Category: Flashback

Flashback: Phish Busts Out The Covers at MSG, December 30, 1997

One of the most influential years in the history of Phish couldn’t end without a stop at MSG, The World’s Most Famous Arena, and it was 1997 that would bring the band to new highs, including their first ever three-night headlining bill at The Garden.

Today marks the anniversary of the second night in this run, a show marked by one of the greatest bust outs in terms of show gap, a legendary “Harpua” with assistance from Tom Marshall, and a handful of fan favorite cover songs played alongside some of the traditional heavy hitters. In addition to all the clips seen below, the entire show can be streamed here.

1997 Holiday Run shirt design by Erin Cadigan via PhanArt

After a quick discussion, Phish casually greets the Garden crowd with one of the greater bust outs of all time. It’s merely the first “Sneakin’ Sally Through The Alley” in 920 shows, last played at Ian McLean’s party in Hebron, NY in 1989, a likely much more intimate gathering. After shaking off some of the early rust, Phish easily settles into a funk groove so reminiscent of this era, fueled by Trey Anastasio on guitar with Page McConnell eagerly aiding and abetting on the clav.

Instead of ramping up towards a (now) customary vocal jam, the funk jam slowly devolves and Anastasio adds some digital delay loops as the tone shifts towards a much more ambient feel before the opening guitar lick of “Taste” ensues. McConnell throws down some thunderous play on the baby grand piano before yielding the floor to Anastasio for a spellbinding crescendo of electric guitar.

Things cool off a bit with the relatively new “Water In The Sky” that follows, still in its early, slower tempo. But Anastasio puts a stop to that quickly at song’s end, starting up the familiar strumming that initiates “Punch You In The Eye” and a quick stop at Gamehendge.

“Punch” goes off without a hitch and after some brief high-intensity feedback, Anastasio seems to make the audible call for “Stash.” Aside from the opening funk produced in “Sally,” this provides the other real notable jam of the first set, a brooding, mesmerizing sequence that has some distinct touches of “evil” Phish. Drummer Jon Fishman continues to push the pace to an almost alarming rate before the reigns are pulled back in, somewhat quickly, and the song finishes rather meekly.

To rev things back up, Phish resorts to a reliable figure, “Chalkdust Torture.” Fishman and bassist Mike Gordon steer the collective ship more than ably as Anastasio reaches back and delivers one last scorching first set guitar solo that the Garden crowd visibly devours with delight.

The first set that opened with a bust out comes to an end with a cover, this time The Beatles’ “A Day In The Life,” with Page McConnell on lead vocals. Some more extended feedback from Phish ends the song in a flourish as MSG collectively shows their appreciation at the conclusion of a rather short opening set, one that barely lasted an hour.

Anyone who would complain about that fact, would soon be put in their place thanks to the giant second set and extended encore for which this show is best remembered. It all starts off with, arguably, one of the better “AC/DC Bag”s ever played. It starts out innocently enough, but soon shifts back into that sinister tone that was prevalent in the first set. In vintage Phish style, simple melodies are stretched out, reexamined and continually revisited until all four band members are firing in sync like gears in a well-oiled machine. Throw in some classic ’97 funk, more relentless guitar play from Anastasio, a sprinkling of Gordon-supplied bass bombs, “Pyscho Killer” and “Third Stone From The Sun” teases and, 25 minutes later, you’ve got the latest in a (now long) line of Phish gems mined at MSG.

After an opening number that took up almost half of the length of the first set, Phish wastes no time in bringing it back to Gamehendge for a well-received “McGrupp And The Watchful Hosemasters.” The band deftly makes its way through the composed section of this classic song before giving way to a brief but beautiful two-person duel between Trey and Page on their respective instruments before it comes to an end.

Afterwards, the familiar oom-pa-pa intro of the first ever “Harpua” at MSG rings out and the Phish crowd erupts with glee. They would have good reason to as this would be a special one, dubbed the “Pentagram Harpua” based on Trey’s “life changing” narration. The following sequence includes nothing less than a Lost In Space reference, a young Trey crafting a pentagram out of lunch boxed goods, and Tom Marshall joining the fray for a hilarious cover of The Proclaimers’ “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).”

Phish keeps the proverbial pedal down after all of this madness and launches right into some more classic rock, this time it’s Jimi Hendrix’s “Izabella,” a now revered cover selection that debuted only earlier this summer. Anastasio simply annihilates the guitar solo and MSG is nearly combustible at this point.

Seizing this opportunity, Phish then goes all in with a majestic “Harry Hood” to cap a special sequence of music. A mild glowstick war early on gives way to a “Hood” that’s anything but, with Mc Connell producing a bevy of dulcet tones on the electronic keyboard and the customary mesmerizing guitar solo from Anastasio. It’s as well executed a “Hood” as they come and, along with “AC/DC Bag,” serves as a more than willing co-anchor as far as second set exploratory jams go.

In fact, the normally euphoric outro jam eventually develops into a full-on blues one and instead of bringing “Hood” to an end, Phish slides right into another cover tune – “My Soul.” Steady bass play from Gordon provides the floor for another scorching guitar solo as the band romps effortlessly through another recently debuted favorite. This is followed up with a “Sleeping Monkey” that brings a little levity to the ending portion of the set. Trey then thanks the MSG crowd, promising one “last” song that turns out to be “Guyute,” one of the key tracks from the yet-to-be-released Story Of The Ghost.

Phish fan shirt from the 97 Holiday run via PhanArt

Tonight’s encore gets the 1997 New Year’s Eve celebration off to a rollicking start. Trey begins the encore noting the closeness to midnight and that the band may as well “play two New Year’s Eve shows.” Turns out he wasn’t kidding as Phish then proceeds to drop down one of the more legendary encores of their playing career. Things start off with yet another new number to live repertoire, “Carini,” which features a quick stand-in by the man himself, Phish crew member Pete Carini.

After those pleasantries are dispersed, Phish then immediately drops back into a molasses-thick funk jam that soon reveals itself to be “Black Eyed Katy.” Although not known at the time, this instrumental steeped in cow funk would be the last one ever played before lyrics were added and it would go on to live the rest of its days as “The Moma Dance.”

“Katy” then eventually turns back into “Sally” as Phish slyly segues back into it and revisits the bustout opener in the encore for another go ’round. And as if all this weren’t enough, “Frankenstein” replete with feedback galore, strobelight insanity and Jon Fishman on vacuum for good measure. When all is said and done, it’s a near 30-minute encore that wraps up one memorable New Year’s Run gig, or just another ho-hum Phish show at MSG depending on how you look at it.

Phish Madison Square Garden – New York, NY 12/30/97

Set 1: Sneakin’ Sally Through The Alley -> Taste, Water In The Sky > Punch You In The Eye > Stash, Chalkdust Torture, A Day In The Life

Set 2: AC/DC Bag > McGrupp And The Watchful Hosemasters, Harpua > I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) > Harpua > Izabella > Harry Hood -> My Soul > Sleeping Monkey > Guyute

E: Carini -> Black Eyed Katy -> Sneakin’ Sally Through The Alley > Frankenstein

December 30, 2021
On this day in 2002, Phish Perform “All of These Dreams” on the Late Show with David Letterman

The Ed Sullivan Theater played host to Phish on this day in 2002. The Vermont group performed “All Of These Dreams,” the ninth track on Round Room, on the Late Show with David Letterman.

The appearance on Letterman was the band’s sixth overall, starting in on December 30, 1994 with “Chalkdust Torture,” “Julius” on July 13, 1995, “Character Zero” on March 5, 1997, “Birds of a Feather” on October 27, 1998, “Heavy Things” on May 15, 2000, a multi-song performance on the Ed Sullivan Theater marquee on June 21, 2004, and “The Line” on June 25, 2014.

“All of These Dreams” has only been played 13 times total, not including this initial performance at the Ed Sullivan Theater, according to Phish.net. The song, written by Trey Anastasio, Tom Marshall and Scott Herman officially debuted in concert on January 3, 2003 in Hampton, VA. A rarity, the song has not been played live since October 26, 2020 in Manchester, NH.

The Phish.net song history reveals that “All of These Dreams,” as well as another Round Room track, “Anything But Me” emerged from the wake of a screaming fight between Trey and Tom during a songwriting session in a Philadelphia hotel room. According to Trey, the two tunes “express something that I usually am a little too shy to express,” though precisely what that is he leaves unsaid.

There is a place on the mountain nearby
Deep in a cave but it’s up rather high
There in the darkness are safely concealed
All of the dreams that you never revealed
And if you go there, and after you do
All of these dreams would be yours to pursue
The rest of your lifetime devoid of a care
If you keep your eyes open you may find yourself there
Such is the promise, such is the curse
You could just live your life better or worse
Knowing the cache of dreams up on that hill
Beckons and sways but won’t bend to your will
You might find a river under a mountain
That feeds a remote subterranean fountain
Drink from this, taste just a hint of a dream
That somehow leaked into the underground stream
“All of These Dreams” lyrics

December 19, 2021
A Holiday Classic: Darlene Love performs “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” on Late Show with David Letterman

From 1986 until 2014, David Letterman would close out his final show of the year with a Christmas episode that featured the one and only Darlene Love. Over the span of those 28 years, Love would perform her holiday hit “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” one of Letterman’s favorites.

The appearance found its origins after Letterman saw Love perform the song at the Bottom Line, in a show called Leader of the Pack. He immediately had to have her on the show. Love told Variety in 2014:

He had David [were] down to see the show. [Letterman] said, “You know that song that girl sings? That Christmas song? That’s the greatest Christmas song I’ve ever heard. We need to get her on the show.” That was 1986, and so I’ve been doing it ever since.

The tradition spanned two networks over nearly three decades, appearing from 1986 until 1993 on Late Night with David Letterman, and later on the Late Show with David Letterman when Letterman joined CBS.

The song was originally recorded for the 1963 Phil Spector album A Christmas Gift for You, and while Love performed the song on Letterman’s shows, she told the New York Times in 2014 that she will not sing it for any other TV talk-show hosts moving forward.

For her final performance, the Late Show paid tribute to Darlene Love. Following her brief interview with Dave, the stage filled in with additional musician, including string and horn sections and several backup singers. These singers would not overshadow Love’s powerful voice, and sang her final last verse from the top of Paul Shaffer’s piano, with fake snow falling around her.

Recently, an animated version of “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” has been released through Legacy Recordings. The short video follows a young Black girl as she walks home through a snowy neighborhood, accompanied by a happy snowman. Along the way, she stops to admire a Christmas tree and runs into her dog, who is singing along with a pair of carolers. The girl and her dog arrive home, where they are lovingly greeted by her parents. As the video nears its end, the girl opens up one of her presents to find a snow globe with the smiling snowman inside.

At the end of the music video, Love posted a message paying tribute to her late sister, Edna Wright Perry, who sang backing vocals on the track.

Featured on the show prior to Love’s show-stopping performance, Letterman annually welcomed comedian Jay Thomas, to share, as Letterman put it, “the best story I’ve ever heard.” Thomas would then launch into his true story about an encounter with Clayton Moore, the actor famous for playing The Lone Ranger. For 17 years starting in 1992, Thomas would come on the show and deliver the joke, much to Letterman and the audience’s approval. Watch the story unfold over the years.

After Thomas delivered the punchline, he and Letterman would alternate throwing a football at the meatball on top of the Late Show Christmas tree. To wrap up the show, Darlene Love would come out for “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” and send the show into the night.

December 18, 2021
Phish Goes Under the Covers in Albany: November 25, 1998

Fresh off the heels of another legendary Halloween performance in Vegas and two iconic shows in Hampton, Phish rolled into Albany for the second to last stop on their legendary Fall 1998 tour. It sees the band at the height of its powers, mixing in new, fresh material to go alongside a bevvy of cover songs that have been unearthed this year. With a rare one-night only appearance in Albany, Phish lets it all hang out in a show that often gets overlooked, but certainly shouldn’t be.

Tonight’s festivities begin with the signature guitar intro to “Punch You In The Eye,” which receives a giant roar of approval from the Pepsi Center. Page McConnell shines early with some stellar runs on both the electric keys and grand piano as the Gamehendge-adjacent number revs up an already rabid arena even further. At its conclusion, another familiar guitar riff emerges. This time it’s the bluesy intro to “My Soul,” a cover song Phish first started injecting into their live shows the year before. McConnell again dazzles with a ferocious piano solo before handing off to Trey Anastasio who returns the favor in kind and then some on guitar. Phish then eases off the gas pedal a bit with another new number, “Roggae,” one of the tracks from The Story Of The Ghost which was released just last month.

The musical setting then shifts back to Gamehendge with “AC/DC Bag.” Anastasio again takes the reigns on a patiently developing jam that gets plenty of noticeable assistance from Mike Gordon on bass and drives the crowd into a certified frenzy by the end. McConnell has a little fun on piano as well, stretching out the ending until Phish changes lanes once more and jumps into the increasingly rare “Lifeboy.”

Phish in Albany 1989-1995

Afterwards, Jon Fishman’s familiar hi-hat drumming signals the introduction to “David Bowie,” which is stretched out and teased beautifully before being cleared for launch. Phish then absolutely obliterates the song’s composed section, playing at a near manic pace, before embarking on a jam that serves as one of the show’s true highlights. It’s patiently crafted, with Anastasio and McConnell parrying back and forth early and often. As the jam continues to build in intensity, Phish does the same with the ending, stretching it out for all its worth to complete a 19-minute journey that blows the roof off the Albany arena.

Few would complain if the first set ended right there, but instead the band throws out one more change of pace pairing. Trey jumps on acoustic guitar for only the sixth ever “Sleep,” a song first debuted earlier this tour, and “Driver,” both songs that would be included on the band’s forthcoming 2000 release Farmhouse. To cap things off, Phish throws in a cover of Led Zepelin’s “Good Times, Bad Times,” with another incendiary guitar solo from Anastasio escorting the Albany faithful to set break.

Phish In Albany: 1997-2000

After a little spacey ambiance, another familiar Fishman drum beat starts up set two. This time it’s “Also Sprach Zarathustra,” aka the theme to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Again, Phish takes their time in slowly building up the song’s introduction, going well past five minutes before the first signature guitar lick rings out. The jam that ensues is flavored by some tremendous Mike Gordon bass play before coming to a rousing finish. “Golgi Apparatus” serves as another throwback song to the days of yore and goes off without a hitch before they get into another jam vehicle, this time a cover of The Who’s “Drowned.”

As another whirlwind musical excursion slowly comes to an end, Anastasio quietly starts the beginning of “Prince Caspian” and the rest of the band quickly follows along. After another stout feedback-heavy guitar solo, the music comes to a crawl and then “Piper” emerges, with it’s now “classic” slow build which fits in perfectly with the show tonight. The slow build yields another manic jam, with McConnell furiously pounding away on the baby grand piano. With the Albany crowd once again supercharged, Phish then drops a “You Enjoy Myself” on them in what’s already a full second set of music.

Phish In Albany: 2003-2009

The closing sequence for this show is straight out of 1998 and not one to be duplicated anytime soon. As “YEM” and its customarily eerie vocal jam concludes, instead of taking a bow, Phish bursts into “Been Caught Stealing,” the Jane’s Addiction song that made its debut earlier in year during the “Summer of Covers.” Until a certified bust out at Walnut Creek in 2011, this was the last one played. A rip roaring “Llama” then closes out the second set in fine fashion. For the encore, Phish breaks out yet another cover selection, this time its The Beatles’ “Something,” penned by George Harrison and covered by Phish only on this Fall 1998 tour. To date, it’s the last time it’s ever been performed. “Guyute,” another pick from the recently released Ghost, follows this before an a capella “Free Bird,” as only Phish can do, closes out yet another sterling Albany gig.

Listen to show at PhishTracks or see complete audio recording below.

Phish Pepsi Center – Albany, NY 11/25/98

Set 1: Punch You In The Eye > My Soul, Roggae, AC/DC Bag > Lifeboy, David Bowie, Sleep, Driver, Good Times Bad Times

Set 2: Also Sprach Zarathustra > Golgi Apparatus, Drowned->Prince Caspian > Piper, You Enjoy Myself, Been Caught Stealing > Llama

Encore: Something > Guyute, Free Bird

November 25, 2021
Dead and Friends Dazzle In Rochester: November 20, 1970

The Grateful Dead’s first ever show in Rochester saw them bring a few friends along for the ride. Members of Jefferson Airplane joined them to cap off a mesmerizing night of music at The Palestra at University of Rochester. The late night gig allowed their fellow Californians, who played earlier that night at the War Memorial, a chance to get in on the fun. Jorma Kaukonen, and later Jack Casady, took full advantage, adding their unique styles to the psychedelic stew that serves as the second set. And the first one is essentially an entire Grateful Dead show crammed into a singular set, featuring more than 20 songs. All of this adds up to a simply unreachable bar for all future Dead shows in Rochester to reach.

The show starts off innocently enough with a leisurely run through of “Cold Rain And Snow” whose ending is unfortunately cut off in the recording. “Me And My Uncle” then picks things up a bit, sung ably as always by guitarist Bob Weir. An attuned Pigpen even adds some inspired fills on the organ as the song progresses. This paves the way for him to take center stage and lead the band through a blues cover of “Next Time You See Me” that has the Palestra now fully engaged. Things then get decidedly more psychedelic, starting with a “China Cat Sunflower” that’s accentuated with an early, effortless guitar solo from Jerry Garcia that hits home. A rapid, near chaotic, jam then transpires before a silky smooth landing into “I Know You Rider” as the Dead show off one of their signature song pairings to the Rochester crowd’s delight.

The Dead follow this up with a smoking take of “Sugar Magnolia,” a still relatively new song in their live repertoire at the time. Another furious Garcia solo and the drumming duo of Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart fuel this one. The pace then slows back down again with the folksy pairing of “Friend Of The Devil” and “Mama Tried,” led by Garcia and Weir on vocals, respectively. An interesting little percussive jam then introduces “Good Lovin’” and the Dead are off and running again. Their cover of The Rascals’ hit song immediately goes deep, as the percussive vibe returns in a big way with a near immediate drum solo that doesn’t let up for several moments. It’s essentially the “Drums” portion of the show thrown right in the middle of “Good Lovin’.” Garcia eventually leads the rest of the band back into the fray and then he takes his turn exploring every aspect of the song in a jam that stretches out well past 20 minutes – a Type II “Good Lovin’” if there ever was one.

The Palestra at University of Rochester

A rowdy “Cumberland Blues” follows this, with the Palestra crowd clapping along joyously before an emotional and well harmonized “Candyman” that settles things back down once more. The first ever performance of “Truckin’” in Upstate New York comes next, as the Dead show off another new tune that will go on to become a classic. Although it doesn’t beget much of an extended jam, there’s some fun musical interplay between Garcia and Pigpen before another manic drum-heavy section that signals the beginning of “The Other One.” However, after an extended opening sequence, it’s a shortened “Other One” as the band quickly shifts gears and jumps into “Saint Stephen” after just one verse. Before “Stephen” is even finished, a noticeable “Not Fade Away”-like drum beat picks up, so it’s no surprise that they launch into that next. This kickstarts a truly vintage “Not Fade Away” > “Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad” > “Not Fade Away” sequence that has both the Dead and the Rochester crowd fully engaged.

As if that weren’t enough already, the set goes on afterwards as a bluesy shuffle starts up, clearing the path for Pigpen, with harmonica in tow, to take center stage once more for “King Bee.” The marathon set then finally comes to a close with a rousing “Casey Jones.” The Dead are then able to get their comrades from Jefferson Airplane out for a second set that’s short on songs but long on blues-infused psychedelic improv. It begins with a cover of “All Over Now,” a song popularized by The Rolling Stones. Jorma Kaukonen, who plays the entire set, steps right up and delivers a jaw dropping guitar solo with what sounds like Garcia on the pedal steel guitar and Weir belting out the vocals. A fun, short little “tuning” jam takes place afterwards before they jump into another cover, this time a ripping take Chuck Berry’s “Around & Around.”

Then the band just jams out for a while, with Koukanen and Garcia playfully trading guitar riffs back and forth. The rhythm section is locked in and it makes for one of the more enjoyable portions of this show as the West Coast-based musicians deliver their brand of psychedelic rock to an eager East Coast auditorium. It’s also probably one of the reasons that this sit-in has been dubbed one of the ten best ever with The Grateful Dead, per Rolling Stone.

As the jam progresses, Jack Casady joins in on bass as the music begins to take some structure. The group then goes through two verses of “Darling Corey,” a traditional song that Pete Seeger, among others, have recorded. This is just quick thought though, as the structure quickly devolves and soon dies out completely. After some extended tuning, the ensemble launches into another extended jam, now with dueling basses to go along with three guitars. They bounce and move from one loose melody to another, never stopping for too long. At one point, a jam reminiscent of a souped up “Cumberland Blues” seems to take place. “Uncle John’s Band” then closes out a lengthy night of Grateful Dead in Rochester, highlighted by a monumental sit-in from members of Jefferson Airplane.

View this and more Grateful Dead shows from across the years in New York State with our interactive map below!

Grateful Dead The Palestra at University of Rochester – Rochester, NY 11/20/70

Set 1: Cold Rain And Snow , Me And My Uncle, Next Time You See Me, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Sugar Magnolia, Friend Of The Devil, Mama Tried, Good Lovin’ > Drums > Good Lovin’, Cumberland Blues, Candyman, Truckin’ > The Other One > Saint Stephen > Not Fade Away > Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad > Not Fade Away > I’m A King Bee, Casey Jones

Set 2: It’s All Over Now, Instrumental > Spring Song Tuning > Around And Around, Jam > Darling Corey > Jam > Tuning > Space Jam, Uncle John’s Band

November 20, 2021
20 Years Later: Oysterhead Plays The Utica Memorial Auditorium

Hey Uticats, Police, Primus, and Phish fans, do you remember when Oysterhead played the Utica Memorial Auditorium on November 9, 2001? It was Stewart Copeland and Les Claypool’s first time in Utica. Trey Anastasio’s first of four musical projects debuted in the Mohawk River city at the base of the Adirondacks.

If you recorded the HBO show Reverb ,you’ll have a VHS tape of Oysterhead’s inaugural tour footage from Los Angeles’s Palladium to New York City’s Roseland Ballroom during its Fall 2001 episode. Their last television performance would be from NBC studios in NYC for on Late Night with Conan O’Brien.

Ironic collaboration considering the trios background during the 1980’s. Stewart Copeland went from playing the Fire Barn Club across from Syracuse City Hall with his band “The Police” to selling out the Carrier Dome a year later at Syracuse University & various other arenas across the world during the decade.

Les Claypool was in California during the 1980’s auditioning for Metallica’s vacant bassist slot at the time. He was also brainstorming with drummer Jay Lane and guitarist Larry LaLonde about a new project called Primus.

In 1983, we know that Trey Anastasio just hooked up with Syracuse native drummer Jon Fishman at University of Vermont to form their new group appropriately named Phish.

The only collision was during Fall Tour 1996 when Les Claypool and his band Primus sat in with Phish for “Wildwood Weed Harpua” in Las Vegas. Phish covered “So Lonely”by the Police in November 1998. That’s all we knew. These artists were certainly castaways at sea during the 1980’s while The Police’s “Roxanne” dominated the air waves.

It all started in New Orleans by “Superfly” during Jazz Fest who curate random musicians to play the late night gig. Les was called on by Superfly with the intention “of musicians to get other interesting musicians to play a night club after Jazz Fest” Claypool called up Trey and Stewart from always wanting to work with them. It was that simple. Although Trey told HBO’s Reverb of the trios seed while the pearls were jamming

I get these glimpses of potential and chemistry between the three of us. First time we got together we did a jam in my barn and I thought it was incredible. Then we did the Strand Theater show and I thought it kind of sucked. But then Stewart sent me the good moments of the show and those motivated me…We got to do another album, We got to tour Japan.
Trey Anastasio

Trey told The New Yorker in Fall of 2015 the hilarity of the trio snowshoeing through Vermont to the surprise of locals who recognized the formation. “Could you imagine walking through the snowy woods and seeing me Les and Stewart on the trail?” They didn’t make it to Japan but they made their way to Utica, New York’s Memorial Auditorium for their 14th show of a national 22 tour date support of their only album The Grand Pecking Order.

The Oysterhead trio’s distinct backgrounds came to light in Utica when Les addressed a sign from the GA crowd in bold magic marker titled “Les is Evil.” Claypool told the New York audience during Rubberneck Lions:

I’m looking directly at a bright red sign that says Les is Evil. I don’t know if that’s a fair thing to say. Are you saying in comparison to Mr. Happy Pants Trey Anipasta that I’m the evil one? Is what your saying? Because in the grand scheme of things compared to Marilyn Manson or GG Allin… I’m not very evil. In this situation if were looking at Trey Anastasio as the symbol of good than yes i am a symbol of evil. But not so much evil like ah Satan or Vlad the Impaler. More like Evil Kanevil… If there was a Harley Davidson sportster in this room and four trucks…I would jump those sons of bitches for you all
Les Claypool

Les Claypool & Trey Anastasio traded vocals all evening, with the 2001 anthem “Army’s on Ecstasy” resonating with the fall crowd. The Army’s on ecstasy so they say, I read all about it in USA Today. During “Shadow of Man,” Les appeared from the darkened hockey rink stage with a pair of extended eye balls attached to a LED space helmet portraying psychedelic illuminations toward the performance.

Trey used Jimmy Page like theremin signals from his antler-adorned custom Languedoc guitar, flickering sounds from the edge of his palm to the Upstate crowd. His acoustic Martin was pulled out for the twangy tune “Birthday Boys,” a tun that Claypool referenced in Colorado in February 2020, that the song is about four things. “Vegas, a penis, some cocaine and pair of breasts.” Trey added “it’s also about Kid Rock who was there with Les and I… the birthday boys”

Stewart Copeland emerged from behind his hanging percussion kit adjacent to the drum rig for all the bells and whistles of sound. He even got on vocals asking the clergy to “Wield the Spade.” After funking out on “Mr. Oysterhead” to close the night, the trio paid homage to the most Viking-like rock acts to grace the Americas, as Les Claypool took on Robert Plant’s howling for a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” for the encore.

Oysterhead flew full circle to the Northeast this past July 4 at the Peach Music Festival on Montage Mountain. It marked the bands first headlining festival gig since the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Summer of 2006. They are set to headline the Sweet Water 420 fest in Georgia with Trey Anastasio Band in 2021.

Les Claypool returned to Utica just once in 2019 to the Saranac Brewery as part of The Lennon Claypool Delirium show. Attendees in the Utica crowd that night were fellow bassist Krist Novoselic from Nirvana and Rochester harpist Mikaela Davis. In November 2005 Trey returned to the Aud with Tony Hall on bass as changing cast of the Trey Anastasio Band during the Phish hiatus. The 11/11 nights special guests included Jon Fishman and Mike Gordon with the exception of Page McConnell. On Phish Fall Tour 2010 the Vermont quartet culminated their concert film Guyutica on DVD upon return to the Utica Memorial Auditorium, There is something about those Upstate, NY hockey arena stages that just rock.

God Damn, Playing in this Hockey Arena rink shit is fun
Les Claypool, Utica

Oysterhead, Friday 11/09/2001 Memorial Auditorium: Utica, NY

Set: Oz is Ever Floating, Rubberneck Lions, Little Faces—>Hello Skinny—>Army’s on Ecstasy, Radon Balloon, Pseudo Suicide, Shadow of a Man, Wield the Spade, Birthday Boys*, Mr Oysterhead

Encore: Immigrant Song**

*acoustic
**Led Zeppelin Cover

November 9, 2021
Revisit Derek and the Dominos ‘Live at The Fillmore East’: October 23 & 24, 1970
This weekend marks the anniversary of some of the greatest music ever performed by Derek and the Dominos, which happened to take place at the iconic Fillmore East in New York City. Although the band does have one studio album to their credit, Live At The FIllmore East may be their crowning achievement in terms of audio recordings.

This is an incredibly easy to listen to album, one that combines original Dominos songs and Eric Clapton tunes with a splash of cover songs mixed throughout. Derek and the Dominos was a band that, essentially, came together during the recording of George Harrison’s first solo album All Things Must Pass. And while their shelf life may have been short, thanks to this album their legacy will live on forever in a very positive way.

The band wastes no time getting into an immediate early groove for the album-opening “Got To Get Better In A Little While.” A song that was planned for the band’s second studio album that never came to fruition, it features Clapton and Bobby Whitlock going riff for riff on guitar and piano, respectively, in a tasteful jam that stretches out to nearly 14 minutes in length. Whitlock adds some nice vocal harmonies as well as the chorus rounds back into place with the music picking up a collective head of steam.

This first track was pulled from the opening night of music on October 23. Here’s a taste of the October 24 version that didn’t make the album cut.

For the next number, this time drummer Jim Gordon and Whitlock kick things off on “Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad?” Eventually, Clapton gets his guitar’s wah pedal going in full force and a crisp little jam ensues before the first word is ever sung. This is the first of many songs pulled from the group’s epic Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs album that would be released just weeks later. Co-written by Clapton and Whitlock, who again adds some impeccable backup vocals, it’s another one of the longer tracks on the album thanks to a whirlwind jam that never lets off the gas pedal, ably fueled by Carl Radle on bass. After coming a to head, the band shifts the tone into a much quieter, bluesy one for several minutes before the chorus comes back around one last time. The Fillmore crowd demonstrably shows their appreciation to the Dominos after this one.

This helps set the tone for “Key To The Highway,” a cover of an old blues standard that dates back to the 1940s. Clapton takes center stage and shows why he’s considered one of the great blues players of this generation, delivering one stinging guitar lick after another. Another Layla song, this one made it onto the album by pure happenstance. Allegedly Clapton and Duane Allman, who was prominently involved with the album’s studio recording – playing on 11 of the 14 tracks, heard the song being played in a neighboring studio and decided to play along to it. “Blues Power” slides in perfectly behind this, a song that appears on Clapton’s first solo album that Leon Russell helped write. These last two blues-heavy numbers are both taken from the October 24 recording.

The first of this two-disc releases out first with “Have You Ever Loved A Woman,” another blues cover that found its way onto Layla. This one is even slower and “bluesier,” if that’s possible, with the tempo never going past a slow shuffle. Clapton lets both his vocals and guitar do all the singing on this one while Whitlock adds some delicate piano fills throughout. Then “Bottle Of Red Wine” wraps up the first part of the album, another rollicking, blues-infused song that Clapton navigates with ease, with Whitlock jumping on the organ for assistance now.

The second half of this iconic albums begins with “Tell The Truth,” another Clapton-Whitlock collaboration pulled from Layla. The two essentially share lead vocals on this fun little number that ebbs and flows with emotion and soul. Once the vocals are out of the way, Clapton reverts back to rock legend mode and lays down a tremendous solo, spearheading one of the longer jams of the album. Up next is another sterling cover of a blues standard. This time it’s “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out,” originally written by pianist Jimmie Cox in 1923. Clapton’s bluesy drawl is backed perfectly by Whitlock and Gordon on piano and drums, respectively.

The Dominos then return to their own catalog with “Roll It Over.” While it wasn’t on the original Layla release, it did make its way on to the 40th Anniversary Deluxe reissue. It’s a classic rock number the sees Clapton explore a few different tones in his guitar play during a steadily progressive jam. The Fillmore crowd immediately recognizes the next song as “Presence Of The Lord,” made famous by one of Clapton’s former bands, Traffic. It’s the only Traffic tune on the album, but the Dominos do it justice as a mellow, laid back composed section gives way to a rapid, intense sequence of music before reverting back.

The final three tracks of Derek and the Dominos: Live At The Fillmore may be one of the best three-song sequences of the album, and, naturally it contains a pair of incredible covers. The first of these is Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing.” Whitlock’s organ fills give this cover more than a soulful feel as both he and Clapton take care of the vocals with ease. Not one to be outdone, Clapton then delivers a few bars of a psychedelic guitar solo that serves a truly fitting homage to the great Hendrix who passed away barely a month before this performance in 1970.

This jaw dropping cover is followed by what very well may be the best track on the album, a scintillating and exploratory “Let It Rain.” It’s the last of three singles from Clapton’s solo album and the Dominos stretch this one out and then some. Clapton and Whitlock go tit-for-tat with each screaming out, “Let It Rain” in succession towards the end of the composed section. Afterwards, all hell breaks lose starting with one more mesmerizing run by Clapton on the fretboard as the rhythm section just tries to keep up. Eventually, Clapton switches from wailing guitar mode to a heavy, funked out “wah” effect, taking the jam to another level. This eventually gives way to a Jim Gordon drum solo that goes on for well more than four minutes before the guitar finally reenters the mix. After a few more minutes of some fun Gordon and Clapton call and response interplay, the band explodes back in the chorus emphatically. It’s by far the longest track on the album, and arguably the most enjoyable as the “beautiful” Fillmore crowd (so labeled by Clapton at song’s end) would surely attest.

The album then closes with the last cover song of the evening made famous by another one of Slowhand’s former bands. This time it’s the great Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads,” although, in fitting with the tone of the album, it’s a much slower and soulful take than the version Cream made famous. It allows for one last great Clapton guitar solo which ends the album in grand fashion and serves as the last reminder of one memorable two-night run by Derek and the Dominos at the Fillmore that took place, truly, at the height of their powers.

This album is available to listen in its entirety on Youtube here. Also, be sure to check out the video below of all the great songs and outtakes that didn’t quite make the final cut.

Derek and the Dominos Live at the Fillmore East – New York, NY October 23 & 24

Disc 1
1. Got To Get Better In A Little While
2. Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad
3. Key To The Highway
4. Blues Power
5. Have You Ever Loved A Woman
6. Bottle Of Red Wine
Disc 2
1. Tell The Truth
2. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out
3. Roll It Over
4. Presence Of The Lord
5. Little Wing
6. Let It Rain
7. Crossroads
October 23, 2021
Phish Opens Fall Tour, Honors ‘Billy Breathes’ in Lake Placid: October 16, 1996
With the Clifford Ball and their first massive festival now in the rearview mirror, Phish began their fall tour just two months later in Lake Placid, NY. Conveniently, the tour opener was scheduled for the day after the release of Billy Breathes, their sixth studio album which was recorded in Bearsville, NY earlier in the year.

This show would seem to serve as a celebration of that, with a whopping nine songs pulled from it for duty this evening. Combined with the usual tour opening gaffs, it doesn’t make for the most free-flowing of shows in the world, but certainly offers more than a good glimpse of Phish at a time when they are skyrocketing in popularity while still trying to find ways to innovate and explore new musical paths. After two acclaimed shows at the Olympic Center last year, Phish would return for their third and final show at Lake Placid to date.

Accordingly, the show begins with the first of many selections from Billy Breathes in “Cars Trucks Buses.” A feisty Page McConnell piano solo highlights this one and gets a serious round of applause from the Lake Placid crowd. This immediately gives way to the familiar ambient noise and iconic bass lick opening of “Down With Disease.” Trey flubs a few of the early lyrics but still manages to nail his signature guitar riff before the band is off and running with a first set jam that stalls early before picking up speed instantly and coming to rousing climax.
Fall Tour “Cars Trucks Buses” shirt courtesy of Warren Baker via PhanArt
After a standard run through of “Wilson,” Jon Fishman cranks up the percussive intro to “Buried Alive” which yields another hearty Anastasio guitar solo. The tempo goes up even another notch with the juiced up “Poor Heart” that follows and is played to perfection. Then it’s back to the Billy Breathes catalog with album’s title track, which was also played in soundcheck before the show. McConnell, Anastasio and bassist Mike Gordon nail the complex vocal harmonies before going into the instrumental section that doesn’t stray too far from the studio version.

Fall tour postcard via PhanArt

“Mound” and “Sample In A Jar,” two traditional first set building blocks, are each played with precision, with the latter garnering another giant round of applause from the Lake Placid faithful. In addition to “Mound,” the rest of the first set is peppered with more cuts from Phish’s acclaimed Rift album like “It’s Ice,” which has a little trouble on the dismount, and the traditional “The Horse” and “Silent In The Morning” pairing. The “I think that this exact thing happened to me just last year” lyric in “Morning” is especially apt here, with two Phish shows occurring at this very same venue just eleven months ago, technically last year. And as it tends to do, “Character Zero” closes out the first set with its customary panache.

Tonight’s second set begins with “Wolfman’s Brother” which produces another mild jam that doesn’t veer too far. This is succeeded by “Taste,” another Billy Breathes tune that goes a little deeper and features some wonderfully dissonant guitar phrasing from Trey. Things then slow down tremendously as Mike Gordon leads the band through his contribution to the new album, “Train Song,” only the fifth one ever performed at this point.

Lake Placis fan poster, image courtesy Warren Baker

Phish then revs the Lake Placid engine back up with the opening licks to “Simple.” This features, by far, the most exploratory improvisation of the night with another jam that has good intentions but never seems to really lift off the ground. An extended ambient-sounding section soon gives way to heavy drum and bass with Anastasio feverishly working his guitar’s funky “wah” tone. Meanwhile, Page is rotating between organ fills and pounding on the piano before Trey jumps on his percussion kit that was on stage these days. As the lone extended jam of the evening, it failed to strike a chord with at least one attendee this evening.

That Simple is by far the most interesting song of the night, foreshadowing that it will be one of the top-tier jam vehicles for the rest of the year. But a large span of its 16 minutes are spent with Trey on his percussion kit, with Page switching between organ and piano to try to keep it afloat, unconvincingly. It’s an example of the mini-kit as momentum-killer, and more broadly, of Trey’s well-meaning but wrong-footed attempt at forcing band democracy.
Rob Mitchum

Phish then goes back to the Billy Breathes playbook in a big way with the three songs that follow, starting with the first ever performances of “Swept Away” and “Steep.” Both go off without a hitch and at the explosive end of “Steep,” the opening chords of “Prince Caspian” immediately begin. McConnell leads the way on this one with some thunderous play on piano early before it winds down. “Run Like An Antelope” then rears its head, much to the delight of the crowd, starting a vintage show-closing sequence. The band takes their time with this one and delivers a mesmerizingly dark jam that gradually gains intensity and a slew of audio effects before peaking.

“The Squirming Coil” has a few rough edges as well but is bailed out by its customary delightful piano solo ending from McConnell. And in a show full of original material, some of it brand new, Phish does throw one cover into the mix with a ferocious take on Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode.” This allows one last chance for Trey to lay down another few blistering runs on the fretboard and he takes full advantage. The encore for this evening should come as no surprise. It’s “Waste,” the ninth and final selection from Billy Breathes for the evening. With the tour opener now under their belt, Phish would then travel to Pennsylvania for two gigs before returning to Upstate New York in Buffalo for a show at Marine Midland Arena three days later.

You can listen to this 25th anniversary show at Relisten or Phishtracks.

Phish Olympic Center – Lake Placid, NY 10/16/96

Set 1: Cars Trucks Buses, Down With Disease, Wilson > Buried Alive > Poor Heart, Billy Breathes, Mound > Sample In A Jar, It’s Ice, The Horse > Silent In The Morning, Character Zero

Set 2: Wolfman’s Brother, Taste, Train Song, Simple > Swept Away > Steep > Prince Caspian, The Squirming Coil, Johnny B. Goode

E: Waste
October 16, 2021
The Grateful Dead Turn up the Heat at Colden Auditorium in Queens: October 10, 1970

For as many shows in New York that the Grateful Dead have played, it’s almost amazing that there are only three of them that took place in Queens. Today marks the anniversary of the third and final one. The Grateful Dead treated a ravenous crowd at Colden Auditorium on the campus of Queens College to a show featuring songs from, perhaps, two of their most iconic albums of all time. In just a few weeks, the band would release American Beauty, taking them to an entire new level of national popularity. And with Workingman’s Dead still fresh from earlier in the year, this shows falls in a time period where the band is simply rife with creativity as they continue to from their own unique version of country-folk blended with West Coast psychedelia.

Colden Auditorum

It begins with some extended tuning, during which guitarist Bob Weir tells the crowd that “Marmaduke stayed home,” a reference to their friend from New Riders of the Purple Sage – a band that often tagged along with the Dead for New York City shows. Weir chides that, “This is the economy package.” Elements of “Truckin’” and “Deep Elem Blues” can be heard in the pre show fine-tuning and that’s exactly how the show begins. Weir leads the band on vocals for the Dead’s brand new hit “Truckin’,” a song only months old at the time. Then, after some lighting and monitor directions, Jerry Garcia takes over for a modern take on a traditional blues tune, “Deep Elem Blues.” Weir throws in some well placed harmonies at song’s end before the Dead hand the proverbial baton off to Pigpen for a typically rousing cover of Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle.” Pig’s bluesy vocal efforts bookend a winding, exploratory jam spearheaded by Garcia on guitar.

This opening sequence of Grateful Dead music has the Colden Auditorium crowd clamoring for more. The band responds in kind with “Sugar Magnolia,” another eventual classic still very much in its early stages. This is the ninth one ever performed. Garcia has the wah-effect in full gear for this one as the band rips into another brief, explosive jam after Weir deftly navigates the lyrics. The “Candyman” that follows may slow the tempo down a bit, but still serves as a first set highlight anyway with a sublime and harrowing Garcia guitar solo placed between more delicate vocal harmonies.

This clears the way for a dynamic closing sequence to the opening set, starting with “Cryptical Envelopment,” which gets an instant vote of approval from the crowd. At its conclusion, a “Drums” immediately emerges, shining the spotlight on drummers Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart who take the rapt audience on a percussive ride, in the first set no less. This immediately segues into the explosive opening of “The Other One,” with all of Colden Auditorium now clapping along in time earnestly. It winds up producing perhaps the best jam of the evening, a searing, psychedelic journey that varies in intensity before rounding back into form. The opening set then closes with another rousing cover, this time Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away.” The jam briefly dips its toe into “Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad” but no lyrics are actually sung before “Not Fade Away” resumes and caps off a whirlwind ending sequence that would later finds its place closing out second sets instead.

The Dead’s second set at Colden Auditorium, after a false start of sorts, resumes with “Casey Jones,” along with more full-fledged audience participation via clapping. They follow this with a familiar cover of “Cold Rain and Snow” that gets considerable support from Pigpen on organ and Phil Lesh on bass. Bob Weir then resumes vocal lead for the dark, country western-themed “Me And My Uncle.”

Unfortunately, there’s a significant gap in the recording due to a tape flip issue that cuts out the portion of the second set that follows. And it’s likely another one of the more memorable parts of the show as it features “Good Lovin’,” sung with natural flair from Pigpen as always, sandwiching yet another “Drums” sequence that surely went deeper than its first set predecessor.

The recording picks up at the tail end of the “Cumberland Blues” that follows all of this. One last pre-song tuning session finally gives way to “Uncle John’s Band,” the last song of the evening. It’s fitting selection to end with another cut from their iconic Workingman’s Dead album as they, and the world, prepare themselves for the American Beauty era.

View this show and more Grateful Dead shows from across the years in New York State with our interactive map below!

Grateful Dead – Colden Auditorium – Queens, NY 10/10/70

Set 1: Truckin’, Deep Elem Blues, Hard To Handle, Sugar Magnolia, Candyman, Cryptical Envelopment-> Drums-> The Other One-> Not Fade Away-> Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad-> Not Fade Away

Set 2: Casey Jones, Cold Rain & Snow, Me & My Uncle, Good Lovin’-> Drums-> Good Lovin’, Minglewood Blues, Cumberland Blues, Uncle John’s Band

October 10, 2021
Flashback: Phish play the Gymnasium at Skidmore College on this day in 1990

On October 5, 1990, Phish performed at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, an overlooked show that was part of the group’s formative years as they hit college markets across the Northeast. The Skidmore Gymnasium, today a part of the Williamson Sports Center, served as the venue for this all-ages show, which was part of Skidmore’s Oktoberfest Weekend.

The numbered tickets for the show read “Oktoberfest Weekend 1990 Continues!! The Class of 1991 Presents: Phish In Concert with Conjunction Junction,” and cost $10. For $15, you could also see NRBQ perform the next day, along with Projectile of Love, all part of the same week-long event. The fall Friday afternoon brought college students and their friends to Upstate New York for the show.

Phish was slowly making their way out of Vermont and into New York State, stopping in Saratoga Springs for the first time in March of 1990 to play at Aikos, then located on Caroline Street. For those in the know, and perhaps those who caught Phish at Pauly’s Hotel in May 1989, it was becoming obvious that Phish was a band whose reputation was building fast. By the fall, they had begun to play college gyms around the Northeast. And for the crowd of 300 or so fans, they had plenty of room to move around, but still had to deal with the gym getting warm due to to heaters in gym being on – you can hear calls for air conditioning that can be heard after “Stash.”

The door on the right was the main entrance to the show – photo by Mike Hogan

photo by Mike Hogan

While the show doesn’t spark much discussion or replay, there are a few notable aspects to the show. The opener “I Didn’t Know” jumps out as a random opener, but the song would open sets as early as 1988, sometims with Fishman on trombone instead of vacuum. If you were ever looking for the lyrics to “I Am Hydrogen”, the line “I walk awakening on the misty fields of forever” is included in the intro, while both “Ya Mar” and “Alumni Blues” each have extended guitar intros. One lucky fan who was calling the Phish hotline all summer, asking them to play “The Curtain” at Skidmore was rewarded for their persistence.

courtesy of Skidmore College archives

courtesy of Skidmore College archives

courtesy of Skidmore College archives

courtesy of Skidmore College archives

Mike Hogan attended the show, and shares his recollections of the night:

It was a beautiful fall afternoon and some of my friends traveled from various parts of New England to come see the show with me in Saratoga at Skidmore college. The show opened with an oddly placed “I Didn’t Know,” followed by a lively “Mike’s Song/Weekapaug” with the additional lyrics as I always thought they were, ”I walk awakening in the misty fields of Rather,” although the show notes say otherwise. Other highlights included “Fee” and “The Asse Festival” and “Possum.”

Looking back on the setlist, a very solid show that I’ve always enjoyed listening to. A few years back, Kevin Shapiro (Phish archivist) had asked me about this show. He had Trey’s date book and all that was written in it was Saratoga. It had no sense of the venue or setlist. I was able to provide him a bootleg copy.

One final thought on the ticket stub above. They took everyone’s ticket upon entry. After the show they had simply dropped them on the floor next to the door and I reached down and grabbed one. I wish I had grabbed a handful.
Matt Hogan

Just three years later, Phish would be playing their first show at Red Rocks in Colorado.

Phish – Skidmore Gymnasium, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY – Friday, October 5, 1990

Set 1: I Didn’t Know, Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen[1] > Weekapaug Groove, My Sweet One, The Landlady, Tela > The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony > Suzy Greenberg, Stash, The Asse Festival, Bouncing Around the Room > Run Like an Antelope

Set 2: Golgi Apparatus > The Curtain > Ya Mar, Alumni Blues > Letter to Jimmy Page > Alumni Blues, Uncle Pen, Split Open and Melt, Fee > Possum[2]

Encore: Good Times Bad Times

[1] “I walk awakening on the misty fields of forever” lyrics.
[2] Charlie Chan and Popeye signals.

The beginning of Hydrogen included the lyrics “I walk awakening on the misty fields of forever.” Possum contained Charlie Chan and Popeye signals.

An interview with Trey (Tray) and Mike from Phish in the Skidmore News, 10/10/90. Courtesy of Mike Greenhaus.

Listen below or on PhishTracks.com

October 5, 2021