MR. MINER'S PHISH THOUGHTS

Fall ’99 (Jay Blakesburg)

To balance the light, there is there is the dark. And just as the guys were climbing spiritual mountains of ultra-bliss during 1999, another strand of their improvisation was growing more ominous and abstract. Phish’s ambient jamming of Fall ’98 focused primarily on the melodic side of things, with push-and-pull, amoeba-like interplay. In 1999, however, buoyed by the release of “The Siket Disc,” Phish’s abstract jamming—and overall sound—progressed in a much darker direction. The band grew an affinity for sonic layering and dissonant effects, developing what I have called their “millennial” sound. Favoring a drone and hypnotic style of play, Phish moved into their next mini-progression of the late-’90s. Within this context, Trey favored harder-edged guitar work, sheets of sound, and effect-laden soundscapes that veered from his center-stage soloing of years past.

Beginning during Summer Tour while, largely, showing up within single jams, this “millennial” sound became more prevalent and nuanced as Phish moved through their Fall and Winter tours, often dominating the feel of sets and shows all together. Phish music was growing darker in both the downtempo and uptempo realms, a vibe that seemed congruent with the oncoming unknown of 2000 and beyond. As the world crept closer to the turn of the millennium and a potential Y2k disaster, Phish provided an ominous soundtrack to a time filled with shrouded in mystery and speckled with hope.

For today’s playlist, I picked a couple jams from each tour in ’99 so you can hear the progression of the band throughout the year.

Bathtub Gin” 6.30.99 II, Bonner Springs, KS

It had been six full months since we had seen Phish—the longest stretch of down time in Phish’s career up to that point. And the band greeted us with this 20-minute tour-opening “Bathtub Gin” that touched on their darker, ambient sound that would grow throughout the summer.

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My Left Toe > Velvet Sea > MLT” 7.7.99 II, Charlotte, NC

This choice ’99 nugget is dedicated to RJ of Helping Friendly Podcast and our own Albert Walker. This clip seemed way too timely to ignore based on yesterday’s Twitter debates.

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Piper” 7.18.99 III, Volney, NY

The Oswego “Piper” covers a wide array of ’99-esque feels over a near-half hour, but most of all it is an example of how densely layered and hard-edged their sound had gotten to by the middle of the summer. This would be an example of the developing uptempo millennial jamming, without the pronounced dissonance of late Fall and Winter.

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Stash” 9.9.99 I, Vancouver, BC

This “Stash” was the first jam of Fall “99, in the first set of tour. A tale of dark magic, this jam had the venue buzzing at setbreak.

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Tweezer” 9.9.99 II, Vancouver, BC

This “Tweezer” moves from candy grooves into a seething section of abstract, millennial psychedelia.

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Ghost” 9.12.99 II, Portland, OR

One of my top five “Ghosts,” Portland’s massive version moves through some hypnotic grooves into a section of abstract darkness.

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Ghost” 10.9.99 I, Albany, NY

A first-set ambient-laced giant from the Knick.

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Sand” 12.3.99 II, Cincinnatti, OH

Having just re-spun this “Sand” yesterday, I was reminded of its quintessentially millennial qualities. A great example of a lot of what I have described.

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Drowned” 12.12.99 II, Hartford, CT

A dark horse piece of scalding, uptempo, late-99 jamming.

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Jam > Bug” 12.17.99 II, Hampton, VA

Most thought the band was prepping the Mothership for liftoff, but they faked everyone out after a five-minute sound sculpture. This was the soundtrack to the Hampton reunion video..

To balance the light, there is there is the dark. And just as the guys were climbing spiritual mountains of ultra-bliss during 1999, another strand of their improvisation was growing more ominous and abstract. Phish’s ambient jamming of Fall ’98 focused primarily on the melodic side of things, with push-and-pull, amoeba-like interplay. In 1999, however, …

TTFF: The Dark Side of ’99 Read More »

After a high-quality Twitter exchange with TJ Scheu (@Lyfeboi) yesterday morning, I re-spun 7.10.99 from Camden, New Jersey, and developed a new strand of thought about one of the musical narratives of 1999. TJ asserted that “a huge thing happened” in Camden’s “Chalk Dust” that the band continued to build on and reference throughout the year. While I certainly knew that something huge happened in Camden’s “Chalk Dust,” I never, necessarily, put the jam in the context of its entire year. While listening intently to this all-time version in this way, I had an organizing thought: Camden’s “Chalk Dust” was the first signpost on the road to Big Cypress.

Within the Camden “Chalk Dust” jam, Trey leads the band to a truly cathartic peak—one of those Phish moments that are hard to believe at the time and give you chills for the rest of your lifetime. It’s not just that the music is incredible—Phish has many virtuoso conversations—this jam is drenched in emotion, the likes of which you don’t quite experience in everyday life. The Jedi-like guitar work of Mr. Anastasio led to a sublime, whole-band arrival that invoked communal elation among the 25,004 involved. This musical theme of  “soul emoting” or “ultra bliss” as illustrated by Trey, with the support of his bandmates, in this “Chalk Dust” jam, provided a narrative string that would carry throughout 1999. As his band set its sights on December 31st—the biggest night of their lives—Trey returned to this style of play throughout the year, expressing indescribable emotions through his guitar like only he can.

The Stroke of Midnight (Unk)

I distinctly remember feeling momentum build throughout ’99, most distinctly through Fall Tour and the December run. Summer was fun, but once Fall started, it felt like a mission to the Everglades, one show at a time. The anticipatory emotion, excitement and sense of wonder surrounding Big Cypress was palpable, and it increased each and every time the band took the stage during this momentous year. I can only imagine that if the fans felt this energy pulsing through themselves and the community during this time, that the band members felt it several times more intensely. In many ways, Phish’s entire career had led them to this point—the year of 1999 and the brink of the new millennium. In retrospective interviews, the band has openly discussed how after Big Cypress, the crest of the wave had broken. They weren’t sure what was supposed to come next and, not surprisingly, in less than a year, they’d be gone.

I have assembled a playlist that follows this, largely, Trey-anchored narrative through 1999. While his style of “soul emoting” wasn’t a nightly occurance, it happened enough times to establish a legitimate pattern. The following jams become fully structured around this style of play, and represent the most significant examples from the year. Not all of these jams sound exactly the same, but they reach that special place and share a common emotional power that, I propose, came directly from their specific point in time for Phish. As Cypress crept closer, these jams waned in favor of darker, more ominous ones that emerged towards the end of fall and in December. Even at Big Cypress, the band tapped into the source with mostly different, far more relaxed feels, but the following pieces represent their building energy and incredible sense of purpose as they neared their date with destiny.

Chalk Dust Torture” 7.10.99 I, Camden, NJ

Following a”Wilson” opener, Phish tore into this monumental jam—the first brick laid on the golden road that would end up in Alligator Alley.

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Birds of a Feather” 7.10.99 II, Camden, NJ

Brick two was unfurled only a set later in “Birds”—Camden “Chalk Dust’s” kid brother.

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My Left Toe” 7.21.99 II, Burgettstown, PA

Music that is as glorious and emotive as any ever played. By anyone.

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Tweezer” 8.1.99 II, Niigata, JP

The final “Tweezer” of the Summer, performed in the shadow of Mt. Fuji on the “Field of Heaven,” certainly illustrates Trey’s emerging “soul emoting” of ’99.

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AC/DC Bag” Boise 9.14.99 II, Boise, ID

This household jam needs no introduction, but when looked as a part of this larger narrative, it becomes even more poignant.

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Boogie On” 9.18.99 II, Chula Vista, CA

Towards the beginning of Fall Tour, this second set opener brought the audience to a dizzying plane of catharsis in the middle of the warm California desert. On a side note, can we please go back to Coors Amphitheatre as soon as possible?

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Wolfman’s Brother” 9.24.99 II, Austin, TX

This dark-horse Fall ’99 jam elevates about halfway through and never looks back.

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Tweezer” 12.16.99 II, Raleigh, NC

Raleigh’s to-die-for “Tweezer” represents an intersection of December’s slower, heavier and more ambient style with the “ultra-bliss” feel established during the summer months.

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Split Open and Melt -> Catapult” 12.31.99 I, Big Cypress

Perhaps the most iconic jam that came out of Big Cypress, this “Split” represents the culmination of this anticipatory musical narrative on the road to Big Cypress. In this piece, Trey is speaking directly from his soul hours before the biggest night of his life.

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Down With Disease”  12.31.99 II, Big Cypress

You can, literally, hear the excitement, relief and relaxation in Trey’s guitar tone in this jam—he is so happy to have finally arrived on the stage he had been looking towards all year long. All the pressure had been lifted, and this “Disease”  provided the portal into a night that nobody present would ever forget.

12.31.99, Big Cypress (Danny Clinch)

After a high-quality Twitter exchange with TJ Scheu (@Lyfeboi) yesterday morning, I re-spun 7.10.99 from Camden, New Jersey, and developed a new strand of thought about one of the musical narratives of 1999. TJ asserted that “a huge thing happened” in Camden’s “Chalk Dust” that the band continued to build on and reference throughout the …

The Road to Cypress Read More »

7-7-1999, Charlotte, NC (musicgods.com)

Summer ’99 was the third summer in a row in which Phish expounded on groove-based playing. With Mike in the middle, throughout this summer they began to sculpt their millennial sound that would carry them through the year. The band moved into a more layered, drone and hypnotic style of play, as Trey favored harder-edged guitar with sheets of sound and dissonant, effect-laden soundscapes that veered from the center-stage soloing of summers past. Phish cranked out a ton of highlights during their month-long jaunt, and many of them are household jams at this point. But for today’s playlist, I assembled some of the less talked about jams from another Summer ’99. Worcester awaits…

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Bathtub Gin” 6.30.99 I, Bonner Springs, KS

The very first song of summer blossomed into a 20-minute, ambient-laced affair.

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Down With Disease > Caspian” 7.1.99 II, Nashville, TN

This jam took place while an impending storm zeroed in on Nashville. Once the band splashed into the following “YEM” jam, the skies opened and the place got hit with a deluge.

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Split Open and Melt” 7.26.99 II, Noblesville, IN

The last jam of the US tour from the final set of Deer Creek.

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Fee” 7.8.99 I, Va. Beach, VA

A second-song monster from Virginia Beach.

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Antelope” 7.3.99 II, Atlanta, GA

A scorching, mid-set rendition from Lakewood.

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2001 > Misty Mountain Hop” 7.20.99 II, Toronto, ON

This set-closing combo punctuated of Phish’s quick stop north of the border.

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Ghost” 7.20.99 I, Toronto, ON

Possibly the only Summer ’99 “Ghost” that isn’t well known at this point. Mike anchors the band with outlandish rhythmic calisthenics from the get-go in this first-setter.

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Tweezer -> Catapult -> Tweezer” 7.24.99 II, E.Troy, WI

While not exactly dark-horse, Alpine’s thick and looped-out “Tweezer” has always lived in the shadows of Camden’s masterpiece and Oswego’s standout version. And what’s a playlist without a “Tweezer?”

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Birds of a Feather” 7.23.99 II, Columbus, OH

An exploratory beast that came amidst a heavy-hitting second set at Polaris.

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David Bowie” 7.4.99 I, Atlanta, GA

This “Bowie” closed the first set of July 4th on its highest point before Phish came out and threw down a monster second.

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YEM” 7.7.99 II, Charlotte, NC

This groove-centric “YEM” capped one of my favorite start-to-finish sets of summer.

Summer ’99 was the third summer in a row in which Phish expounded on groove-based playing. With Mike in the middle, throughout this summer they began to sculpt their millennial sound that would carry them through the year. The band moved into a more layered, drone and hypnotic style of play, as Trey favored harder-edged …

TTFM: Summer ’99 Lesser Knowns Read More »

8.15.11 – UIC Pavilion (Michael Stein)

Today, I’ll let my blog do my work for me. Here’s a link to last year’s December 8th installment of December jam memoirs, a series of posts in which I tracked the calendar using Phish jams. The intro is below.

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Exploring on the Eighth

Today, our December focus shift onto two sprawling excursions that took place on the eighth day of the month in 1995 and 1999. Both selections — Cleveland’s “Tweezer > Kung > Tweezer” and Cumberland County Civic Center’s “Piper” — feature musical explorations that veer far off the beaten path, providing snapshots of the band’s experimental side as seen through the lenses of 1995 and 1999…Read On!

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Jam of the Day:

Piper > Dog-Faced Boy” 12.8.99 II

Part of a stellar second set at Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, Maine. Read about it in the article linked above.

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VIDEO OF THE DAY: “Jennifer Dances” 12.7.99 II

One of the three December ’99 performances of the much-maligned tune. I’ve always wondered, “What’s not to like?”

Today, I’ll let my blog do my work for me. Here’s a link to last year’s December 8th installment of December jam memoirs, a series of posts in which I tracked the calendar using Phish jams. The intro is below. **** Exploring on the Eighth Today, our December focus shift onto two sprawling excursions that …

Retro Post: Exploring on the Eighth Read More »

Twelve years ago…

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“Shakedown Street” 4.15.99 II

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“Row Jimmy” 4.16.99 I

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Jam of the Weekend:

Dark Star -> It’s Up to You” 4.17.99 I

The peak of a jaw-dropping weekend.

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Bonus Jams:

Wolfman’s -> Uncle John’s Band” 4.15 II

Prince Caspian > St. Stephen -> The Eleven” 4.16 II

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Downloads of the Weekend: Phil and Friends April ’99

4.15.99 SBD, 4.16.99 SBD, 4.17.99 SBD < Megaupload

ALL THREE NIGHTS – SBD (FLAC via etree) < Torrent

4.15.99

I: Viola Lee Blues, Big Railroad Blues, Jack-a-Roe, Cosmic Charlie, Wolfman’s Brother -> Uncle John’s Band

II: Alabama Getaway, Sugaree, Like a Rolling Stone > I Know You Rider, Row Jimmy, Shakedown Street -> The Wheel > Not Fade Away

E: Mr Tambourine Man

4.16.99

I: Help On The Way > Slipknot! > Franklin’s Tower, Wish You Were Here, Tennessee Jed, Stella Blue*, Alligator

II: Bertha**, Prince Caspian > St Stephen -> The Eleven > Unbroken Chain, Chalkdust Torture, Mountains of the Moon, Scarlet Begonias**-> Fire On The Mountain**

E: Ripple (acoustic)**

*instrumental ** W/ Donna Jean Godchaux MacKay

4.17.99

I: Dark Star -> It’s Up to You, Days Between -> Dark Star (first verse) -> My Favorite Things, Mississippi Half-Step, Birdsong

II: Terrapin Station -> Down with Disease -> Dark Star (second verse) -> Friend of the Devil, Casey Jones, Morning Dew, Goin Down The Road Feelin Bad* > And We Bid You Goodnight

E: Box of Rain

* w/ Donna

Twelve years ago… *** “Shakedown Street” 4.15.99 II *** “Row Jimmy” 4.16.99 I ***** Jam of the Weekend: “Dark Star -> It’s Up to You” 4.17.99 I The peak of a jaw-dropping weekend. ===== Bonus Jams: “Wolfman’s -> Uncle John’s Band” 4.15 II “Prince Caspian > St. Stephen -> The Eleven” 4.16 II ===== Downloads …

Weekend Nuggets: Pure Magic Read More »

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