When Phish was on in 1997, the band was on a whole different level. The group toured relentlessly during that era of its career, with a performance at Lakewood Amphitheatre in Atlanta, GA constituting a show no one would soon forget. The 7/23/97 concert itself is chock full of highlights, including one of the best “Julius” performances ever in the opening spot. The show also features an unusual “You Enjoy Myself” in the second set that moved from a jam section reminiscent of “Scent of a Mule” into a bust-out “Rocky Mountain Way” jam session, eventually concluding with “Chalk Dust Torture”.
However, when fans talk about 7/23/97, it’s the “Ghost” that comes to mind. The 27-minute version really grooves through the many instrumental themes of Phish’s repertoire, gliding from porno funk to melodic to dark to feedback. It’s quite the testament to Phish’s ability to jam, as the whole thing flows cohesively through the different themes. This is some top-shelf Phish.
Listen to the 27-minute version of “Ghost” below, courtesy of astavely56.
Phish – “Ghost” – Atlanta, GA – 7/23/97
You can also check out full audio from the show below, courtesy of fromtheaquarium, as well as the Phish.net setlist below.
Phish – Lakewood Amphitheatre – Atlanta, GA – 7/23/97
Setlist: Phish | Lakewood Amphitheatre | Atlanta, GA | 7/23/97
Set 1: Julius, Dirt, NICU > Dogs Stole Things > Ginseng Sullivan, Water in the Sky, Limb By Limb, Split Open and Melt, Billy Breathes, Possum
Set 2: Punch You In the Eye, Ghost > Sample in a Jar, You Enjoy Myself[1] -> Rocky Mountain Way Jam > Chalk Dust Torture
Encore: Frankenstein
Notes: Ghost included Spooky and On Your Way Down teases. YEM included a Jeopardy! theme tease, a very unusual SOAMule-like jam segment, and did not have a vocal jam. Chalk Dust included Rocky Mountain Way teases.