12-16-99 -- Reynolds Coliseum, Raleigh, North Carolina

Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2000 21:06:19 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: review for 12.16.99 Raleigh
 
Sorry for such a late review but, I just got my good old 100 MHz Packard Bell
fixed...but here's my lowdown for the show that I can't and never will
forget, and neither will anyone else who was in attendance that night.
 
Wilson - I know that Trey wasn't hitting every lick...but hey, you can't
complain about a Wilson opener...for some odd reason, I thought at that point
we were about to get a Gamehendge...heh?
 
Chalkdust - This was one of the most raging, upbeat, just plain out fuckin'
awesome chalkdusts I have ever heard, and believe me, i've heard my share :)
 
Lawn Boy - of course, I love this song...Page is the man.
 
Limb by Limb - I heard this on the summer tour 7.9 and it just didn't do
anything for me...but this one really got me ready for what was next!
 
Horn - I have been waiting to hear this song for 3 years...finally got it on
the night that I couldn't have asked for more.
 
Get Back on the Train - The boys opened up with this in Charlotte over the
summer...I really enjoyed it then, even more now...this is a hell of a song
 
Heavy Things - I  have always liked this song ever since I heard Trey play in
it Ashville last spring...a really good song if you're into dancing potently,
like me :)
 
Camel Walk - OH MY GOD! This definately made my night, such a rarity, only
played like 17 times in 16 years...great, great song...what more could you
ask for in this hell of a set?
 
POSSUM! - Now, I do have to disagree with the fellow that said this possum
was better than the one in Charlotte over the summer, I have never heard, and
probably never will hear another Possum that great...but this version was
rockin' heavily
 
SET BREAK - This place is hotter than the sauna and the gym at this point, I
had my head dangling out the window, felt better out there :)
 
Sand - This was a long, strung out version...but it was a great long, strung
out version...I enjoyed this one emensly!
 
Mango - !!!!!!WOOHOO!!!!!! This song is one of my favorites, a great, great
song...and yet, another rarity we got on this night :)
 
Velvet Sea - bah...this song is okay...but a Ice would have been better :)
 
Tweezer - now...once I started to hear the begging licks of it, I could
somehow tell this was going to be a kick ass tweezer...and it truely
was...and yes, there was a Slave jam in there...it was so incredibly
orgasmic, never heard anything like it in my life.
 
Jim - I love this song, and after that awesome tweezer, man, this night is
rockin'!
 
Encore:
Bittersweet Motel - first for me...I liked it alot, nothing wrong with this
song...
 
Tweeprise - knew it was coming...love it, love it, love it
 
my over all rating for this show out of 10 is definately 9.9, if not a full
10...this show rocked the whole was through...you definately need to pick
this tape up if you havent already, if you need it, just drop me a
line...i'll hook you up with a B&P :)
 
TAKE CARE!

Date: Sun, 19 Dec 1999 09:57:20 -0500
From: [email protected]
To: Daniel W. Schar 
Subject: Raleigh Review

Raleigh 12-16-99

12/16/99 Reynolds Coliseum - Raleigh, NC
I: (1:18) Wilson > Chalkdust Torture, Lawn Boy, Limb by Limb, Horn, Get Back
On The Train, Roggae, Heavy Things, Camel Walk, Possum
II: (1:14) Sand (23 Min), The Mango Song, Wading in the Velvet Sea > Jam >
Tweezer (30 Min) > Runaway Jim
E: (0:09) Bittersweet Motel > Tweezer Reprise

Here's the lowdown on this show.  Attending were myself (Skutch to my
friends, you all can call me something else), and my associates Chip and
Ernie Douglas.  We made the drive from Columbia, SC, AKA "the Paris of the
South", to Raleigh in just under 3 hours.  Raleigh is neither a great
place to visit nor live, a bland combination of university wankers and
tobacco merchants that makes for an offensive and annoying collection of
crackers.  This bunch wouldn't know the words "sophisticated" or
"cosmopolitan" if they were printed on every pack of Marlboros.  Why phish
chose this place to play is beyond me, except for perhaps the chance to
drop a kind of lame show on the world before jetting off to Hampton to rip
it up for the weekend (or did they?)

The venue itself is perhaps the oldest basketball facility in the ACC, an
11,000 seat dinosaur with poor ventilation and a staff unprepared for big
concerts.  It's a low building nestled among other such buildings, and was
difficult to recognize as an arena from even as close as a block away. (It
had to be pointed out to Ernie D. even as we were standing right in front
of the sign that said Reynolds Coliseum.  Then again, Ernie is not the
brightest star in the evening sky.)

We parked just outside campus at a shopping center to avoid traffic
delays, and made the 10 minute walk in a relaxed manner, chortling at all
the wide-eyed concert goers stuck in a line of traffic.  Parking was at a
premium near the venue, and by the time we got down there (about 5pm) the
main lot and parking deck seemed full.  There was a scene in full swing,
but we avoided it and went straight to will call to pick up ducats.

The area around will call was swarming with desperate phans that had not
gotten tix to this recently sold-out show.  I was offered all manner of
things for my tickets, from fresh fruit to $75 dollars from a young lady
whose friend "just had to get in".  I turned it all down, and felt lucky
to get away from the mob with my dignity intact.

Here too were some yellow shirts giving out wrist bands that would allow
access to the floor inside.  We all got one, as did quite a few others. As
I found out later, though, many others would not get these precious
bracelets of blue, and there would be much wailing and gnashing of teeth
once concert-goers discovered that they would be denied access to the
floor without this important item.  (More editorializing on this and other
behavior later).

The Heat was in great abundance it seemed, though they weren't bothering
anyone in the line.  I have heard that they were harsh in the lot.  Well,
what does one expect from these knuckle-dragging rednecks?  A bouquet of
flowers, perchance?  Not likely.  These aren't the most sensitive and
enlightened folk in this part of the country, after all, so why should the
cops show kindness or tolerance?  Once particularly offensive member of
NC's finest remarked, "If I caught any of my kids at something like this,
I'd KILL them."  I thought to myself, with a father like you, they'd
probably be better off dead.

As usual, entrance to the venue was delayed well beyond the 5:30 opening
time, and the GA mob was growing larger and more restless.  Nothing like
letting things get to a fever pitch before opening the doors.  Using a
combination of charm and mind manipulation, the Douglas brothers and I
made ourselves a spot near the front of the line, and were soon being
funnelled into the show.  Inside was a strange place, tiny lobby areas,
little hallways that snaked this way and that, weird restroom placement,
and so on. Thankfully I was not on anything too awfully heavy, as I can
see how it would be uncool to be on some kind of head trip when jammed
into these little passageways.

On the floor, we made our way to the sweet spot and joined some FOB cats
on their blanket.  We signed onto to the team and became for the rest of
the evening, the FOB Mafia.  No one would enter our territory uninvited,
and from those that would try, we would exact a terrible price.  (Don't
worry, the bodies will be found one day when the arena is razed.)

As show time approached, passed, and then approached again, it became
apparent that the floor would remain pretty empty.  This was good and bad,
as it made the notion of the FOB team getting busted all the more
possible. I was concerned about this, as I assumed the section tapes would
suck, in this decrepit, low ceiling, venue.  (They do.)  It never
happened, though, and I wondered if sometimes they let the FOB folks roll
because they know that nothing good will come out of the section.  In any
case, I didn't see any other tapers down there, so we may have the only
"good" tape of this show.  No grovels please.

Around the two entrances to the floor, a growing mob seemed to get more
frenzied each time I ventured out. Many people were somewhat late getting
in due to traffic, and many of these folks knew nothing of the wristband
scheme.  They were clamoring to get on the floor, even early on when there
were plenty of good seats left on the sides.  One young fellow implored me
to "give me your wrist band, man," after I went past the security
checkpoint.  What is the big deal, really? There's an undercurrent of
spoiled brat behavior at these shows that is symptomatic of society at
large, and it's quite annoying.  It seems as though an entire generation
of people has been raised without ever having been denied anything, and
when they are, it as though the fabric of their very being has been ripped
asunder.  I say just make the best of such situations and calm down.  
It's a tiny venue, how many "bad" places are there?  (Another such
incident happened after the show as we were getting our shit squared away.  
A sweaty young tourhead brushed past me, and upon seeing my bottle of
water, demanded that I give him a drink.  Now, normally I would be fine
with this, but at this time of year, there's just too much flu going
around.  At this point I had managed to not share germs with anyone
through water sharing, pipe-smoking, or deep kissing, and I didn't want to
risk it with this fellow.  Hell, I wanted that water for the trip back to
the car.  Anyway, I considered his request, then decided no.  I told him
so, and when I did, his indignation bloomed like the First Rose of Spring.  
"Why man?  Huh, why?" he demanded, and I simply said that I'd rather not.  
He stood his ground though, and finally I said, "well shit man, just take
it."  He did, and walked off without even a thank you.  Brat.)

On to the show.  Band came out (finally) and opened up with Wilson, which
I had had a premonition of in the lobby earlier.  I also foresaw Harpua,
but I was oh-so wrong about that one.  Wilson was a little shaky at times,
but then went right into Chalkdust, which was pretty good.  I was happy to
see Lawn Boy next, even though I have seen this one quite a few times in
my phish career (20+ shows since spring '94).  Nothing spectacular here,
just page's lounge act.  Limb By Limb would prove to be about my favorite
part of the show. This is one of my favorite of the newer songs (well not
so new now, but you know what I mean), and I though this version was
solid.  Horn followed, and was a sweet surprise. GBOTT is another cool
tune, and at this point I was grooving.  Roggae to follow was a bit of a
letdown, although I think it was pretty well-played for a non-jam tune.
Heavy Things I like very much, and was happy to get it, even though I
figured that we would since it is in such heavy (tee hee) rotation right
now.  Camel Walk, the evening's biggest surprise, followed, and gets
points for rarity, but didn't exactly take off like a rocket.  Possum was
an energetic set closer, and was solidly played.

At the break I wandered around, and was left with a profound feeling of
"eh" as I thought about the set.  Nothing really wrong with it per se, but
not all that exciting.  I didn't feel a great vibe in the room.  Maybe it
was just me.  I talked to a few kids who thought that it had been "great",
but I remained unconvinced.

Second set opened up with Sand.  For 23 minutes.  Now, normally I want
some tune to be jammed out as long as possible, but I found this to be
somewhat bland.  I kind of like the song though.

Next, I got a charge as they started Mango.  I haven't seen this one since
my second show back in '94, and I was pumped.  Alas, this version would be
referred to as the Mangled Song, as it was utterly botched.  Trey seemed
to really struggle with this one both musically and lyrically, and at one
point I swear that all four members of the band were in different places.  
I have since heard comments that this too was "great", but people, listen
to it. A major disappointment, and should have been the set highlight for
me.

After this we get a passable Velvet Sea, although this seemed to me a poor
choice energy-wise.  Tweezer starts up next, and I realize that we're
going to get one of those 4 or 5 song sets.  Tweezer I thought was pretty
good, nothing too exciting, and includes a big jam that sounded more like
the build up in Slave than Tweezer.  This was good, and got the crowd
excited. After this there seemed to be a little bit of meandering as a
decision was made, and then Trey started Jim.  This song selection left me
cold (although I was physically far from it, as the heat by now in the
venue was stifling.) I would say that Jim was adequately played, but
nothing spectacular.

Encores?  When they starte Bittersweet Motel, I was greatly let down.
Nothing wrong with this tune, but as an encore?  Nah man.  I sensed the
Tweeprise would be next, and I was all ready to get out at that point. And
then it was over.

I got a great veggie burrito on the way out.  Within minutes we were back
on the road to Columbia, and I drove silently, sort of annoyed that I
hadn't gotten a really good show, only a mostly-ok one.  Of all that I
have seen, it was my least favorite Phish show.  It seemed light years
from my peak experiences (Halloween '96 and Hampton '97).  One wonders if
the much talked about "break" after next summer is needed even sooner.

Hope everyone has a great time at NYE.  

Date: Tue, 21 Dec 1999 10:36:26 -0500
From: Paul Bronson [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: raleigh review

I am going to have to agree with the gentleman, Rich Hazlehurst, seeing
as how I live in Raleigh myself.  It's not perfect by any means, but
it's surely nicer than many towns in the south or anywhere.  I grew up
here and I'm far from a redneck, also very proud of the fact that I live
in this town.  I wouldn't have it any other way.  Also, the guy who said
there were no covers in the show was close to right, but Camel Walk is
actually an Ike Turner cover.  Good call, though.  On to the show

Reynolds is less than a mile from my house which was really cool, didn't
have to worry too much about anything.  This was also the only time I've
only caught one show on a tour.  It was my 35th show, and despite
obvious shortcomings, I thought it was quite excellent.  The sound could
have been better, and the heat could have been less intense, but
Reynolds is not a concert venue, and held it's ground considering that
fact.  Seeing as how Phish usually plays terrible shows in Raleigh,
Walnut Creek to be exact, this one was quite a releif.  "Maybe they
don't hate us after all" I muttered.  Now, the song by song reviews.

WILSON-Always a good, energetic opener.  Not the best Wilson by a long
shot.  Right before *can you still have fun*, they were so off from
eachother, I though they were gonna have to stop the show and get it
together.  A heavy butcher of the song, but they are human beings.  I
enjoyed it.
CHALKDUST- It seemed to take them a few to get into this one, but when
they did, WOW.  One of the most blistering Chalkdust's I've seen for
sure.  Kept that energy flying.
LAWN BOY- Since they were pretty much due for a slow one at this point,
I think Lawn Boy was a prime choice.  Page and his hammy antics
acompanying Mike's melodic bass solo were quite a duo.  Another pleaser
for sure.
LIMB BY LIMB-Although I could have done without another slow one, Limb
by Limb was a great choice.  The vocals were perfect and the music was
powerful.  I loved it.
HORN- Ahhh, finally got one of my choices that I called.  Only my second
Horn in 35 shows and proved to be a masterpiece.  I love this tune,
beautiful, rare, and downright fun.
GET BACK ON THE TRAIN-  Now, you are completely insane if you don't like
this one.  This song is so energetic and jumpy.  So much fun, I could
hear it at every show.
ROGGAE-  Admitadly, a bit of an energy kill after GBOTT, but a great
song nonetheless.  A lot of folks complained about it, but I really dig
it.  The lyrics and melody are heartmelting, seriously.
HEAVY THINGS- My first time ever hearing this one, and can't wait to
hear it again.  Another jumpy dance tune with meaningful lyrics, fast
becoming a favorite.
CAMEL WALK- Oh yeah, bring on the funk.  I've waited 35 shows to see
this, and finally got it.  What a great tune, Ike Turner classic.  I
loved every moment of it, surely the highlight for me.
POSSUM- Yet another song that never seems to disapoint.  It's funny,
before the show, my girlfriend and I called two songs a piece we really
wanted to see.  I said Horn and Camel Walk, she said GBOTT and Possum.
We got all four in one set.  Possum was awesome as always.   The
setbreak was strange, I was pretty spun.  I sat in my seat and avioded
the crowd the whole time.  On to set two

SAND- Another first for me, and again, loved it.  Cool funk jam with a
nice extension of 23 minutes.  I don't care what anyone says, I love the
long jams, it make Phish who they are.  I dug Sand to the fullest.
MANGO SONG- Only my fourth Mango, and I think I finally see why they
don't play it much.  Keep it rare so people will dig it, because I have
yet to see a good Mango.  They always seem to butcher it, and this was
no exception.  It was great to hear, just disapointing when they can
never seem to get it right.
WADING IN A VELVET SEA-  Now, don't crucify me, but I think this song
really sucks.  It is completey top 40 and sappy, and not at all up to
Phish's standards.  I guess this was a good version, but I really hate
the song, I think it's the worst one they've ever written.  This after
that Mangled Song, I was starting to lose faith in the show.  But
then.......
TWEEZER- ahhhh, yeah, first Tweezer since 96.  I got so sick of it in
96, but it was awesome to see this triumphant return.  A blistering 30
minute version that never died, I was in sheer heaven jiggin my arse
off.  My ladyfriend didn't much care for it, but I was so happy with
this.  The heat, however, was so intense, the lyrics were making  me
jones to step into the freezer.
RUNAWAY JIM-This is my girlfriend's favorite song, so I was really happy
to see it with her at our first show together.  I've seen it so many
times, but it's a fun tune.  This version was especially good, they kept
it short and hot.  I dug it a lot.  I think it must be a tradition in
North Carolina to play this song, cause they always do, and most of the
residents were disapointed.  Not me though.  All in all, the first set
was much better, but the second set wasn't bad by any means.  The energy
plummeted a little at times, but I was happy with both sets.  On to the
encore.

BITTERSWEET MOTEL-  A strange choice for an encore I thought, a little
slow, but very appropriate.  At this point, they weren't getting much
love from the crowd.  The should have said, Halfway between Raleigh and
Hampton, you're putting me through hell, cause they really were.  A
beautiful song, and a great segue into none other than.....
TWEEZER REPRISE-  Even though I knew it was coming, this song always
blows my mind.  It's so hot and energetic, the best part of hearing
Tweezer is you know Reprise is coming.  Sent me away breathing hard and
smiling.

A great show no matter what all the "critics" think.  We as phans really
need to appreciate what we have in Phish.  They do us a huge favor every
tour by playing shows for us.  If you're gonna bitch about 80% of the
shows you see, please just stop going, there are others who would love
those tickets.  Thanks, see ya next year.

Jason


Date: Thu, 23 Dec 1999 10:23:12 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12/16/99 Reynolds Coliseum, Raleigh, NC

 This was my 78th Phish show, and here's the rundown IMHO...

Arrived pretty late, around 6:30, immediately began the search for our
friends, which was not hard at all considering the small size of Reynolds
and the surrounding area. Getting in was tough, considering that I almost
didn't get in...my girl was shakendown pretty hardcore, but the doorman
was pretty nice, gave her two options and we went inside with our group.
Two words can describe the coliseum...small, which I loved...and
HHHOOOTTT! Extremely hot, broke a sweat just sitting in our seats preshow.
Anyway...on to the show. Was predicting a Chalkdust opener...got
Wilson...can never complain about Wilson...but this one was a tad bumpy.
Not a very solid version but it is a hard tune to hit perfectly...I was
not disappointed, I knew there was more to come.

Chalkdust...I just felt this one coming from a mile away...the jam was
pretty tight and soothing...really good version, but I heard most of this
from the bathroom, it has become my signature bathroom tune, I've heard my
share of Tortures, still a great tune, and I thought it was nicely played.

Lawn Boy...always a trip to see Page as a sleezy lounge singer, I love
this tune, but like Chalkdust, I get a lot of Lawn Boys, but I never
complain, nicely done.

Limb X Limb...hands down, IMHO, the best Limb I've ever heard. I really
thought of this one as the firestarter to the show. The jam was tight,
spacey, with a touch of funk...cant wait to hear it on tape, my heart
began pounding at an insane level, I was pumped, and so were the boys.

Horn...shocked! Did not see this one coming, great tune, great jam,
excellent placement, Trey just went off on the jam like a madman.

GBOTT...I really like this tune, and I like what they've done with it
since going into the studio. Really tight now, and I can tell the boys
love this one, as do I. Great jam

Roggae...really passionate song. All I can say about it, have never heard
a "Bad" version, its always standard, never really changes, I love this
tune.

Heavy Things...I knew that this was a definite this weekend, the band
obviouslly thinks that this tune is totally orgasmic...I like it a lot,
didnt think too much of it on Trey's tour...this is definitely a Phish
song, its a really catchy tune, cant wait to hear it in Florida.

Camel Walk...when Trey began teasing the first riffs, I could of sworn
they were about to go into Possum, but immediately I heard the Walk coming
on! I looked down at my 5'1 love and screamed...'CAMEL
WALKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!'...total shocker, was psyched....so very
psyched....what a rarity...I took in this one for all it was worth, a
definite highlight of the show.

Possum...I KNEW it was coming. This used to be my favorite song, the jam,
the intensity, its a great closer IMHO...but as you will discover in my
review of second night Hampton...Im gradually growing to make this my
signature potty tune. It will always be a classic...but I think it needs
to shelve this one at times, not for an entire year or tour, but I loved
the days when this one was a shocker. But I wont complain. Rundown of the
first set...Pretty damn good. One of the slowest sets I've ever witnessed,
but the playing was tight, and I love Trey's wool hat. He looks like the
true OD in that thing. I thought Fishman was really on during this set,
and I began my wait once the lights brightened, for a killer second set.
Highlights...Limb and Walk

Sand...totally confused. I always thought Sand was First Tube, and I
always thought First Tube was Free Thought...there was a lot of confusion
on Trey's tour, and on the tapes that circulated right after, so I thought
this was First Tube...keep in mind that the last show I caught was Oswego,
missed out on all the Fall shows, am still yet to even see a Fall tape.
Anyway...this song is sick. It is a true space funk jam. There were
times....ESPECIALLY in Hampton....when I thought the arena was a spaceship
and we were being sent out of the Earth's atmosphere into uncharted and
unknown territory. Album worthy? I really hope, but I know Im wrong, but I
really hope this doesnt show up on the new album. This is a live song,
HANDS DOWN. The jam was just insane. Trey went straight to his keys and we
were totally blown away by the haunting, yet soothing sound of outer
space. I really dig this tune!

Mango...this is always a fun tune to hear live. Did not see this one
coming, especially after a song like Sand. After this one I was trying to
remember the first set as best as I could...Camel Walk and Mango, some
rarities were being distributed by the boys into the rowdy crowd that
night, and I do consider Mango a rarity.
                        
Wading...damn...ouch...what can I say? Nothing really...in total
honesty...Wading just doesn't do it for me. It is Prince Caspian's clone,
and if I had too choose between one or the other, I wouldn't bother, I
would put myself on mute. I will only say this, the upside IMHO to this
song is that it's obvious that Trey is in love with this song, and he
always goes off on the jam. We chose to take the time to plug and spark
during this one, sitting down, total session, and I hate sitting down
during shows...but like I said, this one doesn't do it for me. However,
the funniest moment for us came during this song, as a dude who constantly
yelled NC STATE NC STATE, stood up and made love to himself, I seriouslly
beleive this dude had an orgasm throughout this entire song, we were
hysterical, really funny moment. After the song he said..."I've been to
every Phish show now" as he hugged himself. Wish I had a video camera

Tweezer...while I usually downplay Tweezer due to it's overplaying and
it's total length of jam time....and how it is sometimes jammed to the max
in oddball ways, when we could be hearing a whole lot of sick and rare
tunes... began the thought process in the beginning...by remaining seated
and sessionating with my friends, and we also made a new friend in the NC
STATE dude...total character...rolling out of his gourd! The jam
began...still seated...the jam kept going....gradually growing...and I
began hearing something that I've never heard...I rose from my seat...and
IMHO...witnessed one of the greatest Tweezer Peak jams I've ever ever ever
heard. This was amazing...words cant even describe it. Really think this
was a Slave Jam...and Trey just kept it going at its peak...really great
way to end a song that I've pretty much always downplayed to msyself and a
few others. Pleased to say that after that jam...I have a new found
respect for Tweezer...on the right night...it can be the highlight jam of
the evening...I cannot wait to get the tapes...and I recommend anyone out
there who may despise or love Tweezer to give this one a listen, truly
epic, after a down moment in the set, this second set was back on track in
ways ive never dreamed....for me....highlight of the night, I'd pay 175
just to see them recreate that jam once again

Runaway...perfect! While it was nowhere close to being a STELLAR
rendition...it is without a doubt, ever since 12/17/95...my favorite
closer. I didn't want the show to end though, after that Tweezer jam who
would? I love Jim, the jam just always takes the band and crowd to new
levels. Definitely one of my all time faves, Runaway Jim seems to always
make all the pain and worries in my mind Runaway...definitely not the
greatest Jim ever, but it was a perfect closer

Bittersweet Motel....well...I refused to complain after seeing the insane
finale...Jam --> Jim...dont hear this one that often, and while it wont
make you run like an antelope out of control...it definitely is a truly
good song. Great lyrics, actually think it should remain in Pittsburgh,
its only proper ya dig? Anyway, I was pleased and KNEW something else was
yet to come...TWEPRISE! I totally forgoot about Tweezer at this
point...the jam is still ever presently lingering in my head, but it is
not an authentic Tweezer Jam as you will soon discover once you pop in the
tapes. I think it's a standard way to close the show, and it did give us
all some energy to begin the haul too Hampton.

Overall...this was a pretty good show. I would not go off on saying that
one entire set was better than the other, or both were entirely sick as
illness...each one had its moments...and they were very strong moments.
The Jam out of Tweezer was definitely the highlight of the evening for
me...so great it was that I would say that this was a solid performance. I
left satisfied, simply stated.

One more thing..too much controversy surrounding Trey's rumored drug
addiction. Raleigh, both Hamptons...yeah...there were some flubs...into
Mango there was an obvious tiny flub, and each night of Hampton saw some
flubs, but none that would make me to say that Trey is dying, or Trey is
on the verge of something bad. I didn't see anything though that raised
alarm, unlike summer tour when there were many periods when I was a bit
concerned. IMHO...Phish is just exploring new areas of improvisation...its
obvious there is a lot on their minds...and I do think they deserve a
break...to just clear their heads and prepare to begin a new decade, with
a freash and revitalized beginning. Im more concerned about the scene than
anything...we gotta get our act together. Saw too many people doing stupid
things. Wached a girl who couldnt have been older than 16, literally, drop
down to the ground looking lifeless second night Hampton, walked through a
large puddle of blood in Hampton as well. Anyway...I thought Raleigh was a
solid show, and I think that it was obvious, that the band is saving a lot
of energy for Florida. I cant wait, its gonna be sick, i think we're all
gonna be in a state of total awe for the entire weekend. We just gotta
stay in check. If we all keep ourselves, OURSELVES, in line, then we wont
have to worry about others. And people also need to remember that it is
SOOOO EASY to walk inches too a trashcan or recycling bend to throw away
your garbage. There is no excuse for excess garbage when there are so many
means of disposal. So lets keep it clean next week people, and in the
future...its up to us to keep our scene alive and well. Just my two
cents....see yall in FL

Al <>< 

Date: Tue, 21 Dec 1999 03:42:01 -0700
From: "Susanna, Lee" [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Raleigh NC show

Boy, I tell ya. . . After that long-winded rambling that I just read,
I'm gonna keep this short and sweet.  (Whomever wrote that big-ass
review/life story about your trusty cohorts, FOB taping, blah blah blah
blah blah, I got some news for ya. . . Nobody really dives a damn.  I
don't actually know you personally and therefore I could give two bits
o' shit what you did the night of the show, where you parked, what you
were offered for your ticket, etc., etc.  But I digress. . .)
This was a phatty show!  I had one hell of a good time!  The Wilson
opener pretty much just made my day!  Plus, Heavy Things, a pretty solid
Tweezer and Camel Walk?!  You got's ta be kidding me!  That just ruled!
'course, I'm from a really dull town in the desert so I'm pretty easy to
entertain.  The scene (to me, at least) was cool,  the venue, although
small and somewhat echo-y, had a lot of character, the Boys seemed to be
enjoying themselves, and don't even get me started on the multitudes of
gorgeous southern bells.  (Damn, a SouthWest desert boy such as myself
isn't used to such southern hospitality!  I could most certainly get
used to that sort of thing.  Sign me up for NCSU!!)  Aside from the
sweltering heat inside the venue--all in all--a rock solid show.  I
really enjoyed myself.
One other thing that I really got a kick out of. . . when the Cop in the
lot asked the girl what was in her "brownies" and she replied "Um. . .
eggs, sugar. . . chocolate stuff. . ."  the cop just cracked up then
wished her a safe show.  That was really cool.


Date: Mon, 20 Dec 1999 08:45:40 PST
From: Stephen Welsch [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Reynolds Review, 12/16/99

12/16/99 Reynolds Coliseum - Raleigh, North Carolina - Reviews
I: (1:18) Wilson > Chalkdust Torture, Lawn Boy, Limb by Limb, Horn, Get
Back
On The Train, Roget, Heavy Things, Camel Walk, Possum
II: (1:14) Sand (23 Min), The Mango Song, Wading in the Velvet Sea > Jam >
Tweezer (30 Min) > Runaway Jim
E: (0:09) Bittersweet Motel > Tweezer Reprise


I arrived at the parking lot around 5 pm, after meeting a friend
elsewhere. The only downside of the night was when they collected $5 from
me to park at the parking garage, and then there were no spots so we had
to park elsewhere.  $5 down the tubes, but easy come, easy go.  We didnt
see much of the lot scene, cops were being strict about drinking in the
lots and made alot of people pour out their beers, but I wasnt holding a
beer, so it didnt bother me.  Met a couple friends and heading in around
6:00.

I was so psyched to see this show.  Raleigh is where I presently reside
and they havent been here for an indoor show in years.  I was very
surprised they played reynolds, since there is a brand new arena down the
street, but it made for a pretty cozy show.  The place is very old, and
definitely looks like you are walking down a school hallway in the
concourses.  We scored some seats on page side, about 1/3 back from the
stage.  great seats and we didnt seem to have any problems with sound
there (others were complaining about the sound elsewhere in the building).  
My only complaint with the sound was that page was too low in the mix, but
by second set, they seemed to straighten that out.

Onto the show:

Wilson:  place was so loud, I couldnt even hear the beginning riffs. Was
very pleased with the selection, and they blew the song apart. (I have a
dog named wilson) incredible.

Chalkdust:  Oh Man!!!!!!!  this is the first phish tune I ever heard, and
has stayed one of my favs.  Probably the best Chalkdust I have heard to
date.  This song is the reason to pick up the tapes.

Lawn Boy:  Im a big page phan, so this was a definite bonus.

Limb by Limb:  Saw this at merriweather and thought it a strange opener.
Like this song much better in the middle of a set.  At this point I am
starting to realize that this is a trey night, as he is playing
flawlessly.
Good tune.

Horn:  Damn!!!! didnt expect this one.  Treys solo was incredible.

GBOTT:  probably my favorite new tune.  another best version for me.  the
place was rocking.

Roggae:  The band was completely in synch for this.  Great song and a nice
breather.

Heavy Things:  they sure like this tune.  Went to two shows and got it
both times.  Very catchy tune, the whole place was dancing up a storm.

Camel Walk:  WTF?!?!  I had only heard about this tune, had never heard
it, so it took a couple verses before I figured it out.  Funky, funky,
funky, the crowd was eating it up. This song could get away with being in
heavier rotation.  Great way to end the set right??? WRONG!!

Possum:  they outdid themselves.  the buildup made you want to come out of
your skin.  The lights added so much to this (as they did all night).

In my opinion (remember its just one mans opinion) this set ranks up there
at the top.  Probably one of the top three Ive seen, if not the top one.
The band was real tight, and Trey was so "on" it was amazing.  What the
hell could the second set hold for us.

Sand:  I wanted to hear this tune live, after all the raves I have been
reading.  Its a good tune, one of the better from Trey Solo tour.  Went on
a little long for my tastes, but I have no complaint (got to sit for
another minute)  Trey was playing around with his keyboard, making crazy
noises for quite awhile.  23 minutes long.

Mango Song:  Here we Go!!!!!!  this is the best page sounded all night,
pumping out a killer solo.  Gotta love Mango, and a very, very nice
surprise.

Wading:  I think I am one of the few people who think this is an amazing
song.  Again, this may have to do with love for page as a musician.

Tweezer:  Never been a huge tweezer phan.  Like the song, but dont go
crazy over it.  This year I have been building a bigger appreciation for
it though, as the jams seem funkier.  This one was about 1/2 hour and
pretty funky.  I sat it out, but enjoyed it very much.  looking forward to
hearing the recording to check it out again.

Runaway Jim:  this song follows me around everywhere.  Its a real sweet
tune, and they played this one perfect.

Encore:
You know Tweeprise is coming, but will there be something else?
Bittersweet Motel:  This is a beautiful song, and I dont think I could get
sick or it.

Tweeprise:  The best part about Tweezer is Tweeprise.  this was one of the
biggest highlights of the night.  Blew the roof off reynolds, with trey
swinging his guitar around like a rock god.

Overall:  the show was incredible.  The band was tight, each knew exactly
where the other one was.  It was treys night, I dont look for trey flubbs
or anything at shows, but I usually recall when he is perfect, and he was
in raleigh.  The first set was amazing.  If you only get one set from
Raleigh, thats the one, but I recommend the whole show.

JUST MY OPINION!!!

Stiff

PS: for the guy who was busting on raleigh rednecks.  Your from SC buddy,
you should talk!!! 

Date: Sat, 18 Dec 1999 10:54:29 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Raleigh

Just wanted to post my opinions on the 12.16 show in Raleigh.

I: (1:18) Wilson > Chalkdust Torture, Lawn Boy, Limb by Limb, Horn, Get Back
On The Train, Roggae, Heavy Things, Camel Walk, Possum
II: (1:14) Sand (23 Min), The Mango Song, Wading in the Velvet Sea > Jam >
Tweezer (30 Min) > Runaway Jim
E: (0:09) Bittersweet Motel > Tweezer Reprise

Wilson> I think everyone in the place was screamin' during this song...it
sounded really good.

Chalkdust> This was a standard version, but it was really well place,
directly after Wilson made it even better.
                                          
Lawnboy-  This is a wonderful song, but it should have been better placed.

Limb by Limb- This song has definately gotten more respect from me since i
first heard it on SOTG, it was a great version.

Horn- Trey was tearin' his guitar UP during this song.

Get Back on the Train- This song, for sure, goes down in my Fav. song
list, i first heard it live in Charlotte over the summer and absolutely
loved it, and this version was great!

Roget-  This isn't one of my fav. songs, but this one was okay.

Heavy Things-  I really like this song alot, it's just it's way too
overplayed, but i liked it alot...

Camel Walk- !!!! man! this song had the place jumpin' this was only the
second time it's been played this year, and man, was it great, i was
dancin' my ass off the whole entire song...

Possum- I though i was gonna get a break after that phatty Camel Walk, but
man, Possum! This possum was just way too crazy, everyone was also into
this one.  i have to disagree with whoever that was that said that this
one was better than Charlotte, because that one was just AWESOME with the
slide and all, but man, this one was pretty damn close...

setbreak - HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT, What is up with sellin' out of beverages??

Sand - This was a first for me, and i loved every second of it...it's a
keeper

Mango- another rarity that we were blessed with in Raleigh, pretty
standard version

Velvet Sea- this is the perfect song, i used to hate it, but now i'm all
about it...love it

Tweezer- Great Song! couldn't ask for a better placement either, and WHOA!
the jams were just too crazy!

Runaway Jim- i thought for sure after Tweezer that that would be it for
the second set, but no! the bust out with my fav. phish song! i was just
goin' to town on this song...love it soo much

E: bittersweet motel, yet, another rarity we got that night, good encore
song

Tweeprise- great version, and what a great song to end a great night off
with

Hey Carrie and all those people that were sittin in front of us, and
thanks for the skittles!!

-Reed
      

Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 02:06:28 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Review of 12/16/99
 
hey, i thought i would send this your way.  i posted this on RMP also.
see ya in hampton
jim
 
hey all, i just arrived to a computer after the raliegh show and i wanna say
"Its a Keeper ladies and gentlemen."  iam writing this why i am still in the
same mind-set that i was in at the show and everything is still fresh.
 
12/16/99 Reynolds Coliseum - Raleigh, North Carolina
 
I: (1:18) Wilson > Chalkdust Torture, Lawn Boy, Limb by Limb, Horn,
Get Back On The Train, Roget, Heavy Things, Camel Walk, Possum
 
II: (1:14) Sand (:23), The Mango Song, Wading in the Velvet Sea >
Jam > Tweezer (:30) > Runaway Jim
 
E: (0:09) Bittersweet Motel > Tweezer Reprise
 
* - Mike brought out a big shaggy Mike doll on the stage and sat it
on top of his amp before the first set.
 
First off....to everyone i met before the show, i enjoyed myself very much
and was very happy to meet all of you.
 
The show started out on a high note.  i was with a bunch of friends and was
very comfortable.
 
another note, for all of you who were at oswego, it was as hot in reynolds.
this place was a nice place though.  cop presence was tolarble.
 
Wilson -- the crowd was totally into this.  everyone was very excited to be
there and wilson was a great pick for an opener.
 
Chalkdust -- HELL YA!  Wilson into chalkdust was a major bonus.  the entire
band was fuckin on.  trey's solo was amazing.  he tore shit up.
 
Lawn Boy -- This was cool.  mike's solo wasnt "hi, i am the greatest" but he
did his job.  page's voice was wonderful.
 
Limb by Limb -- This was a wonderful suprise.  i did not expect this at all.
the entire song was just great.  trey proved again that he can rip shit up in
chalkdust and they go back to sanity and play wonderful, mellow jam.
 
Horn -- trey = amazing.
 
Get Back On The Train -- This was the best version i have heard.  more
jamming in the song with (maybe, i could be wrong) destiny unbound tease. i
might be wrong but i am leaving for hampton in a few hours and i am keeping
this one in the back of my head.  very intense.
 
Roget -- I dont like this song, but these version has showed me a new light
to this song.  wonderful jamming, wonderful lights, i was pleased with this.
trey and mike  showing that still are king.  Page is the man in this song.
he really does what we  pay to see.
 
Heavy Things -- My First Heavy Things.  its a good song, i like it.  alot of
talet showing tonight.  wonderful solo work this evening.  it was an added
plus to me in light that i have not been to a show since oswego.
 
CamelWalk -- Didnt stop dancing.  by the end of this song i am covered in
sweat from head to toe.  it was cool.  pure fun.  i think they surprised
everyone in the place as well as you folks at home.  i never heard this one
live before.  it was a well played to me from what i have heard on tapes.
you be the judge.
 
Possum -- Trey = Rock Star.  he tore shit up.  everyone in the place went
fuckin nuts.  mike tore shit up, page tore shit up, fish tore shit up.  this
one beats the Possum from Charlotte.  yes, i said that, flame me if you want.
 get the tapes and then tell me what you
think........philly????????????????????
 
at set break everyone in the city of raliegh decided to go into the halls and
in the isles so i didnt really move.  i got up once and it was so hard to
move.  i had to get out of the arena itself because it was 100 or so degrees
in there.  (not really 100 but it was hot)
 
this is where the show gets REAL GOOD.  the jamming in this set will blow
your mind.  ...if you get only 1 set...get the 2nd.  less song then the 1st
but good lord.
 
Sand...this was my first also being from the trey show.  i was very impressed
with how well mike picked this song up.  this song is about some hard core
bass rifts and then it goes to trey, mike, trey, mike, trey so on and so
forth.  this was  the best free flowing jam i have seen or heard in awhile.
trey is now DJ Trey.  he played with pedels, loops, keys, he even played with
the rug.  9.5 on the Good lord i cant believe this scale.
 
Mango -- AWESOME.  Listen the alpine 99 mango and then listen to this one.
opposite.  trey is on it during this song.  he had it in his head, arms, legs
how to play this.  i was very please with this one.  it was awesome.
 
Wading In The Velvet Sea -- My friend mary had her first show tonight and she
cried during this song.  she sat down and cried.  didnt eat anything, didnt
smoke anything, didny drink anything.  page busts this out chairman style.
but when trey starts his solo he had a few flubbs but hell, he is human and
he used up all his super power during the rest of the show till this song and
had to regenerate.  mike and definatly Page made up for it.
 
Jam->Tweezer->Slave Jam->Tweezer  -- go get your beer.  this was the most
amazing thing i have seen phish do and i was at great woods and oswego this
past summer.   to begin, the music gets spacey, fish is playing around with
his vac.  then trey starts playing Tweezer but it sounds like rest of the
band wants something else but trey had a plan for this.  they played your
basic tweezer but then, they start playing the jam to slave.  i was confused
and now that i think about it, it was the jam part of Slave.  trey is just
having a blast playing this. being trey.  had his black hat on and was
chillin...fish was chillin.  but still though, they played this jam and then
just went back into tweezer.  it was cool as hell, made the show.  tweezer
->slave jam->Tweezer
 
Runaway Jim -- my Friend Piper, thats the kids name, called this song in its
place.  great version and since my name is jim and i am 17, this is my song.
i just danced and danced and danced.  the song itself was played awesome.
trey went off.  the bass solo in the middle of the song was fed off the
crowd.  we all were nuts.  best crowd i have seen till tomorrow (HAMPTON!!!!)
 
E:
Bittersweet Motel -- I love this song.  great version, i was very impressed.
i am from pennsylvania so i yelled like a retard during the "Half way between
Erie and Pittsburgh."  sorry everyone, that was me.  only person in the place
to yell too.  great vocals.
 
Tweezer Reprise -- Good version, great way to end a kick ass show.  and the
feedback "I am King" thing at the end made my friend greg who also had his
first show tonight very happy.
 
so all and all this show rates a 8-9 on the scale of 1-10.  these are must
have tapes.  im serious, just for the Sand and the Tweezer.
 
See you all in hampton.
 
if you wanna add anything to this go right ahead.

Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 18:33:23 -0500
From: Jennifer Whitley [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12-16-99 Reynolds Coliseum, Raleigh NC

my first impression was that the atmosphere was opressively hot and
smoky. it was like being inside of a cancer patient's lung. but this was
tobacco country and you have to take the good with the rest. and tobacco
smoke is a good cover for.... anyway the crowd was definately
chainsmoking high nicotine cigarettes for the duration of this one.
there was a thick haze all the way up to the stage and much much
alcohol. some guy yelled at his frat buddy so loud we thought he might
be having a dysfunctional contusion of some sort. Phish was a great
sport as always. These guys are pros. It took them the entire first set
to warm up to the cancerous humidity but by the time they reached Possum
acoustics began to clear and security guards starting opening the doors
to let cool air in (please be informed that my perceptions of the show
were biased by certain disorientations). they took a long deserved set
break from a crown of screaming out of control drunk hormones to rebound
with a second set much better than the first. i remember some really
cool keynotes in Mango, The Jam, Tweezer, and Runaway Jim which was
awesomely quirky in the tradition of Garcia. The whole show was worth
tolerating just for Jim. But a better pick, the best pick for Phish- is
the Western experience. There is more energy out there not to mention
that Generation X actually has a fighting political chance to "live
while it's young." Anyone who gets this message should opt for a string
of summer shows out there, it's magic of the dinosaur variety. e.g.
catch this show on bootleg- 8/02/96.........
phospheresent neverending bioluminous magic esp. DWD, JIM, CASPIAN,
FLUFFHEAD.............
     i don't think Phish will be back to Reynolds anytime soon. peace.

-a message from the craftweb of Harvey, an associate of Jerry
Linderguard.

Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 19:55:01 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Reynolds in Raleigh

I just noticed your fourth bullet point down in which you say keep it
clean to keep the scene. That prompted me to write you about last nights
show in Raleigh NC. Nothing to do with the music, all about the scene. Do
you really want to keep the Phish scene the way it is? I mean, now the
scene is litter, in every way imaginable it's trash. Last night it was
like we were in a shanty town with no soul. The lot looked like it had
been going on for years. Trash EVERYWHERE! Spilt beer, urine, bottles,
leftover food, baggies, papers all over. It was'nt that there were'nt
trash cans, there were. And even the people who put their trash in bags
they brought, did'nt tie them, so bags full of trash were emptying their
contents onto the pavement, to be drug off by dogs and dispersed evenly.
Yet it goes further. The kids are trash. They don't care about the music,
it's all about drugs and selling drugs and not bathing and trying to get
EVERYTHING for free. But what are they giving to the scene? Nothing. You
look at them and they're pissed off. They're not listening to Phish out in
the lot, it's rap. Not good rap, angry rap, mean rap. They're selling bad
drugs for way too much money and then turning around and bumming money
under false pretenses like " can you help a brother out of jail". What
crap! How many times will I hear that shit! Or trying to get phree tickets
saying it's their first show. Come on man! I almost can't stand it. And
it's not like you can overlook it, they're everywhere. It's nothing but
little kids at the show, schwilly mommas and poppas who don't care
anything about being a hippie, only about being a bum.And after seeing all
this, I'm walking through the lot getting ready to go home and I happen to
look down just as I cross over a bumper sticker. It's stuck to the asphalt
and covered in liquid goop. With white letters on a purple background all
it said was..."Be Good Family". The irony. Thanks for your time, shalom
phriend.


Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 02:34:47 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: review of 12-16-99
 
Alright, this is my first review, though I have been to many shows.  i'm
gonna start off with a complaint about the parking lot.  I mean, that was
outrageous. We couldn't even drink beer without being hassled and forced
to throw it out? Sure, i guess.
 
-Wilson-good, plain old wilson, good to hear, no complaints. Decent way to
start a show.

-Chalkdust-What can I say about chalkdust except that it's chalkdust.  A
good version, I must say and a good second song.  This show is looking
good after all.

-Lawn Boy-Another good song, but a considerably slower song, and it seemed
too early on to start with the slow stuff.  I like this song, but it put a
twist on the show that I wasn't looking forward to.  Slowness.

-Limb by Limb-I really enjoyed this version of the song, even though it's
not my favorite.  They seem to be playing this song out as if to retire it
or something.??

-Horn-Alright!  Love this song and I could hear it every night!

-GBOTT-Good jammin song, but kinda keepin with the slow pace of the first
night

-Roget-Again I like this song, but I wasn't ready for the slowness that It
brought along.

-Heavy Things-Alright!!!  My favorite of the new songs.  Now we're pumpin!  
I was dancin' like nobody's business when I heard this!  The first time of
the night that I was actually excited.

-Camel WAlk-ugg...agian getting into the slowness.  Good version, but I wasn't
ready for it

-Possum-Great song and great version!  Great way to end this set that was
mostly slow stuff.
 
Overall, I wasn't impressed at all with the first set.  The only time that
I was really excited was the heavy things.  But who can ask for two great
shows in a row? Last night was good enough for the both i think.  
Hopefully the second set would be better.
 
-Sand-Uggg...my least favorite new song.  And 23 minutes?  Ugg. 

-Mango song-Great song!  I've been wqiting forever to hear this and I
finally get to and it's a great version!  I loved this version and feel
bad for anyone who didn't get to hear it.

-WITVS-Great slow song and nicely placed.  I needed a break after that
mango. Good version.

-Tweezer-I don't like tweezer's normally because they are dragged out, but
this one just killed me.  30 minutes?  Come on now.

-Runaway Jim-YESSSS!!  A great classic!  And very well played too!  A
perfect set closer.  AS a matter of fact, i had called halfway throught
tweezer that I hoped they would go into this to close!  What a treat!
E-Bittersweet motel was a decent cover.  Kinda boring.  The tweezer
reprise wasn't needed.  Kinda put the icing on the cake that was a
disappionting show.
 
Overall, this show was kind of a disappiontment.  I was hoping for a more
enerjetic show from them.  The highlights were definitely heavy things, mango,
and runaway jim.

Date: Sun, 19 Dec 1999 00:28:12 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12-16-99  Reynold's Coliseum, Raleigh, NC

Okay, I know this was only my fourth show, and I might not have heard
every version of every son gthat Phish has ever done, but this show, was
definitely sweet.  Anybody who didn't have a good tim eat this show needs
to start relaxing and dancing instead of analyzing.  But I digress.  My
general view of the whole show was like a tease. It borught you up, then
back down and then ended each set big.  very well put together. Set I:
They started out real killer with a phatty Wilson and Chalkdust, gettin
gthe crowd hyped up like mad.  I wasn't on the floor, but I was right in
front and above trey's head and I could tell he was gettin down already,
then they mellowed out with some songs which were slow (much to the
disappointment of some), but still very cool songs.  I really enjoyed the
Lawn Boy.  GBotT and Heavy Things were really fun.  Camel Walk was killer
and the Possum just blew me away (danced my feet off cause I knew the set
was over)

Set II:  The Sand was cool to hear, but the jam started to sag in the
middle, but picked up nicely at the end (my only complaint for the night).  
Mango is always great to hear and good for dancin and singin.  Wading was
a nice rest after all that dancin (very soothing).  The Tweezer was sick
(now look what you got me sayin).  Didn't even feel like 30min at all.  
kept me movin the entire time.  Runaway Jim is a good dancin song to close
the second set. E:  Bittersweet was nice, but I really would have liked to
hear something I hadn't heard before in it's place.  and the Reprise,
however inevitable, was definitely sweet.

Overall, my favorite show so far, much much better than first day of
Hampton (couldn't get tix to Saturday night :o( ).  The crowd was totally
down and Trey was smilin and dancin and feedin off us the enitre second
set.  I liekd the smallness of the venue, it added to the energy.  
defiitely a must-get tape.


Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 16:26:19 -0500
From: Brian Whitson [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: RaleighReview
 
Let me get the negatives out of the way. The sound sucks at Reynolds, but I
expected it knowing it was set up for b-ball. (Littlejohn). wanted to get
there early to take advantage of General Admission. So we hauled ass - 4 hrs
from me and had to work untill noon. got there in time. but, as you've read -
got shut out thanks to the armband thing. I was pissed at first, but I
realized it was to hook up the locals and discourage chaos. I snuck in my
digital camera and wanted to get some phatty close-ups. oh well. Got some
decent ones from the page side. Also, my friends got denied with thier DAT
and mic stand for unknown reasons. I guess security thought it was maxxed
out. had to haul the gear back to the car. in the non-existant lot. I heard
Reynolds has a big field, but all we saw was pavement. also - they must not
get a lot of concerts at reynolds - ran out of drinks - and it was a sauna in
there. Also, i know its my fault - but i must have been in the geriatric
section- buncha dead weight. But for the whole- the crowd was good. The wave
looked cool in that little place. And i took a newbie. she is a panic kid
-60+ shows but had never seen Phish. I cant say this show was a mind blower -
a little lax due to hampton maybe. But there were definately highlights. I am
psyched to see the boys no matter what- so its hard to turn me off- but for a
newbie i wish she could have gone to hampton and see some of the magic. i
think the boys were sober - they went easy on the antics.
 
OK- enough trash talk. Highlights:
Wilson- standard. i think they did it for the small room and loud sound we
(aud) could make.
chalkdust - not a fav. - but this was a phatty. smokin hot. got us pumped.
lawnboy - love it - questionable placement. should have lit up page. he was
standing in the dark. my opinion
Limb - nice
horn - trey trey trey
GBOTT- really dig this song - mainly due to Page
Roget- started to worry. like the tune, but i kept thinking they were gonna
dump all the low energy ones on us to avoid 'em at hampton. not going  :(
Heavy things- trey tour liked it - kinda poppy- but its alright. have a
friend named vanessa.
Camel walk - nice n' rare
Possum - the newbie dug it big time. she should have - it rocked. I used to
love F. Bitch and Possum more when they were rare. but it was good to hear.
 
Setbreak - sardines in a sauna
 
Sand - here we go . i called this so i felt special. and what a phatty it is.
heard it from trey tour. sweet sweet sweet. and long.
Mango - never would have guessed. good placement - good tune.
Velvet- Beautiful. sticks in my brain
Tweezer- rocked - long and swampy. but not enough page tonight. maybe it was
the sound that didnt let me hear him.heard the 2001buildup - but no. nice
tweezer.
Runaway- strong. newbie loved it. i love it.nice closer.
 
Bittersweet- some like it - i dont.
Tweeprise - inevitable . strong. fast. rockin.
 
Overall. Second set made the show. enjoy hampton.
 
-BW

Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1999 23:55:08 -0800 (PST)
From: Dave Harryman [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12/16/99 Raleigh
 
This show was incredible, the energy was amazing! I should note that this show
was the first show EVER that they didn't play a cover song! Well here goes the
review: I: (1:18) Wilson > Chalkdust Torture, Lawn Boy, Limb by Limb, Horn,
Get Back On The Train, Roget, Heavy Things, Camel Walk, Possum II: (1:14) Sand
(23 Min), The Mango Song, Wading in the Velvet Sea > Jam > Tweezer (30 Min) >
Runaway Jim E: (0:09) Bittersweet Motel > Tweezer Reprise
 
I was on the rail the whole show and saw everything! Trey came out all smiles
and started playing something I couldn't make it out, b/c the crowd was very
loud all nite. Then I heard duh duh-duh duh....WILSON!! The place thundered
with the chant.
 
Wilson>: smokin' Trey was on fire;
 
Chalkdust: Trey hit the chrods during the coda of Wilson, which surprised Page
who shot his head up at Trey. This version was the best I have ever heard. (I
have 275+ hours on tape and CD and have been to several shows)
 
Lawn Boy: Mr Page McConnell Lounge-style: great and totally unexpected. Mike's
solo was gorgeous, and Page intro'd him at the end.
 
Limb By Limb: one of my favorites from SOTG; pleasantly surpirsed to hear this
here it crushed my hopes of 2001 for the night, b/c I couldn't think of
anything they would segue it into. Nice and semi-long about 9-10, it can be
stretched beautifully though.
 
Horn: wouldn't have guessed this one, nice placement, this show was starting
to rock.
 
Get Back On The Train: love this tune, and so does Mike, I think Trey gave him
this one so he wouldn't be too pissed at having to do Heavy Things again. Mike
found his groove and Fishman was laying it down nice and funky. I like the new
arrangement.
 
Roggae: Nice tune, nice and mellow.
 
Heavy Things: I didn't really want to hear this, but I found myself dancing
and grooving (though Mike was obviously hating every minute of it). The only
song I would like to have been replaced by something else.
 
Camel Walk: Trey was smiling all night long and nobody in the place could have
called his devious choice. It was great, well placed too. Sort of ironic that
they play a song before it thats been played 7 of 12 shows and follow it w/
one played twice this year.
 
Possum: This raged! Trey was all over the fretboard and opened this song up.
Mike's vocals were great. Killer way to end the set!
 
Set I: 8.5 out of 10 (deduction for Heavy Things, I mean who really wants to
hear it that many times?)
 
Set II: With Limb by Limb already used, I wondered what they would play. The
soundcheck was Funky Bitch, Whats the Use, and (possibly) Roggae. I figured
maybe Funky Bitch, Trey picked up the mic cup and told Page what looked like
"It's Ice" which the crowd yelled for (all nite Trey listened to what the
crowd was yelling for). Instead it was: Sand: This was pretty damn good, one
of my favorite new songs, love the lyrics. Nice long jam, Trey on keys for
about 10 minutes.
 
Mango Song: Who would have guessed? First Camel Walk now Mango? Nice and
loose, though you could tell its been 5 months since the played it. Great solo
by Page
 
Velvet Sea>: Love this song; Page should sing more often, he has a beautiful
voice, great soloing by Trey; he nailed this song.
 
Jam>: there wasn't a Jam here, it was Trey playing w/ feedback and Fish used
the vacuum for a little bit, I think this was part of Tweezer, or the end of
Velvet Sea and shouldn't be considered "Jam".
 
Tweezer>: Nice and unexpected, this one went to some great places. The jam
also featured Trey on keys for what seemed like forever, I actually wouldn't
mind if I could hear what he was doing. The riff they found (or Mike found)
was phat and reminded me of something, maybe Antelope. I thought this would be
it, then:
 
Runaway Jim: You think this works well as a set opener? wait til you hear it
as a closer! Trey was all over this, and so was Mike! Again Trey was just
messing w/ the crowd building and building, the whole night was like one ginat
Maze or Antelope!
 
Set II: 9.5 out of 10 (Mango was a little loose)
 
Encore: Bittersweet Motel>: First this year! Beautiful song, Trey was playing
really well again. We all knew where it would go...
 
Tweeprise: Smokin'. Trey jumping up and down, and at the end he started
pointing his guitar around for feedback and then lifted it straight in the air
for the coda.
 
Overall show: 9.0 out of 10, rare songs, all originals, Trey was amazing, Mike
was great, Fish and Page were great too, but it was Trey's show.
 
Some asides: Each band member in some way throughout the night gestured at me:
Page waved in the middle of a song; Fish laughed at me; Trey shot his eyebrows
up at me sortof cocky, when I mouthed, "You're the man!" in Possum; but me and
Mike were involved in a staring contest (weird). The lot was nonexistent, or
at least I didn't look for a scene, b/c I knew the Coliseum was in the middle
of campus, so I waited in line for like 5 hours. Security was great, nice and
lax, I actually got backstage around 2, and Paluska actually led me to a water
fountain! The band showed up very late, I saw they were sched to do soundcheck
at 4:30, but it was around 5 when they started. The head security guy used to
follow the Dead and was cool; the guy that took his seat had seen Phish a
bunch before, just never worked one, which is cool, b/c they know what its
like. One bad note, a kid afterward was trippin on something really bad, he
was facedown on the floor screaming about Ebeneezer; the cops (state police)
actually just wanted to know what he was on, so they could help him, they
weren't gonna charge him w/ anything, which gave me some pride in my state!
Well everybody be safe on the way to and from Hampton! The grading is totally
subjective, but I still think this a must-have show on disc or tape!

Dave

Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 01:44:36 -0500
From: Todd Deen [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12/16/99
 
k i've been pumped for this show since i first saw it posted, simply because
it was amazing to think that phish would be playing less than a mile away
from where i sleep.  the scene was great and the show was pretty damn good
too.
 
wilson-always a good mover, really got an already excited crowd roaring
->chalkdust-trey was really raging on this chalkdust, he was really smoking
and all  over the place
lawnboy- page was enjoying himself
limb by limb- this song has come a long way from when i first heard,
bueatiful melodies into a raging ending, love fishmans new ending
horn- not a prefered song, but its cool cuz u dont hear it that often
gbott-loved this song this summer, love it even more with the new ending
roget-nice floating song, love the words
heavy things-talk about poppy, this song is very very catchy, i like it
though
camel walk- can u say damn, not the best song of the evening, but definitely
the biggest surprise, good and funky
possum- hell yeah, hell yeah, great way to close the set, once again trey
rages
1st set was a pretty damn good set, with a nice mixture of tunes.  I'd give
it a 7, with the highlights being chalkdust, camel walk, and possum
 
Sand-wow, this is a great song, started off with a spacey jam that melded
into pure funk, i really like this song, and the lights were amazing and this
really started the set off well
the mango song-cute and bouncy
wading in the velvet sea-i love this song, even though there was nothing
special about this version, i still enjoy hearing it when i can
->jam-very techno with trey playing a lot of delay loops, was really thinking
a ghost, but . . .
->tweezer-amazing, most tweezers are funknasty, this one was just beautiful,
absolutely beautiful, highlight of the night
->runaway jim- another raging trey song to close the set, very good for
shaking the bones
2nd set was better jammed, and with amazing work on the lights from our good
friend chris. i give it an 8, with the highlights being well, just about the
whole damn thing
 
bittersweet->tweeprise-bittersweet is always a tasty treat with the
inevitable tweeprise to close, way to guys u didn't disappoint me, a 7.5
overall


Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 03:23:37 -0500 (EST)
From: George Carson [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12/16/99 Reynolds Coliseum Review...
 
Well, just got back in from this nice show.  To start as a disclaimer,
this was my 17th show, my last being this summer 7/10/99.  This is also my
first attempt at a review.
        Well, got in the Coliseum at about 6:30.  Strange scene outside.
Its weird seeing Phish play in Reynolds.  It just seems so much like a
basketball arena that I couldn't imagine them playing there.  So, I went
to go down front on the floor and then was told I had to have a blue
armband.  I said, "well where do I get my blue armband?" and was then told
they were given out this morning at 11:00, I guess on the NC State campus.
This kind of pissed me off because I figured general admission meant we
could go anywhere.  Obviously not.  So I already wasn't feeling the vibe
at Reynolds (Hampton is Tomorrow Night!).  Anyways, on to the first set:
 
Wilson: Always nice to hear, but having heard it open my last shjow in
Camden this sumer was sort of hoping for something else.  NIce standard
rocking version as usual.
-->Chalkdust: Well, this show is really starting to become familiar.  THe
exact same opening combo as at Camden!  Not that I am complaining,
Wilson.Chalkdust is a nice 1-2 punch.  Also, standard rockin version,
nothing especially different (like the Camden version).
   Lawn Boy:  Not much to say about this.  NIce Page and Mike solo (Mr.
Michael Gordon, folks!).
   Limb by Limb:  Sorry to say I went to the bathroom here.  From what I
heard a nice healthy jam, nothing spectacular.
   Horn:  This was my first Horn and was nice to hear.  Trey nailed the
little solos and I enjoyed it.
   Get Back on the Train:  I love this song.  Every time I hear it I love
it more.  I'm sure if I heard it too much I'd get tired of it, but same
for any song.  Anyways, nice little jam on the end until it faded into
nothingness (I really think they could segue out of this song a lot more,
but don't).
   Roggae:  Ahhh, my favorite "slow" Phish song.  Just a fuckin' beautiful
song (The circus is the place for me....)  I remember Hampton last year
first night first set and Roggae's balloon jam.  That just could have gone
on forever in my mind.
   Heavy Things:  Nice little ditty.  Heard it before, nice peppy version
after the slow Roggae.
   Camel Walk: Now we're talkin'.  I was starting to get a little
disappointed in this set and this song saved it for me (Don't the boys
always do that?)  Anyways, first Camel Walk for me and the funk was thick.
Just a cool, fun song.
   Possum: I knew this would be the set closer and was a little
disappointed at that.  But, you can never go wrong with a good Possum.
Every time I hear the song live I think it is the best version I've ever
heard (Same thing for Antelope).  Anyways, good way to end the set.
 
Set I was definately lacking for me.  Highlights were Camel walk, Train
and Roggae for me.  Possum was of course awesome.  I was looking forward
to a jammin' 2nd set.
 
Set II
  SAnd:  It was about 20-25 minutes long and was pretty damned good.
First time seeing this one live, but had heard it on tapes from 10/4/99.
It was slow to build for the first 10 minutes or so, but once it got going
Trey was going nuts.  The peak of the song at about 17 minutes in was
truly awesome, but I had grown a little tired of the very repetitve bass
line by then.  It's a cool bass line, just not for the entire 20 minute
song.  It was cool though.
  Mango Song:  NIce.  Love this song.  Standard fun version.
  Wading in the VElvet Sea:  Nice version, just wasn't into it.  I wanted
them to keep the energy up after Mango and Wading was defintaely not my
choice for a slow down song (Whatever happened to Lifeboy??).  Anyways, it
went into some spacy stuff at the end.  I was sure they were either going
into Ghost or 2001.  Trey had the loop going like Ghost, but it sounded
spacy like 2001.  Instead we get
--->Tweezer:  Nice surprise.  Also a song from my last show.  This was
pretty damned good version.  It was kind of spacey for the first 10
minutes, then Trey and the boys found a nice jam and kept at it.  It was a
really nice pregression and was very "bliss-like".  Just one of those jams
you close your eyes, dance and smile at.  I really kept thinking they were
going to segue into Walk Away.  They had the chord pattern going, but
nobody ever started it for real.  So instead it fades away almost to
nothing and then
--->Runaway Jim:  Not a real segue I don't think, but who knows.  I love
this song also and have never heard a bad version.  But again, I was upset
because I knew this song would end the set.  Nice solid version.  I was
hoping for some rocking song to segue out of it, but they bowed and left
the stage.
 
For the encore, I knew we were getting probably one song and then into
Tweepreise.  It was just the first song to decide on.  I though a
Carini>Tweepreise would be nice, but they played:
  Bittersweet Motel:  Definately not the song I wanted to hear at this
point.  It pretty much disappointed me.
-->Tweeprise:  Great rocking song.  I love it and don't think I would ever
get tired of seeing it live.
 
Overall, the first set had some highlights, but was average.  Second set
was above average with the Jammed Sand and the nice Tweezer, but Wading
hurt it.  Encore was disappointing.  Out of a scale of 1-10 of the shows I
have seen I would give this show 6/10.  Good enough to be above average.
See ya'll at Hampton!!
 

Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 04:48:52 -0800
From: Phil Pelanne [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Reynolds Coliseum show...
 
Hey,
 
    It's 4:30 am now, and I just got back to Blacksburg from Raleigh (hint -
never try this drive w/o additional drivers!!).  Few quick observations
before catching some shuteye (this won't be all the songs they played) - Trey
was donning black ski hat the whole show - no beard - BIG grin whole show.
Fish in standard duct-taped dress (I kinda miss the viking horns from last
year!!)....Page debonaire in black and Mike....well, just Mike.
 
Still trying to get used to new stage setup.
 
Set 1 - Set opener Wilson was huge....Page did an awesome lounge lizard act
during Lawn Boy, cooly working the front of the stage......Get Back on the
Train is always great to dance to and tonights was a solid version (not too
much to change around there).....CAMEL WALK(!!!).......Possum closer featured
nice jams (no language this time)
 
Set 2 - Sand - this was extended out into an effect drenched guitar heavy
wall of sound, Trey experimenting on keys, really kind of rocked near the
end!.....Mango Song - another relative rarity tonight!  Was kept light,
bouncy, and pretty true to the original version.....Tweezer was really long
with Trey back on the keys again, this time slinging his guitar on his back
and playing on them for a good 10 minutes...cool woodblocks in
there!!.......Runaway Jim!!  My favorite Phish tune well played - most of
the people around me were singing right along!
 
Security was very light, from what I saw, except at Will Call (?)...parking
lot scene seemed concentrated to a small area, probably due to the fact that
parking seemed to be spread out around campus (I was directed to a dorm
parking lot).
 
Can't wait to see what they have in store for us in Hampton!!
 
Radiskull must sleep....

Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 10:44:04 -0500
From: Miner Gleason [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 12-16-99 -- Reynolds Coliseum
 
OK, so I'm not a road warrior with 100s of shows under my belt.  I try
to catch our heroes whenever they're within a couple hours drive, and
that's been about 6 or 7 shows over the last few years.  And I listen to
a lot of tapes.  Thank the goddess for the tapers!!!
 
With that caveat I've gotta say this was absolutely the worst-sounding
Phish show I've ever heard, and at least from that aspect was pretty
hugely disappointing.  We tried a number of different locations (the
sardine section of the floor right behind the taping section, several
spots in the stands, but not the main floor, even though our tickets
said "floor", because, we were informed, "people lined up at 11:00 AM to
get blue armbands, and if you don't have a blue armband you can't go on
the floor", @#$%^!, finally settling on the side about 2/3 back from the
stage) and it was pretty awful everywhere we went.  It wasn't until the
middle of the second set that the front-of-house crew finally seemed to
get the horrible bass-mush-boom-and-feedback tamed to the point where
you could tell Mike was actually playing distinct pitches on his bass.
And Page was pretty much non-existent through the entire first set.  The
vocals were indistinct and the harmonies really poorly balanced.  And it
seemed like the snare mic was dead on Fishman's drum kit or something;
the snare hits were this sort of non-descript thud, missing that crisp
snap.  That stayed broken all night.
 
I really can't say much about the first set other than it seemed like it
was pretty well-played mostly.  We just couldn't hear it.  It was
basically trying to extract musical cues out of the din that would
invoke audio memories of other occasions of hearing the same songs; it
was *REALLY* difficult to hear most of what was going on.  My
impressions: interesting short jam in Chalkdust, inaudible Page on Lawn
Boy, nice Limb by Limb, Get Back On The Train ruined by muffled vocals,
ditto on Roget.  Not much else to say.
 
Second set.  Sand just seemed to drag forever.  Maybe it was because the
sound was so boomy and it was really hard to hear much happening.
Finally took off into a satisfying bit of jamming towards the end, but
it just seemed like an eternity getting there.  Good Mango Song; the
sound finally seemed to be improving here.  And then a stunningly
beautiful Wading in the Velvet Sea.  The vocal balance was finally on,
Page's keys were audible, and they just floated it out there, just
gorgeous.  The trailing jam didn't really segue into Tweezer, it just
kind of tapered out and then Trey hit the opening Tweezer riff; that's
how I remember it.  Tweezer rocked, with some shredding jams in which
Page was audible at least part of the time.  And then what seemed an
unusual choice for set closer in Runaway Jim.  Not as wildly jammed as
some of the notable set-opening RJ's (the 6-16-95 Walnut Creek, Raleigh
second set opener (my second show) was just an absolute cranium melter
in that respect), but way OK in my book.
 
Really fun Bittersweet Motel, very nicely sung, and then the obligatory
Tweezer reprise and that was the encore.
 
I must mention the lights, though, which were very nice---fine job in
that department!
 
Overall, not a peak Phish experience: a probably-good show sabotaged by
dreadfully poor sound for most of the night.  It'll be interesting to
see if the tapers were able to capture anything listenable.
 
--
cheers, miner
home://www.ipass.net/~starwolf
band://www.shakedownwizards.com


below are reviews of the above reviews, reviewers or the opinions
expressed by the authors

Date: Tue, 21 Dec 1999 12:48:20 EST
From: Todd Stephenson [email protected]
To: [email protected], [email protected]
Subject: Raleigh, NC?

Yo Skutch, I did not realize that Columbia, SC was the mecca of
cosmopolitan.  I feel the comments that you made regarding Raleigh were in
bad taste.  You can NOT make an accurate analyse of an area when all you
see is an old part of NCSU and a Coliseum that is fifty years old.  
Reynolds Coliseum is a dump but feel fortunate that you were able to see
Phish.  I was unable to make any shows this year except the 1998-1999 New
Years shows @ MSG (fucking awesome).

Raleigh is actuately a great place to live and I'm sure Columbia, SC is as
well.  You will get your share of rift raft and red Necks in both places
but all in all there is EVERYTHING you need in Ralieghwood.

As for you comments on the band, maybe you should take a break.  I've
heard tapes of most of their 1999 shows and they kick ass.  They are,
hands down, the best touring band today.

See you at the football game this fall.  I heard you "Cocks" were going to
have a squad.

Date: Mon, 20 Dec 1999 10:30:52 -0500
From: Richard Hazlehurst [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Skutch

Just a comment to Skutch:

    I can understand what you mean by the show. This used to happen to me
after I had seen the Dead 20 or 30 times. Alot of the songs begin to run
together, and you're left looking for that one amazing version that
leaves your mind blown. Anything else leaves you completly dissapointed.
It is a sad state of mind, and makes me think that you are the one who
needs a break, not the band.

As a musician myself, It is extermely difficult to come out every night
and play something mind-blowing. After all, there is a fine line between
a jam and just noise. Alot of it depends on your state of mind as the
audience. Now, I havn't seen Phish is six or seven years... Chapel Hill.
And I thoroughly enjoyed the show. I agree that the acoustics we're
pretty bad, but that's why they played so many slower songs, the sound
was much better at lower volumes. I think that the band did a wonderful
job making the best of a bad venu. The energy was certainly there, and I
danced all night.

I'll ignore the comments about Raleigh. No place is perfect, but those
of us who live here like it.
Anyway, I enjoyed the show and hope to get tapes at some point. Enjoy the
next show everyone!

Rich Hazlehurst

Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 11:57:51 -0800 (PST)
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: raleigh show

I have to agree totally with David Smitherman's comment.  The Raliegh show
offered an excellent setlist and generally strong performances by all of
the guys.  However, the acoustics were terrible, which prevented the
volume from being turned up.  It was very frustrating for those of us
forced to sit near the back to lose most of the more subtle notes in the
echoes of the rafters.

This raises real the reason why I am writing this review.  Whoever fouled
up the ticketing on this show REALLY whiffed in my book. Don't get me
wrong, I totally enjoyed the show and I don't complain when I don't get
the best seats through mail order.  However, as one of those fans who
worked hard to get our mail orders in early and got general admission
tickets, I was totally disappointed to be turned away from the floor by
security because I wasn't one of the first few hundred to receive the
required wirstband.

I hope the Phish organization will take extra care in the future not to
let this happen again.

Thanks and I am totally looking forward to a tremendous New Years in
Florida!

MyDQuin

Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 11:33:11 -0500
From: David Smitherman 
To: [email protected]
Subject: Raleigh
 
I agree with minor.  The sound in that concrete box was terrible.  I think it
got even worse toward the end of the second set.  It seemed that Mike had to
be turned way down so the building wouldn't shake with each note.  The warmer
it got in there the more the bass frequency make the place vibrate.  It was a
good performance sabotaged by poor acoustics.  Hampton will not disappoint.

Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 11:29:26 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: the review of [email protected] for12.16
 
     PHISH IS LONG JAMS.  "dragged out" is what a show is all about.  Their
CDs have plenty of short songs that come in a big list.  Slow does not equal
lame.

click here to return to the 1999 reviews page


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