The Palace Tweezer—Twenty Years Later
My Actual Ticket Stub—12.6.97
Twenty years later and I can still remember everything about that night—where I was, who I was with, what I was wearing. They say that live music can change your life, and that is exactly what happened to me on the sixth of December in 1997. On this night, something momentous happened. A piece of music harnessed from the outer realms of the universe came down through the instruments of a band from Vermont and transformed The Palace of Auburn Hills into a place of worship. On this night, we received “The Palace Tweezer.”
This jam is hands down, far and away, my favorite piece of music ever created by mankind. And it’s not even close. The Palace Tweezer has it all—the grimiest, subliminally connected funk grooves, a passage of ascension into spiritual realms of sound and soul, and an indescribable section of musical wizardry that I suspect was the soundtrack of the universe’s creation. The entire piece unfolds like poetry without a moment of hesitation, as if the music already existed—perfectly composed—and the band just allowed it to come through them. It seems impossible that a piece of improvised music so immaculate, so powerful, and so utterly dynamic could be generated by human beings on the fly.
I cannot begin to guess how many times I have listened to this jam over the past twenty years, but it sounds every bit as good today as it did when I got the analog copy sometime after tour. It has not lost a drop of freshness or power. The Palace Tweezer is a part of the fabric of my existence. Though I know the piece by heart, the feelings it produces on each and every listen are no less stirring than on the day I heard it.
Though Phish crafted so many sections of “funk” that fall, none approach the nuanced, four-minded mastery on display in this jam. The band members finish each other’s musical sentences, speaking as one entity rather than individual musicians. These grooves have a life of their own—locked in doesn’t begin to describe it.
The band gradually and ever so smoothly builds from these opening dance rhythms into a section of improvisation that opens a wormhole in space-time, allowing the music—and the Palace—to slip into an alternate dimension. This passage gives me chills every time I listen to it. Literally. Every time. Trey hits a lick in here that elevates the possibilities of the entire jam, and the band is right with him. From this point forward in the jam, words fail me. The music is beyond linguistic expression—a deeper magic from before the dawn of time.
I truly believe that the band communed with the divine while playing this jam. It is not far fetched, as we are all individual manifestations of the one divine energy of the universe. We are the universe awakening to itself and expressing itself as human beings for a short blip of time. Life is but a process of remembering not who we are, but what we are. Yet, because we are in human form, we are not in always in touch with this higher truth. But on that Saturday night in December, twenty years ago, Phish was not only in touch with it, they channelled this truth through music, through themselves and, subsequently, through everyone in the room.
It is this process that makes transcendent Phish jams such incomparably powerful experiences. This is the reason we keep going back—to remember and experience our truth. The Palace Tweezer is the greatest expression of my personal truth that I have ever heard. It is primordial music, an oracle of the infinite, telling a story of our past, present and future all at once.
Today—twenty years later—I will listen to the The Palace Tweezer again, and I will smile with awe and wonder, just as I did when the lights came on, oh so long ago.
Tags: 1997, Jams, The Moment
Check out Mindhunter Stoney. Only one season but pretty interesting. Also see the movie Split. It’s a real mind fuck.
Jimmy John McHerring tour is buckets of the most tasteful shred
The good place, Stoney. A comedy that thinks. I like it
Df: it’s not this one
thanks ya’ll
phishm i did start that mind hunter on a netflix date that fizzled. maybe fire that one back up
finished up Mindhunter last week. i did enjoy it, but i kept waiting for it to get even better. interesting show for sure.
mind hunter also fizzles all my dates
@realoutcasty it’s a setup for season 2
Df! LOLOL. My love life is a train wreck with Trey ripping whale induced solos as my soundtrack to the Crash and Burn.
anywhooooo, anyone going to Emerald Cup in Santa Rosa this weekend?
We just finished season 2 of The Americans-there are 5 seasons up on Prime. It’s about undercover Soviet spies in the U.S. near end of Cold War in 1981.
Case, season 3’s been better then 2 for Mr Robot.
anywhere to get season 3 for free, lilUmb?
Enjoyed season 1 way more than season 2, but got through season 2 regardless.
For your next chill session: Miles’ Blue Moods album.
Why? Pre Kind Of Blue , but getting there. And it’s trombone and vibes instead of sax and piano. (w/ miles , bass and drums)
just watched that Andy & Jim doc on Netflix. pretty great. Jim Carey has def gotten philosophical, and frankly makes a lot of sense to me. he’s a pretty incredible actor.
Stoney – have you watch the OA? That’s a pretty f’n crazy show. i loved it. but man it’s weird.
If that text doesn’t work, you might have to torrent it.
ROC, great doc. Awesome to see behind the curtain.
OA? been eyeing that one.
Mindhunter is a slow burn show. Def not full of action or shocks
The Punisher – latest Marvel Netflix show is pretty good. I especially liked the fact that no one has super powers. Not Daredevil & Jennifer Jones level but better than Luke Cage. I skipped Iron Fist entirely
Anyone check out the new German mystery, Dark, on Netflix? It’s on our list
And my std go-to fav recs:
The Americans – soviet spies in 1980s Washington. I never noticed Keri Russell till now. She’s terrific along with her character’s husband. Just finished season 5. Never thought they’d dig so deep into the characters
Vikings – so much bloody fun
Broadchurch – moody U.K. crime show. One long story arc per season (looking forward to the new final 3rd season)
Sharp 30 min British comedies: Fleabag, Catastrophe, Chewing Gum
Turn – well made slow burner about spies during American Revolution
Will we finally get a proper 2017 Tweezer at MSG?
The OA left me very mixed. Points for weirdness fo’sure. I couldn’t stop watching even as I was very dissatisfied with some parts. Sequel coming
But I loved Amazon’s x-files like The Kettering Incident, filmed in Tasmania
Somewhat refreshing but very B grade grindhouse type flick you’ll have to pay for on Amazon: Brawl in Cell Block 99 starring Vince Vaughn
Seriously, The Good Place is unique among comedies. Try to watch season 1 without reading anything about it at all
Been watching Cowboy Bebop. Not an anime guy but that show was killer. Bounty hunter noir in space with a hard swinging jazz soundtrack
don’t forget the quad C Halley’s from this date in ’99
Godless was great, IMO
really liked Punisher. and you’re right Sumo, OA was weird like that. at times i was wondering why i’m watching, but i couldn’t pull away.
stapes, been wanting to pull trigger on Godless. thx for rec.
is 12/7 I overrated? I can never decide.
Is 12/7 II worst 2nd set of tour?
Jtran. Way too much filler and Jennifer dances fall 99 to label any one thing “worst”
What we do know: it doesn’t stack up well to fall ‘97