Ventura Box Set due in June

Phish Live Shows
#1

The next archival release on CD from Phish looks to be a doozy as a listing for a compilation of two shows the quartet played at Ventura County Fairgrounds in 1997 and 1998. Phish: Ventura is due on June 18th.

The two shows took place on July 30th, 1997 and July 20th, 1998 respectively and each have a slew of highlights. This audio-only release will provide official recordings for two shows of which excellent audience recordings have never surfaced due to in part to the wind at the venue. According to the tracklisting on the ADA site, soundchecks from both performances will be included in this set.

Here’s a look at the setlists for the two shows…

7/30/97:

Set 1: NICU > Wolfman’s Brother[1] > Chalk Dust Torture, Water in the Sky, Stash,Weigh > Piper > Cars Trucks Buses, Character Zero

Set 2: Punch You In the Eye > Free > David Bowie[2] -> Cities -> David Bowie,Bouncing Around the Room, Uncle Pen, Prince Caspian > Fire

Encore: My Soul

[1] Take Me to the River jam.
[2] Simpsons signal in intro.

Notes: Wolfman’s included a Take Me to the River jam. The Bowie intro included a Simpsons signal; Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons, was reportedly in attendance.

7/20/98:

Set 1: Bathtub Gin, Dirt > Poor Heart[1], Lawn Boy, My Sweet One, Birds of a Feather, Theme From the Bottom, Water in the Sky, The Moma Dance, Split Open and Melt

Set 2: Drowned -> Makisupa Policeman[2] > Maze, Sea and Sand, Prince Caspian> Harry Hood

Encore: Sexual Healing[3] > Hold Your Head Up, Halley’s Comet

[1] Several false endings, including a Free Bird-style ending.
[2] Long, atypical jam.
[3] Phish debut.

Performers: Trey Anastasio, Page McConnell, Jon Fishman, Mike Gordon

Notes: Poor Heart featured several false endings, including a Free Bird-style ending. Makisupa included a long, atypical jam. Sea and Sand (first since NYE 1995, or 166 shows) was an appropriate choice, given the venue’s location near the beach. Sexual Healing made its Phish debut at this show with Fishman reading the lyrics off the back of a show poster. As delay loops built to end Halley’s Comet, the band left the stage one by one.

[Setlists via Phish.net]

#2

7/30/97, my first show. Booya.

#3

Bowie-Cities-Bowie is the most rediculous thing ive ever heard. The second set from 7/20/98 is top notch. Good release here. :thumbup:

#4

Cool beans :thumbup:

#5

WANT

I love these tours after their Europe runs. How bout they do another European tour? Probably won’t happen :frowning:

#6

great shows. wind was terrible. know tapers who had nothing to show for it because of the wind

shows however, insane. out of 50 shows, only “language” i ever saw

also, the final time (and best) that i was able to sneak backstage and hang out with fishman for an hour or so (who wore a black derby type hat he hung on a stand, black slacks, and black button up shirt for the show). Dj Fatso and Bjorn Naked were backstage there as well :wink: (also met page for the 1st and only time that night, trey did not show backstage)

i also was talking to a chick who was dissing mike from 3 feet away while he was glaring at me, marking the final time i accidentally annoyed mike. so a personal treasure of a show for me, but beyond that, the music speaks for itself

these shows are both awesome (we fit 14 people in our hotel room, including 3 on the 13th floor balcony) that night. walking to the room across the beach was surreal

the venue sucks. dirt bowl. windy. but the shows were truly amazing

great release LP

#7

DITTO!!

I will be purchasing this the day it is released!!

#8

amazon.com/Phish-Ventura/dp/ … ords=phish

#9

Oh my hat!

#10

Bump for Ventura Box Set.

Excited to listen to this for my next few plane rides. Should make the time just ‘fly’ by.

Yes, pun intended :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: