Sorry waxbanks, I have to disagree - you haven't really heard Phish if you haven't heard some of these five shows, I've heard 4/16 about a million times but have finally heard the other 4 (4/16-4/21) a few times now. I'm not saying they didn't play well afterwards, obviously they have and did, Island tour and fall 97 is simply amazing (I love Rochester Fall 97 - for me a perfect 5.0/5.0 show, perfect first set, perfect second set and perfect encore!)

However, to appreciate Phish and where they came from you have to hear these shows, they have their goofiness and weird moments that makes them uniquely Phish but also throws a ripple in the energy of the show throwing you off balance. But in my opinion, the moments in these shows, like Buried Alive-->Possum (4/16) is quite simply the best Phish has ever played!

The band is composed of 4 complete scholars of music. They are each master musicians at their instruments. With that said, the band is still a Trey - Guitar oriented band. When he is really going off AND the band is really going off in a matching way, like a few moments in these shows, it is perfection. I think it is the youthful restless Trey going "Marty McFly in Back To The Future" on the guitar that really sparked these genius moments of playing. Post 2001 Trey has gotten a little older, more mature and just doesn't quite have the same ability in his fingers anymore. Great expressive and mindful jams, but that 1992-1998 ripping ability is fading!

Anyone new to Phish that is learning about them and has heard Livephish releases, or offical realeases HAS TO HEAR THESE SHOWS- YOU WILL BE BLOWN AWAY!! Get good sounding SBDs at www.etree.org

(Published in the second edition of The Phish Companion...)

This was the fourth straight show for me as well as the band, so I took it easy for this one. A free show at Stanford was the right price for many heads, so even more people made it out of Santa Cruz for the show. We made it to Stanford in the early afternoon and found the soccer field where the band would be playing. I remember it being a beautiful, sunny day (around eighty degrees) with people playing Frisbee on the field and getting ready for the show.
The band and audience were clearly laid back due to the constant sunshine. I'd say there never were more than a few hundred folks at this show. Many students showed up for a while, checked out the scene, and then split. There was a bottle of Snapple (possibly iced tea?) going around that really got quite a few people really high for this gig. I didn't partake myself, and I don't remember anyone freaking out in a bad way at the show, but I do remember some friends having an extra-special good time. Trey's dog Marley spent the entire show running around the crowd.
The show starts out with an amazing "Wilson" > "Divided Sky". The "Divided Sky" is one of the best versions I have ever heard. "Guelah" and "Poor Heart" are both played well, but are nothing special. The set picks up again with an intense version of "Split Open and Melt". Again one of my favorite versions, this "Split Open" really grooves and showcases some incredible guitar work from Trey. "Esther" is nice, and something I probably only saw the band play a couple of times. "Possum" (like so much else in this set) is played at 100%, another full-on peak of the set followed by solid versions of "Ice", "Sparkle", and "All Things Reconsidered". "Antelope" is yet another insane musical peak to close the set. The setbreak was a welcome break, giving everyone an opportunity to rest up and cool down before dancing again for Set II.
"Glide" always puts a smile on my face, and at the time it was one of my favorite tunes, so I was really happy to have them open the set with the song. "Manteca" is a treat, as is "Bathtub Gin". After each song Trey repeated "Squirt Gun Break" into the mics. Someone from the crew was using a Super Soaker on the crowd up front. This show, like most GA shows on the tour, was great because if you wanted to you could walk right up to the stage during the show, or drop back fifteen to twenty feet and have endless space to dance in. This was part of what made these shows so great, and something I miss about today's shows.
Trey's playing in "Llama" is really intense, with the band still playing at 100%. The "TMWSIY" > "Avenu" > "TMWSIY" sandwich was a real treat, as I had no idea they played "Avenu Malkenu" and had just received a large ration of guilt for leaving my family during Passover for Phish tour. (I had pulled a similar stunt to go see Dead shows back in high school). After tour I told them that any band that played "Avenu" couldn't be that bad. The parents were somewhat relieved.
"Dinner and a Movie" got way out there, and was a real treat. "Harry Hood"? This is my personal favorite version of this song, and I really like the places they go with this one (if you can find a better version, please let me know). I vividly remember the encore songs as being totally hilarious... it was an excellent choice of songs to close out a sunny afternoon show. Overall the second set is amazing; it starts off average, and then from "Bathtub Gin" through "BBFCFM" the band is simply on fire.
I left the soccer field knowing that we'd seen another great show, and really excited to see the band play walking distance from my house the very next night. I skipped Panic headlining the Catalyst later that night in order to get some desperately needed sleep.
For years this show was one of my favorite tapes to listen to when I would pick a show from this run. There is a great quality soundboard source in circulation with a great mix, so I would certainly suggest getting this one if only to hear the "Harry Hood".

This was my 7th show, and the 2nd of four in a row in a week. I seem to remember that this was originally a private invite-only party, but after word spread around the Warfield the night before, a lot of people planned to go there anyway. My friends and I were convinced enough that it was a good idea to show up and see what happened. However, once we got there (I think I was pretty nervous that we were going to be turned away), they just ushered us in without question. I'm not sure that there were more than a few hundred people there, anyway.
After the blistering show the night before, I wasn't sure they would have much for us on an early afternoon gig. Boy was I wrong. It was a laid back show, but very well played, and lots of fun.
Wilson>Divided was a great start, and the Antelope closer was blistering. The Glide opener for set 2 was a nice touch, and the rest of the set blazed. The SBD has circulated for years, so there is no real reason to go into the performances of each song, so I'll just say that it was one of the most fun afternoons I've ever had!

Well I won't deny the energy of this show, however the playing in this show lacks the tightness of the previous two shows. The mix is Mike heavy and the vocals are a little low. Love to hear the talk between songs.

Good first set, and again I think the boys are having too much fun as the sloppy starts already in Wilson and continues in Esther, Ice, ATR and Antelope. Stand outs would be: Divided Sky, Guelah, Poor Heart and Melt.

Good second set start. Sounds like Trey foreshadows the BBFCFMars in Suzy. Rift needs a little work tonight. Manteca is great to hear twice! Lizards through Avenu is great. TMWSIY reprise is sloppy/funny. This continues in Dinner and Hood, although the Hood jam is good. An extended version of Cold as Ice tonight annoys Fish. Great vaccuum. Soundboard mix ended at Rocky Top.

Really funny encores with the kid's count offs in Mars.

Great energy but, a sloppy show for me over all.

Alright, Wilson sounds a little rough at first but I enjoyed it. Sky is an early highlight. GP is well done and Poor Heart is tremendously goofy and fun. Melt is alright, definitely well played, but I'm going to agree with the Jam Chart that the show really starts to get interesting with Esther. Not usually a favorite of mine this version is very interesting, a great listen. The rest of the first set is well worth hearing. Check out the Ice with the MLB jam! I Love these '92 Sparkles. ATR wobbles a tiny bit but warms us up for a strong Antelope.

Set two gets off to a good start but again things really start to heat up around Manteca. The Gin is a great early version. Lizards works well here and Mound is pretty good. Llama has some heat on it, The Man Malkenu sandwich is tasty and fun. I just love Dinner and a Movie so much especially when they break into Hood immediately following. The show closes out with Fish's usual antics and a strong encore.

The band is really soaring here. While this show doesn't quite reach the heights of the previous day's show there is still a ton of great music to discover here, give it a listen!

You don't *really* need to hear any 1992 Phish, In My Humble Opinion - their transformation from 'great nerdy band' to 'great rock band' really kicked in in the second half of 1993, with wonderful transitional music like 2/20/93 inbetween. But the boys were playing well at this point and this show does offer the unbearably charming Linus'n'Lucy tease in Harry Hood. This is a keeper if you're a student of Phish history, and certainly '92-era Phish displayed an engaging postpunk/post-New Wave/post-prog alternaweird phenotype, but don't be surprised if you find the proceedings a little jokey-gimpy, especially in comparison to the Afrobeat-inflected dance machine the band became in the late 90's.

One of my favorite '92 shows (if not the one that takes the cake altogether). Both sets feature some really stellar moments, great song choice/variety, and the second set Fishman break is on one of the Syd Barrett tunes I prefer. the Cameron McKinney sit-in is cute, too.

Trey absolutely soars on Divided Sky, keeping the jam alive for longer than I expected. SOaM ascends quickly, but there's some real sweet riff-based jamming in the earlier portions. Esther is very beautiful, especially Trey's volume-swell solo. Not sure I hear the notable musical passage to which the jam charts refer here, but it's a strong performance nonetheless. Possum shreds as always--perhaps the most consistently bangin' tune from this year (check out 5/17/92 if you haven't). The It's Ice / Mind Left Body jam highlights some awesome Mike slapping, including great allusions to the top melody of It's Ice. The Antelope that closes Set 1 is one of the best from this era, in my opinion. Plenty of dissonant craziness between Trey and Mike that resolves with intensity and determination. Mike's harmonic movement starting around 5:00 is actually so fucking awesome, and sets up Trey excellently to take a melodic break in his solo. This is repeated again at 5:35. It's moments like this where I most appreciate Mike.

Glide opener for Set 2 starts things off on the right foot. This set also sees the first really exploratory Bathtub Gin--a landmark that set strong precedent for one of my absolute favorite jam vehicles from the band. Trey alternates awesomely between melodic patterns, dissonant wailing, and fiery shredding all over Llama. The final highlight and crown jewel of the show is Harry Hood. The extended intro and Linus and Lucy themes make this version stand out plenty. The transition from Peanuts to glorious Hood close is rhythmic and magnificent, done with some impressive tact.