4-17-99 -Phil & Friends- Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA
if you have a review of this show, email it to me at dws@www.phish.net

Date:    Tue, 20 Apr 1999 23:20:06 -0700
From:    Martin Acaster martinacaster@SPRINTMAIL.COM
Subject: Re: The Deafening Sound of Silence--4/17/99

Yet another wow this weekend was great report

first the thanks: to Charlie Dirksen (ticket, floor, logistical
coordination), Jeremy and Elise (pre-show hospitality), Shawn (ride to the
show), Patty (ride from the show).....everyone else (being there)

Allow me to preface what will follow with this very important statement:

I loved the show, I am VERY happy that I was there, I would not have given
up this opportunity for anything

BUT

some of what I am about to say may make some of you uncomfortable....I
apologize in advance....after all these are just MY thoughts feelings and
opinions regarding the one show I saw...feel free to dismiss any of this as
meaningless ramblings from somebody who wouldn't know good music if it bit
him on the ass

So to begin again,

I am overjoyed by the fact that I made it to this show.  Now that I have
had two days and a long drive to reflect on what I shared with those of
you there, I am still having a difficult time putting the experience
into words.  The emotions the night has evoked, some buried for almost
four years now, have left me quieter than usual.

As a result this post may come off slightly garbled or confused.  I
tried in the days leading up to the show not to set my hopes too high.
The last time I saw the Dead was 6/30/95 at Three Rivers Stadium in
Pittsburgh. Of course the Matrix worked it out that my first exposure to
Live Dead of any kind would be in a form generated out of the confluence
of three mighty rivers of improvisational music. The blending of Phish,
KVHW, and the Dead was conceivably a super group of the highest caliber,
a band that could change the face of improvisational music forever. As I
said, I tried to eliminate such thoughts from my mind. The goal was too
lofty. The pressure to great. I needed to just enjoy what came. Whatever
it was good or bad.  I did indeed manage to enjoy it for what it
was...unfortunately I was also aware of what wasn't a part of the show.

I am left with a thirst for more. But not for more Phil and Phriends. I
want more KVHW. I want more Phish. I want Jerry Back. Nowhere was his
absence more obvious than in what I can only describe as a PAINFUL
rendition of Friend of the Devil. I have always felt, and I know others
share this opinion, that the greatest strength of Dead songs is the
lyrics. It has always been the words of Robert Hunter that have stuck
the fork in my heart causing it to burst open with joy or sorrow. After
this weekend I am now sure that the messenger was just as responsible.
The magic is lost on ME without Jerry singing the songs.

As a counterpoint to that....and the only other musical dissapointment
of the evening I have to mention...Down With Disease without Mike and
Fishman is just not right. Phil picking the bass line over a half-step
slow John Molo marred what may have been one of the finest versions of
Disease I have ever heard.  Trey played the HELL out of the song to try
to coax Molo into picking up the pace. I can say unequivocally that Jon
Fishman is a God amongst Rock and Roll drummers. Superhuman...an
Electric Octopus Drum Machine.

The bad stuff now behind me....all I have to say is...DARK FUCKING
STAR...wow....The first set was a finely woven Tapestry of sight and
sound. Trey Page Kimock and Phil blending together wrapping me in velvet
poking my brain with tender fingers, caressing the temples. It seemed to
go on for ever and I wish it had. Its Up to you and the Days Between
rolled effortlessly in and out of the magic carpet. If the tweezer had
actually emerged from the dark star I would have soiled my boxers. There
were Other One teases in the first set also I am pretty sure...once I
have tapes I will be certain. Prince Caspian was lazily floating down
the Mississippi River. Bird Song flew me on its wings back to the show
in Pittsburgh.

During the setbreak Wish You were Here washed thorugh my brain...so
perfect...since there were so many people I wished were
there...friends..lovers...Jerry...

The Terrapin to open the second set was another tear-jerker...the Jam
was stupendous...the flood of memories sucking my breath away...stealing
my face. Down with Disease as I said was torn apart by Trey. A volcano
jetting molten sound into the room. If not for the "composed" segment of
the song this would rank with the finest of diseases ever. The Jam slid
once again effortlessly back into Dark Star, flirted seriously with the
Other One...(another mini-bummer that they abandoned it)...then self
destructed in Friend of The Devil. Casey Jones restored the high energy
to the room which the Devil had sucked out. Cocaine will do that I
guess. The somewhat ironic drug anthem was followed by what I consider
to be the most magnificent version of Morning Dew I have ever heard. If
there is a better one please feel free to tape it for me because I NEED
to hear it. I needed nothing more for the show to be complete and the
remainder of the set did nothing to disrupt that thought. Going down the
road feeling bad seemed an Odd choice of song...since I hope noone there
would be leaving the Warfield feeling bad. It was cool to have Donna
Jean come on out to do some of the vocals too.

The bottom line.....A great show...I wish you were there...if you were
I'm happy to have shared the moment with you...if not...GET THE TAPES!!!


Date:    Sun, 18 Apr 1999 04:58:26 -0700
From:    Charles Dirksen cdirksen@EARTHLINK.NET
Subject: 4/17 Lesh and Friends Review

Saturday, April 17, 1999
THE WARFIELD
PHIL LESH & FRIENDS
(aka "The Better Ones" -- which appeared on a sticker being passed
out by an ecstatic fan outside the show)

Trey Anastasio (Phish): Languedoc Hollowbody
Page McConnell (Phish): Grand Piano & organ
John Molo (Other Ones): Drums
Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead, Other Ones): Lead Bass
Steve Kimock (Zero, SK&F, KVHW, Other Ones): Guitars (5+)

Special Guest:  Donna Jean Godchaux

SET ONE (1:17)
Dark Star (instrumental) ->
It's Up to You
Days Between (Phil lead vocals) ->
Dark Star (first verse; Phil vocals?) ->
My Favorite Things (instrumental) >
Mississippi Half-Step (Phil and Donna vocals)
Birdsong (Page l.v.?)

SET TWO (1:18)
Terrapin (Phil, Trey, and Donna vocals, I think) >
Down with Disease (Trey vocals) ->
Dark Star (second verse; Page l.v.) ->
Other One Jam (short; aborted)
Friend of the Devil (Phil l.v.)
Casey Jones (Trey l.v.)
Morning Dew (Phil l.v.)
Goin Down The Road Feelin Bad -> (w/Donna)
And We Bid You Goodnight (one verse only)

ENCORE:  Box of Rain

I must begin with an apology.  In the review of Thursday's show that I
sent out, and in the comments that I made about the "Shakedown," I
referred to an "aging control hippie couple."  Well, I met the male
half of this couple earlier this evening, pre-show, and we discussed
what happened the other night.  He was quite understandably offended
by my comments about him and his wife in that review.

Mark is a wonderful man, and I owe him and his wife Martha a sincere
apology, which I hope they accept.  The "wildly dancing girl" was The
Real Problem and the Main Distraction for me in that Shakedown the
other night, but in my review, I quite unfairly took my anger out on
Mark and Martha, and implied strongly that they were at fault.  In
truth, Mark simply behaved in that Shakedown like any good man would
have behaved if HIS wife were insulted with an obscenity -- and then
violently danced into and shoved -- by a drunken, inconsiderate girl.
Mark and I both agreed that it might have been better to have dealt
with this girl (who had elbowed me in the ribs a few times before she
rudely danced into Martha) *after* the Shakedown, and not during it.
Nevertheless, given how rude this girl was to Mark's wife, his
aggressive and prompt handling of the situation during the Shakedown
was understandable.  Again, my apologies to Mark and Martha, who, btw,
appeared to have enjoyed the shows at least as much as I did.

All that said...

I spent tonight's show stage right, about ten feet or so back from
Page's grand piano, on the floor.

The first set of tonight's show was one of the most incredible sets of
improvisational rock music that I've ever heard or seen.  Everything
was well-played, with beautiful, moving, mystical solos all over the
place. Kimock was **ON FIRE** in this set.  His solos in everything
were GENIUS!  Page also played some amazing, brilliant solos during
Dark Star, Favorite Things, and Birdsong, mostly on the grand piano.
Trey took a gorgeous solo during Birdsong, too!  It was a spectacular
set and you MUST hear it as soon as possible.  The jam out of "Days
Between" was incredible, too.  Kimock went off.  He led a jam out of
it that is NOTHING like what you've usually heard in this tune!  My
favorite set of the run, easily. (for those of you that don't know,
Kimock's band KVHW plays "It's Up to You" -- a Kimock original -- and
"My Favorite Things (instr.)" regularly)

The setbreak music was Floyd's "Wish You Were Here."  Once again, very
appropriate.  And quite nice!  A huge THANK YOU to whomever it was
that made this choice (if you want any KVHW tapes, I'd like to miracle
a few on you!).

The second set contained some awe-inspiring jams, to be sure, and was
a lot of fun overall... but there were several sloppy errors (probably
due simply to exhaustion).  I know *I* was exhausted, and I hadn't
even been working the last few nights!

The Terrapin was very shaky in the composed sections (i.e., the set
opened weakly, imo), but the jam segment was TRANSCENDENT, with
captivating soloing from Kimock, and lots of Dark Star teasing (and
great playing overall) from Trey.

Phish fans in particular MUST hear this "Down with Disease." Phil
played a variation of the real bass line of the song, and Molo played
a variation of the real groove of the song, and Kimock didn't
contribute much at all... BUT *DAMN* DID TREY TAKE A VOLCANIC SOLO!!
Both Kimock and Lesh gave Trey looks of admiration for his efforts!
An excellent version, which, if memory serves, just sorta petered out,
until Phil kicked in Dark Star. (?)  I can't remember this segue,
though.  Might be wrong about this.

Dark Star's second verse and jam were wonderful, as you'd expect.
Phil then let loose a bunch of bombs which, to me and many others,
signaled THE OTHER ONE!  However, before I could get into the zone, it
suddenly ended.  I'm very interested in listening to this again on
tape.  My eyes were closed at this time during the show, and I wasn't
sure what happened.  It just stopped.  Dead.  And then Phil began
FOTD, after a few seconds.

"Friend of the Devil" contained a brief (but very uncomfortable)
moment of silence (I think Phil almost forgot, or did forget, some
lyrics), but it nevertheless featured passionate solos from both Trey
and Page!  I don't recall Kimock soloing on the Vega at all in this
one.

"Casey Jones" amused the audience a great deal, but this version
didn't go anywhere special.  It was definitely a good choice for the
setlist, though, to be sure.  Crowd-pleaser.  I hadn't seen it live
since 6/20/92 RFK.

MORNING DEW!!!!!  Oh, MORNING DEW!!!!!!  Just you wait.  I won't give
it away.  You'll just have to check it out.

GDTRFB was a lot of fun.  I was exhausted but still trying to dance
(well, ok, Head&Knee-Bob).  I can't recall whether anyone raged during
this one...  it definitely wasn't the "best version I'd ever heard" or
anything close, though.  Good segue into AWBYG, which was too short.
Just one verse I think.  The last time that I saw this live was
9/26/91 at the Boston Garden! I don't know if the Dead ever played it
again, come to think of it..).

Box of Rain was a pleasant encore.  God I love Phil!  THANK YOU PHIL!

All things considered, this run of shows was, well, one of the best
musical experiences of my entire life.  And I'm seeing SANTANA at the
FILLMORE TONIGHT! (thanks, Web!)  I've been blessed!

Again, special THANKS TO PHIL LESH AND THE UNBROKEN CHAIN FOUNDATION
for making these soon-to-be-legendary shows a reality.  And THANK YOU
STEVE, TREY, PAGE, AND JOHN!


two cents,
charlie

p.s.  I, charles andrew dirksen, being of sound mind, hereby express
an irrevocable desire that my organs be donated upon my death, in
honor of Phil Lesh, this day, the 18th of April, in the year nineteen
hundred and ninety-nine. [signed]


Date:    Sun, 18 Apr 1999 18:08:03 GMT
From:    DeadLedder deadledder@AOL.COM
Subject: P&F 4-17-99 notes

Dear friends,

A disclaimer, to begin.  I did way too much partying and way
too little sleeping this weekend, and last night it caught up
with me.  Funny, when I was twenty this was never a problem.
Hmm.  (Tragic error: failure to properly caffeinate before the
show.  Don't *you* ever make this mistake, kids!)  So, at the
show last night, I was *tired, damn tired*.  Down on the floor
again, about six boogiers (isn't this the French for nose-pickers?)
back from the stage, my knees actually started to buckle during
the second set.  I briefly considered the advantages of collapsing
and letting Rock Medicine carry me out of there, but in the end I
did the right thing and retreated to a table where I could sit down.
Another disclaimer:  I was so utterly blown away by Friday's show
that I really don't know what they possibly could've done for me
last night that wouldn't have been a kind of letdown.

That said, it was an awesome show, to be sure.  More objective
and better-tuned minds will elaborate on its virtues, and I've
already heard it said by people with good ears and heads that last
night was in fact superior to Friday.  Nevertheless, I thought that
Friday night was *the show*.  It's odd to say this of a set that
starts and middles with Dark Star, but I had a lot of problems
with Saturday's first set in particular.  The Dark Star opener felt
a bit perfunctory, if you can believe that.  At the very start, I got
this weird, kinda cool feeling that the show was simply a continuation
of Friday night, that the band had just gone off for a longish break.
Or maybe they'd just been standing behind that curtain, in suspended
animation.  :-)  It didn't feel like the *start* of a show.  Especially
after that monumental Help opener on Friday.  (I went to lots of full 
runs of Dead shows, but I don't specifically recall this feeling of
direct continuation.)

While I'm thinking of it, I had an interesting conversation with a
friend after the show last night.  He was pointing out that Kimock
had made some "serious mistakes" on Friday.  I had written (and I
regret doing so without hearing the tapes first) that during Thursday's
show some of them "didn't seem entirely certain of how some of the
songs went."  And, last night, there were some songs that should have
been towering and were merely great, occasional mis-steps, etc.  What
I'm getting at is this:  These guys have NEVER PLAYED TOGETHER BEFORE!
This is a one-time only (well, you never can tell...) summit, the world's
greatest pick-up band, or as Phil so charmingly put it as he introduced
the band on Friday, "this ad hoc organization."  So, of *course* they
screwed up.  My god.  What's amazing, truly dazzling, is how together
and tight they were.  Trey sounded like he's been singing Jerry songs
all his life (well, maybe in the shower, huh?).  Phil wrapped that big 
bass of his around the Phish tunes like he'd written them.  The weird
changes in Terrapin?  *Perfect*!  So, I for one will resist the urge to
be picky about every little detail.  This was not the one-thousandth
Dead show or Phish show or Zero show.  This was a pearl in your oyster.
Imperfect.  Oh, yeah!

Dark Star instrumental opener into It's Up to You (prayers answered for
a Kimock tune--thank you St. Jude) went 25 minutes.  I was pleased to
hear Days Between, having called it on Thursday (never too late to claim
credit!).  It seemed like such a quintessentially appropriate song.  Like
so many of Hunter's magical lyrics, this song has blossomed with new
meaning since Jerry's death.  Phil sang well all night.  Trey took his
first noticeable (if mild) solo in Days.  A great moment: when Phil
commandeered the return to Dark Star.  This first DS reprise of the
night had Steve and Trey co-soloing, sounding to my ear like Jerry
jamming with himself.  (I never thought I'd hear Grayfolded performed
live!)  Phil sang the first line of the lyric, then Trey, then Page.
Altogether on "Shall we go...."  It was lovely, profound.  Page's solo
here was the first of his general stepping out in this show (another
prayer answered, thanks again).  Nice segue into Favorite Things.
Page solos again, very early in the song, almost a continuation of
his DS work.  Fantastic!  Steve drove the jam into what I'd call a
Jerryesque Other One tinged jammy solo.  Very dark and jazzy.
Competent though he was, Kimock really didn't come anywhere
*near* to stepping out on either of the Kimock oeuvre songs (It's
Up to You and Fave Things).  If you want to hear what Steve can do,
run do not walk to a KVHW show!  Or, at the very least, get yourself
a tape.  The little toaster is a giant, as Phil Lesh clearly knows.

Phil didn't wait for the applause before counting out the beats to
begin Mississippi Half-Step.  I noticed at the start that Steve consulted
his music sheets.  With Donna onstage, the quartet vocals on "Across
the Rio Grande-io," were superb.  Nice alternating solo work from
Trey and Steve.  I think Trey took the early, Steve the late.  (For you
Kimock freaks--and I plead guilty--Steve played this one seated.)

On Birdsong, Page had a little trouble with the vocal high notes.
I love his voice, but there was something a bit off about his handling
of this tune.  At the end (and his last verse was the strongest), I
decided his voice is too sweet, too young, too clean to carry off the
weary, bittersweet sorrow of this song.  (Can we ever hear Birdsong
again without thinking of Jerry, btw?)  Ultimately, I think Trey
carries off the Jerry vocals better than anyone I've heard, including
Hornsby.  Note: Page's vocal triumphed on Casey Jones!  On BS, Trey
soloed, with color by Steve.

Everyone in the band for these shows stayed pretty much put except
for Steve, who would occasionally wander from his guitar collection
over near the piano, to stand near Phil and Trey, especially when they
were all workin' the jams.  They'd often look at each other, but these
times were especially intimate.  Steve also likes to stand, sit on a 
chair, sit on the floor, when he plays.  He's just so comfortable
performing, it's like he's in his living room.  Incidentally, as long as
I'm going on about Steve's physical perfomance, he holds that guitar
rock-steady, his torso like a statue, his fingers and face the only
movement.  Well, except when he dances.  :-)  At one point last night,
during a particularly tasty jam, with one of his trademark bemused
smiles and eyes closed, he sort of moved as if to sit, then to stand,
then to sit, doing a kind of chair dance.  Birdsong moved into a very
spacey Trey-led jam, SK sitting on the ground practically at Trey's
feet, watching him with a blissed-out expression.

My pen ran out of ink at the beginning of the second set, so my comments
will be (thankfully?) brief.  The second set was extremely strong, but
alas I was not.  As I earlier mentioned, I bailed from the floor just
before
Casey Jones.  Terrapin soared.  Since I've only been a casual Phish phan
(I like them *very* much), I can't comment much on Down with Disease,
except to say that, like all the Phish material played at these shows, 
it was a gorgeous monster of a song--potent, grand, mysterious.  I look
forward to learning much much more about these boys.  (I think they
may have a very promising future in rock and roll.  (I'm kidding!  Don't
flame me!  :-))  Dark Star got stronger and stronger all night.  I'm glad
to see Charlie D. listing an Other One jam, so I don't have to argue with
him about its existence.  Yup.  The rest is kind of a blur, I'm afraid.
Morning Dew was awesome.  Phil sang it well.  GDTRFB was like comin'
home, Bid You G'nite a sweet confection.

And, Phil never, ever sang Box with more soul.  Thank you Phil.  We love
you.

best,
~mark 

Date:    Sat, 17 Apr 1999 17:18:10 GMT
From:    DeadLedder deadledder@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: P&F 4-16-99 Complete Report

In a message dated 4/17/99 9:26:26 AM, DeadLedder@AOL.COM writes:

>You ain't *NEVER* been loved like this, baby.


Now that I've had a couple of hours of sleep, let me elaborate
a little, though words will do poor, pathetic service to the
grandeur of what we heard and saw last night.

It was a supernova.  It was the molten center of the earth.
It was all that is good about humanity concentrated into
one tiny little theater in San Francisco.  This was the
big bang, folks.  Predictions of historical significance
were miserably understated.

In reaction to Charlie's puzzlingly tepid review, I gotta
say that, from my spot one man and one dog deep from
the stage, it was just a tiny bit better than my most
optimistic expectations for heaven.

Kimock played gloriously.  They all did.  One of the funnest
parts of being so close was watching the looks of stunned
amazement on Trey's face when Kimock soloed.  Trey Anastasio,
my friends, is a Kimockhead.  Trey played (and sang!!!) brilliantly.
Page *RAGED*.  Molo was a wild man, holding that monster to
the earth, grinning his ass off.  And Phil stood amidst them,
looking like a happy lizard, sunning himself on his favorite rock.

I just don't know where to begin to tell you the details.  I truly
didn't think there was a *moment* of this show that wasn't superb,
amazing, transcendent.  It was so much more than mere technical
wizardry.  The artistry was both subtle and profound.  This *is*
the Heart of Gold Band, kids.

On a personal note, the last time I saw Donna Jean perform was
at my first Dead show, 22 years ago, 5.8.77.  (In fact, they played
a few of the same songs that night.  Can't these guys come up with
any new material, fer chrissake? ;-))  It was the icing on the cake
for me to see her last night.  She looked *fantastic*.  She sang
beautifully.  She was utterly delighted to be on that stage,
in the middle of that magic.  What a treat!

The jams!  The jams would come out of nowhere, swirling,
delicately dancing, rising suddenly monstrous, then vanishing
into a whisp of smoke and ruins, going into directions that
seemed to surprise the musicians as much as they did us.
Space was everywhere.  Disregard any suggestion that either
Steve or Trey is "holding something back."  There were no limits,
only infinite kindness.  And the truly astonishing thing was how
they'd go off into these fantastic realms and then magically alight
back at the song.  It will melt you.

Page played (and sang) magnificently.  Why doesn't he solo more?
He seems to feel his role is "color," and his pallette is the rainbow.
(From our vantage point, we could only see his feet and legs under
the grand piano.  He has very nice shoes.)

Since the early P&F shows, going back to the first time Phil
"sat in" with Gans' band for a few hours, through the Other Ones,
and during the odd "special event" like David Murray's octet, I'd
come to feel that it was possible that other guitarists and various
instrumentalists might manage to do justice to Jerry's playing, to
at least put us back into "that" space.  But, I'd concluded that,
somewhat ironically perhaps, it was Jerry's *voice* that was
lost to the ages--that no one would *ever* find that quirky,
ethereal place where Jerry's singing took us, that that had left
with his soul.  Well, without exactly "doing" Jerry, Trey found
that soulful voice last night.  Listen to Slip, Jed, SCARLET!!!!!!!
And, to follow that rockin' Tennessee Jed (with joyous audience
participation, of course, and, if memory serves, a truly weird and
inspired jazzy midsection) with a Kimock-centered (on slide steel)
*instrumental* Stella, was perhaps the most exquisitely tasteful
decision of the night.  I think that was Jerry's time on stage last night.

Wish You Were Here.  Safe to say it was the biggest surprise of the
night?  Did anyone else hear it as being addressed to the Fat Man?
Phil sang it passionately.

Alligator achieved exit velocity.  She's gone.

One tiny, eentsy weentsy quibblet:  um, how about a Kimock tune?

I won't try to describe it, so find a photo.  For those who were there,
I have a name for the "sculpture" on the stage behind the band.
"Forces of Nature."  Check it out.  A lot of thought went into it.
I'd love to know who is responsible for it.

My take on a comparison to Thursday's show (which was indeed
phenomenal):

        Thursday ---> dressed rehearsal
        Friday ---> performance
        Saturday ---> ????!!!!

According to Mr. Latvala, these shows are being recorded on
24-track tape.  These shows *must* be issued, in their entirety,
ASAP!  Are you listening, Dick?  :-)

Folks, I'm looking at the second-set list and I just can't believe
it wasn't all a dream.  I don't know where to begin.  I think I'll give
it a rest and pass the conch shell now.  My daughter wants me to
play with her.  "But, what are you writing about, Daddy?  Did you see
another good concert last night?"  She's five.  What a relief that
there's such music in the world for our kids to enjoy.

Without love in the dream it'll never come true.  Oh, shit.
Now I'm crying again.  Oh, did I forget to mention Ripple...

Peace,

~mark


Date:    Mon, 19 Apr 1999 11:49:20 -0700
From:    Chris Bertolet bertolet@EARTHLINK.NET
Subject: Re: 4/17 Lesh and Friends Review

^�The Many-Headed Slithering Serpent of Joy,^� or

^�The Love That Ate the Warfield^�

DISCLAIMER 1:

To those of you who weren^�t at these shows, whether you wanted to be or
still can^�t admit you wanted to be, I love you.  I Wish You Were There.
But in a very real sense, if you^�ve given a piece of your heart to any of
the music that was represented, you were there, at least in spirit.
Besides, tapes (and even video, I^�m told) will be circulating imminently.
So get over it already.

DISS-KLAY-MUR 1.1:

The following is not intended as a ^�review^� but as a recollection of my
experience.  As a long-time Grateful Dead -and- Phish fan, I was extremely
inclined to at least ^�like^� whatever I saw, so you should take my bias
into account.  Though I am sincere, some of you may find this fountain of
superlatives hard to swallow ^� so if ye seek jaded Phish commentary, go
ye
no furthur.

DISK LAMER 3.B

For the record: I have been an organ donor for some time, but would like
to make public my desire to be harvested thoroughly like a field of winter
wheat and stuffed with sawdust when I slip off into the yonder.  After
this weekend, however, I think it might be best to disqualify my brain...

THESIS:

***No one should be born, play out their stay and go into the beyond
without experiencing such primal, inspired and soaring music as was made
in San Francisco between April 15th and April 17th, 1999.***

My wife and I were lucky enough to score tickets to the Friday and
Saturday Phlesh shows at the Warfield, and flew up Friday morning after
giddily pulling the Thursday setlist off the net.  Our friend Neil Cherry,
Dead/Phish compatriot and benevolent supplier of beer and couch space,
raved about the previous night ^� especially the Shakedown, the
Wolfman's->Uncle John^�s and the Viola Lee Blues (which apparently emitted
enough kinetic energy to set some folks^� watches either back or forward
seven minutes).

I had already built these shows up in my mind; unavoidably, I suppose,
since a Dead/Phish collaboration has been the house band of my daydreams
for a few years now.  Before the Thursday reports, I knew I had set myself
up for a fall, but now suddenly anything was possible.

First, a few words on the ^�scene.^� As magnificent a space as the
Warfield
is, its environment is still...well, a war field.  There was plenty of
tension between ticketless, dirt-surfing hoards and the local hustler
contingent, including a few fights.  Fortunately, Smith and Wesson made no
appearances.

Inside was a different story.  While I^�ve read talk of ^�bad vibes^�
between
Dead and Phish loyalists, I witnessed *absolutely nothing to support
that.*  The overall vibe was one of family and communion and rebirth, and
I personally think that anyone who couldn^�t pick up on it is either part
of the problem or needs to retune his/her radar.

On to the music.  Before these shows, I predicted with friends that the
^�star^� of these shows would not be Trey, nor Phil, nor Kimock, but
Robert
Hunter and Jerry Garcia (in other words, the songs).  This show saw my
prediction fulfilled early.

A chill shot up my spine when the curtain pulled back and I heard Trey
counting off what I recognized immediately as Help On the Way.  I don^�t
think it^�s been noted yet, but this urgent version of Help was jammed
extensively, much more than any Dead reading I^�ve heard.  Trey clearly
loves the lick, and he was clearly ON and primed to play.

Slipknot reached back...back...back into the ooze, with Phil smiling
playfully at Trey and Kimock as they repeatedly left the theme to explore
together.  Easy, fruitful interplay and one of my favorite jams of the
weekend, certainly.  Though the transition into Franklin^�s was a little
dodgy, Page nailed the vocals, and the jam sparkled like a gem.

Though Wish You Were Here was tastily appropriate and Tennessee Jed
gronked along nicely, the instrumental Stella Blue that followed really
punctuated the emotion of the set.  No one needed to explain what it
meant...all you had to do was watch Phil and it was perfectly clear.

CAUTION: When preparing to listen to this Alligator, secure your pets in
another room and strap yourself into a chair.  If you do not follow these
instructions, you^�re likely to damage your furniture or yourself.
That^�s
all I^�ll say.

The second set that followed was, to date, my personal peak music
experience EVER.  By way of context, I saw the Dead on 10/9/89 and
9/10/91.  I saw Phish on 12/6/96.  While those shows shattered barriers in
my mind, this set was one boundless, spinning Universe of bliss and
groove, all contained in an old Victorian theatre.

Bertha ripped shit up right out of the gates, and Prince Caspian saw
Kimock taking a more central role than he had all night.  Apologies to
Trey, but he^�s struggled to achieve this tune^�s potential, and I almost
felt like Kimock was giving a clinic on how to take a simple song and walk
it around the realm of human experience.  More on Kimock later.

OK...St. Stephen->Eleven????  Are you fucking KIDDING ME????  Actually, it
wasn^�t as stellar as you might think ^� it was better.  Phil, Trey, Page,
Molo and Steve didn^�t only play the suite perfectly through the composed
sections; they jammed it reverently and with the kind of heart and soul
that such a timeless tune demands.  Soaring, jaunty and declaratory, and
easily worth 7.6 times the price of admission.  :-)

Unbroken Chain, a tune I haven^�t heard since my last Dead show, seemed
tailor-made for Phish, and while Chalkdust isn^�t the same without Fishman
or Mike, fuhgeddaboutit ^� it shredded.  Phil left craters in the floor.

SCARLET-FIRE now???  Holy Jerry Sandwich, Batman, have I died and gone to
Deadhead heaven?  Please do not listen to this Fire on the Mountain with
anything but empty bowels.  It was jaw-dropping improv.  And if that
doesn^�t make a case for the transcendancy of this set, I have two words
for you: Ripple encore.  Trust me -- there wasn^�t a dry eye in the house.

Now here^�s the funny part: Saturday quickly turned Friday into the second
most amazing night of music I^�ve ever seen.

In fact, Saturday night is the reason I see live music.  When the Hose is
gushing as hard as it was this evening, the world of haste and
consciousness and need and prejudice and grief peels away, and everything
is reduced to what is elemental and important.  Music, as this show
affirmed for me, is the speech of angels.  In my world, to act as a vessel
for music this inspiring and truthful is to be a hero, and to be one of
2,300 to hear music this inspiring and truthful as it was created is a
blessing I^�ll never forget.

As it used to do now and then, Dark Star served as the fabric of the
tapestry that the band wove on Saturday night.  It made, to my count, four
appearances, not including short teases.  My distinct feeling was that the
songs that appeared within Dark Star were part of that greater theme,
which elevated the rest of the experience for me.

Bird Song was like a dream.  Page turned out an impossibly graceful solo,
seeming to channel DeBussy, Bill Evans and George Shearing at the same
time.  Goaded persistently by Trey, Steve Kimock also chose this song to
finally emerge in all his glory, where he would remain for the rest of the
evening.

The second set Terrapin opener wasn^�t a surprise, but it felt like one.
Who gives a rat^�s ass if the Lady was a little rusty ^� Trey^�s vocals in
the ^�Inspiration^� section were letter perfect, and the jam blew the roof
off the house.  Trust me ^� this version made the Virginia Beach Phish
cover sound like the wailing of a dying mule.  This song has always made
me cry when played well, and tonight was no exception.  Thank you, Mr.
Hunter.

Disease served as one of few doses of true Machine Gun Trey that we^�d get
over the weekend, and Phil^�s straight pluck attack on Mike^�s slapped
bass
line was hilarious.  While it won^�t go down in history as one of the
epic,
wandering versions, it was still glorious to hear in this context.  Trey's
solo was, as I think Charlie noted, volcanic.  The return to Dark Star out
of the haze, followed by the extended Other One tease, was one of the most
exciting moments I^�ve ever witnessed.

Unfortunately, it was quickly extinguished by the FOTD, which is the sole
quibble I have with the setlist.  Honestly, this song was placed horribly,
and proved to be an egregious momentum bomb.  Still, it didn^�t take long
to recover, especially with Casey Jones on deck.  Nice to see that Trey
still remembers Dead lore from his prep school days... :-)

Morning Dew, to be as brief as I can be, was simply one of the purest and
poignant artistic statements I^�ve ever seen, and I mean ever.  Trey and
Kimock wove through each others' leads effortlessly, evoking images,
squeezing every drop of bittersweet emotion from the structure of the
classic song.  At its second climax, Phil unleashed a bay full of bombs
that brought plaster chunks crashing down out of the ceiling (not really)
and made three or four people in my immediate vicinity fall over
(really).  This was titanic, timeless, epic, mighty music straight from
the Creator, and left me literally quivering in awe.  In fact, though the
rest of the night was fun, nothing else is worth talking about in the
shadow of that Dew.  Please hear it, and play it for your children.

A few general notes.

There was a wonderful dynamic between Phil and the rest of the band, but
particularly Trey.  Almost a father/son thing.  Trey was also, despite my
concerns, very gracious about getting out of Steve's way.  Almost too
gracious.

I^�ve heard people call Steve Kimock a story-teller, and I guess I get
that
analogy, but I think of him more as a painter ^� a fucking space alien
Picasso with big buckets of gooey paint on his fingers.  When he
improvises, he splashes primary colors on the musical canvas generously
and at genius whim.  He has truly come into his own.  I am also fairly
sure that he isn^�t the aloof prima donna that his stage manner indicates,
and I look forward to seeing him play adventurously with Phil and KVHW at
Mountain Aire next month.

Donna Jean was more than the novelty I thought she^�d be.  She was
beautiful and tastefully reserved in her singing, and with the sheer
metaphysical insanity coming from the other players on stage, she was the
only thing that kept the Warfield tethered to Mother Earth.  In fact, she
sort of seemed like the den mother for the youngsters on stage; perfect
complement to Phil^�s patriarchal presence.  Her appreciation for Page^�s
playing was especially evident, almost as if she heard a little of Keith
in him.

Page, though I couldn^�t see him a bit, won a lot of fans this weekend,
myself included.  I^�ve criticized him in the past for being a bit of a
shrinking violet in Phish, but in comparison with Steve Kimock, he^�s
David
Lee Roth.  His piano playing was stupendous and thoughtful all weekend,
and his voice was silky, never-waivering.

John Molo remains a very capable drummer.  He held together in some very
risky and tenuous moments, and made some amazingly fluid and nimble
changes.

Trey takes too much shit from Deadheads in my opinion.  If you ask me, he
swung into the captain^�s chair with mighty authority and anyone ^� ANYONE
^�
who dares question his soul and spiritual gift as a guitarist after
hearing these tapes is deaf as a yak.  ^�Nuff said.

Finally, Phil.  Phil Lesh doesn^�t play notes.  He *gives birth to them.*
They have size, shape and color, sure as life.  He is the Palace Guard,
the Keeper of the Key, and it is heartening to see him in such good form
and spirit.  God Bless you, Phil, and please, please invite all these
musicians back.  You made history.

Thank you to all the kind folks whose paths I crossed over the course of
this weekend (who are too many to name).  I hope you feel as full of light
as I still do.

Till next time,
Chris

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 02:31:58 EDT
From: MrCoasters@aol.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 4/17 review

Hi again,
I really feel compelled to write about these incredible shows as I was very
lucky to have been in attendance. The following is just one fan's opinion,
YMMV.

Woke up this morning still smilin' from the spiritual overload from last
night : ) Another unreal show that for me was the pinnacle of emotion and
music.

This time the doors were already open when I arrived at 982 Market St., and
the crowd was in more of a frenzy than I remembered from the night before. I
saw several people with $200, begging for a ticket and one guy was offering
$300! (I wonder if he ever got in?) The line moved quickly and I was inside
moments later. Upstairs at the bar I ran into Phillip Zerbo, we had met in
line the night before. (Thanks for the Sierra, Phillip, it was a pleasure to
meet you : )

Tonight's seat was much better than the night before, right behind Chris
Kuroda and I could see the stage really well. The Warfield is a truly
magnificent theater. It's very ornate and one of the finest places imaginable
to see a show of this stature. The stage was set up the same as Friday night,
with everyone in the same place.

The first set started about 8:35 and I was not familiar with Dark Star, but
the jams that came out of this opener were amazing. Someone else wrote that
the show started like a continuation of the previous night and I agree
completely.

Dark Star -> Rigor Mortis (Zero original) -> Dark Star -> Rigor Mortis > Days
Between -> Tweezer-like Jam -> Dark Star >

I wasn't familiar with any of this music and was in complete awe the entire
time. It was interesting to watch Trey play rhythm through many of these
sections, even though he was simply hitting a chord here and there, it was
unmistakably Trey! The texture, timing and placement of the accents were
recognizably Trey. Hard to explain, you'll have to hear the tapes. (which I
do not have yet < grovel, grovel >)

Also, John Molo is an incredible drummer, he gave a flawless performance. I
tried to focus on him from time to time, but the leads always seemed to draw
my attention. He was the only member of this "ad-hoc organization" that I had
never heard before and he was an excellent choice for the line-up. He
appeared to be having the time of his life. He even got up and gave a few
mid-show kudos to other members after especially hot jams.

It's fun to hear favorite songs where I know every note, but I also love to
experience new music live, especially when played by some of my favorite
musicians. (I had never listened to the VU until Phish introduced me in
Vegas. IMO the freshness of the material is what made Halloween '98 so
special : )

The interplay between Trey and Steve picked up where it left off on Friday,
with Kimock really stepping up and creating beautiful melodies and some of
the sweetest expressions that I recall from the two shows. A word about
Kimock. I've seen 2 KVHW shows and 2 of these Warfield shows, and I've never
heard the man speak or sing. I point this out because it *seems* like I
should know his voice. He can speak so clearly and directly with a guitar
that he doesn't need to speak I guess. He doesn't really move his jaw or
mouth the words, like Trey does when he's pickin' out a melody. He's very
casual in his stage manner, even sitting at times, but the man can speak
volumes through his guitars. It has to be witnessed to be understood and man
when he's playin' off Bobby Vega, WHOAA! (oops sorry, back to the Warfield
: )

My Favorite Things > Mississippi Half-step, Bird Song

Favorite Things, I've heard KVHW perform this and it's really a sweet thing
to hear Kimock play, especially with Trey's spicy accenting. Mississippi
Half-step! Yah, this was great and excellent placement after MFT. Phil
sounded great and looked even better. Man can he still sing or what? The
vocals both nights were superb. Hearing Page and Donna and Trey and Phil in
different combinations and altogether was so beautiful and melodious. And
Donna was awesome! She added so much to the energy and vibe of the shows.
Once, when she left the stage (to roaring applause) she went side stage and
gave someone a very huge and long hug while the band played on. It was
already a very emotional show. And then Bird song^�

The performance of this song defies description, but I'll give it a try. I
heard the first few notes and was immediately touched. Then Page started
singing! OMYGOD! I LOVE PAGE'S VOICE! "She sang a little while and then flew
off^�" Oh man, I lost my shit right there. I doubt that I was the only one
with a tear running down my face. "Don't, cry now, don't you cry^�" This song
lifted my spirit to a place that I can't explain. I felt like I had been
transported to another world, where everything was beautiful and right and
peace was the norm. (No, I wasn't on psychedelics or anything else for that
matter, well maybe a few brewskis and a fine contact high from the smoked-out
crowd.) I wouldn't call it a life-changing event, but it was definitely the
closest thing to an OBE that I've ever experienced. The jam seemed just a
little slack at first at first and then Trey picked it up and we went on a
magical ride. When the jam was winding down, I realized that such a powerful
number would most likely end the set and so it did. WOW!

Another long (and much appreciated) set break allowed the crowd to catch
their collective breath as we anticipated and discussed the final set of this
amazing event.

Set 2: Terrapin Station > Down w/ Disease

OH MY! There was a lot of speculation that would play Terrapin, I figured it
might end the set or be the encore, but I didn't expect it to open set 2!
This was a very special Terrapin, with Phil singing the opening verse and
then passing off to Trey and then Page, each singing an individual part, they
way Phish does Roggae. This immediately gave the song a special vibe that
seemed to include all the members, except maybe Kimock. Through the
'inspiration' part it was fairly straight forward. IMO Trey picked up a
little slack here and there. But into the jam this song raged! Trey and Steve
are amazing, I really hope that they'll play together more often. their
styles are so complimentary. The ending kinda faded and slowed (as I recall)
and then Phil busts out with opening riff to Down with Disease! HOLY SMOKES!
It wasn't *exactly* the same as Mike plays it, it was Phil's quick-pickin'
version and oh man did he NAIL IT! That's a tough riff and Phil was on fire!
He obviously liked the tune and really enjoyed rockin' it out on stage. Phil
still has "IT" and he  wrapped himself up in DwD and really made it his own.
I can NOT wait to hear this on tape.

Dark Star (2nd verse), Friend of the Devil,

Powerful stuff here. I'll let others describe DS2 and FOTD, I recall being
swept away again for a few moments and then returning just before FOTD, which
was played very well with the vocals really standing out in my mind.

Casey Jones

NO FRIGGIN' WAY! I would have never expected this in a million billion years.
I now have this permanent memory of Trey up there, sportin' that infectious
shit-eating grin and leading the crowd through them famous words. Damn! It
was powerful and really raged IMO. They even jammed a little on it, great
smokin' version that should translate well to tape.

Morning Dew

Very touching and beautifully sang. I can't emphasize enough how wonderful
the vocals were at these shows. And Donna added so much, thank you Donna!

Goin Down the Road Feelin' Bad

Hmmm, I thought this was a strange choice, considering how *good* everyone
was feeling. It seemed strange to see the entire crowd grinning like chesire
cats and singing about feeling bad. Don't get me wrong, it's a great song and
I really enjoyed it, although I felt that it would end the set after they
really jammed it out. But no, we were treated to an abbreviated version of We
Bid You Goodnight, which did end the set.

This night, the curtain stayed up after the encore and Phil took a seat at
the back of the stage in plain view. After a while he got up and explained
why it's so very important for all of us to make our wishes clear about organ
donation. Tell your family and put it writing. In California, there's a
sticker you can put on your driver's license. Think about it, it really is
important and saves many lives every year.

Then everyone came back out and played a heartfelt (albeit expected) Box of
Rain to close the show.

These were the most emotional and awe-inspiring shows that I have ever seen.
Can't really compare 'em to a Phish show or a Dead show or even a KVHW show,
they were a little of each, yet much bigger than the sum of the parts. Huge,
simply HUGE! I really hope some of the moments translate to tape 'cause these
were epic shows and I'm very thankful to have been in the house.

It's the evening after the show now as I finish up this review. (24 hours ago
I was listening to Page sing Bird Song : ) That warm fuzzy feeling still
hasn't worn off as I've been glowing all day, I can't get it out of my mind.
I even took a nap today and awoke in a great mood, remembering the musical
journey that transpired over the weekend. I wish you all could have been
there.

THANK YOU THANK YOU Phil Lesh for making these shows possible. Thanks to the
friends, Page, Steve, John, Trey and Donna who played and sang their hearts
out and *really* gave it up. Thanks to Jules and her splendid FahtHarpua
updates which allowed me to get my mail order in on the first day : ) And a
huge thanks to my beautiful wife Brenda who returned home from a long trip
Saturday and *understood* when I told her at the Sacramento airport that I
was going to drop her off and then drive back to San Francisco for another
concert.

Life is good and I love you all!

   -Randy out

"Box of rain will ease your pain and love will see you through."


Date:    Sun, 18 Apr 1999 12:48:45 -0700
From:    crowley9@IX.NETCOM.COM
Subject: Re: 4/17 Lesh and Friends Review

Well again, since I was at last night's show, I'll comment on your review
and add things I think of that you didn't comment on.

Charles Dirksen wrote:

> I spent tonight's show stage right, about ten feet or so back from
> Page's grand piano, on the floor.

I must have been pretty close to you because I was on the floor against
the railing on Page's side.  Some serious human pressure being in that
crowd.                                 

> The first set of tonight's show was one of the most incredible sets of
> improvisational rock music that I've ever heard or seen.

Hmm.  I definitely thought Thursday's first set was better.  The first set
last night sounded like they were a bit (and understandably) tired, unlike
Thursday's first set.  Thursday's first set started off with a raging
Viola Lee Blues and the energy stayed at that level for just about the
whole show.  Last night's first set was a much mellower set.

> Everything
> was well-played, with beautiful, moving, mystical solos all over the
> place. Kimock was **ON FIRE** in this set.

Hmm (again).  I didn't get the sense that anyone was *on fire* on that
first set though it was still enjoyable.  

> His solos in everything
> were GENIUS!  Page also played some amazing, brilliant solos during
> Dark Star, Favorite Things, and Birdsong, mostly on the grand piano.

Yeah I was really impressed with Page's playing and wish I heard more of
it (despite him playing a bigger role in last night's show than
Thursday's).  He's does play beautiful stuff.  I was digging it big time
whenever he was the prominent player.

> Trey took a gorgeous solo during Birdsong, too!  It was a spectacular
> set and you MUST hear it as soon as possible.  The jam out of "Days
> Between" was incredible, too.

I thought that the Days Between did not work at all with Phil on vocals.
Maybe I'm too used to Jerry on it though I'll admit it's also not one of
my favorite Dead tunes (too long and never really goes anywhere
musically).  I'm only talking about the singing part of it, not the jam as 
I don't specifically remember the jam out of it.

I also thought Phil's vocal phrasing on Half Step was off (he was coming
in one beat too late where he sings "Half Step Mississippi ..." so that he
had to rush that phrase to get back in correct time) which kind of threw
everybody off a little.

> Kimock went off.  He led a jam out of
> it that is NOTHING like what you've usually heard in this tune!  My
> favorite set of the run, easily.

Really?  Amazing how different our takes on it are.  I thought it was the
weakest (though I wasn't at Friday's show and am assuming both of those
sets raged).  I was hoping they'd go way out on the Dark Star but instead
got a jazzy somewhat mellow impotent Dark Star that never lifted off the
runway.  I thought very little got off the runway in the first set other
than the My Favorite Things jam (really dug Page's playing on that one).
I enjoyed the first set but you obviously enjoyed it a lot more than I
did.

> The second set contained some awe-inspiring jams, to be sure, and was
> a lot of fun overall... but there were several sloppy errors (probably
> due simply to exhaustion).  I know *I* was exhausted, and I hadn't
> even been working the last few nights!

But the second set had a lot more energy than the first IMO and I
certainly got into it a lot more in the second set overall.

> The Terrapin was very shaky in the composed sections (i.e., the set
> opened weakly, imo), but the jam segment was TRANSCENDENT, with
> captivating soloing from Kimock, and lots of Dark Star teasing (and
> great playing overall) from Trey.

It was shaky at parts leading up to the "Inspiration ..." part but from
that point on, it smoked.  It was a joy to see Donna up there harmonizing
on it.  Then Trey, on the jam after the final vocals, really pushed the
show to an excitement level it hadn't reached yet.

> Phish fans in particular MUST hear this "Down with Disease."

Easily the best song of the night for me (and I know only a few Phish
songs and this isn't one of them).  It finally pushed the show over the
line into the raging zone that it hadn't reached up to that point for me
(except for the last half of Terrapin).

> Phil
> played a variation of the real bass line of the song, and Molo played
> a variation of the real groove of the song, and Kimock didn't
> contribute much at all...

Yeah I noticed Phil having a blast with that tune (along with Trey).

> BUT *DAMN* DID TREY TAKE A VOLCANIC SOLO!!
> Both Kimock and Lesh gave Trey looks of admiration for his efforts!

Trey clobbered that one.  I was finally loving it as the show went up a
few notches on this tune.  Try was on fire!  That was the highpoint of the
show IMO.

> An excellent version, which, if memory serves, just sorta petered out,
> until Phil kicked in Dark Star. (?)  I can't remember this segue,
> though.  Might be wrong about this.

> Dark Star's second verse and jam were wonderful, as you'd expect.

I thought it was a short Dark Star jam that never went anywhere and was
surprised they went back into it given that they had started it in the
first set.                                                            

> Phil then let loose a bunch of bombs which, to me and many others,
> signaled THE OTHER ONE!  However, before I could get into the zone, it
> suddenly ended.

Yeah it was too short.  I would have liked to see them rage on it but it
just put it's head above the water for a few seconds then went under
again.

> I'm very interested in listening to this again on
> tape.  My eyes were closed at this time during the show, and I wasn't
> sure what happened.  It just stopped.  Dead.  And then Phil began
> FOTD, after a few seconds.
>
> "Friend of the Devil" contained a brief (but very uncomfortable)
> moment of silence (I think Phil almost forgot, or did forget, some
> lyrics), but it nevertheless featured passionate solos from both Trey 
> and Page!  I don't recall Kimock soloing on the Vega at all in this
> one.

Yeah I really dug this Friend of the Devil.  Page was the star of it and
really showed what an incredible musician he is.

> "Casey Jones" amused the audience a great deal, but this version
> didn't go anywhere special.

Defnitely disagree on this one (seems we had completely different views on
much of this show).  Casey Jones, like the earlier Phish tune, pushed the
show into the raging zone.  I heard them noodling on it before it started
and I thought it sounded like it but figured I was wrong.  Well they not
only did it but they smoked it!  Trey's vocals were excellent, inspired,
and a joy to listen to.   Then he took an excellent Jerry-like solo
leading to a nice little jam.  The ending singing part of Casey Jones
("driving that train hiiiiigh on cocaine ...) with everyone including
Donna screaming their lungs out and really going for it was a definite
highlight of this show for me.

> It was definitely a good choice for the
> setlist, though, to be sure.  Crowd-pleaser.
>
> MORNING DEW!!!!!  Oh, MORNING DEW!!!!!!  Just you wait.  I won't give
> it away.  You'll just have to check it out.

Yep that was a sweet one.  I thought Kimock really shined on this one when
he took the baton from Trey.  Definitely Kimock's highpoint of the show
for me.

> GDTRFB was a lot of fun.  I was exhausted but still trying to dance
> (well, ok, Head&Knee-Bob).  I can't recall whether anyone raged during
> this one...  it definitely wasn't the "best version I'd ever heard" or
> anything close, though.                      

It was a little shaky at points but still had lots of exhilirating
moments, especially the last half of it and was another reason why I
enjoyed the second set much more than the first.  Again a real joy hearing
and singing Donna (with everyone else along) screaming on it.  I was so
glad to see her up there.  Thanks Donna for showing up.

> Good segue into AWBYG, which was too short.
> Just one verse I think.

Yeah it would have been nice to hear a somewhat fuller version.  Last
night's was a throwaway version but I suppose they didn't know it very
well.  I was hoping for a real gospel-inspired version.

> Box of Rain was a pleasant encore.  God I love Phil!  THANK YOU PHIL!
                                          
Yeah it was sweet to hear Box as always.

> All things considered, this run of shows was, well, one of the best
> musical experiences of my entire life.

I really dug seeing the two shows I saw (I was pleasantly surprised that
the amount of chatting during the quieter points of the music was much
lower than Thursday's) As I said, I definitely thought Thursday's was the
better of the two but still had a blast at last nights (TK, if you're
reading this, thanks for the tickets!).  Were they the greatest concerts
I've ever been to?  No they were damn good with some special music in a
special venue with some special people collaborating so it definitely will
hold a special place in my memory of concerts I've attended.

> Again, special THANKS TO PHIL LESH AND THE UNBROKEN CHAIN FOUNDATION
> for making these soon-to-be-legendary shows a reality.  And THANK YOU
> STEVE, TREY, PAGE, AND JOHN!            

I agree and thanks also to Donna (was great seeing you!) and to all the
crew, the lighting, and sound people who helped put it on.

> two cents,
> charlie
>
> p.s.  I, charles andrew dirksen, being of sound mind, hereby express
> an irrevocable desire that my organs be donated upon my death, in
> honor of Phil Lesh, this day, the 18th of April, in the year nineteen
> hundred and ninety-nine. [signed]

Well I've got my red donor circle sticker on my driver's license but
getting something in writing and alerting those close to me of my wishes
too wouldn't be a bad idea.

Bill                    

Date: Thu, 22 Apr 1999 10:35:57 -0700
From: Chris Garton 
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 4/17 Phil Lesh & Friends

There's not much more to add to what the other reviews have said for this
night.  The one notable thing that nobody has toched on was Trey's
impromptu lyrics during Casey Jones.  Phil was wearing a red shirt this
night.  When the lyrics came to the fourth verse that normally
go,"Trouble ahead. . . the lady in red, Take my advice you'd be better
off dead", Trey sang, "Trouble ahead. . . Phil in red".  The audience
(and Phil) loved this!  Trey couldn't help but laugh through the "Take my
advice. . . " line and then continued with "Switchman's sleeping, Train
hundred and two. . " verse.

Hopefully, these shows will be (or already are) uploaded to the net
somewhere as they are a must to hear, again and again and again.  Thank
you Phil for bringing these three great musical worlds together on one
stage!

Phorever grateful,
Chris G.

Date:    Wed, 21 Apr 1999 04:49:13 GMT
From:    PZerbo pzerbo@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: how happy is mike gordon? [4/17]

tsl@netcom.com (Tom Livingston) writes:

>Had a good view of the stage and stage right from about ten people back
>for the second set of the show 4/17.  Had a great view of mike sitting
>off to stage right.  I actually checked him out quite a bit, because he
>didn't look very pleased.  I never once saw him looking like he was
>enjoying himself at all, while the rest of the (very full) side stage
>at least bopped their heads along.  At times, I would swear mike looked
>pained or seriously unhappy.
>
>Is this just rock star distance?  Or is he really unhappy about what was
>going down on stage?  I mean, after all, it is a one time only show,
right?

I noticed this, too, especially on Saturday night (we were far Page-side
balcony and couldn't help but notice the goings on backstage, as it was in the
line of sight of Phil and Trey). I dunno, Mike is a wierd dude. I recall
thinking the same thing in Winooski a few months ago at the Amfibian gig, where
he was kinda stone-faced during the music. Maybe that is just how he enjoys
music, maybe something else, but in any event, I think that speculation as to
his state of mind is kinda pointless. I'd guess that he was just concentrating
on Phil... he is the best bass player on the planet, after all.

Another minorly funny backstage anecdote: right in the middle of Casey Jones,
Fishman comes strolling behind stage with his Residents Eyeball shirt on, takes
a seat, and lights a big fat bowl, starts groovin' to the music. :-)

>Off to the left side of the balcony someone was hanging a really nicely
>done multi-colored hand sewn banner.  I guess if I had been Mike and
>I had to sit and look at that all night I might have been edgy too.
>The banner read: "Phriends: 12-31-99?"
>
>I have to say I was shocked to see the banner.  I also know I'd wait for
>days to buy a ticket.

If I was Mike or Fishman, or anyone in their employ, I'd have to be a little
concerned, too! Especially as the rumors of additional shows with that lineup
start to float around. I'd -walk- to California to see that Phil & Phriends
lineup again... Trey and Page already have a pretty good job, but man, if you
were them and just experienced what they did, you'd have to have at least some
thoughts of a more permnanent alternative, dontha think?

-Phillip


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