hear this crazy song tonight, but not expecting a
jammed out 15 minute version - but that's what we got - really different
sounding Comet; very cool; delay loop; best Comet I've ever heard, by far
It sounded like they were going into Ghost for a while, but we were hit with
Roses are Free instead, and oh man - I wonder why Trey selected this Roses
are Free to go completely nuts in - I mean DAMN - you need to hear this one
folks - out of this world
When they ended Roses are Free - they did some screwed up stuff - really
weird - I was wondering what it was all about until I got home and realized
it was N02 - first time played in 5 years and almost 400 shows or something like that
Lawn Boy! One of my favorite songs - I was ecstatic when I heard the first
few chords; Page solo; long pause before last line in which it got really loud there
This was a very long, jammed out Reba; something like 18 minutes - the jam
kind of went off on its own at one point - really good stuff though -
although unfinished probably second best Reba I've ever heard behind the
7/6/94 performance
And then - oh my - Carini hit the place hard - Trey was going wild -
incredible stuff; musically it was nothing like any Carini I've ever heard;
lights were fantastic, but you have to hear this one on tape folks; amazing
I think a lot of people thought Carini was the closer - but Funky Bitch
busted onto the scene in full force - best version I've ever heard with
phatnastic stuff from Page and Trey - totally intense; great set closer to a
wild first set....
wild first set....
When I heard Wolfman's Brother open the second set I knew it would be jammed
out - it ended up being about 25 minutes I think - but Mike was awesome;
glowstick war was really nice under the stars over the lawn seats
To be honest, I was a little disappointed when I heard Piper coming on - I
had wanted to hear something else - but I wasn't expecting to hear the best
Piper ever - intensity beyond belief - towards the end they were playing at
at 4 times as fast as the normal tempo - it was crazy
Bug was a new one for me; good song - sounds a lot like a cover - I'm not sure if it is
When I heard Mountains in the Mist I was a little diappointed - it sounded
like they were backing down from playing better stuff but this is a pretty
cool song nonetheless...
...and it was well worth the wait for the Antelope - the middle jam was
totally maxed out - sounded like what they did with Piper; absolutely crazy;
out of control! - then Trey explained to everybody that Marco looks like his
good friend Dave who was in the audience - I loved the lights at the end of
Antelope - this one was a smokin 15 minutes, up there with the best I've heard
Then they brought on some Scott guy to play Possum with them; easily the best
Possum I've ever heard - the jam started out intense and it finished en fuego
- great set closer
The same guy came out to encore with them - they picked a damn good song to
play: Tuesday's Gone - the place went nuts when they realized what it was
-
absolutely fantastic way to end definitely one of the best 50 concerts
they've ever played - maybe 40
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 02:52:40 EDT
From: Abbot109@aol.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: Great Woods - Summer 99
I love these guys! I think that they help create the most beautiful scene
and I can't wait to see them. I hope to see everyone in Holmdel.
Be safe!
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 04:45:54 EDT
From: Sirwick420@aol.com
To: Pufn247@aol.com, Sirwick420@aol.com, dws@gadiel.com, dws@phish.net
Subject: GREAT WOODs!!!
Phellow Phans,
I'd like to start off this review with a big ole "WOW!" b/c that is
the only way to sum up great woods.
We left monday at around 10AM, and i had a friend following me, which
kinda sped up the pace. We got there by 2, and after checkin at a hotel
(which had to be 30 minutes away) we were at the lots by 4. Cops weren't
that friendly in the lots, but that didn't stop me from trading my 2 extras
to deer creek for a pair to the first nights show - which was so worth it.
Excluding the longtime opener the first set was pretty standard. But phish
made it perfectly obvious from the start that great woods (as it was still
labelled on the tix) was gonna be special. And out came probably the best
second set I've seen on tour yet (i started in NC). The twist that started
it was right on point, and had the crowd flying, the moma was probably the
best i've ever heard it - and not dragged out at all, just jammed perfectly.
Makisupa was to follow and i was dissapointed b/c i was really hoping it'd be
windorabug. David Bowie was nice as usual, but i wasn't prepared for what was
to follow. I totally lost it when Lizards came on. Lizards was on my first
tape ever (7/21/91) and for 17 shows i had waited to hear it. I loved it.
Guyute to follow was played well, but couldn't come near to the thrill of
lizards.
The encore was special too. I heard trey play 2 bars, and i just
felt it, i knew it was rock and roll, i love this song, it totally grooves.
You can really tell their having fun - i can't wait to get the tape for this
set
but onto tonight. The real gem. To be hoenst i didn't think they
were gonna top last night, but they just had to. NICU opened things up well,
it's got a beat that just warms the crowd up nicely. And the curtain just
kept it going. IT was played very well, and was jammed out for a while. But
then to halley's comet? wow. I hadn't seen this one since lemonwheel.
That really got me movin. And roses are free kept us all groovin along.
Then to break that up they busted out the rare nitrous oxide, which really
wasn't all that special. However seeing page walk the stage with a mic in
his hand for lawn boy was, he sang it up real nice. Gotta love Page. Then
out pops reba, which i felt was above average. It was like they just took
off with the jam, and could never bring it back at the end. And how can you
complain when they roll right into carini? And trey was goin nuts, just
wailin away at the guitar. And this only got even crazier with funky bitch
to close. These last 2 songs were very powerful, and just overflowing with
energy. This is possibly one of the best first sets I've ever heard.
Second set I made run for the lower pavillion and got a nice spot
pretty low. The second set started off with wolfmans. I sat down, and
actually passed out during the jam, I was losing my 1st set energy quickly.
Then i heard that first little bar of piper and jumped up. I love piper.
And it wasn't overjammed it, just rocked, and then they got out of it, it was
nice, not perfect, but nice. THe next 2 songs cooled it down a bit, and then
antelope got things moving. The possum to close was good, but not as good as
carolina's(w/ derek trucks).
Tuesdays gone was appropriate and well played. It was one final
reminder of what a treat great woods was for those who got to it, all of it.
B/c it did live up to the hype.
I'd like to thank Pat and Nick, for making this run special, Lindsay
and Amy for a ride home in their fatty wrangler from the show on monday, Adam
for being my tourbuddy, and all the headies who have befriended me out there.
All the energy i have recieved from everyone has made this tour special.
love and goodwishes,
chadwick
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 10:22:16 -0400
From: "Kipp, Derek"
To: "'dws@gadiel.com'" dws@gadiel.com
Subject: Great Woods Night 2
That most certainly was Scott Murawski of Max Creek. Mike Gordon in
particular has long been been a fan of these regional legendary jamsters.
Scott is completely self-taught and one of the most kickass emotional
guitarists in the scene today. Mike G has jammed with Creek many times
before, and clearly they're all on very friendly terms.
Just a little FYI
Derek Kipp
(longtime fan of BOTH Creek & Phish, thus on cloud 9 this morning)
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