Subject:Georgia Theater 7-26-91
Date:  Tue, 10 Feb 1998 13:43:32 PST
From:  "Christopher DeSerio" 
To: dan@archive.phish.net




Reflecting on my first show more than six years after the fact, I have 
to include a fairly humorous anecdote about our adventure to the Georgia 
Theater. As four of us where anxious to leave Clemson and get down to 
Athens, we had to wait for our friend and designated driver to arrive 
with his new wheels. Tic-toc, tic-toc... Finally Rob pulls up in his new 
Saab that ol' Pops had rewarded the EE major with for his strong 
academic performance. Five freaks in a yuppie car come toolin' into 
Athens about an hour before showtime, and as we're rounding one of the 
last corners before the public parking area, Rob smacks a curb and 
deflates a tire on his brand new car. He decides to fix the tire now so 
we don't have to deal with it after the show. Up strolls a local hobo 
who calls himself Clark (also the name on his hat, and the county we're 
in) who offers to lend a hand but can't since he only has one. Clark 
states "i'd like to help, but az yawll cin see... only got one arm.  So 
I'll play a little tune for yaz," and proceeds to pull a harmonica out 
of his pocket and starts wailin' the blues. Already a little tweaked, I 
about lost it and had to leave before laughing in Clark's face.

 As we stroll up to the entrance, I notice the marquee reads "Phish & 
The Giant Country Horns". I figure its an opening act. Not quite.  The 
addition of this three piece brass section literally blew me away. To 
this day, it was one of the hottest live concerts I've ever witnessed!

Its important to understand my exposure to Phish prior to seeing my 
first show. My roommate's girlfriend's brother had sent us a 60 minute 
tape of the Lawnboy LP. That's right, you could actually hear the needle 
hit the vinyl. That means my familiarity was with tracks like Reba, 
Antelope, Split Open,etc. Of course, they had also just released "A 
Picture of Nectar" a couple weeks earlier, and I had never heard 
anything like it. Chalkdust was to become the summer school '91 anthem. 
Tweezer was wickedly wierd and so damn funky. Cavern being a rocker, 
too. So any way...

Set I:
Chalkdust. What a rockin' tune to open a show. Reba. Quite righteous. My 
sweet One-so much fun!

At this point I went to get another of the gargantuan 32oz. drafts the 
bar served.  "and the foam, keeps getting thicker..." Maybe I was a 
little wacked - I almost fell into my cup of beer - but I couldn't stop 
laughing during this tune. All funked up. Suzy Greenberg. More hilarious 
musical antics. i am already claiming this as the best concert I've 
seen! TMWSIY->Avenu->TMWSIY This was a wild jam-nice melody turned 
intense and back to the nice melody. Bouncin'. Hey I'll admit, I liked 
this song at one point. Golgi. I think I actually held up that ticket 
stub (what a geek).

Set 2:

Stash. people were dangling them and sparkin' up as soon as the lights 
went down.  Dinner and A Movie... and those horns are killin' me. You 
Enjoy. I had only heard rumors of the trampolines, but to see them jam 
while tramping was too cool. Funky Bitch was so damn funky. And did I 
mention the 'bitches'? This town has some really sweet southern bells 
who dig good music! Squirming Coil. More good stuff. Tweezer. What can  
I say... it was so hot and yet it was so cold. Really tight and super 
funky. 

A three song encore?! lawnboy is a nice bit to mellow to at the end of a 
dazzling performance. But wait there's more! They really had created a 
monster; Edgar Winter woulda been proud. Split Open and Melt to close? 
Unbelievable.

Like I said, this was one of the greatest shows I have ever witnessed.  
And the horns were such an integral part of creating some of the most 
brilliant rock-jazz-funk - whatchamacallit. Whatchamacallit?  PHISH!