4-18-91

Date: Thu, 11 May 2000 14:00:23 -0400
From: Benson Hendricks-Hoffman [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Review submission
 
I don't know what made me think of this. I am in the middle of writing my
last paper for my first year of my doctoral training in psychology, and all
of a sudden, I recall seeing Phish at Oberlin College in 1991. The memory is
so vivid, it could have taken place yesterday. The set list (4-18-91) on this
web site is very incomplete. Here are the details I remember.
 
A group of us Antioch College students carpooled over to Oberlin. I didn't
know who Phish was, and I had only heard a couple of thier songs off their
first album at the time. Strait-looking Oberlin students carrying books
directed us to the gym, which was mostly empty. Up front was a small stage,
speakers, and trampelenes.
 
When Phish came out, the 100 concert-goers exploded. The place was pretty
empty throughout the whole show. I remember that during Suzie Greenberg, my
friends and I ran from the back of the gym right up to the stage, jumped up
in the air, and ran to the back again. Everytime we jumped up, Trey made a
funny sound with his guitar. When we screamed, Trey made funny sounds with
his guitar. I was use to reacting to the music. It really tripped us out to
see the music reacting to us.
 
I remember the way the whole place jumped during Bouncing Around the Room and
Fee. I remember long, extended guitar jams melting into acapella sound jams.
I remember Trey and Mike doing synchronized spins on the trampellines. I
remember a huge AC/DC jam. And I remember the craziest rendition of Pink
Floyd's Bike with a vacuum cleaner solo. Possum was fun. The jams were
definitely the highlight. There were no real ballads or slow songs. Just a
jam-oriented high energy. Mike was not Jazzy at all ... his playing was
sort-of background. Trey seemed to have endless energy, as did Fish. The
keyboard jams were fast and furious when they happened, musically the whole
experience was dominated by Trey and Fish.
 
FWIW, I saw Phish again in 1997 at the Gorge at George. They sounded
completely different. Mike had stepped into the spotlight, Trey was more
mellow, the whole band was more melodic. For the most part, I loved it. But
that fast, crazed, psychedelic edge wasn't nearly so prominant.



click here to return to the 1991 reviews page


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