The SkiRack (formerly The Front) looking up Main St. towards The Woodbury Armory (formerly Hunt’s).
Today I want to talk about two important shows that we don’t have much of a setlist or any recordings from. I know what you’re thinking, “How can you write up shows that you don’t know much about?” The fact is these two shows were extremely important in the history of Phish that our lack of first-hand accounts can’t be reason alone to skip them.
Much of the mythos of the Phish story is Phish rose to be the kings of live music without radio, MTV, or album sales. While on a national front this is true, at home, Phish was all supported by local radio stations. Most notably here at the Rock Rumble at the Front. WIZN was a major player in the Vermont radio scene alongside WNCS out of Montpelier, a station we’ll cover later in this series. Starting out in 1983 in Vergennes, the same year as Phish, with Arty LaVigne as general manager, the station would become a champion of local radio with a popular local morning show, Corm and the Coach, and a focus on Vermont artists. The station would become the predominant rock and roll radio station for the town until 1997 when it added 99.9 The Buzz as its “younger-focused” sister station. As a kid, I used to listen to these three stations ad-nauseum. I still remember listening to Rich Haskell and Arty LaVigne riding down Shelburne Road with my parents in the summer, usually talking about some promotions at the Chickenbone Cafe. On all these stations, around 1992-94, there was always room for Phish between Led Zeppelin and Eric Clapton. I probably heard Phish over the airwaves long before I knew exactly who they were. Also, a WIZN DJ gave me a copy of Hoist in June 1994, my first conscious moment with the band and one that clearly changed my life forever.
The official T-shirt of the WIZN Rock Rumble. (Photo credit @JayCatVT)
Part of that was these two shows. The shows were hosted by WIZN’s own Arty LaVigne, who had just bought that station outright in June 1988. Nighttime drive DJ Mike Luoma was also believed to be a judge that evening. The only known fact is Phish pulled out the theatrical stops, climaxing their one set on April 21st by lowering Fishman naked from the rafters for his “I Didn’t Know” vacuum solo. The vacuum, however, was not plugged in. Fish did play a naked trombone solo though. The band also played Contact. Mike’s lone notes from the show are they played “loud and hard”. The band obviously brought it enough to be named a finalist. All the finalists performed with Phish winning the whole thing on April 22nd. Phish used the Archer Studios time won to record “Split Open and Melt” and “Bathtub Gin” for the forthcoming Lawn Boy. Phish were now officially the kings of Burlington’s music scene. Now on the radar of local radio, the band could continue to grow outside of the city of Burlington and college scenes.
After strong-arming PBS into putting the Trey Anastasio Band on Front and Center, Phish Inc. and Red Light Management has reached a deal with the network to fund and broadcast Phish: The Documentary. The documentary will focus on the band’s first 30 years and will share never-before seen footage from the Phish Archives. “I was well-acquainted with the band being their neighbor across the river in New Hampshire but I never really thought of them as a documentary subject. Once Coran drove one of his Big Red production trucks to my front door full of cash, I thought to myself, ok, this could work. Luckily they had more than enough footage to tell the story. Probably more footage than I had to work with on the history of Baseball and Jazz combined.” The show will be 29 2-hour episodes, one for each year of the band, and one 24-hour episode about the year 1999, containing the entire Big Cypress midnight-to-sunrise set in high-definition. It will be the largest documentary ever produced for television. “We had to make sure we put everything into this so that we beat bootleggers to the punch,” says Coran Capshaw, “we want our footage out there so that we can sell tons of Blu-ray copies later.” Kevin Shapiro will help edit the footage. “This is the reason there haven’t been many Live Phish releases as of late,” says Shapiro, “We’ve been hard at work gathering and sifting through video footage for this project. Mainly, we’ve been rotoscoping unseemly aspects out of Coventry [footage] for the past 10 years.” Once completed, the Blu-Ray boxset will retail for $350. Said Burns, “I just can’t wait for all the fans to see me zoom in and out on Mike’s junk for 10 minutes each episode. It really is going to be my masterpiece.” Phish: The Documentary will premiere on April 1, 2016.
Set 1: AC/DC Bag > Fluffhead[1], You Shook Me All Night Long Jam > Fluffhead, Fire, Esther, Suzy Greenberg, The Sloth, Possum, McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters -> Foam, David Bowie
Set 2: Divided Sky, Walk Away, You Enjoy Myself > Split Open and Melt[2], The Lizards, Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Love You[3], Harpua
[1] Fire alarm interruption.
[2] Fish drum solo.
[3] Fish on trombone.
The Zoo (Humphries House) at Amherst College.
This would be the last time Phish would play a Full Moon party at the Zoo as manager John Paluska would graduate from Amherst that spring. Oddly enough, this is the first time the band played on April 20th. At the time, however, it did not have the implications of marijuana use now associated with the day. That would not come into fashion until about year later, maybe two. So no amazing extended Makisupa. What we do have is a very solid top-to-bottom show here. The beginning and end get cut off so we jump right into “AC/DC Bag” in progress. The “Fluffhead” gets cut right at the beginning of the “Clod” segment as the fire alarm goes off. The band returns and jams on the chord progression of AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long” segueing easily into “Clod” to finish the “Fluffhead” it’s perfect and classic Phish. At the end of Fluffhead, Trey reminds the crowd has to be cool because if the fire alarm goes off again, the show is over. Be cool about “whatever” you’re smoking. Page takes the crowd’s suggestion go smoking outside. Sage advice that could be imparted today. Trey than dedicates Hendrix’s “Fire” to the hard working people who turned off the fire alarm. Trey tells Paul, he doesn’t know about Paul but Trey came during that one. Then Mike’s asks for Paul’s duct tape. Trey introduces “Esther” as a Gamehendge song, but on the outskirts of Gamehendge. The song here is the best yet, hitting the right tone and tempo for the song with flawless playing on the outro by Trey. This version soars. “The Sloth” has that weird outro still. “McGrupp”, while not outstanding is very solid here as is the “Foam”. A “Bowie” highlighted by strong dissonance from Page closes Set 1. Page is playing very opposite Trey but leading the jam at the same time. You can hear Trey following Page at times. It’s a very interesting early jam.
Set 2 kicks off with a solid, if note heavy, “Divided Sky”. After “Walk Away”, despite a very vocal request for “A-Train”, the band knows better and busts out “You Enjoy Myself”. The “YEM” never really hits the spot though. The vocal jam drops into “Split Open and Melt”. The “Melt” here is much more solid than the last one but still contains Fish’s odd drum solo. It really hurts the flow of the song. It also is closer to the standard tempo but still a little slower but not as bad as 4/15/1989. The “Lizards” and “Mike’s->Groove” are standard but solid. The “Weekapaug” does pack a little extra punch with falling lines from Page and Trey that are gorgeous. Fish busts out Syd Barrett’s “Love You” for the first time since 10/31/87. It feels like a step backwards from “Undun” and “If I Only Had a Brain” but it is at least much clearer now.
The clear highlight of this night though is Harpua. “Sounds to me like the song you want to hear begins with an ‘Oom Pa Pa’, says Trey, words that still make any Phish fan fill with delight. I still would love to know what those were. Anyway, they riff on combining the song with the Allman Brothers’ “Whipping Post” before going right into “Harpua”. Trey launches into the story, talking about Harpua, leading to Trey telling that someone had shot Marley in the ass recently. He then proceeds to describe Harpua and Jimmy’s cat with each having a non-shot-ass, repeating the phrase over and over, until Mike yells out “LET’S HEAR IT FOR NON-SHOT ASS!” The band then jams on “Non-Shot-Ass” for a short bit and it’s hilarious. We get the first time Trey leads up to introducing the name of Jimmy’s cat in a huge build-up, similar to Icculus. During the buildup, the band riffs on Spencer Davis Group’s “Gimme Some Lovin'”. Trey also yells out “MY GOD!” several times, to which Mike responds “HIS GOD!”, a great back and forth adding to the theatrics. They do this a few times during the song. There’s also a tease of Ninja Custodian’s “The Price of Love” right before the fight between Harpua and Poster Nutbag. As always, Poster is killed in the fight and the song ends with it’s great rock opera finish. Man, I will always go for a “Harpua” and this one stands out as one of the best, if only for Mike and Trey riffing off each other. Just a good overall show made better by an outstanding track.
Set 1: Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Esther > You Enjoy Myself > Wilson, Peaches en Regalia, On Your Way Down > Alumni Blues[1] > Letter to Jimmy Page> Alumni Blues, I Didn’t Know[2], McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters[3] > Foam, David Bowie
Set 2: Funky Bitch, Golgi Apparatus > Slave to the Traffic Light, The Mango Song, Divided Sky, Split Open and Melt[4], Suzy Greenberg > Fluffhead > Good Times Bad Times
[1] Additional lyrics.
[2] Fish on trombone; with sound effects from an electronic drum machine.
[3] With sound effects from an electronic drum machine.
[4] With drum solo.
Unlike the gig at Johnson State, this surprisingly would not be the band’s last gig at the University of Vermont. There are a few more left to document. It’s more interesting that the band wasn’t playing a larger space at UVM yet. Back in the cozy confines of the Billings Student Center, the band turns in a fine performance all for the benefit of VPIRG, the Vermont Public Interest Research Group. Set 1 is excellent audio quality. It’s interesting that we have the soundcheck in tact, more than likely the student center was just open and people could come in during the soundcheck. “Time Loves a Hero” continued to get better and better and it’s interesting it wasn’t played again until 1998 when it would have been a great cover staple. The opening “Mike’s Groove” is very tasty with Mike finally not straining on his vocal on “Mike’s” and “Weekapaug” played at the regular faster pace. It sounds gorgeous. The band welcomes the crowd to the VPIRG benefit and then Trey informs that someone lost their birth control pills at Johnson State and then band brought them to the next gig. A hilarious banter moment. “Esther” gets a much needed redemption after the previous night’s closer and here we get a near-perfect version. “You Enjoy Myself” is quite nice with Trey bringing the jam to a blistering peak before the bass and drums section. The “Wilson->Peaches” blat-boom transition returns nicely. After “Peaches”, we get some very nice banter from Page, again reinforcing why probably Page delivers so much of the banter now. He advises people to buy some cider and lemonade in the back and then plug their upcoming Pearl Street gig on May 1st. He says that if they sell enough tickets, they’ll move from the basement space to the main hall. We’ll see soon if that happened! They play “On Your Way Down” but I really think “Times Loves a Hero” is the better Little Feat cover for the band. Page does a nice job though. The song’s just too heavy for my taste I guess. We get a lightning fast “Alumni>Letter>Alumni” triplet. “I Didn’t Know” has the really odd mixture of Fish playing trombone and a new electronic drum machine on the tune, adding weird sound effects to the acapella lines. I hope the drum machine is NOT a permanent fixture. Yikes. Fish does add some nice woodblock textures to the opening of “McGrupp”. “Foam” is interesting because Trey tries to segue directly in it and you hear him picking out the notes solo and it takes a good couple of rounds before the rest of the band catches up. I like it because it shows there’s more work to do on some of these tunes and room for improvement; taking risks. The “Foam” itself is starting move at its signature tempo and meshing nicely. We get part of “David Bowie” but nothing noteworthy.
Set 2’s tape is less clean than set 1. It’s very rough in places so proceed at your own risk. The set kicks off with a dirty “Funky Bitch” though, setting the tone. “Golgi” and “Slave” offer some varied playing by Trey but otherwise have nothing outstanding. After “Slave”, there’s a fun bit of banter with Trey saying they’l play their newest number next. Trey then says Page will use a new synthesizer on the song but the synthesizer is broken already on its first time out. Trey then says Fish will use his new woodblocks and advises Fish to play the song he just learned. This pans into a “Name That Tune” bit where Fish plays the “Charge” riff on them and an audience member wins a date with Fish. Trey also says there’s a special way to dance to the next song with only your hips and body, keeping your head still. Trey also says that Paul puts feedback pack in the monitors and takes it out to trick the band in thinking he’s a great soundman. The band then busts into “The Mango Song”, playing a much-more polished version and follows it up with a strong “Divided Sky”. Then, we get our first recorded “Split Open and Melt” and I’m excited for this only to be let down. The song is played a little slower than most fans are used to, probably because of its infant stage, the band is not up to speed on the intricacy of its dissonance. In the middle before the “Steam Dream” breakdown, there’s a long drum solo by Fishman at just feels wrong. The jam also isn’t much but Trey wailing on sustain. There’s potential but I don’t see it yet here. The show ends in typical 1989 fashion with “Suzy”, “Fluffhead”, and “Good Times Bad Times”. All fun show for the UVM kids overall. At the end of “Fluffhead”, Trey plugs a couple of gigs, the all-ages gig in Northampton again (but with the wrong date of 4/15), Johnny B. Fishman Jazz Ensemble with Russell Remington at Noonie’s Deli on Mondays, and the Rock Rumble at the Front this weekend! Will Phish win the Rock Rumble? Find out on future installments of the Phishsonian.
Set 1: AC/DC Bag > Foam, Walk Away, Fluffhead, Fee, Halley’s Comet > Run Like an Antelope, Contact, Fire
Set 2: You Enjoy Myself, Bold As Love, The Lizards, The Sloth, Possum, If I Only Had a Brain[1], Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Esther
[1] Fish on trombone.
Before we dive into this show, we need to take a moment to reveal some big movements that happened off the magnetic tape. Between the last recording on 3/30/89 and this one, Phish had hired Chris “Steck” Stecher as interim lighting director and was feeling out him filling the role. At the same time, they posted this add in the March edition of the Phish Update (the band’s newsletter) and in local newspapers: “WANTED: Creative light person to run new light show for PHISH on a salaried, permanent basis. This very valuable partner will travel with the band as a 5th member. We are looking for someone from the New England area — no need to live in Burlington. Call (802) 654-9068.” On April 7th, Steck had newly hired roadie Chris Kuroda fill in on lights during “Famous Mockingbird” at the Stone Church. Trey later noted to the crew how he really liked the lights during “Mockingbird”. Kuroda stepped up and told Trey that he had been running the lights during that song. Stecher was immediately let go and Kuroda has been on lights ever since (except for one weekend in Vegas we’ll talk about in a few years). Kuroda made his lighting director debut on April 13, 1989.
We don’t have a recording of that show. We do have this one, a fun rowdy night at Johnson State College. Page makes note to the crowd that this was the 5th show the band had played at Johnson State and Trey would say how they’ve played at Johnson for 3 years. It was always a reliable place in the frontier of those early days. However, this would be the last show at Johnson State as Phish would outgrow the tiny performance space known as the Base Lodge. On the tape, you can easily hear the raucous crowd through including several loud guys yelling for certain tracks. Trey dedicates “Fluffhead” to the people from the dorm they were just hanging out in and this “Fluff” has some experimentation by Trey on guitar sounds and is well done. “Halley’s” goes out there with a some light vocal jamming and then a nice outro jam that in a later year would probably have lead to something great but here just gets cut short for “Antelope”. The “Antelope” is hot here though with a very playful intro by all members before dropping into the next part. Trey’s getting close to his guitar god phase here with quick, nimble playing and phrasing rapidly becoming more apparent each show. Building on the last recording, “Antelope” continues to be a top song for the band in this period. “Contact” is a must listen if only for the banter. As some fans yell for the song, Trey advises “we’re gonna get a little audience participation during this next number. This is a very important philosophical tune. Please pay heed.” The “Contact” itself has a very nice groove in the bridge jam. The banter continues from Page, “And if I could take this moment to say that, you know we play a lot of gigs throughout a lot of places but Johnson State, we hold a dear spot in our heart for Johnson State. And I know it brings a tear in my eye…” Trey interjects over Page, “But what you don’t really know is we have a special affinity for Johnson State because we own Johnson State! And all of your tuitions are going right into our pockets. So, you might as well just throw all your money up on stage right now cause we’re gonna get it in the end. If you know what I mean. There’s nothing like getting it in the end every once and a while.” The band then ends the set with “Fire”, which has Trey playing with tones and tuning more than just wailing over the top for an interesting version of the song. “A brief hiatus and we shall return.”
Set 2 kicks off with Page practicing his “You Enjoy Myself” riff and then the band yells its name in unison, “YEEEEEEEEM”. The “YEM” is kind of broken down, played slower than usual as if they’d been having trouble keeping pace with the song. I dig the building vibe of this version though. Makes it stand out like Johnson was safe enough to not have to “show off”. Trey shouts “YEM” again during Mike’s bass solo. Mike really goes off during the descending part too. He’s really going out there, which is excellent to hear. Other second set highlights include “The Sloth” with a weird outro after the fade out. We get a full “Mike’s Groove”, the highlight being a very danceable “Weekapaug”. Be sure not to miss the show ending “Esther” though. It’s clear they’re still working out the song (being that’s only the 3rd time played) and at one point a guy in the crowd thinks it’s Mary Poppins “Chim-Chim-Cherie”. But the work print edition has some cool quirks and alternate ideas that are interesting to hear. Hopefully, the money from Johnson State kept rolling in despite no more appearances on campus. If not, there’s always UVM tomorrow…
Set 1: Bold As Love, McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters > Divided Sky, The Price of Love[1], On Your Way Down, Ya Mar, Fluffhead, Run Like an Antelope
Set 2: The Mango Song[2], Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, You Enjoy Myself, Undun[1], La Grange, Golgi Apparatus
Set 3: Peaches en Regalia > Foam, AC/DC Bag > Big Black Furry Creature from Mars, Satin Doll, Rocky Top
Encore: Makisupa Policeman
[1] First known Phish performance.
[2] First known performance.
The SkiRack (formerly The Front) looking up Main St. towards The Woodbury Armory (formerly Hunt’s).
We finally get another full show after some segments and what a beauty we have to go over today! This is the best show of 1989 so far and not just because we get to hear everything. It starts off with a solid “Bold as Love” which Trey has dropped the horrible flanger effect he played at the end. “McGrupp” builds to a soaring dissonant peak in the jam. “Divided Sky” is played with such fire. Phish slays local colleagues’ Ninja Custodian’s “The Price of Love”. A fiery “On Your Way Down” with delicious Page vocals goes nicely with “Ya Mar” to bring the mood up. “Fluffhead” has some very nice licks by Trey to accompany the composition. “Antelope” is the best yet with whole band movement during the jams and a fun dissonant undercurrent to the Marco Esquandolas section.
Set 2 we get the first recording of “The Mango Song”. The song is not the powerhouse it will e like most early Phish versions but it does have really tight licks from Trey and the general feel is there. “Mike’s Groove” is pretty good. The “Mike’s” is very short but hot, the “Hydrogen” is perfect, and the “Weekapaug” is the fastest yet but unfortunately gets cuts short. “You Enjoy Myself” is also quite nice with great interplay between Trey and Page and an awesome drop into a tease of Linda Ronstadt’s “You’re No Good” and hen working it around the “Wash Uffizi Drive Me to Firenze” of the vocal jam. The Guess Who’s “Undun” here is a Fishman song and continues what began with “If I Only Had A Brain” but this time has less theatrics and is more a fun romp through the song. No longer just singing with his head down and mumbling Syd Barrett, here he duets with Page and puts some real emotion in the song. Well done Fish! A ripping “La Grange” follows and then “Golgi” closes the set.
Set 3 kicks off with the always strong “Peaches”. “Foam” continues to be a strong showcase piece for all 4 members of Phish with Page and Trey trading licks, Mike playing inventive bass lines, and Fishman playing a strong underlying rhythm. “AC/DC” is good but nothing special. “BBFCFM” is fun as usual. “Satin Doll” has excellent solos by both Mike and Fish, demonstrating their abilities at the time. Trey tries to explain the band at the end by introducing them as “The Phish Fusion Hardcore Jazz and Bluegrass Band”. Little hard to fit on a marquee. The band then rips into “Rocky Top” to end the set. An encore of “Makisupa Policemen” with a solid Mike-heavy reggae jam ends the show.
Chris Kuroda – The Early Years. (Photo Credit: Phish.com)
This show would not only be noted for the music but it was also Chris Kuroda’s first night on Phish’s crew as a simple roadie, lugging gear. Apparently, Trey asked Chris he if he knew anyone bring their guitar lesson and Chris responded by suggesting himself. This is why 2/7/89 might be CK5’s favorite show as it was one of his last as a common fan.
As most of you probably know, Phish announced their 2015 Summer Tour Dates this afternoon. In this post, we’ll take a look at the history behind each venue and if there’s no history, then the venue location.
7/21 Les Schwab Amphitheater, Bend, OR
7/22 Les Schwab Amphitheater, Bend, OR
Times played: Zero
Last Time Played: None
First Time Played: None
Phish opens the proper tour in Bend, OR. Phish has never played in Oregon east of the Cascades before. With its laid-back attitude and ample craft beer, Phish and Bend should be a match for fans. The venue itself looks very similar to Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion in Bangor, ME and should have a similar vibe but with half the capacity at 8,000. The last time Phish played Oregon was October 17, 2014, opening the fall tour, marking the first Oregon show since 1998. They’ve been playing the state since 1991.
7/24 Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA
Times Played: 13
Last Time Played: 8/5/09
First Time Played: 8/29/92
The first venue with history on the list, Shoreline is, of course, best known as the place where Phish played the last show of 1.0 before the hiatus. The last few times Phish played the Bay Area, they’ve usually skipped Shoreline but as this might be their lone appearance this year, the bigger venue may be necessary at 22,000. Phish first played Shoreline on 8/29/92, opening for Santana. Phish has been playing the Bay Area since playing the DNA Lounge in San Francisco on March 29, 1991.
Photo credit: Rene Humer/Phish.
7/25 The Forum, Inglewood, CA
Times Played: 2
Last Time Played: 10/24/14
First Time Played: 2/14/03
Phish returns to the Fabulous Forum less than one year after playing a great show on the Fall Tour. With Kuroda able to play with the starlights in the ceiling and MSG Entertainment’s renovation of the space as a premier concert facility, I look forward to the Forum becoming a Phish tour staple for years to come with a good size at 17,505 capacity. The band first played the Forum in 2003, debuting Dr. Hook’s “Cover of the Rolling Stone” in honor of the band’s first and only appearance on the cover. Phish first played Los Angeles on 4/15/92 at the Variety Arts Center.
7/28 Austin360 Amphitheater, Austin, TX
Times Played: Zero
Last Time Played: None
First Time Played: None
One of two venues involving motor speedways, the Austin360 amphitheater sits alongside the track, right behind the observation tower at the Circuit of the Americas. It’ll be interesting to see how the crowd is on a hot July night in Texas but local fans are excited the band is back. This venue is medium-sized for the tour at 14,000. Phish last played Austin at the Austin City Limits festival on 10/8/10. They first played Austin on a multi-band bill at the Cannibal Club on 10/26/90.
7/29 Verizon Theatre at Grand Praire Dallas, TX
Times Played: Zero
Last Time Played: None
First Time Played: None
Phish hasn’t played Dallas since 7/26/1998. It is currently the largest US metropolitan area with the longest Phish drought. So the excitement for them to return is palpable. This is a new theater about 25 minutes west of downtown Dallas. Another small venue might also make this a tough ticket with a capacity of only 6,350. Phish first played Dallas on 10/27/1990 at the Rhythm Room, where the first known performance of Llama occurred. Of course, the band’s most famous night in Dallas was the 5/7/94 show at the Bomb Factory, where a monster “Tweezerfest” happened.
7/31 Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood, Atlanta, GA
8/1 Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood, Atlanta, GA
Times Played: 9
Last Time Played: 8/25/12
First Time Played: 6/15/95
Phish this year opts for the older confines of Lakewood as opposed to Alpharetta this year. It’s also much larger with a capacity of 19,000 compared to 12,000 at Alpharetta. The band has some serious history with the place having played it for 20 years now. Phish last played this space in 2012. The 1995 show has Mike play electric drill for the first time in the band’s history. Phish first played Atlanta on 2/3/1990 on a split bill with local favorites Widespread Panic.
8/2 Tuscaloosa Amphitheater, Tuscaloosa, AL
Times Played: Zero
Last Time Played: None
First Time Played: None
One of many new venues on this tour, Phish tries out another new spot in Alabama after last year’s stop at The Wharf in Orange Beach in addition to the old standby of Oak Mountain in Pelham. This venue is interesting for the tour as it has no lawn behind the seating due it’s small capacity of 7,470. Phish last played the college town of Tuscaloosa (Home to the University of Alabama) in 11/8/91 at the Ivory Tusk. They first played the city on 10/20/90 at Solomon’s.
8/4 West Riverfront Park, Nashville, TN
Times Played: Zero
Last Time Played: None
First Time Played: None
Last of the new venues, West Riverfront Park is actually still under construction for the upcoming season. That’s why we only have a rendering. With the skyline of Nashville as the backdrop, it looks like a gorgeous place for a night of Phish. The show will also boast intimacy as it barely outsizes Grand Prairie at 6,500 capacity. The band last played Nashville on 11/29/95 at the Municipal Auditorium. They first played Nashville on 2/28/1991 at the Sarratt Student Center on the campus of Vanderbilt University.
8/5 Starlight Theatre, Kansas City, MO
Times Played: 1
Last Time Played: 8/22/12
First Time Played: 8/22/12
It’s good to see Phish giving this nice theatre in Kansas City another try, even with it’s smaller capacity at 7,958. People who went said it was a great spot and while the last show left a little to be desired by some, a few thought there was a good chunk of bliss in the middle of it’s “Mike’s Groove” with “Bouncing>Number Line>Heavy Things, If I Could” all finding their way there. Phish first played Kansas City, Missouri on 10/19/95 at the Municipal Auditorium. They played Kansas City, Kansas on 4/13/93 at Memorial Hall and opted to play the Sandstone Amphitheatre in Bonner Springs, KS from 1998-2003.
8/7 Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Times Played: 6
Last Time Played: 6/24/12
First Time Played: 7/31/92
One of my personal favorites, Blossom is a gorgeous amphitheater located in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The graceful sloping lawn is a wonderful place to bliss out for a night. The shed dates from 1968, making it feel like a different era. 23,000 can pack in, putting it on the large side of this tour but it still feels intimate despite the larger size. Blossom was first played in 7/31/92, again while opening for Santana.
8/8 Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI
8/9 Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI
Times Played: 15
Last Time Played: 7/1/12
First Time Played: 8/10/96
It’s all downhill from here. The place most played on this tour, Phish clearly has a connection with Alpine Valley, even releasing a live DVD from 2010 and making their 2000 show Live Phish Volume 5. The place is massive as well, holding up to 37,000 people; the largest non-festive venue on this tour. Phish surprisingly enough has not been here in 3 years. Usually played in tandem with Deer Creek in Noblesville, IN, surprisingly that combo was not scheduled this year.
8/11 Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA
8/12 Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Times Played: 6
Last Time Played: 7/9/14
First Time Played: 7/18/92
The times played here is surprisingly high despite the long layoff. Phish returned to the Mann 19 years later last summer and apparently liked it enough to not wait another 20 to return. A quirky shed built for the Philadelphia Symphony in Fairmount Park, it’s proximity to Center City makes it an ideal spot. Even more ideal, not having to cross the river to Camden for the show. With no SPAC on the docket, this is your lone chance to make a balcony rock. Despite it’s capacity at 14,000, this proved to be a tough ticket last year. Like other long-time staples, Phish’s first gig here was opening for Santana.
8/14 Walnut Creek Amphitheatre, Raleigh, NC
Times Played: 8
Last Time Played: 6/18/11
First Time Played: 6/29/94
Phish returns to Walnut Creek for the first time in 4 years. The band had favored Charlotte for summer tour as of late. The band obviously has a love for the venue, releasing their “electrifying” 1997 show on DVD in 2008. (Electrifying because lightning hitting the stage forced a show delay). Unlike other venues, Phish did not get their first turn here opening for Santana but rather as a stop on their career-defining summer 1994 tour. 20,500 will be able to see this gig.
8/15 Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
8/16 Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
Times Played: 13
Last Time Played: 7/27/14
First Time Played: 7/17/92
The second most-played venue on the tour, the return to Merriweather looms large after last year’s “Tweezerfest”. Other highlights from the venue include a sick “Free>What’s The Use” in 1999. Once again, the band’s first performance was opening for Santana on 7/17/92. Similar to Blossom, it’s a tad smaller at 19,319.
Photo credit: Brantley Gutierrez/Phish
8/21 Watkins Glen International Raceway, Watkins Glen, NY
8/22 Watkins Glen International Raceway, Watkins Glen, NY
8/23 Watkins Glen International Raceway, Watkins Glen, NY
Considered to be the main event of the summer, Phish makes it’s triumphant return to Watkins Glen International Raceway. Attendance was supposedly about 48,000 in 2011, no New England, New York, or New Jersey dates would make it seem attendance will be higher this year. The raceway can have up to 100,000 in attendance for races.The stories that came out of the place the last festival Super Ball IX are enough to get anyone excited for another round. Easy in without the hassle of many other sites, the pinball lounge parties, the ditch party, the Storage Jam, plenty of bustouts and jams, the beach ball Tube party, it was a celebration on all fronts. Now, will they go bigger for number 10, known as the MagnaBall? Only one way to find out and that’s to show up to the Glen in late August.
9/4 Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO
9/5 Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO
9/6 Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO
Times Played: 12
Last Time Played: 8/31/14
First Time Played: 9/2/11
Some didn’t know if Dick’s would be on if Festival 10 happened. Well it appears to be going on. One of Phish’s greatest 3.0 traditions is raging Labor Day weekend at the home of the Colorado Rapids MLS team. People love it’s proximity to Denver, the legal weed, and the fact that the band is mighty comfortable by tours end and throws down. Dick’s hosts up to 26,000 people, the field always sells out but stands are usually available. Throw in the usual first night setlist shenanigans, such as the “S” show, “Most Shows Spell Something Backwards”, and the “Lushington” fakeout and it’s easy to see why fans come back year after year.
So a good chunk of new venues and old favorites! Can’t wait to hear what comes out of these shows. I’ll see you at Watkins Glen!
Set 1: Possum, Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Golgi Apparatus > Divided Sky, AC/DC Bag, If I Only Had a Brain, Take the ‘A’ Train, David Bowie
The exterior of the Paradise Rock Club before renovation.
I’m just gonna cut right to it. There’s no need for anyone to listen to this recording. It’s all songs, which there are better versions from this year. The songs aren’t even presented in the right order. “I Am Hydrogen” is cut out of the “Mike’s Groove”. “If I Only Had a Brain” sounds like it opens the show despite being in the number 7 slot on the recording. It does have an early vacuum solo, which is cool to to hear and also to hear Page advised Fish “take it around!” for another 8 bars of solo. A couple of fun “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” teases in “Possum” and “A-Train”. But for the most part, I’d stay away from this recording for a variety of reasons. Big show at the Front tomorrow.
Set 1: The Curtain > Ya Mar, Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Fluffhead, Contact, AC/DC Bag > Wilson, You Enjoy Myself, Harpua, Foam
Set 2: Wilson, Fluffhead
Set 3: Fire, Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley, Alumni Blues, The Lizards, La Grange, You Enjoy Myself, Good Times Bad Times
Encore: Halley’s Comet
(Setlist may be incorrect)
The final nights at Nectar’s on the club’s booking calendar. (Photo credit: Nectar’s/Burlington Free Press)
Aside from the Paradise show, no indicator of how fast things were moving for Phish in 1989 is greater than the end of the Nectar’s era. This was the incubator. No one can honestly say that Phish would have done much without the safe space of their weekly gig there. Any place that’ll let you debut a rock opera after a Frank Zappa show deserves some applause. Nectar’s is fortunately celebrating its 40th anniversary. The ownership may be new and they may have renovated the place but that vibe of music above everything else remains. I wish I could say that we had the whole affair and it was glorious and moving but alas, time has not been kind. We have a conflicting setlist and a 1st set that seems patched together. It even has “Harpua” as the last song but conflicting reports says it is not so. I like to think that Nectar’s went out with one more story from Trey myself, so in my mind, it did. The circulating recording says Set 1 but with “Harpua” being introduced as “the last song”, I think it’s safe to say that’s incorrect. Others think the recording may have come from another show but I don’t think a show with this much weight would have been mislabeled. We’ll never know the real answer.
Phish on the Nectar’s stage. (Photo credit: Max Brown/Phish/Burlington Free Press)
What we do have is a nice set of club Phish. “Paul? You ready to go?”, asks Trey to kick things off. The band kicks into a vivid “Curtain”. “Ya Mar” happily follows it up and it’s clear from the tracks we have that this will be a grooving night. Also, this is the 1st “Ya Mar” on record since 1988, about 74 total shows, the second longest gap for the song. The “Mike’s Groove” here is really taste. Played very tightly and doesn’t wander too much. The “Weekapaug” is really slow though but makes a nice dance tune here. “Fluffhead” is strong as usual. “Contact” gets cut in the middle adding to my though that this tape is pieced together. We get a Gamehendge two-fer of “AC/DC” and “Wilson” that’s good. “You Enjoy Myself” never goes out there but again is super tight. The level of interplay is getting closer to what made the band legendary. The highlight here is “Harpua”. Trey tries to get the whole crowd into the intro, teaching them the oom-pa-pa and hand gestures. The song is a classic Harpua, with the perfect storytelling from Trey about Harpua’s search for raw flesh and finding Jimmy’s cat named, the cat whose name is, the cat who was known as…POSTER NUTBAG! The fight ensues and as always, Poster is dead. Real passion in this version that makes it fun. There’s a “Foam” tacked on the end but I think that that is filler from another show and not an encore.
Phish would continue to have a stage in Burlington until 1992, taking residence at the larger Front, eventually playing more gigs there than Nectar’s but Nectar’s importance in the first 5 years of the band will never be understated. Unlike the Front, which was Phish polished, Nectar’s allowed the band to find their sound and style in a way that is not usually how the industry works. The band said it best in the liner notes of their 1992 album A Picture of Nectar:
“Eight and a half years ago, we played our first bar gig at Nectar’s in Burlginton. Nectar Rorris, the proprietor, was happy to give us a gig despite out lack of experience, organization, or a song list long enough to last two sets. The night went well enough and soon we were playing a series of monthly three night stands – three sets a night on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Like countless other bands in Burlington’s diverse music scene, those nights at Nectar’s taught us how to play. We dedicate this album to Nectar Rorris for 16 years of bringing Burlington live music every night of the week with no cover and the best fries this side of…France.”
Thanks to Nectar and new owner Chris, and former owner Damon for being the cornerstone of Burlington’s music scene. Here’s to 40 years of Nectar’s and hopefully 40 more!
Part of what’s weird about history is what survives the years. Sometimes it’s the obvious things like the Rosetta Stone or The Magna Carta. Sometimes it’s President Harding’s pajamas or an ancient chamberpot. It is in the evidence of these stunning finds that we are presented with what we have from this show at Nectar’s on March 12, 1989. It doesn’t have any standout jams or even real bustouts. It has one theatrical debut that some might say is the ‘real” beginning of the Fishman song tradition and then it has probably one of the oddest moments of Phish history on tape. We get a well-played but boring Mike’s Groove, though it was enough for Fish to allegedly break his snare drum. This evolves into a cover of “If I Only Had A Brain” as the delay and song choice is due to his error. Such a setup for a cover. These Fishman theatrics continue today, most recently with the “Dem Bones” cover setting up the “Suck to Blow” New Year’s gag. Rather than just have Fishman come out to do another Syd Barrett cover, this one has a script attached. A good precursor to the “Hold Your Head Up” tradition.
Then, we get “Alumni Blues” with the alternate lyrics. “Letter to Jimmy Page” goes off the rails when Phish has Eyeburn take the stage and perform one of their own “punk rock” songs that sounds like a terrible CBGB-era band. Just awful and complete time warp. This might have been popular in 1981 but 8 years later and you’re still doing that schtick, yikes. I don’t know who in Phish let this go down, let alone bug their show at the Front 5 days later, let alone that they could get a gig at the Front. Maybe they had a better songs in the catalog but that would not have gotten me to the Front that weekend. No other information about Eyeburn could be found online, the only links were to this show. It’d be interesting to know more about them and how they appeared this night. Also, how their performance survives 26 years later on a Phish tape. The rest of the set has no real highlights. This show can be important though because it would be the 1st show of the last 3-night stand at Nectar’s. The 2nd show remains uncirculated but we’ll have part of the last Nectar’s show next.
The Phishsonian Institute - Researching Phish's impact in the world-at-large 