It was twenty years ago today...

[Velvet]

I have now officially been seeing Phish for twenty years. Why do I still feel like such a noob?

There were only a few hundred people at the show, I was right in front of Fishman dancing maniacally, shirtless, and very, very drunk. Stone Mtn. had played me Contact and Golgi from Picture Of Nectar a week or so before but other than that I had no idea what to expect. I was very much blown away.

Added bonus: I walked (staggered) to and from the show from my house (I think).

Tuesday, 07/05/1994

Congress Center, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Soundcheck: Cities, Manteca, Cities > Manteca

Set 1: Rift, Sample in a Jar, The Curtain > Letter to Jimmy Page > If I Could, Uncle Pen, Stash, Esther > Down with Disease, Sweet Adeline[1]

Set 2: Punch You In the Eye > Sparkle > Bathtub Gin > Lifeboy, Cities > You Enjoy Myself, The Great Gig in the Sky > Hold Your Head Up, Ginseng Sullivan[2], My Sweet One[3], Amazing Grace[1], Golgi Apparatus

Encore: Good Times Bad Times

[1] Without microphones.

[2] Acoustic; without microphones.

[3] Acoustic; without microphones. Sing-along with audience during second verse.

Teases:

· Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy tease in Esther

· Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy tease in You Enjoy Myself

· Theme from Shaft quote

Noteworthy Jams: Stash, Bathtub Gin, You Enjoy Myself

Average Song Gap: 51.7

Performers: Trey Anastasio, Page McConnell, Jon Fishman, Mike Gordon

Notes: This show included the first Letter to Jimmy Page since July 18, 1991 (357 shows) and the first version played separate from Alumni Blues since May 11, 1987 (812 shows). Esther and YEM contained Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy teases from Trey. Trey quoted the theme from Shaft at the start of the second set. Cities was played for the first time since March 1, 1989 (675 shows). Sweet Adeline and Ginseng Sullivan through Amazing Grace were performed without microphones. Ginseng Sullivan and My Sweet One were performed acoustic. The latter evolved into a sing-along with the audience during the second verse.

[bradm]

http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=534894

I hadn't heard any of their music before they started, and about four bars into "Rift", I was hooked.

Aloha,

Brad

[Velvet]

Did you have a beard back then Brad?

Edited July 5, 2014 by Guest

[bradm]

Did you have a beard back then Brad?

Yes. I think I spent most of the night near the front, on Trey's side.

Does anyone else remember the waiters in tuxedos?

Aloha,

Brad

[boiler]

I can't believe you guys waited until 1994 to see a phish show. Pffft.

[Velvet]

A friend tried really hard to get me to see them in Montreal in '93. I had seen a couple of local shows that week so I begged off complaining that I needed a night off. Show was at Metropolis and tickets were what, $15 or $20?

Oops.

[Hartamophone]

I love hearing people talk about this show, even though it kills me that Phish played my hometown before my time.

The Congress Center was a weird place to see a rock and roll show.

[bouche]

Geez. I didn't realize. Thanks for the memory moment.

I was there too and still can't believe it. Relix was pushing them, and a friend had sent some live stuff on tapes to listen to in advance. I remember wanting to hear Contact just because it was the only song that was simple enough to recognize or something like that.

Why isn't there any video of this on Youtube??? Damn!