The folks at this show are PUMPED! I love listening to Japanese people scream. They had me laughing A LOT while listening to this show. I also enjoy listening to Japanese girls giggle and talk. Well, the creepy old-man side of me does anyway. Great way to start the show with the NICU->Chalkdust Bag sequence. I would take it any day. I love this Ghost! Holy poop. For some reason I just can’t get the image of hang gliding during this version. Some nice smooth drifting around way up in the clouds with the sun shinning and birds singing and all the other happy shit. Love a long build up…this song just soars. The rest of the set is fine. I especially like how quiet everyone is during the “pause” part of Divided Sky. The energy, again, is great during this Divided. I really enjoy Frankie Says. To my ears it’s such a trippy song. I LOVE TRIPPY! I wish they would play it more often.

SET II!

Wow…DWD. Trey’s sound during the first part of this jam is probably my most favorite of his sounds. Dark and dirty. Super gritty delay/ flanger/phased out dirty space rock. Totally pumps my nads!!! What doesn’t pump my nads is Trey on that stupid keyboard. Did he ever sound good on that thing? I think a toddler could do a better job. Lizards is great and I’m sure a lot of the Japanese folks were happy to hear it. Bike is my favorite Fishman song with I Wanna Be Like You coming in at a close second (which hasn’t been played since 94 so we’ll probably never hear it again…boo). Bike really works here. It’s a nice break after the DWD/Lizards and it’s another reason why I love this band so much. It’s really silly, weird and totally awesome all at once. The YEM that followed was a great treat for the Japanese fan and as far as I can remember was pretty standard. I’ve been in a YEM slump recently so maybe it’s just me. I do love the really quiet vocal jam at the end though. Don’t think they could pull that off in front of a 16,000 person crowd here in the states. The Jibboo encore is a lot of fun and has some really nice guitar work by Trey. I’m more of a fan of later Jibboo’s than earlier ones. I don’t like when Mike plays that same line over and over and over.

Will we ever be able to see Phish in small clubs like this again? Even if they did a Europe tour these days I bet they could fill some pretty big places. I’ve always thought about how much it would suck to be a fan overseas. Whenever I see those commercials on TV about starving kids in Africa or crazy civil war ripping apart countries, I always think to myself “sure food and clothes are good to have but what these people really need is some Phish!”. I know it’s a completely ridiculous thought but I guess I feel really lucky to live in the time and place I do. USA! PHISH! USA! PHISH!

BB
Jibboo Crew

This show doesn't really get started until the AC/DC Bag, which doesn't leave its boundaries but is definitely worth hearing (Trey's minimal notes remind me of the horn hits on "Night of the Living Baseheads" - how random is that?) until Trey takes over and starts machine-gunning everything in his path at the end. Then comes a Ghost that goes into a really airy, pleasant groove, Mike gluing everything together, Page playing some really soaring organ notes, before the jam heads into more upbeat territory and Trey whips off a never-ending array of trills. This is not your typical Ghost jam, which makes it all the cooler a listen. Set 2's opening DWD starts off full of energy, with Mike dropping a C&P-ish baseline halfway through, then floats off into weirder, more spacey realms, which actually works to the jam's detriment. It's Type 2 and it's interesting to listen to, but it's definitely pretty soporific at times and I don't know if I'd listen to it again like I would the Ghost. The Lizards is a nice follow-up, if kinda sloppy, and Bike works as a mid-set palate cleanser (the crowd clapping along to HYHU is kinda sweet). YEM closes out the set, and it's not a great one, with Trey playing really weird notes using an unpleasant guitar tone, like he's deliberately sabotaging the jam or something (although the vocal jam is amusing, if nothing else). It's kind of a shame - the Set 2 setlist is crazy, but the playing doesn't live up to it. But the DWD does have some nice stuff, and the first set is a quite good mix of well-played songs and two super-sweet jams, so that's worth a recommendation in my book.

First, I listened to this version: http://phish.in/2000-06-15 />
This show is fun for a number of reasons.

1) You know its gonna be a good show when Trey yells "Play it Leo, you motherfucker!" during NICU
2) The CDT and AC/DC Bag are both really well-executed with some inspiring moments. Not must-hear, but treats nonetheless
3) The type II ghost jam reaches this gorgeous hose moment around 13:00 min that does not let up. Truly gorgeous jam.
4) This DWD is multi-faceted OMG. The Type I segement has Trey playing super psychedelic riffs and then they sink into this tasty bass groove that Mike holds down and things just evolve into weirdness with Trey on keys and loops of strange noises. Lot's of exploration and weird textures explored. This is what I want from my monster type II jams
5) I feel like people are sleeping on this YEM. There is nothing standard about the sliding riffs Trey is playing during the jam. Maybe it doesn't come across too well on the audience recording, but the YEM jam is hugely enjoyable. On top of that, the "puppy" vocal jam is hilarious.
6) Not the biggest Jibboo fan, but when the jam is as blissful as this, I'll take it.

Lots of deserved love for the Drum Logos show that comes before this one, but Big Cat deserves some attention as well. Enjoy

AC?DC Bag here is just stellar and jammed out really well...Ghost is where its at...get this show!

Unbelievable show! These Japan shows at this leg of the tour were in really small venues and these guys just blew it up. The previous night's show was released as a live phish album but this one and the 13th could have been as well. Must listen to the audience recording because the SBs don't capture the size of the room and the energy of the crowd. Some of the best live recordings I've heard of phish to date as well.

Just ripping first set. Really high energy opener and second song. AC/DC has a really mellow groove that is really interesting at the end that I still listen to over and over. Ghost is the best. Amazing Jam that gives me goosebumps EVERY time I listen to it. One of my Top 10 songs from phish any song any version. Must listen. Rest of first set is tight.

Second set DWD opener is epic. Type II exploratory jamming at its finest. I've never heard anything like it before. Fun version of Fishman performing Bike. YEM closer.

Fun show overall with two spectacular highlights. Ghost in 1st set and DWD in 2nd set are a must listen. Go get it!

PHISH, THURSDAY 06/15/2000
BIG CAT
Chuo-ku, Osaka, Japan
Soundcheck: Heavy Things, Uncle Pen, The Happy Whip and Dung Song, Windora Bug

SET 1:

NICU: Standard. >

Chalk Dust Torture: As mean as a river otter. Be careful, this one has some teeth for a short, ‘standard’ version ????

AC/DC Bag: Fun jam but the peak feels a little forced. Love the old school ending though! >

Uncle Pen: Trey struggles with the intro.

Ghost: Think pre 2017. And what it meant to get a bliss/hose jam kicked down. That’s what happened here. Late in the 10 minute mark Trey plays with it and then runs with it for the remainder. Just kills it. Dance Party USA. Molly vibes for days. Would recommend.

Frankie Says: Standard.

Divided Sky: Incredible how much respect the crowd shows this version. Wow. You could have seriously heard a pin drop on this audience recording if in fact a pin would have dropped. I am utterly amazed. Japan rules! Not the cleanest version but has so much soul. Trey gets caught up in this beautiful duet with Mike. They bust out of that and into the typical ending. Would recommend, cool version!

Farmhouse: How appropriate after that soul inspiring Divided Sky. This is a Farmhouse indeed. Love Trey from 3:47 through 4:12. So understated in between to fiery solos. Hell yes!!!

SET 2:

Down with Disease[1] > Very rhythmic grooving that lends itself to Crosseyed and Painless vibes in the 11’s – big time in the late 11’s. From here, this one is just Dance Party USA type stuff through about 18 and a half. Very engaging and fun. All the while you have the same loop continuing to run through this whole jam. From like 19 through 22 – it’s very intense and edgy, weird stuff. Can’t dance to that section and it’s awesome, face melting stuff in a strange way. The next six minutes serve as a chill, come down section. Man, tough version to judge. Would recommend. Just not sure of all time status.

The Lizards: Fantastic placement, doesn’t get any better.

Bike > Hold Your Head Up: Standard.

You Enjoy Myself: Funky. Trey uses that same basic effect that set the world on fire in the Piper from 9.27.00. Good version here, another groove monster.

ENCORE:

Gotta Jibboo: Standard.

Summary: One all timer and two strong additional highlights so I would be comfortable hitting this as a 4/5. Very good show!

Replay Value: Divided Sky, Ghost, Down with Disease

[1] Unfinished.

Ghost contained a Live and Let Die tease from Mike and Oh Happy Day teases from Trey. Disease included a Birdland tease and was unfinished. Bike was preceded by a vacuum solo and followed by several runs through the HYHU theme, with each faster than the one before it. The soundcheck's The Happy Whip and Dung song contained lyrics and Windora Bug included alternate "we got really drunk last night" lyrics and a Lively Up Yourself tease from Mike.
JAM CHART VERSIONS
AC/DC Bag, Ghost, Down with Disease, You Enjoy Myself
TEASES
Oh Happy Day and Live and Let Die teases in Ghost, Birdland tease in Down with Disease

In my opinion, this is not a very good show. Considering there are so many other better versions, Ghost is completely forgettable. Disease is entirely aimless, the last half of Lizards is a mess, and YEM is very underwhelming. The setlist itself is fine, there is just nothing in the playing or jamming that would make me want to listen again. The only song that actually struck me as above average was Gotta Jibboo. I can't do any more than 3 stars on this one. A very unsatisfying show.

If nothing else, gotta hear the soundcheck, or at least the last two songs. The band messes around with some sounds, and then Windora Bug is really just a hilarious, tipsy Trey, telling everyone about the last few nights in Japan, and some behind the scenes drama. It's gold.

The show itself is solid enough.. AC/DC Bag, Ghost, long Disease, YEM.

This Japan tour is so good.