Tabooter420 a month ago

I’m so grateful this band came back for us. Thank you, Phish.

nobody's jam 8 years ago

Slave was just soooo perfect! DWD after a truly wild set break of the crowd in the stands morphing like daisies and the ceiling of the mothership gaping like an octopus maw--white knuckle intense

The Nutty Professor 13 years ago

Quite simply one of the most beautiful Slaves I know of. I have literally listened to it over a hundred times at this point and it still gives me goosebumps. One of the most beautiful and soulful recordings of any music I have ever heard.

Nice 16 years ago

Well I wasnt at these shows...thanks scalper friendly ticketing system...but I did find a few bootleg videos and they are definatly the best bootleg vids Ive ever seen. I usually dont download illegal material but until Phish steps up and gets PTBM back or anything to curve the scalpers getting tickets I dont care anymore. For thier first shows in 5 years they sounded pretty damn good and the light show is great too.

bruff76 16 years ago

For the 1st time since I was @ this show, I listened to it today. After the listen, I went and started reading the "reviews" & posts. Kinda suprized at how some people were so critical. The most surprizing was the comparisons to previous years. This is a whole new Phish. Phish has kinda reinvented itself. A clean and sober Phish. We arn't gonna get the Phish of old, and I hope people are realizing this. Plus, I find people who are soooo critical of these, or this show, kinda, well, stupid and narrow-minded. What did you expect? Perfection? Please! Not ever gonna happen. EVER! Phish has never been about perfection. That's why we love them, right? They arn't, and we arn't perfect. That's why we love them. They make mistakes just like us, and it's supposed to be funny and likeable. Now, on to the music! Maze. When that song was played I thought at the time it was THE BEST MAZE EVER! Well, after this listen, I must retract. It didn't come off that way. Maybe the CK5 lighting gave it much more. IDK. But, DWD? OMG! Whadda version! Great. Phantastic. A must hear. That Undermine was the best version of that song live. Phunky, and kinda reggae like. Contact. Geezus krimeny. Started off just as it should, then, BAM! Phunk, phunk phunk. Great again! Sanity opener. Need I say more? I love the Trey lryics in Sanity, I lost my mind just a couple of times....Yes I Did! Overall the show is solid. After not playing together live in front of an audience for nearly 5 years, and this show closing out a 3 night run, it was about as good as you could expect from Phish. I really didn't have any expections going into this show. But, with the lack of them, all of them were fulfilled. Does that make sence? P.S. Keytar........I love you with the keytar Page. Please, more Keytar.

Will 16 years ago

Easily the best night of Hampton.

Johnny B 16 years ago

Twist>2001>Moma Dance is the best jammin and segues of the weekend and a glimpse into the potential of 3.0 as genuinely turning a page in the jam arsenal this band unleashes. So stoked for Deer Creek and Alpine. There's a reason they end the first tour at Alpine and I can't wait. Thank you thank you thank you!

theonlyseafoodiaskfor 16 years ago

Incredible show!!! Just a side note, this was the first live Undermind performed by Phish (at least according to PT). I can't even begin to describe how amazing this show was to me-best show I've ever been to by far!!!!

bouncin7 16 years ago

In the last few days, I've lost my job, caught the flu, and generally have no worries thanks to The Phish... you are back! These shows are electrifying!! Thank you! Don't stop again. I can't take it.

brian 16 years ago

yo, the sound was awsome in there! hampton that is. whoever was talking about trey using what or whatever effect is NITpicking. he was loud, for one thing. my quick lowdown, is that a) page was way up in the mix, which was nice. b) trey was the MVP(big surprise). c) Mike was not as loud as he could've been, but you could hear him quite well in there at hampton(there were some bombs)., and d) fish was rolling and rocking esp. the 3rd night (clear as bells). thanks! brian in plattsburgh ny

Al 16 years ago

@ prawser, you are right. Trey didn't use the Ross on the third night - at least not as often as the first two nights. There he really used it a lot on the heavily composed sections. I disagree with you in that it was all about Trey. I think in 98 he played a lot more notes, and Page never ever shone like that like he did this weekend!

prawser 16 years ago

You know, with all my love to Phish, to me this was just not it. A few reasons: 1- Trey is too loud and he is not using his Ross Compressor, which basically softens his guitar and gives him his sweet sound instead of this crunchy guitar which does not do justice to Paul Languadoc, the builder. 2- The jams, the natural buildup, the weaving in and out of scales, tones and rhythms TOGETHER, this is all gone. If you listen to, for example, a Harry Hood from 96 you will find that back then trey didn't have to try so hard to get the right notes! If he is not on drugs, what is it? 3- Since 2000, it is all about Trey. It never was beforehand. It sounds to me that this is still the case. Its very upsetting to me to write this because i truly love them and would accept almost anything i heard from them. That being said, there is a limit and that limit is to pay $1000 to see what i just heard. Glad i didnt go. Hope they write new music in the form of Junta and others and get back their original compositional inspiration.... its not like it would be a new science for them.

Wall05 16 years ago

I disagree. The sound inside the venue was excellent. Of course i was also next to the soundboard.

Phish101 16 years ago

I'm just gonna come right out and say it: the sound inside that Coliseum sucked big-time. But I am so relieved to hear these mp3's because now I know, it was either the (A) Coliseum (which I doubt because of all the claims that the sound in there is so great) -or- (B) Phish's new sound guy. I'm pretty sure it was Phish's new sound guy, and I'm suprised nobody else is saying this. I think people are in denial. I admit, after all the hype and the money spent on this trip to Hampton, it's embarassing to say it sucked, but it did. Let's stop fooling ourselves. I moved all around that damn coliseum trying to find a spot where it sounded good, but it didn't happen. End Blog

jordan 16 years ago

I love these shows. These shows remind me a little bit of Led Zeppelin's 1980 "comeback" tour in Europe. They came back sounding fresh & alive with slightly more economical playing and tiny new variations on the arrangements. I hope to see them this summer.

Phelpsilove 16 years ago

I wasn't at the shows, but I hope to get tickets to the Gorge! I downloaded all three shows, and they seem to get better each time I listen to them. The recordings are never as good as the shows, but these recordings are good. It would have been epic to be at these shows, but here's my take from the recordings. The recordings seem to be very guitar heavy. I struggle to hear Page or Mike. My friend who was at the shows said Page sounded amazing and stepped up his game. He said Trey gave it up a little more for Page, so I'll take his word for it. I think Phish gave the phans what they wanted to hear: many songs that were practiced, crisp, and tight. They brought out the good old raw Phish and stayed away from the newer songs. I would have liked to have heard more jamming, but that will come after they have played together more. I can't wait to hear Spread it Round! Just kidding....sort of.

tek 16 years ago

after listening to all three nights pretty closely, it is clear to me what made the nights get better as they rolled on. Trey's new guitar effect, the pitch shifter/note bender thingy, was not working with what he wanted it to. The Reba in second night is so on for not playing it in 5 years live (granted trey couldn't hang with the second time through the sync piece he and page play before the jam), and the jam is really good (mike, again, laying it on thick, taking energy from his last solo tour/album and bringing it) but when trey flips that effect on, the other 3 guys sound like they are left hanging. You can hear the difference in all of their playing at this moment, and it's at that point when I realized that Trey needs to bring back THE DUAL TUBE SCREAMERS!!! With that said, third night, he barely used it. It's cool in transitional, spacey jams, but for laying on the notes when they are needed (like in Reba), the effect is very wack. Foam was nailed, Sanity was hilarious. If they can nail foam, then there is much hope. But can Trey bust out an Uncle Pen again? The Moma was fast and tight, the 2001 sounded new and "original" given what Trey was playing. Him making the lyrics hang longer, i think that is showing more skill over the song, which is a hard thing to do when you've been playing the song the same way for over 10 years. I found the lagging lyrics to be more interesting, it made the songs sound fresh again. Lastly, does it sound like they listened to the album versions and relearned the material that way? It does to me! The tempos and clean sound of the album tunes sound like they needed to get back to how the songs are originally played. Listen to Wolfman's from 2000-2004 and then listen to the Wolf from this mini tour, you might agree with me!

ray 16 years ago

Thank you PHISH!!! All three nights were great, but every night seemed an improvement. LOVING the new sound and can't wait for summer. Thanks for the freebies!!! I purchased the flacs, but those MP3s sound sweet on the iphone. dan - a) they clearly stated the freebies were for a limited time. b) you managed to pay for a round-trip literally around the globe from/to Israel and tickets which were most likely at a major premium, not to mention lodging. suck it up, stop complaining and don't be so cheap. The free shows were a very generous and well-received gesture to fans, not something anyone was entitled too - don't ruin it.

Mike A. 16 years ago

Can we just get this right this time ... NO GLOWSTICKS. ONLY GLOWRINGS. Please, if you see someone throwing a stick or one lands at your feet (hopefully not in your eye) PLEASE ... PLEASE ... PLEASE ... destroy it. Phish will love you for it.

Boost 16 years ago

Geat Show, all of 'em were. Will be a great summer. How bout the art for 7th and 8th for my flacs? Gracias

Grant 16 years ago

The shows were great, certainly not the phish that used to practice for 5 hours a day before a show, however a re-emerging band that has taken many years off. Their music is much like a complicated clasical peice, and takes lots of practice and rehersals to perfect. when they were touring half the year, their shows were insane, and they still practiced like crazy. I beg to differ that their peak as 94; I will however agree that was an awsome era to see a show, smaller scene, more interaction with the band, songs into songs into songs etc... I think after 94, the band became tighter, the sound was way better, the jams more involved, and as far as I am concerend, 97-98 were some of the best shows I ever saw. I have high hopes for the continued evolution of Phish. unfortunatly I am 35 with a good job and wife and kids, so jumping up and heading out on tour is no longer an easy process, but I plan on seeing them for many years to come.

lyle 16 years ago

I whole-heartedly agree with you, Tim. I'm just processing some of my mid-life nostalgia for the supernatural levels of joyous bliss offered by the intimate Phish scene of the early '90's. Back then, I heard similar comments by the Nectar's/Front crowd (about '92 Phish). Coming from Dead tour in '91, I was blown away by hearing people at Phish shows talking about how "big" Phish was getting (The Capitol Theatre seemed miniscule to me compared to the Dead's Stadium shows). Then I heard myself saying the same thing at Great Woods '93. "round a back circle, round a back realize..." I sincerely hope that many kids feel about Phish today as I felt about them in those days.

Tim 16 years ago

Lyle, change happens. If you want people to stand still, bands to NOT progress, then you haven't really made any progress yourself. Don't compare things of today with things way in the past. That's a grandparents thing;-) Phish in 1994 was a different band than Phish in 1997. And that one was not really comparable with Phish in 2004. Remember the 30 Min. Piper Jam at the SPAC? That Jam is timeless, as many others are. Isn't exactly that what IT is all about? Enjoy what you get, man. It all depends on your mind set. And don't say that Hampton 2009 was sloppy. Countless songs weren't even played in 2003-2004. They sounded extremely tight and rehearsed. That's the good news. They rehearsed - healthy and full of energy.

lyle 16 years ago

I really haven't loved many shows since '94, which I think was so clearly the peek of their mastery (and the beginning of the end of what I thought was a very beautiful scene). The Hampton shows have rekindled my interest and I was very glad to hear the high energy and classic setlist from the opening set of this run and was glad to see that Phish still has it after all these years. However, by the second set my feelings of nostalgia for early 90's Phish returned, forced back into the fore by too many missed switches, blurred riffs and general malaise where there used to be off the wall sparkling clear explosions of perfectly synchronized movements. It's like comparing a crystal clear close-up photograph of an unbelievably intricate fractal-patterned seashell with a watercolor painting of a spiral. Granted, that watercolor that Phish is painting nowadays is still gorgeous and leagues beyond any other artist out there.

Dave 16 years ago

Why is the artwork taking so long to post?

Mr. Minor 16 years ago

im reading some of these show reviews and frankly i cant believe that some people are saying that these shows were flawless and tight. seriously? am i the only person who is noticing the weird, slow, drawn out vocal deliveries from Trey? not to mention the countless vocal and riff flubs from The Bad Lieutenant. i am a HUGE phish fan. have been for 15 years now. if i had to guess, the expectations and HUGE amounts of pressure that was put on the band led to a somewhat lacluster performance for the 3/6 and 3/7 shows. with a number of exceptions. i.e.:fluffhead, suzy,first tube, tweezer, guelah papyrus, ghost,lawn boy. the 8th on the other hand was smokin'. one listen to DWD and its easy to see that their hearts are back in it. the dust was definately blown off. the 3rd night gave me great hope for PHISH v3.0. if i had to rate the playing of all four members i would say P A G E!! mike, fish, trey. ok im gonna stop now. i dont wanna come off like an ungrateful, whining fan but i felt the need to express what i feel about the greatest band of all time. summer tour here i come!! you were greatly missed. peace and love, bobby

Kort 16 years ago

Being front row didn't make me realize how awesome it was. It was running straight for it, right at the start, that made me realize how awesome it was. And still it makes me so freakin happy that I was blessed with this occasion. Not by some tiki god, but by the moment and the epic chance that this could happen. PHISH IS BACK!

will 16 years ago

WALLLFREEEEEEDO.........WALLFREEEEEEEDO!!!!!

chris 16 years ago

lets hear the sound checks eh?

DeadPaisly 16 years ago

Favorite/best jam for all three shows was the DWD from night 3 second set. LONG too. Somebody else pointed out a lack of arrows on the setlists. Hmmm Kind of surprised to not hear Guyute, Harpua or Simple in any of the sets. Finally Listen to the crowd at the end of Theme. After the song is over some guy does a money call. I played it several times and laughed histerically. Good Day yall