Yesterday marked the 4th anniversary of the Hampton announcement, a flash video dropped in the middle of the night confirming Phish’s resurrection. Over the last four years, we have come back together as a community and watched our band re-evolve. Now, as we sit on the precipice of Phish’s 30th anniversary year, let’s look back at 100 things that we will always remember from this era. Add more memories to the list in the comment section below!
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The Hampton “Fluffhead,” Waiting For Columbus, Red Rocks ’09, Gorge ’11 “Rock and Roll,” Telluride, Fenway’s “Tweezer > Light,” Jones Beach ’09 “2001” in a deluge, Two-legged tours, “Split Open” Storm ar Red Rocks, “Time Turns Elastic, The Greek Theatre, The Ripcord, Exile On Main Street, The Storage Jam, Miami ’09, The Whale, Blossom ‘10 “Number Line,” Tucking, Super Ball, Pins, Augusta ’10 “Reba,” Indio, New Years at The Garden, “Golden Age,” Plinko jams, The “S” Show, Bethel Memorial Day Weekend, Dick’s “Light,” the torch and nail, Fuck Your Face, Atlantic City, New Jersey, “Brother” openers on Father’s Day, Worcester “Hood,” Bill Graham night 3, Page’s House, Tahoe “Light,” Leg Two jams, Merit Badges, “Seven Below > Ghost,” Crushington State, Dick’s “Tweezer,” MehSG 2011, Guyutica, A Disease Supreme, “What?!,” AC “Stash,” Webcasts, nTelos Pavilion, Camden’s MJ “2001,” “No Quarter,” Greek “Light,” MPP ’46 Days,” “Disease -> What’s the Use?,” The Element Set, Mediocre Woods, “Steam,” OKC, mainstream festival slots, “Dr. Gabel,” St. Louis “Limb,” MSGNYE “Ghost,” YEMBlog, “Skin It Back,” the keytar, “Alaska,” UIC “Waves -> Undermind,” LBC “Rock > Ghost,” Bethel “Halley’s,” Worcester 2012, “Crosseyed” in rotation, first set “Wolfmans,” Phish Loves Dicks, Miami “Tweezer,” Manchester, The Ocedoc, tour openers, Cobo “46 Days,” “Manteca,” Deer Creek ’09 lightning, MPP “Saw It Again” show, “Summer of ’89,” Occupy YEMSG, “Show of Life,” Burble, Star Lake ’12, Jesus Christ Super Twist,” Hampton “Disease,” TweeZeppelin, Bethel Tech “Waves,” “My Problem Right There,” “Night Nurse,” Telluride “Piper,” Jones Beach Runs, “Torn and Frayed,” Dick’s “Sand,” Charlotte ’11 “Rock > Ghost,” Miami “Back On the Train,” uniting the world with the “Meatstick,” the light is getting brighter now…
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ISLAND RUN PIN SALE!:
The Island Towers
It’s not to late to pick up your Island Run pins! The price of the full set (w/ plexi tower display) has been reduced to $60, and now you can buy individual pins from the set for $20 each! With these adjustments, the rest of the pins are sure to go quickly, so head over to MYFE. and grab your collector’s set now!
Yesterday marked the 4th anniversary of the Hampton announcement, a flash video dropped in the middle of the night confirming Phish’s resurrection. Over the last four years, we have come back together as a community and watched our band re-evolve. Now, as we sit on the precipice of Phish’s 30th anniversary year, let’s look back …
As 2010 has quietly crept into March, this coming weekend represents the one year anniversary of Phish’s Hampton reunion. The dates of March 6, 7, and 8, 2009, will live forever in Phish history as the time things came back together again, for the second time. Reunited for the first time in five years in their adopted home of Hampton Coliseum, one of the live music’s most intimate arenas, everything we once loved sprang to life again. Unlike the lackluster comeback run over 2002-2003, these shows translated far better, and were much more focused and precise. Both the band and the crowd had the venue bursting at the seams with palpable energy. Hampton’s three-night showcase served as the perfect lauchpad for 2009. And when the opening notes of “Fluffhead” creaked out of the rafters of The Mothership, we were on our way home again.
Over the three-part dream, Phish played for nearly ten hours, running through no less than 84 songs of their notoriously vast catalog. From the very beginning of 2009, beginning with “Fluffhead,” and “Divided Sky,” one sensed things would be different this time around. Focused far more on composition and precision than jamming, the band got back to basics at Hampton, a trend that characterized the entire year for Phish. Without getting too crazy or improvisational, Hampton set up the rest of 2009, just as 2009 set up 2010; both periods representing building blocks towards high-level musical proficiency without too many risks. In essence, one can see the Hampton reunion as microcosm of 2009, a lot of structured playing leading to more adventure by the end.
Hampton (J.Volckhausen)
But more than any other shows in 2009, Hampton carried the vibe of a Phish recital. After a five year absence, every time the band played another song, whether “Guelah Papyrus” or “Tweezer,” it felt like we were being reacquainted to an old friend. This feeling resonated with everybody in the building, creating one of the purest vibes of any Phish show in memory. Everyone there knew exactly why they had made the trip, and everywhere you looked there was another friend, many you hadn’t seen in half a decade. In the end, Hampton felt like one big family reunion.
Hampton literally brought back that indescribable feeling I’d forgotten. Sure, I had memories to last a lifetime, but memories, however strong don’t recreate that special feeling inside of you. And when Phish dropped the opening licks of “Tweezer” in the second set of their comeback show, that feeling flooded my soul like Victoria Falls. My heart felt like it would pound right out my chest – it was all happening again – five years later, we were living and breathing “Tweezer” again! That tangible cocktail of adrenaline with a splash of bliss rushed up from the toes, through the heart, and spiked right into the brain. It was heaven on earth; we were finally at a Phish show again.
Hampton (M. Yates)
And throughout the weekend, the shows couldn’t have provided more fun and exaltation, regardless of the tame musical quality in retrospect. Phish played, and nothing else mattered. Clearly rehearsed and polished, the band played with a certain urgency and energy that was often lacking in the post-hiatus years, providing a feeling of musical purity many fans hadn’t felt in a long time. It didn’t matter that the music wasn’t adventurous, that’s not what Hampton was about. Hampton ’09 celebrated all that Phish once was, an unheralded legacy in modern rock and roll. A massive “Welcome Back” for the band and fans alike, and just hearing live Phish at all provided all the magic anyone needed. But by the third night, the band grew more comfortable and threw down quite an impressive show, including the one truly memorable jam of the weekend, “Down With Disease.”
And within one year, look how far we’ve come. As we enter 2010 on the heels of a spectacular New Years’ Run, the band, themselves have begun talking about reinventing Phish. In an interview with The Dartmouth Independent, on the brink of his solo tour, Mike prognosticated on Phish’s future:
Eventually, I think the idea is not just to keep playing old songs but really for Phish to reinvent ourselves just like we’re trying to reinvent the other aspects of our careers and find the uncharted territory. There’s been talk about trying to find ways to record differently than we have before and write differently, so that’s what excites me – the different possibilities.
With statements like these, it seems like Mike and the boys may be ready to enter that elusive “next phase” of their career we’ve been hypothesizing about. Phish have reinvented their sound multiple times throughout their career, continually changing their focus and direction, always shifting their way into uncharted territory. This quotation from Gordon all but confirms the theory that 2009 was but a building block for all that is to come. What excites Mike, and likely the rest of the band, is the same things that excite us – “the different possibilities.”
Hampton (Unknown)
A year ago, the heavens opened and brought back our dreamland; Gamehendge made a leap from our collective consciousness back into reality, all within one magical weekend. The music is all relative at this point, because what I remember more than anything is the energy, the feelings, and the emotions. I remember the faces, the friends, and the elation. Once I think about the shows, I recall what went down, but that weekend was far bigger than the music. Hampton brought a community back together; a community that had been dispersed for five years; a community united by the power of Phish. When I think of the music, I remember its tight and precise quality more than specifics themselves, as any musical achievements that took place in Hampton would soon be eclipsed in June. But everyone was surprised at how together they sounded, despite their well-publicized rehearsals, especially juxtaposed with our last memories from Coventry. The weekend became nothing short of enchanted, with nary a negative atom in the air. And after the third night, while walking back to the hotel, I glanced over my shoulder to the glowing panels of the retro space-aged coliseum, thinking, “So this is where it all begins again.” And so it did.
The second show of ’93 goes out via reader request to Jack G. Check it out. Included is the debut of “Sample In a Jar.” My desktop has gone from infected to fuct, so not torrents today. (Keep your torrents seeding as much as possible for the next couple days, as my computer won’t be seeding anything for a second.)
I. Axilla, Foam, Bouncing Around the Room, Maze, Fast Enough for You, All Things Reconsidered, Stash, The Lizards, Sample in a Jar*, Glide, Run Like an Antelope
II: Chalk Dust Torture, The Wedge, Mike’s Song > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Avenu Malkenu > The Man Who Stepped Into YesterdayWeekapaug Groove, Lawn Boy, Uncle Pen, Big Ball Jam, Hold Your Head Up > Lengthwise > Hold Your Head Up, Harry Hood, Cavern >
E: Amazing Grace**, Good Times Bad Times
*Debut
** w/o microphones
Source: AKG 451
As 2010 has quietly crept into March, this coming weekend represents the one year anniversary of Phish’s Hampton reunion. The dates of March 6, 7, and 8, 2009, will live forever in Phish history as the time things came back together again, for the second time. Reunited for the first time in five years in …
After playing 84 songs over six never-ending sets at Hampton’s last month, Phish still managed to leave a few classic pieces untouched. With only three shows, there was no doubt that some songs would have to be left off the guest list, with their finger in the air. But when sets turned into mini-shows, and the evenings stretched to four hours, it seemed that no stone would be left unturned. As the band tore into most of their classic old-school repertoire, it seemed that we would hear all of the significant snippets from Phish history. Yet upon further review, we missed a couple. And given the vibe of the weekend, it is hard to believe that these, somehow, missed the cut.
1. “The Lizards”
The gateway to Gamehendge, “Lizards” is a hallmark of early Phish composition. One of the most-loved non-improvisational pieces in the band’s catalog, “Lizards” embodies the Phishy spirit and was, similarly, the gateway to the world of Phish for many a fan. Its absence within the three-show weekend wasn’t noticeable at the time, yet unfathomable in retrospect. Trey’s composed “If I Were a Dog” solo in the second half of “Lizards” is one of the most sacred moments of Phish music, and one we will be sure to hear this summer.
2. “Cavern”
Hampton (J.Volckhausen)
One of the most popular set closers in the band’s history, “Cavern” could have also slid anywhere within those two-hour first sets. “Cavern” was one of the feel-good arrivals of a Phish show, and often the song that punctuated that special set. Its funky rhythms always gave you one last song to rage before the encore. Choosing many less prominent songs over this night-time mission, Phish left “Cavern” to close a set this summer- coming soon to an amphitheatre near you.
3. “The Mango Song”
In a weekend in which Phish showcased their compositional chops on their most unique pieces, “Mango” was curiously absent. Debuted in ’89, this happy genre-defying song was played consistently through the years if not often. Its relative rarity built it into a crowd favorite, and it would seem to have fit the bill for Hampton just right. Carrying a distinctly summertime vibe, perhaps they decided to save it for the warmer months, just like last Friday’s Phish Thoughts’ feature song, “Ya Mar.”
4. “Ya Mar”
Hampton (J.Bryce)
A song that dates back to Phish’s days of college, this adopted cover was a staple of summer Phish. It wouldn’t be surprising to see it appear early in the first show at Jones Beach, welcoming the community back to the summer circuit. Its calypso rhythms and island vibe would fit nicely along the water at Wantaugh, NY for the first summer show since ’04.
5. “Llama”
In any three-day exploration of old-school Phish, one would expect to hear this short and fiery Gamehendge reference. Embodying the tightness and precision that band has vowed to reconnect with, “Llama” would have been musically congruent with the weekend’s goal. You would imagine that this one won’t stay in hiding for long, and when it does return, expect it to jump of the stage with a renewed gusto.
Sure, they could never have fit them all into three shows, but after brainstorming which songs were left off the list, these were the non-selections that stood out the most. All fixtures the Phish’s early catalog, each holds a distinct and special place in the band’s history. Applying only trivial significance into these omissions, it is interesting to think back at all those hours of Phish and realize that we never heard these five.
ADDENDUM: “Golgi” and “Fee”
After waking up this morning and reading through the comments, I realized somehow left out “Fee” and “Golgi”- two of the songs that should most definitely be on this list before “Mango” and “Yamar.” These omissions are directly related to the lack of sleep I got all weekend and the tired state in which I wrote this post. These classics of the Phish catalog were two of the more surprising omissions given their history and popularity amongst all levels of fans. (How could they not play “Golgi” after that ticket fiasco!?)
Other significant older pieces that were left outside of Hampton looking in were: “The Sloth,” “McGrupp,” “Lifeboy,” “Mound,” and “Julius.”
Sticking with the old-school theme of the day, here is a SBD copy of the 1991 New Year’s Eve show. This would be the final New Year’s without some sort of additional spectacle. Just lots of crisp, old-school jamming. This one contains many a Phish classic.
II: Brother, Bouncing Around the Room > Buried Alive > Auld Lang Syne, Runaway Jim, The Landlady, Reba, Cavern, My Sweet One, Run Like an Antelope
III: Wilson > The Squirming Coil, Tweezer > McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters > Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove**
E: Lawn Boy, Rocky Top, Tweezer Reprise
After playing 84 songs over six never-ending sets at Hampton’s last month, Phish still managed to leave a few classic pieces untouched. With only three shows, there was no doubt that some songs would have to be left off the guest list, with their finger in the air. But when sets turned into mini-shows, and …
Tucked away amidst a two-hour first set on Saturday at Hampton was one of the dark horse jams of the weekend. With marathon setlists each night, some moments were inevitably lost in the extended fray- especially “Split Open and Melt.” Representing the first real jam of the evening, the band took a daring ride down an abstract ally, creating a seething piece of music that was reminiscent of the band’s full on experimentation in ’94. Leaving groove behind, the band attacked this jam vigorously, previewing the more open-ended excursions of the second set.
Contributing to the early ’90s vibe that defined this first set- and the entire weekend- “Split Open” was the first piece of the night that really got the show going. Immediately firing up the crowd, the band sat into the introductory grooves of the song. As they approached the pre-jam break, that rush of anticipation grew tangible, knowing we were about to live the first “Split” in five years. As we plunged below the water line, between beams to the gloom room, we were soon covered with seaweed and slime- and then it was time to melt.
3.8.09 (M.Walters)
Starting the jam at a brisk pace, the band wasted no time getting into the thick of things, characteristic of most all the shorter jams at Hampton. Delving into the dense musical canvas, the band almost immediately guided the jam out into more abstract territory. With Fishman playing a complex and grooveless beat, the other members began adding their interpretations of this experimental plane. Trey focused primarily on wailing tonality and searing walls of sound, bringing the improv ever deeper with his work. Mike played a continuous bassline that followed the jagged contours of the jam, while Page added blocked piano chords that anchored the far off jam to the song.
3.6.09 (W.Rogell)
As the band got involved in twisting improv, one could have been fooled into thinking they were listening to a version from the mid-nineties. Trey progressed into his dirtiest tone, playing more distinct phrases, as Fish worked over his cymbals like it was the last time he would ever play them. Following this maddening path, the band came to a dissonant peak before pushing onwards through the sonic sludge. At this point, Mike began pounding out a heavier, repetitive line, inviting the band to return to the song’s structure. Within a minute, they had congealed and completed “Split,” but the brevity of the jam certainly took nothing away from its quality. A menacing portrait of the band’s 3.Old-school sound that painted the Hampton shows, this jam was a quick reminder of Phish’s ability to take a jam very far out in no time, and speed back to earth like a fiery comet.
3.6.09 (J.DiGiuseppe)
As illustrated by this “Split,” the beauty of Hampton was that it was only the beginning. Primarily, the band played concise, to the point jams as they got their sea legs back again. Come mid-summer, shows will assume quite a different landscape. And by the time summer ends, Hampton will exist as a mystical memory of the weekend when it all started to come back together again.
In a very candid Rolling Stone article, Phish gave writer, David Fricke, further insight into their upcoming studio plans. Very exciting was the fact that Phish already has 20 new songs and is prepared to start work on their next album in April. Teaming up with Steve Lillywhite (Billy Breathes) again, look for a cohesive effort that moves beyond their previous albums. Trey supported this assertion, saying, “I’m not convinced we’ve made a great record yet.” Yes, the passion is back! The article also gives you a look into the band’s dynamic during the break up and over the Hampton weekend. Although the article is not online, someone scanned it in. The three pages are below, click on the links and then click on the page to zoom in. It’s a great read!
The Murat Theatre, Indianapolis, IN
Tucked away amidst a two-hour first set on Saturday at Hampton was one of the dark horse jams of the weekend. With marathon setlists each night, some moments were inevitably lost in the extended fray- especially “Split Open and Melt.” Representing the first real jam of the evening, the band took a daring ride down …
In the most surreal moment of Phish’s career- and many of our own lives- they opened with “Fluffhead.” Who’d have thunk it? After months of rampant speculation as to how Phish would start round three, they took it back to where it all began. I couldn’t help but seeing this as a new beginning. I thought immediately back to the opening of Boston’s 20th anniversary montage that started with four funny looking kids in a dorm room playing the open chords of “Fluffhead”. Symbolic for so many reasons, the opener was like a lucid dream- it couldn’t be happening, but you were seeing it with your own eyes. Chapter three could not have started with a more stunning introduction.
“Fluffhead” (J. DiGiuseppe)
People were a bit awed by merely being inside of Hampton once again, and the pre-show feeling was one of excitement, yet overwhelming anticipation bordering on anxiety. We had all been brought back to The Mothership to bear witness to these events, and the impending reality was overpowering. On pins and needles, people mingled, chatted and found ways to kill time; everyone awaiting the moment. Gazing around the circular portal, the feelings that flooded were of surreal disbelief.
3.6.09 (B.Ferguson)
As it usually does, the moment the venue went dark took everyone by complete surprise. Much closer to 8 pm than the band used to take the stage, the venue turned to black with a pristine turquoise cloud of smoke on stage. As the band emerged from the left corner of the stage, everyone’s emotions overflowed into a massive ongoing roar. As if out of a fairy tale, the members emerged from this cloud of smoke and back into our lives.
Awaiting the first notes like a five-year old on his first truly conscious Christmas morning, five months of intrigue had built to this moment. After Trey and Mike briefly exchanged words, the members stepped into position. Through raucous cheers and floating dreams, the last notes one thought they’d hear emanated from the stage- they were playing “Fluffhead!”
3.6.09 (B.Ferguson)
“They’d never open with “Fluffhead.” It’s too hard for their first song and they’ll be too nervous”- so the theories went. A handful of empty years made people forget who they were talking about- this was Phish- masters of the universe. And as they hit the opening rhythms of the song, as loud as everyone felt inside, a more focused silence overtook the room as everyone wanted to hear the song’s first performance in over eight years (9.29.00, Las Vegas.) And just like that, Phish restarted.
3.6.09 (J.DiGiuseppe)
Knowing that the band put extensive thought into these setlists, a “Fluffhead” opener carried so much meaning. After ignoring the compositional opus during the less precise but improvisationally heavy period of Phish 2.0, starting out with “Fluffhead” was a powerful statement of intent. Having practiced for months before Hampton, the band immediately let us know that this time would be different. Recomitting to the drill-bit precision that helped carve their legacy, the band used one of their most complex song’s to deliver this message. If people had any trouble receiving that message, the band soon sent a PS. in the form of a “Divided Sky.”
Starting round three with one of their oldest and most hallowed pieces, the band also reconnected to their Phishy roots that had been diluted during ’03 and ’04. While the band certainly created lots of amazing music during the post-hiatus period, their fun-loving, old-school prankster spirit wasn’t always there- a spirit that “Fluffhead” virtually embodies. The smile on their faces as they opened up Hampton spoke volumes to this reinvigorated gusto. Phish was back- and they meant business- things couldn’t have been better.
Listening to the band work though the methodical composition was like watching a miracle happen. Phish resurrected themselves after five years and the first song they played was the song everyone wanted to hear. The majesty of the moment was undeniable, and the resulting emotions were like a tidal wave of goosebumps, adrenaline, tears, disbelief, and ultimate gratitude. Just hearing any Phish, let alone the intricate patterns of “Fluffhead,” would have been the fulfillment of our dreams, and this elevated the experience to a whole different level.
As Phish progressed through the six-part epic, everything crystallized when they reached “Bundle of Joy.” Considering all of the bumps, hurdles and obstacles we all had to overcome to reach this moment in time, the melodic affirmation that “Life is just a bundle of joy,” reminded us of how simple it can be if we just allow it to. As the climbing refrain spiraled towards “The Arrival,” we felt emotions that hadn’t touched us for half a decade. Awakening spirits, the band built towards the massive release…and then it came- “FLUFF-HEAD!!”
Shot like a human cannonball into heaven, a rejoicing flooded the room; we had collectively arrived. It was really happening, and we were all a part of it, whether standing in Hampton, listening with friends across the nation, or listening with headphones by yourself- and we knew it. “Fluffy, Fluffy, Fluffy, Fluffy, Fluffy, Fluffy Head!!” We made it! We had all been transported to a place where dreams come true and music reigns divine. We were back on Phish tour.
Though it seems impossible to stop listening to the three Hampton shows, I thought I’d start this section going again. Due to the old-school vibe that permeated the weekend at Hampton, I figured we’d go back to a nice 1993 SBD. You’ll notice more than a few similarities in the setlists. Enjoy this old school nugget as we prepare for the new.
I: Llama, Foam, Bouncing Around the Room, Stash, It’s Ice, Glide, My Friend My Friend, All Things Reconsidered, Golgi Apparatus, Run Like an Antelope
II: Wilson, Reba, The Landlady, Halley’s Comet > You Enjoy Myself, Lifeboy, Oh Kee Pa Ceremony > Suzy Greenberg, Big Ball Jam, The Squirming Coil
E: Sweet Adeline, Big Black Furry Creature From Mars
In the most surreal moment of Phish’s career- and many of our own lives- they opened with “Fluffhead.” Who’d have thunk it? After months of rampant speculation as to how Phish would start round three, they took it back to where it all began. I couldn’t help but seeing this as a new beginning. I …
