7/21/98 - Desert Sky Pavillion, Phoenix, AZ

Woo hoo, my 30th Phish show since 92, and what a BOMB!  This was a Mike-fest
> like I've never heard!  The Phunk was thick, and the intensity was definitely up.
> 
> Set 1
> AC/DC Bag, Fluffhead, Roget, Tube>Sparkle>Cavern, Relax>Run Like an Antelope
> 
> Great way to open the first set with the Bag and Fluff - completely old-school, and
> with authority.
> 
> AC/DC Bag was pretty standard, with Trey shredding the accelerated ending as well
> as ever.  Definitely not anything like that weird spacey version from 12/30/97.
> 
> Fluffhead - Oh what a treat! I can't tell you how sweet it was to hear them playing this
> in the second song slot!  There were a couple spots during Fluff's Travels where Trey
> was a little off on the composed parts, but no worse than usual and nothing really
> glaring (unlike the horrible Divided Sky in Barcelona).  The ending, though?Ohmygawd,
> Trey was just ripping shit up, soloing with a ferocity I've never heard in this song before,
> for what seemed a good five minutes!  Very nice.
> 
> Roget was nice to kick back to after the furious intensity of the Fluffhead.  This song
> has a pretty melody, but it's a little monotonous musically, and reminds me of a
> speeded up "Jesus Just Left Chicago" groove.
> 
> Tube - I knew we'd be getting some Phunk eventually, and this song delivered.  Page
> got his extended clavinet workout, as is typical these days.  After a pause after the
> last verse ended "So stupendous, living in this tube", they started up another funk
> groove, which I assume is the new "Dayton" ending for the song.  It only lasted a
> couple of minutes before kindof segueing into?
> 
> Sparkle - What can you say about Sparkle?  It kept the energy level up, as did?
> 
> Cavern.  I'll say it again, the energy level was UP.
> 
> Relax (or whatever it's called - I think "Frankie Says" is a stupid name) is a beautiful
> song.  I especially like the "Mind Left Body" groove that this has.
> 
> Run Like an Antelope was solid, and always one of my favorites to close a first set.
> Definitely a nice, raging but predictable jam, and some extended playfulness in the
> Ry Ry Rocco section.  Not nearly as mind-bending as the Set 2 scorching Antelope
> we got at Desert Sky last year.
> 
> Veerrry upbeat first set, with a couple of raging jams, and a couple of nice, mellow
> new tunes that I think most people dug.
> 
> Now as for Set 2:
> Mike's Song -> Simple -> Bittersweet Motel? > Weekapaug Groove, Brian & Robert,
> Story of the Ghost -> She Caught the Katy > Funky Bitch
> E:  Sleeping Monkey, Rocky Top
> 
> Mike's Song opener - This is where Mike officially took over the show and made a
> believer out of thousands.  Mike was God-like in this set.  The jam was very thoroughly
> explored, with three completely distinct sections.  For a long while, the jam was pretty
> standard for a late 90's Mike's, then they kicked it down into a long funky section with
> lots of nice interplay between Page on the clav and Trey on the wah. Finally they
> kicked it back up to some serious raging, before going through the changes and right
> into?
> 
> Simple - This might have been the most perfect Simple I've ever heard.  I kept thinking
> of the 12/6/96 Vegas one, as the jam was similar.  This one was even longer and more
> beautiful, though.  The interplay between guitar and piano as the jam slowly wound
> down was simply stunning. Gradually, this theme became more textural, until it kind
> of dissolved into some feedback/space, out of which emerged something completely
> unfamiliar, which I'll call?
> 
> Bittersweet Motel - This was really short, with very little of anything except vocals and
> soft feedback, from what I remember.  Very few lyrics, too, which were repeated a few
> times, something to the effect of "Somewhere between Erie and Pittsburgh, you left me
> in Hell, Now I'm staying here at the Bittersweet Motel."  Weird.
> 
> Weekapaug Groove emerged from the feedback with Mike laying down some serious
> stuff.  The jam started off with an extended clavinet workout, accompanied by some
> fantastic Gordon.  Overall, the jam never really wandered into any unexpected territory,
> just a consistent, extremely high-energy tempo with lots of bomb-dropping.  Right before
> they went into the chorus again, after Trey started back into the familiar Weekapaug
> chording, Mike laid down about 45 seconds or so of the sickest, most unreal bass-
> playing I've ever heard.  Standard ending, and then a full minute pause while everyone
> on stage and in the audience tried to catch their breath.  Whew!
> 
> Brian & Robert - Sorry, but I HATE this song.  It's really bad, with absolutely no
> redeeming qualities that I can think of. Maybe the musical arrangement is sort of
> interesting, if you like the fact that it's all Mike (Trey plays nothing but feedback during
> this song).  I really hate the lyrics, though. Also, by this time it seemed like the vocals
> were too high in the mix and causing a lot of vibration and distortion.
> 
> Story of the Ghost - Now we're talking.  I have mixed feelings about the new, much
> looser arrangement, but if anything it's eased the concerns I used to have that this
> would be the next FM radio "single".  The jam in this was just unbelievable, a raging
> monster, undeniably the highlight of the night.  Also, easily the most powerful jam I've
> *ever* heard in a Ghost.  The jam started out innocently enough, with a good seven or
> eight minutes of relatively mellow phunking.  Gradually, very gradually, the jam grew in
> intensity as Fish began to pick up the tempo and the groove that Mike was laying down
> got sicker and sicker.  It peaked with a seriously long section of all of them just freakin'
> RAGING, all out!  For a good five minutes or so, I felt like the whole place was going to
> spontaneously combust.  Hear this Ghost at ALL COSTS!  After the peak, the jam
> mellowed out some, with Fish and Mike continuing to lay down the Ghost groove while
> Page gave the Hammond B3 a little workout.  While this was going on, Trey walked over
> to Mike, a brief discussion ensued, and then they simultaneously changed to a different
> key without changing the tempo.  Turns out this was now?
> 
> She Caught the Katy (or, "Mule to Ride", as it's called on some Taj Mahal albums.)
> Never, ever expected to hear Phish do this old blues tune.  Mike sang it, and frankly,
> I had a hard time adjusting to his rendition. (I'm really fond of Widespread Panic's
> version, actually.)  It was seriously phunky, almost the same flavor as a Ghost, with
> a brief standard blues guitar solo from Trey.  The ending flowed nicely right into?
> 
> Funky Bitch - What an unusual way to end the set, with Mike singing two blues
> numbers.  As I said, Mike really took over tonight.  Nothing particularly remarkable
> about this Bitch, except that it was a strong way to conclude an outstanding second
> set!
> 
> Encore:
> Sleeping Monkey - Right before they started this, Trey made some remark about how
> Fish wanted to do this song for some reason that had to do with his encore the previous
> night. Obviously a reference to the "Sexual Healing" in Ventura, which I would love to
> have seen! Did anyone get video? (I know that's illegal, so just tell me about it quietly ;^))
> During the part where Fishman stands up and sings the chorus by himself, he concluded
> the line "Why'd you send my monkey on the train?" with a deep gravelly two words -
> "Sexual Healing!"
> 
> Rocky Top - Predictable followup to Sleeping Monkey (God I was hoping for Gyute!).
> Nevertheless an appropriate way to close the show, since we had not heard any
> bluegrass all night.
> 
> In summary, I don't know about the rest of the Summer Tour so far, but if this was any
> indication, people on the east coast are in for some really powerful shows.  If I had to
> pick one descriptive word for this show, "powerful" is the one I'd pick.  Definitely a far
> cry from the summer shows I saw last year. Oh, and Mike Gordon fans rejoice - the
> man is definitely on top of his game!!
> 
> Rob Winkler
> Tucson, AZ
> rwinkler@instrument.com

They never Dissapoint!
Set 1: What a set.  One of the best 1st sets that I have ever seen.
AC/DC,  Great opener with some excellent jamming.  Got the crowd into a frenzy
right away.
Fluffhead, All that I can say is THANK YOU!  Been waiting for this song for 4
years.
Roget, 1st time hearing, pretty good
Tube, Another bomb this early?  Now I know I traveled from New Jersey for a
good reason.  Pretty short tube
Sparkle, always pleases me when I see this one
Cavern, Wow, what a set already the place was pumped
Relax, new one, weak, but don't mind with all the bombs that have been played
Antelope, Rocked the house apart


Overall Set 1:  More than what I was expecting, love when they throw the
bombs, and that is exactly what they did.

Set 2:  There was no way that they could be better in set 2, but it was close.

Mikes, Are the bombs ever going to end. The best Mikes jam that I have ever
hear during this one.
Simple, Cool, great song to see live gets me in the groove.
Roget, WeeeeeaaaaaaK!!!!
APAUG, wicked, was going nuts during this one.
Brian and Robert, Enough new songs, This was the first time I heard all the
new ones and I thought they sucked bad.
Ghost, 1st time seeing live, solid but not the bomb song I thought it would
be.
Katy, Hads no clue about this song, pretty solid tune. Should have kept it in
the vault.
Funky Bitch, Cool, heard them soundcheck, so we were expecting it.  Did't
dissapoint.

Encore:  Sleeping Monkey, Rocky Top
 Excellent encore, always like to hear these tunes. 

Overall; AC/DC, Fluff, Tube, Cavern, Antelope, Mikes Groove Funky.  You can't
beat it.  Once again thank you Phish.

It was a damn good show and the 1st set was
unbelievable.  The best ac/dc bag I have ever heard and I just love
Fluffhead anyway.   I would only dispose of Sparkle.  It was still well
played but I could go w/out it.  I relly like Roget know that Ive heard it a
2nd time and Antelope was special.  The put a little extra into it.  The
whole 2nd set was a big "jam" fest.  And the encore was great.  Fishman sang
with his saprano when the spotlight came on him.  It was kind of amusing at
the same time.  Then they just pumped Rocky Top.  Great show

I have seen many Phish shows since my first at Kent State 11-12-94,  but I
have never seen such perfection as I witnessed in Phoenix.  Every single note
was perfect.  The song selection was incredible, the jams were mind altering.
I have never seen Mike take over a set like he did the second set in Phoenix.
He owned the second set beginning it with a great "mike's song" and ending
with a thumping version of Rocky top.  I have been at every show this tour so
far so I have seen them repeat many songs.  I have seen Ghost like 6 or 7
times but never with the intensity like they played last night.  The Moma
Dance was missed.  I had friends drive in from Texas and I really wanted then
to hear it.  I mean, hey, they've played it 4 out of 6 shows.
Antelope was like nothing I have ever seen.  This song literally separated my
mind from my body.  My call for the tour was Fluffhead and I got it in
Phoenix.  I fell on the ground in delight because I was on another planet
during Fluff's Travels.
Anyway, Phoenix was more than a rock concert.  It was an experience- best show
of the tour so far.  Can't wait for Houston!!

Forever sharin the groove,
Michael Nathan
BLDasLove@aol.com