This weekend, I am featuring two shows from the game-changing tour of Europe Summer ’97. Fully realizing their transformation to groove, Phish explored slow, funky realms throughout the beginning of summer. Warming up to the point of sizzling over the course of a 19 show European tour, Phish then turned their attention stateside for one of the most beloved summer runs. Starting in Virgina Beach and ending in Limestone, Summer ’97 was a special era of Phish. But the excellence we witnessed throughout the U.S. had its foundation in Phish’s European vacations in winter and summer. These two nights represent explorations of the new style, with funk galore and a whole lot more. These Europe ’97 shows are very underexposed, in general, containing many a night glossed over. These are two of those nights.
DOWNLOADS OF THE WEEKEND: This weekend, I am featuring two shows from the game-changing tour of Europe Summer ’97. Fully realizing their transformation to groove, Phish explored slow, funky realms throughout the beginning of summer. Warming up to the point of sizzling over the course of a 19 show European tour, Phish then turned their …
A beloved tradition started fifteen years ago in Glens Falls, NY. Phish hadn’t played a Halloween show since 1991, having been in the studio the previous two autumns recording Rift (1992) and Hoist (1993). But in 1994, the band upped the ante. Via Doniac Schvice, their newsletter, Phish announced that the show would contain three sets, but that wasn’t all. Along with an audience costume contest, Phish would don a “musical costume” of their own, covering an entire album of another band. And there was yet another twist- they were leaving to the fans to vote on the album, and they would play the most popular choice. Many have since debated whether or not Phish went with the actual winner or selected between the most popular, but nonetheless, it brought the entire community into the process.
During the weeks leading up to the show, fans drooled with anticipation, constantly hypothesizing on which album would be selected. The leading contenders were thought to be Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, Frank Zappa’s Joe’s Garage, and The Beatles’ self-titled record known as “The White Album.” The other mystery hovering around the 8,000 person show was that no one knew when the album would be played; there was no precedent and nothing had been announced. So when Phish took the stage at 10:15 for their first set, everyone was on the edge of their seats.
Ripping into the holiday-appropriate “Frankenstein,” the game began. An extended “Simple” and a poignant “Divided Sky” anchored the beginning of the set, when unsuspectingly, the band dropped into “Harpua!” With the opening “Oom Pah Pahs” many thought that the forthcoming narration would bring out the cover album. As the Halloween story progressed, encompassing the “Vibration of Life” and the “Vibration of Death,” Jimmy stepped to his record player. Seemingly on the brink of history, the story took a left turn as Jimmy put on a Barney album- but accidentally had placed the record on backwards. And as the record spun in reverse, Phish played what Jimmy heard- twenty second of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.” A classic moment in its own right, the cover would have to wait. But before ending the set, Phish carved out room for one of the thickest, most emotional “Rebas” ever played. In 1994, the year that “Reba” shone the brightest, this version is one of my favorites.
During setbreak, the obvious conversation piece was the album. Would it come in the second or third set? Which one would it be?! The answer came soon enough. At midnight, the band took the stage, and through the PA the audience heard the opening heartbeats of Dark Side of the Moon, drawing howls and cheers from much of the crowd. But suddenly the heartbeat stopped, and the voice of Ed Sullivan came from nowhere introducing The Beatles. Over the recorded squeals and screams of teeny boppers thirty years ago, Phish broke into “Back in the U.S.S.R.” It took a minute to hit everyone that they were about to cover the entire double-album, but one song at a time, over the next 90 minutes, that is exactly what they did.
Phish & Halloween
While the band played most of “The White Album’s” songs earnestly and accurately, they wouldn’t have been Phish if they didn’t add a little of their own flavor. By modifying the end of “Helter Skelter” with a barbershop quartet ending, changing the “fool on the hill” in “Glass Onion” to “Guyute the pig,” and adding some Electrolux to “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?,” Phish dappled the album with spots of Phishiness. Other interpretive moments included Mike’s bluegrass take of “Don’t Pass Me By” and a now-classic rendition of “Revolution 9”, when upon the concluding line, “You become naked,” Fishman lifted his frock over his head and pranced around nude while Page, Mike, and Trey blew bubbles and chanted behind him. This bizarre moment was forever immortalized in the booklet of liner notes for “A Live One”- page 11.
But aside from these moments, Phish’s performance was incredibly reverent, playing each song true to form. The only onstage flirtation Phish had with The White Alum was an “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” jam- not even the whole song- hence the band learned each and every one of the albums 30 songs. Several appeared sporadically throughout the years, but “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”- the song that stood out at Glens Falls- was adopted into the band ever-expanding catalog of covers. The band stepped offstage at 1:30 am, to the recorded version of “Good Night.” But the night was hardly over.
About a half -hour later, Phish reemerged to a venue of mind-blown fans, some who had dozed off during the break. The band could have come out and played a five minute encore and the show would still be talked about in the annals of Phish history. But instead, they opened set three with an extended journey through a menacing “David Bowie”- this was Halloween after all! And after a “Bouncin” interlude, the band resolved the immense darkness of “Bowie” with a magnificent mid-set “Slave.” Bordering on absurdity, especially with the timing of everything, Phish raged on. The band closed the set with a smoking “Antelope” only to start the audience costume contest during the encore! After a “Mound” Bar won the competition, the band chose “Squirming Coil” to end one of the most epic nights of their career. There would be many more, but this one was special.
And there started the Halloween tradition that we will rekindle so soon in Indio. Following up the White Album with The Who’s Quadrophenia in 1995 (another double album),Talking Head’s Remain In Light in 1996, and Velvet Underground’s Loaded in 1998- Phish firmly established the musical costume as one of their most loved annual rites. Halloween became a big as New Years Eve on the Phish calender, though the band never found their way back to October 31st after ’98’s Vegas escapade. But in2009, the year everything is coming back together- Halloween returns!
A perfect piece to take us into the weekend, this gorgeous jam came in a forgotten first set at Portland Meadows in ’99. An ideal tempo, the open-air sound, and some heart-tugging playing by Trey will have you grooving at your desk, cubicle, or wherever you may be. Some feel good Phish took for a Friday, this one will make you smile.
This show has always lived in the shadow of The Gorge’s two-night stand that came directly before. But with the “Gin” posted above and a monster second set, this show has plenty to offer. One of the most psychedelic “Ghosts” of the year kicked off this five song second set to the tune of 20 plus minutes. After this night we walked away with more than a few memories too go along with our black boogers.
I: First Tube, Poor Heart, Mozambique, Bathtub Gin, Get Back on the Train, My Mind’s Got a Mind of its Own, Frankie Says, Birds of a Feather, Lawn Boy, Possum
II: Ghost > Runaway Jim , Roggae, Also Sprach Zarathustra > You Enjoy Myself
E: Theme from the Bottom
Source: Unknown
A beloved tradition started fifteen years ago in Glens Falls, NY. Phish hadn’t played a Halloween show since 1991, having been in the studio the previous two autumns recording Rift (1992) and Hoist (1993). But in 1994, the band upped the ante. Via Doniac Schvice, their newsletter, Phish announced that the show would contain three …
This summer, several of Trey’s solo songs jumped over to his bigger band. Included in these transplants were, “Light,” “Let Me Lie,” “Backwards Down the Number Line,” “Alaska,” and Time Turns Elastic.” But one of the songs that seemed like a shoo-in for Phish has yet to emerge. The engaging multi-part composition, “Greyhound Rising”- played only twice on his own- has gone missing.
After Trey’s comeback show in Brooklyn last August, three songs struck me as clearly destined for Phish- “Backwards Down the Number Line,” “Light,” and “Greyhound Rising.” Two are firmly ingrained in the band’s current catalog, while one hasn’t seen the light of day. Seemingly destined for their new album, the song has yet to surface in any form. Trey only unshelved it once again- in Philadelphia- another sure sign that Phish would usurp the destiny of the future epic. But they haven’t, and I wonder if they will.
Classic TAB Tour ’08 (unk.)
The song whispers out of the gate with lyrical poetry complemented by somber guitar and piano melodies. The piece at first seems wistful, longing for something or someone lost, and Trey conveys this emotion in a beautifully phrased solo that stands out in the opening section. Moving into a more Phishy texture, the melodic verse that comes in over the oceanic music is much more upbeat and sounds like it could have been pulled right from a Phish song. The groove takes the song into a bluesier jam where Red unleashes a gnarling solo. When hearing the layered composition the two times with his Classic TAB band, my imgination ran wild thinking of how much Phish could enhance the song, taking it from its raw form into one of those bigger pieces that are at least 10 to 15 minutes every time out. With plenty of composition and ample room for improv, it seems like the perfect song for Phish 3.0. Why else would it have been written after all?
The blues jam turns into a heavier build- this is where the jam would be- and finally uses collective hits to splash into the ending, a slowed down, dramatic reprise of the introduction; a Phish song no doubt. And to end it, a cathartic solo over a delicate beat. It would be awesome, and Trey knows it. It will come at some point; who knows when- but at somepoint. It’s one of his most interesting new pieces. Heck, since “Alaska” made it to Phish, “Greyhound Rising” is destined to crossover to balance things out. One can hope.
“Greyhound Rising” 10.24.08– The Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA
Sticking with the Big Cypress vibe of yesterday, here is a gorgeous segment from early in the set that often goes overlooked with all the music of the night. With an enchanting ambient groove, this “Twist” carried an introspective feel as we stepped out of the 1900’s forever.
With Fall Tour rumored to start at Cobo Hall in downtown Detroit, this nugget from Spring ’92 recounts a former visit to The Motor City, proper. Coming at you via reader request, this show was one of the last in the Midwest before heading east to conclude their tour. Featuring the bust-out of “Shaggy Dog” for the first time since 1988 (451 shows), this show boasts a quintessential old-school setlist. This fileset feature an entire AUD recording and a Set I SBD , taboot. Detroit- here we come.
I: Llama, Foam, Reba, My Mind’s Got a Mind of its Own, Maze, Tela, Brother, Colonel Forbin’s Ascent > Famous Mockingbird, Sparkle, Cavern
II: My Sweet One, Stash, The Squirming Coil, You Enjoy Myself > Shaggy Dog, All Things Reconsidered, Bouncing Around the Room, Uncle Pen, Chalk Dust Torture, HYHU > Terrapin > HYHU, Take the A-Train, Golgi Apparatus
E: Carolina, Good Times Bad Times
Source: DAUD/FOB (~30 ft. from stage, DFC) Neumann RSM191A-S > Neumann MTX191S > Panasonic SV-255@48k Master (on SV-255 listed above) & SET 1 SBD
This summer, several of Trey’s solo songs jumped over to his bigger band. Included in these transplants were, “Light,” “Let Me Lie,” “Backwards Down the Number Line,” “Alaska,” and Time Turns Elastic.” But one of the songs that seemed like a shoo-in for Phish has yet to emerge. The engaging multi-part composition, “Greyhound Rising”- played …
This week, two awe-inspiring video clips from Big Cypress surfaced, unannounced, on the band’s Festival 8 The8tre, signifying the first- ever public footage from Phish’s New Years blowout almost ten years ago. While rumors have circulated about both a return to the festival site and the release of an elusive DVD box set chronicling the weekend, these two clips may lend some credence to the latter . One would expect the band to recognize the ten-year anniversary of their career defining concerts, and with Miami a lock for New Years, the multi-disc box set may be just the way to do it.
Midnight (Unk.)
When I first saw the links in an email, I clicked on the first only to see my favorite segment of the all-night show unfold right in front of me. With no visual memory of the jam stemming from the “After Midnight Reprise,” a jam imprinted in my memory, the intimate quality of the video was quite the experience. This piece of improv, coming in the wee hours of the new millennium, was/is/and will always be my favorite musical moment of the night- and there are plenty of reasons why. But after listening to it constantly for a decade, it was a beautiful synchronicity for the first piece of Cypress video that I ever saw was this jam.
The sheer connectedness of the band as they clicked into the downtempo groove has always amazed me, and to watch their expressions and body language as they- as one- move through each change and measure is priceless. The quality of the video is as warm as the music being played; an intimate portrait Phish’s emotional interplay on their sacred night-long quest. The music of that night took on a different, more patient, quality that conveyed the magnitude of the occasion, and this feel is clearly illustrated by both of these videos. To watch Cypress in widescreen video ten-years later is completely surreal; a far cry from our spot of power behind the speaker towers in the open Florida field .
It Begins… (R.Mayer)
The second video is the tail end of the “Piper” jam into the entirety of “Free.” The mechanical grooves and liquid textures ooze off the screen as the memories flood your cortex. Deep in the set, bordering on morning, Phish was knee deep in swamp funk in the middle of the Everglades- could life have been any better? The joy of the band members, as they are living the experience of a lifetime, is quite evident as you can clearly see each gesture and connection. When you consider how engaging this footage is, one could imagine getting lost for hours feeding disc after disc into the player. But if organized correctly, it could turn into also turn into quite the party… if they release the box set.
Without having any knowledge other than these videos, I can’t see why they won’t. Virtually every Phish fan in the world would gobble this product up at $100 a clip- and with a nice accompanying booklet, this could be the ultimate Phish souvenir. If these video leaks are any indication, we just might be ringing in 2010 with a memento from the dawn of the decade.
“After Midnight Reprise”
“…Piper > Free”
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Phish Thoughts Audio Archive:
In an effort to create a comprehensive archive of every show posted on this site, some volunteers-Paul, Marshall, Jason, and Steve- have worked hard and transferred all the shows over to Megaupload, a server with a much better deal for me. I have met with my design and programming team and we have great ideas for a state of the art audio archive with separate pages for each year and each show- with setlists, source details, and a short write-up, like the ones found on the “Download of the Day.” We will be creating a easily navigable database of unlimited free downloads forever! This will be a high-quality archive of all the shows from this site, with quality that would blow away the “spreadsheet” and most other mp3-based sites. All in 320 kbps mp3 format. Stay tuned!
Rewiiiiind! Today we take it back two decades to the first of October in ’89 when Phish was still an emerging regional phenomenon. Playing bars and colleges, the band was in their formative years, but already boasting a large catalog of originals. This old school nugget holds plenty of treats, including “Fluffhead” broken up into its many sections and interspersed throughout the show, and the debut of “Reba.” In addition, this is the first show in which the band used “Hold Your Head Up,” a song Fishman absolutely hated, to introduce / torment him, and the rest is history. Check it out…
I: Alumni Blues, McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters > Who Do We Do > Golgi Apparatus, Harry Hood > The Chase, Wilson, Foam, Ya Mar, Oh Kee Pa Ceremony > Suzy Greenberg, Run Like an Antelope
II: AC/DC Bag, My Sweet One, Reba*, Dinner and a Movie > Bundle of Joy > Possum, You Enjoy Myself, HYHU**> If I Only Had a Brain > HYHU, Contact, Split Open and Melt, Lizards
E: Highway to Hell
*debut (with additional verse and instrumental section) **First time used as taunt/intro for Fishman
Source: SBD
This week, two awe-inspiring video clips from Big Cypress surfaced, unannounced, on the band’s Festival 8 The8tre, signifying the first- ever public footage from Phish’s New Years blowout almost ten years ago. While rumors have circulated about both a return to the festival site and the release of an elusive DVD box set chronicling the …
While Trey was busy fulfilling a dream on Saturday night in New York City, Mike was on the road living his own, as a band leader of his own group, playing his own music. And only five shows into his “Get Bassed” tour, Gordeaux is doing just that. Mixing eclectic originals with an an array of diverse covers, Mike is at the forefront of percussive, bass-led jaunts largely rooted in the tradition of Americana rock.
Combining his signature, chunky bass lines with Scott Murawski’s southern-tinged melodies and layers of percussion, Mike’s band has delivered upbeat jams that are most often rhythmically focused. The most popular songs from The Green Sparrow- “Another Door,” Andelmans’ Yard,” “Sound,” and “Traveled Too Far”- have become anchors of Mike’s sets while many other originals have been worked in. Aside from his own songs, Mike has featured a wide spectrum of covers in the first week of tour. Giving musical nods to Coldplay, Radiohead, Desmond Dekker, The Allman Brothers, Deee-Lite, The Beatles, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Leonard Cohen, Mike has embraced musical diversity, both old and new. In addition, the band has played originals penned by three other group members.
While Trey’s side-projects are, most-often, directly related to Phish’s musical future, Mike’s have been an opportunity to distance himself from his other band. With Leo Kottke, The Duo, and now The Mike Gordon Band, he has taken advantage of his opportunities to broaden his horizons with musical experimentation unrelated to Phish. But never forgetting what got him there, he always seems reference Phish songs; this past week working”Meat,” “Sugar Shack,” and GRAB’s “Suskind Hotel” into his sets.
With jams heavy on percussive groove and layered improv, The Mike Gordon Band has received rave reviews after “bassing” people for only a week. To check out what’s been going on, I downloaded Saturday night’s show in Falls Church, VA to see what Mike was up to while Trey played in New York City. This is what I found.
State Theatre, Falls Church VA
Opening the show with his two most recognizable numbers, “Another Door” and “Andelmans’ Yard,” the band spliced improvisational segments into both, creating engaging extensions of these songs’ changes and rhythms. Very danceable music, it sounded like the energy in room on Saturday night was palpable. The third song, “Emotional Railroad, scribed by someone Scott Murawski, and sounded a bit more generic with Garcia-esque runs up the fretboard by Murawski and complementary piano leads by Tom Cleary. There was certain Grateful Dead feel to this one, as Mike included his envelope filter bass-bombs towards the end of the jam, and throughout the night.
Speeding up the tempo and seamlessly segueing into a new original, “Can’t Stand Still,” the band was locked into some fluid and spirited playing. Communicating proficiently as they dug into the song, this didn’t sound like a band’s first week out on the road. Their musical comfort with each other was clear as the music pulsated with Mike at the center.
Murawski and Gordon – Seattle ’08
Before the next selection, “Spiral,” Mike indicated that the band had only played it once and it was “an intentionally trippy song,” though he wasn’t “speaking from experience, just from conjecture.” Following that sentence up with the absurd Gordonism, “Actually I’m not speaking at all,” they started the song. As the slow opening unfolded, Mike’s lyrics crept out at the same tempo, creating a very trippy vibe, indeed. This song sounds like one Phish could (read: should) adopt and interpret masterfully as a layered addition to their catalog. Drifting into abstract psychedelia, this jam held the distinct feel of Grateful Dead-Phish fusion- some really engaging music. My favorite piece of this show, I now await the day Phish breaks out “Spiral;” it will be sick.
9.12 – Falls Church w/ Guenaur (M.Gordon)
Inviting folk-rock guitarist, Reid Genauer, (Assembly of Dust, formerly of Strangefolk) to the stage, the band launched into a cover of the the Allman’s “Ain’t Wasting Time No More.” Taking the tune for a somewhat generic ride, they eventually broke form with Mike’s pumping bass lines heading the charge as they segued into a textured take on Fatboy Slim’s “La La La.” Check out the basscrabatics on this one, as Mike got straight silly.
Genauer stepped off stage and the band returned to Gordon’s music with “Sound.” A song that embodies Mike’s emerging writing style- with melodies featured as prominently as his unique rhythmic concepts- in the vein of “Another Door” and “Andelmans’ Yard,” “Sound” is a favorite off The Green Sparrow. A bass intro gave way to a soft, blooming arrangement that likened a comfortable musical swaddle. Cleary’s piano leads lent a jazzy feel to the jam of this very collaborative piece.
Falls Church – 9.12 (M.Gordon)
With complex percussion, the band began “Sarala,” an impressive jazz composition written by percussionist, Craig Myers, himself. Not only is Mike embracing the music of pop-culture and his musical roots, but he is also using his band a as a platform for his lesser-known bandmates to get some of their own music out there. So far this tour the band has played songs written by all three other band members besides drummer, Todd Isler.
Breaking the music down into a more bluegrass-laced place, the band again transitioned from song to song into another original, “Couch Lady.” While this is sounds like classic Gordeaux, this was definitely my least favorite piece in the show; but I don’t dig on bluegrass. A cover of Radiohead’s “15 Steps” came next, illustrating Mike’s risk-taking and willingness to cover one of today’s most prominent acts. Featuring heavy bass work and organized cacophony, I wish I could say more in relation to the original, but Radiohead, like bluegrass, really isn’t my bag either.
Falls Church Soundcheck (M.Gordon)
Mike clearly has tons of music that no one knows about unless you are hitting up these shows, and he broke out another original to close the set, “Only A Dream.” One of the longest pieces of the show, the rock composition turned far more interesting once the lyrics fell away, but still fell short of the most engaging pieces of the show. Honoring the request of “Sugar Shack” for the encore, Gordon played a more bass-led version of his new Phish song before finishing with an inspiring and extended take on the Doobie Brothers’ cover “Takin’ It to the Streets!” Never a dull moment with Michael Gordon.
Touring with a band of legitimate improvisers, Mike’s shows take on a the contours of dynamic band interplay, creating unique paths nightly. Rooted in rhythmic textures, getting “bassed” has never felt so good. Don’t let the lack of media coverage fool you- Mike is a secret agent after-all- the music being churned out by his band is both fresh and exciting, and if you can get your face in front of the bass, I highly recommend checking it out.
Another Door, Andelmans’ Yard, Emotional Railroad, Can’t Stand Still, Spiral, Ain’t Wasting Time No More* > La La La*, Sound, Sarala^, Couch Lady, 15 Steps**, Only A Dream
I: First Tube, The Inlaw Josie Wales, Brain & Robert, Divided Sky, Water In the Sky, Pebbles and Marbles, Guyute Orchestral
II: Time Turns Elastic, Let Me Lie, You Enjoy Myself E: If I Could
NEW Source: SP-TFB-2 > SP-SPSB-10 > MARANTZ-PMD620
While Trey was busy fulfilling a dream on Saturday night in New York City, Mike was on the road living his own, as a band leader of his own group, playing his own music. And only five shows into his “Get Bassed” tour, Gordeaux is doing just that. Mixing eclectic originals with an an array …
