5-23-00 -- Roseland Ballroom, New York, NY

...for discussions on the issue of getting tickets for this show, and the
events that transpired see bottom of this page...thanks...schar

Date: Wed, 24 May 2000 17:08:34 -0400
From: Erin Cunningham [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Roseland 5/23/00
 
I just wanted to say to everyone that we should all just remember how much
fun we had at the concert if we went and my empathy to those who didn't make
it in. Time to put away petty differences and just realize that what
happened, happened. you can't change it now, so leave it alone. There's no
need to argue about something if it's not going to change the outcome. Hope
you all enjoyed the show and I'll see you at future shows.
 
-Erin

Date: Mon, 07 Aug 2000 16:30:05 -0800
From: Montano Sokolow [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Review of Roseland Ballroom 5/23/00
 
Here's an email Ted and I (Tano) wrote to our friend, Stu about this
incredible show, the morning after.  It's long, so I've tightened it up
a bit.  Some context:  I flew out from LA, and Sean flew from San
Francisco to meet our friends, Ted and Tracy, to have fun in NYC, and
hopefully catch the Radio City shows.  Right.  None of us are stinking
rich, so naturally we didn't make it in.  But we are crazy-faithful, so
we stood dutifully in line for 15 damn hours, like good little
children.  Actually, Tracy wasn't up for it, and had to work in the day,
so Ted paid a friend $100 to stand in line for her.  She snipped and
retaped his wristband and it worked.  It may be cheating, but we did
have a guy stand in line the whole time, and none us cut in line or
anything.  Being from California, we only get a run of shows per year,
so this was very exciting to see a show in May, and in such a gorgeous
and small venue.  For me this was my 21st show, since '94.  For Sean, it
was show number 2.  Onward:
 
Ted wrote:
brain is still melting from the show last night. roseland. 3000 people.
small club. exceptional. more than that. made all the better by having
sean and tano here. wish you were with us. but we sent the love.
did you feel it?
the show was outstanding. we got our hands on some EXCELLENT molly and i
had bags of shroomies that i ate and handed around to our group and
anyone who looked friendly. we were very close. trey was so fucking
happy. it was so clear and so wonderful. it was a little too crowded,
but we were with a good group of dancers, particularly one girl who was
very friendly and smoked us out and was free with the huggies. and it
was pleasant because she was our age and helped us from feeling like the
ancient fuckers we are (being
surrounded by entitled phish phans who were there because they have an
endless supply of money from mommy and daddy's checking account).
 
SET I: (1 hour 40 minutes!! dude!!!!)
AC/DC Bag  (sean was not a big fan of this as the opener and it wasn't
terrific, but i like the song and the jam worked well.
Wilson  (again...sean was not grooving to it but this is a tracy
favorite and a definite crowd pleaser. this worked very very well IMHO)
First Tube  (this was just mind blowing. from this point on, they were
on fire and never slowed down. GORGEOUS)
Ya Mar   (a fuck you to VH1. they were daring them to air it. it was
real nice. my mind melted here. and those VH1 fuckers are gonna HAVE to
air it, because it bled right into...)
Mike's Song  (wow. WOW! DOUBLE WOW!!! incredible version. astounding. no
break into...)
Simple  (another tracy favorite. she was dancing up a storm in her sexy
burning man frilly clothes. they went into a jam at the end which i have
never heard, but sean says is on the "hampton" set. it was so gorgeous
and the lightshow was astounding. it was really a highlight for me.
again, this went into...)
It's Ice  (!!!!! dude...rocked. fan-fucking-tastic.
GOOOOORRRRRGEEEOUUUUSSS)
When The Circus Comes  (is it hurting yet? because it should. i was
hurting. and DAMN was this good. followed by a super version of...)
Get Back On The Train  (a very dead song. that's not necessarily a good
thing, because i'm not a dead fan. i know, i know. a crime. i should be
shot. but whatever. but this is a good dead-y song and was nice.
Gotta Jibboo  (bouncy. fun. happy. you knew they were gonna play this.
and they did. and it was fun. so there.)
Taste  (this just kept going and going and getting more and more
intense. sean and i were certain it was closing the set. it just had
that feel. but surprise! like benny hinn at a mass healing, they weren't
done with us yet!!! look what they followed up with...)
Sleeping Monkey  (awwww...how much fun is this song? sean kept
screaming, "THAT'S MY MONKEY! WHY DID YOU PUT HIM ON THE TRAIN!! LEAVE
MY MONKEY ALONE!!!" tracy was laughing so hard i thought she was gonna
throw up. this ended the set and man did i have to piss. i was hurting
at this point and getting to the head was like chopping your way through
bamboo shoots in the 'nam. you remember those days in the shit, right
stu? back when we were kicking ass and taking names? well, same deal.
but i have to tell you, i almost orgasmed when i pissed because it felt
so good. it was almost as
profound as my life changing shit at the man last year. sean said that
seems to be a recurring theme with me: get rid of whatever i'm holding
on to and i find true happiness. i guess he's right. but whatever it
was, as soon as the tubes were all cleared out, i was hit by this
massive rush of ecstasy and shroomies...which must've been somewhat
inhibited by my state. up until that point, i had told myself i was
gonna eat a couple more bags of shroomies because i wasn't feeling stuff
the way i wanted to. but it all kicked in in
the most profound way and i started handing out everything i had to the
people around me. i wasn't gonna need it and i'm probably gonna be
pretty clean from here until the man. intentionally. plus, i love seeing
people's faces when i give them a bag of goodies and they ask how much
and i just stuff it in their hands. makes for a good time.
 
we went back upstairs to find our places. but of course, it was a
madhouse. remember saigon at the end when we were knocking people off
the gates to keep them out? same thing. well, we gave up trying to get
back where we were. it was quite clear all the people in the back had
used the break to push to the front. and i was in no mood to fight to be
ten feet closer to trey. so we stayed where we were, which was still
EXCEPTIONALLY close. and we had that cute girl and her friends who were
happy to dance with us. so what more do you want? and the second set
started...)
 
II: (1 hour 40 minutes again!!!!)
Punch You In The Eye  (as tano said, "oh boy! they're gonna kick our
asses!" and boy did they ever. nice nice nice)
Twist Around  (when they first started playing this, we all thought they
were actually playing "prince caspian" but then it kicked in. really
nice)
Waste  (the absolute highlight of the show. the place collectively wept
at the end. i mean, they just did an ASTOUNDING version of this song. it
was INCREDIBLE. fucking gorgeous. and everyone stayed quiet for it, too,
which was a nice treat. this will be the center piece of the VH1 show--
which apparently is to air on july 1st. set your vcrs now!!!)
Piper  (not as long as they usually do. but everyone wanted to get to
the meat of the song. it was pretty fucking intense and real real real
purty.)
YEM  (this was great. and it ended with the fucking best vocal jam i've
ever heard them do on this song. tano kept marveling at what pros they
are. incredible)
Antelope  (another tracy favorite. she was happy and running in place
screaming "RUN LIKE AN ANTELOPE OUT OF CONTROL!!!!")
Train Song  (tracy was so happy, because this is one of her personal
faves. she turned to me and said "they're singing this to me!!!")
Bug (i really wanted to hear this, because this is one of my favorite
songs on the new disc. it was sweet and man did they nail it. nice long
version that kept getting bigger and better as they went along. they
ended it on this, which surprised me. it seemed short to sean and me,
but i realized later that the second set was just as long as the first.
maybe it was all the
munchy happiness i was on that was pumping through my body that totally
erased any sense of time and place.)
Encore:
Boogie On  (need i say more?)
Cavern  (also very nice. i wanted more but i ain't complaining. i wanted
more because i'm a greedy lil' bastard.)
 
luv, ted...
 
tano sez:
Well Stu, I never thought I would put myself through anything like the
grueling experience of waiting in line that you and I went through [at
Big Cypress], but actually the guys kind of talked me into it.  Much
like Big Cypress, I'm so glad I went, and I was so happy to be there,
and I'm so glad it's over.  15 hours sitting in an alcove on Broadway,
shoved in with filthy, irate hippies for hours on end, man, I'm getting
too old for this.  But, ya know, it was the only way to get in, and this
was definitely an all-timer.  I had fears it would be a truncated set,
to accomodate VH-1, or maybe that there would be cameras blocking the
band, and pushing fans out of the way.  But the cameras were very
discreet, except during Cavern, when they closed right in on Trey's
face, and he forgot the lyrics to a song he's sung thousands of times.
It was fucking hysterical, got big applause from the crowd.
The venue was gorgeous, the size of the El Rey [in LA], maybe a little
bigger, and with a balcony as well.  Very pretty colors and lights on
the walls, very intimate.  I don't know if they oversold or what, I
suspect that way too many people snuck in somehow, but the place was at
about 1 1/2 times capacity.  I have to say (especially for a NYC crowd)
that it was mostly really cool people.  Not a lot of rudeness or
stupidity, but there were just too many people, and everyone was feeling
the crush.  That said, we were surrounded by really happy, dancing
people, especially in the second set.  Just before the show, this guy we
had been in line with (for fucking 15 hours), who had showed up alone
from Boston, and who I'd spent a long time talking with (just a really
great human being), found us inside, and we all hugged.  No one
remembered his name, and we all said, "hey! corner-guy."  He was really
happy to see us, and then wandered off pretty quite.  It left me with a
nice feeling.
 
Let's talk about the setlist, shall we?
SET I:
AC/DC Bag:  Wasn't even thinking about this song, but it seemed a fine
choice.  I was predicting Farmhouse, and was kind of glad when they
didn't play it at this show (same with Heavy Things, good song, but I've
heard it).  Crowd was so amped through the first two songs, that you
almost couldn't hear the band all that well.  Lots of extraneous noise,
and they weren't quite gelling yet, but the vibe in the room was so
strong and happy, it was just great to be there.
Wilson:  Awesome.  Again, wasn't jammed out very long, but very high
energy.  I got the feeling early one that they weren't really going to
go into deep space very much, just keep it happening fast and furious,
but this didn't seem so much a concern about the VH-1 taping, as it was
feeling the room.  There was so much anticipation and urgency in the
room, plus it was simply a NY audience, which has even less an attention
span than an LA crowd, that the band could tell they needed to keep the
train moving constantly.  Wilson got up to a fever pitch that just drove
everyone insane.  This was when we all realized we were really here
tonight.
On a side note, not knowing how long the show would be, we all took our
X and shrooms well before the show started, and we were all flying
before the band even hit the stage.  So we were good and ready for them
to nail it.
First Tube:  I was so happy.  This song's refrain has been buzzing in my
head for days and days.  I thought they would probably play this, maybe
even open with it, even though they opened Radio City with it, 'cause I
figured they would be pushing the new material.  I heard them open with
this twice last year, at the Gorge, and at Shoreline, and I liked it,
but it didn't seem to have much room to develop.  I was so wrong.  The
jam on this just got wild.  Really high energy, and very dancable.  Page
had this shit-eating grin on his face at the end of it, like, "hey, that
was really cool."  I think they usually got back into the refrain at the
end, but this time the jam just wound down to a very natural ending.
From here on out it was all solid.
Ya Mar:  Love this song.  And the first of two Mike-sung songs in a
row.  This is so happy, and can be so delicate.  There was one I heard
last year, I can't remember where, maybe even at Big Cypress, that just
floored me with how light and beatiful Trey's solo was, and I suspect it
will be a long time before I hear them top that, but this was nice.
Don't remember much specifically, I was too "in the zone."
Mike's Song:  Fuck, ya.  We're only at song four, and we get Mike's
Song.  Of course, nothing could top the Big Cypress Mike's Song, but you
can't go in expecting that, you gotta appreciate what you're getting.
The crowd was very pleased by this choice.  Anyone who still thought
they might be doing a VH-1 show, and not a Phish show, was satisfied.
What can you say about this song, except that it delivers.  And it never
lets up.  The lyric about "no nice guys" felt very poignant to me at the
time, after a few days in NYC, feeling
like such a soft, mellow California boy.  This one was for me, is what
I'm saying.
Simple:  No problem with that.  I went from liking this song when I
first heard it, to getting sick of it very fast, to hearing one that
kicked my ass.  Since then, I'm happy to hear it.  And it works so well
coming out of Mike's Song, you can't complain.  When the got to the
lines "we've got skyscrapers..."  everyone freaked.  I realized I had
never heard this in an actual city with skyscrapers.  And certainly not
in New York damn-City.  This was very exciting.  And the jam did that
thing where it slowly winds down, and Trey's solo line gets soft and
introspective and light.  Just beautiful.
It's Ice:  Hmm.  What're they gonna play now?  Weekapaug Groove?  I am
H2?  How about one of the rarest songs in their repretoire.  At about
every show I've been to, I hear people screaming for this song, in
vain.  At the LA Greek Theater show, I was behind a group of teens who
screamed, "Ice!" in between every single song.  Naturally, they were
very disappointed in the show.  These are people who seem to go to the
show to listen to all the songs the band is not playing, rather than
just listening.  I spurn them.  In any case, this was cool to hear,
since I've obviously never heard it, and it's a very impressive and
intricate song from the Rift era.  Needless to say, the crowd is fucking
nuts.  They are eating each other alive and smearing the blood on the
walls.  They are having group sex on top of the soundboard, and
levitating at will.  This song has cascading scales that don't exist in
Western music, and are not actually possible to play on a guitar, and
Trey's knocking them off perfectly while eating a sandwich and reading
the newspaper.  He's not human.  And this song solidified the fact that
until the end of time, all of us will have immediate clout with any
Phishhead, once we mention that we saw this show.  It's Ice.
When The Circus Comes:  A nice breather after a frenetic jam.  I think
this was kind of for VH-1, but I like the song a lot, particularly the
lead in to the chorus, and the giutar solo.  But also nice and short and
tidy, fit for broadcast.
Get Back On The Train:  I fucking love this.  And it was the best
version I've heard.  Crowd still very amped at this point, and clearly
the fans have accepted this boppy tune immediately.  It's very Grateful
Dead, in that it has that jiggy rhythm that you can dance to at any
point in the song.  And a groove that you already know before you've
heard it.  Lots of smiles.
Gotta Jibboo:  Another good groove.  And we've obviously still got lots
of time in the first set, since they're not going to end on this.  Very
good version.  There was one of the new songs, I can't remember if it
was this or somewhere else, that got into a jam that wasn't quite
working, and they plugged away for awhile, and then just gave up.  No
big deal, I was kind of glad when they decided to just move on, as
apposed to, say, the Stash at Irvine, which (for me) just wasn't
working, but they flailed away for 15 minutes, and never quite got it.
But the song part of this song was quite nice.
Taste:  A good rocker, took me a while to figure out what it was.  I
liked, but don't remember too much.
Sleeping Monkey:  a surprise for me, being in the first set, but always
welcome.  Sean and Tracy were very happy about this, as Ted said, and I
reminded Tracy that this was the song we had just been talking about the
night before, the one that's exactly like Let It Be, but is great.
Fishman is fucking hysterical (wearing the O-ring Mumu, btw).  He
doesn't have to be doing anything, even, he's just funny.  A nice ending
to a very generous set.
II:
Punch You In The Eye:  Anytime I hear this (and they often open sets
with it) I know the whole set will be fabulous.  I love the song, and I
listen for it, and hope they play it at every show.  So it was kind of
funny when I couldn't remember what the hell it was until well into the
first verse.  Very happy when I figured it out.  It just has so many
wonderful changes, and yet good, smooth flow, and every part of the song
forces you to move.  A sweet groove.  And it was even better after
hearing Wilson in the first set.  The lyric, "oh, Wilson, someday I'll
kill you til you die," always means a lot to me.  Wilson always
represents something different to me, but there's always a Wilson, and
goddamn it, someday I will kill the bastard until he dies.  Damn it.  I
felt very in sync with the crowd here, and I was really liking the
people around us.  Further back than the first set, but our crowd was
all dancing, very accomodating of people's space, yet all deep into
their trip.  This is gonna be good.
Twist Around:  Loved it.  Again, I don't remember too much.  I think
this was one of the songs where I was so deeply inside the music, that
it was just flowing in and out of me.  No judgement, no anxiety, just
flow.  And if I stop dancing, I will fuck up the band's groove, because
they're watching everything I do, and I'm really making it work for
them.  Gosh, they're so lucky when I'm there for them like that.  I hope
the crowd appreciates it as much as the band does.
Waste:  Ya know, I don't think I've heard this live before, not in years
anyway, and it's a sentimental song that I've really wanted to hear
live, but only in a special moment.  This was so it.  All of us, Sean,
Tracy, Ted, and I all knew that this was just for us, without saying
why, and just spontaneously hugged each other and swayed to the music.
It was so beautiful and simple, and honestly sung, and man, that's what
we came here for.  To New York, I mean.  Just to waste some time
together.  This song has always been about the band for me, but tonight
it was about the people I came with.  This is a scary town, and I've
found such warmth and comfort and love here, thanks to Ted and Tracy's
undeniable awesomeness, and Sean's presence, of course, and this was our
anthem.  And, man, they actually kept a NY crowd that was packed in
beyond reason, to shut up and listen to a little sentimental song.
Piper:  It's Piper.  And though this song has kicked my ass repeatedly
(I mean it's fucking Piper, for god's sake), this was where I finally
gave in and said, Phish, kick my ass right here.  Kick it good.  It
built up fast, but ya know, it just needed to.  The crowd was ready a
soon as it started, and the band felt it, and just pumped it right up.
It didn't even last too long, but for about five solid minutes I was
bouncing and jittering, my eyes rolled back in my skull, checking out
the view in there, my tongue flopping out of my mouth, my face twisted
up like a mongoloid, and in serious danger of swallowing my tongue, if
not my teeth.  In short, I looked like the tall guy behind Sean looked
for the entire second set.  It was transcendent and focused.  I couldn't
tell you what the band did, but it turned me into a drooling reptile.
And I liked it.
YEM:  Yeah.  How lucky am I at this moment?  I have already sweated out
all that I broughwith me, and now I will have to start sweating out of
other people's pores.  Fortunately, they are very obliging.  Halfway
through this song, I always remember that they do the trampoline thing,
and I'm really happy, cause that's just pure showmanship, and they're
just so fucking cool when they do that.  And this time I crack up,
knowing that VH-1 is going to have to struggle to find twenty straight
minutes where they can air it, cause they have to get the trampolines in
there.  It's as glorious as YEMs are, and then some.  (Can you tell, I'm
running out of hyperboles?)  I'm not sure, but I think there were a
couple of places (notable during the big build up to the release into
"Boy!" where they actually held it out an extra bar, and this really
pumped the crowd.  This definatel happend at one point where every looks
at Fishman to hit the snare, and he waited an extra two beats.  Mike
played some wicked, gnarly bass shit during the jam, and the vocal jam
is about as tight and fucking professional as I've heard.  Now VH-1
absolutely has to air this.  I don't know how to describe it, except
that it very quickly evolved into a very consice, four-part harmony
song, with every part in the right place, which had a notural ending.
Unbelievable to just make up on the spot.  And the lights were really
cool.  A rectangle of white spots surrounding the band, and twisting and
turning in sync.  An effect they hadn't used yet in the entire show.
(The lights, in general, were just gorgeous.  Deep colors, pretty, happy
shapes.  Good drugs.
Antelope:  Holy freaking shitbag!  Antelope now!?  After that YEM!  I'm
jigging around, working my bloody stumps into the floor, knowing what's
coming up.  The quiet intro section gives us exactly enough time for our
new friend to borrow my pipe to smoke us and her friends out.  Just
exactly as she's had enough and so have I, I put my pipe away, she puts
her bag away, and we look up, and Antelope explodes.  Of course, this
works so well because we both know the band very well.  She told me so
with her eyes about an hour ago.  I've waited my whole life to hear an
Antelope deep in the second set.  I always thought they were afraid to
do it.  Not here.  I think it's going to take them several months to
reattach the roof back onto the Roseland Ballroom.
Train Song:  Now I was impressed when they shut up the crowd with Waste,
but there was such reverance in the room right now.  Mike is just so
good and cute, and the song is such a gem.  The crowd was just sweating
silently and grinning.  There was even a moment, one of those Moments,
where the music breaks for a second, before a new verse, and during that
second I was somehow watching the band intently, and also aware of some
guy jostling me, going by with a couple of drinks, and also there's
about 3500 hippies in this room, and yet there was dead silence.
Everything literally froze, in deference to the music.  Sublime.  Also
Tracy and I realized that we were right behind one of the cameras, and
could see into the monitor, and it was right on Mike's face.  So I could
see him right up close.  Tried not to focus on it, though, cause I
wasn't there to watch TV.  But if that makes it onto VH-1, I'll be able
to tell you exactly where I was standing, in reference to the camera.
Kinda cool.
Bug:  Sums it all up pretty damn well.  It doesn't matter.  (yeah,
sure.)  Felt right to me.  I could've handled another song after this,
but I'm not going to quibble with that set.  And after hearing this at
the end of Big Cypress, I knew this was a great way to end a show.  It
was.
Encore:
Boogie On:  Cool.  Better than usual (not that they topped last year's
San Diego version), but very free and happy.  And Mike picked up the
ending jam with some phenomenal funky licks.  Yay Mike!  Thank god they
have some Stevie in their repretoire.
Cavern:  Very good, as always.  The highlight was difinitely Trey
flubbing the lyrics.  The crowd loved it.  Big laughs.  I bet it gets
aired.
 
And that's it.  Legendary.  Very cool.  And thank god I can go somewhere
to breathe now.  Tracy actually nabbed a cab, right as we stepped out of
the theater, so we were whisked away to comfort instantly.  This town
may be scary, but what a fucking lifestyle.  Very good people, very good
show.  And to top it off, we also managed to do mailorder today, so we
know we can do it again (and much easier) at Shoreline.  (and Vegas?)
Sometime in the second set, a very drugged out young hippie leaned to me
and said, "this right here makes me so happy, cause now I know Phish
didn't sell out."  I said, "I don't really worry about that anymore."
Wow, dude, did you even hear about Big Cypress?  Sometimes I think these
kids don't even know what they have.  But I do.
 
Peace out.
-Tano

Date: Wed, 24 May 2000 14:33:53 PDT
From: Jake Cohen [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Review for 5/23/00
 
For a while, I debated whether or not spending an extra 40 bucks, waiting in
line for 10 straight hours, the last 5 of which were spent standing in one
place, and sleeping on 8th ave. was worth one measly Phish ticket. I'm glad
I chose to get one.
There was definitely a common bond last night at the Roseland. Everyone
there knew that everyone else there had gone thru the same thing to get
tickets. These were all phans who were willing to wake up a little early, or
just not sleep at all, to get one ticket that couldn't be sold or traded. NO
scalpers got any, it was all true phans in there. There was such an exciting
vibe going on - we were all actually in this theater, about to see Phish.
And this was all before they came onstage.
 
A coupla notes:
The Roseland: By far the greatest place I have ever seen Phish. Not hard to
do when I've only been seeing shows since they moved to arenas and
amphitheaters. The Roseland is a small room, only 3 or 4 stories high, with
the stage at one end and a large open space coming out from it. Soundboard
in the middle. A small balcony and VIP section, but mostly we were all just
crammed in, finding what little dancing space you could.
 
The scene: No security - none.
 
TV: We all knew it was being taped, but once the show started, it there was
nothing different. There were two onstage cameramen, one Page-side and the
other over near Trey. They never really walked out onstage and blocked
anyone's view - mostly they stood to the side or near the front. There was
one camera moving horiz. along the front row, an identical one in the front
of the soundboard stage, and a big camera mounted on the soundboard stage. I
also saw about 6 or 7 rigs going, so get these tapes!!!
 
I was about 10 feet in front of the soundboard, maybe 20-30 feet back from
the stage. I could see that Chris again had packed the ceiling to capacity
with lights, some of which were directly over me. I knew it was gonna be
good.
 
The lights went down and the crowd went NUTS! Hysteria as I have never seen
before at a show. People were just jumping up and down, screaming, waving,
everything! When AC/DC opened, we could tell that they weren't dumbing this
show down for TV, no way, they were giving us 100% pure Phish, uncut and
uncensored. I was worried that we might hear only new songs, a short
performance, no long jams, and that the cameras would interfere with the
show. On every one of those points, I was oh so thankflly wrong.
AC/DC clocked in at around 10 minutes, some nice type I by Trey, got
everyone going. My buds and I had talked about hearing a Wilson, since they
might want to get the chanting and other audience participation on TV. Sure
enough, Wilson kicks in.
First tube grooved hard core, and having not seen Sunday's show, I was
psyched to get this one. Ya Mar is always nice, Trey didn't scream "Play it
Leo", he just sorta said it. Then they took this jam away. Serious type II
here, visiting theme upon theme upon theme that I was sure were composed. I
thought they were going to bring it back into Ya Mar again, but instead we
heard the opening notes of...
MIKES!! YIKES!! Now we're talking here. As if the show wasn't already
performing above and beyond my expectations, but we got a Mike's.
Dissapointing jam (when I say dissapointing, I'm saying that musically it
was simple with no real standout jamming from anyone, sounded like an
exercise or something, BUT I was still loving every second of it, dancing my
ass off). Closing chords kicked in right ontime, and I was hoping for a H2,
but instead was treated to a Simple. Short and sweet, no long jams, again
hoping for hydrogen, but then I got ICED! Oh yes!!!
I knew they were going to resurrect good ol' It's Ice this year, but I had
no idea I'd get to hear it! First Ice since fall '98. And they played it
reallllly well too, they'd been practicing. I always love when they bring it
back to that building theme after the jam. Circus was a nice break, and one
of my favorite slow songs. Hmmmm, already two cover songs....
Even though I had heard it the night before, GBOTT was sooo smoooth. In a
venue this small, the sound is excellent, and the vibe is even more so, and
we all had the same grooving vibe going for this song. Everyone just gets
plain silly and dances! Jibboo was awesome, hoped I would hear this with
horns but oh well....
Taste was a nice surprise, and I couldn't believe they were still going.
They kept on cranking out songs, none of which I thought would be the
closer. Finally I got my first Monkey! I can't believe they did Monkey for
TV. Fishman got up on his seat for his vocal solo, stick held high in the
air, you'll see it on the show:-).
 
What a set!! 1 hour and 45 minutes of non-stop, purely fun and exciting
Phish. If they had just ended the show there, I would've been happy. I
thought they were only going to play 2 hours of music, so I figured maybe
they'd come out for a one song, YEM 2nd set that lasted only 20 minutes. But
wait, there's more!...
 
PYITE started it up on the right foot. Again with the audience participation
(HEY!). Solid playing on this one, and wait, is that what I think it is??
Yes, yes! It's a smile on Mike Gordon's face!!! Very fun to see the Landlady
dance that close up. Twist was again a nice song, some interesting type II
leading out of it, but nothing spectacular to speak of. I was glad they were
playing the Farmhouse songs I hadn't heard at Monday's Radio City show.
Waste was great, I wanna be a rock star just like Trey! Piper was, as I'm
told was the case on Sunday, short like on the album. Don't get me wrong, it
still raged, and after something like Waste everyone was dancing up a storm
again. It just didn't have the power or strength of some Pipers I've heard
that last more than 10 minutes. Funny to see everyone singing the words
along. And with a new ending, repeating the line "Piper, piper the red red
worm" a few times.
YEM was great, as it always is, but not close to the best it's been. Overall
it lacked a bit of energy, as it sometimes does since it's difficult to
play. But there were some highlights. The second shot at the note was held
out all the way, and the build with scream was tight. Tramps was fun, and
Mike was definitely the star of the evening. On this song, and on many
others previously, Mike was seriously ripping shit up. During Twist(?) I
think it was, Mike took this amazing bass solo, very Victor Wooten style,
almost as though he was playing lead guitar with Trey comping on chords. It
was very smooth, very mikly, very nice. The tightest vocal jam I've ever
heard, with a distinct attempt at vocal percussion by Fish throughout. Being
in a collegiate a cappella group, I'm always very critical of vocal jams.
But their harmonies were dead-on, they had a beat, and they made sure it was
realy tight and succinct. I thought this would close the show, but no, now
comes the Antelope! Great Antelope, running so fast my feet didn't touch the
ground! Trainsong took it down afterwards, and then Bug. Weird 2nd set
closer.
 
Encores: Boogie On was awesome, VERY well received. I looked up into the VIP
section on this one and saw this girl grooving harder than I've ever seen
anyone groove at a show before!! Man, I wish I had her energy!
Cavern was fun, especially when Trey fucked up an entire verse! The he juist
started singing his own words to it!
 
Well, amazing song selection with a very weird and random placement for this
show. YEM, Antelope, Trainsong, Bug to close the 2nd???? But when the music
and the crowd and the vibe and the feeling are as good as they were last
night, you forget about silly things like song selection. We heard so many
older songs tonight, all were jammed out nicely. They took It's Ice out of
retirement, and gave us so many big, huge, Phish-epitomizing songs (YEM,
Antelope, PYITE, Bag, Mike's). At the end of the show, I realized how lucky
I actually was to have seen this show, this spectacular gem of a show that
made waiting in line for 10 hours seem desireable for just one more show. I
never thought I could seen a show in this country at this type of venue. On
a scale of 1-10, I give it an 11.
 
Peace,
Jake

Date: Thu, 25 May 2000 05:55:39 -0700 (PDT)
From: Andrew Farbstein [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: 5/23/00 Roseland Review

Hey everyone...Just wanted to give a quick review of Roseland.

Well, I got out of the first night of radio city and decided that I wanted
to go to Roseland.  I went to dinner with my friend who had not gone in,
and afterwards, we waited in line about six blocks from the Roseland box
office.  Sounds kind of hopeless, but luckily, people were walking by us
who had done head counts, and we were told that we were around 1300.  Up
until 6am, things were great.  I met a lot of cool people, and got to
learn some new rules to Asshole. Then, 6am happened.  I've read other
comments about what happened, but basically, Hell would be the only good
description.  Oh well, I'm not going to dwell on the negative.  At 11:15,
I had bracelet in hand. After going to both Radio cities with low
expectations, it was time for the high ones.  I have never walked into a
show with high expectations before, but this was different.  After what we
had been through, I am mad at myself, but I was expecting a fabulous show.  
And guess what, they did not disappoint me.  After reading previous
reviews, I am pleased to see such an outpouring of positive vibes. I feel
this show was perfect.  That's it.  If I was just looking at the setlist I
might not feel that way, but inside, life was awesome.  I had a perfect
seat in front of the soundboard, and the music was played with an
intensity unmatched.  The crowd was awesome, and the playing virtually
flawless.  I have never walked out of a show so satisfied.  I feel bad for
anyone who tried to get in but couldn't.  I'm pretty sure that everyone
who waited all night got through, but if not, that sucks.  And for anyone
who decided it wasn't worth waiting on line for, next time this type of
opportunity comes up, take it, because you never know what you might miss.  
Peace!


Date: Wed, 24 May 2000 17:07:44 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: roseland review
 
First off:
 
i am very very very indebted to the gods that allowed me to be at this show...
 
on to my experience:
 
 it was amazing just to be there..i took pics of the marquee..and waited the
hours till we got in...we had our wristbands and got let into the little lobby
section to wait till they opened the doors...the doors opened and i took off
to secure a good spot and i ended up right on the rail dead center in front of
treys mic... the people around me were just as excited as i was and we kinda
all bonded(cept for they guys yelling at the girls in the front center rail
area about how they had waited for hours up all night in line and they just
got to walk right in..well what can i say..sometimes you just have to be happy
in the second row (Wahh)....the place was small..i dont know if any of you
have been to the roseland or not but its a small small venue..kinda like a
place youd see MMW in or something..the sign said it holds 3450 but i heard
they only sold 2500 tickets((thats just what i heard of course and i could be
wrong).....we got the 10 min. announcement from the VH1 camera guys which
actually ended up being 20 mins. and then the 5 min. warning came and then
they were out
 
 
onto the music
 
...ac/dc bag, wilson..old school heaven..nice and tight jamming...like trey of
old..my boyfriend coined it best when he said it was like going back in time
to 1993 except for the new songs and new trey sounds...ya mar was nice and
groovy...one of those repetitive waterfall like jams with trey playin a
certain rif over and over..occcasionally changing it up..flowed RIGHT into
mikes>simple...mikes...beautiful trey jamming..nice job by kuroda..i love this
combo..it doesnt seem like a mikes if it doesnt go into simple.. its
ice...wow..what can i say...i hadnt heard it in so long(never live till now)
that i actually didnt connect with what it was for the first few bars of the
song..then i realize WOW..its ICE!!!!(flashback to big cypress and the people
walking by the ice piles)...mike seemed lost for a few bars in the
middle..maybe its supposed to be that way..but i had heard he forgot how to
play it..so perhaps this was one of those mind farts..also..fishman got up on
his seat at one point in this song and danced..it was hilarious:)..circus..i
love trey ballads (hey im a girl..hes cute..what can i say?) and seein him in
the spotlight singin his heart out..so far so good..very tight jamming all
around..so reminding me of the early years when i never got to see them..but
heard a plenty on tape..i felt like i had stepped into a time capsule...back
on the train..ahhh..i love this song..it grew on me in the summer..nice to
hear it here..followed by jiboo...jiboo..i like this song..kinda
repetative..but trey seems to get off on it..happy face...hope my pictures
came out thats for sure..taste..beautiful..dont get to hear this
enough..sleeping monkey..surprise surprise surprise
 
set break...time to chill..talk to the neighbors..get the water bottles filled
back up..i luckily was on the rail and pretty comfortable wise..i heard that
it was pretty tight in there...but it wasnt too bad where i was..im not too
small of a girl..so i usually can make room if i need it ;oP
 
we get the 3 minute warning from the camera guys..and its time for set II:
 
hell yea..punch...i LOVE this song...i normally focus on trey during the dance
section, but due to camera being in the way i focused on mike, and boy he
looks bored when doing the dance in the landlady part..twist..that new
beginning that i had heard at RCMH a few nights earlier..still kinda strange
to my ears but im betting it will evolve into something different by
summer...waste...sorry..like i said earlier..im a lover of trey ballads..and
this was beautiful as usual...piper..damn..and i thought the one at RCMH was
good..this one maybe seemed a bit shorter..im not sure of the comparison of
the times of the two...but it was just as crazy if not more..intense..and
crazy..trey just going OFF...leading into..can i get another hell yea...YEM..i
just cant believe they are still this tight..complete 180 from the
summer...and even better than fall..im running out of adjectives for
describing this show because it was just so tight and beautiful from begninng
to end..antelope..KILLER KILLER jam..i cant wait to listen to this again and
again...ssssssssssss....PPPP....ike...never knew anyone could turn a one
syllable word into a 3 syllable one..train song..nice short and sweet..nothing
more..nothing less..bug..i love this song..one of my faves of the new
album..was happy to hear it again..as it closed out the show..
 
boogie on... what can i say..trey took the time during this
jam to make eye contact with most the people up in front (which was in the
majority girls..we like the girls in the front row..teehee)...and i luckily
was one of them..and it just made my night..knowing that i in a way connected
and shared energy with the guy playin the guitar.....cavern..mess up on the
lyrics..trey screws em up pretty bad..LOL...inserts a line about putting it in
a sock...and laughs...doesnt quite come out as good on tape as it did live..he
did this funny hand gesture while trying to figure out wat the heck to
sing..at the end he did the guitar thing he had done at rcmh...where he pulled
his fingers away from the guitar and pressed on a pedal to make the feedback
noise..if you couldnt see his foot moving it would have looked as tho he was
pulling a string away from his guitar controlling the noise..then he got
really silly and started diggin into his ear and pretending to pull something
out of it..while pressing on the pedal to make the feedback noise..he looked
very silly and i wished i had saved some film in my camera to take pictures of
this...then..you cant hear it on tape..but he shook his fist at us with a big
smile and mouthed thank you..not sure why he didnt say it into the mic..maybe
he wasnt allowed to talk to the crowd?? but he definitely said thank you..and
then they were gone...
 
wow..
 
thanks phish!!!!!

Date: Thu, 25 May 2000 18:10:04 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: roseland review
 
First off I got to say that being shut out of Radio City was a bummer. It
sucks to get shut out of your hometown show, but oh well. When I first
arrived to the "line" at roseland there were about 200 peeps lined up. I saw
my old tour friends and wanted to satdn on line next to them, but they were
like no you can't, people will behind us will get angry, and its just not
right...taking this lightheartedly, I agree and staked out our own little
spot around the corner...but to my dismay, many peoples kept packing on to
the line, pushign all of us waiting phans further back. This got messed
up,,,to the point where I was once like No. 250 on line to like 900...and at
6PM many, many "cheaters" ran the line adn messed it up for all of us who had
been waiting for over 10 hours...it was sad scene...but it was all good in
the end...
The show was great..really great, except it was way to packed...shoulder to
shoulder smelly damp heat sticky style crammed...to get to the point with a
brief review..
Bag was standard...Wilson was LOUDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!! The Yamar jam was
outstanding, very rhythmic and pulsating and a nice segue into Mikes (which I
called earlier) and then SImple, man you just got to love that jam that fades
Simple...its so relaxing, rather splendid. and then it was like something out
of the blue...It's Ice..the one song I havent herad live in over sixty
shows...so rewarding and exciting..gotta love that jam, such a masterpiece
and Page got to sing!!!!!!!! It was just wonderful, the rest of the set was
top notch, I had to escape the mass crowd up front in Taste to get a beer and
some air...Sleeping Monkey is always a great way to end...for some reason I
thought that this was to be the end of the show, becasue the set was so
long...but alas! more phish...
Set two was amazing...highlight (for me) was YEM, man Mike really busted some
raw shit out on this one..I love that funk jam that follows the last chorus
of "Firenze"...so sweet, I also really enjoyed Waste and Train Song, being
that it was in such a small place, it justifys thier beautiful song
structures. The antelope had a slow building jam, it was nice but not as
raging as it used to be (a la 92-94)..but sweet nonetheless...and Bug..what
can I say.. finally got a good seat (on top of a couch) and just sat ther and
gawked at Trey wailing away on such a anthem-like guitar solo in Bug...great
set, now it was just plain HOT and SWEATY, pretty nasty, but jus the right
atmosphere for a Stevie tune...since I heard that Dayton 97 tape, i feel in
love with Phish's rendition of this great song, so bouncy and full of
flavor...and to top it all off, on e of my top favs....Cavern!!!!!!! great,
great show....well worth the LONG LONG wait....B

Date: Sun, 28 May 2000 23:04:48 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Roseland review
 
I would make this long, but I'm tired of telling everyone about the show.
 
 I went to Big Cypress and thought nothing would be better played by Phish
for the rest of their career.
 
 Well, Roseland took me to school on that note.  Get the tapes.  And, it
doesn't matter WHAT they play on VH1, it was ALL incredible.
 
 Best concert I've ever been to.
 
-Howie Hood

Date: Thu, 25 May 2000 13:14:36 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: (no subject)
 
       I wouldnt say Roseland was the best show i have ever been to ,but it
definetly raged.  the smallness was great and well worth my fifteen hour
wait.  As for the cutters I have no anger towards you im glad you got to see
the show but just remember that greedy people arnt what makes our community
work.  I hope the show was worth all the bad kharma.  No need for a set
reveiw cause that seems to be the popular mood, I just wanna say thnks to all
my brothers and sisters who i met in line for the great conversation and
vibes.  I hope everyone who went had an awsome time.  And if you were one of
the many that shared your good energy with me email me and if not ill see you
soon summer tour is just around the corner!!!!!!
 
peace to all (even the cutters)
shawna

Date: Thu, 25 May 2000 07:07:55 -0700 (PDT)
From: j.c.
Subject: ROSELAND BALLROOM  5-23-00

I just want to start off by saying that Tuesday night's show was such an
honor to be appart of.  I believe the band did this show for a reason, and
it was for the die hards.  I'm not going to go on and on about the show,
because I know I never read long reviews, but as anybody can see from the
sets, this was a special show.  Right off the bat everybody knew we were
in for a treat when they kicked into AC/DC. You can NEVER go wrong with
that.  I screamed It's Ice until the band played it, so If you were near
me and I got annoying, I appologize, but it was well worth it. The first
set was so tight, and they really didn't dumb it down for VH1.  I'm not
going to go into details, but I'll tell you that each version was tight,
and song selection rocked!  Set two was different from set one, It felt
very mellow to me (Accept antelope Which words can't even describe), and I
really enjoyed it.  I was waiting to hear YEM only because it's one of
their greatest songs, and most people in there deserved to see it up
close, and it was crazy.  I really enjoy start/stop funk, and they didn't
hesitate.  The encore was NUTTY!!  Mike was just doing some crazy shit in
Boogie on (along with the rest of the show), and Cavern was the icing on
the cake.  I've seen 42 shows now, all arena/ampitheater up until this
one, and I'd have to say this was probably my favorite.  I don't know how
else to put it.

As for the scene for the tickets, did you guys really think NOBODY was
going to camp out till 6?  Honestly, everybody and their mother wants to
see Phish these days, and you really have to work for something like this.  
You can't just walk up the front of the line thinking that you'll get in
because 1 web site said that people will be turned away.  Use your heads.  
I skipped work to wait on line for 12.5 hours, and I had one of the best
times doing it.  I met a lot of cool people, and everybody just chilled.  
Next time, be more prepared.  And to all those who pushed up during set
break, thanks for making the second set so cluttered that I couldn't get
down.  In a venue like that, we all should have been honored to just be in
the room.  Learn how to respect those around you, and their space please.  
Let's not let the scene go to the shitter because of selfishness.  See you
this summer, hope everybody had a BOMB time, because I know I did.

Peace
J.

Date: Thu, 25 May 2000 10:41:32 -0700 (PDT)
From: Gregg K [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: roseland....amazing
 
other than the cutters, which I must say "you suck", evrything about the
roseland was great....no security, true phans only, the stlist was grate.  
It's ice....wow.  trampolines.  page on fire. there was a VH1 guy standing
next to me in the crowd with a little video camera.  so there will be shots
from the crowd troo.  anyone else hear that lizards tease...i wanted it so
bad!....well keep the scene fun

~G


Date: Thu, 25 May 2000 02:15:21 -0400
From: JEFFREY DIAMOND [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Roseland Ballroom

just a few more random notes about the show last night and the general
scene at roseland the past few days.
-Waiting in line for tickets/wristbands to this show was an experience
in itself.  Lined up along 8th ave for many blocks-most nycers were
generally cool with the whole thing-we were even allowed to use the
bathrooms in private buildings through the entire night.  I am
constantly amazed at the different musical scenes that phish comes up
with-the summer festivals, new year runs, "regular" shows, now this nyc
medium venue deal.  Despite their massive and growing popularity, these
guys are still able to maintain a fresh and vibrant scene.  Anyway, all
who got bands were extremely pysched for the upcoming experience they
were about to have the next day, and the mood outside the roseland that
morning was electric.
-the music: Bag opener was nice.  Then a rockin Wilson-2 gamehenge songs
to start a show that is being flimed for VH1-statement?  The other
notables are the extended jam out of yamar, which sounded like it wanted
to go into lizards, but rather sort of faded into Mike's.  Intense.
Sort of took a few seconds to realize the magnitude of the fact that
they were playing a first set mike's here-how often do we get first set
mike's?  Went into simple, which was fine, and into...It's Ice.  TIMMY!
It was huge.  The ballroom was rockin.  This was the first show since a
big renovation there as well and the place looked pretty good.  Decent
cool air circulation too, it never really got too hot considering how
packed it was and how long the sets were.  Otherwise, everything after
ice was great, and the tension kept building for the anticipated
Weekapaug.  Sleeping Monkey to close the first set, which was about
1:45.  Setbreak was impossible.
-II: Solid punch opener-the energy from the first set was well
maintained.  Eventually got the YEMer that was so expected and wanted
and it delivered nicely.  The band at this point seemed to be enjoying
the music as much as we were as the Antelope started up. Anyway, to
close, everybody who got shut out of rcmh b/c it sold out so quick and
the high cost of scalpers tickets was hooked up with this show.  This is
not only the best band in the world (despite the cavern lyrical
trouble), but they continually seem to find ways to hook up their fans,
as was the case with this show, announced a week beforhand and with the
wierdest (though ultimately basically successful)"ticket" policy I've
ever seen.  Plus, they played a long, unique show (Ice breakout and
first ever 1st set mike's/no weekapaug, to begin with...) at a place
they packed in '93, and everybody was pysched.  Three "train songs" to
boot (nj)-didn't even matter that we missed the last train home.  Who
else saw the sick lightening following the show?

-nordy


Date: Wed, 24 May 2000 14:09:16 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Roseland musings, 5-23-00
 
Sure, the ticket scene was a bit of a mess.
 
But everyone i was with in the back of the line got tickets, and with it
being a GA show, i don't feel the need to chastize those who pushed forward
during the great rush.  OK, some people were there at 2PM on Sunday for
tickets that went on sale 16.5 hours later.  Big Deal.  Justice was served,
and the NYPD deserve props for keeping order and not being harsh about the
scene before hand.
 
About the show...i'll let other people do the setlists and timings.  All i
know is that we were filed in (Again props to NYPD and CSS security for
keeping things orderly) around 8:30, and the show started five minutes after
we made our way to the middle of the front third of the GA audience.
 
The best parts...well, the entire first set, which easily would've made a
wonderful show on its own.  The second set sits likewise.  Any time Trey used
his foot pedals to make it appear like he was drawing the sound out of his
guitar, the air, or himself.  Watching kids with fake wristbands get tossed
off line when they'd waited for the same hour or so that we did in the rain
on the day of the show.  Page watching the audience more than his
instruments, and hamming into the VH1 cameras.  The smile on Mike's face when
they would take a song and make it unusable for your average VH1 special by
jamming it into the sunrise.  Fishman at the microphone, at any time during
the show.  Our "Destiny Unrealized" before the second set.  The fact that no
one chanted "Cheesecake".
 
Lowlights...if i can think of any, i'll do a second posting.  For someone
like me who only goes to area shows (NY tri-state) this was likely as good a
concert as i'll ever witness from this band.  Trey's flubbing the third verse
of second encore (a much-appreciated Cavern) and making up a new third verse
where he sings about sticking a bag in his sock was even really enjoyable.
Just gave us an extra verse to enjoy the band and watch Trey laugh it up on
stage.  The show ended almost exactly at 1 AM.
 
This was the smallest US Phish show in years.  I'm very proud to have been
part of something this special.  Thanks to the boys and the phans for
realizing how big this was, and making it such a friendly event, line-rushing
or none. I hope that everyone gets the chance to see them put on a
full-fledged, arena-worthy show in an environment that can scarcely handle
the 3300 or so that were on the floor.  Thanks so much for making it my best
Phish experience.
 
Peace, ~Colin K.
 
Date: Wed, 24 May 2000 17:38:44 PDT
From: The Wolfman [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Review of Roseland 5/23

    I wish they would play the entire show on VH1.  That way, the entire
world would know exactly what fantastic Phish is all about, and could take
them or leave them from there.  This show was a monumental statement of
everything that this band stands for...it truly had it all.
    The standout feature tonight was the blending of old and new, which is
certainly something Phish has always been about.  Seeing them play Mike's,
Ice, Ya Mar, YEM, Antelope, Cavern, and openers Bag and Wilson for 2500
people was MAJOR throwback, and yet they still managed to play half of
Farmouse.  The jams tonight were high voltage, right there with last
night.

Don't let the 22 song setlist fool you, they rocked out every tune that
calls for it, and first set topped a whopping 1:40. (That's longer than a
110 minute tape!)
    They opened 1st set with Bag, and thoughts of Gamehenge went out the
window, which was fine with me.  Gamehenge would be great to see, but this
show had "legendary" written all over it from the day it was announced. It
didn't need Gamehenge.  Wilson is great VH1 material.  First Tube, a
techno song with real instruments, is something that the whole world
should hear. I hope they play this on TV.  I would much rather this song
be the messenger of Phish to the world than Heavy Things, you know?  Ya
Mar was the best ever, with a superb, convincing jam that gave way to
Mike's, and an unexpected key change for Page's solo ("play it in A Leo").  
Seriously people, what band changes key in a composed section of their
song for no other reason than it's funny and different?  It was still
another subtle but telling example of what Phish is all about.  Ice really
got people pumped...it had been a long time if ever for most people there.  
Great call.
  Circus was our first chance to cool off...eight songs into the set.
Indeed, the circus had certainly come to NYC for 3 days, especially in
line to get tickets for this show.  Train and Jiboo are more good TV
material, and even though they just played them we obviously have to let
that go given the circumstances.  Long after they could have ended the
set, Monkey kicked in and we have a 5'4'' drummer in a dress standing up
and singing falsetto. Do not adjust your TV set.  Classic Phish.
    2nd set opened with your standard Punch, which always gets the crowd
going.  Waste was a nice surprise.  Piper was the only letdown of the
entire show.  Like Sunday, they again played it straight-up 4-minute album
style, and the song loses a LOT of impact that way.  It's one of those
tunes that was never meant to be studio-ized.  Anyhow, what better song
than YEM to again remind us what Phish is all about.  YEM stands for
ingenious composition, a central Phish principle.  The type I vocal jam
was cohesive and different.  Antelope maintained the energy, man the place
was rompin'! Bug was a surprising closer.  This tune really grows on you,
especially the bridge between the verse and the chorus where Mike plays
melody.  Everyone called a Farmouse/Weekapaug encore, but if two people
predict the same Phish song, it never happens.  So they play Reggae Woman
and Cavern, and presto, we have another Phish doctorate: sheer
unpredictability.  Even the VIP balcony was getting down to the encore.  
Well done boys!
    Put aside for a minute the TV cameras, the ticket fiasco, and the small
venue.  From a purely musical standpoint, this show was a perfect
representation of Phish.  The raw talent of soloing, the aquired talent of
composition, the rehearsed talent of great jamming, the unpredictability,
the variety, and the lighthearted twist of zaniness were all in full effect
tonight.  This show was an absolute smashing 10.
    Last year was a big change for the band, and that was difficult to
swallow for a lot of people, which is perfectly understandable.  But let
this much be said:  Based on Cypress and these performances in New York, it
is safe to say that Phish is rocking hard into the new millenium.

-Wolfman
[email protected]

Date: Wed, 24 May 2000 23:01:41 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: ROSELAND SHOW REVIEW

WOW, well this show was honestly the best concert i have ever seen in my
life, including my past 7 phish shows. The vibe at Roseland was intense, no
scalpers, no security, no problems, and no HUGE crowds...basically a
throwback to earlier Phish circa early 90's i would imagine. anyway onto the
show.
My friends and I had called a Farmhouse opener seeing as how they hadnt
played it at Radio City and if this was going to be on TV then why not have
tht tile track on the newest album right? Also YEM was going to figure in
there somewhere as if Phish wanted to be showy might as well break out a
landmark song with trampolines and vocal jam...
So we were one of the first 65 poeple to get our wristbands after waiting on
line the entire nite from 5pm onwards, and it was well worth it...The first
set was SICK and so intense, highlights were the It's Ice, the Ya Mar Jam
(very dark and funked out for a more "light" and happy song) and the Wilson
because it was a tad unexpected and  it got the crowd so ready for the rest
of the show via WILLLLSSSONN...it was also delicious to hear the Jiboo
(fastly becoming a favorite of mine)... many will notcie that the Mike's song
had no corresponding Weekapaug which is damn strange but i thought it would
close out the set.
THE NEXT SET WAS A SHOW STOPPER...my FAVORITE song in teh whole world PYITE
opened it up and teh YEM into Antelope into Train song was jsut plain
extraordinary...that is some combination that the boys must have pulled out
of the "odd but hell lets do it" part of their cortex.
The Piper raged ridiculuosly, the jam was so fast and vibrant...the lights
were Chris Kudora's normal wonders and teh Waste made me think of my Sarah up
in Buffalo anxiously awaiting July 6th.
There really isnt word to perfectly describe the show except the fact that
Phish knew that the fans there were the ones who waited all night and
deserved a reward, and boy did we get it. I will never forget it as long
as i live. SEE YALL ON TOUR- July 4th and 6th. PEace and love

Jeremy ([email protected])

Date: Wed, 24 May 2000 15:14:51 -0700
From: "Sumption, Scott (Atlantic)" [email protected]
To: "'[email protected]'" [email protected]
Subject: Roseland
 
What a nice change to see Phish in such a small room.....My biggest complaint
were the massive groups of clueless people pushing their way forward when
there was obviously no where to go.  If you were one of these people, use some
common sense!  If there is no room to get by as you get closer to the stage
then it is time to retreat and go to the back of the room......People who are
in the front most likely waited longer to get their space so show them some
respect and don't try to weasel your way to the front!!!!
 
Thank got Radio City had some civility.......
 
Scott A. Sumption
Atlantic Records
Product Development
1290 Avenue of the Americas
24th Floor
New York, New York  10104
 
[email protected]
(P)212-707-2216
(F)212-405-5600

Date: Wed, 24 May 2000 17:13:49 -0400
From: "Freundlich, Jordan" [email protected]
To: "'[email protected]'" [email protected]
Subject: Roseland Review
 
Roseland was right about my 50th show, and it didn"t disappoint.  I feel
that this concert was a good test for the band, and as far as I'm concerned,
they passed with flying colors.  Coming off of two Radio City shows into a
show that is being taped for VH-1, I figured that we were going to get a
poppy, VH-1 friendly show.  Damn was I wrong.  I could just see the
executive producer of Hard Rock Live pulling out his hair as Phish jammed
song after song, making it nearly impossible to put together a 45 minute
show.  The first set was non-stop, and it was so long, I thought that they
were only going to play one set.  I think it speaks volumes that the band
did not even play "Heavy Things", the single that was sent to the radio
stations.  50 shows in and Phish continues to impress.  The show was
overcrowded, but the music was so good, who cares?
 
-Jordan

Date: Wed, 24 May 2000 07:54:51 -0700 (PDT)
From: Josh Monblatt [email protected]
To: [email protected], [email protected]
Subject: Roseland Review and Thoughts
 
 
Hi phellow brothers and sisters. I just got back home from Roseland, it is now
4:15 am. So let me present this in a concise, point by point report, so i can
get some fucking sleep because i had to stay up for 14 hours and then some to
see this show- AND IT WAS WORTH IT!!!
 
1. There were tapers, actually quite a few. No worries, i was promised CDR's
direct from DAT and I will circulate.
 
1.5. I: (1 hour 40 minutes!!) AC/DC Bag, Wilson, First
Tube, Ya Mar > Mike's Song > Simple > It's Ice!, When The Circus Comes, Get
Back On The Train, Gotta Jibboo, Taste, Sleeping Monkey
II: (1 hour 40 minutes again) Punch You In The Eye, Twist Around, Waste,
Piper, YEM, Antelope, Train Song, Bug
Encore: Boogie On, Cavern
 
2. Here's a riddle: what do you get when you cross the fact that people got
shut out of Radio City, thousands of kind faces camped out in an urban jungle
for 14 hours (give or take a few), not seeing those people for a day, then
coming back to wait in line all over again with them, and then seeing what
could be the most intimate show we will ever get to see; the answer my
phriends is a SENSE OF COMMUNITY. Good vibes all around, i have never felt
more at home, and there was no ego from anyone, just pure love. and for those
that line cut, or had some quarrels, that's ok, we love you too, you've had
your turn, now think of others.
 
3. Be jealous, be very jealous if you didn't go, get the tapes
 
4. Phish presented more of an overall portrait of their work to the cameras
and i do believe they surprised themselves with their raw talent.
 
5. Sound Check: Ginseng Sullivan, My Soul, Funky Bitch- maybe more, but the
doors were shut and we could no longer hear them. I think they were shut
because of a Matchbox 20 concert going on up the street and the street traffic
was too much. Sidenote- Trey was mental-flossing at the end of Cavern.
 
6. God Damn I love Phish!
 
7. Now here's where you all have to help me(us) and spread the word. On July
1st, the assumed date of airing, we should have regional bashes. A gala if you
will. Get all the heads in your area to show up at a small local venue to see
a local band, then at midnight, a bigscreen of the broadcast, followed by
another band. If this isn't feasible, make your own party at your house and
invite at least 5 phans you don't know too well. It's all about community love
and maintaining that. No one should have to sit at home alone and watch it,
share the vibes! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE MAKE THIS WORK!!! A little communication
and hospitality goes a long way in Phishland.
 
8. Don't be shy about emailing me for other questions or trades. And be good
to each other. Just to make you drool, i was right up front in the center,
'twas a thing of beauty.
 
Peace,
 
Josh
 
PS- If Will or Angel is out there, email me- you made my wait in line such a
good experience.


Date: Wed, 24 May 2000 05:12:01 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: No Subject
 
This is a story like none other...
I GOT IN ON KHARMA AND I SAW AND MET TREY AND MIKE AND GAVE KORDOA SOMTHING
HE SAID HE WOULD GIVE TO TREY + jumped on their trampolines...
if anyone has tried to get into a show without a ticket read on...
I was at the Roseland on Monday for the tickit giveaway... And I might
somewhat have to agree with john abuv me about the people who cut... I got
thought about overnighting it... but I figured I'd wakeup at 5:00 and take
the subway up from Brooklyn, there might be 1,500 people in line... I'd be in
for sure to get in... after all it was ment to be...
Well I got there at 6:00 any one remember me I had a hemp guitar case...
and saw at least 6 people I know on the very front of the line...
I taked to them and they said they had been there since 12:00 in the
afternoon Sunday... one friend, and 4:00 the other... I asked if I could cut
but they explained to me... how long all these people had been waiting and
how primal and teritorial the people around were, I mean they had been there
since... god dam along time...
p.s. e-mail me if you can relate or if you recognized me...
 
So I respectivley walked to end of the line thinking there was about 2,000
people in front of me... MAX
THIS STORY GETS BETTER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Well to keep it short  I waited and waited and waited... But I met some cool
peope...Frank and the guy with the green hood and phone I just stood in line
patiiently...
we should have gotten tickets
BUT as john at the top of this page said... So many people who only were
thinking of themselvs.. cut the line... I now call these people Hippocritical
Hippies it was rediculas I heard at least 500 to 1,000 throughout the day...
I mean I might have done the same but I couldn't do that to the people behind
me besides... and I had my guitar the cops would have picked me out... WE
SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN../
 
So no ticket...  but I knew some how by some cosmic force that I would get
in...  I Color copied the ticket from my friend... Bobby... thanx bobby...
This gave me the color and the # code I was set it was perfect... Right?
Almost perfect but there are no prizes for runner up and I waited on line I
was good...  I razor cut the holes and the  razor cut pattern on the band and
even the peripheration nibs on the side of the ticket I had 2 winners
Braclets and 3 pretty close... one for me roomate one for me... super glue BAM
 we had vey authentic  bands... we were in...
at the show there were  tons of fake.. but really bad fakes... I had the
goods... not for sale ... never once sold one ... I couldn't do that to some
one for money...
I did hear one guy made 40 and sold them come on... welll it was a good idea
if it worked..
 
1st try: once in the front of the line our tickets were simply ripped...
real tickets dont rip...  sorry he said "its paper" FUCK... my roomate went
home...
 
THEN I MET THIS JAMACAN SECURITY GAURD IN BACK WHO ANY ONE OF THE 20 PEOPLE
AROUND BACK WOULD KNOW... COOL GUY HE WAS SEPPERATE FROM THE WHOLE THING HE
WAS JUST TRYIN TO HELP I MEAN HE EVEN ASLED IF I COULD WATCH FROM THE VH1
TRUCK HE LATER PLAYE A BIG PART.. IN GETTIN' ME IN
 
I waited and sat by the back door... I had a transiption of all things
reconsidered... all parts piano,, bass... man that was hard to figure
out..***(see bottom)
I am a Jazz major at the New School in manhatten... I always have and edge...
a backup... a plan... I was gonna wait for some one WITH PHISH I could impress
 with my music of all things..
 
I met this crazy black dude who started going off about the meaning of life
kind of shit but I meen heaveyme and all my problems in that situation and
JAMES BOND I was JB...
 
2nd try: Make it so it cant rip
FIRST BEGGED THE JAMAICAN GAURD TO GET ME IN HE WAS COOL BUT HE COULDN'T
HELP... THERE WERE BIGGER MEANER GUYS AFTER HIM.. I went to kinkos were ther
was 8 desprate heads trying to get it together I doubt any of them got in...
I fixed the back with packaging tape...
super glue... get to the front door... rip... NO RIP YES... but the glue
wouldn't hold on the tape... he pealed it off... I ran out of hope  but then
I saw Bobby...  and met this grat Head named JEFF from New Brunswick - if
anyone knows this cat tell him to e-mail me
I was inspired
 
3rd Try - the perfect band - Getting in
I went back to KINKOS 24 hrs. one block away... They didn't care and buy they
way they were very nice and helpful... cool huh one lady asked what I was
doing... like she couldn't tell  i told her anshe just kept trying to help...
Jeff and I made the perfect tickets tape on back-no rip, and no tape on the #
code and end of band to ensue glue dry-idge... YEEH ha RIGHT- not Quite..
Jeff and I talked about the meanintg of life while waiting for the just the
right moment...
 
BAM same guy at the door as busted me before... FUCK AGAIN double fuck...
 
P.S. intermission just started now....
This ticket was flawless... If I had known earlier... I would have got in for
sure gaurenteed the frist time...
 
SO I went back to the Jamaican security guy  I told him the whole story...
what I had'nt yet told him before.. and he asked me if I had 40$ (reg.
Addmision) and walked me to the other side of the VH1 vans out back... I met
his Boss another kind black brother... whoe for $40  slipped me in the Back
Door!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YYESSSSSSS!!!!
I'm in and its still intermission i got the whole sencond half 0f the show
and it felt great and i deserved it. such a beutful venue so small, very
packed though...
Im sure the band made alot of money on this deal... actually that's what the
jamaican guard told me..  any how after the show I gave Kris Kordoa my All
things reconsidered transcription and he was blown away he said he would
deffinatley pass it on to trey keep my fingers crossed...
 
THEN OUT BACK we pulled out the trampolines and jumped on them till the
security yelled at us ... this was way cool... we got at least 2 minutes of
bouncing ecstacy... then mike and
Trey come out... wow this was a treat... I talked to trey (4th time ever) and
shook his hand...
funny thing is when trey was wolking to his car and I started to aproach
him... the security YELLED AT ME "HEY YOU GeT AWAY" like very strictly... but
as they did this Trey walked straight towards me as if to make fun of the
gaurds very cool... but he was non the less still in a rush.. as a Rockstar
of his status should be... naturally...
OVERALL nice show nice to see such a small venue...
Sorry I dont have more to say about the setlist but I'm sure you'll get a
million setlists it's not often you get a Crazy experience like this and Im
sure many of you can relate... !!!
 
PEACE and LOVE....
ARI J. ZUCKER
([email protected])

Date: Thu, 25 May 2000 14:04:12 -0500
From: KiJung Kim [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: ari's karma
 
ari zucker's little essay on how he scammed his way into the roseland made me
sick.  he said "i got in on karma..." yet what he actually did is lie, cheat,
and steal to get into a very crowded show, thereby detracting from the overall
quality of the experience for those who actually paid to get in.  not to say
that those who did pay got their tickets by fair means, but enough has been
said on that already.  the point is that SEEING PHISH IS A PRIVILEGE, NOT A
RIGHT.  it doesn't matter if you've seen a hundred shows or ten or zero.
 
many phish phans probably don't remember what happened on dead tour at deer
creek in '95.  thousands showed up without tickets, and hundreds of people
rioted.  people rushed the gates, stormed the back fence, tore down parts of
the fence, threw rocks at police and security who were trying to maintain
order, etc.  it was disgusting.  weren't these people there to share in the
music, love, vibes of the grateful dead? apparently not.  the dead cancelled
the show the next night at deer creek, the only time they ever had to cancel a
show.  they also wrote a letter of reprimand to all deadheads, reminding us of
the true spirit of community that supposedly brings us all together.
 
i see the same damn thing starting to develop at phish shows, and if it keeps
on this way, the result will be the same.  it sucks getting shut out of shows,
but the fact is that there are more people who want to see the show than there
are tickets.  if you get shut out, deal with it. it's not the end of the
world.  why not try to increase your karma a little and be happy that someone
else may be seeing them for the first time?
 
final notes to ari: you might do your karma a little favor and stop referring
to people as "black dude" and "black brother".  how about just "dude" and
"brother"?  AND you did not, in any conceivable sense of fairness, "deserve"
to get in.  that idea is fucking ridiculous and is exactly what is wrong with
phish tour the past couple years.
 
remember that it's about sharing in the music, which means sometimes you have
to get shut out so others can enjoy.
 
i know there are still many people out there who understand and celebrate the
communal nature of the the phish scene.  much love to all of you.
 
peace,
tim durbin

Date: Wed, 24 May 2000 09:13:14 -0400
From: Drew Katz [email protected]
Reply-To: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Roseland
 
Without a doubt they harnessed the energy in that room from the first note
of the first song and took us on a ride that lasted the whole show.  What an
experience...
 
--drew

...reviews and comments related to the issues of gettin tickets for this show...

Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 09:39:25 -0400
From: "Valiente, Maria" [email protected]
To: "'[email protected]'" [email protected]
Subject: Roseland...Tickets
 
Alright people...everybody needs to just move on.  Yes I got on line a
little before 9pm on Sunday night.  I would say that approximately 1000-1500
people cut me at around 5:55 a.m.  Sure it's bullshit, but life goes on.  I
got my ticket, and saw the best show of my life.  For those who waited all
night and didn't get tickets, well, life is unfair, and Phish is just
another part of life.  As for the guy (Ari?) who got in during intermission
with the fake band...good for him!  Now there is a dedicated fan who doesn't
give up (I also jumped on the tramps!).  For those complaining that it was
too crowded, NOW THAT IS GREEDY!!!  Be thankful that you were there at all!
God forbid that you don't have a 4 by 4 space to do your hippie dance in.  I
wish more people could have gotten in!  Roseland was such an incredible
experience, I wish every Phish phan could have been there.  More and more I
am learning that Phishheads are resulting to be the most stuck up spoiled
fan base out there.  As for the guy in the olive suit, a 1000 people waited
in line for 12+ hours and you just walked up and got your ticket just like
that...that's great for you now shut up about it because nobody is going to
respect you for it.  And telling us who camped out that we were
disrespecting the band is just plain dumb.  I'm sure the boys were really
upset with us, that's why they drove past the line in their tour buses @ 2
am beeping the horns in a carnival-like manner.
 
Maria

Date: Fri, 26 May 2000 03:13:54 -0500
From: David Suda [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Roseland
 
So we're all big "phans" and we all "share in the groove"...the fact is there
are many more of us than can fit into a tiny venue like Roseland. I lined up
early and people came late...they got tix before I did. If you didn't get in,
you must've dropped the ball..it's that simple. Perhaps the Gods weren't on
your side that day. Things don't always go as we'd like them to.That doesn't
mean you have to spoil it for everyone else.
The show was absolutely amazing and part of that can obviously be attributed
to the intimacy we shared with the band. I feel sorry for no-one but Phish,
who consistently have to deal with bitching and complaining no matter what
nice gesture is bestowed upon us.
 
...you missed a great show...someone wanted to go more than you did-get a
grip.
Maybe next time I'll miss one.
Until then,
Pax
D.R. SUDA

Date: Thu, 25 May 2000 10:00:43 PDT
From: Andrew Castro [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: cutting, counterfeiting, and lining up early
 
  We have a chance to see the greatest band in the world, many times a year,
and some of you are intent on fucking up the entire scene for everybody
else.  Maybe you think that because you and a bunch of other phans lined up
early, you have some new set of rules applying to you.  You are wrong.  You
are no different than the guy who cuts in front of you.  You both need to
step back and see the potential for your actions.  What happens the next
time, when people cut and start pushing and cops come in to "put down" the
uprising.  The rules are there as a sense of fairness and safety.  As the
band grows in popularity, it will become increasingly harder to get tickets.
  DEAL WITH IT!  That is the price of fame.  If you act like idiots, all you
are going to do is tarnish a scene many of us have worked hard at building.
Whether you've been a fan since 1992 or since Big Cypress is
inconsequential.  If you are a fan and treat the entire scene ( the fans,
the band's wishes, the security, the venue etc... ) with respect, everyone
wins.  Even if you don't get into this particular show.  Do you really think
this band, that works miracles for us musically, would want the chaos that
is bound to follow if people don't start thinking in terms of respect FIRST
and foremost?  All it takes is one person to make a positive experience
"look" bad.  All it takes is one bad scene at a show, and all the rest of
the shows that follow will have that incident fresh on their mind.  Bands
with this kind of following can't have people acting in strictly their own
best interests.  Cutting, lining up early, these are predecessors to rushing
the gates and creating a free-for-all atmosphere.  Mail order your tickets,
wait in line at Ticketmaster, and do it with the band's wishes in mind.  If
you don't get in, get a tape from someone.  There have been a lot of big
shows that I haven't been able to get to, but I just think of the great ones
I have seen and it makes me realize how lucky I've been.  Oh yeah,
counterfeiters...GET A LIFE!  What happens when an arena with a capacity of
16,000 has 21,000 people in it?  If enough people get this crazy idea, that
they can just forge tickets at will, well figure out the consequences on
your own.  Stupid idea.  As for the band...they continue to blow my mind and
I hope they can keep this up for many, many years. This scene has been
tremendous and I hope we can all do everything possible to keep it running
smoothly.  Kudos to all those who saw the NY run, I'm sure you had a better
week than I did.  Peace!

                                 Andrew 

Date: Wed, 24 May 2000 14:22:57 -0700 (PDT)
From: dick johnson [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Roseland
 
I saw my first show over ten years ago and have racked up a hundred since.  
While I was lucky enough to catch both Radio City shows, I did not have the
pleasure of catching Roseland.  Why?  Because people directly disobeyed the
request of the band that was posted on their webpage.  PLEASE DO NOT LINE UP
BEFORE 6 AM. YOU WILL BE TURNED AWAY.  Kind of ironic considering how Trey was
gushing about how solid the Phish community is on the first night of Radio
City (remind you of Red Rocks '96?).  I'm happy for the people who got in
(seriously), but I think it's lame that they either camped or cut others who
camped out.  I checked the line after the 2nd Radio City show ended and it
rapped around all four corners of the block at midnight.  What was the point
in waking up to get in line at 6 AM per the band's wishes?  I didn't want to
be a dick and cut like some people who considered themselves more worthy.  I
remember not going to Port Chester in November of 1992 because it was sold
out. I didn't want to jeopordize the scene because I respected it so much.  
Where were most of you then? It'd be nice if others actually practiced the
peace, love and happiness they preach.  The show looked awesome.  I'll have to
what for the tapes.


Date: Tue, 23 May 2000 12:44:06 -0400
From: John Tringle [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Chaos.....
 
How dare you rush the line.
How dare you show up at 6am, 8 hours after everyone else and feel you need to
run like the bulls......pushing, shoving.......
 
chaos.
How dare you.
 
Tonight's roseland show will consist of 80% die hard fans and 20% undeserving
bullies.
 
How dare you.
 
The people on line around the block were great....I showed up around 10pm
the night before and my wife and son were waiting for me. We had a great
time on the street partying with the great people around us. The the sun
rose......chaos.....we heard people saying they were going to "rush the
line" at 6am....and they did....my son freaked out, my wife cried, cops in
riot gear got ready, and I sent my wife and son home.......
 
You have some nerve cutting the line and causing a potentially violent
scene. Not good people.
 
Thanks,
 
John Tringle

Date: Wed, 24 May 2000 10:01:28 -0400
From: John Tringle [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Roseland 2000
 
It's me again. From the first post. How could I leave you all with that? I do
suspect that the people who rushed the line were the same people yelling
during the YEM vocal......please don't do that.
 
 
 I think we knew from the bag that this was going to be something really
special. You could cut the anticipation with a knife. I'll leave the song by
song review for some others but how could you not put this in the top 10
shows of all time? Todd, thank you so much for finding my wife's pocketbook.
David, good luck on your test. Hatman, the smarties were perfect. I hope to
see you all on the summer tour.....It's people like you that make the
experience even better.
 
People, we were floating on air....smiles all around. They were tight,
happy........simply sensational from beginning to end. Was this not one of
the greatest nights of our lives? And we relished the fact that VH-1 was
there.
 
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you........
 
I would sleep on the street during a hurricaine to see you.
 
Much peace and love to all of you.
 
JT

Date: Wed, 24 May 2000 14:31:44 -0400
From: DAVID MARTINEZ [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: My Story (No excuses)
 
I've never posted anything on a site before, but I just have to respond
to JT and speak up for the "cutters" who you all wish a slow and painful
death upon (which, as I'm sure you know is not very phish-like).  To
anyone who didn't get in because of people like me, whether or not you
are older or younger than me (I'm 28, saw my first show in 94, Roseland
was about #35, and have been listening since 92) or are a "better" or
"truer" "phan" than me,  I don't really care if you waited on line for
24 hours ahead of time... THAT WAS WRONG TOO!  Gadiel's specifically
mentioned that no one was supposed to be on line before 6am.  So, How
dare you!?  I don't know what any of the campers do for a living (I
suspect many were lucky enough to still be in college) but I can no
longer blow off a whole day just to get tickets.  Many people like me
work everyday.  I used to camp out too, but just because I can't anymore
don't think that means you deserve a spot over me.  Sorry about your
wife and child, but honestly, all's fair in love and tickets.  By the
way if anyone wants to personally blast me, go ahead.  For the record, I
was the guy in an olive suit and blue shirt who showed up around 5:45am
and traded my morning sports section for a spot at the front.  I avoided
the phish-nazis by keeping my mouth shut, which is something not enough
people do anymore.  Nuff said, the show was great as can be expected.
As a struggling musician myself, whenever I can see the fingers of Page,
Mike and Trey I'm thankful for the opportunity to watch real masters at
work.



Date: Wed, 24 May 2000 15:42:20 -0400
From: John Tringle [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: To DMARTINEZ...
 
I don't want to take up valuable space to keep going with this but I'll post
what I responded to DMARTINEZ.
 
It seems as if you were looking to justify what you did based only on the
fact that roseland said "the line opens at 6am"...
 
What about common human decency? What about the unspoken, unwritten rules of
fairness? Do we just read the letter of the law and follow only that? The
fans that camped out made their own rules and those rules were in the spirit
of fairness. Those rules, in my opinion, *supercede* the rules of roseland.
 
I am a Wall ST. stockbroker. While I was getting my band I missed work. But I
go to work every single day, and when you pay your dues at work, sometimes
you can take off or come in late for something special.
 
We are supposed to exhibit *extra* kindness. Not the bare minimum.
 
Thank you again....
 
John Tringle

Date: Thu, 25 May 2000 10:31:41 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: DMartinez and Tringle, Roseland Tickets

I just was in stitches reading the email spat between these two guys,
great stuff. I just wanted to weigh in on Tringle's side, saying this:
DMartinez I too work for a livng, 8 hours a day, five days a week, I also
take college class, BUT I always see at least ten to fifteen shows a year.
When do I see these shows? When the accident wills. If you like Phish and
your getting Phish tickets by screwing over others who also like Phish,
well then your just shitting in your own back yard. I mean, how can you
enjoy a show when your place in the groove came through unscrupulous
practices? If you want to cut lines to buy concert tickets there's about 4
billion Dave Mathews Band "fans" who will probably be too busy reading the
Abercrombie catalog to even notice, cut them not the good people. Tringle,
right on, don't take any shit from those swine. Peace


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