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International Report
Edited by Evan Newman - newmando@hotmail.com

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The Circus Finally Comes To Town

After three years of being away from Canada and five years since their last Toronto date, Phish played The Molson Amphitheatre on July 20 as part of their 1999 Summer Tour. Located on the shore of Lake Ontario, The Molson Amphitheatre is one of the most unique and beautiful concert venues in North America. Phish hit the stage at 7:30 and broke into a blazing "Chalkdust Torture" that set the tone for the evening. Many fans were expecting "Llama" as the opener as it has opened two out of the three previous Toronto shows. The first set was fast paced and crisp with a "Divided Sky" hitting at just the right moment as the sun went down over the lake. A rather unexciting "Ghost" slowed the tempo and lost the crowd for a short while until lead guitarist Trey Anastasio played the opening chords to the anthemic "Wilson" which got the crowd back too it's feet. The set closed out with the Chris Kuroda aided "You Enjoy Myself" which left newcomers to the Phish scene in awe at the amazing light show.

As the second set began, I began to wonder how these "newcomers" would accept the more jam oriented second set in comparison with the more straight ahead rock'n'roll first set. A great "Twist Around" opened the second set and then went in to the stale "Moma Dance" which has seemed to has lost it's edge. After some furious jamming on "What's the Use" and a little bluegrass with "Train Song", Phish played one of the funkiest versions of "2001" ever heard. With Mike Gordon and Jon Fishman providing a pulsing rhythm, "2001" took off to places it had never been before. The crowd had gotten back into the show after this and continued to roar as Phish closed the set with "Misty Mountain Hop" the Led Zeppelin cover that the band was playing for the first time. Phish has a knack for covers and didn't disappoint with this song. The vocals were dead on and the improvisation at the end was edgy and hard and left the once mellow crowd exhausted. Because of an eleven o'clock curfew at the venue, the band came right back out to do a tight and concise version of "Guyute" and the barber shop standard "Ragtime Gal". Phish had finally played Toronto, the show was in no ways spectacular but it was worth the wait as they didn't disappoint and along the way, probably picked up a few new fans. Next up for Canadian fans is September 9th at GM Place in Vancouver as Phish opens their fall tour on foreign soil. Hopefully this becomes an annual event.

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Burt Neilsen Keeps The Night Jammin'and Spinnin'

After Phish wrapped up their first show in Toronto in five years, many fans did not want the night to end and headed next door to The Atlantis Night Club to catch The Burt Neilsen Band. The venue was equipped with a rotating dance floor that seemed to disorient the already disoriented crowd. BNB ripped into "Function" to get the crowd going and kept a feverish pace through the whole evening. Reunited with former trumpet player Scott Farmer the band was playing as tight and as funky as they had ever played. Songs like "Beanie" and "Down with the Sound" got everyone spinning on the floor. Many Americans who had made the trip to see Phish were surprised that Canada had produced such a great "jamband". One fellow from New York State could not believe that BNB was Canadian, "Too Good to be Canadian" he said (gotta love those guys). The band also premiered their new song "Jiggy, Jiggy" to a great response. The highlight of the evening was the opening of the second set with a funky Fresco Lopez>Want a New Drug>Fresco Lopez that kept the crowd of 1100 going. The bands version of "Papa was a Rolling Stone" was electrifying and the jam was groovin'. The Burt Neilsen Band played one of their strongest shows to date and they conquered the stigma of having such a popular opening band (phish). As fall rolls around, keep an eye out for BNB, they'll be around, check em' out.

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ilky Way Releases Golden Album

Toronto jam band staples "The Milky Way" have released their first album titled, "Golden Pineapples". A seven track disc that consists of funk, groove, and intricate jamming. As with most "jambands", translating a great live act into the studio is always difficult. The Milky Way decide to keep the sound fresh by performing the album live at Whirlwind Sound Studio in Toronto. By doing this, the band has managed to capture the sound that has made them a favourite in the Canadian jam scene. Tracks like "Pass" and "Coasteroll" are raw and edgy and keep the live vibe that is accustomed with the band. The band consists of Robbie Grunwald on electric organ, Steve Mensher on drums, Justin Olds on guitar and lead vocals and Steve Perzow on bass and vocals. The chemistry between these musicians is the strong point of this band. Steve Perzow is one of Toronto's finest bassists and shows why on this disc as he leads the band into cutting edge funk fusion while maintaining a solid groove rhythm. The psychedelic sounds of the organ offers some much needed spice to this well rounded musical outfit.

The Milky Way are a Toronto favourite, keep an eye out for club dates and check them out at their website: www.milky.org or send an email to them to order "Golden Pineapples".

Golden Pineapples Tracks
1. Trapped in a Tree
2. Pass
3. Shirley (Investigate)
4. Flaming Meaux
5. Coasteroll
6. Make it up
7. Coasteroll (Tripl3t's Pop-Quiz Mix)