The Hampton buildup was out of control at this point. The incredible '97 shows, the better than we remember '98 shows. Hampton Comes Alive came out a few weeks before these shows, the anticipation was even higher than it was the year before. The shows as a whole fell somewhere in between the two years, without the stunning jamming of '97 or the stunning execution of '98. Night 1 of Hampton '99 is memorable for the jam prior to Bug, used in the reunion announcement video almost 10 years later, for the last performance of Jennifer Dances, a solid Melt, the crowd going nuts for the "everglades" line in Water in the Sky and that's about it. But night 2, last show before Cypress, time to let it all hang out. And the band did, so to speak, with a setlist that reads like a dream and playing that is at times inspired and at times mundane. The Hood opener almost seemed expected, the Hampton '99 and Phily '99 runs mirrored each other in a way. The rest of the first set ran through rarities(Dog Log, Chicken Shack), quintessential '99 tunes(Heavy Things, 1st Tube, Inlaw, BOTT) and all time favorites(YEM, Tube). A very solid set, well played, well paced, and a strong YEM to close the set.

In set 2, the party continued, starting with the "1999 time capsule" of 2001>Sand, which really summed up 1999 Phish in 35 minutes. Trey dancing on top of static grooves, with him occasionally hopping over to the keyboard to set loops and go right back to the groove. It was good, not great, but good. Horse>Silent was perfectly placed, Possum seemed out of place, but was solid and the Mike's groove to close was very good, nothing outstanding or must hear(though the segue from weekapaug into buffalo bill back into weekapaug was well done). The odd Ya Mar, Monkey encore closed out the pre Cypress days of Phish, nothing would ever be the same in just two weeks.

Beautifully melodic Hood opener(!), spunky 2001 > Sand, Weekapaug > Buffalo Bill > Groove to close, Ya Mar encore...it's all somewhere between the somewhat 'meh' 1998 Hampton run and the towering 1997 shows. Not your first stop if you're assembling a December '99 mix, but in the age of complete online mp3 archives, are such archaisms as 'mixes' even necessary anymore?!$#@#% Give this one a listen, sure. 'Whatever,' as the kids apparently say these days.

This show became an adult today. It can now vote, open it's own bank account, get a tattoo, buy a lottery ticket, drink in most of Europe, and get a credit card to purchase concert tickets online to see other ridiculously good concerts such as itself. I attended it with some high quality individuals 18 years ago tonight and much fun was had by all. We located each other without cell phones or GPS devices and as you can see in this video, no one was recording the opener with a digital camera. How did we survive back then?!

The previous nights show had been a clunker, but this one was the dunker. That weekend we had met up with the Pharmer's Almanac Tour Extra People to help them hand out the small brochures to people to catch them up on tour so far (This is how the old-heads had to keep people up to date on tour news pre-internet) Where do YOU go when the lights go out? Nowadays I can be found hiding from my children, but back then the best place to be was in a venue when the boys took the stage. Hood here was perfect and recalled the Saturday before when they started the instant classic 12.11.1999 Spectrum show with a similarly filthy Hood. This Hood set the stage for another great 1st set. After a perfectly excuted and far too rare Dog Log, they launch into a trip-hop sedated Tube with Mike taking the lead for an ambient journey. A few songs later, the 2nd 1st set closing YEM in a week took us into set break on a magic carpet of deep funky bass lines and crunchy Page organ work. Trey caught fire and brought the mothership in for a landing with inspired play. A quick side note on this last official YEM of the 20th century- 1999 was a great year for YEM. 7.7.99, 7.15.99, and 10.10.99 stand out as killer versions that absolutely make it worth the price of admission.

The vibe at set break was amazing as friends of mine from high school got to know other friends of now new college pals, and soon we would be awakened for a second set full of deep improv. One of my personal favorite 2001s with Peter Frampton teases starts things off right, before Sand starts and everyone is asking the person next to them what song this was. I was immediately hooked on the laid back groove with plenty of palate room for future masterpieces. Horse -> Silent provides some perspective before Possum warms us up for a great quality Mike's Groove. Immediately the Mike's jam turns dark and minor with Trey vamping instead of soloing like he does nowadays. Full on band power steaming headlong into a beautiful Simple before an amazing Weekapaug starts on fire but then organizes itself into some rhythmic plodding that leads itself into a perfectly segues Buffalo Bill. This blazes back into Weekapaug before closing the set and the show with a great yet strange YaMar ->Monkey combo.

Hear this show for the flow but also for the heavy hitters sprinkled throughout. One of my personal favorites that comes in just under the radar

Simply put, this Hampton run wasn't that good at all. To be fair, the anticipation surrounding these shows was out of control. They could have torn the roof off and most people (myself included) would have been like, "well, I mean, it was okay I guess. It certainly wasn't '97. Remember '97? That shit was crazy." The direction the music was taking, the new songs, song selection in general (they played Mike's at Hampton three years in a row. Why?), their body language and energy at this show and in 1999 as a whole...it just seems like they were OVER the whole thing and needed a rest.

I'm always thrilled to hear a second set-opening 2001, but when they followed it up with Sand, it felt like all the air just got sucked out of Hampton Coliseum. They had JUST played Sand in the second set two days earlier and 150 miles away. It seemed like a pretty tone deaf call at the time and I still feel that way.

The weekapaugh was slamming. I remember thinking it always feels as though this band could do anything on any given night (isn't that why we all come?) and then BAM they drop into Buffalo Bill.

If you're going to do any sampling from this show, do the Hood, YEM, and Weekapaugh. That's not a very enthusiastic review for a TOUR CLOSER at Hampton, but it's exactly the level of enthusiasm it deserves.

This show is very fun and well-played, but not without it's drawbacks.

The Hood opener is absolutely beautiful, and seems to draw the crowd in very well. Chicken Shack is well-played, but I've never been a big fan of the blues cover. I much prefer Jesus Just Left Chicago or Funky Bitch if they want to delve in to the blues. Dog Log is a great setlist choice, and a big rarity at the time (it still is.) Tube is good, not great, and fun. Heavy Things, Back on the Train, First Tube, and the Inlaw Josie Wales are all standard cuts from Farmhouse, which just came out. The YEM that closes the set is straight fire and one of the best late 1.0 versions I've ever heard. The only late 90's YEM that are better than this are 7/31/97, 11/28/97, 7/15/99 and 10/10/99. Trey's playing is superb and incredibly varied- he starts out with ska-like rhythm guitar, letting Mike lead the jam early, then explodes out of the gates with true rock god heroics. Amazing jam.

The 2001>Sand is 1999 Phish groove in it's most dense form. The 2001 is average great. The jam up until the first verse is a bit repetitive, but the jam in between verses, with heavy teasing of "Do You Feel Like we Do?" is fantastic. Sand, like most versions, starts to heat up late in the game after the typical delay-loop, repetitive jamming. It's one of the better versions of this particular type of Sand (I believe 3.0 versions of Sand, particularly the funk beasts we're getting in 2012, are superior to the 1.0 versions of Sand.) They seem a bit lost at times during Horse>Silent. The beginning of Possum is weirdly flubbed- doesn't seem like a song that usually would receive the flub treatment. Otherwise, it's a typically rocking version of the song. Mike's>Simple is fairly standard, but Weekapaug is incredible. The segue into Buffalo Bill in the middle is great, and features inspired jamming to achieve the segue. In terms of "cool" segues, this rates up there with the 9/17/00 Theme>Dog Log, the 10/24/95 You Enjoy Myself>Sleeping Monkey, and the 10/21/95 Good Times Bad Times>Tweezer Reprise. They slam back into Weekapaug Groove with force, and tear the rest of the song apart. Amazing Mike's Groove, mainly for the Weekabuffalo Groove.

I rate this show more highly than many others might, primarily because I love the potentially neverending groove of the Do You Feel Like We 2001 (my pet nickname for the "Also Sprach Zarathustra" with Peter Frampton teases.) That jam is a testament to how the cowfunk of 1997 was permuted by this time in Phishtory to a comparable yet disparate version on Phish's sound that was highly rewarding, caveats involving the lot scene aside. Harry Hood opens the show with a long jam. The banter surrounding Dog Log is phun. The Tube and You Enjoy Myself are both worth hearing, even if you tend to avoid sets with lots of TAB tunes in them, especially in rapid succession (Heavy Things, Back on the Train, First Tube.) The Do You Feel Like We 2001 seems like they could've just jammed that out for a whole set, but eventually it > Sand. I also really enjoy this Sand, which kicks into a higher, peakier gear than Sand usually tended to in Fall '99. Possum is also kind of "shreddy," but the remaining big aspect of this show, for me, is the segue (->) from Weekapaug Groove -> Buffalo Bill > Weekapaug Groove. One can hear Fishman cottoning on to the transition and shifting his drumming pattern accordingly. I might've been a little disappointed with the encore in person if I'd been at this show--as I'm not much of a fan of either Ya Mar or Sleeping Monkey--but as I believe @Icculus said in reviewing some other show years ago, "at this point, it just didn't matter."

Night 2 of this Hampton run is much stronger then the 1st.

Yet another rare hood opener. A stretched out strong version. Page is very apparent in this version. The bliss section is gorgeous and the build into the end is also excellent, a top shelf hood. Tube is excellent and all 4 of the guys are perfectly locked in. Strong First Tube. Followed by an above average YEM with a notable jam section.

Set two kicks off with a great 2001. It has a great spacey long intro and goes into a nice little "Do you Feel Like We Do?" type jam and it's a really great tease. As if that spaciness wasn't enough Sand kicks in to continue the trend. It is spacey, psychedelic goodness. Yet another excellent Sand. followed by yet another awesome Possum. The guys manage to sneak in Mike's Groove towards the end. Simple has a beautiful little jam at the end. Followed by Weekapaug that seems to be cut off early in an excellent segue into Buffalo Bill. But they are not done with Weekapaug. It comes back with a vengeance and spits fire for a few minutes after.

Nice little Yamar, Sleeping Monkey encore.

Overall an excellent show with a lot of big highlights.

The tour finale, the Phish holiday party. Not the deepest show ever, but I think December 99 had enough jams to keep us satisfied, so this one is just the 18th (and 19th) hole of a pretty strong round.

I love this set list, it’s something for everyone. Nice and long first set, (YEM!). 2001 is just too fun, and Sand goes how I think Trey initially planned for that song, TAB trio style. Simple, the playfulness of Buffalo Bill and Weekapaug, and how can you not enjoy the encore. After Sleeping Monkey, we’d head to Florida, and yeah.

Something about Hampton which brings out the best in Phish.
SET 1- Harry Hood-One of my favorite Hood's was done here in 11-22-97, and again as an opener in Set 1. Very ambient and loopy with excellent musical improvisation, a full twenty minutes.
Back at the Chicken Shack- Nice cover, something covered throughout 99.
Dog Log- Eh, Seems like Trey enjoys this one more than the rest of us, IMO.
Tube- Energy full force, always a great listen and a good version worth the listen.
Heavy Things- Enjoyable to me, always had a special place in my heart for this one, having it be somewhat new at this time frame in late 99.
Back on the Train- Good little tune which keeps the energy alive and kicking.
First Tube- Trey always turning this one into a guitar solo shred fest, like the placement midset.
Inlaw Josie Wales- Trey on acoustic, it never gets old.
You Enjoy Myself- Great version, excellent ending to a good set.
********************************************************
SET 2
2001- Awesome version, great set 2 opener.
Sand- Another Farmhouse throwdown with energy pumping in all directions.
The Horse > Silent in the Morning- Really Page always shines when this gets tossed on stage.
Possum- Great Tune, really (again) like the mid set placement.
Mike's Song- Excellent version, really dig the late 99 Mike's.
Simple- Again, we can't go wrong with either Simple or Hydrogen.
Buffalo Bill- Those tricky fellas, a nice rare treat in the middle of this gigantic Page Sandwich we all were eating.
Weekapaug Groove- Closer, Game, Set, Match.

ENCORE- Ya Mar- Mike Mike Mike!
Sleeping Monkey- Not so bad.

Highlights for me- Hood was as good as they come, if not one of the top 5 IMO, I am a sucker for the ambient space like Hood's. This is my favorite Phish song so when the nail this, I am happy anyway regardless of the rest of the setlist.
Yem- always special, vocal or no vocal jam, a great song to hear live and or on repeat regarding which version you enjoy they all seem to be unique.
SET 2 - 2001 > Sand did it for me, love the flow of music as the set progressed.
Encore- Ya Mar is excellent in my opinion. I am giving another Hampton 5 stars.

This show was a blast! Because this concert was well over a decade ago, please excuse me in advance if any of the events are fuzzy in memory. It was either this or night or the following night, but I recall a wonderful wave going around the stadium bleachers prior to the show. It just kept going and going unlike one I had ever seen. Does anybody remember this.

The Harry Hood opener was very unexpected and I tend to like it more as a closer, but I'll take one when I can get one. The intro and instrumental section were played well, and the crowd really got into it once the post "where do you go when the lights go out?" instrumental began. The improv section was fairly solid with with a nice build-up, but the peak wasn't too overly climatic nor memorable.

Back at the Chicken Shack took me by surprise. I had been playing the song on guitar that year for Jazz combo at school, so I was stoked to hear the band pull it out, but it appeared many people in the audience were perhaps unfamiliar with the tune, as the audience was pretty quite during the song.

First Tube was charged, but nowhere close in the caliber to versions that I would hear many years down the number line (ie. check out Merriweather 2011, which murdered me!). It seemed as if at this point in time First Tube was a song which was still somewhat maturing solo-wise and still somewhat catching on with phans. Not as much of crowd favorite or as appreciated as it is today. Does this make any sense?

The Inlaw Josie Wales. A nice rarity and well played, but distracted somewhat by hollering fans. A lot of "shhhhhhhhhhhhhs" from the audience to quite the yellers, with the occasional "shut the %#@* up!"

No doubt, the pinnacle of the entire evening was the INCREDIBLE You Enjoy Myself. This is still, hands down, the best one I've seen live. Trey flubbed some of the intro arpeggio section, but everything else was totally solid. He totally let loose on "Boooooyyyyyyy!" From there on it was just off the Hook. Trey jumped off the trampoline and was immediately into a funky rhythmic groove...and he was totally into it. I vividly remember him swaying side-to-side in this repetitive groovy dance during his comping section of his solo. Just check out the youtube clip at about the 1hr & 15 minutes into the show and you'll see what I'm talking about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cB8lfvRXIts />
Anyway, the comping groove build up and then Trey let loose on his single note soloing. He just took off, with peak, after peak, after peak. It was unreal totally solid, and the crowd went berserk! He pretty much raped my ears! What also really bowled me over was the perfect ending of the solo where Trey transitions back into the original thematic groove that he started with. Fishman kicks in after a few seconds with aloose-sand like drumming which synched perfectly with the comping (1 hr 21 minutes 50 seconds into the video). So tight! The Vocal jam was also great. Haunted, buddhist chant vocalizations with a brilliant crescendo. Such a fantastic version that should not be missed.

Other highlights of the show were the grooving 2001, complete with Frampton "Do You Feel Like I Do?" teases and a well played sand. I remember being towards the back of the auditorium floor during it in a sparsely populated area where I had room to spin and act like the dork that I am. Fun! Don't miss the YEM!