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Mid-Atlantic
Regional Report
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Edited by Anthony Coloneri
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In this Issue:
The Matt Barranti Band Let Me Ride - Dickey Betts The first and last thing that comes to mind when I listen to this
live CD is, "this band means business."
The Matt Barranti Band consists of Matt Barranti (Lead and slide
guitars, lead vocals), Bill Eyler (Lead Guitar, vocals), Jim Payne
(Bass, background vocals), Lou Angelo (Drums, background vocals),
Fred Delu (Keyboards), George Harris (Percussion), and "Big Jim"
Syfrett (sound).
As I settled into my chair and pressed play, I couldn't help but
notice the powerful presence of this band during "Let Me Ride."
This Decky Betts cover featured an edgy sound with an Allman Brothers
feel. Nice guitar solos weaving in and out of the vocals with consistent
dual lead parts, courtesy Eyler and Barranti. The classic "Mustang
Sally" was delivered with a soulful voice and a tasteful rhythm
section, which kept the groove together. Again, the dual lead parts
were nice to hear, and kept bringing me back to the sounds of the
Allman Brothers. The band kept the energy flowing during each cover,
as they plowed through others which included "Low Down Dirty Mean"
and "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed."
When listening to a band for the first time, I usually can get
a good feel for who they are and what they are trying to say from
their originals songs. "Someone Like You," written by Matt Barranti,
gave me the chance. This is a love song, from what I gathered, speaking
of holding onto the dreams of a lady that will never be. A soulful
ballad that was quite different from the previous covers on the
CD, which I felt was refreshing. It's always nice to see a person's
true self shine through in their music, instead of blending to the
point where you can't tell the difference from an original and cover.
"Lord Have Mercy," written by Matt Barranti , features a dominant
blues riff to start off, followed by a funky rhythm consistent throughout
the song. I noticed, in this particular song, the riff and slide
guitar compliment each other rather well. In my opinion, this is
a good example of musicians working at a song until its clean delivery
cuts right through and delivers.
The Matt Barranti Band consist of competent musicians and it's
obvious from the first few notes they are really having a blast
playing together. Although I am usually not the biggest fan of bands
performing cover songs, The Matt Barranti Band played these covers
with a touch of soul and purpose. It seems obvious that songs like
"Come On In My Kitchen" (Robert Johnson) and "Her Middle Name" (Chris
Cain) mean something to this band. There is a sense of homegrown
tradition that cannot escape your ear when listening to this live
CD, and it's nice to hear.
Moe. By John Hecht
Set I: Set II: Encores: I walked into "The Chance" around 8:45 to catch the last couple
songs of Ominous Seapods opening act. The club was tiny, probably
only had room for 500 or so but by showtime the place was packed,
around 1000 heads (according to security staff member Aaron)-still
incredibly intimate for a New Years Eve show. I was beyond excited;
my first New Years Eve concert.
My friends and I drove up from the Washington DC area to catch
the show. We got situated and out came Moe at 10:30pm. Jim (Drummer)
stepped up to the mic and belted out a mean rendition of AC/DC's
"Hell's Bells." A long guitar intro into St. Augustine got the place
going. Mexico followed; always awesome. I looked around and felt
an awesome vibe, no regrets about not being in Florida for Phish,
something special was happening in Poughkeepsie. Mid-part of the
first set was all tunes I had hoped to hear and I was not disappointed.
Punchline, TimeEd, and Brent Black were jammed out to the max and
got everybody down and boogeying on the dance floor. Now New Years
was upon us, 5..4..3..2..1..Happy New Years!!!!! The band broke
out the most appropriate cover for the New Millennium, "End of the
World" by REM. They harmonized so well and everybody was singing
along, a great moment to always remember. Then, out came the masterpiece
of the first set, Cryptical>Other One>Cryptical (Dead Covers). Set
ended at 12:30am, 2 hour first set!
Set break-about 30-40 minutes, one marriage proposal and one marriage
acceptance. Very cool.
Plane Crash opened set 2. Long, jamming and nasty as usual. Meat
followed and all I have to say is WOW !!! Meat lasted close to 50
minutes with a Low Rider Jam and a drums jam with several special
guests before segueing into an out of control Head to end a 3 song
jam packed second set. Second Set was about an hour and a half.
I knew even more was to come. It was 2:15am and Moe's curfew was
till 3.
Encores opened with some special guest singing a "Holiday Song,"
nice and cheerful but not exactly what I was looking for until Moe
dropped the bombs. Fire, Seat of my Pants, and Farmer Ben ended
the 4 song encore and Moe's Millennium Party. Great way to spend
New Year's Eve.
By Aaron Since the moment this show was announced, the vibe was steadily building, reaching such a peak that by lunchtime Wednesday, I could barely focus on my work, and think only about the show ahead that evening. This was to be Agent Porridge's first headlining gig on the main stage, my second trip down to the Wetlands, and also the second show that I would share with my loving girlfriend and wonderful travel partner, Tiffany. Her first was the Wetlands show back in August, and my happiness was further peaked with her presence. Shortly after 5, she met me at work, and we hit the road from Albany. The ride down was uneventful, and thankfully traffic was at a minimum. The traffic through the Holland Tunnel was a far cry from the log jam we experienced back in August. We literally drove straight from I78 to the tollbooths, even hitting all the green lights. I'm sure it being mid-week had something to do with it, but it was none-the-less a very pleasant surprise. We found street parking again without any problem, and headed right inside. We ran across the boys as soon as we walked in the door, all with the biggest smiles in the world painted on their faces. I knew they were psyched to be playing the gig, and it was even more evident when we saw them. In case there was any question before, there was no doubt we were in for a treat tonight. They play through their feelings more than any other band I have ever seen, and high energy combined with the overwhelming bubbliness they were trying to contain hinted at one incredible night. The opening band finished up a little before 10, and by 10:30 they took the stage, and tape started rolling. Set 1: Armington, Traveling Man, Unita Savior, You Never Give Me Your Money, Gog, Roast Beef -> Sweet Dreams, happy birthday to Brett, Tuesday Set 2: Foreign Showermate -> Jam, Walk into the Night, Remedy, Detune -> What a Man, What it Takes, Into the Country, Sallie Mae Encore: Scenes from an Italian Restaurant I saw Alex getting the acoustic guitar ready, and guessed right that we were in for an Armington opener. A great song, the lyrics have really struck a chord with me recently, and hearing it in its original form, with acoustic and not electric guitar, was a perfect way to open the show. Short, crisp, and perfect to make sure everything was running good and get the crowd and the band warmed up. Next they played a perfect Traveling Man, another great song to warm up to. The chorus is so uplifting, the soaring vocals reaching into the soul and bringing our minds to a perfect state of happiness. They whipped into the funk with a brand new tune, tentatively called Unita Savior. This song, a Bisky tune, is nothing short of awesome. The groove is intoxicating, and the story, as best as I can describe it a story about Justin Thyme and his meeting with Unita Savior in a dark hotel lounge, is so lyrically catchy that by the end of the song I was already hooked. Mike, Brett and Alex laid down a full groove and Bisky nailed the chorus. I can't say for sure if this song has jamming potential in the future, but even without it I certainly couldn't grow tired of it. It's that good. They followed up with a beautiful rendition of You Never Give Me Your Money, the classic Abbey Road tune. Porridge is perhaps the best band I have heard at interpreting Beatles songs. They don't cover them, they develop them, bringing a full sound and gorgeous harmony into the piece and making the original pale in comparison. While they don't jam this out like they do with Lovely Rita, it is still an awesome tune, and the short jam at the end is very sweet. Next up they played Gog, a new and very interesting instrumental that is beyond explanation. Think of it as a funked out, dark, minor-blues based progression and you can kind of get an idea. It's very, very cool, and I look forward to hearing it again soon. At this point the crowd was warmed up and ready for some serious jamming, and the first few notes Bisky pounded out on his keys of Roast Beef signaled that they were ready to dig deep. I hadn't given this song enough credit in the past, but recent shows have made me a believer in the Beef, especially following the monumental half-hour mind-trip they took us on at the November Slade Hall show. While this version didn't take off into the kind of uncharted territory that the afore mentioned version did, it was none-the-less a stellar jam. They started off in a nice groove, Mike laying down a very cool bass groove, Alex and Brian funking out on top. Dropping into start-stop, off beat craziness, they broke it down, then pulled back into a short groove before raging for a minute or two and dropping back down into a quiet noodle-groove, slowly spiraling down into trippy darkness, just Brett lightly on the drums and Alex sweetly soloing on guitar. Brian quietly pulled in the spooky and haunting chords of Sweet Dreams, which Mike instantly joined in with. They slowly morphed into the slow, trance-inducing jazzy theme, sweetly singing the dark lyrics to the first verse. The jam continued on, now a flowing mind-numbing medley with Alex and Brian combining forces to create an hypnotic harmony-melody that ebbed and flowed over a gently moving underneath laid by Mike and Brett. They slowly and gently brought the groove down, farther and farther, winding down to a final quiet note, letting it fade into our minds and bringing us back to the place where we stood. Next we sang happy birthday to Brett, whose birthday was the 2nd, and Alex presented him with gifts of Herbal Essence shampoo and cardboard-based Qtips (which are easier on the ears then the wooden ones). They finished the set with an energized and spirited Tuesday. We were all psyched about what the second set held in store for us, given the perfection to which they played the first. Coming on stage just before 12:30, they opened up a standard, Foreign Showermate. After 7 or 8 minutes, what seemed like a tight, groovy but otherwise normal Showermate became something else entirely. Some start-stop mixing, followed by a mellowing groove delicately held within the harmonics Alex was playing with. Ten minutes in and the groove was entirely Type II territory, right back where they had been during the first set Roast Beef. They hovered here for a couple of minutes, until Mike and Brett slowly pulled into a tight trance-groove. At this point, Brian was filling in crazy chord combinations that assaulted the mind with complex levels of melody and harmony, with Alex building a repetitive structure to the groove and filling in to provide the stepping points to higher levels of tension. They built up a nice groove, bringing it to an even level that didn't peak, but was at the perfect point to hold the spirit in constant tension, wondering whether it was going to build or mellow, never knowing, all in the midst of an onslaught of a groove-melody that simply would not let up. There was no denying, we where in the course of a full fledge JAM, almost 20 minutes into what used to be Showermate and no end in sight. Holding the theme, they brought it back down again, once again letting the melodies and harmonies ebb and flow, between instruments, between themes, and all across the sound stage. Before we knew it though, they pulled the energy from within and RAGED, a full on assault, but again never letting go of the power of dynamics, and brought it down one more time, ending the jam on a quiet note. Alex quickly rang in with the sweet opening chords to Walk into the Night, the perfect post jam tune that has captured me since the first time they played it. I took the serene beauty of the ending jam to dance in Tiffany's warm embrace, sharing a moment with her I've wanted to share for some time. A spiritual moment I've long anticipated, the gorgeous and urgent climaxing mingled and mixed with our souls, fusing between us. They rocked into Remedy next, but like the version I saw back in December, this version was incredibly short, with basically no jam. While cool, it pals in comparison to such memorable versions as the previous Wetlands rendition, or the 9/24/99 Ithaca one I reviewed this past fall. They more then made up for it though, busting out an often-requested and under-played Detune. It was this song, played back in April, that first did IT for me, and so every time I see this song I jump about 5 feet in the air numerous times, let down the hair and take off the glasses, and get down to business. Porridge tore open the beginning of this song, Alex driving hard on guitar and the whole band wailing. After several minutes they pulled back, Brian first teasing a few measures of the What A Man theme before they started funking out. Mike then laid out a PHAT and DEEP bass groove that pounded deep in the chest. I had never heard him so crisp and tight like that, it was incredible. They gathered together a very nice funk groove, quietly brought in the chorus before Alex stepped up and rapped out like the best of them the first verse. Brian and Alex traded off, nailing the whole song and rocking the song out to the extreme. They brought it down again with a perfect version of What it Takes, the Aerosmith classic, Brian sustaining the high notes as good as Steven Tyler, and bringing a rousing cheer from the audience. They followed up with an original I haven't heard in a long time, Into the Country. My experiences of the show are somewhat divergent at this point, Tiffany fell ill and so I left the stage area to take care of her. She stuck through the end like a champ though, and I couldn't ask any more of a girl who just happens to be in love with a taping-obsessed boy. What I heard of the Sallie Mae was very cool though, changing tempo and theme all over the place, and the spirited Italian Restaurant encore was both the perfect choice for the mood, and played to perfection. I have no doubt in my mind that Agent Porridge has the potential to make a huge name for themselves in this scene, if you have the chance to see them, I highly urge you take the opportunity. Before long, you will be wishing you hadn't missed them, "back when." -Aaron
Soulive and Friends & Ulu By Dan Alford Set I: Big Brother > Steppin', Rudy's Way, Soulive*, Jesus Children*, Uncle Junior*, Doing Something* Set II: It's Your Thing+, Right On+, Untitled Scofield+, World is a Ghetto+*#, Upshot +*#, Turn It Out+*#, E/ Jam ^ > ? (Second Set May Not Be 100% Accurate) Soulive rocks. It's been my mantra for months and now it looks like people are catching on. I must admit that I feel a little greedy when I'm at a show. Who are you people and what do you know about Soulive? This is my band. Alright, there are a few people I see at a fair number of shows, and they are ok. But this is my band. This show was packed and it stayed that way until 3:30 in the morning when it finally ended. My perpetual concert partner said the Wetlands was more packed than she had ever seen it, and she's frequented the venue since its inception. Ulu opened and put on a great show. I had had only seen the band once before, and they really impressed me with their interplay and solid song writing. The band was performing sans guitar player, but seemed to function well. In so many situations, a band really seems to shine as it becomes streamlined. They finished their set with Herbie Hancock's "Palm Grease" and Oteil and Kraz sat in. What a great song, very long with nice solos and back up groove. The final refrain had the whole ensemble rockin' out as Oteil sang along. Wooo! DJ Logic was spinning discs during the set break. It's funny to see him rock out with a band, be it MMW, the Project or DBB, and then have him essentially spinning discs. He really seems to enjoy the more mundane end of his duties. A local rapper, Baba, who actually sits in with Project Logic, did a little beat box and freestyling before Soulive came on. The first set was smokin'. "Steppin'" was great, fat grooves and great guitar work. During "Rudy's" Neal lost his organ amp for a minute or so, but recovered well. "Jesus Children" had a cool snakey intro, and Oteil was really getting into it. He was leaning over the organ, trying to match Neal's work. If you don't know, Neal plays bass organ with his left hand. At the end, Oteil was matching Kraz, note for note. These guys were having a blast! "Uncle Junior" had a slightly different end, but I'm not sure was it was spontaneous or reworked. Professor Shuman and Baba did a mini-set with Logic during Soulive's break. The Professor was the consummate professional and really shined as a skilled wordsmith. He did "Sign of the Times" and a whole lot of freestyle work. If you're inclined towards rap, check his upcoming release on Velour records. The second set opened with a cover of "It's Your Thing," upbeat and bright; the perfect set opener. When the trio took the stage, Logic looked like he was going to step down but Kraz indicated that he should stay. He don't do a whole lot during the opener, but by "Right On" he had found his spot and charged headlong into every groove for the rest of the set. It's amazing how much texture and depth he adds to organizations that are excellent to begin with. They played the new tune that they recorded with Sco. On a second listen, it is definitely in the vein of wait the fusion master is doing with his quartet these days. I can hear his distinctive plucking and scratching tearing along on this number. Williams seemed slightly reluctant to really jam with the rest of the gathered band, but definitely worked out on his solos. "Upshot" was another highlight, just because I love the tune. Baba and Professor did some Soulive chants and rhymin' before freestyling while the trio laid out a sweet groove. By this time it was really late and Kraz looked like he was going to fall over. The encore was at least twenty minutes long, and by the end, I was set to go home. The show was good, but I think that overall, I enjoyed the Makor show (11/27) a little better. It would be nice if Logic sat in as often as Oteil does; he definitely works well with this outfit. One extra comment about the scene. Soulive is not a group that I would couple with Strangefolk, or the Disco Biscuits. They are definitely of the Grey Boy Allstars, MMW, Tiny Universe, Scofield Quartet end of things. Those groups aren't so much jam bands as they are groove bands. There is something subtle and sly about that end of improv music. It's not psychedelic music, it's more funk jazz. One of the main ways this difference plays out is with the crowd. There is certainly some lay over between the jam/groove worlds, but there are definitely those who go to one end or the other. At a moe. show the crowd is, in general, crunchy and dreadlocked. Folks are dressed in tees and backless tops, ratty pants and sandals. At an MMW show, the majority of the crowd is more hip and stylish, leather jackets and button-down shirts. That seems to be the fan base that Soulive is attracting.
Phish By Jeremy Welsh Hello all. Well, here I am, back at reality. It is Wednesday, and I really can't focus on any of the work that has piled up on my desk from the two weeks that I took off. I have spent the first part of today working a bit, but mostly reading Digests and Reviews of the most amazing two days of music that I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. I really couldn't wait much longer to start typing, so I am going to let me mind and fingers wander as I try to place my thoughts and ideas and emotions into words. With Keith Jarrett's The Koln Concert sounding beautifully in my ears, here goes: A marathon, surreal, j.o.b., amazing, a dream, breath-taking, draining, beautiful, a grin, indescribable, The Set, inertia . . . these are only some of the words that come to mind when thinking about my Time (relative word) spent smiling and laughing and dancing with phriends down in Big Cypress, Florida. I really don't know where to start. Let me first say that the Scene and Vibes were over-whelmingly Positive - even after the traffic jam. Everyone was so chill and friendly on the 30th, and on the 31st, hugs and smiles and well-wishing were prevalent, buzzing with an electricity in the air. I had my concerns, worrying about how the scene would be (any animosity, overwhelmingly drug centered, on edge, etc.), but I was so pleasantly surprised. I am not sure if this had anything to do with the seemingly scarcity of illegal substances - I won't make that claim - but there may have been a connection. And for my friends who opted to head to Portland for an Incident, I want to make clear that I really can't give you any examples of Negativity. Some non-musical highlights before getting to the specifics: the cool maps handed out at the check-point, the streets named after famous venues, the positive vibes from the Green Crew and everyone working the show, the grove of trees, the sun-dial, the guy giving out "Hot High Fives", the big 'e' flag that signified my site was getting close (#190, 4th and Amy's), the Black Beans and Coconut Rice, the huge paper airplanes, the large 'Japanese' kite, the continuous fireworks, all day and all night, and having my cell phone ring 15 minutes before 2000, finding my girlfriend on the other line - I don't know how she got through! . . . I am sure more will come to mind. We parked around 4th and Amy's Farm; I tried to sleep for a bit, but the tent just got too hot, so I decided to take a walk. I was stunned by the size of the camp-grounds, as it just seemed to spread out for miles. I checked out the Delta, and the growing Shakedown Streets (the message board was already full - this was about 9:00 am on the 30th) and made may way back to my camp to gather the others. The four of us started wandering around 11, my brother looking for his friend Molly (a real person, mind you . . . ) and Brian and Amy looking for their friend. We split up for a bit - easier to move around in the growing crowds. Josh didn't find Molly, but Brian and Amy were successful. We made our way into the show around 4, picking a spot behind the first speaker tower Trey's side. Set One, the 30th: Water in the Sky, Light Up or Leave Me Alone, Suzie Greenberg, Corrina, Limb by Limb, 'Native American Greeting Song', 'Alligator Wrastlin' Song', Possum, Farmhouse, Ghost, Ya Mar, Character Zero I was trying not to get my hopes up for any one song, slightly entertaining the idea of a Harpua to tie the whole Festival together (giving a theme), or maybe a Gamehenge. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, temp in the 80s, as we settled in. Started talking to some kids from Penn State and Erie, eating their lemon ice . . . The festivities began around 5:05 with the opening notes of Water in the Sky - kind of sounds like water, doesn't it? And right then, I knew I should have thought of this song, with its nod to the Everglades. Nice, simple opener to get things started. Page's little solo would be a sign of things to come - he owned this first set, IMO. Light Up or Leave Me Alone was a great break-out. Lots of fun, and sung really well by Page. I thought more people would cheer at the chorus, but oh well. This stretched out for about ten minutes. I thought with Mike's bass that they would move into Jiboo, but it slowly faded into . . . Suzie Greenberg. They were looking to get the crowd into it early! Again, Page was the highlight. (It was about at this time that we realized the speakers we were behind were kind of shitty. The vocals were muddy, and they were very bassy. Something was up, and it would last the whole set. Kind of bothersome.) I wasn't too familiar with Corrina, but someone around me made the ID, racking his memory, thinking he had it on a 91 Burlington tape (I haven't confirmed). This was a fun bluesy ol' school tune, and sounded (correctly, I find out) like a Taj Mahal song. Limb by Limb started around 5:33. This is always a favorite of mine live, and it didn't disappoint. My brother just loves that first rib through by Trey - like you are slowly moving up a hill on a roller coaster . . . and vroom!, down it goes. About nine minutes in, Trey was rocking, machine-gun like. It lasted for about 12 minutes, ending with an extended "In-human drum beat" by Fishman, complete with a nice little sigh. Kind of funny . . . (* I will comment now on the screens flanking the stage - they were amazing throughout the two days. Incredible shots and camera work, IMO, really helping in the experience. Some really nice close-ups of Fish's drums, Page's piano work, and Trey and Mike's picking. There were also some great shots of Page singing, with the crowd behind him. I really hope those are released someday . . . I would lay down the $ for them in an instant.) After Limb, Trey took a couple minutes to thank everyone for coming, and to clear up some rumors and questions that were floating around backstage - they were indeed going to play from Midnight to sunrise - this got a huge roar from the crowd. He also wanted to take this time to introduce Chief Jim Billie. The chief, dressed in jeans and a button down, seemed kind of excited and nervous. He tried to teach us how to say How are you? and I am fine before picking up a guitar to sing two tunes. I was expecting some traditional chanting, but we were treated to a Buffett-like Native Greeting Song, and a Harry Chapin-like Alligator Wrastlin' song. Fun stuff, I guess. Possum started at 5:58, with Farmhouse to follow. I don't have much to say about either of those . . . They were good. The opening sounds of a delay loop at 6:12 marked the beginning of Ghost. I wrote "hmm . . . " in my book, not knowing what to expect from this one. A really strong version, with it taking off a bit around 7 minutes in; 9 minutes, it got faster, with some machine-gunning from Trey. I write in my book "the whole set, Mike has been full!" - he really helped to carry this one, as he did the whole two days (as said in another post, Mike is a machine). Ghost started to slow down around 14 minutes. At 6:27, a Ya Mar made me draw a smiley face. Play it Leo! Such a fun song, outdoors, with the sun going down. I boogied hard to this one, as it was played somewhat ska-like. Fishman added a cow-bell for a cool texture. Ten minutes later, Character Zero started to close the set. As usual, it rocked pretty hard, and got some people to start throwing their glowsticks. All in all, it was a fun way to get things started. Nothing too spectacular, but it had some break-outs, a guest or two, and lots of upbeat, outdoors-y songs. The set ended at 6:45. We headed back to the camp site, to eat a bit and so my brother could try again to meet up with Molly. No luck. We did stumble across the Black Beans and Coconut Rice vendors - very, very tasty. Great stuff there . . . We ate a bit, had a few beers, and got comfortable, enjoying the cooling air. Set Two: Wilson, Curtain, Tweezer->Taste, Meat, Golgi A, Wolfman's Brother, Gotta Jiboo, Harry Hood, Good Times Bad Times I guess we got a bit too comfortable, as we left the camp a bit late and missed the Wilson and Curtain openers. As we were walking along Amy's Farm, I could hear music in the back-ground. I started to hear the opening notes of Tweezer, and thought someone must really have their car stereo cranked loud. "It can't be them", I thought, "It looks like the lights are still on". Well, it was them - they must have started around 8:30? And I was missing my first Tweezer! (yes, in over 15 shows, spread over five years, I had yet to see a Tweezer). The four of us picked up our pace a bit, and jogged to the Stage. We got in in the middle of Tweezer, and it segued into Taste as we made our way through the crowd Page's side (we weren't going to risk the speakers on Trey's side again). So, needless to say, I really can't comment on the first four songs. I caught a bit of Tweezer, and Taste sounded good, I guess. At 9:04, Meat started up. Although I groaned a bit, as it is one of my least favorite Phish songs, this one was kind of enjoyable, starting and stopping and starting about 4 or 5 times. Golgi A followed, and again I wasn't too enthralled. It seems to get the crowd going, though. The night picked up, IMO, at 9:14 with Wolfman's Brother. The funk and bass was very nice and tight for about 9 minutes. Really good stuff. They kept the groove going with a good 10 minute Jiboo. My second Jiboo, it sounded similar to the one I heard in Albany. A bit longer, maybe, but not too different. The recognizable wood blocks were banged out by Fishman at 9:34 - we were getting Hood! I thought they would keep this one for the next night . . . I wasn't disappointed, mind you, just surprised. The glow-sticks seemed to start a bit early as the galloped up from the back before the "quiet part" - they looked pretty cool (I hope no one was hurt). A very enjoyable Hood . . . but not the closer. Good Times Bad Times absolutely rocked the set to a close. An amazing, rocking version of this song. I wrote in my book "amazing - my god!". They just let out all the stops, with Trey staking his claim to the rock-god status. During set break, I had to remind myself that they still had another set to go! See, for my brother and I, this was our first Phish festival / NYE experience. We weren't used to three sets. set break music: Miles Davis Set Three: Chalkdust Torture, MoMa Dance, Antelope, Sloth, Circus Comes to Town, Mike's-> Simple->Hydrogen->Weekapaug encore: Boogie On Reggae Woman->Tweeprise The third set started around 10:50 with a rocking Chalkdust that got everyone up and singing along. Always a good choice to get the crowd going. And the funk of Moma Dance was good to my ears. I have always enjoyed this one, especially back when it was Black Eyed Katy - and this one was cool because they extended the intro out a bit, kind of sounding like BEK. The Antelope that Brian and Josh had been waiting for came next. "Noice!" was written in my book, as this strong version lasted for about 16 minutes. Again, the band was very tight and very on with this song. Sloth followed. And although I didn't hear any flubs (someone said it was a train wreck?), I kept thinking to myself that we wouldn't get Gamehenge (I know, I know, they played Wilson to open the second set - well, I missed that so it didn't register.) Circus followed - I have to admit that I kind of like this song. I have never heard the Los Lobos version, but I think Phish does a very good job with it; Trey shows lots of emotion in singing it as well, which I think is a good thing. The air was getting chilly, the Circus was mellowing, but at 11:34, it all broke loose. Mike's Song started out normally - actually kind of slow and mellow. Nothing to out of the ordinary - just yet. Things really got interesting during the 'Tramps' section, as it got rather dark. The band was helped along by Kuroda's first real contribution of the night, as he started to add strobes to a dark red background. The music just got heavier and scarier; sometime in there the smoke machine was pumped on and just kept spitting out more and more smoke until you couldn't see the stage. Amazing lights - I thought to myself it was almost alien like. Trey played on his keyboard for what to me seemed like the first time as Mike was just grooving hard! The most amazing and heavy and dark Mike's I have ever seen or heard. 11:49 it went into Simple. This song, contrary to the Mike's that just preceded it, got rather pretty around 6 minutes in. Kind of cool, actually, since Simple to me always seems to be so dark. I guess they were getting an early start on the lilting sounds of Hydrogen, which started at 11:57. A nice treat - a rare one at that, for most people now-a-days. The Weekapaug was good, but kind of standard compared to the Mike's that came before it. Auld Lang Syne was teased, which got a bit of a roar from the crowd. Trey also thanked everyone for coming, again. The set closed around 12:11. A very strong first day, capped by a short but sweet Boogie On Reggae Woman (called by this kid next to us), and the expected Tweeprise - I was able to hear all of that one ; ) . Nothing too spectacular, but fun and solid. Overall, a very strong and fun first day. Mike's was an amazing version, the break-outs in the first set, the raging Good Times Bad Times. Mike held everything together, Page was very very strong in Set One, Trey showed a little of his rock-god stature - overall, the band was very tight. No audible flubs - I was impressed. After the show, Josh and I tried again to meet up with Molly. He was a bit worried, as she was traveling alone. But from what we heard, the traffic coming from the East was even worse than what we had to deal with. Back at the camp, we chatted a bit with our neighbors, cool kids from U of N. Florida (Mia, Dawn, and crew) - this was their first show! Kind of a good first concert, I would say. After a bit of hanging out, we found our way to our sleeping bags and drifted off . . . I was concerned about getting my rest for the next day! I wanted to take this time to thank all those I met while I was at Big Cypress (North Florida crew, the Penn State/Erie crew, Chris and Brian for sharing their NYE space, the Black Beans and Coconut Rice guy, Randy and his wife at the airport, and all the rest of you I might have missed). I also want to thoroughly thank my brother, Brian, Amy, and Molly. I would not have had the amazing time that I did if I wasn't with the four of you. Thank you so much for sharing this amazing experience with me.
Phish - A Musical Journey: Epilogue By Dan Alford Set lists 12/29/99 12/30/99 II: Wilson > Curtain > Tweezer > Taste, Meat, Golgi, Wolfman's Brother, Gotta Jiboo > Hood > Good Times III: Chalk Dust, Moma, Antelope, Sloth, Circus, Mikes > Simple > Hydrogen > Groove# E: Boogie On, Tweezer Reprise ^ 1st time since 7/25/88 12/31/99 II%: Meat Stick* > ALS > DWD, Llama, Gin, Heavy Things**, Twist, Caspian, Rock n Roll, YEM^, Cross Eyed and Painless, Minestrone#, Sand, Slave, Albuquerque^, Reba, Axilla^, Uncle Penn, David Bowie, My Soul, Drowned > After Midnight > Drowned Jam, Horse > SITM, Bittersweet, Piper > Free, Lawn Boy, Honey Love Ya, Roses, Bug, Hood Tease > 2001, Velvet Sea, Meatstick % 7.5 hours w/ no break Note: I'm running this in the Mid Atlantic so that those of you who have been reading for the past couple months can have a little closure . Thanks for the emails and comments and Happy New Year! The Main thing that differentiates driving from flying is billboards. When you fly, there simply aren't any. And if you're flying on a lil' rinky-dink airline, there aren't any magazines that you can hold up and pretend are billboards. In fact the only thing close to a roadside ad is the perpetually illuminated Fasten Your Seatbelts sign, which people regard with utter disdain. Fat men and mothers with young children wander about the cabin freely despite repeated reminders from Sophie (who is clearly running the show, despite what Captain Paul may think), and of course, the glowing yellow billboard. Driving down I-75 w/ Dave Dave- See, birds can move. I don't feel as bad for them because they can get out of the way. I don't try to avoid them as much as I would- a raccoon for instance. J- I hit a raccoon once and I burst into tear. Dan made me feel bad about it. Dan- I wasn't trying to make you feel bad, but you really clocked it. Sound Check The sound check wasn't broadcast (actually none of the show was) which is too bad, cause I love my Lemon Wheel tape. Dark Jam > "What's the Use." A satisfyingly angst ridden version, I love this tune and was glad to see it after its conspicuous absence in December. "Ginseng," eck. A long pause before "Curtis Loew!" Woo! Great version with a smokin' solo from Trey. "Quinn" was also hot with more of the good stuff from Trey, and some great support work by Page. Cool sounds from Fish. It's too bad we couldn't get up to even a very far distance, because this was turning out to be a really nice set. They sound was best a little bit away from the fences, where Mike was not overwhelming and the high end stuff carried well. "Timber" followed- solid with a well focused jam developing. Mike was an anchor. The closing Jam was probably 20 minutes and started slowly and quietly. It tooled around for a while but began to take on a pretty face. Eventually it turned feral and dark, adding the second bookend to a wonderful bonus/preview A big wooly brown spider was crawling on my sneaker. (Sneakers, by the way, work really well at keeping your feet clean. My feet have never been so lacking in a brown and back film.) So now every time I put them on, I shake them out. My dad once told my about shaking scorpions, spiders, and lizards out of his boots in Vietnam; I guess they like such dark, cramped spaces. I still reach inside backpacks, sleeping bags, and the food crate with reckless abandon. Round about five, "Water" opener. I was really expecting an "Alligator," but the bluegrass was appropriate. "Filter out the Everglades." Next up the bust out of "Light Up," a portent of great Page throughout the rest of the night. They should plat Traffic more often. The tune was played on Thin Air, Phish Radio, on the previous afternoon, so maybe there was a hint there. The jam had a cool groove, courtesy of Mike and Page, that flowed under Trey. I was skeptical of "Suzie" for no real reason, but it turned out to be pretty cool. Page took an extended piano solo with a not quite breakdown action from the rest of the band. Forgot my name, huh? That's OK, happens to me all the time. "Limb" is a favorite and Fishman shined throughout. Trey definitely stretched this one out, set off on multiple mini themes in the jam. Chief John Billy and crew welcomed everyone and played a couple of tunes. The first sounded like Santana and in the second, his dog was eaten by a gator. They could play "Ghost" every show and I would still enjoy it. This one wasn't especially long but it was haulin'. They blazed along a fast channel and then just stopped. I love that! I used to be somewhat indifferent towards "Ya Mar" but I've come to love its noodles, its calm, jazzy movement. After some espresso from the all-important camp espresso maker, courtesy of your friends at ACME, we landed in the Freak Dancin' section. Now I like to boogie as much as the next guy, and probably a little more, but I am nothing compared to the Freak Dancers and especially the woman who was drinking an abnormal amount of water. She was flying all over the place, skippin' and bopping. Anyway, the thing about Freak Dancin' is, it's infectious, and I found myself bouncin' and flailin' a bit more than usual. The whole second set was great. "Wilson," heavy in its revolutionary zeal, into one of my absolute all time favorite songs period, "The Curtain," Great galloping grooves Batman! with lots of nice work from our man on the organ. We follow the lines going south! I was lookin' for a "Jim," but "Tweezer" was a good choice. Throughout the whole show the sound was very good, everyone coming across clean in the mix. Mike seemed to really stand out though, and here and there he found that frequency that vibrates your body cavity, massaging your internal organs. The thunder god raged over an expansive valley. Riding along side a river, twilight eventually fell and transitioned nicely into "Taste." A transition into "Taste" can really be a very spotty thing, but they pulled it off well. Meandering for quite a while, the guys took this one into some uncharted territory. Hope they continue to push it along this road. "Meat" and "Golgi" are always fun, and "Wolfman's" was short, focused funk. "Jiboo" didn't rage as it often does, but was pretty. The end was like a high altitude trek, where each step is ultimately just a slight movement, but seems to be a triumph. A while ago I was just sick of "Hood." Every one I heard was sloppy or just not emoting properly, but I've enjoyed my last 4 or 5, and this was no exception. "GTBT" had a good dose of Machine Gun Trey. During the break, Miles. Miles plays really short, focused statements. He's like the Hemingway of jazz, only I hate Hemingway and I love Miles. During "Moma" (Dave enjoyed seeing both it and "Ghost" in the same show) a pair of cops rode horses into the crowd near the second speaker tower, stage left. They just waded in there and seemed surprised when the equine entities jerked and grew anxious. They stayed for a while, doing nothing in particular, and then left. "Antelope" was smoking, with a long jam that touched on a handful of sub-themes. It was the first "Antelope" to really get my attention in quite a while. At the end, Trey and Page traded licks on the keys. I watched "Mike's" from a distance and it was a MONSTER. It started kind of slow, but did it build. When the smoke filled the stage, there were red lights and for just a minute it looked like there was an ominous mountain up there. The jam developed into cool reverberating sounds, not unlike those in the "Ghost" from Philly, that eventually melted into a scary space haunted by laughing voices. At some point Trey said that the all night set would in fact be an all night set. No breaks. They would have a portolet on the stage, but we would have to use those along the edges of the concert field. Man, talk about having to perform well! Peeing in a small plastic box while tens of thousands of people cheered at you. Oh the pressure! A quiet morning with no reports of Armageddon from the regions where it was already 2000. Things I saw while walking in the camp ground: 3 games of cards, lots of glass, one piece of metal, a woman putting on makeup, a guy holding a real lasso (presumably for wraslin' cattle), 2 copies of On the Road, barbed wire, someone wondering about the presence of gators near the woods, a Cub Scout hat Things I saw while walking in the woods: No gators Dave was something else. We called him "the flower child." 4:30ish 12/31/99 Tragedy strikes! There is no coffee inside the venue. The only place that purports to dispense the elixir of the gods is not even set up for business. I am confused, though happily not as confused as J "Jim" opener. Nice, very song oriented, which for this song at least, is a plus in my book. "Funky Bitch" is always fun and "Tube" seemed especially long, but very tight, as J will attest. J (whispering)- This is really tight. >From PYITE (hey!) to the beginning of "Roggae" there was a beautiful sunset of sharp pinks and rich purples. "BATR" was a nice treat. If you bitch and moan about this tune, then you are quite simply in denial of your roots. You can't say that you didn't love this tune when you first heard it, and it's not like in it's in constant rotation. If you want a song to bitch about, go with "Ginseng Sullivan." "SOAM" was hot. A rocking jam preceded pleasant noodles that melted into a sung "Catapult." "After Midnight" was the quick version and absolutely set the crowd on fire. After midnight, we gonna find out what it is all about Steve, a guy I met back in college, has been to about 17 shows and he thought this was the best set he's ever seen. The most amazing thing about the set, in my opinion, was aguy who looked just like Jesus. He was dancing right next to me and had this outrageously large vein in his foot that formed a continuous semi-circle over the top. So very weird... Fireworks, fireworks and small packages of gun powder with fuses. Oh, and fireworks. A little rest and into the show, but it was oh so crowded. It was as if thirty thousand extra people had materialized somehow. We couldn't get anywhere near the stage, which had a father time riding a bike that powered a clock. The boys entered from the left flank of the concert grounds in a fan boat that turned into the Hotdog. A recording of "Meatstick" was playing. Couldn't really tell what was going on but they played for a minute before "ALS" and then there were some real fireworks. Wow! I mean Wow! It was huge man, so very big and like wow man. The sound was horrible but we moved up in sporadic leaps. After all, it was still crowded and would be a long set, so why rush? The monster second set was strange in that it was essentially just a long set. There was no Gamehenge, no "Harpua" or musical costume, or even any special guests. It was, however, seven and a half solid hours of playing and many songs were stretched beyond the twenty-minute mark. There was very little sloppy playing, and Phish definitely put their mark on history. All in all it was a bit more of a giant party than a concert. I didn't feel the need to stay totally focused all the time and did a bit wandering, sitting, and chatting (away from the crowd, of course). Highlights included most of the covers, some innovations, and cheesecake. "Gin" had a full out vocal jam, a la Oteil, that came out of the lyrics. It was totally inspired and fantastic! What a moment! "Heavy Things" was great in and of itself but was particularly interesting because it was broadcast on ABC. Trey told us that they had wanted to have the audience react strangely to a song, sort of like the secret language, by just saying something instead of clapping. Something like "cheesecake." At first we were supposed to just say it once like we were pissed, but just before they went on Trey asked us to chant. He seemed nervous about his little message of peace, which involved telling 100 million viewers that the right lane is for traveling and the left is for passing, so stay in the left lane. We chanted after the song, and it sounded pretty good there, but I wonder how well it transferred over the airwaves and cable wires. Cheesecake, however, became the theme of the night. It was repeated during the vocal jam in "YEM" (Chocolate cheesecake), Albuquerque, and Axilla, as well as multiple between song comments, and of course, the crowd continued to chant it throughout the show. During "Twist," which had a reworked beginning, it was New Year's Central Time. "Rock n Roll" was a behemoth. Blazin' jamming gave way to a super fly groove with Jon maintaining the vibe on the cowbell. A light space segment was followed by a great ascending jam. A fair amount of early revelers made their way out during the number, clearing some much-needed space. Also, I scored some coffee at the place that was closed during the first set. After that, it was all right My first "Cross Eyed" in fifty-four shows. I love the song and it funked out along a nasty groove before Trey reminded us that he was still waiting. "Sand." Whoa. A deep groove churned ever onward in the tradition of "Ghost" and "ASZ." Spectacular. It just kept going. Melted into a goofy jam with weird voices from something Mike was holding up to the mic. Mike's mic that is New Year's Pacific Time. During "Slave" the guy behind us found that his verbal filtration system shut down. This Y2K glitch was horrible, as he had to express every though racing through his mind. IN DETAIL. "Reba" was great; it got three stars. During "Bowie" that early morning time arrived and the "My Soul" replied by being extra slow and groovy. The "Drowned" followed in the vein of the Hartford version. The "After Midnight" reprise came soon after the lyrics and the segue was perfect. They definitely changed pace back to "Drowned" before setting off on yet another lengthy, involved jam. "Piper" was good but "Free" never really got going. Definitely the low point of the evening, although you can't criticize any of it very much seeing as they were playing for so long. "Roses" kept up the theme of extended covers. Up tempo noodling into chaos with Trey on the keys. The light of dawn was starting to grow and you could see fairly clearly. The blue-gray light has always been my favorite time of day, especially if you've been up all night. "Bug" was my favorite part of the whole night. It was incredibly striking, and I felt like I was gonna cry. Something about time and perspective and it doesn't matter. The "Hood" tease was the drum roll. People looked around and one guy said "They haven't played this since last year." But they dropped right in on "2001" and it was to be expected of course. There was a little "Cross Eyed" playing right at the beginning. I don't think anyone was expecting "Velvet Sea" but looking at the clouds in the now day light, it could've been the closer. Mike sounded horse, as did Trey when he thanked everyone for being part of the experience during the full "Meatstick" which framed the set. He almost sounded like he was gonna cry, but who knows. There was an eerie silence as we wandered out of the venue. It was pleasant and strange and there were a lot of zombies. We tried to take off immediately but didn't get out of the camping grounds for over two hours. There was some traffic confusion, a lot of people blocking the box at the intersection of Amy's Farm and Fourth Ave. Two-way radio chatter seemed to focus on joking and cheesecake. Unlike the drive in, the canals were littered with vividly green alligators of all sizes. Gawking at them made the Snake Road part of the journey enjoyable. Spent over 9 hours at the Ft. Lauderdale airport, chatting with folks. Everyone seemed to agree that the set was good, although none of us had digested it. When I finally got home at two a.m. on Sunday I showered and then settled down for a slice of cheesecake. There just happened to be three slices in the fridge.
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