08-11-97 Deer Creek Music Center, Noblesville, IN
1: Makisupa Policeman-> Maze, Water in the Sky, Guyute, Guelah Papyrus, Limb By Limb, Horn, Run Like an Antelope
2: Timber (Jerry), Piper, Vultures, My Soul, You Enjoy Myself, Character Zero
E: The Squirming Coil
Listened to this show today! There is a new source to circulation on etree by twatts. Check it out.
The first set starts out fun with a Makisupa. Such a fun fun opener. Keyword is “schwag.” Wonder if the song and keyword were a sign of the lot? Nice extended Makisupa into a crazy Maze. This maze takes a ton of twists and turns and really gets out there. Trey is a madman on this version. This Maze clocks in at over 16 minutes! Just crazy stuff.
Standard slow Water in the Sky follows (for the time period). Guyute follows, which back in 97 was a huge kickdown. The audience goes absolutely apeshit. A standard Guelah follows, but who doesn’t love a standard Guelah! Limb by Limb is next. This song was just debuted in Europe a couple months prior. They really found a good groove on this Limb. I’m not a huge fan of the song, but this is an above average version. Horn is next followed by an absolutely raging Antelope. It’s Deer Creek so you know an Antelope is coming! Jamming was just so effortless back in 97. This Antelope just absolutely rips.
The Second kicks off with Timber. 97 is clearly the year of Timber (see Fall 97). This Timber immediately goes dark. Interesting vibe to kick off the second set. Not a crazy long version, but an intense second set opener. Piper follows. Like Limb by Limb Piper had just debuted a couple months prior. We get the Slow Build Up!! Love the slow build up…Miss it dearly! Piper’s were quick and to the point in their infancy and this version is no different.
Vultures follows and I’m not really digging the flow of this second set so much. Vultures is another new one in 97 and this had a bit of chaotic jam at the end. I’m not sure why the setlist doesn’t reflect this, but there is an immediate segue into My Soul. Okay at this point the first set is blowing the second set away. My Soul is fun, but a mid second set version?
Then Phish does what they do best. They turn up the second set a serious notch with YEM. This is no ordinary YEM folks. Seriously check this out immediately. The opening segment where Page is playing the two notes and Fish is hitting the hi-hat and Gordo is giving us that cool vibe is extended a bit. The nirvana section is reached beautifully. The post tramps segment is where it gets good and crazy. Trey and Mike find this sweet groove to start with. The jam goes from there into spacy funky bliss. The vocal jam begins over Trey singing “ding-dong” “ding-dong” Keep in mind they are still in an ambient spacy jam as the “ding-dong” vocal jam ensues. Eventually you hit a full on vocal jam. When all is said and done you are looking at one of the most unique YEM’s!
Character Zero follows in typical Rawk fashion and Coil closes the two night Deer Creek run.
The previous night is an all around better show (SEE crazy second set), but this show has plenty of good moments and one Great moment in the entire YEM. Definitely worth checking out.
Soooo my reaction to this show is completely different. I think the Makisupa is a nice opener, but I found Trey’s portion of the Maze to be kind of weak. Page’s organ solo was bitchin and they built up some good energy, but I thought all the weird stuff Trey was playing after that just didn’t build up that well to the peak at the end of the tune. The rest of the set kind of falls flat IMO, even though they broke out the ugly pig, which was a rare move at the time. The Antelope is good but for some reason at the end of it I just kind of felt it was a dick-tease.
The second set, even though I LOVE Timber as an opener and this one pounds it down for a few mins, just sounds tired. I’ll give them an “A for effort” in the YEM, it’s really good but I just can’t help but feel like the boys were in need of a night off during this show. Which happens, not getting down on them nor trying to tell anyone else they shouldn’t enjoy listening to it…just sayin, that’s all