In the middle of their revolutionary Summer ’97 Europe run, Phish stopped for two nights in Amsterdam. Following up their amazing show on 2.17.97, Phish brought the heat in the former church turned venue, The Paradiso. Legend has it that during their weekend in the worlds psychedelic capitol, Trey had some “adventures” resulting in this stage banter:
Now be careful when you walk out of here tonight…because you don’t want to be swallowed up by one of those worms in the canal. You know those toilets on the side of the road here — don’t go in there — because you’ll get sucked down into the canal and be stuck all night riding along those giant worms….you might think I’m kidding around, but it happened to me last night and it was scary.
One can only imagine the antics that went into that story! Nonetheless, “the back of the worm” became the theme of the weekend, as the phrase was repeated and catcalled by Trey and Fish throughout several jams during both shows.
“Wormtown jam” 7.2.97
The music over these two shows stellar was very illustrative of the changes the band was undertaking during their Europe run. The first night started with an extended “Ghost” story, setting the laid back and funked-out tone for the stand. Both second sets were perfectly flowing sets of improvisational Phish.
7.2 began quickly with a massive first set “Mike’s Sandwich,” while set two featured a 30-minute masterpiece in “Stash,” and a “Llama” that found its way into a jam that brought everyone onto the “back of the worm.” This legendary set was capped with a double encore- taboot, taboot. These shows were classic pieces of the Summer of 1997.
I: Mike’s Song > Simple > Maze, Strange Design, Ginseng Sullivan, Vultures, Water in the Sky, Weekapaug Groove
II: Jam > Stash > Llama > Worm Town Jam* > Wading in the Velvet Sea
E1: Free^
E2: David Bowie
*A jam on “Swing Town” (Steve Miller tune) with dark vocals about “Back of the Worm.” ^Band left stage after Free.
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VIDEOS OF THE WEEKEND: CLIFFORD BALL DVD PREVIEWS
“Punch You In the Eye”
“Fluffhead”
DOWNLOADS OF THE WEEKEND: In the middle of their revolutionary Summer ’97 Europe run, Phish stopped for two nights in Amsterdam. Following up their amazing show on 2.17.97, Phish brought the heat in the former church turned venue, The Paradiso. Legend has it that during their weekend in the worlds psychedelic capitol, Trey had some …
I was blindsided at the gym this weekend. No, not by some musclehead in a roid rage, but by an aggressively improvisational “Antelope” that might as well have been on the cream and the clear. I had been continuously working my way through a Phish playlist from a friend, and as I was finishing the cardio portion of my workout, the old school version of “Oblivious Fool” came on. Not particularly suitable for working out, and an odd addition to the playlist altogether, I skipped directly to the next song- Antelope.
I didn’t bother to look at the date or anything, I just kept going. Since I consider myself pretty well-versed in Phish, especially Phish highlights, I thought I’d figure out what I was listening to. Yet, as the jam progressed, it was raging, and though I could tell it was from ’97 or ’98, it didn’t ring a bell.
During the late ’90s, Antelope’s jams generally remained within their predestined structure. While there was never any lack of improvisational madness, Anetlope jams rarely went “way out” there, or really anywhere except where you thought they would go. In no way is this a knock on the song; the same holds true for “Harry Hood” or “Slave.” That’s just the way some Phish jams are. There was no shortage of huge Antelope’s in the late ’90s, but the song didn’t necessarily possess the adventure it did in ’94 and ’95. It’s just the way things were. But this version blaring in my ears was different.
As this mystery Antelope raged on, Trey annihilated the early jam with soaring evil licks, before moving into more intricate patterns of notes. All the while, the band was knee deep in a heavy, sinister groove. This music began moving in an alternate direction as Fish and Mike switched up the rhythm; less straight ahead than most Antelopes, and as I was doing sit-ups, my ears perked up and took notice of the diverging musical course.
Pretty quickly the improv got really dark and the entire band began jamming out of the song’s structure. Entering a quiet and murky musical pond, Mike’s bass lines lead the way. The music continued progressing “way out” of “Antelope” and into some insane Phish improv. “What!?” I thought. Quickly flipping over my iPod to see what I was listening to and why I wasn’t fully cognizant of this epic jam I was immediately foiled- no date, Damn! I decided to ride it out.
Moving deeper in, the music got into some slower melodic places that do not really come out of Antelopes. Straight up mystical, transcendent Phish- this was crazy! It was like hearing a brand new Phish jam for the first time; and that hadn’t happened in eons. The band built the jam into a faster affair with all members just shredding at insane speeds, gradually merging paths with the original course of the song. As the band built towards the Antelope peak, the playing was particularly frenetic, yet beautifully coherent- one of those things that Phish does masterfully. To an untrained ear, it sounds like cacophony, but when you hear what they are actually doing at the peak of an Antelope, it’s just absurd.
The jam finally dropped into the post-peak funk at the seventeen minute mark to the monstrous roar of the crowd. The band continued to heavily improvise throughout the “composed” ending, as they tended to to when they were feeling the flow. This normally routine section became quite interesting with heavy effects from Page, Mike and Trey, and then they popped into the final chorus with more spunk than usual. This was my new favorite Antelope, but what was it? As I looked back at the playlist menu, it was listed under 7.29.97. A ha! Desert Sky. I had a huge “Oh yeah!” moment, as I remembered the magnitude of this Antelope that batted second in set two.
I wasn’t at that Phoenix show, and for some reason, I hadn’t heard the jam since the late ’90s. A pretty high key show to have just forgotten about, but aside for the first set “Gumbo,” I had. That’s what’s so great about Phish- just when you think you’ve heard it all, you’ll hear a new jam that absolutely floors you. There are just so many out there, and soon, there will be so many more.
Here is the show you just read about, and I forgot about. It’s a certain keeper from the Summer of ’97. With one of the great “Gumbos,” a classic-sounding “Ghost,” an early, yet all-time great version of “Twist,” and of course the epic “Antelope,” this show was as hot as the weather it was played in.
I: Theme From the Bottom, Beauty of My Dreams, Gumbo, Dirt, Sparkle, Ghost, Swept Away > Steep > Loving Cup
II: Oblivious Fool, Run Like an Antelope, Wading in the Velvet Sea, Twist, Taste, Sample in a Jar, Rocky Top, The Squirming Coil
E: Possum
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HELP SAVE THE ANTELOPE!
I was blindsided at the gym this weekend. No, not by some musclehead in a roid rage, but by an aggressively improvisational “Antelope” that might as well have been on the cream and the clear. I had been continuously working my way through a Phish playlist from a friend, and as I was finishing the …
Twelve years ago today, and four shows into 1997, the Phish created a monster. In their second visit to Amsterdam, and their first to Paradiso, Phish played a second set that was not only musically superb, but pointed in the direction the band would head during the famed year. It wasn’t until the Hamburg show in Germany on March 1st that the band say they “clicked” during the “Wolfman’s” jam, finally realizing the style of collaborative play they had sought. Yet, this epic night in Amsterdam was like a neon street sign pointing in the direction of Hamburg.
Opening the second set with “The Squirming Coil,” the band built the piano outro directly into the amorphous intro of “Down With Disease.” Throughout 1996, “Disease” had become a central jam vehicle, creating upbeat rock textures and extended feel-good excursions. Sparked by the Clifford Ball’s third set version and strewn throughout Fall ’96, “Disease” had developed into a melodic Type I Phish anthem. This version from Amsterdam would be vastly different.
2.17.97 Paradiso
The band sat in “Disease” territory for the first part of the jam, but as the improv progressed, some layers were pared away and the pace began to gradually slow. When Fishman dropped his driving beat, things began to get quite interesting. The entire band found themselves in a more spacious musical medium, allowing them to greatly alter their phrasings. This segment first developed into a mid-tempo rendition that still held some ties to “Disease,” but that all ended at once.
As the band moved into one of the first extremely slowed down “Disease” jams, a trend that would dominate ’97, this music sounded different! I vividly remember getting this tape and when listening to it for the first time, being staggered by the pace and patience of Phish’s playing. This was the same band that wound up 1996 in Boston’s Fleet Center only two months earlier, but they sure sounded completely different. This was the first early ’97 jam I heard that opened my ears to where the band was heading. Mike was far more prominent in their slowed down grooves, while Trey played far more sparsely, accentuating the band’s rhythms. The music seemed like molasses compared to the arena rock of late ’96, and it sounded amazing!
Paradiso 7.2.97 (M. Loertscher)
Careening down I-95 with a couple of friends, we sat in silent amazement as this analog uncovered the raw ’97 style for the first time. The band brought the music to a creeping pace where every note offered by each member could be heard distinctly and meant something. There was no high-speed layering, but a focus on completing the musical ideas that were started by each other. As the jam hit a few rhythmic stops and starts along the way, listening to this tape was like rediscovering Phish. Their improv just kept getting deeper and deeper, leaving any remnants of “Disease” far in their wake.
Right out of this dark and methodical jam, Phish seamlessly moved into the debut of “Lucy Had a Lumpy Head,” a song that seemed to fit congruently with their new style. Far slower than most versions played in the future, the song was a revelation- a dark, eerie composition that catered to the new sound Phish was moving towards. This wasn’t your happy-go-lucky-Phish; this was something wholly different. After the band moved through the verses of their newest song, they briefly sat in the thickness before Trey initiated a soaring guitar lick that brought the jam in a totally different and triumphant direction.
Paradiso, Amsterdam
Leaving the song behind and embracing sublime adventure, Phish built this segment into a cathartic piece of music, complete with spontaneous melodic chants. Before long, the band was back to a quicker place and carried a strong melodic theme that directed the jam. Page commandeered the lead with his aggressive piano patterns, while the rest of the band created a dissonant backdrop for his work. This was Phish in the process of discovering; taking risks with abandon and just creating.
Flowing through more overt psychedelic textures, the band naturally arrived at a chugging rhythm which transformed into yet another section of improv; one far closer to the groove-based sound the band was gradually uncovering. Spanning several peaks and valleys of musical creativity, this surreal jam out of “Lucy” is must hear Phish- and was so revolutionary in its context.
Accessing a far more mellow and transcendent realm in its final stage, this jam contained it all- a beautiful illustration of Phish at their best and on the brink of something huge. Without any awkwardness whatsoever, the band transformed their gorgeous ambient creation into the beginning of “Taste.”
This “Taste” was phenomenal, carrying all the energy and momentum Phish had built over the course of the night; however, instead of focusing on the jam itself, I want to highlight one of the most masterful transitions in the band’s history. As Phish built the song’s polyrhythmic patterns, it was clear that their musical brains were adhered tightly together. Moving effortlessly through the soaring jam, the band prepared to approach the final ascent to the peak of the jam- and they were absolutely crushing it. Building…building…building…the peak was imminent, as Trey hit the melody signaling to his mates to enter the final stages. Yet, instead of playing the shrill peak to “Taste,” Trey perfectly- and i mean perfectly- laid down the “Disease” lick at the peak of the jam, bringing them back to where this madness had begun. The rest of the band moved triumphantly with him, reentering “Disease” immediately. This was one of those spine-tingling Phish moments that my friends and I listened to at least 1000 times, often cheering in response, as if the band had just hit a home run.
Phish pulled off such a full-speed and wildly creative idea with absolute flawlessness it was almost too much to believe. The perfect apex to an incredibly new-sounding set, Phish was off and running down the yellow brick road of 1997. The final three songs- “Suzy, “Caspian,” and “Sleeping Monkey”- were mere afterthoughts to the revolutionary playing that had preceded them. This was only the beginning, but what a beginning it was!
I: Soul Shakedown Party*, The Divided Sky, Wilson, My Soul, Guyute, Timber Ho!, Billy Breathes, Llama, Bathtub Gin > Golgi Apparatus
II: The Squirming Coil > Down With Disease > Lucy Had a Lumpy Head* > Taste > Down With Disease, Suzy Greenberg, Prince Caspian
E: Sleeping Monkey, Rocky Top
*First time played
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“NO SPOILERS” HAMPTON DOWNLOADS – UPDATE
The Mothership
We are making quick progress in our quest to bring “No Spoilers” versions of the Hampton shows to anyone and everyone who can’t make it. We have created a FAQ and all information related to this project will be hosted at https://phishthoughts.com/nospoilers. If you have any further questions, comments or suggestions, please email them to nospoilers@phishthoughts.com.
If you are patient enough to stay off the grid, this will be the next best thing to being at Hampton. You will experience the show in tape delay, but also in mystery, without knowing what Phish decided to bust out. You can have a legitimate Phish party if you have enough like-minded friends!
The rumor that has bounced around the Internet has been confirmed, Paul Languedoc will no longer be mixing sound for Phish. Here is some recent correspondence between a Phish Thoughts reader (name removed) and Paul:
Hey Paul,
you’re probably getting a lot of this but the band wont be the same with out you. I hope your back to keep those boards consistent and the band pumping. They need you and most of all we need you! A band is like an instrument with out a main component it will never be the best! You know this better then anyone!
—
Thanks so much for the compliments, but I’m sorry to say I won’t be with the band on the upcoming dates. I had to move on a few years ago and I like very much what I’m doing now. It’s true that I’m getting a lot of this, nice to be appreciated.
Take care,
Paul L
—
Best of luck, Paul. We will miss you.
Just keep making those guitars for Trey!
Twelve years ago today, and four shows into 1997, the Phish created a monster. In their second visit to Amsterdam, and their first to Paradiso, Phish played a second set that was not only musically superb, but pointed in the direction the band would head during the famed year. It wasn’t until the Hamburg show …
As we return from the holidays, let’s finish some unfinished business. The last “Download Of the Day” was night one of The Great Went. This weekend’s downloads complete all of the music that happened on this historic and memorable first trip to Limestone. With magic dancing in the air, the feeling of complete isolation from society was enchanting. Taking on a whole different feeling than The Clifford Ball, the sheer distance that people drove to get to the tip of America made Limestone feel like it belonged to us. We had our own little Phish city in the middle of nowhere. The Lemonwheel and IT would carry this tradition proudly, but there was nothing like the first time we stepped foot on Loring Air Force Base. Relive the weekend in all its glory, including Kevin Shapiro’s broadcasts from the archives that we heard all weekend. (I’ll put a link to night one in this post as well, for the convenience of having everything in one place.)
I: The Wedge, Beauty of My Dreams, Dogs Stole Things, Vultures, Water in the Sky > Maze, Bouncing Around the Room, Tweezer > Taste, Carolina
II: Down With Disease > Bathtub Gin > Uncle Pen, Also Sprach Zarathustra >Art Jam* > Harry Hood
III: Buffalo Bill > NICU, Weigh, Guyute, Dirt, Scent of a Mule# > Prince Caspian
E: When the Circus Comes > Tweezer Reprise^
*The band members take turns painting large designs at the side of the stage. Then, the crowd “carries” the pieces of this design to the side of the venue where it is assembled and hoisted for everyone to see onto a tower. This wood tower is tall and covered in painted plywood and has been built during the two shows. As “Harry Hood” goes into its jam, Trey asks Chris to turn the lights off, and the band jams while the front section has a gigantic Glow Stick War. #No Muel Duel. ^The entire art tower was burned to the ground.
DOWNLOADS OF THE WEEKEND: As we return from the holidays, let’s finish some unfinished business. The last “Download Of the Day” was night one of The Great Went. This weekend’s downloads complete all of the music that happened on this historic and memorable first trip to Limestone. With magic dancing in the air, the feeling …
As he prepares for his mini-New Years Run over the next three days with The Mike Gordon Band, Mike took a little time out on the day after Christmas to talk to The Burlington Free Press about his other band. In the interview, Mike discussed several Phish-related topics from the guys motivation, their rehearsals, their new management, and their potential touring schedule. Leave it to Mike to let us in on what is really going on behind the scenes in the world of Phish.
Returning to the studio, Phish spent five days rehearsing in New York City, musically reacquainting with each other and seeing what each member was “bringing to the table” after four years apart. Gordon mentioned he also had some new songs this time around, implying that the rehearsals were not limited to older material. With both Mike and Trey’s solo projects having developed in Phish’s time off, it is no surprise that new songs will make up part of Phish’s new repertoire.
Although Gordon noted that the “Phish-organization-got-too-big” reasoning was largely a scapegoat for Phish’s breakup, he also pointed to multiple ways that the band will try to minimize their bureaucratic and organizational involvement this time around. Phish plans to take themselves out of many decisions, favoring a more corporate infrastructure. When John Paluska, Phish’s former manager was at the helm for so long, he was integral in keeping Phish on their own path, independent of the larger music industry. Part and parcel of Paluska’s path were the band’s renowned festivals for which 80,000 people would descend on location for nothing but six sets of Phish. As Phish is now managed by Red Light Management in Charlottesville, VA, and music mogul Coran Capshaw, expect more of an entrance into music’s mainstream. Red Light is bringing in a “whole new model,” as Gordon observed, “Maybe we don’t have to have our own festival to make great music. We don’t have to do that and maybe we can be even more a part of the music industry than we were before rather than separate from it.” Ouch! That does not sound good. Based on this statement, Bonnaroo could be a sign of things to come. Fingers-crossed!
At the conclusion of the interview, Gordon mentioned the possibility of working with Steve Lillywhite on a new Phish album, and also said that while further dates around Hampton were still possible, his feeling was that we would not see Phish until the summer after their Virginia comeback.
All of this is very interesting. Phish seems to be buying into Capshaw’s “new” music model after the band spent twenty-plus years forging their own model of self-sufficiency. With Phish relinquishing the reins of their organization a bit, and Capshaw stepping in to steer their boat, one can only wonder what may be in store for Phish 3.0. This certainly explains Phish’s Bonnaroo headlining slot and the rumors about Rothbury. This news may signify the end of the Phish festival, as the band doesn’t seem prepared to undertake such an endeavor.
Yet, regardless of all of these changes in Phish’s management, once Phish hits the stage, things will return to normalcy. With less to concern themselves with logistically, band members will have more time to focus on what is important– the music. Hopefully, there is an upside to what seems like a compromise of Phish’s independent legacy. Without the need to plan tours, devise ideas for festivals, and control their every move, Phish will have the freedom to explore their musical ideas and creativity. By honing in on what is most important, band members will be able to dedicate themselves to their craft, something that benefits us all. Let’s just hope that although Phish may be swimming in a larger pond, that our lily pad remains pure.
As he prepares for his mini-New Years Run over the next three days with The Mike Gordon Band, Mike took a little time out on the day after Christmas to talk to The Burlington Free Press about his other band. In the interview, Mike discussed several Phish-related topics from the guys motivation, their rehearsals, their …
