Zac Williams

Well, it is Thursday evening, and you know what that means!?! You guessed it, it's Polyethniccajunslamgrass time! This Leftover Salmon song of the week comes from Santa Cruz, CA on March 1, 1995.

Tu N'as Pas Aller

Download or stream the entire show here.

The only difference, if I am not mistaken, is that the Soup Nazi gives your money back when he refuses to serve you.

Ryan Adams had one of his meltdowns last night at the Alabama Theatre, and turned what started out as a great show into a disappointing waste of time and money.

Read more about it here, here, here, and here.

This show will probably down as one of my top 5 Phish shows (of the 38 that I saw) of all time. SOAMelt really got things going in the first set, and the 45 minute Ghost in the second set was not only the first time I had heard this song, but remains one of my favorite versions of one of my favorite Phish tunes, in person or on tape. And what about that Polka-like jam in the middle of YEM? Not sure where that came from, but it was a welcome departure and executed flawlessly.

Phish 07/23/1997 - Atlanta, GA
Set 1: Julius, Dirt, NICU, Dogs Stole Things, Ginseng Sullivan, Water In the Sky, Limb By Limb, Split Open and Melt, Billy Breathes, Possum
Set 2: Punch You In the Eye, Ghost, Sample In a Jar, You Enjoy Myself > Rocky Mountain Way > Chalkdust Torture
e: Frankenstein

Stream it here.

Thunder, Lightning, and Rain. That is what I remember most about my 3rd Phish show, and first since the '96 Halloween show in Atlanta. Even had I been sitting in the torrential downpour/lightning storm during the first set closing Taste (I was under the pavilion), I do not think that I would have minded one bit. At least no one on the lawn seemed to concerned at the time. Listen to the tapes, the thunder can clearly be heard, with each clap followed by a roar from the crowd. Though the second set was short, the DwD > Mike's > Simple > H2 > Weekapaug made it a strong and memorable set.

Phish 07/22/1997 - Raleigh, NC
Set 1: Runaway Jim > My Soul, Water In the Sky, Stash, Bouncing Around the Room, Vultures, Bye Bye Foot, Taste
Set 2: Down With Disease > Mike's Song > Simple > I am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Hello My Baby
e: When the Circus Comes to Town, Harry Hood

BitTorrent here.
Stream it here.

I have had a few days to recuperate from Bonnaroo. Now, I reflect (cue the harp). All in all, I think I enjoyed each and every band I saw over the weekend. Here are my 5 favorites. There are a few other bands I wish I could have seen, but with so much going on at the same time, I had to make some tough choices. By the way, the VIP tickets were well worth the money. I didn't leave this time with a bad taste in my mouth.

• #1 - Tool
  Even though I had seen them three weeks before at Oak Mountain (Can You Hear Me Now) Amphitheater in Birmingham, this show was the highlight of the weekend for me. The Birmingham show was great, but this time I was about 50 ft from the stage, crystal clear the sound (Maynard's vocals and all), and I could actually see what was going on on stage, not to mention the visuals (video, lights, lasers, the works) made this show stand out over the Birmingham show. Plus they threw in a couple of songs that were not played in B'ham. Oh, and how can I forget.... Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine) made an appearance during Lateralus. Icing!
• #2 - Wilco
  Third Wilco show for me. Great set to end the weekend on. Nice mix of old and new. I have read mixed reviews of their new album, Sky Blue Sky. I think I like.
• #3 - Flaming Lips
  Spaceships, confetti, hand puppets, thousands of laser pointers, Wayne Coyne inside a giant bubble..... What's not to like? I think, had we had a better vantage point (we were sitting 200 yards away in the bleachers), this show could have been my #1 pick.
• #4 - The Police
  Perhaps the biggest letdown of the weekend, but I still loved every minute of it. I had really been anticipating the Police show ever since the lineup was released back in February. I guess I just expected more shock and awe, but in the end it was just a straight up great rock show, still worthy of a top 5 pick.
• #5 - Gillian Welch
  I like quiet bands too. I think I can say safely say that this is the only group over the weekend that covered Radiohead, Johnny Cash, and Ryan Adams during their set. John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) sits in.
• Honorable Mention - Wolfmother