Bittersweet Motel


Bittersweet Motel is a 2000 documentary film about the rock band Phish directed by Todd Phillips. With him covering the band's summer and fall 1997 tours, plus footage from their 1998 summer tour of Europe. The documentary ends with The Great Went, a giant two-day festival held in upstate Maine that attracted 70,000 people.
The film's title comes from a List of [Phish songs|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" and a soundcheck of the band performing what was at the time the new faster-arpeggiated version of "Water in the 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.
Order Of AppearanceSongDateVenueOriginal Artist
1Brian And Robert7/2/1998The Grey Hall - Freetown Christiana, Copenhagen DenmarkPhish
2Roses Are Free12/11/1997Rochester War Memorial - Rochester NYWeen
3Down With Disease12/11/1997Rochester War Memorial - Rochester NYPhish
4Waste12/11/1997Rochester War Memorial - Rochester NYPhish
5New Year Countdown > Auld Lang Syne > Tweezer12/31/1997Madison Square Garden - New York NYPhish > Traditional > Phish
6When The Circus Comes7/9/1998Zeleste - Barcelona SpainLos Lobos
7Water In The Sky 6/30/1998The Grey Hall - Freetown Christiana, Copenhagen DenmarkPhish
8Frankenstein7/8/1998Zeleste - Barcelona SpainEdgar Winter Group
9Wilson7/8/1998Zeleste - Barcelona SpainPhish
10Hello My Baby7/9/1998Zeleste - Barcelona SpainTraditional
11Punch You In The Eye 12/11/1997Rochester War Memorial - Rochester NYPhish
12Character Zero8/16/1997The Great Went - Limestone MEPhish
13The Squirming Coil8/16/1997The Great Went - Limestone MEPhish
14Simple8/16/1997The Great Went - Limestone MEPhish
15Also Sprach Zarathustra8/17/1997The Great Went - Limestone MEDeodato
16Loving Cup8/16/1997The Great Went - Limestone METhe Rolling Stones
17Art Jam8/17/1997The Great Went - Limestone MEPhish

Additional off-stage performances include:
Brian and Robert
July 2, 1998 - The Grey Hall, Freetown Christiana, Copenhagen, Denmark
Birds of a Feather
March 1998 - Unknown House, Burlington VT
Sleep
March 1998?- Trey's Barn, VT
Love Me
December 31, 1997 - Madison Square Garden, New York NY
Bittersweet Motel
July 8, 1998 - Zeleste, Barcelona, Spain
The following performances were not featured in the film but were included as bonus footage included on the VHS and DVD releases:
Punch You in the Eye
December 11, 1997 - Rochester War Memorial, Rochester, NY
Big Black Furry Creatures from Mars
December 11, 1997 - Rochester War Memorial, Rochester, NY
Dirt
December 11, 1997 - Rochester War Memorial, Rochester, NY
Maze
December 11, 1997 - Rochester War Memorial, Rochester, NY
Lawn Boy
August 16, 1997 - The Great Went, Limestone ME

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

Phish