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Mid-Atlantic Regional Report
Edited by Anthony Coloneri - ester8@mindspring.com
DJ Logic and Project Logic
July 4, 1999 - Wetlands, NYCBy Brett
For me this past July 4th was not spent celebrating America's independence. Instead, it was spent celebrating new ideas and concepts in music. I suppose it was still celebrating independence, but an independence from the grasps and constrictions that some allow themselves to be caught by in music.
This form of musical freedom was witnessed at the Wetlands in NYC, with DJ Logic and his band Project Logic performing. This review is being written a month after the show so I will rely on the feelings that the show left me with rather than technical memories to give you picture of what was created that night.
My friends and I headed up to NYC knowing that whatever show DJ Logic had in store for us would be one which would allow us to "shake what our mamas gave us." We had all seen his performance w/MOE. a few weeks earlier at "Gathering of the Vibes" as well as his performance with Project Logic so we were excited to see what would occur now. With the Wetlands being an up close and personal venue I was anxious to be able to see exactly what and how DJ Logic performed on the turntables in conjunction with other musicians.
Due to this I made sure that I stood right in front of the stage and kept a close eye on Logic as he set up his turntables, mixer, and keyboard/zip drive. I am a DJ myself so I was interested in the type of mixer and turntables used (Technics 1210s and a Vestax PMC-07 mixer I believe). He also had a large keyboard which he used with a zip drive. I suppose he used this to play preconceived beats or perhaps sounds effects, I am not exactly sure. The other musicians on stage consisted of a drummer, bassist, trumpet player, and a saxophone player.
When the music started most people, including myself, stood there just checking out what was going down on stage. DJ Logic was slowly working in his turntable traits into the other musicians' sounds, and I suppose vise versa. It was interesting to watch the speed and agility of Logic's hands/fingers as they fluttered across the vinyl and pushed the crossfader on the mixer to create all sorts of tones and rhythms. The turntable was being used to create music rather than to simply play music.
After a short while I began to catch on to the groove which was being created and started to, as I said before, "shake what my mamma gave me." They played some thick funk! Logic was also able to switch up the pace and SPACE OUT the crowd with his ability to manipulate the turntables. A nice touch.
During the performance a guy from the audience stepped on stage and was introduced as Bah Boo (sorry if I misunderstood his name). He was an MC who began to beat box some incredible beats and sounds which went along with music extremely well. He was also able to freestyle. Usually I do not care for an MC's lyrics or rhythms because they don't seem to fit into the music well. But this MC was able to fit into the music beautifully. He even asked the audience to pick a topic for him to freestyle w/along to the music. The topic, if I remember correctly was the "police". At first you may think this to be a clinched topic in the realm of hip-hop but this MC performed with intelligence and insight.
This night of music was one which was well worth missing fireworks for! DJ Logic is creating sounds which are becoming impossible to categorize. Without the limitations of a category his music is limited by nothing except for the imagination. He is making it evident that the turntables are no longer a vehicle for playing other musicians' music, it is becoming a musical instrument all of its own. He is allowing DJs to respond to the question, "So, do you play any musical instruments?" with the answer, "Yes, the turntables." Thank you DJ Logic.
Can You Still Have Fun!
Phish - July 7, 1999 Camden, N.J.By Michael "dkstar1" Mahle
I anticipated Camden to be a fantastic show for several reasons; it would be my first show in 4 years with some very old, close friends (our last show together was at the Mann Music Center, a hot 2 night run that included a great Spock's Brain among other songs new that year), the boys were back in my home state (a bonus that made it inevitable we would be hearing/seeing a great show), and I would be meeting up with kids on tour that I met at the Vegas run as well as new kids I met on Andy Gadiel's Message Board. Well, Camden is Camden. The scene was quite lame with really shady surroundings, barely a Shakedown and terrible parking lots filled with broken bottles and large drops at the end of the aisles. The E Center, however is very nice. The sound quality is not as good as Lakewood, but the lawn and pavilion areas are pretty good. The security was rather lenient as well.
To start the evening, I am waiting for friends to show up at Will Call, including the guys from the message board who I promised a place to stay/shower for the night and during the upcoming PNC Bank run. They were from Wisconsin and Chicago and doing most of the tour.
Here's a brief history of my encounter with these kind, fellow phans: I arrived at Atlanta Airport. I saw some heads near baggage claim and said hi, asking where they were coming in from. One guy said he was coming in from Wisconsin but was picking someone up at the airport from elsewhere. My cousin picked me up, I said goodbye and that was it.
A week later, I give this guy on the other end of the phone line my description (clothes, hat, location) so we can meet up at Camden. Sure enough, the same guy from the airport a week earlier is the guy I spoke with online and was now standing next to me in Camden. A really cool head named Andy (and his bud Matt) who I would be hanging out with for the rest of the shows I would attend this summer. Pretty wild stuff. I still think of that crazy happening/possibility as something that only happens at Dead and Phish shows. Awesome!
Now comes the show. Wilson opener. Ok. Hot but standard opener. Chalkdust next. It had been played way too many times by the end of this tour but this was a good, albeit unfinished version. On paper, this looks like a great start. Roggae; I really like this song. The lyrics are really existentialist and the music is truly Phish. Even though it is a different/modern Phish. I never complain about hearing this song although this was a standard version as well. No added oomph. And it often finds itself as the 3rd song. That and Farmhouse. Ok, Water in the Sky. This song is fun, sometimes. I like to hear this song toward the end of a ripping first set. It's a song that shouldn't bring you out of a jamfest too quickly. It was just soft at this point. Standard as well.
Back at the Chicken Shack. Finally! The boys were getting it together. This is growing to be a favorite song at shows. I like the rare but not super rare rotation of it since the debut. Sparkle. Standard. Nuff said. Bathtub Gin. Again, not enough energy in it to say - "yeah that was smokin'" The Clifford Ball Bathtub Gin is what I compare every Bathtub Gin against. Not fair? Possibly, but this was far from close. A standard Gin if there is such a thing. Next was Golgi Apparatus. I have fun with this song and was happy to hear it. I was ready for a smokin 2nd set at least.
Set II.
Now, I find that every time they play Luscious Jackson during intermission or before the show - its gonna be smokin. I kept that faith thru intermission.
Tweezer opener. I new it was coming. I think everyone did. It was pretty good but got a little faded toward the end. Mountains in the Mist. I really want to love this song. It's getting there. The lyrics and music are very good. Not a bad version but so far the show was just dragging and a mellow tune right after the 2nd set opener didn't help much .
Birds Of A Feather. The most energy put into a song all night. I felt that this was the strongest song of the night, with Back at the Chicken Shack right behind it. A rather good version of BOAF. Next was Circus Comes to Town. No offense to Phish and Los Lobos but please put this away for awhile. I was very disappointed to have this song tonight. Ugh. Too slow and boring. Fluffhead. Now, I must admit that this came out of nowhere. It was a really good version of the song and helped carry the set, or at least make up for most of it. Looking back, it should have been an obvious choice; ECenter = powerful pills. Encores.
Please be something hot! I had to drive back to the beach right afterwards and really needed something to wake me up. Then came While My Guitar Gently Weeps. I sat down all the way through Tweezer Reprise. This show was, out of 79 Phish shows I've seen, easily my least favorite. They just sounded tired and worn. Maybe they were getting ready for Great Woods. I don't know. But the parking lots and the standard play and slow songs just diluted my fun. My apologies for a poor review. It is just an honest one. Fortunately I had good friends and new acquaintances along for the show, and the rest of the night at the beach to party it up!!
Phish
July 9, 1999 Merriweather Post Pavilion--Columbia, MDBy Jeff Gillis
The (Jerry) weather pavilion is a very cool place. It is unlike any other venue on their usual summer tour stops. The lot is fun, not too much in terms of cops or anything,,so people were wealing and dealing like always.
I say this because of the terrible place they played the night before, Virginia Beach. The only problem in the Merriweather lot was that it was 98 degrees w/ 80 percent humidity... HOT! The pavilion itself is wooden and very old looking. Kind of like a shack, but with a warm feeling.
The lawn is a bit smaller than most venues and stretches on the sides into some trees that you can chill and watch the show from. I was at Merriweather last year and that show was great, so i guess my expectations were a little higher here than most shows. Quick disclaimer; I've been to 115+ shows and lots of pholks won't agree with my jaded view of a show. Thats ok! Give me an email and I would be happy to talk about whatever you like. Onto the show...
The boys started things off with a Limb by Limb. In my humble opinion, not the best way to open a show. But, here I was and it was played, so I got into it. Nice version, standard I guess for Limb. Next was Farmhouse. This summer, the intro for this song is different, much like the Trey shows. Nice jam that was longer than old Farmhouse jams. Since they didn't play Get Back on the Train in Atlanta, this would be my first Phish version of this song. I have to say, I really dug it!!. What a different take on the tune than the Trey shows. Very catchy groove, and a sweet, long jam formed out of it!
Of course, what better way to get the juices flowin than tearing into the one, the only, the classic Divided Sky. Yeah! Always a pleasure to hear. Compared to all of my years hearing this song, this was a pretty standard version. Lots of little Trey flubs in the composed part, but this is '99, and they don't play it much anymore. So, flubs or no flubs, it was a treat! End jam was nice. I figured the show was about to take off in a big way but...
The boys busted into Train Song. Unfortunately, I don't love this tune at all and didn't really like the placement. I was ready to groove to some thick jamming, and another newish slow song didn't do the trick. But, of course, Phish does not disappoint for too long. They kept the jamming alive with a Leoesque version of Llama. The unusual thing about this Llama is that it started out of silence. Most of the Llama's the last few years have formed out of jams or feedback, but fish just kicked it up while nobody was playing a thing. Page really shined in this versions. Great Leo solo!! With another Llama thrust upon us, Driver took its position in the set. Again, not too impressed with the placement of the slow tunes. I definitely heard this song enough last year.
Obviously the boys cannot end the set on Driver, so I was anticipating a rager. Runaway Jim is a great way to close any set, but this version wasn't too good. Trey seemed to be having problems keeping up during the jam and never really brought it to a high level. The jam eventually came to a close and the set ended.
I would give this set a 5 for the Divided Sky, the great Get Back on the Train and the Llama. Was looking forward to the second set! And what better way to open a second set than ripping into a Punch You In The Eye!! HEY! This song gets everyone moving. Great way to start things up. I still wish they just played the Landlady by itself once in awhile. everybody was in the mood and feeling. Free. Very nice version indeed. The boys took the hard phunk jam to the same chord progression that started at Hampton last fall and has showed up in most Free's since, referring to Mike bass line during the jam while trey just wails at his guitar on top. Guitar god Trey at his best.
Next was What's the Use, a very cool Floyd like tune that I heard previously in Atlanta, although this version seemed more powerful. TIME FOR THE MEATSTICK, BURY THE MEATSTCK, TAKE OUT THE MEATSTICK TIME Even though it was played the night before, it was time for the Meatstick time again. I have to say that this version was not as tight as the previous one I saw in Atlanta, which had the magic of hearing for the first time as well as being an overall solid version of the song. I love the verses Trey sings before the chorus!! Page's wife Sofie came onstage to show everyone the meatstick dance. Eventually, Trey and Mike joined her at the front of the stage. Little did we know the boys were prepping us for the guiness book of world records. A good time was had by all!
The next sequence of songs couldn't have made me happier. Mike's > Twist > Weekapaug -- hell yeah! I'm a total Mike's lover whatever it goes into...h2...simple or twist.
This particular version of Mike's had a long jam that was spacey, but enjoyable. The space was rolling and Trey hit the opening chords of...
Twist Around -- WOOOOOO -- Twist is the coolest song to come out of summer '97. I thought it was kind of interesting how they shelved it after '97, played it at the Nassau run in Spring '98, and are now playing it a bunch on this summer tour!! The Atlanta Twist raged. This one wasn't as good, but fun anyway.
Weekapaug closed the second set in typical Mike fashion, thumping out a great bass line to open the song, and they seemed tighter on this tune than any other this night. Good weekapaug, I think the best of the summer so far was PNC. Talk about raging.
Can one person get enough of Harry Hood? Well, this summer was yet another true test, as this was my third hood encore thus far. It was a standard, late nineties version.
Overall, a fun show that I would give a 5 for standard phun!! I love these guys no matter what they play. I still have a great time at the non-bomb shows! I love you Trey, Mike, Page, and vajona. Thanks!!
Phish
July 17-18, 1999 Oswego County Airport--Volney, NYBy Dan Alford
Setlist: 8-17-99
I: Tube, Boogie On Reggae Woman, Birds of a Feather, Guelah, My Sweet One, Roggae, Tweezer> Have Mercy >Taste > Character Zero
II: Funky Bitch, On My Knees > Blues Jam > Down With Disease> Wolfman's > Sneakin' Sally > Timber Ho, YEM
E: Squirming Coil Setlist: 8-18-99I: Punch You In The Eye, Farmhouse, Wate In The Sky, Bathtub Gin, Get Back On The Train, IYENAF, Blue and Lonesome, Jam, Beauty of My Dreams, Moma Dance > Reba, Chalk Dust Torture
II: Runaway Jim > Free > Meatstick > Guyute > Axilla I > Llama
III: My Soul, Piper > Caspian > Wilson > Catapult > Icculus, Quinn > Fluffhead
E: Harry Hood
The car almost overheated on the way to Syracuse, but considering the heat and the fact that it didn't actually overheat, it wasn't that bad. Plus, there wasn't really any traffic to speak of until about three miles from the airport where we grinded to a slow crawl in the heat and exhaust of Friday night.
After about two hours of listening to great local jazz station we finally made it to the gate. Even though it sounds like I'm complaining, I'm really just relaying facts; I had expected to be in line for much longer, especially when I saw the long narrow road that stretched almost eight miles from the highway to the venue.
Local teens were put in charge of parking, which wasn't the best situation. It was late and hot and they were tired. My friend Dave had picked out a great camping spot (he was there four to five hours earlier) with unused Johnny's-on-the-Spot, two water tanks, sinks and a rain tent all within fifty meters. I decided to sleep sometime after one-thirty.
By nine o'clock Saturday morning it was unbearably hot... Even though The Living Daylights, Bob Moses(!), and Son Seals were playing at the Echo Lodge in the village area (called the Green this year), which was not in the actual concert grounds but a hundred meters outside the gate, we couldn't do anything but sit under the sun shelter and squirt water at passers-by. After countless bottles of water and periodic soakings at the sink, it began to cool just a touch and it was time to head in.
Because the Green was outside, the venue itself was smaller than Plattsburgh or Limestone, and there wasn't a lot to do during those outrageously long set breaks (on Sunday there was over an hour between II and III!). Still it meant that pretty much everywhere had good sound and you didn't have to worry about getting something to eat or bathroom breaks during the show. The crowd actually seemed smaller to me than in previous years but who knows.
Hitting the stage at a quarter after eight, the boys opened with Tube, one of my favorite songs right now and always great as an opener: high energy, funk jams, and old school whacked lyrics... Are there no more arrows left? This one had a spacey jam before the blues return, sort of eerie and... well, different. I enjoyed it immensely. Boogie On followed. Always a good tune, no matter who plays it (Merl and DBB covered it at GOTV). It was kind of slow, as has been most of this tour.
As an aside, I like the slowed down grooves. I'm a long time fan, and there are times when they can can simply go too fast. Trey even talks about it in The Phish Book. Being able to slow down and take time is the sign of maturing musicians. Page had nice coloring on this one, but the coolest aspect was that it just faded into nothing, much like the 6-30-98 Ghost or Bowie from 11-20-92. For those who wanted speed, a fantastic Birds of a Feather came next. Some people think this is over played but I have a bunch of tapes with it and I like them all. The lyrics are such a great critique of cliques in general and our scene in particular... "It's not an experience if they can't bring someone along"... There was also great interplay between Trey and Page, another factor which seems to be occurring on this tour.
A rare Guelah Papyrus followed. The playing was somewhat loose, but what an exceptional song. Back in the day it was my absolute favorite, and to follow it with an equally rare My Sweet One was a flash back to ninety-two. A lot of people grumble about Roggae but I can't figure out why... I love it. The heavy SOTM jam interspersed with pretty, floating stars fast became a favorite of mine. This one wasn't the tightest version, but it did have a weird crescendo in the middle of the jam. I think of this as the end of Set I, part a. Look at the songs... such a strange mix.
What followed, however, was a Tweezer initiated jamfest. Right from the start you knew it was gonna be a good one because John pounded the skins into a huge explosion on the intro. The jam was a trek through a haunted forest, with wispy delay loops and Page laying brief spots of sunshine. Eventually we found our way to village walls, creeping quietly around them with Trey noodles... An out of nowhere we're in Have Mercy! The delay loops remained for the first few bars. This Jimmy Cliff number always seems to come out of nowhere; I was at the Kent show in ninety-four (last time played?) when it was sandwiched in DWD. This one was just right, continuing the reggae theme of the set (Boogie and Guelah). Mike had a good solo and a series of swells erupted before a rough transition into the Queen Mother of all Tastes. Wow, that's all I'll say because I can't say anymore. And of course a Character Zero closer is always welcome.
It was still hot out when set II began with the aforementioned Son Seals growling and tearing on Funky Bitch. If you've heard the Possum with Scott from Great Woods, we're talking about the same level of shredding. And Page! Whoa! What a solo! If the rest of the set wasn't so hot, this would've been the evenings highlight. Son continued with On My Knees, laying out a stunning quiet jam and eliciting more fine work by McConnell.
As Son left the stage, Trey reasserted his dominance with a blues outro which was essentially his solo from Bitch before screeching down into a monster DWD. The jam was an up tempo rager that just kept charging along, very unlike the jazzy one from Great Woods a few nights earlier. It landed somewhere between twenty and twenty-five minutes before launching on another psychedelic journey with Wolfman's. Easily my favorite launching pad for jams in the modern era (post summer 96), this one had cool singing by Mike just before the jam, which was itself awesome, going through a pause jam segment (not quite like fall 97, but you get the idea). A noodle segment that came next led into a groove jam that segued into (Oh Man!) Sneakin' Sally. I had sat listening to 4-2-98 that afternoon, and if you don't have the tape get it. Now! I mean before you do anything else, because that transition is the best by anyone, anywhere, at any point in history. To have the two paired on Saturday was phenomenal. This jam was great with good work from Cactus and Page was just dancing over it all.
This is a good spot to bring up the topic of Trey's lead guitar. You always read that he wants to just sit back and play, that he lets you do what you want, etc., etc. But on this tour he really seems to be letting the others take the lead. He is more likely to share his jam with Page, even letting him or John lead the groove, and, as you will soon read, let Mike play lead. The point is Trey is the front man and I'm glad, but I'm also glad, glad, glad, glad that he is really living up to his ideals and opening the band in all sorts of directions. Back to the set.... Sally finally worked it's way into the great Timber Ho! This song was cool way back when it was short and fast and has only gotten better over the years. It is the slyest song the guys play. It's cool the way 65 Miles is cool; so classy and smooth. The spacey jam in this one sent minds soaring across the cosmos. I expected it to be the closer or be followed with Sample or Cavern, but no, it was....
YEM! A solid version with a heavy beginning and some seriously thick funk included a truly wonderful jam at the end with Mike playing lead! I know people are thinking "Oh, a cool solo," but that's not what I mean. He played lead for a good five to ten minutes. Everyone was backing him, adding color here and there, but the jam was his. Incredible! Although the encore started with the first two notes of Twist, which would've been great, it actually turned out to be Squirming Coil, an oldie that I always forget about and generally enjoy when it's played. The set ended at about twelve thirty and we wandered back to our campsite to find Jiggle the Handle playing the first of many sets over the course of the weekend at an RV about forty meters away. A great way to relax and be lulled to sleep.
Day 2.
I actually had a good night's sleep and aside from a pair of angry drunk women who were sleeping under the sun shelter, the morning was pleasant and less hot than Saturday. Regardless, we continued to past the time in the shade, playing with Willow, a three year old camped next to us on one side, and listening to tapes from the tour being broadcasted by tapers camped on the other side. At some point Jiggle played another set, and before you knew it it was time to go in for what turned out to be one of the longest concerts I've ever seen; just short of seven hours from the opener to the end of the encore, including set breaks.And what an opener! Of the four shows I caught this summer three contained my three favorite openers, NICU (7-13), Tube, and PYITE, and the fourth was the Foreplay > Longtime from 7-12. You just can't ask for anything more. PYITE just doesn't get old for me, and it was a solid version followed by Farmhouse. I've loved it since Conan and the very slight new intro works well. Trey's solo was phenomenal, just searing my soul with each note. In general I don't care for Bluegrass numbers but both Water In The Sky's that I saw this summer had really great jams of the Taste/Limb/Vultures tone. Bathtub Gin was solid with nice playing from Jon and Trey, and the jam was a bit more forceful than other recent versions. As much as I love aimless wandering, this was a welcome groove. A mini Bluegrass set with the Del McCoury Band followed. Get Back on The Train is a fantastic number and the banjo and fiddle added a lot steam to the engine. The other numbers were If You Ever Need a Fool, Blue and Lonesome, Banjo/Fiddle Jam, and Beauty of My Dreams, which was written by Del. The funk then returned with a nice, sparse Moma Dance. Although some people have said that this tour has standard versions, I have a ton of tapes with it and the two I heard had longer intros with more improv, instead of the very set pattern that had established itself by the end of Fall tour 98.
Plus it's a great song, especially when it segues into Reba. I had grown bored with this tune in 94 and since last year I've found myself falling in love with all over. A good version with a delicate and pretty beginning to a glorious jam that featured a solid jamlet from Trey and Page. Oh yeah, Chalk Dust closed the set. Not a favorite but a good version nonetheless. It raged from the start and had a clean jam.
Set break: Miles... and I was basking in it. This was my fiftieth show and I was happy.
It seems that set II of the second night of these two day things is where it's at because the opening coupling of Runaway Jim > Free was awe inspiring. Fans of the long Jim may not find this one as lengthy as 8-11-98 or Worcester in 97 but it was one of the best versions I've heard, even though I'm a fan of 91's and was at Worcester, with multiple sub-jams going from frantic > rockin* > noodle before settling into Free about twenty minutes later. And what a Free! Epic from the first notes, Deadheads can compare it to a Dew or SOTM; just so powerful! After a series of swells, Mike started playing lead again! Of the whole weekend this was my favorite part.
The Meatstick Dance was fun, but participation was weak. From where I was standing I could barely see Mike doing it, and I'm tall. There was no way that Guiness would have accepted it as a record. Guyute was standard and rockin'. Page had a cool solo at the end as it went into Axilla. A monster version as I was dancing hard. I woke the witch with reverence, into a longish Llama closer. A nice pairing of those two post-apocalyptic Gamehenge tunes.
Set break was way too long and I was spent, as was most of the crowd. Luckily the third set provided music made for mind trips or dancing, depending on where you were at. The My Soul opener was nice. It definitely works better now that its rotation has slowed. Those first few chords of Piper chills me every time. This one had a nice long build, quiet and drifting. After the blaze of The Great Red Worm this incredible jam just kept going. I don't know how they kept the energy up because I just stood transfixed for 5... 10... 15... "What are we in the middle of?" "We're still in Piper!" This beast went on for 25 minutes with sub jams, a few loops and great work from everyone. This is one for the ages, not a quiet meandering jam but high energy straight through until a long Caspian.
Some people don't like it, but ever since the opener on 12-30-95, when I returned from a very long journey and was greeted with that sweet sound. A long one here. My notes say "non-traditional" but nothing really stands out except that the end slam wasn't there... it was Wilson. An resurgence of energy, driving and HEAVY!!! No "Blat Boom..." but Catapult! Always a treat, this one was actually sung by Mike, and Trey... babbling... books good, TV bad... Book = Icculus? "Read the Fuckin' Book!" Smoke on the Water... Cat Scratch Fever... Smoke is better... Ooo, ooo, ooo, ooo...Icculus! Rare and funny... "That last tune was Icculus"... Chris Kuroda on the lights... "That last tune was Icculus." Quinn the Eskimo... weird placement... could it be the closer? No, Fluffhead! Oh God, they're trying to kill us with music... good version... Check it out... extended post-Fluffy head jam. You had to know that Harry would be the encore. At this point I'm so beat I don't really remember it. Again Jiggle the Handle lulled us to sleep, and another festival had come and gone. Over all it was more relaxing than past years and there were some really shining musical moments. I've already got my Fall Tour Tix, how about you?
Phish
July 21, 1999 Starlake Amphitheater--Burgettstown, Penn.By Jeremy
Back-ground: Last evening's show was my first since last December's show in Cleveland (having been shut-out for NYE). Last year, I was sent away on my first business trip, so I missed Trenchtown Rock and Runaway Jim here at Starlake. Needless to say, I was rather excited for this year's show at Starlake. My friend Laura, my brother, and I all left downtown Pittsburgh around five, thinking that would give us plenty enough time. Unfortunately, we didn't think of all the south-bound traffic on I-79, coming from Toronto. We were able to meet up with the rest of our caravan just a few minutes late, and our knowledge of the back-roads helped us get to the Amphitheater around 6:15 pm. (Connections with VIP parking are always nice).
As for the scene, it was rather odd. I can only think that it is at an end of a long and extensive tour; kind of sad, with all the young, lost-looking tour-heads. Lots of ticketless wookies, as the area around the Box Office was very crowded with Heads looking for a miracle. As for Shakedown Street, well, there really wasn't one. I was hoping to find some nice shirts or stickers but there were just a few vendors; food, water, beer, etc. Really nothing to speak of. Maybe the cops were busting down.
We went inside around 7:15 pm to find our seats, guessing that the 7:00 pm start time would be 7:30 pm. We were fifteen minutes off. Our seats were good; left of center right behind the corporate "boxes" that Starlake has. We were about even with the tapers, 30 seats to the left. There were Lots of tapers as the seats filled up. As mentioned, this was my first show with the new configuration on stage, so I pondered that a bit as Olu Dara was played over the PA. Thinking of an opener, I had a Ya Mar feeling or maybe a break-out, as they had done the previous two years with Amarina and Trenchtown.
At around 7:50, the band walked out onto the stage; Trey in a black long-sleeved T, Page in a button-down, I think Mike had on a black shirt, and Fish in his mumu. They opened the show with AC/DC Bag, which always seems to be a bit slow. But it was nice, funky and really got the crowd into it - "Let's get this show on the road!" The funk was carried out for a bit, with Fishman doing some fun stuff on a wood block (Fishman would stand out the whole night, IMO). The wood block beats carried right into Cities, which got a huge roar from the crowd. This version was really nice, Trey hitting all the lyrics. You could really start to hear how tight the band was with this song as the end jammed out a bit longer than usual.
After Cities ended, the band took a bit of a pause. Trey was talking things over with Fishman and Mike, as Fish banged out some fills. What came next was a quick song that sounded a lot like The Who, or at least Trey's vocalizations. Fun lyrics, something about a secret. Everyone around me held their pens over their set-list books, shrugging their shoulders. It was a nice, quick pop song. After the song, Trey took the time to say it was a Pavement song. (I missed some of what he said, but the song was entitled Gold Soundz).
Trey then said the next song will be a cover as well, one entitled Ginseng Sullivan. This token blue-grass song was done rather well, except for a lyric flub by Mike. He seemed to forget one of the verses, and kind of mumbled through. But the musicianship continued to impress me, even on this standard.
Keeping up with the banter, Trey couldn't let Mike's mistake slide and mentioned that they planned on getting all the lyrics correct on the next song, a Phish original. That is when the opening notes of Limb by Limb started. Ever since I heard this song on tapes of the 97 Summer Europe tour, I was a fan.
This version certainly did not disappoint. I was at first hesitant of the change made last year on the Island Run, the addition of the "rocking" part near the end (that has appeared on Story of the Ghost), but I am coming around. It really worked last night; a bit of an edge to an otherwise beautiful song.
Funky Bitch quickly started right after Limb, and it stuck to its name. Mike was given a time to redeem himself, and he certainly did in this hard and heavy funk fest. It seemed to morph directly into Black Eyed, oh sorry, I mean Moma Dance. I think I am still partial to the instrumental version myself, but who is complaining. Earlier in the car, my brother said he hoped to hear When the Circus Comes to Town, as he really enjoys Phish's version. Well, I wish I was next to him to see his face when the boys started the opening notes. I think this song takes too much flack, as I really enjoy it (as a slow, cool-down), and this one ended up being a very nice rendition. Let me use this as a plug to say Los Lobos is very underrated as a band and as songwriters.
The opening notes of Taste started up, and looking at my watch I thought this might be the closer, depending on how hard they raged. As mentioned before, and especially in this song, Fishman was on last night. I like Taste; Fishman can show off his skills on layered rhythms while Trey just wails. And Trey certainly wailed, as I wrote down "Wow! Wrestling notes out of his guitar!" - he got in this stance with his right leg forward as he just worked his guitar. It was great to watch.
I thought this was turning out to be a great way to end a set that featured lots of nice, tight songs (about 75 minutes at this point). In the back of my mind I was hoping for an Antelope to close the set, but the Taste simply raged in a way that did away with any thoughts of Setting the Gearshift...
But as the last notes of Taste echoed under the pavilion, they did not seem like they were leaving. That is because they wanted to play to the crowd Bittersweet Motel. The crowd gave a boisterous applause the two times "Half-way between Erie and Pittsburgh" was sung. A first for me. The song left a big smile on my face. All in all, it was a very strong 78 minute set. As I said, they were very tight and seemed to be having fun, with even a bit of banter. Nothing spectacular, nothing too out of the ordinary, but a good first set. Plus, another break-out for Starlake. I was beginning to wonder when Trey was going to sneak a Pavement song into the set-list. Set break approached 45-50 minutes, during which I was thinking of Ya Mar (again) or maybe My Friend, as my friend and I found some different seats a few rows back with more room (and fresh air!).
For whatever reason, I wasn't entertaining thoughts of Mike's Song. I seem to always downplay any hopes of hearing that song, so when I do, I jump, yell and laugh for joy! That is exactly what happened tonight. As soon as the opening notes were strummed by Trey, I lost it.
From the new seats that we found, we were able to see the big screens that were showing some great shots of the band. I kept switching from the stage to the screen. The jam segment out of the opening part was a ten minutes long, grooving really deep. About eight minutes in, I could hear a bit of Simple coming through. However, they wouldn't play it for a couple more minutes, after they "officially" ended Mike's and transitioned into Simple.
And what a Simple it was! A cool little noodle at the Band with Bee-Bop part seemed to set things off, as they jammed out the Simple for about twenty minutes. As I read morning after, they played My Left Toe somewhere in there, but I had yet to hear that instrumental so it all sounding like a jam out of Simple to me; a jam with many parts and themes. Great stuff.
One of the closing jams, which could have been My Left Toe, had the feeling of a plane flying close the ground, over beautiful land-scape of England or Ireland. It was a driving jam that was also so full of feeling. Somewhere in there, as I found my brother and sister in another section, I thought to myself of the Champaign Simple I witnessed from the front row three years ago (11/08/96) - another great Simple, placed oddly between Bouncing and Loving Cup. Near the end of My Left Toe (or jam), it almost sounded as if they were going to go into Lizards. It had that high-note repetition series, or so it sounded. But my ears were tricking me as it gradually moved into the grand notes of Prince Caspian. I really enjoyed this song, following the travels of Simple. It was grand and big. I wrote, "Trey looks lost in himself," as he gazed off, rocking and strumming away. A great picture.
My mind wandered a bit, thinking of what would come next, but everyone seemed to know that Weekapaug Groove was going to follow. And Mike made sure you knew, as he slapped the hell out of his 'Doc Bass. This Weekapaug raged, and lasted for a long time, slipping into a little jam in the middle. All the while, Mike kept his bass work going. Very nice. During the middle jam part, Fish started to work a cow bell, banging it out along a repetitious, almost techno beat. The percussion, along with some keyboard work by Page, reminded my friend Laura of a Talking Heads song, something from Remain in Light. No one else really picked up on it and I really couldn't tell you the last time Phish went out of Weekapaug into another song. Any examples, anyone? Overall, it was a great groove.
Although Golgi Apparatus is not one of my favorites, it was kind of a nice crowd-pleasing closer, with a ticket-stub in everyone's hand. They played Golgi at the end of the Starlake show in '97 as well. I do love when CK turns on the house lights and we can all see the thousands of people dancing and getting down. I had a feeling it would be the closer.
I really had no idea as to what they were going to play as an encore. And I actually wasn't too upset with Brian & Robert. It is one of my favorite songs off of Ghost, mostly for the great lyrics. I had a feeling that we were going to get two songs, and the Axis: Bold as Love was a good second song. Gives Page a forum to sing (he sounded just a bit winded), and Trey a song to show off his Hendrix chops. We also get to experience CK's command of the colored lights! Wednesday night's show at Starlake was very strong. The first set showed a tight band that could jam out songs without getting too "spacey". All they decided to do for the second set was just turn it up a few notches. Way up. A 30 minute Mike's->Simple->My Left Toe was pretty amazing, as was the Weekapaug. The only downer, IMO, was the scene. As mentioned above, lots of Heads seemed lost, or only in search of one thing, and that wasn't music. However, I didn't let it get to me.
Thanks for everyone who helped make the show a good one, especially the band. Any and all comments are welcome. My email address is: welsh@udapgh.com.
Phish
July 16, 1999 PNC - Holmdel, N.J.By Dustin Bambic
So, as a background, I'm moving towards my 50th show, and I had been on since Maryland as of this show.
PNC ended up being a great venue. Everyone was worried because a state police headquarters is connected to it. Some kids skipped the shows, but I think because the cops were in such force they kept chill, which made the crowd calm, which made for a good vibe. Before the show I kicked it with Mike on the grass in front of the venue, asked a few questions, got a few answers, and then he took a nap to everyone's surprise.
The Sample In a Jar opener left much to be desired, and set the stage for the first set. The set was very reminiscent of Summer '97, with a mellow vibe, and no segues. Beauty of My Dreams was followed by Dogs, which again left me hanging. Though a Summer '97 tune, too, Limb by Limb has made itself a song to be dealt with, and finally I got to dance through this standard version, but the funk was nowhere in sight.
After Limb by Limb came Billy Breathes. I'm still in a time warp, but '99 Billy Breathes' have an incredible ending with Trey's new layering. I enjoy Vultures. It's not played too often and it has tight, structured sections. Hell, it's almost danceable. This version was pretty rockin.
Back on the Train is a new tune with no new ground explored and I needed a Maze. Finally, I'm dancing to an old school, mind-boggling tune that has been better played. Trey's keyboard work on this song is nothing but fill, and the layers are hard to work into Maze-type jamming. A Cavern closer, and man, the second set MUST get better. And better it did. I had somehow missed 2001 for several tours, and was I ready to get the funk on. I hadn't even really danced yet, and boy did I feel fresh. We danced this 2001 for a while, Mike's work was incredible, as always, and I wanted to hear 2001>Mikes. I got it. A first for me. Even though Mike's had been played in Maryland, I was stoked. This was pretty a raunchy version, nothing like Deer Creek '96, but raunchy. The raunch lead into the obligatory space, and out came Hydrogen. Trey had a few flubs, but Hydrogen did its job, and out sprang Weekapaug.
I enjoy Mikes > Hydrogen > Weekapaug nowadays, as it has become rare. The Weekapaug was of course rippin. Trey let loose some 2001 teases as they dropped the jam quietly, and picked it up into one of the peaks of the show. Weekapaug gets sicker every time I hear it. Unexpectedly, the beginning notes of Simple came out the Week closing. Maybe a first(?).
This opening used to bring miles of smiles, but now it just brings content. The Simple was 100% standard, until Trey's hints of Guyute lit the place up. Guyute has been played more over the past year than ever, but it will be a long time before I don't jump at its opening. Just keep in mind that back 95 and 96, Guyute was a KICK DOWN!
This version was kind of sloppy, the theme of Summer '99 IMHO, but everyone loved it, including me. Guyute's closing notes gave way to Loving Cup, a song I don't usually enjoy, but this version was stellar. Talk about raunchy. This was rock and roll. Trey just uses this song for the chorus, but his licks were piercing tonight as well. Loud and obnoxious, the way rock is supposed to be. I thought that would be the closer, but a Golgi was a welcome set stretcher, the jam was pretty tight, and the set ended with a high.
The encore was pretty special. Trey almost had me fooled with his jabber about "New Jersey's favorite son, and the all-time greatest song writer." Then Tom came out, put a hilarious cap on a fine show with Springsteen's "Born to Run," and dumped us all into the lot, which was, again, pretty damn chill for a state police headquarters. Generally, the first set wasn't anything to write home about, the second set rocked, and the encore made the show memorable.
Pete Townshend with Eddie Vedder John Entwistle Band
July 28th, 1999 July 29th, 1999
The Supper Club, New York City Voodoo Lounge, Queens, NYBy AJ Abrams
The last week in July turned out to be quite memorable as I got to see two members of The Who in two different shows on two consecutive nights. The Who has always been one of my favorite groups and I felt lucky for the chance to see half the band play live.
Pete Townshend played a private invitation only show to promote his new live album "Live From the Mayville Academy." Proceeds from the album will be donated to the Maryville Academy, a Chicago home for abused children. John Entwistle wasn't playing for charity but just for the love of rock and roll.
The two shows turned out to be drastically different as the Townshend show had a yuppie snob appeal aura to it and the Entwistle show was a rowdy, drunk night out at a heavy metal basement bar in Queens. The Townshend show was first, but I had one major obstacle to overcome. I had to get a ticket. This could prove to be an impossible task, as there were no tickets sold for the show. The only folks with invitations to get in were music industry VIPs, the media and radio contest winners. So, it was a free show for anyone who was lucky enough to get inside. For about a half an hour I worked my way up and down the line asking every single person if they had an extra spot on their guest list for me. I hate to degrade myself by begging yuppies for tickets, but I was determined to see this show. In my nicest tone of voice I politely asked everyone if they had an extra. Everyone was real nice to me even though nobody could help me get inside. In fact, many of the folks seemed downright sympathetic about my situation.
As people showed their ID and had their names checked off a list wristbands were placed on their wrist. Once you had a wristband, you were allowed to walk into the club. The guy in charge of putting the wristbands on people had a huge stack of hundreds. This was a small venue and he had double the amount of wristbands that he actually needed. I knew my only hope to get inside was to prey the guy would accidentally drop one and not pick it up. Well, someone from above was smiling on me this day. Within a few minutes I found one wristband on the ground and then later I found a second one. However, these wristbands had already been worn and torn off of somebody. They were in awful shape, ripped to shreds and not really useable.
I walked a few blocks away and bought a roll of scotch tape to perform surgery on the magic wristbands. Within ten minutes I had successfully taped the two wristbands together to create one brand new looking wristband. The excitement and adrenaline built up inside me now because I knew I was getting into the show. My heart was pounding as I entered the line to get in and then casually walked by five burly bouncers and a couple of NYC police officers. I sailed right through the security and cops with no problems. Shazaam! I was inside the private show!
However, just as I threw my fists up in the air in a sign of victory, tragedy struck. Within ten seconds of walking into the Supper Club my bracelet fell off. I was only a few feet past the cops. I quickly walked to the middle of the packed floor and hid in the crowd. Luckily, I was already inside and it did not matter that my bracelet fell off. Nobody was going to check for bracelets any more. I was safe but if my bracelet had fallen off just ten seconds earlier I would have been denied entry into the show - or even worse arrested by the cops for trespassing. Remember this is Mayor Giuliani's New York City where the police shoot first and ask questions later.
This show was Pete Townshend solo on electric and acoustic guitar. Eddie Vedder joined him for a few songs towards the end of the set. Eddie was not a surprise however, as he appears on Townshend's new live album and also appeared with Townshend on the David Letterman show the same night as this show. Vedder walked within inches of me before the show. But I didn't even recognize him because he not only cut his hair short but he bleached it blond. Later, I found out it was him as he took his seat in the front row.
Inside it was all yuppies, VIPs, and music industry insiders. There was a sprinkling of common rock fans who were lucky enough to win tickets on the radio. Everyone was very well dressed and the common rock fans seemed a bit out of place among all the fancy ties and cocktail dresses. The plush, art deco Supper Club is the suitable place for such a high brow event. The Supper Club is so named because it was actually built as a supper club for New York's high society socialites in the 1930s. There was fancy carpeting everywhere, gold leaf sections to the ceiling, huge mirrors, chandeliers and bouncers in Armani suits.
Townshend took the stage brandishing a bright candy apple red Fender Stratocaster. Townshend playing electric guitar was a bit of a surprise. He has hearing problems and rarely plays electric guitar anymore. So it was already an awesome show and Townshend hadn't even played a note yet.
Without saying a word he launched into a monstrous version of "Won't Get Fooled Again." This song sounded just as heavy and powerful as the full band version. In between verses he let loose with some fiery solos. And at the end of the song he furiously attacked his guitar with reckless abandon just like the old Who days. In his opening number Townshend was determined to let the audience know that he can still rock the house. During the final moments of the closing jam he created a ferocious sonic splendor. As he did this I imagined The Who in the background smashing everything to bits. Townshend followed the explosive solo guitar assault with another Who classic, "Behind Blue Eyes." He switched over to the acoustic guitar for this gorgeous gem. Although Townshend wrote it, this song has always been one of Roger Daltrey's signature tunes. Daltrey does have better vocals, but Townshend's soft and delicate voice was perfectly suited for the slow first half of the song.
The show continued with a wonderful workout through Drowned. The smooth and flowing chords effortlessly rolled out of Townshend's guitar. The song from Quadrophenia had the ebbs and flows of waves crashing ashore. The sea is constantly in the background throughout Quadrophenia, and Townshend also played "Cut My Hair" and "I'm One" from the album. For "Cut My Hair" he sat at the piano and "I'm One" come at the end of the set. "Slip Skirt" and "Let My Love Open the Door" were the next two songs and then Eddie Vedder climbed up on stage.
The crowd went nuts but I had mixed feelings about seeing Vedder up there. I've always strongly disliked Pearl Jam so I was disappointed that Vedder was taking part in the show. Since Townshend shows are so rare, I was being selfish and I didn't want anyone else hogging the precious stage time from Townshend. The first two songs they played together were two obscure Townshend songs "Heart to Hang Onto" and "Sheraton Gibson." Then Townshend decided to let Vedder sing the Pearl Jam song "Betterman." Vedder's slow, passionate vocals were wonderful. Even though I don't like his band, I enjoyed Vedder's finely crafted hit single. His eyes were closed as he conjured up feelings to sing the song with the intense sincerity he is famous for. The audience was absolutely in awe of Vedder, as they screamed in childish delight after every line he sang.
Both men admiringly looked at each other as they rocked out to the feel good fun tune "Let's See Action" and a raw, rowdy, version of "Magic Bus." During "Magic Bus" they worked off of each other during a short jam and even added a bit of improvisational fun. Townshend was on electric and even let loose a few crowd-pleasing windmills. During this song and "Won't Get Fooled Again" Townshend was able to capture the spirit of the Who in all their super garage band glory.
The set ended as both men sang "I'm One" while strumming their acoustic guitars in unison. The two have become collaborators on both new and old material and were letting everyone know they can be a unified team. But oddly enough, when Townshend came out for the encore and sang "I'm One" all over again by himself. It was the only bizarre moment on an otherwise purely magical night.
The sign of a truly awesome show is when you wake up the next morning and still feel all giddy like you did the night before. Well, the next day I was on a natural high not just from the amazing music, but also from my bracelet scam. The combination of the two events together made this one of my favorite nights of music ever. But the fun was not over yet. The following day I got to see Townshend's old band mate, John Entwistle, as he helped me continue my amazing journey back into time to relive The Who's music.
The John Entwistle Band show was at one of the worst rock clubs I have ever seen. The Voodoo Lounge was a seedy, scummy, shitty heavy metal hellhole in Queens. The sound system was too loud and distorted. The worn out carpet contained the remains of years worth of puke and stale beer from thousands of customers. There was no air conditioning, so the place was really was hot as hell. It was ironic the place was such a dump, because it was located in the wealthy suburb of Bayside, Queens. Just across the street there were convertible BMWs and Mercedes parked in front of a trendy bar/cafe.
The terrible physical state of the club and its sound system completely ruined the show for me. When the house DJ excitedly shouted to the crowd "This is the new hit single from Def Leppard!" I knew I was in for a long night. When Entwistle hit the stage there were only around 100 people to see one of the greatest bass players of all time. The club was only half full, but Entwistle was determined to blow the roof off of the joint. He was dressed in what my friend jokingly called the Jordache look - red leather jacket, red leather pants and designer cowboy boots. He led a full band of guitar, keyboards and drums.
He came out and opened with a hard driving original instrumental composition called "Horror Rock." Then he kicked into an extremely powerful and tight version of "The Real Me." This song has always contained some of Entwistle's best bass work and he was on fire throughout. His pounding bass was rumbling thick, melodic runs through the entire tune. His bass sound was fat and grungy but the individual notes flowed together to recreate this Who classic. For a moment I was transported back to 1973 as this song sounded almost identical to the original version.
However, my vision of 1973 was soon shattered by the awful sound system of the club. The mix was an obnoxiously loud, muddy mess. There was no separation of the instruments and they were just haphazardly sonically layered on top of each other. I was absolutely disgusted that a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame had to put up with these horrendous conditions.
Well, I just went to this show to hear Entwistle play bass anyway. So, I set up shop directly in front of him and his bass amps. Luckily, from this vantage point, I could see and hear everything this living legend was doing. The Phil Zone was nothing compared to the bombs being dropped here. Entwistle is in his late 50s, but he was playing bass like a 20-year-old. It was incredible to watch how fast his fingers flew up and down the fret board. Every finger of both hands was plucking and picking out notes in rapid-fire succession. He was playing bass Eddie Van Halen style and it was quite impressive.
I've seen Who concerts both in person and on videotape for years and I swear Entwistle is actually a better bass player today. He was playing lead bass instead of laying down grooves or rhythms for the rest of the band. It was as though the band had two guitarists and no bass instead of one of each. Entwistle's playing never paused for a moment. Every second of music contained an interesting bass note from him. His style was melodic yet so full of energy, power and muscle that he could easily be in one of the heavy metal bands that normally plays the Voodoo Lounge. Even in middle age, Entwistle proved he is one of the best bass players who ever lived. He continues to be an innovator and progressive force on the instrument today.
While I was blown away by Entwistle's outstanding bass work, the horrendous conditions of the club ruined most of my night. Therefore, I don't have any specific comments about the setlist. There was a full band on stage, but I was reduced to just listening to the bass. Of course, it was a hall of fame caliber bass. But I wanted to hear the other instruments too. Luckily, the John Entwistle Band is about to finish up the tour at another New York rock club. I can't wait to go back and check out the entire band under much better conditions. He has been touring bars and rock clubs for the last few years. See for yourself why he has been nicknamed The Ox and Thunder Fingers. You see or hear the bass the same way again.
Setlist for the John Entwistle band tour:
Horror Rock, The Real Me, 905, Success Story, Trick Of The Light, Under A Raging Moon, Boris The Spider, I'll Try Again Today, Shakin' All Over, Had Enough, Summertime Blues, Heaven And Hell, Young Man Blues, Light, I'll Try Again Today, Endless Vacation, My Wife
Pod-Net Mutation Floatation Credenza
by The Bourbon Cowboy
The M.V. Juniper set sail from the shores of Plattsburgh, N.Y. on the afternoon of July 10th, just as it does nearly every other day during the summer season. Another day, another three-hour pleasure cruise on Lake Champlain, framed by splendid views of New York's inspiring Adirondacks to one side, and the lush, rolling serenity of Vermont's Green Mountains on the other. This cruise, however, would prove a little different than most Juniper outings. No sign of gawking tourists, snapping photos of the mountains to the left and right, could be found on board for this trip. Nor was this a typical Juniper wedding cruise, with people congratulating the bride and groom and drinking to their future happiness. No, not much about this cruise could be called typical, for on this day the Juniper's cargo was the upstate New York band Ominous Seapods, along with a full contingent of their most faithful followers from the band's Internet discussion group, Pod-Net. The event was billed as the "Pod-Net Mutation Floatation Credenza", and drew the faithful from all over New York and New England, plus nearby Canada, and as far away as Baltimore.
The Juniper is an ideal craft for such an occasion. It is three-quarters enclosed to provide shelter from the possibility of inclement weather, a very real threat on this overcast day, though the sun did manage to peek through the clouds now and again. A three-sided bar right in the middle of the deck, well-stocked and well-tended by amiable crew members, was serving liquid refreshments to passengers en route. Open areas at the fore and aft of the boat were lined with Seapods fans, who proudly refer to themselves as "mutants". Two such individuals were involved in a light-saber duel on the fan-tail, entertaining themselves as well as a group of on-lookers, while waiting for the show to start.
This outing marked the third time that the Juniper's skipper, Captain Frank Pabst, has hosted the Seapods aboard his vessel. Plattsburgh is the original spawning ground of the Seapods, who met as students at SUNY Plattsburgh in the early 90s before relocating to the state capitol of Albany to concentrate on perfecting their unique, in-your-face style of improvisational musical mayhem. Plattsburgh and the surrounding Adirondack region, known as The North Country, remain the home of some of the Seapods most dedicated fans, fittingly called North Country Freaks.
The show got underway shortly after the Juniper left the dock. The setlist went like this:
I: Michael Murphy 3 > The Guide to Roadside Ecology > Michael Murphy Rusted, Blackberry Brandy, In Good Time, Money To Burn, Good To Be Alive, Wanted Dead Or Alive*, Bong Hits & Porn
II: Owner of a Lonely Heart tease, Raffle Winner Claims Prize Jam > Iron Man Jam, Gilligan's Island Theme, Lighthouse, Schizophrenic Rain > Riders on the Storm** > Tornado Rain > Schizophrenic Rain, Desert Wind, I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon > Sneakin' Sally, Holiday Ramblers Theme > Rock And Roll, 'Til Then
Encore 1: Ship
Encore 2: Mr. Blood
* - Bon Jovi Cover.Unfinished.
** - With The Bourbon Cowboy on vocals.The Seapods kicked things off with a smoking version of their epic Michael Murphy trilogy, with a twist! They played the trilogy in reverse order, thus creating a "Michael Murphy Countdown" of sorts. Fan favorite "Blackberry Brandy", a tune written about the North Country, was up next, followed by three newer Seapods tunes. An attempt at Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive" provided a humorous moment, replete with the bashing of cheezy 80s music.Another mutant favorite, "Bong Hits & Porn", rounded out a short but rocking first set.
Because the Seapods had generously agreed to perform this show pro bono the event's organizers held a raffle to try and give the band a little something for their efforts. Among the prizes were ten live Ominous Seapods tapes, two Pod-Net t-shirts, and an Ominous Seapods hat. The Seapods, chomping at the bit to play some more music, hurried the raffle along by taking the stage and serenading the crowd with some music to raffle by, which eventually segued into an impromptu version of Black Sabbath's classic rock anthem, "Iron Man." More inspired madness followed as the Seapods regaled us with a tender version of the theme from the T.V. show "Gilligan's Island." The Seapods had first learned this song for their initial Juniper appearance five years earlier. "This boat reminds me of the Minnow," laughed a fan who had brought along microphones and a tape deck to capture the show for posterity.
After "Gilligan's" came another tune with a maritime theme, "Lighthouse", during which the Seapods really began to open up and stretch out musically. This was followed by what many considered to be the highlight of the event, a musical centerpiece with a theme of rain and storms, framed by the psychedelic composition "Schizophrenic Rain." "Schizo" segued beautifully into The Doors' ethereal ballad, "Riders on the Storm", which the Seapods had learned specifically for this occasion. The song featured a special guest appearance by The Bourbon Cowboy on vocals. Keyboard ace Brian "The Dark Horse" Mangini has been called "the man who puts the ominous in Ominous Seapods", and here he certainly displayed an affinity for the spooky Manzarek keyboard-stylings which had contributed so much to The Doors' sound. "Riders on the Storm" segued into a new song called "Tornado Rain", after which the band returned to their launching point to conclude "Schizophrenic Rain."
After a brief pause to allow everyone to catch their breath the band tore into another new tune, and another weather-related number, "Desert Wind." The sci-fi rocker "I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon" followed, and segued into a stellar version of "Sneakin' Sally" which lead guitarist Todd Pasternack has transformed into a vehicle to display some offbeat vocal stylings and guitar pyrotechnics. The tongue-in-cheek silliness of the "Holiday Ramblers Theme" was up next, a testimony to the intimacy of the event. The Holiday Ramblers are a side-project of Ominous Seapods' gutarists Dana Monteith and Todd Pasternack, and bassist Tom Pirozzi. The "Holiday Ramblers Theme" is a ditty which gets played at the drop of a hat during Holiday Ramblers shows, much to the amusement of the band and audience, and is performed in a variety of styles, from reggae to heavy metal to rap or a capella. The "Ramblers Theme" gave way to a sweet-rockin' cover of The Velvet Underground's "Rock and Roll" before the set ended with the Pasternack-penned "'Til Then."
The crowd brought the band back for an encore that found Pirozzi exchanging his bass for a guitar, while Monteith took over bass duties for Pirozzi's tender love ballad, "Ship." With the Juniper still cruising back toward the dock, the boisterous crowd brought the band back one more time for a second encore, and were rewarded with an equally boisterous rendition of the mutant favorite "Mr. Blood." Part punk-rock blues, part theater, "Mr. Blood" featured a crazed and bare-chested Monteith brandishing an egg-beater as a weapon, which he used to "slay" the other band members as the music built to a frenzied climax. The last strains of feedback faded just as the boat gently docked back in Plattsburgh, a perfect ending to a fun day. Reportedly some on-lookers waiting on the dock were not as appreciative of the ending, taking offense at some of the impromptu "off-color" lyrics that routinely pepper the frenetic ending of "Mr. Blood." "Sometimes [the Seapods] lose themselves, and forget that there might be normal people around," offered event organizer LynnGuppy Kestenbaum, by way of apology.
Normal people aside, the mutants in attendance seemed very pleased with the event. "All I can say about the Juniper cruise," said Pod-Net denizen Jonny Cat, "Is that it was the best day I've had this year. Nothing makes me happier than having a good buzz, a cold drink, and the Seapods jamming my brain. It was great to meet some of the people who love this band as much as I do. I think we definitely need to do it again next year."
copyright 1999 David A. Merrill, Risqué Business Enterprises. All rights reserved.
Pod-Net
by The Bourbon Cowboy
Pod-Net was founded by the Bourbon Cowboy in April of 1995 as a place where Ominous Seapods fans could congregate in cyber-space to discuss the band they love and keep up-to-date on the latest tour dates and other information relating to the Seapods. In the beginning ten subscribers, strung out from New England to Baltimore, Maryland, accounted for the entire Pod-Net membership. Currently Pod-Net has over 300 active subscribers, forming a friendly, tight-knit cyber-community. Pod-Netters, or mutants as they have proudly come to be known, share their Seapods-related experiences, exchange stories about Seapods shows and venues, and trade live Ominous Seapods tapes on-line. Sometime they have even been known to discuss the music!
But Pod-Net is not a place for the faint of heart. Populated with fans who regale in being called Mutants, Pod-Net can be confusing to the uninitiated, and at times perhaps even offend those who are used to more structured or, for lack or a better word "normal" discussion groups. Indeed, one mutant, in a moment of epiphany, dubbed Pod-Net "The bathroom wall of the Internet." If, however, you find the off-beat appealing and can stomach a touch of lunacy, Pod-Net may be just the place for you!
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Why Woodstock '99 Failed
By Rob Griffin
By now as most have seen either on television or in newspapers, Woodstock '99 was quite a memorable event. Whether it be for the music or just the atmosphere, many kids will be telling "Woodstock Survival" stories to their friends and family for a long time. With all things considered, and having been there from beginning to end, I strongly feel it was a failure. The following reasons are why I believe this year's Woodstock didn't even come close to 1969 or even a more watered down version in 1994.
First and foremost, I believe the "Woodstock" spirit was lost due to greed. Whether it was on the part of official Woodstock merchandise and vending tents or by the private vendors allowed in, everything was outrageously overpriced. I admit, I expected things to be a little taxed, as should anyone who attends a concert, but things that were necessities to people were definitely unfairly priced all in the idea of making as much money as possible now and asking questions later. Woodstock management discouraged bringing food and prohibited grills or camp stoves in an attempt to force people to purchase food on site. I found no vending tent that one could buy a drink, and at least a sandwich for under $10.00, and I do literally mean a bottle of water and two pieces of deli meat on a hot dog bun. A bottle of water was no cheaper than $4.00 a bottle anywhere at the festival. Granted, there were water facilities set up inside the venue, but the wait in line in 95 degree weather with no shade for lukewarm water was not something that appealed to too many people.
To make things worse, the water to the main stage was turned off after a small group of people decided to use the water to make mud to throw at Alanis Morrisette while she was performing. The idea of cutting everyone at the main stage off from water because of a few people in that type of situation did not seem practical at all to me. Thus, there was no choice but to buy the $4.00 water. To further complicate things, the money people needed to buy the water was not available in that the ATM machines ran out of money about 45 minutes after they were opened for use. I personally had to borrow money from my friends until a day later when the machines were reopened. The obvious point to me here is that if Woodstock laid down the guidelines for food and water, be prepared to accommodate.
Next, security was in no way a force to be reckoned with. By 7:00 AM on Friday security had totally given up on trying to regulate anything or anyone. I admit I'm not one for tight security at shows, but for a crowd of this type and size, things have to be done to protect people, and in this crowd's case, to protect them from themselves. Midway through the first day, the only difference between security and everyone else were the official "Woodstock Peace Patrol" shirts security had on. For example, a friend of mine got a green admittance bracelet for $20.00 on the lot. This of course as opposed to the $160.00 I paid to get in. Security was either giving out green bracelets or selling them at a fraction of the cost of a ticket. Thus, overcrowding became a problem. All of this after a very overconfident Ken Donohue, head of Woodstock security stated in an online interview "People seem to think this concert site is just some big field, but this is not '94 or '69. We're talking about a former military base. This place was built to be defended against a full military attack. I think it can keep out a few attempts at gatecrashing." If you notice, anybody got in who wanted to and the wall that was built to keep everybody out, I have a piece in my living room. Finally, the crowd at this year's Woodstock was an integral part of its failure. First off, this crowd doesn't have too much to stand up for as did the '69 crowd. There's no Vietnam, there's the Backstreet Boys, or our president being impeached for having an affair with an intern almost entirely on television. Woostock was just an excuse for kids to do everything they've ever wanted to do without their parents watching. People were disrespected and things were destroyed simply because it was somebody else's mess to clean up, not their own.
In conclusion, for as negatively as I’ve spoken about Woodstock '99, there were many events for me personally that made it a good weekend. To see on of my favorite band, The Dave Matthews Band perform at a Woodstock was and is something that is very special to me. To see the look on peoples' faces after they had just seen moe. For the first time and say, "Wow, they really, really jammed, I need to get into them." Or to see 250,000 candles burning during "Under The Bridge" during the Red Hot Chili Peppers' set was amazing. All of these things as well as the craziness made up a weekend I'll never forget. However, if there is another Woodstock anytime soon, there needs to be a lot more "Peace, Love, and Music" rather than "Greed, Hate, and Destruction."
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