Phish 1994: 20 Years Later 04/28/1994 West Palm Beach, FL

Total festy set here but some personal ties for me.  First off West Palm Beach is a second home for me with family down there for over 40 years now.  My Aunt and Uncle attended this show on my plea for them to check out Phish.  While they had never heard a note of Phish before this day, they are both now and then long haired rockers right out of the mid 80's with an appreciation for good Rock music, my Uncle's hair longer than my Aunt's.  So I knew they'd appreciate the idea of it and I THINK still to this day they did enjoy the show!

SunFest is a pretty neat little annual music and arts festival and downtown West Palm.  I actually had the pleasure of attending myself in 1997 with Steve Miller headlining in a year when I actually lived there.  I can only imagine from my own experience how neat it must have been to have a relatively unknown cult band like Phish drop in on the festival.  I do remember them telling me it was apparent a hippie band with a following was playing.

Nothing really worthwhile mentioning here with this one off set with Blues Traveler also on the bill.  Having listened to this set many times over the years for my own personal reasons and really posterity, this set reminds me of the Santana opening sets of 92 just longer with a couple extra tracks and an encore.

The Teac ME-80 source was the only source for this show for a good 15 or so years until we got a different one dropped.  I dig this source though and it really helped me gain some appreciation for these inexpensive Nak clone microphones which definitely were run undercover in an otherwise non taping environment at SunFest.  Extra love for those tapers who get it done stealth.


stream 4/28/94 http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1994-04-28
download 4/28/94 http://db.etree.org/lookup_show.php?shows_key=3055

setlist courtesy of Phish.net 
http://phish.net/setlists/?d=1994-04-28

 Thursday, 04/28/1994
SunFest, West Palm Beach, FL

Soundcheck: Reggae Jam, Funky Bitch, Magilla, Ginseng Sullivan, Blues Jam

Set 1: Runaway Jim, Foam, Sample in a Jar, Rift, Down with Disease > Bouncing Around the Room, It's Ice > Run Like an Antelope, The Squirming Coil, Julius > Sparkle, Good Times Bad Times

Encore: Golgi Apparatus

Phish 1994: 20 Years Later 04/25/1994 Knoxville, TN

Knoxville is a really uneventful show especially by the standards of this year.  It's actually a nice mellow listen, but no real transcendent jams or unique segments in the show.  Many many fun songs though make the spin totally worthwhile.

Notably, Foam, Down with Disease and Split Open and Melt are all really fantastic.  Highly patient Foam and Split, both delivering the goods in a nut shell.  It's also really fun to listen to the progress of Down with Disease, albeit slow, the tune begins to show some real potential.

Jamming at a minimum in this second set.  Love the Layla teases in another fantastic Antelope, but otherwise nothing else really memorable.  Perhaps looking forward to a couple days off on the way down to Florida?

Bob Brown's spring tour continues providing us the only audience recording of this show.  This might have something to do with the cassette gen boards that have mostly always been available.

stream 4/25/94 http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1994-04-25
download 4/25/94 http://db.etree.org/lookup_show.php?shows_key=3054

setlist courtesy of Phish.net 
http://phish.net/setlists/?d=1994-04-25

 Monday, 04/25/1994
Civic Auditorium, Knoxville, TN

Soundcheck: Tela, Funky Bitch (possibly incomplete)

Set 1: The Landlady > Runaway Jim, Fee^[1] > Foam, Down with Disease, Ginseng Sullivan^[2], Dog Faced Boy^[3], Tela > Poor Heart > Split Open and Melt

Set 2: The Curtain > Sample in a Jar, My Mind's Got a Mind of its Own > Run Like an Antelope, Mound, The Squirming Coil, Divided Sky, Bouncing Around the Room, Big Ball Jam > Big Black Furry Creature from Mars

Encore: Amazing Grace^[4], Bold As Love

[1] Trey sang verses through megaphone.
[2] Acoustic, without microphones. Fishman on washboard.
[3] Acoustic, without microphones.
[4] Without microphones.

Phish 1994: 20 Years Later 04/24/1994 Charlotte, NC

Grady Cole Center.  This show is like the little sister of Spartanburg, South Carolina.  This is a really good show.  Really good!  Sets up nicely from a setlist perspective and doesn't nearly disappoint as you listen through it.  It's a great listen and has just perfect flow, bust outs, teases, several rare tunes, a big jam, narration, precise execution etc etc.  Another widely circulated recording, I darn near wore out my Grady Cole Center tapes back in the day.  It might of even been one of those duplicate trade shows, where I went back to the trader I got it from and asked for a new dub.

Easily the best year for many tunes, My Friend is no exception.  This song was just played differently in 1994, different from any other year.  The energy makes you want to jump out of your skin and the tone it sets in the opener slot lends it along with Runaway Jim as the perfect openers to compliment the style of play in this year.  Super pumped up version with a hint of what is going on and what lay ahead this night.  A big "hey we're back to Phish" after all the guesting in the ATL!

Hardly a dud in this show, the Maze is stunning and totally delivers the goods.  Gin > Jump Monk > Gin, hello how are you?  Really delicate Gin with some very sweet playing melts beautifully into Jump Monk continuing the jazzy theme of spring 94.  Definitely a moment talked about the rest of the tour.  They never really go back into Gin which would have been completely over the top, but they do wrap the sandwich with the Gin theme.  Dog Faced Boy and Paul and Silas in a short and sweet way continue the indication that the band has different things on their mind this night.  An excellent Slave with multiple peaks closes out this amazing first set.

Further indication of the band looking to shake things up, Demand opens up set II.  21 minutes of David Bowie showcase the jam of the night in this peak Phish version.  This Bowie is magnificent, an amazingly patient build to complete combustion, complete with some teases in just an all out 94 jam session.  The band calms things back down perfectly with another perfect song choice in Mango as this show writes the book on setlist flow.  Way to nail it Red.

For me, another signature song in 1994 was Colonel Forbin.  Even today, any time a Forbin pops up in the setlist you know there was something a little extra special on the bands mind that night and how that may have positively impacted the over play or direction of the show.  I have always felt that any night with Forbins is a guaranteed good night.  Mostly having to do with Trey's frame of mind, if there were to be a Forbins drop there was no better night to do it in April 1994.  A real out there Chalkdust into Contact and you may as well call GTBT the encore.

I've went on long enough about this show.  Just go listen or re-listen and really really enjoy as it's so much fun.

For EVER we only had Linda Webster's AKG source of this show.  Thank you Linda!!  We would likely not have heard this show without her.  Then however in March of 2013 thanks to Dave Flaschner and Terry Watts, etree guru Jeff Mitchell drops Tom McMinn's uncirculated AKG source on the community.  Having not compared and would love someones feedback, I'd give the fresh Jeff Mitchell transfer a spin.


stream 4/24/94 http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1994-04-24
download 4/24/94 http://db.etree.org/lookup_show.php?shows_key=3053

setlist courtesy of Phish.net 
http://phish.net/setlists/?d=1994-04-24

 Sunday, 04/24/1994
Grady Cole Center, Charlotte, NC

Soundcheck: My Mind's Got a Mind of its Own, Funky Bitch (possibly incomplete)

Set 1: My Friend, My Friend, Ya Mar, Axilla (Part II) > Maze, Bathtub Gin -> Jump Monk-> Bathtub Gin > Dog Faced Boy, Paul and Silas > It's Ice > Slave to the Traffic Light

Set 2: Demand > David Bowie, The Mango Song > Julius, Colonel Forbin's Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird, Chalk Dust Torture, Contact, Good Times Bad Times

Encore: Sweet Adeline

Phish 1994: 20 Years Later 04/23/1994 Atlanta, GA

This was always a widely circulated show in the trading circles.  Just about everyone had it on their tape list.  That's usually due to the either the amount of tapers at a particular show, an overzealous single taper who felt the need to mass distribute their source, or the show was flat out great, everyone wants it and it aggressively makes the rounds in the trading circles so everyone can hear it.  I think one and three are the case here.

One year after one of the bands all time great runs at the Roxy Atlanta in February 1993, the band returns to the ATL at the Phabulous Fox in Atlanta for a single night stand, only to return a year and a half later in November 1995 for a 3 night run.  This was a step up though

What a tour this really is.  Sure Fall 94 gets all the glory and lord knows I'm amped about the prospects of working my way up to it through these reflections.  But this is a really neat as well.  Day after day show after show and while pale in comparison to what happens later in this year, what's happening here still blows the roof off the joint and crushes anything they are doing today in Phish 3.0.  Precision, energy, fire, tension and release, blah blah blah.  Yea I said it.

Super rare Funky Bitch opens the show.  More treats abound this set with Peaches, Stash, a real 94 Esther, an excellent DwD and the guesting that ends the set.  One of the best first sets of the month for sure.  I wouldn't say this first set exceeds the second set in overall musical quality, but I would say the first set exceeds expectations over other 4/94 first sets, while set two (as I'll get to) doesn't.

Old Jerry Garcia collaborator Merl Saunders comes out to guest on keys for Caravan and Hi Heel Sneakers and is a real treat.  I personally got to see Merl play Waterstreet Music Hall in Rochester, NY 10/27/96 with moe. opening.  I think more than anything, those Dead-Phish Heads out there were just really stoked to see this guest spot.  Any connection between the Grateful Dead and Phish during a time when there was zero, even if it were Merl was a totally righteous thing!

Set two brings the house down with a 12 minute raging Lope.  It's these Antelopes, those Stash's, Split's and Reba's which really help make this year in terms of execution and compact jams.  SICK stuff.  Harry Hood is nothing short of a hot mess but ultimately just doesn't go anywhere good at all.  A super amp'd YEM with a Colonel Bruce Hampton guest spot and segue into a short but beautiful cover of Leonard Cohen's Who By Fire accents the show.  Another very memorable YEM at 18 minutes and the signature jam of this ATL show.  All and all nothing terribly overwhelming in this set, but a novelty set for sure.

Linda Webster, Bob Brown, Doug Oade and Chris Cage all check in with sources for this fun show!  We are very lucky to have a fine representation of 4 quality tapers and quality rigs to choose from.  On paper, Doug Oade's Neumann TLM-170's are generally the go to mics almost any time and this is definitely the case here.  I doubt I'll ever have the time to AB all these sources though that would be a dream come true.  It's often best to take the recommendations of torrent comments and database entries.  Not only is this a high quaity Neumann as well as a legendary Grateful Dead taper and equipment builder, this source is a "Dankseed" processed by my old Phish phriend Jim Raras.  And it sounds killer!

Big props also to CCage for dropping his uncirculated master on the community over 17 years after the show.  I don't want to turn this into a taper blog post, but we do want every master we can find to be preserved for the future before the DAT tape is defunct and we cannot extract the music.  Please show love to the old school tapers who dig these tapes out of the closet to share with us!


stream 4/23/94 http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1994-04-23
download 4/23/94 http://db.etree.org/lookup_show.php?shows_key=3052

setlist courtesy of Phish.net 
http://phish.net/setlists/?d=1994-04-23

 Saturday, 04/23/1994
The Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA

Set 1: Funky Bitch, Rift, Fee^[1], Peaches en Regalia, Poor Heart > Stash, Esther >Down with Disease > Caravan^[2], High-Heel Sneakers^[3]

Set 2: Wilson > Run Like an Antelope^[4], Mound > Sample in a Jar, Sparkle > Harry Hood, Ginseng Sullivan^[5], You Enjoy Myself^[6], Who By Fire^[7], Golgi Apparatus

Encore: Free Bird

[1] Trey sang verses through megaphone.
[2] Merl Saunders on keyboards.
[3] Phish debut; Merl Saunders on keyboards.
[4] Simpsons and Oom Pa Pa signals.
[5] Acoustic, without microphones. Fishman on washboard.
[6] Colonel Bruce Hampton on piano.
[7] Phish debut; Colonel Bruce Hampton on vocals.

Phish 1994: 20 Years Later 04/22/1994 Columbia, SC

This is a really interesting show for me.  One I've always really liked but a mixed bagged in my eyes.  Some small flubs mixed with some superior jamming, average song selection yet some neat pairings.

Pretty standard 94 first set highlighting only a non conventional Bowie with some neat start and stop dark jamming.  Really cool version at almost 15 minutes.  Llama opener rages pretty hard as well.  The spinners love Horse>Silent.

The magic on this night happens in the Tweezer>Lifeboy.  Hardly a better tune to come out of any Tweezer in my mind.  This pairing on this night is pretty magical.  The Julius/Runaway Jim that sandwich the magic of Reba, Tweezer Lifeboy deserve honorable mention with some filthy leftovers from Winston-Salem the night before.  Extra fussy Jim.  Check it out.

Reba soars as many do this year.  Don't let a couple flubs in this or any show jade you.  That's some Phish education (part I).  Some very excellent music to be had in this show, a show plopped in the middle of two of the better of this month.

Dr. Jack comes out for his standard South Carolina sit in with Bill Bailey.  Lots and lots to love about this band as this year rolls on.

Linda Webster makes her first appearance of the tour with her AKG contribution!  I got to hang with Linda Webster only a couple times in 94/95 but was never formally introduced.  I remember her hooking Don Wright up with DATs of I think the two Texas shows in missed at Niagara Falls 95.  Last time I personally saw her.  Big time contributor to the Phish community in the early years.  Someone we all owe a debt of gratitude too.  As Linda would always say; Peace, Love and Phish.

stream 4/22/94 http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1994-04-22
download 4/22/94 http://db.etree.org/lookup_show.php?shows_key=3051

setlist courtesy of Phish.net 
http://phish.net/setlists/?d=1994-04-22

 Friday, 04/22/1994
Township Auditorium, Columbia, SC

Set 1: Llama, Horn, Uncle Pen, Punch You In the Eye > Sample in a Jar > All Things Reconsidered, Nellie Kane > Divided Sky, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, David Bowie

Set 2: Suzy Greenberg, Julius, Reba, Tweezer > Lifeboy > Runaway Jim, Hold Your Head Up > I Wan'na Be Like You > Hold Your Head Up, The Squirming Coil

Encore: Piano Duet^[1] -> Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home?^[2]

[1] Dr. Jack McConnell on piano.
[2] Dr. Jack McConnell on piano and lead vocals.

Teases:
· Baby Elephant Walk tease in Tweezer

Phish 1994: 20 Years Later 04/21/1994 Winston-Salem, NC

I've always sang the praises of Trey on special nights.  Really special nights for the band, sometimes unknown to us as it's sometimes personal.  Like when Branford Marsalis would join the Grateful Dead onstage in the early 90's.  Very special for Garcia.  Lifts the spirits of the artist beyond any understanding we may have from our side of the stage.  It gives everyone that little extra inspiration to dive in and dig a little deeper for that extra special kind of playing.  Winston-Salem 1994 is exactly that.

Who really knows anyway.  I've said from the beginning of this series of blog entries that I'm really looking at this brilliant year as a whole one night at a time.  Trying to get a feel for the band, the audience and the tone the music carries.  When I add it all up to this point, this is what I'm hearing.  I hear it in Chalkdust, I hear it in that second set, I hear it in just about every tune in this show.

No doubt Phish respected the success DMB garnered in the south in a short time, a market with a ways to go at this point for the boys from Vermont.  So Trey bringing his good friend Dave and his band along to open these two shows, this being the second, was not only a great marketing idea but it was just the right call for this band in this moment.  They would return the favor in the California by asking DMB to open some shows at the end of the year in effort to give Dave some much needed exposure out west

Hey the band likes Winston-Salem too right?  97 and 98 fall shows sure think so.  This particular 4/21/94 show is really spectacular and maybe only a very close second to 4/9/94 at this point in the tour but it depends on the day you ask me.  The attitude of the playing and what happens in the second set in stand alone top shelf Phish.

Some folks, particularly type II folks, may get bored with 1994.  These were the days when the band would practice a ton.  Trey would lock himself in a room and dream up ideas for shows and the music wasn't nearly influenced as much with drugs as it was a desire to get better and better each night, continuing to throw themselves into the flames live and without a net to just see what happens.  They were real serious about it.  Songs like Foam, Glide and Split Open and Melt are real serious with some extra juice.  Complete focus and precision rolling their way through this pretty straight forward but very high energy first set.

The first half of set II is a masterpiece and one of my favorite segments of the entire year.   2001>Maze, Fluffhead>Mike's>Hydrogen>Weekapaug.  Some of the darkest Phish music I can remember.  DMB fans had to have been mesmerized.  Utter insanity song after song and they knew it.  Not recommended listening before bedtime.  Maze, Fluffhead, Mike's.  One of my all time favorite Fluffhead's up there with Kent State and the Clifford Ball.

A key version of Possum ends this show, followed by an all time sit in for the encore to accent this over the top night of music.

3 standard AKG sources included one Bob Brown FOB comprise our offerings for this show.  I have not run an AB comparison.


stream 4/21/94 http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1994-04-21
download 4/21/94 http://db.etree.org/lookup_show.php?shows_key=3050

setlist courtesy of Phish.net 
http://phish.net/setlists/?d=1994-04-21

 Thursday, 04/21/1994
Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Winston-Salem, NC

Set 1: Chalk Dust Torture, Sparkle > Foam, Glide, Split Open and Melt, The Lizards,Down with Disease > If I Could > Cavern

Set 2: Also Sprach Zarathustra > Maze, Fluffhead > Mike's Song > I Am Hydrogen^[1] >Weekapaug Groove, Scent of a Mule, Big Ball Jam > Possum^[2], Amazing Grace^[3]

Encore: Drums^[4] -> Jam^[5] -> All Along the Watchtower^[6]

[1] "I walk awakening on the misty fields of forever" lyrics.
[2] All Fall Down signal.
[3] Without microphones.
[4] Carter Beauford on drums.
[5] Dave Matthews Band.
[6] Phish debut; Dave Matthews Band.

Phish 1994: 20 Years Later 04/20/1994 Lexington, VA

Has the to tour hit Winston-Salem yet?

Virginia Horse Center.  I remember this show for a few things.  One is the big YEM with DMB sit ins. The other is what I remember as being told that this was a really strange venue.  Like a Horse barn, but my memory is sketchy.  The other is that there was a really cool Mike interview done by a writer from Unbroken Chain magazine.  Unbroken Chain was my favorite Deadhead publication around this time, more so than Dupree's or Relix, run by Deadhead and fellow VW bus owner Dave Serrins.  I got to finally meet Dave in Deer Creek 7/2/95.  Great guy.  It was cool as can be to see them do a Mike feature seeing there weren't really any "jamband" magazines then, just Deadhead magazines.  It's been years and years since I've read the interview as I have it buried in an attic crate, but I do remember Mike talking about his evolution as a bass player.  If you really think about Mike's playing, I truly believe while he was not a big impact player in 94, his bass playing post 92, basically through 93 and really in 94 took a huge leap.  He really started becoming a force in driving jams, creativity and overall talent.  All setting the stage for PLM in 97 when I think we all can agree that the change to the Modulus sound and being turned up in the mix was an enormous boost to his confidence.  I remember him speaking of seeing other bass players who were better than him, and him wanting to continue to work hard to get better.

This show is a bit of a snoozer.  Not much to say about the first set.  I've talked a lot about Runaway Jim and how much I love it as an opener this tour, but this version really limps.  I did relisten to the Stash a couple times.  There's probably not a 93 or 94 Stash not worth a couple back to back listens.  Virginia Horse Center deserves some top tier votes though.

Standardly insane 12 minute Lope deserves mention and your attention in a really neat early set II spot.  Shows some life in the set.  All hopes for the Hood to bring this show up fail miserably.  This Hood never gains any traction and really just fizzles into nothing.  My favorite YEM of the tour with the DMB guests.  Very melodic and I really love the horns.  True keeper.  Very danceable.  Signature type version, as in like the Albany YEM, you will know this one when you hear it.  Oh and props to Dave for taking his turn on tramps.

Onto Winton-Salem where the madness ensues.

A couple good sounding AKG sources from this show.  Possibly the same source, I have not done an AB comparison but I would stick with the modern day Watts/Sobel transfer.  This source is FOB but does not suffer from any crowd noise.  My guess (if it's not mislabled) from the sound is they were likely *just* FOB and were in a comfortable enough spot where they could run a high stand with no fears of Amy busting them in the horse barn.  Just my speculation.

stream 4/20/94 http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1994-04-20
download 4/20/94 http://db.etree.org/lookup_show.php?shows_key=3049

setlist courtesy of Phish.net 
http://phish.net/setlists/?d=1994-04-20

 Wednesday, 04/20/1994
Virginia Horse Center, Lexington, VA

Set 1: Runaway Jim, It's Ice > Julius, Bouncing Around the Room, Rift, Axilla (Part II) >Stash, Suzy Greenberg

Set 2: Poor Heart > Run Like an Antelope, Magilla, Paul and Silas > Sample in a Jar, Big Ball Jam > Harry Hood, Fee^[1], You Enjoy Myself^[2] -> Somewhere Over the Rainbow^[3]

Encore: Highway to Hell

[1] Trey sang some verses through megaphone.
[2] Dave Matthews, LeRoi Moore, Boyd Tinsley, Carter Beauford, and Steffan Lessard. Fishman on vacuum.
[3] Dave Matthews, LeRoi Moore, Boyd Tinsley, Carter Beauford, and Steffan Lessard.

Phish 1994: 20 Years Later 04/18/1994 Newark, DE

I always remember the Bob Carpenter Center show as being the Big Phil show.  I only got to hang with Big Phil a few times mostly in and around the tapers section in the mid 90's as he knew many of the tapers from that era and also thought it was a cool place to dig on a show from time to time.  Really nice guy who was an old friend of Trey's but was still genuinely a true Phish Phan.  So he got to sit in on tramps this night during Mike's for the still ailing Trey.

I also remember Bob Carpenter Center as a tape collector as being a really energetic show.  Perhaps they were excited for the impending day off after 6 consecutive nights.  Or maybe people like Big Phil and Sue Statesir were in attendance.  Maybe they just love Delaware, this was a bigger venue and they just needed to bring the heat.  Who knows but it's fun to speculate isn't it?

Also dug this first set.  REALLY tasty Chalkdust.  Jam this one LOUD (and be ready for the abrupt taper level adjustment 25 seconds in).  A signature Glide with that 94 feel of precision and spot on vocals.  Many choice selections executed very strongly with a rare Oh Kee Pa >AC/DC Bag closer.  I'm sure phans were caught a little off guard with the Bag, but it made for a really neat closer in a time when this tune was a treat.  Additionally, it had been a couple years since this combo had been played together after much rotation in 90/91.

The second half of this second set is easily where it's at.  A very nice Yamar dedicated by Trey to Sue, and this is where the fireworks begin.  This tops version of Yamar leads into a very electric Mike's that melts into a beautiful TMWSIY.  First of the tour and in 32 shows since Darien Snake.  This takes us into what sounded to me like one of the better Down with Diseases of the tour to this point.  Way to finish this show off and give Weekapaug a well deserved night off.  Don't sleep on the Bathtub either at 10 minutes.

Unfortunately we only have one source of this show, a stock AKG source that sounds very nice.  Sounds to me though like there could be some digital noise and potential overloading of the levels going on in spots on this recording.  Warts and all, it's still a nice pull.  Hopefully someday we can unearth a new take on the sound in the room this night.

stream 4/18/94 http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1994-04-18
download 4/18/94 http://db.etree.org/lookup_show.php?shows_key=3048

setlist courtesy of Phish.net 
http://phish.net/setlists/?d=1994-04-18

 Monday, 04/18/1994
Bob Carpenter Center, University of Delaware, Newark, DE

Set 1: Chalk Dust Torture, Glide > Poor Heart > Julius, My Friend, My Friend > Rift,Split Open and Melt, Dog Faced Boy, The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony > AC/DC Bag

Set 2: Also Sprach Zarathustra > Sample in a Jar, Sparkle > Bathtub Gin, Big Ball Jam> Ya Mar, Mike's Song, The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Avenu Malkenu > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Down with Disease > Hold Your Head Up > I Wan'na Be Like You > Hold Your Head Up, Cavern

Encore: Good Times Bad Times

Phish 1994: 20 Years Later 04/17/1994 Fairfax, VA

The 5th of a 6 day stretch of shows with no day off.  These guys are definitely in work horse mode at his point in the tour.  Kinks are worked out, the Northeast is behind us, let's get this thing going and really open it up to a new array of Phish Phans.

This was a huge organic growth period for the band.  92 to 93 saw a considerable jump to larger venues similar to 91 to 92.  But 94 saw some real deal 5,000 - 10,000 capacity venues, particularly college basketball gyms and small to medium size outdoor amphitheaters.  With this brought a bevy of new phans onto the scene.  Even down south where the guys from Vermont were less popular.

The first of 2 shows in 1994 at the Patriot Center at George Mason University (second later in October) opened with the first Loving Cup of the tour and the 10th ever performed.  Foam sitting comfortably in the two spot again in at 9 minutes is nice to see but hindered by a slight hiccup or two.  Surprising due to the frequency of play.

As I mentioned in my first review of this adventure (4/4/94), I really don't know what's going to come of this 140 shows in.  My goal was not to review each show as there's plenty of other reviews of each show available in different places on the internet.  But my goal is to cover and reflect on each show on the day or so that it happened.  I'm not exactly relistening to each show in their entirety for the purpose of composing these posts.  Mostly relying on the heavy listening I've done the past 20 years on this year.  I have however spot checking certain parts of interest to me to refresh my memory, but I'm mostly going off the overall vibe of the show, direction of the tour and as many notable moments positive or not that I can draw light too.

On that note I would be remiss if I didn't draw attention to a fantastic blogger doing something way better than what I'm doing:  http://20yearslaterblog.net

This blogger is actually listening to each show in it's entirety and writing a very nice detailed review of each show adding some excellent perspective drawn upon his 22 years of seeing Phish.  Not to mention his writing is very professional and the Wordpress blog is very easy on the eyes.  I have made a commitment to not read his entires before mine as they go up first, making it very interesting to read his perspective for me after my reflections.  Please check it out!

Set two is very much where it's at with this show.  No real segues but top tier versions of Bowie, Wolfman's, Reba and Maze.  Another second set Wolfman's clocking it at just under 9 minutes really offers the first meaty version of the 4 played thus far.  I really enjoy these early semi-experimental versions, especially the young 29 year old Trey vocals with not as much vocal harmony backing which I usually love and especially on this soundboard.  This music has always for me been about allowing the songs to develop a life of their own on stage.  Wolfman's over the years is no exception.

Not going to dig in much further again as I'm really focusing on a big picture understanding of how 1994 played out.  As always, please feel free to comment to further the discussion and break down any of the particular playing as you may see it.  Otherwise I think the first Patriot Center stop was surely a good one.  Really solid first set with excellent song selection, and a more of a laid back chill second set with some well played songs.

This show is famous for the (Assisted Listening Device) soundboard that has circulated probably since shortly after the show.  So we've been spoiled with that leaving the aud's with little play.  Without an AB comparison of the two AKG sources available, my pick is to almost always go with the Flaschner/McMinn combo.  First set was FOB (bust?) and second set was back in the section.  Wonder how many tapers covered this show and chose to never circulate due to the generous soundboard widely available?  Such a shame.

stream 4/17/94 http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1994-04-17
download 4/17/94 http://db.etree.org/lookup_show.php?shows_key=3047

setlist courtesy of Phish.net 
http://phish.net/setlists/?d=1994-04-17

 Sunday, 04/17/1994
Patriot Center, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA

Set 1: Loving Cup > Foam, I Didn't Know, Divided Sky, Mound, Down with Disease > If I Could > My Sweet One^[1] > Cavern

Set 2: David Bowie, Wolfman's Brother > Uncle Pen, The Sloth, Reba, Big Ball Jam >Maze, Contact > Golgi Apparatus

Encore: Cracklin' Rosie > Hold Your Head Up, Bold As Love

[1] Random note signal.

Phish 1994: 20 Years Later 04/16/1994 Amherst, MA

With the burden of a 3 night stand in NYC behind them, the band heads back to Phish country for one more show before turning back to go down South for the rest of April.  Interesting little one off date at UMass Amherst Mullins Center, the site of what would be some excellent Phish shows over the years.

Trey goes back to his staple Jim opener and gets probably his best rendition of the tour easily topping Montreal and Buffalo and maybe just a slight slight edge over the really good Beacon version.  This show marks the first version of Axilla II which is something even today I wish they would give a spin.

Stash is the highlight of this show.  At nearly 13 minutes this version is absolutely smoking.  Must hear.  A really nice and jumpy Antelope closes up set two complete with secret language and Nellie Kane teases.

Our every other daily dose of Sample gets the crowd moving for the second set, into Poor Hear and then only our second Tweezer thus far of the tour.  Miss when Tweezer was a little bit more of a treat.  1994 was a fantastic year for this song and this version is no slouch.  You Enjoy Myself with Trey touching base with the Vibration of Life and getting Brad up to substitute on the tramps wraps up the memories of this night.

Possibly a more complete show than most of what we heard in NYC.  This show hits a lot of what you need with some really nice improvisation, new song debuts, Mikegrass tune, top tier version of Stash, some antics and a couple big tracks.  Really good show but not in the league of a Binghamton or even Penn State.  Binghamton pre step in a hole in Buff-a-lo has really weighed on the last week of shows.  Here's to looking forward...

Dave Flaschner once again has our back along with Tom McMinn with a nice FOB AKG source.  The B&K's make another appearance on tour with credits going to possibly Mike Weitzman, seed from Kevin Shapiro and Chris Moore.  And not to forget Bob Brown who in 93/94 graciously covered some important Phish shows like Tom McMinn.  Team AKG for the win!

That's it for the Northeast until July when the magic really happens.  At this point I can't get to Winston-Salem fast enough!

stream 4/16/94 http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1994-04-16
download 4/16/94 http://db.etree.org/lookup_show.php?shows_key=3046

setlist courtesy of Phish.net 
http://phish.net/setlists/?d=1994-04-16

 Saturday, 04/16/1994
Mullins Center, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA

Set 1: Runaway Jim, Fee^[1], Axilla (Part II)^[2] > Rift, Stash, Fluffhead, Nellie Kane >Run Like an Antelope^[3]

Set 2: Sample in a Jar, Poor Heart > Tweezer -> The Lizards, Julius, Bouncing Around the Room, You Enjoy Myself -> The Vibration of Life -> You Enjoy Myself, The Squirming Coil, Tweezer Reprise

Encore: Fire

[1] Trey sang verses through megaphone.
[2] Debut.
[3] Simpsons signal.

[BT] Jimmy Herring Band 11/17/12 Rockwell Hall, Buffalo State College, Buffalo, NY CA-14 FOB *16 & 24 bit*

http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=571824

Jimmy Herring Band
11/17/2012
Rockwell Hall
Buffalo State College
Buffalo, NY

**16 bit**

Source: Church Audio CA-14 (cards) > CA-9100 > Tascam DR-07 (24/48)
Config/Location: PAS/FOB/DFC 11' stand
Transfer: SDHC>Macbook>
Sound Studio 3.6(fades, normalize peak, +gain, track)>
Wave Editor 1.5.7 (iZotope Resampler/MBIT+ Dither)>
xACT 2.25(align on sector boundaries, encode, tag, fingerprint)>flac16 (level 8 )
Taped by: Big Daddy Buffalo
Transferred and seeded by: Lenny Stubbe

One Set: (1:31:00)


01. intro
02. Matt's Funk
03. Since I've Been Loving You
04. Aberdeen
05. Duke and Cookie
06. Miss Poopie
07. Emerald Garden*
08. Rainbow
09. Heads Up
10. A Day In The Life>
11. Bilgewater Blues
12. Within You Without You


Notes:
- band intros after track 6
- Emerald Garden with Steve Bailey on bass
- Co-Bill with Victor Wooten Band
both bands played together later during the encore of the Victor Wooten Band set
- Thanks to Seth for the clampspace!

Jimmy Herring - Guitar
Neal Fountain - Bass
Jeff Sipe - Drums
Matt Slocum - Keyboards

Seeded to etree on:

04/15/14

http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=571825

Jimmy Herring Band
11/17/2012
Rockwell Hall
Buffalo State College
Buffalo, NY

**24 bit**

Source: Church Audio CA-14 (cards) > CA-9100 > Tascam DR-07 (24/48)
Config/Location: PAS/FOB/DFC 11' stand
Transfer: SDHC>Macbook>
Sound Studio 3.6(fades, normalize peak, +gain, track)>
xACT 2.25(encode, tag, fingerprint)>flac24 (level 8 )
Taped by: Big Daddy Buffalo
Transferred and seeded by: Lenny Stubbe

One Set: (1:31:00)


01. intro
02. Matt's Funk
03. Since I've Been Loving You
04. Aberdeen
05. Duke and Cookie
06. Miss Poopie
07. Emerald Garden*
08. Rainbow
09. Heads Up
10. A Day In The Life>
11. Bilgewater Blues
12. Within You Without You


Notes:
- band intros after track 6
- Emerald Garden with Steve Bailey on bass
- Co-Bill with Victor Wooten Band
both bands played together later during the encore of the Victor Wooten Band set
- Thanks to Seth for the clampspace!

Jimmy Herring - Guitar
Neal Fountain - Bass
Jeff Sipe - Drums
Matt Slocum - Keyboards

Seeded to etree on:

04/15/14

Phish 1994: 20 Years Later 04/15/1994 New York, NY

This show performance wise was the clincher of this run.  While not even a top 3 show of the past week or so as there's nothing to write home about, it's as sound a performance as you could want.  Sure there nothing really out there and not a lot of psychedelics, but there is definitely something in the playing the eclipses the previous few shows.  Friday night?  Horns?  Last of three?  Who knows.  But the fire is present.

Llama, Guelah, Silas, great start.  Then an absolutely magnificent Hood.  Really magical and perhaps the best improvisational moment of the run.  Finally we get a really worked up Chalkdust.  Far superior version to Montreal and Buffalo.  Real start and stop 94, very playful Trey.  Solid 9 minute It's Ice and a bubbly Down with Disease repeat to close it out.  Really like this set a lot.

Scorching Maze set II opener with a nice heavy jam is a nice way to carry into the set.  As always with guests, you can tell just in the playing that Trey is extra giddy for the Horns.  Landlady is breath taking.  Really crisp notes and everyone is moving in sync with the music.  Flawlessly executed.  Big time Julius with the horns blasting right through your ears on this tape.  Nice to hear this song grow a little and take another step forward.  Best run through of this song yet as well.

Another Magilla treat with the Giant Country Horns and that's a wrap on the 3 night Beacon run.  Certainly below any expectations performance wise, but a lot of fun, some well played versions of a few key songs and another appearance of the GCH on night three.  Hopefully we can get over this Hoist stuff and really get on with this tour.  Worth noting this as possibly the first time the Wilson chant was heard.

The FOB Eliot Byron tapes of this run are fantastic.  Outside of a little crowd chatter due to being FOB, the sound really pours through.  Played on a decent component stereo system, you will get a really nice perspective on what it sounded like to be in the room up close during these shows.

stream 4/15/94 http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1994-04-15
download 4/15/94 http://db.etree.org/lookup_show.php?shows_key=3045

setlist courtesy of Phish.net 
http://phish.net/setlists/?d=1994-04-15

 Friday, 04/15/1994
Beacon Theatre, New York, NY

Set 1: Llama, Guelah Papyrus, Paul and Silas > Harry Hood, Wilson > Chalk Dust Torture, Bouncing Around the Room, It's Ice > Down with Disease

Set 2: Maze, If I Could, The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony > Suzy Greenberg^[1] > The Landlady^[1], Julius^[1], Wolfman's Brother^[1] -> Alumni Blues^[2] > I Wan'na Be Like You^[1] > Hold Your Head Up^[1], Cavern^[1]

Encore: Magilla^[1], Amazing Grace

[1] Giant Country Horns.
[2] Giant Country Horns. Incomplete - only one verse performed.