Before Phish embarked on their Fall Tour in 1998, they played a variety of gigs leading up to The Greek Theatre. Phish first stopped at Farm Aid, in Chicago, a one set show that saw Neil young sit in for the second half of the set. From there, the band played an intimate show at San Francisco’s legendary Fillmore Auditorium, featuring an extensively jammed first set and a more concise second. Finally, Phish played two acoustic sets at Shoreline Amphitheatre as part of Neil Young’s Bridge School Benefit. The first night saw Neil join the band for “Harry Hood > Helpless,” and the second saw vocalist Sarah McClaughlin sit in for multiple tracks.
Birds of Feather, Farmhouse, Moma Dance, Runaway Jim* > Arc** > Down By the River***, Moonlight in Vermont#, Will the Circle Be Unbroken##, Amazing Grace, Uncloudy Day
*Neil Young came out, plugged in, and started playing just prior to the final chorus. **Members of the Neil Young newsgroup are labeling this jam as “Arc” (“Arc” is the name of a sound collage culled from performances on Neil’s 1991 tour and released as a companion to the “Weld” live album). ***26 minutes. # w/ Willie Nelson and Paul Schaffer; Nelson on lead vocals. ##Joined by four Native Americans.
I: Ghost, Water in the Sky, Wolfman’s Brother, Gumbo, David Bowie, Brian and Robert, Reba > Character Zero
II:My Soul, Chalkdust Torture, Roggae, The Moma Dance, Wading in the Velvet Sea, Prince Caspian, Frankie Says, Birds of a Feather, Lawn Boy, Harry Hood
E: Dirt, Limb by Limb
Source: AKG 414 (hyper)->Sonosax and AKG CK-61 caps->JK Labs DVC mixed into a Roland MX-5->SBM-1
Carolina*, Sleep**, Never**#, Possum, I’m Blue I’m Lonesome***, Freebird##, Driver**, Wading in a Velvet Sea, Harry Hood^ > Helpless^^
All songs were played acoustic *A cappella, with backs to the audience, facing the children of the Bridge School who were seated on risers behind the stage. **First time played (original). #Title uncertain. ***Mike on banjo; Page on bass. ##A cappella; last played 06-19-94, 337 shows earlier. ^Unfinished; Neil Young joined Phish on stage (on guitar). ^^First time played; with Neil Young.
Hello My Baby*, Billy Breathes, Piper, Roggae, Loving Cup, Albuquerque, The Old Home Place**, Guyute, Brian and Robert, Sad Lisa#, Four Strong Winds##, I Shall be Released^
*A capella, backs to the audience, facing the children of the Bridge School who were seated on risers behind the stage. **Page on bass; Mike on banjo. #First time played (Cat Stevens) ; Trey and Sarah McLachlan on vocals. ##First time played (Ian Tyson song which appears on the Neil Young album “Comes a Time”); Sarah McLachlan and Neil Young on vocals. ^First time played (Bob Dylan); Page, Neil, and Trey each took a verse; Sarah McLachlan on guitar.
Source: Schoeps CCM4 > Aerco > SBM
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Before Phish embarked on their Fall Tour in 1998, they played a variety of gigs leading up to The Greek Theatre. Phish first stopped at Farm Aid, in Chicago, a one set show that saw Neil young sit in for the second half of the set. From there, the band played an intimate show at …
Once in a while, Phish will play a jam where every note falls in the right place. Fluid and flowing in the subconscious state, the band becomes a model of musical efficiency, using each note with intention; nothing is superfluous. The music is channeled directly from the source, untouched by human error. Each tone, texture or sound has a purpose, and there is no part of the jam that isn’t completely coherent. When all four members peak together for twenty minutes, the results can be glorious. A jam can- no doubt- be outstanding without this level of perfection, yet every now and again a version of a song pops off in such a way, leaving you amazed that four humans just created it. There are many examples of this phenomenon, and 12.29.98’s “YEM” is one of them.
Punctuating arguably the best set of the ’98 New Years Run, Phish morphed into a robotically-precise groove machine, transforming Madison Square Garden into an all-out, end of the year, dance party. This “YEM,” from its first note to its last, never missed a beat; a model of collaboration. With communication like none other, this version sounded like you were listening to a record.
The initial composed portion was played almost impeccably, at a pace where every note of every arpeggio could be heard with crystal clarity. Moving into the blissed out soundscape- the calm before the storm- the band never faltered, providing divine harmonies, yet moving through the passage with direction and a subtle sense of urgency. As Phish moved into the next compositional segment, followed by the song’s mid-point build, they were firing on full throttle, without getting ahead of themselves for a second. The pace of their playing was discernibly patient, yet fierce at the same time. As Mike played a series of melodic lines behind Trey’s massive sustained peak, The Garden was cleared for take off- and that is exactly what it did.
From the initial funk drop though the end of the song, the band’s playing was flawless. Moving through the lyrical segment and Page’s solo during the trampoline section, the band was clearly locked in and ready to explode. And then Trey and Mike jumped off. Communicating with mind-bending efficiency, the ensuing jam sounded completely rehearsed.
Fall ’98 (Unk)
Beginning a clinic in Phish grooves, Trey initiated a crack-style rhythm pattern that Mike immediately backed with “The Way I Feel’s” bass line. As the band moved into the jam, every member’s phrases were offered as complements to each others’, clearly listening as hard as they were playing. Collectively switching patterns at the drop of a hat, or more literally a single snare hit, the band progressed through a catalog of dance patterns. The music jumped from the stage with such vitality as a living breathing entity. Dynamic and bursting with a controlled energy, this version showcased the band not only at the climax of a standout show, but at the end one of the peak years of their career.
Artistically building out of the funk, the jam gained a head of steam, driving forward like a freight train, with every member crushing it while fitting together like a jigsaw puzzle. Page’s lines leapt from his grand piano, Trey painted colorful strokes across Mike’s oddly melodic musings while Fish surfed a wave of precise beats and incredibly tight rhythms.
The peak and the post-peak sections maintained 100% engagement by all, and were good to the absolute last drop. With each band member at the top of their game, this version of their seminal piece provided a snapshot of what 1998 Phish grooves were all about. An archetype of efficiency, this “YEM” represents the type of jam that emerges when everything clicks and no notes are wasted.
Taking it back exactly 16 years, here we have a SBD memoir of Phish’s performance on this day in 1993. In Chicago, the band threw down a hot show, with a big “Mike’s Groove” strewn with humor, darkness, and an interlude of “Great Gig In the Sky” holding down the second set. In addition, local blues artist, and multiple-time Phish guest, Sugar Blue, joined the band for the final four songs of the second set.
I: Runaway Jim, Weigh, Sparkle, Split Open and Melt, The Squirming Coil, My Friend My Friend, Uncle Pen, Chalk Dust Torture, Lawn Boy, David Bowie
II: Lengthwise > Maze, Bouncing Around the Room, Rift, Glide, Big Ball Jam, Mike’s Song > Great Gig in the Sky > Weekapaug Groove, Funky Bitch*, Help Me*, Hoochie Coochie Man*, Cavern*
E: Amazing Grace, Good Times Bad Times
*With Sugar Blue on harmonica and vocals.
Once in a while, Phish will play a jam where every note falls in the right place. Fluid and flowing in the subconscious state, the band becomes a model of musical efficiency, using each note with intention; nothing is superfluous. The music is channeled directly from the source, untouched by human error. Each tone, texture …
“I’m heading to see some concerts. You ever heard of Phish?”
“Fish? Country Joe and the Fish?”
“No, just Phish- with a PH, not an F. Have you heard of the Grateful Dead?”
“You mean Jerry Garcia and those guys? The hippies? ‘Touch of Grey?’”
“Yeah, them. Well, Phish are sort of like them. They tour extensively, never repeating a show, and they improvise on almost all their songs. But their music is very different.”
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If you’ve ever tried to discuss Phish with an innocent bystander over the past couple decades, odds are your conversation went something like this. Virtually impossible to describe to someone who has never heard of them, the Grateful Dead was often your first attempted reference point. Generally people understood this comparison, and since their inception it was this constant comparison to the Grateful Dead that pigeonholed Phish as just another hippie band.
The comparison had validity on many levels, as both bands centered their shows around improvisation. Phish inherited the Dead’s counter-culture that originated in the 1960s and carried it into the next millennium. Phish were seen as the “new” Grateful Dead- thousands of fans would follow them around the country, hawking goods, creating impromptu parking lot parties, and living outside of mainstream society. Psychedelic exploration and self-discovery were ingrained in both scenes, causing American culture to view both groups of fans as fringe elements of society. “Those dirty hippies and their drugs!”- it was very easy to lump the Phish phenomenon in with the trail blazed by Garcia and the Dead.
Yet it was this comparison that Phish could never escape for most of the 1990s. While their music vastly differed from The Dead, this was often ignored in favor of the cultural similarities. The mainstream media failed to recognize the importance of Phish early on, and they were generally categorized as just another band with legions of dreadlocked, drop-out fans. Thus, Phish spent most of their early career steering their band as far away from The Grateful Dead as possible.
While The Dead were highly allegorical, using Americana folk myth and heartfelt storytelling to recount symbolic life lessons of an age gone by, Phish created a fantasy land called Gamehendge, formed their concert experience around wackiness and fun, and wrote songs about silly topics with unparalleled musicianship. The Grateful Dead’s music served as the spiritual soundtrack for a cultural movement, while Phish’s music adopted a more entertaining and light-hearted quality, centered on reinventing what was possible in the concert experience. Rooted in jazz improv rather than the folk and bluegrass building blocks of Dead music, Phish’s shows possessed a different kind of energy; a faster, quirkier pace squarely centered on mind-fucking fun. Without judging one band over the other, their show experiences were completely different, and this is what so many non-fans didn’t understand.
Ironically, Phish started as a cover band in college, playing many Grateful Dead songs. Self-avowed Dead fans, Phish played the music of their mentors, mirroring their songs while beginning to forge their own style. Yet, as the band began to grow, the Dead and Phish comparisons grew with them- something that Phish wanted to distance themselves from. No one wants to be thought of as a knockoff, and Phish certainly wasn’t, yet they had work to do to establish their independent legacy, separate from their ’60s predecessors. Thus in 1987, while still integrating the songs of other artists, they stopped covering the Grateful Dead. If one thing would keep Phish tied to The Dead, it would be playing their songs, therefore, as newly scribed songs were added to the band’s catalog, the Dead covers slipped away.
Over the course of the next decade, Phish would continue to forge their own scene, yet the comparisons never stopped. Especially before 1995, when The Dead’s career came to a sudden halt, many jaded Deadheads and the mainstream media saw Phish as Dead imitators. But anyone who knew Phish at this time understood that any similarities between the bands centered on the fan culture and parking lot scene; once inside, the concert experiences were wholly different. Sure, both bands had psychedelic light shows and improvised like fiends, but that’s where the similarities ended.
Phish’s music was so different than The Dead’s music that the constant comparisons seemed absurd. But these overly-general connections continued, and consequently, the band kept Dead covers, and even songs whose sound resembled The Dead, at arms reach. During the early ’90s, Phish battled to stay separate from these categorizations, and in the late ’90s, the band finally established their own legacy in the eyes of music fans and the music industry. Once The Grateful Dead were gone, Phish willingly inherited their rightful crown as heads of modern hippie culture.
It was at this time that many Dead fans shunned Phish, refusing to “give in” to any other improvisational unit. Others happily crossed over, realizing the power and uniqueness of Phish, while some fans remained in no-man’s land, refusing to commit one way or the other. Yet by the time 1998 rolled around, Phish had carved out their own musical niche, and achieved recognition for their own virtuosic music.
During the summer of 1998, Phish went on a rampage of busting out one-time covers of their favorite songs. Zeppelin’s “Ramble On,” Velvet Underground’s “Sweet Jane,” Jane’s Addiction’s “Been Caught Stealing,” Smashing Pumpkins’ “Rhinoceros,” and The Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” were some of the entertaining pieces that Phish featured during July and August. But late on the night of August 9th, things would change forever.
Phish had just finished a tremendous set in Virginia Beach, featuring a summer highlight in “AC/DC Bag,” and smoking versions of “Antelope” and “YEM.” Although there had been a buzz earlier in the day about the third anniversary of Jerry’s passing and what might happen, nothing had materialized musically. The same rumors floated around Alpine Valley the summer before on August 9th to no avail. Thus all anyone expected was a conventional encore before heading north to Star Lake. Yet what was coming was anything but routine.
As Phish retook the stage for the last song of the night, wide-eyed fans mulled about clapping and killing the moments before Phish restarted. As the band readied themselves, the crowd quieted, and then, like a dream that could simply not be real, Trey began the opening chords of “Terrapin Station.” My mind had a mental disconnect, as I knew the song by heart, but didn’t understand how it was coming from the stage. The melody was so familiar- what was it- “OH MY GOD!” That thought process took all of about half a second as I rushed into the lower pavilion from the walkway that separated the lawn. Staring at the stage in disbelief, goose bumps covered every inch of my skin, just as they are right now as I recall this magical episode. Phish was playing “Terrapin!” Virtually unfathomable, my ears and eyes certainly weren’t lying as Phish broke out the biggest surprise of the summer. My eyes fixated on the stage, watching every moment unfold in its grandeur, in possibly the most surreal moment of my Phish career.
After the show ended, I sat on the lawn outside the venue speechless. My friend, Patrick, and I looked at each other, but couldn’t manage to speak a word. The magnitude and symbolic nature of what had just happened was overwhelming. After years and years of establishing their independence from The Dead’s legacy, they had finally done it. Covering “Terrapin Station,” one of The Dead’s most revered epics, while a clear homage to Jerry, also represented Phish saying, “We made it!” They were their own band- Phish was Phish in the eyes of all- no longer “that band that was like The Grateful Dead.” Comfortable with their own place in music history, Phish now honored their heroes instead of trying to escape their cultural wake.
It was all different now. Following years of speculation, Phish had finally covered The Grateful Dead in the ultimate announcement of self-confidence and reverence. Having accomplished their mission that began in the mid-80s, Phish had morphed into, and was recognized as, their own phenomenon; unfettered by genre and driven by their own musical innovation. Driving off into the summer night, the feeling of awe was undeniable. Among all of the special nights that comprised Summer ’98, this one stood alone.
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DOWNLOAD OF THE DAY:
5.16.95 Memorial Auditorium, Lowell, MA < LINK
In this one set benefit show, Phish took the opportunity to unveil seven new originals, several of which would go on to become Phish classics. The debuts included “Free,” “Theme From the Bottom,” “Spock’s Brain,” “Ha Ha Ha,” and “Strange Design.” In addition, this show features the sole performance of “Glide part II” (aka “Flip”). In between all the new material, Phish threw down one of the most sublime versions of “Reba” ever played.
Don’t You Wanna Go*, Ha Ha Ha* > Spock’s Brain*, Strange Design*, Reba, Theme From the Bottom*, HYHU > Lonesome Cowboy Bill* > HYHU, Free*, Glide II* > You Enjoy Myself, Sweet Adeline, Sample in a Jar
E: I’ll Come Running* > Gloria*#
Voters for Choice Benefit. *First time played #One verse only; for Gloria Steinem.
“So where are you off to for the next two weeks?” “I’m heading to see some concerts. You ever heard of Phish?” “Fish? Country Joe and the Fish?” “No, just Phish- with a PH, not an F. Have you heard of the Grateful Dead?” “You mean Jerry Garcia and those guys? The hippies? ‘Touch of …
Beyond sets, songs, and jams, Phish shows are made up of a series of moments. Some of these moments seem frozen in time, allowing us to soak in the energy before moving on. One of the special aspects of a Phish show is that everyone holds different moments in their hearts. The band’s musical snippets and licks speak to everyone differently, personalizing the communal experience of a show.
These Phishy moments are those split seconds where you think you might explode from being so happy, so excited, so pumped and “in the now;” those times where your thoughts transform into physical sensations and shoot through your soul, reminding you of just how real your experience is. Often, these are the moments directly preceding colossal improv, readying you for what is about to erupt.
While improvisational triumphs are the fabric of our Phish addiction, there are plenty of these composed moments within a show that speak to us in a similarly inspiring way. Precursors to the most serious improvisation, they are signposts along the road that read, “Danger! Phish Bombs Ahead!” While all of these soundbites are meaningless on their own, placed in the context of their respective songs, they are the gateways to the heavens. Here are some of my favorites:
Hampton (R.Siegel)
The Drop Into the “Mike’s” Jam
Few moments carry more bombastic anticipation than the back and forth guitar licks immediately preceding the drop into “Mike’s.” Preparing for a dark and sinister adventure, when this ultimate bomb drops, my head verges on bursting every single time. Clutching my heart with the grips of their music, Gordon pounds away his initial pattern, leading the evil march. These initial seconds of a “Mike’s” jam comprise one of the most powerful Phish moments, as the band prepares to take us on a ride to the center of the earth.
The Antelope “Jump” Guitar Lick
Hampton (R.Siegel)
As Phish busts into the onset of an “Antelope” jam, they always hit a composed groove, directing them into the thick of it all. Yet before they make the final plunge, Trey’s signature lick to me has always represented a sprinting Antelope leaping high into the air amidst a hurried escape. This lick, composed of few notes, is the last signal before the band descends into the depths of an “Antelope” jam. This metaphorical lick represents the band’s launching point, while conjuring a vivid mental image.
“Thank You Mr. Hood”
Hampton (R.Siegel)
This moment, in one of the band’s earliest and most defining songs, exists as a sacred point in the Phish canon. Following a gorgeous composition and a heavy musical interlude, these lyrics, sung in harmony by the band, are the last words we hear before Phish enters one of their most uplifting pieces of improvisation. Used as a melodic device, this lyric dissolves into the ethereal textures of the “Hood” jam. Like magic carpet rides through divine musical atmospheres, “Hood” jams are the stuff of dreams and catharsis. With sublime interlaced melodies that seem to derive from another plane, it is here that Phish channels the higher powers – and it all happens after thanking Mr. Hood.
The Climax of the First Half of “You Enjoy Myself”
Fall ’98 (B.Brecheisen)
An opus that combines the band’s eclectic composition with their loosest improvisation, “YEM” is the best of both worlds. Often cited as the definitive piece of Phish music, “YEM” has been a staple for decades. Connecting the divergent halves of the song is Phish’s most high-energy composed climax. Following almost ten minutes of tight playing, Phish revs it up, not once but twice, before crashing into the colorful Jello funk with a resounding “Boy!” Few moments in any show approach the point when Trey holds that note, staring at the sky, white beams blazing, as the band chugs beneath him. Then comes the build- then BAM!- in a split-second the funk hits like you’ve splash landed in a pool of crystalline water.
The “Reba” Drop
Hampton (J.DiGiuseppe)
Much like “YEM,” “Reba” features a ridiculously intricate opening section before loosening into a groove. “Reba” contains some of the most complex playing in any Phish song and juxtaposed against its laid-back bass heavy jam, the composition seems even more tightly wound. Following the fugue in the song, the band enters a pattern of collective hits that lead into the most blissful drop in all of Phishland. As the gates to the flowing river of “Reba” are opened, you are guaranteed some of the most gorgeous music of the night. Sailing away into a sea of euphoric grooves, paradise awaits.
The Opening Lick Of “Tweezer”
Hampton (P.McGuire)
“Tweezers” routinely brings such adventure, adrenaline, and everything I am looking for in a Phish jam, that it takes nothing more than the opening guitar lick to bring me to the brink. Especially when taken by surprise by this lick, like at Hampton’s comeback show, my heart virtually skips a beat as soon as the first note emanates from Trey’s guitar. This level of adrenaline generally continues until the jam drops when all thought processes cease. But that first lick of the song has been known to cause extreme reactions from me.
“An Asteroid Crashed…”
Similar to “Tweezer’s” dynamic, but not nearly on the same level, when Phish cannonballs into “Tube” with this lyric, all one can think about is the deep, layered funk that will surround them in a minute or two. This moment was even more potent some years ago when “Tube” didn’t appear as much, and then took on new meaning as the song began to emerge as a jam vehicle. Few moments are as universally exciting as the opening of “Tube.”
There are plenty of other moments that get all of us emotionally fired up for what is ahead, but when sifting through them all, these came out as my favorites. Anticipation is one of the greatest emotions involved in the Phish experience. The anticipation of waiting for shows to come, the anticipation that engulfs you all day before the show; the anticipation once you get inside the venue, waiting for the lights to go out- but none of these emotions approach the immediate anticipation of an impending Phish jam on the threshold of explosion.
What are your favorite pre-jam moments of Phish? Share in Comments below!
Here is the second show of a two-night stand in early in Fall ’96. With great playing all the way through and a killer setlist, this is one of the few shows that really stood out during the pre-Halloween east coast run of 1996. Featured are great performances of “YEM” and “Mike’s Groove” and “Disease.”
I: The Curtain > Runaway Jim, Bouncing Around the Room, It’s Ice, Talk, Split Open and Melt, Sparkle, Free, You Enjoy Myself
II: Also Sprach Zarathustra > Down With Disease, Taste, The Mango Song, Lawn Boy, Scent of a Mule, Mike’s Song > Swept Away > Steep > Weekapaug Groove*
E: All Along the Watchtower**
*With The Madison Scare Garden dancers towards the end. **With Buddy Miles on drums, Merl Saunders on keyboards, and Fish on Trey’s mini-drum kit.
Beyond sets, songs, and jams, Phish shows are made up of a series of moments. Some of these moments seem frozen in time, allowing us to soak in the energy before moving on. One of the special aspects of a Phish show is that everyone holds different moments in their hearts. The band’s musical snippets …
With a timely announcement coming on Opening Day of Major League Baseball’s 2009 season, Phish confirmed the rumor that they will start their summer tour at Boston’s Fenway Park on May 31st. After a stint in the minors in ’04 at Coney Island’s Keyspan Park, Phish is being called up to the bigs to open up the ’09 season! Another video announcement highlighted the unique features of the historic ballpark at 4 Yawkey Way, as a camera perused the ornate detail of the Boston shrine. The imagery was backed by Fenway’s organ playing “Take Me Out To The Ballgame,” yet when the song ended, the camera flashed to the organ player who cracked his knuckles and readied himself before delving into a baseball-infused rendition of “Tweezer Reprise!” Merging America’s two favorite pastimes, the interpretive cover played for the rest of the video as images of the ballpark graced the screen. With an artistic preview of the stadium that they will soon demolish, Phish once again, infused the community with unparalleled adrenaline and excitement.
It seems that a week cannot go by without another significant development in the Phish world. Whether it is ticket on sales, added shows, or tour planning, Phish 3.0 is officially under way! With the addition of Fenway, Phish will play the first real stadium show of their career in one of the smallest and most storied yards in the land. With a capacity of just under 40,000 without the field, this shouldn’t be the hardest ticket of the summer, but these days that’s not saying much. But the intriguing question of what lucky fan will pull Fenway’s single red seat amidst a sea of green remains to be answered.
Fenway Box Office (C.Harris)
People have already begun to speculate if this will mark the beginning of the stadium Phish era, and I’ve got to say I seriously doubt it. If there is one thing that this summer’s slate has proven to us, it is that Phish 3.0 will play where they want and when they want. They are choosing only their favorite locations, regardless of size, and booking them. I don’t think that this show has any predictive value in terms of where Phish will play in the future- they simply wanted to play Fenway. And to be honest, this show just jumped to the top of the must-see shows list of the summer. Fenway or The Fox? Oh, the decisions! Directly connected to their renewed mission of putting music first, the band is taking liberty in playing unique venues that will inspire them. I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again- no band can match their music to their surroundings like Phish, and with so many diverse surroundings comprising this summer, the band should respond in diverse and dynamic fashions. From The Fox to Bonnaroo, and from Asheville Civic Center to Fenway, this summer will be sprinkled with some of the most unique Phish shows in a long time.
In addition to the huge summer kick off party at Fenway, Phish also tacked on a third Jones Beach show on Tuesday June 2nd, increasing the summer total to 27! With these additional dates, it sure seems like the band is as excited for the summer as we are. With a night off in between the first and second Jones Beach show, Phish will stick to their practice of not playing more than four nights in a row- a pattern that will assist everyone involved.
Fenway Park at Twilight
Armed with a new album and a renewed sense of purpose, May 31st represents the the turning of the next page. Hampton was where the band got their sea legs back with concise, direct jamming, and Fenway is when the Phish will begin to swim the ocean waters again. In one of the most exciting locales of their career, you can be sure the band will come out in Boston ready to conquer the world once again.
With only two months to go, Summer ’09 is shaping up to be quite the special season- not only because Phish is playing again, but because they are playing exclusively great venues. Meaningful for their role in the Phish history, or their own place in cultural history, these venues were chosen with utmost care and creativity, creating the most diverse tour in ages. Fenway, Red Rocks, The Gorge, The Fox, Asheville Civic, Bonnaroo, Deer Creek, Alpine, Merriweather, SPAC- the list goes on and on. It all sounds to good to be true. But truth be told, with the band playing in center field, Fenway will become our very own field of dreams.
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Tickets requests for Fenway and Jones Beach can be made here now through this Sunday, April 12th at midnight Eastern. Fenway tickets will go on sale through eTix, which looks very likely to crash on Saturday, April 18th at 10 am Eastern. Jones Beach’s new first show goes on sale Friday, April 17th at 10 am Eastern via Live Nation.
“Ghost > Jim > Caspian, YEM”- the four song second set. With the most cohesive frame of Europe ’98, Phish closed the curtain on their three nights of magic at The Grey Hall. The improv throughout this set was phenomenal, highlighted by “Ghost” and “YEM.” Throw in a first set versions of “Theme” and “Fluffhead” with the debuts of “Meat” and “Fikus,”all in a Scandinavian barn, and you’ve got quite the show. Check it out; it’s one to be considered strongly by Live Phish for release!
I: Birds of a Feather, Cars Trucks Buses, Theme From the Bottom, Brian and Robert, Meat*, Fikus*, Shafty, Fluffhead, Ginseng Sullivan, Punch You in the Eye, Character Zero
II: Ghost > Runaway Jim > Prince Caspian, You Enjoy Myself
E: Simple
*debut
With a timely announcement coming on Opening Day of Major League Baseball’s 2009 season, Phish confirmed the rumor that they will start their summer tour at Boston’s Fenway Park on May 31st. After a stint in the minors in ’04 at Coney Island’s Keyspan Park, Phish is being called up to the bigs to open …
