Here’s another ten-pack to get you through the last day of the week. Click on any orange song title to download. Enjoy!
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“Down With Disease” 5.21.00 II, Radio City, NYC
The unquestionable highlight of the first Radio City show, this version provides a smoking example of early-2000 Phish. These were the first shows following Big Cypress, and were some of the most highly anticipated in the band’s history.
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“Piper” 12.8.99 II CCCC, Portland, ME
Throughout ’99, “Piper” transformed into a more earnest jam vehicle than its earlier incarnations. While the band took the song on many thrilling rides, this piece, from Portland, ME, provides a example of Phish swimming up a vastly different channel.
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“Walls > Carini” 2.14.03 II, The Forum, LA, CA
After a lackluster comeback run at MSG and Hampton, this show brought Phish back into focus. This second set sequence represents the first stellar jam of the post-hiatus era, and there would be many more. Coming out like a different band than the tentative quartet who played through their much-hyped return, Phish seemed to latch onto an improvisational ethos early in this winter tour that would set their musical path of ’03. Featuring an outlandishly exploratory “Walls,” these 45 minutes are for keeps.
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“Tweezer” 8.6.96 II Red Rocks, CO
Taking it back Phish’s original four-night stand at Red Rocks, this monster version came as part of the classic “Curtain > Tweezer” combination. One of the unmistakable jams of the weekend, these smooth grooves build into a sublime quote of The Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood.”
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“Mango (jam)> Free” 9.17.00 II Merriweather, Columbia, MD
Drifting from “Mango’s” upbeat territory into a dark, millennial ambiance, Phish used this unlikely jam vehicle to ignite a phenomenal set-ending sequence. Gradually layering a dissonant soundscape far from reality, the band created the most menacing textures of the show. Bleeding into a hugely energetic “Free,” Phish capped this top-shelf Fall ’00 offering with gusto.
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“Yamar” 7.25.98 I South Park Meadows, Austin, TX
Often overlooked in the first set, this “Yamar” transforms from an island paradise into a dark guitar narrative of lessons learned on a mythical battlefield.
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“Reba” 10.18.94 II Memorial Gym, Nashville, TN
1994 and “Reba” go together like peanut butter and jelly; two peas in a pod. And here’s another reason why – a vintage rendition.
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“Round Room” 2.15.03 I Thomas and Mack, Las Vegas, NV
Experimenting with the debut of their album’s title track, Phish gave us an early taste of ’03 psychedelia. This piece provides a glimpse into the ultra-textured, ambient improv that the band embraced throughout their comeback year. If one thing was true about ’03, the band never hesitated to jump into the void on a whim, and this was one of those excursions.
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DOWNLOAD OF THE DAY
7.10.97 Espace Julien, Marseilles, FR < Torrent
7.10.97 Espace Julien, Marseilles, FR < Megaupload
This dark-horse, jam-filled reader request from goes out to Bob the Brewer in Freeport, Maine, who used to blast this XLII while delivering pizzas back in the day. If you find yourself in Freeport, stop by Gritty McDuff’s Brewpub, “Where Phish on full volume makes the beer taste that much better!”
I: Dogs Stole Things, Limb By Limb, Ginseng Sullivan, Bathtub Gin, Llama* > Wading in the Velvet Sea > Jam, Olivia’s Pool
II: 2001 > Julius > Magilla, Ya Mar > Ghost > Take Me to the River* > Jam
E: Funky Bitch**
*Unfinished
**Members of Son Seals Band
Source: Neumann TLM-170i (hyper setting) > Sonosax SX-M2 > HHB Portadat@48k > DAT
