Subject: Lex. Rupp Show Review!!
From: Benji Hutchinson 

Hello everyone!!!!   Attended the 11-7 Rupp Arena Show last night.  Words
cannot describe this show in my opinion, but I shall try!  Does anyone out
there ever get that incredible jittery feeling of almost pissing in your
pants?  That sort of describes how this show was for me!  
        Me and my homie Craig got to the lots at about 6:45pm.  It was
raining like
crazy, so the scene wasn't kickin, for obvious reasons!  But there were
some
people hangin around.  The bulk of the people were right outside the front
doors the arena.  We hurrily(is that a word?, oh well sounds good) got
inside and found our seats, we took a load off and tried to get dry and
prepare ourselves for what was sure to be a kick ass show!  My seat was on
the floor, 4th Row!!!!!  All I could do was wait.
        Inside the show was nice.  I conversed with a few people,
including a
couple of ladies from Massachusettes, if your reading this WHATS UP!  Soon
the lights dimmed and the show began.  The boys were very ON IT!  This was
a
high energy show from the very beginning, they opened up with Chalkdust!
What else can I say, this song fires me UP!  That got the place wild.
Then
they got a little funk-jazzy on us with Weigh, "what do ya say?"   Next,
they played Rift.  This song hasn't been played much lately and was good
to
hear, it seemed to fit in.  Before the show Craig and I made some
predictions, this was one.  Guelah followed, I enjoyed this song but it
was
not a major highlight but very fun!  O.K., I told a friend of mine that
this
song would not be played!  Sure enough, it was!  INSANE!   Accompanied
with
the lights and a nice jam, this Stash impressed me, and Stash is not one
of
my crazy mad favorite songs, but I thouroughly enjoyed it.  By this time,
I
was drenched with sweat from dancing so hard, and I think Phish knew it
was
time to slow it down some.  Waste was simply, beautiful!  Very calming,
but
then, oh but then!!  An excellent treat followed, Guyute!  At first I
couldn't remember the name of this tune.  Played very tight!   Free was
next.  Trey went crazy on his drum kit, as did he in many other tunes of
the
evening, and it was just down right nasty folks!  Nasty in a funky way
though, meaning good!  I loved the beats Trey and Fishman fed off each
other.  Time to slow it down again with the essence of a wonderful song,
Tela.  I love hearing this song, everytime I hear this tune it makes me
feel
light as air!  Chillbumps.  WOO-HAA, CHARACTER ZERO!  When I first heard
this song on the Woodstock tapes it was good, but not outrageous!  Well,
HELL, I think the boys like this song, MUCH!  It was rockin', smokin', do
I
need more adjectives!
        Thank god for the set brake!  I thought I was going to pass out
from
dehydration. I sprinted for the water fountains and the mensroom, which
had
a line a mile long.  Then I heard some guy say, "Theres no line upstairs!"
You didn't have to tell me twice!  After bathroom time and lots of water,
I
was making my way back to my seats when I was stopped by a girl named
July,
who was looking for a cigarette, I gave her a clove, (better than
cigarettes), and she gave me a big hug, which I thought was nice:)  If
your
out there HEY!
        Back to my seats, I was ready for more!  When they came back out
for the
second set Trey started talking to the crowd, I couldn't hear exactly what
he was saying but everyone started screaming and going crazy, Trey just
glanced at Mike and Fishman and laughed.  I think they got a kick out of
the
shear energy display, and what other way to convey grattitude than Suzie
G.!
Page was very, very on this tune, more chillbumps!!  His part was my
hightlight of this song.  Again, they ripped this set wide open with this
opener.   During this song is when the security pissed me off!   A friend
of
mine in the front row was hopping up and down I saw him, he saw me so we
moved to greet each other and dance a little, 3 security guys approached
us
with flash lights on directing us to our seats!  Uncalled for!   From
Suzie
right into Bathtub Gin!  Now folks, I've heard many good versions of this
(12-29-95 Bathtub>the Real Me>Bathtub)  This one was incredible!  It must
have been 25 minutes long, at least!  When I thougt they couldn't take me
any higher, they started building again and again.  There was one part in
particular which blew me away.  They worked there way into a very flowing
jam,  wow!
I had noticed some guy up front with a sign that read Bike on one side and
Lovin Cup on the other.  When Bathtub subsided, Trey laid his guitar down
and went over to the drums, everyone went insane!  HYHU started and Bike
followed!  Fishman had a good time with this one!  Hilarious vacuum solo,
great!  When he finished, he walked to the edge of the stage and raised
both
hands like he'd won a race while the crowd went crazy!  Then he walked
away
swinging the vacuum around!  
        I had to start a new paragraph for what followed.  After Bike what
could be
next!  The ever so scerene first part of YEM.  Followed by I funk
performance from Mike and Page.  I couldn't hear Page that well, because I
was on Fishman's side, but I could hear well enough.  Trampolines came
out,
very fun!  I jumped without one!  All this was followed by a nuts vocal
jam.
After that I was exhausted!  But the crowd, and myself wanted more.  The
entire place lit up with lighters.  More so than usual.  Here they came
back
out!  For what though, nothing else but da bomb!  FRANKENSTEIN!  This song
broke open the whole place.  I went ballistic, wreaking havoc!   I wasn't
upset at all with this encore, even though the last show I saw was
Halloween, you can't end a show with a better song!  
        I walked out of that place screaming and saying "DAMN!!!!" about
every five
seconds!  Other people screamed with me and sang the praises, can I get an
amen!!
This show was without a doubt one of THE BEST.  Get the tapes, check it
out!
If anyone has these tapes I have the US 96 Summer tour for trade as well
as
about 180 hours. Unfortunately, this is was my last show for this tour.
See
you all in Boston, NEW YEARS EVE!!!!!!!!! 
                                        Benji Hutchinson
                                   
Can I live while I'm Young!
                                        


11-7-96 Rupp Arena ,Lexington, Ky
I. Chalkdust, Weigh, Rift, Guelah, Stash, Waste, Guyute, Free,Tela, 
        Character Zero
II. Suzy G>Bathtub Gin>Jam>HYHU>Bike>HYHU,You Enjoy Myself
E: Frankenstein
------------------------------------------
Subject: my cut on Lexington
From: santeraj@flyernet.udayton.edu

Set I: Chalkdust, Weigh, Rift, Guelah,  Stash, Waste, Guyute!, Free, Tela,
Character 
         Zero (this is from a very sleep deprived  memory so forgive 
                      me for memory lapse))
Set II: Suzy, Bathtub Gin > HYHU > Bike > HYHU, YEM
E: Frankenstein

  I took a drummer friend of mine and it was his first 
show.  He's a music therapy major, but I think some (a lot) of the jam was 
lost on him... a lot of atonal stuff and "wall of sound" layering in 
the first set, and much experimentation and exploration in the 
second.  I don't think he was quite prepared.  It's unfortunate that 
he didn't know the music so he could tell the difference between 
structure, deviant structure, improv and full fledged experimental 
madness.  The first few times I saw Phish, I didn't know what the 
hell was going on either.  It was full fledged sensory overload.

First set was good.  I missed the Chalkdust opener, but oh well.  The 
opening of Guyute put a huge grin on my face that lasted well into the 
evil light swirling crazyness in the middle of this gem. 

First time I've seen Char. 0... Someday this one is going to open up 
into a fatty first set closing jam (a la DWD 94...)  I can't wait.

Second set.  Hot Suzy opener into
                     _
Bath  TUB  / _    |   |\  |   !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
                    \_/    |   |  \|

Oh my.  This tune was super fatty, with some intense extended jamming 
by Paige whilst Trey battered his percussion set.  Lots of 
exploration.  mmmmmmmmm..... jam.
I do love this tune.  They got into some cool spaces and at one point 
Trey started back into the theme, but it never resurfaced (I was 
hoping that in the little spacy part they did in Frankenstein that it 
would re evolve...there was potential, but it didn't happen.)  After 
that they jammed for 5-10 more minutes.  Great stuff!

YEM... Mike took 2 solos. One of which evolved into this cranial 
tweaking jam where the band would play for a few beats and stop 
allowing mike to fill in the end by himself.  He was using this crazy 
squeeky effect and doing some sick stuff (it was a pitch shifter with 
more than one note I beleive).  Some great drum fills by fishman 
before Mikes solo.. and once again great work by paige (oooh he got 
funky on the keys).

The scene was excellent.  Pittsburgh and some shows last fall/winter 
had a very odd scene, with a lot of unkind things going on and people 
there who were not really interested in the music at all.  But 
Lexington was wonderfully pleasant.  
Sorry this is so disjointed but oh well... See you tonight in 
Champaign.

Le Drew
----------------------------------------------------
Subject: Phish in Lexington, KY!
From: "JakeS" 

Short review:

They were rockin' like Dokken.

With Phish, at some point you know they are just going to lay out an 
awesome concert.  You just have to be there, and be in a good mood.  
Last night I was in Rupp Arena, in a good mood, and so was Phish.  
They did it again.  I am so stoked on this show.  Phish took time to 
be playful and lay out some really great jams.  It was a pleasure to 
see. 

It was better than 
Pittsburgh, and better than sets I and III of Halloween, and on a par 
with set II of Halloween.   It was the best concert this year, except 
possibly 2nd night of Deer Creek, and the best concert I have been to 
since Phish on 12/31/95.

Longer Review:

Guitars:  Playfully shredding
Drums:  Excellent
Bass: Excellent again
Keyboards:  Page, what else is there to say?

Crowd:  Not sold out, !!no clapping along!!, and no singing out loud
too many 12 year old kids smoking cigarettes and too many people 
overall smoking cigarettes.

Sound: Very, very good, maybe a bit too loud (or is it that I am too 
   old?)
Lights:  Chris K. actually flubbed a few times, a real rarity

set I: started slow with the Chalkdust.  Weigh was kind of playful, 
with Trey playing with some new sounds, I knew it was going to be a 
good night, as Trey was in a good mood.  Rift rocked hard.  Guelah, 
Waste, and Stash were all well played, but nothing exceptional.  

Guyte! Guyute! Guyute!  Just great...on par with the 8/4/69 set I 
Guyute, but the keyboards sounded too much alike in both versions.

set II:  Susie opener, was average in it's awesomeness.

Bathtub Gin!  Bathtub Gin!  Bathtub Gin!  Woo hoo.  It seemed to be 
about 30-40 minutes long, with lots and lots and lots of jamming and 
changes and more jamming and shredding from Trey and changes and 
jamming and changes and just plain spectacular.

Bike!  Woo hoo...some guy in the first row had a sign, and apparently 
it was for Bike, because when they started playing it he was jumping 
up and down and pumping his fist and stuff.

YEM...it rocked hard too.

Encore of Frankstein was very well played.  They nailed it.

What else can I say?  I can't wait to get the tapes!

Jason


My latest DAT haves and wants list can be found at:
http://members.iglou.com/jakes

Cheesey, never updated and extremely lame home page:
http://student-www.uchicago.edu/users/mpdesape/jakes/
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