I think this a fantastic show all around. The Runaway Jim opener is above average as it builds lots of tension and has a nice release. Guelah Papyrus is good as usual, and a great Reba follows. The beginning of the jam is quite beautiful and has a strong finish. Fee's extended outro quickly...
The last stop before closing out what might have been the greatest month in Phistory, this show, especially the first set, represents to my ears the most complete synthesis of what that month means to a dedicated listener to The Phish from Vermont. Every song therein is tinged with a golden hue,...
This show certainly goes against the grain that truly excellent shows need "The Big One." Certainly recently few shows crack the lofty rafters of phish classics without a big jam or unique event. Those will be hard pressed here. This show is just flat out played well from start to finish. The...
I just saw Primus and the Chocolate Factory last night in the very venue this show was played at. Every time I’m in the Schnitz I always fantasize about what it would have been like to see the Phish From Vermont there. Such an awesome venue. Not to big, not too small (though the balcony is...
Okay, so I'll be the first to admit it. I didn't even know about this show until the LivePhish release this week. Wow... I was missing out. Reba-Fee-SOAM and Bowie are out of freaking control! And Free Bird never, ever hurts... right? Thanks LivePhish. Glad to put this show on my radar and into...
The other reviews have covered most of the highlights; I would only add a rave for the excellent version of Esther that manages to maintain the energy of the set. IMO, the first set is just a touch stronger than the second. While Harry Hood is usually placed at the tail end of a set to add...
(posted to rec.music.phish in 2002)
I am listening to the 8.26.93 SOAMelt while making a mix for someone to run
to. It's proving very difficult for me to type this as it is so hard to sit
still while this is going on!
The jam out of the Fee before this is pretty great, even given that...
The penultimate show from a legendary tour, 8/26/93 serves as an excellent sample of summer '93. Both sets contain some ridiculously awesome jamming, though Set 1 is a bit more consistent and filled out (as is the case with a few other big shows from this month). This distinction is largely due...
The third, and final, of August 93's tremendous "Rebas." Absolutely BEAUTIFUL playing in what, for the period, typically constitutes the quiet section, before another great build makes for a wonderful conclusion and a bodacious "hell yeah!" release.
Incredible combination of improvisation and musicianship. Must-hear. Some August '93 jams are quirky. Not this one. Start to finish, it's gripping, creative, tension-filled, exploratory, and musically coherent. Simply Magnificent.
This "Esther" features a fun and different sort of intro - which invites a really cool and shuffling sort of tempo - before great soloing and flashes of improvisational flair hint at what would come in 1994.