i havent heard too much of this show, but i do recall reading a review on this show in teh Phish Companion (v2) where someone just bashes this show. Saying something like they mailed it in, bringing out TM was a joke, etc…
if i recall, actually, i didnt particularly care for the “Gin” from this show. Too noisy.
^
sorry, i had the 2 shows mixed up. the 29th is where TM comes out (that’s the show that was bashed in the PCv2), but i still don’t think the “Gin” from the 28th was very good.
the playing just didn’t go over the top which is something I was hoping for…average playing in my opinion.
^ after listening to the whole 20th anniversary run shortly after the shows, i was less than impressed. i think “mailing it in” is a good way to put it. average shows. glad i didn’t fork over the money to hit all those, which i was pretty much jumping into my car to do at the time.
yeah, i totally wasn’t impressed. Their better then that.
i saw nassau, philly, albany and skipped on boston. the albany show was a blast and i would recommend you listen to the wolfmans and entire second set of this show. it was cool to see jeff come out and play some of his tunes with them. the whole place was rocking out and having a good time. however this really didnt transfer over to the tapes.
nice, yeah i’ll have to check that out. Haven’t heard it yet and probably wouldn’t have for a long time if you wouldn’t have mentioned it. Thanks.
I agree on most of what was said about 11.28.03. The only cool part of the show I remember is the end of the down with disease jam. As far as mailing it in, I don’t know…some nights its just not there. They also may have not been practicing before, because they are pretty sloppy…AC/Dc bag is just as bad as the 4.15.04 version
I really enjoy the YEM from the Albany show along with the songs with Jeff. I do think that most of the rest of the show is average. I was hoping for more on the 2001. I have not listened to any of the New Years run, I have heard it’s great though. How good is it?
i was at the entire miami new years run and i think those were some of the best shows they played post hiatus.
the 28th doesnt look like anything special but you have to realize they are playing 9 sets in 4 days, so theyre not going to bring the place down the first night.
the 29th second set was the best one of the entire run. the energy in that building during and between each song in the second set kept building until that divided sky, when it all cut loose. double encore taboot cause the boys knew they had the crowd’s attention that night.
the 30th was all about having a good time. tons of good songs in the first set with the first sand of the year, shafty, weigh, cities, scent of a mule and a bathtub -> 2001 closer. second set just picked up where they left off with a solid tube and birds la woman sandwich that the crowd really liked. pfunk came out for some late set antics that got everybody singing and closed down with a solid dwd, 2 song encore. all leaving everyone wondering how good the next night would be with mikes and yem still available.
the 31st was just a big party. mikes grooves, moma and yem all in the first set along with the wilson and tube endings from the set openers the night before. second set is filled with good songs and my fav of the weekend, chalkdust -> slave -> chalkdust. i had been waiting all year to hear a slave. third set wasnt anything special but considering how many songs they played in the previous 3 nights with all those 2 song or double encores too, i could see they were a little tired from it all.
all in all a great 4 day run in sunny miami.
^ definitely some of the best post-hiatus shows. i had a party at my place that NYE…IDIOT!!! i should have been down in M-I-A!!!
i love listening to those shows, the energy in AA Arena transfers well onto tape, you can feel it. chalk->slave->chalk is right there too, great playing. and i love that bathtub from the 30th. i thought their creativity was at an all-time post-hiatus high for that run of shows…something they lacked most of the time PH. just look at the set-lists and listen to the playfullness in the band and teases that were thrown around. cohesive.
I agree. This was my first post-hiatus show and the doors were ready to blow off that place. TONS of crowd energy. Second set was great, all in all.
^^^my first show…couple hour drive from purdue and we were at the us bank arena in cinnci on 2-22…definitely a memorable night and quite the turning point in my musical direction…i got phish hooked that night and i will never look back
vegas 04 2nd day was the real deal. period. scratchy voice and all…
^ meh…it was alright, nothing special. and in the moment i definately enjoyed the 3rd night of vegas just as much. in fact, i thought that 3rd night had better playing.
but then again, i think it’s just cuz the end of the second set on 4/16 really pissed me off, i just don’t care for any of these tunes.
Waves > Lifeboy, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Loving Cup
loving cup, yes, but not for a set closer after what preceded it. and waves can be good, i just didn’t like this version. i think that whole show was smoking right up til this point, and then instead of bringing it to the next level, they cooled it down for the last half hour of the set. (which is typical of post-hiatus, right when they could fuck your face, fizzle fizzle, nothing…i.e. let’s play Friday again.) hood encore was nice though. 
and ok, and that first set was decent. and the camel walk was a treat. ;D
wanna see me waffle?
I’ll take 4.16 over 4.17, but they are pretty close. I do really like shakedown, Halleys->tweez, but that TWIST from teh first night is just sooooooooooo good.
I totally agree PHG. 4.16.04 is by far and away the best night of the Vegas run. And Trey wasn’t too coked up to sing DWD. He was too doped up. The start of 4.16 definitely killed the nightmare that was 4.15 and the show continued on. Just because Trey’s voice sounded like shit doesn’t mean the show is bad.
I sort of contradicted myself there, first saying “there is no contest”, and then saying “they are pretty close”.
I do like 4.16 better, though
The Vegas setlists look amazing, but that’s a good lesson for how setlists and timings are meaningless.
In the 2 '04 shows that I saw, Trey didn’t move a muscle other than to sing the lyrics and play. Not a single word was spoken on stage. No gestures. Nothing. I thought it was very odd, considering it was at Deer Creek - a venue I’m sure Phish has affection for. I’m not saying DC '04 was among the worst post-hiatus shows, but they are certainly not among the best.