1999-07-01 Antioch, TN

 7/1/99 Antioch, TN

Set 1

Punch You In the Eye is my always-preferred choice of opener. Typically excellent version, this one sounds like its out of 1995, rather than 1999 - a total 180 from the 7/23/99 lightspeed version with keyboard intro jamming. Excellent, if not exactly all that special. Gets the job done but it feels like they have their foot on the brakes a little bit.

And unfortunately, having Billt Breathes in the 2nd slot does nothing to dissuade that feeling. Love the song and its great as ever but Im sorry, this placement is just not kosher. Honestly though, as with Punch, this version just kinda sounds like its lacking that certain something....like Trey is struggling big time with his solos and it kinda just feels a little stiff. Swing and a miss, unfortunately!

Guyuute follows this trend. An overall excellent reading of the song that is just "loose" enough around the edges to prevent it going next level. Think small flubs, struggles with guitar bends, etc. Its nitpicky stuff but thats the dividing line sometimes.

Up next is a wonderful treat - dobro master Jerry Douglas joins the guys onstage for an all timer reading of Wolfmans Brother. Obviously the dobro gives it a more laid back, country/americana kind of vibe. Its fantastic! Like, dang, I could see modern Bob Dylan whipping out a version like this as a cover or something. Just terrific. Obviously must hear!!!!
----About halfway through, Wolfman starts to jam - hearing the emerging cow funk mesh so nicely with the country vibes is just downright strange and satisfying as hell all at once. Its like 2 jams happening at the same time.
---Its particularly awesome hearing Jerry and Trey riff off each other, egging one another on. This jam is COOKIN!!!!

The hootenanny fun continues when they
bring on Ronnie McCourt and Tim OBrien on mandolin and fiddle -

Beauty of My Dreams, Doin My Time, Roggae, Water in the Sky, Back On the Train and Poor Heart continue the fun all the way to the finish line!!!

Of course, this is hands down the GOAT Beauty, what with the shredding fiddle and dobro. Just spectacular. Must hear stuff!

Rinse and repat for Doin My Time. It doesnt even sound like Phish is still on the damn stage for this one!

Roggae is MUST HEAR!!!! The extra instrumentation turns the song into a lowkey, bluesy kind of swamp stomp!!!! This is spectacular - Ive got goosebumps!!! X Factor Magic on this one. It almost starts to sound like 1972 Dead at points.....wow!!!! Trey and the fiddle and the mandolin all swapping phrases...this is outstanding!!!!!

Water In the Sky is already a country song, pretty much, so its amazing to hear it as Im assuming they might have heard it in their heads while writing the piece. The fiddle just sends this one into the stratosphere. Holy moly.

Repeat the above for Back On The Train. Its as if....this is what it should always sound like. I mean that in the best way. Just fantastic.

And of course the ripping Poor Heart to close.


All in all, holy moly this set is essential Phish listening!!!! The first few songs were just ok but felt very "going through the motions". As soon as the guests came on it was GO time! I would say Wolfman and Roggae are both truly MUST HEAR while the rest of the sitin set is not far behind.

Definitely not the kind of set Ill purposefully seek out, but Im sure glad I listened to it!!!! Wowzers!  

Set 2 - the 3 song, beat-the-storm set

The set opens with a BANG with an roaring, 18 minute Disease. And my freaking goodness this sucker doesnt just smoke, it buuuurrrrnnnssss. Big Cypress Disease, you have met your match.
---Its full throttle all the way to the 12 minute mark whereupon Trey pumps the breaks. The jam enters a more spaciously psychedelic zone. Still guitar meltdown annihilation, but there is room to breathe. Kinda.
Trey, what did this guitar do to you?! Somebody help the poor thing!!!!
---The jam slowly goes into outer space psych shred mode. Or something like that, I dont know what the hell you want me to call this. Its ridiculous and incredible.
--- Suddenly the synths comes out to play and things take a turn towards a brooding darkness. Exactly like watching storm clouds slowly approach on the horizon.
---After about a minute languishing in the haze of destruction, Trey begins to reintroduce the Disease lick from nothing and the guys launch flawlessly back into the song proper to close

Wow!!! That was one of the fastest, "hurry up, we need to go deep QUICKLY!" kind of jams ever! 18 minutes sounds like a long time, but that jam made it feel like 5! See, Phish was microjamming back in 1999!

And into Caspian we segue. That Disease was spectacular but definitely FELT kinda rushed, if you will. Excellent but "typical" version. Felt like a "coda" to Disease in the best way. Gets really nice in the last few minutes with a great Page solo section. Good stuff.

And into a 28 minute YEM to close the set! Gotta say, that non-segue was a little awkward. YEM OUTTA NOWHERE, haha. And the initial composed sections feel a little disjointed - not flubby, just loose.
----During the cymbal rat-a-tat section, they really lay hard into that vaguely ambient 1999 thing. To glorious effect. Piano inserts and squiggle effects abound!
---Despite the incoming storm, there is ZERO sense of rush and the jam displays the utmost patience from start to finish. This YEM is absolutely phenomenal. The final few minutes of hose explosion are maybe the finest music played all show!
---This YEM is ESSENTIAL listening of the highest order. Its pretty much PERFECTION. I cannot rave about this one enough. Its OUTSTANDING!

Sloppy hot C Zero for the encore to get us offstage quickly. C Zero is absolutely NUCLEAR IN THE EXTREME. NEXT LEVEL! MUST HEAR!

Funny, Im actually playing this as a storm is approaching and the sky is getting darker. How fitting!

All in all, this was definitely a UNIQUE show!! And musically it mostly gets a pass! I mean, the whole guest section in set 1 is essential and the Disease and YEM is set 2 are both bonkers good. Thats about 75% of the show being firmly in the "top tier" category, so.... Its pretty difficult to "rate" such a different show like this. Definitely worth a listen for anyone curious - Roggae and YEM and C Zero are worth the price of admission!