27 years ago, webcam technology experts EarthCam unveiled their first live stream of the famous Times Square celebrations and ball drop. Fast forward to 2023, EarthCam has announced they are continuing their live streams, using cutting-edge networks of webcams to deliver real-time coverage of festivities and fireworks around the world.
Celebrations start in New Zealand at 6:00 a.m. EST on December 31st. Subsequently, viewers will have the opportunity to see dozens of locations ring in the New Year, including Taiwan, Puerto Rico, Corning, NY, Sicily, Wales, and Alaska. Back in Times Square, EarthCam will be providing multiple live camera perspectives, covering the entirety of the festivities in uncut and unfiltered 4K quality live streams.
EarthCam is the global leader in providing live camera technology, content, and services. Founded in 1996, EarthCam provides live-streaming video, time-lapse construction cameras, and reality capture solutions for corporate and government clients. They lead the industry with the highest resolution imagery available, including the world’s first outdoor gigapixel panorama camera system. EarthCam has documented over a trillion dollars of construction projects around the world.
The Webby Award-winning company hosts many highly trafficked tourism cams, with views of popular locations and landmarks such as Times Square, World Trade Center, Statue of Liberty, Miami Beach, Bourbon Street, Temple Bar in Dublin, Jerusalem’s Western Wall, CN Tower and Abbey Road Crossing in London.
EarthCam has experienced a remarkable expansion in 2023, documenting amazing construction projects globally, including the reconstruction of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine. EarthCam was also chosen to document the crucial emergency repair and reopening of the I-95 bridge in Philadelphia and the I-10 in Los Angeles. Also in 2023, they premiered a new platform to better serve hundreds of news media professionals who feature its live-streaming content every day. Media Priority Access is an unprecedented success in its first year, increasing EarthCam’s media exposure by 260% and earning tens of thousands of media mentions.
For more information and to tune into the live stream, visit here.
Oregon State University has announced that Benjy Eisen will be the keynote speaker for the 2024 Phish Studies Conference in Corvallis on May 17-19, 2024. Eisen, a NYT Best-Selling author, artist manager, and co-host of the “Undermine” podcast, will deliver the address to the gathered attendees.
artwork by Ryan Kerrigan
The second Phish Studies conference will feature new contributions to the emerging field of Phish Studies, which encourages multi-disciplinary scholarly approaches to Phish’s music, fan culture, social impact, and enduring popularity.
“I first fell in love with Phish during my first semester of college, and for the following four years they were an inseparable part of my college experience,” said Mr. Eisen. “Heading to OSU for an academic conference on the band feels full circle or, perhaps, full donut.”
“We’re thrilled that Mr. Eisen will deliver the 2024 Phish Studies Conference keynote address,” said Dr. Stephanie Jenkins, associate professor of Philosophy at OSU and Conference Program Committee Chair. “As a live music journalist, writer, and chronicler, he brings unique experience and wisdom to Phish scholarship.”
2019 saw OSU host the inaugural Phish Studies Conference
Like the inaugural conference in 2019, when nearly 200 fans and scholars attended the event and more than 50 scholars presented research, the 2024 gathering will represent diverse disciplinary approaches and feature scholars from across the country who are exploring the boundaries of Phish research.
“With a second conference, I foresee us going much deeper and exploring new horizons of Phish scholarship,” said Dr. Christina L. Allaback, assistant professor of Theatre at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg and Program Committee member.
OSU also announced that Phish Studies Conference committee members will be available for office hours at PhanArt on Dec. 30 from 1-6pm at Hill Country BBQ in NYC, during Phish’s MSG run.
Due to popular demand, the deadline for proposals for presentations, art, and performances has been extended to January 15, 2024. Fans are encouraged to attend PhanArt office hours to discuss their proposal ideas.
“PhanArt is an event with such great energy,” said Dr. Jake Cohen, musicologist and Program Committee member. “We’re so excited to share our enthusiasm for the conference and help phans turn their ideas into Phish Studies proposals.”
The Call for Presentations, Art, and Performances, as well as information about conference sponsorship opportunities, can be found on the conference website, phishstudies.net.
Levitate Music and Arts Festival has announced their 11th annual return to Marshfield, MA this summer. The event will be on July 5, 6, and 7 at the Marshfield Fairgrounds, featuring national and local music talents, exciting vendors, and food and beverage options for all.
The festival has yet to announce this year’s lineup. Previous performers at the festival’s 10-year anniversary included Brandi Carlile, Trey Anastasio, Peach Pit, and Larkin Poe. The festival includes not just music, but also local art displays, skate demonstrations, and gourmet food and beverage offerings for the crowds of Marshfield, MA.
The Levitate brand began in 2003 as a surf and skate shop dedicated to representing East Coast surf culture. The brand has grown into not just the surf lifestyle representative, but also a clothing brand, summer camp, and nonprofit education project that connects children with music, arts, and outdoor education. 1% of every ticket sold to the festival will be contributed to the Levitate Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to cultivating communities through music, art, and the outdoors.
Multi-day loyalty ticket on-sale will be announced soon; just in time for holiday gifting for friends and family. To receive the latest information about tickets and weekend passes, fans can sign up for the newsletter here and visit https://www.levitatemusicfestival.com/.
The interactive wonderland known as Electric Forest has just announced the initial music lineup for its 2024 festival season. The renowned festival experience is taking place June 20-23 in Rothbury, Michigan.
The magic of Electric Forest can not nearly be as well described as the experience provides. It’s an immersive journey that goes beyond standard the music festival experience. This four-day event provides safe spaces full of community, creation, and inclusion. Electric Forest is known to always provide, and that it did with this 2024 lineup. Fans of all styles of electronic music and beyond will find a little bit of everything as Forest is no stranger to having an array of genres.
Photo Credit, Maddie McCafferty
Returning and New Artists Coming To Electric Forest
The headliners for next year includes Forest legend Pretty Lights, the dubstep king himself, Excision, and Clyclops Recordings founder Subtronics. This summer will also have numerous collaborative artist sets such as EVERYTHING ALWAYS (Dom Dolla and John Summit), PSYREN (CloZee and LSDREAM), and Gigantic NGHTMRE (Big Gigantic and NGHTMRE).
Subtronics, Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
Jam band lovers will be happy with The String Cheese Incident’s return with two sets. As well as performances by The Disco Biscuits, Umphrey’s McGee, and Lettuce. Some surprising artists joining this year include Grammy-winning singer Nelly Furtado and hip-hop artist Ludacris.
The Disco Biscuits, Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
The list of headliners continues with Belgian techno queen Charlotte de Witte, and performances by Black Tiger Sex Machine, Ben Boomer, and Knock2. House and techno lovers will be ecstatic with their stacked selection of Mac P, LP Giobbi, TSHA, and more.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
This 2024 lineup has a variety of everything for everyone and more artists will continue to be announced leading up to the festival. Since 2011, Electric Forest has committed to the imagination of what a festival experience can be and this upcoming year is no exception. Passes for Electric Forest 2024 will go on sale December 8 at 12pm ET through their official website.
If you grew up in the past three decades paying attention to pop culture, then you know Britney Spears. She took America by storm since she was just a little girl with her raw vocal talent and knack for dancing. With her quick rise to fame came unexpected and unwanted attention: being scrutinized by the media for her clothes, her body, her virginity, and later on, her mental health.
It didn’t matter that she was successful; she shaved her head and went “rogue,” so she was “bad.” She was put under a conservatorship, a legal status where someone else is appointed to take care of personal and financial matters instead of the original person, typically reserved for the elderly or disabled: of which, she is neither. Britney Spears’ book The Woman In Me uncovers the Circus that was her life, the abuse she endured, and how she is recovering to this day.
Britney Spears revolutionized teen pop during the 1990s and early 2000s. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 at the young age of 15, and faced immediate success. …Baby One More Time and Oops!…I Did It Again are among the best-selling albums of all time.
She’s a famous artist, but she’s also a mother of two boys (Sean Preston Federline and Jayden James Federline), as well as an author, as of October 2023.
Spears, with the help of ghostwriter Sam Lansky, tells her story. She starts with her early life, hiding no tarnishes, such as her family’s struggles with mental health and her father’s alcoholism, and how both have affected her throughout her career.
Spears began taking dance lessons in her hometown of Kentwood, Louisiana, and from then, she was hooked. She later tried out for the 1990s revival of The Mickey Mouse Club, and after being rejected the first time and returning later with more experience, she was hired in December of 1992 as well as Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Ryan Gosling, and Keri Russell. After the termination of The Mickey Mouse Club, she realized she needed to pursue her true passion: music.
After a few rejections, Jive Records signed Spears and ordered a full album, which we know today as the infamous …Baby One More Time.
With so much success so fast, Spears realized that her life would never be the same. She was no longer a 15 year old girl in Louisiana: she was a national super star. And with all that attention came a lot of unwanted attention, too.
Male hosts, some who could be classified as Womanizers, constantly asked about her breasts, her virginity, and her “risqué” clothing. She noted that many of her male peers simply weren’t asked these questions. In fact, the sexism in the industry is very easily distinguished from her recollection of her time dating Justin Timberlake.
Their relationship was very serious very fast, which unfortunately led to many issues. Timberlake allegedly cheated on Spears with numerous women, but that’s not how he told the story. Through his music videos, he alluded to Britney Spears cheating on him, and how it hurt him so much– and everyone believed it, because why wouldn’t they?
What didn’t make it into the press was the abortion she underwent at Timberlake’s request, and the pain and heartache it caused her. Britney Spears recounts her loneliness at this time and how, no matter what, she felt her story would be overshadowed by Timberlake’s.
She fell into a deep depression, feeling as if the world was against her, and no matter what she did, it was wrong. She later married Kevin Federline, with whom she had their children, and ultimately divorced in 2007. During a long and difficult custody battle, Spears was often photographed at her worst: she lost her children, lost her voice, and lost any support system she had (if there even was one to begin with). The most infamous photos from this time are when she shaved her head, and proceeded to smash a car window with an umbrella. This image tarnished her reputation, changing her from being a pop star to a Crazy woman. She was put under a conservatorship for her well-being, but what she really needed was support and real, genuine help.
After 13 years of having her life controlled at the hands of her Toxic father, being told what to eat, when to eat, when to go to the bathroom, when to perform, and even being denied the removal of her IUD, she had enough when her father allegedly hurt one of her sons. She started searching for a good lawyer, and a court date was eventually set.
In November of 2021, the conservatorship was removed, and Britney was free. After years of other people telling her story– the press, her Criminal father, and numerous documentaries– she decided it was time to tell hers.
“Sometimes I talk trash on Instagram. People don’t know why I have such anger toward my parents. But I think if they were in my shoes, they would understand.”
Britney Spears’ “The Woman In Me,” pg. 171
Britney does not deny that the trauma she endured made her Stronger, and she makes it clear that she would not be the woman she is today if it weren’t for that trauma. But she also makes it clear that she, or any woman for that matter, shouldn’t have to be that strong in the first place, because no one should go through what she did.
Being a religious woman herself, one would think that she’d be preaching “forgiveness sets you free,” but it’s the opposite.
In our patriarchal society, women are indirectly, and sometimes directly, told to not express anger. It’s not feminine, it’s not pretty, so don’t do it. But Britney Spears has a lot of rage because of her past, and she doesn’t hide it, because women shouldn’t have to.
“In that moment, I made peace with my family– by which I mean that I realized I never wanted to see them again, and I was at peace with that.”
Britney Spears’ “The Woman In Me,” pg. 251
While there were some flaws, such as a vague description of some vital points in her career (such as the sexualization of her from such a young age and how that affected her later on, and her Instagram posts), one thing that this book really gets right is peace.
While she says that reaching peace is important, she actually defines her version of peace. “Peace,” to Britney, is not forgiving her family for what they did to her, or even keeping them in her life. Peace is being alone, and being at peace knowing that you are okay alone. So no, she does not forgive them– but she’s still free.
The idea that you have to forgive someone who traumatized you is absolutely ludicrous: and that’s really the takeaway from Britney’s book. Sometimes it’s okay to be angry, and it’s okay to feel that. Don’t let it destroy you, but remember that you don’t owe anyone anything.
Gogol Bordello and Bernard Summer have released their cover of “Solidarity” by Angelic Upstarts.
Ukrainian frontman Eugene Hütz of international punk rock band Gogol Bordello, have announced the re-launch of his label Casa Gogol Records and set to showcase the sound of the New York scene and collaborate with legends of the punk rock community. Casa Gogol first started as a touring series curated by Hütz, focusing on bringing like-minded artists on the road with Gogol Bordello.
Casa Gogol released a cover collaboration on November 27, with Gogol Bordello and Bernard Summer of Angelic Upstarts’, “Solidarity”, to honor tribute to the anti-soviet movement to benefit Ukraine and stand in solidarity with oppressed groups worldwide. Aiming to provide proceeds to Ukrainian soldiers recovery, aid children affected, support needed medical supplies and provide other resources.
“This is a particularly meaningful collaboration for us. To do this tribute with one of the most masterful and brilliant pioneers, Bernard Sumner, is truly epic and timely.”
– Eugene Hütz
“Solidarity” uses powerful lyrics that is upbeat, influential and highlights the importance of Ukraine while they sing, “As the people of Ukraine take their stance, and behind them, every honest living man.” They chant, “Give them hope, give them strength and give them light,” to tribute and bring peace to the people of Ukraine. A strong backbeat sews the song together with violin, guitar, and synthesized sounds on the keyboard that pulls punk and rock into a moving tune.
After months of rumors, Phish has announced four performances at Sphere in Las Vegas, NV, from April 18-21, 2024.
Considered the world’s most cutting-edge venue, Sphere will host the Vermont jam band as they perform four shows with completely unique setlists AND visuals, making each shows a truly once-in-a-lifetime audio-visual experience.
Sphere is powered by next-generation technologies, including a 160,000 sq. ft. LED display inside the main venue bowl that wraps up, over, and around the audience, creating a fully immersive visual environment. At 16K x 16K, it is the highest-resolution LED screen on earth. The venue also features Sphere Immersive Sound, powered by HOLOPLOT, the world’s most advanced concert-grade audio system, which delivers audio with unmatched clarity and precision to every guest.
From the moment we first heard about Sphere and its potential, we’ve been dreaming up ways to bring our show to this breathtaking canvas. We’re thrilled to present this completely unique experience to Phish fans.
Trey Anastasio
The ticket request period is now underway at tickets.phish.com and will continue through 9 AM PT/noon ET Monday, December 11. All remaining tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, December 15 at 10AM PT/1PM ET. In addition, travel packages will go on sale Friday, December 1 at 10AM PT/1PM ET, exclusively via phishatsphere.100xhospitality.com.
These shows mark the beginning of a new relationship between Phish and Sphere, but they will be the only shows Phish will perform at the venue in Las Vegas in 2024.
Northlands Music & Arts Festival has announced the initial lineup for the third annual installment, taking place June 14-15, 2024, in Swanzey, NH.
The 2024 Northlands Music & Arts Festival lineup boasts a wide array of talent, featuring internationally acclaimed touring ensembles. the festival will again feature nonstop music on two adjacent stages facing a massive concert ground, as well as some of the region’s top acts on a bustling campground stage. Those camping onsite will be treated to late-night silent disco performances, with music going into the early morning.
Northlands 2024 will include indie-jam sensation Goose, the rustic harmonies of Greensky Bluegrass, and jam band icons moe. Further adding to the roster are Krasno & Friends, Mihali, Sierra Hull, Dopapod, Spafford, TAUK, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, and Magic Beans. The festival once again welcomes the all-star, all-female group Super Sonic Shorties, led by Nikki Glaspie. Other special guests include Kanika Moore (artist at large), Jennifer Hartswick, and Natalie Cressman.
Additional main stage artists and 15+ emerging regional acts set to light up the Campground Stage will be announced in early 2024.
Northlands continues to lead the way in sustainability, committed to the adage “Enjoy Life. Do Good”. Following the elimination of single-use plastics in 2023 and the introduction of industry-leading recycling and composting programs, the festival will continue to significantly reduce its carbon footprint.
As we enter our 3rd year, we’ve fine-tuned our approach based on what our patrons value most. The growth and connection within the Northlands community is truly inspiring. We couldn’t be more excited to share this year’s spectacular lineup, enhanced camping options, and further our commitment to sustainability. As always, our lineup proudly features many talented women, and we eagerly anticipate the magic they, alongside all of our performers, will bring to the festival.
festival co-producer Jen Meyerhardt.
Tickets go on sale on December 1 at 12 PM ET. Options include General Admission, Car Camping, powered and unpowered RV Camping, Family Camping, and VIP experiences, with a new VIP Glamping experience, providing an elevated camping experience.
THE INITIAL NORTHLANDS 2024 LINEUP
Goose
Greensky Bluegrass
moe.
Eric Krasno and Friends
Mihali
Sierra Hull
Dopapod
Spafford
TAUK
Super Sonic Shorties
Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad
Kanika Moore (artist at large)
Magic Beans
The Psycodelics
Special Guests: Jennifer Hartswick, Natalie Cressman, Nikki Glaspie
Sphere in Las Vegas has announced that the Radio City Rockettes will be featured daily throughout the holiday season on the Exosphere, the fully programmable LED exterior of the venue.
The festive Christmas Spectacular activation debuted overnight, marking the first time the Exosphere has featured dancing wrapped 360 degrees around the venue. The content was developed in collaboration between Sphere Entertainment and MSG Entertainment, both part of the MSG family of companies.
Since it was first illuminated on July 4, the Exosphere captured worldwide attention for its impactful visuals. It is covered with nearly 580,000 square feet of fully programmable LED paneling, creating the largest LED screen in the world. The Exosphere consists of approximately 1.2 million LED pucks, spaced eight inches apart, capable of displaying 256 million different colors.
There is a magic here that we’ve created with Sphere, and there is a magic that is created by the Rockettes every year in the Christmas Spectacular. There is nothing more artful than the Rockettes or more scientific than Sphere, so bringing these two together on the Exosphere in such a unique way is the essence of what we do here at Sphere – uniting art and science to bring wonder to the world. This is particularly exciting because it is the most complex combination of real-life footage and animated content we’ve created for the Exosphere to date.
Guy Barnett, SVP, Brand Strategy & Creative Development, Sphere Entertainment
Founded in 1925, the Radio City Rockettes are the longest-running precision dance company in America. The Rockettes are world-renowned for their unity, athleticism, and iconic precision style combining elements of ballet, jazz, and tap, and techniques of modern and contemporary dance. In addition to the iconic Christmas Spectacular, the Rockettes perform annually in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Christmas in Rockefeller Center tree lighting, and have appeared at the Tony Awards, the MTV VMAs, the NYC Pride Parade, and Saturday Night Live.
The activation began with the first Christmas ornament to be displayed on the Exosphere. The top of the vibrant red and gold ornament spun off, revealing, in a nod to the “12 Days of Christmas” number in the Christmas Spectacular, the Rockettes’ legs, rising to reveal more of them. They performed their iconic choreography at 125 feet tall, concluding with their beloved kickline as it rotated around the Exosphere. The Rockettes’ were transparent through the screen, showcasing their backs, marking the first time the technique has been utilized on the immersive digital canvas. To close off, the iconic Radio City Music Hall marquee could be seen.
In order to achieve continuous dancing, 15 Rockettes were captured performing in groups of five, giving the Sphere Studios team three clips that were composited together. Those composite clips were then multiplied and stitched together to stretch all the way around the Exosphere. The Rockettes’ footage was shot in New York specifically for the Exosphere. The content was conceptualized, developed, and created exclusively by Sphere Studios.
“We are all about precision,” said Danelle Morgan, Radio City Rockette, dance captain and assistant choreographer. “But with Sphere, we really need to make sure that every single thing – from the tip of our finger to the height of our signature eye-high kicks – is completely in sync because of the scale of the Exosphere. It’s such an honor to see the Rockettes on Sphere, spreading Christmas joy in Las Vegas while we perform in the Christmas Spectacular at our home in New York City.”
A staple of the holidays in New York City, the Christmas Spectacular stars The Rockettes and features nine show-stopping numbers throughout the 90-minute production. The show features intricate choreography and thrilling performances that leave audiences with a sense of wonder and amazement. Since it opened at Radio City in 1933, the Christmas Spectacular has brought holiday joy to more than 70 million people from around the world.
Tickets for the 2023 Christmas Spectacular start at $49 and can be purchased online here.
It was inevitable that the band would get something going for their 20th anniversary run, as you just don’t disregard an occasion like that for any reason – you just play. Fans waited for the announcement by the time IT was over, figuring that the band would go on its first Halloween run since 1998, adding to anticipation that the band would put on another musical costume, with endless limits.
poster by Hollie Dilley
However, as the band inspected exactly what the date of the first show was, so that a 20th anniversary was correctly timed, it seems that the date of 10/30/83 was incorrect, even though they had a 15th anniversary out in Vegas of 1998. As it turns out, the first show for the ROTC folks was 12/2/83, and they arranged a four night Northeast run to celebrate, with special guests at the first show, and an elongated show at the final destination, Boston’s Fleet Center, with a myriad of special guests guessed at in anticipation of something spectacular. The Boston show had its highlight in the set break montage video, but no special guests to mention of. Fans were happy though, as it was by far the hardest ticket since NYE 2002 to obtain, and those who were warm inside had no complaints from where they were sitting.
By far the coldest Phish run ever, the shows had snow, ice, wind, and more snow as the band progressed from Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, to the Wachovia Center in Philly, to the Knickerbocker Arena (note: not the Pepsi) in Albany, and the Fleet Center in Boston as part of a four-day run of shows many fans attempted to see all four of. The run could even be characterized as one gigantic show: Nassau was a solid opener, Philly was the bathroom/cigarette/beer break, Albany was the second set heat, and Boston was the after-party.
Outside at all these shows, it was far too cold/rainy/snowy to have a lot scene of any kind, so fans simply piled into bars and parking garages to peddle what they had to keep the tour afloat for themselves, in hopes they might make the next show, and/or home in the coming days.
Artwork by Drew Suto
Some fans felt that this run was spectacular, and perfectly executed, even though others wondered where the spark from summer 2003 went. At least a few older fans looked at the run as sealing the bands fate in their eyes, with the best years clearly behind them, especially after the Vegas 2004 run. Many fans wondered what happened, although Miami might have swayed some opinions in the end.
Nassau featured not only the highly appropriate guest in The Dude of Life on vocals for a rare (and final) ‘Crimes of the Mind’, but also a setbreak wedding of two highly committed fans of the band and each other. Making a Phish show your wedding venue was only done previously at the Clifford Ball, and a tribute to the concentrated community spirit of Phish.
poster by TRIPP
Philly had high-energy crowds a day after Nassau, but execution had some fans wondering what was up. Tom Marshall came up to sing lyrics to ‘Buffalo Bill’, a departure from his regular appearances on ‘Run Like an Antelope’. The Philly show left fan waiting for more indeed.
Albany, the second hometown to Phish, one of the regular tour starts, endings and all-around in-betweens, the Knick was the home to famous Dead shows and disks, as well as memorable Phish shows (see 12/13/97 – Bring on the Dude!). The entire atmosphere of this show was positive, as special guests at the two previous shows made fans wonder who was next to sit in. Following “YEM” in the second set, Trey brought up a very special guest, the band’s first guitarist (aside from Trey), who left the band under mysterious circumstances – Jeff Holdsworth. The original songs that he had written – “Camel Walk” and “Possum” – were played with a degree of both difficulty and success by Holdsworth with the band he left behind almost 17 years ago. A cover of “Long Cool Woman”, by the Hollies was played by the part-time quintet, a tribute to the first show that Holdsworth was playing at. By the time the band broke into Antelope, you could no longer hear Jeff, as his guitar was turned down to inaudible levels, as his playing could not keep up with the boys who ventured beyond the three-year mark. Tom Marshall came up to sing the original lyrics that he penned, and the show ended with a monster version of Hendrix’s “Fire”, again with Holdsworth. Fans were pleased to see him on stage again, but a computer operator in Canada definitely overstayed his welcome that evening in Albany.
However, the overall purpose for bringing Jeff out was a symbol that Phish was and is about family. Boston featured a memorable second set and a video montage during the setbreak that fans clamored to see, particularly since the first notes of Fluffhead were heard in a dormroom video from the early 1980s. This more than made up for a first set that many wondered if anything special would be brought out for the second set, particularly the special guests everyone talked about coming – Santana, the Giant Country Horns, anyone and everyone?! Fishman handed out a cake towards the front row during setbreak for fans to dive into, as many did, regardless of sticky hands that would not be cleaned till after the show. The second set did bring the heat fans were looking for, with monster versions of “Maze,” “Frankenstein,” and “Piper,” that made this show and run well worth it. Regardless, the detractors are present on the vibe/performance of this run, as it was an asterisk to many between a hot summer and even hotter time in Miami for New Years Eve.
Phish – Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY – Friday, November 28, 2003
Set 1: Bouncing Around the Room, Runaway Jim, Ghost > What’s the Use? > AC/DC Bag > First Tube, Frankie Says > Bathtub Gin -> Free
Set 2: Waves > Sample in a Jar > Down with Disease[1], Walls of the Cave, Two Versions of Me, Crowd Control[2], Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove
Encore: Crimes of the Mind[3]
[1] Unfinished. [2] Debut. [3] The Dude of Life on vocals.
Disease was unfinished. This show included the debut of Crowd Control. Trey introduced Mike to sing “his song.” Crimes of the Mind (first since July 10, 1994 at SPAC – 504 shows) featured the Dude of Life on vocals. During the song, the Dude congratulated Phish on their 20 years together, and wished them success for 20 more.
Phish – Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA – Saturday, November 29, 2003
Set 1: Wilson > Cars Trucks Buses, Limb By Limb, Dirt > Seven Below, Divided Sky, Fast Enough for You > Julius
Set 2: Twist -> Simple > Taste > Makisupa Policeman[1], Buffalo Bill[2] > David Bowie, Strange Design > Character Zero
Encore: Friday
[1] Keyword referenced waking up in “Hempstead.” [2] Tom Marshall on vocals.
Trey teased San-Ho-Zay in Seven Below, Julius, and Twist. The lyrics to Makisupa referenced waking up “in Hempstead.” Later in Makisupa, Trey commented on the upcoming 20th anniversary of the band, and noted Makisupa as the first original Phish song ever played. Trey also commented on his long-standing friendship with Tom Marshall and said that Tom had written Makisupa when he was a child. Trey brought Tom out on stage and noted that he thought Makisupa was written in 1969, leading Tom to note that we “have a 60’s song.” Prior to Tom singing on Buffalo Bill, Trey noted: “Tom is now going to sing you a song about a boss, a log, and a piece of rope.”
Phish – Pepsi Arena, Albany, NY – Monday, December 1, 2003
Set 1: Chalk Dust Torture, Stash, Guyute, Thunderhead > Sparkle, Wolfman’s Brother > Good Times Bad Times
Set 2: Tweezer -> Also Sprach Zarathustra > You Enjoy Myself, Camel Walk[1], Possum[1], Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress[1] > Run Like an Antelope[2]
Encore: Fire[3]
[1] Jeff Holdsworth on guitar and vocals. [2] Jeff Holdsworth on guitar and Tom Marshall on vocals. [3] Jeff Holdsworth on guitar.
Tweezer was preceded by a Dixie tease. Camel Walk through Fire featured Jeff Holdsworth on guitar. This was Jeff’s first known performance with his former Phish brethren since May 17, 1986 (1,348 shows). Camel Walk, Possum, and Long Cool Woman (first since October 30, 1998, or 180 shows) also featured Jeff on lead vocals. Antelope featured Tom Marshall on vocals.
Phish – Fleet Center, Boston, MA – Tuesday, December 2, 2003
Set 1: Harry Hood > Cavern, Birds of a Feather, Ya Mar, Horn > Piper > Anything But Me, Water in the Sky, Down with Disease
Set 2: Rock and Roll -> Weekapaug Groove[1] -> Tweezer Reprise[2] > Frankenstein -> Kung -> Frankenstein, All of These Dreams, The Wedge, Boogie On Reggae Woman > Cities > Maze, Waste
Encore: Bug
[1] Unfinished. [2] Mike’s Song lyrics sung by Trey.
This gig commemorated the 20th anniversary of the first Phish show. In the audience, a section of seats were roped off to make way for a music stand. The music stand held a three-ring binder that contained lyrics from the Phish canon, but it did not play an active role in the performance. Ya Mar contained teases of The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana). At the end of Disease, a video screen descended behind the stage. As the house lights remained down, a 25+ minute video was played featuring retrospective highlights from throughout Phish’s career. Before the second set, Mike brought out a tray of desserts and shared them with fans in front of the stage. Highway to Hell was briefly teased by Trey before Rock and Roll. Weekapaug was unfinished. Tweezer Reprise included lyrics (sung by Trey) from Mike’s Song. Appropriately, the post-show house music was the Beatles’ song Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band (which begins with the lyric, “It was twenty years ago today…”).
