7-27-01 - Alltel Pivillion at Walnut Creek, Raleigh, NC

Date: Fri, 03 Aug 2001 19:04:48 -0400
From: Bryan Wilk wilkbm02@wfu.edu
To: dws@netspace.org
Subject: Trey 7.27.01 review
 
I just wanted to give my take on the Trey 7/27 show.  I went into the
show with no huge expectations, as I had not seen a Trey solo show yet.
But to be honest, I was disappointed with the quality of the music.
Don't get me wrong, I had a good time, as seemingly did everyone else.
But there's no denying that the crowd wasn't into the music for at lesat
50% of the songs.  There was SO much talking going on in the crowd,
especially during the second set.  I would really equate this show with
a party with a good band playing-- you want to half-listen to the band,
but you also want to talk to friends and reminisce about old times.
Which is fine, but probably not quite enough for $30 a seat.
The first set had a few genuinely exciting moments, and the second set
had a couple as well.  But the main problem with the band is that the
jams head in one direction for way too long.  This is going to sound
weird coming from a Phish fan, but I think Trey should consider doing
much less jamming, as there was almost no variation in the songs after
the 4th or 5th minute, but they sometimes dragged on for 12 or 15.
Improvisation seems to require good communication between the members.
The band is just too new to expect any sort of great improvisation, so
it's pointless make the songs last that long.
I was pretty surprised to come back and see that someone had written
that this was the best show of the tour so far.  I know everyone says
"he's taking chances, cut him a break".  That's true, but it would be
better if he took even more of a chance by eliminating the jamming.
Drop the jamming altogether if you can't improvise well enough yet (due
to the newness of the band, not the skill of the musicians), and play
short rock songs, acoustic pieces, instrumental pieces like At the
Gazebo, etc.  I would have rather had a mixed bag of all different
styles than continued jamming in one direction.
That's just my opinion, and like I said, I enjoyed the show anyhow!

 
Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 10:32:56 -0700 (PDT)
From: Eric Kesler chumlove@yahoo.com
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: Trey 7.27.01 review
 
Trey. Raleigh. Summer. Rain.  Rain rain rain.  That^Òs
how it has happened every summer going back at least
to 94.  The rain wore itself out before show time, a
small favor, but Walnut Creek was still soaking wet
when the man with the hose took the stage.
A note on the venue:  it^Òs a summer shed.  No more or
less cool than any other.  No traffic snarls to speak
of, extra tickets to be had on every aisle.  Pack your
stash and get ready to dance.  Anticipation as thick
as the humid air.
Forty minutes past ticket time, Moesha to open.  Hello
east coast^Åwelcome to new
Trey.  Running into the venue past confused looking
people^Å^Ôis that really the band?  Are they on?^Ô  Slow
the run down, dance through the crowd down to a seat
with room to groove.
And then groove^ÅTube Top Wobble.  Great song^Åslinky,
sexy, pause the funk and then drop back into it.
Crowd still seems to be making up its mind^Åit^Òs not
Phish, but it sounds^Ågood.
Last Tube sells the crowd, utterly.  Ass shaking
abounds by the end of this one^Åthis song is just so
much fun.  Trey noodles around a bit in the beginning,
teases Cayman Review, and then starts hammering out a
solo.  A Trey Kick You In The Face Rock God Anastasio
solo.  This song has been played every show so far
this tour, and it deserves to be^Åeveryone needs to see
it.  It could have come out in the second set; it
would have brought the house down again.  The band
takes a short breather^Åthe audience mostly inhales
only enough to scream again.
Ooh Child^ÅTrey goes deep into the candy jar for this
sweet nugget.  Behind the lawn, the sun is struggling
to peek through the western end of the front, a gentle
sunset for a gentle tune.  Nice extended jam at the
end.
Tony holds the groove so tightly in the pocket one
might suspect him of having his own gravitational
field, and nowhere is this more evident than Alive
Again.  The entire song swirls around his syncopated
bass line.  It^Òs straightforward^Åit descends four
steps and then goes back to the top^Åbut it^Òs eerie,
and intense.  The song starts out creamy, but as Tony
churns and churns away, the band starts to catch on,
to thicken the groove into buttery goodness.  This
version was all about Russell^Òs flute solo, which
built until he was screaming into the flute between
notes.
Will it Go Round in Circles to close out the first
set^Åthe tempo is slowed down a bit from ^Ò99 versions,
but still delivers knockout blows left right and
center.  Also, interpretation of this tune hasn^Òt
changed much as the band has grown from three to eight
members^Åhorns or not, this song is still all about
Trey flexing viciously.
Set break^Ålines at the bathroom, lines at the beer,
lines behind the pavilion waiting for ticket stubs to
be passed down.
Exactly fifteen minutes later, set two begins with
Burlap Sack and Pumps.  The funk inside this song has
been replicating at a viral rate ever since its debut,
and this version backs that up^Åclocking easily over 20
minutes.  Andy, Jen, and Grippo (?) each took solos
before the horn section disappeared stage right, a
sure sign that business was about to be conducted.  A
few minutes later, Ray stood up as well and
disappeared, leaving Trey Band 99 onstage for a
ten-minute exercise in less is more.  Rather than
taking the jam up and up, Trey took it deeper and
deeper down, squeezing and compacting his phrases,
reducing the volume while increasing the intensity.
Tony and Russ followed along effortlessly,
complementing Trey without overwhelming him.  Say what
you want about the ^Ómetronome brothers^Ô, but they have
no trouble holding their own with Trey.
The jam descended and thinned until it was a
single-celled amoeba of ambience hanging in the wash
of Kuroda^Òs machine^Åand then Trey began to leak out
the deep Cuban groove of Aqui Como Alla.  This song,
which could be re-titled ^ÓA Love Supreme vacations in
the Caribbean,^Ô sneaks up the leg and puts the body
into motions best supported by a loved one plastered
back-to-chest^Å(for the singles in the crowd, it^Òs okay
to make love to the seatback in front of you ^Ö no one
is looking).
After this number the full band returns to scatter
smother cover chunk top dice and pepper Simple Twist
Up Dave.  This is pure Anastasio/Marshall music^Åsparse
lyrics that not only make little sense but also sound
like something else (simple twist of fate), leading
into a monstrous jam.  More horn solos, more trey
shredding, more eyes rolling into the backs of heads.
A Flock of Words is a ballad^Åbeautiful, simple, to the
point, and heart wrenching in an abstract sort of way.
^ÓLet me go^Ålet me goooooo^Å..^Ô A three minute musical
hug.
Even a good hug can^Òt last forever, though^Åthis one
gives way to a musical punch in the package^ÅSand.  No
start/stop jamming, no parlor tricks, just straight
ahead rock and roll punctuated by Kuroda, who is
striving to be the ninth and tenth member of this
band.  Not the most overwhelming Sand ever, but not
one you would turn your back on lightly either.
Excellent way to close out a set.  In the seats, sweat
and joy are holding hands.
The full band returns for the encore, but after
plugging in Trey changes his mind, swaps the Languedoc
for the acoustic, and the band resets for At the
Gazebo.  [Editorial aside:  this song has a lot of
haters, and maybe it^Òs the marching band nerd in me,
but I^Òm not one of them- I think it^Òs a gorgeous
composition, an effective encore (yes, even by
itself), and an impressive testament to Trey^Òs ability
to do more than wank on guitar.]
The crowd, largely respectful during this quiet
acoustic piece, worked itself back into a frenzy when
Russ and Ray returned and the electric was strapped
back on^Åone more song before it^Òs all said and
done^Åand what a choice.
Mister Completely is Trey at his most brutalizing,
with the whole band proving (again) that they are a
force to be reckoned with, and not a diversionary side
project.  The song goes up and up, the horns flare^ÅCK
strobe turns to CK flood wash turns back to CK strobe
with no end in sight^Åthe heart throbs, uncontrollable
smiles break out, dancing increases intensity from
Richard Simmons to Billy Blanks and beyond, supernova,
applause^Å^Å.
And that^Òs it.  The lights come up; the audience,
ranging from ecstatic to reflective, stumbles out into
the steamy night to the strains of the O^ÒJays ^ÓLove
Train^Ô, a song with some appropriate lyrics:
 
  Don^Òt you know that it^Òs time to get on board
  And let this train keep on riding, riding on through
^Å
 Please don^Òt miss this train at your station
 ^ÑCause if you miss it I feel sorry, sorry for you.


Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2001 15:22:40 -0400 (EDT)
From: josh martin thewayofjosh@theblackcrowes.com
Subject: trey, raleigh, n.c., 7-27-01
 
let me just start this review by telling y'all that i love phish, and i'll
leave it at
that....
i'll admit that i was filled with a moderate amount of trepidation going into
tonight's show. we've all heard the same reports:  repeating a good chunk of
the set night after night...russ and tony getting stuck in a rut while trey
noodles his way off into lala land...(as was the case in the fall of '97, as
well as trey's first tour in '99)...etc etc. so when the band hit the stage, i
prepared myself for something less than a musical
epiphany.
i'm happy to record here that i had all four of my doors pleasantly blown off
during the course of the evening. the first set, per usual (?), featured a lot
of solid brass, while the big man remained relatively subdued. tube top wooble
opened with some tremendous percussion and some very psychadelic sounds from
the horns, kind of like i found myself with a very spun buddy rich band in the
middle of an african safari, if that makes any sense. the sax player worked in
a nice head hunters riff, although the name of the song escapes me....i'm
pretty sure trey also hinted strongly at crossfire (srv) towards the end.
 
ooh child was great, the horns really filled out the sound here, much more
enjoyable than in '99. the song was capped off with a very melodic trey solo
reminiscent of slave, one of those solos that really draws the crowd and the
band into each other, lets us forget that we have to be somewhere tomorrow
morning to do such and such for so and so...you know what i mean.
 
the whole set was strong, but was predictably stolen by circles. the best song
of '99 is still one of the strongest now. again, the horns really paid off
here, so well that, having heard it last night, i can't imagine what it sounds
like without horns. trey really let us know he was here to rock for the first
time, pulling out some fantastic solos, and leading the band to a raging
close. much props to kuroda on this one, as well as whoever was running the
effects on the monitors for the lawn. the song, as well as the whole set, gave
me plenty to think about during the
break...
honestly, the second set kind of melts together for me. the bass lines for
every song were, to my ear, virtually interchangable.  i would've become
preoccupied by this were the drumming and the guitar not so impressive. at
some points during the set, it sounded like there were at least two
percussionists up there. every song featured some jamming by trey the likes of
which i hadn't seen with phish in quite some time, each more powerful than the
last. the band raced behind and there were several thrilling crescendoes at a
freight train pace. the sand was so goddamned out of control, my buddy and i
just started laughing, because that's all you can do when you hear music done
that well, that consistently, that
powerfully.
at the gazebo, excluding sand, might have been the highlight for me, and a
milestone for a songwriter who too often veers from the alienatingly complex
(foam, divided sky) to the ridiculously cheesy (aka songs that page sings).
ATG brought forth great harmony and pace. it dared me not to listen, it was so
good. mister completely rounded out and rocked out a wonderful show, sent me
to the parking lot feeling as though my ticket were as wise investment, which
is all anyone can ask of a show.
 
so what's good? the band is full of very competent, energetic people who are
getting a real kick out of playing for this many people. the rhythm section
serves its purpose, which is to hold a relatively green lineup together. they
also allow trey to wail his fucking brains out without fear of reprisal.  and
hey, i'll always buy a ticket to see that shit. the best parts of this show
easily topped my last few phish experiences (including an outright pathetic
raleigh 2000), and in some parts trey sounded the best i've heard him in ANY
musical
capacity...EVER...
so what's bad? simply stated, these guys aren't phish. the music lacks the
subtlety, the responsiveness, the sometimes telepathic moments that occur only
with a band that's been playing together for years and years.  there isn't
that sense that anything could happen when the ball gets rolling, that you,
too could be just moments away from hearing a tweezer>cities segue, or
darkside, or whatever. all the things that make seeing phish more of an event
than a show just aren't present
here....
still, all complaints aside, if you're reading this, and you're on the fence,
go ahead and go. in a summer conspicuously packed with bands more than willing
to sell us rehashed, pasta bowl versions of the grateful dead repetiore (you
know who you are), it's nice to know that there's one outfit who's reaching,
and still telling it the way my ears want it to be told.
 
thewayofjosh@theblackcrowes.com

Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2001 14:39:19 -0500
From: Harryman harryman@bellsouth.net
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: Raleigh, 7/27/01
 
I'd like to start off saying this show was the best I've seen so far of tour
(Deer Creek, Polaris, Lakewood, Raleigh). The show opened with Moesha, which
my buddy said he definitely did not want to hear, but when I looked at him,
he was all smiles. We were third row and could finally make out what Trey had
been saying into the mic to the horn section, and so we heard him tell them
Tube Top, which I loved hearing again, just a nice groove song. Next up was
my fourth Last Tube in as many shows, but you can never go wrong with this
one, and this version completely proved the point by raging more than even
the Deer Creek one. Ooh Child...YES!! I had been hoping that he would play
this one this tour, I've loved his version since May 99, a real nice mellow
song to let everyone catch their breath from Last Tube. Then he launches into
Alive Again, a great little tune, but he closed the first set with the second
Circles of tour, and an absolutely raging one at that. CK busted out some
psychadelic lights in Atlanta the night before, and they reappeared here,
these being vertigo circles, really nice.
Second set opened with the familiar wah-wah jamming into Burlap, and the
Burlap was quite nice, though I think it was Moroz who had a miscue coming
into the drum break where they say Burlap Sack and Pumps. There may have been
a Push On tease at the end of Burlap, I'm not for sure though. Aqui Como Alla
was nice, but as with the Asheville version, I don't remember it too well.
Simple Twist Up was really rocking, too, something lacking from the past two
shows. (Especially as in the case of Atlanta's 55 min Mister Completely) .
Flock of Words I had never heard before and it was real mellow, though at
first I could have sworn there was a Piper tease, because that song uses
similar chords to Piper (a buddy thought he heard it too). Sand was raging,
but lacked the now-familiar start-stop jamming we saw in the last three
versions, but it was very very tight.
Encore was Gazebo, and a guy in front of me yelled out "You're beautiful
Trey!" whereupon Trey began laughing and had to restart the count off. There
was a bad miscue by Jenn toward the end, and the crowd was at least quieter
for this one, so I could hear Trey. Then Trey got up and put the electric on
to the wild cries of the audience, and we got Mister Completely, which raged
on and on, though hardly 10 minutes, unlike the previous monster version of
it. As he exited, Trey blew that guy a kiss, which was right funny. I know
this wasn't the best review, but I haven't had much sleep in the past week
and a half. Can't wait for Virginia Beach, maybe it will beat Walnut Creek
out, though who can say? This show was definitely better than the other three
I saw, and it was a home-state show taboot. One kid on the way out said he
thought this show was better than Red Rocks by a long shot...time will tell.
Peace,
Dave

Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2001 08:20:46 -0400
From: Daniel Pearson dpearson@nc.rr.com
To: dws@netspace.org
Subject: Short Raleigh review
 
One thing missing from the set notes is that Burlap Sack clocked in at around
30 mins., and the Last Tube was around 15-17, including a spacey-feedbacky
jam before  Trey gave a hand signal and Tony slammed back into the groove.
 
It was wonderful seeing Trey so happy from beginning to end. And it was fun
watching him NOT play, look across the stage and just dig his band.
 
It had been raining/cloudy for close to 24 hours in Raleigh before the show.
We woke up in the middle of the night to lightning and hoped they wouldn't
cancel the show. But after the encore, my wife looked up and said, "Look, you
can see the stars. He blew the clouds off the place."
 
Now it's time to clean out the cooler, cook some breakfast, wake up Florida
Joe, and burn rubber up to Merriweather. Let's hope the cops up there have
had their doughnuts today.

Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2001 02:20:20 -0400
From: Kathy/Phil philko@triad.rr.com
To: dws@netspace.org
Subject: good show
 
just wanted to say that the show tonight was very good. I got to see
one show from the last trey tour and wasn't too impressed. Tonight
was VERY different! the show was GREAT!!!
Trey jammed harder and better and everything!! the band was much
better!! the keyboards was killer. the flute jam in the first set was
sooo goood!  the second set was just one big jam (minus a slower song
and ballad thrown in. and even those were good)!! I would recommmend
to go and see trey NOW!!
And i'm not kidding. and I am a hard-to-please fan. they rocked tonight!!

Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2001 02:21:16 EDT
From: MattSacks01@aol.com
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: NC show 7 27 01
 
Just a quick note of what a remember from tonite:
I: Moesha, Tube Top Wobble, Last Tubeâ^À¦â^À¦â^À¦â^À¦ Will it go Round in
Circles?
II: Burlap Sack and Pumps,â^À¦â^À¦â^À¦Sand (Trey on keys)
E: At the Gazebo, Mr. Completely
 
Also Played Tonite: Alive Again, Ohh Child, Simple Twist Up Dave
 
Fun fun nite from the 8th row.  Trey is thoroughly enjoying himself up there,
and is so into his horns players, constantly feeding off of their energy
during their solos; love it when Trey is full on dancing while he's playing,
and watching one of his bandmates.
 
-Matt Sacks

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