9-17-99 -- Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, California

Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 16:37:55 -0700
From: Charles Dirksen cdirksen@earthlink.net
To: Daniel W. Schar dws@protos.lifesci.ucla.edu
Subject: 9/17/99 Shoreline
 
DISCLAIMER:  Nothing to disclaim at this time. (See 9/16 review
disclaimer, if you want details re this reviewer's Phish experience)
 
 
09/17/99 Shoreline Amphitheatre - Mountain View, California
I: (1:18?) Free Thought, Guyute, Ghost > Lawn Boy, Peaches en Regalia >
     Moma Dance, Water in the Sky, When the Circus Comes, Get Back on
     the Train, David Bowie, The Squirming Coil
 
The first set is almost not even worth commenting on, in light of the
second set, which was one of most inspired sets of Phish of the last
few years, as I heard and saw it.
 
Fish came out wearing his Zeroman frock again (if memory serves) but
more particularly that viking helmet. I thought for sure things would
really smoke from the start.  "Free Thought" was really cool.. had a
Jingo Va (Santana) vibe to it which I enjoyed.  Once the WHOLE BAND
starts getting into this jam segment (it isn't much of a song IMO), it
should be a strong opener.  It ain't there yet.
 
Guyute is always fun to hear, and the "newborn elf" segment of this
version was darker and deeper and more dreaded than usual.  Otherwise,
it wasn't a clean version (a flub here and there, though nothing
major), but so what.  I love Guyute.
 
Ghost had a beautiful jam segment.  It didn't strike me as profound,
though.  Lawn Boy was fun, as always.. Page the lounge act singer.
Page stepped into the darkness, out of the spotlight, for a large part
of it, too, very close to the front of the stage, which was highly
amusing (or maybe Kuroda just chose not to shine the light on him).
 
I was psyched to hear Peaches!  They played it pretty well, too,
though not flawlessly.  I still love Moma Dance, though I don't
understand why they (apparently) refuse to really funk this one out.
They should listen to their mid-1970's Miles Davis discs some more and
do something worthwhile with this groove, IMO.  Anyway, this was a
Moma Dance you have probably heard before.
 
Water in the Sky and Circus made up the "first set lull" tunes, of
course, and lulled the audience they did.  I really like Get Back on
the Train, but this version outright sucked, to be frank.  It went
absolutely nowhere and ended so shamefully I was laughing at it.
 
David Bowie, on the other hand, though not as tight as it once
consistently was in its composed section, nevertheless had an
inspiring, fired-up jam segment featuring lots of Full-Band,
collective IMPROVISATION!  It was a DELIGHTFUL version of Bowie, and
though it wasn't the 20 min 7/31/99 Japan Monster, it was definitely
in that league, imo -- it was very strong, especially in light of the
last few years of Bowies.  Page stood up at the end of it, as if to
say "Let's end the set, Trey, Bowie kicked ass," but it was not to be.
They Coiled us, and it was flubbed in the composed segment (like all
versions of the last few years, right?), and it was obvious to me that
Page wasn't that psyched about playing Coil at that point.  His piano
solo was great, as always, but was bereft of the intensity and
brilliance of many of his Coil solos in past years (see, e.g.,
10/31/94 Glen Falls again!).
 
Second Set (about 1:33 or so)
II: Runaway Jim, Sand, Piper -> Jam, Roggae, You Enjoy Myself* > Bass
    Duet* > YEM* > Bass Duet Again*, Wolfman's Brother, Cold Rain
    and Snow**
E: Viola Lee Blues*** (about 13 mins or so)
   * - with Phil Lesh on bass (and trampoline on "You Enjoy Myself")
   ** - with Phil Lesh on bass and vocals
   *** - with Phil Lesh on bass and Warren Haynes on guitar
 
Oh my GOD!!!!   ***THIS*** is why I still love Phish!!! =^]
 
Runaway Jim opened the set well, and was typically awesome in light of
all the raging versions of the last few years.  Fun opener!  SAND
kicks ass, IMO.  Like some of the other new Trey tunes it has this
Santana-esque vibe, only Sand is more FUNKY and GROOVY than the
others, and could easily be SANDwiched into jam segments of real
songs/tunes, like YEM or Bowie or Gin or... Anyway, I hope they turn
this into a true SAND-like number, because it is very versatile and
has that HOOK, you know, to become another Monster Excuse to Jam.  At
least, IMO.  This version honestly didn't really GO ANYWHERE, but so
what, it will, eventually!
 
I sat down in the opening seconds of Piper.  Piper as you know is
virtually Weekapaug's main chords repeated o'er and o'er again in a
lower key.  And so I *like* Piper, of course, since I love
Weekapaug... but I just haven't been that amused by anything but the
most amazing versions (e.g., 7/18/99 Oswego, which is awe-inspiring).
Anyway, this was the best god damn Piper I have ever seen and is
certainly in the same league as Oswego's.  This Piper started out
typically standard, through the motions.  But after the opening five
or so minutes, almost all of a sudden, the band **CLICKED** in a
collective manner and then just SKYROCKETED into IMPROVISATIONAL ROCK
HEAVEN!!!!  It was GLORIOUS!!  A SPECTACULAR, PHENOMENALLY GOOD
VERSION!!!  And then it came back down to earth, mellowed nicely and
enchantingly and mystically, and... though it could have segued nicely
had Trey just started playing Roggae, he waited to inform the others
to play Roggae, and, therefore, there wasn't much of a segue (just a
>) into the Roggae.  This is a HEAR AT ALL COSTS Piper.
 
I love Roggae, always have, always will.. this version wasn't anything
special, though. I was surprised to get YEM. Phish really "put it all
out on the table" at these Shoreline shows, in a setlist sense.  Lots
of Big Tunes and lots of New Tunes and well, a LOT OF MUSIC.  More
than three hours each night I believe.
 
YEM's opening segment was standard, nothing unique, although Mike's
solo section was pretty cool if I remember correctly (Mike was, of
course, showing off for Phil all night -- lots of exceptional Mike at
this show!!).  Actually, Brad brought out three trampolines instead of
two during the "pre-charge" section, which I suppose was special. :)
 
During the trampolines section, as you have undoubtedly already read,
Phil lesh kinda snorked onto the stage from stage left audience right
and lept onto a trampoline (at stage left).  He tried to keep up with
Trey and Page, but only lasted about 20 seconds (until the first
turn/signal) before jumping/falling off. It was hysterical!!!! 8^]
 
There were some significant monitor or on-stage sound problems that
affected Phil's playing in this YEM.  I think he had trouble hearing
himself (Mike didn't seem to have any sound problems until much later
into this very long YEM, when he spoke to some techs *during* the YEM,
which I don't think I'd ever seen before;  actually, Phil also, during
this YEM, spoke to some techs, and seemed annoyed).  Anyway, Phil had
his back to the audience, looking at his amps, for much of the
first five or so minutes that he was on-stage.  It was a little
unsettling, and frankly reminded me of Kimock. :)
 
The first bass duet was a bit hesitant and insecure of itself, but
still pleasant.  The groove returned markedly after this duet, though,
when Fish and Trey lept in, and raged for a while. There has, of
course, never been a more bass heavy You Enjoy Myself. Not even the
12/6/96 Vegas version. It was insane to have all that bass on that
stage... But anyway, after a strong jam, the second bass duet kicked
in, lasted for several minutes, and was beautiful, for the most part.
Completely improvised, of course.  Then it ended. And everyone,
including Page Trey and Fish, applauded Mike and Phil.  This was
easily an "N/R" rated You Enjoy Myself, for those of you who give a
crap about my ratings, and worth hearing again.
 
Eventually, after a lot of warm applause for Phil and Mike, we got
Cold Rain and Snow!! =^]  This version was a bit shaky for the first
few minutes, since Trey obviously didn't really know how to properly
play the song.  But so what!  Phil sang, and it was fun to hear, and
it eventually started to **RAGE** -- some incredible Rock Star Trey
licks!  He just took this version's concluding jam segment for
strong! An awesome way to close a well above average Phish set!
 
I was thinking Terrapin, or hopefully Shakedown, for the encore. Viola
Lee didn't even enter my consciousness, and I was psyched as all hell
to hear Phish cover this.  It has always been one of my favorite Dead
tunes!!  This version wasn't as impressive overall as the one from
Philsh in April at the Warfield, or Dead versions, IMO, but that isn't
a fair comparison to make of course.. My point I guess is that it was
really moving to hear this played by one of my favorite bands, and I
therefore loved it unconditionally!  And it was performed very well!
Again, Warren and Trey accompany each other beautifully, and all that
bass and guitar in THIS tune was very, very cool indeed!  It had some
substantial jamming even though it was short by Viola Lee Standards.
 
Anyway, seek the tapes of this (overall) above-average Phish show.. I
don't have them, or even a line on discs of 'em, or I'd have offered
them up at this point.
 
THANKS PHISH!!
 
two cents,
charlie

Date: Fri, 1 Oct 1999 16:13:06 -0700 (PDT)
From: Greg Kuchar gkuchar@wizard.com
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: Review - 09/17/99
 
What a magical, mystical and fantastic night!  Let me tell you the Story of
the...
 
I returned for night two at Shoreline around 4:00 PM.  The lot scene was
pretty cool...except for the roving bands of "security" kids.  It seemed
that these "security" people were the eyes and ears of the local
police...they would locate some type of "illegal" activity and report it to
the police.  Also, the "security" force all seemed underage...and they all
had the ego trip working telling older people to pour out their beers,
etc...  Oh well...  However, I managed to get through the hassle...and
headed into the show around 6:30 PM.
 
I knew when I received my mailorder tickets that my seats were pretty good.
I had row "BB"...and thought that these seats were after the single digit
letters...But, I began to get the feeling that my seats were even better
when the usher said to me..."Oh, man...you are soooo excited with your
seats!!!".  I started walking down the isle and started looking for my seat
around row 30...but, I kept walking down...down...down...all the way to the
4th Row...Center Stage!!!  I couldn't believe it...and I proceeded to sit in
my seat in a complete stupor...amazed with the blessing that I received from
mailorder.
 
The 1/2 hour leading up to the start of show was amazing.  I just watched
Chris, Paul, Carini, etc...all hard at work running around the stage getting
everything ready for the show.  Also, some woman came down from the back
stage and came up to me and my lucky neighbors and said..."You have no idea
how happy you are going to be tonight!".  Perplexed, I asked..."What do you
mean?"  Her response, "Wait and see"...with a wink of the eye.  Well, she
couldn't have been more right!
 
When the Boys finally hit the stage...the place went crazy!  I was no more
than 15 feet from them...and I got a nod of acknowledgement from Trey, Page
and Fish. Mike just kept his head down...I guess concentrating on the
jamming that was about to commence.  (I know you might be wondering...how
would I know that they were actually nodding their head to me...Well, I'm
6'4" and about 250 lbs....so I stood out really well.  I had on a blue t-die
shirt...so it probably wasn't too difficult to spot me quickly in the crowd.
Also, my seats were almost eye level...)
 
When they started the jam of "Free Thought"...I noticed a shadow of a very
familiar person.  I've seen this person many times before...  Could it
be????  Yes, it was Phil hanging on the second level tier of the stage
setup.  He was there...with his wife and two kids running around.  I knew we
were all in store for a big one!  (Also, Trey was wearing a really nice grey
shirt...it looked like it was silk or something...basically it wasn't his
usual t-shirt look.  He was dressed up for something!)
 
The first set consisted of a jammed out "Ghost", a sweet "Peaches > MOMA"
and an extremely rocked out "David Bowie" with a soothing "Coil" to close
out the set. The "Ghost" was my personal favorite of this set...Trey seemed
to be really enjoying himself...Again, I might be completely crazy, but I
was convinced at the time that Trey was jamming the "Ghost" jam with my
"heavy metal influenced" type dancing.  (Ok...I was a "metal head" when I
was young.)  When I was in the middle of an intense "head banging" session
during the jam...I could swear that Trey was looking right at me...and
raising the levels of the jams to the intensity of my "head banging".  True,
I can be completely nuts...but when I started getting dizzy from going nuts
dancing...I started slowing down and Trey's jam did at the same exact time.
My friends all noticed this as well...what a cool experience for me!
 
Well, after a pretty mellow intermission...which mainly consisted of me
making fun of my friends who had seats much further away...I headed back to
my location...15 feet from the stage.  :)
 
The second set started with a ripping "Runaway Jim > Sand".  It was cool
being one of the only people around me who actually knew "Sand".  What a
cool tune!
The fun didn't begin until "YEM".  During the trampoline section of the
song, out came 3 trampolines instead of the usual two...What was going on!
So, when Phil walked out on the stage...all hell broke loose.  I've never
had a bigger smile!  Phil came out and gave his best try on the trampoline.
Phil seemed like he was pretty close to falling down...but he pulled it off!
(Note to Phil:  My recommendation is to have your guitar harness completely
strapped on before jumping up and down on a trampoline.)  After the
trampolines were taken away...they just jammed out "YEM" for a
bit...skipping the vocal jam section....from there...the bass duel jam.
Mike seemed kinda nervous about what was going on at that time...I could see
the tension on his face.  He was just trying to be cool around his idol.
During this bass jam, I spent much of time just watching Trey, Fish and
Page's facial expressions.  Trey had his mouth open...just standing there in
a stupor.  Fish began clapping his drum sticks together...with a huge grin
on his face.  Page, was just the "cool cat"...as always...just chilling out
during the performance.  (One question to Page...how can you cross your legs
during some of those jams.  He just sits there...thinking what he is going
to do next...while Trey, Mike and Fish are absolutely ripping it!)  After
they finished their bass solo, Phil put his arm around Mike...I wish I had a
camera for that one!
 
Then, I saw Trey yell to Page..."Wolfman's"!  "Wolfman's" started up with
Phil on backup vocals.  Cool version.  What a site seeing Phil sing..."It's
the Wolfmans Brother!...Coming down on me!"  From there...I can't believe
it!!!  "Cold, Rain & Snow"!  I was shaking my head at this
point...completely blown away with what I was witnessing.
 
I had a funny feeling that they were going to jam "Viola Lee Blues".  This
is one of my most favorite 'Dead tunes...and I kinda felt they woud play it.
I read in a few articles how blown away Phil was with Trey and Page during
the April Phil & Phriends run in San Francisco...especially during the first
song "Viola Lee Blues".  It's the perfect song for Phish to cover...alot of
room to just jam...  Warren Haynes sealed the deal with his amazing guitar
licks.
 
In conclusion, I really have difficult putting my thoughts and feelings into
words concerning this night of music.  Amazing and beautiful...wonderous and
magical... I LOVE THAT BAND.
 
Peace,
 
Greg Kuchar
Las Vegas, NV
gkuchar@wizard.com

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 14:37:45 -0700
From: Mark Hales mhales@startel.com
To: "'dws@www.phish.net'" dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: **9/17/99 Shoreline Review**


Shoreline is a magical venue.  The buzz before this show was insane -
lots of positive energy.  So here we go...

Free Thought  - opened things up with a bang.  This fast dance song was
played very well and got people moving right away.  I enjoyed this
instrumental opener and it set the positive tone for the evening...

Guyute - was executed to perfection with Fishman wearing a Vikings helmet
complete with horns, classic.  The song raged with Trey really getting
into it.

Ghost - Personally I love the delay loop, it gets me in the groove and
while it continues throughout the song it provides a very deep funk
polyrhythmic dynamic, what can I say, I dig it.  This ghost did not
disappoint.  The jam wondered through some miraculous places and finally
settled into...

Lawn Boy - Oh yeah, that's right we're in the first set I almost forgot!
Lawn boy was lawn boy.  Always a pleasure with Page soaking up the
audience's joy from his Sinatraesque performance.  Mike's bass solo was
understated and well played.

Peaches - What a terrific song to pull out of the hat.  Exceptionally
played and Page's organ screamed.  Sweet!

Moma Dance - Can't complain about a little funk break.  Well played.  I
keep hoping they will stretch this out and take it places.  Mike was
dropping nice bombs all night and he was very generous during this tune.

Water in the Sky - This song has really evolved nicely.  They've been
stretching it out a little more during the solos which is great.  Very
well played.

Circus Comes to Town - I love this song simply because Trey loves this
song.  It's great to see a musician really get into a song, you could
tell Trey was really enjoying playing this.  Nice breather before...

Get Back on the Train - Wow!  What a great song.  It's like riding a big
rig into a thunder storm.  A rolling rhythm that makes you start
grooving.  The jam in the middle was deep funk, loved it.

Bowie - Ohhhhhhhh yeah!  They rocked this out.  Mesmerizing...  The light
show all night long was fantastic.  Bowie just cooked from beginning to
end.  I couldn't take it anymore - this version killed me........

Squirming Coil - One of my absolute favorite phish songs.  Perfectly
excecuted and the drifting solo by Page was a wonderful way to close the
set.  You really could tell by this point that it was a special night.

Set 1 was great... couldn't possibly ask for anything else.  In fact,
during set break I forgot the fact that we had an entire set of music
left.  Set 1 was that good - solid!

Runaway Jim - Yeah!  Sweet song, well played and jammed out.  Great
choice to kick off the set.

Sand - Hadn't heard this yet.  Boy did they jam this out...  I forgot
what the hell they were playing by the time they brought this beast full
circle.  jammed & jammed & jammed & jammed......  great song

Piper - This it THE piper - get the tape.

Roggae - One of my favorite new tunes, love the lyrics and the peaceful
music.  The quiet section in the middle was intense and relaxing at the
same time.  Really enjoyed it.

YEM - Here we go!!  From its first notes this song swept me off my feet.
The composed section was played to perfection and was spaced out nicely.
We were on our way to the funk station when three tramps came out and
mighty Phil graced the stage.  The feeling was incredible.  I've been
into the dead for a looong time and seeing Phil on stage with the phish
boys was awesome.  The jam started slowly with Phil adjusting his levels
and searching for the sound and then it took off....  Phil started
throwing down loooong melodic lines while Mike complemented his every
move.  Trey was on fire, & Page and Fish had huge grins - you could tell
they were all having a ball.  For your own sake get this jam on tape!  It
wound down and down and down until only a spotlight glowed on Mike & Phil
as they weaved in & out of eachother... the bass jam went through so many
different spaces from classical to funk to simple improvised perfection.
After the jam you could tell both were blown away by what had just
transpired and we had only just begun....

Wolfman's - Was an appropriate choice and phil did a nice job on the back
up vocals.  The jam that insued was really well developed as phil & mike
again complemented eachother perfectly.  Mike handled the slapping and
phil created waves of sound - again spectacular...

Cold Rain & Snow - was by far the highlight of the show for me.  Mike had
this really groovy chord slapping bass thing going and phil laid down the
lines while belting out this dead classic.  When Trey started his solo I
knew things were going to fly, but I didn't realize how high.  He kept
pushing and pushing the envelope of the theme until he was laying down
16th and 32nd notes all over the place it was a very spiritual musical
experience and with one look at phil could tell you how much he was lovin
the moment.

E:  Viola Lee Blues was a nice jam to close up the night with.  Warren
came out and laid down some slide work that complimented Try's style very
nicely.  The Vocals were solid and the jam became very intense before
they stopped on a dime and returned to the final verse - how do they do
that!

What a solid show, Phil's appearance was icing on the cake.  I could not
have imagined a more inspired set of music.  For those who were there
congratulations, & for those who were not the tapes will speak for
themselves...  Incredible.

Date: Mon, 18 Oct 1999 17:40:52 -0700
From: Mark Hales mhales@startel.com
To: "'dws@www.phish.net'" dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 9/17/99 Review Follow Up
 
I listened to this show again on CD and I stand by my 1st review.  Simply an
incredible performance.  One quick fun note I wanted to pass on:  Listen
carefully to Trey on this YEM....  right after the last
onceyoufixitdrivemeto.... chorus as Page is making his first little synth
fill - Trey is playing the opening riff to China Cat Sunflower in the
background, like he's saying "come on out Phil & join the party!" sooo
sweet....

Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999 13:51:24 PDT
From: Ryan Vandenbroeck rvandenbroeck@hotmail.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 9-17 REVIEW!

=================================================
 
I:  Free Thought, Guyute, Ghost> Lawn Boy, Peaches en Regalia> Moma Dance,
Water in the Sky, When the Circus Comes to Town, Get Back On the Train,
David Bowie, Squirming Coil
II: Runaway Jim> Sand, Piper, Roggae, You Enjoy Myself > Bass Duel,
Wolfman's Brother> Cold Rain & Snow
E:  Viola Lee Blues
 
Set I:
Free Thought- We had to pick up our tickets at will call, which means we had
to get there by a round-a-bout way and if that didn't take up enough time,
there were some problems at will call.  Unfortunately, when we got in, this
song was already over.
 
Guyute- We arrived as the long instrumental segment was beginning.  IMO,
this is the part that really makes the song what it is.  It was played
really well and really raged with lots of energy.  Nothing out of the
ordinary, though.
 
Ghost- Played well and jammed out well.  I noticed Fishman is getting really
good at being a drum machine- very solid and smooth.  The jam had some great
moments, but I think that Page was turned down way too much- I could barely
hear the keyboards at all!  Mike, on the other hand, was turned up _very_
loud and I think that the rest of the band was following his lead.
 
Lawn Boy- from what I remember, there was a good segue.  Other than that it
was pretty standard with a good bass solo.
 
Peaches en Regalia- stellar performance.  I didn't expect them to play it
because it had been played at Boise and is rather rare, to say the least.
Nothing else to say I guess- it was standard, but excellent.
 
Moma Dance- nice funk.  Very similar to Ghost with Fishman in drum machine
mode, Page way too quite, and Mike extremely loud.  Furthermore, I noticed
how well Fishman can mimic the bassline on the kick drum.  Good jam despite
the lack of keyboards- they brought it to many funky climaxes.
 
Water in the Sky- Standard.  I was really impressed at their melodic
ability- the vocals sounded excellent and worked well with the
bluegrass-esque feel of the song.
 
When the Circus Comes to Town- One of the better slow tunes that's surfaced
in the late 90s, IMO, but it didn't do that much for me in the moment.  I'll
probably enjoy it on tape, though.
 
Get Back on the Train- My first time hearing this tune and I was very
impressed with it- very very funky and they did some great stuff jamming on
it.
 
David Bowie- Whoa!  This is the first Bowie I've seen live and I don't know
if others measure up, but this one blew me away.  Raging energy from
beginning to end.  I figured it was going to close the set but then...
 
Squirming Coil- One of my favorite Phish tunes and the first time I was able
to see them play it.  It was played well, but not the best I've heard.  The
closing piano solo was a great way to give Page center stage after being in
the background for so long.  The solo demonstrated the "less-is-more" thing
we've been hearing a lot about lately.  Page played sparsely and not for an
especially long time but it was very enjoyable nevertheless and a great way
to end the set.
 
Set I highlights- Guyute was nice and the funk jams during Ghost and Moma
were great, but Peaches and Bowie were fantastic.  You couldn't have asked
for more than what we got during those two songs.
 
Set II:
Runaway Jim- not one of my favorites, but it was played well.  The jam
segment was absolutely great- undoubtedly the best jam I've ever heard out
of Jim- it hit many high points.
 
Sand- The first time I've heard this and I don't really remember it.
 
Piper- The best version I've ever heard, hands down.  Piper is a sort of
make-it-or-break-it song in my book- it's so repetitive that if the band
doesn't get into it, it's boring.  If, on the other hand, they are able to
bring a good amount of emotion to it, they'll make that 4 chord progression
rage like nothing else.  This version, I don't hesitate to say, fell into
the latter category.  Cool tortilla war, too.
 
Roggae- not one of my favorites, but this version was performed
exceptionally well, IMO.  The band was tight and hit some tough changes
excellently.
 
YEM- I seem to catch this one very often (not that I'm complaining).  I
don't remember much about the composed section until I saw an extra mic and
three trampolines brought out.  When Phil finally came out, it was right as
the organ solo was beginning and the crowd erupted.  He immediately jumped
up on the trampolines and, for a couple measures, was able to keep up with
Trey and Mike.  Soon, however, he couldn't pick up on the choreography and,
to me, looked like he was out of breath.  He hopped off the trampoline,
tried to catch his breath, then started fooling with the knobs on his amp.
(I nor, I assume, anybody else, noticed the organ solo too much as there was
a novelty, to say the least, on stage.)  When Trey and Mike jumped off the
trampolines, we got our first taste of Phil really jamming with Phish.  Phil
kept fooling with the knobs on his amp, but when he would play, it sounded
flawless.  There were twice as many bass notes being played, but, with
closed eyes, one could not have been able to tell that there were two bass
players.  It's not easy to play with two bassists, but Mike and Phil pulled
it off better than I could have imagined.
 
Bass Jam- The transition was excellent, with the rest of the band slowly
fading out until finally there was only a spotlight on the two bassists and
they played together in different, but complimentary styles.  VERY
impressive- a bass jam is not easy to pull off and they exceeded
expectations.  I probably can't describe much more about it until I listen
to the tapes, but I'll say that it was a much better way to end the song
than the usual vocal jam.
 
Wolfman's Brother- After a long and raucous ovation, Phil got hit with a
glow ring and the whole crowd simultaneously said, "awww."  It was pretty
funny.  Anyway, they began to play Wolfman's. This was a fairly obvious
choice as Phil & Friends plays it now and again.  The song was performed
well and jammed excellently.
 
Cold Rain & Snow- I had never heard this song before, but it sounded good.
The jam was absolutely excellent, with the band following the lead of the
basses.  Great way to end the set.
 
Encore:
Viola Lee Blues- Another song I have never heard (obviously, I haven't heard
many Dead songs) but it was an incredible performance.  When they started
bringing out the extra guitar equipment before the encore, many guessed at
who it would be.  I was hoping to see Steve Kimock and I heard someone
behind me say, "I hope it's not Bob Weir." It was Warren Haynes, who I was
not the least bit disappointed to see, after his stellar performance during
Misty Mountain Hop the night before.  I was really hoping they'd either
encore with a Phish song or a cover (Wish You Were Here, perhaps)- I felt
that a Dead song would have been inappropriate.  It was a Dead song,
however, and although I wished they had played something else, they played
this tune magically.  Excellent work combining the two bassists and Trey and
Warren interwove their guitar notes as well as they had the night before (I
know Phil is the talk of the show, but if you get the tapes, listen to how
well Trey and Warren played together).  The jam absolutely raged for a few
minutes before everyone brought it to a sort of climax (the kind you'd hear
at the end of a jammed-out song, similar to Freebird, for example).  At that
point they stopped on a dime and shot right back into the chorus- wow!
Excellent performance (even though I hoped for something else).
 
Set II/Encore highlights-  The Jim jam raged and Piper was played, IMO,
better than it ever has been before, but this show will be remembered for
Phil's appearance.  YEM was great as was the bass jam following it and the
Wolfman's. The two Dead songs were also performed and jammed stellarly with
Warren being a well-kept secret. I hoped that a Phish song would close the
set (I did, after all, buy a ticket for Phish and not Phil Lesh or the
Grateful Dead) but the performance of Viola Lee Blues had nothing anyone
could have complained about.  I'm sure the Shoreline shows (and this one in
particular) will be some of the most sought-after tapes in phishtory, so if
you are able to get them, I highly recommend them- it was better than any
hype you could have heard!!
 
-Ryan Vandenbroeck
 

Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1999 15:12:05 EDT
From: Capnslap@aol.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 9/17/99 Shoreline Review
 
9/17/99
Shoreline night II
More thoughts on Shoreline:I think last night was am omen, they were really
trying to tell us something.  We knew that something monumentous was going
to
happen this second night, and we had a feeling who would make this so
monumentous.  Ashley's Dad and Stepmother showed up to see what all the
hubbub is.  A lot of my friends were at this show, I'm glad I got to share
it
with so many people.  The setlists from the 2 nights at Shoreline combined
are an exact repeat of last years Shoreline 1st set, sans Sample.  They even
went a couple songs into the second set from last year.   The show in itself
was incredible but then....
 
I:Free Thought-I love this instrumental.  I'm glad to see more instrumentals
in their reportoire now.  Got the crowd jumpin.
Guyute-Another Guyute!!!  I started off not being too excited about this, but
hell...it ended up making me move my ass anyway!
Ghost->-A great feel on the intro.  I'm alone on this:I like the new Ghost
much more than the old ghost.  More of a grooo-veee feel to the new one and
this one did not disappoint.  great feel throughout the entire Jam before
deflating into...
Lawn Boy-The video screens at Shoreline are great, there was great camerawork
all night.  I love seeing the look on Page's face when they do this song.
Very understated solo from Mike, considering he's been a maniac on the bass
all night.
Peaches en Regalia-Not being the avid Zappa fan, I had to ask if this was
Peaches, but noone seemed to know.  I've heard it a few times a long time
ago, and It's cool to actually see Trey's fingers move on the notes.  They
pulled it off remarkably, I think they were testing their chops for the
insanity to come.
MOMA Dance-Along with Ghost and Guyute, another repeat from last year.  I was
hoping they'd give us the MOMA here.  Again, something sounds so different,
but I can't put my finger on it.  Very funky intro, the guitar solo shimmered
as usual.  Because of the title and the lyrics, and the fact that this is the
first song from our first show, MOMA Dance has a very unique meaning to us.
Water In the Sky-People seem to moan at this song too...are you even
listening?  Page's cascading piano, Mike's smooth bass, Fishman's complex
rhythm, Trey's gentle pickin'...and they really jammed this out taboot!  I
was overjoyed by the end...I needed something sad.
When the Circus Comes-Perfect!  I read a review saying how much you can hear
the Dead's unfluence in Los Lobos writing, especially in this song.  Amen to
that.  Trey always pours out a soulful rendition.
Get Back on the Train-I've only heard the Trey acoustic versions, so
again...neat to hear it electro-Phishefied.  I read people talking about the
funk in this song...I hear an amzing dose of Honky-Tonk here.  The sound goes
well with Phish.  This got the crowd up again, and then some...the harmonies
are great and the song just has a great feel.
David Bowie-I don't know what happened here....Mike is a monster again!!!!
They highlighted Mike the whole night.  This Bowie raged, again, I think they
were making sure those chops were on.  But is the 1st set over?  Hell no..
Squirming Coil-I'd never have thought we'd get another Coil...and Page let us
rest before what was to come.  He sounded brilliant, hell...they all did.  A
welcome repeat.
 
II:Runaway Jim-A standard Jim...which of course means stellar.  Some great
builds and releases in this Jim.
Sand-Hearing this one a second time is just what the doctor ordered.  We
could really hear Mike and we were blown away further by how solid he is!!!
This song had everyone moving and shaking and jammed for a long time.  The
excitement was definitely building.
Piper->-This Piper set a new standard for Piper.  I've seen it as
piper->jam...no shit!!!!  Phish?  Jamming?  Something happened where the song
stopped falsely, Jon just started up the rushing beat again...to our delight
they jammed the crap out of it before fading into...
Roggae-I've seen people talking about how they don't like this song, fine,
and saying how standard this version was...are they even listening?  They
stopped and let the "wander over grounds" harmonies carry themselves back
into the beat, then jammed with Mike taking beautiful solos over the most
gentle, breathing, swelling bliss before settling down back into the song. I
actually almost completely bawled...tears were welling up in my eyes.  This
Roggae made my night...and I was wearing the "I love the shiny music that
descends from overhead" shirt I bought in the Gorge lot.  As the song faded...
You Enjoy Myself-The joy that ran over the crowd was overwhelming
enough...Trey did get caught up in it and missed a few notes...oh well.  The
"nirvana" section was bliss.  The section after that just clocked right in
on
the noggin.  Then the buildup!!!!!!  I saw 3 trampolines so I knew what was
going to happen...I just didn't believe it!!!!  I didn't think 2 bass players
of that caliber would sound so clear, but Oh My God...it's like they were
meant to play bass together!!!  Instead of the usual vocal jam, they kept it
going with this amazing bass duet...the pure sound, the sheer beauty of it
all...it sounded so composed...was it?  They brought the jam back in again
with Trey just ripping it up and settled down again for more Phil and
Mike!!!
 I was gripping my head in awe.
Wolfman's Brother-More?  I knew this was coming though as Phil loves to play
this song..the focus was on Phil and Mike and they made the song sound so
neat, and they weren't drowning each other out at all...man these guys not
only know how to play with themselves...but everyone else too!  A short jam
but up comes a bubblin...
Cold Rain and Snow-Right on!!!!  And Trey really made this his own.  A
perfect song choice for 2 bassists.  This ended the set though, and I wanted
more Phish and friends.
e:Viola Lee Blues-I've always regretted missing this at the Warfield shows,
especially after hearing the tapes.  Warren came on so there was 2 of each
stringed instrument...they kept playing and playing until they pulled the
plug...well, not really...but they did stop kind of abruptly.  Great encore
and a magical night, I felt I was a part of history.
 
This is my favorite show...so many incredible things happened throughout the
night, Phil was just the icing on the cake.  Phil and Mike were crystal clear
from the lawn!!!!  The vibe kicked so much ass too, even the staff were great!
I almost burst out in tears at many moments.  I'd say that constitutes a
great show.  Talk about an understatement!
-John Pett

Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 11:31:03 -0700
From: Raphael Aglietti aglietti@On-Link.com
To: "'dws@www.phish.net'" dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: A review for 9-17-99

Well after a strange unbalanced show on Thursday I was hoping that Phish
would really rip it apart and leave me seriously contemplating the tip to my
college hometown San Diego. Again a strange show for me, but then again it
they seem strange don't they. Well here again is a set by set breakdown.
 
Set 1
 
Free Thought- I liked this jam pretty cool; but for some reason this jam led
me to believe that this would be a mellow night instead of one of those
"evil" nights with Tweezer, Brother,  It's Ice, and Bathtub Gin
 
Guyute- This song used to be so cool when it was a rare appearance but I
will take fluffhead 10 out of 10 times instead.
 
Ghost- Interesting song I have heard enough of these on tape to know how jam
works so I will bite my tongue until I can see a few more of these.
 
Lawn Boy- A great segueway from Ghost into Lawn Boy. The song was well done
and I'll always want to hear this song over any ballad.
 
Peaches- I have seen this one 3 times now which is actually a lot for 14
shows. A rare song in the playlist. This version seemed very sloppy. Tsk
Tsk.
 
Moma Dance- Only heard this a few times on tape so not so sure about it. I
need to hear more
 
Water in the Sky- This song is another which forces me to say, "Stick with
your jam songs guys." As it relates to other version this seems like a solid
well played version.
 
Circus Comes to Town- Arghh this may eventually pass Prince Caspian in
annoyance. Nothing kills a crowd more than this song. I was hoping they
might pick up the energy for the rest of the show after this one since it
seemed to lull the audience to sleep.
 
Get Back on the Train- Good jam song probably would have stood out more if
it had been sandwiched between jam songs and the energy was much high going
into it.
 
Bowie- Called this one as the closer I probably should have been right. A
solid version with good jamming and high energy. Obviously not at the lvl of
12-30-93 or 12-29-94. (Why is it that they play the best bowies at the end
of the year?!?) Although the energy level regressed when thery went into
....
 
Squirming Coil- Never heard this in my first 13 shows so I knew i was due
but this version didn't do enough to make it on my list of songs I need to
hear again. Welll played just sorta seemed like it almsot studio like.
 
Set 2
 
Runaway Jim- Defintely caught me off guard I thought maybe Maze or Wilson
here or even My Friend My Friend. Good version by all means. I think this
song is sorta a neutral song for me. Doesn't really do that much but then
again it is fairly cool song.
 
Sand- Pretty cool song with very interesting jam sections. Neat for me I
guess
 
Piper- It is amazing to me that Phish can make so much out of so little
music. If you look at piper it is skeleton music wise. There just isn't much
to it. However this song just rocks and has great potetnial. Although not as
much potential as Carini.
 
Roggae- hum hrmm... I was thinking about the next song during this one so it
didn't do much for me I guess
 
YEM>- Always a great song but I hear it too much I would have preferred any
jam song to this. It is not that I don't like it I just feel it is
overplayed. Pop a Free in here instead and I am estatic. A nice version but
it wasn't out of the ordinary until.....
 
Bass Duet- Enter Guest star #2, Phil Lesh. I called this one before the two
shows as well. I didn't know about the sound check but I was nonetheless
excited.
Bass duet was really cool. Now if they really want to get crazy bring out
the other great bassist in the area....... Les Claypool. Now that would get
out of control.
 
Wolfman's brother- Fairly cool song I used to hate it but the Wolf's Bro at
Ventura 7-30-97 changed my mind.
 
Cold Rain and Snow- Sweet really glad to hear it. It had been four+ years
since my last dead show in  Vegas so hearing a DEAD song was really cool.
Not what I expected but nonetheless cool
 
Encore: Viola Lee Blues- I definitely didn't expect this one. I was think
more along the lines of Tennesse Jed and one other Dead possibly Phish song.
This was awesome. When they brought out the extra amp I knew it would be
Warren Haynes but I was hoping maybe it would be Neil Young and they woulf
play Watchtower. Hell the encore was still great.
 
Set 1 4.0 (Out of 10) A sub par set energy was really low and song selection
just didn't do anything for me.
Set2 before Phil 3.5 With Phil 5.5 (Out of 10) Again a lackluster 2nd set
Imo and it was saved by Phil's appearance. I think if Phil hadn't been there
this show would have been suitable for my toilet. I guess the boys were
wiped out from Thurs and that insanely ridiculous 14 song first set.
 
Overall about 4.0 maybe 4.5 An ok show but it was historic due to Phil's
presence.
 
Thanks
 
 
Raphael G. Aglietti

Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999 11:44:15 -0700 (PDT)
From: Ryan David Blitstein phishin@leland.Stanford.EDU
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: Shoreline 9/17/99 Review


Obviously, this was an historic show. here are my thoughts...

I arrived at my 20th show pretty excited.  The previous night was quite
solid, particularly the second set.  Immediately after i walked in, i was
informed by a friend that the soundcheck was Cold Rain & Snow and Viola
Lee Blues with Phil.  A lot of people heard about the soundcheck, or just
that Phil would show up, so the anticipation level was higher than at most
shows.  The buzz about Phil dominated the pavillion crowd as the band came
out.  Curiously, people weren't really going that crazy when they walked
onto the stage.  In fact, most of the first set was mellow in the
audience. I guess everyone just spent the whole show waiting for
Phil.

They launched full-on into the instrumental Free Thought.  I couldn't tell
how much of it was composition and how much was jamming, but this song
sounded great.  Very much a combination of the funk and the fast dance
style (like First Tube).  Well played and a pleasing opener.

Guyute was next.  They have really been playing this song way too much.
It's getting to the point where it's no longer a treat.  But as a result
of the overplaying, it sounds amazing.  Trey was really enjoying himself,
changing the composed elements just enough to make it fun but not so much
that they seemed unfamiliar.  Fishman's 'evil' voice (during the I'm
bouncing like a newborn elf part) was really funny.  One of the best
versions I've seen of this song.

Trey kicked on a delay loop and Ghost began.  Is anyone else annoyed by
the delay loop?  It seems louder than anything else Trey plays, and it is
completely off-tempo from the rest of the song.  At this show it was
particularly loud.  And Fishman's singing on this song was bad as always
(how can they have him sing sometimes and laugh at him, and other times be
serious?)  The jamming was standard for a Ghost, with a few Mike bombs
thrown in.

Lawn Boy was the same as always.  Hilarious crooning by Page, a beautiful
understated solo by Gordon.

I've been waiting since my first show to see Peaches en Regalia, and
although I was very psyched that the band tossed it out, I would almost
rather they hadn't.  They had just played it two nights before in Boise.
Once they start playing it often, it's no longer an extremely pleasant
surprise.  However, this version was as good as you could ask for without
an extended jam.  Every part was nailed, and Page's organ sounded great.

MOMA Dance came next.  Good jamming, but nothing amazing.  Again, could
have done without off-key singing by Fishman.  And the introduction part
is getting to be repetitive, much like the last section of PYITE.  Really
cool the first ten times you hear it, then you just get sick of it.
And once again, Mike dropping bombs all over the place.

Water in the Sky was solid.  Go back and listen to some tapes from early
'97, and you're realize how much this song has improved.  Certainly not
one of their best songs, but I could listen to those 3-part harmonies and
Trey's quasi-bluegrass soloing all day long.  As different versions go,
this was very well done, but obviously not that special.

I could also do without When the Circus Comes.  I can understand why Phish
covers songs that people like (i.e. Crossroads) or obscure tunes that
they know people will dig (i.e. Funky Bitch).  However, my feeling is that
obscure, slow songs like Circus are energy killers.  New fans are not
psyched, and old fans aren't either.  This Circus just seemed to drone on.

Luckily, Get Back on the Train brought the energy back up.
Disappointingly, the jam was pretty short.  But it was quite hot.  This is
one of my favorite Trey tour songs, and I'm glad the band decided to pick
it up.  Page and Mike had some great fills, and Trey played great
throughout.  I only wished it would keep going.

Then I heard the opening drum beat to Bowie.  Is it me, or is Mike doing
_way_ more slapping nowadays on Bowie?  He was kicking ass even during the
early composed sections.  The jam was pretty good for a few minutes.
After a while, though it kind of dragged and I was thinking, Where are
they going with this?  Then Fishman started laying down a new beat and the
rest of the band picked up on it, as did Kuroda (whom i haven't mentioned,
but the lights were fucking great the whole show).  The band jammed on
this for a while and then busted out the conclusion.  I've never been a
huge fan of Bowie, as the jams usually get a bit wierd for me and I find
the lyrics to be annoyingly mindless, but this version was very hot.  I
need to listen to the tapes before I can be sure, but i think this is one
of the better Bowies I've seen.

A nearly flawless Squirming Coil closed the set.  Page's solo at the end
(after the rest of the band left the stage) was short and sweet.  It got
everyone ready for # II.

I'd give this set 6.5 out of 10. Definitely an above average set.

Set II opened with Runaway Jim.  I was waiting in line for a pretzel
during most of it, but what I heard was good.  Nothing spectacular, but a
good opener.

Sand was next.  I can't decide whether I like this song or not, but the
jamming on this version was great.  It blew the Trey tour versions I've
heard out of the water.  Pure rocking by Trey.

Piper built up well.  Not as intense as the Deer Creek version I saw a
month or two ago, but very good, nonetheless.  The setlist says
Piper->Jam, but I really think the jamming was very Piper-like.  They
didn't visit unchartered territory, although the jam was great.  Trey just
got hotter and hotter throughout the show.

Roggae was a good time to chill.  This song is really pretty, but this
version, like most of them, didn't really go anywhere.  Oh well.  It gave
me a chance to sit down for a bit.

YEM.  YEM.  That's all I can say.  Yes, it _was_ that good.  The composed
section was dead on.  Then they brought out three trampolines and
separated Mike's bass rig in two (although Phil's rig may have been next
to Mike's rig the whole show and we just didn't notice).  After
BoyManGodShit, the jam and the tramps began, and Phil came out.  Phil took
about 10 bounces while holding (though not playing) his bass, then jumped
off to set his levels.  It was really funny. The jamming was great.  Mike
made sure to judiciously slap while leaving room for Phil's melodic lines.
I was really happy that Mike got to play with one of his major influences.
I had felt really bad for him at the April Phil&Friends shows while
watching Phil royally fuck up Down With Disease.  Trey got a chance to
"be" Jerry for a few days, but Mike had to just sit at the side of the
stage.  This was his chance, and he took advantage.  Phil did as well; he
gets better every time I see him.  But I can't forget to mention Trey's
performance during YEM.  It is easily one of his best.  I don't know
whether he was trying to impress Phil or he was just really excited, but
he was _on_ _fire_.  YEM led into a bass duet between Mike and Phil.
Afterseeing the Last Day Saloon bass jam on wednesday, I knew what Mike
was capable of, but this blew me away.  It just sounded so damn good, and
lasted just long enough.  A guy jumped on the stage during the duet, and
was promptly tackled by a security member.  Very weird.

They then played the obvious Wolfman's Brother. A great version, only
because Phil was there and Trey was still ripping it up.  And hearing Phil
sing "Shirley Temple" is great.  Pretty short jam, though.

But that's okay, because it jammed into Cold Rain and Snow.  First of all,
this is one of my favorite Dead songs.  One of the main problems I've been
having with Phish lately is Trey's sloppiness, and what can only be
described as his unwillingness to really play.  Actually, that's not
true...you could call it unselfishness.  But Phish wouldn't be Phish
without Trey being excited to get out there, take control, and jam.  This
is what he did on CR&S.  I can't even emphasize how much better this
version was than the red-hot Phil & Friends 8/20/99 version.  Trey seemed
so psyched about being with Phil and playing Dead.  He was just great.
Fishman had some notable fills as well.  Just an amazingly well-played
version.  It did sound like Phish playing Dead, but awesome nonetheless.
What a set.

They brought out an extra amp before the encore, and though I was hoping
Kimock would come out, we all knew it'd be Warren Haynes.  I really wanted
them to surprise me, but they busted out Viola Lee (hey, i'm not
complaining ;-)  Mike's slappy line set the tone for the whole song.  The
jamming was excellent, and though I'm not a huge fan of Warren's playing,
his slide work added a lot to the jam.  And, of course, Trey kicked ass.
Again.  The vocals left something to be desired, but this was a solid
Viola Lee.  A great ending to a great show.  Set rating: 9 out of 10.
There really wasn't much more they could have done besides bring out
Kimock and an orchestra and played the Terrapin Station album.

Overall, 8 out of 10.  Obviously, you need to get this show.
Til next time,
Ryan 

Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 12:54:56 PDT
From: Mason Rippey slakker55@hotmail.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: Shoreline Review
 
I would like to offer a review of my own in response to the influx of mixed
reviews the second night of Shoreline has received.  I am not going to point
any fingers, in an effort not to a hypocrite, but I would like to make a
point that I think a lot of us have been missing.
 
 
I had just enough time after work to get to the venue, get my ticket and
enter the show, I missed any speculation of a possible appearance from Phil
or anyone else for that matter.  As far as I knew, it was one more Phish
show at an excellent Amphitheater.  I got to catch the Gorge and Portland
Meadows, but due to being a West Coaster, and in school, this was to be my
last show of the tour.
 
The first set seemed like a "Gorge's Greatest Hits", but from a
non-analytical point of view, it was smokin'!  I could hear the Moma Dance
forever and still be satisfied with its gooey funk.  And Trey's new ventures
are great, too.  Peaches was tight, and Get back on the Train is slowly
becoming one of my favorites.  So good!
 
By the time the second set rolled around, I had heard about the possible
Phil appearance from some folks beside me, and of course I was excited about
the chance to see yet another crossover of the two best jam bands in
history.  When Phil took the stage, it was all I could do to keep from
running laps around the lawn in ecstasy.  And this is where I digress.
 
No matter what they played, Phil Lesh was onstage with Phish!  The energy of
the crowd and seeing a giddy Phil Lesh take a try on the trampolines was
absolutely wonderful.  True, he's not as young or nimble as Trey and Mike,
but just the fact that he was playful enough to come out and do a couple
jumps was so great.  Besides, I don't know too many people that could get up
there and do a perfectly coreographed tramp with Trey and Mike without days
of practice.
 
Bottom line:  Wonderfully Historical.  The second night of Shoreline further
broke down the speculated rivalry between Phish and the Dead. It showed that
Phil still knows how to have a good time and that Phish is not so high on
the horse as many people think.  The colabertion was a musical, visual and
spiritual gift and I refuse to trivialize it by over analyzing the music or
critiqing their song choice.  This show was a gift, and I think everyone
that got to see it should put the calculator away for a minute and just soak
in the image of Phil singing backup on Wolfman's and Trey and Page singing
backup on Viola Lee.  Thanks guys, it was fantastic!
 
Mason Rip

Date: Mon, 20 Sep 1999 10:29:00 -0400
From: Casey Kim caseyk@c2is.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 9/17 review
 
This was my 58th show.  I've never written a review before but I think some
kids out there would like to read a review from someone who's seen some
shows...
 
Well - this show was the bomb, for obvious reasons.  Sure, there were rumors
Phil was coming out, but I was there to see Phish; Phil or no Phil.  And the
boys didn't disappoint.  Loved the Free Thought and the Lawn Boy - and the
Peaches was amazing - wanted one for so long!  Always love a Moma and Back
on the Train - lots of energy in those tunes - and Bowie was the shit, as
usual.  I expected Bowie to end the set but Trey was pushing Page both
nights at the Shoreline, it seemed (Lawn Boy, Misty Mountain Hop, On the Way
Down), so Coil was a real treat.
 
Who could ask for more than Runaway Jim 2nd set opener?  This new tune Sand
is really the shit, and people who haven't heard it or people who have just
heard it from Trey's tour need to get the tapes from this fall.  It's
incredible.  Tons of energy during the Piper (thanks tortilla people!),
tight Roggae, then the YEM.  I was 15th row, so I had a good view of Brad
bringing out 3 trampolines and a huge rig being pushed forward between
Mike's rig and Page's piano.  As this is going on, Phil comes creeping out
and squeezes between the piano and his rig... plugs in and gets on the
trampoline with the boys!  When they got to the first turn though, he jumped
off - couldn't hang on the tramps but what a sport for trying!!!  Phil
seemed to be having a lot of technical difficulties; problems with his amp
and feedback.  It kind of distressed Mike and Trey, and despite trying to
fix it he had problems through the end of the 2nd set.  It didn't stop them
from jamming though - shortly after the tramps section of YEM, Trey and Page
stepped back and let Fish and Mike jam with Phil which was really cool since
they had their time with Phil this April.  Fish was really showing off his
amazing talent and it sounded great.  I was wondering if Phil would get in
on the voice jam at the end but - surprise - no voice jam.  Instead a bass
jam!  I was so happy for Mike, you could tell he was having the time of his
life.  Then Wolfman's - pretty amazing.  Heard the Phil & Friends version of
this but it's totally different with Mike and Fish in on it.  Then into -
Cold Rain and Snow!  So much great energy - you have to get the tapes.  The
Viola Lee encore blew me away - to have Warren Haynes come out too - it was
way too awesome.
 
There is only one negative thing I can say - some asshole ran out onstage
during YEM and lunged at Phil - show some respect man, that's not cool - and
some other asshole hit Phil in the chest with a glow stick before Wolfman's
started.  What the f@#k is that?  The man is a guest on Phish's stage, not
to mention a legendary musician and thanks to these two assholes he probably
has a bad impression of Phish fans.  Hopefully the dank people showed
through too and Phil will feel welcome to join Phish onstage again someday,
but come on people!  I don't care what your reasons are - behavior like that
is not acceptable.  Have some class.
 
I wish I could've seen more than these two shows on the west coast but I'm
glad I saw these two shows - it was incredible.  Thanks to the excellent
quality of people who were around me both nights and the super-friendly
Shoreline staff.  I maintain that the Shoreline is THE DANKEST VENUE IN THE
COUNTRY.  Nobody can beat the sound and those huge jumbo-trons in the lawn.
Peace out and get the tapes!
 
Casey Kim
caseyk@c2is.com

Date: Sat, 18 Sep 1999 14:30:51 -0700 (PDT)
From: Gene Lantigua westgene@yahoo.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Cc: dws@gadiel.com

Hi. I would like to post this as a review for 9/17/99, Shoreline
Amphitheater, Mountain View CA. I usually post on Andy's board as St.
C, and if this is selected to represent either the general consencus or
a specific opinion (how ever you guys do it) of this show, i would be
more than happy to write up a review of the first night as well. Thanks
alot, and enjoy the review, and eventually, the tapes!!

I almost don't know how to express in words seeing and hearing and
FEELING what I experienced last night...and I was only stoned! ;) I'll
describe what I remember, and I'll give ya the whole show too, cuz it
wouldn't do any justice to review only Phil's involvement, cuz the show
(and the run of both nights) would've ranked highly sans Phil as well!!

SET I: Open with a Trey solo instrumental, hot, Santana sounding, 1st
for me cuz I didn't do any Trey shows earlier this year...Guyute is
always good...triiiiippy and surprisingly wonderfully bluezy intro to
Ghost, with a great jam, into the ever delightful Lawn Boy..i remember
thinking to myself, after Mike played his solo, "that's some of the
best bass I've ever heard at Phish....." HAD I ONLY KNOWN!!! Next up,
PEACHES!!! ZAAAPPPAAAAA!!!! total crowd pleaser....Moma was hot and
fun-kay (as if it ever isn't)....Water In The Sky, so pretty, so
HAPPY...Circus Comes To Town...if you actually really listen you can
realize how well written this song really is...totally noticable Dead
influence in Los Lobos' writing style...i've really grown to like this
song...Get Back On The Train: one of the BEST new Phish songs, sets the
mood so well, lyrical phrasing as clever and well written as Phish has
ever gotten, layered vocal harmonies as the verse progress...luv this
tune...BUG OUT BOWIE...great jam....ah Coil, my friend....ends in a
beautiful, touching, sweet Page solo...so intimate...little did I know
it would not be the last intimate moment of the night....  

SET II: (the watershed) Runaway Jim: the Jims of the last few years
have found the band playing softer, yet tighter, still taking the song
to new and wonderful places...i always picture myself running
(twirling) with that dog...on endless green fields as the band sends us
flying...Sand: ALL of the new material from Trey's solo tour has
floored me, from the "Johnny Cash rides cross the desert on his
stallion chased by the Law" feel of the previous night's 1st Tube to
Gotta Jiboo (which i was hoping for this run)to the afore mentioned
show opening Free Thought...this was no exception..MEAN and funky
rhythm....and ya can't forget the chorus: If you hear the symptom, and
can't effect the cause, you don't hear the symptom...Piper...swirling
and swirling and building AND BUILDING AND HAPPINESS FROM EVERWHERE
ROUND AND ROUND AND ROUND!!!! some crazy jamming, they don't want to
stop, and then they bring the jam down and go bluesy once more, then
softness...ethereal...Roggae... If life were easy (the circus is the
place for me)...then...WE ENJOY OURSELVES...the trampolines alone
would've left everyone feeling starstruck, showcased, like we got a 
PERFORMANCE tonight...hmm..someone else on the trampolines for a brief
instant, the crowd starts to buzz, and cheer...then that same someone
walked out of the shadows, with a bass guitar....at this point I want
to commend the camera crew who worked wonderfully last night, cuz when
I saw who it was, my heart almost stopped...PHIIIIIIIIIILLLLL!!!! I
screamed, and the place just BUZZED..and didn't stop
buzzing....problems with Phil's amp, some tweeking here, sound
adjusting there, finally Trey, knowing how HUGE this was, cues the band
to drop out, and its just Phil, and Mike...and man, if ANYONE ever said
Mike played like Phil...here was proof to the contrary..they jammed so,
so fucking ON...then the rest of the band comes in, and there's no
mistaking Phil's lines from Mike's..YEM, with TWO basses, WITH FUCKING
PHIL!!! more stellar jamming, Trey cues the band again, and its just
bass, AGAIN....this time, more melodic, so beautiful, point and counter
point, melodies within harmony, working, playing with each other, TO
each other...so awe inspiring that a couple of phans couldn't take it,
leap on stage to hug, touch Phil, get quickly and thankfully
intercepted....music, of just two basses, so beautiful, as they finish
together....WE GO NUTS.......but it ain't over...Wolfman's, and Phil's
singing backup!!! PURE GLEE.....so tasty...jam fades...talk among Phil
and the band, and then, the opening licks to the 1st tune I ever got at
a Dead show...I FUCKING LOST IT....screaming uncontrollably..Phil at
the mike, "Well I got me a wife, she's been trouble all my life..."
PHUCKIN PHENOMENAL..in the b/w verse jams, Trey's solo's are some of
the best guitar playing he's ever done...invocing Jerry with some
serious, FURIOUS! right handed repeat note/chord antics...song ends,
and they walk off...I CANT TAKE ANYMORE ANYWAY!!! PLEASE DONT STOP!!!!
They ALL return, with Warren Haynes in tow, still in town and ready for
more..ITS TOO MUCH TO TAKE!!! Some more talking, adjusting of levels,
and right into it, no fucking around damnit!! Smoking Viola Lee,
everyone singing, Warren and Trey cuttin heads, dueling guitars, Warren
grinning form ear to ear...jam spaces out...then builds into a
fury..THE BAND CAN GO ALL NIGHT..then back into it...finishes the
groove, song ends, lights stop, hearts shudder, skin
tingles...APPLAUSE.........OH GOD THANK YOU..Phil enthusiastically hugs
Page, and Mike, as all leap and bound off the stage, like fucking
little school boys who just had their best after school playtime
EVER.....fucking HARDCORE folks....PURE BLISS.......
                                St. C  

Date: Sat, 18 Sep 1999 11:22:09 -0700 (PDT
From: Bart Tantillo btantillo@yahoo.com
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: Review, 9/17/99

Well it was another one of "those" nights.  A night where if you were
there, you left with memories to last a lifetime, and if you weren't,
the joy of the setlist you saw this morning (Or if you waited until
4:00 a.m. like I did), is quickly overshadowed by the grim reality that
you were not there, and another one has slipped through your hands.  It
is a reaction that I can imagine people had after seeing the setlist
from the first Deer Creek night this summer, one of amazement, awe, and
anger all at the same time.  How is it possible for this band to
continue pulling tricks out of their hats after it appeared as if we'd
seen it all?  Shoreline, from the moment Trey and Page stepped onstage
at the Fillmore last April, had Phil Lesh's name written all over it.
For most, it was simply a question of when he would show, and in what
capacity.  Would he play a supporting role, laying down some grooves
with Mike and not stepping on any toes?  Or would it be one of those  
magical moments, another instance of spiritual connection between two
scenes so alike and so different at the same time.  What those of you
got who were there was all of the above.
  I wasn't at Shoreline this week, although the thought more than
crossed my mind for about a month of flying out to witness what would
predictably be another classic moment in Phish's career.  Instead I
opted to stay home here in the eastern half of Pennsylvania, braving a
slowly deteriorating hurricane and doing nothing of any significance.
So here is my review of 7/17/99.  What I did instead of going to see
Phil and Phish at the Shoreline Amphitheater.
  At 7:15 p.m.(pretending there is no time difference of course),
rather than stand up in my chair to see the band come onstage for what
had the feeling of being a special night, I was at a restaurant in
Yardley, Pennsylvania having dinner with my parents, hoping time would
stop while I flew out to California after finishing my salad.  Instead,
as the band took the stage and broke into Free Thought, a Trey solo
tune, I took my last bite of lettuce.  Moving through the meal as
quickly as possible so I could get home and attempt to make plans that
would take my mind off the show, the band simultaneously wove through a
first set that included another Guyute,another Peaches (back in the
rotation? I hope!),  a spacey Ghost (I'm sure), and another great Get
Back on the Train.  Whether a jam song or not, this one is  a great
song.   After a smoking Bowie (probably) and a nicely placed Squirming
Coil set closer, it was break time for the band, and phone call time
for me.
However it was not to be on this night, perhaps it was too late,
everyone had gone out, or perhaps I was being punished for coming home
from school for no apparent reason.  God thought that if I wasn't going
to go to Shoreline, that I should have to sit at home and think about
it all fucking night.  Well o.k., I can handle that.  Or can I?  O.k. I
thought no big deal, I'll go rent a movie and make a few long distance
calls to some old friends.  Well needless to say, all my old friends
were out partying with their new friends, and being the poster boy for
indecision, I came away from Blockbuster empty handed.  Meanwhile in 
Mountain View, California, Phish took the stage for the set of the tour
so far.  As I ran home to execute plan b, I could hear the
openingchords of Runaway Jim in the distance (not really).  After a
Piper that saw the new fad on Phish tour, tossing tortillas at crucial
glow stick times, took center stage, I was  online now, checking my
e-mail (again) and searching for a first set.  I found it and thought
"uh-oh", I could feel Phil just waiting backstage.  After a Roggae
which most likely afforded everyone sufficient time to make final
preparations, and as I closed my computer and opened up "On the Road"
for the hundreth time, the band started YEM and it was on.  How, when,
and where would Phil show?  Maybe the band, playing the selfish rock
star role, would keep this night for themselves?  Nah, this is Phish,
not some ego-maniacal top 40 outfit.  As Brad brought out the extra
trampoline during YEM, and the crowd erupted (I'm sure they did)  Phil
came onstage and hopped on, creating the best two bass player band in
rock history. After making Mikes dreams come true (it is Mike who said
jokingly that the name Phish comes from Phil Lesh, minus the two l's
and the e), they broke into a song Phil has taken a particular liking
to, Wolfman's Brother.  As I threw the book against the wall, unable to
concentrate, the new 5 member Phish closed the show with what  I am
sure was a beautiful Cold Rain and Snow.  But now what?  It's encore
time, and I can imagine that Trey's mind was working like a war room on
N.F.L. draft day.   Viola Lee Blues, the tune that opened the Phil and
Friends shows last April (excluding the Hello Old Friends that he
played with his kids), was I'm sure a poignant way to end the now
historic run at the Shoreline, complete with a return showing from
Warren Haynes.  And as I clicked on the "Current Setlists" section of
the PhishNet at 3:30 a.m., I realized two things;  I can get these
tapes and Phish will be here in a few weeks.  Dammit.


Date: Sat, 18 Sep 1999 23:55:28 -0700 (PDT)
From: Dave Lynch dave_lynch@yahoo.com
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: 9/17/99 Review

Just wanted to say a few words about Friday's show -- I'm going to take
the unpopular stance that the first 3/4 of the show was better than the
end. Let me explain. I'm no huge deadhead, but I do enjoy the music from
time to time. I own 4 or 5 CDs, and have heard a small number of live
recordings, and from what I have heard, I personally prefer the music of
many other bands. But I do enjoy it (you don't buy a 5th CD if you hated
the first 4), and I definitely WANTED to see Phil at the show. The
security guy told us ahead of time that he saw Phil's equipment being set
up on stage, but he said it was just for the encore. So I knew it would
probably happen, and I hoped it would be really cool.  hoped it would be
really cool. The beginning of the show was spectacular -- Free Thought,
Ghost, Peaches, GBOTT, Jim, and Sand were all Grade A Fresh Phish -- it
had already proved to be a great show by the time they started YEM. So
then they bring out the THREE tramps, and I know instantly what's
happening and my hopes and expectations are VERY high.

So at the beginning of the tramps segment, Trey and Mike jump up, start
bouncing, and look around confusedly. Phil comes rushing over from the
right, goes behind the equipment, squeezes in between Page's piano and
Mikes amp, and gets on his trampoline. He nearly falls off, and looks at
trey and mike as if to say, "how the hell are you guys doing that? help!"
He can't keep the rhythm or play, and forget about doing the turning part,
so he jumps off.
                                  
OK right now you're saying, "So what? so he couldn't jump on the tramps --
it's not like he has done this 400 times like trey." And I agree with you
-- except that I think they should have rehearsed this beforehand -- they
went to the trouble of getting another tramp -- he should have at least
tried it once, and the boys should have told him when to come on, and what
they would be doing, etc. If he couldn't do it then, he shouldn't have
tried it during the show. Very poor planning, I thought. But I could have
overlooked all that easily if Phil had just been able to start jamming
away. But no -- he had to spend a full 5-10 minutes trying to get his damn
bass to work. He would appear to play a few notes, turn around, and fool
with his monitor and amp for a while, and turn around again. Just when you
thought he was going to break it down, he'd turn around again, maybe yell
at some techies for a minute, and try to play again. He literally spent
nearly the first ten minutes **with his back to the audience, not playing
a note**. At this point, I felt nearly sick to my stomach -- I wanted Phil
to have a really momentous occasion on stage with the boys, but they were
totally unprepared. I felt totally embarrassed for Phil, and there was not
much the boys could do except keep YEM limping along as they tried to
figure out what to do. Phil finally got his instrument to work, and it
looked as if it could only get better, but no -- it got worse. As soon as
he stepped up to play, some damn fool hit him square in the chest with a
glowstick. This was the point of no return for me -- it totally ruined the
Phil part of the show. I had lots of melodramatic images running through
my head:

--Phil on a treadmill that somebody keep turning faster and faster until
he stumbles and falls (he could NOT keep up with phish onstage, and the
crowd was not willing to help) (the world DOES move a lot faster than
during the dead's golden days, and it's a lot meaner) --That glowstick
being the final nail in the coffin of the final chapter of the dead -- I
could see it slam shut BAM right when it hit him -- especially since it
happened in San Francisco. The world has officially moved on. (I started
feeling sad for the world in general at this point -- there's really no
return after that)

Although these were a bit of an overreaction, I had another thought then
which I still stand by -- there were many many years in which phish didn't
play any dead tunes because they wanted to avoid being labeled as just
another dead cover band, and I think they should have kept doing that! Now
all of a sudden they are treating themselves as the heir to the dead
throne, officially commemorating dead landmarks (9/8/98), and getting old
band members up to play dead tunes. Guess what -- you're NOT the dead,
nobody WANTS you to be the dead, you should not be TRYING to be the dead
or the new dead, and any more steps in that direction are a mistake. I go
to a phish show to see the band PHISH!

Anyway, to wrap it up, the music after YEM was okay. Too many musicians
onstage makes it hard to hear any one of them, and no one looked as if he
was having a particularly good time, and I was feeling too embarrassed for
them all to really enjoy it, but the music was okay. I guess better than
okay if you really like those dead songs.

But that's why I say the non-Phil part of the show was better. For me, it
really was. Flame away

Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 08:58:30 -0600
From: Rob Mottice rmottice@cello-poly.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: A word on that ONLY bad Phish and Phil Review
 
Just a quick word for the guy who had so many nasty and uneducated comments
on the second night at Shoreline...
 
They should've rehearsed the trampoline bit since they went to all the
trouble of getting a third trampoline? Plug your brain in, pal. Just because
Phish went to all the trouble of showing up to play for you that night
doesn't mean they should have every moment choreographed. They are an
improvisational band. If you weren't blowing hot air out of the ass you call
a mouth, you would know that. You might also know that last year Phil Lesh
got a new Liver, which makes it damn impressive that he was even on a
trampoline at all. Thousands of people dreamed of being there and you piss
on them saying you were embarrassed for all of the guys on stage. If you
want to see rehearsed, perfect and flawless music that is totally
predictable, leave right now and I hope the door hits you in the ass on the
way out. You deserve it.
 
I was 5 rows from the stage that night and they were all smiles. I have
pictures to prove it.
 
 
SHAME ON YOU.
 
FLAME ON THAT.

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 22:19:07 -0700 (PDT)
From: m pasikov 
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 9/17/99 phish and phil
 
 
 
>
> Howdy Heads-
> After reading all of the show revues for the "Phish
> and Phil" show, I had to throw in my 2 cents...
> First off, for all the folks who were teed off that
> phish played 2 grateful dead songs at the end of one
> of their many shows, because after all they paid to
> see phish and not phil lesh and the grateful dead
> and
> that this was somehow innapropriate, I have to ask:
> were you upset the previous night that they played
> Misty Mountain Hop because you didn't pay to see led
> zeppelin? Or that they always play hello my baby,
> and
> you didn't pay to see Frank Sinatra or whoever wrote
> that song?
> I have to say that I was bothered by this sentiment,
> partly because I feel it borders on whining, and
> secondly, because music is about having fun,
> experimenting, and taking chances.  Especially Phish
> music.  Do you think trey and mike give a shit that
> phil couldn't keep up on the trampoline?  Probably
> not. They probably were exstatic that one of their
> musical influences (not to mention living legend)
> came
> out and had some phun with them. Fun being the key
> word, because this is what the
> whole scene is all about.  Besides, everyone got
> there
> moneys worth of Phish music before phil even came on
> stage.
> And for all the people who think that it is somehow
> taboo for phish to play the occasional dead cover
> cause they should strive to differentiate themselves
> from the dead, do you think that they should play no
> covers at all because this makes them unoriginal? I
> don't know the name of the song, but I remember some
> phish lyrics(repeated at the end of a song)"it
> doesn't
> matter", "it doesn't matter" etc.
> One thing that keeps phish so cool is that they
> never
> come out on stage and tell people how to live or
> what
> to do, cause it doesn't matter.  We shouldn't preach
> at them either.
> I think that it is fair to say that the model of how
> the grateful dead operated in the music business
> influenced phish.  After achieving a high degree of
> success in the biz themselves it seems perfectly
> natural that they have a few of there friends come
> play with them.
> And in my humblest opinion, Viola Lee was a perfect
> choice.
> I wrote a letter,
> I wrote a letter,
> mailed it in the,
> mailed it in the, air indeed-y.
> I wrote a letter and mailed it in the air.
  You know my buddy
> I've got a phriend somewhere!!
> Thanks trey, mike, page, jon and phil.
> and warren too, you hold the torch with steady
> hands.
> see y'all in gamehenge
> __________________________________________________
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