Time Capsule: 10 years ago today at a suburban amphitheater in Houston, Texas…

I’m reliving this little ’99 Texas run for a few reasons… One, I was thinking a lot about how it’s been ten years since my grandma passed, and as I mentioned earler these shows were a big release for me to have just a week after. Two, I’m trying to entice El Jefe to get off his ass and come see phish with me for the first time in TEN YEARS… Third, this night was one of my favorite times ever with our good friend D-Bird, who is no longer with us.

We woke up, and I’m not sure why D-bird didn’t go to Austin with us (since he and I were roomates at college together, this is even more baffling)… but he didn’t. But Jeff and I had plans to meet up with D-bird, Dana B and Little Stu early on in the day at D-bird’s mom’s house (which was vacant, as she was moving in with her new husband if i remember correctly). With the crew rounded up, we cruised over to the lot of Cynthia Woods.

The amphitheater itself is not bad, but the area its in is so weird. It’s like they dropped it in the middle of a shopping/office center and you park literally in the office parks (thiings may have changed, i haven’t been here in a while). The walk up to the place is kinda cool, and you are in these huge woods which makes it pretty spooky after shows… anyway, we got in early and set up shop on the front of the lawn (at the rail). Dana, Jefe, D-bird and I were all enjoying our fake-id’s working when we realized Little Stu (a sophomore in high school, mind you) was missing. AFter freaking out for a bit, the kid returns with a wicked grin on his face… we ask him what’s up and he sticks out his tounge which is covered in paper. D-bird freaking out over the thought of babysitting Stu all night was classic, even though Stu held it down like a pro (which is yet another reason why he is now my attorney).

as for the show… it’s yet another overall well played show with no real low points.

tube opener was cool after the first tube opener the night before, limb by limb is very well played, and Page KILLS IT covering On Your Way Down.

special treat near the end of the first set when the girl screaming for sleeping monkey gets her request with the promise that Fish will “sing it extra pretty for you”.

bowie is very drawn out and spacey, as is the Coil that follows it. The real heat of the show is the Rock and Roll -> 2001 > Frankenstein > Julius. I remember my head nearly exploding as they went into Frankenstein.

after the show we all cruised back to d-bird’s house where, for some reason, there was a keg… I remember Stu getting a call from his parents at 4:20 in the morning asking him where he was and if D-bird could please drive him home.

good times.

phish
09/25/99
The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion
Houston, TX

Set I: Tube, Runaway Jim, Ya Mar, Horn, Limb By Limb, On Your Way Down, Sleeping Monkey, Wilson

Set II: NICU, David Bowie, Squirming Coil, Prince Caspian, Rock and Roll, Also Sprach Zarathustra, Frankenstein, Julius

Encore: Character Zero

DOWNLOADS
SET ONE: http://www.sendspace.com/file/s4jyxu
SET TWO: http://www.sendspace.com/file/3gps4f

ENJOY!

Time Capsule: 10 years ago in a field in Austin, Texas…

Was one of my favorite phish shows I’ve attended.

This was just a week after I had lost my grandmother, I was at a college I was already starting to hate and I really needed something uplifting in my life.

Svenvold flew down from Bozeman in the morning, and the two of us jumped in my mustang and started our cruise to Austin from Houston. Somewhere outside of Katy there was a massive pileup and the two of us were stuck in about an hour of traffic – seemingly typical for a phish show (heh).

After getting into Austin late, the two of us parked and didn’t even spend time in the lot before heading in and making our way to the front of the old South Park Meadows. I miss this place, even if it was just a concrete slab and stage out in the shadeless austin sun… good times here.

Anyway, the show was outstanding. Absolutely no complaints — especially with (the last ever performed) Peaches en Regalia to open the second set. Amazing stuff.

We finished up the show, and neither of us felt like couch-crashing at Beaux’s house, so we cruised the two and a half hours home to my mom’s house where we crashed out until the HOuston show the next day (which i’ll give a writeup on tomorrow).

Anyway, here ya go… enjoy the show with Jeff and I some ten years later.

09/24/99 South Park Meadows, Austin, TX
Set I: First Tube, Punch You in the Eye, Farmhouse, Water in the Sky, The Moma Dance, Down With Disease, Roggae, Back On The Train, Guyute, Loving Cup

Set II: Peaches en Regalia, Possum, Wolfman’s Brother, The Lizards, Sand, Misty Mountain Hop
Encore: Boogie On Reggae Woman, Chalkdust Torture

set one: http://www.sendspace.com/file/e0tsmk

set two: http://www.sendspace.com/file/dbspg0

So, what will phish play at halloween?

who knows… and for many of you, who cares?

but here’s at least one blog devoted to giving everyone the best guesses in a handy download format…

http://phish-halloween.blogspot.com/

even you non-phish folks can enjoy the plethora of downloads on that site.

enjoy!

Denver’s ‘Brew at the Zoo’ (followup)

wow. totally cool event. not so much a beer festival, so much as it was free beer and free food from all over the state… unlike the great american beer festival at the convention center (in two weeks), this was more of a beer festival… where as the GABF is more of a true tasting and contest.

I did really enjoy the glass that was handed out, though E managed to break hers last night by kicking it over as we grubbed on some Wazee Supper Club chicken. Coors was pouring full beers, which was great… and I had the most spicy hamburger ever from the hard rock cafe booth (which also had a rockin’ chicken cobbler). Also had some great ribs, but i cant seem to find their menu that picked up to give a rec on the restaurant.

Keeping the carousel open was a great idea as well.. and it was hysterical to see a bunch of adults all having just as much fun as little kids whirling around on that thing. I must have heard “i forgot how much fun these things can be” from at least five people. I rode a zebra (zeh-bruh).

zoo staff was great and friendly, with several out holding up animals like hawks, caymans and a few other critters for the beerfest folks to gawk at. My one disappointment is that there were no giraffes to be found. this is truly upsetting to me.

lots of drunks around, but all cheery. No fights, no bad vibes (though there was a rather interesting portion of the crowd in nothing but ed hardy gear and spiked hair) and the lines were were a bit long at times, but overall this is a really cool event and next year I will for sure be taking part again. I also wouldn’t mind seeing this thing become a black-tie or semi-formal event to some degree, even if it is a beer festival.

highlights include:
-watching lions eat huge steaks on one side of the glass as we sipped wheat beer on the other
-elephants turning their asses to the 80s cover band who were playing directly outside their pen
-riding a zebra on the carousel while drinking a beer (and doing a complete 360 spin in the process. quite a difficult feat upon a zebra)
-people watching (including the idiot yelling at the colorado mountain goats in their display)

so, for $40 you got all the beer you could drink out of your full-sized beer mug (most breweries were filling up half-glasses, while some were filling up whole glasses), all the finger foods you could eat and a great night out at the zoo.

brew at the zoo.

heading to the brew at the zoo event at the denver zoo tonight…

lots of breweries showing up for this, as well as plenty of restaraunts. should be a fun time getting tipsy and making fun of gorillas and giraffes. we’re cruising over on the bikes to be extra safe tonight. I’ll post a few updates from the event.

brewery list:
Alaskan Brewing Company
Website: http://www.alaskanbeer.com

Anheuser-Busch
Website: http://www.anheuser-busch.com

Avery Brewing
Website: http://www.averybrewing.com

Backcountry Brewery
Website: http://www.backcountrybrewery.com

Black Fox Brewing Company
Website: http://www.blackfoxbrewing.com

Breckenridge Brewery
Website: http://www.breckenridgebrewery.com

Bristol Brewing Co.
Website: http://www.bristolbrewing.com
Address: 1647 South Tejon Colorado Springs, CO 80906 Phone: 719-633-2555
I

CB & Potts
Website: http://www.cbpotts.com

Del Norte Brewing Co.
Website: http://www.delnortebrewing.com
Address: 1390 West Evans Avenue Denver, CO 80223 Phone: 303-935-3223

Dry Dock Brewing Co.
Website: http://www.drydockbrewing.com

The Fort Collins Brewery
Website: http://www.fortcollinsbrewery.com
Address: 1900 E. Lincoln Avenue #B Ft. Collins, CO80524 Phone: 970-472-1499

The Gambrinus Company – Shiner and Trumer Pils
Website: http://www.gambrinus.com
Address: 14800 San Pedro, Third Floor San Antonio, TX 78232

Trumer Pils – American and European brewmasters have come together to create the Trumer Brauerei Berkeley. With a passionate commitment to the Pilsner style, this international team has worked tirelessly to preserve every detail of the original Trumer Pils process of its centuries old brewery in Salzburg, Austria. Their efforts have paid off. Trumer Brauerei Berkeley combines the heritage and tradition of the old world with the new world’s dedication to craft brewing.

Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant
Website: http://www.gordonbiersch.com

The Grand Lake Brewing Company
Website: http://www.grandlakebrewing.com
Address: 915 Grand Avenue Grand Lake, CO 80447 Phone: 970-627-1711

Great Divide Brewing Co.
Website: http://www.greatdivide.com
Address: 2201 Arapahoe Street Denver, CO 80205 Phone: 303-296-9460

Left Hand Brewing Company
Website: http://www.lefthandbrewing.com
Address: 1265 Boston Ave Longmont, CO 80025 Phone: 303-772-0258

MillerCoors
Website: http://www.millercoors.com

Odell Brewing Co.
Website: http://www.odellbrewing.com
Address: 800 East Lincoln Avenue Fort Collins, CO 80524 Phone: 970-498-9070

Oskar Blues Brewing
Website: http://www.oskarblues.com
Address: 303 Main Street Lyons, CO 80540 Phone: 303-823-6685

Pumphouse Brewery
Website: http://www.pumphousebrewery.com
Address: 540 Main Street Longmont, CO 80501 Phone: 303-702-0881

Phantom Canyon Brewing Company
Website: http://www.phantomcanyon.com
Address: 2 East Pikes Peak Avenue Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Phone: 719-635-2800

Rock Bottom Brewery
Website: http://www.rockbottom.com
Address: 1001 16th Street #A-100 Denver, CO 80265 Phone: 303-534-7616

Rockyard American Grill and Brewing Company
Website: http://www.rockyard.com
Address: 880 West Castleton Road Castle Rock, CO 80109 Phone: 303-814-9273

Ska Brewing Company
Website: http://www.skabrewing.com
Address: 225 Girard Street Durango, CO 81301 Phone: 970-247-5792

Steamworks Brewing Co.
Website: http://www.steamworksbrewing.com
Address: 801 East Second Avenue Durango, CO 81301 Phone: 970-259-9200

Three Barrel Brewing Co.
Website: http://www.threebarrelbrew.com
Address: 586 Columbia Street Del Norte, CO 81144 Phone: 719-850-1949

Tommyknocker Brewery
Website: http://www.tommyknocker.com
Address: 1401 Miner Street Idaho Springs, CO 80452 Phone: 303-567-2688

Twisted Pine Brewing Company
Website: http://www.twistedpinebrewing.com
Address: 900 Baseline Road Boulder, CO 80302 Phone: 303-440-3776

Walnut Brewery

FUNK those mofos! (Mike Clark’s RX renewal 9/11/01)

So, it seems that yet another year has passed.
Sadly, it still seems like it was last year and that not much time has passed (and not much has really changed) in the last 8 years.

I had decided to not stay in east Texas for my sophomore year of college and was living at home and managing a BBQ joint in Houston at the time (I moved back to Colorado two months later), and my mom came in and said something is happening and turned on the TV at the foot of my bed TV not 30 seconds before the second plane hit.

we both sat there in shock and cried a bit thinking of all of those people and their families (we had lost a family member tragically relatively recently) before both heading off to work — which I thought would be slow that day considering what was going on… But we were slammed with people leaving work or picking their kids out of school early who wanted to take food to go…. We had the TV’s on in the restaraunt all day and I don’t remember it ever being so quiet in there (normally a loud jukebox and screaming kids, etc).

I finished up my shift and had been planning on going to Austin that night to see Mike Clark’s RX renewal with Kyle Hollingsworth on the keys for weeks (Clark was the former drummer for the headhunters when they were fronted by Herbie Hancock). But I wasn’t sure what was going on and if i should be leaving town, even though i really wanted to go see Kyle from SCI solo (hadn’t seen him do a solo project yet).

I got home from work, watched about ten minutes of cable news and realized that I needed to turn that shit off and get out of Houston at the least — going up to Austin was a good idea. Even if the show wasn’t going to go on, I could hang with friends.

After a two hour drive (listening to the grateful dead) I pulled into Austin and, like Houston, it was pretty much dead around town. I went to Beaux’s house on the UT campus and hung out there but none of his friends or him or meghan wanted to go to the show that night with me… so after a few pregame beers I left them watching TV and headed to the mercury room to find a crowd of about 150 waiting outside… the band had mostly made it in the night before (Fred Wesley and one other guy were stranded on flights elsewhere as they had grounded everything as you remember) and were going to go on as planned.

it was pretty somber in the room as the band took the stage, and Mike made it clear that he was playing not out of disrespect to the victims of the tragedies of that day but because “that’s exactly what they want us to do, man, is to shut this shit down” and he dedicates the music to everyone who died that day.

It was a hot, hot night… and there is some super sick funk here… Paul Jackson is one of the funkiest bass players I have ever seen or heard live, and Kyle is on point the entire time on both Clark’s songs as well as the superfunky Herbie Hancock tunes (including Watermelon man and Chameleon). The whole night sounds very loose (as it should, partially because the sax player was tripping on mushrooms), which you can hear in the room Kyle takes in the Herbie tunes.

In retrospect, it is still one of the most memorable shows of my life because of the circumstances surrounding it. And getting a blast of funk that night instead of staying in and staying glued to the television was definitely the best way to spend that most strange evening in American history.

enjoy!

MP3 DOWNLOAD LINK: http://www.sendspace.com/file/27xcxh

Mike Clark’s Prescription Renewal 2001-09-11
The Mercury @ Jazz, Austin, TX.

The Players:
Mike Clark-drums
Paul Jackson-bass
Kyle Hollingsworth-keys
Alexander Flamer-sax
*Bill Summers-percussion in spirit
*Fred Wesley-trombone in spirit
* both were stranded in airports and couldn’t make the show

Source: SBD>D8
Transfer: DAP1>AudioWerk2>Soundforge>SHN

Disc 1
1. Banter: “Funk Those MoFoes” (04:07.56)
2. Four String Drive (15:08.60)
3. People Cryin’ (12:58:45)
4. Watermelon Man (12:46.13)
5. Tiptoe Thru the Ghetto (09:21.69)
6. Butterfly (13:51.67)

Disc 2
1. Kansas City (10:44.35)
2. Drums> (04:35.31)
3. The Viper (13:35.26)
4. Chameleon (16:32.32)

Encore:
5. Alex’s improv song of love (06:17.61)
6. Stingers (cut off) (10:08.06)

Today is one day closer to ski season… (TWoB pt. 3)

So, I just got accepted to graduate school. A bit late, I know… but I’ll be a DU Pioneer starting this fall and running though the next two years or so of my life… which, by my calculations, means that I won’t be getting as much skiing in as I did last year (who am I kidding, I’ll never ski as much as I did last year as a jobless journalist).

That said, at least this year I’ll have all sorts of school breaks to enjoy… And I bet I can make do with only 25-30 days this year.

Anyway, continuing on with a recap of last winter from my ski journal:

Day 23 – Vail, Dec. 27 with Nick and Erin
Up Rasta, then two runs off 2 (barry’s and lodgepole. soft snow all around)
Erin went in with cold toes, Nick and I went off to game creek for two runs.
Nicks on his new boards, I’m on the 162 (still not comfy yet)
-single digit temps
-stopped in at midVail for a beam and coke
4 > northwoods
1 > frontside > vistabahn > tress on frontside

Day 24, A-Basin Solo

Day 25, A-Basin Solo — slid boxes all day.

Day 26, Jan 9 @ Beaver Creek with Nick and Torrey
-need to ride here more.
-harrier, above this in the aspen grove *need to learn this*
-beers @ hut
-up 8
xdown through red buffalo and jack rabbit
end with apres at blue moose pizza, crashing at the Benson’s for the night.

Day 27, Jan 10 – Vail w. Erin and Danielle taking it crusy today.
mostly off 4, 11, 10 and 2
ended the day taking burners through xmas glades > lower riva glades
apres at pazos

Day 28, Vail, Jan 11 – with nick, Brian, Elise and Lulu
VB > 4
Northwoods > klickety klack
up ten – BINDING BROKE > down to bottom of chair 14 > up to patrol shack > down NW to base.
in by 11.

Day 29, Keystone – Solo jan 12
rode up, through windows. Nice trees out skiers left of Wildcard/Crap Game
ripped up the ptex in snakepit
adjusted board at bottom of santiago (success!), then up through last alamo glades
up santiago express again, then to “the corral” WAY TOO FLAT, though thick in the trees.
Between WolfDen and Bushwhacker off outback b/c of snow drift
back to the front on ruby 6
down “my way’ (frenchman > irishman > paymaster through the trees)
ripped a big chunk out of the 162 again
back up and down ‘my way’, dropping irishman cliffs and BIG ROCKS.

Day 30, Jan 14 – Vail Solo
16 > 3
down game creek into ‘the woods’
up 7 then down sun down bowl to 5
up 5 and then down xmal glades.
down to bottom to switch boards to 159 Option
16 >4
northwoods. Nice and soft. Cruised around 6 and up to 10 to 14. 14 > 2 elk for free crackers for lunch.
dropped off poppyfields after lunch. really soft.
21 > down inner mongoloia and it was SO SICK. Back up 21 to do teacup then head home.

Day 31, Vail, Jan 15 with Bazoo, Farrell and Mac
– killing fresh groomies on the frontside all morning
up 4 to northwoods, had three nice runs there on three-day-old soft snow.
up 11 over the bluesky catwalk > yonder gulley that dumps into the bottom of teacup lift.
[notes end]

Day 32 – Vail Solo Jan 16
up 16, then up 3 then out sun up ALL the way over the ridge to O.S.
Very nice pow at top through the trees, but chopped and tracked at the bottom.
Went to Northwoods for a run, went high and ended up on the top of Flap Jack… (note, 10 to the woods above flapjack are WAY TOO TIGHT)
Rode 11 and 10 for three or four runs before doing a frontside tree run to the bottom of the rastabahn… got stuck in a tree well)
On the way back up I had a “20 year vet” of VSP tell me about Chow Box, Just uphill from the pumphouse.
[I can’t tell you all where this is specifically, or how to enter it…]
untouched snow up high, super steep drop off, SUPER FUN. thanks bro!
Ran that out for a bit, then one more NW run. Home by 530
Denver apres ski with Karl, Amy and Jen at Mtn. Sun Pub… I love colorado.