After closing out the East Coast leg of their Summer tour with a trio of classic shows, Phish now moves West to play at The Gorge, Bill Graham Civic Center in San Francisco, The Forum in Los Angeles, and Sleep Train Amphiteatre in Chula Vista, CA. As many fans prepare to trek to The Gorge to kick off the run, we can only wonder what Phish is has in store for us. With Phish busting out rare songs left and right this summer, including four songs that haven’t been played in over 200 shows, the anticipation is at an all time high.
With that in mind, we decided to go through Phish’s extensive catalog of songs and figure out what they might have up their sleeves for the next seven shows. We picked out our top ten bust outs, covers, or rarities that would make this run one for the ages. Check out the list below, and get pumped for Phish to return to the Wild West!
10. Torn and Frayed
This classic country-tinged tune by The Rolling Stones came into Phish’s catalog during Festival 8’s Exile on Main Street set, and was played six more times over the next three years. Now, the track has disappeared from setlists for a whopping 151 shows. It would be such a thrill to see the band bring this song back into the rotation.
Watch Phish perform “Torn and Frayed” by The Rolling Stones at The DCU Center in Worcester, MA on 6/7/2012, courtesy of YouTube user notmkdevo:
9. Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley
This Allen Toussaint composition always brings the energy. When Phish decides to bust this tune out, it’s always met with a roar from the crowd, and the band responds in kind with vocal jams and huge, soaring solos. Phish has played “Sneakin’ Sally” twice at The Gorge, and fans would love to see the song make its third appearance at the storied venue.
Watch Phish perform “Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley” at The Gorge in George, WA on 7/27/2013, courtesy of YouTube user 82bbrooks:
8. Magilla
The beloved instrumental track was the first track written by Page McConnell to make it into Phish’s catalog. After debuting in 1990, the band played the jazzy number 70 times before retiring it in 2003. Recently, Trey Anastasio has been performing the song with his solo band, giving the song some new life after a long time on the shelf. “Magilla” would be the biggest bust out original song of the summer, having not been played in 353 shows.
Watch Trey Anastasio Band perform a cover of “Magilla” at The Beacon Theatre on 12/11/2014:
7. Dinner and A Movie
An early staple of Phish’s repertoire, “Dinner and a Movie” has fallen out of Phish’s favor, having not shown up on a setlist since 7/21/2013, or 119 shows ago, and has only been performed seven times since the band reunited in 2009. Fans would surely welcome “Dinner and a Movie” back with open arms on this upcoming West Coast run.
Watch Phish perform “Dinner and a Movie” on Northerly Island in Chicago, IL on 7/21/2013, courtesy of YouTube user shinepigeon:
6. Pebbles and Marbles
“Pebbles and Marbles” is a bit of a head-scratcher. It has all the ingredients of a Phish classic: a whimsical introduction, beautiful composition, and it almost always leads to a soaring jam…yet, it’s one of those songs that just never stuck in Phish’s rotation. The song has been performed only 18 times since its live debut in 2003, giving it bust-out status almost every time it’s been played in the 3.0 era. “Pebbles and Marbles” is a great song that deserves to get more playing time, and this West Coast run would be a great way to bring the song back into the fold.
Watch Phish’s entire first set from 8/4/13 at the Bill Graham Civic Center in San Francisco, CA, courtesy of YouTube user LazyLightning55a (fast-forward to 1:14:13 for “Pebbles and Marbles”):
5. Manteca
Phish’s version of Dizzy Gillespie‘s “Manteca” always brings the crowd to its feet, with their funky interpretation of the jazz classic hitting the spot ever so perfectly. While the band rarely plays this fun track, with only three performances of the song in 3.0, Phish has noticeably teased “Manteca” tons of times in the past seven years. Phish also teased “Manteca” twice at past performances at The Gorge, with “Stash” on 7/16/1998 and “Gumbo” on 7/17/1998 both having noticeable “Manteca” quotes. The crowd would go absolutely crazy for a “Manteca” bustout on the West Coast.
Watch Phish perform “Manteca” at Central Florida Arena in Orlando, FL on 11/14/1995, courtesy of YouTube user PhrankieC87:
4. Foam
What ever happened to “Foam”?! It used to be one of Phish’s most dependable first set songs, but as of now it hasn’t been performed since Halloween 2014, and has only appeared three times since 2012. With its interlocking melodies, funky slap-bass part, and excellent composition, “Foam” is a true favorite that has been sorely missed from Phish’s setlists, and a return to the West Coast would be a great time for the foam to start getting thicker again.
Watch Phish perform “Foam” at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV on 11/02/2014, courtesy of YouTube user LazyLightning55a:
3. Shafty
Will Phish ever add this Story of the Ghost track to their song list? “Shafty” has been played only five times since its debut performance during 1998’s “The Island Tour,” and the funky song always leaves fans wanting more. Last appearing at Phish’s festival-closing, headlining performance at Bonnaroo, this upcoming run up-and-down the West Coast would make for perfect placement for them to bust out one of their rarest songs.
Watch Phish perform “Shafty” at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, RI on 4/05/1998, courtesy of YouTube user silverchair97:
2. Spanish Moon
Ask any phan what song they’d like to see brought back from Phish’s famous Halloween musical costumes, and “Spanish Moon” will almost always be mentioned. This track from Little Feat‘s Waiting for Columbus is as exciting as it gets, and was arguably the highlight of the Halloween run in 2010. With its driving, yet funky vibe, passionate vocals, and a ripping guitar solo as the cherry on top, people would lose their mind if Phish were to bust out this incredible song on this upcoming West Coast leg of their tour.
Watch Phish perform Little Feat’s “Spanish Moon” at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ on 10/31/2010, courtesy of YouTube user HarpuaFSB:
1. All Things Reconsidered
This twangy, playful 90’s staple has simply vanished from Phish’s catalog. “All Things Reconsidered” used to be a setlist regular, and was performed every two or three shows in 1992 and 1993. While this prolific period saw the band writing a horde of new songs that would go on to be classics, Phish slowly started to drop some of their older songs, and “All Things Reconsidered” was one of the victims of this change. By 1996, the song had become a rarity, and 1997 saw the song’s last performance, on 2/23/1997 while on Phish’s European tour. That’s 659 shows ago, giving the song an absolutely huge bust out potential. With Phish already busting out “Dear Prudence” after a 796 show gap, and with last year’s return of “The Landlady” after 768 shows on the bench, “All Things Reconsidered” seems to be in the perfect position to be brought back during this Western run.
Watch Phish perform “All Things Reconsidered” at the Eastbrook Theatre in Grand Rapids, MI on 8/11/1993, courtesy of YouTube user heady groove:
See you on the other side!