7-6-00 -- Molson Amphitheatre - Toronto, Ontario, Canada

From: Brian Daniels [email protected]
Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 18:15:34 -0500
From: Brian Daniels 
To: [email protected]
Subject: Toronto 7/6/00 (review)

I'm still thinking about how great this show was.  This was indeed the best of Phish that
I had ever seen and I had the opportunity to do so w/ my best buddy.  Thanx Phish!
Oh yeah..Chris, I'm never gonna forget the end of intermission just as LimbXLimb came
on...

Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 04:32:47 EST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Toronto 7-6-00
 
 
This was my first show and I went with my younger brother who is an avid
follower of Phish.  I had listened to Phish during High School a little bit
but never got into them that much as I was a large supporter of the Grateful
Dead and was always a bit skeptical of Phish.  I went to the show because my
brother's friend had to back out at the last minute.  We went to the show and
from the minute I got to the parking lot, it was nothing but good vibes.  
People were friendly, everyone smiled and said hello and I felt right at home.  
We were a bit late getting into the show because it was so crowded trying to
get in but Reba had started up as we were walking to our seats and already
things were starting to rock for me at least. I was in for a treat tonight
because now, more than half a year later, I am constantly searching for
bootlegs and different versions of each song.  With them taking a hiatus, I
unfortunately gained much appreciation for them a bit late. Better late than
never though, right?  I know that t his was my first show and I have no other
shows to compare this one too, but I personally felt that it rocked.  I was
moving the entire time, the people around me were awesome and I had the
opportunity to hear many classic Phish tunes.  Harry Hood and Down with
Disease are my two favorite songs live and being able to hear Hood was
awesome.  The first set lasted 1:50 minutes which was very sweet.  It was my
first show and it was just what I needed to get hooked on the phenomenon. I
love this band because it also did something that I don't think would have
happened otherwise.  Just spending time with my little bro and experiencing
something that we both now love so much brought us closer than we have ever
been.  We both had a great time and as one fan put it after the show, "This
show rocked.  They covered everything just about."  I'm going tonight to see
Trey's solo concert in Philly and I'm pysched as all hell.  I envy all the
fan's who have seen countless amounts of shows.  I just wish that some people
woul dn't be so critical of everything.  Not every song is going to be played
to the same highest level everytime, but these guys go out there each and
everynight because they love playing and the crowd and them have a connection
that could never be felt by so many of these "here by day, gone by night, one
hit wonder bands."  My plea to many of these critical fans is to just go and
love every minute of what you are experiencing.  Also Sprach Zarathustra was
awesome.  All in all, I left wishing that I didn't have to leave and that it
wasn't over because it was one of the highlights of my life.  Keep it real
everyone because everyday you are walking and breathing, its Christmas
brother!


Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 20:56:57 -0400
From: John Dunn [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Toronto Show
 
This will be a quick, to the point review.....(my 32nd show)
 
VENUE: beautiful, no problems getting in, a little slow getting out.
1ST SET: good Reba, KILLER MOMA!!!, good 1st tube and YEM
2ND SET: great 2001, different rockish Piper jam!, weird stop-start jam
in Hood!
ENCORE: pretty weak, but hey gotta love Page
 
Great show, can't wait for Polaris....

Date: Sun, 09 Jul 2000 18:34:24 GMT
From: Nigel Graves [email protected]
Reply-To: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Toronto show reviews
 
I am from the UK and have been a fan for about five years, so although I
haven't seen the band as much as some of these self-appointed experts on
Phish and their music, I reckon I know enough about them and have
experienced enough first hand to say that many of these people are talking
out of their arses.
I have been reading the reviews for the Toronto show and I cannot believe
the fucking GALL displayed by these idiots who obviously get to see Phish a
lot more than I do: I had to fly all the way from England to see that show
(as I did last year when I saw them in Camden NJ - something which I think
shows a great deal of commitment considering what a shithole that town is),
so don't give me that "I had to drive eight hours for that show and I'd only
give it 5 out of 10" bullshit - count yourselves lucky that you live on the
same bloody continent as they do.
I mean, let's just say that this show, or that show, or whatever show
actually WAS the worst one that Phish ever did: so fucking what? I am a
musician myself, and even if I didn't love the band I could show nothing but
respect for a bunch of guys who produce at least one CD every year, tour
incessantly, play a different set every night, AND play sets twice as long
as most touring rock bands anywhere in the world. You whining ingrates sound
as convincing as that fat twat who runs the comic book shop in The Simpsons:
who says that every show you can be bothered to drag your ballooning great
arses to should be catered to YOUR requirements? If I were a member of the
band and I read the inordinate amount of crap that you morons shovel out
after each show, all I would say would be: "Tough luck - I don't play music
for you; if you don't like it, no one forced you to come - so why don't you
eat a full bag of shit?"
One other thing that amazes me is this criticism of individual songs. What's
with the guy who said "I think Bug's an alright tune but it's basically the
Prince Caspian of the new millenium" or some such crap? Oh sure, pal, I bet
you have stack of songs at home that would make Trey and Tom Marshall shit
themselves. And as for the ones who say things like "Yeah . . . that YEM was
pretty good, but you should have heard the one on New Year's Eve 199Whatever
. . ." - GO FUCK YOURSELVES. What would you know about it? What would you
know about getting up there night after night and playing your fucking heart
out? You make me sick.
I am not saying that this show or any show by any band is totally flawless -
that's called being a human being. Nothing is perfect; the closest any band
can get to perfection is with recording where they can work on songs over
and over until they produce something that is so polished that there is no
way they can capture that kind of perfection on stage. Farmhouse is an
outstanding achievement, as are all the albums - but I tell you this: as
breathtaking as that album is, I thought the peak of the jam in Moma Dance
at Toronto was worth the price of the ticket alone.

Date: Sat, 8 Jul 2000 23:48:04 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Review - 7/6/00 Molson

Imagine this.

It's the summer before you're a senior in high school, and you're 16, and
you're on one of the last summer vacations you're ever going to take with
your parents. This is very bittersweet to you, because you have really,
really amazing parents.

So you're on vacation. You're in Toronto, which you think is cool. You
have stuff planned for every night of the week except for Thursday and
you're reading some newspapery thing to find out what you're going to do
on Thursday. And you see that Phish is playing at the nearby Molson
Amphitheatre, which is really close to where you're saying. You had just
seen them at the second PNC show the previous week, but you want to go
again because you've read in a newspaper that they're going to stop
touring soon and that makes you sad.

And so you say to your dad: "Dad, we have to go," because they're
Phishheads too and this is one of the things you like to do with your
folks, go to concerts. And he says: "We'll see. I'm sure it's sold out."

And you're sad. But you kind of forget about it, because you have a really
exciting and Fun Day, and later that evening, when you get back from
dinner together, your dad says: "Oh, so, I called the place and there's no
tickets left," and now you're really sad and you feel like crying cause
you were getting hopeful.

And then your dad says: "Oh. But. I forgot. We have tickets." And you're
all "WHAT?" and then you see them and you have seats at this show that you
hadn't even known existed.

And you reaffirm your belief that you have the coolest parents on the
planet.

I'm mostly not a reviewer, but I mostly wanted to share that story with
y'all. But I'll do this review thing anyway. We were sitting on Page's
side, kinda far back, but we had seats and stuff, not lawn.

SET ONE: Reba - Oo. It was sad, because, the soound was /screwed up/ for
most of this, which was depressing because I've allllways wanted to hear
this. It was pretty good though, and I was still sort of floating because
we were just There.

Dog Stole Things - I don't remember this at all anymore, honestly. Taste -
This was kind of eh? The sound was icky again, I thought. It was sad,
cause this is my favoritest song on Billy Breathes and I was psyched to
hear it, but I guess I was just not Prepared for it yet. I kept getting
distracted by the crowd and there were people talking and stuff. Eh.

Dog Faced Boy - I didn't recognize this until about halfway through, so I
was too busy trying to figure out what it was.

Heavy Things - I really like this song more than I thought I did.
Notnotnot as good as the one at PNC, though. They weren't really
stretching out on it like I had hoped they would, but it was nice anyway
cause we were all singing along.

Moma Dance - Yea! This is one of hte best songs on Ghost /anyway/, and I
was starting to dig it and everyone was into it, and it was groovy. The
set really just picked up here.

FIRST TUBE! - Heart attack city. I did NOT expect this. I wanted to hear
it sooo mcuh at PNC, but I didn't get it, and this was sooo a killer
version. Kind of right-off-the-album-y, but the /album/ version rocks. I
think the sound was finally totally straightened out by now, too.

I Didn't Know - With Vacuum! We saw Fishman do the vacuum the very first
time I saw Phish, last summer, and it was hilarious to see him doing it
again because I had a better view this time and actually knew what was
going on. Some guy had a frog. Just fun.

The Inlaw Josie Wales - OK, this was SO nice. The sun was really setting
by now and the sky one one side was just firey and the sky on the other
side was purply and there were seagulls wheeling over head and Trey was
playing it was so NICE to be alive and there and everything. Kind of a zen
moment, really. I like this song anyway. I was crossing my fingers for
Bela Fleck to come out, but no dice. ;)

Prince Caspian - Whoa. OK. I don't like this song THAT much, but this was
soooo good. I was kind of needing to be uptempo a little more, but this
was good anyway. Nice jammage and everyone was into it, which is my
favorite /anyway/.

Golgi Apparatus - I so thought they were going to be done after Caspian
(actually, I had thought they were done after Tube) and then they whipped
out the Golgi! I love this song, anyway, and it was what I needed, too,
cause I got to dance and jump around and kind of enjoy. Kickass.

YEM!!! - This guy that was sitting behind us at the beginning of the show
/called/ it. He was: "YEM, with the trampolines, first set," and we were
like, yeah, whatever, and even more so after Golgi. And then, just: Woo!
Really nice.
********COMPLAINT STARTS*******

I like quiet audiences, and I hate people who talk, and these really drunk
people to my left were talking and YELLING for some guy who was all the
way, like, three sections over. It was: "BUDDYYYYYYYYY!" every four
seconds all through the beginning of YEM, and I was getting really pissed,
cause, yeah. :P Go ahead and drink or whatever, but don't lay your bad
trip on me. :P

********COMPLAINT ENDS*********

So anyway, the YEM was really, really nice. I think that Trey had a pretty
killer cold and so I was pretty impressed, all things considered. Nice
beginning (er, what I heard of it), good scream, and then the rest was
highly of the good. Yay with the trampolines! I felt bad for Trey, cause,
yeah, cold and trampolines probably don't mix much. But good. And then the
vocal jam was out of this world. Not as long as I would have liked, cause
I really, really like the vocal jams, but good. And more applause for
Chris Kuroda and his amazing, amazing lighting.

The first set was, like, TWO HOURS. Whoa. 

Then we went to get beer and soda and we were stuck on the line for all of
halftime and through almost all of the first song on the next set. Sad.
But, we met this guy and I hope he reads this cause he was really cute. ;D
And me and my mom talked to him for a while about stuff and we bonded and
then went back when we were done.

SET TWO:

Limb By Limb - I can't really comment cause th esound over on the beer
line was crappy, but when I got back they were in this sort of weird,
spacey jam which was cool and not what I expected from a Limb by Limb.

2001 - I was so dying with laughter at this point because I swear I didn't
believe people when they said that Phish did this, and it was so funny.
And good! Kind of hardcore, which I was not epxecting. Very cool.

Bug - I love this song sooo much. I heard it I think the first time they
played it, second night at Nassau on this fall tour, and I like it more
now because I know what it is. ;D

Piper - I never know what this song is until it's over, and this was no
exception. I was like; "Oh. That was Piper. Heh." It always bowls me over.
Goodgood.

Driver - I thought this was still Piper, I guess, so no comment! In any
case, I just thought this was some awesome, spacey jam. It was nice,
anyway.

Hood - /Yay/. My mom was hoping for thsi and then I got all this
prescience during Piper (Driver?) and I was: "OK, they're going to play
it," and she was like, "whatever" and then they did. It was too short,
though? Really, really good. It rocked the whole way through and then it
was over and I was sad. ;P They did this cool thing at the beginning
though, where they stopped playing and did some acapella thing? It was
cool, worth hearing.

Loving Cup - I had never heard this song, Phish or Stones or otherwise but
I was so glad to hear it. It was the perfect end to the set. I knew they
wouldn't play much longer at this point because Trey was Sick and I felt
Bad for him, but this was just a fun, fun song.

E: Squirming Coil - I had been feeling a serious lack of Page and I just
love him so much so I was really, really, really happy to hear this and
hear him doodle a little bit. Just happynicegoodness.

Anyway. A great show. It's worth it to get the tape for the vacuum, I
swear, and just for the compilation of lots of good, good things. First
set's AMAZING... by the second set, you could hear that they were getting
tired and that Trey wasn't feeling good. It kind of bounced around,
but.... such, such, such a good show.

Another note - if you can see a show at Molson Amphitheatre, it's worth
it.
It's such a nice place to be, just like all of Toronto. And as a
disillusioned Jersey girl, I get to say that. ;D

* Jessica Burke * 

Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2000 20:10:55 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: toronto extras nobody remembers
 
Doesn't anyone remember the vacuum solo?!!!! The a cappella I Didn't Know?
The Trey acoustic In-law? The trampolines in YEM? Page solo to end Squirming
Coil? I do. Believe it or not!!!!!!!
 
KURt Wewer

Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2000 19:01:59 -0400
From: Vicki Wesling [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Toronto
 
it was the best show i have ever see it was awesome
THANK YOU PHISH

Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2000 14:58:35 -0400
From: Mark Shepard [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Phish@toronto
 
This is to all the people who attend 2 shows and then blast people who
criticize phish in their reviews:  Have you ever been to a sporting
event?  When I spend 50 beans to see the Buffalo Bills and they don't
have a good game, I don't say to my friends, "Dude, we should be happy
that the Bills are alive and grateful that we got to see them."  No, I
have seen what Phish can do, and they totally killed the momentum they
had going out of 2001 with Bug.  And as far as those who think phish is
the only good band going right now, go to the Berkshire Mountain Music
Festival and your opinion will quickly change.  And as far as those who
play phish in the lots after the show, give me a break.  Trey himself
would be disappointed that you have absolutely no other musical taste.
And as for those who play Dave Matthews, I don't even have to get into
that.  That will turn a good trip upside down.  Anyway, phish rules and
I can't wait to see them again this fall.

Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2000 09:21:00 -0400
From: Marcus Thunich [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Trey's Toronto 7/6/00 Comments
 
Just thought I'd post the Trey banter from this show.
 
Has anyone knows of Trey speaking so highly of a
place/venue the band was playing in?
 
I've listened to the show a few times and transcribed what Trey said.
 
at the end of YEM in set one Trey said:
 
" we're gonna take a quick break...thanks so much..we love playing
here..great place..thank you"
 
and the big gusher was at the end of Harry:
 
"great time tonight, last night..seriously we always have such a good
time here and you have a beautiful beautiful city, great people and a
great place and thank you for having us to play here and hopefully
we'll be able to come back soon..we really mean that, it's really
great here..so thank you and well see u next time we come back..take
it easy"
 
Way cool IMO! Hopefully  they'll be back to Molson Amp for a 2
nighter..
 
-Marcus

Date: 3 Aug 2000 15:54:39 -0000
From: Dan Starr [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Addition to Toronto 7/6 Reviews.
 
It should be noted that the first two minutes of 2001 in Toronto had this
crazy
hammer-on/pull-off riff that makes it unlike any other 2001 intro I have ever
heard.  If you can find the MP3's or whatever, download it, listen to it, and
FUCKIN' LOVE IT BABY!!!

Date: Sun, 09 Jul 2000 21:10:15 -0400
From: Rick Wright [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Toronto Review
 
First OFf i wonder if this is really how you send in a review.  I wonder
about the negativity I have read In the other reviews of the show. I am
a huge fan but this was only my second show, I wish I could see more but
hey. It is hard for me to believe that a band could put on  a better
show than phish.  You so called Phisheads are spoiled Even phish's
weaker stuff is better than 99% of the other crap out there. They were
obvisously playing harder than anyother band I have seen.  I wonder why
Page never really got into the show, I think he was the only element
missing.  THank YOU PHISH for playing First Tube.  That is the greatest
song ever.
2001, momma dance and first tube were easily the highlights. Someone
said the show slowed after 2001,  were you not there for Piper? what was
that? they were totally into it.
YEM, Love that funk, better than last year's at the toronto show.
 
And to all you complainers, you sound like a bunch of millionairs
complaining about taxes.
Thanks Phish for making my summer.
[email protected]

Date: Fri, 07 Jul 2000 15:04:14 -0300
From: alan tenenbaum [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: TORONTO SHOW
 
Alright, here's the Toronto show in a nug shell: This was my first show
of summer tour, making it my 37th show. I am also a Toronto native and
attended the show with my home town friends. I was also gratefully
accompanied with my girl friend for it was her first show so it was
somewhat fun hearing last night's songs and partaking in her reactions
as if it were my first time seeing Phish too. Mail order hooked us up
with phat 200 section seats.
 
Lot scene: no shakedown st. but definitely allot of excited people. This
was definitely a hometown show for many. For those unfamiliar americans
on tour, the Molson amp was definitely a scenic and lay back treat.
There were even these orthodox Jews in attendance who I got the chance
to put on teffilin with( an ancient Jewish tradition). I wonder what
these guys do when Phish play on the sabbath? As for security, it was a
joke. I was able to get in hassle free with my napsack and all!
 
First set was indeed a blast. The first Reba of the summer tour was an
interesting and fun way to kick things off! Although my friends and I
were already hooked, I think the jam lost a few people for it was too
early in the set for an epic song like Reba to suck everyone in,
especially those up in the lawn.
Dog Stole Things was the perfect opportunity to go to the bathroom. If
you ask me, Dogs Stole Mound. After years of experience, my girlfriend
was very suprised how quickly I made it back to my seat.
Taste was sweet with a few small tweaks from Trey that would just get
everyone in the front screaming for more. Yet it was still too early in
the evening before the band could whisk the crowd away into unbound
psychedelic territory (if you know what I mean).
My old school buddy who came down from Florida called Dog Faced Boy. I
thought we were in for a DOG theme tonight.
Heavy Things was fun. So far my girlfriend was having a good time being
intrigued by the scene/phan devotion/ and musical complexityfrom the
band however she wasn't getting down (dance wise) just yet. I thought
Heavy Things would do the trick however she saw right through the tune's
cheesiness. Oh well, different strokes for different folks.
Then Moma Dance came. Here's where the first set takes a turn for the
better (not that it wasn't good so far). Phish definitely had the entire
crowd in the palms of there hands at this point. This Moma was on the
ball with Trey just wailing for a good while during the song's peak. I'm
also sure I heard a Tweezer tease woven in there. My girl and I got down
on the dance floor real hard for this one and I would probably rank it
as my favorite one witnessed live!
Up next was the tune I crave the most from the new album, FIRST TUBE!!
Man I love this one. Here's where the set starts to get real intense.
I Didn't Know couldn't have been more perfect for a fun breather. I was
also very excited for my girlfriend to witness her first vacuum solo,
which was excellent.
Inlaw of J.W. was also nice and relaxing. Got a phat back massage from
my lady!
Now I'm not a big fan of Prince Caspian however the latter part of the
tune where the jam kicks in definately gets my attention. Tonight's
version was the most intense and tweaked out I've seen live since MSG
'98. It was too good that my buddy had to keel over from the intensity
and the Jaggermeister he drank before.
Golgi was fun.
Then out of left fucking field came the second YEM of the summer tour.
Who could of called YEM to close Toronto's first set two years in a row.
You could imagine how stoked the crowd was for this. Very tight jam that
was low in bass which made the funk groove extra chunky. No Trey wailing
however it was surely fun to boogie to.
I'd give this first set a fat and phun 8.5-9 rating. I'm not quite sure
how it will transpire onto tape but it was definitely a great time had
by all.
 
Now if i recall, the set break wasn't too long at all, which is a good
thing.
Limb by Limb kicked off the second set. When I first heard this tune at
the Great Went I loved it and was hooked. However nowadays I've seemed
to have lost interest with it. Maybe it's because of the new arrangement
that just doesn't tend to take you anywhere most of the time. Tonight's
version though derailed from its normal self and had a deep dark funk
groove in it.
Up next was 2001 and was the highlight for my girl. The lights were sick
as always (especially being as close as we were) and there were
definitely some tasty funk/disco grooves flooring us all. The entire
pavilion was going hysterical every time the band brought the funk back
to the 2001 theme.
"BUG, IT DOESN"T MATTER", hey the band said it, not me. I'm indifferent
to this tune. I don't despise it yet I don't crave it in anyway. To me
this song feels like the "Prince Caspian" of the new millenium, so
considering we already heard it in the first set, Bug was the perfect
time to go to the bathroom again.
Now here's where the beef of the set comes in with PIPER. This jammed
hard (type II style) with varioations of musical realms being explored
and driven by the band. I could get literal and graphic but I'll save
that for Mr Minor. Overall Piper was the experimental jam highlight for
my friends and I.
As the jam began to wind down it felt like they were going to reprise
the tune however it settled into Driver which was a nice breather.
Another phat back massage from my lady who I truly adore.
Hood was great. The band also tweaked out one section by singing the
notes acapella style rather than playing there instruments (anyone else
catch that?). I guess you'll have to listen to the tapes to see what I
mean.
Loving Cup rocked as always however the song's vocal reprise caught me
by surprise which usually doesn't for I'm always on the ball for this
song (Exile On Main St is by far the best Stones album and was the peak
of their career!) I was also caught off guard that L.Cup closed the
second set for the set seemed kind of short. So naturally I was
expecting a huge encore (maybe a Rush or Guess Who song for us phine
Canadians, or maybe an acapella of our national anthem).
Squirming Coil wasn't what I was expecting but nevertheless it was an
excellent version. Page's solo was also a sweet way to end the show for
my friends, my girl and I.
I'll tell you another thing: Nothing beats seeing a Phish show in your
home town where your bed, bathroom and a stock full of food in the
fringe are just waiting for you at home. Period!
So the second set gets a fair 7.5 with the 2001 standing out visually
and the Piper exploding experimentally. Overall the show gets an 8.5.
See all of you at the Creek and Polaris. Look out for the Lesh/Dylan
(Phylan) and Phish commemorative t-shirts we'll be selling! "Phylan Your
Dish with Phish"
peace in the middle east
 
"Let's be for ever let for, ever be free"
            -Ween

Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2000 02:22:31 -0800
From: bosman [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: TO. show
 
"WORST EPISODE EVER"...actually it was pretty good.Very long 1st set
with a shocking(for me)Reba with whistling and all.Flashbacks of last
year's stop were definitely apparent.YEM,2001...uhmmm,brain-
phart,anyway I though the 2nd was very dissapointing for me
PERSONALLY.It might have blown some people away but the last of the
Jersey shows were the goose-bumpers for me for sure!Anyway,Id like to
offer the hippie geeks we call Phish a formal invitatio to also play
other cities than VAN. & TO.Try the crowds in Montreal,they have
enormous spirit!!Well,all in all maybe a stronger encore would of set
me straight but hey...THE ENERGY,MAN!!!!!!!Peace & Nugs,Mike Bos

Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2000 21:00:10 -0700 (PDT)
From: Michael Alexander Sutherland [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Review: Phish in Toronto
 
Most of the dedicated and hardcore phish fans will no doubt skip through my
review once they read that this was only the second time this overjoyed canuck
has seen phish, but I still feel that I should voice my opinion.
	I reel at all the comments the so-called phans make about how certain
songs were lacking or just not very good. I am sure many feel the same as I do
and it makes me sick. Consider yourselves lucky that you have the phenomenon
known as Phish around in your lifetime. You can see them live in concert and
enjoy their music and witness the miracle of live jams and improvisation that
no one else will get to see ever again. It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime event
and you should count yourself lucky you get to see them. Cherish the time you
spend with them.
	Put down your pencils at the show, stop writing your little comments
about each song, and dance. Dance like you've never danced before. Feel the
groove that Moma Dance throws at you and cry when Dog Faced Boy steps into the
light.
	In many ways I am a simple man. With simple ideals. All I ask is that
you appreciate Phish with the devotion you claim to have and enjoy yourself.
PHISH RULES CANADA WITH AN IRON FIST, AND YET IS SOFT AND WIELDING LIKE A NERF
BALL.


Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2000 09:36:16 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: July 6th Review
 
Well what can i say? Actually i can say a lot! I just cam eback from teh 6th
up in Toronto and the 4th in NJ and let me say that while i thought the 4th
was a phenomenal show, i think the 6th was right up there with it.
First off, the Molson Amp. is a DOPE place to see phish, along with any other
band i would assume. The security was tight but chill, the bathrooms were
CLEAN (i could drop a deuce in there and not worry about grime) and the
people were very friendly. PLus the whole arena is small enough that we on
the lawn were afforded a phantastic view.
So onto the show itself, the Reba opener was an interesting choice, and it
was a fairly solid version. HIghlights for me were the unexpected YEM (with a
wonderfu lvocal jam) the I Didn't Know and Fishman's ridiculously amusing
vacuum solo, the Dogs Stole Things, and of course the only opportunity for F
U N K the first set- teh Moma Dance. It seemed to me that the entire first
set was very light and melodic while the second was more jammy and
fast...which has been a trend most recently, i.e. a more song laden first set
with a more jammed second.
BTW- we found dope nugs and shrooms in the lots and i hope everyone else was
lucky cause you knwo the border, the fact that we were in a foreign
country...etc.
The second set...i was calling a NICU opener (played 2 days later) bu teh
limb by Limb was fine and i called the following 2001. I agree that teh Bug
after 2001 was a buzzkill but hey, its phish and we should enjoy the tunes
they play so thats the end of that.
It was my girlfriends frist show and my 10th and she and i enjoyed it
immensly, we even met this dude who knew my girlfriends best friend in a
random way- you never know who you will meet...
Well see yall in Albany and Darien Lake
Peace and Love
Jeremy

Date: Fri, 7 Jul 2000 16:26:08 -0400
From: Thomas TJ Haykel [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: toronto review
 
Reba was quite a sweet opener, and the jam took off quite nicely.  The
crowd was into it and it gave a sense of hope that the show might be
special. Unfortunately, nothing really epic materialized out of that fine
Reba. From there the set, and the whole show for that matter, kind of
puttered along pell mell, and never sustained a solid high for any
appreciable length of time.
 
While tunes like Taste, Moma Dance, and First Tube are nice tunes they
were kind of lost in the midst of Dog Faced Boy, Heavy Things, and I
Didn't Know. Fishmans vacum solo was nice too see, however.  
Caspian/Golgi was alright, and the YEM was a real surprise and a nice
treat.  Again, I would have to say that, although the set was quite long
(1:51), it was kind of all over the place and not great.
 
The second set started very well.  Limb by Limb is a great tune and was
played with a lot of force and then 2001 had the place hopping with
psychedelic aniticipation.  However, instead of launching into something
great they ended 2001 and then decided to play Bug, which in my opinion
was a disapointment.  Its a good first set tune, but killed the energy
coming out of 2001.  Piper was hot, and built some nice dark energy of
its own, but then, alas, they go soft into Driver.  Again, I though that
was weak and disjointed.  Finally, they ended with an average Hood and a
rockin', always good to see, Lovin' Cup.  I liked Lovin' Cup.  The encore
of Spuirmin' Coil was not what I wanted, but sweet none the less.  It was
well played and contained a nice Page solo to cap off a very long night.
 
All in all, it was not a great show to anyone who has seen Phish at their
best, however, people I encountered seemed to like it none-the-less.

Date: Sat, 08 Jul 2000 03:28:31 -0400
From: Peddle Bob [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: (no subject)
 
hey. saw toronto last night and before i get everything said i would
like to say  that the only thing thing that burns me out about phish  is
you 'phans' who think your too important to attend an 'average' show. i
am a ween fan who attends phish shows with some regularity and i think
you guys are exposed to some amazing entertainment every time these guys
hit stage and there is nothing worse than hearing y'all complain about
what they should've played.....fuck...you have nothing to do with
writing the music...so stop thinking that you have anything to do with
the setilists...on a completely unrelated topic....did anyone see ween
in toronto last month...amazing!!

Date: Fri, 07 Jul 2000 11:36:44 -0400
From: Marcus Thunich [email protected]
To: [email protected], [email protected]
Subject: My Toronto review
 
 
Phish's second visit to Molson Amphitheatre affirmed my feeling
that this venue is the crown jewel on the summer tour circuit.
Once again, access in/out and parking were incredibly quick and
painless. Getting inside the attractive surrounded-by-water
shed was even easier. Like last year,there were generally no body
searches whatsoever, just a friendly ticket rip and you're in. It'd
be nice if many of the venues south of the border where one
must endure Gestapo like searches to get in would send reps up to
Molson Amp to see how paying customers to their facility should be
treated. It was a rare treat to actually enter a venue without being
treated like one was entering a prison. A polite hello and a smile
gets a lot of mileage and respect IMO.
 
Set 1 (110min)
Like Toronto 7/20/99, this year Phish played another very long
first set, clocking in at almost a full two hours. Unlike 7/20/99
which had moments of uninspired and slopping playing,
this set was very very tight and full of confidence. Highlights included
a rare (and 1st of the summer) Reba opener. The even rarer Dog Stole
Things followed. Moma Dance however, was the finest version I've
ever seen live. Tight and scorching are two words that come to mind.
Trey's solos had the hair on the back of my neck standing up. Very
impressive. At the conclusion of Golgi, it was almost certainly
time for setbreak as the set had already been ~90 min when Trey looked
to Fish and mouthed "YEM". Like Toronto '99, Phish concluded the
first set with a typically solid version of the classic warhorse that
neither the band nor Phans seem to tire of.
 
 
Setbreak (~35 min)
 
Set II (85 min w/enc)
Set two began with a solid well executed Limb By Limb which not
surprisingly, was highlighted by scorching solo work by Mr. Anastasio.
Once again Toronto was treated to a long funkified 2001 highlighted
by a superb light show from CK5. However, the momentum generated by this
hot 2001 quickly vanished when the band brought this powerhouse
version to a complete standstill and launched Bug. A seque right into
another song riding off the momentum of 2001 would seem to fit best
but, alas, a picky Phan's gotta have something to moan about right?
The rest of this set was fairly standard save for a ripping Loving
Cup, once again, featuring exceptional work from Ernest Guiseppe
Anastasio III. A fine Squiriming Coil encore with a beautful
Page solo to cap it, concluded Phish's second Molson Amp. appearance.
 
Overall, this show was far and away a much stronger and more inspired
affair than Toronto '99. This is probably due to the fact that
Phish hadn't just come off the marathon sets @ Oswego. Also
general concensus is that Phish so far in 2000, are playing much
tighter and more consistently than in '99. I agree.
 
It's also clear that Phish really enjoy playing Toronto and Molson Amp.
At the end of set 1, Trey spoke something like "this is a really great
place..back in 15 min.." At the conclusion of Harry, Trey commented how
much they "love coming here","it's a really great place" and
"you've got a beautiful city" and something along the lines of
"we hope to come back ASAP".Also they could've easily kept the tour
stateside as the routing for this show was not exactly convienient since the
prior shows were an 8.5 hr drive away in NJ. Kudos to Phish for returning
to Toronto and letting Canadian Phans see a show in their home country.
Here's hoping for a two show run for Summer 2001!. Now *that* would be sweet.
 
--
***************************************************************
Visit my CDR and DAT Trading Page here:
http://members.home.net/marcust99/home.htm
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Date: Sat, 8 Jul 2000 13:31:08 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Toronto Show
 
First of all, I work for a Talk radio station in Toronto and I can't believe
we were giving away tickets to see Phish. (Just imagine the kind of people
who listen to talk radio shows like Dr. Laura) Hopefully, the winners of the
tickets gave them to their children, but I did see some middle aged guy who
looked like he was there to see Johnny Cash or Loretta Lynn. Quite the
culture shock I'm sure.
 
 I agree with the other reviewers in that this show lost momentum after
'2001' which was the hi-lite of the night. Where was the showmanship like
last summer's Toronto stop when they launched into the 'Misty Mountain Hop'
coming out of '2001'?
 
It was a pretty subdued show with the band alternating from Classic Phish to
their new stuff from 'Farmhouse' while ignoring rockers like 'Chalkdust' and
'DWD'. The reviewer in the Toronto Sun newspaper, who panned the band last
year, was swayed by popular opinion and gave a more positive review this time
around, which certainly displays his depth of character. The death theats
must have gotten to him.
 
Was it worth $45 Canadian to see Phish this year? Sadly, I have to say "no"
it wasn't. Compared to the other four acts I've seen this year, Phish would
have to rank tied for 3rd with Bela Fleck And The Flecktones, behind Tony
Trishka and the best show I think I may have ever seen, John Paul Jones. (all
of whom were a lot less expensive)
 
Phish just didn't leave me breathless and wanting more this time around, but
I think I did hear Trey say something about coming back again and then he
ended it by saying, "take it easy, eh."

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