9-20-00 -- Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati, Ohio

Date: Sun, 1 Oct 2000 15:50:34 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 9\20\00
 
So, here I was, at the last show of my three show run, (Merriiweather,
Cuyahoga) and after two awesome shows (especially Merriweather) and I had a
feeling that this show was going to be a blowout, and I was not dissapointed.
 
 
 We arrived in the lots across the street somewhere around 4, right after it
had rained for about an hour. I figured it was going to rain all day, but
before the show we got to enjoy some sunshine before the festivities. Plenty
of acid and molly were floating around, and plenty of extra tickets for that
matter, but no nugs. Thankfullly, there wasn't an overwhelming police
presence like at Merriweather, so my before show experience was mighty sweet.
 
So, after dosing my friends,and myself, we walked into the venue, and
prepared to be dazzled. My friend had to go to the bathroom, so I waited for
her, and the next thing I know, Phish started the opening chords of Cars
Trucks And buses. We then ran up the stairs and descended the very muddy lawn
to the bottom of the hill.
 
I was grooving nicely, and the next thing I heard, was the first notes of
Wolfman's. This had me pumped, because I have a new theory. If there's a
Wolfman's early on, it means the show is going to rock! (Case in point
Nashville 2000, Great Woods 2000) The jam was excellent, and the band was
completely on. It was around this time, that the sky turned completely black,
and I prayed for a repeat of Raliegh 97 where the downpour highlighted the
set. Sho nuff, once Jiboo kicked in, so did the rain. Since I was flying on
molly and amber, the rain was a welcome treat. The Jiboo was short, but
sweet. I had hardly started clapping when I gave way to euphoria as I
couldn't believe I was hearing Mike's!!!!  Not only was the rain a blessing,
but Mike's in the first  set?!!! Needless to say, I was estatic. The last
time I ever heard that rare occurance was Hampton 97 (And that was on tape)
It was apparent Phish was on fire, and those lucky people getting soaked on
the lawn were witnessing an event. So there I was hootin' and hollerin',
while my friend( it was his second show after Cuyahoga) just rocked back and
forth, I looked at him and said "You don't understand how awesome this really
is. But it's all good, the crowd was totally digging this scene. As the
totally solid Mike's drew to a close I knew Simple was coming out of this.
Once again,I was right.(Actually, that's not a hard call) but it was the
first one of the tour, so I was psyched.Plus it was still pouring,and we all
know that rain+ Phish= greatness. The jam went on, and slowed down alittle
bit,and I thought Hydrogen was coming, but , The man who> Malenko shatterd
that theory. But who cares it  surprised me,and the groove was delicious.
Weekapaug slammed into the air with that awesome bass groove,and it just
couldn't get any better (or so i thought) when after Weekapaug, they did a
PHENOMINAL While my guitar gently weeps. Trey, wailed this gem out till I
thought my brain was going to explode!  After it was over, all I could do was
catch my breath, for I was humbled and glowing all at the same time. I
couldn't imagine what the second set had in store for me.
 
 
   After a short setbreak, and after I actually used my pavilion ticket to
get inside(what can i say, I'm a sucker for the lawn), the lights went out,
and First tube got the place jumping. I was dancing between these giant
pillars in the back of the pavilion, as the rave music flew around and
around. Then I heard something strange. were they actually playing Limb by
Limb again right after they did it 2 shows ago at Merriweather? At first, I
was dissapointed, but this version was much better, and the crowd dug it, so
I thought I'd love it too. Dirt smoothed out the edges, and had me shouting
my name into the wind. yummy. Then came the highlight of my night,nay the
highlight of the 3 shows I went to. The almighty It's Ice. I'd been waiting
for this song for a long time, and let me tell you, it was worth the wait.
Phish executed this sonf flawlessly, and the build up part had me tingling
with electricity.  Also, the spacey part had me in another dimension.
Atfirst, when Ice winded down, and the piano hit a few notes, I thought we
were getting Sqirming Coil, but Velvet Sea emerged instead. I'm not a big fan
of this song, but it seemed to fit in nicely. After that I got another treat.
Sand. The rave continued with unending energy as they went into the trippy
jams that we all know and love. I lost track of time as phish wa wa wa wa'd
me into submisson. Then another repeat from Merriweather Guyute. I can't say
this version was better,(If you weren't at Merriweather you have to hear the
way they dragged out the "I'm bouncing like a newborn elf" part), but there
was more energy in this version. It seemed only fitting that they continue
the madness with Big Black furry creatures. I felt like i was at a Slayer
show(Like the Carini at Cuyahoga), and then to top it all off, a great
version of Drowned.(which fit because of the rain that never stopped) . I
knew it was going to be a short encore because they fit in so many songs
during the show. Cavern was definitely prophetic "Whatever you do, take care
of your shoes" because mine and everyone elses were muddy as hell. Aterwards,
i had to clean the mud off at the giant lake outside the arena/amusement
park/racetrack outside. All in all, it was the most fun I've had at a Phish
show in a long time.


Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2000 05:52:36 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 09/20/00 review
 
Ok... this was my 23rd and final show before Phish's expected hiatus, so I
was hoping for a good one. After enjoying Blossom so much the show before, I
was keeping my fingers crossed.
 
This was my first time back in Cincinnati since I graduated from U.C. this
summer. My day started with getting pulled over on the way to my friend Ric's
house before the show. Fuck! You gotta hate that... especially since it was
for not completely stopping at a stop sign. The cop was a real asshole too,
with a high and whiny voice. Ughhh! I needed a nice MAKISUPA after dealing
with that pig. So anyway, it turned out to be $76 down the drain because I
tried to make it there a couple seconds sooner. Oh well... I wasn't about to
let it ruin my night.
 
My friends Ric and Joe mail ordered for this show and actually got great
tickets -- eighth row, center to be exact! The best I've ever done via mail
order is the back of the pavilion or lower level. In other words, I was
hoping they could stub me down successfully, being that all I had was a
pitiful lawn ticket. Little did I know how lucky I'd end up being.
 
Well, Ric and I did the stub transaction as I ventured to meet back up with
him in the eighth row. Wow this was cool! The closest I had ever been before
this was at 12/07/97 where we sat directly to the left of Fish (when the
stage was set up with him on the far right) in the first row on the lower
level. It was so sweet looking over his left shoulder watching him work
behind the scenes while having the perfect side view of Page, Gordo, and Trey
all night long. And boy, was that a great show! The best TUBE ever! But on
this night, I would be the closest I had ever been.
 
Anyway... while I was sitting there waiting for them to come out, I was
actually able to see Trey's Leslie Speaker (or amp, or whatever) spinning
around in its box. It was putting me in a trance quite honestly. I was so
psyched to be this up front and personal with the band. I felt for once like
I was one of the beautiful people... one of the envied ones. I know that
sounds corny, but it's true. And unless you've ever been that close, you
don't know what it will feel like till you are. Meanwhile, I was worried as
hell about getting kicked out. You know, some rude asshole coming along and
saying "Get the fuck out of my seat!" But thankfully, that never happened.
 
So the lights go down and I couldn't believe it, I hadn't gotten kicked out!
This was gonna be awesome. They could've played the weakest show ever and I
still would've been so happy just to be that close. Being able to watch them
and everything they do... being able to see their facial expressions, etc.
 
CARS TRUCKS BUSES started us off. Oh yes, it was on! Anything Mr. Page does I
love, and this is pure McConnell. Surrounded by his piano jazz I was already
getting chills by seeing all those guys in fluid action. This CARS was funky,
as per usual because it never changes much, and everyone was contributing.
Towards the end, I looked left and saw that this dark, blob-like cloud had
developed. "Oh shit, it looks like it's gonna rain," I said to Ric, giving me
even more reason to worry about getting the boot.
 
But I ignored it, and quickly a hot WOLFMAN'S BROTHER developed. I'm a
WOLFMAN'S magnet like you wouldn't believe, but it's another one that's
officially O.P. (or overplayed). But this was not your ordinary WOLFMAN'S.
This was possibly the best one I have ever heard -- no shit! It fucking
rocked and Trey led the whole way 1000%! He soloed for what seemed like
forever, hitting all those high notes with authority. This is a must hear
WOLFMAN'S... and I don't recommend things unless it's absolutely necessary.
Towards the latter part of the jam I was hoping for the WOLFMAN'S > SNEAKING
SALLY combo that Phish has become so fond of, but to no avail.
 
After "the best WOLFMAN'S ever" (my comment when it ended) a noticeable rain
had started to fall "outside." So much so that it actually began misting into
the pavilion while they were playing GOTTA JIBBOO. Damn it!!! I'm sorry, but
this song is absolutely horrible. Possibly my least favorite Phish song ever
written. I mean, some people accuse really good songs of having dumb lyrics
and very rarely will I agree with those people. I have a great imagination
and so do Phish and Tom Marshall. But this song blows, lyrically and
musically. Thankfully it wasn't outrageously long (although I'd hate to even
hear a 30-second version). One thing I did notice and got a kick out of
during the JIBBOO jam was Trey and Fish. For some reason, Fish had his mic up
to his mouth during the jam after the lyrics were over. Now usually he swings
it back over... but this time he didn't. What he was doing was casually
talking into the mic while all of them were fully in the groove. And after
Fish had been talking for a while, Trey started to crack up laughing. It was
really weird... like Fish was telling him a joke (or all of them) through his
mic. Maybe they got the ear monitor system that allows them to talk to each
other through their mics during songs (without the crowd being able to hear).
Like the kind the Dead incorporated in 1992.
 
When "GOTTA JIplay at every show" ended, MIKE'S SONG began. Yes... Oh yes! A
mid-first set MIKE'S! This set went from being average to interesting in
about two seconds. I knew they were gonna have to do something phat since
even we could tell it was raining hard as fuck. Christ, it was almost raining
in the pavilion! I was just thanking my lucky stars I wasn't out there. But
hey, I deserved it! I've paid my dues! I've been in the lawn at many rain
shows. Anyway, this MIKE'S completely went off. The jam was nice and perfect
in length, not too long or short. Along with all the lights and mist, I felt
like I was at the filming of a music video or something. And it was awesome
to see Mike singing up close. He almost looked like a pirate saying "ARGHH!"
sometimes. Funny, funny shit!
 
When they finally returned to the "MIKE'S SONG is ending" finale riff, I was
praying they'd do the crash landing into I AM HYDROGEN. You know?! Like the
old school MIKE'S > H2 with the 25-second heavy metal introduction that makes
you want to bang your fucking head! I love that shit and desperately wish
they'd do it again. That's possibly the hardest, chunkiest, and fiercest
musical section they've ever written. It sounds as if Cliff Burton's
Metallica is playing that shit! ...But no, no no... Instead it was the
standard MIKE'S > SIMPLE segue, which, to tell you the truth, is pretty
fucking cool too (though not as cool). This SIMPLE was tight and the
harmonizing was perfect. I think they like playing this in Cincy, as this was
the second SIMPLE for the 'Nati in Phish's last two appearances. It was also
the second big city song of the night (the first being CARS).
 
The SIMPLE jam was almost short compared to others I've heard. And as Page
led us out of the big city while we rode atop his giant piano, we heard Trey
picking us up to take us somewhere... somewhere... there's gentle guitar
noodling... can't quite hear it... is it I AM H2?! No, Trey picked us up and
dropped us off in the middle of the forest... or make that... Gamehendge.
Yes, it was the sweet sound of TMWSIY. What a beautiful little song! It
reminds me a lot of the carefully gorgeous twists and turns of the MY FRIEND
MY FRIEND introduction. And then... we all knew where TMWSIY would magically
teleport us to -- straight to Israel for an ultra-dank AVENU MALKENU.
Awesome! This set was turning into an absolute Michael Gordon fest and I was
loving every minute of it. He never fails to give it his all on this song and
I always wonder if some of it has to do with his heritage. His bass solo was
early for Rosh Hashanah, but killer nonetheless. With the spotlight shining
down on him, I noticed I could actually see his reflection on the side of
Page's piano. This was so intense, and made me feel so privileged for being
that close.
 
As AVENU was wrapping up, I could tell we weren't headed back to TMWSIY. I
saw Trey mouth a multi-syllabic word beginning with "W" to the others. Hence,
WEEKAPAUG (that segue was sweet by the way). You have to love how Mike always
pimp slaps the shit out of his bass at the outset of this tune, and he didn't
disappoint this time either. I wish he'd actually do it for longer, but then
again, there are three other people in the band. But this set was a Gordo
showcase, so what's a little more. WEEKAPAUG always makes me feel like I'm
galloping on a bucking bronco, and as expected, this one jostled every part
of my body. Damn, from MIKE'S to PAUG was possibly the best song sandwich
I've ever witnessed -- bar none! It was sweet... you couldn't ask for much
more.
 
Everyone thought PAUG would be the end of the set until Trey attempted yet
another perfect George Harrison impersonation with WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY
WEEPS. And boy, did he nail it! Granted, this wasn't as exceptional or long
of a version as 07/15/00, but it was definitely above par. He tore through
the guitar solo perfectly. So perfect that I felt like I was listening to
"The White Album." And that was the end of an exceptional set.
 
After an average length intermission, FIRST TUBE began the second set. An
instrumental to open each set?! That's a little odd. I always think of
instrumental openers as kind of a prelude of what's to come... a good example
being something like BURIED ALIVE. But FIRST TUBE is not a bad little jam if
they don't try to stretch it out too long... it's kinda been growing on me I
think. They were really digging it though. I just remember Trey looking up at
the white lights, with that shit-eating grin on his face. I couldn't believe
I was actually close enough to see the glare off his teeth.
 
LIMB BY LIMB was next... Damn, I hear so many of these that I wish I could
give some of mine to someone who really loves this song. I mean I like it,
but I don't like that much! Then again, this is one that's also extremely
O.P. now. I do love the Page and Trey RIFT-like vocal exchanges though, and
Fish's inhuman drum beat to end the song for that matter (I'm glad they
decided to start doing that again).
 
DIRT... Ughhh! No comment! Anyone who wants to know how I feel about this
song can read my review of 07/15/00 if they want.
 
After DIRT, I heard some precision-like guitar work and noticed IT'S ICE had
arrived. Killer! One of my all time faves that I can never get enough of.
Page was awesome and nailed every word. And with Gordo throwing in
strategically placed bombs with his thumb, it was on baby! During the
ascending staircase jam in the middle of the song, Fish got up on his stool
and did his dance like I was hoping he would. Then they broke into the ICE
jam where I was hoping to hear KUNG (a la 10/29/95), but no such luck.
 
This jam actually meandered in and out of the ICE theme for what was about 10
minutes, until it finally subsided for Page's piano and a great version of
WADING IN THE VELVET SEA (or WADING IN VELVEETA CHEESE, or even WADING IN THE
HEROIN SEA, as I also like to call it, ha!). The combo of ICE > VELVET SEA
was cool to me for a couple reasons. First of all, it was an outstanding Page
showcase, with Page's piano laced ICE jam eventually finding its way to the
even more piano centered VELVET SEA. But whenever I hear ICE, I always
imagine a figure skater (like the one on the "Rift" cover artwork) struggling
for perfection, trying not to be distracted by his "mirror image." But of
course, "he's falling on the ice -- it cracks," and where else is there to go
but down. Hence, his "double wants to pull [him] down"... but down to where
exactly? Well, to the icy blue underwater of the VELVET SEA, that's where. A
place where our hero (the ICE skater) was unfortunately left to freeze and
drown a cold and lonely death. Yeah... I'm just blowing smoke up your ass,
but that's the kind of wonderful imagery the ICE > VELVET SEA combo gave me
-- seriously. Like I said, I have a great (yet weird) imagination. But I do
wish they would've returned to ICE so our hero could've been pulled out of
the freezing waters to skate once again.
 
But no, instead we got... SAND?! Yuck! I figured since we had already heard
FIRST TUBE, there was no way we'd get this. After all, they are very similar
songs... but SAND is a weak attempt at trying to write a good Phish song (no
offense boys, but that's my opinion). It's so monotonous (doesn't Mike get
tired of playing that same bass line for 15 minutes?) and so lyrically boring
that I really can't stand it. During BLAND (Ha ha!), Ric and I actually
turned our backs on the boys and crossed our arms, like "We ain't having any
of that shit!" Ha! But we only did it for about five seconds, so chill out
BLAND freaks. When we turned around, I of course tried to be an asshole and
yelled "HARPUA!" as loud as I could during the quieter part of the jam. Ha!
But oh well, I was just playing around. Also... whenever they play BLAND, you
know Trey's gonna go over and get on those god damn small keys. For my
opinion on that, refer to my review of 09/18/00 under "JAM."
 
After BLAND subsided, I looked over at Trey and saw him picking out GUYUTE.
You know it's coming when you hear that quick, closed chord strumming. I love
the ugly pig though, and was amazed he was making yet another appearance in
Cincinnati. Everyone was pumped up for this (as usual) with most of the crowd
(including myself) jumping up and down throughout the jam. Every part of the
GUYUTE jam is so intense! It starts out with that slow and dreamy part...
then moves to the Irish inspired, Riverdance-like section (which the
glowsticks went along well with)... then finally, the heavy metal,
rip-your-head-off climax (my favorite). Trey was totally feeding off the
crowd by that point, being the complete rock star... looking up with that
shit-eating grin again while hopping up and down with his disciples. It was
like a religious awakening... and I'm agnostic! Another cool thing is how
they're sarcastically singing the "I'm bouncing like a newborn elf..." part
now... waiting as long as they can before the next line. Funny shit guys...
 
The last note of GUYUTE hadn't even been played before Trey began BBFCM. I
couldn't even hear the first couple seconds because the crowd was so loud.
When Ric finally turned to me after the third second and said: "Big Black
Furry Creature dude!" I was like "Yeah!!!" and started jumping up and down
again, but this time harder and faster. More fiercely to try and match this
out of control song. I honestly couldn't believe they broke it out. God... I
loved seeing Mike step up there and scream with all his might. For some
reason I always thought it was Fish who sang it. I don't know why, I guess I
didn't think Mike could scream that loud (plus he seems like a laid-back
guy). I suppose he proved me wrong, but I still loved it just the same. And
with Trey hoisting his guitar up and down during the jam with feedback... oh
man... it was like Phish's take on punk rock ecstasy!
 
After BBFCM was done turning the crowd white as a sheet, the lovely Who cover
DROWNED began. Damn, Gordo was pulling out all the stops (maybe they wanted
to revert to my hypothetical ICE > VELVET theme -- just kidding). But this
DROWNED was bliss, with Gordo still nailing the vocals (even the high parts,
like: "Set me free-e-hee!") after you know his chords had to be tired from
BBFCM. But the jam was awesome, retaining the DROWNED theme while still
ripping it up in shreds. I thought there might have been one more tune out of
DROWNED before the end of the set (maybe a GOLGI or something) but that was
it. Weirdness! I can't think of a time when they just ended with it. But they
wrapped it up well and it was a great 10-minute version. I remember seeing a
couple older guys next to me who were so excited they were playing a Who
song. It made me happy because it was cool to see how much Phish had made
them happy by just playing one song. I know how good it feels to hear the
boys cover something by a band I love.
 
The CAVERN encore was just that -- CAVERN. But hey, it's another of my all
time faves that I could never get sick of hearing (just like ICE and CHALK
DUST). I do remember at one point during the ending "Give the director..."
part, some guy in front of us held up a sign which read: "Nice Shoes." Trey
totally acknowledged it by nodding his head and maybe even giving a wink. It
was awesome! Which led me to realize... oh my god... every time Trey and Page
looked in my general vicinity, they could really, actually see me! They were
able to see me and my face bouncing up and down every time they looked, and
every time they did, I acknowledged them back, raising my finger and giving
whoever it was my complete attention. Aww! It was so fucking sweet!
 
By the way... the best CAVERN "ever" is 06/22/94 -- hands down! Do yourself a
favor and check that one out if you haven't already.
 
So what can I say about this show? Well, despite hearing half of "Farmhouse,"
it was absolutely killer! I mean, like I said in the beginning, they could've
played the worst show ever and I still would've loved it just because of
where I was sitting. But damn, I think this show was just as good as Blossom,
if not better! It was a complete Mike and Page showcase, and I couldn't get
enough of it. I dunno... Blossom and Riverbend were two very different shows,
but at the same time two very good ones (if not great)!
 
So the Ohio run was a perfect way to end my show going for a while... that
is, until their hiatus is over.
 
And oh... if you've never been that close at a show, I highly advise getting
down there any way you can. It's so choice!
 
Late,
Cris Coey

Date: Sun, 24 Sep 2000 11:38:23 -0400
From: Brian Muething 
To: [email protected]
Subject: Cincinnati review
 
This is my home town and venue and let me tell you how surprised I was when
I saw this venue on the tour dates.  It was definitely a different feeling
before the show for me, usually Phish shows involve driving somewhere,
seeing multiple shows, and this was the first time in a while that I was
going to go see Phish for a few hours and then go home and sleep in my bed
and not see them again for a while.  Usually its such a big event, this was
just like going out and checking out a band at a club or something and then
going home...its hard to describe what I'm talking about, but oh well.
 
Had 3 extras thanks to some of my idiot friends who backed out, at one
point we were trying to sell them for 5 bucks so we could get a couple
Sierras, but even that was too high.  I had to hang out at the gate for a
while just to try and give my tickets away and I was definitely not the
only one in that boat.  Last shows I was at were the Creek and Columbus,
where nobody had tickets, so that was weird.
 
Lawn was an absolute mess.  I think CTB is a cool opener and Wolfman's has
been sitting in the 2 hole a lot lately which I like.  the 1st set Mikes
was a surprise, real sick of Simple, but TMWSIY was nice to hear (though
I'd bet people outside of the Midwest wouldn't mind seeing it {Alpine 99,
Cincy 99, Cincy 2000), plus it gave me needed 1 Time Phantasy Phish
points.  I love Guitar, this one didn't disappoint.
 
The 2nd set was fun, but I wasn't in love with it, not because the playing
wasn't there, b/c of my personal setlist issues...I just don't like some of
the songs, but thats not really a valid criticism, just my personal
opinion.  I'm just sick of Dirt and I wish I could have buried Wading in
the many large holes on the lawn so they couldn't find it anymore.  Cool to
get Iced and Drownded, Caverns always fun.
 
I really think they'll be back on the road in the late summer.  See you all
then and at many SCI shows between now and then.
 
Brian

Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 09:36:58 -0400
From: Adam S. Freimark [email protected]
Subject: Riverbend review
 
We got about 20' back from the railing, dead center. They had big screens up
projecting close ups (TASTY fretboard shots all night). Why does Trey look
exactly like Eric Clapton now?
 
Ok.. First set FUCKING ROCKED ! The rain started in the middle of the
Wolfman's jam - I saw Trey on the monitor and he looked weirded out for a bit
because the crowd (lawn) was giving huge yells every time a particularly
strong blast of wind hit or as the rain started and the band had no clue
why... The lights lit up the lawn for a second and and they realized what was
going on.
 
It was raining HARD, and it was COLD. So they kept us warm with that nice long
jam.. Aweseome! (aveinu malkenu was better in Cinci last fall though).
 
The rain tapered off just after the jam ended...
 
After the WMGGW (normally it irritates me when phish covers this - but I have
to admit this was perfect. (maybe the Trey/Clapton thing is getting serious).
They worked it hard - listen to the mp3 (GET THIS SHOW) when you get it. THey
finished, stopped for a few seconds, bowed in unison, and walked off the stage
without a word.
 
Set break I found some friends and got stubbed in - Bren just asked and the
guy let her in :)
 
>Set II: First Tube, Limb by Limb, Dirt,
It's Ice > Wading in the Velvet Sea > Sand, Guyute > Big Black Furry Creatures
from Mars, Drowned
>Encore: Cavern
 
Well, she got her Farmhouse on - they played half the album last night.  Ice
was slick! Bren was freezing (it was even cold in the Paviliion and she wasn't
feeling too well (we were both soaked) so we left in the middle of what I
guess was BBFCFM - wierd shit, even for Phish. So I missed Cavern but no
biggie - went home (got lost (I live 2 miles from Riverbend - three whole
turns.. F'cking Magellan) - and chowed down.
 
The whole night, Trey was ON. And as I mentioned, TASTY fretboard shots on the
monitors.
 
Finally, a great show!
 
Only complaint is that it wasn't really as loud as I'm used to for them. But
since you can see the river on the sides of the stage, seeing riverboats pass
during the show sort of made up for it in some way...
 
Adam S. Freimark
Further Innovations, Inc.
1026A Delta Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45208
800.865.7545
513.533.3454 fax

Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2000 05:12:32 -0400
From: Mike Kramer [email protected]
Subject: 9.20.00 Review
 
    From the beginning I had my skepticism---Phish at Riverbend???  I am
originally from Cincinnati and Riverbend is where I first started seeing rock
concerts, but for the life of me I could not picture the Phish scene at the
security-ridden, boarded up amusement park that Cincinnati calls a venue--my
main concerns were that of the sound (I have never thought that Riverbend is
sound-friendly....)  I don't think the show even sold out.  Nevertheless, it
was phish, and since they have never played Riverbend before, I had told my
girlfriend that they would be bringing out the big boys---I speculated a
Wilson opener, a Mike's-->Weekapaug set 1 closer, a 1st Tube set 2 opener,
and a Hood encore.  Well, almost 2 out of 4 ain't bad.
    Regardless, we arrived in the lot at about 5:00 and the cops were out in
full force.  The 2 hours we spent in the lot were very strange as it there
was this impending still quietness in the air and the closed carnival gave it
an almost eerie, haunting atmosphere.  The shakedown was over across the
street in this little fenced in area, about 30 yards long and not very wide.
Not many venders even bothered and what was there was very controlled--almost
herded.  Inside, the same vibe--not much noise and excitement, most just
chinllin' on the lawn.  The lawn was already wet from the previous night's
rain and the sod squares were already beginning to slide down the grade.  45
minutes to showtime and most early lawn phans already had damp, brown
behinds.  The impending doom, however, did not prevail, regardless of the
rain, as the boys put on a fantastic show for the masses and more importantly
my friends and I had a great night trudging through the mud and groovin' to
phish.  Here are the details as I remember them:
 
Set I: Cars Trucks Buses -- I am really digging this tune as a set opener,
caught this one the first night of deer creek this summer.  One of my
favorite instrumentals, I enjoy the way Page and Trey bounce off of one
another.  The middle section was more guitar dominated than I would've liked,
as I really get into Page's piano...Still, fun opener which led us into...
Wolfman's Brother -- Always a good one early on with a nice smooth funk...I
like the more contained WBros that don't stray to far off the progression,
thick and concise...nice.  Heard a couple small teases in there, too maybe
stash or gumbo..hmm.. Gotta Jibboo -- Early but got the glowsticks flying,
what few there were around compared to other venues.  The heavy rain set in
and a cool guy near us shared his tarp with my group.  Jibboo got us dancing
and moving the tarp to the music...it soon became something to stand on :)
Mike's Song > Simple > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Avenu Malkenu >
Weekapaug Groove -- Wow.  Really excited about this since I didnt get one at
the creek.  You could hear the opening lick just under the Jibboo applause
and I was pumped.  Mike's was average, the vocals kinda weak (but that could
be Riverbend sound) and Simple was good.  I especially like Fish's wood-block
work at the end of the phrases.  TMWSIY was a real treat and it came off very
beautifully, a nice little melodic interlude which, I felt, should have lead
us into Weekapaug or elsewhere except Avenu, as this tune is a little too
quirky for my tastes...Weekapaug was pumping, and Mike was feeling
it...Wolfman and the Mike's Groove seemed to be a foreshadowing of what is to
come--this show was a Gordo showcase! While My Guitar Gently Weeps -- Nice
closer.  Trey was really wailing here, but the lawn pholks seemed
distracted...probably ready to get beer, warm food, and dry clothes.  By now
the lawn was a muddy landslide and the phans were cold and wet.
 
Set II: First Tube -- I guess it's not really an amazing feat to call this
one as set 2 opener, but I really wanted to hear this one tonight.  The tube
was ranging hard adn CK5 was working it.  It was this or a 2001 and I was
happy dancing fool.  It still amazes me how Mike keeps that thick, steady,
beat creeping along... Limb by Limb -- One of my favorites in 98 and it just
keeps on getting funkier, and a fun one to sing along with.  Nice placement
and Fish had a short, soft drum solo ---perfect dynamics for the end of this
tune. Dirt -- Fitting and well orchestrated tho I would have preferred a
GBOTT here ( But I'm sure I'll  see one in Chi-town).  Trey really had
absolute control over his axe here, good stuff. It's Ice > Wading in the
Velvet Sea > Sand Compared to DCreek, this Ice was absolutely huge...funky
and tight, kudos to gordo once again, I thought they may do a Ice--> .....
-->Ice deal but unfortunately it melted into Velvet Sea.  Page had a nice
back-to-back vocal set here, but I'm not a big fan of this one, especially
after the let down in Noblesville.  I was kinda disappointed with Sand in the
beginning too, I mean come on--1st tube, dirt, AND Sand???  But the Jam here
really started cooking and they found a few really nice grooves.  It got me
dancing again (it could have been that spliff) and the jam seemed to get so
intense that they could'nt do anything with it and could only fade it
out...That;s ok because we got.......  Guyute !!!!!!!!!!! YAY!  This one
brought the house down, old school all the way, great anthem, and slow
distorted lyrics at the end.  A masterpiece. > Big Black Furry Creatures from
Mars  This was definately the highlight of my show.  It's actually kinda of
weird, by chance I had the 2.21.93 Roxy show in just before I left for the
show and the last song I heard before I locked up was BBFCFM!  Very trippy
light work from Chris, Mike seemingly having fun with the angst chant, and
Trey completely tearing it up on the in-betweens.  He got some nice reverb
behind his head and was really hamming up the guitar-flair.  I didn't really
think they would finish it off as it got so spacey and Floydesque between the
releases wowo!, I personally felt a Bowie coming on ( but I always feel a
Bowie coming on)  But I was all smiles from the last mars through another
high-energy cover of Drowned!!!   Encore: Cavern -- It was nearing 11:00 and
I was still holding out for Hood, but by this time I couldn't be choosey at
all.  Trey returned relatively quickly to finish and Cavern was the perfect
way to send us off.  After a nice Frisco Melt at Perkins, I took Trey's
advice and treated my self and my Birk's to long, warm shower.    Fantastic
evening and not a thing to complain about--the storm actually made my night
even more enjoyable.  I'll go ahead and give this one a B+ overall, maybe
even an A- because I'm generous and grading scales are relative and mean
nothing.  Get the tapes! Why? Cause you're a big black furry creature from
mars, big black furry creature from mars, big black furry creature from
mars!!!!!!!!!!!!   Peace All! Cya in Chicago!   Kramer

Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2017 01:19:27 -0400
From: Michael Bulger [email protected]
Subject: 9-20-00

    I've never reviewed a show before but seeing as last night might be the
last one I can get to for awhile I just have to try it once.
    I'm not gonna bore you all with my day but let's just say the 7 hour
drive was quite a last minute decision. I was all done with my tour and ready
to get back to class.. but alas! they got me out on the road again.
    I've heard quite a few people say that Phish has lost something in the
past few years and arguably they've played a few sour shows (see Fall 99).
However ever since NYE2000 I've witnessed the boys explore wonderful new
sounds while maintaining the rock/groove improvy tightness that originally
drew me to their music. Last night was (clich�) no exception.
    In 32 shows I've never been as far south as this one and the crowd seemed
a little inexperienced but ready to have a great time. After peppering the
lawn with lollipops I was ready to get down:
    CTB: I just dig this song as an opener. Page set things off right with
everyone hanging on to the groove.
    Wolfman's: This got those stiff Kentuckians moving. The funk was thick
and Gordon seemed to be especially aggressive with his slapping. He was
really letting that beast have it and I was loving every minute of it. They
jammed this one out for awhile and it almost seemed like they were trying to
coax the rain outta those monster Ohio clouds.
    Gotta Jiboo: This song is a great example of a basically simple
arrangement that allows for alot of creative room. Everytime I hear this they
find a new groove in the jam. Good Stuff.
    Mike's Song: WHOA! We knew we were gonna get a Mike's Groove, but the
first set?! By this time I was glad glad glad that I had drived. Now if I
could just get a Hydrogen outta this...
    Simple: I guess they do this pair so much because the final note of
Mike's and the opening of Trey's Simple riff are so perfect and all, but I'm
getting sorta tired of it. Simple has never been a song I look forward to but
I didn't complain tonight. The guys were getting real spacey with the jam as
a riverboat drifted behind the stage. Pretty.
    TMWSIY: Ooh, they're slowing down! Is Mike gonna bring that sweet sweet
Hydrogen line? What's Trey doing? Yeah!! Thinking that Cleveland was my last
show I was ecstatic when they played McGrupps. Now I was getting another of
those pesky songs that always avoid me.
    Avenue Malkenu: What a treat! Whatta set!!!
    TMWSIY: and again..---->
    Weekapaug: They were really rollin now and Gordon was on fire for his
opening solo. A little shaky on the rest of the guys joining in but that
wouldn't get them down tonight. They rocked the casaba as the riverboat
drifted back the other way. Great jam, nice way to end a killer set, right?
Wrong!
    WMGGW: Saw this for the first time at Lemonwheel and I'm in love. What
can I say? Trey is one hell of a musician and that six-string of his was
wailing to us shivering kids on the lawn. Such a great set.
 
    Setbreak was cold and muddy with no place to sit down. We got to know
some kind kids from Toledo and before we knew it the phantastic phour were
strutting back onstage.
 
    First Tube: To tell you the truth, my memory of this part of the evening
is a little foggy. I do however remember looking over at this older gentlemen
with his son and wondering if he liked this song..
    Limb By Limb: The opening chords of this song never fail to make me
smile. The jam was it's usual self. Not complaining.
    Dirt: Now I've always liked this song and all but I never thought I would
ever say, "That was a phat Dirt!" ::::ehem::::
That was a phat Dirt! It was great to see them rework a slow song like that.
At one point Gordon started playing the melody while Trey soloed over it,
producing a sweet lil jam.
    It's Ice: Cool song. A challenge to dance to, plus I was cold, wet, and a
little tired. I gave myself a break as they stretched the jam out.. After a
while each member just faded out until the speakers were quiet. I remember
being excited to see how they would get back to the song and wind it up as
usual when...
    Velvet Sea: Page started to stroke the ivory in that old familiar way.
More rest for my aching bones. Gordon's voice was starting to give on this
one, but he just kept singing through all the scratchiness of it.
    Sand: The repetitive bass line of this piece always reminds me of
the sound systems at a rave. I did my best trippy-liquid-partykid-dance.
    Guyute: Man I've had enough of this song. The taunting lyrics
and awkwardness of the first part are just not my bag. The progression at the
end of this song just loses it's thrill after a million times (the number it
seems like I've gotten). Still, it always seems to pump up the crowd.
    BBFCFM: I love this joke. It's that kinda onstage musical humor
that makes me love those four rascals from Vermont. And, yes, Trey is a Jedi.
    Drowned: Got wet a Darien, got a Drowned. I had a feeling we might hear
this tune again, and indeed, that opening piano part rolled over the crowd.
Gordon's voice seemed to have cleared up. In fact I don't think I've ever
heard him sing so strongly. Good Stuff.
 
    Encore: Cavern:  Opened with one of my favorite openers, they might as
well encore with one of my favorite encores! The funky bass and great vocal
lines at the end of the song are just the way to close a show. No need for
pretty ballads to send me home, no need for an experiment, just give me the
music one last time!
 
    Really a great show. The guys seemed well rested and eager to stir up the
Southern Ohio crowd. Unfortunately I had no time to enjoy my last lot as we
had to make the push back to school. I wonder how my friend did on that 8am
test...
    I'm really going to miss this stuff when they take their break. Thanks to
all the good people I've met and all the warm smiles I've seen. We're really
lucky to have such a wonderful scene. Despite all the talk of tour getting
ugly the good vibes obviously outweigh those bad apples. I'll see you all
when they come back. I'll be the kid smiling ear to ear.

Date: Sun, 24 Sep 2000 11:42:47 -0400
From: gnamian [email protected]
Subject: Riverbend
 
A footnote.  To those who did this and other Cincy shows,  and loathe hearing
Guyute,  this may help you appreciate a subtle pun.
 
Cincinnati was once known as Porkopolis for its pork processing and packing
plants.  If you have been around town this summer,  you have no doubt noticed
decorated pigs all over the place.  And of course the flying pigs at Sawyer
point.  I relocated to Cincy from NYC.  After 10 years here I see the pigs as
a city mascot of sorts.  It is almost appropriate that this pig anthem is
played.  Phish is a relatively recent "hit" in this area as well,  and to the
masses it's still a fun tune with its progression from a slow march to
frenzied jig/rill.  Lighten up old-timers,  let us newbies catch up.
 
Now if they'd cover Pigs on the Wing ...
 
Peace

Date: Sat, 23 Sep 2000 18:47:45 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 9/20/00 riverbend review
 
having just moved to northern ky, this was the closest show to my home that I
have ever been to.  a friend and I got out of class at 4(it was raining hard)
and headed to my place where we met up with two more friends and headed to
the lots.  no trouble getting in, but found out the venue was a good mile to
mile 1/2 walk away.  I don't understand why they parked us so far from the
venue in both directions and left the near lots almost empty.  once we got
there, shakedown was nice and chill.  the rain had stopped and everyone
seemed ready to have a good time.  hardly any cops messing with people from
what i could tell.
we strolled into the show at a little bit after 7 and found our seats in the
pavilion halfway up page side.   ctb's opener was nice to hear.  great warm
up song that gets the crowd excited when they have it going.  not the best
i've heard but also not the worst.  next, wolfman's.  a friend and of mine
laughed that this song seems to follow him around.  I get the same feeling
sometimes.  nice playing by all though which carried over into jibboo.  mike
was laying down some great bass lines which had everyone else in the band
trying to keep up, but doing a good job.  then mike's took over.  great space
before simple kicked in.  good simple which mellowed into tmwsiy.  great
call.  everyone seemed happy.  the natural segue between avenu and weekapaug
seemed to good to be true and had me thinking the set closer was upon us.
not so.  my first guitar gently weeps had me praising the second half of this
set for days to come.  1st set mike's groove hardly ever fails fo me.  I'm
glad I wasn't on that lawn getting soaked during it all.
2nd set opener first tube lacked the energy I have heard this song carry in
the past(roseland on tape and alpine in the flesh).   limb is a good song.
nothing spectacular.  dirt also has its moments we all like, but nothing new
here.  what next?  Ice.  now we're talking.  I hadn't heard this song in
years and was very happy to be there.  they ripped it.  a very spacey jam
ensued with trey on and off of keys.  I kept telling a friend--it was his
first show--about the jam they were going to kick it back into at the end of
the song.  then, they velvet sead it.   low point of the show for me.  frat
kids in front of me were happier than they had been all night.  must have
been one of their favorites.  go figure.  while I'm not a big fan of velvet
sea, I will concede that it fits into a first set or 2nd to last song of a
2nd, or even part of an encore from time to time.  but to cut off a sick Ice
jam with it is not right.  strange beginning to sand.  they seemed like they
couldn't decide what they wanted to do.  i took off for the bathroom, still
raining out there, and could hear page playing the trippy sounds on one of
his boards.  sounded nice but nothing you haven't heard.  the rest of the set
picked back up for me.  although I hear it a lot, guyute was a welcome treat.
 I don't understand people's complaints with this one.  In my opinion, it
will go down in history as an epic song right below the status of yem, slave,
hood, fluff.  It's great trey songwriting at its best.   bbfcfm is so rare
it's always fun.  drowned closer for those soaked on the lawn was
appropriate, but nothing compared to deer creek from summer.  i haven't heard
darien's from this tour yet but hear it is worth many listens.  cavern encore
was standard.  my last show before the break left me smiling.  the strength
of the first set saw to that.  ice and guyute-->furry creature, drowned was
the 2nd set highlight for myself.  I'm going to miss these guys, but feel
that they will return stronger than ever.  have fun until then.
Jon

Date: Sun, 24 Sep 2000 20:08:42 -0700
From: Debbie Lewis [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: the phish show at riverbend on the 20th of sept.
 
I just wanted to say that this was my first phish show, and what I
experienced was awesome to say the least the atmosphere was freindly.It
meant alot to me to even be there my freind and I drove about two hours,
and besides the cold rain and the sloshy mud I have no complaints.
thanks to sarah. the girl who lives across the river for being so
kind!!! To an old hippy and his buddy this means alot . all things
considered I will definitely be a regular concert attendy.
 
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 09:34:05 -0500
From: big pimp [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 9/20/00
 
Missed the first set due to I-74 being shut down...And now that I've seen the
set list, it was much to my peril!
 
2nd set:  Enjoyable, and very well played.
 
First Tube:  This song is overplayed, but it always has great energy and last
night was no exception.  I was with all the other mudkids in the swamp called
the lawn, and all grooved down to this tune.
 
Limb: CK's lights gave this the extra something that it needed.
 
Dirt: Again, overplayed, but this song continues to improve and evolve.
 
ICE: Page rocked on this song, and then it was jammed out, with something
like an ambient jam, lasting maybe 10 min, and very serene, tranquil
high-pitched sounds.  I had the feeling of floating through space. Then the
most incredible chord came wafting back to the lawn, a harbinger of...
 
VELVET SEA: Absolutely the best version I have ever heard of this song.
Acapella in the intro.  All the mudsoaked ppl around were hugging and swaying
to the music.  Trey's solo oozed and dripped with emotion and made me miss
old friends and long-passed relatives.  CK hit the stage with a warm velvety
green color that set just the mellow mood...
 
Sand: Standard, but with some good funk grooves to dance to.
 
Guyute: I'll never grow tired of this gem.  Trey spoke the words and the
metallic/demonic/yoda-ish voice resonated all over the venue.  With the usual
soaring cresendos and runs from Page.  Crowd dug this tune and a few glow
sticks took the the air.
 
BBFCFM:  THIs came out of nowhere, and most ppl in the lawn were really
caught off-guard by this.  "Since when does Phish do angst rock?" some girl
asked next to me.  Gordo was the rock-god before the faithful on this one,
and seem to me like he was laughing it up, trying to keep a straight face.
The lyrics to this one are just plain fun, no anger.  Good this hear this
one, it had been a while.
 
Drowned:  Gordo rules.  Never mind the strained voice, the song was cool, and
the band seemed to enjoy letting Mike continue as a frontman.
 
ENCORE:  Cavern was a hilarious choice, showing that even when a venue has
been assailed by rain and is left a pit of mud and slop, the band has the
sense of humor to remind of to take care of our shoes.  Might have been a
better opener, since my birks were completely shot.
 
2nd set rates: a SIX.
 
Looking forward to being on the floor both nights in the home of the blues--
Chicago.
 
Thanks for reading,
Jason Flora

Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2000 00:43:04 -0500
From: CookieZeal [email protected]
Subject: How about a review from a first timer??
 
I've been phishing in the CD's for about 3 years and have fallen in love
with the band. I have tried to get tix for 3 years as well...to no
avail. Well DAMMIT-I got some this time. My first show...and when they
opened it with ct&b......I almost cried. I was here man...fucking
HERE!!!! Wolfman's kicked in....along with some big, fat rain. I didn't
care....way too caught up in the moment. Simple came along...and I did
cry.....unreal....but the rain masked my tears rather well. This song
moved me very deeply and gave me a great feeling of peace and optimism,
thanks guys.
     I was hoping for several of my favs...and the guys answered with my
number one (of many number one's..but this was my #1 of #1's) IT'S ICE.
I screamed like a Beatles' fan. And sang at the top of my
lungs....unreal...although they didn't finish it off...oh well. The rest
of the 2nd set flowed in abject ambiance...until BBFCFM, hilarious! The
encore was a tribute to us laws dogs..I'm sure of it...Cavern another
one of those #1's I was talking about.
     It happened, my pfirst Phish pshow. I am a better man for it....I
WILL see them as many times as I can. They did not
dissapoint....God....I felt like someone out of a Vonnegut novel....a
man out of time, out of place....and right at home.
 
                                  ~STU

 
Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2000 00:40:33 -0400 (EDT)
From: Alex Hall [email protected]
Subject: Riverbend 9-20-00
 
This was my 11th Phish show, and my 5th in Ohio, my home state.
 
When I heard they were to play Riverbend, I thought it must be a
mistake, and the reason for that is, I saw Furthur at this venue in '97,
and it was a disaster of sorts, the city definetly wasn't prepared for
what looks like a minature city to overtake the parking lot. And the
cops just seemed confused and overwhelmed...at least before the show.
After the show came cruisers through the lots, bike cops, undercovers,
the works. And as a result, no more Furthur at Riverbend. It was
suprising enough to see that Phil Lesh was playing here in the summer
while I was at Phish in Deercreek, but Phish? C'mon, it seems like it
was a disaster waiting to happen, though it was a pretty calm scene.
Most of the shakedown type areas were in the lots across the street, and
they weren't anything to write home about, and I couldn't believe the
amount of extras that were floating around. I bought an extra for the
first time so I could pick up a bag or something, and I ended up trading
for a $15 hat. Oh well, its a cool hat. I brought two of my friends who
hadn't ever been to a Phish show, and it wasn't what I made it out to
be, but they were impressed nonetheless.
   I got stubbed down during Wolfman's first set, and intern missed the
rain(woo-hoo!). And, I got closer than I've ever been at a phish show.
there was some talk of the sound being shitty, but in my opinion, its
always a little less intense outdoors. I guess i'm an indoor junkie(my
first few shows were indoors).
Rather than giving a song by song review, I'll just tell you what I
realized while at the show:
 
No matter how many shows I've seen, and how good or bad they were, The
best way for me to describe this, and all other shows is this:
PHISH IS LIKE A DREAM COME TRUE.
 
And as for the lots....                                     KIND KIDS IN
PARADISE.
 
Only one complaint....I was really hoping to see a Tweezer first set,
and a Reprise encore. Oh well, I've seen it before. Keep smilin"
everybody! That is all.
 
Al in Ohio   [email protected]  (feedback if you like)

Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 09:30:43 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: last night show!!!
 
Last nights show was GREAT!!!.....they jammed all the way from wolf mans
brother to picture of nectar with a phat gottajibbo to get the rain
started....this was my first show in intense weather like this and if you
were not there you missed a once in a lifetime apperance by Phish.....thank
you once again guys for out doing yourself......phan phorever jpNbumbi
 
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 14:14:00 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Riverbend Bath
 
Well, the rain loves Phish in Ohio.  Columbus was wet this summer, but I've
never seen a lawn get so torn up as Riverbend's did last night.  It was great.
 
My first review:  CT&B is always a good way to warm up the feet, nothing
amazing, but it always feels good.  The Wolfman follows me around, I swear,
but I won't ever be one to question song selection, plus I always enjoy the
funk Mike throws down on this toward the end of the song.  Jibboo:  I
overheard someone in Columbus this summer say this song is "dead."  Sucker,
this song continues to rock.  Take it for what it is, folks, it's played so
as to move you and cause you to have FUN (or isn't that the name of the
game?).  Mike's>Simple>TMWSIY>Avenu Malkenu>Weekapawg:  This is always good
stuff.  I especially enjoyed TMWSIY>Avenu>Weekapawg.  Some nice reggae thrown
in there, and I'm extremely soaked at this point, but keeping warm by moving.
 The My Guitar is such a great cover and was especially pertinent during this
song, as the entire lawn let out "weeps" at every high wind or flash of
lightning.
 
Setbreak seemed especially short to me.
 
Second Set:  First Tube:  First time I heard this was at FirstStar Center,
and I've been a fan ever since.  A good way to inject some evil into an evil
2nd set.  Limb:  Another of the fairly new ones that don't always review
well, but I still like, along with...Dirt, very pretty.  It's Ice>Velvet
Sea>Sand:  My highlights of the night.  First Velvet Sea I've seen, and I
knew it right off when Paige seemed to strike the first few chords in slowmo.
 Sand is one of my favorites, almost gives Phish a techno feel.  Guyute was
good as usual, but the BBFCFM made me laugh outloud, as Phish often does.
Mike is definitely the next Iggy Popp.  Drowned was a first for me, and
couldn't have come on a more deserving night.  The abbreviated Cavern was a
good call, especially the abbreviated part.  I was freezing at that point.
Looking forward to indoors in ChiTown.
 
Take care-Chris

Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 17:56:19 EDT
From: [email protected]
Subject: 9-20-00 riverbend, oh.
 
I got there later than i wanted to and the show started as soon as i grabbed
a place to be on the lawn.  There with two of my cronies, one of them had a
pavilion ticket so we decided to get down later on.  The weather was nice,
and 2nd song Wolfman's forshadowed a great show.  Funkin it, band raised a
level everytime the crowd cheered creating a thick Wolf Bro to remember.
Then came an early show Jibboo, and so came the rain.  Big, nasty, cold drops
pelted everyone outside shelter, and in response, the band stepped up a notch
on the Jibboo, too.  Then a surprise- Mike's.  As if to apologize for the
downpour and help keep us warm, we were treated to a raging Mike's that
showed energy, longevity and direction.  Right into Simple, which tapered off
pretty quickly instead off bee-boppin us dry.  There were open doors made by
trey that could go either Caspian or TMWSIY.  Luckily, they skipped the
second MWSIY and moved right into the Groove after Avenu.  After an
icing-on-the cake Guitar Weeps (I was looking for Frankenstein) that didn't
go quite as far as the Polaris version before it, they were breaking.  We'd
had enough of the lawn, complete with mud-slides and thousands of soaked
folks, and headed down.  Grabbed a great seat, didn't get fucked w/the whole
set II.  After such a solid set 1, I wasn't sweatin set II...  1st Tube.
Doesn't cut it (where's the Tweezer, Rin Jim, AC/DC Bag?), but LIMB X gave
hope of a super jam.  It was good, didn't go too far, then it was over...
And then the set poo-poohed out.  Dirt & Velvet Sea in the middle of set II,
eh?  Surprisingly, the crowd couldn't get enough of it.  Ice showed great
potential, starting off with ambiance and then...  staying in ambiance for a
while...  Gaining energy but never peaking.  Page started Vel Sea and no
return to Ice.  Trey spent some QT with the keyboards in Ice, probably the
insparation behind playing the Sand.  It was time for one anyway, but this
was the most boring version I have ever heard.  Mike sounded like he was
thinking about grabbing a cheeseburger after the show and trey fumbled on the
guitar, spending most of his time back on the keys.  It tapered off and left
a nice amount of time left for any "big-gun" but instead..  Guyute.  At this
point, I'm declaring the set a personal worst- but at least they didn't close
with it.  BBFCM from NO WHERE  had Trey holding his Languedoc in the air, and
the Tweez Rep. strobe lights.  I enjoy Creatures- it shows a completely
different side of the band and definetely leveled off this very tame set.
Obviously they weren't going to close w/it, and Drowned raged out.  Trey's
jumping up and down in the Page intro, and we're off!  They played the tune
harder than usual, excentuating like the Who, and gave way to a ripping jam.
They ranged about five different directions in what seemed like a shorter
than usual version, but played it perfectly the whole time, just rockin it.
And then they're gone.  Poopy encore, and that's your show!  BBFCM > Drowned
brought life back to a dying set that was outdone by set I.  Outside, before
the show, people had trouble giving their extras away, a situation rarely
seen.  Have fun everybody!
   -MDC

Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 20:32:37 GMT
From: bradley thacker [email protected]
Subject: cincinatti review (the best review you have ever read)
 
Celebrating my 15th Phish show in my hometown of Cincinatti was not only a
treat in itself, but a wimsical, magical, words can't explain this
show....and i have been to some good ones!!
 
The lot....Cops everywhere, mainly busting people for drinking...but a lot
of them were smiling and nice to the kids in the lot...
 
The clouds looked ominious but i wasn't going to let this stop my 15th
show....i hoped that it wouldn't rain....anway
 
Set I:
 
I was expecting a Runaway Jim opener but instead the opening notes of Cars,
Trucks, and Buses filled the ohio air....
 
CTB-like this song, but i have heard it countless times live so it wasn't
anything new for me......
 
Wolfman's Brother-was never a big fan of this song, but BOY!!!! did trey
wail on this one and i finally noticed Mr. Rock Star got a haircut making
him look even more like eric clapton (more on this later)..The end of this
song rocked and made it a new favorite of mine even though i have seen it
live about 5 or 6 times
 
Gotta Jibboo-Hell Yeah!! Now we are talking, a pretty standard Jibboo but
the clouds came in and started a glow war in the first set....ok a brief
word about glowsticks...KNOCK IT OFF ENOUGH ALREADY!!
 
Now I get to what i call euphoria.....i have wanted a Mike's Song since i
attended my first show in 97...I have been teased, but never got one....but
I did...and in the first set!!!!
 
Mike's- the rain it came down fast and furious and Trey being the jedi he is
fought the rain tooth and nail and just jammed on this motherfucker!! I
could not take the smile off my face, and danced in the rain soooo hard i
lost my friends in the crowd....The jam was just incredible the rain was not
going to ruin my first Mike's....I was definately thinking Hydrogen but...
 
>Simple:  I think they did this song because everyone was getting soaked and
>they weren't......Mud everywhere by this time i was still dancing like it
>was 90 degrees outside....the simple jam wound down and then i got....
 
>TMWSIY:  good choice off the wall, surprised a lot of people this was
>mike's time to shine in cincy
 
>Avenue Malkenu:  entertaining as always....distracted by these dumb shits
>in front off me commenting on how they really should play bouncing
>more...SHUT UP!!! and no Trey does not match his clothes to his guitar!!1
 
>Weekapaug:  Mike was tearing it up on this song as well as Papa Trey...they
>wailed and wailed....giving phans a thanks for putting up with the shitty
>weather that they get cursed with every time they play ohio (Columbus this
>year and last??) I thought this would close the set but....
 
WMGGW:  OH MY GOD!!! I forgot they did this song....and trey is rivaling
both clapton and jimmy page in my book now...He really is a underestimated
musician who deserves way more credit....He made this guitar cry
literally....I cringed when the lights came up because i wanted to sit down
and i was freezing
 
Setbreak:  i lost my friends and i am now all by myself, shivering, sitting
in the mud...i looked pathetic probably...I was passed by a really beautiful
looking girl who massaged the top of my head as she walked by....She passed
by again this time sitting down to massage and shoot the bull with me for
awhile....she was beautiful, she really was.....her name is Rachel and she
is from Atlanta....and she rocks....she kept me warm and i felt really
comfortable around her in my weakend condition (damn you E!!!!)....the
lights came back on she took my hand, helped me up...and we got
 
First Tube:   I could hear this song every show and it would never get
old...and i know why they call it first tube now, if you really consentrate
on the song....your in a tube and its stupednous.(HA)
 
Limb by Limb:  Me and Rachel danced our asses off on this one...the jam was
incredible...we fell in slipped in mud several times but thats all
right.....
 
Dirt:  One of my favorite ballads by these guys....i shut my eyes for this
one and felt a body cluthing mine....it was hers and it was beautiful....it
felt soooo good!!!
 
Its Ice:  Another favorite of mine the jam was incredible maybe one of the
best ones yet, but they didn't finish it>
 
>velvet sea:  another ballad, trey must've known some skinny shivering near
>sick rolling mess guy was out there meeting a girl and having the greatest
>15th show ever!!! again embrassed by love and good feeling about everything
 
>Sand:  sorry love the lyrics, hate the song....i have no opinion on this
>one
 
Guyute:  Oh Yeah!!! why do people bitch about this song?? Its great the jam
and guitar part towards the last verse is amazing if played right and it
was...could've sworn this would be the last song but..
 
>BBFCFM:  Trey is a fucking jedi...i am convinced when he picked his guitar
>up and the end and did all kinds of weird rock god stuff...he is quite a
>performer.....thought this woudld be the last one but....
 
Drowned:  "set me free!!!!" man they really cook this song when they play it
and it is sooooo breathtaking.....phish really makes cover songs there
own....
 
E: Cavern:  I expected this one coming....the take care of your shoes line
really hit everybody considering there was mud everywhere
 
I give this show a ten!!!
 
After the show....Rachel and I chatted about phish, god, love, politics, the
perfect grilled cheese and exchanged addresses and i will be going to
atlanta in november.....
 
THANK YOU TREY, MIKE, JON, AND PAGE FOR THE ON GOING MEMORIES AND THE DIRT
YOU PLAYED WHICH PUT ME ON CLOUD NINE!!!!! RACHEL I WILL SEE YOU SOON BE
SAFE ON TOUR!!!!
 
brad "cheese"

Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 21:48:25 EDT
From: Kevin Janes [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 9/20/00 Cincy
 
hey now~
number 11 for me and my last for some time (no telling when they'll return
from their "break"). it wasn't the best show I've ever seen, but was not as
bad as some of these reviews have been depicting it. it had some stellar
highlights such as the whole Mike's>Simple>TMWSIY, etc. plus While My Guitar
was a treat. I thought the rain would dampen my enjoyment (no pun intended)
but it seemed to heighten it. I was one of 'em cheering every time the rain
got hard or lightning struck! It was damn cold though... the second set was
not quite as good as the first, but that's ok, I'll take any Phish show any
day over school or work! I absolutely LOVE Dirt and thought the Wading was
perfect, the best I've heard yet. They nailed it beautifully! BBFCFM was
pretty random, my first time seeing this one, but made me laugh and forget
about my numb limbs for a few minutes. I've never been much of a Drowned
fan, but they seemed to play it nicely last night. the encore was fitting
(take care of your shoes). part of me wanted another song as well, but the
rest of me wanted to get into my heated car and find some dry clothes.
Overall, a great show to end my touring run which started in this very city
at the Crown on 11/14/98. enjoy the rest of the phall everyone, wish I could
catch another show but alas, I'll have to wait until they return, whenveer
that may be, peace...
Kevin

Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 03:37:53 -0500 (EST)
From: Matthew G. Small [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 9/20/00
 
        The atmosphere was super kind as my friends Triple J, Drew, and I
melted into the 'bend late Wednesday afteroon.  The silent, boarded-up Coney
Island section of the park gave a summer's-end aura the evening.  As we made
it to the lawn, Cars Trucks Buses delighted our ears and reminded us of what
we just endured:  Cincinnati's finest in traffic inefficiency.  Wolfman's
Brother had a funk-a-fied ending jam that was perfectly executed.  After a
slight pause, Trey struck the first note of Jiboo - waited - then delved right
into the tune.  The crowd didn't seem to care much that this song has been
showing up quite frequently of late.  Everyone was grooving and getting into
the set.  Besides, we had more to be concerned about, namely the dark storm
clouds that were beginning to hover above us.  Suddenly it bust open pouring
rain, drenching everyone on the lawn and igniting the band to delve further
into the Jiboo jam.  This resulted in a 3rd-song glowstick war?! which
naturally had everyone feeling pretty good. Mike's>Simple kept the energy
high, and I think the boys surprised everybody when they eschewed Hydrogen for
TMWSIY>Avenu Malkenu!  The rain was still falling in windy sheets when
Weekapaug got everyone moving again.  While My Guitar Gently Weeps was a
surprise bonus after the Mike's workout.  Trey was wailing!
        Set break afforded us the chance to dry out some. The rain had finally
ceased.  We tarried too long outside milling about and heard First Tube as we
were making our way back in.  This one was money from the beginning!  Limb was
(dare I say) standard, as was Dirt, but both were much appreciated.  Things
really started to get crazy during a supremely tight It's Ice.  This floated
around the murky bottom for a while before dropping off into Wading.  A twofer
for Page!  We all agreed it was much better placement than the last WITVS.  
Sand kept disco phish alive and continued in the water leitmotif.  Guyute was
raging as usual.  Another smaller glow-stick war erupted in the pavilion.  It
was like a collective realization that CK5 was going to town with the lights,
obviously stoked by the flying neon.  The surprise of the evening was a
super-rare BBFCFM (my first!).  Mike was hilarious!  He was so on they decided
to jump right into Drowned, another welcomed repeat of the tour and perfectly
appropriate for this wet night. Nothing too ambient about this Drowned.  They
pretty much stuck to the song structure and finished strong.  We were all
calling a Slave encore, but instead got a tongue-in-cheek Cavern, sending us
off into the night not too worried about our muddy, skunky footwear.  Overall
a phantastic show.  I'm not going to bother to rate it; that's up to the avid
listener who MUST get these tapes. Thanks for listening and much peace to all.  
See ya in Chi-town!
 
Smiles,
Smalls

Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 09:40:09 EST
From: Jason Flora [email protected]
Subject: 9/20/00 review
 
Missed the first set due to I-74 being shut down...And now that I've seen
the set list, it was much to my peril!
 
2nd set:  Enjoyable, and very well played.  I'd rate it a 6.
 
First Tube:  This song is overplayed, but it always has great energy and
last night was no exception.  I was with all the other mudkids in the swamp
called the lawn, and all grooved down to this tune.
 
Limb: CK's lights gave this the extra something that it needed.
 
Dirt: Again, overplayed, but this song continues to improve and evolve.
 
ICE: Page rocked on this song, and then it was jammed out, with something
like an ambient jam, lasting maybe 10 min, and very serene, tranquil
high-pitched sounds.  I had the feeling of floating through space. Then the
most incredible chord came wafting back to the lawn, a harbinger of...
 
VELVET SEA: Absolutely the best version I have ever heard of this song.
Acapella in the intro.  All the mudsoaked ppl around were hugging and
swaying to the music.  Trey's solo oozed and dripped with emotion and made
me miss old friends and long-passed relatives.  CK hit the stage with a warm
velvety green color that set just the mellow mood...
 
Sand: Standard, but with some good funk grooves to dance to.
 
Guyute: I'll never grow tired of this gem.  Trey spoke the words and the
metallic/demonic/yoda-ish voice resonated all over the venue.  With the
usual soaring cresendos and runs from Page.  Crowd dug this tune and a few
glow sticks took the the air.
 
BBFCFM:  THIs came out of nowhere, and most ppl in the lawn were really
caught off-guard by this.  "Since when does Phish do angst rock?" some girl
asked next to me.  Gordo was the rock-god before the faithful on this one,
and seemed to me like he was laughing it up, trying to keep a straight face.
  The lyrics to this one are just plain fun, no anger.  Good this hear this
one, it had been a while.
 
Drowned:  Gordo rules.  Never mind the strained voice, the song was cool,
and the band seemed to enjoy letting Mike continue as a frontman.
 
ENCORE:  Cavern was a hilarious choice, showing that even when a venue has
been assailed by rain and is left a pit of mud and slop, the band has the
sense of humor to remind us to take care of our shoes.  Might have been a
better opener, since my birks were completely shot by then.
 
2nd set rates: a SIX.
 
Looking forward to being on the floor both nights in the home of the blues--
Chicago.
 
Thanks for reading,
Jason Flora


Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 08:58:08 -0400
From: Dennis [email protected]
Subject: review
 
I thought last night's Riverbend show was mediocre at best.  The setlist
was ok, and they seemed to have a good momentum going throughout most of
the first set.  Cars, etc. was ok, nothing to write home about.
Wolfman's just isn't one of my favorites, Gotta Jiboo was alright, but I
think it's a tad overplayed.  Simple was ok... and pretty much the rest
of the set went on like this.... not bad, not great.
 
I thought the 2nd set was a yawn. First Tube and Cavern were highlights,
but neither were over-the-top.
 
I had great seats in the pavillion, and I was surprised by how muddy the
sound was.  I heard a lot of people blaming that on the venue, but I've
seen lots of shows at Riverbend, and acoustics have never been that big
of a problem there.  I think the mix was just bad.
 
The scene was pretty average outside.  TONS of cops all over the venue
property, which was expected, and that pretty much eliminated any scene
in the actual lot.  Across the street were a couple of little lots where
smaller Shakedowns were, and I didn't see any hassles over there.
 
So all in all I'd say it was a pretty forgetable evening.

Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 04:56:19 -0700
From: Kareem Abou-Gharbia [email protected]
Subject: oh ohio.
 
what a night for me.
phish was a little bit of everything tonite.
my personal highlights were simple and cavern.
while my guitar gently weeps was THE way to end any well-played set.
the crowd was gracious as always.
the band, even more gracious, or maybe graceful.
i hope to see phish in 20 years and here the exact same set.
except this time, it would be the 2nd time around. haha.
goodnight
 
 
Set II: First Tube, Limb by Limb, Dirt, It's Ice > Wading in the Velvet Sea
> Sand, Guyute > Big Black Furry Creatures from Mars, Drowned
 
 
kareem
 
(i live for dank)

Date: 21 Sep 2000 07:47:27 -0700
From: John A Blakeney Jr [email protected]
Subject: Riverbend
 
Perspective
 
My third Phish show experience was one of more than just music.  And this
probably isn^�t the typical review that you receive.  Anyway, the ride there
was good although it seemed to take forever.  I was just so excited about
seeing Phish again!!!!!  The parking lot was fun to warm up in, although I
wish we had had the chance to see more.  I just wanted to soak it ALL in, and
not miss anything!!  And the show was great, despite of couple of episodes.  
The first major episode took place during the middle and end of Wolfman^�s
Brother.  A good friend, who was celebrating his first solid year sober (much
congratulations!!!!!!), went into a seizure in the 8th row.  Everyone around
was a little caught off guard, and as you can imagine^�friends were looking
their friends thinking, ^�Man, what the hell is he on?^� Well, you can^�t
blame those people^�they just didn^�t know the circumstances.  A great thanks
to those around us that did offer their aid.  I think what overtook my friend
was th! e intensity of the situation when the lights went down, the loud
music, the occasional smoke cloud (triggering in his mind, a time of his life
that was out of control), and his unfortunate lack of rest from the previous
night.  Regardless, he did have a seizure right there if front of everyone,
and afterwards I did my best to tell him not to worry or be embarrassed.  
Personally, I just think it would be a really tough thing to have a seizure in
the middle of a big crowd, and then stand up and try to regain your composure.  
After things cooled down, and everything was under control, we started to once
again get back into the show.  And as the show continued, my friend and his
brother felt that it was a little too loud in the 8th row, all things
considered.  After making a dodge to the restrooms and regaining my seat, I
made arrangements with them to enjoy the rest of the first set from the 8th
row while they escaped the mayham up close and move to the back for some air.
Betwee! n sets, we were all pretty cold and wet, and decided that maybe we had
all had enough.  Walking around near the vendors, I heard the band open the
second set with First Tube.  First Tube is by far my favorite tune right now,
and if there was anything that I wanted to hear, that was it.  I darted up the
stairs when I first hear that guitar rift, and was able to catch it from the
back of the lawn. Meanwhile, I was of course thinking that I could be way up
front in the 8th row (center mind you) really getting my dollars worth, but
hey, so it goes.  We left the show early, with absolutely no regrets.  I love
Phish, even though I feel that I am kind of jumping on the bandwagon, and can
honestly say that they are probably the best band I have ever seen perform. My
first 2 shows, FirstStar Center in December, sold me as a fan hand over fist.  
However, like I was telling my friend^�s brother as we were walking out of
this show, I love Phish, but when it really comes down to it, I woul! d rather
be a good friend than a good fan.  Any feedback, I would love to hear it:
[email protected]


Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 04:27:14 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: River Music Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
 
SWEET MOTHER OF GOD!!!!!

Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 17:28:57 GMT
From: trent miller [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Cincy show review.....
 
Cincy (Riverbend) Show Review Thur. 9-21-00
 
Phriends, I'll start this review with a quick personal note....I'm a huge
phan who has been to about 40 shows over the last 7 years and I've loved
every one......
 
Cincy show road trip as we do every fall but this one just never happened.
Don't believe the hype if you missed this show you didn't miss much.  First
of all it was very cold, rainy, and muddy which would
do it for most people, yes this was annoying but for a great phish show
I'd sit through about anything.......the problem was the sound!!!!!!
I've probably been to over 100 concerts of all kinds of bands in all kinds
of settings and have never had such horrible sound.  We were on the left
side of the lawn(page side) and we couldn't hardly hear anything.  We tried
to move several times and same thing.  There was simply no energy from the
crowd because there was really nothing to hear from the band?  What
happened?  I've never missed a song while attending a phish show but
actually left the show half way through the second
set.  I couldn't believe what I was doing but there was really no point in
being there......I felt like I was listening to a bad bootleg on a bad
stereo turned way down!  I love phish and will be in chicago this weekend
but I felt that everyone should know what a disaster this show was.  I've
never seen so many people leaving and uninterested by what was being
played........Thanks should be good times in chi-town....
T

Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 02:00:19 EDT
From: [email protected]
Subject: review 9/20
 
This is my first review after being a long-time observer and listener.  I
think the band is constantly improving, and the texture and variance of their
played is evidence for my experience...just compare second sets for the past
few shows and it seems these musicians can do anything.
Well, just about anything...before the show my traveling companion was
vending various ales and lagers to help her travel on, when the policeman
intruded on our day.  Big fine, court date in Cinci., etc...be careful
friends.
But the music is the common chord amongst us, and I enjoyed myself throughout
the cool breeze, mud, police, and rain.
Set I: Umm...Mike's>Simple>TMWSIY>Avenu Malkenu> Weekapaug
and it was amazingly beautiful.  The other tunes were great, esp. CTB and
Wolfman's.
Set II: Everyone is a critic, and I heard the usual fever of people not being
able to get what they wanted.  Anytime you can hear music played ranging from
the poetic Wading in the Velvet Sea, to the jazz-space-fusion-funk of an
ambient jam, to staight punk rock of the furry creatures, then I respect what
I am a part of beyond verbal communication!
Love, Tom

Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 01:29:08 EDT
From: [email protected]
Subject: 7-20
 
just returned back to dayton and thoguht id give my first review.  very laid
back lot scene, nice layout with the downs around.
 
ctb-nice way to get it kickin as the storn headed in
 
wolfmans-very funky, got things jamming
 
gottajibboo-nice jam, im sure the boys with the shirts will love that one
 
mike's> simple> very nice, was gordon all over this show or what
 
TMWSIY>Avenu mulkenu nice way to keep things flowing as the strom was in full
force
 
weekapaug-love this song, always have and always will, fun hearing no TMWSIY,
good variety
 
while my guitar-oh man, is trey really a jedi.  damn, what a way to end it
 
setbreak-very chill, all the lawn folks were very had.  even thoguh i lost my
shirt to lauren im sure she needed it more.  40 or so minutes later...
 
first tube-boom, oru car talked abotu this the whole way there.  they really
seem to enjoy this song.  wow
 
limb, dirt- standard, dirt is always nice to slow thigns down.
 
ice- beautiful, what a fun song, fishman seemed very excited
 
wading-once again, a nice slow down, good to hear
 
sand-more farmhouse, still fun after cuyahoga.
 
guyute-damn, i hope this happens once again.
 
BBFCFM- haha, gordon is awesome.  never seen it live, loved it.
 
drowned-more gordon, the boys seemed to love this song.
 
cavern-nice way to end things.
 
overall, one of the more fun shows ive ever attended.  the storm was amazing,
great venue.  hope to be in chicago.  peace


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