R1/W10: 05-02-1992 Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL

[birdman]

    I wasnt trying to bash your opinion Jedi, after all we all have them. I know you have a great passion for  . I also didnt find anything that blew my hair back regarding this show, but it just seemed like the negativity was unnecessary. In hindsight I guess it wasnt really that negative, your comment just rubbed me the wrong way I guess. It just seems like you were expecting something mindblowing and ended up being disappointed because it never materialized. Glass half empty kind of thing.
  Again, no offense intended.

[jedifunk]

i know bird... it aint no thang...

i know most earlier shows werent about mind melting jams, they were more the building blocks for eventually getting to those jams...

but back to the show... the bowie is pretty mind melting... definitely enjoy the raging...

after listening to the show i fired up 4/16/92, and was more impressed with that then the 5/2 show... the mikes groove is tight...

[jedifunk]

here's dirsken's review of the YEM... he was particularly impressed with the VJ...
http://www.phish.net/reviews/yem/05-02-92.html

[sls.stormyrider]

After I picked this one, I was a little unsure. The show I listened to immediately before this was 11/21/97, so I had to "reset my ears" for 92.

General comments (some may be generic for 92)
tight, well played, high energy, FUN show (as opposed to sick)
Trey is in R&R guitar hero mode. Every song deserves a great guitar solo comment
Great recording (and remastering) for an aud
I was wishing some of the jams were longer, even knowing it was 92. That's ok - too short is better than too long (for most things)

I won't list every song but just some highlights
Set 1

forbin>icculus>mockingbird - gotta love icculus. the mockingbird seems like they did more with it than some of the later versions. enjoyed it more than usual

reba - almost perfect composed section. the second chorus of the fugue portion seemed a bit more involved - maybe more Mike? Liked the page/trey interplay early in the jam

maze - especially liked what mike was layin' down

stash - another good one. I really liked the alternative lyrics. I was in europe (budapest, cool place to visit) for work during the LA riots and I think they had an extra emotional effect on me cause of that. I was psyched to hear trey throw that in when I first heard this years later

Set 2
Bowie - the highlight of the show. Loved the tease - my wife always sang the wizard song when we were dating. the first part of the song was a blast - language, footbal theme song. best jam of the show.

YEM - really liked this one. trey ripped it. bass/drums was very hot. Great VJ, probably the best example of "type 2" in the whole show. funny - this was a relatively short YEM but it felt about the right lenghth. some more recent ones felt too short, maybe because they were played in shows with longer, more open jams.

sleeping monkey - i got tired of this one for a while, but the trey solo at the end makes this one of the better ones I've heard

BBFCM - great way to end it

Overall, it's not 97 but I love these high energy 91-93 era shows as a change of pace and also for historical perspective on the band.

Thanks everyone - thanks again to Birdman for coming up with the idea. 
Keep the reviews coming.

[flow00]

This is a real high-energy show that kicks off a terrific month for Phish. I love how tight Phish was during this period. I also love the play selection. This gets an A from me. Almost every song is a solid version. Until YEM, I felt like the first set rivaled the second. But, in my opinion, that YEM was a monster once Trey and Mike took over from the Page and Fish interplay during what I assume was the tramps.

Runaway: Can't go wrong with a Runaway Jim opener. This one doesn't disappoint.

Colonel Forbin's Ascent: The narrative is hilarious. Trey really gets into it. I love how confidently and passionately he tells the story of the ascent up "the biggest mountain in the history of time in the universe." He mentions the Rodney King riots, which somehow makes the tale more poignent.

Icculus> Mockingbird: Good, high-energy versions.

Reba: The band is tight as hell throughout the build up, with Page layering Trey's guitar with simple, but beautiful notes that eventually roll into a complex web of chords. Trey follows with a few repetitive notes that unleash into the typical jam that makes Reba so great. In my opinion, this versions ends too quickly, falling into the "Bag it, tag it" lyrics too soon. Just before that, someone yells something like "Fucking fags!" Can anyone discern that?

Maze: Who can complain with a maze that flows out of Reba? Page lights up the organs. Trey really jams just as Page moves to piano. The high-energy jam is what I love about '92 Phish. The whole band is so tight. Like the Reba, I think the jam ends too quickly, but that's early '90s Phish: tight, intense jams.

Bouncing Around the Room: It's Bouncing. Phish and the audience seemed to enjoy this song in the early 1990s. I can't get into it. But it provides an ample opportunity to grab a beer and a breath.

Stash: Solid version with more lyrics in response to Rodney King.

Bowie: Delayed start with signals. Bowie evolves into a funny, hard-jamming Crew Football Theme Song.  The song doesn't really take off until the segue back into Bowie. Trey's quick-fire notes turn intense.

Solid versions of Tela and Foam.

YEM: This was a highlight for me. I love YEMs from the early 90s. This YEM takes off when Fish gets his 10 second drum solo that evolves into a tight exchange betweeen him and Page. Trey and Mike then take over with a lot of energy, elevating the jam as Mike and Fish beging to sound off so tightly. I love the contrast between the lows of Mike and Fish and the highs of Trey's rapid-fire guitar. The songs ends with a real solid vocal jam.

Chalkdust: A nice segue from YEM. Trey plays a ripping version.

This show was a lot of fun. A few months ago I finished listening to a few dozen 92s in chronological order. You can really hear the band evolve. Amost every song is a solid, tight version. Great pick, slslbs.

[Alumni]

Set I thoughts
Runaway was a nice, clean version and got the show off to a good start.
Forbin>Icc>Mbird I loved the crack about ARU during. Too funny.
Sparkle was Sparkle.
Reba I heard the same the same thing during the pause that Flow did. It doesn't spoil the version - which is really nice - but it sticks out like a wart
Maze reminded me why it used to be one of my favorites. Great energy.
Bouncing . . . bounced.
Stash was the 1st set highlight. Thought, "So that's what it sounded like back when you could actually hear Fish on the wood blocks." Audience participation is overrated. Ecept maybe for Wilson. Enjoyed the lyrics.
Coil needs a piano. It was nice, but...
Llama was the high-energy closer that this set needed.

Set II thoughts
Glide is just a cool way to start a set. I should check the phish stats site, b/c it seems like something big almost always follows - and it does here.
Bowie. 2nd set and show highlight. You all heard the signals and teases, so I won't repeat 'em. Just a TON of fun.
Tela. seemed perfect after Bowie.
Foam is one of those songs that run hot and cold with me. Even though it's the last half of the song that matters, it can still sound like a train wreck if the band isn't right on it. Thought this version was solid.
YEM I have to wonder if the vocal jam was dedicated to the idiot who screamed out during the pause in Reba. Anyway, fun version.

Everything else was just a bonus. Cold as Ice is always hysterical - partly because hyhu is so ingrained. This version of BBFCFM must have been great, live. Just classic. "I find myself running away."

Love the show choice. It really fit my mood last week. Fantastic recording, also. Glad to add it to the collection. I don't care that it isn't 97 or 95 or any other year. Grading this show on its own terms is easy for me: it gets an A.

[jephrey]

Rest of set2 and final review so I can get going on this week.

Chalkdust - I like Chalkdust.  Clean cut, nothing special.
Cavern - K
Sleeping Monkey - Aight
BBFCFM - Funny version.

I have to say that this set was OK.  It was definitely tight, and I like that about it, but it didn't blow me away or anything.  I would consider some parts as novelty, which I am a fan of.  Even so, the degree of novelty wasn't that huge IMO.  Anyhow overall, I'll go with a 3.67.

The whole show seemed average to me, despite the energy and quality of play which were both "up there".

That's my take on the thing.

Jephrey

[thelot]

Set I:
Jim: Short and sweet
Cl. Forbin>Icculus>Mockingbird: Nice trio
Reba: Decent version
Maze: Rippin'
Stash: Solid
Llama: Nice high energy closer

Set II:
Glide: Nice opener
Bowie: Solid
Tela/Foam: Always a treat
YEM: Solid
BBFCFM:

Fun show! I give it a 4.0 for this tour.

[susep]

I remember this night vividly> I was nearing the end of my first year in college, my roommate and I had become preety big pot smokers, pulling bong hits, listening to Hendrix Stages and playing Nintendo football :-D  Obviously something more serious was going down in LA> I called my friend Marcellus, who coming from urban NJ was worried his crew was in similar mischief.  This show is similar to the OJ show in that the nation was focused on LA county, the band incorporating the events into their sets. Do you think the OJ jury saved LA from more riots by aquitting the juice?  Anyway back to show>

Jim>good opener

Col. Forbins>nice, surreal tune.  Story time> Trey transporting the aud. descension into 'hendge, up the mountain to Icculus, an enlightened man(Trey's metaphor of transcending the realities of LA county)>
Trey screaming>(Is Icculus a metaphor for the Buddha and the evil king Wilson human desire?)>
Fly, fly...>beautiful, the band continuing to show light.
>...Laughing, fall apart...

Reba(fish in Hebrew?)>nice sound on this recording, Fishman's drums sound very nice>Trey dominating the jam, Mike hitting stride.  Decent version.

Maze>lyrically perfect.  Ripping Trey>charged soloing.  Page repeating trill, eery tones>Trey launch, ionosphere streaming>killer version.

Bouncin'>always fun, before its A Live One celebrity.

Stash>"Smegma dogmatagram fishmarket stew
     Police pull you over beat the shit out of you
     Appletoast bedheated furblanket rat
     Laugh when they hit you say 'Please don't do that'">
nice improvised lyrics, nice jamming, not as high energy as Maze but Trey tries>bending, howling dissonance.  Good early version, Fishman sounding unique.

Coil>an early fav.  I used to play this perfectly but not anymore :-D  A lot of the tunes Trey wrote require daily practice otherwise they fade out or don't work.

Llama>quick glance back at the carnage.  Closer capturing the fury of Maze>interesting tone on the 'doc, maybe a tad overdone, taboot.

Great set, Maze being my set highlight.

[susep]

2

Glide>Happy BDay tribute, again this recording sounds fantastic!>

Bowie>nice Oz jamming, evil witch style :evil:>definitely early Tornado season in the breadbasket>arpeggiated runs>UB40>jam near 7:00, Mike playing ominous lines>Trey chording patiently, somber pace>
crewfootball jazz/metal theme breakdown>rock jam morphs back into Bowie proper,>frenetic soloing by Trey>high octane jamming w/ tight ending/outro.

Tela> a fav. 'hendge tune.

FOAM>nice version

You Enjoy Myself>nice suite so far>unusual sounding jamming by YEM standards, great energy>heavy funk w/ Trey breaking off w/ runs and vamps>patient riff on something?>sounding honky tonk>back into Trey mode, nice synopocation>slightly redundant but high energy>nice bending, great rythym section. 

Chalk Dust>smouldering.

Cavern>solid closer

Monkee, Creature>goodnight!

Bowie was my set 2 highlight w/ YEM being a close 2nd. 

Overall I really dig this show.  Its yet another great example of this surreal band.  Cabaret Metro was left in cinders after this performance, the band feeding of the LA riots.  Its important to note how Television played a big part in the bands ability to intertwine current events w/ its nightly performances.  The "wicked witch of the west" jamming may elude to that idea :roll:  :-D

Grade: A+ 

[StCarl]

Hey StCarl,

The folks at the Mockingbird Foundation and Phish.net want to sincerely wish you a Happy 19th Anniversary today!  Believe it or not, it's been 19 long years since your first Phish show at Cabaret Metro in 1992.

We hope you have a crisp copy of your first show along with a kaleidoscope of memories, and we thank you for being such an integral part of this unique community.  Many thanks for contributing to Phish.net and the Mockingbird Foundation!

Hope you enjoy your 19th Anniversary and have an outstanding day!

See you on tour!

Cheers!

--
The Mockingbird Foundation
http://mbird.org
http://phish.

A+

[Caravan2001]

Hey StCarl,

The folks at the Mockingbird Foundation and Phish.net want to sincerely wish you a Happy 19th Anniversary today!  Believe it or not, it's been 19 long years since your first Phish show at Cabaret Metro in 1992.

We hope you have a crisp copy of your first show along with a kaleidoscope of memories, and we thank you for being such an integral part of this unique community.  Many thanks for contributing to Phish.net and the Mockingbird Foundation!

Hope you enjoy your 19th Anniversary and have an outstanding day!

See you on tour!

Cheers!

--
The Mockingbird Foundation
http://mbird.org
http://phish.

A+

Rad!