7-29-01 - PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ

review submisions to me at dws@netspace.org or dws@gadiel.com

Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2001 02:58:08 EDT
From: JLK870@aol.com
To: dws@netspace.org
Subject: review/commentary for 7-29-01
 
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< REVIEW _ TREY _ 7-29-01>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 
 
"Who's Afraid of the Hiatus? - A Review/Commentary on the Reviews
Trey Anastasio Band - July 29, 2001- PNC Bank Arts Center - Holmdel, NJ
 
 
My wife have just returned from an annual visit to NJ to visit family, which
we have always attempted to schedule around a Phish show. To let you know
your reviewer a bit more, I'm about to be 31. I grew up in Jersey and saw my
fair share of NY/NJ Dead and Phish shows, including some phenomenally
memorable Phish shows in 92 and 94 at this venue.  My last Phish show there
(7-15-99 for those of you scoring at home) featured a promising first set,
and a second set I have tried hard to forget, but it just never happens.
Anyway, I came into this show with an open mind, by as a person who's never
hesitated to jump on Trey (or any of the other three) in writing a review, I
was willing to criticize.  I am not in the camp of those who bash anyone who
writes a negative review.  Trey has and does have bad shows, I've seen some.
 
That said, the people whose reviews have called this band, and this show in
particular "mediocre," what were the acoustics like from your seats, because
you clearly heard a different show than my wife, brother and myself did.  If
you expected Phish's sound because of Trey, consider yourself as dissapointed
as those who didn't like Band of Gypsies because they didn't sound like the
Experience.  Here's a hit to enjoy the next show, this is a different band
that also has Trey as the primary musical force.  It bears no other
resemblance to Phish other than what Trey feels like adding to a setlist or
jam from moment to moment.  Isn't that what Phish was about?  Specifically,
those who complained about either the way "Phish songs" were played (ie. Free
Thought/Mozambique and Sand) or the way "Phish songs" weren't played (ie.
First Tube) it's time for a refresher history course.  That Sand appears on
Farmhouse and has been played several times by Phish (and do I ever love the
New Year's version, my first!) doesn't make it a Phish song.  That song
features some of Tom's most significant lyrics and that deep funk groove
which is reminiscent to me of the best parts of Hendrix's Third Stone and
most of Marc Ribot's second "Cubanos Postizos" cd, and that groove was
written by Trey, Russ and Tony. In other words, to call it a Phish song is
not giving credit where credit is due.  This also applies to the not-played
First Tube (a song I will admit I was calling for after that gorgeous At the
Gazebo), written with Russ and Tony.  The point, which I will try not to lose
now, is that Mike and Fishman are a world-class rhythm section and can bring
the funk on command, but they aren't the only brilliant musicians out there.
 
 
This new band is the full-on 7 piece Jazz/Funk experience with that element
of good pop/rock sensibility that Trey has.  It was refreshing to hear most
of Trey's pedal work be with the Wah, a opposed to too many loops or phrase
samples.  It was a return for me to the Trey I first saw at Roseland in 1992,
a Trey that was just as comfortable playing Take the A Train as he was Reba.
 
To call the horn section mediocre is to admit to posessing no jazz/funk
sensibility.  The two young players (Jennifer Hartswick and Andy Moroz) are
beyond competent, and add depth to whatever is being played, and for those of
you in who's eyes Trey should be the rock star, with Grippo and Remmington,
you've got two other musicians of that caliber.  Those two alone were worth
the price of admission with both their attitudes on stage and their soloing
not only off of one another, but off of Trey as well.  Russ Remmington's
flute playing (I'll have to wait for cd's to remember in which jam) was
beautiful.   I believe I already gave Russ (Lawton) and Tony their props.
Their playing was just what the show called for, perfect rhythmic set up for
the lead players to do their thing.  The only remaining member is Ray
Paczowski.  I am a tremendous fan of keyboard/organ players, and if forced to
answer the narrow Phish down to my favorite member musically I would say
Page, so I am given to being critical of others who'll play that role with
Trey.  Ray is competent.  He didn't blow my mind, but he didn't do anything
that took away from the jams either.  Trent Dilfer won a SuperBowl being
competent.  I look forward to hearing the shows Medeski sat in for, but Ray
is adequate.
 
I have taken enough time with my rant so I will not bore you with yet another
song by song interpretation of the show, but particular highlights for me
were Last Tube, Cayman Review (nice lyrics, Tom?), Free Thought (and the
dance Trey did with the horns), and Sand (which I found to be blistering and
all that I hoped for out of a song I originally got to know as a Trey solo
song, and while I love some of Phish's takes on it, nothing makes for a Sand
like a Trey solo gig (particularly with horns.  Push On made a great encore.
 
Also, and doesn't anybody notice the one other aspect that should remind you
looking to replace Phish that Kuroda has upped the ante one more time on what
concert lighting can be.  I can say only this, clearly Chris still gets Trey,
it's a shame some of you that went to the show didn't.
 
This Trey show completed our July trifecta with Karl Denson's Tiny Universe,
Claypool's Frog Brigade.  If you haven't seen Karl, do, and do it soon.  As
far as the person who's review hoped that a fall Oysterhead tour would whip
Trey into shape, let me say thisā^Ą¦ I love Oysterhead, I love Les (aside
from
Victor Wooten, and Billy Cox, he is my bass hero).   The Frog Brigade show I
just saw in Orlando paled in comparison to the one they put on in Orlando in
February.  Les played what seemed a very short set, with a smaller band
(skerik still kicked ass as always) and several repeated songs from the last
show at that venue.  I still love Les, I will still do what I can to see an
Oysterhead show should there be one, but from the two shows I've just seen,
I'll put my money on Trey to catch fire night after night.  As I said to my
wife on the drive home, if what we got that Sunday night in Holmdel is an
indication of what this band will be, I hope the hiatus goes on for awhile.
 
On a personal note, I sincerely hope that a certain person who wasn't able to
attend the Atlanta show (yeah, Jeff, you) reads this review, I'm sure you
missed a good one too.  Too bad, huh. (Cue Fishamn "Ha Ha Ha.")
 
Peace,
Jay Kaplan
Tampa, FL

Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001 18:43:30 -0400 From: PSutor PSutor@ptd.net To: dws@netspace.org Subject: PNC Show This was a great show. This band is full of great musicians, and everyone was completely together. The jams were awesome, and at points they sounded like big band charts (check out Count Basie) or classical chamber music played on rock instruments. The rythm section was great, completely in the pocket, leaving Trey and the horn section plenty of freedom. It was great, with the funky clavinet down low the hole time, almost playing counterpoint to the bass parts. Everyone in the horn section would gradually start to play their own thing, with all the parts interweaving, and just floating above the rythm section. This band really lets Trey show off as an overall musician, not just a guitar player. The compositions were really solid and smart, and Trey knew when to stay in the background and let the band play. Unfortunately, it seems not everyone in the audience had the same opinion as me. Anytime a song wasn't really energetic, it seemed like everyone around me was talking. It was annoying to those of us who were trying to listen to the music, and it was insulting to Trey and the band, because they are really trying to say something musically, and you're not even paying attention. Apparently most of you just want to get your stoned minds blown instead of really listen to the music. It seems that most of you aren't even giving the music a chance. I think that if you stop and really listen to the music, you'll hear that this is just as good, if not better, than Phish.
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001 18:41:04 EDT From: Jdog27@aol.com To: dws@gadiel.com Subject: 7/29/01 i have been on the trey tour since red rocks (with the exception of nc and georgia). the show at pnc was my last show of the tour and i would like to give my point of view on the last few weeks. all i hear is "why does trey keep playing the same songs?" why? because his band is basically brand new. i also hear kids say the band sucks and trey isn't original. but then again, these are probably the same kids who keep yelling for tweezer every night. come on. what do you expect? trey is the leader of this band. different from phish. one of the main reasons i have become so involved in phish and their music is because of it's diversity. i came to see trey because he is amazing, not because "phish will play here becasue they were banned years ago." that would be great, but this is trey's tour. not phish. if you don't like his new music then don't go. it's pretty easy. oh yeah then there is the classic "tony is so fat." wow are these people perceptive. this guy you are making fun of is the man who composed first tube, sand, and jibboo(probably the only songs these people like and can expect to hear) trey talks about how important he is to the band, but yet there are still those jokes. please people keep complaining about the lack of changes from night to night. the songs may be the same, but they all had their different versions. the four sands i saw were each completely different. one featuring horns, the other with three keyboards, and one just pure funky. the second set of merriwether had 10 songs including money love and change and plasma. but trey managed to get the band going to play a four song second set that featured completely different versions of the two. i guess the gist of this is, as many other true music phans have said is. the ticket says trey. if you are expecting phish, save your money and listen to your tapes. it you love trey and are glad to see him smile again, catch the rest of the tour because you will have a great time.
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001 22:18:19 -0400 From: Marc Ginsberg To: dws@netspace.org Subject: holmdel review After the Atlanta show, I was more than pumped to fly up to New York and take a train to New Jersey w/ one of my best buddies to catch another TAB show. I've never been to a show up north and it was a lot different. The crowd seemed MUCH younger (I'm only 19 so it was noticeable to me) and I was afraid that it would be disrespectful, but at least from my spot on the lawn the crowd was great. Not everyone was grooving all night, but they definitely dug the music. I. Simple Twist Up Dave - rocked. rocked hard. I was pumped to hear it for the first time and it was awesome. Happy Coffee Song - awesome. how are people bitching about these shows? Last Tube - Maybe not as good as Atlanta's Last Tube but it was incredible to say the least Tube Top Flop - Went and took a piss ... I could honestly do w/o this song ever again Mozambique - Missed the first half of it coming back ... doesn't change much from version to version but it's always fun and smokes each and every time Cayman Review - slower and much more funked out ... i danced around the streets of new york all night last night singing and dancing w/ this tune in my head Nothing but an E Thing - Didn't recognize it. It was awesome like everything else though Alive Again - Such a great song, just like all the new ones. I really want a percussionist in this band! II. Money Love and Change - had to be near 30 minutes long ... and FUNKED OUT the whole time. Plus, the jam didn't seem to meander like the Atlanta Mr. Completely did (although that was awesome too). This band gets better each song it seems Plasma - rocked hard. When - I didn't know what this song was it must be newer but it rocked as well Sand - HOLY SHITBALLS! Better than the Atlanta Sand. I love tony on this song he's the man. He's so locked in on this song and you can tell from his facial expressions Gazebo - GREAT! I bitched both other times I've seen as an encore but it was much, much better @ this show. I don't know why. It just was. Push on til the day - I was so happy they played something other than Gazebo in the encore b/c while Gazebo is so beautiful it's almost the antithesis of what this band is ... this band plays spaceage funk and Trey is James Brown. This band will only get better and the improvement from March to this summer has been tremendous. I'll jump on for an East Coast run next summer if they're back, but I still lust for the day when ol' gordo, page, and fishman are up there instead of russ, tony, ray, dave, jen, russ, and andy. It's obvious that all these negative reviews are from people who were expecting Phish. I went expecting to dance my ass off and have the highlight of my summer, and I'm glad I went to these shows. My legs still hurt from dancing so much and it's Tuesday now!
Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2001 05:13:01 -0700 (PDT) From: Spensor Forhire walstib1977@yahoo.com To: dws@netspace.org Subject: Trey A. Greetings from a much more laid back fan. Loved the Trey show at the PNC (even though I was harassed by the Po-Po's for 'kicking a cop car'). I think I love the show because of my expectations...none. I haven't heard a show (well, maybe one or two), hadn't read a review... just went in to see a NEW BAND playing some NEW MUSIC, kinda like going to Blink 182 or some other band I could't particularly care about. Major difference, I know Trey's personality, and how is is expressed through his music. Arrived at the park early, drank about 400 Sam's Summer Ale, ate some great Falafel in the back lot, played some frisbee... a good time all around, with a mellow laid back crowd in the most wonderful 85degree no humidity Sunday afternoon in the history of July!!! I love Phish et al, but the time to deal with something new, folks, is in order. The smiles and dancing and lights coming from the stage were priceless. I read in one of the NY tabloid newspapers (NEWSDAY, page C2) today concerning the upcoming Jones Beach show, "...you can bet he'll do Phish classics and loads of crazy cover tunes." I am so glad this will never be the case. Mad props for Mr. Trey for not doing the 'relic' of the past thing. Keep it real, and see you Friday night, I'll be the one having a good time. ===== Your hands and feet are mangos, you're gonna be a genius anyway. BABA BUOY
Date: Thu, 02 Aug 2001 19:37:52 -0400 From: John Mylan jmylan@CLEMSON.EDU Subject: 7-29-01 - PNC Bank Arts Center - Review I usually am not the type of guy to write reviews after shows. I've been to over 30 some phish shows and 6 Trey shows between the two tours this year. I'm writing this review because of my disappointment in the phish community during this Trey tour. Many reviews in the spring were critical, but now it has gotten ridiculous. I'm not sure what it is you people expect from Trey. Here he is touring during his year off from phish and having more fun then he has in years. With the exception of Big Cypress, I don't think I've ever seen Trey so happy and jumping all around ever before. He's like a little kid again. So Phish is on break...if you're a phish phan, like that guy Ben said "Phish is not on tour." This tour is Trey's and if you're a fan of his guitar playing then I promise you'll have a good time. I felt like the shows this summer were a hundred times better than the spring. Contrary to popular belief I thought Trey did a lot less coaching the other musicians and did a lot more guitar playing. The four shows I caught, PNC being the last were incredible. These songs and this band are Trey's way of exploring and "grabbing his youth again." What a resume builder for these fine musicians. The keyboardist is phenomenal, anyone who saw or hears Raleigh will know. Tony can hold a bass line for twenty minutes, keeping it funky the whole time. And the horns add a great touch and personally I thought they were a lot less dominate this tour. If you read all the interviews, it's clear...Phish was in danger of losing its touch. It's hard to stay fresh for 17 years without some sort of break. And you'd think this break would be a time for the boys to hang at home with their families and stuff, but NO Trey loves playing music so much that he has been rigorously writing new stuff and performing all year. Look at the entourage of new songs he (and Tom) have come up with this year. I can't think of a year since like the mid or early 90's when he has written so much music. He's excited again, and that's a good thing. Let him have his fun. If you don't like it, don't go. But don't sit here and ridicule and call him egotistical and all the sh*t just because his band doesn't live up to Phish. Shame on all you people. PNC was a great show. When is the last time Phish played a kick ass four song - hour long second set? As that guy said in one of the other reviews...I too saw three Sands and every one was different. Atlanta probably the best of the three, but they were all awesome. I think they play it better than Phish ever does. It almost sounds like it's the way it should be played. My last little comment will be this. Wait until Phish comes back (and they will...whenever they're ready) and see what Mike, Page, and Fish do with some of these new songs. I'll bet all of you eat your words. Trey's band is perfecting these songs. Right now they are their songs and they're not trying to cover anyone else or anything like that. They have like a thirty song repertoire and that's it. They jam out the songs a little differently every night. I don't know if I could see an entire tour because of it's repetitiveness, but a few shows is a good time and it's some of the nastiest jamming you'll here this summer. So if you don't like it don't see it and if you saw it and didn't like it...you're not open minded at all. I said it before and I'll say it again...Let Trey have is fun, in the end it can only be good for Phish...I promise! John
Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2001 09:14:52 -0400 From: Robert A Ohme ROhme@compuserve.com To: "dws@www.phish.net" dws@archive.phish.net Subject: review 7-29-01 (PNC show) Hi, it's now august 3rd, & I'm gettin' ready for the Jones Beach show tonight. I'm writing this review because I'm sick of everyone putting down Trey! If you are going to a Trey show looking for a Phish show, then your gonna hate it. You gotta go w/ an open mind, and just enjoy whatever the hell he plays. The last review of this show I read said, "He should at least have a taste of Phish at his shows...." Let's get the record straight.....Trey wants to get as far away from Phish as possible! He's been w/ them for 18 years, & eventually they will get back together, but for now, he wants to do something different! Sorry, that I'm flipping out, but it just really bothers me, when you see some idiot burn out, sitting there, sayin', "When is he gonna play Mike's Song?" Anyway, now to the show...... Simple Twist Up Dave-great way to open the show, solid jam, and Trey was really gettin' into it. Happy Coffee Song-different, very different, but kind of catchy, and it deffinetly got people movin' Last Tube-this song fuckin' rules! The jam was ten times better than a lot of Phish jams that I've heard out of my 180 show collection Tube Top Wobble-short and to the point, and it meelowed everything out, after the sick jam in Last Tube Mozambique-funny as hell! w/ Trey and the Horn section doing the whole song while also performing a organized dance Caymen Review-sounded a lot like Possum when it first started, but I knew not to get to excited. This song is awesome, just a good chilled out dance song Nothing But An E Thing-honestly, i don't remember this song at all, so I can not comment Alive Again-I LOVE this song, what a great line-"Quietly, you say to me, the time has come for you to be alive again." the way that fits in tot he song, just puts a smile on my face Intermission-a little shorter than a Phish show, but, that is not a bad thing. Money, Love & Change-a good 2nd set opener, and it set the right mood. Then Trey took the song into an awesomen jam! I closed my eyes, and I could sware that I was at a Phish show!> Plasma- don't remember> Storm Drawing Near-I was hopping Jibboo, or Push On Til' The Day, but I'll settle, because I knew right after this song, he was gonna blast everybody away w/ something> Sand-Needed very badlt, very, very badly! Not because it's a Phish show, but because it's just got that bass line, that doesn't change the whole song!-I love it! The jam was insane, and it went into a funk type jam. Then w/ start/stop jamming, then the band introductions, and then more jamming, and that was the set. The set was a little short, but that's because the first set was 1 hr. & 50 min. Enocre: At The Gazebo-I saw one show that ended w/ this, & i was praying that this show was not the same. The song did bring a tear to my eye, thinking about back ijn the days of Phish shows, but then.... Push On Til' The Day-YES! what a great song. And w/ Trey & Jen doing a funny-as-hell dance, & w/ a high quality jam too end the night off! All in all it was a great show! It was not a Phish show, but then again, it was not Phish on stage either.
Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2001 18:20:24 EDT From: Js8808@aol.com To: dws@netspace.org Subject: pnc show Was I happy to see trey? Yes! But i was unhappy at the quality of the entertainment. I have seen many frontmen do side projects without any other band members so i knew not to expect anything. I wasn't waiting for a my friend, my friend. i just wanted some Quality music---guess what there was none in holmdell NJ. The best frontmen i have seen without their bands were John Fogerty and Jerry Garcia, and michael Jackson. These guys were entertaining. They still had a taste of their former band but with their stamp on it. i do not see how this show will play to big audiences beyond this tour. it is one thing to jam and be good --quite another to jam and sound like scrambled eggs. I am sure that when they are financially$$ ready they will toour as phish and pack large venues. I saw Taj Mahal not too long ago and he was awesome. maybe i'll tour with him! oh well. there are far more entertaining shows out there---don't wait for trey he is no guru only human.
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001 12:09:56 -0400 From: "Newmark, Adam" ARNewmark@Mintz.com To: dws@netspace.org Subject: Holmdel Show review I've had a few days to really think about this (my first solo Trey) show. Although I went into the event with the same excitement as I would have if it was Phish playing, no amount of excitement or enthusiam on my part could have made this show any different from what it really was: Mediocre. It seems that Trey has taken a lateral step in his musical endeavors, but it is one that I'm not sure many of us loyal Phish fans can take with him. This group seems to be more "Big Band" than anything else, with the horns taking on a major, yet sometimes unsteady role. It was also very disconcerting for me to see how much direction they all required from Trey. It seemed as though he had to constantly draw musical road maps for his fellow musicians, which in my opinion, shows a lack of solidarity and creativity from this band. There were some high points, but they were few and far in-between. What does it say that 75% of the people on the lawn weren't dancing? It says that this new group is not nearly as entertaining as Phish. Overall this show was a dissapointment to me. Simple Twist Up Dave: This song set the pace of the show. Not too slow, but not too energetic either. As it progressed I enjoyed it more, but it defiantley didn't blow the house down. The first song of a show should grab the audience, yet this one was more of a relaxed "hello" from Trey and Co. Happy Coffee Song: This song was also pretty chill. It was nice to get the solo introduction to Russell, but believe me, the crowd was not blown away by this song. It ended up being an ok song that held a nice groove throughout. Last Tube: Finally something to cheer about. At first I was worried that this too would be mellow, but Trey slowly brought this masterpiece to a nice climax that had the crowd pumped. People were saying "We need more of this!!" over and over again. They were right. This song really brought the bands new sound together with some good o'l Phish type creativity and electricity. I loved it. Mozambique: I was hoping that Last Tube was the key to a series of great jam songs, but Mozambique (although a good groovy song) brought us back to the mellow confines of this group. People immediately sat down, and stopped dancing. The dance routine performed by Trey and the Horns was amusing, but I would have rather seen that energy put into the song. I enjoyed the slow groovy caribean style it had, but thought this was a poor follow-up to a great Last Tube. Cayman Review: This song was recieved a little better by the crowd and had some more kick to it. I got me off my butt and dancing, which I was thankful for. It turned out to be a nice song but never reached any high peaks. At least it got a ton of people off their backs and on their feet. Nothing But An E Thing: Another slow song with nice flowing lyrics. Otherwise, nothing special. Alive Again: This was a good song with a catchy tune. It seemed that the crowd, starved for action and desperately wanting to participate, took up the lyrics and sang along. Overall it was a good tune that had people a little happier. Money Love and Change: This was a good way to start the second set and get some of the people who were down (and there were many) up and excited again. The band really seemed to meld on this one as everyone contributed something special. Sand: Thank God! Once the corwd heard the frist few keys, everyone jumped up at the familiar tune. This was a fabulous version that really used the new sound well. The horns worked quite well and Trey really took control, pushing the group harder and harder. Trey's funky groove really worked well here and the darkness of the song really grabbed hold of me. I really enjoyed it. At the Gazebo: I was desperate for a First Tube here and was sure I was going to get it until the spotlight show on the acustic guitar. Overall it was really nice and would have really been appreciated had the rest of the show been more lively. Push On Till The Day: Again, I was praying for a First Tube, but was let down. This jam was cool but not that cool. At this point I was so dissapointed with the quality of the show that I had a hard time enjoying what sounded like a cool song. I have tickets to the upcoming Mansfield show, but after this performance I'm honestly not that excited. I absolutely cannot imagine seeing the same songs again and enjoying them any more than the first time. Overall I think the fact that most of the people at this show spent the majority of their time on their butts or simply standing in place is a real indicator as to how enjoyable it was. How anyone could tour with this Band is beyond me. Im sure they'll get better with time, but I really don't think that the majority of Phish phans will enjoy this show very much.
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001 06:30:53 -0700 (PDT) From: Benn shadstack@yahoo.com To: dws@netspace.org Subject: PNC Show I couldn't stand reading all of those other reviews so I thought I would write one for my own. For all of you who thought you were going to see Phish...I'm sorry you got ripped off. I dont know if anyone besides me and my friends noticed that the ticket said "TREY ANASTASIO". If you read the interviews and everything put out before the tour, i think people should have realized, this was not going to be Phish. But, anyway, on to the show. I got there not knowing what to expect, except for the little I had seen on the Conan O'Brien show, and I was impressed at that. We got to the lot around 5. There was a pretty good lot scene around where we had parked. About 7 we joined the huge line entering, and didnt get in till the band just came on stage. "Simple Twist Up Dave". And unbelieveable way to start the show. I almost lost it, when the rhythem section stopped, and the horns were playing, and then the rhythm came back in. Sick. So funky and tight. "Happy Coffe Song" slowed things down a little, and was a nice transition. "Last Tube" was unbeliveably funky, with the whole band musically and physically getting into it, you could tell everyone was having a great time. Dont remember "Tube Top Wobble". "Mozambique" added a great entertainment value to the great music, watching the semi-choreographed dancing. Also a good song. "Caymen Review" a catchy song, with a great beat that could make you dance until you physically couldnt anymore. The last 2 songs kind of blended together in the first set, so dont know what to say about them. The second set was one huge funky, crazy, insane jam that wound everything together. Just unbelieveable. I dont know what to say other than that, it was truely an experience. The only thing that sticks out besides the incredible funky flowing jams, is Trey holding this one note for had to be more than a minute and a half...and the band just getting more into it every second he held it. His face when he was doing it...he was loving the music. For those who are so critical of the band, or worried how Trey handles his guitar...chill out. Enjoy the music. "A band of so-so musicians"? Were you really at the show? When you can get up there and do what they did, then come back and say that. Amazing show, really blew me away. And remember...when you go to see Phish, make sure it says Phish on your ticket stub. ===== Ben
Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2001 16:09:01 -0400 From: Lauren J. Knyper Lauren.J.Knyper@hofstra.edu To: dws@gadiel.com Subject: PNC I have to say I was not all that impressed with the PNC show....and I even had great seats. I have seen Trey's other tours...when he was just playing with Tony and Russ...then onto his last tour when he added the horns. I LOVED everything I saw and heard from the shows on those 2 tours. Then after checking set lists from the west coast shows from this tour...my excitement level kinda dropped. I thought the 1st set was a lot of fun. The whole horns/trey dancing thing during Mozambique was a very cute touch. Then the 2nd set came and during most of the songs I felt kinda bored. I don't go to see Trey and anticipate it being anything like a Phish show...but during the 2nd set when he would go into these jams...at 1st they were fun, but then they became so repetitive, I just couldn't wait for him to end the song and move onto another. I had felt that way with Phish on several occasions just before they took their hiatus (I was behind them all the way on that...I needed a break too). People freaked when he started playing Sand....man am I sick of that tune. Everyone has their own opinions.....sometimes I become a bit picky with my music...but you can't always get that you want...so I guess I just have to suck it up! So anyway......after seeing the PNC show...I immediately gave up my SPAC tickets (and even a chance to get back stage). I'll still go to Jones Beach.....to give it one more whirl.....hopefully Trey will rejuvenate the excitement I have for him this tour...and if not....Thank God for Oysterhead!!! Les is the man!
Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 16:31:57 EDT From: Jdog27@aol.com To: dws@netspace.org Subject: 7/29/01 -- PNC Bank Arts Center Trey Band review i have been on the trey tour since red rocks (with the exception of nc and georgia). the show at pnc was my last show of the tour and i would like to give my point of view on the last few weeks. all i hear is "why does trey keep playing the same songs?" why? because his band is basically brand new. i also hear kids say the band sucks and trey isn't original. but then again, these are probably the same kids who keep yelling for tweezer every night. come on. what do you expect? trey is the leader of this band. different from phish. one of the main reasons i have become so involved in phish and their music is because of it's diversity. i came to see trey because he is amazing, not because "phish will play here becasue they were banned years ago." that would be great, but this is trey's tour. not phish. if you don't like his new music then don't go. it's pretty easy. oh yeah then there is the classic "tony is so fat." wow are these people perceptive. this guy you are making fun of is the man who composed first tube, sand, and jibboo(probably the only songs these people like and can expect to hear) trey talks about how important he is to the band, but yet there are still those jokes. please. people keep complaining about the lack of changes from night to night. the songs may be the same, but they all had their different versions. the four sands i saw were each completely different. one featuring horns, the other with three keyboards, and one just pure funky. the second set of merriwether had 10 songs including money love and change and plasma. but trey managed to get the band going to play a four song second set that featured completely different versions of the two. i guess the gist of this is, as many other true music phans have said is. the ticket says trey. if you are expecting phish, save your money and listen to your tapes. it you love trey and are glad to see him smile again, catch the rest of the tour because you will have a great time.
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001 03:54:14 -0700 (PDT) From: David Miller davidheathmiller@yahoo.com To: dws@gadiel.com Subject: 7-29-01 thoughts Andrew and community, Thoughts 07/29/2001 PNC Holmdel, NJ I like to prepare myself for concerts, whether they be jam bands, jazz, electronica, indie rock etc. I soaked up some winter 2000 Trey tour CDs and didn't fall on my face in awe. The songs were good but to me the group sounded like a highly talented bar-mitzvah band. After reading some reviews of previous shows and viewing the 'boring on paper' setlists from this tour, I was highly skeptical before the show. Time sure brings change. With a new band containing arguably the most talented member of Phish, it is almost impossible not to compare this group with our beloved quartet. The key to listening to this new music is blocking out all aspects of Phish, the word, the group, the jams, the songs. After shielding yourself from these thoughts, what remains is great musicians creating great music. In short, keep and open mind. You've heard about the music from other reviewers and I'll just say I was most impressed with the 30 min.+ Money Love and Change. It contained all the ingredients of a fascinating musical exploration. It had jazzy licks, rockin' carribean tinged Santaesque noodling, releases of snapping of musical emotion, highly energized funk and dancible break-beats. Trey and his band: play on. -D.H. Miller
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2001 13:19:27 -0400 From: Dylan Soy elwampus@hotmail.com To: dws@netspace.org Subject: PNC 7/29/01Review It's been 12 hours since I got back from last night's Trey show, and I'm both completely blown away and a little dissapointed. While Trey's band can totally hold their own and move mountains, it's just not Phish. Maybe my expectations were wrong coming in, but a bit of the magic was gone, I felt... part of what makes Phish so amazing is that you have four different and unique voices and minds coming together, sharing ideas and styles... and even though Trey is a great, great musician, it's just one voice... Okay, time to start the raving! This was a really amazing show, despite what various angry folks in the audience were saying. I danced from start to finish, and totally got lost in the music... Trey's band deserves as much billing as The Man, and I'm sure once this tape gets out lots of folks will say the same. Russell and Jen were completely tight the whole night, giving some amazing solos... in fact, the entire horn section was completely wicked, making some truly demented sounds that made my mind flip a few times... Tony and Russ laid a solid foundation and rhythm, getting the job done, but I just felt something was missing. However, I could feel Tony's Good Vibe all the way up in section 402, so a good time was surely had... I'd talk about how Ray did on the keyboards, but I just couldn't hear him. Maybe it was just me, but the sound was really off last night, occasionally making everything sound like a big sticky mess, resulting in a very-often lost keyboard... and finally, Trey. To be honest, I was a little dissapointed by Trey... he had alot of building up with no finish, and seemed very "lost" all night long. Not to say The Man didn't have a few monsters and shining moments, but overall he just seemed very confused about what to do and where to go. But, I'll cut him a break, he can't be a god every night. :-) Plus, it gave the audience time to warm up the band, which was well-deserved. Almost every song was new to me, so I'm having a little trouble placing what went where and which song was what, but I'll give the setlist my best: SIMPLE TWIST UP DAVE: This was nice show starter, and great introduction to the new band for those of us who haven't seem it yet. A nice, not-too-fast, not-too-slow, groovin' song, but unfortunately the sound system kind of made it a little messy... a little mild, but very tasty. HAPPY COFFEE SONG: I'm having a little trouble remembering this one... I do remember lots of dancing. During the jam, nearly everyone left the stage so Russell could take his solo. It was dead silence except for that sax, and it totally blew the place apart. A real nice song. LAST TUBE: OH MY GOD!!! This was a complete and utter monster. It went on for at the very least a half-hour, and every second was a amazing. It was totally intense, and sucked you in. It just kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger, totally just lifting you up as far as you could go. Everyone I saw was totally in the groove, with huge smiles on their faces. Trey owned this song, and he ripped all over it. At the high-point, the music became this totally grooving chaotic mess, and I mean that in the absolute best way. This is the one everyone's going to be talking about once the tape makes it's rounds. MOZAMBIQUE: This was a refreshing follow-up to Tube, and gave people a chance to sit down and collect themselves. I remember a funny, chessy dance routine by Trey and the Horns, which got a rise out of people. Nice, laid-back song with a Latin flavor. In fact, alot of these songs had a very Spanish/Carribean feel, which was a nice change of pace. CAYMAN REVIEW: This was the second Great Groove of the first set, and it really took people home. Easy to dance to, nice for listening, great, great song. NOTHING BUT AN E THING: I really don't remember this one. Sorry. :-( ALIVE AGAIN: I remember this being really, really good, but I was still tired out from Last Tube, and the clouds of smoke were really abundant, so my mind wasn't exactly there. Nice lyrics, great set closer, left in a good taste in our mouths. Lights come up, it's 9:45, and it's time for... SET BREAK - a tip for those going to PNC: bring lots of money and an empty water bottle. $3.50 for a pretzel, $6.50 for beer, $4.50 for a large soda, $22 for a shirt... the prices are crazy. Believe me, filling up your bottle with fountain water will bring the costs down. So, we get back in our seats, and the lights go down for Set II... Trey kicks things off with a funny "Adams Family" tease, and got the audience snappping their fingers :-), and then kicks into MONEY LOVE AND CHANGE>PLASMA>WHEN: Wow. Just... wow. This really solidified Set I vs. Set II : Set I was all about jams inside of songs, and Set II was ruled by songs inside of jams. Trey and Co. really blurred the line between songs, with each theme melting into the next, and the band occasionally just going off. This beast ate up almost the entire second set, and totally sent everybody whirling... just when you though it was over, someone would bring something new out and they'd totally go off again. Everyone was in top condition, and I could finally hear Ray's fine keyboard skills. You could tell not even the band knew what was coming next, and they were just having a great time up there. Kudos to the lights, which sent the whole space spinning... Just a great experience. SAND: There was a bit of confusion at the beginning of this... at first, everyone thought it was "First Tube", then we thought it was "Jiboo"... but when we finally realised we were in the center of a totally jammed-out "Sand", the crowd went crazy again. There was some heavy grooving here... Trey totally brought up the dark side of this song and made it into a really groovy, funky number. The horns are a nice touch to this song, and everyone was into the groove... good times were had. I missed the encores, since I was walking to the car(PNC really likes to make you walk), but what I could hear from outside the venue was really nice. Overall, this was a great show, and Trey's band is really, really great, but don't go expecting Phish... But definetly catch him if you have the chance. And if anyone has this shown on tape, send me and email at elwampus@hotmail.com . :-) - Dylan P. -
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001 10:52:24 EDT From: Lovingcup98@aol.com To: dws@gadiel.com Subject: trey@pnc center july 27 To start things off i had a blast at this show. It was refreshing and had me dancing my feet off. I am not going to review all of the songs because there are already enough of them you can see. This is mainly to all the people who have their heads so far up their ass they wouldn't know a good time if it sat on their face. You've got to stop comparing this band to Phish. Trey is taking a whole new route and trying something different. And he's doing a good job doing it and so is his band. They had me rocking and a lot of other people as well. He is also giving his band a chance to shine and not hogging up everything. Their having such a blast up there, but some people won't open their eyes and give them a chance. Maybe it's not your cup of tea, so don't go around spreading bad vibes. Give them a chance, they are a great band and having a good time. Also The second set was killer, get the tapes.
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001 00:14:25 -0400 From: prolix@erols.com To: dws@netspace.org Subject: holmdale show Did anyone seem to notice these summer tour shows to be a little repetitive. I thought the show was great, but im not sure im buying the whole trey tour. the show was a whole lot like merriweather, with the stupid little dance/swordfight. lots of people were selling their tickets which makes me wonder if this tour is failing. anyways thats my 2 cents on a decent show but a weak tour.
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2001 15:00:06 -0400 From: david grisman peterjh9@lycos.com To: dws@gadiel.com Subject: Trey at PNC review Warning to all Trey loyalists: This will be a negative review of the Trey show at PNC Bank Arts Center on 7/29/01. Basically, it looks like Trey has assembled a band of so-so musicians (less the horn section) so they can take a backseat and he can be out in the spotlight. However, Trey is certainly not a talented enough guitar player to do this. He relies on feedback so much. Hello, Trey, how about playing some notes every now and then. His effects board is about 15 feet long. Why you ask, cause he cannot play enough notes so he relies on effects. I was excited to see what his organ player sounds like, and after the show, I am still wondering. The volumn on Trey's guitar needs to be turned down so we can actually hear the other musicians. Trey and his massive ego ended phish as we know it, and I for one bid him farewell. Or at least, he should practice more until he can produce a product that is listenable and with skill involved. Trey = most over-rated guitarist of all time. Thank-you much. Oh yeah, one last thing. Tony Markelis might be the worst bass player ever. Gordon looks like Victor Wooten compared to this guy.
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2001 13:58:31 -0600 From: james.kearney@gx.novartis.com To: dws@netspace.org Subject: Trey @ PNC My friend came up from Maryland for the show and told me that some people he knew were refusing to go see Trey as some form of protest. Protesting the fact that there are no Phish shows. I found this extremely amusing in the sense that somehow these people think Phish/Trey actually owe them something. It always amazes me that people will catch on to something, absolutely smother it to death, defend it against supposed enemies (DMB, String Cheese) and ultimately discard it completely. Keep on protesting people...more seats for those who want to hear good creative music!!! This was the second show I saw on this tour the first being opening night at Red Rocks. While I don't feel the need to go into specifics of the shows lets just say I found the band to be Strong, Tight and Layered. Trey appears to be having a blast and all the people I was with had a ball. We are veterans of 50+ Dead shows and 70+ Phish shows each so know of what we speak. Highlights for me were Alive Again, Money, Love & Change and the sickest Sand I've seen in some time. I can't wait to see Oysterhead in the fall!! I'm sure there will be plenty of tickets...Keep On Protesting!!!! Jim Kearney
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2001 14:17:35 -0400 From: TJ CAIN tjcain74@msn.com To: dws@gadiel.com Subject: trey @pnc the show last night was awesome i think everyone sumed it up pretty well.everything was great except the security who confiscated my friends 10 year old glass piece.NAZI FUCKS!!!anyway,trey's new gig rocks and he seems to be having a ball.i am so glad phish took this break!i don't see them coming back for a few more years while trey works out all his side projects!that's fine w/ me as long as he keeps putting out such unbelievable material.(oysterhead,trey band!)phish needed to regroup and smell the roses for a while!plus it's good to miss something for a while.it makes the heart grow fonder.the longer they stay away the sweeter it will be when they return.THANKS TREY FOR KEEPING US DANCING!!!!!! COOL,SWEET,& DECENT
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2001 12:49:02 EDT From: Frieky@aol.com To: dws@gadiel.com Subject: (no subject) The PNC show was solid from top to bottom. It was the first show I have seen this tour, but I have heard many others from earlier on. The opener - simple twist up dave - was very solid. Happy COffee song I remember being short but also solid. so far, solid, but nothing crazy. Last Tube was next and definitely the highlight of the entire show for me. Trey rocked so hard. The drummer was on as well. THis really was awesome. If i remember correctly, trey, tony, russ, and ray were the only ones on stage for most of this jam. it was long, awesome, with a great peak. my night was already made. the rest of the set was good, and i was very excited to hear alive again. Instead of ripping through the jam himself, trey let the other member so fthe band take over a little and they did a good job, while i would like to see trey take over, it was still good, alive again was solid. overall an excellent first set, but trey hung back for most of it except for last tube. second set was phenomenol, money love and change caught such a nice groove, it was so long and the segue into plasma was so blurred. i had no idea when they stepped in and out of songs, but there was some good jamming going on,l trey and ray at one point were jamming just the two of them and it was awesome. i didnt know what was what, there was some wierd esther like grroves i think during the beginning of plasma, shit was awesome, then sand got the crowd going, trey rocked, i thought hed go off more, but i guess im always looking for the best sand ever, it was hot though, not as much keyboards as the other sands this tour, for the encore, at the gazebo is a beautiful song, and push has the energy of punch you in the eye times ten. show was great, very happy, kuroda was awespome on the lights, i like the new background lights, mad cool, peace, diamond
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2001 08:05:04 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Merkur To: dws@netspace.org Subject: review of 7/29/01 07/29/2001 PNC Bank Arts Center - Holmdel, NJ Marc, Steve and I left from Virginia at 2:00pm Sunday afternoon. We planned to get to PNC by 5:00. We hit an unbelievable amount of traffic, and didn't arrive until 7:15pm. We found Claire in the lot, and then proceeded to our VIP entrance. (definitely the easiest getting into any venue) Next we needed to piss, so we walked into the VIP tent, passed the Cocktail Bar and Food (free Meatballs and Pasta), and arrived at our VIP bathrooms (very cool). So we hang out for 20 minutes or so, have a drink and eat some food. At 7:55 we go in and find our seats. They are 20 rows back DEAD CENTER. The only thing that sucked was we were in the last row of the section, and the right behind us was were all the security was hanging out. (this will come into play later..) At 8:10 Trey opened with a new tune Simple Twist Up Dave. It was awesome, it started slow, but then launched into a great opening jam. Trey was smiling ear to ear and i couldn't be any happier. Happy Coffee Song was next. This is an instrumental that Tom and Trey wrote a while ago. I think it is on One Man's Trash. Very nice instrumental into Last Tube. WOW. Last Tube was definitely my highlight of the first set. Russ Reminton (the new Sax player had an incredible solo) It was so tight the band sounded incredible. Trey was going off on his Guitar and dancing up a storm. Then the jam started and i felt myself losing my balance. I was thinking what you are thinking now, but seriously the bass was turned up so much that i was shaking. He just kept going in and out of that sick jam. I lost my mind during that song, and danced my ass off. After last tube the slow instrumental Tube Top Wobble comes on. That is the song that used to always follow Push On Till The Day. It had a nice groove and was a great breather. This is when we were asked the first time to Stop -------. We did for a little, and then Mozambique started. Mozambique was incredible, and showed off the horn section's talent for improvising and dancing. During this song Security made another appearance and confiscated our "equipment" I would have been pissed, but I WAS AT TREY AND NOTHING COULD BE WRONG AT ALL. Then Cayman Review started. I heard this Saturday also, and think it is a solid song. A good beat, good lyrics and great improvisations, it is a song that builds and builds and then the end is a combined jam of the whole song. We were then treated to Nothing but an E Thing. This song was dedicated to Trey's father on Winter Tour a few times. Since we were in New Jersey, I know that Trey's family was in attendance. It was a great feeling Trey introduce his parents, they looked to be beaming with pride. It is a nice instrumental that went into a new song Alive Again. This song was good, with a slower beat and flowing lyrics. All together a good song that ended the set at 9:40. Set-Break. We went back to the VIP tent to take our Very Important Pisses. We then grabbed a table in the section and played blackjack for 15-20 minutes. You see my friend Marc was going to Vegas at 7:00am the next day. We had to make sure that he had practice. We then began to head back to our seats. This time we moved up three rows in the VIP section so we would not be directly in the line of security. This worked, and Steve, Claire, Marc and I could not contain ourselves when the band came back on stage. It is now 10:10, and the opening cords are sounding familiar....I started to recognize from the night before that this was Money, Love and Change. This song sounded incredible the night before, but HOLY SHIT did this version ROCK. The band started to Jam out this song for a good 1/2 hour. It was Unbelievable. The lights at this point were doing things i didn't think were possible. They had this crazy Kaleidoscope light tube that projected these tubes of light into the backdrop and then onto the audience. Kuroda was doing a SICK job last night. He was so in tune for this song it was amazing. He anticipated every change and every time they switched up the Jam. It was nuts. The next song was Plasma, this i didn't know until today. It is that new song that the band wrote backstage in California. That went into When which is also a new song. Very good song, i didn't realize though that Plasma and When were two different songs. All of the sudden the music stops and i start hear bass chords. I scream on the top of my lungs -- "ITS SAND" the kid sitting next to me says loudly "its either Sand or Jibboo". At this point i turn to Marc, Steve and Claire and SCREAM "THEIR FUCKING PLAYING SAND" I went crazy again and starting dancing. It was such a deep, dark Sand that just kept putting you deeper and deeper into this groove. There was nothing to do except let your body fall under the bass. Sand was great, there was a nice Tony solo in the middle, and the Jam into the end of Sand was rocking. Trey thanks his Family again and walks off stage at 11:20. The band comes out for the encore, and starts playing At the Gazebo. An instrumental that usually is the only encore. Because it was his hometown show and there was so much energy I was praying that he would not end the show on this note. Thankfully he did not. He picked up his Electric Guitar and started Push on Till the Day. WOW. So much energy and so many people screaming and dancing it was amazing. I have never seen so many people hanging on one person. He stared dancing and clapping, and so did everyone in the audience. It was like a huge party, everyone was ecstatic. The song ended 11:30 and people were caught in the house lights like deer in headlights. Everyone had a huge smile on their face and looked like they had danced themselves into exhaustion. It was an incredible night. Mike
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2001 10:42:44 -0400 From: WebMaster/DP/OCG%OCEAN_COUNTY@co.ocean.nj.us Subject: 7.29.2001 PNC REVIEW Before I go on, I'd like to say something about the bashing reviews from the West Coast shows, so what if they repeat songs ? As much as I love and miss Phish, nothing will replace their unique energy, magic, and unpredictability on stage, you have to have a different perspective and outlook for Trey's band, it's about covering more musical grounds and stretching music out even farther than we can imagine, this is an 8 piece band people!!!! Not very many musicians can randomly pick 7 people and say hey let's make music in one month and go on tour and be as successful as Trey's band has been thus far. Onto the scene... we rolled into the lots around 3:30 except there was no one around, no traffic, no nothing, I knew the show wasn't sold out but I didn't think it'd be this empty. Had me worried since we had 8 tickets to get rid of. Rolled in and security redirected us to the back lot and behold, your typical shakedown street lot....There we go....time went by and we sold our extras, had some mean "P-Bear" Burritos, drank and smoked and before we knew it, it looked like the show was pretty close to selling out. Onto the show! I agree with the previous reviews about the band becoming tighter, they were very tight and groove oriented. 8:10 - Simple Twist Up Dave was swwwwwwaaeeeeeeet! Trey was licking and kicking to get us moving, I definitely want to hear this song again. Happy Coffee Song sounded familiar to me being from Trey's One Man's Trash album, don't remember much of this one. Last Tube and Tube Top Wobble were nice placements one after another, by this time I noticed Trey has been giving a lot of attention to the horns, letting them have their own fun in the spotlight. Being in Row Y, left side orchestra, I spotted an opening down the aisle and managed to get about 6 rows from the stage and was really loving it now. They start of Mozambique and whoa the bass was rumbling underneath me, Tony was dropping bombs! What a difference it makes seeing Trey up closer and being able to pinpoint and hear his every lick, this guy is a fucking genius!!!! Don't remember much of Cayman Review except it was all good whatever it was, have to hear it again. Nothing but an E thing kicked sweet ass, had the people on the horns walking around in circles and around the stage everyone was having a good time. Alive Again was cool and closed out the set and I was delighted cuz I had to unleash my bladder. Set break was the shortest set break in my life!! about 15-20 mins, they come back on at 10:10 and I knew we were in for a treat of some sort Money Love and Change - I absolutely loved this song, and this was PHAT!! 30 minutes + !! This song had everything, the fluid, style, ambiance, wails, etc. etc.. Get the tapes that's all I can say....Goes right into Plasma and another first timer and let me just say the song name sounds like the song! So smooth, thick phat phunk grooves, Chris K did a superb job with the lights giving it a "Plasma" feel, GET THE TAPES!!! The horns leave and it's just Trey, TOny, Russ and the keyboardist and let me just say the jam they were in was very very "phishy" like, almost like a middle Piper Jam then 50 minutes later things start to settle down going into When, very nice little tune and then BAM!!!! SAND!!!!!!!!!!! whooo hooooo hoooooooo amazing, the tightness, choreography was just amazing, now I see what the fans are saying about sand becoming better and better every time. ALL I can say is get the tapes, I think this set was the sickest of the whole tour thus far IMO. Absolutely just sick! But wait there's more!! The Encores!!!! At the Gazebo was grrrrrreeeeeaatt!! but Push On Till The Day was the icing on the cake!!! Jennifer and Trey start dancing around and boy was it hilarious!!! Tough to describe this but they were doing all sorts of weird movements against each other, around each other, bumping each other, while Russ and Ray were laying down the slow disco funk. They continue dancing for at least 5-7 minutes and then Trey and Russ bring it all home and close it out. It was ecastic. If anyone could hook me up with copies of this show, it'd really be great. See you all at the Mann..... -The Almighty Deeben
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2001 10:46:22 -0400 From: Gregory Martin gmartin@jazzatlincolncenter.org Subject: Trey show at PNC Parts/Attachments: 1 OK 26 lines Text (charset: ISO-8859-1) 2 Shown 36 lines Text (charset: ISO-8859-1) ---------------------------------------- [ Part 1, Text/PLAIN (charset: ISO-8859-1 "Latin 1") 26 lines. ] [ Not Shown. Use the "V" command to view or save this part. ] [ The following text is in the "iso-8859-1" character set. ] [ Your display is set for the "US-ASCII" character set. ] [ Some characters may be displayed incorrectly. ] This was my first experience see Trey on his own and I still don't know what to think about. Most of the show was very high energy and Trey looked as if he was having a lot of fun. I was third row for the most show and my ear are still ringing this morning. As always the lights were incredible and with some new graphics give it a new look. Grippo rocked the whole night long. I also thought that the dancing was pretty neat, a little corny. Trey getting out there (with his new guitar?) and showing off his moves was cool. There is a big draw back with most of Trey's new tunes, it doesn't look like they can be translated into any Phish songs except Money Love and Change and maybe one more from last night, which might be a sign that Phish won't be back on the road anytime soon. Also there was not much of a Lot and very few people following this tour. People couldn't get rid of tickets, the show wasn't sold out. There is one thing that is really disturbing me about last night, during the encore Trey went out to dance with Jennifer and he just seem to throw his guitar on the ground like it was nothing and then after he was finished dance he picked it up again finished the song and throw it again to take his bow. That guitar has really treated him well, I would think that he would treat it a little bit more carefully. He usually doesn't. Can anyone tell me why he did such a thing? Well, over all the show was good and I will be going back for some more at the Jones Beach and Great Woods shows. Later Greg
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