These are the shows that everyone had on analog at some point in the ’90s. Some of most circulated tapes, these Arrowhead Ranch shows were a staple of any fan’s listening rotation at one point or another. Smack dab in the middle of Phish’s famed Summer ’91 tour with the Giant Country Horn, these shows were an early signpost on Phish’s road to glory. With Dave Grippo on alto sax, Russell Remington on tenor, and Carl Gerhard on trumpet, songs such as “Stash,” “Split,” Gumbo,” and “Cavern” took on new life with new arrangements. Bringing a fusion feel to Phish’s unique form of rock and roll, the horns added an undeniable dynamic to their music and improvisation. These two shows, the second in SBD fashion, are a hallmark of Phish history.
I: Cavern, The Divided Sky, Guelah Papyrus, Poor Heart, Split Open and Melt, Lizards, The Landlady, Bouncing Around the Room, Mike’s Song > I am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove
II: Tweezer, I Didn’t Know, Runaway Jim, Lawn Boy, The Sloth, Esther, AC/DC Bag, Contact > Tweezer Reprise
E1: Gumbo* > Gumbo reprise*, Touch Me*
E2: Fee*, Suzy Greenberg*
With The Giant Country Horns. *With Steve-O from New Orleans on washboard.
=====
VIDEO OF THE WEEKEND:
***
“Foam” 3.7.09, Hampton
DOWNLOADS OF THE WEEKEND: These are the shows that everyone had on analog at some point in the ’90s. Some of most circulated tapes, these Arrowhead Ranch shows were a staple of any fan’s listening rotation at one point or another. Smack dab in the middle of Phish’s famed Summer ’91 tour with the Giant …
With a famously obsessive fan base, trivia has become part and parcel of the Phish world. Not only are the dates of shows and versions of songs fodder for conversation, but band history, song origins, stage gear and the like also provide endless reference points in Phish culture. Often brought up in post-show debates or on-the-road symposiums, trivial Phish knowledge is a pseudo-badge of honor in the scene. So in honor of the community’s obsession with facts about their favorite band, I present to you twenty things you probably didn’t know (or care about) about our fearless foursome.
***
1. Mike’s dad, Robert Gordon, founded the Store 24 convenience store chain located on the east coast.
2. Trey’s morning radio show in college was called Ambient Alarm Clock.
3. “YEM” is the most often played Phish song with 473 total appearances. The next closest is “Mike’s,” almost 100 behind, at 379.
4. Marley, Trey’s loyal dog of legend, passed away on 10.8.00, the day after Phish’s last show at Shoreline.
5. Fishman wrote the lyrics to “Gumbo.”
6. Phish has played more shows in July than any other month- 175.
7. “Foam” was orginally called “Marijuana Hot Chocolate.”
8. The first pressing of Junta had a pink and white photo of a screaming man on the cover.
9. “Runaway Jim” has opened the most shows with 80.
10. “Funky Bitch” has been played in every year (that Phish played) since its debut in 1986.
11. Tom Marshall’s band, Amfibian, performed “Heavy Things” (before Phish) as a dark, biographical mini-rock opera.
12. Before joining Phish, Page played keyboards for “Love Goat,” an R & B band.
13. The longest Phish jam is “Runaway Jim” from 11.29.97 at 58 minutes. (“Tweezer” from 6.14.95 comes in second.)
14. Trey decided not to play “Fluffhead” at IT, not Mike. (The famous “Mike says no.”)
15. “Rocky Top” is the most popular encore with 102 renditions.
16. “Forbin’s > Mockingbird,” “My Soul,” and “If I Could” have not been performed post-hiatus.
17. Phish played 43 shows at Nectar’s, but played 53 shows at The Front, a now defunct bar in Burlington,
18. Fish’s Senior Study at Goddard was called A Self-Teaching Guide to Drumming Written in Retrospect.
19. Phish has never performed in North or South Dakota. (The two states I’ve never been to. Hmmm.)
20. “Uncle Pen” is the band’s most played cover song (191.)
After receiving several setlists for the contest, we have a winner. Nailing 11 out of 12 tracks in order, reader R1 is our Fall ’97 Mixup Champion! Congrats, R1, your hard work paid off! R1 will be choosing the “Downloads of the Day” for next week, and writing an accompanying paragraph for each. Second place goes to Eric R., who only missed two tracks. Also, big ups to Mark L. who submitted his setlist on his lunch break on Monday and missed only three tracks! Thanks to all who participated, I hope it was fun.
1. “YEM” 12.29 MSG >
2. “Tweezer” 12.12 Albany >
3. “Free” 11.30 Worcester >
4. “Gumbo” 12.3 Philly >
5. “Gumbo” 11.26 Hartford >
6. “Ghost” 12.28 Landover >
7. “Bowie” 12.3 Philly >
8. “Runaway Jim” 11.29 Worcester >
9. “Simple” 12.9 Penn State >
10. “Disease” 12.11 Rochester >
11. “Tweezer” 12.31 MSG >
12. “Tweezer” 11.17 Denver
=====
The Bonnaroo Schedule is out! Phish will be playing from 11pm-2am on Friday, and 8:30-midnight to close the festival on Sunday. Looks like it should be the heat!
***
Check out this great article about Trey lobbying for drug courts on Capitol Hill. The guy is amazing.
This show is famous for the colossal 40-minute “Free” that emerged from an aborted “Rift” opener of the second set. Known for its exploratory nature, this version is an all-time gem, and certainly remains the longest “Free” ever played. Often overlooked is the show’s stellar first set with an “Antelope,” “Fluffhead” combo wedged in the middle. Enjoy, and have a great weekend!
I: Cars Trucks Buses, Wilson, Run Like an Antelope, Fluffhead, Uncle Pen, Cavern, Fog That Surrounds, Lizards, Sample in a Jar, Sweet Adeline
II: Rift*, Free > Llama, Bouncing Around the Room, You Enjoy Myself, Strange Design
E: Poor Heart, Frankenstein
*Aborted
Source: Unknown
With a famously obsessive fan base, trivia has become part and parcel of the Phish world. Not only are the dates of shows and versions of songs fodder for conversation, but band history, song origins, stage gear and the like also provide endless reference points in Phish culture. Often brought up in post-show debates or …