, attached to 2003-02-20

Review by MrPalmers1000DollarQ

MrPalmers1000DollarQ This is a pretty representative embodiment of a strong 2.0 Phish if you ask me: compositional imprecisions are atoned for through multiple big-bodied jams which find their distinction in long, sometimes droning and dissonant, but always patient grooves. The first set takes a bit to warm up, with Rift and Guyute struggling a bit in the more technical sections. Rock and Roll allows the band to shake out some jitters with a straightforward Type I jam, but doesn't hit any particular high points (though Fishman is certainly in touch with his inner Keith Moon by the end). Things pick up a bit after a nice breath on Driver, and the band begins to sound a little more cohesive and confident on the short Waves jam.

Simple marks the real inflection point of the show. This one admittedly bears some warts in the composed section, but the jam is considered the best Simple by a meaningful few. After a typical moment's worth of Trey solos, the jam recedes to a peaceful, piano-centric and rhythmic groove. If you can hang on through stagnant dynamics for a while, you're sure to appreciate the depth of beauty present in the evolving soundscape through minute 12-ish. At this point, Trey's distorted swells signal that it's time to shift into a darker, though still restrained, drone. Much like many of the heralded Japan 2000 jams, this one is an exercise in patience and is greatly rewarding as a beautifully unique and serene piece of improvisation. In an excellent setlist choice, Trey takes us into a MONSTER Jibboo to close out Set 1. As others have said in their reviews, this isn't always my favorite Phish tune. But this one is fantastically celebratory and showcases each of the band members in a tremendous dance party that avoids feeling stale. Especially noteworthy are the few minutes of riff-based jamming Trey leads around 14:30, and the subsequent ascent back to the song's second peak (what Phish Just Jams calls a "Victory Lap"). Phish stock is way up by set break.

Set 2 succeeds in keeping the torch alight, opening with a killer Tweezer. Like Simple, this one is for the patient Phans who love the subtle evolution present in a jam that is all about the groove. If you're looking for crazy improvisation, Type 2 shenanigans, or a massive hose peak, this isn't for you. Instead, this one remains interesting because of the minor details like Fishman's drum patterns, Page's carefully selected color chords, Trey's low droning guitar effects, and Mike's more active basslines that take command when Trey is in the backseat. PYITE and FEFY serve as two excellent follow up crowd pleasers. Though the first isn't perfectly executed, it's a better effort than that reflected in S1 Rift/Guyute. As the jam charts note, we next get our first true taste of Seven Below. This one builds beautifully to a sweet peak (with really excellent piano work from Page) before ebbing into a cool and quiet funky jam, which morphs shapes coolly for a while and features some sweet Mike and, later, some speedy low-treble Trey. The little rhythmic section around 18:00 is a great segment before heading back to -7 proper. Set 2 closes with one more monster jam, as Pebbles and Marbles really pushes the envelope and tests the boundaries of Type I classification. Trey's play with feedback and delay here is almost as incredible as the work that his bandmates put in underneath it (again, major props to Page). For a bit toward the end, it sounds like Trey is going for a segue into Sample in a Jar as he introduces the opening chord change, but the band remains ripping to a nice Pebbles finish.

Encore is a long one and features fairly standard renditions of Golgi, Anything But Me (beautifully played, though), and Tweeprise (big bass bomb from Mike). On the whole, it's a damn good show in the middle of a really strong month for the band.


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