12/30/1993 & The Significance Of The-Night-Before-The-Night

By most accounts 12/30/1993 should never have happened.

With a torrential blizzard encompassing the Northeastern United States, most fans traveling from New Haven, CT to Portland, ME were either caught in virtual whiteouts or forced to wait until the very last minute to travel.

For those who were in Portland in the hours preceding the show most had to brave sub-zero temperatures outside while waiting for the venue to shuffle everyone in. As had become a staple of Phish fandom over the past 10 years however, Phish fans would prove more than willing, & more than capable of overcoming seemingly any/all odds, any distance & any weather in the unyielding hunt towards the next Phish show. Be it Dec 1995’s NE Run; Fall 1997’s Denver –> Central Illinois –> Hampton Quest; the long march across Alligator Alley to Big Cypress; the rain-soaked hell-slog to Coventry; or the overnight cross-country hauls throughout 3.0, Phish fans were always ready to hit the road – no matter the conditions – in search of the musical highs Phish provided.

More often than not, Phish would repay their efforts in full.

On such nights when it took an extra effort just to get to a show, there’d often be a palpable energy in the air – tension one could reach out and clutch onto – where band & audience engaged in a back & forth exchange of riotous celebration & shared camaraderie brought upon by years of shared musical unity. With each Phish show being a wholly new & unique experience, with each crowd being compiled of dedicated fans who’d seen the band countless times & discussed them as one would their favorite baseball team, with each venue & city providing its own historical backdrop to the band’s performance, & with the potential always there for a historical, boundary-pushing jam, &/or unexpected bustout, &/or tongue-in-cheek inside joke from their Burlington days, it’s no wonder nights like 30 December 1993 resulted in some of the most significant shows the band ever played.

And yet, for all of the immediate table-setting that logistics played in making 12/30/1993 one of the best shows of that crucial year – not to mention one of the most enduring performances of Phish’s overall career – perhaps what most sets it apart from other shows is its significance as one of the ever-special “Night-Before-The-Night” shows.

The concept of the Night-Before-The-Night is as uniquely Phish as any.

In the same vein as their ever-changing, unpredictable setlists, their surprise Halloween covers of Full Albums, their litany of bustous & special guests & gimmicks that dot their live catalogue, the Night-Before-The-Night is a singular way for the band to catch their crowd on their heels and deliver a memorable – if not wholly unexpected – concert experience. Like the sheer childish thrill of a surprise gift on Christmas Eve, or the rehearsal dinner for your best friend’s wedding that parties deep into the night, the Night-Before-The-Night is a celebratory result of pent-up energy, anticipation, & a shared history that bursts uncontrollably ahead of schedule.

It’s a sensuous feeling rooted deep in youthful excitement and unbridled anticipation.

It’s the party the night before finals. It’s the unrivaled sense of freedom that comes with clocking out the night before your flight to someplace warm & very far away. It’s walking into your apartment the night before your birthday to find 20 of your best friends cloaked in darkness, exalting their love and friendship for you.

It’s all of these moments of unexpected celebration and tensional release; only here it’s shared with 20,000 people, hosted by your favorite band, whose entire career has been built on capitalizing on these very moments.

If there’s any Phish show you ever need to be at, it’s The-Night-Before-The-Night.

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For a show like The-Night-Before-The-Night to even occur there has to be “The Night” for there to properly be a “Night Before.”

This often comes in the form of holiday shows – 4^th of July, Halloween, NYE – festivals, tour finales, & any otherwise overly-hyped show due to venue locale, date, et al. Such shows are often the ones wherein which the band feels such an overwhelming amount of pressure to deliver that often times their nerves are released one show prior as a means of lessening the expectations for the highly anticipated performance. In some cases this unexpected and unexplainable release tends to water down the originally hyped show as a result.

In the same vein as the Wild Card rounds of the MLB & NFL playoffs, and the first round of the NBA Playoffs tend to be more electric and bombastic than the more prodding later rounds, there’s something about the anticipation of a BIG night that lends itself to the shows preceding it.

Some of the most revered Phish shows in history are a direct result of this alchemic composition. Beyond 12/30/1993, many fans look to 10/29/1995, 08/14/1996, 12/30/1997, 08/12/1998, 07/25/1999, 02/28/2003, 07/29/2003, 12/01/2003, 12/30/2009, 10/30/2010, 08/28/2012 & 10/29/2013, among others, as further examples of legendary nbTn’s.

In person these are some of the most exciting and unforgettable shows one could catch. They cultivate the sense of Phish being your own personal secret while also making one feel as if they’re in on some spectacular joke few others will ever quite understand.

On tape these shows reverberate with electricity & a pop that separates them from all others. It’s not so much that they’re “better,” per se, than other shows, more so that they contain within them the same cognizance of dangerously tampering with larger forces that comes with sneaking out of your parents house at 3am, or skipping class to smoke pot with your best friends.

Senses elevated, each song tends to carry more weight, each jam more significance, each ovation more reverberation.

From the tension in Trey’s voice as he delivers the Forbin’s Narration on 12/30, or the maniacal outburst that results from the nearly-900 show bustout of Sneakin’ Sally four years later, to the unparalleled appearance of Jeff Holdsworth on 01 December 2003, to the Tweezeppelin madness that overtook the second set on 10/30/2010, there’s often no match for the energy output that comes from the pure shock value that occurs on the nbTn.

It’s unsurprising that on these nights the band tends to pull out all the stops. For a band that’s built its entire career on a devoted partnership with their crowd, the awareness of, and emotional reaction to such a show could never be lost on the performers.

These are the nights where storytelling is most likely to occur. Jams are typically extended to surreal & ethereal heights. And a selection of choice rarities & bustouts are dropped seemingly at will. These are the nights when you review a setlist in the hours following the show’s conclusion & find you have to pick your jaw up off the floor. These are the nights when it feels like Phish won the NCAA Title as an 8^th Seed.

They are as shocking as they are monumental & as rewarding as they are unexpected.

With a New Year’s Eve show planned for the following night at the Worcester Centrum – a venue the band had been working towards playing at for five years – 12/30/1993 was in many ways the first every Night-Before-The-Night show in Phish’s history. And while the NYE show would more than satisfy diehard fans with its Greatest Hits-esque setlist, unified “we’re all in this together” vibe that permeated throughout, and the all-time version of Harry Hood that capped off the 3^rd Set, many overlooked 12/30 as little more than an appetizer for 12/31 in the days and weeks leading up to it.

Just four years earlier Phish had packed The Paradise in Boston through word of mouth – and the help of Greyhound Buses – as their very first headlining gig in Beantown. A city that feels in many ways like the capitol of the Northeastern Kingdom, it’s always been like a second home for Phish. Its summer shed, Great Woods, hosted the final Gamehendge performance in 1994, the Fleet Center hosted their 20^th Anniversary show in 2003, it was the site of two emotional sendoff shows in 2004, in 2009 the band chose Fenway Park to usher in their first proper tour in five years, and in 2013 the revamped Centrum (now the DCU Center) hosted two shows in October that felt as close to a 30^th Anniversary Celebration as any.

To close out a year as monumental as 1993 in The Centrum would be yet another step forward for a band that had yet to relinquish their foot from the gas in nearly ten years of growth and development.

As Phish would show on 30 December 1993 however, there’s rarely a time when you can assume they’ll simply mail a performance in. Regardless how amped they & their fanbase was for the NYE show in Worcester, there was simply no way 1993 Phish was going to allow the gig in Portland to be forgotten.

As this show would prove for years to come, the shows where Phish is least expected to deliver are often times the most memorable ones of them all.

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By the end of 1993 Phish was a serious musical and artistic force to be reckoned with. A national touring act that had continuously pushed themselves both creatively and artistically, they’d spent the past two years touring without restraint in effort to evolve beyond the tight-shipped machine they’d spent the better part of 1989 – 1991 becoming.

The Spring of 1992 had seen them expand their setlist and their improvisational abilities, while their time spent opening for Santana that summer had given them the chance to witness first hand the immense possibilities of band/audience connection through live improvisation. No longer the lackadaisical, wide-eyed college students jamming at house parties and in dorm cafeterias, they were ready to push their music deep into the unknown in a professional, and an artistic manner.

In early 1993 Phish spent five months on the road. In a tour that saw them cross the nation twice in just over 3 months, the band consistently tinkered and experimented towards further improvisational expansion. They carried themselves with a swagger that could only result from having played nearly 400 shows in the previous four years. Their sound fuller, their shows more fluid, their crew stable, they now began a process of outward expansion that would eventually lead them to the abstract explorations of November 1994 and June 1995.

David Bowie became a prominent opener, while Tweezer continued its evolutionary expansionism towards its eventual status as the ultimate Phish jam. The Big Ball Jam, one of a number of examples of band/audience interplay – introduced in late 1992 – was played nightly, allowing the band the opportunity to shed their artistic self-consciousness while the audience directed their music. For whatever shortcomings it had in terms of listenable music, it was yet another example in a line of band-initiated exercises that would help to bridge the gap between them and their audience, while also broadening their perspective on what was possible with live music.

Shows such as 02/23, 03/16, 03/30, 04/14, 04/18, 04/30, 05/03, & 05/08, among others, displayed a Phish far more relaxed in terms of setlist construction than they’d been in years past. During many of the aforementioned second sets, songs like Tweezer, Stash, David Bowie, Weekapaug Groove and Mike’s Song could expand far beyond the previously understood frames of musical construction. Direct, fully-flowing, organic segues became a far more typical aspect of second sets. And while their jamming was still rooted in a frenetic dissonance that bordered on shock value at times, it was clear by tour’s end – as heard in the 05/03 Tweezer -> Manteca -> Tweezer, and the 05/08 David Bowie -> Jessica -> David Bowie -> Have Mercy -> David Bowie – that the band’s expansionist efforts were beginning to blossom in melodic terrains of improvisational music.

Early on in the year they played a show in Atlanta, GA that would stand as one of the most important of their entire career. To this day 20 February 1993 is still revered as one of the critical moments in Phish history.

Taking a leap forward within the confines of a single show in a way they hadn’t since the mid-80’s, Phish fused the tight and explosive sound they’d crafted over the previous four years with the exploratory origins they’d been founded in. Wielding a set of segues, teases and jams in and out of Tweezer and Mike’s Groove, a porthole opened.

Phish would never be the same.

No longer would gimmicks & stories & Fishman joke-songs & secret languages & pure energy be enough to make a show. To move forward as artists in pursuit of their goal of producing linear, equal, & completely unified music through live, improvisational jamming, the band would begin a process of shedding their own egos and exploring the various musical avenues their songs could take them.

Later that year, during the fateful month of August 1993, the band continued to tinker with the formula they’d established throughout the previous four years, here using the “Hey Hole” jamming exercise to cultivate new lines of communication and new avenues for improvisation and linear musical communication. While the month of August is revered as one of the most impressive of their entire career – along with June/November 1994, December 1995 and November/December 1997 – the entire Summer Tour proved to be a massive breakthrough for the band. Shows like 07/16, 07/17, 07/24, 08/02, 08/07, 08/09, 08/11, 08/13, 08/14, 08/20, & 08/28 stretched the confines of what a concert could be in theory, and provided Phish with further proof that their energy & precision wasn’t at risk with a refined emphasis on experimentation. To the contrary, Phish discovered that by emphasizing improv, the energy of their concerts, and their trust within each other as artists, only solidified their original product. Oftentimes they’d find themselves writing new songs and themes within jams as can be heard in the 08/11 Mikes, 08/13 Gin, & 08/14 Antelope, among others.

The sets and shows that produced these groundbreaking musical experiments were thusly enhanced by their existence.

That Fall Phish would take a break from touring to record their most accessible and taught record to date: Hoist. An album recorded with a keen eye on an altogether different type of musical expansion – here popular exposure – was a reflection of the halcyon year 1993 was for Phish. Still young enough to devote all their waking hours to their craft, devoid of the responsibilities to family, crew and a burgeoning fanbase, fixated on an abstract goal to produce completely egoless music in a live setting, they had seemingly all the time in the world to push their own artistic goals forward while still spreading their name.

It was the kind of period of artistic fruition and popular expansion that any musician would kill for some ten years into their career. It’d been a long road to this point, but now here, Phish intended to make the most of the opportunities before them.

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The Cumberland County Civic Center is a 9500 multi-purpose arena in downtown Portland, ME. Home to the AHL Portland Pirates it’s like many of the 60’s & 70’s era concrete sheds that have witnessed some of the best shows throughout Phish’s career. Encased in cement, graced by neon-lit corporate sponsorship, ripe with stale beer and the lingering scent of processed foods, acoustically unreliable, employed by the least abled-bodied workers in the American workforce; these are the venues that marked the arrival of Phish as a national touring act, and that they have called home on Fall Tours, Winter Tours & New Years Eve Runs ever since.

A venue that was ushered into live-music-existence with a ZZ Top performance in 1977 – and is ultimately famous for the fact that it was to have been the site of an Elvis concert were he to not have died the morning of 16 August 1977 at his home in Memphis – it’s one of the industrial and pop-cultural pinpoints that’s put Portland on the map. Located in the heart of downtown Portland, a town known for outdoor enthusiasts, green energy, and the fact that it’s home to the most restaurants per capita in America, the venue and the city are the kind of Northeastern haunts that have always felt like home for Phish.

The original capitol of Maine, the Portland of the East, is the state’s most populous city; it’s a city that’s known its own fair share of hardship, resiliency, & ultimately, recovery.

Hit hard by the British trade embargo of 1807, the city grew in both size and stature following the War of 1812. It was the site of the Portland Rum Riots in response to Maine being the first state prohibiting the sale of Alcohol, and in 1863 its harbor was the site of one of the northernmost battles of the Civil War. Nearly destroyed in 1866 due to a fire that resulted from Fourth of July celebrations gone awry. It’s a town that’s played as distinctive a part in its region’s history as it has in reveling in the fruits of Americanization.

An early 20^th-Century rail hub, it faced marked economic decline during the mid-century due to the invention of icebreaker ships which allowed freight ships to reach Montreal without having to transport goods through Portland. In the mid-70’s the construction of the Maine Mall severely impacted downtown Portland’s economy, a trend that would only finally be reversed in the 1990’s as businesses began opening and revitalizing the Old Port.

Like many midsized American cities it’s experienced a cultural and economic revitalization over the past two decades as more and more Americans have realized the aesthetic importance of local production & authentic business centers.

Home now to a bustling service industry, the main financial services of Maine, and some of the most dedicated urban farmers in the US, it’s a city that resembles in many ways the remarkable career Phish has cultivated these last 30 years. Resilient in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, adaptable to changing tides and bursts of inspiration, amicable to keep people coming back for more, Portland was the fitting town to play host to one of the most memorable shows in Phish history.

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Stepping to the stage in front of an eager and packed house, Phish opened with one of their storied, compositional masterpieces: David Bowie. A song known for its eerie kinetic energy as much as it is its open-ended spaciousness, it’s the kind of song that announces a BIG show simply in its presence alone. Containing only two lyrics: “David Bowie” & “UB40” – both shouted with youthful irreverence and a satirical nod towards their arena rock forbearers – the song is built upon the duality of its maddeningly spinning harmonic interplay, and ultimate release into the musical unknown.

Complete with repeated references to Aerosmith’s “Dream On,” this performance struck the crowd at once. As Trey directed the song back to its musical home through a torrential cacophony of blistering leads, the crowd responded with the kind of electricity that can only be a result of abject surprise and bewilderment over the course the show had taken right out the gates.

A night when many would expect the band to proceed with measured caution and ease – essentially reserving the best for NYE – here they were, immediately in full attack mode, assaulting the crowd right out the gates.

The entire first set is a clinic in structural flow and energy.

From Bowie we’re brought to Weigh’s comedic shrill and musical balefulness. The Curtain retains Bowies composed complexity, reminding those in attendance – and listening years later – that, ultimately, Phish is an artistic project to “please me,” sans all regrets.

Sample In A Jar, Paul & Silas, & Rift are the kind of playful, energized, reductive songs that mark time and flow within a first set. Presented here with an added dose of electricity, the solo from Sample engulfs the arena in the way fans would come to expect from it for years to come.

In Col Forbin’s Trey launches into a sprawling tale that originates within the CCCC wherein which the Pirates ice rink – upon which the crowd is watching the show from – melts away, setting the entire crowd at sea until they drift away into the mythical land of Gamehendge. A song that had become something of a rarity even at that point in their career (It’s only been played 25 times in the 21 years since) it’s – along with its musical partner, The Famous Mockingbird – the kind of song that immediately marks whatever show it appears at as singular and special. One needs only to think of 11/17/1994, 12/01/1995, 08/14/2009, and 07/03/2011 to realize its significance within a setlist. In the same sense as Harpua did on 12/30/1997, Destiny Unbound on 02/28/2003, and Crosseyed on 07/29/2003, the Forbin’s -> Mockingbird on 30 December 1993 immediately gave the show an added dose of mythical lore and historical relevance.

Played only seven times throughout 1993, Bathtub Gin had yet to fully assume the role of a complete rotational song. However, its performance just four-and-a-half months earlier in Indianapolis had been crucial in bursting open the musical confines that Phish was increasingly desperate to move beyond. A jam that moved from vocal-jam-gimmickry to dissonant guitar swells to arena rock grooves to a frenetic peak to a joyous, funky breakdown in the matter of 15 minutes, it was one of many improvisation journeys throughout August 1993 that worked to release Phish from their own self-consciousness and equip them with the confidence needed to run assuredly off the veritable musical cliff. While the version on 12/30 didn’t traverse quite as far from home as the 08/13 Murat Gin did, it still relied on the bottled-up energy and experimental fervency that defined so much of their improvisation throughout 1993.

Closing with an absolutely revolting acapella cover of Skynnard’s Freebrid was the kind of tongue-in-cheek Phish-nonsense needed to close out a set such as this. Energy sustained, they exited for their “15 minute break” having equally stunned and warmed the packed house.

Perhaps one of the telltale signs of a nbTn show is the explosiveness that often overtakes a crowd during setbreak. A setbreak like this was filled with exclamations in the beer lines, high fives amongst complete strangers, and the unified sense that this was the only place on Earth one would want to be.

In Set II Phish compiled nothing short of a masterpiece in terms of set construction, improvisational experimentation, and overall energy released. Fluid from one song to the next, containing within it one of the critical jams of the era, not to mention an all-too-rare oldie full of Phish lore, and a massive bustout for their East Coast faithful. In short it’s one of those sets any respectable Phish fan has heard at least once, and any diehard knows by heart.

A precursor to the jam-heavy, seguefests that would mark their peak-periods in 1995 and 1997, 12/30/1993 II is the kind of set one presses play on, and never skips a track, nor stops listening until its conclusion.

Opening with their cover of Deodato’s Also Sprach Zarathrustra, otherwise known as 2001 – a song which opened no less than 19 second sets in 1993 – was equal parts anticipated punch and a missionary pronouncement of the set to come. In the same way that its anthemic jam ushered in memorable sets on 08/07, 08/14 and 08/20, here it worked as a precursor to a set that would be as transformational as it would be celebratory.

It was, however, when they dropped into Mike’s Song that everything changed.

One of the most revered and oldest songs in Phish’s catalogue, Mike’s Song moves from the poppy nonsensical lyrics written by an 18-yr-old Mike Gordon into a dark and prodding jam that, at its best, opens to unending musical possibilities. Just that year, during its performances at The Roxy, and in August on 08/11 and 08/13, the song had expanded considerably as the band sought to carve out the underbelly of the F#/B jam. Yet, where those three versions focused firstly on the varied segues that could emerge from the jam, and later on the wacky staccato dissonance the jam catered to, the version on 12/30 was far more melodious than any Mike’s had been before. Swimming through the minor-keyed jam the song produced, Trey built the band towards an anthemic peak that fit both the show’s setting, and the place they found themselves in at this point in their career.

Perhaps though, the most remarkable thing about this jam is its dexterity. As the band quieted down, they brought in a sense of darkness ultimately directing the jam into The Horse by way of a deft segueway.

The jam, rooted in harmonic bliss, capable of evolving with an effortlessness that would define their best jams in the years to come, was a critical turning point for the band in their evolution from prankster aficionados to true artists.

Compiling the middle part of Mike’s Groove with such rarities (for its time) as Punch You In The Eye and McGrupp was the kind of understood nod from the band that colors all great nbTn setlists. From 10/29/1995’s It’s Ice -> Kung -> It’s Ice -> Shaggy Dog and 12/30/1997’s Carini -> Black-Eyed Katy -> Sneakin’ Sally (Reprise)> Frankenstein encore, to 02/28/03’s Soul Shakedown Party and 12/30/2009’s Tela, one of the sure signs that you’re at a nbTn show is the appearance of the rare songs most fans spend years chasing down.

After a spirited jaunt through Weekapaug Groove – a jam that mirrored the Mike’s in both its melodic burst and its foreshadowing of Phish maximalist playing of 1995 – closed out the near 45-minute Mike’s Groove, Fishman’s take on Purple Rain brought the laughs before the last surprise of the night was delivered.

Only seen twice since 1991 – and unseen on the East Coast since 11/15/1990 – Phish closed out the second set with a triumphant version of one of their most beloved songs: Slave To The Traffic Light. Responding to the show-long pleads from their audience; it was one final gift from the band in an evening full of them.

Cementing the show as an all-timer, and a must-hear tape, the appearance of Slave made it essential that nearly every Night-Before-The-Night show include a similarly big bustout. As 10/29/1995’s Shaggy Dog, 12/30/1997’s Sneakin’ Sally, 02/28/2003’s Destiny, 07/29/2003’s entire first set, 12/01/2003’s Long Cool Women In A Black Dress, and 12/30/2009’s first set, would later display, the bustout would play a vital role in raising the bar of a show, especially one as rare as a nbTn.

Closing things out with a frenzied Rocky Top & Good Times Bad Times encore, the band left their giant Aquarium stage and headed south towards Worcester, MA. The New Year’s Eve show would deliver on a level only seen twice more – 1995’s three-set masterpiece & 1999’s millennial all-nighter – and would rightly be regarded as one of the best shows the band’s ever played.

Yet it was 12/30 that created an endless debate amongst Phish fans about which show was supreme – the answer which, spoke volumes towards what kind of music you preferred from Phish – and opened the door into yet another possibility for the band in terms of the live concert experience.

For as the concept of The-Night-Before-The-Night proves, Phish is far more than simply a Rock & Roll Band in the traditional sense.

For them, the live concert is a living-breathing organism, in many ways like a Broadway Play. The idea that there shouldn’t be an element of surprise, nor a reward for those fans who make the extra effort to see even their lesser-hyped shows is something that Phish has always worked to transcend.

As the band would continue to grow in both stature and artistic accomplishment – as more and more shows became hyped in terms of promotion and fanfare – the concept & possibilities & opportunity to unleash unexpected doses of energy always lingered and was always available for the band through the shows that had remained off the radar of many of their fans. Yet another reminder as to why to never miss an upcoming Phish show. More often than not, if the band has a heavily hyped gig on the horizon, the best show to catch is the one most are overlooking.

The Best Of Phish – 2013 – Part II

Click Here For Part I

The Best Of Phish 2013

Honorable Shows

Saratoga Performing Arts Center – Saratoga Springs, NY – 07/05/2013

Set I: Kill Devil Falls, The Moma Dance> Sample In A Jar, Roses Are Free> Birds Of A Feather, Yarmouth Road^, Bathtub Gin, Nellie Kane, Army Of One> My Friend My Friend+> Cities -> David Bowie

Set II: Energy^^ -> Light -> The Mango Song#> 46 Days -> Steam> Drowned## -> Slave To The Traffic Light

Encore: Character Zero###

^ “Yarmouth Road” made its Phish debut

^^ “Energy” (The Apples In Stereo) Made its Phish debut

+ No “Myfe” ending in “My Friend My Friend”

# “The Mango Song” contained “Light” teases

## “Drowned” contained “Divided Sky” teases

### “Character Zero” contained “Jean Pierre” teases

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For all intents and purposes, this is the night Summer Tour began. If the overall goal of 2013 was that of both honoring Phish’s past, and projecting them towards their future through the crafting of whole-show, thematic experiences, then this show is the seedling from which the concept was born.

The first set is a mosaic of – and a homage to – the many eras and stylistic dimensions of Phish. Be it the arena-rock peak of the “Kill Devil Falls” opener and mid-set staples,”Sample In A Jar,” “Birds Of A Feather” and “Bathtub Gin,” the communal funk of “The Moma Dance,” the widespread reach and display of influence in covers like”Roses Are Free” (Ween) and “Nellie Kane,” (Hot Rize) the debut of the refined, reggae-spiced storytelling from Mike’s “Yarmouth Road,” or the haunting, and fanciful compositional approach of “My Friend My Friend,” the set worked as a overall Phish pastiche. Concluding with a subdued segueway from “Cities -> David Bowie” gave further hints at the bands improvisational intentions for the year, as each member hooked up around a simple melody in “Cities” and drove it forward into an expansive “Bowie.”

The second set, however, was where both band and fans alike discovered in unison, just what was possible with Phish in 2013. Opening with the debut of The Apples In Stereo cover “Energy” – a song that would go on to become the theme song of the tour – the band dove into a fully-flowing – and completely connected – 90-minute set that worked as a unified, conceptual piece. From the elemental origins of each song – Energy, Light, Fruit, Coal, Steam, Water, Motion – to the thematic musical passages that conjoined each of them, the set was something of a manifesto for Phish 2013.

In “Light,” “46 Days” and “Drowned” the band engaged in integrated and diverse jamming – ranging from melodic ambience, to downtown gritty funk, to demented trance – offering a peak into the range with which they’d approach their improv throughout the year.

Throughout 3.0 it’s become something of a trend for the band to tear out the gates of a tour with a series of strong shows, only to lose steam as the tour progresses. In 2013, Phish took a different approach, focusing on foundational setting in the tour’s initial weeks before peaking out West. Yet, regardless of their intended plan, in few tours have they ever been capable of connecting with as much depth and immediacy as they were here on the first night of SPAC’s three-night-run.

FirstMerit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island – Chicago, IL – 07/21/2013

Set I: Dinner And A Movie+, AC/DC Bag> Maze, Mound, Funky Bitch> Bathtub Gin, Wilson> Water In The Sky, Boogie On Reggae Woman> Run Like An Antelope++

Set II: Energy> Ghost# -> The Lizards, Harpua+++> Run Like An Antelope

Encore: Character Zero

+ “Dinner And A Movie” was dedicated to a fan who had yet to catch it in 172 shows

++ “Run Like An Antelope” had to be aborted due to an impending rainstorm

+++ “Harpua” featured the cast of Second City and narration from Mike

# “Ghost” contained a “Seven Below” tease from Mike

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As Phish approached the three-quarter mark in their Summer Tour, two things had ultimately defined it thus far: foundational setting and rain. The rain had forced the re-scheduling of their 9 July show in Toronto, caused fans to take cover in Jones Beach, intruded on second sets in Merriweather Post and Alpharetta, and ultimately forced the cancellation of their first show on Chicago’s new lakefront venue midway through. Following an impromptu – and admittedly contained – three-set show on 07/20, one could sense a tipping point in the tour, and the year overall. Thus when Phish took the stage on their third Sunday of the Summer and opened with “Dinner & A Movie” – dedicated to a fan*, no less – there were many who called this the critical show of the summer.

The first set worked in many ways like those played on 07/07, 07/10, and 07/14 in that it was the kind of set that could have been plucked out of any past era of Phish. It was taught, it was nostalgic, yet it was incredibly fresh. Throughout – particularly in “Bag,” “Gin” and “Boogie On” – the band sounded electric. They were ready to put one more celebratory stamp on the first leg of their prolonged 30th Anniversary Tour before moving westward.

And then the rains returned…

When Phish reemerged for the show’s second set following an extended, rain-soaked setbreak, Trey noted “You guys are amazing…” Page followed assertively – lips curled upwards, hand resting on his belly – in his professorial way: “I told you we’d be back…” laughing, and then sardonically quipping, “Thank you for sticking around…” The band then unveiled an uninterrupted 35-minute segment of music that read: “Energy> Ghost -> The Lizards.”

In “Energy” and “Ghost” Phish played with deliberateness, moving as one through a dense array of musical passages with clarity and ease. A huge weight had seemingly been lifted. All the rain behind them, all the foundational setting set, this was the sound of a band, thirty years in, turning yet another corner in their career.

As “Lizards” faded, the band stepped to their mics and dove into the first “Harpua” since 19 June 2011. As with many of the best Phish-related moments throughout 2013, this too came layered with self-referential messages. It too would also become a heavily-discussed, intensely partisan event for many in the Phish community.

In the same vein as “Garden Party,” MOST SHOWS SPELL SOMETHING, Wingsuit, and the coverless NYERun, the Chicago “Harpua” was an example of the band’s attempts to pull back the curtain on their goals/aspirations/feelings throughout their 30th year. Inviting the cast of Second City on stage with them to pose as the type of fans who think they know the  right way in which Phish should approach their career, Phish lovingly reminded their entire fanbase to trust both the process and their own artistic evolution. A move that drew as much ire as it did praise, it was the kind of gag that could only work in the context of a band thirty years in, confident after so many artistic breakthrough, and peak periods, yet still incredibly self-conscious about themselves.

Closing the show with a complete, and torrid take on “Run Like An Antelope,” along with a solo “Character Zero” encore – a signal that asserted a particular show was a peak one throughout the year – the band bowed on their first three weeks, and pivoted westward with a refined determination and unshakeable focus.

*In reality, the “fan” was all part of the “Harpua” gag that would take place in Set II

Boardwalk Hall – Atlantic City, NJ – 10/31/2013

Set I: Heavy Things, The Moma Dance> Poor Heart> Back On The Train> Silent In The Morning, Kill Devil Falls, Mound, Free> Camel Walk, Stash, Golgi Apparatus> Bathtub Gin

Set II: Wingsuit^+, Fuego^, The Line^, Monica^++, Waiting All Night^, Wombat^+++, Snow^++, Devotion To A Dream^, 555^ -> Winterqueen^, Amidst The Peals Of Laughter^++, You Never Know^

Set III: Ghost> Carini, Birds Of A Feather, Harry Hood> Bug> Run Like An Antelope++++

Encore: Quinn The Eskimo

^ All songs in Set II made their Phish debut

+ The end of “Wingsuit” featured Mike on a power drill

++ “Monica,” “Snow” and “Amidst The Peals Of Laughter” were played acoustic

+++ “Wombat” feature Abe Vigoda and the Abe Vigoda dancers

++++ “Run Like An Antelope” referenced Abe Vigoda and the Abe Vigoda dancers

——–

For much of 2013 Phish toured with a secret. No one knows how long they walked around with it; in all reality, we may never know. What we do know though – at least through hindsight – is that much of the year was orchestrated as a consistent build towards the unveiling of their new album, live on Halloween. All year long, starting with “Garden Party” on NYE 2012, Phish was informing their fanbase that their 30th year was going to be celebrated on their terms. It was going to be as much about honoring the past as it was about projecting themselves into the future. Perhaps nowhere is this heard clearer, than in the second set of their Halloween show, when Phish debuted Wingsuit.

Having handed out playbills prior to the show, there was something of a nervous energy being exchanged between fans and the band throughout Set I. Were they really going to buck tradition, many asked? What were the new songs going to sound like?

The playbill noted that Phish had lifted segments out of their best jams from the past two years as inspiration for the songs. Which jams? How would they translate into proper songs? Throughout Set I you hear a band struggling under the weight of impending pressure. They missed changes, the set featured little flow, and much of it felt like a prerequisite that just had to be completed. One has to empathize with the pressure the band must have felt at this moment.

Dropping into the weightless bliss of “Wingsuit,” Phish consciously moved from one era into another with everyone in their fanbase watching. An incredibly ballsy move by the band, the second set of the show felt like no other Phish show that had preceded it. What’s more is that this act represented a moment of complete control over the delivery of an artist’s product. In the digital age of music, this is almost unheard of. At a time when most artists’ must shrug and accept the fact that their new album is going to leak before its release date, Phish was able to craft an environment wherein which their album took on the role of a live, in-the-moment, completely unknown organism.

Over the course of 90-minutes, the band introduced their fans to the ideas and concepts that had been rolling around their heads – many of which were a direct result of the best improvisational moments over the past 18 months. Almost all of them full-band compositions; the first of their kind since The Story Of The Ghost.

Some of them immediately felt like keepers: the maniacal expansiveness of “Fuego,” “The Line’s” self-conscious indie-rock blaze, “Wombat’s” self-referential mockery and infectious beat, the subdued and organic “Waiting All Night” and “555,” and the infectious pop of “Monica”; these were the songs we’d be anxiously awaiting at MSG and in the Summer of 2014. Others – “Snow” and “Winterqueen” in particular – felt unfinished, or out of place. Regardless, the unified act spoke more to the purest roots of Phish – and to their growth potential in the next phase of their career – than any classic rock cover could.

In Set III the band “blew off some fucking steam” with a 35-minute tour through the diverse musical landscapes accessed within “Ghost> Carini.” Following it with an ideally crafted third set that featured a balanced approach of tried & true rock: “Birds,” “Antelope,” and emotive exploration: “Hood> Bug,” along with the first cover of the night in the “Quinn” encore, the band walked off stage and into a new era. Regardless one’s initial feelings over the band’s choice of a Halloween album, one can’t deny the importance of said record, nor the critical shift it initiated here in the band’s 30th year.

The Top Ten Shows Of 2013

Merriweather Post Pavilion – Columbia, MD – 07/14/2013

Set I: First Tube> The Moma Dance> NICU, Roses Are Free> Chalk Dust Torture, Stash, Scent Of A Mule+, It’s Ice> Tube#> Run Like An Antelope

Set II: Golden Age##> Twist> Backwards Down The Number Line> Light -> Boogie On Reggae Woman> Julius, You Enjoy Myself###

Encore: Loving Cup

+ “Scent Of A Mule” featured Fish on the Marimba Lumina

# “Tube” contained an “It’s Ice” tease

## “Golden Age” contained a “Third Stone From The Sun” tease

### “You Enjoy Myself” contained a “Set Controls For The Heart Of The Sun” tease from Mike

——–

Phearless. When Phish returned for the final set of their weekend stand at Merriweather Post Pavilion, they summoned the spirit of the T-Shirt Trey Anastasio wore, and delivered a pivotal set in the year. Having already crafted an overtly old school and thematic stanza in the first set, 07/14’s Set II represented the kind of musical moment where everything just clicks for the band.

Two hours earlier, “First Tube” and “The Moma Dance” kicked the show off with thick, cavernous beats, inviting everyone to shake their troubles and just fucking dance. Nothing says you’re at a Phish show quite like an immediate invocation to boogie. Midway through, “Stash” provided an insightful dive into the layered and harmonic jamming style that defined much of 2013. If you haven’t heard this “Stash,” it’s an absolute must. A window into the creative process at work throughout the tour’s first three weeks. Concluding the opening frame with a psychedelic take on “Scent Of A Mule” – complete with the debut of Fishman’s melodious Marimba Luminas – the first expansive “It’s Ice” of the year, and a romp through “Tube,” the show reflected the band’s celebratory, dance-driven, and forward-thinking intentions that would bear fruition come Fall’s peak.

In many ways the Merriweather Post run was the defining run of 2013. Through their song-selection and stylistic jamming approach, the band seemed to be insinuating to their fans – and to themselves – just what their intentions for the year were. The run carried a distinctly old school feel – 8-9 song sets, a heavy emphasis on classics, such as “Maze,” “Split Open & Melt,” “Down With Disease,” “Harry Hood,” “Mike’s Groove,” “Chalk Dust Torture,” “Stash,” “Run Like An Antelope,” “You Enjoy Myself” – interspersed with some of their most relevant new songs, like “Twenty Years Later,” “Halfway To The Moon,” “Yarmouth Road,” “Light,” threaded by a jamming approach that valued whole-band communication, rather than individual exploration. If there are two shows one should listen to in effort to understand the goals of 2013, these two are it.

Opening Set II with “Golden Age” the band carried over this communal revivalist approach through a song that has etched itself into the core of their 3.0 message. It was in the 20-minute excursion in “Light -> Boogie On Reggae Woman,” however, where everyone involved was rewarded for the band’s efforts thus far in 2013. Honing in on a demented zone of abstract rhythmic breakdowns, “Light” became a musical playground for absurdist groove-based jamming. Finding pockets and holes to explore around seemingly every bend, the jam took on the feel of the sparse, Fall 1997 jaunts. To hear this jam is to hear the origins of the Woo some three weeks early. In seemingly every moment of minimalist and rhythmic connection the band has reached since – think, 07/31 “Tweezer,” 08/02 “Seven Below,” 08/05 “Harry Hood,” 08/31 Chalk Dust Torture,” 10/27 “Golden Age,” 11/02 “Piper,” 12/29 “Carini” – the discoveries made in this “Light” can be found.

Closing out the show with the anticipated brilliance of their seminal piece, “You Enjoy Myself,” the band concluded one of their cornerstone weekends of the year. A fully-flowing, thematic unit of nostalgically rich, forward-thinking music, Merriweather Post was one of the hallmark stop-gaps for Phish in their 30th year.

The Gorge Amphitheater – George, WA – 07/27/2013

Set I: Architect, Golgi Apparatus, The Curtain With, Kill Devil Falls> The Moma Dance> Maze, Beauty Of A Broken Heart, Roses Are Free, Say Something^, Ocelot, After Midnight

Set II: Down With Disease& -> Undermind+ -> Light# -> Sneakin’ Sally Thru The Alley -> 2001> Walls Of The Cave> Fluffhead> Run Like An Antelope

Encore: Show Of Life> Good Times Bad Times

^ “Say Something” made its Phish debut

& “Down With Disease” was unfinished

+ “Undermind” featured Fish on the Marimba Lumina

# “Light” contained a “Sneakin’ Sally Thru The Alley” tease from Mike

——–

The second night at The Gorge is akin to a carefully crafted rock album in the live setting. Every song flows in thematic propensity to the song that preceded it and that which follows it. It’s both referential and full of risk. There’s a warmth throughout it that reflects the awe-inspiring setting it was crafted in. In short, it’s one of the most complete concerts the band has delivered in the five years since they reunited. This is one of those shows one doesn’t simply toss on for a spare highlight here or there. Rather, this is a complete artifact. One that must be heard in whole to fully grasp.

The opening trio of “Architect,” “Golgi Apparatus,” and “The Curtain With” initially fuels the show. The three songs share few commonalities. Yet with the sun setting an auburn glow over the Central Washington desert, the pieces somehow fit together on this night. “Kill Devil Falls,” “The Moma Dance,” and “Maze” are equal parts peaking rock and bulbous groove. Concluding with the debut of Mike’s bluesy prowl, “Say Something,” the expansive stroll of “Ocelot” – a song that subtly pushed its own limitations all year – and the apropos nod to the passing of JJ Cale with “After Midnight,” few could have denied that something big was one the horizon for Phish in the second set.

Playing their fourth fully-flowing Set II of the year to that point – alongside 07/05, 07/12 and 07/16 – Phish crafted a nonstop tour of their stylistic past and present. Reading: “Down With Disease -> Undermind -> Light -> Sneakin’ Sally Thru The Alley -> 2001> Walls Of The Cave> Fluffhead> Run Like An Antelope,” the set was an unbroken chain of old and new school jamming. Early on it was the open-ended explorations of “DWD” and “Undermind” that drove the set into the unknown. “Light” then bled into “Sally,” delivering a version rooted in equal parts infectious rock-based peaks, and spacious expansionism, before fading into “2001.” To cap things off, the band used two of their most enthralling compositional pieces – “Walls Of The Cave” and “Fluffhead” – and the ole’ reliable closer “Antelope.” A packed set that flowed with precision, this one had a bit of everything to offer.

In the weekend where it all came together for Phish in 2013, the band sculpted one of their defining shows of the year, and a telling snapshot of where things lay midway through 2013.

Dick’s Sporting Goods Park – Commerce City, CO – 08/30/2013

Set I: Ghost, NICU, Icculus, Heavy Things, Theme From The Bottom> Esther, The Moma Dance> Ocelot, Stash, Lawn Boy, Limb By Limb, Easy To Slip^

Set II: Punch You In The Eye> Sand#> Say Something> Walls Of The Cave> The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony> Harry Hood& -> Silent In The Morning&&> Twist> Slave To The Traffic Light

Encore: Oh! Sweet Nuthin’*, Meatstick

^ “Easy To Slip” (Little Feat) made its Phish debut

# “Sand” contained a “2001” tease from Fish

& “Harry Hood” was unfinished

&& “Silent In The Morning” was unfinished

* First “Oh! Sweet Nuthin'” since 15 August 2010

——–

The first night of Dick’s means one thing: word play. In 2011, the band crafted an entire show using only songs that began with the letter ‘S.’ On 31 August 2012, the band spelled FUCK YOUR FACE, and subsequently played their most important show of 3.0.

In 2013, Phish tweaked the gag’s formula once more, here crafting a message backwards. In the same vein as “Garden Party” and “Harpua the right way” before it, and Wingsuit and the coverless NYERun that would come after, the MOST SHOWS SPELL SOMETHING (Backwards) show was one of those indelible moments of 2013 that further displayed the layers with which Phish approaches their craft. Insinuating that each show played “spells” something different to everyone who hears it – and that based on the setting/position in the tour/year/songs played/jams/song placement/etc, no two shows “spell” the same thing – was a clear shot at fans bringing their own specific expectations with them to the overall experience of listening to Phish. It also provided those of us in the business of analyzing the hidden meanings within Phish shows and jams that much more fuel to burn…

Opening with the left field trio of “Ghost,” “NICU,” “Icculus,” it was clear from note one that this year’s gag would be far more Phish playfulness than 2012’s improvisational onslaught. Wading through 23 songs meant the show didn’t have the same amount of room to breath either. The word “Spell” was chopped off following the Set I closing debut of “Easy To Slip,” further adding to the intrigue surrounding the actual gag. Whereas in 2012 the triple jab of:

1.) the FUCK YOU jammed-out first set,

2.) the jam out of “Farmhouse” that just had to fade into “2001,” but instead dove into “Alaska” of all songs, and,

3.) the realization that they were actually spelling FUCK YOUR FACE, meant the crowd was not only in on a lot of the gag for most of the show, while also mainly consumed by the jamming the structure decreed,

here in 2013, much of the show was consumed by all simply figuring out what in fact the band was spelling. The decision to unveil their message backwards not only added to said level of intrigue for this particular show, but was also a symbolic gesture to the notion that all shows spell something in general.

It was in Set II where Phish hooked up for their most connected string of songs, as “Sand” through “Slave” left everyone on their toes, and, in re-listening, flows with curious ease. While one could argue that the promising jam discovered late in “Sand” was sacrificed for the gimmick, few could deny that the muddy groove of “Say Something,” the blissful segue from “Hood -> Silent,” or the airy peak of “Slave” didn’t make the show more than worth absorbing.

Encoring with the first “Oh! Sweet Nuthin’” since Alpine 2010, and “Meatstick” which offered a tongue-in-cheek admission that, while most shows might spell something, when it comes down to it, we’re just telling dick jokes here, offered a comical conclusion to a third successful gag-show at Dick’s. A show that offered both increased meaning to the band’s MO in 2013, and is a highly-engaging re-listen, one can only hope the band renews their Dick’s contract in 2014 to carry on the tradition.

Hampton Coliseum – Hampton, VA – 10/20/2013

Set I: Julius, Funky Bitch, Back On The Train#, Roses Are Free> Sample In A Jar, Ginseng Sullivan, 46 Days, The Divided Sky, Bold As Love

Set II: Paul & Silas> Tweezer+ -> Golden Age++> Piper -> Takin’ Care Of Business^ -> 2001 -> Sand> Slave To The Traffic Light

Encore: A Day In The Life> Tweezer Reprise

# “Back On The Train” contained a “Jean Pierre” tease from Trey

+ “Tweezer” featured Mike on the Power Drill

++ “Golden Age” featured Fish on the Marimba Lumina

^ “Takin’ Care Of Business” (Bachman Turner Overdrive) made its Phish debut

——–

Nearly five years after returning from their own demise, Phish finally returned to the place that saw them take their initial steps towards rebirth, rebuilding, and renewal.

On the final night of their Three-Night Fall Tour-opening weekend, Phish played one of their defining shows of the year, and, simply put, one of the best shows they’ve ever played at the legendary Hampton Coliseum. This was the kind of show they needed to play. A confident, exploratory, full-band affair that was rooted in both self-referential humor, and musical discovery, the last night at Hampton ’13 is one sure to be spoken of with reverence for years to come.

The first set was a determined run through some of the strongest pieces in their rotation today. “Julius,” “Funky Bitch” and “Back On The Train” allowed the band to settle, connect, and launch some early tension & release fireworks. “Roses Are Free” provided the first insight into the band’s exploratory desires. Later “46 Days” and “The Divided Sky” were equal parts raging rock and blissful contemplation. The kind of set that few would write home about, this was akin to the solid and efficient first stanzas of 1994 and 1995.

Set II was – well, at the risk of sounding overtly hyperbolical – a masterpiece.

Opening with the playful rarity “Paul & Silas” – dedicated to two different groups of fans – the band was relaxed, on point, and ready to throw-down. As the murky riff from “Tweezer” emerged out of “Paul & Silas” you can hear a roar build throughout the crowd as everyone simultaneously realizes the show’s about to go deep. Over the next forty minutes, the band would craft their seminal jam of 2013 in “Tweezer -> Golden Age,” revealing a darkness, a depth, and a desire to explore that will surely drive them once they begin playing again in 2014.

Out of “Golden Age” came “Piper” which raged like all “Piper’s” tend to before settling on a shuffling, arena-rock groove that led to the unexpected debut of BTO’s “Takin’ Care Of Business.” Sometimes Phish debuts a cover at just the right time that it not only raises the bar on its current show, but further works as a larger message for the overall state of the band. In the same regard as “2001,” “Crosseyed & Painless,” “Emotional Rescue” and “Psycho Killer” before it, the 10/20 “Takin’ Care Of Business” was the perfect song at the perfect time. The band latched onto a groove and infused the song with energized playing, and the message rang loud & clear as to the intentions of Phish in Fall 2013.

At a point in the show where they could have faded into “Friday” and few would have complained, the band opted for “2001 -> Sand> Slave” to close things out. Crafting a complete stanza of unified, energized, forward-thinking music, there was only one way left to send their fans out into the night: The Beatles and “Tweezer Reprise.”

Some nights everything just comes together for Phish. On 10/20/2013 the band was able to shake whatever was getting in their way in their first two nights of the tour, and play a fully-formed, era-defining show that will surely sound as fresh and exciting in 15 years as it did in the moment. Seriously, what more can you ask for?

Glens Falls Civic Center – Glens Falls, NY – 10/23/2013

Set I: Back In The USSR*, Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan, Water In The Sky, Undermind#, David Bowie, Golgi Apparatus, Gumbo, Yarmouth Road> Camel Walk, Horn> Limb By Limb> I Didn’t Know, Split Open & Melt

Set II: Rock & Roll> Seven Below> Alaska> Twist+, Wading In The Velvet Sea> Harry Hood> Chalk Dust Torture

Encore: While My Guitar Gently Weeps

* First “Back In The USSR” since 06 December 1994

# “Undermind” contained a “Long Tall Glasses” tease from Mike

+ “Twist” featured Mike on the Power Drill

——–

The Glens Falls Civic Center. Just typing those words conjures up idiosyncratic images of Phish lore. Worn-down AHL Arenas. A cross-dressing Mike Gordon. Minkin sheets. A fully-nude, unremarkably-hung Jon Fishman. Wildly absurdist jams. A Trey Anastasio whose fashion sense begins and ends with the word ‘pajamas,’ et al.

For nineteen years The Glens Falls Civic Center resided as a singular moment in Phish history. A moment when Phish captured everything intangibly special about themselves in one unending performance. A moment when Phish pointed the way towards an even bigger and brighter future.

Five shows into their 2013 Fall Tour, Phish took to the stage in the archaic 5,806-person arena and immediately stepped back in time, opening with only the third “Back In The USSR” they’ve ever played. The first set unfolded like a carefully constructed historical artifact: a mid-set “Bowie” followed by “Golgi,” the lone “Horn” of tour, the ever-elusive “Camel Walk,” the classical gag of “I Didn’t Know,” and a demented “Split Open & Melt” to close things out. Much of it felt as though it could have been plucked out of 1993. Interspersed throughout were “Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan,” “Undermind,” and “Yarmouth Road;” three “newer” songs, which formulaically fit the musical lineage of Phish. The set felt retro and relevant at the same time: emotively constructed, yet fluid and modern.

If Set I was indeed all about setting the tone, and establishing atmosphere, Set II was intended as a celebration where Phish’s past and present conjoined.

Opening with “Rock & Roll” was a statement of intent. “Seven Below” offered a glimpse of the road less traveled between 10/31/1994 and 10/23/2013. “Alaska” displayed unyielding joy through a simplistic blues-rock peak. Thirty minutes into the set and it was clear that regardless the fact the band had yet to play anything too transgressive, there was pure joy emanating from the stage. This was the essence of 3.0 Phish captured in a single performance. A symbolic bridge from 1994 to 2013.

And then “Twist” happened. Building upon the subdued, haunting jam from the Hampton tour opener, Phish directed this “Twist” towards ethereal spaces. Led by Trey’s deliberate rhythmic playing, the jam left the confines of “Twist” and entered a melodic space that spoke volumes to the band’s sense of comfort in Glens Falls. A sentiment that would be verbalized by Trey prior to the encore, this was a place of great meaning for everyone involved. This was the homecoming show of the tour. This show meant something more.

Closing out the set with a ballsy, yet emotive “Harry Hood,” the band reached back into the past once again to bridge who they once were with who they now are.

A singular encore: “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” A song that often closes out the most reflective and nostalgically rich shows, perhaps nowhere else has it ever been placed this properly.

The Glens Falls Civic Center. Wanna know how Fall 2013 became Fall 2013? Just throw this show on and revel in it.

DCU Center – Worcester, MA – 10/25/2013

Set I: Funky Bitch, Wolfman’s Brother, Wilson+> The Curtain With, Cities> Rift, Free, My Mind’s Got A Mind Of It’s Own, Vultures, 46 Days

Set II: Waves# -> Carini, Prince Caspian& -> Backwards Down The Number Line> Ghost++ -> Dirt -> Down With Disease&> Sneakin’ Sally Thru The Alley> Cavern> Run Like An Antelope

Encore: Contact> Suzy Greenberg> Rocky Top> Good Times Bad Times

+ During “Wilson” Trey repeated a verse because he was so excited Rog was in attendance

++ “Ghost” contained alternate lyrics

# “Waves” contained a “Fuego” tease

& “Prince Caspian” and “Down With Disease” were unfinished

——–

Two nights after the homecoming show in Glens Falls, Phish returned to yet another venue steeped in immense historical importance, and threw down an equally-nostalgic and celebratory performance.

The Centrum in Worcester, MA. Home to 12/31/1993’s capstone performance, 12/29/1995’s “The Real Gin,” 11/29/1997’s hour-long “Runaway Jim,” 11/27/1998’s maniacal Set II, 02/26/2003’s side project excursion, 12/28/2010’s brilliant “Hood,” and 2012’s Summer opening renaissance, few doubted that a Phish this well-oiled – having just played two of their best shows of the year – would leave anything on the table in Worcester.

Like the Merriweather Post run from July, both night’s in Worcester fit together as a complete snapshot of Phish 2013. Each are complete performances displaying the musical reach, unyielding energy, exploratory drive, infectious humor, and well-earned confidence that defines Phish 30 years in. In the same respects as Merriweather Post, if you only have time for four shows in 2013, these four will give you as clear an understanding as you need of just who Phish was in 2013.

Simply put, the first night in Worcester is an unyielding and relentless assault of pure Phish energy.

Coming out the gates with the quartet of “Funky Bitch,” “Wolfman’s Brother,” “Wilson> The Curtain With” is about all one needs to know about how ecstatic and comfortable the band was midway through their Fall Tour. This show is an unending party.

In many ways it feels like a classic Fall ’95 gig – think 11/11/1995, 11/30/1995, 12/15/1995 – where the band’s goals reside in testing the limits of energy. Tension & release form a repeated pattern throughout. Each song in Set I pops with a freshness, fitting its slot perfectly, and providing a contextual lineage to its proceeding element. A thematic approach that would continue into the second set, much of what makes Worcester’s first night so compelling is the deliberate brilliance in each of its song selections.

Opening Set II with the first expansive dive into “Waves” since 28 June 2012, Trey pushes the song past its melodic origins into a haunting and billowing piece of equal-parts aggressive, direct and expansive atmospheric rock. In “Carini” the band got down. Hooking up around a thick funk strut led by Mr. McConnell’s clav plucks Phish displayed the accessible diversity that’s been attained within “Carini” since its rebirth in the Fall of 2010.

On many nights, the back-to-back placement of “Prince Caspian” and “Backwards Down The Number Line” midway through a second set would signify an off-night. But not here. Night’s like 25 October 2013, it matters little what song(s) the band plays. Whatever they play, they just crush.

“Ghost” combined idiomatic improv with an energized peak before fading into the rare “Dirt” breather. In the same way as Hampton’s second set became a fully-formed entity thanks to “2001 -> Sand> Slave,” here Phish faded into a surprise “Down With Disease” out of “Dirt,” and then closed things out with the relentless trio of “Sally> Cavern> Antelope.”

At this point, one would have expected the band to return for a solo “Character Zero,” or a “Squirming Coil,” or perhaps a fitting “First Tube.” The second set had seemingly been too long for anything more than a one-off encore. But on a night like the first night at Worcester, with Phish high on both their masterful playing, and the vibe of touring through their home turf, a single song simply wouldn’t do. Adding to the relentless approach that had defined the entire show, the band threw-down a four-song encore chock-full of classics. “Contact> Suzy Greenberg> Rocky Top> Good Times Bad Times.” They just wouldn’t fucking stop.

Hands down one of the most fun shows of 2013, 10/25 represents one of those moments where the combination of locale and peak playing results in a performance that just reeks of Phish lore.

XL Center – Hartford, CT – 10/27/2013

Set I: Rock & Roll+, Ocelot> Tube, Halfway To The Moon, Fee++ -> Maze, Lawn Boy, Nellie Kane> NICU, A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing> Walls Of The Cave

Set II: Chalk Dust Torture> Tweezer#> Birds Of A Feather> Golden Age -> Halley’s Comet> 2001> Fluffhead> Slave To The Traffic Light

Encore: Loving Cup> Tweezer Reprise

+ “Rock & Roll” was dedicated to Lou Reed who passed away that morning

++ Trey sang the verses of “Fee” through a megaphone

# “Tweezer” contained a “Fuego” tease from Page

——–

On the final night of their peak weekend of Fall 2013, Phish crafted yet another indelible performance for what has to be regarded as their most impressive tour to this point in 3.0. A one-off Sunday show in Hartford, CT, it was clear throughout the first set that the nostalgic-vibe that had permeated throughout since Glens Falls was still ever-present here in Hartford.

The morning prior to the show, the rock world lost one of its beacons of exploration, one of the greatest artistic minds of the past forty years: Lou Reed. In remembrance, the band opened with “Rock & Roll” for only the second time – first since 12/29/1998. A song that feels like one of their own at this point, the jam that built out of it – and the thoughts shared by Trey following it – were a fitting tribute to a man whose work helped pave the way for exploratory artists like Phish, and whose album Loaded instituted a great shift for the band in 1998.

The first set was conglomeration of newish songs – “Halfway To The Moon,” “A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing,” “Walls Of The Cave,” – rotational pieces – “Ocelot,” NICU” – and a classic mini-jam from “Fee” into “Maze,” crafting a diverse and engaging unit. For however subdued it was in comparison to the relentless energy from 10/25, or 10/26’s fluid dance-fest, Set I from 10/27 worked like 07/05, 07/13, 07/27, and 08/04’s in that it displayed multiple angles with which Phish’s setlist crafting can be approached. Perhaps on paper it may appear unremarkable, the musicianship and flow that enlivens it comes through with ease and purpose via re-listening.

Anchoring Set II around two unique excursions in “Tweezer” and “Golden Age,” 10/27’s second frame combined the fluid explorations of the previous night, with the unyielding energy of 10/25. “Tweezer” is one of the jams of the year. A meta statement of minimalism, melodic interplay, and whole-band communication, it rides a melodious groove through 17-minutes of jubilant, “Weekapaug”-infused bliss. In “Golden Age,” the band built upon its breakthrough jam from 10/20, expanding on rhythmic interactions from Fish and Trey before discovering ambient nothingness. A signal that a corner has finally been turned for the bemusing cover, one can only hope the band will continue to expand on it with such determination in 2014.

Closing things out with a nostalgic run through “2001> Fluffhead> Slave To The Traffic Light” capped off an incredible weekend in the NE. Noting before the encore that the venue was the location of his first ever concert, Trey reflected the symbolic nature of the band’s peak period of rediscovery and renewal that the Fall Tour has come to represent.

The Santander Arena – Reading, PA – 10/29/2013

Set I: Cars Trucks Buses, Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan, Ginseng Sullivan, Wolfman’s Brother, Sparkle> Walk Away, The Divided Sky, Split Open & Melt&> Julius

Set II: Down With Disease&# -> Taste##, Twenty Years Later -> Piper> Backwards Down The Number Line, You Enjoy Myself, Grind

Encore: Bouncing Around The Room> Reba, Good Times Bad Times

& “Split Open & Melt” and “Down With Disease” were unfinished

# “Down With Disease” contained a “Pop! Goes The Weasel” tease from Mike

## “Taste” contained a “Dave’s Energy Guide” tease from Trey

——–

The night before the night. Or, in this show’s case: two night’s before the night.

If you’re ever going to try and hit a guaranteed barn-burner, make sure to be at the show that falls directly before a big, planned event for Phish. Throughout their history the band has built a reputation on playing some of their most memorable shows just prior to a heavily-hyped event. Think: Halloween, Festival, NYE, tour finale, etc. 12/30/1993, 10/29/1994, 10/29/1995, 12/29/1995, 08/14/1996, 08/14/1997, 12/30/1997, 08/12/1998, 12/29/1998, 07/25/1999, 07/29/2003, 12/01/2003, 08/14/2009, 12/30/2009, 10/30/2010, 08/28/2012, 12/30/2012 are all imbedded in the minds of Phish fans as much for the fireworks contained within, as for the fact that each caught their fanbase looking ahead at the schedule, rather than focusing on the moment at hand.

On a Tuesday night in Reading, PA, the band played one such show, crafting a second set that will long be remembered as one of the peak moments of 2013.

Following a first set that worked in much the same way as 10/20’s confident run through staples – “Stealing Time,” “Wolfman’s,” “Divided Sky,” “Julius” – rarities – “Cars Trucks Buses,” “Walk Away” – and a dive into the murky unknown of a completely lost “Split,” the band took to the stage for Set II and delivered a masterpiece.

Perhaps no song rings in a second set with the combination of familiarity and intrigue as “Down With Disease.” A song that has opened 65 second sets throughout its history, “DWD” is by far the band’s most consistent Set II-opener. Flowing into its customary zone of funk-infused, textural jamming, the band moved with persistence following Page’s shift at 13:10 to an uplifting, melodic theme. What results is, hands-down, the best solo Trey has played in all of 3.0. A deliberate, yet subconscious display of HOSE, Trey wove an emotive and uplifting  musical passage that resided in a distinctly Americana frame. Hinting at “Mountain Jam” from Eat A Peach, the passage seemed to suggest that the band was planning to play the seminal record from The Allman Brother’s on Halloween. While the gag was ultimately all-for-naught, the music that was crafted is some of the most memorable and emotive of the entire year, and of 3.0’s entirety for that matter.

Two songs later, the band dove into the unknown once more through the unexpected vehicle, “Twenty Years Later.” A song that has been begging for exploration since its debut on 06/05/2009, this was yet another reward for all those who have patiently followed Phish’s rebuilding and reclamation project in 3.0. Focusing on the rhythmic undercurrents of the song, Trey used his Wha with precision here, building a wall-of-sound that expanded the jam upwards and outwards. It was Page, however, who once again shifted the murky minimalism of this jam into openly blissful terrain. Resulting in a segment that built through Trey’s melodic rhythmic patterns, it briefly felt as thought the band were going to segue into The Dead’s “I Know Your Rider.” A peak into the potential for one of 3.0’s best original’s, look to 2014 as the year in which this and “Golden Age” regularly explode.

“Piper” and “Backwards Down The Number Line,” two songs that always seem to appear in the best 3.0 second sets, led to what has to be regarded as the most accomplished version of the band’s seminal musical statement in 2013: “You Enjoy Myself.”

In the encore, the band graced us with the lone “Reba” of the fall. One of only four versions played all year – and only the fourth time it’s ever been played in the encore – this placement and performance further stamped the Reading gig as one of the best of the year.

The night before the night. Don’t get caught looking ahead, for you never know quite what you’re going to miss.

Boardwalk Hall – Atlantic City, NJ – 11/01/2013

Set I: Cavern> Runaway Jim#, Sand, Halfway To The Moon+, Halley’s Comet> Tube> Possum, When The Circus Comes, Sugar Shack, Jesus Just Left Chicago, David Bowie##

Set II: Twist###> Gotta Jibboo> Makisupa Policeman++> Light -> Chalk Dust Torture, Meatstick++ -> Boogie On Reggae Woman++####> The Wedge,  Slave To The Traffic Light

Encore: Sneakin’ Sally Thru The Alley#####

# “Runaway Jim” contained a “Theme From Shaft” tease

## “David Bowie” contained a “Jesus Just Left Chicago” and a “Symphony No. 5 In C Minor” tease

### “Twist” contained “Get Back,” Under Pressure” and “Long Tall Glasses” teases

#### “Boogie On Reggae Woman” contained a “Theme From The Rockford Files” tease

##### “Sneakin’ Sally Thru The Alley” contained a “Theme From Shaft” and a “Call To The Post” tease

+ Prior to “Halfway To The Moon” Trey noted how he hoped it makes Wingsuit

++ “Makisupa Policeman” contained numerous references to “Bush” and “Kush” which were then featured in “Meatstick” and “Boogie On Reggae Woman”

——–

If the night before the night provides the proper amount of amassed tension and hype to coax a defining show out of the band, then the effects of a heavy weight being lifted often cater to similar results for the night after the night. One only has to hear the Fox ’95 shows, 11/02/1996, 11/02/1998, 11/01/2009, 01/01/2011 and 07/03/2011 to understand how the band responds to their most anticipated shows with a loose, anything-goes vibe in their subsequent performance.

This show sounds like the way you feel following a huge exam, or the morning after your wedding, or after taking an enormous shit. It sounds like all the pressure that had been building internally towards Wingsuit is just gone, and the band can go back to just being a band again.

Let’s acknowledge the fact that debuting an entire set’s worth of new material in front of your fans – on a night when expectations are already incredibly high for you to cover a famous record from another famous band, no less – created some serious tension for the members of Phish. For as much as the band clearly wanted to debut their new record in this setting – and for as brilliant a delivery as it was – one has to imagine that there were internal doubts over whether or not this was the right decision in the days and weeks leading up to Halloween. Rumors have circulated since that the band was practicing a fall-back album, just in case. The pressure of delivering  a cover album is a feat in-and-of itself. To trust that an entire set of new material is going to be both nailed and aptly received has to have created an insane amount of artistic stress. Add to it the fact that the surprise debut of said set of new material was a planned ordeal that the band had been existing with for some time, and, well, wow, all that pressure’s gotta be released somewhere…

When Phish took the stage on 01 November 2013 and opened with “Cavern,” a “Shaft”-laced “Runaway Jim,” and “Sand” it was undeniably clear that the band was not only thrilled with the unveiling of, and reception towards, Wingsuit, but was ready to focus all that previously bottled-up energy into one of the best shows of the year, and of all of 3.0 for that matter.

In my opinion there are three shows in the mix for 2013’s top show: 10/20/2013, 11/01/2013, and 12/29/2013. For as many high-level shows as were played throughout the year, the gap between those three and the rest of the year is huge. These three shows were just that good.

Prior to “Halfway To The Moon” – a song that existed on the peripheries of their rotation throughout 2010-2012, but after a strong 2013 is one of their most complete new songs – Trey noted how grateful the band was for the open-mindedness of their fanbase. A moment of humility from artist to fan; a telling sign of just how much Wingsuit had meant to them.

Rounding out set one was an extended “Tube,” a punctual “Sugar Shack,” and a riotous “Jesus Just Left Chicago,” and “David Bowie” set closer. It was a mature stanza filled with fresh interplay, intrigue and tangible energy. The exact kind of set that often serves as a prelude to a classic Set II.

Following the haunting second set opener on 10/18, “Twist” became the centerpiece jam in Glens Falls, as Trey directed the murky and bluesy groove of the song to a heavenly space. Opening up 11/01’s second set with it, everyone could sense we were in for a big jam. Uncovering the riff from “Get Back” Trey led the band into a segment of celebratory rhythmic jamming that complimented the masterful Hartford “Tweezer” from the previous weekend. A blissful peak was reached and the crowd rewarded the band lovingly. Settling on the melody from “Under Pressure,” the band jokingly toyed with the song’s theme before dementing it, and pushing the jam even further into the unknown. A symbolic moment of improvisational magic, the song evoked a larger meaning in the same way “Takin’ Care Of Business” did on 10/20, here, referring to the pressure lifted following Wingsuit.

From there the set was a combination of intuitive jamming and humorous gimmickry, resulting in a fully-flowing set that just reeked of peak-level Phish. “Makisupa Policeman” was a riotous celebration of all-things weed, as keywords “Bush” and “Kush” were distorted and played upon in a scrabbled inside joke between Trey and Fish. “Light” explored sparse pockets of funk and rhythmic minimalism before somehow discovering a rock edge and sliding right into “Chalk Dust.” “Meatstick” and “Boogie On” captured the joy emanating from the stage, and “Slave” closed out the set with a hazy, and beautiful peak, that was equal parts contemplative and riveting.

Dropping into “Sneakin’ Sally” for the encore, the band melted the faces of whoever in the building was left with their individual facial appendages. Revisiting the “Shaft” jam from the second-song “Jim,” the funk jam that spread across 11-minutes was one more reminder of what level Phish was operating on.

The night after the night indeed.

Madison Square Garden – New York, NY – 12/29/2013

Set I: The Moma Dance> Rift, Roggae, Sparkle, The Line, Stash, 555, It’s Ice, Gumbo#, Walls Of The Cave

Set II: Down With Disease## -> Carini> Waves+> Twist> Golgi Apparatus, David Bowie+

Encore: Possum

# “Gumbo” contained a “Long Tall Glasses” tease from Trey

## “Down With Disease” contained a “Rhapsody In Blue” tease from Page

+ “Waves” and “David Bowie” feature Mike on the Power Drill

——–

Throughout 2009-2012 Phish evolved in fits and spurts. There’d be shows, or mini-runs where it sounded as though they were totally back. Then they’d offer up a string of subpar shows, full of hesitation, lacking communication, and sounding directionless.

With the Dick’s run of 2012 Phish crossed a demarcation line, evolving so far beyond the expectations anyone could have realistically had for them in early 2009. Since then, their evolutionary process has been less about rebuilding what they once were, and more about discovering who they are going to be. The notion that they’re a nostalgic act has become asinine. At the onset of 2014, Phish, as a creative unit, is just as fresh, and just as innovative as they were at the onset of 1994.

A show like 12/29/2013 is a perfect example of the place that Phish finds itself here in their 31st year. You could put this show up against any benchmark show from any other era of Phish, and it would stand up on its own. This is as complete, as deep, as raw, as innovative, as re-listenable as any single show the band has ever played.

On paper it’s a thing of beauty. Diverse in its offerings from the various periods of Phish. Flowing with thematic precision and aesthetic functionality. Full of surprising intrigue and moments of unexpected brilliance. Capped off by a 35-minute segment of music that just might be the best improvisational excursion of their entire 3.0 era. Just look at this setlist and tell me it doesn’t make your mouth water.

To hear it is something all to its own. “Moma Dance” pops and signals an emphasis on whole-band communication, and thick funk. “Roggae” creeps into your soul and breaks through the haze with a poignant solo. “The Line” and “555” make their first post-Wingsuit appearance, feeling right at home already. “Stash” moves aggressively from demonic leads to melodic hues, all in ten efficient minutes. “It’s Ice” and “Gumbo” display a band willing to take risks at any turn; so locked-in they nail them all.

The second set opens with “Down With Disease” and “Carini.” Two songs that served as the peak of 2012’s NYE Run, once again they provide the improvisational centerpiece of the run, and, perhaps the jam segment of this entire era. Combing the underbelly of its own musical being, “DWD” reconstructs itself some 17-minutes in, building into an ecstatic reprise of its eminent peak. Dropping into “Carini” the band rode a minimalist groove outwards, deconstructed it, demented it, and then redistributed it as an infectious communal beat. As complete an improvisational journey as any in 3.0, these two songs point the way forward for Phish as they enter 2014.

Riding out “Waves” and “Twist,” it was three of their oldest songs: “Golgi,” “Bowie,” and “Possum” that would appropriately close out the strongest show Phish has played in all of 3.0. Not a wasted moment throughout. Full of innovative, assertive, and communicative playing, 12/29/2013 is not only a statement of how far Phish has come since 2009, it’s a statement of how much further they can go if they continue with this whole experiment.

How far Phish will go within the confines of 3.0 is undetermined. But if they can summon the drive, and the ability to match the brilliance of a show like 29 December 2013 again, we’re all the better for it.

——–

Thanks everyone for reading! Can’t wait to see where Phish takes us in 2014!

Photo Cred: 1 – 10/20 Hampton, VA – Dave Vann; 2 – 07/05 Saratoga Springs, NY – Dave Vann; 3 – 07/21 Chicago, IL – Dave Vann; 4 – 10/31 Atlantic City, NJ – Brantley Gutierrez; 5 – 07/14 Columbia, MD – Rene Huemer; 6 – 07/27 George, WA – Dave Vann; 7 – 08/30 Commerce City, CO – Dave Vann; 8 – 10/20 Hampton, VA – Dave Vann; 9 – 10/23 Glens Falls, NY – Dave Vann; 10 – 07/12 Wantagh, NY – Dave Vann; 11 – 08/02 San Francisco, CA – Dave Vann; 12 – 10/29 Reading, PA – Dave Vann; 13 – 11/01 Atlantic City, NJ – Dave Vann; 14 – 12/29 New York City, NY – Rene Huemer

Thanks to Phish.Net (www.phish.net) and The Mockingbird Foundation (www.mbird.org) for organizational assistance and sourcing of setlists!