7-8-00 -- Alpine Valley - East Troy, Wisconsin

review submisions to me, dan schar at [email protected] or [email protected]

Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2001 21:22:12 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 07-08-00 Alpine
 
Just wanted to say a few words about the show..  I love Alpine, I always
connect with flow and somehow always make it down to the seats.  Everyone
rags on the size of Alpine, but never thinks about how the pavilion is
smaller than most amphitheaters'.  Cozy, wooden roof and always good good
vibes.  Not even looking for a sequel to the 7-24-99 epic, this show is
rather ordinary.  Ordinary Phish, that is.  That's the other point I want to
stress-people are always so busy talking about the obviously good shows-too
many get lost in the mix.  (Ironically, though, I find myself disagreeing
with what the majority considers a great show.  Take the 2-day Lakewood '00
shows.  Most people talk about day 2 and the Tweezer w/ a possible DEG and
might even mention the Makisupa from day 1.  Pay no mind to the RockRoll >
Jam > Jesus, DWD > Twist-one of the better segments I've personally seen the
band play.)  Alpine '00 was a good representation of the Summer tour, which I
think was all really about two songs:  Jibboo/Sand (not one of my fav's, they
are the same song right?) and the Holy Grail that was Piper in 2000.  When it
all starts again, I really hope they keep this going with Piper, every one
I've heard from '00 either jammed way out on it's own or was given a
Trey-Boost at the end and went anyway.  Alpine was no different, this being
the high point of the show.  Choosing not to jam Rock n Roll but giving a
great Tweezer > Walk away.  Well played Llama, Antelope, Twist, Possum and
Suzie keep the show afloat (thought that 1st set really didn't sit well-the
sound wasn't even tweaked until Guyute), but this show is all about the Piper
and Tweezer.  Get set 2 just for those reasons.  Fun show.

Date: Thu, 16 Nov 2000 01:19:57 EST From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Alpine 7-8-00 Well, here it is, the very first review by The Dave Langley First of all, before I get down to brass tacks, I would take to take this opportunity to thank Cheryl Mann for playing Julius and Down With Disease for me on that cold, blustery night in September of 1998. Yes, I am a newbie, so to speak. But, I feel that I am one of the privileged few newbies who have become a part of this scene because of the slendiferous music. I would also like to thank all of the true Phans in the community for providing me a place to spend the rest of mylife, hopefully. Okay, now that the bullshit is out of the way, lets get on to the show. alpine 00 was only my third show...and the first to not be ruined by careless teenage drunkenness. (If anyone remembers me from Alpine 99, I was the guy buy the big tree that danced like a psychopath, earning the nickname, "Hey Drunk Guy!" This show I was careful with my intake of substances, limiting my use to simply marijuana, which was a very good choice. I came to the show in a v anload of friends, and I could not have been more excited, as I knew that I had an excellent show ahead of me. Song x song review follows: Set 1: PYITE (8:00 or so)- My friend Mark Gedmin called this opener on the way to the show, proving me wrong on my hopeful selection of Divided Sky (yeah right). From the opening muted strum/scrapes, I peed my pants. Almost. what followed was a perfectly orchestrated, high energy PYITE (a theme that would run through the rest of the set, at least.) excellent opener, always good to give a good HEY! to get things started. Cloud Nine for The Dave. NICU (5:30)- Yummy...not much more I can say for this one...tight, standard performance. Nice Playin Leo! MY SOUL (7:21)- Why this song is constantly described as a "throwaway" is truly beyond me. Excellent bluesy rocking, excellent little page showcase for 2 or so minutes, leading to amazing Trey rockout solo that knocked me on my ass. Three songs in...i'm already soiled to the core...stop giving this tight little asskicker a bad rep. Please. POOR HEART(2:40)- Yea! give it to me Gordo...although I couldn't hear the Mike bass lead in to the song, i was dancing till my rear fell off for the short duration of this kickin little bluegrass ditty. Nice yells from Fish this time around. WOLFMAN'S BROTHER (about 10:00)- Halfway through this moderate length funkathon, my bladder was about to burst, and I had to dance my way to the lavatories, but it was worth it, busting a groove with all the people on the walk there. One more reason why I love Phish Phans...listening to this on disc later, I realize that this is really funked out and cool as hell. FIRST TUBE (8:30 or so)- Heard this for the first time at Allstate 99, hooked ever since. Emerged dancing from the smelly Alpine shitters and grooved my way back to the Big Tree, where I discovered a whole bunch of kids from my high school partying on my tarp, they weren't necessarily fans by any means, but good to see them appreciate the music, for the time being. Tight and rocking. Energy at 10 still..amazing, just amazing. LLAMA (5:30 or so)- Fishman floored me once again with that rocking drum intro, still dancing like a crazy arab at a black market hoedown. taboot taboot. GUYUTE (10:00 or so)- Always reminds me of my irish roots, jiggin like a fiddler's bitch while phish rocks out in the jam section of this kick ass tune, really appreciating the high caliber, intense paced first set at this point. Guyute is definitely an Alpine regular, and there's nothing wrong with that. Evil voice not too noticeable, don't be shy Evil Fish, we love you. ANTELOPE- (13:00 or so) One of the songs of my wish list, bam, here it is. My favorite antelopes are 12-31-98 and 10-24-95, and this was the first wisconson antelope since that astounding october 95 sick jamathon. nearly lost all sense of my surroundings as I truly ran out of control. ideal set closer for an intense, high energy first set. Nothing I can say can do justice to the feeling deep in your soul when the boys rock your ass during an Antelope, you all know what I mean. SETBREAK- setbreak always seems longer than it probably is..but this one was spent smoking a few j's with some newfound friends by that incredible tree. I really love that fucking tree...good for leanin. also spent time reflecting on that first set...really good, by my newbie standards. Energy just blew my mind, the boys really seemed like they wanted to give us a good time tonight....not that they don't give us a good time in every little thing they do. I expected a little Farmhouse to open our next set, something along the lines of Gotta Jibboo...instead, they hand us Heavy Things (5:36): unlike some, I have no complaints about this song. I don't love it, but its good to dance and sing along with. The only complaint I have is directed towards young Valerie Geisler, a PharmPhan who decided that my left ear would be a good place to display her love of Heavy Things. To this day, the echoes of her shrill "FUCK YEAH, MOTHERFUCKER!! HEAVY FUCKING THINGS!!!" is ringing through my brain...trust me, not a pretty thing to wake up to. Piper(14:27): the farmhouse doors are still open, good choice for second song. ever the crowd pumper upper. Kudos to Trey for his amazing guitar tone at around 7:30...some of the coolest sounding guitar playing I have heard in a long time. Check it out. His tone is different than usual and sounds really fucking rad. quite an energetic jam this song was, and it slid rather smoothly into-> Rock and Roll (7:14): OOH yeah, I love the velvet underground. page sounds really beautiful singing this song, and Trey epitomizes Rock and roll with his stinging guitar solos. not a long version but, of course, very energetic and exciting. Soo pleased with this show so far... Tweezer (11:31): of course, i find it blasphemy to complain about anything Phish plays...but come on guys, you found such a funky, bluesy groove in this Tweezer...you could have waited a little longer to bring it into Walk Away (3:57), even though I love that fucking James Gang ditty. This Tweezer reminds me of 4-4-98 Tweezer, a show opener that built up similarly to this one. This one, unfortunately, didn't get a chance to flower like that one did...real cool rocking guitars, incredibly strong groove flowing from Cactus, listen closely to him here, he'll knock your socks across the room. Short but sweet, that sums it up real well. another good choice to have as an Alpine regular. Thick funk abounds in this tweezer...i could talk about it for a while...maybe do an indepth song review...who knows...if you tell me that you like me, maybe I will Twist(9:54): Newbie that I am, i didn't recognize this at first, used to hearing the sped up album version. But I like this slowed down, angrier feeling to a cool song like Twist. Nice jam attached to this one...kept it moving, was able to find a slow dance groove that I settled into, making the song even more enjoyable. Horse->Silent(5:58): Could it Be? The first ballad in this energetic show? yes, it is. and a good choice for that ballad slot, indeed. I love the horse. really cool little tune. Silent had my insides churning with that groovy mike bassline. crowd always goes nuts for that "just last year" line, and I love to hear the excitement on that massive alpine lawn. watched some crazy kid get stuck in the giant tree during this one, finally he slid down the thick trunk and we all let up a cheer, a cheer that is even audible on the disc I have, amazing. anyway, i love Silent Morning Horse. Now rock my ass again, boys, I'm ready. Possum (11:22): Just what I needed to end the set on a good note. Always feel like I'm cruising through the desert on a gravel road when I hear this one, and it always rocks my humble phish-loving ass to the core. this time around is no exception. great buildup at the start...excellent jamming by the phearsome phoursome. I love Mike's voice. Well, i don't have anything bad to say about this show, do I? my highlights, pre-encore, My Soul, Wolfman's, Antelope, Piper>RocknRoll, Tweezer. Real cool show, such a cool vibe going on around my big sexy tree. So much energy to deal with tonight...it being my first show of the summer tour. Time for the encore. Suzie: 4:40: My first experience with song, after hearing the horn-a-thon from 10-31-95. Its no coincidence that Trey sang the same verse each time on both that night, and this night, is it? I'm not sure, maybe someone can help me out there. Still, Fish yells at him, which is hilarious, even though you can't really understand his babbling. I love these fucking guys. Tweeprise (4:20 or so): Val Geisler decided to speak up again when they started this one...her pearls of wisdom this time around, Get This, "Tweezer Two!!! Tweezer Two!! I fucking Called this song!! I knew it, I knew it!!! YESS!!!" so annoying is she. Well, at least shes excited about the music, i guess thats admirable. But still, I need my ears, sweetheart...I need to hear the music. Standard tweeprise, nice and rocking, HIGH ENERGY, hahahaaha. love when they hold out those last notes to really give us a final kick in the ass before they turn the lights on for us. Kudos to Phish for giving us an awesome show. I would like to tell yu about Green Acres Campsite at Deer Creek. All the people there were cool, especially the guy who stopped to help me when I fell off my van on the 13th, breaking my ankle, causing me to miss the Ohio shows. This guy stopped on his way to the portoJohns to make sure that I was ok...such a nice guy.. Thanks everyone who makes loving Phish such a great way to spend my life. I really love you all...don't I sound sappy. email me anyone [email protected] please talk to me, I'm lonely..... Bye ya'll THE DAVE
Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000 02:10:27 -0500 From: Casey Logan [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: alpine review Facts that mean something to some and nothing to others: this was my 39th show and fourth at Alpine, an outside venue I hold dearly. A large part of our crew were seeing their first Alpine show (and one person was seeing her first show), so I was hoping they would pull out that extra something as they've done the last few years. (Note: I had seats pretty far down on Trey's side, so I was lightyears away from some on the lawn. This is what I thought from where I was at.) First, weatherwise, it was absolutely perfect at Alpine. Morning showers toward the north gave way to a nice cool day and evening. PUNCH YOU IN THE EYE: The guys came onstage somewhere around 8:10 to the spirited cheers of another great Alpine crowd. Big grin on Trey's face. After a second, the palm scratching sounds came out and indicated PYITE (with Tube as a long shot). Always a great opener, in my mind. No different here. The Alpine expectations come big, especially after the rare openers of 98 (Ramble On) and 99 (Guyute). Still, I'll take PYITE to open a show anytime. Really builds up the crowd, especially one so already psyched. NICU: Well played, nice to here the Leo call. I like this song, but not so much as to comment on it much. MY SOUL: I liked this if for no other reason than it meant Page was in the show - two songs in a row where he got to solo (three if you count the end of PYITE). Can't recall exactly where Trey went with his solo, other than it was enjoyable. POOR HEART: Would have loved to seen Paul and Silas in this slot, but cool nonetheless. Solid solos around. Four relatively short songs to open the show (much different than the Guyute, Fluffhead->Jam that opened 99), but all full of energy. I liked where the show was going. WOLFMAN'S BROTHER: Alright, this got a nice "yeah" cheer from the crowd as they got to settle down into some funk. I now think of Wolfman's as sort of a look back to the funkiness of 97. The jam was not particularly long, but it was tight. The reentry was smooth, although I thought for a little while that Trey was on the edge (granted, the very edge) of slipping into Sneaking Sally. Anyone else? FIRST TUBE: Beautiful. Through the entire set I was waiting for the break, the slowdown, but it never came. I just think this song is unreal. The energy it creates by the end is incredible. Nothing unusual for a First Tube, but this tune does not need anything unusual. LLAMA: The big surprise of the set. I figured the slowdown would come for sure, but instead Fishman cranks out the big beat and Llama comes soaring. More Page/Trey tradeoff; nothing spectacular, but it wasn't sloppy (as some Llamas get). Again, the entire show was totally solid. GUYUTE: The crowd was pumped for this. Great call by the band, as the lights were really beginning to kick in. All that energy, then a monster composition. Then to top THAT off - ANTELOPE: The first in Wisconsin since 10/24/95? I think so. And we know how that turned out. This didn't hit that point of hysteria, but a good end-of-the-set Antelope, anyway. (My comments to this point don't really say much, but I think that's because this set was really just a well-played, solid set with nothing too extraordinary other than the fact that it never slowed down.) I was making my way back to my row when the lights when down for the second set. I got caught up in the aisle, turned around to go around the side and after a long pause from the guys onstage, saw and heard the place truly lift with HEAVY THINGS. My reaction was essentially "Interesting^�" but I quickly got into it (dancing on my way back) because the crowd was so rocking. Strange one to open the second set, but again, well-played. I was really hoping for Sand here, or somewhere, but it was not to be. PIPER: Ahhhh, finally we could expect some craziness. Now please, someone out there tell me I'm not insane, but I remember the end of this Piper to JAM - and not in the every-Piper way in which the last segment kills before the song slows to its end. Instead of hitting that slow ending after the peak, they just kept going into a jam somewhat like the 12/6/97 (Auburn Hills) Piper. But to hear of it in the lawn and from reviews, people are saying it was short and could've used more of a jam. Huh? Was I lost? Anyway, after the jam I heard, it settled down and yes, SEGUED gorgeously into ROCK N ROLL: Making for the highlight of the show. I don't understand this not being listed as a segue - not only did Piper eventually merge into Rock n Roll, but it was smooth enough to cause chills. Since this was my highlight during the NYE show, I was pumped to hear it again. Not much of a jam (as opposed to Cypress), but very well-played with some great vocals by Page. IMO, the spine-tingling refrain of "It was alright" to the jam makes for one of the best parts of any song Phish currently plays. TWEEZER: At Alpine (and Wisconsin for that matter) you can complain about a few songs that always show up on the list - but how nice is it when those are songs like Tweezer, Fluffhead and Guyute. I haven't seen anyone comment so far, so allow me: MIKE, MIKE, MIKE. Almost immediately, Mike motioned to be turned up and then proceeded to lead and dominate. Not too long, but the end included a really cool groove - a different sound I've never head the band reach, but might be something they've been doing this tour. I don't know. Not long, but a segue into . . . WALK AWAY: My first (although I was sure at Champaign 97 that it would come out of Wolfman's), and rocking. I wish I hadn't known they did it earlier in the tour, or I would have gone nuts. Great coupling with Tweezer - makes one instinctively think of the Roxy in 93. TWIST AROUND: Trey sort of backed into this one, which was cool. It certainly didn't open like the new arrangement, and not as identifiable as the old. Instead, he just brought it in slowly and softly. Cool affect, but probably the one questionable call of the night. The placement seemed weird for Twist, because this is a song that can really jam if they want it to. But here it just didn't go anywhere. Not poorly played, but just a short Twist Around, which seems like a waste in terms of its rotation. What I mean by that is, if it were played two nights later the jam could possibly be the best of the night. HORSE->SILENT IN THE MORNING: I keep catching this, but I don't care. First, it's Rift. Second, The Horse is beautiful. Third, Silent in the Morning can be such a great song when it's played in a phenomenal place with a special crowd. The brief individual spot lights during this song are always cool. POSSUM: Trey took over for what was destined to be the closer. Great set-ending Possum that had one security guard on stage dancing like crazy. Now for the encore. The last two years had brought something special from Alpine encores - first the Been Caught Stealing/Tweeprise of 98, and second the monster Glide,Camel Walk,Alumni Blus,Tweeprise of last year. So . . . what would we get after the long break that usually means big things at Alpine? SUZY GREENBERG: The opening of this was solid, which is good because lately when they've been breaking it out, the opening has been flubbed. Instead, this was tight. Except, of course, if you count the lyrics. Instead of returning to the second verse, Page's first solo led directly into the groove-jam . . . which was just as good if you've already seen a few Suzys. Really strong performance, much better than Cypress. Now, with Reprise waiting in the wings, I hoped desperately for another song, but TWEEZER REPRISE: Can't say anything bad, except that I was slightly disappointed that another song wasn't played. This had ended the show at Alpine the last two years, after big breakout performances. Didn't feel it here, though. The one critical thing I would have to say is that when Tweezer continues to get pulled out, you know that this will end the show, and in a way that sort of sucks. Instead of wondering what will be played, you hope that the next song WON'T be the Reprise, because that means the end of the show. So the beginning of this song becomes bittersweet. That's my criticism, although it seems that there is a compliment therein. I thought it was great to see that earlier in the tour it was played during a set - personally, I think it works best as a set II closer. Overall, the show was outstanding. Song selection, performance - everything was on fire. For a normal, any-venue show, I'd say total excellence. But it's Alpine, and I hold a more critical eye for that, so I also would have to say that there really could have been an extra song. Another great time at Alpine. Hope everyone has fun at Deer Creek and that everyone makes it to that hell-hole called Polaris on time. -- kc
Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000 02:24:36 EDT From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Alpine Review I: PYITE, NICU, My Soul, Poor Heart, Wolfman's, First Tube, Llama, Guyute, Antelope II: Heavy Things, Piper > Rock and Roll, Tweezer > Walk Away, Twist, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Possum E: Suzy Greenberg, Tweeprise Got a ticket for myself and my girlfriend the day of. I live in the area, so it was pretty easy to manage. I felt bad for everyone who had traveled far, but didn't get in. Last year I don't think Alpine was sold out, but I may be wrong about that. I know people get sick of hearing this, but please: don't act like jackasses, people. The scene is still overwhelmingly positive, in my view. But that means there's absolutely no excuse for doing anything that makes anyone else feel uncomfortable. On the drive in and (to a much lesser extent) in the lot my girlfriend and I saw a few too many morons screaming bullshit to people who really weren't interested in their degenerate high jinks. Who are you guys? They made Woodstock 99 for y'all: stop coming to Phish shows if you're going to act that way. Go to the Warped tour. Or Dave Matthews. Or put away all the Busch Light and smoke some dank. Just a thought. Lot scene: Mostly positive. Saw no evidence of Makisupas. The scene inside the gates: beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. The hill in the distance behind the stage is so stoic as to resemble a two-dimensional facade (which it may well be, because Wisconsin doesn't have any hills, does it?). I was on the grass seats and everyone was very cool and courteous. Unexpectedly bumped into some friends. Always nice. PYITE: Swwweeet, if I may say. (And I may.) Now, the sound is always too quiet at Alpine in my mind, but it's always the worst during the opener. The sound man is twiddling knobs, no doubt. Didn't get the full effect out on the grass. Anyway, it was rhythmic, tight, right on. I think Trey had something to prove after a slightly sloppy performance at Alpine last year. NICU: A friend turned to me and said, "guess it won't be a Farmhouse showcase night after all..." Good to hear the tried and true tunes. But nothing especially groundbreaking. My Soul: My first My Soul. Kept the energy at a good, medium pace. People dancing. Poor Heart: No complaints. In fact, some more of the bluegrass stuff may have given this show a little bit more energy. The jams generally concentrated on slow, spacey grooves (as is lately Phish's wont). Last year's Alpine show was a lot more adventurous and not as polished. All these performances were very professional. But sometimes you lose something in the sheen. Wolfman's: Mike was really in the pocket here. Trey's performance was flawless, as was Page's (but Page doesn't really make mistakes). The jam..oh, the jam. Why did it end so soon? I don't mean that the jam was unbelievably short, but it was really hitting a stride, really going somewhere special. We caught sight of that funky, atmospheric, somewhere, and the boys even snapped a pretty good photograph of it. But we never really got there. The result was like looking at the beautiful hill behind the stage of Alpine (which was presently impossible to see because of the now-enveloping darkness): it looks beautiful, you know it is beautiful, it is beautiful, but to you it is somehow two-dimensional. The ending just fell apart. The ending sounded like a hungry child, begging for food, only it was a hungry jam, begging for either a crescendo, or a segue, segue, segue! But alas. All for not. The child starved. I think it was a tiny bit too slow, too. First Tube: Right on. Good tune. It sounded ten times better than on the album and probably twice as good as on tapes I've heard. Trey really played with space well. With the constancy of the rhythm section behind them, it is mostly in the hands of Trey and Page to handle the dynamics. Which is very cool, because it makes you look at each individual player differently. Usually Gordon is floats around a lot. Even in the funk jams, he is responsible for a large part of the dynamic, with shifts in his fills and varying intensity. Llama: Packed with energy. The energy may have peaked here, save Antelope. Guyute: Hmm. Love, it, but they played it Alpine last year; actually opened with it. It was better performed this time, but�^��..jeez, couldn't we have had a Reba instead? Antelope: Never mind! We'll take this! The jam was transcendent. Trey was on fire and they were communicating with each other. I think this was the highlight of the show. Set Break: People-watched. Lots of beautiful people in attendance. Not just physically beautiful (though certainly that), but people with a beautiful outward spirit and countenance. Hung out. My friends were calling some outrageous tunes to be the "jam focus" of set two. 2001 or Tweezer, they said. "No way," I said. "2001 is out of the question, and Tweezer is far overplayed in these parts." I was right on both points. But that didn't stop them from playing Tweezer. I was hoping for a Bowie. I got a Heavy Things: Oh. I see. Piper: Much better. Now, this was certainly not my favorite Piper of all time, but I must say that it had some very unique and quite appealing qualities to it. They really rocked out at one point and then got very spacey. In fact, I think it was my second favorite jam of the night (the best being Antelope). Rock and Roll: Wow. Swwweeeeet segue. But, while it was a very competent performance, this is where the show began to lag a bit. And I don't think that it ever fully recovered, despite the valiant attempt that was Tweezer: Look, the jam was very good, but they've just played this too many damn times lately in the Wisconsin/Minnesota area (including the last three Alpine shows. Once my friends and I got over that, it was good, solid music to dance to. So we danced. Good segue into Walk Away: Yeah Page! He did his job very well here. But, all in all this is a bit too classic-rocky of a tune to get me going. Twist: I did not like this. I do not like this new 'meaner" version, I do not like the lyrics, I do not like the music, I do not like the song. I do not like them, Sam I Am. I do not like green eggs and ham. But I do like The Horse: Not so much on electric, though. However, had Trey bothered to reach for his acoustic, he probably would have opted to play Driver, which I simply did not need after the horrendous Twist Around. Silent in the Morning: Good stuff. Pretty standard. Page's singing is quite good these days. And we thought it might have been the end. They really didn't pick up a lot of momentum here, but you really can't on this song. Possum: Oh�^��.Possum! Quite a surprise. The intro was extended and made me doubt what song it was for a split second. A little too hee-hawish for a set closer, in my opinion. The jam was good, not spectacular. Encore: We were calling all sorts of tunes. I speculated that they would play either something jammy or a couple of tunes, seeing as how the end of set two really never caught fire. To my surprise, we got Suzy Greenberg: Great stuff. Fun to sing along to. It was kind of a downer though, considering the things I mentioned above (heavy things I cannot see), as well as the fact that last year's Alpine encore was an awesome and extremely long encore, including Alumni Blues (which they hadn't played in about five years) and Glide, to name just a couple. But that was then and this is now. Everyone was pumped and had a damn good time. I found out that a friend of mine lost his ticket and couldn't get in. Sorry, Paddy. You missed an awesome show, but not the greatest in the world. One problem is that the next stop is Deer Creek, and the guys have to save up a lot of energy for such a run. But that shouldn't mean that playing Tweezer every year is all right. Next year, how 'bout a Mike's? Huh? Please? Don't get me wrong, it was a great show. I only get down on 'em because I love 'em. You won't see me complaining about the set list at a Brittany Spears show. (Of course, you won't see me at a Brittany Spears show. Not for a million dollars.) Yours, David
Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000 16:59:31 -0500 From: nancy [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: review of 7-8-2000, Alpine Valley On my way to this show, I heard that the rumor going around was that Trey said that Alpine would be the place to be. Now normally I take any "Trey Rumors" with a grain of salt, but I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt. I have seen three Phish shows at Alpine, as well as about a dozen other concerts here, but I have never seen this many people here. 40,000 plus atleast. When the boys took the stage, I was wondering if they remembered much about this show last year. The 30 minute Fluffhead was really one of only two high points for that first set (the other being TMWSY>Avenu>TMWSY). The Tweezer that opened the second set wasn't that solid, and they fell apart in the Mango. After a nice Chalkdust, they gave us a dream encore (Glide, Camel Walk, Alumni Blues, Tweezer Reprise). I had the feeling that they were going to just tear this place up tonight. And they did. 1st Set... I have a theory that any show that opens with PYITE is going to be killer. When the set that it opens contains an NICU, Llama, and Antelope, I think that my theory is proven. It was a very careful set, great songs with great, tight jams that left nothing to question. And if you were not smiling when Trey said "Do you happen to have any SPPPPLLLIFFFFFF, man?", I hope you had a good excuse. Already, this show felt quite different from the last couple. It was longer (about 75 minutes by my calculations), and they were all over the place with the song selection, one cover, a few old favorites, one new one, a couple from Nector, etc. It was the type of first set I always miss. I would've rather had seen something else besides Heavy Things open the 2nd set, but it's their baby, and I would rather hear this than Sample or Bouncin'. This was a fun version, tight and safe, with a phat Trey solo. It really got the crowd going, and started what turned out to be a great set. The Piper>Rock 'n Roll displayed the musicallity that really seperates Phish from .moe or Widespread. I had a got feeling about two songs we would hear tonight, and one was Tweezer. This is a classic Phish song, along with Golgi, Mike's, and Bowie, one of the classics. This was one of the funkiest Tweezers I have heard in a while. They kept it very tight, expanded it, and brought it into Walk Away, the first of three "once a tour" songs they played tonight. I love it when Page just jumps out at you and lets you know what a rock star he is. After what I am calling a "backdoor Twist" (Trey brought this one around slowly), Page got showcased in the 2nd "once a tour" treats; Horse>Silent. Now I have to get sentimental for a second, tonight was my girlfriend and I's nine month anniversarry, and she loves this song. I know they never read these reviews, but just incase...Thank you, Trey! Back to the show now, sorry. I haven't seen a Possum in a while, and this one was fun. I was on the look-out for some secret language, but it was still phat. Now I don't like it too much when the boys get predictable, and 95% of the time that you hear Tweezer, you can expect to hear a Reprise encore. I said before they took the stage that I would leave here completly happy if they would play one other song...but Suzie Greenburg!!!! Yet another "once a tour" treat. Maybe not as tight as the Deer Creek one last year...but this one has become very rare, and it's fun to hear Fishman yell. An energetic reprise closed the show, and 40,000 filed out like lemmings. All in all, whatever they left on the stage last year, they picked up tonight. They kept it straight forward, stayed in control but still displayed the musicality that makes them the best. I also believe that they wanted tonight to be special because they pulled out some big guns here instead of at the Creek. Great show, almost a new launching point to close off the summer.
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 12:39:07 -0700 (PDT) From: Peter A. Herr [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Alpine Show Review Ok, just for reference, here's the setlist: I: PYITE, NICU, My Soul, Poor Heart, Wolfman's Brother, First Tube, Llama, Guyute, Antelope II: Heavy Things, Piper -> Rock and Roll, Tweezer -> Walk Away, Twist Around, The Horse -> Silent in the Morning, Possum E: Suzy Greenberg, Tweezer Reprise Alrighty, let's get down to the nitty gritty: PYITE: As soon as Trey started in with that laid back muted string strumming, I knew that from the tempo we had a PYITE on our hands. Pretty standard for an opener...fun to hear though, epecially with the huge crowd on hand helping out with the "heys". NICU: Very nicely played, always fun to hear, and Page sounded nice on the old modified B-3. Mike sounded nice. My Soul: Blah tune, the lights are always cool, but it wasn't dark enough to totally get the effect quite yet. I thought Page's solo was very nice, and Trey 's jam was awesome, like he was slowly building a great story line with his guitar. Near the end he was jamming it out hard and it rocked! This is where I started feeling some nice energy from the band. Poor Heart: A little change up. Blues into a bluegrass ditty. Wheee! Wolfman's Brother: This is where the funk started...Mike just sounded fat and in my face. It was very cool. You can totally tell that Mike and Fish have become very comfortable playing with each other in this style. Each one complements the other perfectly. Nothing amazingly fancy, just laying it down. Groove first, screw around later. Awesome. I kind of wish it would have evolved into something more, but onto... First Tube: Here's another example of Mike and Fish locking in. The thing about this tune is that for 95% of it, they're playing the exact same thing over and over again...but it doesn't get boring! Trey was having a blast on this one, I could totally tell! Jumping up and down during the climax, very fun to watch. Lots of energy. This tune just rocks! Even on the album. Llama: Continuing on the topic of energy...Page was on fire here, except his solo just kind of fizzled out near the end, and it didn't seem like Trey was totally ready to continue the jam. Kind of like he was running a relay race, but didn't get a completely clean baton hand-off to Trey. Oh well. Trey took what he could and rocked out. Guyute: Wow...like I've been seeing in the other reviews, I think this is one of the most popular "new" tunes played at Alpine. Still, it's a great one, and was finely executed. Wow. And I just love the way Fish does his evil voice over the last spoken verse. Antelope: Pretty tame to start, and Trey flubbed the beginning in a few spots, but who the hell cares, the solo is what I like to hear!!! And what a solo it was...got so chaotic near the end, I couldn't tell where "1" was!!...I'm just glad Fish did, because they all ended the jam section perfectly. After this one, I needed to sit down! Set break was normal...50 minutes or so. Heavy Things: Wow..I would have never predicted this one. A nice, almost radio friendly 8 minute version. Got people moving...I really like the song, and I know a lot of people who aren't into Phish that really like it as well. Piper: Heard the opening and I was psyched!! I love this song. The version at UIC a couple years ago which I remember having a lot of energy wasn't even close to this one. Fish was just raging on his kit, keeping it going at a breakneck tempo for a loong time! Wow. The glowstick war was also very nice, but two of them hit Mike dead on...don't throw them AT the stage! There was kind of a breakdown, which segued with Trey leading the segue into... Rock And Roll: Awesome to hear. Nice Page vocals on this. A fun jam...nothing earthsharrtering, but hey, it's VU tune! What do you want? Tweezer: Yet another somewhat "overplayed" tune at Alpine, but just like in Wolfman's the funk was DDEP. And the jam was very unlike tweezers I have heard in the past...pretty straight, with Mike and Fish lockinin throughout, which gave Trey and Page lots of room to communicate, without having the song break down. Wow. I could hear Trey meld into those familar chords, and we got... Walk Away: Always fun, although it seemed a bit lacking with the energy. Oh well. Twist Around: I don't really dig this song that much, but this new, mellower arrangement only made it more difficult for me to understand. I love the Fish drum patterm on this one, though. Jam was pretty directionless...oh well. Horse --> Silent: Back to 1993 all over again...it's been awhile since I'd heard this one, and it was very nicely played. I love the tune. Rift is still my favorite records. Possum: Just a fun Possum to try and get the energy back up for the end of the show...I don't know if it really got there, though. Suzy: Wow, now this one got the crowd moving! Big on the energy. Amazing what happens when you put a song away for a long time, and then pull it out only on occasion! What a rush. Even though the first verse was sung twice, it didn't matter in the least...the groove and solos were hot hot hot! Reprise: I made for the parking lot during this one, to try and avoid the 50,000 plus getting out of the parking lot. So no comment. But what I heard only built on the energy of the Suzy! All in all, a fun fun time. Nothing too earth-shattering though. I wish I could hit the creek. I know the jams will be hot. I missed last year's Alpine, so it was good to be back. See you at the Allstate Arena this fall! -Pete
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 02:52:40 GMT From: Travis Vande Berg [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Alpine Review Alpine Valley, East Troy, WI 7/8/00: I: PYITE, NICU, My Soul, Poor Heart, Wolfman's Brother, First Tube, Llama, Guyute, Antelope II: Heavy Things, Piper -> Rock and Roll, Tweezer -> Walk Away, Twist Around, The Horse -> Silent in the Morning, Possum E: Suzy Greenberg, Tweezer Reprise PYITE - Nice opener. I really like how they've jammed out the intro to this the last few times I've seen it. It's a great song to get the band and the crowed going, and this version was no exception. NICU - Yes! I think that the mark of a good show is a "Play it, Leo!" and, by God, we got one in the second song. Nice work by Page, of course, and some pretty funky bass work by Mike if I recall correctly. My Soul - This may not be the best song in the catalog, but it sure is a fun song to hear live. Poor Heart - Again, Yes! Nice, standard version, but it's still Poor Heart. Always great to hear Mike sing early and often. ** I think these four songs were an excellent choice to start the show. They're not only excellent tunes, but they're also not what I call "light songs". In other words, they're songs that don't lose much without the work of CK. Last year's Alpine Guyute (what I would call a "light song"), on the other hand, didn't do anything at all for me because the band opened the set with it when it was still too light to see CK's light show. ** Wolfman's - The sun was going down by the time they started into Wolfman's. It was a really good version with some great bass work by Mike early on. I was kind of disappointed with the ending though. The band was in the midst of a nice, light, airy jam that I thought would segue into something else. Instead, it just ended. It wasn't one of the "trailing off jam" endings characteristic of much of summer '99, but it was a surprising and rather sudden ending to a jam that I thought was headed great places. First Tube - Pretty standard. Seemed a little bit longer than versions I remember seeing in the past. Nice light work as well. Llama - Hell, yeah! I heard Trey playing the opening and almost couldn't contain myself. Certainly didn't expect to hear this one. It really got kept the crowd moving after First Tube. Guyute - The ugly pig follows me everywhere I go. Everyone I was with was excited to hear this, but I just had to shake my head. On the drive up from Chicago, I had commented that I thought the chances were slim (Yea!) that I would hear yet another Guyute this show because they had played it at Alpine in both '98 and '99. Alas, it was not to be. My Guyute woes continue... Run Like an Antelope - "Dear Travis, We are sorry that we played Guyute at yet another show you were at. Please accept this Antelope and our apologies. Love, Phish." Seriously, though... I figured that we were due for an Antelope at Alpine and was glad to hear it. Nice version overall. Seemed to maybe be lacking a little energy, but it could be that I was just spoiled from having recently listened to a fantastic version from 10/1/99. Set Break - I took off for the restrooms upon hearing Trey say "We'll be right back" and beat the rush. Spent the rest of the break laying on the lawn talking to folks. Heavy Things - At this point, I was thinking "All right... it's time!" IMHO this song has *amazing* jamming potential, and I've been calling for a *huge* jam out of it all tour. Naturally, when it started the second set, I thought tonight was the night, and I began preparations to have my mind blown. Then... nope. Standard Heavy Things. Really got the crowd going though. Say what you will about Heavy Things, I'd rather hear this at a show than Bouncing or Sparkle. It's just a really nice pop song. Piper - Okay, okay... now here we go! I dig Piper and this version was smoking with super-intensity (read Gag's review). Glowsticks. It headed into a nice, energetic jam before the band returned to the lyrics followed by another short ending jam which went into... -> Rock and Roll - I thought this was a segue as did most everyone I talked with after the show, but it's not indicated as such on any of the "official" setlists. Oh well, maybe it was. Maybe it wasn't. What I'm sure it was, however, is fantastic. Page's vocals sounded *so good*. Amazing. They were for the whole show, but they really shined in Rock and Roll. The band simply rocked this out, and CK was going crazy on the lights. Great, great version! Well worth checking out. Tweezer - Lately there has been some discussion on rmp about Tweezer being played too often, but I for one was happy to hear the beginning of this. I'm pretty certain that near the end of this Tweezer, Trey played a very similar theme to what he played during the vocal jam part of the Cypress Bathtub Gin. This is another song that has been played the last three years at Alpine as well and had been interesting versions the two previous years (2001>Magilla>2001>Tweezer>Fluffhead in '98 and Tweezer>Catapult>Tweezer in '99) so I was expecting something crazy again with this one. I was not disappointed as it headed into... -> Walk Away - Not everyone around me knew what this was right away, but I was jumping up and down. I really love hearing this come out of Tweezer. The band just plays the segue so well. Twist Around - I hadn't heard the new "darker" version of this yet, but had read about it in some other reviews. I'm not sure that I like it as much as the Twist of old. It doesn't really seem to be as "fun" of a song as it used to be. I was still glad to hear it though. The Horse -> Silent in the Morning - Always a treat to hear, and I never would have predicted it for Alpine. It was well played, very fun, and the crowd was very receptive. Possum - Very solid version. Amazing extended intro with crazy lights! I thought we might get a language tease in there somewhere, but after what seemed like an eternity of building intensity and energy, they broke into a great Possum. Excellent playing and fabulous light work by CK. I (wishfully) thought that Possum would be followed up by Slave, but Trey said goodnight at the end of Possum and that was that. Much clapping, lighters, cheering, etc. brought them back out for... Suzy Greenberg & Tweezer Reprise - A good encore. Suzy is always nice to hear, and it was a rocking Tweezer Reprise. I was hoping something else after Suzy before Reprise, but it was a solid end to a really good show. Meaningless Ratings - I: 6/10 II: 7.5/10 (based greatly on Piper>RnR) E: 4/10 Really looking forward to Deer Creek, Travis
Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2000 18:56:27 -0500 From: Anita Sacia [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Alpine Review Dana Sacia 07/08/00 Alpine Valley Amphitheater Another sold out phish concert..... I'm always glad to see 55,000 phish phans jammin out to what we all came to see. Glowstick wars and Marshmallow battle heated on all throughout the concert. All the energy in the crowd was UN-imaginable, out of the 20+ shows I've seen....this was by far my favorite. The show started at 8:12 and I was actually RUNNING back from the overflowing bathroom to catch Punch you in the eye in full force. What an opener, I actually felt the ground moving with all the force of the dancing that was going on. NICU was brilliant, sending the girl next to me into tears. Followed by My Soul , definitely not the best I've heard..... but good nonetheless. Poor Heart was good as usual. But Wolfmans Brother was something to talk about, timed at around 12 min McConnell and Anistasio blazed it up..... intensity was at a peak when the telephone was ringing! It was so spectacular. The lightshow was brilliant. So once again, phish put us in a awe filled trance. Pure Magic. From there on it was ALL uphill. First tube-->Llama-->Guyute(saw this one coming)-->Run Like an Antelope. Words cannot portray the crowds response, and reaction to this set. Excellent. 10/10 Definitely a standard wait at alpine during intermission. Around 50 min. I had a bet with a couple of buds to what would be the opener, I figured it would be old school... like cavern. Just when I thought I'd might pass out Trey and the crew comes running out and opens with..... Heavy-Things: Alright, so now I'm completely in awe!! It never crossed my mind. The intensity was throughout, and definitely an A+ performance. Trey, wow. PIPER!!!: I actually guessed this one, not figuring they would play it though. I nearly had a heart attack, and as the crowd began to realize what song it really was.... it was killer! Super fast version, with excellent rocking. Also a kicks Glowstick war in which I got hit it the head. Its all good times, at least I got a throw. Rock and Roll: Very well played. Not really anything great, no jam out of it. but not liking this song in the first place makes it very hard to say something nice. :) Tweezer: Man, a TOTAL standard at Alpine. It seems they cant go a year without playing it. But WHOS complaining!! Fucking killer intro, and jam by Trey... the crowd was crazy, and so was I. Walk Away: I haven't heard this played before in concert. A first for me, and definitely a rush. Great song with alot of energy. Dancing was at its prime! Twist Around: Oh, Wow. Trey fucked around with the intro on this one. Leaving us all wondering to what was being played. Fucking great song. Excellent trippy, groovy jamming.... but not at length. I was surprised to hear it played as slow as it was. Props to phish on this one. The horse>Silent in the morning: The last time I heard this was at the NYE Bash. Alpine was 10x better!! The lightshow, the glowsticks, the groovy jamming. Put me singing along with the best of em. This was the highpoint of my night, and I cant wait to get it on CD. Possum: Phish does it again. I wanted so badly for them to play it last year, but they never did. They came around and knocked me off my feet. Great version, upbeat and decently jammed out. Trey did a good job improvising on the jam. Stayed mostly in the pentatonic scale. Encore: Suzie Greenberg: I also remember them playing this at the NYE bash, again played better than what it was there. All except for forgetting the second verse.... :) (not totally sure if this was done on purpose or not) BUT GREAT nonetheless. 2 thumbs! TweeserReprise: We all saw it coming, but that makes for a great ending to an already perfect concert. The lightshow was absolutely visually stimulating, and well timed out. Also Played extremely well. I seriously wonder if this show will ever be topped. Deer Creek is always great though.... theres a definite possibility. I CANT WAIT TO GET THIS ON CD!! :P I urge everyone to look for it. It'll be worth the effort! Catch ya on tour! -Sacia
Date: Sun, 09 Jul 2000 12:41:10 PDT From: Kevin Liska [email protected] To: [email protected], [email protected] Subject: Alpine review Kevin Liska (PhreePhish) 07/08/00 Alpine Valley Review A pleasant drive (as usual). Didn't get in till close to 7pm due to traffic!! (sorry Lump... I swear i'll catch you at a show!!!!!!!) We were pretty far up the lawn unfortunately, but the lights were still great for our view. And to the show..... For the first time EVER (and probably the last), i ACTUALLY called the opener (applause)... (timings should be fairly close) the boys hit the stage 8:12 PYITE (8:40): sure, my first PYITE and i'm too far away to see the dance. Bummer oh well. The side speakers on the lawn were never on either...what is with that? Anyway, A nice opener, well played... NICU (5:30): Always nice. Not to much to mention here. Play it LEO!!!!..... My Soul (7:55): Um, ok. Very nice to here and well recieved by us, and the rest of the audience. (my first show since 10/3/99, i'll take anything!) Poor Heart (2:40): aww ya...smokin. very nice solos about... A big jam song coming up yet? we'll see... Wolfman (9:50): This will definately do. Funked us up high on the lawn. Thanx guys. First Tube (8:05): Always nice to hear. Pretty standard. Llama (4:40??): Whoa, didn't see this coming! Smokin as usual. Guyute (10:50?): Guyute at Alpine. A standard i guess. But you'll never hear me complain about it! Seemed pretty flawless to me! Antelope (13:45): Ladies and gentlemen, let the jamming begin!! A very nice version to send us to break. Can't remember anything really out of the ordinary, but always nice to hear anyway. Standard 50 min Alpine setbreak. Obviously i would have liked more jamming in set one, but with not seeing phish in 8 months, i'll take that set any day. And i'm sure we were goinna get some nice ones in set two.... Heavy Things (6:00): Was not expecting this here!? Very nice to hear though, i must admitt. Not jammed out really (is it ever), but a nice little tune. Piper (14:50): We all wanted it. We got it. A pretty standard energetic, orgasmic Piper, medium glowstick war on the lawn. The following jam had some nice moments in it. Almost some elements of a long DWD jam in it (hell, they could have EASILY gone into LLama here if they hadn't played it last set. They should do that!). Anyway, sort of a segue into of all things....> Rock And Roll (7:00): ...and it was all right! Surprisingly, they did not really strech it. Very nice to here, and go page! Tweezer (11:45)>: Tweezer '98: Beatiful, melodic. Tweezer '99: spaced out and trippy w/ Catapult. Tweezer 2000: Purely rocked out. Some very nice funk/rock jamming that I thoughroly (?) enjoyed, even when they cut it short and perfectly segued into....> Walk Away (3:50): They make this sound soooo good. Got us on the lawn jumping! A great standard version full of energy. Twist (9:40?): ..and yet another intro rearrangement (always keeping us on our toes i see). Some very nice spacey, twisty jamming that all could groove to. No HUGE jams in this set, but many shorter jams, which is still nice. Horse>Silent (6:15?): Always very nice to hear. My first in 10 shows! Flawlwssly executed. Possum (10:50): Always a nice closer. Not mind-blowing, but still very nice. Not much to say about it. Enchore: Suzie G (5:10): hmmm... they sort of forgot the second verse all together, but we won't hold that against them. This of course lead to a nice extended organ/piano Page solo and all the phun that accompanies this song. Always fun, especially for an enchore! Tweeprise (4:20): And thus, signaling the end of our concert. Always a treat accompanying Tweezer. Rockin' as usual. I am one of those crazy people who loves hearing nothing but 20-30+ minute jams. Obviously this show didn't have that (probably because we got nothing BUT that last year at Alpine), but it was still very fun nonetheless. Also i'm not worried cuz i got 3 nights of Deer Creek ahead of me still :) catch ya at Deer Creek...
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 15:37:23 -0500 From: Oliver Wendell Jones [email protected] To: [email protected], [email protected] Subject: My Frist Review! 07/08/00 Alpine Valley 07/08/2000 Alpine Valley - East Troy, Wisconsin Set I: Punch You In The Eye, NICU, My Soul, Poor Heart, Wolfman's Brother, First Tube, Llama, Guyute, Run Like an Antelope Set II: Heavy Things, Piper, Rock N' Roll, Tweezer > Walk Away, Twist Around, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Possum Encore: Susie Greenberg, Tweezer Reprise So it was only my fourth show, and my first since October, and I was *hyped*. I'd been looking forward to it for weeks; my only disappointment was that I wasn't going to be able to make the during-the-week Deer Creek shows, so I'd had to settle for Alpine Valley. Still, I figured it would be okay, since we'd get to camp in Bong State Recreation Area... how could I pass it up with a name like that? (Well, for future reference, I shoulda... it's a beautiful place, but don't bother camping there on Phish weekend. They know we're coming, and they don't much care for us.) Didn't get to spend much time in the lot before the show because of the traffic. I've gotta ask: what the heck is the deal with a 40,000 capacity amphitheatre in the middle of BF Nowhere? Or better yet, why couldn't they figure out how to let us in without causing a five-mile long traffic jam? Some of my friends that were along said as soon as we hit it that it reminded them of Big Cypress. My friend Jay and I, however, having not been at Big Cypress, decided to walk, since we could make faster progress that way. The car caught up to us about 100 yards from the lot, over 90 minutes later. Some of the locals we passed said that only happens for Phish shows. So are we just incompetent, or does the venue staff/security delay us more, or what? Anyway, we got parked at 7:15 or so, dealt with the mass of people at the gate, and got set up dead center, nearly at the top of the lawn. One more note on Alpine Valley Amphitheatre: while it's *huge*, it sounds and looks beautiful. We walked down the hill at one point, and while it was definitely louder closer to the stage, it wasn't any clearer than at the very top. The view is incredible too... the majestic hills in the background are only slightly marred by the ski-slope. But as they say, on with the show. Oh, wait, did I mention this was only my fourth show, and the first review I've written? I've listened to around 50 shows recorded, though, which hopefully gives me a little perspective. Anyway, writing this beats hell out of work. %=) PYITE wasn't much of a surprise, either as the show opener or what they did with it. It rocked, as it always does, but Trey seemed to sorta sleep walk through the vocals, and they guys seemed to be getting off to a slow start. NICU isn't actually my favorite song, but they definitely started to wake up as it went on. Then the show *really* got started. It seems like it's some sort of sacrilege or something, but I *really* dig My Soul, and they *tore* through it. No matter how much I wish for it, they never seem to drop into The Beatles' "Yer Blues" after this song, and this time was no exception. Instead, we got Poor Heart; always a fun song, but I was still waiting for a good jam. And with hearts, souls, and eyes already, I was starting to expect Limb by Limb, or maybe The Asse Festival %=). After a bit of discussion, though, the Wolfman's Brother groove started up, and things got funky. It didn't start out as much, running a little bit slow and heavy on the bass while Trey was singing, but once they got to the jam they hit a groove and held it. The set was definitely building, and when the blue lights came on and the First Tube rhythm started up, I could almost see the wave coming in. It was a big one too; this song has *power*, and I think it's getting bigger as they keep playing it. I can't wait to see this one in a year or two. Does it count as a segue if they change songs without stopping, or only if it really flows? Anyway, I thought they flipped to Llama beautifully; it was practically launching rockets before I knew it was there. This was my first Llama live, and while it was pretty short and hardly amazing, I loved it. I just couldn't stop dancing. Guyute is probably my favorite song, live or recorded, so I'd been hoping they'd play it and was thrilled to hear the opening. I've seen this song at three of my four shows; this one wasn't anything particularly brilliant, except for a minute or so where they broke out the minor, dissonant chords and red lights... Guyute got more truly Evil than mischievous for a bit there, and I actually saw people around me get a bit scared *grin*. Big, *big* finish for Guyute, then they launched straight into the most amazing, phenomenal, energetic Antelope I've ever heard. When the Antelope (and the set) ended, one of my friends was crying, saying it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. Of course, she may not have been the most reliable witness at the time... and anyway, I told her that the first set was just the warm up; it's usually the second set that blows you away, anyway. I was right too. After a long-ish set break, Trey (I think) came back out and played a few notes of Bathtub (I think), which kinda set the crowd into a fit, but then they opened with Heavy Things. Good, solid version, much better than what you'd hear on the radio (and isn't *that* weird, hearing Phish played on pop stations?), but they still just don't jam this one out. That was quite alright, though, because they went into a 15-minute Piper that just blew me away. This is my favorite song from Farmhouse, so I was really hoping to see it, and they made me one very happy phan. They took this all over, from straight fast-as-hell Piper to some truly sick, twisted ambient stuff, back to Piper again, and then spiraled down into ambience again... then, out of the end of the chaos emerged Rock and Roll. I've been dancing to this song since I bought my first VU tape when I was 13 and my life was saved by rock'n'roll, so I *loved* hearing this. They played a very minimalist, almost-VU style throught the verses, then jammed it out a bit in their own infamous style, but the best part was when they all instantly cut the jamming back down to the more minimalist style for the end. Just blew me away. By the time Tweezer started, it didn't matter what they were going to play, I *had* to sit down; dancing for a solid half-hour on that 30-degree Alpine Valley lawn is hard on the feet. The song rocked, as Tweezer always does, and after five minutes or so I was back up dancing again. Good thing, too, or I might've been sitting down for the segue (and this one is undebatable; it was so smooth it was almost invisible) into Walk Away. Great song, and they did it full justice. A brief pause, then a weird opening for Twist that kept me guessing for 30 seconds or so. I don't know if the wind out of the valley was doing weird things during this song, or if it was my ears, or maybe I've just listened to the studio tricks on the album version too much... whatever it was, the vocals on this song sounded incredible, much fuller and more layered than during the rest of the show. A great groove, too, so I still couldn't stop dancing. Then, finally, it was over... only to have them launch into Horse > Silent in the Morning. Of course, these aren't the world's most danceable tunes, but this was the first time I'd seen them, so I *had* to stay up and watch. They were, of course, stunningly beautiful... which was a great set-up for the no-holds-barred, run-right-over-the-audience Possum that finished up the set. This song is possibly the best argument CK5 have going for them... I had no idea Chris played the lights so well on this song, since I'd only heard live recordings. An amazing closer, which left me *starving* for an encore. I was pretty sure we'd be seeing a Tweezer Reprise (duh), but Suzie Greenberg was a ton of fun, and surprised the hell out of me. The Tweeprise built quickly and solidly, and when they'd stretched ever last ounce of tension they could get out of it, they cut it, the lights and the show. Sigh... it *can't* be the best show I've seen *every* time I go, can it? Well, this one was, again, and I can't wait until Fall tour where I'll be catching two more shows. That is, assuming I can see another two shows and still convince myself not to drop the rest of my life and follow the tour around full-time. *grin* -Oliver...
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 15:19:09 -0700 From: Andrew Katz [email protected] To: [email protected] Cc: [email protected] Subject: Alpine Valley 2000 This could one of the most disappointing performances I have seen yet. Sorry to all you 'first time' phish goers, if you are upset, please understand, and hear me out. I have been going to these shows for about 6 years now, +100 shows. The setlist here was quite disappointing, nothing too experimental. They were a few good, extensive, expanding tunes at the most. The Antelope sticks out in my mind as being a bit stronger than all the others. Other than that, this is the most standard show I have ever seen. Now, I'm not 'complaining' in the least, I just wanted to voice my opinion, as everyone is entitled to do so here. The band just seemed to be going through the motions. Even the Tweezer-Walkaway......it was nice to hear, but honestly, this could be one of the poorest Walkaways I have heard in a long, long time. As for the first set, extremely, extremely standard. The First Tube was nice to hear, of course, but they didn't explore it at all. In the second set, I thought the RockandRoll was going to be where they got us....but nope, just a standard version. I just feel that they did no experimenting this night, something was missing, noone was really 'stepping it up' to that next level. It is surely nothing to write home about. I realize they can't be 'on' every night, and tonight was one of those nights. Oh well, what can you do? Well, do you really want to know? I'll tell you, go to only the best venues of the tour, and catch the best of the best. For example, you know that Vegas is going to be hot, as well as DeerCreek, etc.. Being in my mid-twenties, and holding down a steady full time job, I just don't have the time any more to run with these guys. I guess it's come down to being wise about the whole tour, and picking your favorite venues. This is my theory to assure a successful phish experience! Also, Alpine Valley isn't the 'quaintest' place to see them. To end it off, I do somewhat understand the boys' performance though, b/c DeerCreek is going to be the absolute shit. Too bad they're doing it Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, why? I don't know.
Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2000 13:50:56 -0500 From: Michael Gagliano [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Alpine 2000 50th show, 1st this tour. Came out blazing with a standard PYITE. Plenty of energy throughout this entire show. NICU also packed a punch while the following My Soul was average at best. Poor Heart was well played and instantly Wolfman's got the call. This Wolfman's was not epic, however the interplay was magical! Weighing in at about 12 min, Page and Trey were locked in. From the 9th row one realizes the importance of Mr. McConnell. He owns that Moog! The next 4 songs defied logic. One rocker after another. First Tube>Llama>Guyute>Antelope tore the roof off Alpine. The Antelope was your basic mind blowing hurricane! The 2nd set started out to be THE SET. Heavy Things only warmed up Trey for the following Piper. Can anyone tell me how the fuck Piper has become the best song on tour? Simple. Holy liftoff after the second refrain. I'm talking major launch. The energy and glowstick war was unforgettable. The ambient meltdown that ensued was the perfect cool off! When they started next with Rock and Roll, I was numb. The jam was short and sweet. Solid, but not excessive. The Tweezer was not bad. But after 3 Tweezers at Alpine in 4 years, it was a letdown. Especially when Walk Away was next. C'MON. What a cop out. Horse/Silent was well played and was the perfect set up for a great Possum to close out the set. My dad was quick to point out they finished both sets with animals! The Suzy>Tweezerprise was expected but not disappointing. All in all another great show from the boys. Can't wait to see the last 5!!!!! Gags
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 01:24:18 EDT From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Alpine Valley 7/8/00 Set I PYITE- Nice opener, pretty standard version, but very tight. Sent a good vibe through the crowd, got everyone pumped up right away. NICU- Good follow up, the beginning of a big night for Page. My Soul- A little unexpected. Nice to hear though. Kept a rock appeal to the show. Poor Heart- Fun tune, got everyone dancing quite a bit. I'm not quite sure about the times, but these first four were pretty much right to the point, nothing unusual in any of the jams. Wolfman's- Got pretty funky with this one, Gordon mixed it up quite a bit a Trey followed him up with some of his own improv, not to much of a jam but not as standard as the first four. First Tube- Of course this is where Trey took over. Good jam, Kurdoa had some fun with this. Llama- Excellent, they remained completely flawless, Trey and Page were feeding off of each other very well. Guyute- Always good to hear, Trey got pretty experimental, very tight. Antelope- Excellent set closer! Very fun tune, not a classic Antelope, but a lot of energy and a great end to a lot of rock in the set. Set II Heavy Things- A surprise, well played, I'm not sure if I like this as a set opener though.... Piper- Tons of energy as usual with this one. This is taking over as one of their craziest songs, lots of Trey!! Glowrings added to the fun. Rock n' Roll- One of my favorite covers, Page and Trey were extremely tight, would have liked to have heard a little more of a jam though, it ended a little abruptly. Tweezer- An Alpine ritual I guess, not as jammed out as the past few years there but more upbeat and a solid jam with teases of Maze mixed in. Walkaway- Very unexpected, good cover to hear, Page was on all night, flawless! Twist Around- Woo! A little bit of a rocky start, but a good jam, teased Ghost. Horse>Silent- Nice change of pace from all the upbeat/rock played, a very highlighted Page night, right on as usual. Possum- Good closer, naked guy, solid jam. I thought this set ended pretty abruptly, which led me to believe they were going to pull out another awesome encore like last year there (remember Glide, Camelwalk, Alumni Blues). Encore: Suzy G- Lot of fun, lot of dancing, short, but really good energy. Tweezer Reprise- I thought there would be more, I'm not sure if I like knowing when the set is over. At the end Trey sliced his guitar threw the air like a light saber, and held it up in the "Jedi" pose. Cool to see! Overall- A lot of rock, a lot of Page, Trey was solid. Everyone was together, very tight all around, good show guys.... what's coming up at Creek?!?!?!?
Date: Sun, 09 Jul 2000 22:08:26 PDT From: dave virgilio [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: alpine valley review hello all, i'd like to start off by wishing everyone nothing but fun at the rest of the shows this summer, what a tour it is!! this is my first review of a show, probably because it was only my SECOND ever! alpine valley is the coolest place to hold a concert, the place fuckin rocks! getting there was a breeze up until we were about ten miles away. the line of cars was crazy! anyway, we found a nice spot on the lawn at about 7:15, and waited. They finally appeared at around ten after eight. trey seemed very pumped up, especially at the start of the show, when they broke open a: PYITE!: this is a very cool song, one of my favorites. didn't really expect it, but it set the tone for most of the songs in the first set. NICU: i never really got into this song until Hampton came out. I started listening to it more and more and now it is also one of my favorites. nice playing by Leo! MY SOUL: i would never expect that i would get a soul during only my second phish show, this completely caught me off guard, but like i said, the whole begining of the show was very up-tempo. i really liked this version, the second half smoked! POOR HEART: perfect! i love when they pull out some of that bluegrass! cactus rules! WOLFMAN: nice way to segue into the heavy jam songs. after four quick standard tunes, this was nice to see. nothing really stood out to me during this jam. when the jam part began, i told my girlfriend this might take a while, and sat down to have a smoke. FIRST TUBE: very cool version. this is quickly becoming my favorite song off Farmhouse. danced the whole way through. LLAMA: dear god!!! did they somehow devolop this ability to rock out every song tonight?!? i was definately expecting something nice and slow, dirt maybe, or bug, but then out of trey's ass comes llama! this ruled! GUYUTE: i heard this at my first show back in the fall, and i could have gone for something, anything else. don't get me wrong, it is a great song, but what i really wanted was what came next: ANTELOPE: yes!!!! i had this stuck in my head for two days before the show! the jam before the Marco Esquandolas part, i thought, really stood out. it was amazing, this is a great song. we all ran like hell! set break was fine. i was thinking about getting a funnel cake, but my girl was kinda sleeping on me, and i didn't think i would make it back alive. damn there was a lot of people! HEAVY THINGS: interesting. now i know this isn't a normal set opener. good version, but i question the placement. but the next song redeemed them: PIPER: i could listen to this song all night! another of my fav's, even though the placement of this on the album was kida wierd. my first glowstick war! it looked really sweet with the music and energy building and building. the jam out of this stood out to me like the Antelope from the first set. ROCK N ROLL: very cool to hear. page was definately all right! Loaded is one of my favorite albums i own, so this was definately a treat. TWEEZER: this was good. it sounded slow and funky to me, i don't know if i'm on crack or what. very good jam. trey was flawless. WALK AWAY: man, page was on fire! this was cool to dance and sing along to. TWIST: i had no idea what this was at first. i guess they have been re-working this one for a while now. it was good nonetheless, after i reckognized it! i really liked where the jam went on this one. THE HORSE>SILENT IN THE MORNING: i couldn't believe i was hearing this! very cool way to begin closing out the night. this whole show was very up lifting for some reason. i think they forgot how to play slow songs. this was the only one of the night. POSSUM: my second in as many shows. loved it the first time and still love it! terrific close to this set. encore: SUZIE GREENBURG: holy crap, they're playing suzie greenburg! this completely threw me off guard as i was still waiting for that slow one to show up. this was awesome! trey was bouncin around all night, and it culminated with this and: TWEEZER REPRISE: everyone knew it was coming, and we all love it. it's the perfect close to a show like this. if i would have to rate this out of a perfect 10, i would give it a 9. for some reason, i could have done without the Guyute, but other wise every other song was brilliant. well, it was my first of the summer and last. but i'll catch em again for the two rosemont shows in the fall. happy phishin' y'all!! dave virgilio
Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2000 04:54:35 EDT From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Phish 7/8/2000 Alpine Valley review WOW. This was my first Phish show ever, though I've been a fan for over a year and have accumulated about 90 live discs which I thoroughly enjoy. I've been anticipating this night for a long time, and then there I was, in the lots, among the sea of phans, vending, chillin', walkin... What a scene. It was a totally new experience. I've been to concerts before but nothing like this! Anyway, after "funneling" our way in finally, we could not even get settled in our seats before they busted out the opener... PYITE: Totally sick opener, one of my favorite songs, total instant crowd-igniter. We were ready. NICU: I called this one, and it was a good version, with nice work by Page of course. My Soul: I'm not a huge fan of this song, and neither were my friends who I went with, but they played it well and singing was fun. Poor Heart: More raucous fun!!! Great song to hear. Just your regular version I guess but hey it was my first show so everything was totally wild to me. Wolfman's Brother: Here's where things got crazy... After a high energy start with the previous four songs, Phish decided to kick it into major overdrive with the second half of the first set. This Wolfman's was great, nice long jam, we were all groovin, and then... First Tube: Woo hoo!!! My favorite new song!!! As soon as I heard the familiar drum intro, I went ballistic!!! At this point, I felt totally great. I was so happy. And this version of the song was ROCKING!! I've heard many First Tubes on CD, but this was in another league. Trey went all-out, and the lights were amazing. I danced my ass off in the aisle. Llama: Damn! Who thought this was coming?! Totally unexpected treat, and everyone was thrilled to hear it. It's great to hear old-school stuff that is rare nowadays. Great action song to continue the wild set. Guyute: Yes!!! Overplayed? Maybe. Deservingly? I sure think so!!! This is undeniably a sick song and I wont ever tire of it. Tonight's version was perfectly executed, and I continued my dancing frenzy right in the aisle. Run Like An Antelope: They could not have picked a more perfect song to close this blood-pumping set! This was one of the coolest and fastest versions I have heard, and the lights just made me jump up and down out of control. I was absolutely going wild!!! I had a very nice spot in the aisle and I was using every bit of it, swinging around, screaming, jumping! There was this kinda funny young security guard right in front of me the whole first set and during Antelope I was at my dancing peak, and so was Kuroda on the lights. At one point I told the guard to look towards the stage because the whole time he had his back to it and he even gave a big smile at Kuroda's masterpieces when he finally looked. The dude seemed indifferent to the music the whole first set despite how awesome it all was, so I decided to let him have it... After "Marco Esquandoles" and the "You've got to run like an antelope out of control" part busted out and I was SCREAMING the line into the guy's face while flailing about the aisle, nearing falling off the step a few times. First set: Orgasmic. 10/10 -- Unrelentless action. I was having the time of my life. Setbreak was kinda long, security started jerking us around about getting out of the aisles, but there was honestly no place to go without kicking people out of our actual seats, which were deep down the row from the aisle. We just brushed off security. Plus, once the second set started, it was soooo packed. I didn't have nearly as much room as I did for the first. Second set: We were all making bets at setbreak about what the set II opener would be, and the "usual" picks all got taken, like Sand, DWD, Tweezer, etc. I took Bathtub. I nearly won, as when Trey came out he played what sounded like the very first guitar riff of the song, but he quickly stopped, and they began.. Heavy Things: Where did this come from?? No one expected this at all. We wanted a big jam song, but we all got into this, it's a very nice song, good to dance and sing to. Piper: I really didn't expect this, as they just played it two nights ago, but I was thrilled when it started. Always has been one of my favorite songs, and this was a great version. Very fast, cool glowstick war (my first war and I actually picked one up that landed by me and got to launch it!!). Great Piper. They were really rocking hard, but then they stopped the Piper theme and took us into a sort of ambient jam. It was great, and an unusual thing to hear out of Piper. Rock and Roll: Great, classic Phish cover. Page sounded perfect. The crowd totally was psyched. I'm not a huge fan of the song, but it was great nonetheless. Tweezer: This started out standard, but the jam was sick!!! Trey was on fire!!! It took kind of a while to get going in this jam, but once they did, Trey was going off like crazy. Can't wait to get this on CD. >Walk Away: A nowadays rarely played song, and I was so very happy to get it. I really like this, and everyone was singing. I was so pumped up with this upbeat song right out of that smokin' Tweezer. Twist Around: One of my least favorite Farmhouse tunes, but it was still OK. Not a bad jam. WOO!!! The Horse > Silent in the Morning: Wow, I felt extremely happy to get this. Excellent, excellent music. Phish was playing very tight and synchronized and it was a great thing to see and hear. Possum: I've heard a ton of Possums on CD but this was great. A very fun song and more energy from the band on this totally kickin' night. Sadly, set II of my first show ever had to end. Encore: Suzy Greenberg: Yeah!!!!! A wonderful treat, quite unexpected, I went all out during this as I thought this'd be all for the night and was dancing all I could in my tight space. Tweezer Reprise: Yes! I wanted more after Suzy, and thankfully they busted out the classic encore Tweeprise. It was great, totally hot, a perfect cap to tonight's wild action. After the song Trey waved his guitar all around his head, side to side, making nice effects and distortion... He finally raised it straight up in the air over his head as the crowd went bananas applauding the amazing show from the world's greatest band. Yes, Trey, you are a rock star!!! Thank you Phish for something I'll never forget!!! Props to everyone I was with for making it so much fun, especially Matt for introducing me to Phish and always being so cool!!! Can't wait for fall!!!! John Riordan
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 09:57:49 -0500 From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Alpine Valley 7/8/2000 Alpine Valley 2000 for Phish was not about amazing, out there jams. Those looking for experimentation should look elsewhere. However, if you want energy . . . pure amazing go-for-it energy, this show was the one to see. This was show number two dozen for me and my third at Alpine. After listening to the tapes of Alpine 1999 (where the encore busted out the rarites) and thinking some of the playing a bit sloppy, it's readily apparent that this summer the band is a heck of a lot more focused on kicking ass with their talent and not just their reputation. Trey's screaming guitar lines may sometimes dominate a show, but Saturday night Page was taking amazing solos and his voice was incredible all night. Mike's bass was popping and on top of things throughout. And Fish? Well, he's always the secret weapon. Not flashy, but he is the glue that holds the whole airplane together as they take flight. And the mode of transport on Saturday night was a fighter jet. Get to the target and fire the missles. There was no chance to sit (unless you count the first 30 seconds of "The Horse->Silent," but that's combo is becoming a treat so everyone stays up anyway!). First set had Page ripping it all up on the organ for PYITE, NICU, My Soul (piano on this one), and Llama. He played like a man out to prove a point. And for the first time in a while, I could hear everything he was playing, even when Trey was wailing away (that may be courtesy of my seats in the middle of the pavilion.....Thanks Ryan!) But THE jam highlight of the first set was the *raging* Antelope to close things out. Trey was outstanding and the jam just kept getting louder and faster and the lights from CK5 were spinning out of control until the bottom dropped out for the "Rye rye Rocco" section. The only other big jam came off of Piper early in the second set. Instead of winding down after the big crescendo, Trey started firing off licks that sounded to me like the opening lines to Llama. The licks morphed into a fast and not jammed out Rock and Roll, on which Page's voice was the star. It was alright! ;-) And of course it wouldn't be Alpine without Tweezer. This song is everywhere I go! But this Tweezer was only 10 minutes and was, again, raging, not experimental. Mike was loud and leading. He and Trey kind of locked horns for a little while as Fish kept the beat straight up Tweezer. An awesome segue into the James Gang classic Walk Away, which is always a treat. Again, Page's voice stars on this cover. It was kind of short, though. The last jam was in Possum. It was standard Possum, but Page was all over it taking big solos and staking his claim to a piece of Gamehenge. The Suzie Greenberg encore missed the second verse ("Suzie's 'bout as faithful as a slot machine....") but it wasn't needed! Page took an extended solo on the Rhodes that went on for a good while before the first verse was repeated and Trey dipped into the expected TweezPrise ender. I was wiped out from moving from the 2 1/2 hours worth of energy and excitement sent out to the massive crowd in Wisconsin. Again, nothing new, but a completely satisfying show! Thanks to the band!!!! Here's looking forward to two nights at the Rosemont Horizon in September! Tim --------------------- [email protected]
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 04:14:34 -0400 From: Mike [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Welcome to the Valley Wow... I grew up about 15 mins from Alpine, so once a year I fly in for the gig, and what a gig it was. The hills were alive, Gratefully dedicated in green fields of 65,000.. We parked at the end of Blue Section, and waded into a grassy area of 50 thousand phisherman, trying to make it to row JJ, and reached our destination at the beginnning of NICU. What a welcome!! whatever happened to overnight camping? Sun was just going down with a nice Poor Heart, love to heat that bluegrass in heart of the valley. can i get a soy cheese??? I need a nutty sandwich, something, chunky veggies on a bun, damn im hungry. PLANT FOOD... Man, Wolfman chorus uniting us all. Coming down on me for sure, free for all in the pavillion. As long as the pav tix were in hand, , just grab an aisle and groove. love and immortality at the open door Guyute was my 10 mile point of a 26 mile marathon, and what a joy it was. Time for a set break. I tried to keep up with me droogie seatmate, but lost him in the aisles. I bid on two bottles of aqua, and returned to the seats for the second deal. aquatic heat lamp, warms my feet as i float towards my rescue, and Heavy Things it was. Wasn't expecting this, and they belted it out to tee.. All was right in the valley, and Trey was in charge. Page bring down the house with the coolest cover... the Rock and Roll Station was cookin' and the vibe was groovin. My pavillion partner finally made it down from the lawn, and Page kept us lookin for a fresh vein." And it was all right..!!" Sick Tweezer, and I knew there'd be a reprise somewhere, but my brain was zapped in on Kuroda, so I forgot all about it into a wild Twist. Wiggling out of control. HIGHLIGHT: Walk Away: Page my man...groovin on a steamtrain...Valley was spinning, and Ill never forget it... Trust in Silent, a nice surprise, and into a gooey Possom ... had that tune in mind, and a closer was supreme... Lit the good stuff for the encore, and Suzy met me with open arms! What an artist she was, as the show closed with a hail of Tweezer Reprise... I wish I had a Delorean with a Flux Capacitor in the rear, cause I would relive this mynock show...power cables overloaded, justa dancin' to that rock'n'roll station.... Parking Lot: Very Lax, started enforcing a leave around 3 in the morning, thats ok, we were all looking for Possom anywayz...
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 01:33:48 EDT From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: alpine valley july 8th my first phish show, i was floored! why the heck haven't i been going to these for years? i've seen some amazing concerts, but phish is like nothing else . . . i wish i could write something intelligent for the real hardcore phish phans to enjoy, but i'm really not that knowlegable about the band, but i promise that i will be for my next show (which will be VERY soon) anyways, long story short, i'm a new convert, i loved it!
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