The all-important opener for 10/31/94 set II – perhaps one of the most anticipated set openers in the history of Phish. 1994 marked the first year of the coveted Halloween “musical costume,” and every single fan was dying to hear the duds the band would don that night. Electricity filled the air – the excitement of that evening simply cannot be described in words. As the tape loops and sound effects of Pink Floyd’s “Speak to Me” buzzed through the air, many were justifiably convinced that the band would be doing their trick-or-treating in the guise of Dark Side of the Moon.

However, as should have been expected on Halloween, this one was a trick. The real treat came when the band confidently soared into a rocking rendition of “Back In the U.S.S.R.,” the opening track from The Beatles’ eponymous 1968 White Album. One hundred minutes and thirty songs later, the band had once again made Phishtory. Santa Barbara, California fans were treated to an encore performance of this tune over a month later on 12/6/94. These are the only two live performances of this tune to date.

"Back in the U.S.S.R." 10/31/94 Glens Falls, NY

You must be logged in to leave a comment!