I’m with you piper. Good Ghost and Yem, huh?
I wanted to do the Vegas run, but it just wasn’t in the cards…never heard the shows though.
Vegas 98 Halloween Trey freaked out during the third set, no? And then he referenced his own freak-out at the Dark Side show two days later during Harpua.
Maybe they should just stay away from that town…
^
freaked out how? left the stage pissed after “Ghost?” actually said something on stage? what!!???
I don’t know. I’ve never heard the show, but have only read stuff that Trey left the stage. The 3rd set is only 3-4 songs. Anyone have this show?
^
I do, and I’ve listened to the third set many a time. But I can’t really tell what is going on on-stage (obviously), and unfortunately the music doesnt really reflect anything unusual. Other than the “Ghost” is only about 9 minutes long. I’d be curious to see what someone says who actually SAW what happened.
It was something like Trey flipped out about something and left the stage. If you listen to the end of the jam, you can hear him play a loop and then stop playing. That’s him walking off the stage while the rest of the band plays for a few seconds and then walks off, too.
I was at this show and I think there was a bad vibe all over that stadium by the third set. The Wolfman’s sucked all the energy out of the room. By the end of the jam everyone was sitting down and scoffing. The Piper started up and the crowd rose to attention. By the time they broke into ghost the crowd was expecting something a little more rewarding. But right when the jam should have taken off Trey made some kind of gesture at Mike and cut out. He left the stage with his guitar playing loops and the rest of the band looking a little confused. They wound it up the best they could. It was lame. The encore didn’t really make up for it either. Monkey->reprise was not poignant enough to save the third set.
The Halloween 98 show should have been one of my favorite live phish experiences. However, the boys kinda tanked the ending. This show will be forever eclipsed by the night before. (IMO)
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Interesting.
I wonder what the hell they were thinking during that “Wolfman’s?” Maybe they all ate some acid and decided to take it WAY out there, not caring what the crowd was expecting? That’s always been my guess. And then the lame “Ghost” I’ve never been able to figure out. Maybe they were just exhausted and decided to call it a night. Who knows, though. People who were there would have a little better idea I guess.
^It was really dissapointing. I was expecting the third set to top the other two. They fizzled fast instead. OH WeLL! At least we got that unreal Sweet Jane/RnR combo! That was just stunning. The first set was pretty good as well.
Reading reviews on phish.net, seems like lots of people really dug that Wolfman’s… weird. I wonder what Trey’s deal was.
I really dig that Wolfman’s. They needed to gamble on shit like that way more in '98 in my opinion.
As much as I LOVE the Velvets…That Wolfmans is the best part if the show for me…I wasn’t there, but if I was…oh if I was.
The last time I saw Phish was Dec. 30th 2003. I wouldn’t say they were “on”, but they were not the worst shows I’ve ever been to either. It seemed like they were having a good time . But I also think Trey and Page had thought about it well before the vegas shows.
I always thought that trey’s visit to Africa with Dave was a turning point in the demise of phish. I mean it was the beginning of 2004, and he’d be 40 that year. Orchestra bao bob had just reunited after 15 years, and i think he realized that, you know, he needed to cover more ground otrher than phish. I think he realized that it was in fact a wrapped up scene. he needed that fresh direction he needed that change, similar orchestra babobob at one pioint needed a change
So I managed to go to every Vegas from 2000 on they played I think 7 times in all plus I went for Trey one summer and this last Vegooose experience. Vegas is a dark and dirty place. Its like they came to play and really it was the beginning of their night. I really think that at least Trey powered through a night or two and showed up and played like shit. Look at the Vegas 2000 DVD wait how many times did he wipe his nose during Forbin. I was there up front it was stupid how messed up he was.
Nuff said Vegas only seems like a place for Trey, can you see Gordo, Fish, or Page enjoying the scene. Well maybe Fish out of those three. The expereinces for Phish got worse and worse. (You know the Dead vowed never to play there for a long long time) Ooops not to compare just only as two touring bands with similar fan base mentality. (Music is completely different no comparison.)
That last run oh god. Terrible. Weak jams and just messy. Three nights just too many for those boys in that town. Phish in Vegas is not as special because there is way to much going on else where. I mean if they played late night shows then a different story. Also easiest place to make fake tickets to. 5 out of 7 I made tickets to get in. That you kinkos. That easy.
^ I see where you are going with this. But…
I saw most of the Vegas shows from before 2000, and they were easily some of the best I have been to. The band wasn’t always this affected by their surroundings. They were consistantly good in Vegas in 96, 97, and 98. (minus 10/31/98 III)
The quality of the shows you mention should be attributed to the band and their state of mind, not the locale. Just because there is temptation, doesn’t mean that they couldn’t have played good shows. Plus, the vibe and energy at the shows in Vegas were always super strong. Another reason to invade Sin City. Also, there was always something to do after the show.
VEGAS was a GREAT place to see Phish.
Yea, in his interview with Charlie Rose, Trey mentioned that he didn’t want the band to be a “nostalgia act,” which he thought might happen. He brought this up in reference to Jesse Jarnow, the guy who writes the reviews of shows for jambands.com and Relix. In Jesse’s review of the Vegas run, he said that they basically didn’t play well and that Phish was in danger of becoming a “nostalgia act.” Trey obviously read this and maybe that pushed him over the top. Actually, Im a bit suprised that no one has Yoko Ono’ed Jesse Jarnow as far as Phish breaking up.
^^ Thanks for the support Grabs. Vegas is a great place to see Phish.
^i would love to see any concert there…been to sin city twice and i love it…even for just walking around at night, people watching and checkin out all the hotels…it is an unbelievable place
The first night was the worst Phish show I’ve ever seen. Trey was out of it, and there were a lot of rumors about him taking a bunch of OCs. The way he was playing, I can believe it. It was so wack.
They announced their break up a few weeks after Vegas, and it really made sense to me.
Vegas 04 was a mess… I think it just became painfully clear to everyone that somethings got to give. Kuroda’s absence didn’t help.