Man it was nice, the memories of this show. The kickin' it with the dude in the group who was an old friend but i hadn't seen in years- us finding hash, which wasn't ever around our hometown, the sound of an approaching nebula that gratefully didn't take us away but instead let us talk to each other after the show and ask ourselves if next time we would go to space. Musta happened during Ghost. A bundle of other great versions of songs like the LxL, Melt, YEM Way, and my second Billy Breathes at my 2nd show! The feeling of being at this show (on some hash, no hallucinogens) with its music was more otherworldly to me than the music and me at my first show 11/6/96 while on L. Now we know why! This show has better music. See ya in Huntsville

So so audience recording available for this show. The vocals are bit muddy. This is definitely not a matrix recording. This set is pretty average Winter/Spring 1990 Phish. Things start out with an appropriate Possum opener. Decent YEM. Trey makes a last call for alcohol at the start of Esther. Tweezer is pretty tame once again. Nice Sky and Suzy. Like the show at The Brewery in NC, this is a well played show with no big moments. Highlights: YEM, Sky, Suzy

One of the best 1987 shows I've encountered up to this point in the year (there will be some even better shows yet to come, looking at you 1987-08-21). Highlights: 1) [u]Wilson[/u]: Great build into the song proper, kind of like an eerie swamp monster slowly swimming into sight (different from the band/crowd call-and-response that is typical today). Rocking, high energy version (typical) [b]2) [u]Antelope[/u]: [/b] You can feel the electric energy of the band as they groove the hell out of the beginning of this Antelope, loping cheerily through the tall grass. The raging part of the jam comes screaming out like a wildcat, with Trey's soloing absolutely destroying the stage. Must hear example of an early Phish jam reaching the pinnacles of legendary versions. [b]3) [u]Back Porch Boogie Blues[/u]:[/b] A rollicking and enthusiastic take on this lovely instrumental. Everyone really is playing with such pizzazz, but I was really taken away by the heavy bass thumping from Mike near the beginning of the tune. Eventually, the band speeds up and rides this little doggie straight into the motherf***ing dirt! It's a slamming, stellar, gut punching version. [b]4) [u]YEM[/u]:[/b] There were parts of this band that transported me backwards in time. Not to 1987, but literally like riding a temporal wave of psychedlic guitar and clavinet funk. Great energy.

Nice SBD source available for this show. The first song has some level adjustments. The Sloth opener cuts in. Sloth>Bouncin’ is an interesting pairing. The Tweezer that follows is a bit tame compared to the last few versions. After Tweezer Fish says “that was from the Jane Fonda workout tape, it’s called Tweezer so Cold” Decent YEM. Foam makes for a nice opener. This is the first time it opened a 2nd set. The “Predating ritual” was up next. The debut of Horn had the original mid section. No mention of this being the debut version. Nice version of Hood. Well played show overall but no big moments.

This was a special night at the Greek. I was personally recovering from being sick and didn't have much energy, but it was still a special night. Khruangbin was a special opener and got things moving. As for Ghosts of the Forest, I'd listened to the entire album a few times, but it was a perfect night for the kind of music they were playing. It was a typically cool/overcast evening with a very chill vibe that suited the music. Note: [url=https://open.spotify.com/album/37n19PLHn5b0sVBEeUJZNJ]this show[/url] was later released on streaming services like Spotify. [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vG4xwTt0dTU]The opener[/url] is also available on YouTube.

Pretty good SBD source for this show! It’s sounds like a very intimate show with about 15-20 people. Set 1 opens with a nice Sky, a solid YEM and a gritty version of Possum. The second half opens with a (Lawn Boy lp) Coil, Reba pairing. Another strong Reba jam. Super fun Tweezer opening segment with lots of full band grunts and growls. The fun leads into the jam delivering a fantastic version. Fish introduces it as “The Tweezer Song” again. La Grange features more gritty playing from Trey. The VA audience is treated to a nice McGrupp. Really nice solo from Cactus in A-Train. Longest ever? Great version of A-Train! An awesome Antelope wraps up set 2. Trey has to be the bearer of bad news and let people know that they won’t be playing at a rumored location in town, but will be playing in Raleigh, NC the following night or Hilton Head, SC that weekend. Enjoyable Mike’s. Unfortunately, Groove cuts way to early. The intro is nice with a little start/stop. :( Great first show back on southern soil!

SET 1: Theme From the Bottom: They loved this tune so much back in 97. Played it exceptionally well too. This is a rocking way to get this show off the ground. Trey gets some nice effects working before Page starts pounding out the ending refrain. Beauty of My Dreams: Standard. Gumbo: Trey’s staccato picking starting at 4:07 is sick – especially with Mike synced up tightly with him throwing bombs down! Trey shifts his tone to that signature summer 97 weirdness at 5:15 – you know the one ???? At 6:47 from Mike – this sounds exactly like the https://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1998-04-05/jam at 3:11 and beyond. Very similar! Things get very mellow in the late 10’s as Trey largely drops out. This meanders through until it ends around 14 minutes. An exceptional Gumbo! The first of it’s kind in terms of jammed out Gumbo’s and an absolute all timer! Dirt: Super clean and crushed by Trey. Exquisite. Sparkle: Standard. Ghost: Goes along as you would expect and then in the late 12’s is cleared for takeoff as Trey guides the band into the stratosphere, the hose is in full effect here people. Gorgeous, repetitive theme is realized, and they capitalize on it in spades. In the early 14’s Trey falls back, and this gets quite ethereal and slides ever so nicely into… > Swept Away > Steep > - Standard. Loving Cup: Standard. SET 2: Olivia's Pool: Run Like an Antelope: Things take a turn for a quiet and introspective sort of jam in the early 8’s, very different for Antelope. Trey hits an eerie, scratchy loop in the late 9’s and it sounds like they are about to take you through something dark and intense. Quite the opposite, actually. This takes its time but works its way into an upbeat, major chord groove. By 12:30 this is more or less back in familiar Antelope style jamming yet still with a hint of that major chord stuff, thanks to Mike. Things are getting extremely awesome in the late 13’s as Trey is really ramping up the tension. An enormous, wall of sound emerges out of all this and then an orgasmic peak – just unbelievably nuts. Phish at their chaotic best! All timer for sure! > Wading in the Velvet Sea: This was need after that face melting Antelope, great placement! Twist: This starts getting very cool in the 9’s. Very dark and choppy. Wind is really picking up on the tapes. This jam gets very dark and dissonant in the 12 minute range, not one for the faint of heart – only for the seasoned psychedelic warriors, lol. Picks up a heavy metal, hard edge at the 15 minute mark. Page trying to lift the band out of the murky depths in the late 15’s with some beautiful runs on the baby grand, Trey finally gives in around 16:15. This gets absolutely beautiful!!! Extremely difficult and well executed segue into… -> Taste: Never saw this coming, that was very cool! Trey’s tone in the 8 minute range is very interesting as he is just crushing the solo. Ferocious Taste, blistering as hell. A must hear! When you think they are done – they go for it AGAIN. Just bonkers! Another all timer! Sample in a Jar: Some of the best group vocals I have ever heard in this tune are from this version, they sound GREAT. Trey can’t seem to get in the right key for a while as the jam starts. There is a huge cheer from the crowd in the early 3’s. It made me search the reviews on .net, saw nothing that would indicate why this happened. I then checked out https://phish.net/review/archive and sure enough per one review it seems a fan got on stage during Sample, and everyone went wild. > Rocky Top: Standard. The Squirming Coil: Not standard! Page and Trey funk up the solo until 7:05 when Page opts for the baby grand, super cool! Page’s solo is a must hear. Lengthy and especially in the early going, sort of atypical to my ear, almost minor key I think? ENCORE: Possum – Are they teasing something in the intro? Either way it sounds great. The very beginning of the jam sounded sort of atypical to me, very cool as well. It quickly settles into your typical Possum jam. Replay Value: Gumbo, Ghost, Run Like an Antelope, Twist, Taste, The Squirming Coil Summary: Set one is short but delivers two outstanding jams! It must have been a windy evening as that is very noticeable on the tapes in many different songs unfortunately. Set two has the big guns as well and please don’t sleep on that Coil. Phish.net to my ear has this rating completely dialed in at 4.259/5 (139 ratings). Stellar show – the first of five at this venue in Phoenix.

SET 1: Limb By Limb: Killer funk jam at the end. Crazy having Gullotti on this, overload. Dogs Stole Things: Gullotti does not sound great in this intro, IMHO. > Poor Heart: Standard. Stash: This thing goes amazeballs around the 9 and a half minute mark. Just explodes. Things get very dirty and dissonant around 11:30 and beyond. Super intense. Things settle at 12:30 and things get very quiet. No peak and abruptly goes for the finish around 14:20. Kind of a lost opportunity. Billy Breathes: Trey introduces Bob G. Sounds too aggressive with Bob G. Cars Trucks Buses: Standard but lively! Dirt: Trey crushes this solo as typical in summer 97. Super clean and big peaks. Perfect lead into… You Enjoy Myself: Rock solid YEM. No B&D, no VJ. Trey messes with Izabella for almost a full minute before totally committing – pretty cool. -> Izabella: Machine gun Trey, just blisters this one, Rock God! SET 2: Timber (Jerry the Mule) – Trey’s tone starting at 3:18, that guitar GROWLS – LOVE THIS. Hard charging, largely psychedelic jam. Goes into very, very deep space around the 14 minute mark, sits there for about a minute and a half and then they go for the closing refrain and lyrics. All timer Timber > David Bowie: Crazy long intro with nasty effects and an interesting jam from Mike and the two drummers get a nice groove going too. Finally breaks into the song proper around 6 and half minutes in. Still not as long as the 8.5 minute intro from 8.10.97 Deer Creek. Gullotti is all over the place in the composed section – lol – specifically in the late 7’s and early 8’s. Trey creates a really cool theme around 17:30 and rides that for one minute. Things really heat up from here. Page sounds amazing. Smoking closing section. Really enjoy this version and surprised it is not a jamcharts version. Harry Hood: Standard…until… -> Blister in the Sun Jam: Crowd loves it when they realize what is going on -> Harry Hood: This section goes along as you would expect until it doesn’t, it gets a little crazy and then out of nowhere -> Free: Trey goes way off the beaten Free path in the mid 4’s but is back to what you would consider for a 97 Free jam at the 5 minute mark. Very fun, bouncy jam in the middle portion. Definitely a solid Free that I would recommend. Waste: Trey absolutely crushes this solo, outstanding work. > Johnny B. Goode: Trey puts on a clinic on how to shred like a Rock God! ENCORE: Bouncing Around the Room – Standard. Cavern: Trey blows some lyrics and laughs it off. It almost sounds like something made him laugh first and then got him off track perhaps instead of him actually forgetting lyrics. Replay Value: Limb By Limb, Timber (Jerry the Mule), David Bowie, Free Summary: I feel like this show is slightly underrated - 3.935/5 (123 ratings) – I think with the all timer Timber and then other very solid highlights such as LxL with a very unique ending, very strong Bowie and Free plus that YEM > Izabella – this tome is a 4.1 out of 5. Definitely a nice pick as a dark horse type of show. Gotta love the Gullotti guest spot.

Pretty flat/lifeless SBD source available for this show. The pitch sounds a hair slow as well. The first set is standard Winter/Spring 1990 Phish. YEM>Lizards was the set highlight. The second set overall is as straightforward as the first. Highlights include Reba, Rift, Jesus Left and an amusing version of Contact.

I just want to point out that paluska or Tom Marshall or someone close to them, I can’t recall this moment, said in an interview that the band heavily puffing hash before going on stage is what led to this. Not an elaborate prank or anything intentional. He very specifically said it was the first time in the band’s history that he had ever seen them too inebriated to play longer than a handful of minutes at a time without having to stop and regroup. That’s what led to so many unfinished tracks and sloppy playing. And that’s not coming from my mouth. That’s straight from the mouth of a person who was there with them backstage and the entire time after this show and the rest of the tour….you don’t think they talked about it and laughed or whatever? I’m sure a firsthand account had insight we all don’t, which would include conversations about being too fucked up to play. Listen to the beginning of its ice as a prime example…that’s not “pranking” or messing around or whatever. That’s straight up lack of confidence for the first time ever and not knowing how to play the song. I think it’s comical that so many phans read so much into stuff like this and think they know what the band is doing and put words and stories into their mouths. Sometimes pranks and gags and creativity is intentional from the band and it’s a blast. And sometimes people just get too fucking high to play.

Set 1 SBD source #1 sounds awesome! The patch source isn’t great but fills in the holes nicely. Set 2 is a subpar audience recording but thankfully this unique second set was recorded! The recording starts off with the Soundcheck. Adeline cuts in. There’s clearly an audience present for the soundcheck. Lots of fun stage banter that comes through nicely on the tape. Hilarious version of Bitch!! Trey gives a shout out to the Hamilton College graduates during LTJP. Some of whom had been seeing the band since they started playing Hamilton College back in ‘88. Foam features a Santana inspired solo from Trey. Groove smokes per usual. This spunky version of Uncle Pen transitions nicely into Bouncin’. They break for the rain after a rock solid Melt. They come back and close with Jim. There’s a good chance there’s more to this second set. The tape picks up during A-Train. Sometime between Set 1 on the McKewen Quad and Set 2 in the Keehn Co-Op Dorm Lounge, Page acquires a new toy which he uses throughout the 2nd set. From A-Train to the set closing Contact Page colors this set with some interesting sounds. It’s a shame the sound quality is lacking, but at least some of this unique set was recorded!

SET 1: Beauty of My Dreams: Standard. Wolfman's Brother: Super sick funk jam until Trey latches onto a theme that takes them to new heights. Absolutely brilliant – this version is an all timer. > Maze: This gets WAY down and dirty in the middle of Trey’s solo. Very dissonant – his guitar is growling, super cool tone!! Lot’s of delay effects in there too. Big, killer peak. All timer version for sure. Water in the Sky: Standard. Bathtub Gin: Really cool yet brief interplay between Page and Trey and that it shifts for an extended sort of Fish and Trey dominated duo of sorts. Very fun. By the 13 minute mark things have gotten way, way out there with heavy Page effects. Like Maze, this one is pretty dissonant. Around the 14 and a half minute mark Trey reels this one and is soloing beautifully. Gorgeous lines. By about the 19 minute mark Page and Trey team up for some great interplay. Shortly after they start messing around with the original theme and then slowly wind this one down. Sort of. They segue this nicely into… -> Makisupa Policeman: Breakfast at the Fog, lemon drops and some nugs. Great effects from Trey in here. Very ominous. With about a minute and half left Trey lends a bit of a heavy metal edge to this one, pretty cool. That doesn’t last but 20 seconds or so. -> AC/DC Bag: They take this one higher and higher and higher, and then they don’t actually play the peak. Holy blue balls Batman going into the break, lol! This was the last time that Bag has closed out the first set and before this show it hadn’t been done since 5.20.94. Here are the other times: 3/22/1988, 6/1/1990, 4/5/1994, 4/18/1994. Very, very rare placement. SET 2: Chalk Dust Torture: Bob Gullotti ! Jam gets very chill in the late 9’s. I LOVE the space they work themselves into starting around 14 minutes, Trey’s tone is amazing. This goes on for about a minute and then 15 seconds later Trey guides them deftly into… -> Taste: Sorry, but this just isn’t a good version. It becomes a bit discombobulated towards the end, they abandon the notion of the traditional peak and instead work towards this segue… -> Ya Mar: Gullotti just SLAMMING hit kit in the intro. Super loud. Leo and the drummers eventually transitions into a cool drum jam -> Drums -> Ghost: The dual drum attack here makes for a unique intro. If you love ambient, deep space backed by Trey’s loops, this is the Ghost for you. Would have to be in the right headspace to appreciate it > Character Zero: Standard, crowd loves it! ENCORE: Theme From the Bottom – Standard. Replay Value: Wolfman's Brother, Maze, Bathtub Gin, Makisupa Policeman, AC/DC Bag, Chalk Dust Torture Summary: Wolfman’s and Maze are all timers. I feel like Gin is too. I think it may get overlooked or underrated as it doesn’t have a big peak that many of the all time greats have? But the total body of work is very impressive and deserving of recognition. It’s a yellow jamchart version so maybe I am overthinking this, lol. This is a really interesting show. First set > Second set. Phish.net has it at 4.336/5 (125 ratings) – seems dead on to me.

This show was cut off in the middle of the second set right after Mike's Groove by the Haverfest committee due to hitting curfew. I was not happy about that. The first Haverford show in February was my first show and I was super excited that they were coming back for Haverfest. I don't remember anything about the setlist other than Mike's Groove.

SET 1: Julius: Smoking, absolutely red hot. The way they take it way down low, and the fiery jam is seriously unreal. If you ever wonder if 1997 is overhyped or they aren’t that tight, you need to listen to this. Each member is so in tune with their mates – it is just wonderful to listen to. Incredible musicianship, and all off the cuff and improvised. Spectacular. All timer Julius. Dirt: Timing seems a bit off leading up to the lyrics. NICU: Standard. > Dogs Stole Things: Standard. > Ginseng Sullivan: Standard. Water in the Sky: Standard. Limb By Limb: Strong version with a nice peak but don’t think I would seek this one out necessarily. Split Open and Melt: Super funky jam out of the gate. This gets down and dirty. Definitely a face melter. Lots of craziness towards the end. Billy Breathes: Well-placed for sure. Beautiful solo. Possum: Textbook on how to create tension and release. Face melting rager. Highly recommended! Rocking hard into set break. When lights came up I can only imagine what the crowd looked like! SET 2: Punch You in the Eye: Standard. In the intro it sounds like Trey is saying Joe Horn a few times or something like that? Ghost: The first segment of this jam is so clean and raging, I love it. Around the 12 minute mark it shifts into a fast paced funk jam featuring some crazy sounds from Page. 18 and a half Fishman just screaming as Trey burns Lakewood to the ground, absolutely incendiary! The chill jam at the end is truly great. The effects at the very end (Frankenstein esque) work perfectly to transition into > Sample in a Jar: Standard. You Enjoy Myself: Absolutely nuts with all the klezmer stuff and yelling/screaming – pure chaos! Goofy stuff like this was commonplace in European winter and summer tours -> Rocky Mountain Way Jam: Fun stuff right here. > Chalk Dust Torture: Standard, it smokes. ENCORE: Frankenstein – Standard. Replay Value: Julius, Split Open and Melt, Possum, Ghost, You Enjoy Myself Summary: Another monster show. That Ghost is very special, an all timer and many consider it the best version they have ever played. This shows is most definitely a barnburner. : Phish. Net has it at 4.542/5 (260 ratings) – I have no qualms with that – top notch stuff.

SET 1: Runaway Jim: Strong Jim and the funk jam that is at the end and segues very well into… -> My Soul: Standard. Water in the Sky: Standard. Stash: Solid version. Bouncing Around the Room: Standard. Vultures: Standard. Big crack of thunder at the end. Bye Bye Foot: Tough for me to put into words how much I adore this Bye Bye Foot. Embarrassed to admit how many times I have listened to this one and watched the video. Literally perfect. Trey's big grin when Fish's lyrics start. 1:02. That knowing smile from Fishman when Trey takes the reigns, major goosebumps man. Trey's big grin when Fish's lyrics start. 1:02. Trey’ shoulder bend at 2:13. Love it so much. Taste: Thunder going nuts as Page starts an incredibly spirited solo! Trey has a great solo, but it pales in comparison to what Page threw down. This version is one for the ages. SET 2: Down with Disease: I really like where this one lands in the late 14’s with Mike going off and Page leaning hard on the synth. Things go on to get mostly funky and a little bluesy until this unbelievable segue… -> Mike's Song: Ferocious as one would expect and then goes into deep outer space, this is an awesome version! Trey eventually finds an ascending theme that Mike piggybacks on nicely. > Simple: Short and sweet, segues nicely into… -> I Am Hydrogen: Standard. > Weekapaug Groove: Trey rooting Page on when he takes this one to Funky Town, lol. I love the theme that Mike creates around the 5 minute mark and Trey jumps on it rather quickly. Pretty strong version but not necessarily one I would recommend or seek out for future consumption. Hello My Baby: Standard. ENCORE: When the Circus Comes - > Harry Hood: Kind of wish this one would have peaked a little harder, but the jam is very, very good. Mike is so prominent in the mix! As an encore, this was fantastic and a wonderful cap to an outstanding show. Replay Value: Bye Bye Foot, Taste, Down with Disease, Mike's Song Summary: Kind of two short sets, weather obviously played a factor in at least the first sets length. Nice, long encore though. Great show and I absolutely agree with Phish.net’s rating of 4.55/5 (340 ratings). It’s a legendary show and there is a good reason why this was released as a DVD on Phish Dry Goods.

Ok SBD source with some flaws. The pitch is a hair sharp and the levels are super hot for the first set. The quality seems to improve a little for the 2nd set. The pitch is corrected and the levels are lowered so the vocals aren’t quite as saturated. Bathtub Gin cuts in to open the show. After Jim Trey says “as usual we’re gonna dedicate this next song to Possessed, one of the greatest living Rock and Roll bands.” “A lot of Possessed fans out there, huh?” Fish says “Do any of you even know who Possessed is?” “Go buy Seven Churches, either that or Burning in Hell, that’s a song on Seven Churches.” lol Really nice Sky tonight! Lawn Boy provides a nice cool down before an intriguing Bowie closer. Good stuff! Groove delivers the goods! Nice versions of Foam and Donna Lee follow. Tweezer is magnificent tonight! Reba features some beautiful playing from Trey. Fantastic version! Nice solo from Trey in Bitch. The Possum set closer has some cool Norwegian Wood teasing.

Having attended Fare Thee Well and several Dead & Co shows over the last 8 years, I keep returning to these shows as the quintessential post-Dead incarnation. Trey and Kimock have outstanding chemistry throughout, Molo is a beast on drums, Phil is on point both vocally (yes, really) and on bass as per usual, and Page really shines on baby grand. The Franklin's Tower from this show is the best version any band associated with the Dead has played besides Jerry & Co. themselves. An absolute rainbow of sound from start to finish.

SET 1: Ghost: Awesome, intense version. Unlike many from Europe, this one is laser focused. You can tell the band was very intent on showing off for the US contingent, they were not messing around. Tons of shredding and intentional playing here. All timer version to open the show that opened the tour. Think they meant business??? Over the last two and a half decades I have often wondered what seasoned fans that had not heard any of the tapes from the two 97 European tours that attended this show - what was their reaction? Because the band in many ways reinvented themselves. > Dogs Stole Things: Standard. > Piper: Standard. Dirt: Standard. Ginseng Sullivan: Standard. > Bathtub Gin: The 2 and a half minutes of Drowned type jamming is exquisite! Killer all time jam. Trey introducing the new songs while everyone continues to play is great and the banter is funny. > Character Zero: Ripped up the front and down the back. SET 2: Wolfman's Brother: The funk is strong here as the US contingent of the fan base gets their first funky version. Very strong jam and likely a bit underrated. -> Magilla: Killer segue out of Wolfman’s. Trey and Page take turns taking solos. Awesome version. > David Bowie: Smoking hot Bowie. Why this isn’t jam charted is beyond me. This one is a must hear version. They keep it interesting throughout it’s 18 or so minutes. I love this version and would highly recommend it. The Birdland stuff in the intro is so, so choice. Trey gives the David part of the David Bowie a couple of different names in the intro. Wading in the Velvet Sea: Beautiful. Theme From the Bottom: Standard, until… -> Jam: Chaos, just pure chaos. Doesn’t translate to tape. > Funky Bitch: Fun with LeRoi. Slave to the Traffic Light: Brilliant version, an all timer. Strong, strong climax. ENCORE: Loving Cup – Rip roaring closer. Replay Value: Bathtub Gin, Magilla, David Bowie, Slave to the Traffic Light Absolutely killer show, huge, huge highlights. Many tunes that did not make my replay value list were played exceptionally well too. I think the current Phish.net rating of 4.571/5 (359 ratings) is right on the money.

Fantastic audience recording available for this show. It sounds like a digital recording but a Sony D5 is listed as the recording deck. Big thanks to John Redmond! The northeastern swing has had some great recordings! A solid Mike’s Groove opens things up with a blistering Groove. Possum rages! Another fantastic version of Reba tonight. This slams right into a Highway to Hell closer. Set 2 cuts into Oh Kee Pa. It sounds like Trey is teasing something at the start of the Bag jam? Solid Tweezer. Introduced again as Tweezer so Cold. An amusing Love You has (Frank/Henrietta/Friar Tuck) introducing the band by first name only. A rippin’ GXBX closes out set 2. The encore features a nice A-Train and a humorous BBFCFM.

SET 1: Chalk Dust Torture: Standard. Bouncing Around the Room: Standard. Stash: Definitely not a standard version as this one takes the long road clocking in at 16:25. The jam is fine but nothing to my ear in particular stands out and this is a peak less version. Those two factors combine to keep it off my own personal jam chart and seemingly Phish.net’s jam chart as well. Beauty of My Dreams: Standard. Wolfman's Brother: Searing loop laid down around 9:10, nice. Things get very funky and stop/startish after this. About three minutes later this morphs into a heavy, hard rocking jam, very cool. Trey ripping it up big time! They set the segue up very well you can hear it coming but then they cannot quite figure out how to make it work and it sort of slams into… > Johnny B. Goode: Standard. > You Enjoy Myself: Funky and fun. ENCORE: Character Zero - Replay Value: Wolfman’s Brother – really an awesome version, I would highly recommend seeking this one! A hidden gem in a completely overlooked show. Summary: Better than most festival sets I can think of, actually has plenty of jamming. Love this Wolfman’s. If you are a hard core fan of Stash, it’s probably worth a listen. The current rating on Phish.net is 3.256/5 (43 ratings) – that feels slightly lower than what I would like to see. I would be good at 3.4 out of 5.

SET 1: Dogs Stole Things: Standard. Limb By Limb: Standard. Ginseng Sullivan: Standard. Bathtub Gin: LOL Trey comes back in too early with lyrics while Page is banging away on the piano. I dig the weird time signature part that transitions into that muddy heavy metal jam. From here this bad boy goes into deep space, loops and Page leaning heavy on the synth. Trey getting very funky. Gets back to Gin proper and then another space jam. Strong enough version. Very good, not great or all time. > Llama: Very funky after the final refrain, Page leaning hard on the synth. Gets quite dark, sounds like they could go for the Wormtown jam in here. Gets very, very spacy and then those familiar loops emerge that can only mean one thing… -> Wading in the Velvet Sea: Jam: Very funky and bluesy. Sounds like it came straight out of a soundcheck, nice and loose. Lizards climax played at half speed is sick! Olivia's Pool SET 2: Also Sprach Zarathustra: Very funny banter in the intro. Big time first peak. Really fun version. > Julius: This Julius features a sort of blues breakdown that they take way down low and almost to a silent jam, then explode from there. They take it to where you think the normal ending would be, kind of blow through that into some weirdness and then an exceptional segue into… -> Magilla: Mike’s solo is beyond sick and really tells demonstrates how he will sound with the band moving forward throughout 1997. Loud and out front. Lots of false endings. Fun version! Ya Mar: Great fun. Trey dictating which duets should be taken via which instruments is highly entertaining. -> Ghost: Standard. -> Take Me to the River: Funk > Rage. Super fun jam to round out this set. Don’t be fooled by the time stamp on this one – it’s roughly 10 and a half minutes. ENCORE: Funky Bitch – Rollicking good time, love the Gin tease from the trumpet player, very well done! Replay Value: Bathtub Gin, Llama, Jam, Also Sprach Zarathustra, Julius, Magilla, Ya Mar, Take Me to the River Summary: Once again, I think the rating on Phish.net does a great job of how good this show is, it truly is a classic show. Very loose and very fun. Not something you could ever expect to see in the US. 4.427/5 (110 ratings)

SET 1: Punch You in the Eye: Standard. Trey botches some lyrics and laughs it off. > Prince Caspian: This is a jam charts version but outside of Page’s pretty piano solo I don’t hear much that is noteworthy here. Ginseng Sullivan: Standard. Split Open and Melt: Cool, funky intro from Trey. Very funky as the jam opens up too. In the late 6’s – believe it or not – they take this into major chord territory, although it’s kind of brief. Actually, Trey stays in it for a good while, but the rest of the band does not. Works pretty well though! By 9 minutes it’s back to its’ minor chord, dirty, old self. Instead of the typical tension building, this one gets into funk mode around the 11 minute mark. Not too long after this it meanders to the finish line. Kind of disappointing. Dirt: Gorgeous. Absolutely crushed. Taste: Page is great in his section. But Trey… Um, I am speechless. That is a clinic. Absolutely murders this one. Jaw on floor. All timer. Crowd is thrilled after this. Wow!!!!!!!! Sweet Adeline: Standard. Harry Hood: Severely underrated version. Would highly recommend!! All the banter after the climax is must hear stuff, very funny. SET 2: Down with Disease: Where’s Pierre? Absolute hell fire, holy machine gun Trey – WOW > My Soul: Again, hell fire. Not sure what they got into at set break, but it resulted in very, very aggressive playing. > Cars Trucks Buses: Page crushes it. You Enjoy Myself: The DWD tease after the first note is super cool. Trey destroys the note, very impressive. Béla Fleck, Jeff Coffin, Roy “Futureman” Wooten, and Victor Wooten show up and the crowd goes nuts! What transpires from here, no need to review. It’s unbelievable, you need to hear it for yourself or if you already, have – perhaps you are due for a refresher. No way to rate this YEM, pure chaos and awesomeness. You must listen to this one. They do catch a nice groove during Jeff Coffin’s piece. During Bela’s piece, the groove Trey and Bela catch together, and the trade off’s is utterly sick. Bela and Trey remain ridiculously hooked up for many minutes in a row. Hard to believe until you hear it, just two amazing musicians that were completely on the same wavelength. -> Trane To Conamarra Jam: Exceptional, like these guys play together all the time -> Ghost: On the Relisten app, Ghost doesn’t actually start until about 3:10. Trey counts it off once and then again about 20 seconds later. The Victor/Mike jam is pretty sweet. This just devolves into a ‘noise jam’ and then into > Poor Heart: Great picking in this one. Lot’s of false endings where everyone gets a solo turn and then Trey leads a Pierre chant. LOL. ENCORE: Hello My Baby: Replay Value: Taste, Harry Hood, Down with Disease, You Enjoy Myself, Trane To Conamarra Summary: Great show! Taste and YEM are all timers but don’t sleep on Hood and DWD! A show I have listened to many times over the years and will continue to revisit. I think the current Phish.net rating of 4.383/5 is right on the money!

This was my first show. I went to Canterbury school and I think the tickets were 10 bucks. Someone from the school Just dropped us off in a van. The show was in a big field. Think the stage was a flatbed trailer. Hundreds of prep school kids and a small but noticeable number of Burlington types willing to drive down to Connecticut for a free show. There were a bunch of us playing frisbee for the first set. Great vibe. The possum encore is what hooked me. I’m writing this review on the 32 anniversary of that show.

Beautiful SBD recording available for this show! A good amount of the room is mixed in. Unfortunately, there are some flaws in the first set. Things kick off with a crowd pleasing Suzy opener. Little miscue to start Uncle Pen. At the start of Bouncin’ the sound drops from the left channel. The right channel has a lot more of the room mixed in. The quality improves during the ‘Gus the Christmas Dog’ section of Sky. Solid Tweezer. I’m really enjoying these early Tweezer jams. The quality changes again at the start of Gin. A raging Possum closes a very short first set. Set 2 kicks off with Bitch. Jim seems a bit off to start but recovers nicely. Great versions of Hood, Caravan and Reba!! :::Chef’s Kiss::: Solid Bag. Due to time constraints the band went with a GXBX closer. The encore features Henrietta once again performing a hilarious version of Whipping Post to close out the evening.

SET 1: Runaway Jim: Nice rager out of the gate. Plenty of Trey trills. The Old Home Place: Standard. Dogs Stole Things: Standard. Stash: left of at 3.39. Gets into that signature 97 dissonance around the 9 and a half minute mark. Gets really hairy! Lots of tension being built in the late 11’s – not your typical Stash tension, this one is of a very funky nature, lots of Trey porno funk type stuff. Back in normal Stash territory around the late 13’s. Huge wall of tension built in the late 14’s. Nice first payoff at 15:40. Another wall of major tension built at 16 with a decent payoff at 16:23. This is an excellent Stash that I would definitely recommend. This one is more about the body of work than it is the climax. Check it out, it’s well worth the 17 minute investment. The Horse > Silent in the Morning > Cars Trucks Buses: Scent of a Mule: At around 5:20 this one goes full 97 with that signature tone from Trey that is just odd/weird – you know the one – this one gets into a very cool space with Trey and Page making waves. This doesn’t last too long, about a minute and a half and then back to your normal Mule stuff. This is a jam charts version. I personally would recommend it but if you are a Mule fan you may want to check this one out. Chalk Dust Torture: Trey gives this a proper ripping. SET 2: Free: This one gets that crunchy signature summer 97 Trey tone with Page behind him with some interesting synth type stuff. This is really quite good. You Enjoy Myself: Very, very funky in the early stages of the jam with Trey doing his 97 porno funk thing, Mike throwing down bombs, Page syncing up beautifully with Trey and Fish driving the bus. Page drops the funk at the 13 minute mark and looks to start shredding. I love the loops that Trey throws down at the 18 minute mark – from here things are going into outer space a bit. Fantastic stuff in here! I love this jam, no B&D or VJ, it just melts into… > Waste: Very cool, love this is this spot. It’s perfect. Rocky Top: Standard. > Funky Bitch: Standard. ENCORE: My Soul – Standard. Replay Value: Stash, Free, You Enjoy Myself Summary: Pretty darn good show. Phish.net: Overall: 3.328/5 (61 ratings). To me, that seems low. Stash and YEM are big highlights and Free is quite good too. Mule if you are in to that also. So, for me; I would be fine at a 3.7 out of 5. Granted the second set is very short at 51 minutes but they make up for it with a 44 minute afternoon soundcheck that was free and open to the public.

This show is definitely underrated probably because it was unavailable for so many years or perhaps because people have fallen out of love with early 90s phish. I for one love 92/93 phish unconditionally and this show is certainly no exception. Check out the Stash. It’s not the longest or the darkest but while I’m listening to it I honestly can’t think of any Stash I’d rather listen to. It’s really that good.

SET 1: Julius: Standard. Bouncing Around the Room: Standard. > Uncle Pen: Standard. Sample in a Jar: Standard. Theme From the Bottom: Standard. Prince Caspian: Ripped up the front and down the back, would relisten and recommend! Personally, I think > is the more appropriate description of this segue into Twist. It would have been very cool and -> but Page just would stop plinking around with the end of Caspian, oh well -> Twist: Cool funky jam that plays around with Groove is in the Hear, would recommend but nothing earth shattering here – just a fun, funky, little jam. > Piper: Harry Hood: Chris, can you turn off the lights so we can see the mountains ???? I think this is a better than average Hood, feel like it is a solid B maybe B+ > Love You > Hold Your Head Up: Pretty fun, funky little groove in this one actually. > Poor Heart: Standard. > Character Zero: Standard. > Good Times Bad Times: Huge goosebumps right now listening to this one. Just absolutely incredible. Trey is rock god. The Walk this Way stuff is cool too. Total smoke show. All-timer for SURE. ENCORE: The Squirming Coil – Very cool version and a little bit atypical. Would recommend! Replay Value: Prince Caspian, Twist, Good Times Bad Times, The Squirming Coil Summary: Show is not bereft of highlights. That GTBT is amazing. I think this show as currently rated as a 3.63 out of 5 is right on the money.

SET 1: Piper: Standard. > My Soul: Standard. > Divided Sky: Standard. Beauty of My Dreams: Standard. Taste: Absolutely smokes, would happily relisten and recommend. Train Song: Standard. Theme From the Bottom: Standard. Rocky Top: Standard. SET 2: Ghost: This bad boy gets into a very heady space around 15 and a half minutes. Very cool theme realized around 18 and a half minutes, for some reason – for me – it has an old west sort of feel to it – like something out of a western, lol. > Cars Trucks Buses: Standard. Billy Breathes: Standard. Sparkle: Standard. > Harry Hood: Standard. > Cavern: Trey blows some lyrics. Shocking, I know. ENCORE: Character Zero – Standard. Replay Value: Taste, Ghost. Summary: Very bland first set. Can’t blame them coming off those two nights in Amsterdam. Second set is very blah outside of that all timer Ghost. I think the current rating of 3.77 is too strong. I’m a player at 3.6 out of 5.

SET 1: Mike's Song: Don’t sleep on this Mike’s – it get this show started off on a high note. Not one that I would necessarily revisit but wouldn’t go out of my way to skip it either. > Simple: Solid Simple. -> Maze: Check out Trey doing Mission Impossible stuff (I think) while Page is soloing. It’s the coolest and goes together perfectly. Page was having such a good time with his solo that he just would not pass the baton to Trey. Had to be some tension there but it plays out beautifully in the music. When Trey finally gets the nod to take over you can tell he is truly chomping at the bit. Solid Trey solo. Great Maze. Strange Design: Standard. Ginseng Sullivan: Standard. Vultures: Standard. Water in the Sky: Standard. > Weekapaug Groove: Smokin’! Can’t believe the pace that Mike and Fish maintain throughout this one. Super funky but a very fast pace, awesome! SET 2: Stash: I LOVE the jam that precedes the proper Stash intro. So slinky with all those loops. Around the 11.5 minute mark this one is breaking from your normal Stash jam and going minor chord. 12:20 Trey latches onto a theme that the rest immediately pick up on and play to beautifully. Check out Fish’s work on the wood blocks at the 18 minute mark. At 18:26 is where this jam heads for that major chord jam territory. This is some of the best music I have ever heard and to this day it is just absolutely wild to think that this was improvised – how talented and in sync with one another were these guys? It is a marvel. 20:48 is where Trey starts up on a theme that defines this major chord jam. It is incredible and as I sit here typing this, I just broke out in goosebumps all over my arms and legs. Happy tears too, point and laugh if you must but this gets me every time and the countless hours of this band that I have listened to over the last 30 years, this is my go to favorite jam of all time. As this starts to wind down a bit Mike takes an awesome run, with compliments from the rest. Worship at the altar of Phish, incredible stuff. In the mid 27’s this one gets very quiet and dark and eventually intense in the mid 28’s. -> Llama: Super intense transition into Llama. Wow! -> Wormtown Jam: Intro is exceptionally dark and eerie. Trey’s story about what Wormtown is all about is great. From there, this jam gets washed in effects, Mike breathing/sighing deeply into his mic. Just unbelievably creepy. Fishman – I think you know where you arrrrrrreeeeee. My head would have exploded. This slips delicately into… -> Wading in the Velvet Sea: This respite was necessary, lol. ENCORE: Free – Nice, funky version. ENCORE 2: David Bowie – Absolutely killer version of this classic, what a way to end this two night run. Wow! Replay Value: Maze, Weekapaug Groove, Stash, Wormtown Jam, David Bowie. Summary: Really, really good first set with two big highlights and cornerstones. Second set is one of the very best I have heard. I agree with the 4.544/5 rating. This is a top 20 show from 1997 which speaks to the ridiculous ‘strength of schedule’ from this year. Just amazing!

Decent audience recording available for this show. Unfortunately, the acoustics of The Haunt leave a lot to be desired. There are some level adjustments in sections. The band gets right at it with a strong Reba opener. The predictable DaaM>Bouncin’ pairing is up next. Tweezer is always welcome. This version is a little tame after the last two played. Following Gin Trey says that they’re currently working on a deal with Jäegermeister to sponsor them. “It’s worth it, all the Jäegermeister we can drink” Fish says “We’d have to drink a lot of it!” lol Trey stops the intro to Split Open to say “You guys…I feel terrible saying this but PYITE is kind of on the back burner. This town, I know every time we come here you scream for PYITE.” Fish says “We don’t know how to play it anymore.” The set closes on a mellow note with Adeline. Unfortunately, Set 2 is lost in time.