My “Go To” Jam
Hampton (M. Yates)
Everyone has a go-to jam. It fits any mood you could ever be in, and you’ve listened to it lord knows how times in your life. It is the first piece of music you want to hear when you are glowing after a show, ready to conquer the world. It is the first piece of music you want to listen to after a hard day at work. It is the only piece of music you could never possibly get sick of, even if played on a loop in your head forever. It is that analog tape you wore out, that CD you never lost, and now it is forever stored on your computer, iPod, and phone. It is part of you; you feel the music more than listen to it—it just all fits. For me, there is only one answer to this scenario—the “Tweezer” from Auburn Hills ’97.
In a tour in which Phish navigated the stratosphere seemingly on auto pilot, this jam tops them all. For twenty-two minutes in 1997, Phish actualized a dream-turned-memory that will last forever. Following a musical path of larger-than-life-funk leading into cosmic psychedelia, the band sculpted a drop-dead masterpiece.
Hampton (T.Caine)
As the band stepped on stage for their second set in Detroit, they toyed with “Tweezer’s” opening lick before an extended drum roll—a la “Possum”—took them into the song. A version that contained many unique brushstrokes throughout its composed section got downright filthy the moment the jam opened. Page led into the open waters with a tweaked clav line and was joined by the brontosaurus-sized bass lines of Gordon. Trey hopped atop the methodical grooves with infectious wah-based rhythm licks. When Phish locks into grooves like this one, everything feels composed, like there is a master plan behind in all. Maybe Phish didn’t compose it, but the higher powers did, and they were just the messengers, because what transpired on this night was certainly touched by the divine.
The funk was as thick as ever, dripping from the rafters of The Palace like vines of a prehistoric jungle prehistoric. With machine-like precision, Phish threw down a groove session that holds up to any of that famed fall. By this point in the tour, their polished and nuanced “funk” had become a living and breathing entity all its own, every note fulfilling a specific purpose and holding mythological meaning. The music engulfed the arena and united all present in one collective consciousness.
Hampton (A.Kuroda)
Page and Trey laid down some effected textures and began a very gradual build out of the lockstep funk into a more futuristic milieu. Before the band took it out to another galaxy, however, they sat into one more funk pattern, climaxing the opening half of the jam in a classic ’97 guitar-scratching, stop-start groove. Directly following this, Trey played a lead melody that galloped the music outwards into the cosmos. As the band followed his celestial lead, Trey opened a wormhole with one majestic lick—and if you know this jam even slightly, you know the one I mean. Within a few minutes we had traveled from the Mesozoic era to place outside of space and time.
From here the music became poetry over which the bards of history would drool. Embarking on awe-inducing path of exploration, Phish transformed The Palace into an alternate, dimension of pure transcendence. Taking a turn for the dark and dramatic, the music harnessing every atom of energy in the building and beyond, transforming into seething odyssey of the unknown. The ensuing improv was the most powerful passage of music I have ever witnessed. Phish plunged the deepest of places within us all and never once missed a beat. The band put on a display that no other four humans on earth could even approach, echoing the soundtrack of the universe’s creation.
Hampton (J.Volkhausen)
As this colossal segment peaked, the band tore right into “Izabella” without wasting a breath. Whoa! We found ourselves smack in the middle of “Tweezabella,” a term that would live on forever in Phish lore. The ensuing “Izabella” produced the most full-on dance rhythms ever heard from the song, and the band would go on to create one of the greatest sets of their greatest tour.
I could listen to this “Tweezer” forever, and once started, it’s hard to stop before the end of the set because the band never did. But in those twenty-two minutes Phish took us on a journey of a lifetime. In a timeless moment that might as well have lasted twenty-two days, Phish bore their soul while touching ours in a spiritual exchange that defines the very ethos of what this is all about.
***
LISTEN NOW:
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/ph97-12-06d2t1.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/ph97-12-06d2t2.mp3]
What is your “go to ” jam? Respond in Comments!
=====
DOWNLOAD OF THE DAY:
4.1.86 Hunt’s “Festival of Fools,” Burlington, VT < TORRENT LINK
Phish circa 1986 (The Phish Book)
Let’s rewind 23 years to April Fools day 1986. Phish was still playing covers around Burlington, and writing songs that would become classics. Highlighting this April Fool’s Day show was the second set opening prank of “Help > Slip > Bag,” as well as early versions of “Harry Hood” “You Enjoy Myself,” “Icculus,” and “McGrupp.” Enjoy this slice of comedic history as we enter April, or in other words, one month closer to June.
I: Quinn the Eskimo, Have Mercy > Harry Hood > Dave’s Energy Guide, The Pendulum, Jam*, Icculus, You Enjoy Myself
II: Help on the Way > Slipknot! > AC/DC Bag, McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters, Alumni Blues, Dear Mrs. Reagan, Not Fade Away^
*With Zenzile, a poet from South Africa who may have been a student at Goddard College. ^Featured members of The Joneses, with whom Phish alternated sets.
Tags: 1997, Jams
maybe nobody has ever heard this from one of the most overlooked shows ever.
Mr. Completely. Salt Lake City 03.
I couldn’t agree more about the Palace Tweezer. It has long been my go to jam. Not only was it great to see the band in my home town, but the fact that they dropped this bomb made it one of the best concert experiences of my life.
For a full experience, listen to the entire jam which is Tweezer> Isabella> Jam> Twist> Piper. When you scrape your melted face of the floor, wash, rinse, repeat.
Argument could definitely be made that 12/6/97 set II trumps anything on the new box set.
I’ll still take Fukuoka ’00 set II as my favorite set of Phish ever played ( not including Cypress long set).
Another cool part of The Palace show on 12/6 was during set break a lot of the doors were opened and i could feel a welcome chill from the outside air. i said to my phriend, its gonna be cold cold cold! the degrees dropped inside, and so did THE Tweezer. ahhh, memories!
HANDS DOWN MY GO TO JAM IS HARRY HOOD FROM TOKYO 99 AT THE OUTDOOR THEATER, AMAZING!! GORGEOUS, YOU CAN EVEN HEAR A LITTLE TODDLER SCREAMING IN ECSTACY AND THE JAM ENSUES LIKE IT CAME FROM GOD ITSELF. NEXT IS RUNAWAY JIM FROM HOUSTON 99, UNBELIEVEABLE!
Wow- i found myself thinking of this post yesterday, and went back and retrieved this list of recommendations and sorted em. For anyone interested:
Antelope – Tinley Park 93
Antelope 12.29.97 (for the post 95 ones)
Antelope from 10-24-95
8/14/93 Antelope > sparks > walk away > have mercy > antelope
8-11-04 Antelope > 2001
10-31-98 Weekapaug
12-31-95 Weekapaug
4/3/98 Weekapaug
weekapaug – 4.3.98
Halley’s Comet from 11/22/97
Halley’s->Poor Heart – 12-31-93
Halley’s>NICU>Slave 12-14-95 Binghampton
12.7.99 Halley’s
12-1-95 DWD
12/1/95 DWD
2-17-97 DWD->Carini->Taste->DWD
2) DWD – 8-16-96 (BALL) – JUST FUCKIN’ RIPPING!!
down with disease – 3.8.09
DWD 2-21-97
DWD – Patriot Center 94
DWD 8-6-96
DWD>Free 6/26/95
12-11-97 DWD
DWD Deer Creek 2000.
dwd>mikes from the walnut creek 97
7.22.97 set Dwd > Mikes
Mike>H2o>Weekepaug from 11/22/97
Mikes > Paug 7-17-98
12/31/95 Mike’s
mike’s song – 12.31.95 & 7.22.97
MIKES: 10/25/95, 08/13/96 Creek, 11/06/96 Knox
1. 12-31-95 Mikes Groove
Mike’s > Simple from the Clifford Ball
12.31.95 Mike’s
Mike’s – Slip Stich and Pass
12/30/93 Mike’s
Bowie – IT
7/30/97 Bowie > Cities > Bowie
6/18/94 Peaches > Mind Left Body > Bowie
5. 6-95 David Bowie Jones Beach
02.16.03: David Bowie > Catapult > David Bowie
Bowie – 6-18-94
Bowie 11/26/94 11/29/94
Bag from 8-13-96
12.30.97 ACDC Bag
12-7-97 Bag> Psycho Killer>Jesus
Bag > Another One Bites the Dust 9.14.99
8-3-97 Twist > JJLC, Limb
twist – 6.14.00
4/3/98 twist
12/6/97 Twist
6.20.04 Twist
Fukouoka Twist ’00
HARRY HOOD TOKYO 99
Harry Hood 12.30.95- changed my life
Hood 10/23/94
3-31-93Hood
harry hood – 7.31.03
10.20.94 Hood
HOOD: 11/22/97 Hampton, 12/30/95 MSG
Hood – Hampton Comes Alive
Harry Hood – ALO
3. Clifford Ball Harry Hood
12.30.95 Hood
2. 10-96 Harry Hood
Harry > Weekapaug – Vegas 96
8.17.97 Bathtub
11.29.98 Bathtub
12.7.99 Bathtub
97 Gin>Makisupa>AC/DC Bag from Big D
6.23.00 lakewood gin
11/9/98 Gin
Holmdel Gin
Bathtub Gin (ventura 1998)
Gin 6/28/00
bathtub gin – 7.29.98, 10.7.00, 2.22.03 & 7.9.03
9-12-99 Bathtub Gin
Real Gin from 12-29-95.
7-21-98 Bathtub Gin
11.29.98 Bathtub
12.7.99 Bathtub
Gin 7-20-98
11-17-97 Tweezer
11.23.94 Tweezer
Tweezer 12/31/98
5-7-94 Tweezer>Sparks, Dallas Jam”>Tweezer Reprise
tweezer – 7.10.99
TWEEZER: 02/20/97 Milan
2-28-03 Tweezer
6/24/00 Tweezer
Fox ’94 Tweezer
12/95 Champaign Tweezer>Makisupa>BBFCFM
7-15-98 Tweezer>California Love>Tweezer.
12-06-97 Tweezer>Izabella>Twist>Piper
Nassau Tweezer > SSP
GHOST: 07/23/97, 11/17/97, 11/28/97.
Ghost 7-23-1997
Ghost Portland ’99
12\2\97 ghost
5-22-00 Ghost Radio City
Ghost 8.2.98
11/17/97 Ghost
7/23/97 Ghost
Ghost 12/2/97
Ghost 7-19-98
ghost –8.3.03
Boogie -> Ghost 6-26-04
7-2-98 Ghost
2001 – 4.4.98
2001 – 9-29-99 Memphis or Cinci 03
2001 from 7-17-98
2001 plattsburgh
2001-sleeo-coil-Fukouoka 00
Chalkdust – 12/31/95
Chalkdust – IT
7-10-99 Chalkdust
Chalkdust > Moma from 3/1/03
11-02-96 Crosseyed>Antelope
crosseyed and painless – 7.29.03 (hands down, but that’s cause it totally converted me)
Crosseyed and painless > Antelope 11-02-1996
CROSSEYED: 02/16/97 Cologne
Divided Sky – 7-21 -91 – Arrowhead – GCH baby!
Divided Sky 6-18-94
drowned – 9.14.00
8-28-93 Fluffhead Antelope YEM
7/24/99 Alpine Valley “Fluffhead”
6. 6-95 Fluffhead
7/24/99Fluffhead > Jam
Reba – 10/21/95
Reba – Clifford Ball
reba – 6.29.94, 10.21.95, 8.17.96 & 8.2.03
Reba 10.31.94
Reba 12.31.93
Reba 7.6.94 Montreal (ed.) !!! Not sure this has been said!!!
REBA from Deer Creek 06/19/95!
REBA: 06/19/95
4) REBA – 7-16-98 – GORGE @ SUNSET
5.16.95 Reba
3-31-93 Reba,
12.31.95 reba
10-31-94 Reba
10-18-94 Reba
Clifford Ball Reba
IT reba
Slave Clifford Ball
Slave to the Traffic Light – ALO
6.15.95 Slave
stash – 12.31.03
Stash>Manteca>Stash from 11/14/95
7-2-97 Stash
The 11/14/95 Stash
11/30/97 Stash > Free
Vegas 10/30/98 Stash > Manteca > Tweezer
tube – 4.2.98 & 12.30.03
Tube – 6-26-94
Tube (bonner Springs 1998)
Tube 12/7/97
tube from 12.29.97
gotta jibboo – 2.20.03, 7.29.03 & 12.28.03
Gotta Jibboo star lake 03
9-29-99 Jiboo>2001>DWD
Wolfman’s Brother (Alpine 2000)
Wolfman’s from 1997.03.01
Wolfman’s- Slip Stich and Pass
11/30/97 Wolfman’s
1) Wolfman’s Bro – 3-1-97 (SSAP) – DOWNRIGHT NASTY
Wolfman’s 11/30/97
7/13/03 wolfman’s>Jesus
yem – 10.31.95, 12.31.95, 11.17.97 & 4.5.98
yem – 7.30.03 & 12.1.03
YEM – ALO – because that shit is just too damn funky.
YEM 12/29/96 (Rotation), 10/18/96
YEM from Red Rocks 06.11.94
YEM:06/11/94, 11/28/97, 07/24/96 Hanover.
12-9-95 YEM
11-17-97 Yem
6-11-94 YEM
Coil 12-31-92
Squirming Coil – ALO
1999-12-31 (day): Split Open & Melt -> Catapult
SOAM 7-2-97
SOAM from 12.31.93
SPLIT OPEN: 11/09/96, 06/14/00
simple – 12.6.96 & 2.20.03
11/18/96 Simple
12-7-94:Simple->’pult->Simple
Free – Clifford Ball
Free – Brooklyn 04
suzy – 12.28.03
Suzy G-gerg > G-berg reprise jam (Darien Lake 2000)
SUZY G’s from Darien9-14-00
SUZY+Jam: 09/14/00 Darien, 11/13/96 Minneapolis
walls 2/14/03 2/22/03
Walls of the cave deer creek 04
Walls of the Cave, check out the SPAC 6/19/04
waves 11/28/03 6/20/04
Waves from IT
spices>waves from 7.10.03
MAZE 10/18/96
Maze 6/18/94
6/19/04 SPAC piper
Piper – 6/19/04
piper – 7.31.03 & 12.2.03 (!)
piper > 2001 (3-1-2003)…..classic go to jam!
roses are free – 4.3.98 & 12.31.99
TASTE: 07/22/97
10-31-98 Sweet Jane
11.2.98 – on the run, tube, moma, yem…
2.17.97 Carini
8-96 Divided Sky
46 days>possum 6.17.04
6-18-04 Moma -> Free
6.14.00 – cities
7.15.98 – Roggae
7.21.99 My Left Toe
8.11.98 Runaway Jim
9-11-99 Sand
9/22/2000 Meatstick>Antelope
97 Timber from Austin
a song i heard the ocean sing – 6.19.04
April 16, 1992 Famous Mockingbird”
Cities Deer Creek ’97
Fly Famous Mockingbird – NYE 95
Forbins -> Mock – 12-30-94
GUMBO: 06/14/00 Fukuoka
guy forget – 10.1.00
Izabella 6.6.97
Jesus Left Chicago 12-7-97
Julius Umass 93
Limb By Limb Great Went
my left toe – 7.21.99
pebbles – 2/20/03 8/3/03
Pebbles and Marbles – IT
Prince caspian 7-12-2000
rock and roll – 12.31.99 & 12.2.03
sand – 9.30.00
Sanity – Hampton Comes Alive
Scents – 7.30.03
scents and subtle sounds – 7.30.03
seven below – 2.20.03
Sneakin’ Sally Jam 7/7/99
Zero > 2001 11.26.97 Hartford
the deep-space jam after waves – 8.2.03 (!!)
the tower jam – 8.3.03 (!!!)
My Go to Jam would have to be the Japan Twist. I love how they drop in & out of the Vocal portion quickly & right into a Jam, that I’m my mind just works. It’s not for every one. But for me it’s my Live Dead ” DarkStar”.