Andrew's 1998 Phish Island Tour Review - 4/3/1998

Editor's Note: The Phish's The Island Tour was an unexpected 4 night run of shows in 1998 that have stood the test of time as one of Phish's standout performances of all time. A few years ago, I found this treasure - Andrew's Island Tour reviews on gadiel.com.

When reading this review in particular, I can remember Andrew's animated storytelling. Enjoy.

4/3 Review:

SET I

Mikes: Opener blows away all expectations, Very tight Mikes w/ "Bring in the New" licks a la Albany from Trey and Mike. Nothing really exploratory at about 11 Mikes becomes very umikes like, Jamming around a major style progression, very obviously a segue at this point, I tentatively and sadly identify it as Sparkle but am happily proved wrong as I hear emerging from Mikes… MOHP: My fav country tune, Good to hear albeit the placement is a little weird… They pause at the end before Fish starts…

Weekapaug: The drumming at the beginning sounds more like SOAM than weekapaug but Mike quickly dispels any thought that it might be SOAM with a FAT intro, he really is laying down the groove. The weekapaug quickly becomes a spiritual experience beautiful Weekapaug style for a few minutes before going into… Jam: At first I am hearing serious hints of Great Curve but as the jam begins to smoke it turns into an all out Cross-Eyed and Painless fest. One of my favorite jams from the shows, back into… Weekapaug: Not the typical ending with singing they just keep building and building until the tune roars to a thunderous conclusion, WHOO! Its time to chill with…

Trainsong: I love this one to, Mike just sounds awesome when he sings this…

Billy Breathes: Trey has A LOT of trouble with this one, not only the lyrics but the chords as well and the solo is usually a few beats late, but who am I to complain, it's a great mellow song…

Dog Stole Things: I have NEVER heard this song and not instantly identified it as Mound, I quickly recovered and realized that this was history in the making, a DST that I Really liked! I always enjoy the funny words that make you look at your dog in a completely different way, but this one really sounded good…

REBA!: Absolutely beautiful, Hose for a few moments during a great reba jam. Complete with whistling too, what a treat! Segues, kinda, into… My Soul: I know that they play it too much, but this one was SMOKING, IMO the best one ever! It was a good choice to end the set. Rocked out for about 8 or 9 minutes.

SET II

Roses Are Free: I didn't identify it at first 'cause it had kind of a different intro type thing, but the lyrics clued me in. This is a great tune, I love Ween! But anyway after playing around the roses are free progression for a couple of minutes they move into… JAM: Indescribable, it must have been around 25 minutes and contained some really beautiful mellow jamming as well as a little of the funk stuff, by this point I knew that we were in for a hoseFEST, I got it during the chill part when everyone around me was sitting down but I was really, really feeling a good vibe from the band. As the jam winds down they segue, but not in the same way it got segued into in the fall…

Piper: No stop in the music but Trey does the finger picking intro and I am nearly busting, I cant believe it. Piper builds for what seems like an eternity with the words playing in my head long before and long after Trey sings it, This song has the power to take over ones body and lift it to another plain, like NO other phish song, imo. GOLDEN HOSE (I am overusing that but this was a big show for that) The band was so connected with the crowd, and I have never, except possibly at numerous NYE's felt so much energy during a show, I know the band felt it too and they were playing off of it. The outro jam to Piper got kind of dark and moody and was pretty long probably around 10 minutes, at a point in the jam they all stopped except Page, who played for about a minute before starting…

LOVING CUP!: I just looked at the girl next to me and smiled the biggest smile of the night, there was nothing I could say it was so perfect, I don't know how this setlist looks to people who werent at the show, but the song selection was perfect! The loving cup was excellent in that special way that only Loving cup can be. I know you've all heard about the guy jumping on stage at the end so I wont get into it except to comment that I think I saw him at either Sugarbush '95 or Clifford Ball I cant remember which but I remember it was a Vermont area show and I seem to remember that Tiger backpack…

Antelope: Fish does his little bit: "You can come up on stage, but don't let Carini get you…" Which I think was just his way of telling Trey that he wanted to play Carini because the security guy that went after the stage climber was NOT pete carini! I also thought by the way fishman was acting that he wanted to go into it right away, just a feeling. But anyway it was a smoking Antelope, when they got to the Ry Ry Rocco part it was really slow, reggae like and everyone sensed Makisupa but it didn't happen. When Trey said Marco Esquandolas, my friends and I agreed he wanted to say something to immortalize the guy who jumped on stage a la one of those summer 93 shows with the Makiprise where he says "Marco Policemandolas" because he said Marco and then paused and said in a half-hearted fashion Esquandol trailing off…Then when the gearshift shifted once again they did a start stop thing as follows: "Run Run" and then theyd stop and be totally quiet for the eight beats and then do it again, until the "Set the Gearshift…" which he sang/spoke a la the Lawnboy version as opposed to most shows where he shouts it.

Anyway the loudest pre-encore cheering I have ever heard and we werent disappointed. E: Carini: The one tune that my buddies and I had really been hoping for having missed out on 12/30 and we got a great version. Guest appearance by Pete himself and a weird vocal outro which segues into… HALLEYS: I felt it coming as soon as the instruments stopped and the voices started but it was still a shock when out of "CARINI HAD A LUMPY HEAD" chanting Mike came in with his "Bop Chu, Bop Bop a CHU CHU", a great version, the outro jam was much more like the old one but with some hinting at the fall sound segues(kinda) into… Tweezprise: Great selection, I mean you're not always psyched for Tweezer of any kind but this was simply beautiful! The lights were spinning and the roar of the crowd was unbelievable and next to the Went this is the best version Ive heard. A great end to a great show. Possibly the best show ive seen! Andrew

Andrew Briggs - Jbriggs@together.net

Click here to read Andrew's original post on gadiel.com.