A few weeks ago I got a copy of the new Phish Walnut Creek DVD and got to watch it’s genius front-to-back in pretty quick order. I never had time to really digest it, though. I meant to write up a more solid review but never really got around to it. Not that I think back, I’m not sure it even really deserves a review other than mentioning that it’s an incredible concert DVD and one that shows a band in the prime of their musical creativity. Most would say Phish was at that prime every night, but I always remember that the band is the one choosing the releases and giving reflection to a particular night or performance that meant something a little more to them. This show on July 22, 1997 was something that the band remembered. They chose to work on it and repackage it and share it again. I always put a lot of weight in that.

I’m also pretty happy that I accidentally got two copies sent to me, because that means that I can give one away. If you’d like a chance at a free copy of the DVD, go ahead and leave a comment on this post with your favorite Phish song. I’ll pick a winner at random after we get a few people in the running, so make haste and drop that comment now. To get you interested you can watch this clip from the DVD during one of my favorite segments:

Weekapaug Groove - Phish Walnut Creek [YouTube]

This segment includes some great moments and wild segues (and it also has much less dog-barking than last week’s selections!). Check it out:

• Phish - McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters (live, 8-21-1987) > [mp3]
• Phish - Str it Up Jam With (live, 8-21-1987) > [mp3]
• Phish - Makisupa Policeman Jam. (live, 8-21-1987) > [mp3]
• Phish - David Bowie (live, 8-21-1987) > [mp3]
• Phish - Sanity (live, 8-21-1987) [mp3]

McGrupp >
The jam that runs out of this “McGrupp” is like an early version of “Chalkdust Torture,” albeit much less tight and focused. I really like how it gradually evolves out of the upbeat Chalkdust-style rock and slowly morphs into something completely different. Then once Mike starts dropping the bassline from “Stir it Up,” the rest of the band hops on the bandwagon.

Stir it Up >
This one requires some sloppy key changes and maneuvering, but the band eventually manages to lock into the familiar “Stir it Up” theme. Once they do, it’s all Trey on guitar. Trey’s solo is a bit of a major-key noodle session, but you can hear bits and pieces of genius that would later morph into fan favorites like the beautiful “Simple” outros or “Harry Hood” jam sections.

Makisupa Policeman Jam >
Although the band ended the “Stir it Up” jam, they decide to continue on the reggae theme., with Mike dropping the familiar bassline for “Makisupa Policeman.” But instead of playing the actual song, they bring on the utter silliness, with Trey doing some odd reggae-style rap (is this some UB40 reference?) and other band members yelling “Rasta” and “Jah.” it’s pure insanity; they sound like they’re having a blast.

Vocal antics behind them, the band leads the “Makisupa” improv into an out-there atmospheric reggae jam, with Trey setting up some washed-out loops and sequences. The sound is a glimpse into the slow-reggae improv of later Makisupas or Windora Bugs. As Trey’s loops fade, he starts teasing the opening chords of “David Bowie” over top the leftovers of the reggae jam. It’s wild stuff, but it exhibits the band’s early abilities to adeptly bring form and movement out of the chaos.

David Bowie >
This Bowie starts out with some seriously funky bass from Mike, which I’d say is a rare early recording where the bass had a prominent place in the mix. Once they delve into the jam, it’s a particularly mellow version of Bowie. Just as they increase the tempo, they then wind back down to nothing, seeming to find a place to start over with clean improvisational slate. They then work through another set of three or four different themes and movements, dissolving the remnants of Bowie into sheer chaos before ending on the slower chord cadence of “Sanity.”

Sanity
In taking with the theme and silliness of the lyrics, “Sanity” is pure buffoonery. Like so many of the band’s stage antics in those first 5-7 years, it all sounds like one big inside joke. But beyond the songs and the jams, the silly moments like these were the ways the band made us all feel like we were on the inside, laughing along with them as they made utter fools of themselves on stage.

Once again, you can grab the whole show via mediafire in three parts:

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Full setlist (via Phish.net):

08-21-87 Ian McLean’s Farm, Hebron, NY
1: Dog Log, Peaches en Regalia, The Divided Sky, Funky Bitch, Harry Hood, Clod, The Curtain, Light Up or Leave Me Alone, Shaggy Dog, Wilson, Camel Walk
2: Mike’s Song, Harpua*-> Bundle of Joy-> Harpua-> Golgi Apparatus-> Sparks, Flat Fee, Fee, Skin It Back-> Low Rider-> Back Porch-> The Sloth
3: Big Black Furry Creature From Mars, McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters-> Stir It Up jam-> Makisupa Policeman-> David Bowie-> Sanity, Swing Low Sweet Chariot Jam

Have a great (long) weekend!

This was one of the first truly old-school Phish tapes I got back in the day. I can still envision the hand-writing on those old XLIIs and remember some endless car treks with this show as the accompanying soundtrack. It captures the band at a unique point in their early career, with the silliness in the stage banter, a truly young sound in their voices, and some yet-to-be-perfected improv chops. Everything fun and interesting about old-school Phish exists on these recordings.

Here are a few gems that always get me:

• Phish - Clod (live, 8-21-1987) > [mp3]
• Phish - The Curtain With (live, 8-21-1987) [mp3]
• Phish - Light Up Or Leave Me Alone (live, 8-21-1987) [mp3]
• Phish - Shaggy Dog (live, 8-21-1987) [mp3]
• Phish - Wilson (live, 8-21-1987) [mp3]

One of the more fun aspects of these early recordings is being able to here how their songs changed and morphed from older song parts and sequences. As many people know, “The Curtain” used to be a longer tune called “The Curtain With,” that included a longer outro which eventually became the key theme to “Rift.”

Here we also get treated to various segments that eventually were pulled into the full version of “Fluffhead.” “Clod” is that funky section of “Fluffhead” where they sing “tipsy fuddled boozy groggy” before leading up to the song’s finale.

Also, even though it gets pretty annoying, one of the funnier parts of this show is hearing the ever-present sound of dogs barking. The main dog, of course, is no other than Marley, Anastasio’s long-time retriever companion. The incessant barks really get going during a ripping cover of “Light Up or Leave Me Alone.” The band then reacts to the barks with a version of “Shaggy Dog” featuring some of the earliest examples of their barber-shop quartet vocal stylings. The dogs come to full crescendo with the crowd getting all riled up and it’s a complete mess. Even back then, the band was having a blast with the craziness going on in the crowd around them.

In one sense, you really have to love Phish to get into these old recordings. The sound isn’t the best, and there’s a lot of noise and hecticness that goes along with the creative improv and fun stage banter. But it’s recordings like these that allow us to get amazing glimpses of the band during a seriously fertile growth period. It was only 1987 and they were already playing gems like “The Curtain With,” writing huge tunes like “Harry Hood” and making the crowd laugh with silly antics and buffoonery. This was the stuff that got fans hooked and it’s all there in this random show at a farm in upstate NY in 1987.

You can grab the whole show via mediafire in three parts:

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Full setlist (via Phish.net):

08-21-87 Ian McLean’s Farm, Hebron, NY
1: Dog Log, Peaches en Regalia, The Divided Sky, Funky Bitch, Harry Hood, Clod, The Curtain, Light Up or Leave Me Alone, Shaggy Dog, Wilson, Camel Walk
2: Mike’s Song, Harpua*-> Bundle of Joy-> Harpua-> Golgi Apparatus-> Sparks, Flat Fee, Fee, Skin It Back-> Low Rider-> Back Porch-> The Sloth
3: Big Black Furry Creature From Mars, McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters-> Stir It Up jam-> Makisupa Policeman-> David Bowie-> Sanity, Swing Low Sweet Chariot Jam

Let’s head back to Lemonwheel, once again…

“At the festival, the band had the audience make candles throughout the weekend. At the end of the first show, the band lined the stage with the candles, turned out all the lights, and played one long, quiet, ambient jam.” [Wikipedia]

• Phish - “Ambient Jam” (live, Lemonwheel 8/15/98) [mp3]

Oh yeah, that’s the good stuff.

Too bad I had to work all day and I couldn’t hang out with Andy and the Hidden Track guys over at the impromptu Phish Friday jam session webcast, so then I got cranky. And I’m not going to see STS9 tonight because I wasn’t a fan club member and I didn’t get to the announcement in time to get tickets before it sold-out. Bah!

I asked Justin if I could take over Phish Friday today because I want to toast a special 10-year anniversary. That anniversary is a weekend run of Phish shows in 1998:

Walnut Creek 8.7.98
Merriweather Post 8.8.98
VA Beach, VA 8.9.98

Over the course of that weekend, the middle section of the East Coast paid host to what was my fourth, fifth, and sixth Phish show. All three drove home that this band was now my favorite band (sorry DMB). Overall, I felt this mini-run’s enjoyment grew exponentially from the beginning to the end…each show besting the previous night, culminating in an all time concert going highlight…which was AMAZING…but I don’t want to get a head of my self and mention it…just yet.

Walnut Creek

The first set kicked off with a nod to the 15 minute summer shower that began as the band walked on stage. A watery themed “Water in The Sky” and “Drowned” got the crowd going. I was in the seats but just outside covering area…so I got a bit wet. No worries as it was hot and more than anything, the rain was refreshing. Overall most of the set was a bit mellow – it included a laid back “Frankie Sez,” “Brian & Robert” (which I always love), and “Bittersweet Motel,” placed between a basic “Stash,” a solid “Foam,” and a very nice “Ghost.” In the latter, Trey rips 64th notes like it was his job for what seemed like two minutes; all while Mike and Page carry the melody through nicely in a supportive way. Following “Ghost” was for me the highlight of the show, my first “Col. Forbin’s Ascent” > “Mockingbird.”

• Phish - “Ghost” (live, 8/7/98) [mp3]
• Phish - “Col. Forbin’s Ascent >” (live, 8/7/98) [mp3]
• Phish - “Famous Mockingbird” (live, 8/7/98) [mp3]

Trey’s Forbin story was pretty great - it was about a day when Forbin decides to change his plan from going to see Icculus to exploring a zip-line he discovers climbing the mountain. The zip-line story tangents into a description of Forbin being a lucid dreamer (like Mike) – he is able to control his dreams, get anything he wants. Forbin feasts on a huge banquet of beautiful foods and tastes. He becomes so big that he bounces away into the sky…until he eclipses the moon. Oh yeah, the “Mockingbird” was up there, too.

Second set was pretty underwhelming — as much as a Phish show can be — which is still better than most bands out there. Set opener “Chalkdust Torture” and closer “Weekapaug Groove” stand out as favorites. I’ll never really dig “Albuquerque.” Sorry, Trey.

Merriweather Post

Thank g-d my homey and show buddy Rasdub (big ups!) had the foresight to book a hotel within walking distance of the Columbia, MD amphitheater. We avoided most of the complaints of this show, the lot and the horrendous parking/traffic. We were in the lawn, which was very steep. To be honest, the venue was not that impressive and I can barely remember seeing the boys outside of what I saw on the screens. The two sets, though, were very memorable.

Kicking off the set was a nice “Wedge” / “NICU” combo. Definitely had the crowd going. Third song up brought a funked out “Sneaking Sally Through The Alley” merging nicely into a dark “Guyute.” “Ficus,” “Farmhouse” (my first, I was looking forward to hearing this), and a “Possum” all were received warmly. The set closer was another cover and a foreshadow of the Halloween “costume” set – Velvet Underground’s “Sweet Jane.” Page’s vocals always make me smile; not the best voice but always endearing. His passion shows deeply as he screams out:

And, everyone who ever had a heart
They wouldnt turn around and break it

Trey’s solo is hot. En fuego. It is a straight-ahead, fist pumping exclamation point on a very entertaining set.

• Phish - “Sweet Jane” (live, 8/8/98) [mp3]
• Phish - “Sabotage” (live, 8/8/98) [mp3]

Set two kicked off with the slow funk version of “Cavern.” A short but sweet “2001” precluded another concert first, “Tela.” It segued nicely into “Piper” – a jam I can never get sick of. Fishman came around his set for a sloppy yet fun “Sexual Healing” – Bob Weaver’s solos can always make up for missed / flubbed lyrics and bad vocals. The night closed with a spirited “Harry Hood” and an encore debut of the Beastie Boys’ “Sabatoge.” The 4 and half hour drive to Virginia Beach the next day made getting out of the lot and into our hotel room in 15 minutes all the more important. As great as this show was, I always look forward to seeing the boys in my hometown, Vabeyotchay.

Virginia Beach Amphitheater

As I said, I love my hometown of VB. The amphitheater opened in 1996, five miles from my parent’s house. The shows I have seen there have been amazing – 6.4.96 DMB with Ben Harper, Page & Plant, Metallica, (of course) Phish ‘97 and ‘99, and others. None can hold a candle to Phish 8.9.98. This night was the pinnacle of my weekend run and shows seen at my home court.

I must mention that my seat that night was fifth row orchestra in between Trey and Mike. Perfectly placed to witness two amazing sets and an epic encore. “PYITE” definitely jump-started the show. First set was stacked with good jams: “Bathtub” > “Lizards” (another first), the funky “Moma Dance,” “Birds Of A Feather,” “Esther” (first), and the ever awesome “Roggae.” I thought that the set would be done after “Bouncin”” but no, an epic “Bowie” capped off a memorable set.

• Phish - “Bathtub Gin >” (live, 8/9/98) [mp3]
• Phish - “Lizards” (live, 8/9/98) [mp3]

The guys came back on after about 45 min; Trey had the crowd turn around to see what he could see – an amazing full moon. What followed was a set full of classics - “AC/DC Bag,” “Antelope,” “YEM,” “Chalkdust,” and “Frankenstein”. The band nailed a bread favorite, “Waste” – Trey’s Languedoc work on the melody hook was spot on. The band segued out of “Waste” into a gorgeous instrumental version of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow.” The 82 minute set ended with the acappella “Hello My Baby.” What would the band do to top the two sets of awesomeness? Only bust out a tribute to Jerry Garcia on the third anniversary of his death. No one, I mean no one, really thought it would happen…we hoped…but could we really think they would do it?

• Phish - “Waste” (live, 8/9/98) [mp3]
• Phish - “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” (live, 8/9/98) [mp3]
• Phish - “Terrapin Station” (live, 8/9/98) [mp3]

Trey played the first notes of “Lady With A Fan” almost cautiously…which quickly moved to confidence as he heard 20,000 fans losing their shit in excitement. Literally, the first two minutes of the song I could barely hear because the crowd was THAT loud. There were numerous people around me crying and cheering at the same time. All relished what was sure to be a one-time appearance. Not a note perfect performance but that was easily forgiveable….c’mon, it was Phish playing Jerry!!! As the band transitioned into “Terrapin Station,” one lyric stood out as the summation of what I though of the entire weekend run:

Inspiration, move me brightly

Nothing will ever be as great to me as Big Cypress. But 8.9.98 is right up there….the whole weekend…but especially this show.

Nate Leskovic is back with his second Phish Friday post…

In honor of the lightning-enhanced Walnut Creek “Taste” being released on DVD next week, it’s well-worth noting the glorious polyrhythmic tune’s journey through 1995. Debuted on the opening night of the summer tour—June 7 at the Boise State University Pavilion in Boise, ID—early versions were a disjointed jumble. All the Tetris blocks of the eventual grooves, mixed-meters and melodic themes are in cue but haven’t quite yet found the best way to drop together. It’s exciting to hear the band cautiously snake along through the changes and explore the possibilities. Trey starts discovering some of the licks that will serve him well in future versions. Other noodles are best left behind. But, as is often the case, they soon find comfort as a band during the jam, not worrying about the intricacies of the new composition and plain locking into their unrivaled cohesion.

Here’s the fourth version from June 15, at the Lakewood Amphitheater in Atlanta, GA, with a thank you from Trey for listening to them work their way through the future classic. Notice Fish’s hypnotic cowbell/tom patterns that eventually define the groove are noticeably absent; instead a more timid hi-hat sets the feel.

• Phish - “Taste” (live, 6/15/95) [mp3]

The band hammered away at “Taste” throughout the tour and it was a perfect first set twirler for sinking bare feet into grass during sunset. After a little time off they launched into a fall tour with an announcement from Trey in the beginning of the first set: “You think you know this song, some of you, but you don’t.”

Complete with a wavering falsetto intro from Fish as he attempts to find his first pitch (which he painfully strains for each time, eventually lowering the note and opting for a speaking/singing hybrid), the new version of “Taste” confounds. “The Fog that Surrounds” may have given Fish his first “serious” singing opportunity not covered by the masks of Henrietta and other characters, but it almost ruined the song. The music stays the same, but it drops Trey’s inspiring verse for more somber Fish musings. The debut was Sept. 27 at the Cal Expo Amphitheater in Sacramento, CA:

• Phish - “Fog That Surrounds” (live, 9/27/95) [mp3]

About a month later, the band throws another curveball with another version. “Tasty Fog,” or preferably, “Taste that Surrounds”—never official titles—starts with Trey’s “Taste” verse, then goes into Fish’s Fog. Here’s the debut from 10/24/95 at the Dane County Coliseum in Madison, WI:

• Phish - “Taste That Surrounds” (live, 10/24/95) [mp3]

“Taste that Surrounds” itself switches up after a couple weeks. A second version (within a version) blends both Trey and Fish’s vocals together in a confusing mashup. There’s a little too much going on, and the beauty of Taste—and how it makes complexity sound simple—is lost. Here’s the version from 11/12/95 at the O’Connell Center in Gainesville, FL:

• Phish - “Taste That Surrounds” (live, 11/12/95) [mp3]

Though its success was limited, the “Fog” diversion at least got Fish singing for real and helped instigate what would mature into quite a sweet and comforting voice. After a last performance of “Taste that Surrounds” on the holiday tour, our old “Taste” made its triumphant return in 1996 by cutting back Fish’s vocals and placing choice cuts of his part in the pre-chorus. It eliminates Trey’s solo, instead opting for a full-band jam which is heavy on Page’s piano. While working on Billy Breathes during the spring, did producer Steve Lillywhite have any input in finalizing the masterpiece? The power this arrangement produces is exemplified in the Clifford Ball version. The subtle beauty that begins just after the three-minute mark is brilliant:

• Phish - “Taste” (live, 8/17/96) [mp3]

The final stage in Taste’s evolution comes with the separation of the jam into separate Page and Trey solo sections during fall 1996, dropping the final refrain of the chorus and letting Trey fly into the extreme outro (I want back in on this!). The two peaks push the tune into more epic territory, allowing space for numerous moods and motifs—including Trey’s “middle-eastern” musings he began bringing into play. The collective breath the audience grabs between solos, in giddy anticipation knowing the intense shredding that is to follow, is one of those true Phish moments that kept us coming back.

Sorry for being few-and-far-between updates on the site lately. I’ve had some changes occur in real life that have forced me away from the blog, away from live music, away from a lot of what I had going on in my life just a few weeks ago. My dad had a heart attack and was forced into bypass surgery a few days following, so I’ve been hanging out in Chicago for the past two weeks trying to get things together for him and for the rest of the family. It’s been a lot of work and I’m quite exhausted mentally and physically, but none of that really matters because my dad is feeling better now. He made it through surgery without incident, and he’s home and starting to move around a bit on his own, albeit with the help of some seriously wicked painkillers. Which means it’s time for me to start to ease back into my old day-to-day starting right now.

For today, that means that I’m heading downtown to Chicago on the best mode of transportation that we have available to us in the ‘burbs — the train. You could say that it look me a long time to get back on the train, and when I jumped on I had quite the bucket full of thoughts.

• Phish - “Back on the Train” (live, 6/24/04) [mp3]

Wow — that may rank up there with the lamest lead-in I’ve ever written.

At any rate, thanks for sticking with the site and checking in on us even though we weren’t able to fully keep up with the live music world of the past couple weeks. Andrew’s doing a heckuva job getting some stuff up from Pitchfork and we’ve got a bunch more stuff coming, so make sure you’re subscribed and ready to read some of our catchup ruminations.

Stub via superphly.com

Today’s Phish Friday was an obvious choice for me considering we’re publishing this on July 11. Eight years ago today, Phish played the second night of a three-night run at Deer Creek in Noblesville, IN, easily one of the best amphitheaters in the country. Sadly I was not at this show, something that I don’t really like to relive in memory because it followed a truly heartbreaking instance of lost mail order tickets at the band’s Apline Valley date scheduled a few days earlier. You know, one of the shows that the band picked for the first batch of Live Phish releases (Live Phish 05), meaning the band thought that this was a show that ripped hard. Oh to have been there. Sigh.

From Alpine, the band headed down to Indianapolis via Chicago to spend three nights hanging out in a set of cornfields-turned-heady-campgrounds, the traditional Deer Creek economy during the summer concert season. The first night was probably great and all — I never listened to a recording from it — but the second night was the heat. Clearly there was something in the veggie burritos that night, because the band played an all-out romp of a second set by weaving in the Zeppelin classic, “Moby Dick,” on at least five separate occasions during the night, including the encore. Plus, the band seemed to jam out to a modified version of “Chalkdust Torture” during the first set which the band closed with. I’m not sure you’ll hear a more adrenaline-fueled Trey than in the show closer.

• Phish - “First Tube > Moby Dick >” (live, 7/11/00) [mp3]
• Phish - “Chalkdust Singalong” (live, 7/11/00) [mp3]

“The Phish,” indeed.

Happy Independence Day from Live Music Blog!

It’s hard to believe that 8 years ago today I was seeing Phish at the E Centre in Camden, NJ, celebrating what was probably my favorite 4th of July as an “adult” so far. It was the sixth show in a long East Coast run that I spent with various groups of my favorite people, all without much of a care in the world. This six-show run was probably the closest I ever got to going “on tour” with the band, and I feel blessed to have had the free time and money to pull it off. Beyond getting to the next show, we really had no other goals than to have a blast. And that we did.

Capping off that entire run was a special Independence Day celebration at the E-Centre in Camden, NJ, which had slowly become one of Phish’s key stomping grounds on the East Coast. The band kicked off the show with an a cappella version of the “Star Spangled Banner” and everything after that was like a perfect reminder of why live music + summer = one of the best combinations in existence.

Of course the highlight of the show was the mammoth second set opener, a nearly 30-minute “Gotta Jiboo” followed by a killer sequence of songs you could only hear at a Phish show. I included “Saw It Again” and “Magilla” because they’re my favorites of the second set:

• Phish - Gotta Jiboo (live, 7-4-2000) > [mp3]
• Phish - Saw It Again (live, 7-4-00) > [mp3]
• Phish - Magilla (live, 7-4-00) [mp3]

This “Gotta Jiboo” seriously kicked up the energy level and pushed the song and the band to their outer limits of improv. I like to think of this Jiboo in three large waves or movements. While each wave has a different sound and feel, the band maintains a pretty consistent high energy throughout the entire song.

Part I is the standard song portion, with the steady “Jiboo” groove and noodling guitar solo that perfectly fits the feel-good summertime vibe. Part II (around minute 11:30) finds the band changing keys and turning the standard, “happy Jiboo” sound on its end so they can head into darker, funkier territory. But unlike slower, swampier funk jams, this one stays pretty high-energy.

This audience recording is also a great example of why I often still like the auds over the crisp-sounding soundboard recordings. You can hear the audience reaction to every change of rhythm and key. At about minute 15:30, Fishman kicks in a steady beat on one of his drum kit toys and the audience chimes in. Then about three minutes later, the band locks into a chopping rhythmic groove and the audience again catches on, this time with clapping in-sync with the music, similar to the standard claps during “Stash.”

As the audience quiets down, they slowly start to morph back into a lighter, more major key “Part III” (around minute 19-20:00). With Mike’s “Jiboo” bassline, the band could easily head back into the song’s chorus and finish it off. But they don’t. They head back into the improv, with Trey showing off some serious guitar pyrotechnics and moving the song into arena rock territory. The energy keeps building and they proceed into that chaotic noise-rock that is a Phish staple. Each member meanders on a few different themes until they somehow drop into a familiar nasty groove. I’m using groove in the loosest sense, because this groove is dark and scary (can someone say “devil’s music”). The band then appropriately drops into the chaotic progression of “Saw it Again.”

The sequence that follows is one that shows off the band’s versatility. One minute, it’s the dirty rock of “Saw It Again” and the next minute they’re playing a mellow outro that segues into the straight-forward piano jazz of “Magilla.” It’s patented Phish, and in my opinion, a perfect way to celebrate our nation’s Independence.

If you want to check out the entire show, you can grab it in three separate parts (as .rar files via mediafire):

• Part I
• Part II
• Part III

Setlist (via Phish.net):

07-04-00 E Centre, Camden, NJ

1: Star-Spangled Banner*, Farmhouse, Rift, It’s Ice**, Bouncing Round the Room, Stash, Lizards, The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Avenu Malkenu > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday, Julius (1:10)

2: Gotta Jibboo -> I Saw It Again -> Magilla# > Twist, Slave to the Traffic Light (1:10)

E: Lawn Boy##, Good Times Bad Times (0:09)

*A cappella. **With “Star-Spangled Banner” teases by Trey. #Followed by feedback that led into “Twist.” ##Page wished everyone a Happy 4; then pyrotechnics went off on stage and in pavilion.

Enjoy, and have a happy and safe 4th of July!

While the general nature of Phish’s political views could always be easily deduced, the band steered clear of “preachy” banter and political activism for the most part and focused on uniting through the common cause of good vibes and dancing (the 80s rarity “Dear Mrs. Reagan” being a notable exception). Right-leaning heads felt just as home at shows as anyone. The boys were classy like that.

Why did the band move beyond the omnipresent Greenpeace and Waterwheel tables and throw its support behind abortion rights at the 5/16/95 “Voters for Choice” benefit in the Lowell Memorial Auditorium? I don’t know, but the special show for some 3,000 fans became a special night of debuts akin to the 9/13/90 Wetlands gig or the 6/6/97 Brad’s House party.

Debuts are nice for their moment-in-time-ness, but obviously often lack the true potential the tune will eventually grow into. I do enjoy the pre-Billy Breathes “Free,” which does not yet include its Trey wah-wankery intro and the funk jam drop. However, the original jam segment has only the slightest hint of Trey’s brilliant effects technique he was still developing and it doesn’t go anywhere.

My favorite has to be the “Spock’s Brain,” the quirky/spooky funk tune with intriguing and challenging vocals only played four more times before 2000. I never understood why this was shelved and why for so long. Wouldn’t it have fit in nice with the 97 funk, sandwiched in between a “Wolfman’s” and a “Cities” or something? Trey lets the audience choose its title from “The Plane,” “The First Single,” “Israel” or the obvious winner.

• Phish - “Spock’s Brain” (live, 5/16/96) [mp3]

The “Theme,” just rocks without complexity here, minus the heavy textural jam it would soon acquire. It goes into the Page-lead ascending part at the end, but far less dramatically. Though first-timers, you could tell “Free” and “Theme” would become monsters.

• Phish - “Reba” (live, 5/16/96) [mp3]
• Phish - “Theme From the Bottom” (live, 5/16/95) [mp3]

Aside from the debuts (which also include the Fish original “Ha Ha Ha,” “Strange Design” introduced as “Ahhh, Page Sing,” and the “Guyute” extract “Glide II”—sometimes referred to as “It’s Time” or “Flip”—that only reappeared in instrumental form on the Billy Breathes outtakes) the “Reba” just plain soars. After developing a brilliant and spacey psychedelic theme at the beginning of the jam that trails off just as you begin to recognize its weight (as if to tease, “Yeah, we’re so good that we don’t care”), it rapidly develops into the usual triumphant fireworks, but with a biting elegance that ranks it as one of the best.

• Phish - “Glide II” [mp3]