These selections come from the Palace Theater in Albany, NY. The first set Stash features a Linus and Lucy jam. Trey starts up the theme and the rest of the band pick up on it and join in. In the second set, the audience was treated to this soaring, mid-set Harry Hood.
Phish opened up the second set of their August 12, 1993 show at the Meadow Brook Music Festival in Rochester, MI with this 2001 > The Landlady > Tweezer > Lizards. The end of this jazzy and melodic Tweezer features multiple uses of the Get Back signal to weave in and out of The Landlady and other themes. The ending dissonance has a Simpson’s signal before drifting gracefully into Lizards.
Today’s post from the Roseland Ballroom in New York features one of just a handful of Weekapaug-less Mike’s Songs. The Ya Mar starts the segment off and emerged in the midst of the first set of this VH1 taping. After an extended jam, the Mike’s appears. There is no indication the Mike’s will be particularly out of the ordinary when Simple comes out of the E chord at it’s usual, although not guaranteed, spot. The melodic Simple-jam eventually peters into the first It’s Ice in 84 shows (since 11/13/98). As set-long Mike’s Grooves had already occurred at this point, it’s only at the end of the show do folks realize they’ve just witnessed a rare ‘paug-less Mike’s.
This segment closed the first set of the 10/29/1994 show in Spartanburg, SC at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium. The Split segued gracefully into Buffalo Bill after the dissonant portion of the jam. The 2nd-ever Bill transitions into a nice Makisupa from a period when the “keyword” was not a given. An atypical jam out of Makisupa turns into an energetic and well played Rift to conclude the set.
Split Open & Melt > Buffalo Bill > Makisupa Policeman > Rift
Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium
This pre-crowd chant Wilson started the second set of Phish’s appearance at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, MI on April 17, 1993. Reba starts up immediately propelling the energy of the set further. This pairing has occurred on 8 other occasions but this would be the second-to-last (10/22/94 being the last). Reba begins with a well-played composed segment before Trey aggressively advances the melodic “chill” segment jam. Ultimately, it feels like Fishman may have stopped this one a little soon, but the peak is very much there and this is another great Reba from a period of great Rebas.
This selection comes to us from the WDR Festival in Koblenz, Germany on June 22, 1997. Phish closed their single set with this Theme From the Bottom, A Capella Hello My Baby, and Ghost segment. Steve Winwood, Primus and others also performed at this festival.
In the midst of the latter part of a busy summer tour performing abbreviated, single sets opening for Santana, Phish still managed to play a full, two set show. On this night in San Juan Capistrano, CA at the Coach House, the band played this Suzy > It’s Ice > Tweezer to open the second set. The Suzy begins with a unique, a Capella rendering of the first line before launching in earnest. The Santana vibe was not left behind in the ensuing music.
On November 29, 1995, Bela Fleck joined Phish for the latter part of their second set at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, TN. The banjo player added a new and well-received dimension to several songs including this set closing Slave.
In honor of a certain guitar player’s birthday today, we look to selections from Nectar’s in Burlington, VT from December 1, 1984. Happy Birthday, Jerry!
