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

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!

Phish, 7/10/1997, Espace Julien, Marseille, France - Part Deux

• Phish – 2001 (live, 7-10-1997) > [mp3]
• Phish – Julius (live, 7-10-1997) [mp3]
• Phish – Magilla (live, 7-10-1997) > [mp3]
• Phish – Ya Mar (live, 7-10-1997) > [mp3]
• Phish – Ya Mar Jam (live, 7-10-1997) [mp3]
• Phish – Ghost (live, 7-10-1997) > [mp3]
• Phish – Take Me to the River Jam (live, 7-10-1997) [mp3]

The band picks up right where it left off with a seriously funky “2001″ opener. As he did during the first set, Page gets funk bonus points for using the “Meatstick” synthesizer. Mike, being Mike, lays it down thick and juicy on the bass. This is just a super dance-able version of the song, reminding me of the days when I’d leave Phish shows absolutely soaked from dancing the whole time. Trey, for his part, uses the same noodle-y note that he would recycle later that year in Hartford (11/26) – which is just about the only “2001″ more dance-worthy than this one. Great way to open a set.

“Julius” emerges from the post-2001 space. This is one of my favorite tunes, and I love it to open a set. But I’ll take it in the second slot as well. Somewhat standard version here. The interesting stuff happens at the end. Fish (I think) comes in too early with the weird “PSHOO”-exhale thing that he does – and this throws off the song’s big finish. So they just keep playing.

Fish drops a really cool marching band style beat and Trey comes in with the opening notes of “Magilla.” This is a really cool version of the song; it’s super slow, and as funky as it is jazzy, as evidenced by Mike taking a slap bass solo instead of the cleaner, jazzier tone.

They give “Magilla” a big finish, Fish drops the “Ya Mar” groove, and we’re off to the races again. This is a neat version of the song, complete with bizarre alternate backup lyrics by Trey concerning “vampire children” and “blood-sucking.” When it’s time for Page’s big solo, Trey mixes it up and decides to conduct the band in two-by-two jams. Fun.

Then, maintaining the “Ya Mar” beat, Trey drops some funky rhythm guitar, and suddenly the band is playing “Ghost,” but with Fish maintaining the drums from “Ya Mar.” Very cool segue. Fish keeps this beat going through the lyrics and until the beginning of the jam, when he returns to the more straight-ahead 4/4 groove. Very funky “Ghost” jam — I mean, what’d you expect? — It takes a turn to the dark for a few minutes and then morphs into more of a rock’n'roll feel. I thought for sure that this was heading for a cover of “Walk Away.” But instead they launch into an odd jam over which they sing the lyrics from “Take Me to the River” – an Al Green cover, but one that feels much more like the oddball version by the Talking Heads. I use “cover” in the most liberal sense of the word as they barely know the lyrics, and they make it through only one refrain before taking off again into the improv.

This is a fitting end to the set. It’s a fitting set for a show that is really a perfect relic of the band at this point in their career: A little playfulness, tons of funk and lots of risk-taking. Great show, and an awesome new discovery.

You can grab the full show here.

Full setlist via Phish.net:
07-10-97 Espace Julien, Marseille, France

1: Dogs Stole Things, Limb By Limb, Ginseng Sullivan, Bathtub Gin, Llama-> Wading in the Velvet Sea, Lizards Jam*, Oblivious Fool

2: Also Sprach Zarathustra-> Julius, Magilla-> Ya Mar^, Ghost-> Take Me to the River**

E: Funky Bitch#

*Very slow, no lyrics, largely unrecognizable until the end. ^Apparently they took turns jamming in pairs: Fish and Page, Trey and Mike, hi-hat and clavinet (Fish and Page again), bell and low guitar (Mike and Trey), crash cymbal and Rhodes (Fish and Page), footstomping (band and audience); also Magilla teases. **An Al Green cover, from his “Explores Your Mind” album. Also performed by Talking Heads. #With Son Seals and members of his band (guitar, trumpet, bass, and drums) and Fish dancing at the front of the stage; “Funky Bitch” is a Son Seals song); with “Bathtub Gin” teases.

A few weeks back, we celebrated the 10th Anniversary of Phish’s Spring 1998 “Island Tour” with a four-way mega-post and a CD giveaway in conjunction with the folks at Phish Dry Goods. Since then, we have received some thoughtful and entertaining comments and posted an encore write-up to feature some great video footage from those shows.

After careful consideration, we’ve now got our three winners of the the Island Tour CD giveaway…

Our 1st runner-up is Travis, who will receive both of the Long Island shows and a Phish Tiki sticker. Here’s what Travis had to say:

The moment that stood out to me about the whole Island run was the “Carini’s gonna getcha” chant. The thing is, the guy who Carini was going to “get” was about a foot in front of me. He was a little out of it, but smiling like the butcher’s dog the whole show. We talked to him a little bit, just normal show chatter. Then at one point he just declared “ok I’m doing it” and heaved himself up on the stage!

He had no shirt on, just some furry Muppets backpack and some corduroy pants. He ran around in a couple of lazy circles, grinning and waving to the crowd, dodged being tackled on stage, and then leapt back into the crowd, mosh-pit style. We all caught him, and lowered him back to the ground. As the “Carini’s gonna getcha” chant really picked up on stage, we were all clapping him on the back, and I remember leaning in to tell him that “now he was really part of the show.”

And he was. It’s been 10 years and I can still picture him running around on that stage.

Our 2nd runner-up is Larson, who will receive both of the Rhode Island shows and a Phish Tiki sticker. Larson posted two solid comments:

What was so special about a Phish show for me is exemplified in the Providence “Birds.” Going to a Phish show, especially in the days before the major label contract, meant that not only would you see and hear a different show each night, but most of that show would be NEW. New songs, new tempos to old songs, new arrangements. “Birds” was hitting an audience and in a sense the band for the first time. The same way Maze hit me the first time I heard it, and on and on and on. You can hear the arrangement is quite diffrent than what ends up on the record. Can you imagine any other band doing this on much of its set on a NIGHTLY basis?! That’s why I loved them, and I suspect why many loved them, as well.

and

Reading the above comments, including my own, reminded me of a story. There was a sculptor who, upon completion of a piece, was unsatisfied with the result. He smashed the sculpture to pieces, being sure to crush the part that bore his signature to dust. He didn’t want his audience to ever know this piece was his creation. Phish, to their immense credit, did exactly the opposite. They would not only share their creations as they were being created, but often times, I believe, take into account the reaction of their audience when determining the finished piece. They were not only comfortable enough to allow this vulnerability, I think they welcomed it. In return, we as an audience were let into their world, their artistic process a little. In an early newsletter mailed to fans, the band asked for suggestions- “Are we playing Lizards too fast?”, etc… and this open door to its audience, this appreciation of we had to say about our favorite band made an impact on them, just as they did on us. The Island Tour is further evidence that this wonderful work-in-progress known as Phish was in full operation, and we as audience were just as priviledged then as we were before and after to be a part of it.

And our Grand Prize goes to Kevin R Hollo, who will receive all four shows of Island Tour and — just for the hell of it — a Phish Tiki Sticker. Here’s what Kev wrote:

it’s funny, when i was younger, and reading up on this band i loved so darn much, these super dorky white guys used to talk about playing along with this old funk band called the meters. they would say, “we could never play as slow as those guys, we always speed up.”

that was in the early 90s, and little did any of us know that something would happen, something to do with communication, ease, comfort, skill, all that shit combined with a healthy dose of weird vermont backcountry goofdick to give us some of the funkyest playing this side of africa.

when i listen to things like the funk jam, and others (i was privvy to a few in my day, and am partial to the one out of isabella from detroit in the fall of 97) like it, i’m struck by how slow everything is, how far back all four band members are sitting in the pocket. like wearing the same pants. the same weird fucking rolled up pants.

xoxox
kev

If you guys can shoot us an email with your mailing addresses, we’ll get those discs shipped off to you.

We’d like to say a big ole “THANK YOU” to our friends at Phish Dry Goods for helping out with the goods, and we also want to thank all of you Phish Friday commenters and readers out there. This was fun, maybe we’ll do it again someday. Cheers!

Phish, 7/10/1997, Espace Julien, Marseille, France

I discovered this show last week and I have enjoyed a passionate love affair with it ever since. I’d heard nothing about it – just a lucky find. Turns out, it’s one of the best new shows I’ve scored in a long, long time. So good, in fact, that there’s too much to share in just one Phish Friday post. So I’ll review the first set today and you can tune in next time for the exciting conclusion.

My one complaint: the tracking is weird. Because there are so many distinct jams, it gets a bit choppy if you’re listening track-by-track and re-buffering each time. That said, it is completely worth it. The sound quality is great because of the small theater’s acoustics. And the band is on fire.

Part I – Gin > Jam > Gin, Llama > Jam > Velvet Sea, Jam > Lizards Jam:

• Phish – Bathtub Gin (live, 7-10-1997) > [mp3]
• Phish – Gin Jam (live, 7-10-1997) > [mp3]
• Phish – Bathtub Gin ending (live, 7-10-1997) [mp3]
• Phish – Llama (live, 7-10-1997) > [mp3]
• Phish – Llama Jam (live, 7-10-1997) > [mp3]
• Phish – Wading in a Velvet Sea (live, 7-10-1997) > [mp3]
• Phish – Velvet Sea Jam (live, 7-10-1997) > [mp3]
• Phish – Lizards Jam (live, 7-10-1997) [mp3]

The first set opens with some warm-up tunes: Dogs Stole, Limb by Limb, Ginseng. Then things pick up and don’t really settle down until the encore. In fact, the band barely stops playing.

Let’s cut to the chase: “Bathtub Gin.” The Gin itself is pretty standard and not really worth talking about. If you’re a purist, which I am, listen to it in order to get a feel for what was going on before the funk throwdown that emerges. The funk starts simple: Fish dropping a tight beat, Trey hitting rhythm; Mike, as is his way, lays it down thick; McConnell is all over the clavinet. At the height of the funk, the band does a little start/stop groove punctuated by Trey hollering “OHHHH” with every stop. But Trey is off-mic – it’s as if he’s hollering to the band: “dudes, this is some serious shit that we’re dropping right now.” Around the same time, just to up the ante, Page gets absolutely ridiculous on that keyboard setting he uses during “Meatstick” (you’ll recognize the sound). This is the band, in the early stages of its “funk era,” exploring just how funky four nerdy, white mofos can get. Somehow the start/stop evolves into an alternating major/minor key jam, and Trey’s noodling brings the band full circle back into Gin. Not bad.

Gin fades out and Trey hits the opening rhythms of “Llama.” “Llama” is standard, not worth talking about, but worth listening to in order to maintain the vibe of the set. “Llama” the song ends, but the groove does not. The band is so impressed with their last funk jam that they drop into another. This one is more of the same craziness: Mike letting loose with bass-bombs, Trey on wah-wah pedal, Page on the “Meatstick” keyboard. The band eventually burns itself out and is left in an ambient jam of sorts. Trey sets a loop and quietly plays the opening chords of “Velvet Sea.” This is cool for a few reasons. First, “Velvet Sea” is one of my favorite Phish tunes, so I’m always happy to hear it. Second, the way they go into it — the loop Trey sets — is almost exactly the same loop that they use on the album version as they fade into the song from “Roggae.” It’s as if they liked this transition so much, they filed it away for later use in the studio.

“Velvet Sea” ends and the band is ready for more funk. This particular funk jam is more organic, like something I imagine you’d hear during band practice. It’s not coming out of another song; it is another song. They just sort of make it up. This is the band, knowing that it’s firing on all cylinders, daring to just create a song on the fly. And it’s pretty cool. Trey, taking another chance, somehow realizing that the improv they’ve created parallels the classic riff that serves as the “Lizards” coda. Except slowed down. And in the wrong key. How he hears this, I know not. Actually, I do. He’s Trey. Anyway, the resulting “Lizards” jam is novel, if not tight, and a fitting end to one of the most daring, creative sets that I’ve heard this band play. They close it out with “Oblivious Fool” and call for a break. Well deserved.

Enjoy.

You can grab the full show here.

Full setlist via Phish.net:
07-10-97 Espace Julien, Marseille, France

1: Dogs Stole Things, Limb By Limb, Ginseng Sullivan, Bathtub Gin, Llama-> Wading in the Velvet Sea, Lizards Jam*, Oblivious Fool

2: Also Sprach Zarathustra-> Julius, Magilla-> Ya Mar^, Ghost-> Take Me to the River**

E: Funky Bitch#

*Very slow, no lyrics, largely unrecognizable until the end. ^Apparently they took turns jamming in pairs: Fish and Page, Trey and Mike, hi-hat and clavinet (Fish and Page again), bell and low guitar (Mike and Trey), crash cymbal and Rhodes (Fish and Page), footstomping (band and audience); also Magilla teases. **An Al Green cover, from his “Explores Your Mind” album. Also performed by Talking Heads. #With Son Seals and members of his band (guitar, trumpet, bass, and drums) and Fish dancing at the front of the stage; “Funky Bitch” is a Son Seals song); with “Bathtub Gin” teases.

To enter the CD giveaway contest, all you’ve got to do is share your thoughts or memories in the comments section. Although we already have a bunch of good commentary, we decided to keep it open until next week, when we’ll choose our favorite comments as winners for the following prizes:

Top prize: All 4 Island Tour shows on disc and a Phish Tiki Sticker
1st runner-up: Both Nassau shows and a Phish Tiki sticker
2nd runner-up: Both Providence shows and a Phish Tiki sticker

And because there’s just so much good material from this legendary run of shows, I thought I’d include a series of videos that round out one of my favorite segments from the run…

Phish – 040398 – Loving Cup — Antelope (intro) [YouTube]

Phish – 040398 – Run Like an Antelope [YouTube]

Phish – 040398 – Antelope – Part II — encore break [YouTube]

Phish – 040398 – Carini [YouTube]

Have a great weekend…but don’t let Carini get’cha!

Ten years ago, Phish’s studio sessions for The Story of the Ghost were going so well that they just couldn’t bear not to share with their fans. To quote Trey thanking the crowd on April 2 in classic understated fashion, “We were getting bored at home, so we wanted to do some shows.” After two absolutely blazing nights at Nassau Coliseum (on Long Island), the band headed up the road to Providence (in Rhode Island) to finish what they’d started: one of the most legendary runs of their entire legendary career. It’s certainly arguable, but in my opinion, I don’t think Phish ever patched together a run of consecutive shows this consistent, creative, and down right fun. Although we have written about these shows before, we decided that the ten-year anniversary of the Island Tour deserved something special. We pieced together a four-way set of mini-posts from several of our Phish Friday contributors, each featuring his personal take on one of the four shows on the tour.

To the make the anniversary even more special, we’ve arranged for a special CD giveaway contest in conjunction with the fine folks over at Phish Dry Goods. They’re also celebrating the occasion with a special “Island Tour 10-Year Anniversary Sale” on all the discs from the run.

To enter the contest, all that we ask is for you to share your thoughts and memories down in the comments section. Whether they are the most creative, witty, or fun, we will then choose our favorite comments and giveaway the following prizes:

Top prize: All 4 Island Tour shows on disc and a Phish Tiki Sticker
1st runner-up: Both Nassau shows and a Phish Tiki sticker
2nd runner-up: Both Providence shows and a Phish Tiki sticker

And with that, we bring you the goods…

04-02-98 Nassau Coliseum – Uniondale (Long Island), NY
by Justin

The real obvious choice from the first night of the Island Tour, the night that began the set of shows that we keep writing about over and over again, would probably be “Twist.” The set-two monster began as any other version would, but it turned into a completely spacey jam that got darker and darker as the minutes wore on. The video is pretty sick.

But that would be too obvious a choice for this little homage of a writeup. For my part, you can’t really beat the opener of the entire Island Tour; the one-two-three punch of “Tube,” “My Mind’s Got a Mind…” and “The Sloth” superbly highlights the real power of the band and how varied they were. The “Tube” opener stretches out nicely with a bit of the hints of space rock that really dominated the sound of the entire mini-tour. When they drop into the blues jam at the end of the song, it’s a fantastic transition that makes my spine tingle a bit.

From there, it’s a simple transition tune in “My Mind’s Got a Mind of Its Own,” into a rambunctious and half-sloppy version of “The Sloth.” You can just hear how excited the band is in these first three tracks. It’s my pick for the real money of the show, as I know I tended to remember the openers of the shows I saw a little better than the funk that got thrown into the middle of the set in an effort to really stretch out. Give the tunes a listen if you haven’t done so 50 times already…

• Phish – Tube (live, 4-2-1998) [mp3]
• Phish – My Mind’s Got a Mind of Its Own (live, 4-2-1998) [mp3]
• Phish – The Sloth (live, 4-2-1998) [mp3]

Links:
Setlist | Audience Recording | Watch Video | Buy Soundboard Recording

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04-03-98 Nassau Coliseum – Uniondale (Long Island), NY
by WHIT

Long-time readers of this site may already know of my love for 4.3.98. I recently touched on the fantastic version of Reba that the band dropped in at the end of the first set. And a while back, I espoused the greatness of this show’s mammoth second set, most notably the opening epic journey of “Roses Are Free > Piper.” But as much as the second set of this show gets most of the attention, a true Phish fan cannot ignore the pure fun of the first set’s opening segment:

• Phish – Mike’s Song (live, 4-3-1998) > [mp3]
• Phish – My Old Home Place (live, 4-3-1998) > [mp3]
• Phish – Weekapaug Groove (live, 4-3-1998) [mp3]

The band opens with “Mike’s Song.” Not wasting anytime, they get right into a fierce improv section as if to say, “tonight, we mean fucking business.” The improv meanders and swells, with a variety of different grooves. I especially love Mike’s bass-playing on this track. It’s patented Gordo, as he lays down a consistently deep groove but throws in just the right amount of variations to keep it fresh and interesting. Around minute nine-to-ten, they make a key change and the song starts to really evolve, with Trey playing a few blistering solo sections before making another key change. This leads them into happier, major key territory before they create a perfect segue into the traditional bluegrass of “My Old Home Place.”

Man, do I love this transition! It’s so simple. I distinctly remember watching Trey walk over to Mike to whisper something in his ear. Mike seemed to dig the idea, they signaled to other guys, and then bam! we’re in happy Phish bluegrass territory. Now typically, Phish bluegrass covers never really did that much for me. I dig classic bluegrass and I think Mike’s country influences are great, but this was rarely the sound I really wanted to hear from the band. But for some reason, this “Old Home Place” stands out to me as perfect. Trey’s solo is probably my favorite short solo I’ve ever heard him play. It’s a playful little solo that hits all the right notes, stretches out a a few extra measures, and rounds out the song with a perfect happy touch.

And then there’s the “Weekapaug” — which like the “Mike’s Song” that preceded it — wastes no time locking into a groove. About 5 minutes in, they settle into a super hyped-up funk jam, with Fishman going nuts on the cowbells and percussion. Some might also note a tease by Trey of what later became a full Trey Anastasio Band song called “Mozambique” – it’s an odd chord progression that’s seems a bit out-of-place, but it’s a cool precursor to what the progression would eventually become as a song. Luckily for us, the tease doesn’t derail the funkiness, because they settle back in, change keys, and then the Talking Heads-style funk jam just oozes out from every instrument. After a little Trey wah-wah breakdown (which had become so natural by this point), the band really starts to channel the Talking Heads. With the underlying hyper-funk, they start to add some vocal “ooos” that are totally reminiscent of “Crosseyed & Painless.” Some call this a tease, but I just call it awesome. After the funk the living hell out of the song, they drop back into the familiar uptempo rock of Weekapaug. Trey unleashes several solo peaks to rock out the end of a killer opening segment that always leaves me thinking: “What a way to open a rock concert!”

Links:
Setlist | Audience Recording | Watch Video | Buy Soundboard Recording

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04-04-98 Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI
by Stanley T. Roper

For those among us who bought the soundboards of these shows as soon as Phish released them, the bonus soundcheck material is a real treat. And given the funked-out soundcheck on 4/4 — an unnamed “Soundcheck Jam” and a ridiculous “Shafty” — it’s no surprise that the band dropped “Tweezer” right out of the gate. No warm-up necessary tonight, folks.

tracks:

• Phish – Birds of a Feather – (live, 4-4-1998) [mp3]
• Phish – 2001 (live, 4-4-1998) [mp3]
• Phish – Brother – (live, 4-4-1998) [mp3]

But as good as this “Tweezer” is, it’s not the highlight of the show for me. Neither is the second set “Ghost,” or the massive “Lizards-Bowie-Hood” to close the show. The highlight for me is “Birds of a Feather.” Yes, you read that right. The band debuted the song a few days earlier at Nassau and gave it top billing as a second set opener this night in Providence. Everything is standard for the first five minutes. Then things start to evolve. Trey sets some loops. Mike starts to drop variations on the standard Birds bassline. Page and Fish create a wall of rhythmic filler in the background. Trey drops all sorts of rhythm guitar on that ass. It’s amazing that four guys can make this much noise.

Sidenote: WHIT and I were just talking about this show, and he said he just recently caught one guy’s description of this “Birds” over on PT Bisco. The guy called it “millenial psychadelic warfare.” It’s a helluva a description and not that far off.

The band eventually finds its way back to the chorus, then drops “2001>Brother” just for good measure. I could write another pile of words about this “2001,” one of my favorites, or “Brother,” which is so good that the band reprises it in a “radio friendly” version. But I’ll let the music do the talking.

Cheers, and happy ten year anniversary!

Links:
Setlist | Audience Recording | Watch Video | Buy Soundboard Recording

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04-05-98 Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI
by T. Gordo

The fourth and final show of the Island Tour starts out strong, with a solid “Oh Kee Pa” that launches straight into “You Enjoy Myself.” The “YEM” jam gets into some deep funk right off the bat, with Mike dropping fat bass bombs and Page funkin’ out on the organ. Eventually Trey joins in with some backup wah-wah rhythm — mellow at first, then building as the jam heads into more typical “YEM” territory. This “YEM” is great way to start the show, and is probably the highlight of the first set. Interestingly, the funk doesn’t really surface again until the end of this show.

The second set features a 14-minute “Ya Mar” that shouldn’t be missed. Trey’s solo turns into a two-minute long Trey noodle fest, which I always enjoy. This “Ya Mar” doesn’t really ever finish; instead, a sort of mellow, ambient jam emerges that leaves you wondering where it’s going. You may hear hints of “Slave” or “Tela.” But alas, it heads into a not-as-great “Prince Caspian,” but we won’t hold that against it!

The final highlight of this show is the second set closer, “Cavern.” After leaving “Possum” unfinished, Trey starts up a wah-wah funk groove and let’s thanks the crowd for a great little run of shows. He then lets everyone know that they’re gonna play a little more “for those of you who want to dance to the funk.” This funk jam features some stop-start action and Fishman breakdowns before eventually morphing into the slowest, funkiest version of “Cavern” you’ve ever heard, complete with some old/alternate lyrics.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I gotta “turn the blade back on the bitch and drop her in the dung.” Have a great weekend!

Tracks:

• Phish – Oh Kee Pa Ceremony (live, 4-5-1998) [mp3]
• Phish – You Enjoy Myself (live, 4-5-1998) [mp3]
• Phish – Ya Mar (live, 4-5-1998) [mp3]
• Phish – Funk Jam (live, 4-5-1998) > [mp3]
• Phish – Cavern (live, 4-5-1998) [mp3]

Links:
Setlist | Audience Recording | Watch Video | Buy Soundboard Recording

We hope you enjoyed our Island Tour round-up. Be sure to share some of your own thoughts and comments if you want to enter the contest. Cheers!

A little over a year ago, Live Music Blog friend, Gibs, treated us to his thoughts on what he considers to be one of the more complete and perfect sets that Phish has ever played: Set II from the Clifford Ball on 8/17/96.

Due to my recent discovery of some great late-90s Phish videos, I decided it might be cool to connect one of my favorite Phish Friday posts with some of the videos of those same tracks that Gibs featured. I added a little extra commentary on each of these, because I just couldn’t help myself…

Phish – 081796 – Fluffhead – Part II [YouTube]

The ending solo flight from “Fluffhead” is what really gets me. I remember hearing this track during my early days of playing guitar being utterly in awe at how Mr. Anastasio could pull off those amazingly quick little “hammer-on” notes…

Phish – 081796 – Brother

We’re treated to even more of those cool little riffs during “Brother.” The Ben & Jerry’s vocals are a tad silly, but that solo really “slays me” too, Gibs.

Phish – 081796 – Slave to the Traffic Light – Part II [YouTube]

And then there’s the second half of an epic set-closing finale…yep.

You can check out more of silverchair97′s vids here.

Cheers and remember to check back this weekend!

Case in point…this great video of the second half of “Reba” (the improv half) from 4/3/98, a well-known show in Phish history that I was lucky enough to have attended. Although it isn’t a pro-shot video, this clip nicely illustrates the way that Phish’s light man, Chris Kuroda, played a huge role in the band’s stage production and the way Phish improvisations developed. My favorite part comes around the 6-minute mark, when Trey’s solo and the lights come together in a huge crescendo. It’s not only classic Phish, but classic Phish/Kuroda improv. Check it out:

Phish – 040398 – Reba – Part II [YouTube]

I think most Phish fans tend to agree that the four shows the band played in the Spring of 1998 — aka the ‘Island Tour’ — were some of its best. I love them all, but 4/3/98 — the band’s second night at Nassau Coliseum — is probably my personal favorite. It is also one of my more vivid concert experiences. As a result, this is not my first post about this show….and it probably won’t be my last.

A special thanks to the fan or taper that captured the video of this show for all of us fans. On a personal note, I was in an odd position for this show: off to the band’s left side, but way high up in the Coliseum seating. Although it was a really cool vantage point to watch the band’s onstage movements and signals, I never got to see the true brilliance of the full light show until these videos surfaced. Muchas gracias silverchair97!