7/16/94 - N. Fayston, VT - Sugarbush Summer Stage

Date: Tue, 22 Jun 1999 13:23:48 -0700
From: "Powers, Mike" 
To: "'[email protected]'" 
Subject: sugarbush review 7/16/94

I can't believe we're approaching the 5 year anniversary of Sugarbush '94
and there is no full commentary about that wonderful night!   So here
goes...
 
My buddies Bill, Truck, Jay and I had a great drive up from central
Massachusetts that morning of the 16th.   I remember clear sunny skies on
the trek up and off-highway traffic the last 30 miles was nowhere near the
mess it was in '95.   A great lot scene at the foot of the mountain allowed
everyone's spirits to run high and we had plenty of time to partake in the
pre-show festivities and listen to soundcheck.
 
When the boys took the stage they immediately gave us a quick barbershop
quartet rendition of "Back in My Hometown"  and then kicked it in with
Golgi.  It was on!  N20 flowed out of a young Down with Disease and many of
us immediately were having flash backs of the previous week's Great Woods
Gamehendge.   This night would not be a Gamehendge repeat however.   The
rest of the set flowed flawlessly and a solid rockin' Sample closed the
first set.  No one could have even imagined what was to come in set 2...
 
The moon came out for set 2 and there was an unusual vibe in the air on this
mountain-side.  Antelope was the opener of this set and it is still probably
the best one i've ever heard to this day.   Unbelievable!  Trey was
possessed during this rendition.  Catapult (with a pre-Trey & Sue marriage
joke by Fishman)  flowed in the middle of this terrific chaos and Trey ran
around the stage swinging his guitar over his head in a crazy manner.   When
the dust settled from Antelope, Harpua kicked in!  Trey went on to tell us
how psyched they were to be back in Vermont after 4 months on the road and
that there, "is no place like Vermont. Period.  No place."  Jimmy and
Poster's tale then brought us to the witnessing of a comet which was
colliding into Jupiter this very night.  I can still envision Trey pointing
out to the stars above the top of the mountain telling us to look for the
inter-stellar collision..."it's a clear night,  you can probably see it,"
and then 2001 kicked in!    It was rare back then to get a 2001 in the
middle of a set and people were pumped.   AC DC Bag kept it rolling and
everyone was feelin' good about Hood on the mountain-side (without
glowsticks even).  I remember Trey introducing the bus driver in Contact and
they took Chalkdust out to finish off the set.    Suzy closed off a wicked
fun night at Sugarbush.  It was a hell of a show at an amazing venue...Thank
you Phish.
 
-Mike Powers