PHISH, THURSDAY 07/16/1998
GORGE AMPHITHEATRE
George, WA
Soundcheck: Jam -> Dog Log

SET 1:

The Squirming Coil: This has only opened a show 5 times before at the following dates: 6/5/1990, 10/13/1990, 6/16/1997, 7/16/1998, 8/10/2010. This version is solid and a super cool way to kick off the two night run.

NICU: Standard.

Stash: Ripping Stash! Has one initial peak that has the crowd frothing at the mouth and then a second peak that is fantastic as well. Very well executed and lot’s of bang for your buck in the three hole of the first set, we are rolling now!

Reba[1] - Whoa, another big hitter to follow up the previous big hitter! When the jam hits and Trey is playing that coy, quiet pornofunk – dude, it just doesn’t get much more chill than this. Absolutely fantastic, it’s giving me goosebumps listening to this now. There is no big climax in this one, instead they sort of back up into that funky theme that Trey had created when the jam kicked off. Very unique version which I would recommend, and it segues quietly into FEFY! >

Fast Enough for You: Typically great. >

When the Circus Comes: Probably could have used something more upbeat here. Two ballads in a row?

Run Like an Antelope: Page has some cool, low key effects in the intro. Trey gets twangy with a pedal steel effect in the intro too. Other than that, seems like a standard Antelope to me.

SET 2:

Julius: Fairly typical Julius. Perhaps this jam starts mellower than normal and has a nice gradual build to it but outside of that is seems standard to me.

The Moma Dance: Definitely has a nice peak but don’t they all? This seems like a run of the mill version to me. >

Piper: Standard.

Axilla[2] - Standard other than the ending. >

David Bowie: Stays like a half a beat or something slower than your normal Bowie and doesn’t shift to normal until 14:27, very cool! This then leads into the climax, 4 and a half minutes of a thrilling ride. Really strong Bowie would recommend!

Tube: Super rare placement after Bowie – matter of fact this is the only time that they played Tube after Bowie, pretty cool stat! Page lays it on thick while Trey perfectly complements him. Master class in how this tune should be played. Trey then goes on to hit a bunch of loops, while Trey is doing the loop thing Page implements some heavy effects. Once the jam gets turned over to Trey, things seriously get funky, pornofunk strumming to the max. Couldn’t imagine how fun this must have been getting down to this live and this cosmic venue. Killer stop start action in the late 5’s. Fishman is a golden God. Not long after Mike gets a chance to shine in his own spotlight and he throws it down. Awesome Tube, highly recommended! Trey stumbles badly with the outro lyrics. >

Slave to the Traffic Light: Love the heavy synth effect in the intro, nicely placed! Like Bowie, this seems to be played at a slightly slower pace than normal. I really want to love this version as the build up to the finale is so good, but there just isn’t anything of note in the climax out of the ordinary unfortunately. Still, tough to beat this tune to finish the set on the first night of a two night run at the Gorge knowing there is so much more to come.

ENCORE:

Sample in a Jar: Standard.

Summary: Not trying to be a hater, but this show is a bit overrated. Tough to say that as if you were to purely judge this show on paper and the venue, you would think otherwise. While there are certainly highlights, there is nothing here for me that truly gives me that wow factor. As such I would rate it as a 4/5, a good bit lower than the current rating on Phish.net of 4.313/5 (179 ratings).

Replay Value: Stash, Reba, David Bowie, Tube

[1] No whistling.
[2] Contained Axilla II ending.

Trey teased Lazy in Julius. Reba did not have the whistling ending. Axilla featured the Axilla II ending. Trey teased Oye Como Va in the soundcheck's jam. This show was released as part of The Gorge '98 box set.
SHOW RATING
Your rating:
Overall: 4.313/5 (179 ratings)
JAM CHART VERSIONS
Reba, David Bowie, Tube
TEASES
Lazy tease in Julius