The folks at LivePhish have released Live Bait Volume 11 as a free download, featuring tracks from previous shows from cities Phish will perform on the 2015 summer tour that begins next week. The collection includes the following:

- "Prince Caspian" > "Light" from 2012-09-01 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park - Commerce City, CO
- "Runaway Jim" from 1997-07-31 at Shoreline Amphitheatre - Mountain View, CA
- "Tweezer" from 1996-12-01 at Pauley Pavilion – University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
- "You Enjoy Myself" from 1995-10-14 at Austin Music Hall – Austin, TX – with Medeski Martin & Wood and Dominic Placco
- "Stash" > "I Didn't Know" from 1995-06-15 at Lakewood Amphitheatre – Atlanta, GA
- "Mike's Song" > "I Am Hydrogen" > "Weekapaug Groove" from 1991-11-08 at Ivory Tusk – Tuscaloosa, AL
- "Bathtub Gin" > "The Vibration of Life" from 1996-11-19 at Municipal Auditorium – Kansas City, MO
- "Halley's Comet" from 2000-09-18 at Blossom Music Center – Cuyahoga Falls, OH
- "Reba" from 1997-08-09 at Alpine Valley Music Theatre – East Troy, WI
- "Split Open and Melt" from 2000-06-25 at ALLTEL Pavilion at Walnut Creek – Raleigh, NC
- "Harry Hood" from 1998-08-08 Merriweather Post Pavilion – Columbia, MD
- "Storage Jam" > "Sleeping Monkey" from 2011-07-02 SuperBall IX – Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, NY

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The celebration of fifty years of the Grateful Dead came to a bittersweet conclusion on Sunday at Chicago’s Soldier Field, the last of five “Fare Thee Well” concerts billed as the final shows of this quintessentially American of institutions. During this abbreviated final run of shows – that some had labelled a nostalgia trip or worse, a “cash grab” – a band emerged that very closely approximated the spirit of the Grateful Dead. Not just in the authenticity provided by a lineup of its surviving members, but in the truest spirit of the band, producing music that – in, at times, brilliant flashes – transcended all the bullshit, and gave us the real thing.

Photo © @soldierfield

Before the first set began, the band gathered to offer bows to audience and a group hug before The Last Grateful Dead Show Ever. Constructing the final setlist must have been an enormously difficult task – one last shot at their enormous repertoire as a group. The celebration kicked off with a rousing “China Cat Sunflower” > “I Know You Rider” with Trey and Bruce trading verses on “China Cat” and Bobby taking lead vocals on “IKYR.” As was the case for large segments of this run, Trey shined throughout, weaving leads both delicate and powerful. They opted for a democratic approach with Bobby, Phil and Trey sharing Garcia’s signature “I wish I was a headlight, on a northbound train” line, and the fifteen-minute combo set a tone of celebration and earnest joy for the gig. “Estimated Prophet” added to this first set’s “second-set feel.” Approached with an almost funereal pace that saw Trey intently following Bobby’s lead to keep (the lack of) pace, the jam nevertheless gathered some steam toward the end.

“Built to Last” was offered seemingly not as self-congratulations, but as a nod to the enduring bond between the band and its fans. Bruce assumed the vocal duties, but it was Trey who would shine on this tune with confidently delivered lines that floated effortlessly and optimistically. “Samson and Delilah” rarely missed a Sunday show, and this version stayed true to the Dead’s history, even in the band’s heyday, of often sloppy performances. Phil’s “Mountains of the Moon” was a surprise call, given that it was never performed in a Dead show after 1969. “Mountains of the Moon” sent more than a few fans to the restroom and concessions, but that would have been a mistake; “Mountains” was brilliant, easily provided the jamming highlight of the first set, and one of the most patient, balanced, and engaging conversational passages of the entire run. The traditionally spirited “Throwing Stones” closed the set with an almost unrecognizably slow pace. At one point it seemed that Bobby had forgotten the song’s lyrics and we were heading for a “senior moment” but instead he delivered a modern day improvisation that “you can buy the whole goddamn government today!” We give you a hard time, but we love you, Bobby!

Photo © @languagestrange

The second set began with fireworks (literally) and then opened with their first big radio “hit” (and one of only two repeats from Santa Clara), “Truckin’.” “Cassidy” offered a good-bye from the band – “Faring thee well now / Let your life proceed by its own design / Nothing to tell now / Let the words be yours, I'm done with mine” – and also the jamming highlight of the second set, twelve blissful minutes that would have been notable show highlights in almost any Grateful Dead era. Trey took a crack at Garcia’s loved “Althea” that was compact but far from throw-away before yielding to the beloved “Terrapin Station.” Phil and Bobby traded vocal versus on this “Terrapin” that proved one of the only questionable decisions of the night, as the band was unable to find solid footing in the basic mechanics of the song.

After the final “Drums” -> “Space” segment – augmented by an array of psychedelic computer graphics on the venue’s massive video screen as well as on the webcast feed, in the event that stuff wasn’t already happening inside your head – Phil offered another moving testament to the collective love that all had gathered to celebrate with “Unbroken Chain.” Though born in the band’s prime and appearing on 1974’s From the Mars Hotel, “Unbroken Chain” almost never made it into the Dead's live repertoire, emerging only in the spring of 1995 just months before Garcia’s passing, also appearing in the Dead’s final Soldier Field performance on 7/9/95. They made it through the composed section mostly unscathed and validated the choice with an inspired if brief jam. Bobby then delivered a moving rendition of the final Garcia ballad performed by this band, “Days Between,” with the set predictably concluding with “Not Fade Away.” Trey, Bruce and Bobby shared vocals on the “Touch of Grey” encore that hilariously saw Bobby donning a “Let Trey Sing” t-shirt… never too late for one final joke. Never trust a prankster! A single encore would simply not suffice and the band returned one more time for a touching “Attics of My Life.”

Photo © @jayblakesberg

Especially given the unrelenting amount of shit given by many fans in the lead-up to the event's organizer, Pete Shapiro, for everything from ticket prices and distribution to the show’s venues, it should be said that these events were exceptionally well-run, professional, and fan friendly. The record-breaking crowds of 70k+ in attendance each day truly put the revamped Soldier Field facilities to the test, with bathroom and concession lines often challenging, and the biggest complaint being the congestion ordeal of exiting the venue on the routes back to civilization. But other than some of these difficulties inherent in any big event, those in attendance seemed no worse off from the experience (far from it!). The in-venue visuals by Candace Brightman and Paul Hoffman were spectacular, and the at-home production was also stellar, with virtually flawless delivery, outstanding production value, crystal clear and full sound, and magnificent halftime video montages by Justin Kreutzmann with original music by Neal Casal. There were a million things that could have gone wrong, but most everything went right; so kudos to everyone involved in putting together these historic events in a way that allowed fans to keep their focus where it belonged, on the stage.

Photo © @languagestrange

The band on that stage produced some truly inspired music. I’ll readily admit that I was skeptical from the outset – these guys don’t play together regularly, for reasons. The Grateful Dead was a democratic institution to a fault, and you don’t need to be a rock-and-roll hall famer to know that sometimes you just want to do your own thing, the way you want. Put those guys who are used to having things precisely their way back into that democratic cauldron… it doesn’t often work. To be honest, it hasn't worked all that well in the post-Jerry attempts to date. That they put aside those differences to gather as a group one last time was no surprise, as the incentives to do so were plentiful. That they did so and produced music of a quality that was deserving of the mantle of the band’s name, Grateful Dead – that surprised me. To Bobby, Phil, Mickey and Billy: thank you, for this weekend, and for the music that has been the soundtrack to my life since my first show in 1981. Bruce Hornsby and Jeff Chimenti also deserve the appreciation, respect, and thanks of fans for their contributions to this continuum of music known as the Grateful Dead.

Photo © @languagestrange

These shows were clearly not about Trey Anastasio. But we’re covering this on phish.net because of his involvement, so a few concluding words about his performace are in order. What a moment for him… as happy as I was to be listening to my favorite living musician playing with the band I grew up with, I was more happy for Trey. This obviously was far from the first time he’s had the opportunity to play these songs with members of the Dead, but to be able to attack the catalog so fully, to not only perform the songs but really lead the band through jam after jam, on the biggest of stages, it was a profound joy to witness. Grateful Dead music that is good requires a lead guitarist who can execute the compositions competently; Grateful Dead music that is great requires a lead guitarist that can converse as an equal, but also put the band on his shoulders and elevate the whole. Trey did both. Trey Anastasio didn’t need the validation of being able to fill the hardest hole to fill in all of rock and roll – and to gain the appreciation, respect and even love of the only rock audience more skeptical than Phish fans – to be known by many as the world’s greatest living rock musician. But it sure doesn’t hurt. The implications for Phish of this experience? Could be huge... simply huge.

Sayin’ thank you!… for a real good time!

–Phillip Zerbo

(Chicago1 Recap; Chicago2 Recap)

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Welcome to the 191th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday! Because last week's entry stumped the contestants, the winner will receive two MP3 downloads courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the song and date of the mystery jam clip. Each person gets one guess per day, with the second “day” starting after I post the hint. A hint will be posted on Tuesday if necessary, with the answer to follow on Wednesday. May thee fare weller than last week!

Answer: First-time winner @stillwaitin wasted no time in quickly identifying the mystery jam. This week's clip was taken from the tail-end of the 10/6/00 Chalk Dust Torture, which features Trey's fellow Fare-Thee-Weller, Mr. Bob Weir.

Happy Fourth of July! Let’s get right to the action from Saturday’s Fare Thee Well gig from Chicago’s Soldier Field...

“Shakedown Street” kicked off the gig a little after 7:30 local time with Bobby taking the vocals, which he would do in whole or in part on no less than six traditionally “Jerry songs” this night. On paper this opener may look deceptively good – a fifteen minute “Shakedown” is usually cause for great excitement. The reality was something less than that headline grabber would indicate, as the song suffered from deficits of pace, direction and energy that made it a fan favorite in the Dead’s heyday. “Shakedown” wasn’t a total trainwreck, but it never found a long enough straight-away to gather momentum.

Photo @languagestrange

Garcia/Hunter’s 90’s-era optimistic anthemic “Liberty” was the first of several nods to the 4th of July holiday, again with Bobby at the vocal helm. Trey took his only solo lead vocal of the set with “Standing on the Moon.” This was a brilliant call for its placement in the first set, removing it from the shadow of the late-second set tear-jerking centerpiece role where Jerry wrote substantial chapters of his legacy. Trey acquitted himself well with a tender, convincing and respectful offering of the song, acknowledged with a hug from Phil at its conclusion.

The balance of the set settled into a familiar song-oriented approach of Bobby-driven cowboy and blues tunes typical of Grateful Dead first sets, with improvisation relegated to a supporting role. “Me & My Uncle,” “Tennessee Jed” (a rotation of Bobby, Bruce and Trey vocals), “Cumberland Blues” and “Little Red Rooster” filled out this Bobby-centric segment. Phil stepped up to the mic for “Friend of the Devil” that was notable for a Trey and Bruce tag team trade-off of solos that neither seemed to want to end. The 80-minute set was capped off by a ripping “Deal” (Trey and Bruce on vocals) that was the set's highlight, recapturing some of the spark that was more consistently evidenced in Friday’s show.

Photo @andreanusinov

“Bird Song” kicked off the second set with Phil taking vocals, and in short order it was clear that the second set would – in keeping with the Grateful Dead’s legacy that we’ve gathered to celebrate – be an entirely different beast from the first. The “Bird Song” jam returned to a formula that found so much success in the first Chicago show, with the band paving an improvisational runway for Trey’s lead to soar. Bruce and Trey again shared lead vocals for “The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion),” a song that has found a home in the Phil Lesh & Friends repertoire but precious few fans had ever seen the Grateful Dead perform live – or were even alive when it was performed – as it was only saw stage time during a brief stretch in 1967. Bobby Cheese led the “Golden Road” through a vocal breakdown, then Trey pulled the band through an awesome concluding jam that was decidedly Phish-y in nature.

Photo @andreanusinov

Bobby’s “Lost Sailor” > “Saint of Circumstance” combo got off to a humorous start when Mickey Hart – who has been a non-factor in the music outside of the “Drums” segments, casually gum-smacking through the proceedings with brush-stroked irrelevance – donned a sailor hat. Cute, Mickey. “Lost Sailor” was beautifully rendered overall with brilliant lead fills by Trey near the song’s conclusion and in the transition to (and jam within) “Saint of Circumstance.” Bruce offered an innovative vocal take on “West L.A. Fadeaway.” “West L.A” was an unexpected setlist call in this spot given its traditional first set role with Grateful Dead proper, but it worked surprisingly well, in no small part because it fits Trey’s low-down funky style to a T$.

Photo @jayblakesberg

In a spot that would suggest time for “Drums,” instead we were treated to “Foolish Heart” with Trey on vocals, his second take of the evening on a beloved Jerry tune from Built to Last. These were the moments – Trey in the lead with clutch emotional trigger songs – that inspired both great hopes and figgity concern leading up to these gigs. But only the most crusty and closed-minded could fail to stand and cheer this performance that balanced powerful leads, delicate finesse and sweet vocals for a major second set highlight.

“Drums” and a more involved “Space” than Friday set the stage for a “Stella Blue” that was well-received but never truly soared, with Bobby taking another questionable turn at the microphone and a jam that never quite found its footing. “One More Saturday Night” brought the set home, in this case for one last Saturday night, at least with this lineup. The holiday-appropriate “U.S. Blues” encore featured an innovative remote red-white-and-blue tie-dyed light show from the Empire State Building projected on the venue’s screens and to the home viewing audience (a “Tower Jam” reprise!). The celebration continued with a tremendous fireworks display set to John Philip Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”

Photo @andreanusinov

This show had a lot of win, but in much smaller packages spread throughout the night. The first set outside of “Standing On the Moon” and “Deal” was mostly a slog, a fitting celebration of fifty years of Grateful Dead music that often featured mostly uneventful first sets. The show got much better starting with “Deal” and through to the “Drums” portion of the second set, which has real replay value. But overall this was a performance that regressed to mean expectations of what many observers felt was this lineup’s ceiling – fun, mostly competent, but lacking in the excitement of improvisational excursions that had sparked such high hopes on Friday. On the plus side, this was still a great deal better than Santa Clara, and we have one more night to go. That’s right, Saturday Night!

Never miss a Sunday show… we’ll be back with more coverage tomorrow.

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Going into the Santa Clara shows last week, the Fare Thee Well lineup assembled to celebrate fifty years of the Grateful Dead was a blank slate upon which every fan could (and did, in abundance) project the story they wanted to see. This celebration was first and foremost about the profound and enduring history of the defining improvisational rock-and-roll band of our time. The question at hand was: was this going to be a pure nostalgia trip, where the music really didn’t matter? Or would the music stand on its own and honor that history in a meaningful way, in the present?

Photo by @andreanusinov

Those Santa Clara shows contained their fair share of musical enjoyment, and there were many positive moments that offered hope for Chicago. However, an honest assessment of those performances also revealed, at times, a band that suffered from wide discrepancies in preparation by individual members, an almost total lack of conversational cohesion, an absence and/or confusion about leadership roles, and an unsettling lack of ability to perform core elements of beloved songs. So as we approached the first of the final three shows by this ensemble, expectations of an amazing event remained high... while hopes for transcendent music were, let’s say, muted.

Then a funny thing happened between Santa Clara and Chicago – like the best athlete or manager, they made some critical halftime adjustments, and came out of the gates seemingly an entirely different band, one that much more closely approximated the one that we’ve assembled to celebrate.

Photo by @neddyo

“Box of Rain” bridged the twenty years since the Grateful Dead’s final performance on 7/9/95, when “Box” was the final song officially performed under that band name. It’s all a dream we dreamed, one afternoon long ago! Phil delivered the vocals with confidence and beaming pride, and we were off to a great start. An extremely slow intro jam paved the way for “Jack Straw,” with Phil sharing vocal duties with Bobby. Maintaining a tempo that was in the same ballpark of the songs as performed throughout their history was a challenge in Chicago, but by the end they had collectively pulled “Jack Straw” up by its bootstraps for a more than respectable version.

“Bertha” allowed Trey his first lead vocals of the night, and while nerves may have marred his opening line, his recovery was sweet and pure. A “Bertha” that works – or, for that matter, any performance of Grateful Dead music that works – depends on a confident lead guitarist who knows the material and can be assertive in that role. This “Bertha” showcases Trey ready, willing and able to carry that weight. “Passenger” saw Bobby in much more comfortable form than we saw during much of Santa Clara, delivering not just competent but confident vocals. Bruce Hornsby was offered a moment in “Passenger” to emerge from witness protection with a solo, a courtesy also offered to Jeff Chimenti, though both would be relegated to complementary – if often inaudible – roles for most of the gig.

Photo by @andreanusinov

“The Wheel” opened some delightful space, allowing Trey some breathing room, and for a few minutes it seemed like we were deep into a second set. “Crazy Fingers” is a difficult song to perform well even by ensembles with extensive practice, making this a somewhat bold tactical call. The band was more than up to the task, with Trey’s taking the lead vocal and finding a sweet spot despite his having never previously performed the song; Trey’s “I tried” ending vocal refrain was convincing and touching in its authenticity. “The Music Never Stopped” was a little sloppy but compensated by a collective soaring energy, Trey crushing the final solo and Bobby riffing on “never stop, never stop now!” Only a shade over an hour, but the set was totally entertaining end-to-end, rendering the issues and concerns from Santa Clara an unfortunate footnote. That was a great first set – no qualifications, not “for this lineup” or “for this era” – simply great.

A lengthy, hour-plus halftime ended a little after 9:30 local time with Phil and Bobby sharing lead vocals on “Mason’s Children”, though that was a mere prelude to “Scarlet Begonias!!” “Scarlet” was really the moment where the metaphorical keys to this ride we’re handed over to Trey – a ride that may have flipped the odometer a few times, but still has plenty left in the tank. The composed section of the song was bright, airy, hopeful, and gorgeous! This “Scarlet” extended to around fourteen minutes and crystallized so much of what Grateful Dead music does to inspire: starting with a balanced conversation, but allowing the lead guitar to shape that conversation and take flight, bringing not just the band but the audience along for a journey of adventure and discovery. An intricate yet simple web formed around Trey, who soared above yet never strayed too far from the conversation… nostalgia would have to step aside for this “Scarlet,” as this band’s magical story was witnessing a chapter in progress.

The “Fire on the Mountain” portion of the “Scarlet” -> “Fire” was somewhat less thrilling, with an abrupt transition rather than a patient melding of peanut butter and chocolate, though it did afford Bruce a turn at lead vocals. This “Fire” would be the weaker partner of the combo, but the afterglow of the “Scarlet” left few if any dissapointed. A ~twelve-minute (and seemingly rather early) “Drums” allowed room for Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart to take the reigns, followed by a very short “Space.”

“New Potato Caboose” emerged from “Space” with Phil and Bobby sharing vocals, but as with the beginning of the set, this was simply the lob for the smash that would come with the “Playing In The Band.” History is replete with so many instances of “Playing” defying improvisational gravity over its 44-year life – forming the pillars of rock improv upon which an entire modern musical genre rests – that it’s almost hard to imagine the song breaking new ground in 2015. Almost, but not quite: this “Playing” has essentially four different jams, several of which were very un-”Dead”-like, proving old dogs can indeed learn new tricks. Afforded repeat opportunities to pull the plug and move on, someone would instead offer a new idea to continue the conversation. Alongside the “Scarlet,” this spectacular “Playing In the Band” formed this show’s must-hear highlights.

Photo by @neddyo

One of the themes that emerged among the “Playing” jams was “Let It Grow,” which was dusted off in earnest next. Bobby delivered the song’s vocals confidently, while Trey’s shined brightly with an increasing sense of ease in his share of leadership among the band and the crowd. For the set’s finale they went all-in, with “Help on the Way” > “Slipknot!” > “Franklin’s Tower.” Trey took the vocals on “Help” with an ease and confidence that almost demands performances in future contexts. The “Help” jam and transition to “Slipknot!” will not be lauded as examples of precision performances of these songs, but the energy was right there and filled the space of the biggest of stages. Phil took lead vocals on a “Franklin’s” that crossed the finish line for this set that exceeded all but the most unrealistically demanding expectations. A sweet and tender “Ripple” provided the encore.

Especially considering the baseline established in Santa Clara, this show was all win, and sets the balance of the weekend in an entirely more positive and hopeful light, musically, to go alongside the high spirits of gathering the tribe in such a high profile context. There has been a tremendous amount of energy devoted to the money and the tickets and the name of the band (that you can find… elsewhere), but when it comes to the music, we now appear to have an ensemble equal to the task of fulfilling dreams as a group one last time.

Are you excited? I’m excited! Have a great show... we’ll be back with more coverage tomorrow.

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Welcome to the 190th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday! The winner will receive an MP3 download courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the song and date of the mystery jam clip. Each person gets one guess per day, with the second “day” starting after I post the hint. A hint will be posted on Tuesday if necessary, with the answer to follow on Wednesday. Good luck!

Hint (Posted 2015-06-30 10:10 am): As noted in previous MJMs, sometimes the mystery jam of the week is topical and sometimes it is not. This week's mystery jam is intentionally topical.

Answer (Posted 2015-07-01 10:20 am): It's a rare week when the Blog wins, but even more rare when the contestants aren't even close. This week's MJM was played in a small club in Vermont, but the date of the show may come as a shock you. The clip comes from the 4/11/04 Sand at the original Higher Ground in Winooski. While it features Trey, Mike, Page, and Fish, it comes from a Trey solo show -- or, just like the Fare Thee Well concerts, a Trey side project. The Blog wins its 13th MJM out of 190, and the contestants will play for two MP3 downloads in next week's MJM.

Last night, the surviving members of the Grateful Dead – Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann (a.k.a. the “Core Four”) – along with part-time band member Bruce Hornsby, long time post-Dead band member Jeff Chimenti, and Phish’s own Trey Anastasio, descended on Levi’s Stadium for the first of five shows to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead. The run-up to these historic shows was full of mixed emotions, from those of pure joy to those of total apathy or even disdain. When the gates opened in Santa Clara, CA, last night, most of these emotions had turned into anticipation and sheer excitement, as the energy of the crowd was palpable.

Despite the age of the band members, the stadium and the concert set-up were decidedly modern, with high-definition screens on each side of the stage, a “Steal Your Face” logo flanked by (what must have been) roses along the top, and another large screen on the north end of the stadium above the nose-bleeds, facing the band. The band took the stage a few minutes after 7:30 to a rousing applause from the near-capacity crowd, as many other fans streamed in from the lots, navigating some of the suboptimal set-ups from the event staff (e.g., minimal flow towards the general admission area).

The band was all smiles as they took the stage, with Trey in particular looking honored to share the stage with some of his favorite musicians. The band started off with a noodling improvised section that led into “Truckin’”, an appropriate sing-along that would allow the band to work through one of their “greatest hits” (#1 in Turlock County!) and get their sea legs. The music seemed well-rehearsed, though the mix seemed off, at least from where I was standing. “Truckin’” finished with a few bombs from Phil, and the sing-along portion of the show continued with “Uncle John’s Band”. Trey took a soulful melodic solo, Hornsby added some color on the ivories, and they took the outro for a little walk before ending the tune.

Phil took over on vocals for the older rarity, “Alligator”, with images of Pigpen fluttering around the edges of the big-screens. After what seemed like a lack of synchronization between band members, and some visible frustration from Bobby regarding his monitor levels, the jam picked up some steam about six minutes in, ultimately careening and segueing into “Cumberland Blues." Trey began to assert himself a bit more in “Cumberland," and Bill Walton appeared on the big screens to some applause, but there still seemed to be some hesitation from the band. “Born Crosseyed” > “Cream Puff War” continued with the “old school” Dead, while Trey showed the elder statesmen that he meant business, providing some clean vocals and slaying his first extended solo of the evening. The Trey-built momentum carried over into “Viola Lee Blues," the first set closer. Jeff played some Brent-style synth, and though the band fell out out of sync again during the first keys solo, Trey led them out of the fog into a peak and a big first climax. After another Walton sighting, Phil, Trey, and Bobby came together mid-stage to trade licks and take it down a notch before finishing the last verse. The playing morphed into a near-“Love Light” jam, Bruce hinted at “Fire on the Mountain," and then that’s when the crowd noticed there was a huge rainbow behind the stage!

For those who don’t know, this weekend is Gay Pride weekend in San Francisco, and with the recent Supreme Court ruling, a rainbow spontaneously forming over the stadium sent the locals into a frenzy. Though there are now questions about the authenticity of the rainbow, the band fed off the crowd, injecting some much-needed life into an up-and-down 63 minute first set. During the hour-long setbreak, there must have been some discussion about how to right the ship, as the second set made all the first set jitters and hiccups a distant memory.

Shortly before 9:40 PM, the band re-took the stage and began tuning and noodling around “Cryptical Envelopment," which started in earnest a minute later. Phil led the vocals, and the cameras and crowd zoomed in on Trey. The look on his face was that of laser-sharp focus, but his fingers were loose, flying all over the fretboard with utmost precision, as fireworks began blasting off behind the southwest end of the stadium. This is why we’re here. Trey wasn’t just channeling Jerry, he was leading the band with mellifluous melodies and taking the music to new heights. The crowd was locked in, and when Jeff launched some extraterrestrial effects, Trey, Phil, and Bobby huddled mid-stage again to signal their next transition: “Dark Star”.

As “Dark Star” began, another round of fireworks erupted outside the stadium. Phil, Bobby, and Trey traded the first three singing lines of the first verse before harmonizing beautifully, and when it came to a close, Trey resumed control of the stage. Not because of hubris, but rather because the rest of the band needed him to take charge. Jeff and Bobby provided more outer-space motifs as things grew increasingly dissonant 10 minutes into the jam, and in typical “Dark Star” fashion, the jam explored previously-unexplored territory, and transcended music as we know it. In fact, I jotted down “-> Space” in my setlist, though others may disagree. As the space collected and collapsed on itself, leaving Phil and the drummers in sparse territory, things began to pick back up again. I can only describe this next section as an ascending tension jam, and Trey picked up what the others were putting down and started letting his crazy fingers fly again. His melodious trilling put a huge smile on Phil’s face, as if to say “I knew this was the right guy for the job!”, and as the jam approached the 20 minute mark, the familiar “Dark Star” riff crept back in and led to the second verse. Trey sang the first line this time, followed by Phil, and Bobby was feeling so good that he belted out an extended third line before the final harmonies led to some vocal riffing on the “transitive nightfall of diamonds."

From the dust of “Dark Star,” Phil asserted himself just enough to hint to everyone that the darkness had gone, and it was time to celebrate as the opening lines of “St. Stephen” rang out in the air. The crowd went from spaced-out to boogying down in the blink of an eye, as Trey’s focus remained apparent as he nailed riff after riff, both in Jerry’s honor and in his own way. The band brought the boil down to a mere simmer before the second verse, and despite another minor technical glitch leading into the “Lady finger” portion of the tune, one could feel the anticipation building in the crowd and on the stage. Right before the should’ve-been-explosion, there was a slight hesitation, and the band missed the peak following “call it your own." At the time it was disappointing, but the band forged ahead. Trey and Phil traded licks as Bruce comped the two to build towards a peak to redeem the missed opportunity. Phil added his “walk up, walk down” riff to lead the band on another tangent through the jam, before a well-executed peak led to the final verse. The tune continued onward across the “William Tell Bridge," not played by the band since the late ‘60s (but played by later post-GD iterations), and Bobby channeled Jerry by forgetting some lyrics. More than an hour into the set, as 11 PM approached, “The Eleven” and “Turn On Your Love Light” continued the Live/Dead theme. Bobby’s vocals were markedly better for “Love Light” than they had been during the first set, paying appropriate homage to Pigpen. At this point, it was unclear whether the show was winding down; it was not.

“Drums” > “Space” was extended, tribal, and a complete juxtaposition between primitive sounds and the hyper-modern electronic instruments used to make them. “What’s Become of the Baby” featured Phil essentially chanting over the remnants of “Space," before the entire band joined musically to build “The Other One." Though relatively straightforward, there were some nuanced major mode musings in between verses to add a little flavor, and before the crowd could catch their collective breath, “Morning Dew” began. All I could think to myself was, “this is the Slave slot!”, and like many of the top-tier renditions of “Slave," Trey weaved melodies through the chord progression in a delicate and precise manner, while gradually intensifying the mood. By the end of “Dew," Trey had taken complete control of the tune and the set in the best way possible.

“Casey Jones” with Bruce on vocals provided a nice exclamation point on the set, and though Trey actually seemed to lose a bit of his intense precision during his last solo, we were all sent off into the mean streets of Santa Clara with smiles plastered on our faces. While many had viewed the Santa Clara shows as “warm-ups” for Chicago, that line of thinking was dismissed by last night’s second set. See you tonight! -Pete

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To begin with a cliché: It's the end of an era. The passing of the torch. We thought the Phil & Friends shows with Trey and Page at The Warfield in April of 1999 were the passing of the Jamband torch. It sure felt like it all these years. But suddenly the poster hanging on our music room wall doesn't seem important to me. I'm not feely antsy because I need two more autographs on it to complete all the players from that stunning run. It just doesn't seem like an important historical museum piece anymore. These two weekends will be the ones for the record books.

So why am I about to watch the webcast with just one guest? Sure, the wife is off at work. But no less than nine Deadhead and/or Phishhead friends declined to come by to get down, get funky. That's not unusual. We're all getting older. What is weird is that everyone responded that they "can't make it." Or they are going to another show. Not a one implied that they were watching the simulcast in their own shrine to electrifying, spine rattling music with a 300 watt per channel whirling nuclear turbine of a sound system (full disclosure, one of those friends is sure to watch, he just didn't say so).

The Grateful Dead is the band that started the genre we all know and love and have given countless hours of our lives to. Now they are celebrating a milestone, making an admission and putting aside their differences to do it five last times. When a great sports star retires, there is a whole season of furor leading to soaring television ratings in the star's last week. So why does this run seem to some like a collective "meh"? The vast majority of the online chatter seems to revolve around a mishandled event, lack of rehearsal and/or a cash grab by a supposedly fan-friendly promoter. But hey, when was it ever easy or cheap to see a well-played Grateful Dead concert in the last third of their career, unless you bummed around looking for miracles and hit a good night?

This weekend and next are important events in the history of Rock and Roll. The stage is primed, and leaked photos have it looking like a spectacle befitting an event of this magnitude. I for one am on the edge of my seat to see if they can pull it off. And so should we all. After all, us late Deadheads/early Phish fans are reaching that middle age where we tend to hearken back a little too much. We should enjoy the class reunion. And for the younger crowd, here's a chance to get a little of what once was. So let's reach out and take it!

Billy has said in his autobiography that fans used to take their cover of the Rolling Stones' "The Last Time" as a warning about the aging of the band, and Jerry's health in particular. I was not such a fan, and I was relieved to learn from Billy that it was simply a song they enjoyed playing. For all we know at this point, this will be the last time. So let's shake it up one more time. In a giant concrete stadium. With all our friends. With some of the Babe Ruth's of the jamming music world at bat. And with our favorite red-headed guitarist playing the part of the man who was at the center of it all for the first thirty years.

As Flounder says in Animal House: "Oh boy! IS THIS GREAT!!" Crank it up. See you in Chicago. -Phil

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This week at Phish.Net, we're counting down the twenty best shows of 1997, as decided by members of the Phish.Net team. We've finally made it to the end, but if you're just tuning in, you may want to start with the posts linked below. Now, without further ado, the top 5 shows of 1997 after the jump... [SP]

Previously:
Honorable Mentions
Shows 20-16
Shows 15-11
Shows 10-6

5. 12/30/97 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY (Dan Mielcarz)

There were some surprises when compiling this list; 12/30/97 scoring highly was not one of them. No matter who you ask, it is seen as an all-time classic. The “Sneaking Sally” opener is one of the all-time great bustouts (a 920 show gap) and not just played for novelty - there is a great little funk jam in there with a smooth segue into a absolutely ripping “Taste.” “Stash” is sneaky good - not the best of 97, but must hear nonetheless! A dark and broody meditation that ends in a very smooth chill-out. Trey shreds the hell out of his “Chalk Dust” solo, and “ADITL” closes out a fun first set.

"AC/DC Bag" -- 12/30/97 New York, NY

But of course, no one who talks about 12/30/97 talks about Set I. On the excellent LivePhish release of this show, you can hear Trey asking the others “Bag?” as he strums a couple licks. They agree, and kick off one of the greatest “AC/DC Bag”s ever. Starts slow and funky, with Page patiently leading the jam on clavinet. The tempo and volume slowly increases. As soon as Trey takes over though, the jam finds another gear. Trey lays down some porno-funk licks but quickly builds to a beautiful anthemic peak. The trip down the the mountain from the peak is just as thrilling, with Mike taking more of a lead. But Trey decides he isn’t quite done, and has a raging final solo that gives the whole band an opportunity to get a bit dark. The jam fades out and into a solid “McGrupp.” Now, if this jam, and the very good first set were all this show had, it would probably still be a top 20 1997 show. But this set just goes on FOREVER. An udderly hilarious “Harpua.” “Izabella”! And an amazing “Harry Hood.” The one misstep - and it is a big one that probably kept this show out of the top three - is the stunning call to segue from the aforementioned “Hood” into one of the worst songs in the Phish catalog, “My Soul.” Not that the segue wasn’t ably executed, but come on, “My Soul”? That’s the type of nitpick we had to make to rank these shows. Anyway, at the show all was forgiven, because they went on to play the best encore ever. Four songs, all amazing, playing until midnight just because they felt like it. It was loose and funky and fantastic, and a fitting capstone to a great year of Phish.

4. 11/23/97 Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Winston-Salem, NC (Jeremy D. Goodwin)

This was my pick for best show of the year. The second set is simply unimpeachable—almost an hour of uproarious hose. Some will complain that the improv doesn’t have enough variety, compared to the twists and turns of 11/21 II or 12/30 II. But how can you complain that the band simply gets it so right and then stays there? I hear this as a more “together” take on the rage jam from the 11/19 “Wolfman’s,” but this set is less face-melting and more focused. The segue in and out of the “Low Rider Jam” adds some extra spontaneity and uniqueness to an unparalleled set with no slow moments.

The first set has one of the better versions of “Stash” in the year (though it would be soundly eclipsed the next week in Worcester) a very nice, if not overly long “Twist,” a smoking “Black Eyed Katy” and a “Fluffhead.” But basically all the first set has to do is give you a keeper or two and not throw up all over itself in order to seal the show as the best show in one of the best years of Phish.

3. 11/22/97 Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA (Chris Glushko)

Among the most extreme Phish Nerds (myself included), 11/22/97 has historically been one of the most controversial shows to rank. Its proponents will call it a clear top 5 show of the year, citing the near-perfect setlist and brilliant “Halley’s.” Its opponents make the claim that it’s not even in the top two shows of the weekend. They say the “Mike’s Song” and “Weekapaug Groove” don’t stand out for 1997, and complain about the truncated versions of “Tweezer” and “Black-Eyed Katy.” For more than 17 years of my life, I fell into the latter category.

"Halley's Comet" -- 11/22/97 Hampton, VA

I’m here today to apologize to you, 11/22/97. I had you wrong all along. Instead of celebrating your near-perfect setlist, I used it as an excuse to think others overrated you. Instead of looking at the brilliance of the “Mike’s Song” through “Harry Hood” opening segment as a whole, I chose to break down and nitpick each piece. I refused to acknowledge that closing a first set with “Frankenstein” and “Izabella” likely set fire to the building. I would play your magnificent “Halley’s Comet” and note that it wasn’t as good as the previous night’s “AC/DC Bag.” Instead of looking at the perfect segue from “Tweezer” to “Black-Eyed Katy,” I complained the Tweezer was too short. I had a beautiful forest in front of me, but I couldn’t see it because I was searching for imperfections in each individual tree. 11/22/97, I’m sorry. I hope you can forgive me.

2. 12/6/97 The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI (Steve Paolini)

Most of the shows at the top of this list are fairly "balanced," offering highlights in both the first and second sets. This is not really one of those shows. The first set isn't bad per se; the competition is way too stiff up here to allow for that. It has a nice second song "Antelope," a cool segue from "Gin" into "Foam" and one of the better '97 versions of "Maze." But the first set isn't why we're here.

"Izabella -- 12/6/97 Auburn Hills, MI

We're here to celebrate probably the best full set Phish played in what many consider to be their best year. To start, the two minutes before the set-opening “Tweezer” begins make me jump out of my chair EVERY DAMN TIME I LISTEN TO IT. “Tweezer” starts off as vintage ‘97 cowfunk but moves through several themes before raging into “Izabella.” Rather than ending, “Izabella” transforms into perhaps the purest expression of the ‘97 cowfunk sound. When someone mentions cowfunk, this is the music I hear in my head. After a fun but too brief “Twist,” Page leads the band into the first-ever jammed out “Piper.” After 55 minutes of pure heat, we get a “Sleeping Monkey” breather before the “Tweeprise” exclamation point closes the set. Put it all together, and one need not employ any interpretive jiggery-pokery to see this is one of the top shows of the year. An unfortunate byproduct of the age of the MP3 is that I often opt for instant gratification rather than listening to full sets (or shows). But when I put on 12/6 II, more often than not, I play out the full set. I’m not necessarily proud of that fact, but it’s one of the best endorsements I can give this show.

1. 11/17/97 McNichols Arena, Denver, CO (Dan Purcell)

The race for the top spot was a runaway. There were a couple of heretics who hate “Jesus Just Left Chicago” too much to give this show its proper due, but most of us bowed to the inescapable. More distance separated this show in our rankings from our worthy, but very back-end heavy, runner-up than separated Detroit and the rest of the top six. It’s not hard to understand why. On the second of two nights in Denver, Monday evening in an old hockey arena soon to be replaced, Phish delivered possibly the best first set of their entire career, and almost certainly their finest first set to that date, highlighted by a “Ghost” that is arguably the finest ever and for most of us on the panel ranks with Atlanta and Radio City and very few others. It’s not even that long by the relevant standard, just 21 minutes, but that’s all the band needs to take you on a tour of 1997, showing you style after style. The set also has a “Tweezer” opener that starts slow and deliberate but lets loose the juice in the latter minutes, plus a happy, spiraling “Reba” to satisfy your jones for Trey’s labyrinthine compositional achievements.

Set two is not the best second set of the year, and is not close. So that’s an argument against it if you’re looking for one. But it does kick off with a “Down with Disease” that does nothing but generate forward momentum in its 16 minutes before the band jumps without looking off the segue cliff into … well, for 20 seconds or so it’s unclear, could go any number of directions. Finally Trey and Fish come to a consensus on “Olivia’s Pool,” the band’s long-lost jump-boogie tune. It’s over quick, and the second it ends Trey engages the turbo and plunges the band into “Johnny B. Goode.” Phish in 1997 still felt a need to prove their orthodox rock chops; you can see it in how so many big, exploratory jams resolved into “JBG” or “Izabella,” as opposed to something softer. “JBG” takes a couple minutes to feel natural but after that it’s cake, eventually going full-on type II excursionary and no slouch as the second-best jam of the night. The “Jesus” is slow and sleepy and patient and I have no problem whatsoever with it and don’t really get why anyone would. Finally: set-closing “YEM,” and – only 90s kids will get this – this was in the era when Trey used to take a guitar solo before the vocal jam.

It’s not for nothing that Phish themselves chose this as the first 1997 show released under the LivePhish banner. Perhaps it’s the obvious choice, and we’re crowning the equivalent of the “Guernica” or King Lear or Citizen Kane, but it’s how the numbers added up. I actually like “Guernica” and King Lear and Citizen Kane, anyway. This show offers wall-to-wall heat with huge peaks and at least one all-time top 50 Phish jam. It was the kickoff show of the single best week of Phish of all time, at least according to the voters in this poll. I can’t complain; it was my choice too.

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This week at Phish.Net, we're going to be counting down the twenty best shows of 1997, as decided by members of the Phish.Net team. We're almost there, but if you're just tuning in, you may want to start with the posts linked below. Now, without further ado, Shows 10-6 after the jump... [SP]

Previously:
Honorable Mentions
Shows 20-16
Shows 15-11

10. 7/2/97 Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands (Jeremy D. Goodwin)

The two summer Amsterdam shows are deep doses of pure ‘97 straight to the dome, birthing the “back of the worm” mythology and featuring two huge second sets and an assortment of first-set goodies. But the second night’s better half is the monster here, with an all-time “Stash” that peaks in an eight-plus minute jamlet propelled by Trey’s eloquent repetition of a gorgeously melodic figure on guitar. (I've at times become obsessed with that guitar phrase and tried, unsuccessfully, to locate it in another Phish jam. But a cousin to it closes the deeply enchanting Great Went “Wolfman’s Brother.”) From there, things wind into one of the two or three summer ‘97 “Llama”s that drop suddenly into deep space, going unfinished and seguing into Trey’s story about avoiding the giant worms in the Amsterdam canals, and a playful AF jam on Steve Miller’s “Swingtown” with words appropriate to the story. If a prominently placed "Wading" ever justified itself, I believe this set-closing version does, particularly because of how nicely it's segued into. A double encore (the band left the stage after "Free"), with only the third-ever encore version of "David Bowie," adds the punctuation mark.

Oh, and by the way. The show starts with the first-ever “Mike’s Song” opener. Yeah, there’s that. [Thanks to @FiddleHead for pointing out that 7/2/97 is not the first "Mike's Song" opener. I'll note that my original claim was not a typo—I've been walking around for 18 years thinking that 7/2/97 was the first-ever "Mike's Song" opener, and that 11/22 was the first on U.S. soil. How did this happen?] That notwithstanding, the first set doesn't have a jam to compete with the many great first-set jams of this year, which is the only sag on the show's rating. Arguably, this is compensated for by the mere fact of the opener...and a show-opening sequence of "Mike's," "Simple" and "Maze" is nothing to sneeze at, in any era.

After some debate, this show placed a very respectable 10 on our list, but I had it as a top-five. For me, it's somewhere near (if not necessarily quite at) the crowded pinnacle of Phish shows, where everything is just tied with everything else because it's all so good.

9. 7/22/97 Walnut Creek Amphitheater, Raleigh, NC (Chris Glushko)

Back in 1997, there was no downloading of shows – no instant gratification. Unless you taped or had a connection directly to a taper, your wait to hear recent shows was often weeks if not months. During the second Europe tour of 1997, rumors started circulating in the U.S. that Phish was different. Yes, there was a fresh batch of new songs, but they were just a minor part of the change. Rather, the band was playing with a whole new approach. But hardly anyone except a lucky few had heard it. The U.S. tour opener in Virginia Beach gave us a glimpse into this new Phish, but it was only a glimpse.

The next night in Raleigh opened up with the most pedestrian of first sets until a storm of biblical proportions blew in during the middle of “Taste” – a storm so fierce that massive explosions from nearby lightning strikes are heard perfectly on the recordings. Then after a long rain delay came one of the single greatest second sets Phish ever assembled – a set that put the full potential of this "different" 1997 Phish on display with an assault rock, funk, soul, and two of the greatest segues in history. From the “Down with Disease” -> “Mike’s Song” to the “Mike’s Song” -> “Godzilla Stomping through Tokyo Jam” -> “Mike’s Song” (ok, I made that up, but it works) and the “Weekapaug” closer to the “Hood” encore, this set is sheer perfection. You may question Raleigh being ranked this high when it has only one great set. And if you do, you should stop questioning and play the second set one more time.

8. 11/19/97 Assembly Hall, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL (Phillip Zerbo)

Given the murderer’s row of shows that precede and follow it, Phish’s performance on 11/19/97 in Champaign, IL is almost easy to overlook, even in retrospect. All of its better known cousins from The Best Week of Phish Ever were officially released, as LivePhish 11 and Hampton/Winston-Salem ‘97. This brilliant show was oddly controversial even within our own supposedly “expert” ranks – one of our editors whiffed, leaving it off his top 20 entirely, while others had it ranked #2, or even #1. Settling in at a composite #8, let’s review the evidence. The first set contains no all-time jams, but it offers more than its fair share of “average-great.” “Julius” kicks off the affair, followed by the highlight of the set, a sixteen-minute “Bathtub Gin” that gets lost in the shuffle only because of the greatness that can be found in other ‘97 versions (see 7/21, 7/25, 8/17, 11/23). The segue to “Llama” seems botched at first, but still comes up Millhouse and turns lemons into lemonade. More than respectable versions of “Limb By Limb,” “Theme” and “Antelope” round out this very good – if not necessarily great – first set. Are there better first sets from 1997? You betcha.

There might not, however, be a better second set. The “Wolfman’s” gets the lion’s share of attention from this show, but first there is the not insignificant matter of the “2001”, a patient yet powerful affair that showcases a perfectly tuned sports car humming along in fourth gear for over sixteen minutes. The “Wolfman’s” is like a mini-suite of 1997 Phish jamming, crystallized in one blissful half hour. You want the funk? Machine-gun Trey? Dark, deep, dissonance? Balanced, ensemble playing with every band member making a distinctive mark on the jam? Sick segue to cap it all off? Check, check, check-mate! A fairly strong argument can be made that there is more jamming meat to this “Wolfman’s” in 29 minutes than there is in the significantly longer Worcester “Runaway Jim.” “Makisupa” adds a hefty dose of fun – stink kind. Had enough? The band sure had plenty more in the tank, with often overlooked yet no less awesome gems in the set-closing taste “Taste” and extended “Possum” encore. Add it all up, the second set and encore is 85 minutes of pure fire. Four song second set. All-timer jam. Goofy stoner fun. Bonus encore. No down-time. To be clear, the person who had this in the #1 slot was me – this show simply has it all.

7. 12/11/97 Rochester War Memorial, Rochester, NY (Dan Purcell)

More like “Rockester,” if you know what I’m saying. *points to guy in crowd* THIS GUY knows what I’m talking about.

In all seriousness, this show may seem like an obscure choice for a ranking this high, but please put it on and listen to it. It’s unrelenting, like a dialed-in batting lineup drilling gapper after gapper against a sweaty, overworked pitching staff. Take the second set, since as per tradition it’s the stronger set of the two: a massive “Drowned” (Larry King’s favorite second-set opener) that Phish somehow manages to segue into a cover they’d never played before. Don’t really know how they do stuff like that. Some people dislike “BBFCFM” but this seems to me terribly misguided. Part of why I love Phish is their willingness to be ugly and dumb (though never stupid) and alienating, to be weird for the sake of being weird. Why not be weird, if that’s what you want, and why wouldn’t you want to be weird at least every so often? The “Ghost” that follows previews the balls-to-the-wall heat of the 1998 versions we would grow to love (think Prague and Phoenix), before veering back into “Down with Disease,” which was played way back in the first set and, now that I mention it, is probably the highlight of the show. The second set ends with the finest “Johnny B. Goode” Phish ever played outside the city limits of Denver, Colorado.

"Maze" – 12/11/97 Rochester, NY

This show went relatively unnoticed at the time because of the relentless bombs the band had been dropping for the previous month, and in particular the great Detroit and Dayton shows from the previous weekend. The tapes for those two shows, and the tour-closing Albany joint two days after Rochester, circulated so widely and rapidly and in such great quality, and since these were excellent on their own merits they sucked most of the oxygen out of the room. Our voters believe that is an injustice that should be corrected. A “Waste” encore is admittedly kind of a kick in the stones, but by that point the crowd had gotten more than its money’s worth. This show did not sneak into its high position on our list; it rated highly for nearly all of our panel and earned its rank fair and square.

6. 11/21/97 Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA (Phillip Zerbo)

Inexplicably not cracking the top five for 1997 is 11/21/97, Friday night at the famed Hampton Coliseum. Plenty of shows have opened with a popular, unexpected first-time cover songs. Plenty of shows have opened with monster type-II jams. This “Emotional Rescue” gives you both – what band reinterprets a classic rock song as an exploratory jam vehicle, to open a big weekend? Our heroes, The Phish From Vermont. You want some more? Well here’s some more: follow up with a sizzling “Split Open and Melt.” We’re a solid half-hour into the first set before you can even think about heading to grab a beverage. By the time you’ve returned to your seat, we’re back in the high-energy groove with “Punch You In the Eye.” The set closes with a white-hot “Chalk Dust Torture” and a “Prince Caspian” in which even the song’s most strenuous dissenters can still find value, ditching the traditional closing chords in favor of a walk-off fade into delay-loop space. What a killer first set! Take a deep breath... you’re going to need it.

Easily earning Rookie of the Year song honors for Phish in 1997 was “Ghost.” Looking back, it’s still mind-boggling what this song accomplished, slotting version after version into the books of all-time Phish jams – 7/1, 7/3, 7/23, 11/17, 11/28 – in its debut year! Kicking off this four-song second set, the Hampton “Ghost” doesn’t quite qualify for that rarified air, but it still draws from that same well of improvisational greatness. Even at an extended fifteen minutes, this “Ghost” was still just setting the table for the show’s crown jewel, “AC/DC Bag.” This psychedelic tasting menu of ‘97 Phish jamming styles gives you a little bit of everything – funk, ambient space, blister-forming head-banging rock-and-roll. The thing that still blows me away all these years later is the ease and seeming effortlessness in which all these ideas were juggled, like switching channels between the peaks of five different thrillers in rapid succession, always somehow hitting the peak.

“Slave to the Traffic Light” offered the perfect landing strip from “Bag’s” dizzying heights before ascending in a majestic flight of its own, with the always rocking “Loving Cup” taking the set home. If one were to go looking for flaws in the show – and I suppose that’s what some of my colleagues did, for this gig to wind up sixth – I guess you could say that the “Loving Cup” closer and “Guyute” encore ran out of gas? I guess. Perceived imperfections aside, I’m still shaking my head in amazement at this brilliant performance. Ladies and gentlemen, delivering in the clutch, yet again… Phish!

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This week at Phish.Net, we're going to be counting down the twenty best shows of 1997, as decided by members of the Phish.Net team. If you're just tuning in, you may want to start with the Honorable Mentions and Shows 20-16 linked below. Now, without further ado, Shows 15-11 after the jump... [SP]

Previously:
Honorable Mentions
Shows 20-16

15. 8/10/97 Deer Creek Music Center, Noblesville, IN (Dan Mielcarz)

This show opens with a short but strong “Bathtub Gin” that veers into Type II territory at the end of the jam. “Down With Disease” is a pretty straightforward version leading into a very Set I sequence of “Dirt,” “CTB” and “Billy Breathes.” The “Split Open and Melt” that follows however, is phenomenal. An epic version, it contains a full-on “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic” jam and a re-emergence of the “SOAM” riff that kicks all kinds of ass. “Bye Bye Foot” is a pleasant novelty in this reviewer’s opinion, and “Ginseng Sullivan” one of my preferred bluegrass tunes (YMMV quite a bit on those two). But everyone can agree that the “Harry Hood” to end the set was a spectacularly beautiful version that capped off a pretty great Set I.

Set II starts off with what I believe to be the best “Cities” ever. An amazing journey into type II land, this “Cities” covers a lot of ground. Funk, rock, beautiful melodic playing, and a great segue into “Good Times, Bad Times.” A spectacular jam that secures this show’s spot in the top 20. Okay, so maybe the “Rotation Jam” into “Rock A William” isn’t exactly the strongest musical moment of 97, but give it some points for novelty (or don’t, which would put you in concert with most of our panel). The set-closing “David Bowie” is polarizing - some people (myself included) love the extended intro in which the band is screwing around with sound effects and pedals, faking out the audience, taking a quick journey into space, and seemingly having a great time, but other listeners take a dimmer view. If nothing else, Fishman should earn points for his ability to keep a beat on the hi-hat for as long as he does. “David Bowie” proper begins about 8 minutes in, and provides an explosive finish for one of the most interesting front-to-back sets of 1997.

14. 12/3/97 CoreStates Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA (Eric Wyman)

For any show to be considered great, in my opinion, the first set counts. Fall of 1997 is blessed with amazing first sets and this show is no exception. Any time you have three quality jams before the lights come back up, know you are in a special place. 12/3 puts forth the trifecta of “Drowned,” with another amazing funk journey, “Gumbo” > “2001,” a space-y transitional jam that slows the tempo of the set only to crash back in with the party anthem, and a set closing “You Enjoy Myself.” While this version probably sits last amongst the versions from previous shows in the tour, the string of YEM’s over this stretch are top notch.

12/3/97 Set II -- Philadelphia, PA

Having said that, there’s still that second set. 1997 is unique in that there are several occasions where the first set is analytically better and this show may just be one of those instances. And while the first set contains the memorable jams, the second is consistent. The set opening “David Bowie,” begins with the extended intro, rich with teases and anticipation, and blossoms into a very strong Type-II jam. Following the ensuing “Possum,” Trey kicks the band into an impromptu funk jam, which is an indicator of how much he enjoyed playing these riffs. Compositionally, it is no different than the other ‘jam(s)’ of the era and would have been significantly more impressive had it morphed directly from the “Possum,” but none of that can take away from the groove. Both the “Prince Caspian” and “Harry Hood” provide wonderful moments of bliss and the “Crossroads” encore signals a raucous conclusion to the evening. Certainly a great show, but lacks the brilliant fireworks found on other nights.

13. 8/17/97 Loring Commerce Centre, Limestone, ME (Jeremy D. Goodwin)

This legendary show is all about the second set, but that’s quite enough to land it solidly in the mid-table of the year’s best 20 shows. It’s essentially a non-stop love-a-thon between band and audience, and (arguably?) the moment when that relationship was first stated so explicitly from onstage. But that moment comes after an absolutely monster “Down With Disease” (a perfectly good call for best version of the year, and certainly one of the top three) and a spine-tingling “Bathtub Gin” (aka “the Went Gin”) with an intensely driving peak that holds a unique place among the gallery of classic upbeat Phish jams. The second version of “Also Sprach Zaranthustra” (following 8/13) to get taken for a ride at length provides a delirious dance sequence near the middle of the set, the ambient “Art Jam” offers an advance peak of the “Ring of Fire” set at Lemonwheel the next year, an epically poetic “Harry Hood” closes.

"Bathtub Gin" -- 8/17/97 Limestone, ME

Apparently spent, the band came out for the third set firing blanks (after a red-herring breakout of the ultra-rare "Buffalo Bill" to open the set), and the first set is really notable only for one of the U.S. tour’s only two “Tweezer”s and a delightful opener of “The Wedge.” But that second set is a candidate for greatest non-stop musical sequence of the year, and has remained an unforgettable listen. On its own, it provides enough highlights to outclass many of the year’s very good and excellent shows.

12. 12/2/97 CoreStates Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA (Brian Levine)

The virtual unanimity of love bestowed upon Phish’s 1997 fall tour makes it awfully difficult to argue that any of its 21 shows is underrated. At the very least, it would take somebody profoundly ignorant to make that claim of the 11th-ranked show (as of press time) in its equally-lauded year, right? If so—well, then consider me that ignoramus. Both nights of the ’97 Spectrum stand have been overshadowed by numerous other shows: Denver, Hampton, Winston-Salem, Auburn Hills, and Dayton to name a few. In the fourteen From the Archives shows, ten Live Bait volumes, and countless Live Phish releases since that tour, not even a single second of either Philly show has been included.

Unbeknownst at the time to the band or its fan base, night one at the Spectrum marked Phish’s 14th anniversary. An extremely enjoyable set one—featuring the first “Buried Alive” opener in over a year, the lone “DWD” -> “Makisupa” pairing to date, and yet another incendiary ’97 “Ghost” dance party—merely served as the opening act to one of Phish’s finest hours. I could go on babbling for days detailing the virtues of set two’s opening, 65-minute “Mike’s Groove,” but with his Jam Chart entry, @Icculus said it best and most succinctly: !@^#$!#$%^@#$#$!&$#*(^&%#@!$%&@#$!@*&*#$@!!!!!

11. 7/31/97 Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA (Dan Purcell)

This mild Thursday night at the Jamband Landfill ranks with the most generous and wall-to-wall outstanding full-show experiences of Phish’s career. Just like 1997 itself did, the show starts with a “Ghost,” creeping low-key urgency that lulls you to sleep and before you know it it’s changing keys on the fly and motoring aggressively to a big middle finger of a peak. The band was in no hurry, but they came for business. The ensuing “Ya Mar” would get insanely surpassed in Albany in December but it still has about 12 fake endings and a weird little Type II excursion before rattling to a standstill like a dying engine. “Limb by Limb” is extended and chaotic and the Italian suit-clad Jon Fishman is playing so good that he won’t let go of the beat at the end, prompting Trey to sing his praises afterward. There is some other outstanding content -- a hot “Maze” and 1997’s only “Glide” -- but the meat gets brought by the “YEM” set closer, which shows up an hour ten into the set. It’s the best “YEM” of the year without reasonable question; for God’s sake, even the dadgum vocal jam is worth hearing in its entirety.

The band was loose enough at the start of set two to do a short full-band tease of “Sweet Home Alabama,” which is hilariously tracked separately on the internet. The real set opener is a sprawling, patient “Runaway Jim” that goes 20-plus without getting boring. The middle of the set contains positive setlist choices like “Vultures” and “McGrupp,” both played very well, like everything at this show. The set-closing orthodox “Mike’s Groove” may just be a A-/B+ and is not in serious competition with Philly or even Raleigh, but for me it kicks the ass of many (great) versions from this (great) year, including Vegas and Alpine and the extremely dozy Hampton opener. They can’t play the “Cinnamon Girl” encore at all, but they’d just re-learned it during the three-minute encore break from a CD they’d sent Brad Sands out to pick up at setbreak.

Photo courtesy of Expressobeans.com

So why doesn’t it rank higher? As you might be able to guess, I personally think it should. I was at the show, so maybe that’s why. Other members of our panel disrespected the “Jim,” arguing it’s merely good not really a top-tier jam; some undervalued the “YEM.” Maybe this is part of our regular tendency to undervalue performers who are very good at everything but maybe not great at any single thing, Like the fact that Ozzie Smith is in the Hall of Fame but Lou Whitaker never got a sniff. Even if this show lacks the height of the Denver “Ghost” or the “Tweezabella,” it’s easily the widest show of the year.

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This week at Phish.Net, we're going to be counting down the twenty best shows of 1997, as decided by members of the Phish.Net team. Start here if you missed yesterday's post announcing the project, the methodology, and a few shows that didn't quite make the cut. Now, without further ado, Shows 20-16 after the jump... [SP]

Previously: Honorable Mentions

20. 8/16/97 Loring Commerce Centre, Limestone, ME (Brian Levine)

This was that show for me. Sure, I’d been obsessed with this band since my first in Buffalo the preceding fall. Yes, I’d even endured 10 hours of solo bus riding to catch the two New Year’s shows in Boston. And hell, just to get here, we’d driven 16 hours in a Datsun with no stereo (all we had was a tiny boombox—de-emphasis on boom—tied down to the center console) to what might as well have been Newfoundland. But at the conclusion of night one of the Great Went, I finally understood the compulsion to attend as many damned Phish shows as the competing obligations of my life would allow.

From the conclusion of the Clifford Ball’s “Harpua” and the greatest (Type I, at least) “Limb by Limb,” to the jaw-dropping “Wolfman’s” -> “Simple” -> “Odd Couple” -> “My Soul” and “Halley’s” -> “Cities” -> “Llama” segue-a-thons, this show contains an embarrassment of riches. The next day features the best set of the weekend—perhaps of Phish’s career—but picking either show above the other is a far more difficult decision to make.

19. 11/29/97 Worcester Centrum Centre, Worcester, MA (Dan Mielcarz)

Normally one reviews a show in the order it was played, but for this show it would be burying the lede. It’s all about the “Runaway Jim.” I was in the room that night. Honestly, when the first riff of “Jim” started I was kind of disappointed. While it had jammed before (most recently at Shoreline on 7/31) it still was more likely than not to be a warm up tune, and I’m not typically looking for a warm-up song to open set II. Following the composed section, Trey activates a spacey delay loop while Mike switches up to a driving bass line. Mike is a true all-star in the first part of this jam. Trey plays some porno-funk licks over some inventive drum fills from Phish, while Page comps along on the clavinet. Each band member has a time where they lead the jam, which felt like a live version of the improvisation exercises that Trey would talk about in interviews. The jam flows through several distinct themes with very little downtime - this isn’t a noodly space jam at all. Describing the entire jam would exceed the space allotted to the 19th-ranked show, but on that night, fifty-eight minutes of extremely inventive improvisation later, with my brain in a puddle on the floor, I tried to comprehend what I had just seen (for an in-the-moment look at my thought process, check out my incredibly hyperbolic review of the show posted immediately following to rec.music.phish). It ends with a thrilling dip into a “Weekapaug Groove” jam followed by a short rocking outro. All of the jam might not appeal to all of the people all of the time, but the entire thing is a simply amazing achievement in the world of improvisational music. Please do yourself a favor and track down the soundboard recording released as part of Live Bait Vol. 3.

"Runaway Jim" -- 11/29/97 Worcester, MA

While the “Jim” towers over everything else they played that evening, the rest of the show is still pretty great. One of the best “Foams” ever, a rare “TMWSIY” > “Avenu Malkenu” > “TMWSIY”, and a very solid “David Bowie” made the first set an very enjoyable affair. As for the second set, playing “Strange Design” after the insanity that was the “Jim” was pretty much the best placement of that song ever. “Harry Hood” was magical, and “Suzy Greenberg” made her first appearance since March. Topping off the show was one of the best encores of 1997, with the fifth-ever “Buffalo Bill,” an amazing “Moby Dick” and a fiery (ahem) “Fire.” The point of this exercise was to rank the best shows of 1997. With a jam as towering as the historic “Runaway Jim,” and the rest of the tunes easily at or above replacement level, this show justifiably squeaks into the top 20.

18. 7/1/97 Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands (Phillip Zerbo)

There is a lot to love about Phish’s performance on 7/1/97, the first of two nights at Amsterdam’s famed Paradiso; there are also challenges. Take the 22-minute plus show-opening “Ghost.” This “Ghost” sets the tone for the whole show, which is among the most mellow in the band’s history. This version is a top-10 “Ghost” for 1997, but probably toward back end of that tally – not a lot really happens here, especially compared to the myriad explosions this song would witness in the years to come. Glass half-full, this is “low gear Phish,” another flavor of top-shelf improvisation, just a different flavor; glass half-empty, this “Ghost” languishes in a cloud of directionless haze. This laid-back approach certainly has its benefits, chief among them in the first set is one of the best early versions of “Limb By Limb,” where the pace really allows the jam to flower. But it is also an approach with pitfalls – the 17-minute “Reba” is just this side of a train wreck in the composed section, before a meandering jam that eventually pulls it together for a delightful peak.

The when-in-Rome stoner vibe continues in the second set, with Fish offering... a keyboard jam to open? A unique kickoff to be sure, which is oddly reminiscent of Supertramp. The meat of this show is, of course, the “Bathtub Gin” -> “Cities” that occupies the 40-minute heart of the second set. The “Gin” is fantastic in itself, but where the mellow approach really pays off is in the tantalizing patience of the segue into “Cities.” Turning the frenzied excitement of Talking Heads’ original on its head, this beautiful jam is locked in virtual slow-motion. The jam almost comes to a complete stop at one point – leading some obscure setlist archives to bizarrely label it “Cities” > “Jam” – before resuming on a delightfully aimless path through time and space. The “riding the worm” theme that had woven in and out of the show appears again here, giving the “Cities” jam another distinctive flavor, an icing on the hash-infused cake. This segment is minimalist in structure but is the conduit for a flow of ideas that is highly active and engaging. “Loving Cup” seems a bit misplaced, but the “Slave” is best-of-breed for ‘97 and taps into the night’s pace to brilliant effect.

This show is perfect listening for the appropriate moment and mood, and thankfully it is now available as part of the fantastic Amsterdam box set. This is a tough show to judge – it did not make the top 20 of several ballots – but the composite rating is very fair when you consider the powerhouse lineup of shows that was to come. Read on...

17. 7/10/97 Espace Julien, Marseilles, France (Steve Paolini)

Shows like 7/10/97 normally aren't my favorites. Others call a show "fun" and I'm inevitably the grumpy old man calling it "gimmicky" and asking where the nearest 20-minute "Tweezer" is. But 7/10 is more than just a "fun" show. It's original. I really can't think of another show quite like it in 1997 or any other year really. The first set contains three proto-cowfunk jams (calf-funk?) out of "Bathtub Gin," "Llama," (!) and "Wading" (!!!). The "Wading" actually gives birth to a out-of-nowhere "Lizards" jam, in a different key, no less. It all comes together to form a coherent 50-minute suite of music that we rarely get in a second set, let alone a first.

Photo courtesy of Expressobeans.com

As for the second set, there's admittedly not a single jam you would hang your hat on as among the year's best, but the set is dripping with extra Grey Poupon. At the same time, it maintains a casual atmosphere that, at times, almost fools you into thinking you're listening to a soundcheck. The set opening "2001" is appropriately funky and the "Julius," "Magilla," and "Ya Mar" are all incredibly loose, in a good way. There may not be any meaningful type-II improv here, but these sure as hell aren't typical versions of these songs either. The set closes with an underrated version of "Ghost" that morphs into the second (and, to date, last) version "Take Me to the River." Add it all up, and there's more than enough here to compare favorably with the second tier of 1997 shows. If you can still have fun, that is.

16. 11/28/97 Worcester Centrum Centre, Worcester, MA (Eric Wyman)

While the 1997 run of shows in Worcester at THE Centrum are most remembered for their lengthy explorations in the 59 minute “Runaway Jim” from 11/29 and the 30 minute “Wolfman’s Brother” from 11/30, it is the more even experience from the first night that rises as the best show of that weekend. While it lacks a jam of historical significance with regard to length, what it does have is a continuous offering of solid music. Highlighted by a first set “You Enjoy Myself” and not just a “cool, first set YEM” version, but one that is truly one of the best versions ever. Of course everyone knows about the funk-infusion that built over 1997, but this show is so deliberate in its inclusion. Beginning after the tramps segment in YEM, through (the still new) “Black Eyed Katy” and into the second set “Ghost” this show never feels gimmicky with the funk-ladened vibe. The show has a perfect mix of energy levels and the “Ghost” > “Johnny B. Goode” nearly lifts the roof off the venue. The legendary jams from the ensuing nights have a rightful place in the band’s lore, but one-off jams do not make great shows all the time and this is true for the Worcester run in Fall of 1997.

Coming Tomorrow: Shows 15-11

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Welcome to a rare evening session of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday -- and the 189th edition overall. The winner will receive an MP3 download courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the song and date of the mystery jam clip. Each person gets one guess per day, with the second “day” starting after I post the hint. A hint will be posted on Tuesday if necessary, with the answer to follow on Wednesday. Good luck!

Hint (Posted 2015-06-23 11:11 am): The venue at which this week's mystery jam was played is best known in the Phish fan community for hosting a particular Phish jam. However, that renowned jam is not the one featured in this week's clip.

Answer: The contestants' need of help this week had the Blog dreaming of its first win in almost two years (MJM #161). However, first-time MJM winner @Lee_Fordham sold that hope out a mere 46 days 33 minutes after the hint was given, successfully identifying the 8/6/97 Runaway Jim.