Jam Chart for Back on the Train (31 entries)
| Date | City | Timing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-06-30 | Bonner Springs, KS | 5:34 | Debut. Instrumental bridge (jam) between 2nd and 3rd verses, and an instrumental outro after 3rd verse. |
| 1999-07-01 | Antioch, TN | 6:09 | Jerry Douglas on Dobro, Ronnie McCoury on mandolin, and Tim O'Brien on fiddle on this bluegrass version. Great short version! |
| 1999-07-18 | Volney, NY | 5:07 | With the Del McCoury Band. Another great bluegrass version. |
| 2000-06-14 | Chuo-ku, Fukuoka, Japan | 12:20 | With a rolling, funky groove that stays close to the standard structure, this is the first truly jammed-out version that sets up nicely for a 35 minute "Twist." Lots of improvisation within a narrow groove. |
| 2003-01-02 | Hampton, VA | 11:25 | Good version, where the jam's rhythm is straightforward, but Trey and Page explore a little more territory and have excellent interplay. |
| 2003-02-28 | Uniondale, NY | 11:52 | Fantastic "Type I" version with a crescendo-oriented jam. Arguably the standard against which all "Type I" "BOTTs" should be compared. |
| 2003-07-17 | Bonner Springs, KS | 9:24 | Another great version from 2003 with a segue into "Divided Sky." |
| 2004-04-16 | Las Vegas, NV | 7:56 | Well played, extended outro jam with good segue (->) into "Possum." |
| 2009-03-07 | Hampton, VA | 8:43 | First "BOTT" of 3.0 sets a good precedent, although it would be surpassed by a number of subsequent versions (see below). Really, the band is playing "BOTT" better in 3.0 than previously, with the notable exception of 2/28/03. |
| 2009-11-01 | Indio, CA | 3:20 | Acoustic version from Festival 8. |
| 2009-11-20 | Cincinnati, OH | 5:35 | Very quick tempo on this short, funky version. -> out of "Light" and -> into "Possum." |
| 2009-12-30 | Miami, FL | 17:05 | The surprise "Type II" jamming vehicle from a stellar second set of the '09 NYE run. This train leaves the station at about 6:15 for 11 minutes of quality, wide-ranging exploration. > to "Velvet Sea." |
| 2010-07-02 | Charlotte, NC | 10:03 | Another strong 3.0 version. |
| 2010-08-14 | East Troy, WI | 9:19 | Very popular version with fans. Great staccato playing from Trey early in the jam. |
| 2010-12-28 | Worcester, MA | 9:19 | Excellent version includes a "Streets of Cairo" tease during the buildup and a flawless -> into "Limb By Limb." |
| 2011-05-27 | Bethel, NY | 9:14 | Great version with building energy and nice back and forth between Page and Trey. |
| 2011-06-04 | Cuyahoga Falls, OH | 8:25 | Page shines from start to finish. |
| 2011-09-04 | Commerce City, CO | 8:35 | Like other strong recent versions, has the energy building jam much like "Possum" does. Version also includes a "Sneakin' Sally" tease and has a unique ending. |
| 2012-06-28 | Noblesville, IN | 10:12 | Nice departure from the crescendo oriented "BOTTs" of '10 - '11. This jam begins in "plinko" mode, modulates to a great Page-led section (very unusual for "BOTT"), and ends unfinished with some dissonant space. -> to "HYHU." |
| 2012-08-19 | San Francisco, CA | 8:51 | Although similar to the '10 and '11 versions here, there's some nice dynamic modulation that makes this jam interesting and just a little different. |
| 2012-12-30 | New York, NY | 9:00 | Crescendo-oriented jam, but this one has a false peak followed by bigger exclamation point. |
| 2013-10-20 | Hampton, VA | 9:28 | The boys do a nice job of driving this "Train" up and over a serious peak, taking several blissful minutes in so doing. |
| 2016-10-21 | Alpharetta, GA | 7:32 | > from "AC/DC Bag," the band is quick to capitalize upon the vibe, and creates a soupy, "southern" groove. Page keeps everyone on point; Mike and Fish provide great break back beats; and Trey shows considerable patience and restraint, bending notes and shaping his tone, his soloing adding extra swagger to the strong, straightforward play which drives this version to a close. |
| 2017-07-23 | New York, NY | 10:59 | Super summertime version finds Trey channeling some sunshine to warm the Garden. Following a great groove - which slowly builds to gain serious traction - "Streets of Cairo" teasing functions as a change of sorts, with Trey skipping through a sweet little set of notes before shaping his tone and taking what amounts to a second solo. Bright and shimmering, this soon yields to a "simple," yet euphoric, release. |
| 2017-12-28 | New York, NY | 9:40 | Cool, slight spacey sounds and effects are intermixed within the conventional jam structure, giving this version a decidedly altered tone. Page's return to the baby grand initiates a rousing finish to a solid performance. |
| 2019-07-13 | East Troy, WI | 9:03 | The jam begins predictably enough, with quieter straightforward playing. But the locomotive on this train really builds up a head of stream, and by 6:00, it is rolling down the tracks and continuing to pick up speed, before finally easing the passengers safely into the station. |
| 2019-11-29 | Providence, RI | 7:53 | Instead of the typical, crescendo-oriented jam, here the band breaks into an atypical major mode jam, providing a warm and more relaxing sentiment. |
| 2020-02-23 | Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico | 7:32 | -> from "Undermind." The end of the song proper features a heavy dosage of"Simple" teases which give way to some stellar, driving play from Fish. The upbeat jam takes an ambient turn, featuring some growling effects by Trey and eventually > into "Passing Through." |
| 2021-07-30 | Pelham, AL | 6:29 | While Trey always seems at ease playing "BOTT," the first of several Summer 21 fire versions may be the finest, featuring deft and nimble musicianship that carries over into other Phish classics like "Foam" and "Fluffhead." Page's impossibly fun work on the Wurlitzer makes recommending this jam a no-brainer. |
| 2021-10-17 | San Francisco, CA | 9:39 | All four musicians contribute to one of the finest versions in the nation. Featuring far more than "extra mustard," although there's that, too, Trey's typically great 21 play leads to a passage of extended improvisation, a deeply textured jam that plays off a false peak to inform an incendiary conclusion. |
| 2023-02-23 | Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico | 9:26 | Trey focuses on rhytmic riffs at the outset and then picks up the pace of his leads, but instead of building to a full crescendo, the jam relaxes into a warm current that recedes into -> "MFMF". |
Jam chart versions are selected because of improvisational and other characteristics that distinguish these from typical versions of the song.
The jam chart team has highlighted some versions with a yellow background; these are the versions the team believes to be especially improvisational, or otherwise notable.
A purple date indicates that you were in attendance.
The jam chart team has highlighted some versions with a yellow background; these are the versions the team believes to be especially improvisational, or otherwise notable.
A purple date indicates that you were in attendance.
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