There are few stretches of Phish history held in higher regard by fans than late 1997, and no list of “The Best of Fall ’97 Phish” would be complete without mention of the December 6th, 1997 show at The Palace of Auburn Hills outside of Detroit, MI.
The show that night opened with a speedy run through longtime setlist staple “Golgi Apparatus”, before the band set the gear shift to high with a wild “Run Like An Antelope” in the two-spot. After a quick “Train Song” breather, Phish opted for “Bathtub Gin”, which received its regularly prescribed dose of rocking Type I improv before segueing smoothly into a skillfully executed “Foam”. The set closed with straightforward renditions of “Sample in a Jar”, “Fee”, “Maze”, and “Cavern”.
The band started the second set with an inspired “Tweezer”, where it seemed that creative ideas were flowing through each band member like a current through an electrical wire. The jam traveled from sparse, minimalist grooves, to thick, creamy cow funk with help from inspired riffing by Trey Anastasio throughout. After 22 minutes, out of the “Tweezer” jam rose Jimi Hendrix‘s “Izabella”. Following a dark, grungy, beautifully distorted run through the song’s structure, the band members locked on to a relentlessly funky groove which they traversed masterfully for roughly five of the tightest minutes of improvisation they’ve ever played.
The “Tweezabella” would wind up becoming an oft-mentioned piece of Phish lore. The band would go on to play “Izabella” just twice more in ’97, and twice in ’98 before it disappeared from the rotation entirely, making it a consistently-hunted song by countless fans. It’s worth noting that after nearly two decades—and 542 shows—”Izabella” finally resurfaced in 2017 as the first set closer on the final night of the Baker’s Dozen and has been played a handful of times since.
The segues continued as the band slipped gracefully from “Izabella” into “Twist”, and once again from “Twist” into “Piper”. Clocking in at over 14 minutes in length, this magnificent “Piper” marked the first time the band truly gave this tune the jam treatment. “Sleeping Monkey” served as a well-received sing-along after the set’s incredible stretch of red-hot improv, and “Tweezer Reprise” faithfully finished the frame with the best five minutes in rock n’ roll.
From the legendary second set-opening “Tweezabella”, to the birth of the “Piper” jam, to the impeccable segues that tie it all together, this second set quite simply defies argument and helps the 1997 show stack up among the best that Phish has ever played.
Watch full video of the 1997 performance below, courtesy of YouTube user sugaree shack.
Phish – The Palace of Auburn Hills – Detroit, MI – 12/6/1997
[Video: mkcool18]
Setlist: Phish | Palace of Auburn Hills | Auburn Hills, MI | 12/6/97
Set One: Golgi Apparatus, Run Like an Antelope, Train Song > Bathtub Gin -> Foam, Sample in a Jar, Fee > Maze, Cavern
Set Two: Tweezer -> Izabella -> Twist -> Piper, Sleeping Monkey > Tweezer Reprise
Encore: Rocky Top
[Originally published on December 6th, 2019]