As the year comes to a close, it’s time to look back at the wild ride and whirlwind that was 2017. For this series of Live For Live Music staff picks, we’ll be reliving many of the glorious musical moments from the past year. We’ve already taken a look at a select few of the awesome jams that went down this year, and today, we’re revisiting our staff’s favorite bust outs of 2017. Enjoy!
L4LM Staff Picks: Our Favorite Jams Of 2017
String Cheese Incident | “Parker’s Blues” | Red Rocks Amphitheatre | Morrison, CO | 7/22/2017
During the String Cheese Incident’s three-night Red Rocks run over the summer, the group wowed the audience during their Saturday night show when they busted out “Parker’s Blues” after thirteen years. The tune hadn’t seen airtime since 2004, during the band’s first of two encores (the latter featured Taj Mahal on “She Caught The Katy”) at Uptown Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri. Read more about the opening night of String Cheese Incident’s Red Rocks run here.
[Video: SoaP]
Widespread Panic | “Don’t Tell The Band” | Park Theater | Las Vegas, NV | 10/29/2017
During the final night of Widespread Panic’s Halloween run this year on October 29th at the Park Theater in Las Vegas, Nevada, the band busted out “Don’t Tell The Band” for the first time since June 25th, 2002, making for a gap of over one thousand shows. It was a particularly poignant moment during the show, as the title track from the band’s 2001 album hadn’t been played since founding member Mikey Houser’s days with the band before his death in August of 2002. You can read more about the last night of Widespread Panic’s Halloween run here.
[Video: Steve Kiefer]
Umphrey’s McGee | “Pooh Doggie” | Brooklyn Bowl | New York, NY | 10/22/2017
Umphrey’s McGee capped off their three-night New York run this fall with a more intimate show at Brooklyn Bowl in New York City following two fiery shows at The Capitol Theatre. In honor of Dan Delaney, a hardcore Umphrey’s fan who was celebrating his 400th show, the group played the ultra-rarity “Pooh Doggie”—a song last played on November 10th, 2006 in Dallas, Texas, marking a gap of 1180 shows—to close out the first set. Read more about this stellar bust out during Umphrey’s Brooklyn Bowl show here.
The Disco Biscuits | “Solstice” | Montage Mountain Performing Arts Center | Scranton, PA | 7/14/17
During The Disco Biscuits’ annual music festival Camp Bisco this year, the group treated attendees to a rendition of “Solstice” to kick off their second set on Friday. Considering how diverse Camp Bisco’s lineup has become over the years and its status as one of the premier EDM festivals of the summer (meaning it draws a considerably younger crowd increasingly), the song was an awesome treat for more longtime fans in the audience, as the song hadn’t been played since May 20th, 2007, making for a gap of 492 shows. You can check a recap of the Disco Biscuits’ first two days at Camp Bisco 2017 here.
[Video: The Disco Biscuits]
Phish | “Izabella” | Madison Square Garden | New York, NY | 8/6/2017
On the final night of Phish’s epic thirteen-night Baker’s Dozen run at Madison Square Garden, the group surprised fans everywhere when they busted out their cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Izabella”—a tune they had last performed on July 31st, 1998, or a 574-show gap—to close out set one of the night. Everyone will agree that the energy on this final night was electric, and when this song started, absolutly everyone went crazy. You can listen to a clip of the song below, or listen to it in its entirety here. Relive the magic of the “Glazed” night thirteen of Baker’s Dozen here.