Today is the 29-year anniversary of Phish playing its full Gamehendge saga at the venue formerly known as Great Woods (now the Xfinity Center) in Mansfield, MA. The year 1994 was huge for Phish, and this epic performance of guitarist Trey Anastasio‘s magnum opus at essentially a hometown venue marked the last time Phish played this multi-part collection of songs in full (so far).
Set one kicked off with a raging “Llama” -> “NO2”, which featured some vacuum playing from Jon Fishman. The trippy song sucked the band into the world of Gamehendge. Trey began his narration straight out of “NO2” and the crowd went wild as each element of the story was mentioned. From the first mentions of “Gamehendge”, “Colonel Forbin’s Ascent”, and “Rutherford the Brave”, the audience was treated to an incredible full performance of the suite.
Phish wove creative narration within the songs, as the band segued masterfully from “The Lizards” and “Tela” to “Wilson” and “AC/DC Bag”, “Colonel Forbin’s Ascent” into “Fly Famous Mockingbird”, and finally “The Sloth”. Gamehendge B-sides “McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters” and “The Divided Sky” helped to bring the set to a close.
Set two was no slouch either, as the band played several standout jams. “Reba” featured a prominent “Manteca” tease, and “It’s Ice” > “Stash” was incredible, with this version of “Stash” being picked to appear on the band’s seminal live album, A Live One. Perhaps the non-Gamehenge highlight of the show was the band’s rendition of a wild “You Enjoy Myself” -> “Frankenstein” -> “You Enjoy Myself” segment, which cemented this performance as an absolute classic.
This 1994 show is what Phish dreams are made of. After 29 years, it feels like a generation ago that Phish performed Gamehendge in full. Listen to the full-show audio from the amazing 1994 performance below.
Phish – Great Woods Center For The Performing Arts – Mansfield, MA – 7/8/94 – Full Show
[Video: fromtheaquarium]
Setlist: Phish | Great Woods Center For The Performing Arts | Mansfield, MA | 7/8/1994
Set 1: Llama -> NO2[1] > The Lizards > Tela > Wilson > AC/DC Bag > Colonel Forbin’s Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird > The Sloth > McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters> Divided Sky
Set 2: Rift > Sample in a Jar, Reba[2], Yerushalayim Shel Zahav > It’s Ice > Stash, You Enjoy Myself -> Frankenstein -> You Enjoy Myself, Julius > Golgi Apparatus
Encore: Nellie Kane > Cavern
Notes:
[1] Fish on vacuum.
[2] No whistling
[Originally published 7/8/18]