6-17-04 - KeySpan Park, Brooklyn, NY

please review the show, not the other reviews....

Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2004 18:26:37 -0400
From: Noah Penn
Subject: phish show review 6/17/04

6/17/04 keyspan park - brooklyn, ny

haven't seen any reviews posted for this show yet so i figured i'd give it
a shot...i'll keep this one brief - phish put on a hell of a performance
in brooklyn on thursday night for the tour opener.  out of the 5 or 6
shows i've seen post hiatus, this one was by far the best - the band
sounded tight, energetic, and brought back memories of the glory days of
phish in their prime ('97-98).  1st set was crisp and started off with
some pleasant surprises with dinner and a movie and the curtain
with...moma>free featured a nice mid-set jam that went a few different
places - at times it had a dark mood, at other moments just straight up
greasy funk with fish and mike holdin it down all the way through.  i
thought fishman really brought his A game for this show - he was really on
point and laid the foundation for some of the best improvisation i've
heard from the band in a while.  maze and frankenstein both rocked and
concluded a very solid 1st set.  46 days>possum was a great way to kick
off set II - this jam was similar to the moma>free jam in that it had a
dark and sort of eerie theme to it but still sounded funky as shit.  the
segue into possum was flawless and trey rocked it out with some good 'ol
fashioned bluesy rock guitar riffs.  i really enjoyed oh kee pah>suzie and
this was probably the most fun part of the show for me - the crowd really
got into it during this (although i thought the crowd sucked, more on that
later) and the energy level went up a notch...the jam after suzie was
probably the strongest collective improvisation the band displayed all
night and everyone got involved - fish was layin down the funk, mike was
droppin bombs, trey showed patience and a lot of musicianship by letting
page do his thing for a while with the rhodes and whatever else he used
during that jam...axilla kept the energy level up and 2001 continued the
dark, funky mood that the band had set with previous jams.  birds of a
feather rocked from start to finish - trey really stepped up during this
and showed why he is one of the best of all time.  i love when the band
throws kung into a show - trey dedicated it to the people in shinnecock
for the u.s. open and mike's groove followed to close out an amazing set
of vintage phish classics....while this particular mike's groove was
nothing out of the ordinary i thought it was pretty solid and i give the
guys a lot of credit for closing with it after such a long set...so now
i'll plug in my one complaint about this show:  the crowd...after
weekapaug ended and the band left the stage i was 1 of about 5 people in
the whole fucking stadium cheering.  what the fuck?  this is phish's 1st
show of their last tour EVER and you can't muster up a rowdy applause for
these four guys who just finished a phenomenal set...show some respect -
this is the best band in the world and soon enough we will never see the
four of them on stage together again - so fucking yell and scream and clap
and stomp your feet - give them your support for god's sake!!  alright,
enough bitching...so they came back on and played divided sky - it was
obvious that the band was exhausted after a long night - and rightfully
so...they played their asses off the whole night so it was understandable
that they had run out gas...this was a very short version - trey had
trouble developing his ideas and ended the jam fairly quickly...divided
sky was a bit of a letdown but it definitely didn't spoil an amazing show
- everything i love about phish came out on this night - surprises (dinner
and a movie, oh kee pah>suzie, kung, the curtain with), da funk (moma,
2001), rockers (birds of a feather, sample, suzie, 46 days, frankenstein).  
i'm gonna miss this band - this tour is really gonna be something special
- and they certaintly got off on the right foot tonight...and i'm sure
they'll go out with a bang in vermont - see you there...



Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2004 14:14:31 -0700 (PDT)
From: David Miller
Subject: Phish show review 6-17-04

6-17-04 Keyspan Park


                                    Preshow

We got nailed in the rain on the way in^Åluckily my Mickey Mouse poncho
saved the upper part of my body. My shoes soaked, we had no other trouble
getting in to this very organized venue. Stands entered in one door and
field entered another door.

Was about 20 people from the stage, this is what I call the ^Ópower
pocket." Any center space right in front of the soundboard but not too
close to the stage is crystal clear.

 

                                     Set 1

Oceans started it off^Å mellow rocking jam that lasted a few minutes
after the composed part ended. Trey lead this one all the way through. 
Nothing too spectacular^Åjust a taste of what was to come later in the
show.

 

Dinner and Movie ^Ö A guy standing next too me said ^ÓVery apropos^Ô

He was right, with thousands of folks across the country tuning in on the
big screen

this was perfect. According to ihoz.com, only the 10th time played since
5-21-94.

Trey missed his vocal entry around 1:15 but everything else was well
played. They seemed very happy to be playing a classic for the last time.

 

The Curtain with^ÅI am a sucker for songs I haven^Òt heard in a while and
Curtain is one of them.  Around 6:45 they go into the Rift Jam (with
part) brings me back to a tape I have from 87^Ò According to ihoz.com,
this was the 11th time played ever^Å.the jam reminded me of I^Òm hydrogen
with a breezy Reba feel. Very welled played, tight mellow jam, nice piano
work from Page. At the 10:00 mark Trey and Page were locked into this
beautiful soaring, mellow jam.

 

Sample was next^ÅIn my opinion bad placement but I^Òm not sure I would
enjoy a Sample placement anywhere in any set!  We just got 2 bust outs
and then Sample, Luckily it ended in under 5 minutes^ÅSample is a simple
song, I really like Page^Òs singing and playing on this one^Ålisten to
Page play piano and sing ^Óyou treat me like the others and now I don^Òt
belong^Ô my favorite part of the song

 

Moma ^Ö oh funky Moma, what happened to you?^ÅTrey starts out with some
scales^ÅPage following on the moog. Standard Moma beginning, rocking part
begins and Page switches to piano. Sounds a bit a Funky Bitch here^Åthen
back to some funk, then the lyrics of the song start around 5:00. Jam
begins around 8:00, very much like the Funky Bitch style of jam from
before, when I think of Moma dance I think FUNK, but this was ^ÓMoma
Rock.^Ô Mike dropping some great lines around 9:30, Trey ripping it up
and Page on Organ^ÅFishman is always spectacular, especially here^ÅCool
Jam around 10:30, a little spacey whirling type guitar from Trey, then
the fast moving very metal like sounding guitar^Å.then some echo effects
from Trey^Å.nice use of many types of guitar sounds here^Åsong mellows
out around 11:30 and duh duh dunna duh dunna duh jam ensues still mellow
and spacey, great effects form Page! Segues into FREE around 14:30..a
strong Moma but nothing that blew the roof off the place

 

Free-  very happy to here this one..and what a Free it was. Standard 3:45
opening^Å

Nothing out of the ordinary^ÅMike^Òs comes in and plays solo that is a
bit different than the other gummy base on previous Frees^Åreminded me of
Boogie on Reggie Woman Jam, Mike did a tremendous drop here^Åalmost
sounded like a funky vacuum solo.  Trey joins in around 5:15^ÅMike and
Trey are playing off each other much like Page and Trey in Curtain^Å.Trey
is practically facing Mike and they have this wonderful little interlude
for about 1 minutes, then around 6:30, fishman and page let them have the
stage, the jam is still mellow but funky and moving nicely^ÅPage back
around 7:10 and the song takes the normal ending^Å.nice 25 minutes of
continuous music.

 

Nothing ^Ö Nothing to report.

 

Maze ^Ö Very weird beginning, they sounded a little off here. It didn^Òt
matter though..this is a great song all around^Åpretty much any song of
Rift is great^Å.Rift is by far the most underplayed album when Phish goes
on tour^ÅI guess they got sick of it after playing these songs a hundreds
of times between 92-94. The best part of this song was around 4:00^ÅPage
is going off and Trey is kind of hacking away, just playing random
notes^Å. Very acid Jazz sounding here^ÅThey come together nicely around
5:00 and then Trey keeps banging a few more times^Åaround 5:30 the ^Óbum,
bum^Ô part of the song come back and the song continues and then ends 5
minutes later without really anything else stellar happening....

 

Frankenstein -  Always good to hear and a great way to end the set and
give some energy to a sopping wet crowd.

 

                                     SET II

 

46 Days ^Ö I mistakenly thought this was Sneaking Sally when they first
started playing^Å

well we got a nice treat here^Å.around 4:00 the songs gets good^Å.more
rocking in the same theme as Moma Dance and Free^Åsong mellows around
6:40 but is still moving quickly^Å..nice fills from Page here^ÅTrey
follows with some beautiful chords^Å.Fish is also on target here^Å.all
the ingredients to a good jam^Ågood flow and each member is doing
something interesting to give the other members direction.  46 days slows
around 8:00 and then picks up around 9:35^Åa lot of experimentation
here^Åthis is a good example of what separates a good jam from a great
jam^Åthis 46 jam is good but not great ^Å.there is no ^Óoh my gosh, this
is the most beautiful, unbelievable thing I^Òve heard.^Ô I was saying^Ô
this is good stuff but nothing mind blowing. Around 13:30, Trey comes in
with a great line and really picks up the pace
here^Å.17:07^Å.POSSUM^ÅPERFECT TRANSITION HERE^Å.classic phish
transition. This kinda came out of nowhere, very unexpected.

 

Possom 2nd great segue of the evening^ÅFishman is going crazy on this
one^Åwith super fast fills, nothing outrageous here, everyone was having
a blast! 46 days>possum is some great 25 minutes of music.

 

Oh Kee pah, (only 18 times played since 94^Ò, when I started listing to
Phish) This for me was great^Åonly heard this once in 60 shows^Åvery well
played version, 1:45 of pure fun^Å..we knew what was coming (AC/DC,
Suzie, Golgi etc.) SUZY!!!

 

Suzy ^Ö Suzy fits nicely here because it is just like Possum^Å.fun song,
not played very often and always good to hear! This was an unexpected
great Suzy^ÅJam gets going around 3:30^ÅListen to PAGE here!!! Deft
playing here, Trey hanging on to each note. Very Jazzy, 5:00 lyrics come
back^Å6:05 you think the song ends here, not sure how each band member
knew to continue because everyone was playing the ending chords, cymbals
like the song was over^Åmuch more funky here.. Page on a higher pitched
organ, Trey filling the spaces with some subtle guitar^Å8:11 Fishman is
playing well now and everyone is locked in^Å.10:30 becomes more rocking
than funky^ÅTrey brings it to this level with his soaring guitar. Page
now filling the space with a  twinkling of notes. 12:35 Jam not really
going anywhere^Åin my opinion^Åthey are just playing and nooding around. 
But^ÅFishman bails them out  around 13:20, Trey comes in with some more
echo effect guitar, one note that kind of echos^Å.dannnggggg, dunnngggg,
dannngg. pretty cool sounds I guess^Å14:49 Trey back to very light notes
then harsher tones, cool dissonance here but STILL the jam didn^Òt really
have a theme throughout that made it a great jam^Åthis was another strong
jam much like 46days^ÅI don^Òt mean the same sounding jam but the same
sort of aimless yet really good jam that got the place rocking! 16:00
Energy is way up and they are back in good form^Å.fast moving rocking jam
here^Å17:15 JAM fizzles some interesting things happening around
17:30^Åvery mellow effects and sounds^Å

Axilla ^Ö I thought we were going to get a breather by this point but
they went straight into Axilla^Åaround 17:20 you can here Trey whisper
Axilla to the other band members and then the song starts 4 seconds later
with a ^ÓOne two three^Ô from Trey. I was very happy to hear some of the
most bizarre phish lyrics in there catalogue^Å

 

^ÓI woke the witch with reverence reserved for serpents, snails, and
slugs,
I pulled the witch from out the ditch and turned to face the furry thugs,
The sheep they smiled with teeth agleam,
The weapons in their hooves revolved i detected a prostatic ream,
I gulped and felt my loins dissolve!^Ô

 

2001 ^Ö Good showcase of their talents, not the most amazing 2001 but for
me it was probably the best 9 minutes of the show, just brought me back
how every song sounded in 97^Ò Trey at ound 6:00^Åvery quick, like a
funky scatting jazz singer. Reminded me of Bathtub Gin New Years 2000.
What I like so much about the placement of this song was that they kind
of brought is down a bit without bringing down the energy of the set. 
The jam here is very short with about 30 seconds of digital delay to end
the song. 

 

Birds  It was almost fitting that they played this song. A few times
during 46 days I thought they were going to go into it. Another tight 9
minute rock anthem.

Birds just plain rocks the house, for 6 straight minutes^Å.a lot of
energy here^Å

The Jam isn^Òt a historical Phish moment but nonetheless very good,
listen at 5:15, this is signature phish^Åthis section should be titled
Jamming 101: How to bring the Jam to the next level^ÅFishman is really
banging away on this one! 

 

1:45 minute break^Å.crowd is cheering and we know something big is
coming^Å

 

Kung^ÅI^Òve never heard them announce the name of Kung before they sang
it

This was dedicated to the golfers in the U.S. Open^Åman when a song is
dedicated to a golf tournament you know they are getting old. Pretty
bizarre stuff, I am wanting to here other Kung^Òs to see how similar
these are^Å.but they do mention ^ÓRunaway golf-cart marathon^Ô so I^Òm
not sure that will be contained in other Kungs^Å

 

Mike^Òs  Trey went over to Mike and they sort of talked it over, I could
faintly here the first 22 chords to Mike^Òs and then seconds later a Mike
Song ensued. 6:00 good stuff happening here^Åmore back and forth rocking.
Nothing really out of the ordinary, just an ordinary highly enjoyable 
Mike^Òs

 

Hydrogen ^Öwell played, a soulful bookend  to The Curtain With in set I.

 

Weekapaug ^Ö everyone has been saying that this Weekapaug sucked but I
completely beg to differ^ÅThis Weekapaug was soaring and tight in many
places.

4:00 nice build up^Å8:40 rocking^Å.not the most enthralling jam, I
agree^Åbut how many Weekapaug^Òs are truly magical?^Å.Weekapaugs mainly
end shows with high energy and that^Òs about it. pure rock and roll was
the theme here and Weekapaug fit into this style of playing.

  

                                     Encore

Divided Sky ^Ö Good version^Ågreat to hear to end the show. I like
Divided as an Encore because it is a beautiful composed song and nothing
really more than that. You know what you are going to get and it is
great.  Every Divided in the past few years pretty much sounds the
same^ÅIf you know any amazing Weekapaugs or Divided Skies of the top of
your head that are MUST hears please let me know! Overall, very strong
show. 

Date: Fri, 25 Jun 2004 16:46:13 -0400
From: Jeff Gallo
Subject: Phish show review

Friday : 6/25-04
From: Zool
Subject: Phish 6-17-04
 
Here I am Friday at work so  bored out of my mind thought I'd throw my 2
cents in reg Thursday at key span....By the way I am 29 been seeing phish
for the better part of 11 yrs. 1st show in 92.... Roughly 80 in total..
Not sure what that means but  I know some of you folks out there love to
see the resume.
 
Going into Key span I though what the hell are they doing? A handful of
shows left & they pick key span. What is that capacity 7k. If you were
lucky to get in Great.. But a lot did not... We I guess we now know why
Key span ( Jay Z have anything to do w/that).. He was great by the way.
 
1st night up in the stands ( 2nd night on the field) Field was 10x better
hands down
Nice opener, Looks like they could do a lot with this one in a couple 
years, Ohhh!  wait a second, Forgot.. Done!
Dinner.. Kind of cool for the tons of heads that missed the show, a
little shout out to them ( I bet they were having a good laugh when the
sky opened up w/a HARD downpour,,,, I know I would have laughed really
hard)
Curtain...nice touch, always cool
Sample...ahhh.. not a great one but  people like it.. so it's fun
Moma-- our first touch of getting funked out.. did not disappoint for
those of you who like Moma
Free- Caption Funk continues w/this one. Really kicked ass  and funked us
up
Nothing & maze do not do much  for  me
Frankenstein-- Great closer, it  rocked, always rocked.. page's
Nailed IT 
SET Break, rain, rain, rainnnnnnnn
 
46, I thought it  rocked, nice opener
Possum.. How about a possum , who does not love a good Possum.. have some
Gordo
Oh Kee> Suzy... Kind of cool. keep the energy up, continue the flow. Nice
call
Axilla into 2001> Not the best  2001 I have heard over the years but I
always love hearing this one... especially when your partying you can't 
beat the smoke, lights.. always a winner in my book.. Trey could have
been better here
Birds.. Not a favorite but again upbeat, the party kept going!
Kung.. Old school , goofy, weird one.. But Trey gave a nice shout out  to
the boys Grinding it out at the US open..(I love to Golf)
Mikes>I am> Weeka.. Mike rocked here, slapping this shit of his
bass...always worth the price of admission
 Encore- Divided sky. Perfect timing, the song ripped, almost as good
then last show in Philly post hiatus.
 
Not one for reviews but again still bored at work..
In closing I want to say I am not one of those guys who is irate w/Phish
for pulling the plug on this awesome thing that has been going strong
20+. Sure for the last 11 yrs it has been a huge part of my life(so much
bigger than I thought now that I am reflecting) the shows, the great
times, The festivals, you can beat it. I learned a ton, met great people,
learned how to handle a strong chocolate buzz ( Thanks Mark the
chocolateer) Wow- see you in VT. Befriended some little ladies (some
just  for the night)...... So when you look back It sucks because those
days are sort of behind me.....shit I am getting old..
For those of you youngsters who wish they could have scene more phish,
don't worry stay in the scene. Tons  of great jam bands out there....
Phish thanks for the memories! Let's leave it all on the playing field in
VT...
Zool
Fairfield CT


Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2004 15:18:42 -0400
From: Jim Houck
Subject: Phish show review: 6.17.04

I attended and got drenched with one of the best shows I've seen post
hiatus (not to mention the incredible downpour mid show). Absolutely
fabulous is one way to describe the overall experience. Technically
superfluous would be another. All four members were at their best. Read
the setlist--it was THAT GOOD. "Dinner and a Movie" was the ringer tune
of the evening. "Moma>Free" and "Maze" were 1st set gems. "46 Days" gave
way to an excellent (and I mean excellent!) "Possum." The transition
between the two, alone, warrants heavy consideration of this performance.
The remainder of set 2 read (and was played) like an all-star lineup.
Fantastic energy was upheld throughout its entirety (even "Kung" was a
fun one). And after a considerably lengthy pause (which lended to my
initial belief that this was a first encore) the show wrapped up with a
fun "Mike's>Hydro>Weekapaug." Imagine everyone's exhaltation when they
crossed the finish line with a blast from the past in "Divided Sky." Sure
we've heard  the tune oh-so-many times, but can you think of a better way
to say "thank you" to the fans after the rain stopped? They're "in it to
win it" this final tour.

Date: Tue, 22 Jun 2004 20:59:38 -0400
From: AbeCohen421@aol.com
To: dws@phish.net
Subject: REVIEW

The first show of the final tour, the last opening gig, to be remembered
forever. THE SHOW WAS AWESOME. From new tunes to old tunes to classic
tunes to weird tunes to the big bang at the end. What a surprise to hear a
SKY encore. I've been to 29 shows and I have never seen a Divided Sky
live. Before last nights show I was teling my friends I NEED A SKY because
this will likely be my last show and i need to hear it. After Set one I
prayed for a gift. After set two I prayed again. THey came out on stage
and started SKY. My eyes lit up, i turned to my buddies and hugged each
one. My prayer was answered, Phish gave me a gift for what can be my last
show ever and most definitely the last tour opener we all will ever hear.

Rock On
Abraham Cohen


Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2004 14:59:51 -0400
From: Susan Visakowitz 
Subject: Phish 6/17 show review

OK, I'm going to try to make this really straight-forward. But remember,
this is ONE head's opinion, not God's word, so please don't flame me if
you don't agree. If you care to hear what I think, then read on. Please
note: I was at the simulcast.

Set I:

1) Ocean: I thought this was a great opener which set the vibe for the
whole first set and even into the second. In other words, we were going
to get a set that was contemplative, reflective -- that would look back
while also being very much aware of where we all stand now: at the
beginning of the end. Immediately, you could tell all the guys were *in*
this. And, the short jam at the end was promising. This tune actually has
a lot of good jam potential, IMO.

2)Dinner: Awesome! Who could really complain? My first in 45 shows since
1994! Plus, it became very clear that these boys *had* practiced. Thank
you, boys!

3)Curtain With: Very, very well done. I always enjoy a good Curatin, and
to get the "With" section was just a real treat. Cleanly-played.

4)Sample and 98% of Moma were lost at the NYC simulcast due to the
inclement weather. Not too upset to miss Sample, but the end of Moma
sounded incredible, so I can only imagine how good it was. Lots of tight,
deep funk.

5)Free: thank god the signal was up and running in time for this. Always
a favorite of mine, and this lived up to the glory days of Free
('96-'98). Absolutely excellent. Big, thick, tight.

6)Nothing: nice placement, IMO. We needed to take it down a little from
Free, and let me say that the new songs are a lot better live, so if you
haven't liked what you've on Undermind, don't despair. I think a lot of
these new songs are going to do really well this summer.

7)Maze: YES! I love this song, and again, it heralded back to the glory
days. Tight, dark, exploratory jam. Really a must-hear. And watching
Trey's face as he sang it, I couldn't help but think of all the new
layers of meaning this song must have taken on in the last few years, as
he's come to find Phish to be too big for its own good, a burden of
sorts.

8)Frankenstein: Great way to end. Super-energetic, Page ripping it up.

Overall: This was an "A" quality set. I know others have said it and a
few have flipped out in response, but this *does* rival 2/28/03 I, a show
I was lucky enough to be at. It wasn't *as* good as that set I, but it
was damn close. Also: big, big props to Mike and Page, who were huge all
night, and to Trey, for finally getting his shit together. Sober=good!

Set II:

1)46 Days: OK, kids, if you take nothing else away from this review,
please take this: this jam is an absolute MUST-HEAR, and this is coming
from someone who's been to some of the best post- and pre-hiatus shows
since 1994, including 2/28/03, 7/9/03, every New Year's run since '94,
etc., etc. As I listened to this, I nearly collapsed under the sheer
weight of its greatness. For those who don't yet appreciate it, please,
give it another listen. I cannot be more emphatic about this: this was
one of the *great* Phish jams, pre- or post-hiatus. This is Phish at the
top of their game; think Fall '97 or even Fall '95 folks, no joke.
Remember Trey talking on C. Rose about Phish moving like a snake? This
was Phish moving like a snake. These guys were absolutely FUSED togther
during this jam and it went to the far-reaches of musical outer-space. I
know this sounds like a major exagerration, but I gurantee this jam will
pass the test of time.

2)As they finally could do no more, the segue into Possum worked well and
boosted the energy, as the 46 Days jam was long and introspective. Really
nice move. Great Possum.

3)Oh Kee Pa: love this little ditty, always nice to hear, well-played.
Maybe only decent in terms of placement, but . . .

4 ). . . the segue into Suzy was incredible! Off tha hook energy when
this started! Tight, fun, awesome, period. Just an excellent version,
with a good Jam to follow. Now, I didn't necessarily think this Jam
deserved it's own heading, but it was nonetheless really nice and very
promising. Unfortunately, as it morphed into the next tune . . .

5). . . the downward spiral began -- and this is why, ultimately, as a
*whole*, this show does not equal the greatness of 2/28/03. Having
completely hosed us with 46 Days and then rocked us entirely with Possum
and Suzy, the boys were getting tired. Yes, this is where post-hiatus and
pre-hiatus Phish differ most: stamina. Axilla is, yes, a nice, rockin'
tune, but there was no more energy to rock with. Sure, they pulled off a
clean, solid version, but you could feel, even at the damn simulcast, the
energy d w i n d l i n g. I know I was getting tired.

6) Man, I have seen so many 2001's in my time, and I do believe that had
this happened earlier, we may have had another epic jam on our hands. But
alas, the flubs kicked in, and the whole tune really went nowhere. Trey
looked frustrated. Side-note: I was diggin' Kuroda's lights here, and
thought this was the low-point of the light show. Maybe had an effect on
the playing. Anyone else feel this way?

7) Solid Birds, but after the excellence of Set I and the genius of 46
Days, who really cared? Just seemed thin in comparison -- lightweight, by
the book Phish.

8)Kung: I've had the pleasure of seeing this before, and it's always
bizarre, but this one was especially so. Appreciated the ol' skool-ness
of it all, though.

9)Mikes>Hydro>Paug: Mike's was nice and tight. They were, IMHO, making a
deliberate effort to bring this set back, to save it in some sense,
because they knew this was a special show that had contained many magical
moments. Very, very solid, but not killer. Other people have said
otherwise, but I thought Hydro was well-played. Any Hydro without a major
flub is a blessing, IMO, and this one had a real sweetness about it.
Paug, as has been pointed out before, was just OK, with a very off
ending. Somebody (Jon?) failed to hook up there and it just *ended*.
Weird, but not terrible or anything. Just not an amazing Paug. No real
jam.

Encore: Yes! Thank you again, boys, for trying to bring this special show
back to peak form. A nice DS and a great encore. As good as D.Sky's from
'94 or '95? No. But meaningful, sweet, and overall solid? Yes,
absolutely. Great way to end it.

Final thoughts: An excellent, excellent show with some incredible energy
(esp. Suzy) and some indispensable jams (esp. 46 Days). Yes, it lost its
way a little (second half of set II), but c'mon: it was just TOO good all
the way through Suzy, and that's a heck of a lot of show! Definitely top
10 post-hiatus, with the jam out of 46 Days possibly their best work
since Cypress, no joke.

Also, aside from the music, I just want to say once more that there was a
real energy at this show, something special being shared between band and
fans. Again, the boys were *in* it, and I think the fans really
appreciated that, and they fed off that appreciation, taking the whole
thing even higher. I can't explain it any better: this was a special
show. A first goodbye.

Just one head's opinion. Thanks for listening.


Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2004 14:13:00 -0400
From: "Sisselman, Jeremy"
Subject: Phish show review

setlist 6/17/04 (phish.com)
Keyspan Park, Brooklyn, NY

Set 1

Song I Heard the Ocean Sing 
Dinner and a Movie 
The Curtain With 
Sample In a Jar 
The Moma Dance -> 
Free 
Nothing 
Maze 
Frankenstein


Set 2

46 Days -> 
Possum 
Oh Kee Pah -> 
Suzy Greenberg -> 
Axilla -> 
2001 -> 
Birds of a Feather 
Kung 
Mike's Song -> 
I am Hydrogen -> 
Weekapaug Groove 


Encore

The Divided Sky


Great show, great setlist.  This show had lots of songs that i didnt know,
which surprised me, but even those were very very enjoyable.  The setlist
was a nice mix of new and old, with some really good highlights.  The best
parts of the show were:

moma dance, free, maze, frankenstein, 46 days, possum, suzy greenberg,
2001, birds of a feather, mikes song, i am a hydrogen, and weekapaug
groove, not to mention divided sky as an unexpected closer.  they were
really on... well, most of the time.  In dinner and a movie, trey and mike
got off sync with each other for a few seconds, but Jon stepped up and
played a really loud beat to get everyone back on the same pace.  from
that point on, phish was mostly sharing in the groove, totally on.  Any
moment that they werent on was pleasantly overshadowed by an amazing
setlist... so even the medium songs were enjoyable.  The venue was great-
because the stadium was a minor league stadium, it was very small and
cozy.  Pictures of the ballpark can be viewed here:

http://www.brooklyncyclones.net/parkpics.shtml

We were in the seats.  there were only something like 30 rows, and phish
played about halfway into the field, with a full ballpark of crowd,
hippies dancing at the back.  I was very happy to be able to see my good
friend dancing with a giant banana, in addition to a ballet dancer, both
grooving around the homeplate area. The audience was great... all around
you were people that really knew their stuff... if i didnt know a song, i
wouldnt have to look very hard to find out what it was, i had experts all
around me.  also, the attitude was really chill...  "i can't beleive we
get a divided... we're so lucky..."

The rain was definitely a plus.  phish took a really long time to come out
for their second set (and after a really good frankenstein closer, we were
damn excited). The intermission was actually one of the hardest raining
parts of the show, and because of that everyone who had seats cleared out
to stand under shelter.
 My friend and i, already drenched, stood in the rain through intermission
in order to score great seats for the second set.  the seating,
surprisingly, was general admission, so it was really cool to be able to
control how good our seats were, as it was based on who really wanted
them.  we were had basically as good of seats as you can get, though
clearly being on the field would have been better.  But everyone was
really loud due to the rain, and phish definitely was feeding off the
crowd (as were the lights).

All in all, a very very very good concert... it certainly wasn't
perfect... but that's what you often get with post-hiatus phish... not
always on, but when it is, it's really on.

They came on at 7:30, took a 45 minute intermission (we think), and played
till 11:25.  that's a really long show, and a great opener for their final
tour.


93 out of 100.
-Jeremy Sisselman


Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2004 13:49:6 -0400
From: Richard Finkelstein 
Subject: phish show review 6/17/04


THE BEGINNING OF THE END
 
So there I was making the fateful journey from NJ to Brooklyn to start
off what would be a solid run for me at least of 5 of the first 6 shows
on this tour.  With the impending sense of closure this tour is bringing
to everyone involved with phish, I have found myself with mixed
emotions.  Time to move on, yes...but damn do we really want to? 
 
With that in mind, I was worried about how this tour would play out.  As
a giant sports fan my worries could be analogous to a sports team playing
out the final stretch of a losing season, putting on the uniforms and
doing there job, waiting for the end to come.  Throughout the first set,
these worries were becoming more and more real.  Given I had seen a few
tour openers before, and I was very willing to look past the fact that
some rustiness usually occurs.  The first set was just that, not much
emotion, decent tunes, in the sense that the MoMa, Free, and Maze,
F-stein were all solidly played and tunes that I enjoy.  But absolutely
no real flow, and definitely not the emotional level I can associate with
past performances.  (I'll take a moment to mention that shows played in
the NYC metropolitan area sans MSG show are usually filled with a
slightly more clean cut, younger, chaperoned crowd, the urban effect no
doubt).  Last night was no different, a large crowd of younger kids (i am
25), who ate up tunes like sample and free, and very, to a point of
oddness, few heads....going along on this crowd description I will also
mention that the urban jungle seemed to dissuade people from the usual
recreational substances, lots more beer drinkers and very few trippers,
for the record this was one of my few stone cold sober shows.....amen to
that. 
 
On to the second set.   My buddy and I were on the floor about 30 rows
deep Gordon side, like everyone else on the floor we dealt with a slight
rain that began in Maze, stopped a bit at the end of the set, then turned
into a freaking deluge for the set break, so we were all soaked, and in
need of a solid opener......46 Days, uh oh.  In all honesty the tune
isn't that bad, its just the jam out of it seems to always be meandering
rather than focused and last nights was no different.  The segue into
possum was stellar, and this possum was also stellar, not out of this
world but solid.  Oh Kee Pa was a treat as I have always loved shorter
blue grass tunes like this, ginseng anyone, I miss that tune.   Suzie
followed to the cheers of the drunken masses, and rightly so, its a great
phish tune, and livened up the set.  They stopped Suzie and began a 10
min jam that began with Page leading on a very strange key sound, and
grew into a cool jam before fading into.....Axilla was out of place, but
I ll hold my tongue just not a fav of mine.  2001 came next,always great
, but I've heard much much better, was Kuroda even on lights, the normal
cone lighting didn't come out for this, alas, its one of my favorites,
but I found Trey was really holding back on this, very little noodling on
his part.  BOAF, am I the only person who still likes this tune.  Not a
crowd pleaser.  Kung, out of jam like in Boston is wonderful, but when
they start it up like they were starting farmhouse or any ordinary song,
welll its kinda weird, especially for the thousands of kids who had no
idea what was going on.  I'm not even going to review the mikes, H2,
weekapaug, or divided sky encore.  Obviously it was great to hear all the
tunes, esp. the encore which was fitting considering the rain.  The
second set definitely helped the show purely on song selection. 
BUT.....two things stand out at this early stage.  The first being the
lack of flow....I site one of m y favorite shows 7/16/99, which opened
the second set, 2001,mikes, h2, week, simple, guyute, loving cup,
golgi....now that is a cohesive set.  You all know what I mean, this
show....mainly because of the movie telecast, had to feature a nice song
list, but aside from the segue into possum and the jam out of suzie it
was a very disjointed show.
Secondly, and more importantly, is that I didn't talk about any specific
jam, because there were none to discuss.   Mike's, BOAF, Paug
(especially) and the final few minutes of Divided Sky were examples of
extremely ordinary phish jams that truly did not stand out, nor make me
have that feeling of please don't end this.  I don't have the musical
hear to site any real specifics, but maybe other reviewers will make a
note of Trey, who was not clean on so many of his licks (see paug and
divided sky) as examples and really didn't seem to lead the band down any
great jams as is the usual formula for success.  If there is now one
thing I'm scared of, its not the band just running through the signs on
this final tour, but Trey alone doing that. We all know he was vocally
the most adamant about the break up, and while I doubt in a million years
Trey would purposefully not take great care in going out with a bang, if
his hearts not in it, which I really don't think it is, as much,
anymore...then can we as phans expect to hear him play like the
past....remains to be scene.   W/O Trey's lead into jams, the band can
not reach the heights we all love to see.   Again I hope you all kind of
know what I'm talking about.  Possum was probably the cleanest tune of
the evening, in the sense that the jam went, I think were the boys wanted
it to go.  All in all the second set gave hope.  It showcased some great
songs, and was definitely a lift from the first set.  Like always I'm
sure the cohesion will improve.  By the numbers first set 5, second set
8, song selection propels the show to a 7.   If you weren't there, I
wouldn't bother listening to it though....no real standouts.  See
everyone at SPAC and Deer Creek.     
 
Eric



Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2004 13:45:15 -0400
From: Matthew Rowan 
Subject: Phish show review 6/17

Thurday was quite the interesting show for more than one reason.  A
variety of old tunes were played, and played well at that.  It rained hard
on and off all night long, and as Chris' lights panned up there was a
beautiful reflection of raindrops falling.  The Keyspan was not the
typical phish venue, and just as if it were a baseball game there were
walking beer vendors.  Cool, but at 6.50 a piece i lived without any.  
Anyway, on to the show:

Song i heard the ocean sing:
      This opener didn't surprize me as i was expecting something from the
new album as an opener.  It worked well as such, with a pretty rockin'
ending jam to get the crowd going.

Dinner:
      Awesome.  Great to hear this old tune played flawlessly.  This tune 
really got everybody going.

The Curtain With:
      Wow another older tune that was great to hear.  It was becoming
apparent that phish really wanted to visit this older stuff once again, to
everyones enjoyment.

Sample:
     Really good and tight version, without the typical trey-ending solo
to it.  This one went in bit of a different direction and was jammed a
little bit more than usual.

Moma:
     I was never a big fan of this one, but nonetheless it was played
well.

Free:
    A great segue into this one from moma.  Crowd seemed really stoked to
hear it, as was I.  The jam out of Free was somewhat dissapointing, as the
boys didnt feel all together on it.

Nothing:
   Nice new song, with an intro that different from that of the album
version; much longer.  It went very well with the rainy weather.  This one
has a fun rhytmn to it and it was a nice chioce to chill everyone out
before....

Maze:
    Great.  Ive been waiting to hear this one for a while now.  They didnt
hesitate to get right into it a few seconds after Fishmans high hat
started to roll.  Page showed of alot of great playing on the organ.  The
main jam middle of this song was the highlight of the first set.  Lots of
tension and release.

Frankenstein:
     Standard, a good set closer.

SETBREAK: Started to rain like hell again and everybody in the stadium
stands started to retreat to the small amount of space underneath a few
overhangs.  The floors were positively flooded in certain spots.  
Everybody was just drenched.

46 Days:
    A freak jam came out of this one, quite long at that.  Great opener
jam that got the crowd moving.  Best segue of the night came as the jam
winded down into....

Possum:
   Trey was really tearing this one to pieces from beginning to end.  
Some really good decrecendos broke the volume down to whisper quiet, then
they would break right back into full swing.  Really fun jam.

Oh Kee Pah:
    Another really flawless rendition of an older song.  This is a really
complicated piece and they just nailed it.  There was absolutely no break
between the end note of this and...

Suzy:
    Nice break out of the Oh Kee Pah that really impressed.  Not the
tightest Suzy ever, but it did it's job in getting the crowd going.

Axilla:
    Phatty rocking song, pretty standard.  This was the Part one lyrics
version.  Kept everyone up.

2001
   Good segue into it as i didnt even realize it was 2001 into way into
the fishman drumbeat.  Short version without alot of funky jamming as
we're used to, ending with another segue into

Birds:
    I really love this song and the jam that insues after.  Not a bad
version at all, but there have been much better.

Kung:
    The was a big break before they broke out on this one.  I knew
something big was coming, but another surprize like this really delighted.  
This song is freakin hair raising.  Really scary version i must say.  The
people that live in the projects next door must have thought that someone
was being murdered on stage.

Mikes:
    The 10 min standard mikes, pretty rockin'.  I was hoping for a simple
but i knew from the particular ending that they were going break it down
with

Hydrogen:
    Sounds like they've been practicing with this one.  Very good and
tight version.

Weekapaug:
   Not a great version, but a really nice job by mike on this one.  
Pretty obvious set ender, and it was.

E: Divided Sky

    Couldn't ask much more than a good divded sky, although it seemed a
little rushed perhaps, and the improv part was not as tight as earlier
jams.
  Does anyone else think that Trey's post hiatus guitar tone isn't right
for phish?  Whatever the change was, i wish he would go back to the older
tone, and keep the new tone for his band only.

Overall a satisfying first night.  Can only hope for more tonight.  See
you there.


Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2004 12:19:41 -0400
From: Dennis Conroy 
Subject: Phish show review

6-17-04 Keyspan Park

I walked away from Coney Island last night with mixed feelings on each
of the following: venue, weather, setlist, performance.

As for the venue, my tix were in the stands vs. on the field. In my
opinion, even from the best seats in the Keyspan Park stands you can't
help but feel detached from the band, located in shallow centerfield.
And was it just me, or was Paul prohibited from surpassing a certain
decibel level? I realize this is an outdoor venue as opposed to a nice
cozy arena, but the sound system felt weak to me. I had to work really
hard to hear over the crowd chatter at times.

As for the weather, we stayed dry for about the first 3/4 of Set One.
Then some light rain started, and maybe one minute into the set break WE
GOT SOAKED!!! At first it was cool, because there was that whole "we're
all in this together" vibe that made it fun. Thunder & lighting added to
the effect. Then after about 15-20 minutes of heavy downpour it started
to get old. In my opinion this had a negative impact on the crowd as a
whole towards the end of the show. There were plenty of heads tripping
happily through the evening, as usual, but they were outnumbered last
night by those of us who were just plain soggy, cold, and tired by the
middle of Set Two.

I thought everything about Set One was great. You can't beat a set
within a set like this: Dinner and a Movie, The Curtain With, Sample in
a Jar, The Moma Dance-->Free. The Moma Dance was especially sweet for my
tastes, and Trey was great on the opening guitar licks of Free. 

Set Two got off to a nice start with 46 Days and just kept getting
better with Possum followed by Oh Kee Pa-->Suzy
Greenberg-->Axilla-->2001. Fantastic!! During Suzy Greenberg I started
thinking this would turn into an epic Set Two. However, 2001 was where,
in my opinion, things went downhill. I've heard them play 2001 much
better than last night, but I stayed positive; there was still a lot of
show to go. But 2001-->BOAF??? It just didn't feel right to me, not only
because the transition was sloppy, but because I consider BOAF to be
most effective as an opener (e.g. Nassau Coliseum 2/28/2003). So I felt
kind of let down by the BOAF performance, especially when Trey basically
gave up on the jam and went back into the vocals with very little
warning, apparently choosing to end the song sooner rather than later.

So here I am, buzz barely hanging on, and the guys decide to have a
two-minute discussion about what to do next. That's a long freakin' time
when you are already on the verge of losing your buzz!! (I'm talking
about show buzz here more than state of inebriation, although I would
agree that they are closely related.) I have no history with "Kung", so
I felt out of the loop. Not their fault. Kung was followed by ANOTHER
group discussion onstage, this time only about 30-40 seconds. Come on
guys! They were seriously losing my attention at this point. Mike's
Song. OK, cool! This will get me back! Unfortunately no, it was slow for
my tastes and felt uninspired. The transitions into I Am Hydrogen then
into Weekapaug Groove had potential for greatness, but never got there
with me. I admit that this is the part of the show I am most looking
forward to hearing a second time. I can't tell how much of me was soggy,
tired, cold, and hungry vs. not actually pleased with the performance.
I'm also looking forward to reading what others have to say. 

Honestly, I don't think my assessment will be so far off from what
others have to say. I certainly wasn't the only member of the crowd who
was totally sapped of energy and enthusiasm by the end. Also, and this
is the part that hurt most, this was the first ever Phish concert I've
attended where the band reappeared for an encore just because it was
expected of them. I'm sure a small percentage of the crowd nearest to
the stage was cheering (although if they were it wasn't very strong),
but there was absolutely no emotion from the crowd in the stands where I
was, near first base. Sure they came back out and jumped into Divided
Sky, but it was too little too late, for me.

So I say, better luck next time!! I'll be back tonight! No rain in the
forecast!! Maybe now that the first show (with simulcast) is past them
the guys will relax and get into a groove. Let's hope so!! Also, I don't
have to go to work tomorrow morning (as I did this morning), so I'll be
a little more "relaxed" myself.

Have a great tour, everyone! Don't let my review get you down. A lot can
change overnight...

Dennis
(Brooklyn)

Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2004 02:51:25 -0400
From: Lane Jost
Subject: Phish show review 6.17.04

6.17.04
Keyspan Park
Brooklyn, NY
 
I: A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing, Dinner & A Movie, The Curtain (with),
Sample in a Jar, The Moma Dance > Free, Nothing, Maze, Frankenstein
 
 
After 11 years and well over 45 shows, I arrived on Coney Island for my
final evening with the band from Vermont.  I was not left disappointed. 
The same band that has inspired me, yet puzzled me for so many years,
left the stage tonight with the same quirky spirit of adventure. Many of
you are stunned by the forthcoming finale, but please know that if
tonight was any indication, this summer will one to cherish.
 
After riding the D train out to Coney Island from work, my pal Nish and I
roamed over to Keyspan Park overlooking the stormy sea.  The skies were
looking very ominous, as we strode into the opening dissonance of A Song
I Heard the Ocean Sing.  Now, I won't lie to you, and since it was last
show, I was ecstatic.  The band could have been playing the newest
Britney Spears single and I would have happily lapped it out.  However, I
enjoyed this engaging new Phish song, and admired them for opening with
new cut off of Undermind.  I was settling into my seat, beer in hand,
enjoying the ballpark's beachy vibe, so I didn't pay that close
attention.  Once we got close to stage left in the 3rd row of the stands
(in right field) the sound became crisp.  The band performed admirably,
with a modest jam.  It sounded a bit shorter then the version on
Undermind, but very sharp and appropriate with ocean flowing being the
stage.
 
Trey played the opening chords to Dinner & A Movie almost immediately and
the place, along with me, went nuts.  Definitely looked as if they had
planned this one.  Surprisingly tight version and sure treat for all us
lifers.  The Curtain (With) followed, and the band delivered yet another
gem for its fans.  This was stretched out gorgeously, with Trey noodling
melodiously, with excellent support from Page on the organ.  I have to
say that I think Page sounded as good as he ever has tonight.  You could
hear his keyboards well in the mix and he was always experimenting with
new funky sounds that really worked.  What an opening segment to the
show--new and old juxtaposed together.

Sample followed and per always, Trey was fired up and delivered his
powerful ottro solo.  Not a bad follow-up to Curtain and the crowd
received this well.  The Moma Dance grooved smoothly, with solid work
from Page again.  I love this tune as it reflects the funk era so well. 
It seemed like the band couldn't get together on the ending, so they just
vamped along which led into a Page-led groove, with a lot of dark, fuzzy
tones from the keys and Trey's guitar.  This was very experimental, with
rock-solid shit from Mike and Fish.  Trey let rung a D chord and I was
convinced we were getting a Run Jim segue, but Free followed seamlessly. 
This was a sweet transition and this Free was nothing to scoff at. Trey
and Mike had a sort of duet during the heavy jam segment, which was
inspiring.  I kept thinking what Trey said about Mike on Charlie
Rose---two have such unusual chemistry.  For a tour opener, I impressed
as a whole on how tight the band was, and Free showcased this.
 
Nothing emerged after the raucous Free, and it was lovely.  Again, solid
playing with smooth vocals---sounded like the record.  They eschewed any
sort of jam, to begin Maze.  I was delighted for this, as the rain began
to fall rather hard and we needed some fire.  This was your average fired
up Maze.  I couldn't say that it was a standout, but the coda was hot and
exciting as always, especially in the driving rain.  We desperately want
the set to end being soaked and all, so Frankenstein was a welcome sign
and it closed this excellent set with aplomb.
 
It rained pretty much throughout setbreak. I was getting  a kick out of
the roadcrew trying to keep the stage dry.  After sucking on some Magic
Hats, the lights dimmed, and I prepared for my final set.
 
II: 46 Days > Possum, Oh Kee Pah > Suzy Greenberg > Axilla I > 2001 >
Birds of a Feather, Kung, Mike's > Hydrogen > Weekapaug
 
E: Divided Sky
 
46 Days was a surprise, but it was played flawlessly with spitfire licks
from Trey and nice organ work from Page.  This is an excellent opener and
the jam wasn't astonishing, but segued ferociously into Possum.  The
energy in the park picked up here and never slackened for the rest of the
night. Mike's vocals sounded great and this was certainly a top-notch
version.  Oh Kee Pa came next, and we were ecstatic, as we were sure Suzy
was coming.  Suzy opened my first show, so when the ceremony ended and
they began it, I began to tear up.  No holds barred after Possum, and the
crowd loved it.  Again, Page ruled all the breaks between verses. 
Instead of ending the tune, Trey motioned to Fish and they vamped along
to Suzy;s funky beat for a nice jam.  This went on for maybe 7-8 minutes,
before it ebbed out and they picked up Axilla I out of nowhere.  This was
another left field tune that really worked.  I never would have thought
of it, but excellent placement. 
 
The segue into 2001 was basically just a drumbeat, but a segue
nonetheless.  I'll never forget seeing this for the first time during
summer 1993.  2001 is an excellent tune and the band played a very
straightforward version tonight, which segued into Birds of a Feather.  I
was happy for this, and the jam segment was done with brevity but also a
great deal of precision.  Another unexpected, but nice surprise by the
boys.
 
After a long discussion, Trey said something about wanting to dedicate a
song to the people playing golf in the US Open (on Long Island this
weekend).  I figured they would bust Kung, and wasn't let down.  Nish and
I screamed along about staging our own runaway golfcart marathon.  Not
too many people in our section knew what was up and gave us bewildered
glances.  The band struggled for a bit to decide on a song, before Trey
finally dropped the opening lick to Mike's.  I knew something big was
going to happen after Kung and this was perfect.
 
This Mike's Groove was not unlike many recent versions--short, but
solidly rocked out.  Hydrogen was very well executed, and I would say
that the Weekapaug was the best of the parts.  Trey played his best of
the night here and kept stretching it out, with textbook Phish tension
and release.  A rather tepid glowstick war just couldn't keep up.  They
flubbed the ending a bit, but recovered to bring the set to a resounding
finale. 
 
I kept thinking how pleased I was to be seeing one last *quality* gig, so
the idea of a Divided Sky encore never crossed my mind. As Trey's opening
chords rang out, my night and a chapter of my life came to a triumphant
end.  Who would have thought that the band would have been so generous to
give is an extended encore?  Divided was done nicely, though it wasn't a
top version.  For me however, it was the perfect way to go out.
 
I recommend you download this show for The Curtain (with), Moma Dance >
Free, 46 Days > Possum, Suzy > Axilla and the Mike's Groove.
 
So, this where I take my leave.  Thank you to all of you who have read my
thoughts. Thank you Phish for 12 great years.   
 
Cheers,
Lj
NYC

Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2004 09:20:03 -0400
From: Alissa.Keegan
Subject: Phish show review

This show rocked!  Even the rain and the goomba brooklyn security guards
couldn't keep this show down.  I thought last night was one of the most
random and unique setlists I have seen in my 10yrs of watching Phish
live.  The first set started off a little slow which was a great way to
get into it for the first show of a tour, but it ended on a slamming
"Frankenstein" and was pretty damn tight overall.  They were jamming in a
coherent way and I gotta say Mike  sounded great last night.  Too bad the
sound in the Keyspan just drifts away into the air, because if they were
in MSG, Mike's bass would have been blowing chicks shirt's off.  I
thought for the first show of the LAST tour, they did a fine job last
night.  "2001" was a nice surprise too.  And the "Divided Sky" was a real
treat to cap off the evening.  I also think every show on this tour
should include one rare throwback tune to appease our longings for the
"Old Phish", and they did it right last night when they broke out a wierd
winnner, "KUNG".  What a creepy freaky tune.  Perfect placement and alot
of fun.  It was a great show, probobly my last.  I gotta say, the music
is still fun, but man, they really don't grind things like they used to.
 You can tell Trey isn't into it so much, and that's cool.  He's a star,
he's gonna do alot of cool stuff.  He's our Santana.  Just let him go.
 All the guys played well, but when I think about my first show 10yrs
ago, it make me realize, these guys are getting old.  Trey has played the
same notes on his guitar like 5000 times, and you can tell he's just
like, "Ok, I am the best at what I do right now.  No one is better.  So
where do I go from here?"  It's like Michael Jordan wanting to play
baseball.  It must just get extremely boring to be SO good, SO adored, SO
on top.  The guy needs to fly away.  I say wish him well and let the band
go...thanks for all the
Phun.

Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2004 10:10:26 -0400
From: David Kuhn
Subject: Phish show review 6/17/04

The show is still fresh on my mind as it was just last night.  I was soo
impressed with this show and it gave me complete confidence that we're in
for one hell of a tour.  The energy and fun factor of this tour is going
to put it up there with summer 98.  I can already tell.  Some great rare
treats last night most noteably the expected but still rare "Dinner and a
Movie"> "The Curtain With".  The opener was a great choice and has (err..
would have had) lots of potential to develop.  The Possum was another
highlight.  Mike's bass playing on "Free" was literally some of the
funkiest "ish" I've ever heard him play.  He had his Meatball effect on
and it sounded like his bass was a synth with a crazy portamento effect
making the notes "slide" together ala Boogie On.  Mike was on fire last
night and was the MVP in my opinion.  Page was playing some great stuff
too, but he was too quiet in the mix.  Second set kept up the energy for
the most part, but most of the songs were pretty standard versions.  I
actually LOVED the "46 Days" jam and that might have been the highlight
jam of the night.  To cap it all off, they encore with Sky.. I was
expecting one of the newer songs for the encore and not a bomb like
that!  Great great version and perfect to close the night.  An ironic
thing for me was that 9 years ago yesterday, I saw my first full Phish
show at Nissan Pavillion and they opened with Divided Sky.  Then, there I
was 9 years to the day seeing Phish's first show of their last tour which
might be my last Phish show ever and they close with Divided Sky.  My
Phish career spanned between the divide in the sky. :)  I know that's
lame, but I find it at least worth mentioning considering how rare a Sky
encore is.  All in all, I can't wait to see how the rest of this tour
pans out.  It's gonna be a hot one.


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