Summer Phish 2004....& piper(s) comment

[headygouda]

I bought all the livephish since the hiatus, but have not really had the time to sit down and listen to it all. I recently started, and worked backwards, starting at coventry, and now I'm finally at SPAC.

Did anyone else notice that the band was so much tighter throughout the 'first leg' of summer tour? (Brooklynn > Alpine) The shows leading up to flubbentry were pretty good, but nothing mindblowing.

Perfect examples of how peaked out they were on the first leg are the pipers from SPAC and Alpine... Just down right sick jamming.

The SPAC version is a great example of why I think no band will ever take me to places like phish does!!!

I'm all for a reunion tour ;o)

[hamilton]

SPAC was awesome!! They were a totally different band than the one that I saw at Coventry, that's for sure. I think those two shows might have been my favourites since Big Cypress.

[Blane]

Definately noticed it. 6-19, 6-20 and 6-26 all get heavy airtime at my place, while I've never once played 8-15 all the way through, and refuse to download or ever own in any form the 8-14 show. As for the rest of the late run, I THINK I grabbed one of the Greatwoods shows but I don't remember, so I guess that says something about the quality of the play.

[RUSTLE]

in my 8 years of following the band, i think SPAC was one of the best show's i'd seen. the level of jamming that they were bringing some of those songs to was amazing.

you should really give a good listen to "a song i heard the ocean sing" from 6/19, they get into the sickest jam about 13 mins in.

i have come to love 2004 phish, something about the jamming, i think i have grown with them. i love the 97 funk as well, but, i have been getting more intense on the jams, and in 2004 you start to see more songs hitting the 18 min mark then ever before...

i don't think anyone can "take over" its going to be a few years before there is anything like phish, if there is ever going to be anything like phish.

[colinw]

The SPAC Piper is probably the best version I have seen. Previously it was the 7/6/98 Prague version which is sick. The SPAC version takes top spot though. Really good stuff. The Piper from Great woods this summer was pretty good too, although it never got SPAC-like.

There are some kickass moments from both summer tours, although the early leg did seem tighter than the second leg. Check out the Moma Dance --> Free, and the Suzy Greenburg from 6/17 Brooklyn. Also the second set from both SPAC nights which are amazing, Halleys --> crosseyed --> Slave from Deer creek is nice as was the Tube --> Antelope from second night, -7 from Alpine and the YEM-->2001-->YEM.

There are some sweet moments from the second leg though - The ACDC Bag and Birds of a Feather from 8/10, the fun of second night Great Woods 8/11, The first set from Hampton 8/9 which is sick, The YEM/Ghost and Piper/Sneakin Sally from Camden. I have listened to Coventry a few times and it is sloppy, but there are moments of brilliance there as well. I was there and enjoyed every minute of it since I knew it was the last time I would be enjoying something I love, and listening to the shows takes me back to the exact spot on the lawn where I was on those days. Some people love to bitch about anything and whine, but put yourselves in the shoes of the band. Where you ar your best the last time you quit something you had been doing for 20+ years - the majority of your life, while standing in front of 80,000 people. It was tough time as a fan and for the band, not because of a bad show or set, but because it was an emotional end to a great trip.

[Booche]

"I was there and enjoyed every minute of it since I knew it was the last time I would be enjoying something I love"

Hear, fu©king hear!

Not much else to add, I think ColinW summed it up fantastically well. Let the bitchers bitch, its their perogative. I, for one, was not going to let a tiny bit of mud and some less than inspired playing along with a touch of sloppiness ruin the last chance I had to see those four guys playing together as Phish. That being said, I havent re-listened to a large chunk of it yet.

It was a chance to say 'good-bye' and thats what our crew used it as.

Hey ColinW, if you were in Prague during the 98 Europe Summer tour, did you happen to see 07-02? That second set blows my mind...........is there a better Ghost? I think not.

[MarcO]

SPAC was beautiful in every sense, and yeah, that "A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing" doesn't get enough talk - it sets up that ABSOLUTELY OUTRAGEOUS "Piper" that comes next.

And how 'bout that groovin' transition into "Gotta Jibboo"?!?

[colinw]

Hey ColinW, if you were in Prague during the 98 Europe Summer tour, did you happen to see 07-02? That second set blows my mind...........is there a better Ghost? I think not.

I was at that show. I caught the whole Euro 98 tour. The Ghost from 7/2 Copenhagen was something. It was still funky as hell and early in the life of Ghost so noone knew what to expect. I actually have one Ghost that ranks ahead of it though - from 8/3/03 IT last summer.

The whole second set of 7/2 is gold though:

Ghost -> Runaway Jim -> Prince Caspian, You Enjoy Myself

[boogieknight]

hg, check out second night great woods. even the flubbery was handled with grace.

[jon.]

ya - the first leg was definately stronger. I was at 23/24 Deercreek and it was some of the best phish i have seen.

I have had the pleasure of seeing the band over 11 years and the recent stuff is some of mmy favorite!

ah well.....