Welcome to part 176 of Phish.net's Mystery Jam Monday! Thanks to the very generous folks at Ghostlight Records, we still have one Hands on a Hardbody CD signed by Trey Anastasio that we're awarding to a Mystery Jam winner! Please read below for more information on this exciting prize, including updated prize rules:

Hands on a Hardbody was adapted for the Broadway stage from the 1997 documentary directed by S.R. Bindler, and garnered a Tony nod for “Best Original Score” for Trey and co-writer Amanda Green. Trey’s work on the show also got him two Drama Desk Award nominations, he and Green for “Outstanding Music”, and his collaboration with Don Hart for “Outstanding Orchestration”.

A music video, in part culled from the album recording sessions, that shows Trey in the studio working with the cast, caught the attention of and premiered alongside interviews on rollingstone.com. In one of their articles “Exclusive: Phish’s Trey Anastasio Talks About His First Musical,” Trey speaks of his musical writing experience as “certainly affecting future songwriting” for him. For fans of Trey Anastasio and fans of Phish, interested in brand new material, as well as the growing and changing artist in Trey, it may be of interest to hear his work in this different medium. To check out samples from the Hands on a Hardbody soundtrack on iTunes, or to purchase if you like what you hear, click here.

We will be awarding the CD to the next unique winner. Therefore, if the winner of a previous CD is the first to correctly identify this mystery jam, they will win the MP3 download, but the CD prize will carry over to the next week's contest. The MP3 download is courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. Previous MJM emeritus @RabeldyNugs is still eligible to win a CD; however, his MP3 prize would carry over to the following week's contest.

To win, be the first person to identify the song and date of the mystery jam clip. Each person gets one guess per day, with the second “day” starting after I post the hint. A hint will be posted on Tuesday if necessary, with the answer to follow on Wednesday. Good luck!

Answer: Another first-time winner for this one, as @justino was the first to answer with the 12/31/98 Ghost. He wins the last of the Trey-signed Hands on a Hardbody CDs, plus an MP3 download.

Welcome to the 175th episode of Phish.net's Mystery Jam Monday! Thanks to the very generous folks at Ghostlight Records, we still have two Hands on a Hardbody CDs signed by Trey Anastasio that we're awarding Mystery Jam winners! Please read below for more information on this exciting prize, including updated prize rules relevant to the next few weeks:

Hands on a Hardbody was adapted for the Broadway stage from the 1997 documentary directed by S.R. Bindler, and garnered a Tony nod for “Best Original Score” for Trey and co-writer Amanda Green. Trey’s work on the show also got him two Drama Desk Award nominations, he and Green for “Outstanding Music”, and his collaboration with Don Hart for “Outstanding Orchestration”.

A music video, in part culled from the album recording sessions, that shows Trey in the studio working with the cast, caught the attention of and premiered alongside interviews on rollingstone.com. In one of their articles “Exclusive: Phish’s Trey Anastasio Talks About His First Musical,” Trey speaks of his musical writing experience as “certainly affecting future songwriting” for him. For fans of Trey Anastasio and fans of Phish, interested in brand new material, as well as the growing and changing artist in Trey, it may be of interest to hear his work in this different medium. To check out samples from the Hands on a Hardbody soundtrack on iTunes, or to purchase if you like what you hear, click here.

We will be awarding the CDs to the next two unique winners. Therefore, if the winner of a previous CD is the first to correctly identify a subsequent mystery jam while we're still giving away CDs, they will win that week's MP3 download, but the CD prize will carry over to the next week's contest. We'll continue running the contest this way until all four CDs have been won. In addition, since MJM alumnus @pauly won last week's CD, this week's winner will receive two MP3 download courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. Previous MJM emeritus @RabeldyNugs is still be eligible to win a CD; however, his MP3 prize would carry over to the following week's contest.

To win, be the first person to identify the song and date of the mystery jam clip. Each person gets one guess per day, with the second “day” starting after I post the hint. A hint will be posted on Tuesday if necessary, with the answer to follow on Wednesday. Good luck!

Answer: Amazing job by first-time winner @PhreeDomRider, who IDed the 3/3/90 You Enjoy Myself and wins a Trey-signed Hands on a Hardbody CD and two MP3 downloads. We'll have another CD prize to give out next Monday.

What follows is the consensus Top Ten shows of 2013 as collectively determined by the phish.net working group. But first a word about the process of these rankings. Yes, we have ranked these shows in order from 1-10. But if you don't like ranking something as subjective as a Phish show then just think of this list as ten really good Phish shows from what proved to be an outstanding year for the band. That's largely how we think of the list. This composite list reflects precisely none of our individual opinions. Even if it did, I don't think any of us think a show we personally ranked #6 is indisputably better than our #7 show. And even if that were true, everyone has different things they look for in a show.

What we can tell you is that this list was put together by a bunch of people who really love Phish and anything that's mentioned below is absolutely worth your time to check out, if you're not familiar with it. Please note that no fans were harmed in the development of this list; it is entirely for fun and entertainment and should be taken in that light-hearted spirit. If your favorite show of the year doesn’t appear in this list, it isn’t because we didn’t think it was a good show! Your list – or no list – is every bit as valid as ours. But as our resident National Treasure noted in regard to the second Gorge gig – for which he advocated strongly, but ultimately ranked #11 – “we’re not handing out participation medals here, this is the Top Ten; you have to respect the science.”

So without further ado, "We asked fifteen über Phish Nerds 'Name your favorite shows of 2013.' Top Ten answers on the board. Survey says..." [SP, PZ]

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In 2013, it was a very good year in the Phish world, one when you felt like “IT” could happen at any time. I had the privilege to see the band on nineteen occasions across eight venues – Bangor, Tahoe, BGCA, Dick’s, Worcester, Hartford, Atlantic City and MSG – and wanted to reflect on some of the highlights of each, touching on historical context where relevant. These thoughts are not intended as any sort of “best of” list; rather, they represent simply one fan’s journal of notable moments, reflections and personal experiences from the past year of Phish.

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Welcome to the 174th running of Phish.net's Mystery Jam Monday! Thanks to the very generous folks at Ghostlight Records, we still have three Hands on a Hardbody CDs signed by Trey Anastasio that we're awarding Mystery Jam winners! Please read below for more information on this exciting prize, including updated prize rules relevant to the next few weeks:

Hands on a Hardbody was adapted for the Broadway stage from the 1997 documentary directed by S.R. Bindler, and garnered a Tony nod for “Best Original Score” for Trey and co-writer Amanda Green. Trey’s work on the show also got him two Drama Desk Award nominations, he and Green for “Outstanding Music”, and his collaboration with Don Hart for “Outstanding Orchestration”.

A music video, in part culled from the album recording sessions, that shows Trey in the studio working with the cast, caught the attention of and premiered alongside interviews on rollingstone.com. In one of their articles “Exclusive: Phish’s Trey Anastasio Talks About His First Musical,” Trey speaks of his musical writing experience as “certainly affecting future songwriting” for him. For fans of Trey Anastasio and fans of Phish, interested in brand new material, as well as the growing and changing artist in Trey, it may be of interest to hear his work in this different medium. To check out samples from the Hands on a Hardbody soundtrack on iTunes, or to purchase if you like what you hear, click here.

We will be awarding the CDs to the next three unique winners. Therefore, if the winner of a previous CD is the first to correctly identify a subsequent mystery jam while we're still giving away CDs, they will win that week's MP3 download, but the CD prize will carry over to the next week's contest. We'll continue running the contest this way until all four CDs have been won. Per usual, this week's winner will receive an MP3 download courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. Previous MJM emeriti @RabeldyNugs and @pauly will be eligible to win a CD; however, their MP3 prize would carry over to the following week's contest.

To win, be the first person to identify the song and date of the mystery jam clip. Each person gets one guess per day, with the second “day” starting after I post the hint. A hint will be posted on Tuesday if necessary, with the answer to follow on Wednesday. Good luck!

Answer: As my MJM-hosting predecessor @lumpblockclod so nicely put it, I now know what it's like to receive the @pauly treatment. Not even twenty minutes into the contest, @pauly put an end to things quickly by coming up with the 7/19/98 McGrupp, and wins himself a Trey-signed Hands on a Hardbody CD! Since an MJM emeritus is this week's winner, next week's prize will be another Trey-signed CD along with two MP3 downloads.

Welcome to the 173rd edition of Phish.net's Mystery Jam Monday! (Or Tuesday.) Thanks to the very generous folks at Ghostlight Records, we have four Hands on a Hardbody CDs signed by Trey Anastasio that we're awarding Mystery Jam winners! Please read below for more information on this exciting prize, including updated prize rules relevant to the next few weeks:

Hands on a Hardbody was adapted for the Broadway stage from the 1997 documentary directed by S.R. Bindler, and garnered a Tony nod for “Best Original Score” for Trey and co-writer Amanda Green. Trey’s work on the show also got him two Drama Desk Award nominations, he and Green for “Outstanding Music”, and his collaboration with Don Hart for “Outstanding Orchestration”.

A music video, in part culled from the album recording sessions, that shows Trey in the studio working with the cast, caught the attention of and premiered alongside interviews on rollingstone.com. In one of their articles “Exclusive: Phish’s Trey Anastasio Talks About His First Musical,” Trey speaks of his musical writing experience as “certainly affecting future songwriting” for him. For fans of Trey Anastasio and fans of Phish, interested in brand new material, as well as the growing and changing artist in Trey, it may be of interest to hear his work in this different medium.

As mentioned above, the prize rules will change a bit over the next several weeks. We will be awarding the CDs to the next four unique winners. Therefore, if the winner of a previous CD is the first to correctly identify a subsequent mystery jam while we're still giving away CDs, they will win that week's MP3 download, but the CD prize will carry over to the next week's contest. We'll continue running the contest this way until all four CDs have been won. Per usual, this week's winner will receive an MP3 download courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. Previous MJM emeriti @RabeldyNugs and @pauly will be eligible to win a CD; however, their MP3 prize would carry over to the following week's contest.

To win, be the first person to identify the song and date of the mystery jam clip. Each person gets one guess per day, with the second “day” starting after I post the hint. A hint will be posted on Tuesday Wednesday if necessary, with the answer to follow on Wednesday Thursday. Good luck!

Answer: @mcgrupp81 joins the five-win club, not fooled by the minor-key segment in the middle of the 5/17/92 Harry Hood jam (note that this linked PhishTracks version and the one used in the clip seem to have different tape speeds), and becomes the first winner of the Trey-signed Hands on a Hardbody CD! Check back on Monday for another chance to win one of the three remaining CDs.

Greetings, and welcome to another rare edition of Mystery Jam Monday: Phish.net After Dark. (Not to be confused with Peach Pit After Dark — as smooth as this clip is, I assure you MJM #172 is most definitely no David Silver jam.)

Per usual, this week's winner will receive an MP3 download courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the song and date of the mystery jam clip. Each person gets one guess per day, with the second “day” starting after I post the hint. A hint will be posted on Tuesday if necessary, with the answer to follow on Wednesday. Good luck!

Answer: @PersnicketyJim is officially en fuego with his third MJM in the last four contests, impressively IDing the 7/29/97 Run Like An Antelope. Bravo!

Make sure to check back here tomorrow for a very exciting announcement regarding MJM, as well as a brand-new Mystery Jam contest.

Phish.net presents the 171st episode of Mystery Jam Monday! As usual, this week's winner will receive an MP3 download courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the song and date of the mystery jam clip. Each person gets one guess per day, with the second “day” starting after I post the hint. A hint will be posted on Tuesday if necessary, with the answer to follow on Wednesday. Good luck!

Answer: @PersnicketyJim wins his second MJM in the last three contests by identifying the 7/30/03 Chalk Dust Torture -- well done!

New Year’s Day is known more for restraint than indulgence, but I’d like to indulge in a little departure from the norm. Usually I tackle these recaps in a pretty linear fashion, as that’s the way shows tend to unfold for me, and I feel that descriptions of what the band played and how they played it are typically the best way to synthesize a performance.

But last night’s show was different. You felt it whether you were there or whether you were streaming it in your living room. I don’t believe most Phish shows spell something, or have a point to make apart from communion (which is point enough). I don’t listen between the notes for life guidance, nor do I imagine that the band wants me to. But last night was that rare bird: a statement show.

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Expectations. It is better to go into a situation without them and be pleasantly surprised than it is to go in and be let down. Expectations that a certain thing will happen, or at a Phish show, that a certain song will be played it its “regular” location. (Or, shall we mention Halloween and the expectations of a musical costume. Did those expectations and the ensuing grumblings get to the band’s ears? Six sets and no covers. Makes you wonder . . . ) Following last night’s show at Madison Square Garden, the third in Phish’s four-night New Year’s run, let’s just say my pleasant surprise outweighed any let-down that may (or may not) have occurred.

Having decided to go to one show this year, I chose the 30th. I felt there was something poetic about attending Phish’s 30th show at MSG on December 30th, during their 30th year as a band. It was poetic, on paper; in reality, I knew I had to temper my expectations. All reports from the first two nights were pointing in a positive direction, especially the second set from the second night. Needless to say, I was excited for what was in store for us that Monday evening.

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Two down, two to go. Busy times in the city so we’ll get right to the action from Sunday night at MSG. I’m joined by a few friends with whom I spent the gig on the back of the floor to talk about what went down...

PZ: The first half of the first set was typical of recent vintage first sets – enjoyable, well-played, but mostly safe and uneventful. The opening segment of “Moma Dance,” “Rift” allowed everyone to settle in and get cozy. “Roggae,” “Sparkle” and the second performance of Wingsuit’s “The Line” keep the vibe warm and expectant. A slippery and bright “Stash” turns the corner on the set that would offer a wealth of riches going forward. “555” was an instant fan favorite among the Wingsuit songs and is perfect in this spot; the juxtaposition of Trey riding hard and dissonant leads over the dripping sexy funk is pregnant with great potential to go huge in a bigger improvisational role. “It’s Ice” takes a delicious late turn with Page leading a left turn to the get down lane, and Page continues the extended dominant in the subsequent “Gumbo” that – atypical of in the last few years – also tacked on a nice little jam to the end. “Walls of the Cave” made it’s third New York appearance (the debut on 12/31/02 + 1/1/11) to close the a fun, enjoyable set of mostly compulsory exercises but with just enough spice to keep things interesting.

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Expectations for a New Year’s run haven’t been this high since...well, since 2012, following the Dick’s face fucking. But instead of three amazing shows, Phish is coming into the home stretch in 2013 having unleashed what was arguably the best tour of 3.0. So let’s not mess around, let’s get to it!

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