From: jhart5@juno.com
Subject: review 12-29-94
JONATHAN HART

------------
Ok, so no big suprise that it was cooooooold in Providence
that night, but the wind, to boot! BRRRRRR Makes me shiver 
to think about it.
Interesting scene in the lots which were parking garages 
underneath buildings, but there were lots of pholks around
and the nearby McDonalds was filled to the gills with frigid
Phishheads...
My friends partook of their mindbending potions shortly before
showtime and we promptly got split up with a contingency plan 
to meet at the seats. Me, I'm a bit nugged-out and hungry and
sleepy (I drove straight though to connecticut after Dec 28 
Philly show) but I wandered into the line and waited dutifully til the 
doors opened.
Pre-show music was Tom Waits (a favorite of mine) so I chilled 
out in our seats behind the stage and waited for the gang. Lots of 
folks might be put off by that location but the lack of and 
extensive stage backdrop allowed us an excellent view of all of Fish's
doings and Page's face (also mike & trey's backs--Wow ;) ) There 
were speakers facing the back, much to my suprise, and the light
show shined upon us and those in the higher seats (we were in 6th 
row).
Show opener Jim was pretty hot and probably a portent of things 
to come (both tonight and in the future performances of Jim see 
Raleigh 95). This transformed into Foam which I've always had 
trouble 
catching usually missed it by one night, and this night it seemed 
appropriate what with getting lost in parking garages (another 
story altogether.) This was a well built version. Quite tasty. If I 
Could was cool in its way, followed by Horse -> Silent whish hovered 
gracefully above the stage before breaking into the electric 
bluegrass of Uncle Penn!!! Cool.
Next was I Didn't Know which about summed it up as far as how I 
felt, and then POSSUM!!!!!!!!! The jams got way out there, quite 
psychedelic though tight and not spacey. WOWWEEE!!!!
Set 2 opened with a well executed Guyute. in Oct. I had seen what 
was only the 2nd perf. of this song and this one was greatly 
improved. It reminds me of an ideal YES/ELP song taken to heights 
and spaces  that those bands never saw. Anyway, the next song 
says it all. this was/is THE David Bowie and I know of no rival.
It took off, went up, up & up, then out about 2/3s of the way 
through this 27+ minute spectacle. The jams had become 
unrecognizable as Bowie and I'd figured we'd seen the last of it 
when the settled into an extremely quiet space. The crowd noise 
was not too bad either except for the obligatory lame-asses who 
don't know a cool thing when it hits them in the face. the band 
began whistling ala Harpua and some one on stage began calling 
out softly "Lassie...." (like the old tv show opening) and "Here, 
boy. Good dog," ect. I never heard them mention Harpua (live or 
on the tape), but then Trey began whispering somthing to us that 
was sadly inaudible. I suppose now, that maybe it was KUNG or 
something Harpua-related, but it would take a DANK SBD tape to 
reveal that. Anyway, the whispering peaked with Trey and then the 
rest of the band chanting louder and louder "DO IT NOW!!" and my 
friends and I blew our skulls. I was useless grey matter, unable 
to process this, I stored it for later as the jam took off again 
and ended neatly, reminding us that what we had just heard was 
DAVID BOWIE!
The rest of the show, while cool, seemed immaterial after that 
(even now, after writing about and reliving it I can hardly 
remember that they played on...). Halley's Comet was fun and 
brought our feet closer to the ground. Cracklin Rosie was cool 
and Fishman seemed stoked, banging his cymbals overhead like a 
kid! Lizards was cool as well, but I can't rember it being 
anything but routine (read: cool).
The closer, Good Times, Bad Times rocked with Page doing his best 
Plant imitation...
Two Dollar Bill was sweet, though it reminded us of how thin our 
wallets were and that we were not going on to NYC for the next 
show.
Sleeping monkey was excellent/funny as always and we left the 
civic center that night with a smile and a clouded head.


------------------------------

Date:    Sun, 1 Feb 1998 18:57:43 GMT
From:    Douglas Wertheimer 
Subject: ** 12/29/94 Providence Remembered **

12/29/94 Civic Center, Providence RI

I: Runaway Jim > Foam, If I Could, Melt, Horse > Boring, Uncle Penn, I Di=
dn't
Know, Possum
II: Guyute, Big Show Jam > Bowie!!!!!, Halley's > Lizards, Cracklin' Rosi=
e,
GTBT*
E: Long Journey Home, Sleeping Monkey
* w/ Heartbreaker tease

The second set of this show is a must-have for any serious collector.  Ac=
tually,
it's really just the 1st side of the tape that is necessary, for it conta=
ins some
of the most startling improvisation that I have ever been fortunate enoug=
h to
witness.  =


The set starts off with what is -- to this day -- still my favourite vers=
ion of
Guyute.  This was the last time it was played until 10/31/95, in which ti=
me it
was slightly reworked.  After the Guyute ends, Trey starts what is often =
referred
to as the Digital Delay Loop Jam.  However, there is a circle of people t=
hat have
taken to referring to it as the Big Show Jam, as it portends good things =
to come.
 The jam meanders for about three minutes, until the high-hat intro to Bo=
wie
begins.

The Bowie jam departs relatively quickly from familiar territory, and ent=
ers a
slow, engaging jam, in which Mike and Page are complementing each other
excellently.  Trey makes some scary screaching sounds, and at times, Page=
 sounds
like McCoy Tyner comping along to Trane's dissonance.  The chaos of this =
jam
slowly builds in tempo and intensity, but is never really resolved.  =


The jam shortly returns to more familiar territory, and becomes very
McGrupp-esque.  This leads into a very Hood-like jam, which is nothing sh=
ort of
beautiful.  The "Hood Jam" stops abruptly, and then enters the portion of=
 Bowie,
which I labelled in my setlist book as the "Lassie Whistle Jam".   Amongs=
t other
things, Trey hauntingly whispers "NOW!  NOW!  DO IT NOW!"  This portion o=
f the
jam made my travelling companions and myself ask, "Where are we?"

Trey then starts up the Bowie jam again, and is accompanied by some frigh=
tening
screaming.  This jam is raging!!  The Bowie finally comes to a close at
approximately 30 minutes.  Listening to this Bowie still gives me a stron=
g sense
of uneasiness and disquietude.  =


As always, comments/feedback/cash/prizes welcome.  Please cc me at
102665.2104@compuserve.com.  =


Take Good Care...
sauldude AKA DJ Saul T. Nutz AKA Disco Saul AKA Uncle Heavy