Subject: 11-13-96 Minneapolis Setlist & Review
       From: Jon Gilbert 

11/13/96
Target Center, Minneapolis MN

I:   Down With Disease, Bouncing Around the Room, It's Ice, Ya Mar, 
     Taste, Trainsong, Reba, Character Zero, Sweet Adeline*

II:  Also Sprach Zarathustra > Suzie Greenburg > Jam > Prince Caspian, 
     You Enjoy Myself, Theme Form the Bottom, Golgi Apparatus

E:   Good Times Bad Times

*accapela


Show ended just after 11 pm.  Show started around 8.  Set one ended 
around 9, and the setbreak was 40-45 min (boy they're getting long!).  
As usual, Target Center acoustics sucked (although a little clearer in 
set II) and MN security were assholes for the most part.  Got home 
around midnight, writing this around 1 am.  On with the show:

DWD: Descent opener.  Not a bad jam, but short.

Bouncing:  Bouncing.  I'm glad they got it out of the way early, but 
it brought for a few songs.

It's Ice:  Normally I like this one for its interesting middle section 
and good composition, but this version sucked.  Not played well at 
all, and they completely left out the build up > scream.  Bad seugue 
into the middle section, which was short ans *sloppy* by Page.  The 
biggest downer of the show.

Ya Mar:  A repeat from last year's MN show, and it didn't compare.  
Played kind of slowly, there was nothing special about this song.  Bad 
placement too.

Taste:  First time I've heard the new afterjam, which I like.  Nothing 
special here.

Trainsong:  Nice and mellow.  Not bad set placement, but nothing 
special either.

Reba:  Another repeat from the 95 MN show.  Well played and really hot 
at the end.  Didn't peak that well, and fell short of last year's.

Character Zero:  First-time.  I like this song live, but the crappy TC 
acoustics made it kind of hard to discern.  Good, though.

Sweet Adeline:  Same old, same old.  Fun set closer, although the 
crowd would *not* shut up and listen.

Set I wrap-up:  Mediocre/bad set.  Bad song placement all through 
here.  Completely incohesive.  Ugh...

ASZ (2001):  Called the opener three days ago.  Good, but nothing 
special.  Big distortion sound before it started up.  Segue into...

Suzy:  Good Suzy with lost of good work by Page.  Segue into...

JAM:  Jammed out with funky Suzy style.  Very imporvisational, with 
multiple solos from Trey and Page (on several keyboards) and some Mike 
jamming.  Trey really contributed with his drumkit, adding some funky 
beats instead of merely keeping up with Fishman.  Very phat and a 
definate show highlight (saved the show, really).  Segue into...

Prince Caspian:  First time hearing the reworked version.  Trey got 
some good licks in there at the end, so I like this version *alot* 
better than the old blah blah blah one.  I felt it coming...

YEM:  Very nice.  Made this set II a keeper.  Extended Page tramps jam 
with Trey helping out again on the drumkit.  Jam was cool, but nothing 
out of the ordinary.  Like Reba, didn't peak well.  Mike's bass jam 
was really extended with some really funky stuff.  Trey was once again 
doing some cool shit on the drumkit - *great!*  Vocal jam was fast 
paced an funky too, as Trey kept the beat going as the other 
harmonized.  Good, dancible vocal jam.

Theme:  Mediocre placement.  Nothing special here. (Funny thing is, I 
think the original Lowell Theme is *still* the best one.  I haven't 
heard Trey go off on Theme like he did on that one.)

Golgi:  Golgi.  Typical closer.

E: Good Times Bad Times:  Called this one.  I knew they'd play a fluff 
encore for a crowd pleaser.  Very similar feeling to MN 95 show with 
Fire encore after the monstrous MikeS.  Jammed out pretty hard, but 
kinda incoherent.  Whatever.

Final thoughts:  Set I sucked, but set II made up for it.  The Suzy > 
JAM was great and the YEM was well played.  I think the tapes are 
going to sound like shit, but the second set is the only one worth 
getting (for Suzy>JAM alone).  Alright show - had fun, as always.  See 
you in Omaha!

-jon gilbert
-- 
"Control for smilers can't be bought..."   :->   :-}   :-]
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Subject: Review, 11/13/96, Minneapolis, MN
From: sareidel@metro2.k12.mn.us (Steve Reidell)


11/13/96, Target Center, Minneapolis MN

I:   Down With Disease, Bouncing Around The Room, It's Ice, Ya Mar,
     Taste, Train Song, Reba, Character Zero, Sweet Adeline*

II:  Also Sprach Zarathrustra > Suzie Greenberg > Suzie Jam# > Prince
     Caspian, You Enjoy Myself, Theme From The Bottom, Golgi Apparatus

E:   Good Times Bad Times

* acapella, with mics
# Oye Como Va tease

Before show, first set

I walked into the Target Center after a slightly cold wait outside (and
the usual "I need a miracle" and/or "can you pack my glass?").  My friend
Ryan and I scanned out our seats (9th row!) and talked to some people we
knew.  Medeski Martin & Wood's "It's A Jungle In Here" was Languedoc's
choice for the PA.  Ryan and I guessed that My Friend My Friend would be
the first set opener.  We were wrong.  The lights dimmed as Mike starting
kicking out some feedback, which could only mean...

Down With Disease
This really smoked.  A great set opener, real powerful, and Mike was
rockin'.  Trey was smiling, I couldn't see Page, but Fishman looked bored
as hell - he seemed tired (but then again, if I toured that much, I'd be
tired too).  It didn't take away from the performance, however.  Excellent
jam, very reminicent of my last DWD (8/10/96 Alpine).

Bouncing Around The Room
I've never heard this live before (although this was only my third show),
and I liked it.  Ryan looked at me when it began and said, "It's safe for
them to play it THIS year."  It was your average Bouncin' - at least as
far as the ones I've heard on tapes and whatnot.

It's Ice
This is the song I wanted Phish to play at Alpine Valley this summer, so I
was completely unexpecting it now.  Again, a standard Ice... except for
one segment where they stopped (right before the big jam) and Page played
a little solo.  I really liked that, it totally threw me off.  Decent.

Ya Mar
Yeah!  They opened with this at St. Paul last year (my first show), and
this tune just makes me smile.  It seemed a little down tempo from last
year (as well as from tapes I've heard), but a very cool Page solo, in
fact, Page was getting close to on fire (but that happened in the second
set).

Taste
My favorite song off of Billy Breathes, so this was cool to hear -
especially since I had never seen it when it was still Fog.  Not a lot to
say about it, it pretty much sounded album.

Train Song
Two songs in a row from Billy Breathes!  Ryan went nuts, this is his
favorite on the album, I just watched Mike the whole time.  They played it
error-free, and I never realized how short of a song it is.  Fish was
practically falling asleep here as far as I could tell.

Reba
Again! :)  I've seen this at all three of the shows I've been to.  Good
solo from Trey.  I concentrated on the lighting during this song and
noticed that above the stage, three rows of lights formed a triangle and
had some pretty cool light designs inside the triangle itself.  I got
mezmerized in the lights and in the jam that I didn't realize how long it
was (the set was getting close to over).

Character Zero
I wanted to hear this, even if it was the third song from Billy Breathes
in one set.  Energetic, as I imagined it would be.  The crowd got pumped
about it just like last year's (10/25/95 St. Paul) Chalkdust.  Right on.
Fishman seemed to be getting back into it.

Sweet Adeline
During the end of Character Zero, Trey said "Thanks" into the mic, so we
figured they were done.  Fortunately, Phish got out of their instruments
to give us a lovely acapella Sweet Adeline.  Fishman was definitely not
bored or tired anymore.

The first set was, in the most appropriate words, standard.  With the
exception of Reba, the songs were short and concrete.  During set break,
Ryan and I went to get something to drink (the air in the arena was so
dry).  We were talking about what we wanted to hear for second set when we
ran into a guy who saw the Halloween show as well as others (this was his
fourth show on the fall tour).  Much to our dismay, he assured us there
wouldn't be a YEM in the second set.  Fortunately, this guy didn't write
the setlist!

Second set

Also Sprach Zarathrustra
WOW, do the lights ever make this song.  I figured they'd segue it into
Maze, Bowie or Mike's, but I was off on both counts when they went into

Suzie Greenberg
Nice segue.  The Suzie was like any other Suzie - the song doesn't vary
all that much.  Standard ending, but then... hey, they kept going!  After
the ending, even!  Long jam.  Hell of a jam, too.  They may have even
segued into something I don't know, but I don't think so, they just kept
jamming.  I swear to god I heard an Oye Como Va tease in there somewhere,
at least it seemed like Mike and Page were doing it.  But, if I haven't
said it already, hell of a jam.  Next thing I know, Trey's doing a G > C
chord progression, and the jam segues into

Prince Caspian
I dig this song!  It's catchy, but not annoyingly catchy - and if Phish
can write a song like that, right on (incidentally, this was the fourth
song in the show off of Billy Breathes).  Fishman was on fire here.
Climactic ending, only resulting in multiple climaxes (ha) from...

You Enjoy Myself
I can't begin to recollect this YEM because I was so caught up in the
grooves.  Easily the highlight of the show.  Ryan and I hugged each other
when it began; this was the one song we wanted to hear live on fall tour.
Page on fire during the beginning, and - they bring out the trampolines -
the crowd flips out.  Trey and Mike do a great tramps jam, and man is that
cool to see for the first time!  Trey enunciates a WUDMTF clearly, but it
sounded like "drag me to Firenze," so I won't even touch on that one.
After that, funky bass from Mike.  A little later (I have no idea how long
this was), Page gets up from his keys, Trey quits playing his percussion
kit -  vocal jam.  Unbelievable vocal jam.  Very long, very very cool.
Fishman is talking real fast in a low voice, sounding much like an
auctioneer on speed.  Ends in screams with lights spinning around the
Target Center... wow.  Wow wow wow.

Theme From The Bottom
In one show, five songs off Billy Breathes.  Whoa.  This worked as a good
"cool-down" from YEM.  It's slow, but it grooves and flows really well, so
the crowd was brought down nicely (FEFY might have caused heart attacks).
They jammed it out really well, taboot.

Golgi Apparatus
Wa-hoo.  I thought they would close the set with Theme - they had held out
the ending real long - but no, it's Golgi.  Another friend of mine said
she thought they sounded off key right at the beginning - I didn't hear
it, but it'll be clear on the tapes.  I may have tuned it out or something
(you'll notice my reviews are, for the most part, positive - I try not to
hear mistakes, I find that I enjoy the show more that way).

Encore

Good Times Bad Times
EXACTLY what I wanted to hear for an encore!  My number one pick (number
two being Funky Bitch, but now I can cross my fingers for the Ames show).
Nothing much to say about this one except that it ended the show with a
smile on my face.

Anyway, I'm tired and I want to go to bed (so I don't fall asleep at the
wheel driving to Ames tomorrow), so I'll close by saying that this was a
pretty good show altogether.  First set could have been better, but it's a
Phish first set, they play, I'm happy.  Second set (especially the Suzie
Jam & YEM) was great, and encore - nothing more needs to be said.

See you all in Iowa!

Steve 

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Subject: target center review (long)
From: Jeremy Berliss 


This was my 26th show, and I was very pleased with the entire show.  From 
begining to end the jams were tight and strong, the crowd was much better 
than I expected and the sound at the target center was better than I had 
expected.  The security getting in was a pain, they made everyone get in 
a double line and go in slowly to check for tickets and then there was 
the security pat down.  Long lines, but I was in in time, so I was 
happy.  15th row, center so I was even happier.
Down w. Disease- as an opener this is pretty cool.  Mike and Trey's sound 
was terrible for teh opening 2 minutes but teh problem was fixed quickly, 
and there was a great jam section.  This song is very much improved over 
the past two years, and I truely look forward to hearing it every time.
Bouncing- Well, it is bouncing. Standard.
Ice- I really enjoyed this Ice more than others I have heard over the 
past few years.  The begining was standard, and during the middle 
jamming/Fish stand on his drum seat section Page went off.  An amazing 5 
(?) minute jam in here that was beautiful.  I really enjoyed this.
Ya Mar- I truely like this song, a really great fun dancing song, with a 
great "Play it Leo!" from Trey
Taste- This started norml, but there was a great jamming section at the 
end that I didn't hear at MSG 10-22-96. Again, this jam was great and 
lasted a good 5 minutes,
Train Song- Ok, nice breather.  I like this song, but it is another good 
relaxing song in between jamming numbers.
Reba- with whistles, the first time I have heard it with whistles and I 
was very excited.  It was a solid reba, much enjoyed.
Character Zero- I really like this as a new song, but it is a bit over 
played.  None the less, I still enjoy it.
Sweet Adaline- I love this song, Fish is great, but I really don't like 
the acapalla set closers.
Set II
2001- Very spacy, amazing lights as always. This is a really fun song.  
It sequed right into 
Suzy- Recenty I have been getting bored with this song, but this version 
was great.  High energy, high excitment, good yelling from Fish and a 
amazing jamming section from Page on the second time around.  This segued 
into something, maybe from Remain in Light.  It was about 10-12 minutes, 
very structured jam which was great.  I loved it, just wish I knew what 
it was.  It went right into
Prince Caspian- It sound a bit too much like the album, but at the end 
they again jammed a bit right into
Yem- I love this song and this version was great.  Nice slow begining, 
climatic ending as always.  Nice Mike and Fish at the.  Mike messed up 
the tramps a bit, but it was still great.  The vocal jam was great, I 
distinctly heard someome telling a story during the vocal jam, as did 
everyone I was sitting near.  Did other hear this?  What were they 
saying?  The crowd gave Phish a 3 minutes standing ovation at this point 
because this was the first break since the set started, well over 45 
minutes.  I loved it!
Theme- A let down from the rest of the set, but still nice.
Golgi- I really don't like this song too much.
E- Good Times, Bad Times- nice encore, high energy, about a six minutes 
jam which was a nice way to end a solid show.

Off to AMes...
Jeremy
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