Final Tour - Summer 2004

Tickets went on sale prior to the band's announcement that they were calling it quits. Didn't really matter, tickets for the Brooklyn shows sold out immediately. I was out in California with my busted up ankle and tickets went on sale at 9am on the east coast. I woke a bit after 6am PST and called Stacy who informed me she had no luck getting Brooklyn tickets.

So, we opted to go forward and get tickets to the Saratoga Springs shows. Being familiar with Albany and having a friend up there, we could find a place to crash and attend the Saturday and Sunday performances.

Next, the Coventry festival was announced. Broke already, I emptied my savings account to cover this show...once again the break-up hadn't been announced and tickets sold out shortly after that. Glad I grabbed them when available. 4 summer shows guaranteed. Quite nice!

Finally, the movie theater broadcast of the first Brooklyn show was announced and Stacy got tickets for this. While not an official show, it would mean I'd see 5 shows this summer. The most I'd ever seen on a single tour was 4, so this was the best I could do.

17th June 2004 - Keyspan Park - Brooklyn, NY

This show does not count in my tally of shows, however I did see it live and with a few hundred fellow Phish fans and isn't that what it's all about?

We missed the first song, one of the few that I like from the new record (but saw it a few days later!) and walked in during Dinner and a Movie.

Upon entering the theater we were surprised to see everyone sitting. It was very strange actually but as The Curtain With started, I began bobbing my head and within a few songs the place was very active.

Set I:

(07:02) A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing
(03:59) Dinner and a Movie
(13:43) The Curtain With
(04:57) Sample in a Jar
(14:58) Moma Dance ->
(10:22) Free
(06:34) Nothing
(10:23) Maze
(04:59) Frankenstein

Set II:

(17:20) 46 Days ->
(08:18) Possum
(01:47) The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony ->
(18:24) Suzy Greenberg ->
(03:24) Axilla I ->
(09:02) 2001 ->
(08:59) Birds of a Feather
(04:10) Kung
(08:51) Mike's Song ->
(02:40) I Am Hydrogen ->
(12:57) Weekapaug Groove

Encore:

(15:28) The Divided Sky

19th June 2004 - SPAC - Saratoga, NY

Stacy and I left around noon this beautiful Saturday afternoon. A few stops on the way up left us a little late which was actually beneficial from a parking perspective.

We took the side route to bypass much of the traffic and found some kids offering $5 parking. Little did we know it was like 2 miles from the venue! Since it was too far for me to walk on crutches, Stacy decided to drive me up to the venue and drop me off. Monster mosquitos flew in the car and all about and we brought a pair of kids with us to drop off. Since it was so far, we drove around the venue and found parking relatively close in a closed parking lot.

Arriving during Reba, we missed most of the song and met up with Stacy's friends. We settled down during Runaway Jim for the remainder of the set. The song selection wasn't my favorite with Wolfman's Brother and Walls of the Cave being 2 songs I dislike. However their respective lengthy jams proved that this band is that good.

After moving down a little closer in between sets, and meeting a fellow crutch-bearing fan, the second set began and was positively fantastic. Having missed A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing in Brooklyn, I was thrilled to hear it live and the jam just kept going! I could've sworn it went directly into Piper, to Stacy's sheer delight. The song was incredible and while the jam felt as if it had a few uninspired moments, the good was great. There were a few moments where I just found myself smiling, looking around and the song simply kept going on! At more than 32 minutes, it was definitely one of the longest songs I've ever seen (the 35-minute Roses Are Free which preceded my first Piper is probably the longest.)

The segue was a good one, just the song wasn't so hot. The remainder of the 2nd set was ok....but overall it was one of the better sets. 50 minutes on 2 great songs isn't half bad!

Set I:
(12:26) Reba
(08:15) Runaway Jim
(05:31) NICU ->
(10:18) Scents and Subtle Sounds
(12:07) Wolfman's Brother
(20:33) Walls Of The Cave ->
(12:08) David Bowie

Set II:
(18:30) A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing
(32:39) Piper (*) ->
(08:51) Gotta Jibboo ->
(11:55) Limb By Limb
(05:49) Cavern

Encore:
(07:24) Wading in the Velvet Sea

(*) Tweezer Reprise tease?

20th June 2004 - SPAC - Saratoga, NY

Set I:
Rift
Julius
Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home (*)
Waves
Gumbo
Water in the Sky
Horn
Poor Heart
Drowned

Set II:
Seven Below
Ghost ->
Twist
You Enjoy Myself

Encore:
Good Times Bad Times

(*) with Page's dad, Dr. Jack McConnell on vocals. Dr. McConnell tap dances at the end of Bill Bailey.

During Julius, Trey broke first string on stage since 1995.

Anniversary Tour - Fall 2003

Jeff Holdsworth came out on stage to play a few songs.

More to come!

SET ONE
	Chalk Dust Torture 	9:49 
	Stash 	13:34 
	Guyute 	10:40 
	Thunderhead 	7:17 
	Sparkle 	4:06 
	Wolfman's Brother 	15:22 
	Good Times, Bad Times 	6:41 
	
	DISC TWO 	
	
SET TWO
	Tweezer 	17:31 
	2001 	8:14 
	You Enjoy Myself 	24:27 
	
	DISC THREE 	
	
	Camel Walk 	6:38 
	Possum 	9:20 
	Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress 	4:42 
	Run Like an Antelope 	13:25 
ENCORE
	Fire 	6:26

Summer 2003: It Festival

SET ONE
	AC/DC Bag 	9:05 
	Ya Mar 	17:15 
	Runaway Jim 	7:56 
	Reba 	18:59 
	Birds of a Feather 	16:25 
	Meatstick 	9:00 
	
	DISC TWO 	
	
	Two Versions of Me 	6:49 
	Vultures 	7:50 
	Limb By Limb 	11:16 
	Cavern 	5:17 
SET TWO
	Down with Disease 	22:54 
	NICU 	5:55 
	Brother 	6:33 
	Lawn Boy 	3:38 
	
	DISC THREE 	
	
	Discern 	10:45 
	Waves 	20:54 
	David Bowie 	12:56 
	
	DISC FOUR 	
	
SET THREE
	Rock and Roll 	18:05 
	Seven Below 	12:54 
	Scents and Subtle Sounds 	14:00 
	Spread It 'Round 	8:49 
	Bug 	9:59 
ENCORE
	Dog Log 	6:29 
	The Mango Song 	8:46

08/03/03 It, Loring Air Force Base Limestone, ME

SET ONE
	Daniel Saw the Stone 	3:46 
	Saw It Again 	6:28 
	Punch You in the Eye 	8:44 
	Army of One 	4:55 
	Chalk Dust Torture 	25:48 
	Wilson 	4:50 
	Mike's Song 	8:15 
	I Am Hydrogen 	3:06 
	Weekapaug Groove 	13:57 
	
	DISC TWO 	
	
SET TWO
	Mellow Mood 	3:39 
	Ghost 	31:47 
	Mountains In The Mist 	7:30 
	Pebbles and Marbles 	11:56 
	
	DISC THREE 	
	
	You Enjoy Myself 	22:37 
	Chariots of Fire 	3:33 
	Loving Cup 	6:57 
SET THREE
	46 Days 	39:04 
	
	DISC FOUR 	
	
	Julius 	8:57 
	The Lizards 	11:15 
	Secret Smile 	3:19 
	Run Like an Antelope 	15:15 
ENCORE
	Good Times, Bad Times 	9:29 

Winter 2003

Tickets went on sale in order: NJ (9am), MA (10am) and NY (11am). Since I was away on vacation, Stacy phoned in and tried for all 3. As expected, the NY show sold out and so we were glad to have gotten tickets to 2 shows. 1 show is simply not enough to get a taste of a tour, and so things worked out well.

The first of the 3 shows was on Monday the 24th of February and I left work early to head to NYC. We were able to take the train in and then take the bus over to the Continental Arena next to Giants Stadium. I foolishly drank a beer while waiting and had the worst 'piss pains' ever experienced as we rode the bus into Jersey.

Our seats were almost directly behind the stage, good for viewing Fishman playing, but little else really as we were just a little to the left. There was a cool guy from North Carolina to our left who was there by himself.

The first set was average IMO, DWD always has a good jam, but the following songs aren't among my favorites. I really don't like Wolfman's Brother actually....

But anyways, after a few songs, I saw a large black man slowly walking from the left portion of the stage. I knew it immediately and told the guy to my left that it was B.B. King. The crowd ROARED as he took the stage, it was really incredible. He took a seat and jammed out 3 lengthy songs with the band as the first set ended. He looked a little uncomfortable, but the songs came out well and he left to another roar before the first break.

The second set began with Halley's Comet, still the most redundant song ever, but some interesting segues made it an exciting set and we heard Waves for the first time. The Farmhouse encore was interesting and different and I can't really recall the ride back to NY at all....

The setlist:

Monday, February 24, 2003
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ

Set I: Down with Disease, Corinne Corrina, Wolfman's Brother > Limb by Limb, Everyday (I Have the Blues), The Thrill is Gone, Rock Me Baby

Set II: Halley's Comet > Harry Hood > Heavy Things, Twist, All of These Dreams, Waves > Sample In A Jar > Chalk Dust Torture

Encore: Farmhouse

For the Worcester show, I took a half day the day of and the day after the show to cover the travel and late night sleep. The drive up was uneventful, having done it several years earlier for the Fall '98 tour. I don't really like the venue due to the smaller size and lack of plumbing. There literally are only a handful of stalls, so set break piss runs become hour-long fiascos if you don't do it right.

It was extremely cold and we only arrived with a small amount of time to spare. After parking what seemed like miles away, the walk to the venue was painful and somewhat familiar. Hordes of people were waiting outside to get in and once inside, it wasn't long before the band started up.

The show was a bit of a homecoming, as the tour didn't hit the New England area until this show (iirc) and the energy level was infinitely greater than the show in NJ, even with B.B. King's appearance. The setlist was better as well IMO, and the band debuted 4 songs from each band member's side projects: Clone, Drifting, Blue Skies and Final Flight.

The YEM opener was apparently the first one since 1989 but the 2nd set really stood out. Like NJ, it featured several excellent transitions (Ghost > Low Rider Jam > Makisupa > Ya Mar and Waves > Caspian > Frankenstein > Golgi). Waves was the only duplicate and wasn't bad as it's got a cool jam in there and worked well into the segue.

No major specific memories from the show barring the cool jams and excellent fan response. Loving Cup was a much more exciting encore than Farmhouse and gave us a little more energy for the long ride home. Stacy passed out and I recall almost dozing more than once, but we got in around 3, slept till 11 and went to work for 1. Not a bad deal at all. The setlist of course:

Wednesday, February 26, 2003
Worcester Centrum Centre, Worcester, MA

Set I: You Enjoy Myself, Clone, Roggae, Drifting, Blue Skies, The Moma Dance, Final Flight, Maze

Set II: Stash, Ghost -> Low Rider Jam -> Makisupa Policeman -> Ya Mar, Guyute, Waves > Prince Caspian -> Frankenstein > Golgi Apparatus

Encore: Loving Cup

Fall 2000

09-08-00 Pepsi Arena, Albany, New York

1: Mellow Mood*, Limb by Limb, Ghost, Bouncing Around the Room, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Saw it Again, NICU, Glide, Axilla**, Taste, Golgi Apparatus (1:16)
2: Birds of a Feather, Windora Bug, David Bowie, Back in the Chicken Shack, Bathtub Gin^, Character Zero
E: Fire

Show began with a "Mike's Song" tease. *First time played; Bob Marley cover. **"Axilla (I)" lyrics with "Axilla II" ending. ^with 7-minute ambient jam, which featured Fish on vacuum and Trey on drums.

09-09-00 Pepsi Arena, Albany, New York

1: Possum, My Friend My Friend -> Gumbo > Maze, Boogie On Reggae Woman, Roggae, Guyute, Run Like an Antelope* (1:13)
2: Gotta Jibboo > The Curtain > Sand**^ -> Makisupa Policeman^#, Cars Trucks Buses^ > Funky Bitch^, Cavern (1:20)
E: Harry Hood^## (0:17)

*with Tom Marshall (saying the "Marco Esquandolas" part). **With glowrings. ^With Michael Ray on trumpet. #Keyword was "schwag." ##Unfinished; also, after the "thank you, Mr. Minor" part, 5 people were taken out of the audience to sit on stage to keep Michael Ray company (a crew member had removed his trumpet from the stage misplaced it). Trey thanked 'Michael Ray and the Michael Ray Chorus.'

New Years Eve 1999-2000

This was our big vacation, and I can't quite recall how we pulled off getting time off of work. I have a feeling I quit my job before this event only to get a new one upon returning to Albany. Stacy wasn't feeling very well and had a terrible cough, but we had fun regardless and left from Long Island for our trip south. It was just after Christmas which we had spent with my family. We got a late start as we saw a doctor that day. The wait to see the doctor was 2 hours and then we picked up some cough medicine before shipping out.

I had never driven all the way to Florida before. Once to Georgia but I was young, probably only about 8. This would be the biggest trip I'd ever taken, and we drove down in my Chrysler Le Baron that I had received from my grandmother just a few months earlier. No AC and the passenger window didn't work, so Stacy wasn't so thrilled about that.

After the late start and driving all day, we found a place somewhere down south, I believe in the Carolinas. It was a late evening, probably after midnight and we were up relatively early. We got a bite to eat at the 'continental breakfast' they offered, little more than coffee and some pastries. We hit the road at about 8am.

We hit Florida pretty early iirc, but the state is pretty huge and we spent much of the day still travelling south. Once in the sunny state however, we hit a series of bottlenecks. The first was a minor accident, the second we averted mostly by choosing the proper lane but the third was a large trucker carrying 2x4s. The truck had apparently slid and all of the wood fell into the highway. As we were pretty close to the accident (but didn't see it), I got out and helped toss the wood to the shoulder. At one point, I almost hit someone in the head w/ a piece of lumber, a close call that would've been ugly to say the least.

After clearing the road and getting out of traffic for the 3rd time in less than an hour, I decided there would be no cops anywhere. Since all the attention was behind me, I opted to hit the 100mph mark for the first time in my driving career. This didn't please Stacy, but it's an 'achievement' I proudly have under my belt now. heh.

10pm was roughly when we hit Alligator Alley, Rt I-75 connecting Ft. Lauderdale and Naples, East and West Florida. It is here when everything came to a screeching halt, 14 hours after we set out that morning.

11am was roughly when we got through the traffic merely miles away and into the concert grounds. Of course, this would have been much longer if I didn't drive on the grass in the divider, cutting out what was almost 2 miles to my recollection. In retrospect, running over something there would have truly left us in a mess, as a broken down car in the middle of Florida wouldn't have been good. It was a pretty insane experience though, having driven all day just to sit at the wheel all night.

The most memorable part of this 13 hour wait? The man holding the Bad Karma sign to all of us driving in the divider.

12-30-99 Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation, FL

1: Water in the Sky, Light Up or Leave Me Alone^, Suzie Greenberg, Corrine Corrina, Limb By Limb, +Che Hun Ta Mo*, Big Alligator Song*, Possum, Farmhouse, Ghost, Ya Mar, Character Zero (1:39)
2: Wilson, The Curtain > Tweezer -> Taste, Meat, Golgi Apparatus, Wolfman's Brother, Gotta Jiboo, Harry Hood, Good Times Bad Times (1:35)
3: Chalk Dust Torture, The Moma Dance, Run Like an Antelope, The Sloth, When The Circus Comes, Mike's Song > Simple -> I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove++ (1:20)
E: Boogie On Reggae Woman > Tweezer Reprise (0:10)

^Traffic cover (from the album "Low Spark of the High Heeled Boys"). +Trey announces that the band will play all night, will not leave the stage to go to the bathroom, and will be surrounded by security to keep them on stage, then introduces the guests. *With Seminole Indian Chief Jim Billie on lead vocals and guitar, John McCuen on mandolin/banjo, and someone else on lead electric guitar. ++With "Auld Lang Syne" tease at midnight.

12-31-99 Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation, FL

1: Runaway Jim+, Funky Bitch, Tube, I Didn't Know*, Punch You in the Eye, Bouncing Around the Room, Poor Heart, Roggae, Split Open and Melt** -> Catapult, Get Back on the Train, Horn, Guyute, After Midnight*** (1:46)
2: #Meatstick^ -> Auld Lang Syne, Down with Disease -> Llama, Bathtub Gin^^, Heavy Things^^^, ^^^^Twist Around > Prince Caspian > Rock and Roll, You Enjoy Myself%, Crosseyed and Painless, The Inlaw Josie Wales%%, Sand -> Quadrophonic Topplings%%%, Slave to the Traffic Light, Albuquerque, Reba, Axilla, Uncle Pen, David Bowie, My Soul, Drowned -> After Midnight reprise, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Bittersweet Motel, Piper** -> Free, Lawn Boy, Hold Your Head Up > Love You%%%% > Hold Your Head Up, Roses are Free, Bug, $Also Sprach Zarathustra > Wading in the Velvet Sea, Meatstick$$ (7:45)

Set 2 was played from midnight to sunrise, non-stop. +With marshmallow war, lots of balloons, and aerial tortillas. *With Fish on vacuum. **Unfinished. ***First time played; J.J. Cale cover from the album "Naturally" (best known for the Eric Clapton version).

#Set begins around 11:35 pm with Father Time on stage pedaling away at a stationary bike, powering a large clock, with the sound of the gears on the PA (possibly a Siket Disc track?). At approximately 11:50 pm, Father Time collapses from exhaustion and the clock stops. At this time, with appropriate sound effects, a large fan boat entered the field from halfway back, stage right. Soon the sides and top of the fan boat were blown off to reveal the band riding in the hot dog from 12-31-94. The hot dog approached the stage as the band threw leis and other goodies into the crowd. Once the hot dog reached the stage, the band disembarked carrying several meatsticks. They fed these to Father Time, reviving him to drive to clock to midnight. ^Instrumental version, with the band picking up the song from a pre-recorded version played during the hot dog ride. ^^With vocal jam, as Trey, Mike, and Page sang the notes as they played them. ^^^Recorded live for ABC's Millennium coverage; Trey instructed the crowd to chant the word "Cheesecake" after the song (instead of applauding), in an attempt to confuse TV viewers; Trey introduced the band for the recorded footage and offered a message of peace and harmony for the world ("The right lane is for driving. The left lane is for passing. So stay in the right lane unless you're passing."). ^^^^Preceded by "Meatstick" tease (possibly as Central Time hit midnight). %With "Cheesecake" vocal jam. %%Trey solo acoustic. %%%With Mike holding up a voice box, repeating the phrase "Quadrophonic Toppling." %%%%With Fish on vacuum; Fish introduced Page before the song, and Mike and Trey afterwards, and the band as "Phish 2000 ." $Preceded by a tease of the "Harry Hood" intro. $$No encore; post-show music was the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun."

Fall 1999

10-10-99 Pepsi Arena, Albany, NY

1: Farmhouse, Gotta Jiboo, Heavy Things, First Tube, Dirt, Vultures, Stash* (1:10)
2: Jam > You Enjoy Myself** -> Prince Caspian** -> Train Song, Bathtub Gin, Character Zero# (1:07)
E: Contact, Misty Mountain Hop (0:14)

*Ended abruptly. **Unfinished. #Trey thanked family, crew, and fans.

Summer 1999 - Oswego Festival

07-17-99 Oswego County Airport, Volney, NY

1: Tube, Boogie on Reggae Woman, Birds of a Feather, Guelah Papyrus, My Sweet One, Roggae, Tweezer -> Have Mercy*, Taste, Character Zero (~1:30)
2: Funky Bitch**, On My Knees**, On My Knees Reprise#, Down With Disease*, Wolfman's Brother -> Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley -> Wolfman's Brother -> Timber (Jerry), You Enjoy Myself
E: The Squirming Coil, Tweezer Reprise (2+E 1:55)

*Trey on keys. **With Son Seals. #Short blues jam played as Son Seals exited.

07-18-99 Oswego County Airport, Volney, NY

1: Punch You in the Eye, This Is a Farmhouse, Water in the Sky, Bathtub Gin, Get Back on the Train*, If You Need a Fool*, I'm Blue I'm Lonesome*^, Beauty of My Dreams*, The Moma Dance, Reba, Chalk Dust Torture
2: Runaway Jim# -> Free, The Meatstick**, Guyute, Axilla##, Llama (1:00)
3: My Soul, Piper### > Prince Caspian > Wilson -> Catapult^ -> Icculus^^, Quinn the Eskimo, Fluffhead
E: Harry Hood^^^ (3+E 1:50)

*With the Del McCoury Band. ^Del McCoury broke a string. **Trey explains the record attempt; Sofi Dillof dances on-stage dancing; Guinness Book of World Records staff videotaping the event; the record was not set. #With "Psycho Killer" jam. ##Entire Part I. ###With glowrings, and Trey on keys. ^Followed by banter and toying, all continuing an E chord from the end of "Wilson" (which was never finished). Trey gabbed about TV, books, and Deep Purple, teased "Smoke on the Water," compared it to "Cat Scratch Fever," and more. ^^Followed by more talking, band introductions, a mention of the fan group CK5, and teases of "Miss You" (Rolling Stones). ^^^With fireworks.

Fall 1998

11-25-98 Pepsi Arena, Albany, NY

1: Punch You in the Eye, My Soul, Roggae, AC/DC Bag, Lifeboy, David Bowie, Sleep*, Driver*, Good Times Bad Times (1:19)
2: Also Sprach Zarathustra > Golgi Apparatus, Drowned -> Prince Caspian, Piper^, You Enjoy Myself, Been Caught Stealin' -> Llama (1:14)
E: Something, Guyute, Freebird+

*Acoustic. ^With glowstick war, in which Trey, Page and Mike were all hit with glowsticks. +A cappella.

11-27-98 The Centrum, Worcester, MA

1: Funky Bitch, Ya Mar, Carini, Runaway Jim, Meat, Reba*, The Old Home Place, Dogs Stole Things, Vultures, When the Circus Comes, Birds of a Feather (1:23)
2: Buried Alive, Wipe Out+, Chalk Dust Torture** -> Mirror in the Bathroom# -> Chalk Dust Torture -> Dog Log## -> Chalk Dust Torture > Sanity, Buffalo Bill, Mike's Song^ -> I Am Hydrogen -> Weekapaug Groove^^, Run Like an Antelope (1:18)
E: Wading in the Velvet Sea, Golgi Apparatus -> Wipe Out+ (0:13)

*With whistling. +Trey introduced Fish. **With "Wipe Out" teases. #First time played (The Beat (later known as The English Beat) cover from their debut LP "I Just Can't Stop It"); two verses played. ##Possibly inspired by a dog show taking place next door to the Centrum; very bluesy. ^With ambient jamming. ^^With recurring "Wipe Out" jamming and ambient jamming (especially in the latter portion). +After a drum solo by Fish, Trey introduced him again and then they finished "Wipe Out."

11-28-98 The Centrum, Worcester, MA

1: Gumbo, Tube -> Down With Disease, Guyute, Albuquerque, Foam, The Moma Dance*, Split Open and Melt (1:16)
2: Julius, Wolfman's Brother -> Timber (Jerry), Loving Cup -> Scent of a Mule**, Prince Caspian, Crossroads, Tweezer > Cavern (1:19)
E: Sample in a Jar, Tweezer Reprise (0:08)

Glowstick war during break before encore. *With different (?) lyrics. **With bass solo by Mike; with a Muel Duel bass/drums jam between Mike and Fish, with Mike wearing a horned viking helmet like the one Fish has been wearing for the past few shows.

11-29-98 The Centrum, Worcester, MA

1: Paul and Silas*, Axilla (I), Theme from the Bottom, Sparkle, Horn, Limb by Limb -> Catapult -> Kung -> Maze, **All The Pain Through The Years# -> Layla## (1:14)
2: Roses are Free > Simple, Makisupa Policeman^, Possum -> Wipe Out -> Possum, Bathtub Gin, You Enjoy Myself (1:25)
E: Roggae, Hello My Baby (0:09)

*With alternate lyrics ("Cuffs were tight, shoulder sore, all night long") dealing with an incident between Paul Languedoc and the Worcester police that took place after the previous night's show. **Trey briefly introduces the crew, mentioning that there are too many people to name each one. #First time played (Burlington-based Seth Yacovone Blues Band cover); with Seth Yacovone on vocals; 12 minutes long. ##First time played (Derek and the Dominoes/Eric Clapton cover): with Seth Yacovone on guitar; Page on vocals. ^Keyword was, "Hey Paul, can you pass the soap?".

Summer 1998 + Lemonwheel

08-12-98 Vernon Downs, Vernon, NY

1: La Grange, Makisupa Policeman*, Funky Bitch, Possum, Roggae, Character Zero, Ramble On, Slave to the Traffic Light (1:10)
2: Mike's Song > Simple** > Rift, Loving Cup, Sleeping Monkey, Weekapaug Groove, The Squirming Coil
E: Burning Down the House+, You Enjoy Myself++

Apparently this show was close to Fishman's hometown (Syracuse), and they were urging him to sing a song. *Keyword was "Burnin' Down" (see encore). **With "Jesus Just Left Chicago" tease. +First time played (Talking Heads cover, from the album "Speaking in Tongues"); with alternate lyric "Vernon Down the house." ++With "Hold Your Head Up" and "Mission Impossible Theme" teases; alternate lyric "drive me to Vernon."

08-15-98 Loring Air Force Base, Limestone, ME

1: Mike's Song > Simple, Beauty of My Dreams, Roggae, Split Open and Melt*, Poor Heart, The Moma Dance, The Divided Sky, Water in the Sky, Funky Bitch > Cities** > Weekapaug Groove (1:51)
2: The Wedge > Reba, Gumbo^ > Sanity, Tweezer > The Horse > Silent In The Morning, Chalkdust Torture, Slave to the Traffic Light^^ (1:25)
3: NICU > David Bowie, Strange Design, Limb by Limb > Brian and Robert, Loving Cup
E: Halley's Comet > Cavern, Tweezer Reprise (3/E 1:20)
4: Ambient Jam+ (0:55)

Lemonwheel Day One. *"By request, for a little boy named Sam." **Third verse was about "The Garden of Infinite Pleasantries," instead of the normal verse about Memphis; with "Sneakin' Sally" teases. ^Jam out of which sounded very much like "Tweezer Reprise." ^^With glowstick war. +After Tweezer Reprise, Trey explained that the band wanted to do something to combine ideas from The Clifford Ball and The Great Went, going into detail about the band/fan artwork from last year, and announced that the band would do a free-form ambient jam (lyric-less; nearly an hour long; "in the Brian Eno style of ambient music"), surrounded by candles that were made by the audience throughout the day. There were no other lights used during the jam (the band used only the light from the candles), which Trey explained is similar to the idea of what happens during a glow-stick war, with the light for the band coming from the fans. Because candles were placed througout the stage, Trey explained that they were in fact playing in a "temple of fire" (as advertisements for summer tour shows had announced). After finishing the jam, the band picked up tiki torches, lit them using the candles, and lit a small stone (?) temple (which was left burning overnight and throughout the band's performance on Sunday).

08-16-98 Loring Air Force Base, Limestone, ME

1: Ginseng Sullivan, Bathtub Gin > Rift, Punch You in the Eye, Lawn Boy, Ya Mar > AC/DC Bag, Frankie Says, Birds of a Feather, Guyute, Possum (1:38)
2: Down With Disease -> Piper -> Ghost* > Fluffhead, When the Circus Comes, Wading in the Velvet Sea, Hold Your Head Up+ > Sexual Healing++ > Hold Your Head Up, Run Like an Antelope# (1:41)
3: Sabotage > Also Sprach Zarathustra, Wilson, The Mango Song, Character Zero, Bittersweet Motel, While My Guitar Gently Weeps (0:55)
E: Harry Hood*, The Baby Elephant Walk^ (0:25)

Lemonwheel Day Two. *With glowstick war. +Long and drawn out; Fish introduces "his band": Trey Anastasio on drums, Mike "Cactus" Gordon on bass, "Chairman of the Boards" Page McConnell, and himself as "Bob Weaver." Fish introduces the next song as "a love song about a turtle" (which would have been "Terrapin"), but instead he performed Sexual Healing ("a much better song anyway") after "his band" finally ended "Hold Your Head Up." ++Includes "Sounds of Love" vacuum solo. #With "Sexual Healing" teases in the intro. ^Henry Mancini cover; see 12-01-92. Trey lit a tiki-torch (that looked like a "giant fake doobie") and used it to light a fuse which ran up Page's side of the stage, across the backdrop, down Fish's side of the stage, along the fence to a giant elephant-shaped structure near the stage, which came to life as fireworks went off both above it and from behind the stage. Fish made elephant noises with a trombone. Then, as they played the song, the elephant blew water out of its trunk (while smoke came from underneath it) and led the crowd towards the campground.

Island Tour 1998

Since these shows were at Nassau Coliseum, the drive from my family's house was minimal and we were able to leave pretty late and still arrive with plenty of time. I don't recall if I was home for any other particular reason outside of Phish as I was still in school then, but I suppose it doesn't matter much.

04-02-98 Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale (Long Island), NY

1: Tube, My Mind Got a Mind of Its Own, The Sloth, NICU, Stash* > Horn, Waste, Chalk Dust Torture
2: Punch You in the Eye, Simple, Birds of a Feather**, Wolfman's Brother > Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley > Frankie Says*** > Twist+, Sleeping Monkey, Rocky Top
E: Guyute

*Unfinished - middle jam extended, into Horn. **First time played (original). ***First time played (original); with Mind Left Body intro jam. +With a crazy "aliens-are-coming" jam.

After leaving the first night, I was pretty damn impressed and didn't really think it could get much better. However, as I will inevitably rant about this show forever, I was quite wrong.

I'm fairly certain this is the night we jumped over the barrier and got onto the floor, as did several hundred other fans. The first set was good, not amazing though as some songs really aren't my thing (Old Home Place for instance). However, the moment the 2nd set began, everything changed. A 35-minute Roses are Free kicked it all off. The song is cool, but the lengthy jam that ensued was the turning point I mentioned above. It was *perfect*. The whole jam was incredible and like the set as a whole, it remains in my "top sets/jams ever" listing, even though I've never compiled one. I'd never heard Piper before, and it immediately became one of Stacy's favorite songs. As the whole second set was a long segue, the transition was awesome and right out of the 35 minute jam, we were involved in such an exciting song. Everyone dropped out except Page who did a short solo before moving into Loving Cup. This was another I'd never heard and while it's still not one of my favorites, the place was going wild as any recording will indicate. The Antelope that followed was simply the most energetic I've ever seen. By this point, the roar of the crowd was far beyond intense and the 4 song second set was completed with Stacy jumping up and down non-stop.

I've read reviews that said this set was nothing exceptional, but I urge any fan/collector to grab it and see if it's just me. More than simply my newfound enthusiasm, after numerous listens, I still rave about it.

The encore had yet another new song for me, Carini. This is still the best version I've found and it was obvious that the band was having fun playing it. After the painfully repetitive Halley's Comet, a glorious Tweeprise rounded out a Tweezer-less show.

Ok, I'll stop raving now and will give the setlist:

??, April 3rd, 1998
Nassau Coliseum - Uniondale (Long Island), NY

Set I: Mike's Song > The Old Home Place, Weekapaug Groove*, Train Song, Billy Breathes, Beauty of My Dreams, Dogs Stole Things, Reba**, My Soul

Set II: Roses are Free -> Piper*** > Loving Cup^ > Run Like an Antelope^^

Encore: Carini+ > Halley's Comet, Tweezer Reprise

*With jam over band "ooo"ing - basically a "Crosseyed and Painless" jam without the actual vocals. **With whistling. ***Jammed out a bit, all drop out except Page who solos for about a minute and then takes it into "Loving Cup". ^During which someone with a backpack jumps onstage, runs across stage, and is chased by Pete Carini. ^^Which starts out with Fishman saying "The game is don't let Carini get you -- it's okay to jump onstage as long as Carini doesn't get you -- don't attack the drummer" and includes a chant throughout of "Carini's gonna get ya"; during which the lights go out and a glowstick war ensues. +Pete Carini is brought on stage.

Fall 1997

12-13-97 Pepsi Arena, Albany, NY

1: Ya Mar, Axilla, Theme From the Bottom, Ginseng Sullivan, Strange Design, Sample in a Jar, Vultures, Tube, Good Times Bad Times
2: NICU, Punch You in the Eye, Ghost , Mike's Song#-> Llama, When the Circus Comes, Weekapaug Groove-> Catapult-> Weekapaug Groove, Harry Hood*
E: My Soul, The Squirming Coil

J. Willis Pratt and Weird Bionic opened. #During which the band chants, "Bring in the Dude!", referring not to Steve Pollak but to Trey, as there was apparently a jovial dispute about who the real "Dude of Life" is. Fish calls on Mike to "bring in the Dude" and the band stops and lets Mike play a crazy, effect-laden bass solo. Then Trey asks Fish to let him "bring in the Dude". Fishman lets him, and bands stops to let Trey play a wah-wah solo. Then Page "brings in the Dude" with the clavinet. Fish doesn't "bring in the Dude". *With lights off and a glow stick war.