Subject: NW tour in Review (so far)
From: Victor Szalvay 

A nice little 9 hour drive back over the pass to BC... I made it by 3 pm
and hooked up with my cousins.  It was nice and we all went to the show.
I didn't have any problems at the boarder unlike someone we know!!! :)

The coliseum was OK, but not that new or nice.  It was pretty small again
and the place was nice and comfy, not over-crowded or crazy, nice and laid
back.  The security was also much better today.

I  Chalkdust:  Nice and rocking, the sound though was lacking but they
quickly corrected and we were rolling.

Guelah Pap:  Cool! I dig this one and it really fit in well, I could see
it coming.

Cars Trucks & Buses:  Cool, but not that great.  I dug it nonetheless!

Divided Sky:  Holy!!  WE were off, and we were in for a treat... the
camera at the board came out and a veteran taper next to me said that when
they did that it meant that the bomb was about to fall!  I was stoked!
The song was great and the jam was really nice and laid back.  We see the
bouncing around and dancing from Trey and Mike synchronized, sweet!

PYITE:  OH yeah!  I was smiling... what more can be said!

Now they announce that they had some time at the boarder and learned this
new song for tonight and they sound checked it as well about a million
times before the show.
Mid-Highway Blues... pretty good, standard Blue grass, I was excited that
they did something special, though.

SOAMelt:  Hot and wild!  We were on our way!!  The signs were all right
for a smoking second set and then we get:

Funky Bitch:  To close the first set!!! This is unheralded!  I was on the
floor, the version was really smoking and everyone knew the night was
about to erupt.

II
Curtain:  YES!  I love this one and it was really smooth tonight.  Well
put together and solid all the way

>>Mike's Song:  OK.  At this point I knew it was happening, people were
going ape-shit and the band was in such a groove... the jam is totally
intense by the end and I knew they were not headed for the standard Mikes
> H2 > Weekapaug and then Trey starts in with the Simple riff!  They float
around it for a minute, but then it's clear we have:

>>Simple!  : Really nice, the place is totally on the ceiling and it is
all happening so beautifully!  The catchiness tempered twith the immense
jam-ability of the song really sets us off!!!  The Trey solo is really
nice with lots of melodious and major key stuff.  All upbeat with no dark
dives or anything... (boy the tapes sound gooooood!).  It appears that we
are heading into the Swept away > Steep that they did earlier this year as
page really hints at is, Trey follows along as they slow it down and hint
it and the melody....  BUT THEN , it is almost silent, and I see Trey
strike up the regaee notes of, wait till you hear this:

MAKISUPA!!!:::   Its' all over!!  The place is absolutely bizerk and there
are no holds barred on this jam, totally outside of the ordinary and
definitely out of control!!!!  Sweet!!  Trey at the beginning instead of 
Woke up this morning...  : "Woke up this morning... boarder guard in
my bunk... took his fucking dog on my bus and found my...  DANK!"
The place goes crazy as he references the Marijuana bust at the boarder he
and Fishman experienced!  DOH how could they be that dumb to take dank
over the boarder, I mean they are a heavily affiliated band!!!  So mellow
all the way through... Trey moves to the kit, and it actually sounds cool,
he and Mike play this back and forth with Trey coming in with this Whooo
Whoooo...  it is so stony and prime... wow!!  It's my first reaction to
say that it is the best I've heard, but I migght be overly up about this
one because I was there!~  Anyway, really nice Mike and Page on the the
Marely sound, just grooving along like nobody;s business... oh yeah, so
long and sweet...... Policeman.....!  The segue begins to build and we
know it can't end there so we are all expecting the WEekapaug, but then it
turns into....:

Axilla pt.1 :  a bizarre segue, unlike any other I've heard... really
tweeked as Trey counts it off to start...  Hot version and really full of
energy.  I can't think of anything else to say about it, just one big
blistering crazy piece of music.  Sound like it will end but it segues...

Weekapaug:  Go MIKE!!  What a showing!@!!  The groove is really tight and
really fun.  They are so loose and having so much fun, Mike is wearing
this bright green suit, by the way, and he glows alone in some lighting 
settings and this was really his show, I mean he is so on and tight with
the others, this is really a great show, I can't stand it!!!  The jam of
course it phenomenal and I can't recommend it more to everyone, everyone
ont he planet earth, when born, should be issued their birth certificate
and one copy of this show... it is that cool!  Trey takes charge of the
solo and we are off, I want to keep this semi-short at least, so just take
it from me, it was killer.  The jam takes this utterly bizzare and cool
twist, Trey is again on the kit (I think) and Page takes off in this cool
Talking Heads-type direction, everyone around me was at first saying that
it was on of the Ween songs, but then...

>>CAtapult:  oh wow... inn the middle of this technojam Mike steps up and
adds to HIS night.  He calmly recites the words to Catapult and steps
back.  This type of jam I have never heard from Phish and it is so new and
fresh... I really like it... very cool (get the tape!!! :^]  )  The jam
builds and then closes in a big way...!!!

Waste: is striken up to cool off a bit... I was a bit dissapointed by this
move, but then again, it shows some maturity and recognition of limits
(see my Ween 94 AIR).  Anyway... here is what happens next:

Amazing Grace:  Accapella, the standard, I thought it was over after this
and was still really blown away, but then they returned to the instruments
and the magic continues...

Harry Hood:  Holy Moly!!!  What a HOSING!!  I mean, I am sitting there,
about to crap my pants from the previous songs and then, HOOD!!!  IT was
more then nice, cool or sweet... It was the Dankest jam I've heard.  I
don't know... it was just too much!

E:  Good Times, Bad Times:  Did they want me to pee myself at this point,
someones mic stand in the tapers section falls out of the sky in all the
comotion and everyone is in a panic!  What a treat!  When did they play
this last?  I mean, if this set doesnt' qualify for  a hosing I don't know
what does.... it was a beautiful peice of work, second to none in a long,
long time!

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Subject: Vancouver comments (lengthy)
From: Cameron Newell 

  Alrighty, folks. I guess not too many people made this show, cause 
theres been no talk of it here in the world of Rosemary's.  So, I'd like 
to state, for the record, that those of you who missed this show are 
forever pitied by me, 'cause this was one of the best shows in a long
time.

  I wont give a full review here, just because I'm lazy.  

Chalkdust.  It's always good to haer this. It warmed up the blood after 
sitting around in bars.  For some reason you could feel it going into 
papyrus..and it did.  So that was nice, though a little shaky on trey's 
part..as was CTB.  Mr. Anastasio hadn't quite found the groove.  
 He found it for Divided Sky, though. A nice one, but with a little less 
enthusiasm than usual.  
  Punch was great, but also a little dry.  After that we found out a 
little of why...while "making new friends" at the border, The band learned 
a new tune.  Standard I-IV-V bluegrass fare.
   Now's when the fun begins.
They basically ripped into Split open,  but the treats were from Chris on 
this one.  During the jam he had some sort of triangular time warp tunnel 
effect going on above the stage that completely captivated a bunch of
people.
Then they kicked rift and a filthy Bitch closer.

So that was pretty nice, for a first set.  But nothing to write home 
about.  Better than usual, but not spectacular.  

 Just a note...before the show, we were all talking about what songs we 
wanted....and I just said "I want that Mike's from portland [12-30-93 II]"
I didn't think I'd get it, tho'.

So the second set opened w/ a nice curtain.  I love that tune, a lot. 
Then we hear the familiar intro to Mike's tune...and we feel good about 
that. They bring the first jam up to a good height, pretty standard jam, 
then instead of kicking into the second jam...the kick into Simple (BTW, 
didn't simple originate in that spot??) Which held the intensity up there 
for a while. Then they brought it up a little, then flowed downhill into 
Makisupa.  Trey's line was something about the border guards busting into 
the tour bus and taking his...dank. So they rip that for a while, a nice 
period of rest, which we needed,  then flow into Axilla. Hard. Axilla I, 
that is. This got everyone dancing, again, and was nice 'cause it wasn't 
axilla II.   But of course, Weekapaug came and abolished our previous 
notions of funk.  It seems that in Mikes I always think I can't take 
anymore...then I do.   Anyway the intro to W.G. was fat,  but the solo 
took existence to a whole new level.  Trey jammed so hard I think he 
actually killed some people out there...and then he broke a string.  Not 
that anyone noticed until later, because we were all so suprized by what 
happened next.
   Page and Fish suddenly jumped into this weird, jerky, off-kilter, but 
Together rhythm, and trey joined them on his drums.  When they did this, 
everyone stopped cold and thought "They just left town, eh?" Then Mike 
started swaying and stepping on that bell of his and started HOWLING the 
words to Catapult.[p.s. have they EVER played catapult like that 
before???].  Then they finished and went into waste. Thank god. I needed 
to sit down.  Then Amazing grace. nice as always.  Then a nice treat of 
Harry hood. Good strong finish, though I think everyone was too tired to 
dance.
 we all got up energy for the roarin' GoodXBadX encore though.  I heard 
the kid next to me say "He just called Jimmy Page his bitch" after the 
jam. Don't know if I agree, but it was a general sentiment up by the
stage.


Some side notes:
   Chris Kuroda is God.  Flame Away, but he was on fire, and I hearby 
elevate him to Idol status ;)
   That was the Best Mikes ever.
   The Border guards pulled the tour bus over, searched it, and 
confiscated Trey's stash.
   And I wish I had a real figure (hint), but It looked like about 6000 
kids in that show.  I love the West coast. I'm glad I live here.

See ya'll in Seattle
       cameron
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