1992 was an important time in the history of Phish. The band continued to break out of their shell, playing larger venues further and further outside of their New England base. By this time, the band had begun to attract a healthy following in the New York area, and made a habit of stopping at The Capitol Theatre when they came to the area, performing there seven times between 1990 and 1992. The band’s final performances at the venue before its closure came in the form of a two-night run on Thanksgiving weekend, hitting Port Chester, NY on November 27th, 1992 for night one of a high-octane weekend of music.

The show featured a number of exciting highlights. “McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters” made a rare appearance, Phish covered Johnny Cash‘s “I Walk The Line”, traditional bluegrass tune “Memories” was performed without microphones, and “Faht” made its second appearance ever–with Jon Fishman trading his drums for an acoustic guitar. Set two also saw Trey Anastasio deliver “Random Note” and “All Fall Down” signals to the crowd during a raucous “Possum”.

Perhaps the biggest highlight of the show came in the show-opening run from “Rift” > “Wilson” > “Divided Sky” > “Colonel Forbin’s Ascent” > “Fly Famous Mockingbird” > “Split Open and Melt”. The band came out of the gates sprinting, with an infectious spirit that seemed to permeate throughout the show. In particular, “Divided Sky” stands out as a truly memorable version, stretching to almost seventeen minutes, as Phish locked in for an exciting jam out of the song. The jam saw Page McConnell and Trey Anastasio at their absolute finest, locking in for several breathtaking peaks.

Thankfully, the standout “Divided Sky” is available for our listening pleasure, courtesy of YouTube user mkcool18. Take a listen below and enjoy this lights out version of one of Phish’s most complete compositions.

Phish – “Divided Sky” – 11/27/18

[Audio: mkcool18]

You can also stream full show audio below, courtesy of fromtheaquarium. The end of the show featured a noteworthy birthday tribute to Jimi Hendrix, with teases of “Voodoo Child” and “Purple Haze” in “Cavern” as well as a “Bold As Love” encore!

[Audio: fromtheaquarium]

Setlist: Phish | The Capitol Theatre | Port Chester, New York | 11/27/1992

Set 1: Rift > Wilson > Divided Sky > Colonel Forbin’s Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird > Split Open and Melt, Lawn Boy, Reba, Llama > Mound, Memories[1], Runaway Jim

Set 2: Axilla, Poor Heart > Possum[2], Glide > It’s Ice > McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters > I Walk the Line > David Bowie, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Faht[3], Take the ‘A’ Train > Cavern

Encore: Bold As Love

[1] Without microphones.
[2] Random Note and All Fall Down signals.
[3] Fish on acoustic guitar.

Notes: Memories was performed without microphones. Possum included Random Note and All Fall Down signals. Bowie included I Walk the Line, Ring of Fire, and McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters teases. I Walk the Line was also teased in A Train. Faht was dedicated to Jimi Hendrix on his birthday and Trey called Jimi the “greatest electric guitarist ever” during the second set. Faht featured Fish on acoustic guitar. Cavern included Voodoo Child and Purple Haze teases as an obvious tribute to Jimi.

[Originally published 11/27/16]