10-29-94 Memorial Auditorium, Spartanburg, SC
1: My Friend My Friend, Sparkle, Simple, Runaway Jim, Foam, Lawn Boy, Split Open and Melt-> Buffalo Bill-> Makisupa Policeman-> Rift
2: Down With Disease-> TMWSIY-> Avenu Malkenu-> TMWSIY-> Sparks-> Uncle Pen, You Enjoy Myself, HYHU-> Bike-> Run Like an Antelope-> Sleeping Monkey-> Run Like an Antelope
E: Harry Hood
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OK… I found this show to be really interesting. Almost like the band was just coasting into the Halloween show which had a ton of anticipation. Throughout the entire show I kind of felt like it was the band just practicing their chops before they head into the studio to pump all of these songs out.
First set starts off with a really nice MFMF. I LOVE this song as an opener. It’s a great build up, and allows the band to all get on the same page in the beginning slower section. As soon as the tempo changes, they are incredibly tight, and this song if just filled with energy. The vocals are coming off really great throughout the song, and it is a nice preview of what is to come of this set. The ending has an interesting extended vocal intro. Mike is really adding some odd noises, and Trey seems like he is really trying while singing.
Next is Sparkle, and they played it, and there were no flubs. Nothing much else to say really, the townspeople rejoiced. There is a quick > into Simple, and once again, this is nicely played, but nothing special really. More fantastic vocals during the lyrics.
A -> brings us into Runaway Jim, and the only note I wrote down is there is a really nice jam about 6 minutes to 6 and a half minutes in. Full band jamming… Just not hose.
Then comes the FOAM, and I start to be reminded of the first set of 12/29/1994. Nothing special at all in my eyes, but just well played. I was waiting for the Split Open and Melt to open this set up much like the previous show I just mentioned.
Lawn Boy comes on the heels of FOAM, and is a nice relaxing moment… Unfortunately, I don’t think this set needed this at this moment. It needed something to pick up the pace!
Split Open and Melt, here it comes I was figuring. Throughout the beginning of the song, Page and Mike are REALLY standing out on this soundboard, and their playing back and forth is amazing and one of those moments that make me love this band. Once again, the vocals sound really well, and they must have really been practicing to get in shape for The Beatles in two nights. Then the jam takes a very weird turn, one of those songs where it seems every member of the band is doing their own thing, but it all sounds right. It reminds me of the jam during the 1994-07-08/ALO Stash. Just plain craziness. However, it is not up to that level at all. As a matter of fact, I have found this Melt to be kind of mehhhh…
The segue into Buffalo Bill was interesting, and I actually thought it was Makisupa Policeman for a moment. It is a slow, funky beginning, and the rest of the song is played well. Then a quick segue into Makisupa, so I start to wonder if I was hearing Makisupa before Buffalo. This is creating a nice reggae flow after the weirdness of the Melt, and I think it is exactly what I needed. There are some very deep and funky notes coming from Mike in the beginning of the jam, and soon it turns into a very quick paced rocker. Reminds me of the Melt jam, so maybe they are just creating a giant circle…
But it crams its way into Rift. Once again, another song that sounds great with the vocals the band is producing this night. Interesting choice for a set closer, and I feel it wraps this set up pretty well.
Second set comes, and I am hoping for some magic. The first set left me a bit empty.
Some spacious sounds brings about Down With Disease, and I am hoping that this is just the starting point to an amazing set. A very quick, yet spacious, jam ensued, and it was a great choice for an opener.
Somehow this managed to segue into TMWSIY>Avenu>TMWSIY. Nothing much to be said here. I love these songs, but not really at this part of this show. I just needed something a little more I suppose…
And then SPARKS. Now we are talking. TMWSIY popped in some The Who, and I was loving this. Once again, I was ready for this show finally to take flight. Sparks turned into Uncle Pen, and I love to hear bluegrass, but this is starting to look like another “first set”. A bit dissapointed still.
1, 2… 1, 2, 3, 4, You Enjoy Myself. A nice composed section. And the only part of the show I wrote down that I felt needed to be mentioned: about 9-10 minutes in, Page is ragin’! VERY groovy notes played by the Chairman. Onto the jam and Mike is really laying it down thick, which brings it into the vocal jam. Much like the rest of the show, nothing outstanding in my eyes.
HYHU>Bike. Fish mixed up the lyrics and made a few up. Made for a fresh and interesting version, but nothing to write home about.
Run Like an Antelope. Finally, this is gonna split my head. Right? Well, it starts off really fun and goofy, with the “antelope noises” included in the beginning. OK, it quickly hits high gear and unfortunately, just as quickly, segues into Sleeping Monkey. Now I love this song, but this was one of the last things I expected, let alone wanted to hear, come out of the Antelope. A bit of a buzzkill. The segue back into Antelope starts off with Fish pounding away on the drums, and the whole band picks up like they had never left the Antelope. Pretty amazing, and saved the song for me… If they only played that short beginning to Antelope, I would have been incredibly dissapointed. Sleeping Monkey sort of killed any notion of this jam really going anywhere, so it basically fit right in with the rest of the show. Page was really shining just before the “run, run, run” section. I will always love Antelope, and to end a set is picture perfect.
Onto the encore, and Harry Hood starts up. Another slower paced intro with a lot of room for space. Once again, I have to say that this song fits into the show so well. It is an amazing song, it just doesn’t sound like the boys are really trying. Just a quick coast through, and the show is over.
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All in all, I found this show to be right around average. There was nothing botched or played horribly, but there was also nothing played amazingly. Just a run-of-the-mill, SAFE, show. Lots of great vocal work, and unfortunately that is my one true highlight of the show.
I would say if you are trying to get someone into Phish, this is not a horrible show choice to pick. Safe enough for anyone to hear… Nothing really to scare them away.
