While Phish has settled into Dick’s Sporting Goods Park for their annual Colorado visits, there was a time in the mid-’90s when the band played the beloved Red Rocks Amphitheatre every year. Making their debut at the storied venue in 1993, Phish played the venue nine times between 1993 and 1996, plus four more times in 2009. Between the magic of Red Rocks and of a Phish show, especially during the 1990s, these performances are the stuff of legends.
Our Phishtory piece for the day takes phans back to 1995, when Phish wrapped up a two-night run on this day. After laying down a solid show on night one, Phish took things to the next level with a fun performance on June 10th. Any show that opens with “Makisupa Policeman” has our attention, especially when that segues into a crunchy “Llama.”
The first set featured a “Prince Caspian > It’s Ice > Free” combination, before going into a rare first-set “You Enjoy Myself” that somehow found its way into a “Hold Your Head Up” segment with a vocal jam. From there, drummer Jon Fishman took the lead on a cover of “Lonesome Cowboy Bill,” a full three years before Phish would perform the Velvet Underground album in its entirety.
The second set heated up with some great jams, including a rockin’ “Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove” for the faithful. The biggest surprise of the night, however, came in the encore, when the band debuted their version of The Beatles’ “A Day In The Life.” The Beatles classic has become something of a live staple for Phish, popping up in setlists a full 65 more times throughout their career. That this show featured the debut surely cements itself in the Phish history books.
Listen to the full show streaming below.
[Audio: fromtheaquarium]
Setlist: Phish | Red Rocks Amphitheatre | Morrison, CO | 6/10/1995
Set 1: Makisupa Policeman -> Llama, Prince Caspian > It’s Ice > Free, Rift, You Enjoy Myself -> Hold Your Head Up[1] > Lonesome Cowboy Bill > Hold Your Head Up, Suzy Greenberg
Set 2: Maze, Fee[2] > Uncle Pen, Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Amazing Grace, Sample in a Jar
Encore: A Day in the Life[3]
[1] Vocal jam.
[2] Trey sang verses through megaphone.
[3] Phish debut.
Notes: This show marked the first Phish performance of A Day in the Life. YEM segued into a HYHU vocal jam. Page teased Fanfare for the Common Man several times before Lonesome Cowboy Bill. Trey sang the verses of Fee through a megaphone.