From: Hippie456@aol.com
Subject: my review, and keep the page alive!

its a great page, and i really enjoy reading the reviews. Heres my review of
a show i went to recently.


   On Thursday, December 7th, i along with about 12,000 other people, braved
the cold and in some cases, many miles of roads, to see what we consider one
of the best groups ever.  The show was held at the Niagria Falls Convention
Center, and what a show it was!!!

    Well, to begin my review, i guess i should say that since this was my
first Phish concert, i really had no idea what to expect.  And since Rusted
Root was in Rochester, NY that same night,i ended up going alone.  And since
i still at the point, although i do now, didnt have my licence, i had to
hitch a ride up from my parents.  I guess they shopped, and then they just
sort of sat around in the car reading books.  Fun night for them huh?
     Well, after i stood in the wrong line (the one for the box office for
people who had to pick up their tickets) i found myself very cold in the
freezing temperatures and a little lost.  But finally i found my way in, and
since i was doing the whole solo-ride thing, i decided to go for the floor.
I ended up at first about 100 feet or so to the stage, and since i had a
6'-4" guy in front of me, the only ones i could see throughout the first set
was Mike and Jon, which was good enough for me.
    After what seemed like forever, the lights finally dimmed, and the crowd
went wild.  Jon came on in what i hear for him is a typical outfit, a dress
or maybe one of those moo-moo things, i really couldnt tell.  They opened the
set with "Old Home Place, which didnt seem to have that much jamming in it.
Almost immediatly after they finished that, they went right into "Curtain,
which had some small but great jams, and then came one of the best
highlights, at least to me, of the evening, "AC/DC Bag". Needless to say the
crowd went wild!! Some great jams in that one!! Then they proceeded right
into "Demand", which seemed to me to be a good one, but not enough improv for
my dancing needs.  No matter what they played though, i was ready to dance to
it, as was everyone else, which is why Phish is the ultimate concert
experience, and i have been to enough concerts with varying styles of music,
to say that without hesitataion.  After "Demand" they went into "Rift", again
without a break in the sweet sounds coming from the stage. Then came "Slave
to the Traffic Light" which seemed to go on forever.  A small break before
the next song, but everyone was to busy cheering to really notice.  Then came
one of the great treats that made my first Phish show spectacular, "Bouncing
around the room" , and thats excately what everyone did.  First we started
out jumping up and down, and once every one settled down, there was a
collective swaying going on down there.  I was defitanly wise to choice to
stand rather then going for a bleacher seat.  At this point in the show, for
some reason, i had managed to move about 30 -35 feet closer, and i could
finally see Jon, Mike, Trey, and Paige, otherwise know as Phish, all at the
same time!!  And after some good, small jams, and some amazing lights, which
made it look like you were under the sea, we were all cast into what would
turn out to be a nice, looonnngg "Possum".  Great jams and a lot of fun had
by all!!  Finally the set ended a slow night you could say, as the boys
climbed out from behind their instruments, and gathered around some mics to
sing "Ragtime Doll".  Thats Phish for you right there, able to jam like
crazy, and sing like angels.  All in all, a great first set.

   Following in the path of the Grateful Dead, Phish came back about 20
minutes later adn started the second set.  Again, another reason Phish is the
ultimate concert experience.  Its the best deal for your money, and since i
only paid $20 for my ticker, i was easily getting my money's worth.  The
second set opened with "Split open and Melt", a favorite of mine, my love for
ti was enhanced so much more by the great jams that came with this version.
It ended up to be a very long song, and it was much loved by all.  Then after
a pause of about 5 seconds, out came strange design. Although not one of my
favorites, thanks to the great light show and surrounding "friends" i was
taken away by the song, and as i did my little dancing thing while everyone
else did there thing, i got one of the greatest natural highs i've ever had,
but not the best.  That would come later on in the show. The next couple of
events were a little strange to me.  The guy standing next to me almost fell
to the ground for no reason know to me.  After a couple of other people and
myself helped him up, five minutes later, he was back on the ground!! This
time he was out cold, and his friend carried him off. At first i thougt t o
myself, "overdose". But i think now that it may have been dehydration.
Either way, it was weird.  All the time while this was happening, a song i
didnt recognize at all was playing.  The Greenpeace guys who i got the set
list from had written it down as "Tasty/Fog" , or at least thats how it
looked to me.  But thats ok, since the next two songs take everyone,
especially myself, by suprise, and brough a huge smile to my face. As the
opening chords to "Reba" started, everyone just broke into a huge cheer, and
the dance machine was alive and well!! A VERY LONG and GREAT jam at the end
of teh song got all of us on an exciting roller coaster ride, and we were
reaching the top of the largest hill.  But instead of going down the hill
like we should've, Phish began another favorite of the crowds, "Julius". And
once again, we were ascending the hill that just seemed to be getting higher
and higher.  As Trey sang the openig line, a tremendous roar of approval rang
forth from the crowd.  Althougth not as long as "Possum" or even "Reba" the
small jam in the middle of "Julius" was great all the same, cause it was a
great song, sung by the best group in the world, PHISH! Finally we were
brought down the hill, kinda, by the soft and slow sounds of "Sleeping
Monkey".  But when they time for Jon to sing his lines came around, we were
all cheering loudly again, voicing our approval so they would know for sure
how we felt.  Without a break at all, "Sparkle" followed.  Some good jams in
thins one, you just ahd to really listen and try to single out each
intsrtument to really appreciate it for the great jam session it was.  After
a moments rest, the broke out "Mike's Song", which was short and sweet, just
what we needed to calm us all.  "Weekapaug Jam" was next, which brought us
all on board again for a great ride. Some nices layered jams in that one,
which again enhanced a great song further.  Then out came the boys from
behind the instruments again, and they gathered around the mics to sing
"Amazing Grace", which was the last great moment from the concert for me, as
the crowd "Amazingly" sang along.  Then came a 5 minute break, and out came
Phish again for the encore, which night was a good 5 or 6 minute version of
"Uncle Penn" and then off we went into the bitter cold, all of us were just
"strangers stopping strangers, just to shake their hands".  Great show, and
it was a eprfect way to begin preparing for Phish Summer Tour '97, where i
hope to be following the group around, and using it as an excuse to not only
hear good music, but see this great big country of ours.


-Kevin Heise   (Hippie456@aol.com)