Phish 2/14/03

 

Historically speaking, tour opening shows for Phish are rarely the highlights of said tour or year. Yet occasionally you get shows like 7/15/98 or 9/9/99 where they’re surprisingly strong right out of the gate, possibly because they hadn’t been off the road for that long (in the case of 7/15/98, not even a week off!). No need to keep you in suspense but I think 2/14/03 is overlooked as a fantastic tour opener, and it rings in the true arrival of 2.0.

Set One

This show starts off with a nod to Valentine’s Day as well as a debut cover that nods to their cover story in Rolling Stone magazine before we really get cooking. Chalk Dust Torture lets Trey loose and continues the high energy, focused soloing from the previous show. Then there’s Fee! This version gets jammed out and spacey, including a full segue into Taste (which for some reason in my head I kept thinking was Free so that it’d be Fee -> Free). Trey is a little shaky and inaudible with his guitar playing at the start of Taste but the jam segment is more potent and a bit looser than normal—not at all type II but kept my attention more than the standard Taste. The jam times continue to roll with Bathtub Gin, which I’ve now heard a few times already in this retrospective review series. This is by far the best Gin of 2.0 (so far), setting an immediate high bar for the rest of the tour and year. This is like a modern/2.0 cousin to the legendary Great Went Gin, very fluid and bouncy and uplifting. Heavy Things is in my opinion a real dull thud of a song to follow with, so I was happy they closed with Golgi Apparatus.

 

Set Two/Encore

Something about these setlists is weird to me; I understand opening with My Sweet One to acknowledge Valentine’s Day but Possum to me is always a set closer or encore kind of song. Anyway it serves its purpose well, nothing too remarkable. The energy and especially the jamming reach a new height with Walls Of The Cave. This rare type II version is, along with the first set’s Fee and Gin, the birth of the 2.0 jamming sound. WOTC takes awhile to get there, and it isn’t as focused as future 2.0 behemoths, but it’s by far the best and most interesting jam I’ve heard in this series so far. There’s a fun grinding/chaotic segue into Carini that resolves the jam nicely. Carini is a bit slow and sludgy, though, and Trey holds back on the short jam. All Of These Dreams serves its purpose as a mid-set breather. Limb By Limb, while not an all-timer, has a focused and patient jam segment that shows now that the band has their shit back together they will not sleepwalk through songs. A fun and a bit sloppy Oh Kee Pa slams into AC/DC Bag, which also feels like weird setlist placement, close to the end of set II.

(A quick aside, if you’re wondering what on earth happens: a fan jumps on stage during the composed part of AC/DC Bag and interrupts a lyric to say he loves someone and to either wish them happy birthday or Valentine’s Day; it’s hard to hear. This freak occurrence seems to influence where the Bag jam goes)

Anyway, this one has one of the most unique jams I’ve heard from Phish. This Bag is nothing like even other type II versions like Hampton ’97 or the recent NYE ’23 version, with Trey stepping back and playing mostly just simple patterns and staccato rhythmic playing while Mike and Page try to figure out a place to go. Instead the jam stays in place for a few minutes before getting more quiet and sparse and a full-on segue into Prince Caspian. I don’t know if this is a great Bag but it’s certainly a weird one and a must hear for people seeking out jams that are non-standard. Anyway, Caspian is ok and has a weird ambient ending I haven’t heard before. The set as a result kind of just…peters out. Loving Cup, the final Valentine’s nod, closes out the show with an exclamation point after the weird trail off into ellipsis that was the end of the second set.

 

Overall

I said in the last review that the show was all sizzle and no steak, well, they certainly brought the steak to California for this show! Even moreso than 1/4/03, this show proved that Phish was back and trying new things. For a tour opener it’s incredible how strong it is; this didn’t at all feel like they’re warming up for a night and the jams are still coming. I’ve previously heard about half of the Winter ’03 tour and I can see why some people say it’s very consistent and one of the most underrated tours. 2/14/03 really brought the jams, and the rest of the playing was of high quality, too. The song selection and setlist placement is a little wonky and threw me off at first, though honestly on subsequent listens I like them trying new things like Possum opening a set or a quiet, peter-out ending to Caspian. I’m ALMOST tempted to give this show a 5 out of 5 but for as strong of a show as it is, I don’t think the overall experience quite gets there. The jams, while either nascent deep/fresh 2.0 jams or high energy rocking fun like Gin or Limb By Limb, most likely aren’t going to be among the best versions of the year. I do highly recommend this show, and it’s easily the best I’ve heard in this review series so far, but there just isn’t that X factor that tips the scales to 5 out of 5 or a S out of 5.

[Highlights]

Set One: Fee -> Taste, BATHTUB GIN

Set Two/Encore: WALLS OF THE CAVE, AC/DC Bag jam