Doomsday

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History

It’s not everyday a Phish song is “discovered” sixteen years after the fact. But that’s exactly what happened during Kevin Shapiro’s “From The Archives” radio show at Bonnaroo on 6/14/09 when the world was introduced to the Mike Gordon composition, “Doomsday.” Even Kevin was not completely sure of the song’s origins, calling it “circa 1993,” which, if accurate, would likely make the song an outtake from the Hoist sessions. 

Judging by the primitive nature of the recording (apparently consisting of the four band members on vocals and a solitary acoustic guitar), the song never really got past the initial planning stages. As the title suggests, the song is about an impending “Doomsday,” a mood matched by the vocals (which sound as if they were recorded in the wee morning hours), if not the sparse musical accompaniment. One would think that after seventeen years on ice, the chances of “Doomsday” being played live would be slim, but betting against Phish doing the unpredictable has rarely been a winning proposition. 

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