Tag: Phish

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
Phish to Perform Live from The Ninth Cube for New Years Eve Dinner and a Movie

With the adage “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade” in mind, Phish will perform three full sets this New Year’s Eve, live from the Ninth Cube. Phish will take the stage promptly at 8:30PM ET on December 31st for a show that will be performed without an audience and webcast for free on Phish’s YouTube channel and LivePhish.com, with a simulcast on Phish Radio on SiriusXM.

For the dinner part of this Dinner And A Movie, four recipes are included, all with lemon as a key ingredient. Instead of sucking on a lemon, dive into the recipes below, which include Trey Anastasio’s own recipe for Lemonade, a Whole Roasted Chicken with Lemon, a Lemon Pasta vegetarian entrée, and for dessert, Lemon Bars.

Always a charitable affair, the Dinner and a Movie series has distributed nearly $900,000 in donations via the WaterWheel Foundation since the start of the pandemic to help non-profits around the country (and beyond). SiriusXM has generously underwritten production costs to make this webcast free, and donations will be raised during the evening to support those in need. The WaterWheel Foundation will be raising money for a handful of non-profits close to the Phish community. Donate at anytime at phish.com/waterwheel.

There will also be three limited edition posters available from the originally slated shows for the Madison Square Garden run for sale beginning Thursday, December 30 via Phish Dry Goods, along with additional event merch. Proceeds from these poster sales will be donated to The WaterWheel Foundation and more details will be shared soon via Dry Goods.

Shortly after New Year’s Eve, video of this performance will be available on the SXM app.

Giant Bowl of Lemonade

1. Get handed lemons
2. Make lemonade
2b. For “electric lemonade”, add desired ingredients
3. Enjoy!

Whole Roasted Lemon and Herb Chicken – Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 lemons
1 bulb of garlic
2 yellow onions
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 whole chicken (3.5-4 lbs)
½ tsp minced fresh rosemary (plus an extra sprig or two)*
½ tsp minced fresh thyme (plus an extra sprig or two)*
⅓ cup chicken stock
2-3 whole carrots
2-3 potatoes (preferably Yukon Gold)
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
*You can use dry herbs in replace of fresh, or omit
if you prefer things simple.

Instructions:
Take chicken out of the refrigerator. Remove giblets if there are any in the cavity (we won’t be using them, but you can cook for your dog!). Rinse the chicken in water, and pat thoroughly dry. Leave out while you prepare the lemon-herby goodness to bring the chicken close to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees with the rack in the lower third of the oven. Set out a roasting pan or large cast iron skillet that can hold your whole chicken.

Mince 3 garlic cloves, and mix with the herbs and 3 TBSP of olive oil and 2 hearty pinches of salt. Make sure the chicken skin is well dried. Push one finger under the skin on the breast of the chicken to separate, and spoon half of the herb mixture in between the meat and the skin. Rub the remainder on the outside of the chicken. Season the outside generously with additional salt and pepper. (Using chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken? Do the same thing, but they will take less time to cook).

Cut the rest of the bulb of garlic in half horizontally (so each clove is cut in half), and rub with olive oil. Slice the whole lemons in half. Peel the onions and cut into quarters. Put half a lemon inside the chicken, then put the other lemon halves, onion, garlic and remaining herb sprigs in the bottom of the roasting pan, and put the whole chicken on top (either on a rack, or sitting on top of the lemon, onion and garlic). Cut carrots and potatoes into large bite sized chunks. Toss with a little olive oil and scatter around the chicken. Pour chicken stock into the bottom of the pan.

Roast for approximately 45 minutes. The skin should be golden brown and the juices should run clear when you poke a knife into the leg joint. If the juices are rosy pink, roast for another 5-10 minutes and check again. Or, if you have a meat thermometer, when the inner thigh registered 175 degrees.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes. Tip the chicken to drain any juices from the cavity into the pan. Carve chicken on a cutting board and transfer to a platter. Then pour all the juices, roasted vegetables and tasty bits over the chicken or serve the jus alongside for those who want it. Squeeze the roasted garlic from the bulbs over the vegetables, or just serve the halved bulbs on the side of the platter.

Lemon Pasta Serves 6

Ingredients:
12 ounces wide egg noodles
Juice and zest of 2 small/medium lemons (wash lemons before squeezing)
1 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt, to taste
Lots of freshly ground black pepper.

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add noodles, and stir to separate. Cook according to package or until tender. Drain, then return to the cooking pot.

2. Just before noodles are done, in a small saucepan combine the lemon zest, cream, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, or until cream comes to a boil.

3. Pour cream mixture over drained noodles, and add the lemon juice. Stir to coat. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until all the liquid is absorbed, about 1 to 2 minutes. Season with additional pepper, if desired.

Note: the pasta is delicious on its own, but feel free to add green vegetables to the pasta at the end if you like: a handful of baby arugula, broccoli or broccolini – chopped and doused with olive oil and roasted at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, steamed or sautéed asparagus, chopped parsley, chives, etc.

Optional variation: if you’d like, add freshly grated parmesan.

Lemon Bars

Makes 16-20 squares in an 8×8 or 9×13 baking dish for squares, rectangles or triangles (or 9” pie pan or tart pan for wedges).

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 cup cold unsalted butter
2 cups all purpose flour
¼ cup powdered sugar (plus more for sprinkling on top at the end)
½ cup sweetened, shredded coconut (or unsweetened coconut, plus add ¼ cup more sugar)
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt

Filling:
5 eggs
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 2-3 washed lemons)
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (hint: zest lemons first, then squeeze them)
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8×8 (for thicker squares) or 9×13 (for thinner squares) baking pan. To make them easier to remove, lay a piece of parchment paper inside the pan, and then butter the parchment paper too.

In a food processor (or stand mixer) combine all of the crust ingredients. Pulse and mix until well combined and the mixture begins to clump together. Put the dough into the buttered pan and gently press it to cover the bottom. (If using a tart or pie pan, push dough to cover the sides too.)

Bake the crust until just golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven but leave it on.

While the crust is baking, prepare the lemon filling. Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and beat on low or whisk until smooth. Pour the filling into the hot crust and bake again until the filling is just set, about 20-35 minutes. Check them at 15 minutes.

When you shake the pan slightly, the filling should be mostly set, but still quiver in the center a bit. If not set, bake a few minutes more. (If using a 8×8 pan with a thicker layer of filling it may take longer). Do not over bake.

Let cool completely in the pan. You may refrigerate to help them set and cook quicker. Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar, then cut into squares or triangles. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. If powdered sugar has been absorbed into the lemon filling, dust again with more powdered sugar just before serving.

December 28, 2021
Not So Stupendous: Phish Postpone MSG run, Citing Omicron Concerns

Less than a week before they were slated to take the stage at Madison Square Garden, Phish announced today that due to the concerns over the wave of COVID-10 Omicron variant that is sweeping through New York City and elsewhere, the MSG shows will postpone to April, rather than being outright cancelled.

Phish will honor all tickets for the December 29-January 1 shows at MSG on the rescheduled dates of April 20-23, marking the first time Phish has played New York City in April since 1994 at the Beacon Theatre. Get the Webcast here.

The band said in a statement:

With the Omicron variant of Covid-19 surging in New York City, we have made the very difficult decision to reschedule next week’s run of shows at Madison Square Garden.
The health and safety of Phish fans, our crew, and venue staff is paramount in our minds. While Phish has played shows this year as the pandemic has continued, this variant’s ability for rapid transmission is unprecedented.
We are also mindful that a significant number of people travel for these shows and then return to their communities, and we want to avoid accelerating transmission of the virus.
Finally, even with the strictest of tour Covid protocols, the prolonged exposure of a four-night indoor run (plus the days of preparation and travel) to critical crew and staff considerably increases the possibility of having to shut the shows down once they’ve started.
We’re fortunate to have found a four-night window in The Garden’s schedule, and the shows will now take place April 20-23, 2022, including a three-set show (as originally planned for New Year’s Eve) on April 22.
Ticket holders can request a refund anytime over the next 30 days, beginning today, if they cannot commit to the rescheduled show date. If a refund is not requested during the allotted time, tickets will be valid for the new show date. Please note: If you purchased from an authorized ticket sales channel (Ticketmaster, Phish Tickets, CID or venue website) these ticketing partners will be contacting all buyers shortly with further instructions.
Thank you all for your understanding. Stay healthy and safe, take care of each other out there and please get vaccinated and boosted if you haven’t already.

No word yet if Phish will stream archival shows in place of the anticipated New Years run at Madison Square Garden.

The April shows would mark the second ever ‘Island Run’ of shows, although unofficially so.

The rescheduled shows also mean that Phish will start the rescheduled dates on 4/20/22. Phish has not played on April 20 since 1994, so there’s that.

December 23, 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
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
Runaway Gin: a Tribute to Phish, release 2022 Winter Tour Dates

With a fiery new rhythm section in tow, Runaway Gin has reemerged to rave reviews and are headed out on tour in 2022. They’ll make a long-awaited return to Saratoga Springs at Putnam Place on March 4, then perform at Mercury Lounge on March 5, before closing out the tour in Bridgeport, CT at Park City Music Hall.

The southern Phish tribute band’s recent Fall Tour has featured some huge jams, including a record breaking two-song first set on Friday, November 19, and four sets with less than four songs in their last two shows. This past Friday Joel Cummings (Umphrey’s McGee) joined the band for a break-neck rendition of ‘Maze’ in Richmond, VA.

The Winter 2022 Tour schedule includes returns to Jacksonville, Atlanta, Nashville, Winston-Salem, Roanoke, Washington, DC, Chicago, New York City, Ardmore, PA, and Saratoga Springs. The band will also have debut performances in Columbus, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Bridgeport, CT.

Added shows include a debut performance at legendary Richmond, VA venue the National on April, 2nd, long awaited returns to the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, NC, and the Visulite Theatre in Charlotte, NC, as well as returns to Greenville, SC and Asheville, NC at the Radio Room and Asheville Music Hall.

Tickets will be available for a limited presale at NOON EST today through Friday via Atributetophish.com/tour.
Public onsale begins Friday at noon at Atributetophish.com/tour.

For tour dates, videos and live recordings visit Runaway Gin’s website here complete with videos, posters, photos, and setlists. Follow Runaway Gin on Facebook.

Runaway Gin 2022 Winter Tour

January 20th – Jacksonville, FL – 1904 Music Hall
January 21st – Atlanta, GA – Aisle 5
January 22nd – Nashville, TN – Exit/In
February 3rd – Winston-Salem, NC – the Ramkat
February 4th – Roanoke, VA – 5 Points Music Sanctuary
February 5th – Washington, DC – Pearl St. Warehouse
February 6th – Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird Live
February 9th – Columbus, OH – the Summit Music Hall
February 10th – Chicago, IL – the Point
February 11th – Indianapolis, IN – the Mouse Trap
February 12th – Cincinnati, OH – Riverfront Live
March 3th – Ardmore, PA – Ardmore Music Hall
March 4th – Saratoga Springs, NY – Putnam Place
March 5th – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge
March 6th – Bridgeport, CT – Park City Music Hall
April 2nd – Richmond, VA – the National
April 8th – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre
April 9th – Charlotte, NC – Visulite Theatre
April 15th – Greenville, SC – the Radio Room
May 13th – Asheville, NC – Asheville Music Hall
May 31 – Charleston, SC – Charleston Pour House*
*post-Phish show, ‘Just the Covers’

Runaway Gin also recently released their first three song set from Salvage Station in Asheville earlier this month. VIDEO LINK

November 23, 2021
Phish Sci-fi Soldiers Through Halloween
Phish let it all hang out in the final night of their four-run night run in Las Vegas, which served as the final stop of their 2021 Fall Tour. The customary three-set performance featured a mix of old fashioned originals blended with a brand new gimmick of assuming a different band’s identity.

The first set opened with “Buried Alive” and only picked up from there. A highlight of the entire show was the mammoth “Ghost” played in the first set which seemed to contain about four to five distinctly different jams within. A first set “Wolfman’s Brother” also had a little extra meat on its bones as well. The first set later closed with an awkward-starting but ferociously-ending “David Bowie.”

For the musical costume set, Phish took the stage as Sci-Fi Soldier, a band “from the year 4680,” a number that had been thrown around by the band all weekend. Adorned in spacesuit-like costumes that each reflected a different color pattern ,the band “teleported” to the stage and proceeded to drop almost two hours of new intergalactic space rock that no one had ever heard before.

With the occasional nod to 2018’s costume of Kasvot Voxt, song titles included “The Ninth Cube” and the opening “Knuckle Bone Broth Avenue’ was accompanied by more in depth choreography from Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon at the front of the stage. Another song called “The Howling” seems ripe to be paired with a “2001” at a show in the near future. Instead of the traditional Phishbill this year, a comic book detailing the four characters and their back story was handed out before the show, which contained all the song names for the set as well.

The band was hard pressed to follow up such a spectacle of a second set but began the third set with a powerful “Carini” that somehow made its way into the mellow, laid back “Lonely Trip.” “Soul Planet” got the MGM Grand Arena up and rocking but the emotional contrasts continued throughout the final set with a fairly mellow “Twist” and a “Drift While You’re Sleeping.” Finally, “Harry Hood” served as the encore, which was more than a proper song for the entire venue to let out some emotion in a big way for the final time in this epic four-night Vegas run.

Setlist via Phish.net

Set 1: Buried Alive, Roses Are Free > Ghost, Wolfman’s Brother, Kill Devil Falls > Free, David Bowie

Set 2: Knuckle Bone Broth Avenue^[1], Get More Down^[1], Egg in a Hole^[1], Thanksgiving^[1], Clear Your Mind^[1] > The 9th Cube^[1], The Inner Reaches of Outer^[1], Don’t Doubt Me^[1], The Unwinding^[1], Something Living Here^[1], The Howling^[1], I Am in Miami^[1]

Set 3: Carini > Lonely Trip, Soul Planet > Death Don’t Hurt Very Long > Twist, Drift While You’re Sleeping

Encore: Harry Hood
[1] Debut

For the second set, the band’s “musical costume” was all debuted originals, performed as the invented band Sci-Fi Soldier (a 14-page comic book distributed upon entry detailed the group’s adventure to save the planet). For that set, the band performed in elaborate costumes (helmets and all), with alternate instruments (Trey on a BCR Mockingbird), each playing within a flashing/glowing shape (two circles and two squares), after descending (in the form of holograms) from the ceiling in cylinders of colored light. Knuckle Bone Broth Avenue included extended choreography by Trey and Mike. During Get More Down, matching upright geometric shapes danced around behind the band, reducing to the two circles overlapped by Egg in a Hole, which featured pyrotechnics. Before Clear Your Mind, Trey introduced the band as from the year 4680 (the total of the October 28, 2021 songs as noted during that night’s encore-ending Grind). During The 9th Cube, there were projections of donuts and turtles on a cube above the band. Fireworks rained down on the stage during The Inner Reaches of Outer. For I Am in Miami, Trey switched to an acoustic guitar and the band stood together at stage front with the four-mic a cappella setup. After the set, the band departed as holograms back up the colored tubes. The start of Harry Hood included alternate lyrics (Holy Blankenstein). Soul Planet contained Knuckle Bone Broth Avenue and Don’t Doubt Me quotes.
November 4, 2021
Phish Travel Backwards Down the Number Line in Las Vegas Opener
Rolling into Las Vegas on a tour chock full of surprises and jaw-dropping jams, Phish took a stroll “Backwards Down the Number Line,” playing a series of numerical songs throughout the night.

Opening with “2001” (Strauss’ “Also Sprach Zarathustra”) for a spacy intro to the night, and the first such opening slot for “2001” since 1999, appropriately segued into Prince’s “1999.” Two songs in, both with numbers, might not give away the gag, but when “555” and “46 Days” followed, it became apparant to some what was unfolding on night one of Phish’s four night run.

An additional bustout of “Strawberry Letter 23” by Shuggie Otis followed, with “Twenty Years Later” wrapping up the set with an exclamation point. With setbreak upon the crowd, discussion revolved around “Seven Below” and “Character Zero” which ended up bookending the set – the songs in between were remarkable in their choice and execution.

Hendrix’s “If 6 Was 9” featured Trey Anastasio strapping on a Koa2 guitar, and as one Twitter user pointed out, detuned his guitar, in pure Hendrix style. If a spacy psychedelic bustout wasn’t enough, David Bowie’s “Five Years” followed, performed for only the second time, the first being performed in the same room, five years prior (almost to the day).

A jammed out “Two Versions of Me” fell into “NO2,” with its trippy dentist chair narration from Mike Gordon. A handful of “1” songs followed, with “Army of One,” “My Sweet One” and “First Tube,” followed by the expected and regular set closer, “Character Zero.”

To cap the set off, “Backwards Down the Number Line” was properly played, with Phish walking to stage right to sing a capella to sing “Grind,” but instead of adding up their age in days, they added up the song numbers, leading to the sum 4680. A mysterious tweet from Phish followed, leading fans to speculate what it means, if anything, leading into Sunday’s Halloween show, where speculation is both a trick and a treat.

Setlist via Phish.net

Phish – MGM Grand Garden Arena – Las Vegas, NV 10/28/21

Set 1: Also Sprach Zarathustra, 1999 > 555 > 46 Days, Strawberry Letter 23 > Twenty Years Later

Set 2: Seven Below > If 6 Was 9 > Five Years > Two Versions of Me->NO2, Army Of One, My Sweet One, First Tube > Character Zero

Encore: Backwards Down The Number Line, Grind
October 30, 2021
Phish Cover “L.A. Woman” at The Forum, Set Course for Halloween in Las Vegas
Phish returned to Southern California, with a trio of shows lined up between Chula Vista, Inglewood, and Santa Barbara. While the Fall Tour has caught eyes and ears with extraordinary jams, bustouts and shenanigans, Phish is clearly warmed up for Halloween in Las Vegas. On the way there, Phish stopped at The “Fabulous” Forum. Photographer Steph Port was there to capture the night for NYS Music.

The first set starts with the Trey quaran-tune, “A Wave Of Hope,” followed by a 23-minute “You Enjoy Myself” that brought back the glory of late 90s “YEMs.” A smooth transition into “Moma Dance” kept the crowd on their toes, with “Waiting All Night” a surprise appearance with a slightly funky beat, that brought forth “Maze” and “Fee,” before a set ending “Run Like an Antelope.”

Set 2 began with a tone-setting “Cars Trucks Buses” that dropped into “Tweezer” right after, which sveltly moved into “L.A. Woman,” the last since December 30, 2003. A huge jam would brew from this surprise bust out, one that took off even farther in “Say it to me S.A.N.T.O.S.” and “What’s The Use?” To polish the set off, heavy hitters “Chalkdust Torture,” “Carini” and “Mr. Completely” made their presence know, all with a segue into “Tweezer Reprise” to close the set.

A normal encore of “Grind” preceded the atypical “Bathtub Gin” that followed, ending awkwardly as Trey thanked the crowd for having such a great show. With the band having this much fun, whatever is on tap for Las Vegas has them excited and playing in mid-season form.

Setlist via Phish.net

Phish – The Forum, Inglewood, CA – October 25, 2021

Set 1: A Wave of Hope > You Enjoy Myself > The Moma Dance[1] -> Simple -> Waiting All Night -> Maze, Fee[2] -> Steam > Run Like an Antelope

Set 2: Cars Trucks Buses, Tweezer -> L.A. Woman[3] -> Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S.[1] -> Whatâs the Use? > Tweezer > Birds of a Feather[1] > Chalk Dust Torture[1] -> Boogie On Reggae Woman > Carini -> Mr. Completely[1] > Tweezer Reprise

Encore: Grind, Bathtub Gin

[1] Unfinished.
[2] Trey on megaphone.
October 26, 2021
A Marvelous Show: The Dude of Life Band “Opens” for Phish at Lark Hall
A few songs into The Dude of Life Band’s first set at Lark Hall, Steve Pollak (aka, The Dude of Life) announced that after the show, they’ll be streaming the Phish show from San Francisco, which started shortly after 11pm ET on Saturday, October 16. “So we’re opening for Phish a few time zones away,” said Pollak, much to the crowd’s delight. And in a way, the band was opening for Phish, a band with whom Pollak has a decades-long connection.

The Dude of Life Band, a genre-bending group led by the Dude of Life, Steve Pollak, includes Pollak on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Fred Scholl on lead guitar, Charlie de Saint Phalle on bass, Doug Schneider on drums, and Jon Liebowitz of God Street Wine on keyboard and organ.

For several decades, The Dude has been writing songs in an ongoing collaboration with Phish, and first teamed up with Trey Anastasio while the two were in high school. The Dude wrote lyrics for a number of Phish’s most beloved songs, including “Fluffhead,” “Run Like an Antelope” and “Suzy Greenberg,” and has also been a mythical sideshow with the band, making random guest appearances often highlighted by the throwing of uniquely-inscripted rubber chickens into the crowd. The Dude’s debut album, Crimes of the Mind, was recorded with Phish for Elektra Records and released in 1994.

In recent years, The Dude of Life has developed a more refined sound, and a recent burst of creativity has yielded an album’s worth of new material which was recently recorded by acclaimed producer Bryce Goggin.

The Dude of Life Band performed some of these new songs – “Automatic Pilot,” “Dilaudid Nurse” and “In Case You Didn’t Know,” alongside his Phish classics, plus a handful of Grateful Dead covers, “Ruby Tuesday” by The Rolling Stones and “Badge” by Cream. The flow to the show was smooth and the hits kept coming as the evening progressed. Pollak wrapped up the show with an appropriate “Show of Life,” right before turning the mic over to Phish, live from the Chase Center in San Francisco

Setlist: Crazy Too, Althea, Can’t Always Listen, Ain’t No More Caine, Nobody Finer, Mississippi Blues, Automatic Pilot, Franklin’s Tower, Suzy Greenberg, Dilaudid Nurse, Fluffhead, She Belongs to Me, Sugaree, Space -> Lost Moments in Time, In Case You Didn’t Know, Crimes of the Mind, Ruby Tuesday, Badge, Goin Down the Road Feelin Bad -> Show Of Life
October 22, 2021

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