From: yancy davis 
Subject: 6/25/95 review

Overall, this is one of the best shows I've been to.  Maybe I was just in 
the perfect mood, but it seemed as though Phish could do no wrong.  The 
venue itself presented a problem with undercover security hiding behind 
ever tree, or so it seemed.  Even being of legal age, I felt as though I 
was constantly being followed and watched carefully.  Once inside the 
venue, however, none of this mattered, as the music began to play.

Ya Mar started things off decently, tight throughout and moved into AC/DC 
Bag.  A good start to the show and enough to keep me going until Taste, a 
new tune and one of the better ones at that.  I knew I was in for a good 
night by this point and my thoughts were confirmed when they brought out 
"Theme from the Bottom," another new tune.  I've talked to a few people 
who weren't as thrilled with it as I was, but it was the first time I'd 
ever heard the song and I was in ecstacy.  You know how some songs grow 
on you, while others you can hear the first time and know that it's going 
to be a classic.  The first times I heard Mike's Groove had this effect 
on me and so did "Theme."  It is long (the longest of the new songs, I 
believe) and has enough musical material in it for a lot of improvisation 
in shows to come.  Then again, I felt the same way about ol' Guyute and 
where's he been the past few months?  Anyway, If I Could> Sparkle came up 
next so I got a chance to sit and catch my breath.  Divided Sky was crisp 
and memorable, crackling with energy.  By the time it was over, I thought 
the set might be as well, but no, I Didn't Know took me by surprise, and 
I must say that Fishman's solo was one of the better vacuum jams I've 
heard, whether at a concert or on tape.  Finally, the set ends with Split 
Open an Melt, always a welcome tune, as far as I'm concerned.  It wasn't 
particularly long or jammy, but it complemented the first set quite nicely.

The place was crackling with energy during the set break and I could tell 
that most of the people around me felt the same way I did.  Maze kicked 
off the second set, and I couldn't have asked for a better opener.  It 
was probably the longest Maze I'd ever heard, but they kept it together 
excellently and found several good variations to jam on.  Sample was 
Sample.  I won't waste space.  Scent of a Mule was more than I ever 
expected the song to be when I first heard it on Hoist.  Page and Trey 
traded licks building more and more momentum through the whole segue.  
Mozart couldn't have outdone Page, and Trey was bounding from one side of 
the stage to the other, jammin' the whole time, never stopping.  You 
couldn't help but absorb the energy as it was focused down on all of us.  
I was content with just the first three songs, but no, they had to play 
Mike's Song.  I was exhausted and wanted desperately to sit down, but 
that was quite impossible.  Words cannot fairly describe it so I can only 
say "Get the tape!"  Anyhow Fishman did a quick Why Don't We Do It In The 
Road, in place of I Am Hydrogen and then into a little jam before 
Weekapaug.  The Groove was tight and all, but a little to quick to be 
fully enjoyed.  They followed with Amazing Grace and closed with Cavern.  
Not the best ending to such a steller show, but I really didn't care at 
this point.

I wanted a long encore (who doesn't) and I didn't think I would get it 
when they started Bouncin' Around the Room.  Ah, but once again, they 
prove me wrong.  After a quick Bouncin' they go right into Slave to the 
Traffic Light and I was in complete bliss.  I could ask for little more 
from a show and look forward to getting a tape of it sometime soon.  As 
you can probably tell, I highly reccommend it.


Yance Davis
yance@wam.umd.edu