This first set hangs on a strong Moma and the tremendous Ya Mar/Stash twofer to close, but Set II's *superb* Twist bleeds into a saggy Piper and too-mellow-for-mellow What's the Use. Your enjoyment of the second set will likely scale directly with your love of Phish's opioid millennial chillouts, but this remains a mid-period highlight even if fans of Machine Gun Trey need to fast-forward to summer 2009. It's a shame there's no official release of this show - these detail-oriented ambient soundscapes are made for headphone listening, and cry out for clear SBD treatment.

Set 1: Roadrunner is a nice surprise as a one-off (I guess James Murphy isn't the only guy who's heard all the Modern Lovers hits), but the rest of the set is unexceptional until the Ya Mar/Stash 1-2 punch. The former is a charming example of Ya Mar's breezy Type I jam, with some stop-starts thrown in for good measure; the latter an underrated version that briefly mixes a dreamy major-chord jam into the usual minor-chord stew that is a Stash jam. They've played better first sets, but they've most certainly played worse ones, and Ya Mar/Stash should certainly be heard.

Set 2: Chalk Dust leads off the proceedings, and the band wastes no time getting down to business with a nice and fast-paced jam that peaks with a ferocious, almost *violent* Trey solo (and threatens to morph into Llama at one point) before returning to the main CDT theme. Then, as CDT comes to a close, the band rolls into a spaced-out mini-jam that winds down like a toy running out of battery power, from which Twist emerges. This is a really nifty Twist (which I believe should show up on the jam chart), somewhat analogous to the 7/14/13 version that I unfairly slagged in my review of that show, in that it doesn't escape the usual boundaries of Twist but energetically explores every bit of the space inside those boundaries, Fish really driving the jam forward near the end.

Twist winds down, and we get another spacey jam, Trey quietly soloing as Page and Mike create a soundscape behind him, which leads quite naturally into Piper. The Piper jam is on fire from the start (an attempt to sing the Piper lyrics mid-jam is, to say the least, not entirely successful), then slows briefly before the band rolls into a groovier, yet no less quicksilver jam that then gives way to a stomping beat from Fish and some equally powerful work from Mike. The jam slows down further, as Fish switches up the tempo and Page takes over while Trey lets loose a bevy of loops, then speeds up again for one last thrill before collapsing into (yep) a spacey jam (which, it should be noted, at least naturally occurs from the actual previous jam), gets almost industrial, and then morphs into What's The Use?. What's The Use crashes around for a few minutes, then gives way into one final spacey jam (which at least has an interesting little passage at the end, elvish notes from Page mixing with a Mike-led mini-groove), from which YEM emerges. YEM is totally fine.

Final thoughts: A strong show, especially for 2000. Much of the playing in the second set is really quite good (especially in the Twist/Piper combo), and the spacey passages from song to song are neat (if a bit stagnant creatively, cf this @waxbanks blog post), and Ya Mar/Stash are better than you can reasonably expect from a first set. Highly recommended.

(Published in the second edition of The Phish Companion...)

September always sees Massachusetts in its best mood (if all is going as planned, of course). The leaves are turning just right, the air is crisp but the sun hangs on until early evening, the Red Sox are clinching a spot in the playoffs, and Phish is ripping it up at Great Woods -  a place that will never bow down to its newer corporate name. Great Woods has a way a capturing the energy of a Phish show and holding it out in the palm of its hand. Maybe it's because Boston and the surrounding area is Phish's home away from home; there's so much history between the Commonwealth and the band. It's a relationship filled with loyalty and admiration on both sides.
You can always count on Phish to make you feel special, and they begin the show by paying homage to the great state and their loyal Masshole fans (yep, I'm born and raised) by opening with "Roadrunner": a Jonathan Richman tune that references such Massachusetts inside jokes as 128 and Stop & Shop, declaring "I'm in love with Massachusetts!" Ah, aren't we all.
The set continues to flow in waves, from energetic highs to gentle lows. Next stop is "Moma Dance", and the funk is unleashed, only to be topped by "Rift", a perennial crowd pleaser. The energy is high and "Rift" is tight. "Brian and Robert" follows, with its lullaby-like soothing quality, only to transition into a dark and stormy "Vultures". And then, of course, "Horn"! I think my body reacted like an exclamation point, I was so excited.
It's a back and forth of song moods. Bluegrass emerges as "Beauty of My Dreams" takes hold, and the crowd relaxes as it gets its fix of Page. "Ya Mar" is complete with a choppy stop and go jam that leads into a "Stash" that swells with musical improvisation. Trey has the crowd under his thumb, and we all know how much he enjoys that.
The sky is dark now; the air cooler, and the second set begins with "Chalk Dust", a rare placement for a common song. The set continues and is reminiscent of the lazy summer days of Tour 1999, as "Twist", "Piper", and "What's the Use?" follows. No one complains as the night melts into "YEM" and they jam the set to a close. The boys encore with "Good Times/ Bad Times", and the crowd reciprocates the energy. Everyone goes home happy.
On this night that was to be my last show pre-Hiatus, the boys proved to me why I keep coming back, year after year, show after show. This magical night at Great Woods exemplifies all the best of Phish's qualities: humor, mad genius, simplicity, solidity, and timelessness.
Exactly a year later our world took a horrific, unimaginable fall"...I realized a while ago that I had seen a show on 9/11 before "9/11" even existed in the way it does now. I think of this night and I'm reminded of a time before "that": happy, careless, and innocent. Just like the feeling of getting lost in the spirit of the music or the energy of a pre-show Lot.
Perhaps that's why I hold this show so close to my heart (though it could just be because I'm a sensitive and emotional chick).

The spontaneous space clapping (Forbin refers to) seems to stem from the audience anticipating a DWD kicking in. Many were accustomed to that mini-space DWD opener, so. . . . It also could be that people were anticipating 2001 a wee bit later. I am a headphone jam type of guy so that I love these interludes. However, previous to the Third Stone from the Sun-like WTU intro, I would have had to run away from the girl who (on my recording) is not chatting with her neighbor but drunkenly YELLING at said interlocutor during the sweetest of spacey spaces (this coming from Spacely Sprocket, pholks). OK, I get it, space is not for everyone. Slobbering throat thrashing non-sequiturs, though, rarely please anyone!

This show kicks butt in my spaced-out opinion. What can I say? 06/14/2000 is, to me, a masterpiece. This is like it's niece or nephew in a more muscular way.

Well. I can’t believe this show isn’t talked about more.

Roadrunner is a fun cover to start off with. Trey mentions just about everyone he can think of and really belts “I’m in love with Massachusetts.” The crowd predictably ate it up. Moma comes up next and totally rages! No funk jams here! Count me surprised. Stellar version. Rift is well played and will get no complaints from me. But I will level something at B&R. Ballads this early in the show rarely work and this is no exception. Don’t get me wrong I love B&R... but not here. Vultures restores the momentum with some great shreddiness from Trey. I was almost surprised not to here any “woos” at the end (seriously will that trend ever end?). Horn and Beauty once again are solid standard versions. Ya Mar really starts the venturing out for tonight. Really pushing into type 1.5 territory. Never quite breaking Ya Mar proper but pushing that boundary. Great stuff. Stash has a cool build up to a raging close to the set.

Now for the main course. Chalk Dust opening the 2nd set used to be a rarity but from the way it’s played here you’d think it was much more common. Great work from all members on this one. Just about halfway through Trey switches up his tone to something way thicker and heavier and all of sudden it feels like 2.0 Phish. Interesting version because of this. Almost like foreshadowing. Twist emerges from the post-Chalk Dust fog for a funky dance party. Cool contrast from the rocker just prior. Piper, however is the true highlight of the set. Wonderful slow build to start, the band heads off in typical ‘00 style. They rage for awhile and then settle down to funky space and oh man I just can’t get enough of this! Terrific work by Fish. Eventually the space begins to build intensity but before climbing up to peak they instead change directions and head back into space, this time all the way. The space starts out pleasant but then turns spooky with a weird descending line from Trey. And suddenly... What’s the Use! This version has a little jam attached to it as a bonus too. So how do you top off a set like this? Hit ‘em a good ole Loving Cup? Nah give ‘em YEM. Icing on the set 2 cake. And of course GTBT rages as always.

Moma, Ya Mar, and Stash are worth revisiting but the real highlight is the whole 2nd set. Even in late 1.0 the boys can put on a stellar show.

Very under-appreciated show, with a bit of uneven playing despite lots of energy.

First set: MOMA DANCE. You need this Moma Dance. About 11:30 in total musical length; it is ferocious and jammed out. RIFT has a lot of energy but lots of Trey flubs. Fine. Brian and Robert is great and starts off with some cool feedback from Trey. Vultures is fine, Horn is actually played pretty well, and BOMD is standard-great. Ya Mar is weird, but gets jammy at the end and the Stash has some excellent, bluesy improv which is very unique.

Second set: CDT is a firebomb, Twist gets weird and PIPER!!!!! Piper gets real funky in the middle. When does Piper ever do that? Never. Great stuff. Seek out this set. Lots of space-Trey in the latter half of the jam, and it's glorious. Mike and Page step up with Fishman to drive the train behind Trey's outer-space loops. WTU and YEM to cap a set? Oh yes. WTU actually has a jam at the end that threatens to become Silent In The Morning but dissolves back into the space from which it came. YEM then starts up. Fantastic.

This is also my favorite 1.0 WTU because it's played perfectly.

Roadrunner kicked off the first set on a fun and humorous note, with Trey referencing everyone in or related to the band from Massachusetts. At the time, I wasn't familiar with the song (it has since become an all-time favorite), but as soon as Trey belted out the "I'm in love with Massachusetts" line the crowd went wild. Moma was fairly typical, with some extremely tight playing by Mike and Page, and a fun solo from Trey at the end (not really a jam, though). Rift was fun, ended with a sustained note/feedback from Trey while the rest of the band started up Brian and Robert. Don't get me wrong, I like B and R as a song, but in concert it can really suck the energy from the room. Luckily the Vultures moved in and picked up the pace. Horn and Beauty of my Dreams were standard. Ya Mar has a cool quiet jam about 7 minutes in, with a fun start/stop at about 10:30, overall a very fun Ya Mar. Very uptempo driving Stash, possibly a tease at the very end that I can't place before they get back to the standard stash ending. Strong finish to a somewhat uneven set.

Highlights from the 1st set: Roadrunner bustout, Ya Mar, Stash.

CDT started off set 2 with a bang. Trey plays a racing guitar solo that gets the crowd revved up, then the band kicks off a smoking jam that threatens to go into a CYHMK tease but somehow stays away. Back into the lyrics, then a cool little spacey coda which might actually be a spacey intro to Twist, although it isn't tracked that way on my files. Fantastic set opener in any event. Incredibly chill funky Twist, good stuff. A 23 min Piper followed, with some very cool moments, especially about 12 minutes in when Mike lays down a particularly sweet bass groove. The jam completely devolves into psychedelic spaciness about 20 minutes in (which some spun fans attempt to clap along to), then segues into a languid What's The Use? Some light noodling wraps up WTU - is this a DEG tease, maybe? Or a DDLJ? In any event, the beginning of YEM soon followed. Fun YEM, nothing crazy, some excellent bass work by Mike in the jam section. Great stop/start stuff right before the vocal jam. A really cool set that shows right where Phish was at in the fall of 2000.

Raging GTBT encore.

Highlights from 2nd set: CDT>Twist>Piper

Overall a very solid show from the first "farewell" tour.

https://forum.phish.net/forum/permalink/1377764854

I feel that very little of 2000 Phish is underrated, because many of those shows have been heard and highly rated already. But 9/11/00 Great Woods is an anomaly - I fail to understand what it is about this show that causes its rating to be lower than others from this year. Is there an anti-Great Woods bias reflected in ratings for shows at that venue? Too many other JadedVets with folded arms and scowling faces, disappointed that the band didn't throw down a 30-minute Tweezer, or bust out a sweet Foam?

Personally, I find that I have to be "in the mood" to listen to a show from 2000, even the top-tier shows like 6/14 Fukuoka or 7/11 Deer Creek. But 9/11 Great Woods is the exception; ever since I downloaded this show from the Spreadsheet and spun it, I've felt that this was a remarkably strong show. The Road Runner opener boosts my opinion a lot; one of those goofy one-off covers that some folks find distracting, but I feel are essential to the modus operandi of live Phish.

The other reviews cover the highlights, particulary in @waxbanks' succinct show review, including a hot Moma Dance and a cool Twist that arguably deserve addition to the jamming charts. I also think highly of the first set versions of Brian And Robert and Beauty Of My Dreams, the latter benefiting from Mike stepping in for Trey's usual solo. I rank this show among my favorites from the Fall 2000 tour.

Was away from Phish for a while and came back to see this show. I was not impressed. Growing um in MA the Johnathan Richmand cover was the highlight. Sadly it was another three years until I saw my next show.