Robert Walter shares “Or Else” and “Franklin,” the first two songs from his Better Feathers series, in which the acclaimed keyboardist rolls out six new “digital 45s” via Royal Potato Family. Each release will feature two singles for a total of 12 tracks to be issued from now through October.
Rather than making the more obvious quiet, introspective music, the focus instead turned to my nostalgia for sweaty bars and crowded dance floors. Somewhere during the process, tracks began floating back and forth to friends like Stanton Moore (Galactic), Craig Brodhead (Turkuaz), Chris Stillwell (The Greyboy Allstars), Jake Najor, John Kimock and Mike Gordon (Phish) to add their own parts remotely.
Robert Walter
Written and recorded entirely from home during quarantine in 2020 and 2021, Robert immersed himself in the writing and recording process as a way to remain creative and fend off boredom while faced with a year of no live shows. According to Walter, the title Better Feathers comes from the idea of birds molting — shedding their old, worn-out feathers for new, better ones.
“Or Else,” is the first of the two tracks released in the series. The song features Robert Walter‘s frequent collaborator, New Orleans drummer Stanton Moore and Turkuaz guitarist Craig Brodhead. “It was influenced by early ’80s dance records by artists like Grace Jones and Chic,” says Walter. The clean melody is inspired by dub melodica explorations and the breakthrough work of Augustus Pablo to create “pure topical funk and summer vibes.” The tune was the first track Walter wrote and curated for the sessions.
Robert Walter – Photo by Julia Mordaunt
It was time to shift gears and think of the situation as a positive and not a negative; an unexpected abundance of time to emerge with something of value… The music is influenced by the methods. In the absence of working with a group, the focus turned to overdubbing layers of sound. Inspirations were found by digging into late 70s NYC dance music, dub reggae, archaic blues, Krautrock, jazz, and funk.
Robert Walter on his creative process during COVID-19 quarantining
The “b-side” is “Franklin” named after Walter‘s elementary school alongside memories of his younger self. Once again, Stanton Moore joins on drums, adding an especially spare and funky beat.
Photo by Rene Huemer via robertwalter.com
There was a certain time during the mid-’70s where it seemed like everything in pop culture was funky. Saturday morning cartoons, television commercials, and most of the music on the radio had absorbed (and sometimes bastardized) the sounds of James Brown, Sly Stone, and the Jackson 5
Robert Walker
Robert Walter’s BetterFeathers Digital 45 Release Schedule
The Better Feathers series continues in late July with the release of “Saucerman” featuring Phish bassist Mike Gordon and “Devices of Similar Size” with Stanton Moore once again on drums. Find the schedule below:
"Saucermen" (w/ Mike Gordon)
"Devices Of Similar Size" (w/ Stanton Moore)
Release Date: July 21, 2021
"Bloodstar" (w/ Craig Brodhead)
"Better Feathers" (w/ Stanton Moore)
Release Date: August 18, 2021
"Security" (w/ John Kimock)
"It's Not What's"
Release Date: September 1, 2021
"Wet From The Press" (w/ Jake Najor)
"Feeder, Doctor, Talker" (w/ Jake Najor & Chris Stillwell)
Release Date: September 22, 2021
"Hellhound" (w/ Chris Stillwell)
"Loomis"
Release Date: October 27, 2021
Until then, isten to and share “Franklin” and “Or Else” below on his Spotify as well as other streaming services accessible HERE
As live music returns, archival streams are going the way of the Dodo, at least for now. Phish has announced that their Dinner and a Movie series, which started in April 2020 will go back into the freezer, but not before one more installment, one from 1991 at Arrowhead Ranch in Parksville, NY.
Thus, on Tuesday, June 29 at 8:30 ET, Phish will broadcast their July 20, 1991 concert at New York’s Arrowhead Ranch, featuring The Giant Country Horns: Dave “The Truth” Grippo, Russell “Killer” Remington and Carl “Gears” Gerhard. The show was the second of a two-night stand at Ranch Arrowhead, and all ages shows with Phish and special guests TR3 and The Radiators opening.
Sue Zemanick, owner and James Beard Award-winning chef at Zasu, located in New Orleans’ Mid-City neighborhood provides the final meal for Dinner and a Movie. The name Zasu, derived from Zasa, which means “once again” in Slovak, is inspired by Sue’s Slovak heritage and childhood memories of family bonding in the kitchen. Sue brings a three course dinner of Coconut Curry Corn Soup, Spicy Tofu Larb Lettuce Wraps, and a Blueberry Creme Fraiche Pound Cake. Recipes can be found here.
The beneficiary for this episode is Phans for Racial Equity. PHRE promotes racial equity and respect for difference within the Phish and greater music community and beyond. Striving to make a more welcoming space for people of all races and ethnicities, bearing in mind the many ways in which race/ethnicity intersects with gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, disability, and other identities.
PHRE’s aim is to facilitate education and thoughtful engagement, first and foremost within the Phish community, about race and its intersection with other issues; give people tools to build a more welcoming environment; and activate our community to positively impact racial equity in the U.S. more broadly. More info here, and donate anytime here.
Phish – Arrowhead Ranch, Parksville, NY – July 20, 1991
Set 1: Chalk Dust Torture, Foam, The Squirming Coil > Llama, The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony > Suzy Greenberg[1], The Landlady[2], Bathtub Gin[1], My Sweet One, David Bowie[1]
Set 2: Buried Alive > Reba[3], Caravan[1], Dinner and a Movie[1], Flat Fee[1], Golgi Apparatus[1], Stash[1], The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Avenu Malkenu[1] > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday, You Enjoy Myself[4], Rocky Top
Encore: Possum[5]
[1] Giant Country Horns.[2] Giant Country Horns; Rene Lopez on percussion.[3] Carl Gerhard whistled with the band.[4] Giant Country Horns; vocal jam based on burgers.[5] Giant Country Horns; Charlie Chan and Oom Pa Pa signals.
The last time Phish would ever play the venue known as the Finger Lakes Performing Arts Center took place 27 years ago today. This performance is also the birthplace of one of the more revered pieces of music in the band’s history. A super extended “Tweezer,” affectionately nicknamed as “Fleezer” due to the locale, highlights a three-song second set and still gets rave reviews to this day. The venue now goes by the name of CMAC Performing Arts Center. But the music Phish played their last time at Finger Lakes will, thankfully, last forever.
A raucous Finger Lakes crowd greets the band and only gets louder when the show starts with “Sample In A Jar” as the opener. Trey Anastasio’s guitar solo in its customary spot ramps up the early show energy even further. Phish sticks with material from Hoist, at this point still their most recent studio album, and follows up “Sample” with “Scent Of A Mule.” Anastasio and Page McConnell engage each other on guitar and piano, respectively, almost right away, leading to a quick but aggressive “Mule Duel” section.
Phish then breaks out the new “Ha Ha Ha,” a short number whose only lyrics also serve as the title which had been debuted barely a month ago. The “Divided Sky” that immediately follows is anything but a laughing matter, however. A rapt Canandaigua crowd soaks in every note of this classic song that’s played to perfection and serves as the first set highlight.
Anastasio and McConnell lock up again in another instrumental duet of sorts in a “Guelah Papyrus” that the entire band seems to toy around with at one point or another before “It’s Ice” gets deployed. Bassist Mike Gordon shines on this one, delivering a myriad of various rhythms and fills throughout. It also features a particularly loose and surprisingly extra spacey section in what’s a sign of things to come.
After slowing things down with the ballad “Strange Design,” Phish ends the opening set at Finger Lakes Performing Arts Center on a high note, beginning with an absolutely frenetic, high intensity “Maze.” And instead of ending the set with “Cavern,” an a capella rendition of “Sweet Adeline” is also thrown in for good measure.
All in all, it’s a fine first set, but kept pretty “close to the vest” in terms of free-form improvisation. Aside from snippets of “Mule” and “It’s Ice,” no song veered too far away from its regular structure. That would all change in a big way in the second set, courtesy of a jam for the ages.
The set starts out innocently enough with the new “Theme From The Bottom,” only the eighth one ever played and the first time it opened a second set. It’s a polished version that sees the full band in synch, creating a powerful sequence of music accentuated by another screaming Anastasio guitar solo. Instead of bringing it to a full stop at its conclusion, a feedback-heavy jam begins to develop.
This goes on for several minutes, with even more loops and audio madness being thrown into the proverbial soup. Drummer Jon Fishman gets prominently involved, varying tempos and styles throughout. All of this results in an early second set Grateful Dead-like “Space” section that sounds like it’s on speed. A familiar guitar riff slowly but steadily emerges as the jam pick up steam and, before long, the opening lyrics to “Tweezer” are ringing loud and true.
For the next 40-plus minutes, Phish treats the Finger Lakes Performing Arts Crowd to a version of this classic song that some still regard as one of the best of all time, hence the “Fleezer” label. Before the jam even ensues, Gordon and Fishman rev up the crowd by hamming up some of the lyrics. The band removes the shackles of any standard-sounding “Tweezer” early on and is soon knee deep in Type II improvisation. The jam goes on to visit a variety of styles and tempos, again thanks to the interplay of Fishman and Gordon. It’s got the band singing “My Generation” lyrics over an infectious, rockabilly portion of the jam (foreshadowing their upcoming Halloween cover of The Who’s Quadrophenia), pure ambience that devolves into more harrowing feedback-fueled chaos, Fishman on the vacuum, and “Rift” teases from Gordon. It’s a monumental piece of music that’s certainly worthy of a catchy nickname and a place in Phish lore.
It’s a “Tweezer” so epic that the only natural follow-up would be a “Reprise” of itself. That’s exactly what Phish does this evening, creating a set for the ages for the Finger Lakes crowd that’s short on song titles but long on jaw dropping rock and improv.
For an encore, the band went acoustic, with each member playing an acoustic guitar for “Acoustic Army,” an event strictly related to 1995 Phish. An electric, both literal and figurative, cover of The Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” then closes out the festivities for the evening, with another chapter of the band’s growing legacy now written.
As Phish was putting the finishing touches on their acclaimed Billy Breathes album in 1996, they also honored a fun Bearsville, NY tradition. It had become commonplace for bands to play at a very small club called Joyous Lake whenever they were finished with their business at Bearsville Studios. Billed as ‘Third Ball’, the last “stealth” Phish gig made available for public consumption went down 25 years ago today.
Joyous Lake and its 200-person capacity were a far cry from the arenas and amphitheaters that Phish played regularly by now. Thankfully, sound engineer Paul Languedoc provided soundboard patches to those in the know who showed up with recording gear. As a result, this show has all the feel of a small, intimate affair from the late ’80s combined with the raw power and energy Phish had infused their music with by 1996. Approximately two months before there was a Clifford Ball, there was Third Ball.
Bearsville Studios, June 1996 credit: Danny Clinch
Since this was no typical Phish concert at this point in time, why not open it with a “Split Open and Melt?” Drummer Jon Fishman starts up the signature opening drum beat and, much to the small crowd’s delight, the show begins. Although the jam has a few “clunky” early moments, in no time a full-fledged “Melt” jam is underway, with any other discernible signs of rust now clearly removed. With most of the year devoted to work on Billy Breathes so far, this was only the second live show played in 1996.
The “Runaway Jim” that comes later seems to have all of the Joyous Lake crowd signing along at the outset. They soon give way to a beautifully escalating, driving jam that’s steered by Trey Anastasio and Page McConnell on guitar and piano, respectively. The band also fools around a bit with the “Funky Bitch” that follows, continuing to drop some early gems on the Bearsville crowd.
The double-edged sword that is a small venue gig rears its head in the beginning of “Theme From The Bottom.” A crowd that’s getting energized by some intimate Phish, as well as more “hydrated” by the minute, can be heard very easily in some of the quieter opening segments. Although quiet moments wouldn’t be an issue for much of the remainder of the first set, starting with the “Big Black Furry Creature From Mars” that follows where Trey allegedly fashioned an empty beer bottle into a guitar slide. “Scent Of A Mule” features its customary ‘Mule Duel’ as well as a full-on teases of “Sunshine Of Your Love” and “Cocaine.” And the set comes to a whirlwind of a close with a cover of “Highway To Hell” that has the full band toying around with the vocals.
The second set of this “secret” gig at Joyous Lake features a blend of live Phish staples and brand new debuts. “AC/DC Bag” revs things back up as the set opener, with some intense guitar play from Anastasio on the back end of it. Next, somewhat surprisingly, a sublime “You Enjoy Myself” is played, undoubtedly in front of the smallest crowd in years. The band treats this one no differently though as its played to perfection, with all the bells, whistles and customarily eerie vocal jam included.
Phish keeps the old school vibe in effect with a “Chalkdust Torture” that emerges the instant said vocal jam concludes. It’s not a particularly extended version, but it packs a punch. “Sparkle” then follows in the same vein before “Stash” gives the band another chance to spread their wings and soar.
The second set also contains a pair of Phish debuts that are now firmly embedded in their live show repertoire. “Waste” and “Character Zero,” two songs prominently featured on the upcoming Billy Breathes release, are played back-to-back, both for the first time ever. “Waste” is still so raw at this time that it stops somewhat abruptly with Trey noting “we don’t have an ending for it yet.”
The remainder of the show is vintage Phish, beginning with the monstrous “David Bowie” that follows the debuts. Trey stumbles over some of the lyrics in “Fee” before getting redemption via another dazzling run on guitar on the “Sample in a Jar” that closes out the set. The “Ya Mar” that starts the encore has a rough spot or two before rounding into form before an incendiary cover Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire” closes the book on Third Ball.
Listen to the show in its entirety below, or selected songs at PhishTracks.
Phish Joyous Lake – Bearsville, NY 6/6/96
Set 1: Split Open and Melt, Poor Heart, Runaway Jim, Funky Bitch, Theme From the Bottom, Big Black Furry Creature From Mars, Scent of a Mule, Highway to Hell
Set 2: AC/DC Bag, You Enjoy Myself, Chalkdust Torture, Sparkle, Stash, Waste, Character Zero, David Bowie, Fee > Sample in a Jar
E: Ya Mar, Fire
This unannounced show was performed under the name “Third Ball.” BBFCFM featured Trey using a Rolling Rock beer bottle as a slide. Scent of a Mule included a Sunshine of Your Love tease and saw Trey on keys for portions. Waste and Character Zero debuted at this show. The opening act was Juan Hung Low.
While it may be Memorial Day Weekend, it’s also the ten-year anniversary of the one and only Phish run at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. In 2011, the band was still very much trying to gather its collective footing after reuniting only two years earlier. For some, these shows represent the first true “return to glory” moments for the band and fans alike. It’s only fitting that it took place on the hallowed grounds of Bethel, NY, the same ones that served as host for one the most influential music events of all time, Woodstock. Even though it was only Phish performing in Bethel this weekend, there were still plenty of magical moments to be had.
An argument can be made that some of the most passionate and inspired music of the entire weekend never even made its way to the public. On the night before the run was set to begin, Phish blessed their sound check with what many consider to be one of the best “Waves” of all time. It’s a version that stretches out to nearly a half hour, diving way beneath the surface without coming back up for air.
Night One – May 27, 2011
The first night of this memorable run also served as the 2011 summer tour opener. The only other show Phish had played this year to date was their 1/1/11 gig at Madison Square Garden to cap off the New Year’s run. Some rain leading up to this evening wreaked havoc on the fertile and lush grounds of Bethel Woods. But that certainly wasn’t going to deter anyone.
The rain had left some parts of the lower lawn in a treacherous state, to say the least. So boots, tarps and blankets were en vogue. But rather than play it safe and ease into the show, Phish instead opened night one of Bethel Woods with a raging “Tweezer” that caught everyone off guard, in a good way. Summer tour and the band’s third year since returning from a self-imposed breakup were now officially underway.
Considered tame by today’s standards, the show opening “Tweezer” doesn’t stray too far and elicits a mild jam. But the joy of it opening the show, and the tour, was never in doubt. Instead of stretching it out, they immediately transition into “My Friend, My Friend” and night one is off and running.
The rest of the first set is comprised of multiple covers that paint a clear picture of what influences Phish musically. First is their take on Ween’s “Roses Are Free,” a song forever immortalized in Todd Phillips’ Bittersweet Motel documentary. Next, keyboardist Page McConnell shines on his solo on Son Seals’ “Funky Bitch.” The first set also features a take on James Gang’s “Walk Away” that’s properly fueled by Trey Anastasio on guitar and it finishes with a splendid cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Bold As Love.”
Aside from an earlier “Wolfman’s Brother,” some of the more exploratory work from the band in the first set came during “Stash.” A jam that starts from near ambience quickly picks up speed while never quite shaking the framework of the song. It provided a nostalgic glimpse of a song that used to be a first set powerhouse for a band still very much rounding into form.
With one set under their belt, Phish opens up the second with another rager, “Carini.” Those who called that and “Tweezer” both as set openers should be commended. Again, compared to modern day versions, this “Carini” doesn’t veer too far off the path, but rather sets the table nicely for the crescendo-building “Get Back On The Train” that succeeds it.
The second set also contains a “Waves” that has its moments but doesn’t come close to the majesty and weirdness offered up in the one from yesterday’s soundcheck. And, of course, more choice cover selections. This included the always popular “Boogie On Reggae Woman” (Stevie Wonder), with Mike Gordon and his signature bass line/effect leading the way. The set picks up in a major way, and possibly peaks, with a deep dive of the Talking Heads’ “Crosseyed and Painless.”
Once drummer Jon Fishman finishes leading the group through a funkified version of this cover, the rest of the set plays out in somewhat traditional fashion. “The Squirming Coil,” replete with an enchanting, set-ending piano solo from McConnell closes out the set before “Julius” and its infectious “don’t take another step” mantra closes the book on the first night of Bethel.
Phish – Bethel Woods Center For The Arts – Bethel, NY 5/27/11
Set 1: Tweezer > My Friend, My Friend, Poor Heart, Roses Are Free > Funky Bitch, Wolfman’s Brother -> Walk Away, Stash, Bouncing Around The Room, Kill Devil Falls, Bold As Love
Set 2: Carini >Back On The Train > Boogie On Reggae Woman > Waves > Prince Caspian > Crosseyed and Painless > Wading In The Velvet Sea > Possum, The Squirming Coil
Encore: Julius
Wolfman’s contained a Streets of Cairo tease from Trey. Before Stash, Trey teased The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus) by Yes.
Listen to the complete show on YouTube, or track-by-track at PhishTracks.
The second night of the Bethel Woods run began as so many Phish shows do, with people scurrying everywhere to secure their spots as notes from the opening song rain down. In this instance, the selection is “Theme From The Bottom” while plenty of viable spots on the lawn are still being secured.
Traditional first set stalwart “NICU” then follows, with McConnell wasting no time getting down to business on the Hammond organ. A super funked out take of another Talking Heads cover, “Cities,” then gives those on the lawn and everywhere else more than enough reason to get down and dance. The “outro” jam lasts well longer than it should and serves as a legitimate highlight of the weekend.
The rest of the night two’s first set is best encapsulated by a couple of song pairings. “Halley’s Comet” picks up on the experimental vibe and takes it the distance, fomenting a certifiable Type II jam momentarily. But before it can explore any further, the opening chords of “Runaway Jim” enter the fray, serving as the back end of a powerful two-song sequence whose jam gets the full on ‘Plinko’ treatment. The first set then later wraps up with another Phish staple, “Bathtub Gin” that gets a taste of “Manteca” and a distinct “Golden Age”-type jam midway through before rounding back into form.
Like most Phish shows, much of the heavy lifting takes place in the second set tonight. An explosive “Down With Disease” starts things off nicely, with Jon Fishman providing one intricate drum fill after another in a jam that comes to an early vigorous peak. Instead of returning to finish “Disease,” the jam meanders for a while until Anastasio signals for a wonderfully patient “Free” to begin.
As the second set progresses, Phish continues to show their mastery of juxtaposition. A zany “Makisupa Policeman” immediately goes off the rails, with mentions of spliff smoking and imaginary trips to Mike and Page’s respective “houses” that eventually sends the Bethel Woods crowd into an uproar, along with a healthy clav-driven, mini-funk jam. But instead of going to Fish’s “house” and carrying on with the silliness, the band turns on a dime and crafts an emotional “Harry Hood.”
The set later concludes with another Phish classic, “David Bowie.” And another longtime cover favorite, The Beatles’ “A Day In The Life” puts the finishing touches on night two in Bethel. With two nights now in the books, only the Sunday show remained. And, as the saying goes, those are not to be missed.
Phish – Bethel Woods Center For The Arts – Bethel, NY 5/28/11
Set 1: Theme From The Bottom, NICU, Cities, Halley’s Comet > Runaway Jim, Gumbo > Quinn The Eskimo > Limb by Limb, Horn, Bathtub Gin -> Manteca > Bathtub Gin
Set 2: Down With Disease > Free > Backwards Down The Number Line > Makisupa Policeman > Harry Hood > Cavern > David Bowie
Encore: A Day In The Life
Gin included a mash-up jam of Golden Age and Manteca and later closed with a Manteca quote from Trey. Disease was unfinished. BDTNL featured a DEG tease from Mike. Makisupa included lyrics referencing several band members’ houses (and Trey’s favorite show, House).
As to be expected, Phish closes out the Memorial Day Weekend in fine fashion. The “AC/DC Bag” opener “gets the show on the road” in a major way and Phish coasts from there. “Ocelot,” still a fairly new tune at the time, gets a surprisingly monstrous jam attached to it. The “Ya Mar” and “Timber” that follow serve as a nostalgic throwback of sorts, giving the set a temporary old school vibe.
“Suzy Greenberg” makes a first set appearance and then instantly morphs into a rowdy “46 Days.” And the quality cover selections continue as well, with Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Ballad of Curtis Loew” getting the call tonight. Just like old times (again) the opening set then concludes with a “Run Like An Antelope” that does just that.
For their last Bethel set, Phish decides to maintain the traditional feel and opens it with a vintage “Mike’s Song” > “Simple” -> “Weekapaug Groove” trifecta. “Simple” yields an especially spacey, ambient-type jam before the rhythmic law firm of Fishman & Gordon kickstart the “Groove.” Afterwards, the band takes some time to reintroduce a certain dance some may have forgotten.
The second set later comes to a close with another powerhouse trio. “Also Sprach Zarathustra,” aka “2001,” offers one last definitive dose of funk for the weekend before giving way to the newly established jam vehicle that is “Light.” And “Slave to the Traffic Light,” with its customary soaring jam that evolves from near silence is the final emotional stamp.
By the end of the weekend, so much great music had transpired that it was hard to take inventory of everything. That’s why it came as a shock to many when, after “Loving Cup,” the distinct riff of “Tweezer Reprise” rang out, bringing the entire weekend full circle. It’s more than an ideal choice to close out the final chapter of music for the weekend, with the hopes that it won’t be the last one Phish writes here.
Phish – Bethel Woods Center For The Arts – Bethel, NY 5/29/11
Set 1: AC/DC Bag > Sample In A Jar, Rift, Ocelot, Ya Mar, Timber (Jerry) > The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony > Suzy Greenberg > 46 Days > Twenty Years Later, The Ballad of Curtis Loew, Run Like An Antelope
Set 2: Mike’s Song > Simple ->Weekapaug Groove, Meatstick > Fluffhead > Joy, Also Sprach Zarathustra > Light > Slave to the Traffic Light
Encore: Loving Cup > Tweezer Reprise
Ya Mar included Express Yourself (Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band) teases from Mike. Antelope contained a Curtis Loew tease from Trey and Manteca teases from Trey and Page. Page teased Magilla in Simple.
For the May installment of Phish’s Dinner and a Movie archival stream series, they’ll go all the way back to Summer 1993 for a performance from Great Woods in Mansfield, MA. The non-profit Groovesafe is beneficiary of the night’s fundraising efforts, through the Waterwheel Foundation.
The July 24, 1993 show was an early popular tape to trade in the 90s, and the second performance for Phish at the venue, where they have to date performed 17 times to date. Featuring stand out versions of “Stash,” “Mike’s Song” and “Weekapaug Groove,” as well as the return of “The Mango Song” after a 150 show gap, the seamless segue from “2001” -> “Split Open and Melt” makes this well worth listening to on Phishtracks.com.
Groovesafe is an initiative to stop unwanted touching and sexual assault at concerts. The mission of this nonprofit is to create a no tolerance environment with an emphasis on building a consent culture. GrooveSafe focuses on educating bands, venues, and fans on tactics that aim to make the live music experience safer. Groovesafe’s longterm goals include educating people on how to respond to assault, how to take action as an active bystander, and tips on staying safe.
Watch an interview with Groovesafe founder Ashley Driscoll here.
Summer 1993 Doniac Schvice
Dave Seigal, executive chef of the Michelin-acclaimed Cull & Pistol Oyster Bar as well as its sister seafood emporium, the Lobster Place Seafood Market, are both located in the heart of NYC’s Chelsea Market. Dave has been a Phish fan since the early ‘90s and has graciously provided recipes for this month’s dinner: Steamed Mussels with Green Coconut Curry and a Thai Salad. Recipes can be found here.
Dinner And A Movie returns this Tuesday with Phish’s July 24, 1993 show from Great Woods Center for the Performing Arts in Mansfield, MA Join us on the couch at 8:30PM ET at https://t.co/5qSvZFl2Dvpic.twitter.com/qwtGBnj83N
Tune in before the show at 6:30pm on the Relix Twitch channel for The Dude of Life Band, who will perform a free livestream on the The Relix Channel, live from Relix Studio.
Dinner and a Movie airs on Tuesday, May 25 at 8:30 pm ET/5:30 pm PT via webcast.livephish.com.
Phish – July 24, 1993 – Great Woods Center for the Performing Arts, Mansfield, MA
Set 1: Llama, Horn, Nellie Kane > Divided Sky, Guelah Papyrus, Rift, Stash, The Mango Song > Bouncing Around the Room, The Squirming Coil
Set 2: Also Sprach Zarathustra > Split Open and Melt, Fluffhead > Maze, Glide > Sparkle > Mike’s Song > Yerushalayim Shel Zahav > Weekapaug Groove, Purple Rain > Hold Your Head Up, Daniel Saw the Stone > Good Times Bad Times
Encore: Golgi Apparatus, Free Bird
This show saw the first Mango Song since May 17, 1992 (150 shows). Fish teased Bouncing Around the Room before Mango. Maze contained Also Sprach Zarathustra teases from Trey. Page teased Under the Boardwalk in Mike’s Song.
After much anticipation, Phish has announced their rescheduled Summer Tour 2021 dates, plus some Fall dates as well.
Included are all the original dates, with venue changes in Georgia and Pennsylvania, some summer shows rescheduled to late August, and additional West Coast dates in October. Fans will have a chance to see them in nearly every part of the country, after a 19-month delay.
For most of the shows that are not newly announced, a limited quantity of tickets are available now as a real-time sale (while supplies last), as well as at public outlets such as Ticketmaster. A limited number of Travel Packages have been released for George, Lake Tahoe, and Commerce City show dates. In Atlantic City, Foundation Tickets as well as Travel Packages are now available here.
The Piedmont Park shows in Atlanta and the Giant Center shows in Hershey have been cancelled, and refunds will be automatic at the point of purchase. Ticketmaster and Phish Tickets will be contacting all buyers directly.
In their place, however, Phish has scheduled new shows in Alpharetta and at Hersheypark Stadium, plus a slew of new west coast dates that are part of a lead-up to a 4-day run in Las Vegas over Halloween. This Fall Tour marks Phish’s first return to Arizona since 2003, and the band’s first show in Sacramento since 1996.
A ticket request period (note: it’s shorter than usual) for all of these newly-announced shows is currently underway at here and will end on Monday, May 17 at 10AM ET. Tickets will go on sale to the public beginning Friday, May 21 at 10AM ET. Travel packages for Las Vegas go on sale Thursday, May 20, 1PM ET here.
Specific ticketing information for each show is available at phish.com/tours.
Phish Summer 2021 Tour dates
July 28 – Walmart AMP, Rogers, AR July 30 – Oak Mountain Amphitheater, Pelham, AL July 31, August 1 – Ameris Bank Amphitheater – Alpharetta, GA August 3-4 – Ascend Amphitheater – Nashville, TN August 6-8 – Ruoff Music Center – Noblesville, IN August 10-11 – Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, PA August 13-15 – Atlantic City Beach – Atlantic City, NJ August 27-29 – The Gorge Amphitheater – George, WA August 31, September 1 – Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harvey’s, Stateline, NV September 3-5 – Dick’s Sporting Goods Park – Commerce City, CO October 15 – Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA October 16-17 – Chase Center, San Francisco, CA October 19-20 – Matthew Knight Arena, Eugene, OR October 22 – Ak-Chin Pavilion, Phoenix, AZ October 23 – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre, Chula Vista, CA October 24 – The Forum, Inglewood, CA October 26 – Santa Barbara Bowl, Santa Barbara, CA October 28-31 – MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, NV
For Phish’s next installment of their monthly Dinner And A Movie archival stream series, they’ll head back to Fall 2010 for a performance at Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, NH. The October 26 performance featured, among other highlights, an “After Midnight” opener and the debut of “Night Nurse,” a reggae tune by Gregory Isaacs, who died the night before.
The dinner part of the evening consists of Gnudi (light ricotta dumplings) on a Pomodoro Sauce with Pizzicati “Pinched” Cookies for dessert. Recipes can be found here.
As always, each installment of Dinner And A Movie benefits a new charity. This month’s beneficiary is the Conservation Law Foundation, who for over 50 years has taken on powerful opponents who pollute the air and water and squander resources. CLF’s advocates use law, economics and science to create innovative strategies that conserve natural resources, protect public health and safeguard our local communities. For more information visit clf.org. All donations made via The WaterWheel Foundation will benefit CLF. Donate at any time at phish.com/waterwheel.
Fall 2010 poster by Brian McGregor, via PhanArt.net
This Dinner and a Movie trip back to Fall 2010 starts on Tuesday, April 27 at 8:30pm ET. Tune in at webcast.livephish.com.
Soundcheck: Nothing, Let Me Lie, Friday, Walls of the Cave
Set 1: After Midnight, The Sloth, Alumni Blues > Letter to Jimmy Page > Alumni Blues[1], Mellow Mood, Access Me, Llama, All of These Dreams, The Curtain With > Scent of a Mule, A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing, It’s Ice > Walls of the Cave
Set 2: Possum > Light > Mike’s Song > Simple > Makisupa Policeman[2] -> Night Nurse[3] -> Makisupa Policeman > The Wedge, Ghost -> The Mango Song > Weekapaug Groove[4] -> Llama Reprise
Encore: Show of Life
[1] “From Goddard College” added to lyrics. [2] “Woke up this morning with a policeman at my door all I could do was shrug, and go back in my bedroom and smoke another nug” lyrics. [3] Phish debut. [4] Unfinished.
Phish also released on Friday the latest in the Live Phish series, heading back to Summer 1995 and the band’s first appearance at Deer Creek Amphitheatre in Noblesville, IN. The official video featuring Deer Creek 1995 aired in June as an installment of Dinner And A Movie. Download the show here.
On Saturday April 20, 1991, when 4/20 was not the national holiday it has since morphed into, Phish performed at the University of Rochester, at Douglass Dining Hall. Presented by the UR Student Union, tickets were $6 for students and $10 for the public.
Show poster, via Amy Baerenklau
Phishâs third ever show on 4/20, the unique venue was named for abolitionist Frederick Douglass, and went through a complete makeover in 2015. UR alumnus Justin Miller described the show as “stale Froot Loops in the morning, then fresh Phish that night,” an apt take on an era when Phish was certainly nascent and making their footprint on college campuses, and would move on to playing sheds with Santana a year later.
The all ages show hosted a reported two hundred people, who would be treated to Jesus Jones right there the following year on 4/20.
photo by J. Adam Fenster
The first set provides standard early 90s Phish fare, ending with the lost acapella song, “Setting Sail,” formally debuted at this show, borne from a “You Enjoy Myself” vocal jam.
Trey welcomed Jon Fishman‘s parents and sister to the show prior to the start of Set 2, noting their recent show at Ithaca State Theater on February 14, 1991, where Dr. Fishman’s car was given away to a fan with fun pre-“Sloth” banter. The wide-ranging second set is chock full of songs, with a short and heavy “Tweezer” moving seamlessly into “The Oh Kee Pah Ceremony.”
With graduation a few weeks away, Phish feted the seniors in the crowd with an encore of “Alumni Blues,” including “Letter to Jimmy Page” sandwiched inside, closing out one of their final dining hall performances.
Phish – 4/20/91 – Douglass Dining Hall, University of Rochester
Set 1: Runaway Jim, Reba, Llama, Fluffhead > My Sweet One, The Landlady, Esther > Chalk Dust Torture, Bouncing Around the Room, You Enjoy Myself -> Setting Sail[1]
Set 2: The Sloth, Ya Mar, Split Open and Melt, The Squirming Coil > Paul and Silas, Cavern > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Avenu Malkenu > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Tweezer > The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony > Suzy Greenberg, Sweet Adeline
Encore: Horn > Alumni Blues > Letter to Jimmy Page > Alumni Blues
[1] Debut.
Trey teased Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas in Reba. Fish led the band in the debut of Setting Sail, which arose out of the vocal jam of YEM. Tweezer contained In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida teases from Page.
Live music website JamBase has announced Cluster Flies, a cover album of the legendary Phish album Farmhouse, set for release on Friday, April 30th.
Performing artists on the album include William Tyler on the intro track “The Inlaw Josie Wales,” Club d’Elf on “Sand,” Ryley Walker on the monster 20 minute outro track “First Tube,”and many other talented artists.
I tasked the team to come up with an idea that we could rally around in place of live music and to raise lost revenues for JamBase. Rather than a standard fundraiser, the Cluster Flies project was conceived, and we soon reached out to an incredible group of musicians who graciously jumped at the opportunity to support JamBase.
David Onigman, CEO
Each song on Cluster Flies will premiere through a daily rollout on JamBase and a corresponding episode of The JamBase Podcast that will also feature interviews with each of the participating artists. A select number of Cluster Flies songs will debut on SiriusXM’s Phish Radio on episodes of Crowd Control and Headbands.
The limited-edition 3LP album was mastered by engineer Joe Lambert and features custom artwork created by longtime Phish collaborator Jim Pollock. The Cluster Flies Pollock poster will be available to bundle with the triple gatefold, 180-gram vinyl edition. A standalone triple gatefold, 180-gram vinyl edition without the poster can also be purchased. A high-res digital version can be downloaded as well.
