It is hard to believe that the infamous O.J. Simpson “White Ford Bronco” chase took place 29 years ago today, following the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. The nation literally stopped as the news interrupted all programming to show the chase down the Los Angeles Freeway, including Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and Houston Rockets, David Hasselhoff‘s pay-per-view concert special, and the opening of the World Cup in the U.S.
For Phish fans, of course, the show kept going, with plenty of O.J. teases riddled throughout this famous performance at the Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee, WI.
The “Runaway Jim” to open the show started the O.J. teases off properly, but the band really let it fly during a second set that featured “Also Sprach Zarathustra”, with the band screaming “O.J.!” at various points in the song. The rest of the set included more teases with regards to the NFL Hall of Famer during “My Poor Heart” > “Mike’s Song > “Simple”, and “Harpua”. Outside of the O.J. fervor, this also was a memorable concert, showing the Vermont quartet harnessing all of their abilities for a performance that will be remembered forever in Phishtory.
Listen to the entire performance below.
Phish – Eagles Ballroom – Milwaukee, WI – 6/17/94
[Audio: fromtheaquarium]
Setlist: Phish | Eagles Ballroom | Milwaukee, WI | 06/17/1994
Set 1: Runaway Jim[1], Foam, Glide, Split Open and Melt, If I Could, Punch You In the Eye > Bathtub Gin, Scent of a Mule, Cavern
Set 2: Also Sprach Zarathustra[1] > Sample in a Jar, Poor Heart[1] > Mike’s Song[1] -> Simple[1] -> Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Harpua -> Kung -> Harpua[1], Sparkle > Big Ball Jam > Julius > Frankenstein
Encore: Sleeping Monkey > Rocky Top
[1] O.J. reference.
Teases:
· Theme from Mission: Impossible tease in Mike’s Song
· Simple quote in I Am Hydrogen
· Nellie Kane tease in Weekapaug Groove
· Simple and Voodoo Child (Slight Return) quotes in Harpua
Notes: This is the infamous “O.J. Show,” played on the night of O.J. Simpson’s Bronco chase. 2001, Mike’s, Jim, Simple, Poor Heart, and Harpua all included references to O.J. Mike’s Song also included a Mission: Impossible theme tease and Hydrogen included Simple quotes. Weekapaug contained a Nellie Kane tease from Mike. Harpua included a Simple quote and Voodoo Child tease.