Fun Tweezer(!) > Light > GBOTT > Possum(!) run, which is the easy highlight despite an unusually pleasant Jibboo. Not simultaneously deep and wacky like the Island Tour shows, say, but an excellent string of tunes nonetheless. And those genuine segue arrows are richly deserved. Certainly a more encouraging show than the tour opener, pointing toward those '97-style four-song segue-fests we all miss. (We do all miss those, right? Just checking.)

Great show. Stellar opener with Torture, great funk with Moma, tight Divided Sky, I really like Alaska, sounds like Tenessee Jed, but with more funk. Time turns elastic was good but not great, Jibboo was awesome and a Fluffhead set closer UNBELIEVABLE!

Set 2: PYITE opener was tight. Tweezr thru Possum rocked. Slave was, as always, a perfect Slave. Figuring that was the set, then YEM!! Holy horshit batman! Trampolines and all, Mike and Fish throwing down towards the end there....sooo cool.

Encore: Joys a good song and hearing that made me think some thing else before the Tweeprise. Low and behold the Golgi which made the Tweeprise all that much more worth the wait.

All in all a good show. Can't wait to see what they do tonight.

Phish was absolutely on fire. I haven't seen them playing this tightly and full of energy in years. Even the songs I usually don't care for are blowing my mind. The second set was so electric that the scoreboard and the arena lights were spontaneously flickering. Fall tour is off to a great start!

My first Phish show! I had been a fan since 2005 (maybe?) but as luck would have it...they were broken up. Luckily I would get my chance to see them in Cinci..only a 3 hour drive from Ohio University. And as luck would have it again, it was right after my finals had ended for Fall Quarter..what a way to celebrate! I remember going to the show with my buddy Ethan and having no preconceived ideas about what we were going to see. We were meeting my older brother and some friends of his in Cinci and staying with them at a hotel, but we didn't have seats near each other so it was just Ethan and I and The Phish. Like many others have said, the energy in the place was intense..I could tell before they even came on that something awesome was going to happen. As we left Athens that Friday afternoon, I decided to get us in the mood for some Phish with one of my favorite songs, Chalkdust Torture. When I heard the opening riff of Chalkdust later that night, I knew it was going to be magical (and with our friend Lucy along with us for the night, things were just starting to get interesting). A lot of the songs from that night blurred into one awesome musical experience for me. Looking back on it, the setlist looks pretty solid on paper, and I remember it being a very solid show, but what did I really know at my first show?

Afterwards at our hotel I remember everyone was so pumped up about the show..talking about the songs we saw, the awesome jams, etc. My brother said to us, "Man you guys got lucky...that one was a scorcher." And that was how I broke into the scene. Night 2 wasn't as memorable for me, just cause I had done it once already. When I got home and learned you could download the show from LivePhish I was even more ecstatic. I listened to this show countless times in the following months. Needless to say, seeing The Phish live got me hooked for real.

Wow, just wow. Hadnt seen them since pre-break up and I was blown away at how tight they were. Mike and Fish were playing in the pocket all night long and Page and Trey were jamming like it was the last show they were ever gonna play.

There was not a bad song the whole night, but the highlight of the night was definitely Fluffhead, followed by Tweezer, Possum, and YEM. Those alone were worth the price of admission. Moma Dance was super funky too.

Thank you guys so much. I really needed that. Only regret is that I couldnt make it to the 2nd show.

I've been bored at home lately, so I have decided to review all of the shows in my collection. I've only been to this show but, I plan to go to more. But, I have a collection of over 150 shows. And I'm going song by song. This could take awhile. But, onto my first review of my first show.

Set I

Chalk Dust Torture (7:38): Can't say I was expecting this one. I had told my friend and a couple people that were next to me that Tube was going to open for sure. I'm glad I got to see this one though, despite the fact that it's pretty typical.

Moma Dance (7:26): I absolutely LOVE this one. I was glad that it got such an early placement too (easier to convince my mom that Phish are actually good). They didn't really jam on it that much though. Despite that, it was still a fun song to hear.

Divided Sky (16:35): Good god. I can't say enough about this song. This is what first got me into Phish. Excellently executed.

Alaska (10:04): I hadn't heard this one prior to this show. I can't say I really dug it. It just sounds too much like Tennessee Jed to me. Sorry.

Water in the Sky (3:07): Typical song. Good, but nothing that I NEED to hear again in any future shows.

Fast Enough For You (7:37): It's a pretty song but, it's just too slow for me.

Time Turns Elastic (17:26 freakin' minutes): I'm sorry but this is a set killer. Maybe if it was half of it's length. It just drags on for way too long. It's one saving grace is it's ending section. I'd be happy if I never heard this song again.

Gotta Jibboo (10:59): YES. Gotta Jibboo could save and revive a whole set of TTE's. I'm really impressed with Trey's solo and how no matter what- Mike kept the bass going.

Fluffhead (15:25): Now we're getting somewhere. Fluffhead is the "epic" song. Pay attention TTE. Unfortunately after Fluffhead, Phish took their break. Saving their energy perhaps?

Set as a whole: I'd say this set was about a B-. Fluff, Divided and Gotta Jibboo were the reasons for such a high grade. Without them it'd be a C at best.

Set II

Punch You In The Eye (8:36): A friend of mine absolutely loves this song. I never saw why until I heard it live. It just breathes energy. It's one of the few Phish songs that is completely unrelenting.
Tweezer (15:07): Once this dropped, I knew we were in for some crazy jamming. I never stopped dancing to this one, and I never dance. At around 5:30 (after the composed section), Page and Mike interplayed a dark, dank atmosphere which didn't let up till about 10 minutes in. After a short Page solo, the darkness returned with a vengeance. Trey had a killer solo, but my eyes were affixed on Pages wonderful rhythmic chord playing. At about 13:35, the wookie next to me leaned over and said: "This is when things get strange.". He was right. Phish took us on a short ambient jam, which I loved. Before dipping right into.......

Light (7:41): I thought this was one of the best segues of 09. I didn't expect Light to emerge from Tweezer, although it made sense thematically. This Light was anthemic and featured some odd sounds coming from Page. Trey took a little extended solo before he and the rest of the band got funky. Then, it was time for Mike and Fishman to lead us right to Back on the Train.

Back on the Train (5:45): A wonderful little shuffle song that I'd never have expected coming from Light. Fishman was in peak form this entire song. This song is always groovy and is possibly one of my favorites to dance too. After a really short (a minute at most) jam, the boys lead us right into Possum.

Possum (9:36): WOW. I can't believe that Phish don't do this more often. A BOTT>Possum makes perfect sense. I'm pretty sure Fishman just kept the same beat from BOTT going most of the time. I love it when Mike sings, so I love this song. This was the ending song in a wonderful little suite.

Slave To The Traffic Light (9:35): This is the song I always play newbies. It's a mind-blowing song that isn't too long, but not too short either. The band hits one of those moments where you realize that they are the best thing you could possibly hear at about 7 minutes in. The big surprise (and personal highlight) of the set came next though.

YEM (21:20): I thought I was the luckiest person alive. I got to hear YEM at my first show. And not, just YEM- but possibly one of the best YEM's I've ever heard. After a wonderfully played composed section, me and my new wookie friend turned to each other and yelled the BMGS section. I then spent most of my time dancing to some of the funkiest Phish I've ever heard. Page has a wonderful solo that comes up before the rest of the bands. Then it's on to a little rhythm section jam with Page leading the fray. Then, it's time for Trey to join in on the fun. Trey first starts just as backup, as Fishman starts banging out what would become a theme for the rest of the song. Right after that, it's Mike's time to shine. Mike lets out a wonderfully funky solo. Then Trey repeats the rhythm that Fishman started. It takes a little while for the rest of the band to catch on (check out the interplay between Mike and Page though) but once they do, Trey takes a little detour. Trey plays a hispanic, jazz solo that lasts about 2 minutes before returning to Fishmans theme. Mike then takes the lead on a solo that had some wonderfully low Mike Bombs. Then Trey takes control of the wheel again and starts playing the theme again. This lasts a good 2 minutes before it sounds like they're about ready to stop. But, wait! More Mike Bombs follow before a wonderful little section with the rest of the band playing the theme. Then it's buildup time again before the vocal jam. This vocal jam echoes the theme from the jam perfectly before building up to some craziness and screaming. The jam ends with someone (Fishman, maybe?) kissing the microphone. A minute later, and the best 20 minutes of Phish I would ever hear is over.

Encore:

Joy (5:20): Sorry mom. I know this is your favorite song that they did, but it doesn't do it for me. I took a break and recouped after the killer YEM during this one.

Golgi (4:34): A fun song. This always vaguely reminds me of Frank Zappa. It's a great sing-a-long, even though it doesn't really do that much.

Tweezereprise (4:03): You'd be a fool if you couldn't see this one coming. Some nice Page action before the whole band joins in. They do their thing and then it's done.

Set as a whole: I'd say this set was an A. The YEM deserves an A+ though.

Show as a whole: The two sets combined even out and give this show an A-. Highlights: Tweezer, Possum, YEM. Lowlights: Alaska, TTE.

^Weirdest review ever. This will obviously go down as a legendary Fall Tour, not just "good for 2009" but stacking up with any era you throw at it. It was a pretty standard first set until "FEFY", gorgeous, and then the best "TTE" on record, one where the intensity of the jam completely justifies fifteen minutes of prog. "Tweezer" itself was one for the highlight reel; what developed out of it was as smooth and satisfying as anything 2009 has to offer. "Slave" was not perfect but it blew away Summer versions, and "YEM" indoors...vocal jam made me dizzy just like 1995. Take this as you will, but "Reprise" is the song of the year; it never had this kind power before. Fishman is Thor.

11-20 soundcheck: (as was confirmed by the Waterwheel table)

Cincinnati (x4)

(Trey may have eluded to playing this song "next time" during the 11-21 encore while granting the audience request of Axilla I)

11-20 soundcheck: (as was confirmed by the Waterwheel table)

Cincinnati (x4)

(Trey may have eluded to playing this song "next time" during the 11-21 encore while granting the audience request of Axilla I)

Great show. Could have done without Time Turns Elastic the first set, and Light the second set but overall, they (Phish) were great. Can't wait for tomorrow night.

Great show~ !!! Long, intense first set. They give you your money's worth in the first set just like they used to do back in the day, so the whole second set is like a bonus! fwiw, the douche who said he'd stayed home the next night cus he's too old for this shit was never cut out for it in the first place. Aside from the obvious highlights (and by highlights I mean Moma > % sky, FEFY, TTE, and Jibbo > Fluff. plus PYITE set 2 opener, TWEEZER -> LiGHT, Possum, and YEM PLUS A 3 SONG ENCORE!!)

the real highlight of this show is the fun, funk-pocket of Back on the Train > Possum. Good 'ol Phish going on right there in your face!

and that one dude said it right. TWEEZER REPRISE is the balls-out rock most bands wish they could write. and Phish kills it these days! MONSTER!

alright, this was my first indoor show since being at this venue in 2003. phish mail order hooked us up with 25th row trey side for this night and 3rd row page side for the saturday show, so needless to say, we were doubly amped.

set 1:

chalk dust torture: solid opener. trey sounded sharp as did the rest of the band.

the moma dance: i like to hear the funky early. this version was no thrills. really quick dip into the moma dance

the divided sky: good solid version. nothing out of the ordinary... just a good 'ol divided sky

alaska: i like this song, and it sounds like it got a lot better between summer and fall. trey had my favorite solo of the set in this song. good take, and i can't wait to see what they do with it in the future.

water in the sky: nice quick run through this one.

fefy: not a huge fan of this one. i liked it better as a rarity.

time turns elastic: double downer. this song does not do it for me. playing it two spots away from fluffhead really accentuates how dull it is. there are a few parts that i like, but all in all, there's not much going on here, imo.

jibboo: after some sleeper music, i was happy to hear jibboo come about. this was a nice first set version that found its way into...

fluff head: can't get enough of the revitalized fluff head! like the one i saw at deer creek over the summer, this one had a few flubs, but it still brought the house down. good energy, good set closer.

set 2

punch: this one had a few flubs too, but they brought some good energy into this version, and it got the crowd ready to rock.

tweezer: i really liked this one coming hot on the heels of punch. trey was sounding really good on this one, as did page. good exploration that found its way into...

light: i really don't like this song, but i really like what they do with the light jam. the music coming out of the back section was electric. as this jam progressed, fishman found a very cool little beat which they eventually wielded into...

gbott: this train was a tweeked a bit, much to our delight. they really gave this one a fresh face. after seeing it sooooooo many times in 99/00, i was happy to hear them breathe some new life in this tune. they also tacked on a very cool little funk/country jam on the back that eventually came squealing into...

possum: trey came out gun's blazing on this possum. right off the bat he's squealing. he steers this shape and they really bring the house down.

slave to the traffic light: this slave worked well coming out of that hot tweezer-possum sequence, but all in all, it was not the best version i have heard. it lacked a bit of pizz-zazz. it was still a good solid version... i'll take a half ass slave over the greatest caspian or bug ever played!

yem: they got back on track with this one. nothing completely out of the ordinary, just another great yem!

enc:
joy: this one doesnt do much for me

golgi: ditto

tweeprise: i like tweeprise, but you know, this encore was missable.

overall:
the first set was pretty standard until alaska, then they starting slumping again before ending it strong. the second set brought some really sharp playing. it was some of the best segues i had seen/heard in '09. all in all though, i do not think that anything these songs really hot monnster peaks, but still they offered up a set with excellent flow and good songs.

highlights:
set 1:
alaska, jibboo>fluff head

set 2:
tweezer>light>gbott>possum

This was my first Phish show and boy was it worth it. I had been listening to phish for about a year but I hadnt been able to catch any shows until they came to my town. Im so happy that I was able to see two shows without even leaving my town. They played all my favorites too!

When the boys came out the crowd was ecstatic, I had seen megadeth in this arena a year prior and there weren't half as many people as when phish came! The environment was so intense and electrifying I was so pleased to be there. I came alone but it didn't take me long to hook up with some awesome people.

When the boys came on stage the mood was intense when Trey cut in with Chalkdust the place went INSANE. I mean I cant even describe it. Chalkdust was tight, and then the next song couldnt have been picked better. When Moma started the funk was through the rooof, everybody was getting down and they played it excellently it is my favorite Moma by far. Divided sky was stellar! During the pause the crowd got so loud I thought my ears were going to explode. Not to mention it was a siiick divided sky. Water in the sky was performed greatly and it kept the mood up while the band set a slower tempo (although it was still fast!). Fast enough for you was great very powerful. TTE was great but god it was sooooo long.

Jibbo was excellent and it was one of the songs I was hoping to hear. Fluffhead was great as expected. PYITE another great one, just a little sloppy.

The highlight of the show I must say was Light -> rest of show. Light was so sick! and now its one of my favorite songs. Back on the train is my favorite phish tune and at the end of light when Page started fading in with the begining of GBOTT I was ectastic! Possum was spiritual! I had a favorite version of this song I watched many times on youtube and I felt like I was in the video I was so happy at this point - still everybody was groovin and getting down the whole place was insane! The event staff had never seen anything like it before! Neither had I!

SLAVE! It was awesome! One of the best Ive ever heard.

YEM was spectacular! And at this point they had played almost all of my favorites and YEM was just the cherry on top. Fishman did a sick little jam halfway through and the vocal jam was awesome.

Joy was boring - sorry.

Golg was decent and Tweeprise was a perfect end to the night.

"We like the explosions that leave your feeling good!!-Devo" I sputtered that out while drudging from the bank to The Millennium, and have since realized it truly fits the bill. First night Cinnci' was an awesome way to kick-off a bad ass throw down with "WHAT IT IS OR WHAT IT WAS THAT BROUGHT YOU THERE" the band, the music, the friends, the party, whatevs... Cincinnati po-po in full effect making sure all the phans had a G0oD T1mE in their city, no stress, no mess-good time.
ThE rOcKInG MiLLeNIuM - 10/10 f**K yEaH-Thanks Hotel People for being SOOOO chill,-I didnt even have a room!!
Set 1: Solid- chalkdust good not great, and moma and divided lit the fuse for an un-expected ALASKA to blow me away. Not like I have 100 Alaska's to compare to but it rocked. To me, Fast enough was as great but lacking terms like "Ever" or Amazing". It felt like the pleasantly blissful calm before the storm, because the elastic, jiboo-fluff was a home run, not a grand slam but a dinger just the same.

Set 2: Punch, spotty but good. Tweezer put me instantly back in "happy place. Light, lit me up for a jamming bucket into Possum. Now Slave was weird for me. Specifically where my best bro were sitting and where I was sitting. I heard audio/sound issue on Gordo and something just didn't work for me but after consulting with about 10 different pairs of ears in my crew, some thought it rocked and some agreed with me, not so good - really think the dropped a whole side of speakers???/or something... YEM, was well YEM- I feel guilty for that comment but it is what it is.

Encore: Joy was strong, I am keeping such an open mind and giving the boys all my attention on the new stuff and it all starting to grow on me. Goligi was strong and had confident sound in it which the led to the uplifting, revival wonderment that reprize gives me when I am walking out, even though its usually for the night.
Overall Maybe a 7.5 that a cool teacher would grade a B- to make your parents in grade school happy!!!!

Not as good as second night, but show was still spectacular. I think 2nd set really picked up and had more energy and fun than first did, OVERALL, just because of the more mellowed out Alaska to Time Turns Elastic run. It was definitely very awesome to hear Fast Enough--first time with that tune--and Water is just a happy tune.

Scoreboard in middle of the arena kept coming on randomly throughout the second set, and during Light it actually came on for about 2 or 3 minutes, adding a pretty funny coincidence to the show.

What a show! They really brought it 11/20 to start of the 2 night show. The crowd was wild and Phis was in the zone, they brought the nasty setlist with em. WOW.

OH MY OH MY, LOVIN IT IN OH-SO-HI-O! SMOKIN SHOW FROM START TO FINISH

Horrible!!! And it wasn't Phish, it was me! I am way too old for this sort of thing, anymore. I was so excited that they were coming to town 2 nights in a row, and went to this show. I did enjoy Chalk Dust Torture, Gotta Jibboo, Tweezer, Slave, YEM, and Reprise, but other than that, I wished I had stayed home!!! Thanks to the phriendly neighbors that bought my Sat. night tickets!! And I hope you had a great time! I enjoyed staying home Sat. night!