7-24-01 - Polaris Ampitheater, Columbus, OH

Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2001 02:08:58 -0400
From: [email protected]
Subject: review of polaris
 
O.K. I will make this short and sick.  The polaris show sucked, I thought the
first set was  average and then I heard the second set.  Shall I say sick (I
felt sick) nothing flowed and there was absoluteley no magic what so ever.
Trey needs too quit thinking he's so cool and start jamming the way I know he
can. Has anyone mentioned he's ripping off old Prince songs.  I left the show
wondering why I'm going to more.  Hopefully I can find some magic in this
tour.  Sorry if you disagree but that's the way I feel.   All yeah and about
Tony, I think he does a great job;  give this guy a break.  Well I need not
say more!

Date: Fri, 27 Jul 2001 11:18:56 -0500
From: heislekc [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Trey @ Polaris 7/24
 
It must be taken for granted that anybody who finds enough time or cares
enough to write a review about a show must be a really big fan.  That said,
going to see a Trey show and subsequently reviewing it carries the baggage of
two huge biases (at least I think most of us serious Phish fans feel that
way).  The first is that anything Trey does is going to be great.  As a
longtime guitarist I have idolized Trey not only for his virtuoso talent but
also the creativity and uniqueness he brings to his playing and the music he
writes.  The second, and probably most important fact pertains to reviewing a
Trey show: anything he does on is own is inevitably going to be compared to
Phish.  So I will get this out of the way first so as not to cloud my review
of what was an otherwise excellent show.  The Trey Anastasio Band was not, is
not, and never will be even close to the same kind of experience musically,
personally, or spiritually that Phish was (and hopefully will be in the
future).  I think everyone would admit that the preshow excitement that
normally starts a long time before a Phish show and reaches a crescendo as you
find your seat and the band walks on stage just wasn't there for the Trey
Band.  Going to see Phish, no matter how many times you've already seen them
is an event, going to Trey is great, fun time to spend a night.
      That being said, the 7/24 Polaris show was an awesome evening of music.
Overall, the range of sounds provided by the horns and keyboards, along with
the driving rhythm of Tony and Russ set a perfect framework for Trey to, as he
likes to call it, "poke in and out of the mud" with his guitar.  The extended
grooves coupled with simple, usually non-sensical lyrics (i.e "Simple Twist Up
Dave", huh?) are just awesome to dance to.  And no, I won't compare and don't
think it is a good comparison of early work by another band led by hyperactive
red head with glasses.  The rhythms are very repetitive (none better evidence
than Tony's bass solo during the second set, was that the same thing as the
bass line?), but also very cool and once again great to dance to.  As Trey has
started to show his composing and arranging chops (ex. The Vermont Youth
Orchestra's My Friend > Guyute), his horn arrangements are a perfect
complement to the base four instruments.  As said in other reviews, its weird
seeing Trey direct so much traffic up there, and the coming and going of the
horns is a bit distracting, but he's having so much fun on stage you feed off
his energy when you're in the crowd.
      My highpoints of the first set were "Money Love and Change" and "Last
Tube."  Their jams seemed to be the ones that went somewhere where I thought
"Simple Twist Up Dave" and "Alive Again" kind of meandered until Trey wanted
to play a different groove. And I really have to wonder, is "Acting the Devil"
just a Mighty Mighty Bosstones cover?  Hmmm....
      Second set I thought had a more solid feel to it throughout for me.
"Burlap sack and Pumps" and "The Way I Feel" seemed like better songs than
they were previously and the band seemed to be listening better to where each
other seemed to be going in the jams.  "Cayman Review" is a fun song
reminiscent of "Possum" (same E-blues scale pattern), and "Sunday Morning" is
a beautiful slower song that was a very nice breather on a ridiculously muggy
evening.  "Sand" was great as usual, perhaps dragged on a bit toward the end.
After that, I thought the set was going to be over when they played
"Drifting", another slower one with some awesome, beautiful guitar work by
Trey.  And by far my highlight of the show was "Push On Til the Day."  The
energy was so high and Trey was just lighting the place up.  His guitar
sounded incredible and the rhythm just made you want to dance your ass off.
And yes, I think about 80% of fans there could have called the "Moesha"
encore, but it was still fun.
      So overall, Trey is a great time.  However, if you're going to find that
place where a lot of us seemed to go during a Phish show, think again.  Get
drunk or stoned or whatever and go dance to some great new music.

Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2001 17:57:02 -0500
From: "Bayer, John" [email protected]
To: "'[email protected]'" [email protected]
Subject: Polaris
 
Just back at work in St. Louis Wednesday afternoon.  What a show last night
at Polaris! which I attended solo.  I was only able to see two shows this
summer, Riverport and Polaris along with one in the spring, Cleveland.
Riverport was a great night of music for sure, but I did not feel that Trey
was "Really into it", relatively,  the whole time.  It was almost like he
showed up, did his thing and booked on out, early.
 
Last evening however, he was on throughout the show, and having a heck of a
time doing it.  Lots of jumping around, fist pumping, kicking, smiling etc.
And the whole squaring off/butt bumping/shadow dance deal with Jennifer was
hilarious!  People throwing coins, dollars, and other crap on stage at them.
Funny stuff.
 
Of course there were a few miscommunication flubs mixed in, and it's
definitely weird watching Trey direct all this traffic on stage,  but on the
whole, I have to think that last night's performance was one of the best yet,
especially the second set.
 
Set one was solid.  I like Money Love & Change and Alive Again. Last Tube was
fantastic, the highlight to close the set.
 
Burlap Sack & Pumps just smoked to start set 2.  The Way I Feel was good,
different/better than I remembered from the winter versions.  A few
stops/starts and various jams mixed in.  Then Dave brought them back into
Burlap Sack & Pumps bringing a big smile to Trey's face.  Cayman Review is a
great tune.  It's easy to see Phish playing this one (Alive Again too).
Sunday Morning... ...love this song.  First time this summer, correct?   Very
excited when I heard it start.  I thought they nailed it.  Sweet, sweet stuff
there.  Sand was solid again.  The different jams in the middle are
interesting.  I was thinking/afraid they were going to come back into the
chorus again and end the show there.  But no, Drifting...  I really like this
song too and having not heard it yet, was interested to see how they had
reworked it for the summer.  I missed Jenn's trumpet in the middle of Trey's
lyrics - "In the morning time", trumpet, "At the breakfast table" trumpet,
"Smell coffee in the air", trumpet, etc.  However the added jam and Trey's
licks in the latter part of the song were awesome.  These are the times I
just stand still and watch him get after it.  As I often tell a couple
friends of mine while seeing Trey/Phish play, "This is why I come!"  I
thought for sure they were done at this point, even though they had yet to
play Push On Till The Day.  I figured that would be our encore.  I guess
because Trey, along with everyone else, was having such a good time, he
decided to launch into it right there.  Wow!   Just tore this one up!
especially when he came back into it after the dance routine.  Again, I'm
thinking, these are the times that inspire me to make so many sacrifices to
see him as often as I can.  If memory serves me, they played a nice slow
instrumental (sounded like At The Gazebo I thought) to kind of wind down
after a Top Notch, Smokin' set of music.
 
The Moesha encore was then expected, but a lot of fun.   Although I was 25
feet or less from the stage, Trey side, I didn't pick up on much of the
alternate lyrics at the end of this one.  I'll have to wait to hear it again
to listen for them.
 
I had some friends who went to Red Rocks and came back a little disappointed
by the repetition of songs in those two shows and really gave me a kind of
negative feeling.  However, I went into the two that I saw fired up, ready to
see my boy do his thing, and he blew me away, as he does more often than not.
 
Thanks again.
 
John M. Bayer

Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2001 12:00:42 -0400
From: "Miller, Raymond A" [email protected]
To: "'[email protected]'" [email protected]
Subject: 7/24/01 Columbus, OH
 
I don't want to take the time to try and review each song individually, I
just want to say that if you have any doubts whatsoever about Trey's musical
genius, GO SEE THIS SHOW!!!  To be able to play 10-11 relatively new songs
and absolutely nail each one of them like those guys did last night is
magic.  The energy built and built throughout the show in such a special way
that I was just blown away.  A jam like Last Tube reminded me why I started
listening to this kind of music in the first place...and Drifting quite
literally brought me to my knees.  It was just a night of pure magic, and I
know that no amount of words can do this show justice.
 
RM
 
Columbus, OH

Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2001 11:27:26 -0400
From: Stephen L Heestand [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: maturation process, Polaris
 
Newly assembled bands (under two years) go through a natural maturation
process even if their core has toured together before.  There is always this
growing and learning that is taking place.  Last night, in Columbus, Ohio, it
seemed like the Trey Band and crew reached a pinnacle.  The sound, lighting
and raw musical talent "took center stage" (pardon the pun) and really
produced some mid-summer magic.  With Ray back alone in his seat, Mr. Lawton's
relentlessness, Tony's unparalleled concentration to detail, "the Horns"
polished demeanor and Trey leading the charge there was no way the faithful
who attended this muggy Tuesday night spectacle would be disappointed.
 
Absolutely sick!
 
Every single cut had the full attention of the audience.  Brilliant placement.
Trey fully understands the delicate balance it takes to uphold the
relationship between the band's sound with the audience's ears healthy.  Last
night was very healthy indeed.  What can I say?
 
Absolutely sick!
 
Peace, love, and all that jazz...
 
stephen lee
cleveland, oh

click here to return to the 2001 reviews page


hits (many)