Exiting the Coliseum at Nassau and preparing for our trip north, spirits could not have been higher. We were smack dab in the middle of some crazy-ass Phish, and we just left one of the most transcendent musical experiences of our lives. The drive through the night to Rhode Island was fun and refreshing, trying to replay the nights events in our mind. As The Beatles once sang, “It [was] all too much.” The entire community was juiced after the first two episodes of The Island Run, and they brought every ounce of that juice up to New England.
4.4.98
There was quite the scene outside the Civic Center on Saturday night, as fans congregated in the streets and lots surrounding the venue. The hardest ticket of the four, many sought out extras to get themselves into what would surely be another outlandish event. Never were you so sure that a show would blow up than this one on 4.4.98. Following Nassau, everyone knew Phish were knee deep in IT, effortlessly creating masterful music. Everyone wanted in, and those who found their way through the threshold were treated to a show they would never forget.
As many fans predicted from Nassau’s closing “Reprise,” the band opened up the Providence weekend with “Tweezer.” But this was no standard “set-opening” jam, rather a deep exploration into the groove-based ethos of the song. Complete with multiple improvisational segments, much like the Nassau “Mike’s” did, this “Tweezer” gave us the impression we were far into the show already. Phish didn’t need to warm up for these nights, they were feeling IT, they were living IT, they were IT. As soon as the jam dropped, Mike led the band out of the gate in a patient opening before the band dove in earnestly. What came out was a near twenty-minute groove-fest that sparked the Providence crowd, catching them up to what went down in Long Island.
Trey stepped in, providing guiding rhythm guitar patterns that framed the jam flawlessly. This was one of those moments that I couldn’t help letting out a somewhat maniacal laugh while raging, just pondering the sheer absurdity of this colossal opener. This jam existed as a measure of how balanced the band’s playing was at this time, with no one member dominating the textures, yet churning out amazing music like a machine. Interestingly, Trey introduced a melody in this jam that he would toy with and carry throughout most jams in this show- a sort of themed lick for the evening. (For those who care, it comes at about 12:25 on the SBD). This “Tweezer” grew out of the funk and into its more climactic space. Once the jam peaked, the band settled into some late ’97 stop/start solos before dripping into a smoking version of “Taste.” Despite a nice “Limb by Limb,” the rest of the set was filled with fun, yet composed pieces. The stage was set for what was sure to be an epic second half.
The buzz that had began in Nassau had traveled to Providence. Setbreak had a tangible vibe of excitement as everyone knew that the second set would be epic- there was no doubt. And everyone was right. The upcoming frame would be composed of some of Phish’s biggest songs, all magnified under the almighty lens of The Island Run.
They opened with the quickened drum beats of “Birds of a Feather,” and it took a moment to place the song, due to hearing it for the first time only two nights before. They never repeated songs over four nights, so if Phish was opening this second set of this show with a song they debuted in Nassau, you knew there had to be a reason. Over the course of the next 17 minutes, the reason became evident as the improvisational potential of “Birds” was wholly uncovered in a fiercely psychedelic odyssey.
Creating an intense jam that went beyond the typical aggressive rock rhythms of “Birds,” Phish engaged in some intergalactic communication, playing one of the definitive jams of the run. As the band engaged in improv, it was as if they were collectively sailing the smooth strings of the universe, playing with no hesitation whatsoever. About halfway through, when the band diverted their course into some chunky and locked music, effects were layered onto the jam and it adopted a certain outer-space quality. Possibly foreshadowing the upcoming “2001,” it was at this point that Trey returned to his “4.4.98” melody, integrating it into this building jam artistically and with slower phrasing. The band was passing musical ideas as easily as a spliff, tearing through sublime improvisational planes at a breakneck speed. Gradually, they brought the music back to the song’s lyrical refrain, completing the high-speed chase through spacetime, and leaving the arena drenched in sonic residue.
Yet, these residual textures soon developed into an intro to a larger-than-life “2001.” As the band brewed their aural stew, the crowd was perched at the edge, waiting for Fish’s snare hit to transform the Civic Center into a space-aged dance hall. And then it happened- the band entered the crack-groove as the lights dropped; only colored rays danced around the arena (see video below). The grooves were straight slammin’; the band was subconscious yet again, effortlessly creating some of the best music of their career. This “2001” doesn’t get mentioned nearly enough with top versions, but I would challenge anyone to find 20 more intense and coherent minutes to ever come out of the song. Sure, there are longer renditions (The Went, The Gorge), but they don’t hold up to the insane tightness and urgency of this version. This was a perfect example of the band members playing as one entity- they may as well have had one brain- as they flew through grooves like never before. Trey absolutely annihilated this jam with far more aggressive leads than usual for the song.
Ironically, one of the best versions of “2001” ever unveiled only moved through the theme once. The band spent most all of their time improvising like never before. The post-theme section of the jam was fairly succinct, as they created a sparser palate colored by Page’s Rhodes washes. Cleverly, the band broke down the groove piece by piece, eventually landing in a vocal jam!? Yes, this is how spontaneous the band felt during these nights, bringing one of their most intense jams to a quirky conclusion before Trey, in rhythm, strummed the beginning chords to “Brother!”
While most renditions of “Brother” focused on brain swelling intensity and seeing how far the music could be pushed before it imploded, this version grew quite differently. Following the initial high-paced section, the band entered some surreal improvisation that brought the maniacal jam to a place of beauty with its odd time signature; like a ride on a psychedelic swing set. Leaving the song far behind, this turned into a completely original jam, and one of the true highlights of the show. Beauty and delicacy after such bombast lifted up people’s souls. It’s hard to claim any band member “stood out” in such a collective effort; this was pure Phish, plain and simple. Ending in cacophonous dissonance before returning to the song’s theme, this was a bona fide Phish adventure.
Following a second 15-second “radio friendly” version of “Brother,” Trey explained that the next song was “radio unfriendly” because it was “really long and really slow.” Following the build-up, Phish dropped into the old-school opening of “Ghost,” automatically upping the ante of the set. Often overlooked due to the plethora of stand-out “Ghosts” in this era, the Island version deserves its proper credit. This 4.4 rendition didn’t focus on thick funk, but rather an eerie climbing melodic theme. Ridiculously patient, the band allowed the jam to evolve organically, again complementing each other as if using ESP. Latching onto each other’s phrases, and building the jam like a psychedelic construction crew, Phish built a swirling peak of harmonic melodies, seemingly levitating the venue. Quickly popping from his plane, the band segued jokingly into the “Blues Brother’s” theme they had bust out during the 12.29.97, telling us they hadn’t forgot about those MSG shows either.
Following the non-stop hour of intense psychedelia, the band used a Gamehendge centerpieces, “Lizards,” to provide for some breathing space and reflection. As we tried to wrap our minds around the madness, Trey’s “If I Were a Dog” solo in the second part of the song gave every one the space to move inward. This song couldn’t have been more ra