There's a reason this show is designated 'Live Phish 01.' The second set is some of the best Phish of a great year, particularly the ferocious Tweezer/Timber combo. Everything in December '95 sounds outsized now - like a key musical muscle was getting overworked, then sprained, and the band stepped off delicately in early 1997 looking for a new logic. Shows like 12/14/95 show the band pushing past some energetic limit, playing harrowing arena rock music for hours on end and filling every cubic inch of every venue with sheer power. Even the quiet of Keyboard Army sounds like a powerful musical engine momentarily idling. Impatient. If you came into Phish fandom via 'A Live One' then this will feel like the next logical step, before the 1996/97 turnabout and reconception. While you're at it, grab the 11/14 Orlando Stash > etc. > Stash, one of the all-time great Phish jams and a slightly more refined cousin to this second set.

This was my first show... I was 14... I was "allowed" to go because of an older brother who was going "with" me! He let me stand in line while he and his friends did the lot scene! I did not understand any of what was happening...
All I knew is that I was super excited and that I had wished some of my friends were allowed to go!
I remember strange ppl trying to sell me clothes, food and god knows what!! I stayed in that spot for 2hrs!
When my brother returned all all bright-eyed it was time to go in!!

I was really excited they opened with Suzy...it was one of the few songs I actually knew!
The show it'self was amazingly fun!! I was a dead sober 14 year old rocking out to one of the greatest phish performances ever and I didn't even know it!!
I sometimes wish I could go back in time to this show now that I'm a lil more experienced for this stuff and truely appreciate what kind of show it was... but then I think to myself that I loved it when it was happening already so why ruin a good thing!!

I can honestly say that it was one of my favorite shows, eventhough I didn't know how special the Keyboard Army was, how rare a Suzy opener is (havent seen one since), how rare Taste that surrounds is!!, and how sick the show really was!!

Tweezer into Timber back into Tweezer!! amazing!!
Bold as Love encore!! yes please!!

Just a beautiful memory for an amazing show!! Great 1st show!!

I just aint hearing the "Slipknot!" tease..

College-aged n00b100 made this his first Live Phish purchase, as I had vague memories of my Dead-loving aunts playing me A Live One and I wanted to give the band a proper shot. Back then, I was most into Suzy Greenberg and the cover of Bold As Love (still one of my favorite Hendrix songs); now, of course, I'm more into the Set II jams, like the amazing Halley's Comet and the pure fire of Tweezer/Timber (how the heck is this version not mentioned on the Timber song page???). It's pretty amazing listening to shows like these, where Phish's complex stagecraft has been imbued with the on-stage energy of, say, The Ramones or something. December '95 is my favorite pre-97 run, and this is my favorite show of that run - yes, even over 12/31/95.

I did not attend this show, but Set II is likely my favorite set of all time, and I feel compelled to write. My favorite era of Phish is 93-95, and this one exemplifies everything outstanding about that era.

Set I is rock solid for song placement and flow. I love this version of Foam, and the prog sections of the songs in general are played well here. The only Type II action comes from SOAM, which excluding its ending silent jam, is fairly typical for the period.

Set II, however, has the best flow of any set in my mind, and is nearly seamless from Curtain to Slave. Even the pause between Keyboard and Halley's is less than a second. I don't know whether the setlist was planned, but either way, the flow works perfectly. Each "->" is earned.

And those jams. No less than 5 separate Type II excursions, many with multiple distinct sections. Timber, Halley's and NICU all have Hose in spades, with the band creating chord changes and variations on themes. Halley's first jam (you know the lick I'm referencing) is one of my all-time favorites. The reprise (and subsequent variation) of Halley's second jam in NICU is downright sublime. Surprisingly, no jam lasts very long, and the inspiration is seemingly right at their fingertips without requiring any percolation periods. While not Type II, this version of Slave is amazing, with Trey laser-honed in building his solo. Axis caps things off wonderfully, and I'm sure sent everyone home happy.

I typically read reviews to see if a show is worth my time. To you, I say plop down your money and get the soundboard of this. To the rest of us, I'm just preaching to the choir. You can run down a long list of superlatives when describing the second set. No collection can be considered serious without it.

Today is the 25th anniversary of this legendary performance. Before the show I interviewed Trey live on WKGB where I was the overnight DJ at the time. It was a highlight of my 10 year radio career. The interview recording was not available for many years as I simply could not find it. However, as of today, you can now hear the full conversation we had and read my reflections here - http://phi.sh/b/5fd66b12

As I drove into the show to meet up with friends, snow was falling and driving was poor. A Binghamton radio station that was full of static was doing an interview with Trey. Alone in a car (in no shape to drive) and I listened to one of the most amazing interviews I have ever heard.
Trey talked about the Carlos Santana wisdom that they are the hose and the music is the water that flows out to the audience, the flowers. The interview seemed like it lasted an hour but must have been about 10 minutes. I was captivated.
With that, I caught my first show that night!

Oh yeah, Bacon.

What else can be said about this close to perfect 1995 gem? Every song seems powered by an unrelenting arena rock. A classic show that deserves all five stars.

A classic month for Phish only a few weeks away from the epic 12/31/95 show, this one proves that even in a shorter time span, Phish can master just about anything. There is no YEM, no Mike's Groove. Just everything they are touching is rocked out, played tightly and seemingly able to go anywhere. Amazing, amazing stuff.

beautiful show. what is this incredible jam in Halleys?

My 5th show of fall 95 was a family affair. Made the trip from Ithaca with 4 buddies in a tiny ford escort. Decided to purchase some boomers from my neighbor in Ithaca. Hadn’t tripped at a Phish show since show 1 and that went very very well. Central NY had been getting some intense snow at this time but safe travels were at our backs as we made the 67 mile journey to beautiful Binghamton.

It was a GA affair so I threw my jacket on a chair, prayed it would still be there when I returned 3 hours later and headed to the floor.

The trippers went to the sbd and my other buds went up front.

One of the great first sets of this month. Got a lot of firsts including a mental moment where I sent brain waves to trey saying to end the set with Frankenstein. I thought I had special abilities when he called for it. Thanks boomers.

Floor was empty as fuck so during setbreak we walked 6 rows from Page. Ah the 90’s!!

Didn’t even attempt to find our other friends. Thanks boomers.

Lotsa of Ithaca ppl in the house this raging fucking night. I think the universe had me choose IC just so I could find this band.

We all know the 2nd set. Almost completed my first all repeat set until keyboard kavalry came outta no where. Of course wouldn’t see that again till 9/6/15.

Got to experience the first extended Halley’s and see a set feature two painstakingly amazing segments Tweezer->timber->Tweezer and Halley’s ->nicu->slave.

I don’t rank my shows but this might be a top 10, possibly top 5

This show was the peak of my Phish experience. I went to many shows on the Fall 95 tour and this was the best. 11/14/95 was also pretty crazy.
It snowed a lot that day like 2 feet or more. As we all know the boys always treat the people who show up in those situations pretty special. Add in the fact that they were completely on fire and you have the perfect storm.
My favorite part of this show and really my quintessential phish moment happened during the silent jam at the end of SOAM. As the band stopped playing the crowd was absolutely in lock step with the band, everybody was GROOVING it was one of the most amazing experiences of my entire life.
I really don't have anything to add to what people already said except I think this is the best first set ever...

I remember when this show was released as Live Phish Volume 01. I was in college at the time, and only gave it an attentive listen on a weekend visit home. The sound quality of the Live Phish release is a bit dodgy, the levels not as smooth as some other releases; or perhaps it was just typical of a December '95 show that the energy is all over the place. Fine first set, to be sure, and one that would definitely please in the common era (bustout of Taste That Surrounds notwithstanding), but the beloved second set is all it's cracked up to be and more. If I remember correctly, neither Timber (Jerry) nor Halley's Comet had been jammed out in such a way preceding this show. Oh, how I love a good "->", and this show has a virtually nonstop series of them in Set II. Knowledgeable, longtime phan Charlie Dirksen @Icculus) is on record that December '95 is pretty much all must-hear Phish, and I concur. On display in this show is a fervor both on part of the band and the audience that is rarely matched these days.

Very solid first set but the second set is simply FIRE and not for the faint of heart. You need this.

Phish was definitely on fire during the Fall of '95; the most notable being 10.21.95 and the Niagara Falls concert. This one from 12.14.95 is most certainly a special one, and shows the band at the peak of their powers prior to the 12.31.95 concert. I was trying to think the other day of best Phish gigs, and anything from this period (particularly this one) can make the cut. Although this wouldn't be the first Phish album I recommend to anyone (please check out their studio stuff...they are a good studio band!), it'd be one of the first if people were to get into the live material. I'd probably recommend the archival releases before "A Live One" (although that's tasty in its own right).

Love the segue into "NICU" on this one.

Slipknot tease is a bit of a stretch but I hear it, just don't know if it was intentional or just a common riff.

They're talking about the riff that starts at 5:35 on the Blues for Allah Help/Slip that commonly signaled the end of the jam.

It starts around 7:41 on my Tweezer from Live Phish 01.

As waxbanks pointed out in their review, there is a reason this show became LivePhish, Vol. 1. In fact, there are several reasons. The calibers of musicianship, improvisation, exploration, and dynamics demonstrated in this show are absolutely off the charts. The song choice covers the gamut from Gamehendge to bluegrass, jammed out Tweezer to airy and spacious Makisupa, chaotic SOaM to soul-lifting Slave.

Though it's tough to maintain consistent personal preferences with a band whose history is as vast and varied as Phish's, I think this show would take the cake as my favorite if forced to choose. The slight edge it takes over 6/11/94 is rooted in the heavier prevalence of Type II jamming demonstrated in the second set.

Putting aside comparisons, this show is an absolute masterpiece and is as perfectly demonstrable of all that makes up 1.0 Phish as it gets. I'm sure I'll be revisiting this one with regularity for as long as I'm a Phan (you can do the math on how long that'll be).

Setlist Thoughts
- Right off the bat, Suzy Greenberg sets a high bar for the evening. The entire song is hit with a compelling energy that makes it clear the boys are ready to fucking play. Page's piano solos are slippery and gut-busting enough to evoke countless physical reactions, intensified even further by a fantastically controlled crescendo of backing energy from the band. Trey's percussion in the early jam adds a specially danceable element that then disappears to allow for a new injection of gusto from the guitar. Fishman is absolutely wilding out by the end. Simply fantastic Suzy.
- Keeping the torch lit, the band doesn't even take a breath before diving straight into a Llama. Page's fingers are clearly still warm because his intro solo is awesomely erratic. The vocal section here is just ever so slightly subdued, contrasting quite nicely with the frantic drum movement underneath. Page comes back into the spotlight again to deliver yet another fantastic organ solo. Trey and Page take similar approaches to their solos here, alternating between E pentatonic shredding and more dissonant play. All the while, the band's comp is fantastic (give this one a listen and just focus on Fishman, please). Trey builds his solo super well before the final refrains comes back in, somehow ending the song with more energy than it had in the beginning.
- Finally the band takes their foot off the gas for a moment, but only in regard to tempo. Horn is nailed on all accounts: great energy in the vocal section, a beautifully delicate intro to the guitar solo, and a powerful growth of power throughout the remainder. Though it's hard for a live performance of Horn to live up to the power that studio magic affords the version off Rift, this one comes as close as I've ever heard.
- This is the Foam that got every other Foam to finally click for me decently late into my Phandom, as well as the Foam that many still consider the GOAT (though I personally prefer 11/12/94). Reclaiming the center stage, Page lays out one of the most beautifully crafted piano solos I've ever heard, flying through the chromatic changes with deft runs up and down the keyboard that balance dynamics with incredible restraint. As Trey begins to rejoin the comp on his guitar, their solos merge for a brief moment. It becomes clear that it's Trey's time to shine, though, when he rolls off the tone knob and signals to Mike/Fish that it's time to bring it very far down. The backing band fades to near silence as Trey plays his opening solo. Some arpeggiated offbeat accents slowly bring back the volume, and soon Trey is flying around the fretboard once more. The band continues to peak with Page slamming on his keyboards, Fishman half-soloing like he's Keith Moon, Mike holding down the chromatic movements with bouncing slaps, and Trey putting the sustain on that Ross compressor to fucking work. Add to this an excellent performance of the challenging composed bits of the tune (including a pretty perfect outro), and you've got a recipe for Grade A Foam.
- Trey's slow feedback drone acts as a pitch pipe for Mike to bring in Makisupa with a tight little bass flourish. The image of Trey smoking a joint with Gaddafi is heady enough to elicit a grand ol' round of applause and launch a super stony reggae jam, laden with lingering spring reverb effects. The droning guitar in the second half of the song makes for an especially ethereal tone, but the other dudes hold down a tight groove. The final measures leave Trey reggae-strumming away on his own, concluding a very sweet rendition of this slow burning tune.
- Split Open and Melt maintains a primarily Type I course at first, allowing Trey plenty of room to solo in the familiar dissonance and chaos this song usual brings. However, around the 9-minute mark, things begin to evolve into a new sort of crazy. The whole band fades in and out familiar SOaM territory with plenty of oscillation between harmonic spaces on Mike's part and incredible drumming from Fishman. The song slowly falls apart (in the best way) as Trey becomes hooked on a new riff he's invented. Eventually, the whole band begins to partake in a silent jam, only playing audibly on the occasional three-hit emphasis we all know SOaM to include. I'm sure watching this in person would add to the experience, but even just listening, one can greatly appreciate the unique outro here.
- Tela is simply beautiful. Performances like this one make me sad that this tune has become the rarity that it now is. Trey's and Page's solos are serenely delicate and drenched in a natural reverb that further elicits the imagery of the wind from beyond the mountains sung of in the verses. You can feel the triumphant power that's about to come as soon as the 4:13 mark hits. Trey rips this one through the sky.
- This early Taste is interesting to here with the retrospective familiarity we now all yield. Aside from a slight difference in vocal arrangement, the jam section seems to have to mature here. While Fishman, Page, and Mike give the same booming back up performance associated with later renditions, Trey seems to be a bit more reserved, sticking to tried and true licks, maintaining a steady melodic course, and not pushing the shredding too hard. Nevertheless, still a great performance (though I do also miss a Page piano solo here).
- Full steam ahead into a tight, upbeat My Sweet One. The vocals are on point, and Page lives up to the Leo title here. The piano solo is high octane craziness, but maintains precision when it matters.
- Frankenstein closes an absolutely killer Set 1. Trey has a little bit of trouble in the "horn section," but all is forgiven in the grand scheme of this tune. Page's synthwork, Fishman's drum solos, Trey's crazy ascension and tremolo tension, and Mike's grooving comprise a beastly cover of one of my all-time favorite songs.
- After a quick Audience Chess Move, The Curtain rings in a second set for the history books. The Curtain itself is played with ferocious skill and vigor, and though it does not include the With, it serves as the opening to something greater. The final ascending chords lead seamlessly into the opening to Tweezer...
- ...which takes off immediately with a somewhat up-tempo swagger. Mike tosses in plenty of special funky bass sauce in the verses, and the first break sees Page tweaking on the electric keys. The jam here is something special, beginning with a Tweezer riff / crash call-and-response between Trey and Fishman. A more traditional Tweezer solo takes form, and soon develops into a riff-heavy groove that allows Page to freak out on the piano for a moment. Fishman adds plenty of drum flashes in here and the energy continues to build as Trey's solo evolves....
- This transition is god damn fantastic. Though Mike and Page quickly shift keys to meet Trey on Timber, Fishman holds steady on straight-beat Tweezer beat with vitality for a few measures, launching this tune with a unique feel. Timber jam starts out low and ominous, Fishman's toms beating like the heavy footsteps of something approaching. Suddenly, Mike establishes a minor VI-VII-i cadence, launching this jam into a tense, aeolian territory and evoking a darker than usual solo out of Trey. There's some awesome peaking in this solo as Trey shifts on the Leslie speakers and hits the upper register. Then, the shift back to the key of A...
- Tweezer comes back in without missing a beat. Trey establishes a great groove pattern that lets the rest of the band chime in with some nice fills and solos (Page on the synth!). The drums come to the hi hat and calm down a little bit as Page solos, but then Trey starts ripping on a repeating, fast-paced riff. On a fucking DIME, Fishman hits double time and kicks this jam into hyperdrive (first time I heard this, I remember audibly saying "holy shit" to myself). The band goes wild for a few minutes on the new groove before deteriorating into an alternating seesaw of bass, keys, and dissonant guitar swells. Fishman hits the HYHU drum beat as the others play around for a bit, and then things die down. The jam fizzles to a subdued and slowing descending riff that disappears into nothing as Page lays down a new piano riff...
- ...and we end up in Keyboard Army. A very beautiful and inspiring pattern forms as the members of the band all find their part in the tune. A calming, serene, and fun finish to an absolutely wild jam.
- Halley's Comet is spectacular. The groovy outro jam sees Trey shredding face and then joining Mike to establish a new harmonic movement. Soon, the band all begins to pick up tempo together before reaching yet another blazing fast jam (returning to Mike's chord change, too). As Trey starts droning out the effects, the rest of the band brings the energy down to allow for a stadium-worthy moment of tension (Fishman puts in some nice work on the hi hats here). The final section of this jam alternates between crazy rock and roll riffs established by Trey and beautifully crafted piano solos from Page. The low, fast tension section soon bleeds into NICU.
- After NICU becomes recognizable, Trey works in a couple more iterations of the same riff he's been riding through the end of Halley's Comet. This returns yet again as NICU takes form of another epic aeolian jam that harkens back to Timber's earlier form, but with greater momentum. Page plinks out some beautiful piano riffs that seem to explore space while Trey, Mike, and Fishman sync up on some awesome rhythmic variation. Eventually the rest of the band drops, allowing Page to own the stage with a beautiful piano solo. Mike and Trey eventually rejoin to help create a brooding but uplifting drone that becomes Slave.
- Slave to the Traffic Light is just simply fantastic. The early moments continue the spacy, ethereal auras that Makisupa and the end of NICU have already introduced in the show. Trey's swells with the high gain tube screamer act like slow, lapping waves on the beaches of Mike/Page's comping. It soon becomes clear that Trey is ready to take the lead, and the remainder of the jam builds with incredible force to reach an epic and soul-gripping peak. Fishman and Trey are on another level here. Many claim this to be the GOAT Slave to the Traffic Light, and I'm not sure I can disagree. Perhaps it's bumped up because of the context, but I'll allow that. A finish this grand to a show that is so incredibly ridiculous deserves as much.
- What the fuck could you encore this tune with? Only a request. (No, not Brother. Sorry, guy.) Page crushes the vocals on Bold As Love, and Trey delivers a very Jimi solo to close out this awesome tune. Fishman's drumming continues to be crazy good.

Attended my first show in Niagara falls a few days before. That shit was so nasty I had to go again asap. Mike and I score tickets by way of trading edibles. As we head into the arena we gobble an1/8 of mushrooms and blaze some widow. Whithin an hour all hell breaks loose. As split starts up I am loosing touch with reality. I could hear sounds none seemed familiar. I then went unconscious until the set break. After a good Ralph i felt fine. Still high of course. The 4 opening salvos of the 2nd set destroyed my belief system! After listening sober it was a great show in a great tour!

SET 1: Suzy Greenberg > Llama, Horn: Standard. >

Foam: Unbelievable version, just knocked my socks off.

Makisupa Policeman: Standard but very funny Trey key note stuff. >

Split Open and Melt: Other than the ‘silent jam’ this one seems overrated to me.

Tela, Taste That Surrounds: I really enjoy this segment.

My Sweet One, Frankenstein: Standard.

SET 2: The Curtain: Standard. >

Tweezer: This first piece of this Tweezer doesn’t do much for me the segue into Timber is awesome! -> Timber (Jerry the Mule) ->

Tweezer: This part of the Tweezer is fantastic and has tons of replay value! ->

Keyboard Army, Halley's Comet: Just unbelievable and an all timer. As I relistened to it today I was humming all the parts by memory. It is a piece of the band’s history that will always be a signature moment. ->

NICU: Incredible. Won’t try and explain it other than…incredible. ->

Slave to the Traffic Light: This band had so much heart, so much soul. Both were on display in poignant fashion during this version. Another must here Slave from 1995.

ENCORE: Bold As Love: Incredible. Check out Page’s vocal’s. Not sure I have EVER heard his voice sound stronger than right here.

Summary: This show is incredible. Nothing more to say other than this is a high water mark for Phish. Crazy to think that anything from this year to this point could top Hershey or Niagara, but that’s exactly what this show did. You really aren’t a fan if you haven’t heard this show. I am coming in hot at a 4.7 out of 5 on this show.