As Phish’s fall tour is fast-approaching, I started thinking about some of the songs that I’ve never heard Phish play. Albeit, I’ve only been seeing them for the past few years, but it made me wonder (do tigers sleep in lily patches?)… what are some of the biggest bust-outs that Phish could play? Here is my list, but feel free to comment with some thoughts of your own!
1. Jazz Instrumentals (Flat Fee, Donna Lee, All Things Reconsidered)
Jazz. It is a defining influence of Phish music, seeping into the fabric of Trey Anastasio’s intricate compositions. Early in the band’s career, Phish incorporated bebop jazz standards into their live concert repertoire. These complex pieces, including “Manteca” (by Dizzy Gillespie) and “Donna Lee” (by Miles Davis), demonstrated the high-level of dedication that Phish consistently brought (and brings) to the table.
As Phish grew in popularity, this jazz style inspired some of Trey’s own composing directly. “Flat Fee”, an instrumental jazz piece, was debuted in 1987, and flourished on the 1991 tour with the Giant Country Horns. A Picture of Nectar (1990), Phish’s third official studio release, included three jazz instrumentals: “Magilla,” “The Landlady,” and a recorded version of “Manteca.” “All Things Reconsidered,” another jazz instrumental from Rift (1993), is a jazzier remake of the theme from All Things Considered, an NPR program.
Unfortunately, most of these jazz instrumentals have never made it into a 3.0 set list. “Manteca” has been performed twice since 2009, but none of the other pieces have been performed in over a decade. Sure, “The Landlady” has found a home sandwiched between verses of Punch You In The Eye. But, Flat Fee (1081 shows), Donna Lee (826 shows), and All Things Reconsidered (514 shows) have yet to be performed in the 21st century. Even the more familiar “I Am Hydrogen” was only performed once in 2013. “Cars Trucks Buses,” too, was only played once in 2013, though this instrumental toes the line between jazz and funk.
Ultimately, it seems that Phish has settled for jazz as an influence, and not an outright performance style. Hearing one of these long-lost jazz pieces would be quite the epic bust-out.
Flat Fee Video:
2. Big Ball Jam (90’s Shenanigans)
If you’re anything like me, aka a 20-something year old devotee who never had the opportunity to see Phish before Phish 3.0, then, basically, you consistently imagine that it was some time in the mid 90’s. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved every Phish concert that I’ve been to, but, from every veteran Phish fan I have ever met, I get the sense that things were a little different back then. Sure, Phish interacted with their audience, but, without the wide-spread immediacy that we experience today. No one tweeted Phish setlists, and something like a spontaneous Tahoeezer “Woo!” would have been a singular concert moment, as opposed to a running theme (people were wooing at The Meter Men featuring Page concert at Catskill Chill) of Phish phans eagerly trying to get in on the experience.
This isn’t particularly good or bad, it just is. Phish is a band that continually adapts to their culture, and, the mid-90’s happened to be a pinnacle. It was a peak of Phish’s full maturation into a legitimate nationwide phenomenon, supported by the cultural state of America at that time.
Phish had built a repartee with their audience. It reached the point where the audience was contributing to the music in subtle but meaningful ways. August of 1996 brought audience-directed “Hood!” chants to Harry Hood, a regular addition to the song in subsequent performances. In 1997, at the Great Went Festival, it was Mr. Hood again that contributed to Phish pholk-lore, as Phish fans filled the skies with flying glowsticks.
While some Phish concert moments have carried on into 3.0, others have fallen by the wayside. For example, Phish challenged its audience to two chess matches over the fall tour of 1995, resulting in a 1-1 tie. To date, no tiebreaker game has ever been scheduled.
Another relic from this era is the infamously-named Big Ball Jam. At 101 concerts, from 1992 to 1994, Phish would release four giant inflatable balls to the crowd. Each ball was a different color; each color corresponded to a member of Phish. As the balls were bounced around the audience, the corresponding Phish member would jam along to the movement of the ball. It’s a pretty silly concept, but, Big Ball Jam fundamentally represents the close interaction between Phish and their fans, and Phish’s desire to include the audience into the musical experience. The Big Balls aren’t likely to come back soon, so, until then… Woo!
3. Rotation Jam
As the members of Phish are talented musicians, it stands to reason that they could play other instruments. Mike Gordon is a talented banjo player, Page has played the upright bass (during the 1994 Bluegrass Sessions), and we all know Jon Fishman is an extremely prolific vacuumist.
Four times, from 1995-1997, Phish performed a “Rotation Jam,” where the band members would rotate instruments throughout the musical improvisation. The idea spawned from a commonly used technique to bring Fishman to the front of the stage, in which Trey would put down his guitar and take over for Fishman on the drums. Only, on one particular night, Fishman tapped Gordon and asked for his bass. Next thing you know, everybody is playing everybody else’s instruments, and the audience couldn’t have been happier.
While “Rotation Jam” was only played four times, the band composed two songs using alternate instrumental formations – Rock-A-William and Walfredo. While Walfredo was revived once, as a show opener in 2010, neither the Rotation Jam nor Rock-A-William have been seen since 1997.
Instrument swapping hasn’t been entirely retired from the Phish repertoire. In fact, during “Scent of a Mule” at a show last August at the Hollywood Bowl, Fishman began using his drum mallets… on Mike Gordon’s bass! While Fishman hammered away on the bass, Trey and Page grabbed drum sticks and both played the drum kit. Granted, this was due to problems with Trey’s guitar amp, but, it became a particularly spontaneous avant-garde jam moment, one that is definitely worth watching here (starting at 1:13).
A Rotation Jam would be quite the spectacle, but it is also not unreasonable for Phish. As these things tend to happen spontaneously at Phish shows, I wouldn’t hold my breath, but I wouldn’t be too surprised to see it either.
Rotation Jam Video:
4. Amazing Grace
Much to the surprise of many Phish fans, “Amazing Grace” has not been performed live since 1997. A cappella is another defining aspect of Phish concerts, and the band has sung the National Anthem, their original day-counting song “Grind,” and an a cappella rendition of “Lawn Boy” over the past year or so. But, for a song performed over 100 times (108) from 1993-1998, Amazing Grace continues to elude.
Amazing Grace video:
5. Grateful Dead Songs
Isn’t Phish, like, a Grateful Dead tribute band or something?
NO. For the love of God, please stop asking this question. Any fan of these two bands will tell you that, while Phish and the Dead share some musical influences, their music is completely and entirely different.
That being said, it is important to note the influence of the Dead on Phish. A Grateful Dead concert in 1983 (immortalized on Dick’s Picks Volume 6) inspired Trey, as he discovered that music could be a community experience. He tells this to Bob Weir in an interview, seen here.
As the Dead were a founding influence over Phish’s music, it stands to reason that Phish would play Grateful Dead cover songs during performances in their early years. In fact, from 1983-1986, Phish performed covers of “Bertha,” “Eyes of the World,” “Help on the Way > Slipknot!,” “The Other One,” “Scarlet Begonias,” and “St. Stephen” (which, incidentally, would make an excellent set list at a Dead show).
The most notable Phish-Grateful Dead connection occurred on August 9th, 1998, on the three-year anniversary of Jerry Garcia’s death. As I was but a wee nine year old at the time, I can only imagine the buzz of gossiping Phish phans… “will they play a Dead song?” “Will they do a tribute to Jerry?” “Will they do anything?” At the end, Phish settled for an emotional, heartwarming cover version of “Terrapin Station” for an encore. If you haven’t heard it, definitely listen! That whole concert can be found here for a free download.
Even more recently, Phish slipped in a version “Cold Rain and Snow” in 1999 and played “West L.A. Fadeway” in 2000 with Bob Weir. And, while Trey was seen performing with Furthur at the Lock’n Festival last month, Phish has yet to perform any material from the Grateful Dead since 2000. Fingers crossed for a Halloween Anthem of the Sun.
West LA Fadeaway Video:
6. Spock’s Brain
Ahh… finally, we’ve reached the mysterious, magical “Spock’s Brain.” The title itself conjures a brain in a jar on a shelf, a la Young Frankenstein. This song, inspired by the first episode of the third season of Star Trek, is a downright bizarre composition that debuted in 1995. The song’s main feature is extended, dreamy vocals, which drop into a mid-section that flutters between chorus and dissonant instrumentals. With elements of jazz, funk, jam, and soul, “Spock’s Brain” is a uniquely Phish experience.
The song debuted on an interesting night in 1995, at a Voters for Choice benefit concert one month before the band’s scheduled summer tour. Deciding to make the most of the opportunity, Phish debuted six new songs in the single set, including “Ha Ha Ha,” “Strange Design,” “Free,” and “Theme from the Bottom.” At this point, “Spock’s Brain” remained unnamed, so, considering the venue, the band decided to let the crowd vote on the name. They chose Spock’s Brain, over The Plane, The First Signal, and Israel.
While Spock’s Brain has been praised by fans, especially those who consider themselves in the know, it has yet to resurface in Phish 3.0. The song was performed eight times, from 1995 to 2003, and has not been seen in 228 shows. Will Spock’s Brain appear on the upcoming fall tour? Will it be conjured on Halloween night? Only time will tell.
Spock’s Brain Video:
Thank you Phish. After 30 years, Phish’s quest for the best live music experience remains unparalleled. Phish’s ability to draw from those thirty years-worth of music is an integral factor to this concert experience, not to mention an integral factor to this article. Can’t wait for the fall tour!
– David Melamed