Bittersweet Motel
Bittersweet Motel (2000) is a documentary about the rock band Phish. The film was directed by Todd Phillips (later the director of Old School, The Hangover Trilogy and Joker) and covers the band's summer and fall 1997 tours, plus footage from their 1998 spring tour of Europe. The documentary ends with The Great Went, a giant two-day festival held in upstate Maine which attracted 70,000 people.
| Bittersweet Motel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Todd Phillips |
| Starring | Phish |
| Cinematography | Elia Lyssy |
| Edited by | Alan Oxman |
Release date | August 25, 2000 |
Running time | 82 mins |
The film's title comes from a Phish song of the same name, which is featured at the end of the movie.
Songs
Most songs that appear in the film were performed live unless noted. Eight cover songs are featured in the film, including the rehearsal and debut of Ween's "Roses Are Free" from their Chocolate and Cheese album. Two other notable debuts captured in the film are an early version of "Sleep" (played solo by Trey on his Languedoc guitar for the cameras which would later appear on their 2000 album Farmhouse) and a soundcheck of the band performing what was at the time the new faster arpeggiated version of "Water in Sky" that would be seen later that year in studio form on their 1998 album The Story of the Ghost.
The song list does not follow the order in which the scenes were shot. "The Great Went" appears as the climax of the film, though in reality it was the first footage that Phillips shot for the movie.
Brian and Robert (rehearsal and performance) July 2, 1998 - The Grey Hall, Freetown Christiana, Copenhagen, Denmark
Birds of a Feather (rehearsal) March 1998 - Unknown House, Burlington VT
David Bowie From the studio album Junta
Golgi Apparatus From the studio album Junta
Roses Are Free (Ween) (rehearsal and performance) December 11, 1997 - Rochester War Memorial, Rochester, NY
Down with Disease December 11, 1997 - Rochester War Memorial, Rochester, NY
Waste December 11, 1997 - Rochester War Memorial, Rochester, NY
Sleep Fall 1997 ?- Trey's Garage, VT
Love Me (Leiber and Stoller) (backstage rehearsal Mike and Trey) December 31, 1997 - Madison Square Garden, New York NY
Countdown > Auld Lang Syne > Tweezer December 31, 1997 - Madison Square Garden, New York NY
When the Circus Comes (Los Lobos) July 9, 1998 - Zeleste, Barcelona, Spain
Water in the Sky (soundcheck) June 29 or 30, 1998 - The Grey Hall, Freetown Christiana, Copenhagen, Denmark
Frankenstein (Edgar Winter) July 8, 1998 - Zeleste, Barcelona, Spain
Wilson July 8, 1998 - Zeleste, Barcelona, Spain
Hello My Baby (Howard and Emerson) July 9, 1998 - Zeleste, Barcelona, Spain
Punch You in the Eye August 16, 1997 - "The Great Went" Loring Commerce Center at Loring Air Force Base, Limestone ME
Character Zero August 16, 1997 - "The Great Went" Loring Commerce Center at Loring Air Force Base, Limestone ME
The Squirming Coil August 16, 1997 - "The Great Went" Loring Commerce Center at Loring Air Force Base, Limestone ME
Simple August 16, 1997 - "The Great Went" Loring Commerce Center at Loring Air Force Base, Limestone ME
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Deodato) August 17, 1997 - "The Great Went" Loring Commerce Center at Loring Air Force Base, Limestone ME
Loving Cup (The Rolling Stones) August 16, 1997 - "The Great Went" Loring Commerce Center at Loring Air Force Base, Limestone ME
Art Jam August 17, 1997 - "The Great Went" Loring Commerce Center at Loring Air Force Base, Limestone ME
Bittersweet Motel (backstage - Trey, Page, & Tom Marshall) July 8, 1998 - Zeleste, Barcelona, Spain
Tweezer From the studio album A Picture Of Nectar
BONUS MATERIAL (from the DVD)
Punch You in the Eye (bonus track 1) December 11, 1997 - Rochester War Memorial, Rochester, NY
Big Black Furry Creatures from Mars (bonus track 3) December 11, 1997 - Rochester War Memorial, Rochester, NY
Dirt (bonus track 4, after Page interview) December 11, 1997 - Rochester War Memorial, Rochester, NY
Home media
The film was released on DVD and VHS on March 6, 2001. Both formats feature extra footage, including uncut live performances of Punch You in the Eye, Maze, Big Black Furry Creature from Mars and Lawn Boy, as well as additional interview sequences that didn't make it into the film. The DVD edition also includes the original theatrical trailer and an interview with director Todd Phillips, and offers Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS Surround Sound. The film is presented in its original 1.85:1 Theatrical Aspect Ratio however the DVD is not anamorphic.
Personnel
- Trey Anastasio - guitars, vocals
- Page McConnell - keyboards, vocals
- Mike Gordon - bass, vocals
- Jon Fishman - drums, vocals