Not Your Every Day Prank – 8.14.97
It was under the circus tents of Darien Lake that the Pranksters met the Phish. Psychedelic worlds collided eleven years ago today, as Acid Test pioneers Ken Kesey and Ken Babbs made their infamous appearance amidst “Colonel Forbin’s” looking for the Bozos. It was an odd night in Gamehendge, as the Colonel would not find the mighty Icculus, but rather, Uncle Sam in the form of Ken Kesey. For many young fans, this was merely an odd occurrence; but for those who understood the significance of the silly skit, it was a nod from the older generation that we, Phish and all of us, were carrying the psychedelic torch of the ’60s. And we were doing it right.
Amidst his foolery, Kesey said that the Bozos had been missing for two years (since Jerry died in 1995) but now they were found on Phish tour. Coming from the Merry Prankster, himself, the LSD pioneer who defined a generation and a movement- it was an amazing stamp of approval at a time when many Deadheads refused to give in to the power of the Phish. As absurd as the skit was, with Kesey calling up his friends the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and Frankenstein to help find the Bozos, and regardless of whether they stayed on stage a bit too long, it all bore so much significance in counter-culture history. The scenes which had stayed separate and segmented for so long had now symbolically come together in the most classic way. Phish were the modern day Pranksters, and on our way to Limestone, our ultimate psychedelic playground, for the first time- nothing could be have been so fitting.
This was all within a stellar Phish show on August the 14th, 1997, at the end of a long summer tour showcasing raw funk jams and adventurous improv. This summer was the onset of the the next stage in Phish’s musical evolution. Starting in June in Europe, and on the verge of culmination in Limestone, Phish’s funk revolution was almost complete. With expectations of The Great Went through the roof after The Clifford Ball had redefined what a concert could be just a summer earlier, some thought Darien might represent the calm before the storm. Yet, after witnessing a standout show amongst a summer full of standout shows, fans’ shit-eating grins could not have been bigger on the scenic drive up to Limestone.
The centerpiece of this show was the transcendent, then exploratory, mid-second set “Harry Hood.” Trey played original and surreal melodies from the opening lick of the Hood jam, as if he was delicately telling a fable to a young child. As the band provided the perfect improvisational chugging support, Trey really took this one to the top with non-repetitive soul-searching lead melodies that exploded at the peak of the jam. Yet, as the band sat in the post-lyrical peak, the song didn’t end. Instead, Mike began playing deep bass lines over the sonic residue, and Trey soon picked up with a completely new and complimentary guitar line. They were tapped in. And what resulted was one of the most unique and tight segments of Phish improvisation I have ever heard. Out of the peak of Hood?! That Hood!? This was bliss. The whole band dove head first into this post-Hood jam, and came up with something for the annals of Phish history.
The hugely heavy drop into “Colonel Forbin’s” immediately cemented this as a special show, and the Bozos hadn’t even arrived yet. As Kesey tried to lead the band into “Mockingbird” turning his rap to “a Bozo-bird,” Trey wouldn’t allow it, “the funk was too deep,” and the heavy slow funk they had been backing the skit with smoothly morphed into a rare appearance of “Camel Walk.” An immaculate Taste followed as a soaring end to the evening before Phish encored a classic show with a classic encore: Bouncin, Rocky Top.
At the end of a magical summer, this was a show that was bigger than the music. And the music was flawless. I haven’t even mentioned the first set, but you can see the setlist below; it was as good as it looks. As the sun peaked over the New England mountains, and our car trudged up the map to the corner of America, everything was in the right place.
08/14/97 Darien Lake P.A.C., Darien Center, NY
Set I: Ya Mar, Funky Bitch, Fluffhead, Limb By Limb, Free, Cars Trucks Buses, Tela, Train Song, Billy Breathes, Run Like An Antelope
Set II: Chalkdust Torture, Love Me, Sparkle , Harry Hood > Colonel Forbin’s Ascent >Merry Pranksters Bozo Madness > Camel Walk, Tatse
E: Bouncing Around the Room, Rocky Top
man your site is becoming a daily ritual for me. Your writing transcends the energy and greatness of the phish experience, props to you. I also love that you put up the music to go along with your thoughts. That HOOD is sick.
I always get sort of sad during August cause of all the great times with phish I have had in the past which is non-existent now. Hopefully next summer we can all be there once again. How about the following year at the Lemonwheel that ambient set was so cool.
i was still in jail in indiana for this one:( deercreek’d
Thank you Mr. Miner,
Your blog is also becoming a regular stop for me. Your writing revives those familiar chills that use to travel up and down my spine. I mean I have been amped up for the with all the Phish talk recently, but your are puuting my (and many others, I’m sure) excitement into eloquent words. Keep it up!!!!
BOOOOZZOOOOO!!!!!
8.14.1997. I vividly remember wearing a tie-dyed Ben and Jerry’s t shirt. This was my third Phish concert. I met my older brother there. I might have been one of the “younger fans” that Miner speaks of. This night solidified Phish as the pre-eminent force in my life at the time. I had never been so moved by a piece of music as I was by this Hood. Listening to it this morning after reading Miner’s post was simply spine tingling. Its difficult to describe in words (thank you Mr.Miner) the way that Hood makes me feel. It single handedly lifted me from a difficult period in my young life and capped so much emotional turmoil with the enthralling feeling of living without boundaries. This Hood was sort of my template for what a Hood experience could be ; in a sense I was always chasing this experience, reliving this moment each time they would drop into the jam. So I thank you Mr. Miner for those tickets we see at the top of the page.
And I would like to second how downright “heavy” and deep the drop into Forbins is. There is no other segue into Forbins like this one. It makes the song feel so goddamn important.
This is the first time I’ve had the privilege to read your blog but it couldn’t have been a better day to be introduced. Indeed, 8/14/07 was one of the single best shows I saw and for that matter, nights of my life…despite one of my buddies losing the car keys during the second set!
small hood!
Anyone know where I can get a copy of this show. Was my first…Had the tapes back in the day…
drop me a line..
rcmiller@millerhardwood.com
Thanks!!
You can download it in mp3 form at phishows.com. There is a link on the side of the page under the “Links” section.
cheers.
You speak of the fragmented and separated worlds coming together and this was indeed a HUGE step…major, major, major
It came together for me earlier on the same tour – the shout out to Garcia from Trey during the Weekapaug from Shoreline and the walls began to crumble.
The jam that comes out of Hood is my all time favorite, it is a MUST hear for any phan
My first show!! I was hooked!
Astonishing show from start to finish. Got to meet Ken Kesey in the lot by his bus before the show. Who could have guessed that he would come out during the show. I was the only one in my crew that had a ticket for the show, so I found a spot half way up the lawn and sat down. Then two girls pulled up a spot next to me, and we got to talking. Where you from blah blah blah. I originally hail from the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Palatine to be exact (go Fremd Vikings) and wouldn’t you know those two sweeties next to me were from Elk Grove, about twenty minutes away. That is what I love about touring, meeting people from near and far. See y’all at The Creek & Alpine
words will NEVER do justice in attempting to explain how i feel about this show…it often crosses my mind that without ken kesey there would have been no grateful dead (at least in the respect that we know them) and, thus, most likely no spawning of the “scene” to which most of us were drawn and now belong…at the time i was convinced that after this show there was NOTHING phish could have done in limestone to top it (and i was right)….hence, i GAVE AWAY my tickets to the went…what’s most astounding is that this show was already “epic” after the first set….at least for me….for my phishy palette, there wasn’t a single throw away tune in the opening stanza—selection or playing wise….i was and still am a fan of each one of those tunes and these particular versions are either at or near the top of that particular dittie’s pantheon…without question, it was the “antelope” that put the i-already-got-my-money’s-worth first set over the top; forget face and/or mind, this “antelope” melted my entire being right on down to my very soul…..and then there was the second set!!!!!!….it’s frustratingly pointless to try and convey the “passing of the torch’ ceremony….being equal part deadophile and aphishionado, lets just say TEARS of JOY!!!!!!!!!….if you’ve not yet heard this show do your aural apperati a favor and DO IT NOW!!!!…..granted, like the millenium show (which i did not attend—-although i DID have tickets :(), 8-14-97 was extra, extra, EXTRA special for those who were lucky enough to be in attendance but musically this show still stands out as one of, if not THE show of definitely the summer tour and quite possibly that entire breakthrough year
This was my first show!! and WHoa what a show!! I remember Ken Kesey doing his thing… and just blown away on so many levels.. I’ve been hooked ever since..!