7-25-03 - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Charlotte, NC

review submisions to me at dws@netspace.org, dws@gadiel.com, reviews@walfredo.com

please review the show, not the other reviews....

Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2004 17:23:43 -0700 From: eric tipton Subject: Re: Phish 7/25/03 review from Phish.net: 07/25/03 - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Charlotte - Charlotte, North Carolina Set 1: Funky Bitch, Chalkdust Torture, Two Versions of Me, Bathtub Gin, Limb By Limb, Back on the Train, Horn, Golgi Apparatus > Character Zero Set 2: Drowned > Kung, Twist > Heavy Things, Harry Hood > David Bowie* Encore: Star Spangled Banner #, Bug * with 'Tweezer' teases. # - performed a cappella The drive from Deer Creek was an especially long one. We dropped Malcolm off at the Indianapolis airport on 7/24. Two of my friends from Denver that were also doing the whole tour joined our group so that meant there were 4 people in my car - packed to the hilt to say the least. I got my first shower in 7 days, for that I was very happy. Dirty hippy indeed! We stayed in a motel on the border of West Virginia and Virginia on the night of the 24th setting ourselves up for a 2.5 hour drive to get to the venue. Just like my experience in 99 at this venue, gettting in is a bitch. We met up w/ djancy75 (great meeting you Dave!) at a gas station and carpooled in w/ him. I think we got on lot around 5'ish after sitting in line for at least an hour and a half. What is it w/ this place, why does it have to be so difficult to get to lot? I don't get it and we would have the same issues a couple days later in Raleigh. Get your shit together North Carolina, I need 4 hours of good lot time, not two!! Chilled in the lot w/ my crew, Dave's crew and eventually met up w/ the ATL/VA crew; hommy, spcwrnglr and met: bina_j, swright, Freedawg, CBD and I know I am forgetting at least one person that I talked to for a bit )sorry!) Also, ran into nestamarley and his girl Kelly whom I had not seen since Bonner Springs so we caught up a little bit. I was by myself for this show on the lawn. Charlotte has metal stands in front of the lawn and I plopped myself down in the second row DFC. Best place to be if you are stuck on the lawn. I had alot of the row to myself so plenty of flailing around room for yours truly! First set: Funky Bitch: 'Bout time we got the Bitch! Nice and rocking. Chalkdust: Very jammed out, almost 12 minutes. Unfortunately there was barely even a climax at the end so that threw me off a little bit. 2 Versions of Me: quote: ________________________________________________________________________________ Marge, beer me! ________________________________________________________________________________ Yeah, I grabbed an ice cold Icehouse I believe. Gin: Nice! Jamming Bathtub here, easily the highlight of the first set for me. Around 11 minutes Page and Trey really lock up well and play off each other very nicely. I don't remember having a problem at the show hearing Mike, but listening to the sbd right now and I can't hear him at all during this thick jam, what's up? At 14 minutes the jam slows up a bit and features some nice playing on Page's part. Trey hits up that crunchy guitar tone at 15 minutes w/ Page funking away behind him. At 15:30 he hits this really melodic theme - very serene. Trey returns to original theme at 17:49 and the band follows very smoothly. Excellent Bathtub - not as good as Shoreline but better than Alpine's. After the show I found out a member of our crew got arrested for smoking down during Gin. Total undercovers that looked nothing like "cops". Be careful in Charlotte! LXL: I'm a jaded oldbie, and getting sick of this tune. I swear since 97 I see it at one out of three shows. Time for an "attitude adjustment" that I shared w/ two beautiful North Carolina girls behind me. If either of you two happen upon this, will one of you marry me? [wink.gif] . Nice build up in this Limb that explodes at 9:45. BOTT: Second of the tour. Much improved over the Bonner Springs version which was quite sloppy and tentative. It's no Nassau but it's a good little funky jam that I had fun dancing/flailing too! Horn: Standard. Pretty darn tight. Golgi: Standard and fun. Character Zero: quote: ________________________________________________________________________________ Marge, beer me! ________________________________________________________________________________ Icehouse, pt. II. It's funny watching hippies bang their heads. First set highlights: Gin. After the runs at Alpine and Deer Creek you can see the band is doing it's best to dial it back up to that energy level, but it never got there during this first set. Sick Gin though. Second set: Drowned: At the opening notes of this, I just started going apeshit. I hadn't heard this since 10/5/00 and just love it when Phish covers this classic Who tune. This Drowned would not disappoint at all. There isn't anything too wild and crazy about this Drowned but is surely never gets boring by any means. It is always a treat to hear this tune I think, especially in the all important second set opener slot. Trey catches a really nice groove at 11.5 and rides this into a killer segue > Kung: Again, I am going ape shit at the intro to the lyrics. May I take this opportunity to say that what they played behind the lyrics is some funky ass shit! Crunchy, crunchy chords from Trey here, you must get this on disc and listen to it yourself. Alot of people around me seemed to have no clue as to what this was which makes it that much more exiciting! Classic Phish, wacked lyrics and intense all the way through. Fisman was having a blast w/ this! Absolutely loved it! quote: ________________________________________________________________________________ We can stage a runaway golf cart marathon! ________________________________________________________________________________ Again I've got to take issue w/ Phish.net and there segues!!! How can they say Golgi segued into Zero but not put a segue between Kung and Twist? Fucking crackheads! Kung most definitely segued into Twist, sick segue! > Twist: You all no by now I'm not a big Twist fan. But when it morphs out of such a dark, scary jam; lets just say it works for me in this spot. Good Twist and it keeps up the sinister feel that Kung managed to create. Segue into > Heavy Things. Amazing segue here people. Even though I cannot believe this gets mid second set placement, my jaw was on the floor purely because of the smooth segue. Hood: Nice! Very typical Hood up until 12:20 when Trey takes it into a new and exciting space. Much edgier than what you would expect from a "normal" Hood. Until the Vegas Hood, the last thing I expexted from this song was for it to make a left turn past 10-12 minutes and see the band take it for a spin into space. That's what they did tonight. As a matter of fact, I have written next to Hood on my setlist that it "lost me." Which certainly is not a bad thing, it's something I look for in a Phish jam, like one of those times where you think to yourself "What the hell is this song again? Oh yeah, it's still HOOD!" At 19 minutes it gets really quiet and I was expecting it to segue into something. Nope. One minute later Trey and Fish urge the band to put their collective feet back on the gas pedal. Again though it meanders back to space, really quite psychedelic. 26.5 sees a slow progression back to ending theme of Hood. After all that craziness that preceeded it, I was really expecting a much better, bigger buildup to the "You can feel good" part. I felt good but not as good as I had hoped. This band is not afraid to take chances. After the feel good part, they jam a bit til Fish busts out the high-hat; segue into > Bowie: Beginning is a tad rough. Nothing like Phoenix thankfully. Big time Tweezer tease by Trey at 10:20. The ending coda is long and stretched out and is finally done at 15.5 minutes. Good Bowie, but not close to the heater from Alpine a few shows ago. Encore: Star Spangled Banner: I could have never called this! I really thought that they sounded very good on this. By the time this was over it was 10 after 11pm so I thought for sure they were done. Bug: Not done by a long shot! I was really suprised when they played this in regards to the curfew issue. I really, really like Bug in the encore slot. I've said it before and I'll say it again. The lyrics to this tune hit home for me. quote: ________________________________________________________________________________ There've been times that I wander And times that I don't ________________________________________________________________________________ quote: ________________________________________________________________________________ Spending or saving Credit or debt Which did you think I meant Nothing I see can be taken from me!!! ________________________________________________________________________________ Great way to end up this evening in Charlotte. Second set highlights: Drowned>Kung, the segues of Kung>Twist>HT. The nutty Hood and the encores. Very jealous of djancy75's front row seat! Atta boy Dave! This was a pretty good show but just could not follow up on the energy and momentum that was created by the Alpine/Crick run. Our friend that was arrested was ticketed and let go but has to return to NC sometime in September I think to go to court. He said there were quite a few people that had fell prey to the same type of undercovers. I have seen plenty of undercovers in the lots before but never seen or heard of them being inside a show. IMO that is just way to over the top. Onto Atlanta and a ridiculous 7th row DFC seats for me and Tony courtesy of LMSYEM. Tipton-o-meter: 7.4 Very good show, not great. The first set holds it back I thought. peace, et
Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2003 01:56:45 EDT From: Yamar81374@aol.com Subject: charlotte was "exploratory" phish at its best Hey all,    I decided to wait about a week or two before i started to give my thoughts about the shows i saw on summer tour.  I was psyched to get my next dose of phish 2003...i had seen greensboro on the fall tour and thought that was a killer show with high energy and a killer killer piper jam.  My first show was 11-02-96 coral sky (crosseyed>antelope sank the hook deep into my soul) and Charlotte was my 22nd phish experience.  It being Friday, and the first night of my first ever three night stand with phish, i was pumped to be seeing the band again. anyway...on to my thoughts of charlotte.   It is true that whomever planned the roads into the venue must have been on crack.  There was a lack of stoplights and several roads that merged right into the traffic stream, causing a very slow descent into the venue....that and the lack of portapoties in the lot were my only complaints about this entire show....unlike some people's previous posts on here who seemed more pissed off at the world and decided to blame it on phish.  I actually liked this venue once i was inside.  My buddies stubbed me down to the pavillion and we set up shop on Gordon's side.  This show seemed like it was undersold...which resulted to plenty of open spaces to fill in.  I have to say that we sat by some of the coolest people i have ever met at a show...everyone seemed psyched to see the band and we all got down...hardcore.   The show to me know is kinda a blur in my colective consciousness, but thanks to the live phish downloads, the memories presented to me at this show come through crystal clear. Funky Bitch, Chalkdust was a super double punch of an opener.  Right off the bat i couldnt get over how refreshed and laid back the band sounds now.  I had never heard Two Versions of Me before....this song has grown on me.....such touching, heart felt lyrics...seemed like a song that trey wrote for his wife and kids...very emotional with great harmonies.  The opening licks of Bathtub Gin kicked this set up many many notches.  The verse parts of bathtub were played flawlessly, but its the jam that really gave me the first of these "feelings" that i would experience all night long....and throughout the weekend in Atlanta and Raleigh.  The jam was so smooth and dead on rocking that within a few minutes i was like "what song are they in." I was impressed with the "start/stop" intro breakdown to the jam...nice touch. Seriously, the jam was so good that i for a split second had forgotten where i was in the universe.  I had to give my buddies several double takes in order to make sure it was really happening....and it was. Phish 2003 is no joke people....there is seriously a breath of fresh air to Phish now....no slack whatsoever, balls to the walls, rock and roll.  Limb by Limb was the tightest version i had ever heard....polished polished polished.  Back on the Train was a nice touch considering i had just jumped off with my bucket full of thoughts onto phish tour....great clav from page.  Horn and Golgi was an old school double punch and i gotta say i thought the Character 0 rocked hard.  Overall the first set set the tone for the rest of the evening....Hard Rock.   The hardcore, kick you in the balls rock theme contined with Drowned....a great version which after a sick ass jam suddenly got real hard/heavy metal like.  Trey was ripping this nasty nasty riff over and over again with the sickest dirtiest guitar tone i have ever heard from him.  The heavy metal kung was a blast and really got our whole section cracking up laughing.  Contrary to some previous reviews, KUNG is not just a random occurance that the band just throws out.  It like Catapult is always a vehicle for the band to showcase how differently they can perform this piece every time it is pulled of the shelf.....very old school indeed. Kung then segued nicely into Twist....which had a heavy metal kung tease in the opening.  The Twist jam was very very satisfying with very delicate interplay between all four band members....like i said earlier Phish 2003 is no joke...every song they play now sounds fresh and revitalized.  Nice segue into heavy things (this song....along with bug (see encore) and Velvet Sea always remind me of Big Cypress.)  Very nice page/trey interplay as trey rips a killer solo in this one.   If you want to describe the entire Charlotte experience in 3 words, all I have to say is HARRY F--KING HOOD.  Now if i were thinking about pre-2003 Phish this would have been an ordinary, 12-13 minute hood.  After playing the entire song flawlessly Phish decided to get "out of the box."  Out of the three shows i saw that weekend, this Hood would ensure Charlotte's place as most exploratory show.  This Hood was sick sick sick and went places that i would have never drempt Hood could go. The band's new sound is the shit....straight foward rock and roll/spacy goodness.  Trey was playing downright DIRTY.  That feeling i had gotten during the 1st set Gin had swept over me once again...."what song were they playing before this sick ass jam?" Hands down the most jammed out Hood ever!!!!!! If you need an excuse to Download this show look no furthur....you wont be let down.  Like i said previously....Phish 2003 is fresh and unpredictable.   As the band went into Bowie they presented us with yet another old school 1-2 punch.  30 minute Hood > Bowie....please pinch me i think i must have drempt it.  Classic Classic Phish folks.  Acapella Star Spangled Banner....are you kidding me?  Even this show was on july 25th...i could have sworn it was the fourth of july.  Had to take my ballcap off for this one and hold my hand over my heart.....nice nice touch....After seeing the acapella "Carolina" in Greensboro...i feel lucky to have gotten this gem (last time was 4th of july 99.)   Ok i'm gonna say it....BUG ENCORE WAS DANK.  I'm sorry folks...i cant stand people who witness a great expedition of out of the box jamming like that serious Hood...then go ahead and dis the band for playing a mellow encore.  Bug is a great song and hearing it again really gave me that "Cypress" feeling all over again.  This version, like all of the Phish 2003 songs, sounded new and fresh....good choice.   All in all Charlotte was a blast and really got me pumped for the rest of the weekend in Atlanta and Raleigh.   Mike S.
Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2003 11:37:39 -0400 From: dmac Subject: dmac charlotte review Charlotte Phish review Phish returns to Charlotte-a terrible, terrible place, by any standard-and puts on a much better show than the last few I saw pre-hiatus, but still display very little spark or passion. Charlotte (picture the American South as a great buttocks-guess where the enema needs to be inserted) boasts one of the country's most generic and bullshit-ridden venues for music. Verizon Wireless aka Blockbuster Pavilion-how's that for two soulless corporate parents-features jerkwad security, bloated prices, and a pervasive, 2003-style fear of lawsuits and terrorism, although there is a decided schism in that, you can bring in an empty plastic container, but you can't buy a bottle of water and keep the cap on "because it might be used as a projectile". Bullshit. They want you to spill your drink and be forced to buy another one, or some such other greed-ridden reasoning. Phish, by agreeing to perform in such a venue, are complicit in this corporate nonsense. They should be ashamed. Also, they should be ashamed to put on shows like Charlotte 2003. From my second-row seat, I could see little rapport between the band members on stage, with Trey in particular seemingly locked into a very internalized, kind of unhappy vibe. The look on his face as he leaves the stage following the first set spoke volumes: A fake, half-smile to the crowd as he walks off, and then, the second his face turns the slightest bit away from the crowd, fake smile disappears and is replaced by the unpleasant grimace of an assembly-line worker getting his paltry break in the middle of long, dull workday. Wow, very inspiring. The song selection was not exactly inspired, although you definitely get your fill of old-school Phish rather than the new stuff. I like the Round Room material, but I hear the new-new summer stuff is just okay, with Two Versions of Me being an example of do-nothing, go-nowhere Trey ballad, very weak compared to the lovely Anything But Me and All of these Dreams. The highlight of this set is a reasonably powerful Limb by Limb. Bathtub Gin is usually an exciting bit of business, but this one drags on instead of building to anything, the jam self-indulgent and played as safe as can be. Sounds like Page wants to go into Jesus Left Chicago, but it doesn't materialize. Golgi is well-played. Character Zero is as well, but it stuns me still how often they play this lame tune. Who have you EVER talked to that likes this piece? For the answer look to the second word of the song title. Second set comes out strong with Drowned>Kung. The band is giggling and enjoying busting out the Kung, but hey, let's face it, Kung is not a big jam thing, it's like Catapult or something, it just pops up every so often, is what it is, you write it down, and then go, huh, wonder what the next tune will be. Twist is the next tune, and it is okay, nothing like some of the big ones I' ve heard. A slap in the face in the form of Heavy Things is next. Weak, weak, weak, although the drunken yahoos around me really seemed to dig it. Harry Hood is next, and is a welcome relief from HT. Glowstick war is cool, but even that has lost some of its magic through the years (although the look of delight on one of the shaved-head security monkeys is a nice contrast to the scowling and annoyance that he has previously displayed-or was that my face??!) At this point extra bodies are suddenly in evidence, and, even though I have my second row ticket in my pocket, and am standing in my rightful place, I am basically told that I will just have to put up with the nonsense of people surfing down (literally) into my personal space. No sir, not on my watch. I go and get the security goon, tell him to "get rid of some of these people", and, me being the force of nature that I am, he has no choice to comply. He really doesn't get the people I want him to, instead he just ejects this little dirt-surfer lot chick, and she proceeds to proclaim that "I didn't know assholes came to Phish shows!" Boo-hoo, back to the lawn. Besides, look at these guys on stage. You don't want to get to close to these boys, believe me. Some other chick behind me starts yelling and calling me names and telling me that if I don't know how to have a good time, I should stay home. Don't worry, next time I will, but the point here is, I have a right to groove in my assigned seat without being trampled by drunken louts, wookies, and little girly-girls who want to through their sweat-stained, moth-eaten, once-pink-but-now-faded-to-a-dingy-yellow panties at Mike Gordon. Yea, and back to the lawn with ye, and it was good. So during all that excitement there is another indulgent jam happening in Harry Hood. No energy, no peak, no release. They put Harry out of his misery after 30 minutes or something, and then a brief onstage huddle produces David Bowie. Why they had to huddle I don't know, just start the thing, you play it death these days anyway. Bowie features a Tweezer tease from Trey and Mike smiles, but no Tweezer. Bowie winds up fairly quickly, but also features a kind of limp jam that really doesn't turn into anything of note. Encore break, the acapella mic comes out, and inexplicably they do Star-Spangled Banner for the first time in however long. Cool, they do don' t much of this anymore. Even more inexplicably, they decide on Bug for the electric encore, and boy is that the right choice. It Doesn't Matter. It doesn't look on stage like it matters much. Where is the joy, where is the life, where is the passion? Somebody, before the show, tells me that they heard things are not going all that well backstage, and that maybe there is another hiatus in store. Maybe, maybe. I'm not sure these zillionaire musicians have their hearts in it anymore. That's it for me and Phish, unless I guess they play my town sometime. Life is too short for this foolishness.
Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 15:01:41 -0700 (PDT) From: john rutan Subject: Charlotte Review Very good show.  There was no traffic when I arrived at 3:00, but there was very little signage for the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater.  All I saw from I-85 was a tiny sign that said "Pavilion".  We rode around a while and asked a local how to get there and it was nothing from there.  Lot F was very cool, lots of cops but no hassels.  I  had a very hard time getting in two tubes of glow rings, they actually called back up!   From the front of the lawn, the sound was very nice.  Great neighbors, too!  I was expecting a Chalkdust, but Funky Bitch was cool.  I even listened to that from the "Wipeout" show on the way down from VA.  Chalkdust was next, and I like it no matter how many times I hear it.  I have never heard Two Versions of Me until this,  and it was a nice ballad for a hot afternoon.  Gin, again, is a song that follows me around, but I always like to hear it "we love to take a bath"!!!!  Limb x Limb was a very well composed version, lots of good guitar work by Trey.  GBOTT is another regular in my arsenal, but again, I only see these guys once or twice a tour, and I was enjoying myself!!!!  Horn has evaded me in my 16 shows since 93, and it was welcome!  I was looking for something to get the juices flowing, and Golgi>Zero did the trick!  This seemed to be a crowd pleaser,  and it was a nice solid ending to a very enjoyable set.   Second set beginning was different as I've never caught Drowned live (no pun).  Anyway,  I did enjoy, as did all around me.  Go Mike!!  Kung-ok I was not familiar with this, but they seemed to be having a good time playing it.  Twist is one of my favorite songs, and this did not dissappoint.  I have heard and seen it played in a number of fashions, slow-fast-spacy-eeiry-faster-wierd, but this one was very nice.  Probably my favorite part of the show.  Great morph into Heavy Things, I enjoyed it almost as much as the GIRL who got her candy taken from her on the second row with all the drunken yahoos around him (or her).  It was nice to hear Harry again as I haven't since Merriweather 98.  Nice and long and jammy, I really did not want it to end until I heard the intro to Bowie.  Good Bowie, not real long but I love hearing Trey play at full speed at the end of that song.  Incredible second set is over.  I though they were going to bust out Carolina when they grouped up and started the Star Spangled Banner.  It's all good.  Bug was an appropriate encore for this show-kind of mellow-great guitar work.  Trey, Mike, Jon and Page always give me a good show and a good time.  I can't wait for the next one!!!
Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 23:39:08 EDT From: JGBWSP@aol.com Subject: Charlotte Review This was the worst phish show i have ever seen!  Lacking in sound energy and excitement.  It seemed completely uninspired.  No one stood out the entire show for me and out of 50 show it s ranks #50 for me.  Terrible traffic getting in to the venue the last two time i have seen Phish there.  They should never play there again. Two best things of the night were when trey got a little going during GBOTT and Heavy Things.  Fishman hardly played all night! Harry Hood sucked! And Bug was fitting because it just didn't matter. But I will say they played a very solid show in Atlanta with the highlights for me being Wilson, Wedge, It's Ice, NICU, Cavern!
Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2003 22:34:18 EDT From: Grandelove@aol.com Subject: review of charlotte show well we got there late and left early, i was bored, plus i got frisked on the way in and had to throw my bowl in the trash, drag, i don't know, it seemed like i was watching a phish cover band or something, i hate to sound all negative, they just didn't sound that good to me tonight, what was the deal with all the cops, is that just charlotte or what, the place just seemed full of wannabees, and if you ever see me talking on my cell phone at a phish concert, please shoot me in the head. Randy
Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2003 09:06:33 -0700 (PDT) From: Nathan Coblentz Subject: review: charlotte show I've just got to get my first impressions of this show down somewhere before the madness of Atlanta takes over. Bitch was a fun, rock and roll opener, and the Chalkdust took it a little furthur out than usual. It probably could have gone furthur, but it was early in the show. Bathtub Gin covered a diverse range of territory, from Page getting down on the clavs, to a heavy, rockin segment, and a cool, gentle V-I jam. It might have been better if they had explored one of these ideas more completely, but it was nevertheless an interesting version. Limb by Limb - easily the first set highlight. This Limb started out a little on the mellow side, but kept building and building, and went through so many peaks and valleys, we thought they would never let it go. Not a whole lot to say about the rest of the set, but the Golgi was pretty strong. Drowned opener was incredible. It went into one of those throbbing, trancy but still guitar-led jams that I think characterizes the post-hiatus sound, and wound up playing some metal riff that reminded me of "enter sandman." Nobody would have ever guessed that they would play a Kung chant! About half the crowd went nuts, while everyone else scratched their heads and said wtf?? The metal jam went on for another five minutes and came to a halt, and then Twist. Twist explored some of that same territory from the pre-Kung Drowned jam, and then got a little darker, before the surprising, out-of-the-blue segue into Heavy Things! This was a pretty strong version, probably a bit longer than usual. Last night's hood was completely unprecedented in phishtory. it promptly digressed from the standard I V IV jam into something much darker and much more rock and roll. I thought I was going to have to write down an "unfinished" on my setlist, but they somehow wound up on back in the "feel good" part. This was a hood for the ages, and the highlight of the show. After hearing this, I got the feeling that from now on, anything can happen in a Hood jam. I don't remember the Bowie being particularly special, except for the oh-so-brief "tweezer" tease that sent everyone through the roof for a few seconds. Star-Spangled encore was beautiful and moving, and Bug had a nice solo. That second set had some of the most serious, adventurous, dark, and evil sounding improvisation I have heard at a phish show. I'll give this show an 8.5 for a beautifully played first set, some stunning improv in the second set, but a fairly unspectacular closer and encore. check out my trading list at http://db.etree.org/phrodo41
Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2003 13:52:38 +0000 From: Michael Marks Subject: Charlotte 7/25/03 I live in Charlotte and agree with many of you. VERISON AMPHITHEATER SUCKS! The next time Phish comes to Charlotte, they need to play at the race track. The speedway allows people to bring in 14" coolers as long as there are no bottles in them. That would be sweet. Well, this show was the only one on the tour that I went to. I only have two complaints about the show: (1) Heavy Things and (2) the end of Harry Hood. I think Heavy Things was played well, but it didn't fit in that second set in my opinion. They were tearing the place down in the 2nd set and that tune just seemed to put a halt on things. Harry Hood was weird. Weird in a good way. I've never seen them jam out like that before. I wish that they would have left it unfinished and jammed it straight into Bowie. I have very high expectations for Harry Hood (it's one of my favorite songs) and the end just seemed a little to rushed for me. Other than that, I have no complaints. Drowned>Kung was the jam of the night. I haven't seen Kung since my first show 10 years ago. First set was good the whole way through. I was glad to see Bathtub Gin and I was surprised by how good Limb By Limb was. I went into the show positive that we would hear Runaway Jim, 46 Days, Tweezer & Maze. I was wrong about everything. I like it when that happens. To sum things up: Good show. Bad venue. Rev. Richard Spurtz
Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2003 13:11:22 -0400 From: Jamie Kirkland Subject: Charlotte - 7/25/03 Great show. My 22nd. 2nd time in Charlotte. Called the Funky Bitch. Don't understand why some people think the venue sucks. But then again, all I need is a cold beer and a toilet and I am happy. All summer amphitheaters looks the same to me since I'm only looking at the stage. That must be why I enjoyed the show though, I payed attention to the band instead of the architechture. Traffic was a breeze. Don't be stupid and take the main exit off of the interstate. That rule goes for every evnue in the U.S. Took us 10 minutes to travel from our hotel and into the lot at 5:45. Anyone who sat in traffic for 3 hours didn't think very hard about which way to go.   Hood/Bowie was a awesome. Oh no. They played it differently than normal, maybe I should complain about that.   Drowned was the real treat.   Good to see the boys really hitting stride this summer after the slow start this winter/spring.   Jamie
Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2003 13:13:44 -0700 (PDT) From: Nick Terranova Subject: Charlotte 7-25-03 Review Let me start this off talking about the lot scene.  Yes there were undercovers busting people.  But that's what happens when you blatantly and openly start puffing bowls in a public place.  Just because it's Phish doesn't mean it's not shady.  Just be more careful.  I personally loved the scene.  It was pretty chill and there were people driving carts around with trash cans so people could throw their trash in.  I drove a long way to this and planned to hit Charlotte, Raliegh, Star Lake, Camden, and IT.  Being the Phish show of this tour for me I was pumped.  I have to admit the start of the first set was kind of lacking.  Funky Bitch I called and it was nice to hear.  It's been a long time. Gin was experimental but kind of bottomed out. Limb x Limb picked it up and the rest of the set pretty much rocked.  Zero is played alot but I like it.  They don't have to play rare songs for it to be a good show. The second set was excellent and IMHO one of the best of the year.  A very nice Drowned led into the first Kung of a very long time.  It blew my mind.  A nice segue led from Twist>Heavy Things and it's worth hearing.  Crazy type II Hood jam.  Never heard one veer off like this.  Right into a Bowie.  Probably for Kuroda being it was his B'Day. Star Spangled and Bug left me happy.  I had a good time.  Not the best but better than average.  People who complain about Phish through the Dead should stop seeing them and go on Dead tour.  It's not our fault Jerry did heroin.  Don't take it out on us. "There is no Hell. There is only France." - Frank Zappa
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 02:57:29 -0400 From: Hunter Rogers Subject: Phish 7-25-03 Charlotte, NC. This was a terrible place and a terrible traffic situation, there has been bad traffic everywhere though. I liked this show but I think this was the weakest of the 3 southern shows. Set 1: Funky Bitch, Chalkdust Torture, Two Versions of Me, Bathtub Gin, Limb By Limb, Back on the Train, Horn, Golgi Apparatus > Character Zero Set 2: Drowned > Kung, Twist > Heavy Things, Harry Hood > David Bowie* Encore: Star Spangled Banner #, Bug Set 1: Funky Bitch: This Funky bitch was short, but a very good surprise opener. I was not expecting to hear that. I like Funky Bitch. Chalkdust: What a surprise, but seriously this one was cool, it had a nice little jam, i think it hit the 10 min. mark. I have heard way too many Chalkdusts but I liked this one alot. Two Versions of Me: I like this song, Its a little slow but one of my standards for if i like a song or not is if I can get lost in the song. I get so lost in this song. I still can't remember what the middle portion sounds like. This one was like all the other ones I have heard, around 10 min. But I liked hearing it and I was the only person in my section who recognized it. Bathtub Gin: I liked the jam on this one alot. Its hard to explain but it was cool. The rest of it was pretty standard. Limb By Limb: This was a pretty Trey intensive song. Trey was playing the hell out of that guitar. I enjoyed this song, I usually am not the biggest Limb fan. Back on the Train: Boring. Next. Horn: This Horn kicked ass. I liked it. I don't know if it was better than any of the other horns on this tour because I haven't heard them but i thought it was pretty nice. Golgi: I really wanted to hear this tune. I love Golgi and I hadn't heard it yet. It was a standard Golgi though, but Golgi none the less. Character 0: I don't like this song very much, Next. Set 2: Drowned>Kung: Holy shit, I think I just crapped my pants. This was an incredible combo. They kept the beat from Drowned all the way thru the Kung, I loved to hear this, I was real surprised by it. I never know what to expect at these shows. Twist>Heavy Things: This was pretty nice, I like Twist alot but this Twist was cut a little short because of the Heavy Things. Hood>Bowie: Wow. This is a pretty damn sweet combo. I like this alot. Damn good Hood. 20 min. maybe more. I enjoyed both of these tunes, that hood was remarkable though, i am sure it is not the best of the tour because no 2 hoods are alike but this one was dank. The David Bowie was nice but pretty standard.Great Set: Great Jamming. Encore: Star Spangled Banner: Cool song, never heard it before. Liked it. BUt the next song could have been better. Bug: This is a good song in my opinion but this version is not as good as many other ones I have heard. Hope my review helps you out. I would give this show a 7 out of 10 just because they played alot of farmhouse and the first set and encores here kinda weak. Second Set was killer though. I love that second set. I still don't think it is better than Raleighs second set but it was damn close. Hunter
Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 15:26:34 -0400 From: "McGranahan, Harold Alton " Subject: charlotte review Writing this wishing I was on my way to Raleigh... I don't like the venue, not enough people to direct traffic, and always cops trying to bust people for anything they can. But, I really liked the show, I felt they played well... Funky Bitch-Called it. Glad this opened the night, I was hoping that it would go longer, pretty solid playing Chalkdust Torture-This one sounded good, I liked the little jam on the end of it,pretty standard. 2 Versions of Me-Good song, wasn't too sure about the placement of it, I was hoping Bathtub Gin-Excited to hear this one, played pretty solid, went off for a while, pretty out there, had to kinda stop and start over, but i thought it was a good jam Limb by Limb-I like this song, I don't listen to it that often when I've got phish playing in the car or at home. I would say it was the best song in the first set. Back on Train-My second favorite song off of Farmhouse, another solid song, kept the pace up, crowd was into it. Horn-Great song, pretty rare, always a treat to listen to, good song to bring it down a little bit, a lot better than what they could have played, so I was definately glad to hear it Golgi Apparatus-An old favorite of mine, and everyone else, everyone was back of their feet for this one. Another well-played song. Character Zero-Called this one too. Good way to end the set, I like the song, I know it gets a bad rep. because it is played a lot, but it seems to get everyone excited when played. Set Two: Drowned-I really like this cover, the 12-31-95 version is definately awesome. Great way to start the second set, first since hiatus I believe. Kung-From the Drowned they move into Kung, which for a second I was thought it was Moby Dick at the beginning. It is what it is, nothing special about the actual music, just cool to hear. Twist-Another pick I made, had the crowd into it again, because the majority of the crowd wasn't into Kung, probably because they didn't know what it was. Pretty standard, I was hoping this would be one of the big jams of the night, but was still solid. Heavy Things-Alright song, nothing speical IMO. But, I enjoyed hearing it, still good playing from the band, which is always a good thing. It was cool hearing the band segue into the song, instead of starting it by itself. Harry Hood-Ahh, this just got a little bit better. Long jam, pretty spacy, could have gone into a couple songs while jamming it, but took it further and further from the original part of the song. Then at the end when it picks up, it makes that difference of rythem and style that much better. David Bowie-Called this one too, I know my friend Joe who was supposed to come would die if he was here. So needless to say he was let down when I told him what they closed with.He wanted a Hood>Bowie, or Hood, and later Bowie. Back to the song, another fan favorite, good way to end the set, but could have been better, seemed they kinda held back. Encore: Star-Spangled Banner-Acapella, cool to see acapella, but I don't know why this for an encore. It's not an American Holiday, but I can't criticize my national anthem. They sounded good. Bug-Ugghh, Ahhh, Gah. The Farmhouse theme had run it's course with me by then. Still, sounding good, but I was hoping for something more, especially in an encore. Overall I was pretty impressed with the night, I got to hear lots of good music, and I can't complain about that. I wish the encore was better, kinda puts a sour taste in your mouth after a pretty solid night. It had potential to be big, but wasn't. Kind of a trend these days.
Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 11:29:04 -0700 (PDT) From: tom cat Subject: phish review 7/25/03 charlotte, nc It's phish, it's summer and Charlotte, NC is the place to be? Funky bitch is always nice to hear, and this standard blazed into the great phish standard chalk dust torture. Both played very uneventfully, as would be the trend for the night. I figured at this point the show would take off, boy was I wrong. Two versions of me was a little dull to say the least and I was thankful to hear the opening to bathtub. Things started off nicely and when the jam began I was ready, but it never really went anywhere.  Limb by limb was nice and for the first time I was in a trance, very much enjoying the summer day listening to trey start to elevate. Back on the train was fun, as was horn. Nothing special going on, but emotionally they were putting more on the line. I loved golgi it was standard, but nice and fun. Zero was as rocking as can be.   The second set was looking great. Drowned is a great song, and it plays to mikes vocal strengths. I absolutely love hearing mike sing this. They seemed to be having fun right into the jam. soaring into a evil funky guitar riff that creeps from speakers and oozes through the crowd, and over this riff they do kung.  twist slowly builds and a fairly good version is played. They took twist out and I was riding along with the bass and drums, and out of no where I hear the guitar loop for heavy thing coming through,  and Trey pulls his guitar line for heavy things, and all of a sudden we have heavy things. It seemed really awkward.  Harry was nice they were crusin' in the typical hood jam, and trey seems to be having a conversation with mike, and at that point they abandoned hood for a crazy jam. It was reminiscent of Dave's energy guide, and after a while they returned to finish hood. After another conversation between mike and trey, during the high hat intro to bowie, they headed full steam into bowie. Star bangled banner was fun, and bug was well played.
Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 14:16:53 -0400 From: Tim Loftus Subject: CHARLOTTE REVIEW Damn good show all around. Highlights include an incredible Hood>Bowie that went all over the place and back again. Bitch, Chalkdust open was very nice and welcomed, solid first set all together with a good Limb, a crowd pleasing Horn with bad ass Golgi (thank God!) Second set has no faults...I hear a lot of people complain about Farmhouse songs...get over it...they're here, they're perfected and they're fun. The beef should be with Round Room...you heard it hear first. Star Spangled banner a cappella was beautiful...I am Canadian and I loved it! God Bless America. No complaints about Bug...just an encore..."it doesn't matter" I think it's funny to hear fellow phish heads bitching about traffic! You people disgust me. You should be used to it by now...it was a Friday afternoon in a big city...should've come early...quit whinning! Charlotte is awesome place and a perfect location for the boys to bust out some oldies. Thanks guys...had a blast!
Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2003 16:31:21 -0700 (PDT) From: HvnPhun420 Subject: Charolotte review I must start off by saying that this is one of the worst places to see phish simply b/c of the traffic and the cops not giving a fuck...sat in traffic for 3 hrs no lie!!..missed Funky Bitch and heard Chalkdust as i was walking into the venue...caught Two Versions of Me and then got settled..... Bathtub Gin- always like a gin but the jam did seem to lack its peak, but well played Limb- wow this was, if not the best song played in the first set..very powerful jam and what was suprising about this is that its mostly Fish and Mike leading the way GBOTT- very well played version, the jammed didnt go out to the peaks but lots of beats and smiles came from this one Horn- was talking about this song all the way up there...horn is horn but damn i love it, it just satisfied the soul.. i am always up for a horn..then before you could breath.. Golgi- another one that is what is what but i love that too...the solo just picks you up off your feet and makes you smile!! Char0- never displeased with a Char0 but i did think that the jam lacked its peakness from what the boys can do...the Golgi and Char0 got the crowd on its feet and lots of dancing went down..... SET II Drowned- hahaha..yes yes yes...a very good opener that rocks..the jam was rocking too!! i thought it would be played in Raiegh and i was very suprised to here it..nice treat from the boys...speaking of treat!! Kung- kung is kung but how often do you hear it or see it in a set and at Charlotte...made a very nice segue into Twist- a bit different and always sounding better..i thought it was rocking and pumping with energy and then out of no where Heavy Things- i know people dont like this song but it did have a good jam, maybe because its so simple but i enjoyed it very much and thought it was one of the best Heavy jams i've heard in a while HOOD-..oh man do i have a great deal to say about this and dont even know how to say it...regular Hood until the jam..they broke out of it and lost the Hood melody...i can only explain it as a Tweezer like jam...going from Hood into dark space and though a new light...i was very pleased with what was done with the Hood... it was as if everybody on the lawn stopped dancing and was wondering, waiting and watching for what was going to happen next because what happen was..i think...a first for Hood...it just went and went and went with cool riffs from Fishman..page took a few rips at it and that was sounding very nice...then what seemed like 30 mins the Hood melody surfaced back up and possibly a new take on the good ol Harry Hood...i would be very excited to see the Hood take off from where they took it tonite Bowie- i knew it would come b/c CK5 B-Day...Happy Birthday CK!!!...but i dont know about this Bowie...the intro was just Fishman...and the jam was like the Hood thing slow and spacey but not on top of the usual Bowie theme and then the ending was ok and brought everybody back but wasnt the best bowie i've seen -e- Star Spangled Banner- very pleased to hear it because i love my country and i love phish and it always makes me smile when i hear phish do it Bug- nice closer for the show..Trey was sounding pretty good and i liked what i heard from him overall: i'm usually writing and seeing people write about Trey Trey Trey but damn its Phish Phish Phish...Trey was being who he needed to be and Phish worked as a band...if i had to say anything i would say it was a Fish Mike led show....it felt so good to see the band play as a band and not one person get the band going...its going to take some more time but i feel that they keep doing what they are doing then everybody will resepct them as a band and just a one man band....thought they filled their postisons very well and i will see them Sunday
Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 00:47:34 -0400 From: Peter Clausen Subject: 7/25/03 Traffic was pathetic.  First 40 minutes of second set good, the rest bored me.  Frankly, all you kiddies are gonna be in for a real surprise when these guys bail on y'all - AGAIN!  The Dead scene is dearly missed, and the current generation of ME-ism kids have no heart, and never will.  Example:  Bonnaroo (joke).  God save us all.   Pete - almost ex-phishhed
Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 00:36:18 -0400 From: WPZero@aol.com Subject: Charlotte review Charlotte, 7/25/2003 Are you f'ing kidding me? This show was awesome! Yeah, Charlotte is not the best venue, but it was packed, and all of us who are from the Charlotte area are extremely thankful when Phish includes us in their tour intenerary. The lot was hot of course, being that we are located in the south, but when the sun went down the weather was perfect. First set highlights were an awesome Bathtub Gin, Limb by Limb, which peaked HARD, and BOTT. The second set run of Drowned>Kung>Twist>Heavy Things is probably one of the best chains I have ever heard, especially since my friends and I had been anticipating a Twist all day long. I've seen better Hood's and Bowie's, but even though they were a little off towards the end of the night, Phish still sounds better than every other band out there. Period. Awesome show! See you at IT! Jason
Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2003 17:25:03 EDT From: PHAN42085@aol.com Subject: Charlotte 7-25-03 Awesome show!  The highlights for me were bathtub gin, hood, and golgi apparatus.  Everything was perfect except for the crazy undercover cops everywhere busting people.  Had a great time though.  Peace, Alex
Date: Wed, 31 Dec 1969 20:28:38 -0500 From: Sal Paradise Subject: charlotte review 7-25-03 from Jon Bull First off, Traffic was awful but, once we got in the lot we had some beers and played some drums. It was a pretty fun lot scene. First set. Funky Bitch: Great opener, but I wish that it had been a little longer. Chalkdust Torture: This was a very good and it seemed like it should have got the crowd a little more pumped, but it didnt. I think everyone was waiting for it to get darker. Two Versions Of Me: First time I have heard this live. Sounded Great. Bathtub Gin:Very long version but, the energy just didnt seem to be there. Back on the Train: Standard version, well played. Limb by Limb: Awesome!! This was about a good of version of this song that you can get. Maybe lasted fifteen minutes or so and was perfect. Things start getting better from here. Horn: Very cool, I always love it when they play rarities. Great version. Golgi: Same as every other one but, boy this song is fun to dance too. Character Zero: I used to love this song, then hated it, and now love it again. They always find a way to rock it. Set Break: Seemed a little longer than usual. I think they wanted it dark. Second Set. Drowned: Very tight with a great jam and a very impressive segue into... Kung: The segue from drowned had me so thrown off that I didnt even know what this was till someone told me. Twist: Not one of my favorites but, it was well played and another segue into... Heavy Things: Again not one off my favorites but, the segue was just so strange and terrific that it had me up and grooving. Harry Hood: This was what I was waiting for. I had predicted this one a day before the show. I even had a bet with my friend Jamie that we would hear this tonight. I knew it was Kurodas birthday and that this was one of his favorites.( I also expected 2001 but, it didnt happen.) I thought this hood was great, and the glowrings are always nice. I have heard better hoods than this but, I am not going to complain because I was so excited to hear it and thought it was pretty damn good.Thought the set was over here but.... David Bowie: Great job with the lights Chris. Very strong Bowie. I thought it was great. Again, not one of the best, but I was satisfied. Encore. Star Spangled Banner. Very Cool. It made me proud to be an American. Bug: I was hoping for something a little harder but I was very impressed with jam. I have never heard Bug before and didnt realize how far they could take it out. Great Stuff. All and all I would say this is your standard Phish show. Nothing really all that spectacular but I had a great time and so did my friends. I would say 6-7 out of 10. Check it out if you want too. Its good with some great segues and cool parts but, nothing to get too excited about.
Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2003 12:08:36 -0700 (PDT) From: G Antczak Subject: Review 7/25/03 Arriving a little after 4, the lot seemed sparse and underpopulated. I was appointed the task of securing prime real estate on the lawn. Around 5:30 I was still in waiting at the gate, and heard a tardy My Soul soundcheck. A friend offered me his Section 1 stub for first set, and I proceeded to stake out a seat 10th row center. The crowd filled in late and the show started around 7:45 The last rays of daylight lit the band for Funky Bitch, a safe bet for the opener. Trey and Page traded leads briefly as the band probed the venue^Òs musical space. An unsurprising, though not unremarkable Chalkdust made for a solid opening combination. The jam would slip out of the conventional motif in favor of loosely bound interludes between points of tension. A steady beat and a simple chord progression started off Two Versions of Me. Trey and Page blended the bittersweet lyrics well and calmed the hazy summer evening. I had gleaned a hint of Bathtub from the pre-Bitch noodling and now the time had come for set to take off. The jam kicked in immediately with a stuttered syncopated sequence that led into a full stop/start jam. Fish and Mike pushed the low end into a pulsing and pounding rhythm. Trey brought out some funk chords to move the harmony towards exhilarating hard rock guitar licks; Page followed with a touch of clav while Mike switched the bassline create more movement. The jam softened as an enchanting melody entranced me. The Gin reprise came calm and confident. Fish stumbled over the complex polyrhythms of Limb by Limb, momentarily grinning as he tightened the reins. A healthy dose of feedback bled from Mike^Òs mic before a delicate duet of dancing notes dueled stage right. Back on the Train came strong and kept the flow of the set moving steadily. Horn is always a pleasure to hear live; I noticed a strange key change between verses, but I couldn^Òt be sure of what it was. Golgi looked to close-I thought I caught a Divided Sky tease, but it might have been due to the violent head bopping that had kept me dizzy during most of the set. A freebie Character Zero was most welcomed. Trey was stomped around and let loose a top-notch solo.             The first set was solid a demonstrated balance and symmetry centering on an adventurous Bathtub. The band was not as 'tight' as usual, but this gave more room for each member to improvise. Chalkdust, Limb by Limb, and Back on the Train were shorter versions, but the loosened jamming style allowed the songs to diverge more quickly from their typical themes, though this would be more evident in the second set. Overall B-.             Page rang out the opening chords to Drowned and Mike boldly proclaimed the opening of a powerful second set. The jam came like thunder and boomed with furious intensity. After breaking into a throbbing heavy-metal riff, Trey stepped forth to utter a single word, perhaps "cool" or "come"? Much of the crowd was perplexed, was it a new song? Nay, it was Kung and it beckoned the wrath of Phish. Rules left to the wayside, the night would take an unusual Twist. And so it was, perhaps not a seamless segue, but it fit like an old pair of patchwork pants. And around it went, a song that seemed stale pre-hiatus breathed the sweet air of the southern night. Then with a sly glance from the chairman, the flow was channeled through the boards. Then: Heavy Things!? Page wound into the opening chords and there we were. Perhaps this song was once a pop-filler, but with newfound energy it was joyfully welcomed. The crowd gained a moment^Òs rest before Hood. The band seemed intent on creating as much space as possible for improvisation. The intro simmered and reduced to the bare throb of Fish^Òs bass drum. The crowd rejoiced ecstatically. During the typically light-hearted build up, Trey walked over to Mike and held a brief caucus. Soon Harry was abandoned in favor of a hard rock jam, pushing further outside. Like an unbridled beast it raged chaotic and reckless; even the band was tossed asunder by their creation. Lingering patiently, Harry seized an opportune moment to regain control. But the set's psychedelic aims were far from satisfied. The composed sequence to Bowie was sloppy, though not unpleasant and even blended with the passionately unkempt nature of the show. And so was Bowie, free and adventurous, even boasting a distinct Tweezer tease amidst the ever-changing expression, leading to the climactic resolution.             The second set boasted a consistently open and exploratory jamming style, though precision and cohesion may have been sacrificed, the gamble paid off with jams that left the ruin of expectation in their wake. Overall A-. A couple mics were placed down stage for the encore. I missed the rendition of Star Spangled Banner during the NBA playoffs, so I suppose this made up for it. Bug, though not as gratifying an encore as one could hope, was nonetheless a proper ending for the show.             This show had a great overall flow, each song complimenting its predecessor. The four songs from the bemoaned Farmhouse proved strong showings, notably Twist>Heavy Things. Kung made a tasty post-hiatus return. And the jams from Bathtub, Hood, and Bowie will be sought by anyone with an appetite for saucy psychedelia. Overall A-.
Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2003 11:56:24 -0400 From: SFARNEY@triad.rr.com Subject: 7/25/03 review     We arrived in the lot around 5:30 after fighting through traffic to get in. We were in good spirits has we rolled into the lot. My buddy and I had been to all three Hamptons & GSO in the winter and had high expectations for what was to come. We had two newbies in our group pre-show and it was good to see the lot from their eyes, everything thing was new and fresh.   The lot scene seemed pretty cool not a lot of hassle from where we were parked. It was a great day and we had plenty of cold beer as we settled into our chairs in the lot to due a little "people watching". This is one of favorite activities at a show as we "phans" tend to be a little on the strange side and you never know what you way see.       Headed into the show around 7:10, security was pretty lax in my opinion. No problems what so ever. Made are my toward are Pavilion seats, stopped an got a $7 beer (yes I did say $7). I still have ticket stubs that say $17.50 on them, but oh well times they are a changin'. I wont review every song as I'm sure all others will go into that in later reviews.   Set I:  Nice Funky Bitch, I was glad to see we didn't get a Chalkdust opener, as me and my buddy had feared. That would bite us on the second song of the set. I thought the first set was nothing to write home about pretty standard stuff from where I was sitting.   Set II:   Highlights for me were the Kung, first time I had seen this since Hampton '95. Harry > Bowie I thought both of these were jammed well, and are definitely worth a second listening to.   e: Star Spangled Banner -- 1st time I had seen this since they did on the Hampton runs, always nice to see the boys put down their "tools" and bust it a cappela. Bug was pretty standard, as was the whole show in my opinion. Onto Raleigh with hopes and dreams.
Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2003 4:22:33 -0700 From: Aimee and Graham McElveen Subject: Charlotte Review traffic sucked.  got to the lot around 6.  chilled and went in.  enough of the bullshit. (you gotta hate the peeps that write 5 f*cking paragraphs about the lot scene.   first funky bitch since hiatus. short and sweet   chalkdust....went out there, then all of a sudden came back to the regular jam. 2 versions of me...took a leak during 2 versions of me. i REALLY like this song though. almost seems like a cover, as the melody seems too good for phish. gin--took some time, but not that impressive. forgot what came next, but the limb by limb was great, and i had heard great things about it since the boys came back, and they didn't dissapoint. gbott was the same 'ol. was expecting a jam to hook it up, as the last 2 were f*cking sweet, but it was standard. horn--really surprised and happy to hear it. great version. golgi--same ol rockin golgi. thought it was the closer but.... character 0....glad they got this outta the way....and it rocked....finally went to my seat and the pavillion sounded TIGHT. shoulda been there the whole time. set break....was setbreak. drowned....TIGHT!!!!! was hoping for crosseyed, but definitely suficed. rocked the house. i think kung was next. maybe after twist. but allz i can say is that i NEVER expected to hear this. thought it was catapult at first, as the jam going outta drowned (or twist, like i said, i can't remember), tightened up, all of a sudden, WE CALL UPON YOUR...whatever they say. WE CAN STAGE A RUNNAWAY GOLF CART MARATHON!!!! holy sh*t. i heard a kung. like i said, never really thought about it, but never thought it would happen. they sung it to the music. f*cking sweet. twist--(if it came after kung)--not my favorite song, but heard great things about it this tour, and it didn't disappoint. good stuff. i think hood came next. i've heard people say the hoods they've seen this tour have been out there, but listening back, they really haven't. maybe i was just drunk (didn't do any drugs), but my god....this went WAY WAY WAY out there, and then right when you thought there was no way to recover, they brought it back. un-f*cking real. this went so far out there i couldn't f*cking believe it. good stuff. i couldn't decide if the jam was tight or a flop, but either way, they came back from throwing batting prarctice to the scrubs in left field to the full on f*cking to bringing it back to the chorus, which f*cking rocked. show over. 11:00. but no....BOWIE. tight, nothing special, except i thought they were gonna play TWEEZER. hotlanta is in for a treat. good bowie, not stellar, but not bad either. encore.....everyone thought they'd play carolina. star spangled banner. tight. considering they brought voice coaches in for the basketball game...it sounded really good. bug.....great song.....better than we expected..thought it would be a friday or all of these dream or velvet sea (which i like), but it was a great encore. alll in all...it was a great f*cking show...probably the sleeper of the tour. good stuff. glad to see phish back in action, and sound as good as they ever have. peeler probably won't agree, but i give it an 8 out of 10.    see you fools in RALEIGH!!!   Joel Olive
Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2003 4:32:18 -0700 From: Aimee and Graham McElveen Subject: Charlotte Review (again) forgot something. never been stoked to see heavy things, but the SEGUE (for the lack of a better spelling ) was SWEET!!!! i cant't believe they segued (sp?) into that song, but it was f*cking great.  twas a REAL segue.   Joel Olive
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