Having spent the summer in Burlington, I was as much primed to see Phish as I was to imbibe the fries 'n gravy at Nectar's. It felt a bit cramped between the ice cream booth-like 50s drug store vibe and the band rockin' in your face. I had no idea what to expect. What I remember most is smiling and jamming out a bit between conversations and craving that sweet poutine (it seemed like I was always broke and hungry back then). Hey, I dug it enough to come back the next night, and, ah, well into the 21st century!

August of 1987 is, in my opinion, a very interesting moment in the history of Phish. Having returned to Vermont after a summer break, the band begins to play many of the most-loved songs in its canon, including Divided Sky, Fee, the Sloth, The Curtain, Harpua, BBFCFM, and begins the practice of playing songs to annoy Fish.

Trey spent a lot of time writing during the summer of 1987 and it seems that the band really came out of the gate with a much more serious attitude than before. I really believe that this month, and the antecedent months prior, were a turning point for the band who had made the decision to take the next step and give it a go. This performance, and the next ones over August, really shine compared to previous performances earlier in the year.

While the most commonly available sources of this show contain Set I until part-way through Set II, the rest of the show is not available. Interestingly, early versions of the Pharmer's Almanac have the second half of set II and set III listed as Set I and II. Seeing as the band was playing 3 shows in a row at Nectar's during these days (sometimes 2 in a row, sometimes 3), it could be that there were 3 shows over this period and we are combining 2 shows into one (although fairly unlikely since Skin it Back cuts midway through the song). In any event, all we have of this show is the first set and 1/2 of set 2. Unless the second half of this show turns up, or more clarity is brought about the missing 2nd half, we won't know for sure.

Anyways, on to the music. It's evident that the band has solidified their parts in these songs and has practiced significantly (Fish, notably). A breezy Golgi flows into Slave (a la much of 86, 2/13 and 10/14). Slave has a nice build with no noticeable Trey solo, yet the band sounds great. A beautiful early version.

ZZ top's La Grange is next, the first version of this late 80's concert staple. Although short, the band plays the song dutifully with some screeching Trey wail. The wonderful The Chase > Lushington > Dog Log > Possum movement that the band had been tinkering with in May appears, for the last time. This is the finest version of this combination the band plays, and it is definitely worth a listen, especially since the AUD is very clear. Page highlights in this Possum.

A very solid Sally ends with no vocal jam. The first Timber follows and contains an extra verse by Trey. This medley of covers continues with a ripping GTBT. After Fish screws up the ending, Trey introduces him. The bluesy Shaggy Dog calms things down and gives the audience a rest. A standard Funky Bitch closes the set.

The Curtain, in its first appearance, is novel here, as the band performs it flawlessly. It's definitely worth having a listen to this or the 8/21/87 version as they are both spectacular. Richard Wright guests on his own song, Halley's Comet next, and sings in his extremely skewed voice. Halley's moves directly into a nascent Sloth, which lacks its heavy-metal bridge.

Light Up, one of the rarer Phish covers is next, featuring Trey doing circles around Steve Winwood. This Light Up is raucous but somehow calms down and cooly moves into Skin it Back, which ends most versions of this recording.

This is a solid, well-played, and wonderful show. Even though these are the first versions of many of these songs, the band is well-practiced, and things sound really good. Take a listen to the Lushington>Possum, the short but sweet Slave, and the early Curtain With. Those who haven't heard Richard Wright sing should check out this version of Halley's.

1) La Grange: Nice debut for a song that legitmately rocks

2) Timber: Virtuosic soloing from Trey, spastic thrashing from Fishman, insistent bass line from Mike to guide the whole procession, and Page painting the funk landscape. Brief, but well-executed version with plenty of energy

3) The Curtain With: Debut for this special Phish song. Honestly, its nothing too different from later versions other than the finesse will improve with time. However, I am glad this is a "With" version for the debut. Gives it that extra tangy zip.

4) The Sloth: First, the sloth comes plodding out of nowhere from Halley's in a neat/abrupt transition. Second, this version has a different kind of swing to it. The tempo and groove are just different enough to make hearing this classic sound fresh. Cool version

5) LUOLMA > Skin It Back: The Light Up rocks out a bit towards the end, very enjoyable raging from the whole band, and then the transition to Skin It Back makes a wonderful combo. Unfortunately the tape cuts in the middle of Skin It back, but if what has happened so far in the second is any indication, I am very disappointed to not hear the rest of the set

This is another nice piece of history to hear from the early days at Nectar's, although again it's too short. Pretty standard stuff for 1987.

SlavePhan has done a great job of reviewing all of these shows, however, Sally does contain a vocal jam and Page has always sung Light Up, as far as I know, not Trey.