PICK ONE SHOW!

Phish Live Shows
#1

Here is the scenario! You have access to the Delorian and the flux capacitor is fluxing! Pick one show to go back and see that predates your first ever! Posting reasons is optional! Choose wisely!

I’m gonna go approximately 4 years before my first. There is no question in my mind i would go back to Ian McClain’s party from may of 89! This show has always been my favorite of the 80’s and seems to distance itself from all of 88 and before. This would be a killer time to go and see the type of jamming that led them to be the best band of the 90’s. The Ninja Mike and Magoo shit has always been my favorite early days nonsense! I would also kill to hear a fast Sanity.

05-28-89
Sunday, May 28, 1989
Ian McLean’s Party, Connie Condon’s Farm, Hebron, NY

  Set I: Divided Sky, Run Like an Antelope, Colonel Forbin's Ascent > The Famous Mockingbird, Fee > Slave to the Traffic Light, Esther, Suzy Greenberg, You Enjoy Myself

  Set II: Fire, Mike's Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Bathtub Gin, Sanity, Ride Captain Ride, Peaches en Regalia, Take the 'A' Train, Possum, Contact, Funky (Breakdown) -> The Price of Love, Funky Bitch, Split Open and Melt, The Mango Song, Harry Hood

  Set III: Jam -> La Grange Jam, The Sloth, Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley > Ya Mar, Jesus Just Left Chicago

  Show Notes: Trey dedicated the Divided Sky opener to "the spirit of the pig." This YEM featured the infamous "Poop Vocal Jam," followed by a set-stopping keg run. Antelope included the word "spliff" instead of "spike" in the lyrics and Mike's Song included a tease of the HBO theme song. Funky (Breakdown) and Price of Love featured guest appearances by Ninja Mike (vocals) and Magoo (guitar). Fishman intermittently played trombone and vacuum during the latter.
#2

I’ve never heard that show. :frowning:

Off the top of my head, I’d really like to go back in time to 12.30.93

12-30-93 Cumberland County Civic Center, Portland, ME

1: David Bowie, Weigh, The Curtain-> Sample in a Jar, Paul and Silas, Colonel Forbin’s Ascent-> Famous Mockingbird, Rift, Bathtub Gin, Freebird

2: Also Sprach Zarathustra > Mike’s Song-> The Horse-> Silent in the Morning, Punch You in the Eye, McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters > Weekapaug Groove-> Purple Rain, Slave to the Traffic Light

E: Rocky Top, Good Times Bad Times

Just a plain 'ole classic show. Great playing, nearly perfect setlist. Unbelievable Bowie opener with a scrumptious Dream On tease. Plus I’d get to see Paul and Silas, Col Forbin, and McGrupp, which I never got.

#3

^Do you hear a Simple jam in that Mike’s?

#4

Haven’t heard it in a while, so I couldn’t tell ya.

#5

Cypress

the whole weekend.

does that qualify?

if not, i guess everything from summer 94 that i’ve heard seems pretty mind blowing. My favorite show on disc ever is Sugarbush 94 so that’s the first one i think of. But i’ve heard it a million times so i know exactly what’s going to happen. I guess just a random show from that tour then so its still unpredictable.

#6

Strange I would have to agree with 2 of the answers already in this thread. Either Cypress or the Ian McClean show. I love that YEM more than any other I think. And that Gin is way too much fun. I really don’t know which I’d prefer, but I would probably go with Cypress in the long run.

Nah, I’ll do one better. I would go back to their first show ever, then I could see every show from the start.

#7

1992-03-13

#8

Cypress. I never saw Phish. But that’s where I would go. If I could stay where the Delorian took me, it would be 1970. I would tour with the Dead in the greater years, see the Doors, Zeppelin, Zappa, and Floyd,skip half of the 80’s and go tour with Phish until I died.

But if I could trade all the shows I’ve ever seen, I would be at Cypress. But that will never happen. I was too young and naive. And my fluxer is fucked.

stupid fluxcompassiwhats.

#9

Quit picking Cypress everyone!!

I’d take pretty much any show from '94 or '95 over Cypress.

How about this one!~

06-26-95 Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY

1: My Friend My Friend, Don’t You Wanna Go, Bathtub Gin, NICU-> The Sloth, My Mind’s Got a Mind of It’s Own, It’s Ice, Dog Faced Boy, Tela, Possum

2: Down With Disease-> Free-> Poor Heart-> You Enjoy Myself, Strange Design, Run Like An Antelope

E: Sleeping Monkey-> Rocky Top

or this one!

10-07-95 Opera House, Spokane, WA

1: Julius, Gumbo, Fog That Surrounds, Mound, Possum, The Mango Song, Acoustic Army, Wilson, Run Like an Antelope

2: Makisupa Policeman, Cars Trucks Buses, Split Open and Melt, Strange Design, It’s Ice, Contact, Frankenstein, Harry Hood, Sweet Adeline

E: Fire

Or this one!

11-18-95 North Charleston Coliseum, North Charleston, SC

1: Dinner and a Movie, Bouncing Around the Room, Reba, Lawn Boy, Punch You in the Eye, Slave to the Traffic Light, I’m Blue I’m Lonesome*, Sample in a Jar

2: AC/DC Bag, Sparkle, Free, I’m So Tired, You Enjoy Myself**, Contact, Big Black Furry Creature From Mars-> Acoustic Army-> Big Black Furry Creature From Mars, Cavern

E: Won’t You Come Home Bill Bailey#

*Acoustic. **Contained “Brickhouse” tease. #With Jack McConnell, Page’s father.

Or this one!!

04-09-94 Broome County Arena, Binghamton, NY

1: Magilla, Wilson, Rift, Bathtub Gin, Nellie Cane, Julius, Fee, All Things Reconsidered, Stash, The Squirming Coil

2: Sample in a Jar, Reba, Peaches en Regalia-> Big Ball Jam, Demand*-> Mike’s Song-> I Am Hydrogen-> Weekapaug Groove, Tela-> Slave to the Traffic Light, Cavern

E: Amazing Grace, Highway to Hell

*First time played.

Or this one!!

11-22-94 Jesse Auditorium, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO

1: Buried Alive, Poor Heart, Horn, Foam, Guyute, I Didn’t Know, Bouncing Around the Room, Down With Disease, Sweet Adeline

2: Funky Bitch, Lawn Train#*, Y-Rushalayim Schel Zahav, Cry Baby Cry, The Curtain, Blackbird, Runaway Jeff, Big Black Furry Creature From Mars, I’m Blue I’m Lonesome, Instrumental, My Long Journey Home, Harry Hood**, Highway to Hell

E: Lizards

*Name unsure, could just be a jam. **By an audience members request. #First time played.

#10

If someone did not see their first show until 2000 or after, Cypress is a fine choice!

#11

Someones gonna say it, so i guess it might as well be me. I’d choose Redrocks 1994.

06-11-94 Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, CO

1: Wilson, Chalk Dust Torture, You Enjoy Myself, Rift, Down With Disease, It’s Ice, Tela, Stash

2: Also Sprach Zarathustra-> Run Like an Antelope, Fluffhead, Scent of a Mule, Split Open and Melt, The Squirming Coil, Maze, Contact-> Frankenstein

E: Suzy Greenberg

Last “Frankenstein”, 07-26-91.

The show has a perfect setlist with allstar renditions of every song, is located in one of the best outdoor venues, and most importantly, it bleeds energy. It really smokes.

#12

I would go here so I could be the third person in attendance. :stuck_out_tongue:

08-27-88 Food Court - Pennsylvania State University (Mont Alto Campus), Mont Alto, PA

Satin Doll, You Enjoy Myself -> Funky Bitch, Walk Away, Fluffhead*, Mike’s Song, Take the A-Train, Golgi Apparatus**, Tela#

Supposedly two people were in attendence. *Includes yelling of “Pennsylvania Rhode Island!” **Different, jammed-out intro. #Preceded by Trey saying, “Penn State, we love you”; with different structure and lyrics (see 06-20-88).

Seriously I would go here: Never heard the show and was told the music wasn’t that stellar but the scene was memorable.

08-03-91 Amy Skelton’s Larrabee Farm, Auburn, ME

1: Wilson, Foam, Runaway Jim, Guelah Papyrus, Llama, Fee, The Squirming Coil, Poor Heart, The Sloth, The Divided Sky, Golgi Apparatus

2: The Curtain, Reba, Chalk Dust Torture, Bouncing Around the Room, Tweezer, Esther, Cavern, I Didn’t Know, You Enjoy Myself*, Rocky Top

3: Stash, Ya Mar, Fluffhead, Lawn Boy, My Sweet One, Lizards, Buried Alive-> Possum

E: Magilla, Self*, Bitchin’ Again**, Crimes of the Mind**

E: Harry Hood

“I Love Lucy” theme in various places. *With The Dude of Life. **With The Dude of Life and Sophie Dillof.

Or this… I really would’ve liked to see them with the horns:

07-18-91 Casino Ballroom, Hampton Beach, NH

1: Chalk Dust Torture, Foam, Runaway Jim, Guelah Papyrus, Suzy Greenberg, Stash, Take the A-Train, Cavern, Mike’s Song-> I Am Hydrogen-> Weekapaug Groove

2: Llama, Reba, Poor Heart, Split Open and Melt, Lizards, The Landlady, I Didn’t Know, Possum

E: Alumni Blues

With Shockra opening. With The Giant Country Horns.

Plus Shockra!!!

#13

I might pick 10-31-94. Was there any show, up to that point, that generated as much hype and pre-show energy? It was known before the show that Phish was going to do an album in its entirety, right?

That’s not a hypothetical, I’m curious to see what anyone in attendance says.

#14

yup. good pick…t’was a magical night! lots of energy in the house before the show. there always was on halloween, but especially this one!

my pick would have to be 8-21-87. love this show!

#15

thats a fantastic pick, will. that was one of the first choices that came to mind when i read the initial post.

07-09-97 Le Transbordeur, Lyon/Villeurbanne, France

1: Punch You in the Eye-> Prince Caspian, Ginseng Sullivan, Split Open and Melt, Dirt, Taste, Sweet Adeline, Harry Hood

2: Down With Disease-> My Soul-> Cars Trucks Buses-> You Enjoy Myself*, Ghost*, Poor Heart*

E: Hello My Baby

*With Bela Fleck and the Flecktones

#16

I guess I’ll sum up a lot of posts into 1 thread: 3/22/93… I was looking for a live version of my fave new song, RIFT, by PHISH…so I checked HIPBOB’s files on the network at school and saw this show in BOLD letters…so i looked and sure enough there was a Rift in the first set… EPIC show, first DL and that REBA has to be the most intense pause>pickup jam of any that i’ve heard.

Then GAMEHENGE ;D… crazy how the first show i hear is the best narration ever…IT’S ICE>LIZARDS makes me shiver still… I HAD NO CLUE WHAT WAS GOING ON, BUT I KNEW I LOVED IT!

side note: My only shows were 8/10/04-8/11/04 GREAT WOODS, unfortunately… “WHO’S GOT MY PHISH!!!”

#17

Just listened to the 8.11.04 Suzy–>DwD today. God I love that Suzy.

8.11 was the best time I had that summer out of 9 shows. Deer Creek and Alpine were lots of fun too though.

#18

Suzy is the highlight of that show, its an awesome rendition. Too bad its the second song of the evening…

#19

Antelope–>2001 is the highlight of the show imo

Suzy is a close second though.

#20

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!! JOHNNY B FISHMAN!!!

just wasted about $3.74 in gas cruising to that Antelope->2001…that show ruined me…would’ve been better off only seeing 8/10…

ha, JK