1990

September: 22 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30
October: 01 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 30 | 31
November: 02 | 03 | 04 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 30
December: 01 | 02 | 07 | 08 | 28 | 29 | 31

Trey teased Auld Lang Syne in Weekapaug. A recording of Auld Lang Syne was played between Weekapaug and Buried Alive. Management turned on the house lights before the band could decide on an encore, prematurely ending the show. The opening act was Chucklehead.

Possum contained Charlie Chan and Random Note signals and a We Wish You a Merry Christmas tease. Page played a few notes of HYHU before No Good Trying. No Good Trying through Funky Bitch featured John Popper on harmonica.

No Good Trying made its Phish debut at this show. The YEM vocal jam included Walk on the Wild Side teases. Alumni was dedicated to “all the graduating seniors.” The Bowie intro contained a Mo' Better Blues tease by Trey. The soundcheck's first Asse Festival was sung by Mike only with improvised lyrics and was followed by Fish singing a bit of No Good Trying. The Pendulum Jam featured a Low Rider tease from Page.


Stash, Magilla, Suzy, and Lawn Boy featured Dave Grippo on saxophone and Rocky Top through Antelope featured Grippo on saxophone and Russell Flanigan on fiddle. Trey teased Buried Alive in Stash.


Carolina was performed without microphones. There are no known recordings of this show.

Gumbo featured Fish on trombone. Fish was introduced as Mrs. Bob Seger in I Didn't Know. Antelope contained Jean Pierre teases from Trey.

Makisupa was played for the first time since February 25, 1990 (111 shows).  YEM's vocal jam was centered around Manteca and also contained a  Rockin' Robin tease from Trey. David Bowie's intro contained Donna Lee teases and Weekapaug contained Mainstreet teases. Makisupa's key words were a Manteca quote: "Crab in my shoemouth." The beginning of Hydrogen included the lyrics "I walk awakening on the misty fields of forever." Fish was introduced as Bob Seger before Whipping Post, which featured Fish on vocals. Page and Mike teased Norwegian Wood at the end of the second HYHU.

Possum included Manteca teases. Simple Gifts was teased briefly by Trey in Weekapaug and BBFCFM, and by Trey and Mike during the Bowie intro. The Bowie intro also included HYHU and Norwegian Wood teases from Page. Llama, Stash, and YEM contained Buried Alive teases from Trey. Trey dedicated Coil to “our friends at Conjunction Junction, who are the only other people we know who can play this song” as well as his parents, who were in attendance. YEM also included Gumbo teases from Mike and later Trey in the vocal jam. GTBT was incomplete; Trey aborted the song, engaged Fish in some hilarious banter noting that the attempt was “pathetic,” and counted off BBFCFM.

Llama, Mike's, and Possum included brief Buried Alive teases from Trey. Suzy contained a Hey Nineteen tease from Mike and a full-band Low Rider jam and subsequent tease from Trey, while the Bowie intro contained numerous Low Rider teases. The Bowie intro also contained two Charlie Chan signals and Oom Pa Pa and Random Note signals. Weekapaug included a Dave's Energy Guide tease from Trey. Fish was introduced before and after Love You as Chris Lee. Memories was a Phish debut.

Landlady was preceded by I Dream of Jeannie theme and Contact teases as well as Landlady dance instructions. The I Dream of Jeannie theme was also teased in Lizards. YEM included a Cheap Sunglasses tease from Mike and Weekapaug included a Fishin' Hole (aka The Andy Griffith Show theme) tease. Trey introduced Fish as “the hardest working man in show business... Henrietta!” before I Didn’t Know. Possum contained two Charlie Chan signals and a Popeye signal.

Trey teased the theme from Bonanza in Suzy Greenberg. YEM's lyrics were changed from "God" to "Food." YEM contained two Charlie Chan signals, an Oom Pa Pa signal, a Random Laugh signal, and Cheap Sunglasses teases from Mike. Possum contained Charlie Chan and Random Note signals in its intro and a Dixie tease from Trey. The Lizards intro was paused for a dedication to the band's good friends Jim and Esme who were celebrating their 4th anniversary that night. Trey added The Lizards was a "song of love" and Page teased Wedding March. Trey forgot the words to a verse of The Lizards and sang it with no words instead. Phish opened for Alex Chilton.

Soundcheck: The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Avenu Malkenu > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday, The Asse Festival, Eliza

SET 1: The Landlady, Possum[1], The Lizards, Foam, Uncle Pen, Llama, The Squirming Coil, The Asse Festival, I Didn't Know, Mike's Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove

SET 2: Suzy Greenberg > Divided Sky, Tweezer > The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony, Dinner and a Movie > Bouncing Around the Room, You Enjoy Myself[2] > Big Black Furry Creature from Mars[3]

ENCORE: Jesus Just Left Chicago[3], Fire[3]


The Eliza played during soundcheck was twice the normal tempo. The Possum intro contained Charlie Chan and Oom Pa Pa signals. Rocky Mountain Way was teased prior to the start of the second set and in Tweezer. Suzy contained a Woody Woodpecker theme tease from Trey. Oh Kee Pa was teased before and during Tweezer. YEM through the end of the show featured John Popper on harmonica; Popper also scat sang during YEM. This was the first Phish performance to be booked by Jason Colton. Some recordings that circulate with this date mislabel the venue as the Barrymore Theatre.

SET 1: Trust in Trust > Dropping Some NYC, Mulling It Over, As We Wonder, Gina, Gotta Get Mean > Gloria > Gotta Get Mean, But Anyway, Hard to Exist, Love of My Life, The Best Part, 100 Years, Alone > Sweet Talking Hippie, Mother Funker [1]

ENCORE: Johnny B. Goode

Trey and Page, in town for Phish’s performance at the University of Wisconsin the following evening, sat in for Mother Funker.

The Phish debut of Manteca was played in its entirety over the top of Caravan, which in turn was teased several times during Suzy. Caravan also included a Woody Woodpecker theme tease from Trey and a Manteca quote. Bowie featured brief DEG teases. YEM contained a Flash Light tease from Mike. Contact was played in honor of the venue’s “disco lights.” Highway to Hell contained a Buried Alive tease from Trey.

Possum contained a brief Munsters theme tease from Mike. Antelope was dedicated to Eric Bieniemy (who was a running back at the University of Colorado at the time of the show) and was introduced as "Run Like an Antelope Out of Control." Fire was dedicated to “Ralph the Buffalo.”


An emcee announced before the show that Phish would not be performing since they broke up in the dressing room beforehand. Instead, he announced that the show would be performed by “Phish 2000.” Trey teased Buried Alive in Landlady. Possum contained two Charlie Chan signals as well as I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart and Oom Pa Pa signals, while Buried Alive also contained Charlie Chan and I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart signals. My Sweet One contained Mockingbird teases. I Didn't Know featured Fish on trombone. The Bowie intro featured a medley of mostly songs played earlier in the show: Possum, Fly Famous Mockingbird, Forbin's, Divided Sky, Landlady, Mike's Song, The Asse Festival, Lizards, Foam, Harry Hood, and Makisupa. Bowie also included Fire On the Bayou and Wipe Out teases from Mike.

Buried Alive included DEG teases and Possum contained Charlie Chan and Oom Pa Pa signals. Trey teased Buried Alive in Stash. YEM contained an appropriate Munsters theme tease from Mike; the ensuing vocal jam was based on A Night in Tunisia. A Halloween costume contest preceded the second set. Tweezer contained Heartbreaker teases. This show was webcast in the weeks following Halloween 1999, as the band did not play on Halloween that year. It was subsequently released in mp3 format via emusic.com.


Trey teased Buried Alive in Landlady. Page teased Toccata and Fugue in D minor before Mike's Song. Check out the Bowie intro for a medley of teases including three Charlie Chan signals and Oom Pa Pa, Tritone Down, and Popeye signals, and a Munsters theme tease from Mike.


Phish played a one set show and were the third of four bands to play that night. There are no known recordings of this show in circulation.

This show was listed in the Sept/Oct/Nov 1990 Phish Update as Liberty Lunch in Austin but actually happened at Showbar in Houston. This was either a one set show or set two is unknown. There are no known recordings of this show in circulation.

It appears that the David Bowie intro preceded Buried Alive, then the body of David Bowie contained teases/parts if not all of Buried Alive and The Landlady. There are no recordings of this show in circulation.

Tweezer contained two Charlie Chan signals and Random Laugh and Popeye signals. Possum contained Charlie Chan and Oom Pa Pa signals as well as a brief Dixie tease from Trey. Prior to the first HYHU, Trey introduced Fish as "Captain Zero."

This setlist may be incomplete. A local band, The Jolly Llamas, opened. A recording of this show does not appear to be in circulation.

Don’t Get Me Wrong featured John Popper on harmonica. After Foam, Trey dedicated the song to Pat Metheny, who was apparently playing nearby. After the second HYHU, Fish teased the Oriental Riff on woodblock.

This show was Phish's first public gig in New Jersey and featured many references to the state. Trey started the show by saying he was born and raised in New Jersey. Before Uncle Pen, Trey said that this was sort of a dream come true for him and Page, who grew up in New Jersey, adding it was the first time they'd ever played in the state.  Trey said "we'll do a little song here that brings us back to our New Jersey roots here... it's an old Bill Monroe song." Mike added that it was "a song about Pendleton Vandiver, Bill Monroe's uncle. It's true. He's dead." Stash was played by request for "Big Phil" Muller, and was preceded by Fish playing the Charlie Chan signal. Fish said "he wrote it," Trey said "probably because I wrote it," and Mike added "I think it sucks. Essentially." Regarding Stash, Trey said "I collaborated on this song writing the music end of it and the lyrics were written by another native New Jerseyian, Tom Marshall, who isn't here tonight, unfortunately, because he's gotta be at work tomorrow programming computers." Fish added "for his dad" and Trey responded "My dad, he works for my dad. Keeping it all in the family here." Stash and La Grange contained Buried Alive teases. Prior to Landlady, Trey said they were going to play it in honor of their first gig in New Jersey. Mike introduced Destiny Unbound as a song he wrote about his Uncle Pendleton Vandiver. Prior to Buried Alive, Trey asked for a show of hands from the sparse crowd as to how many people in the room were actually from New Jersey and said "we're going to play a song that we wrote that we think captures the spirit of New Jersey," calling it "New Jersey And You, Perfect Together," which is the state's tourism slogan (a joke he later referenced in Golgi and Contact). Trey encouraged the crowd to "sing along when the chorus comes, just like it's a big commercial, because we'll be filming this for the next New Jersey commercial." During I Didn't Know, Trey introduced Fish as "Zero Man" and the song's lyrics were changed to Pardon Me "Zero Man." Before Contact, Trey introduced his dog Marley as "the 5th member of the band who doesn't usually get as much recognition... and we're going to play Marley's favorite song -- at this moment in time."

SET 1: Trust in Trust > Sweet Talkin' Hippie, Weird Chick > Mullin' It Over, Gina, Gotta Get Mean > Gloria [1] > Gotta Get Mean, Crystal Flame, But Anyway, Mountain Cry

Phish opened this show. During Blues Traveler’s closing set, Trey sat in on guitar and vocals for Gloria.

This was an opening set for Blues Traveler. The debut of Don’t Get Me Wrong featured John Popper on harmonica. Possum contained Charlie Chan and Oom Pa Pa signals. The Bowie intro contained a full band Mo' Better Blues tease. Trey dedicated Carolina to Bob and Elaine Dillof (Sofi's parents). The soundcheck's Don't Get Me Wrong also featured Popper on harmonica.

This performance was part of Skidmore Oktoberfest. The beginning of Hydrogen included the lyrics "I walk awakening on the misty fields of forever." Possum contained Charlie Chan and Popeye signals. The opening act was Conjunction Junction (previous information indicated the opener was NRBQ, but they actually played the following night of the Oktoberfest).

Possum contained Charlie Chan and Popeye signals. The intro to David Bowie contained an Uncle Pen tease from Trey as well as Charlie Chan and Oom Pa Pa signals.

The beginning of Hydrogen included the lyrics "I walk awakening on the misty fields of forever." There are no recordings of this show in circulation.

Possum included Charlie Chan and Oom Pa Pa signals. Fee featured Trey singing the verses through a megaphone unmiced. This was the first known Fee to feature the megaphone. The end of Golgi contained a Chariots of Fire tease from Trey. HYHU faded into Antelope, after which both Trey and Page continued to tease HYHU. Antelope also contained Charlie Chan and Tritone Down signals. Fish, introduced as “Zero Man,” played Love You for his parents, who were in attendance.

SET 1: Self, Family Picture, We've Only Just Begun


Phish was the wedding band for the first wedding of Steve Pollak (The Dude of Life). The setlist is incomplete, although according to the groom most of what was played was “just jamming.” We’ve Only Just Begun was (ironically) the wedding song, and was sung by Page.

Possum contained two Charlie Chan signals and Oom Pa Pa and Popeye signals. During the Bowie intro (at the stroke of midnight) the band sang Happy Birthday to Trey. Bowie subsequently contained Charlie Chan and How High the Moon signals. Manteca was teased in Bowie before and after Happy Birthday.

This show featured the debut of Gumbo and the first known Phish performance of Black and Tan Fantasy. Black and Tan Fantasy featured a brief tease by Trey of Chopin's Funeral March at its conclusion.

Suzy Greenberg, Magilla, Possum, and Golgi all contained Chariots of Fire teases. I Didn't Know featured Fish on trombone. David Bowie featured multiple Chariots of Fire teases, both in the intro, which featured the first known Phish performance of Mo' Better Blues, and in the main song itself. Bowie also contained five Charlie Chan signals, an Oom Pa Pa signal, two Random Laugh signals (one from Trey and one from Mike), a How High The Moon signal, and a Tritone Down signal. Bowie later contained a Dave's Energy Guide tease and another brief attempt at How High The Moon from Trey.  Possum also contained a Destiny Unbound tease.
Setlist Filter
By year:

By month:

By day:

By weekday:

By artist:

Filter Reset Filters
Support Phish.net & Mbird
Setlist Filter
By year:

By month:

By day:

By weekday:

By artist:

Filter Reset Filters
Fun with Setlists
Check our Phish setlists and sideshow setlists!


Phish.net

Phish.net is a non-commercial project run by Phish fans and for Phish fans under the auspices of the all-volunteer, non-profit Mockingbird Foundation.

This project serves to compile, preserve, and protect encyclopedic information about Phish and their music.

Credits | Terms Of Use | Legal | DMCA

© 1990-2025  The Mockingbird Foundation, Inc.