MSG8 RECAP: GOING OFF-BOOK
[We would like to thank Jeremy Levine, @Franklin, for writing the recap of last night's show.]
The Baker’s Dozen has felt like a weird jamband version of "Chopped." High stakes, themed sets, and more and more songs off the table with each passing night (presumably) means that they have to make something new and inventive in the face of confounding restrictions. Yesterday, when Phish opened its basket to reveal Rainbow Jimmies, expectations and predictions started to heat up. “The Squirming Coil” seemed like it was off the table after having been played the first night (7/21), but we could still be up for “Runaway Jim,” “Harpua,” something from Hendrix, Jimmy Page, or Quadrophenia, plus “Rainbow Connection,” “Somewhere Over The Rainbow,” or any other curve balls the band might have in store. After hearing about "Chocolate Rain," a thirty-minute "Lawn Boy," and the legendary spicy chicken sandwiches at Section 119, I couldn’t wait to see what Phish would cook up for my only Baker’s Dozen show.
MYSTERY JAM MONDAY PART 285
Welcome to the 285th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday, the last and most difficult of July. The winner will receive an MP3 download code courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the song and date of each of the three mystery clips. The clips are connected by a theme, but the theme needn't be part of the correct answer – though it should help you get there. Each person gets one guess to start – if no one guesses correctly, I will post a hint on Tuesday around 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET, after which each person gets one more guess before the correct answer is revealed on Wednesday around 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Good luck!
Hint:
Even though I sat at home, I did not miss last Sunday's show.
Nor buy a ticket, just for face; nor watch the webcast! No, Your Grace...
While on the same day these clips fell,
not Sunday! The real theme shows its spell...
Answer: I guess there aren't as many GoT fans out there as I thought – the Sunday show to which I was referring, Your Grace, is of course Game of Thrones. All three of these clips did fall on the same day, Saturday, and the real theme is the Sunday show the clips spell: 11/7/98 "Ghost," 10/2/99 "On Your Way Down," and 10/7/00 "Twist." With this win, the Blog is now old enough to drink legally in the US! Given the recent light participation on the MJM, for the month of August, we'll stick with easier MJMs. Stay tuned for MJM286 on Monday.
MOCKINGBIRD'S BAKER'S DOZEN #8
In celebration of Phish's 13-show run at Madison Square Garden, the Mockingbird Foundation is announcing 13 unsolicited "miracle grants" supporting music programs across the country. Each board member identified their favorite Phish show, and we found a worthy music education program nearby, part of the Foundation's long-standing Tour Grants program. We're presenting these 13 special grants chronologically, based on the dates of those favorited shows.
Board member Matt Sexauer picked the 8/16/96 show in Plattsburgh, NY - the first night of the Clifford Ball (not counting the 8/15 soundcheck), which was the first of Phish's one-band festivals (not counting Amy's Farm). The three-set show featured an acoustic mini-setup, six noteworthy jams, and fireworks to end "Hood", all followed by the 3:30 a.m. "Flatbed Truck" escapade.
In recognition of that foundational experience, we're sending a $1,500 grant check to nearby Plattsburgh High School to support foundational experiences in music education. With this check, Mockingbird has given over $100K in Tour Grants alone, and 331 total grants!
MSG 7 RECAP: CINNAMON - 7/29/2017
Phish.net welcomes Tim Kelleher - @timkell - to recap Night 7 of the Baker's Dozen.
We’ve made it through a good number of donuts, and here on night seven of The Baker’s Dozen our long anticipated cinnamon donut gets the call - Cinnamon Glazed to be precise. There’s been so much great music so far, I’m no longer the least bit anxious about whether we will see a good show each night. These are going to be good. And we will be happy. This much I know.
MOCKINGBIRD'S BAKER'S DOZEN #7
In celebration of Phish's 13-show run at Madison Square Garden, the Mockingbird Foundation is announcing 13 unsolicited "miracle grants" supporting music programs across the country. Each board member identified their favorite Phish show, and we found a worthy music education program nearby, part of the Foundation's long-standing Tour Grants program. We're presenting these 13 special grants chronologically, based on the dates of those favorited shows.
I picked the 12/31/95 show in New York, NY, but not because it's my "favorite." The Mockingbird Foundation is sending a $1,500 grant check to nearby Education Through Music, and I hope they appreciate the funds.
Plenty has already been written about the 12/31/95 show, including by me (my old review from early '96 is here, on the site, along with my Phish Companion review as well). I don't actually have a "favorite" Phish show, even a favorite show seen, because I can't rank my most transcendent musical experiences above each other. I'm also THRILLED with Phish RIGHT NOW, ON THIS TOUR, and eager to hear what they'll do next, and just don't have the patience to revisit a show that's been legendary for decades already, when I believe we're in the midst of a legendary run, not only in Phish history, but possibly in rock and roll history as well, RIGHT NOW. $0.02.
MSG 6 RECAP: DOUBLE CHOCOLATE - THESE TITLES WRITE THEMSELVES
Welcome to Show 6 and Week 2 of The Baker’s Dozen! No need for a prosaic introduction today. We know the score. Phish is 10-0 this summer, with victories coming ever more decisively as the season grinds on. We are excited. In a time when the world may be going just a little crazy around us, we’ve got a rock of creativity, joy, and fun in the here and now.
While New York has long been known first and foremost for its donut culture, and fans have especially embraced the wide and wonderful world of this fried confectionary, let’s keep in mind that there are some other things that one might rightfully associate with The City, and it would be doing a disservice to allow tBD to pass without coloring and flavoring our reviews with some of these (admittedly slightly less quintessentially New York) items. So if you like your metaphors mixed and your jam descriptions jumbled, Dear Readers, do continue.
CHARITY GOLF FOR PHANS, AGAIN
This year's Runaway Open will take place Saturday, September 2nd at Buffalo Run Golf Course in Commerce City, one of the nicer of the dozens of courses in the Denver area, and among the shortest driving distances to Dick's Sporting Goods Arena, where Phish is playing that weekend.
MOCKINGBIRD'S BAKER'S DOZEN #6
In celebration of Phish's 13-show run at Madison Square Garden, the Mockingbird Foundation is announcing 13 unsolicited "miracle grants" supporting music programs across the country. Each board member identified their favorite Phish show, and we found a worthy music education program nearby, part of the Foundation's long-standing Tour Grants program. We're presenting these 13 special grants chronologically, based on the dates of those favorited shows.
Board member Jack Lebowitz picked the 12/9/95 show in Albany, NY, a classic '95 show with a must-hear YEM, a silent jam, and a Beavis and Butthead doll. We're sending a $1,500 grant check to nearby City School District of Albany.
MSG5 RECAP: WHO NEEDS "RASPBERRY BERET" ANYWAY?
[We would like to thank Brandy Davis, @smilercontrol, for writing this recap.]
All of the hype of the jam-filled donut show, which brought more fingers to the brisk summer air in front of MSG than I have seen since any ol' sold out Dick's Saturday night, was not in vain, as we all by now know of what occurred inside New York's grand arena on Tuesday night. But what of the sister show to follow? Destined to be in the shadows (or so I thought), the chatter leading up to Wednesday night was a bit deflated; or perhaps there just wasn't enough infinity in the universe to bask in the radioactive glow of one night, while simultaneously over-speculating about the next. Not to say there was no speculation... a white-powdered donut theme was sure to drag the word "cocaine" across the lips of even the most straight-edge fans. As for myself, I was hanging on the clue of "traditional," hoping we'd get an old-school set of songs from the 80's. Junta, anyone?
However, as show time approached, you could feel the energy build in the space around the Garden. "It's a great time to be a Phish fan." The old adage is as appropriate as ever, and everyone outside of MSG last night was feeling it. There was an unusual, yet perfect, combination of excitement from the night before, and reasonable expectations for the night ahead. That is a great headspace to take Phishing. The absolutely perfect weather and plentitude of tickets for everyone who wanted (to pay for) them didn't hurt, either. The crowds were thick, colorful, and all smiles at the Garden stoop pre-game last night. Lets go inside, shall we?
MOCKINGBIRD'S BAKER'S DOZEN #5
In celebration of Phish's 13-show run at Madison Square Garden, the Mockingbird Foundation is announcing 13 unsolicited "miracle grants" supporting music programs across the country. Each board member identified their favorite Phish show, and we found a worthy music education program nearby, part of the Foundation's long-standing Tour Grants program. We're presenting these 13 special grants chronologically, based on the dates of those favorited shows.
Board member John Demeter, @johnnyd, picked the 7/16/94 show held at Sugarbush's Mt. Ellen in Fayston, VT, and we're sending a $1,500 grant check to nearby Harwood Unified Union School District (which was known until very recently as the Washington West Supervisory Union. Don't ask. Seriously.)
The one that got away.
MSG4 RECAP: JAMLICIOUS
[Recap courtesy of user @Dmg924, Dave Goldstein.]
Let me let you in on a little bit of my creative process. Generally, when I write a recap such as this, I’ll have the first two introductory paragraphs written in advance; this saves valuable time and allows me to focus on the show details more fully. In anticipation of recapping the July 25, 2017 Phish show, I wrote two paragraphs on Monday detailing the “very good” first weekend of Baker’s Dozen, discussing the doughnut flavor gimmick, and stating how a random Tuesday night in New York City feels like bonus Phish. You know, quaintly setting the stage.
I tossed those two paragraphs out because they’re worthless now; this is being written an hour after the encore. Time will ultimately tell how 7/25/17 rates in the pantheon, but let us not mince any words here. I feel confident stating it is easily the best two set Phish show since 8/12/15 from Philadelphia, easily a Top 10 show of Phish 3.0, and if we’re being as hyperbolic as possible, one of maybe three Phish shows of the past five years that you can credibly discuss in the same breath as 8/31/12 and not be thought of as a hapless fluffer. The doughnut flavor was “JAM FILLED;” it turned out to be little more than an afterthought that the jam in question happened to be raspberry (though to be fair, “Raspberry Beret” was the first song on the p.a. post-show).
MOCKINGBIRD'S BAKER'S DOZEN #4
In celebration of Phish's 13-show run at Madison Square Garden, the Mockingbird Foundation is announcing 13 unsolicited "miracle grants" supporting music programs across the country. Each board member identified their favorite Phish show, and we found a worthy music education program nearby, part of the Foundation's long-standing Tour Grants program. We're presenting these 13 special grants chronologically, based on the dates of those favorited shows. Following #1, #2, and #3, here's #4...
Ah, 1994 - a truly joyous time to be a Phish fan! The band was bursting at the seams with inspiration, innovation and raw talent...touring incessantly while blowing minds and melting faces on a daily basis. And the fan base was expanding exponentially, many of us sharing our amazement, excitement, tales and friendship with each other via the developing Internet - r.m.p., IRC, post-show run to the pay phone to call Ellis with the setlist, sign up for the tape trees to get last month’s tapes (always saving the MaxPoints!).
As a university student in Santa Cruz I did what I could to get to as many shows as possible, mainly on the West Coast. For my summer tour, that meant seven shows in May, wrapping up with five straight days of Phish - three at the Warfield, followed by two headlining shows in Monterey at the incredible Laguna Seca Daze festival. What a run - the Warfield curtain opening to a monster "Curtain"...a screaming debut of "Simple" melting into a Puccini opera...thousands of boxes of mac and cheese (“shake shake shake when you hear the drum break!”)...Les Claypool dropping hands and jaw as Fish rips on the Electrolux...then a final show under the Monterey sun - my first up close on the rail - with the band so amped to just keep on playing that they dropped a six-song double encore. Nobody wanted to stop, and I knew I needed more more more!
SOME PEOPLE LIKE TO GO OUT DANCING (OR, IT'S JUST A RESTLESS FEELING): BAKER'S DOZEN NIGHT 3
Spice company Adams Extract is thought to have spread the red velvet cake throughout the US during the Great Depression by including it on recipe cards as a means to sell red food coloring; the cake was appropriated by the Waldorf-Astoria as the Waldorf-Astoria Cake; additionally, the cake may have seen a resurgence in the late 80s after being featured as an armadillo in the movie Steel Magnolias. (Thanks, Wiki.)
No matter its history as a food, fans began the guessing process following the announcement of Red Velvet as the flavor of the third evening of the Baker’s Dozen. Guesses of Velvet Underground bust-outs to a cover of Velvet Revolver to the obligatory "Wading In the Velvet Sea" glazed over screens throughout the day. But I tried to keep an expectation-free head as I made my way into the Garden (alas, too late for doughnuts but not too late to settle-in a few people back, Mike-side). Having followed the first two evenings — or, shall we say, Coconut and Strawberry — via Twitter, stream, and shitty chat rooms, I was quite ready to get my sweet on in person.
MYSTERY JAM MONDAY PART 284
Welcome to the 284th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday, the penultimate of July. The winner will receive an MP3 download code courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the song and date of each of the three mystery clips. The three clips are connected by a theme, but the theme needn't be part of the correct answer – though it should help you get there. Each person gets one guess to start – if no one guesses correctly, I will post a hint on Tuesday around 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET, after which each person gets one more guess before the correct answer is revealed on Wednesday around 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Good luck!
Answer: Congrats to @mickeyjoe86 for quickly figuring out this week's MJM with a little help from his friends, and taking home his fourth win in the process – he's now more than halfway to MJM Emeritus! This week there was one red herring theme (My Sweet One could refer to donuts, and this jam is easily found by Googling "phish snoring jam"), one handwavy theme (all jams in the last week of November), and one true theme (all my jams go // backwards down the number line). The clips were 11/30/94 "My Sweet One," 11/26/97 "Character Zero," and 11/28/09 "Seven Below." Stay tuned on Monday for the hardest of July: MJM285.
MOCKINGBIRD'S BAKER'S DOZEN #3
In celebration of Phish's 13-show run at Madison Square Garden, the Mockingbird Foundation is announcing 13 unsolicited "miracle grants" supporting music programs across the country. Each board member identified their favorite Phish show, and we found a worthy music education program nearby, part of the Foundation's long-standing Tour Grants program. We're presenting these 13 special grants chronologically, based on the dates of those favorited shows. Following #1 and #2, here's #3...
A little over 23 years ago (May 7, 1994 to be exact), Phish played a concert at the Bomb Factory in Dallas, TX. This show has become famous for its second set, an extended jam weaving in and out of "Tweezer" and songs such as "Sparks", "Makisupa Policeman", "Walk Away", "Cannonball", and "Purple Rain". This hour-long segment, which later became known as the Tweezerfest, stands largely unique in Phish’s history.
Phish have played many extended jams since this date, but taking the entirety of a set (sans an introductory "Loving Cup" > "Sparkle") to devote to the jam, to use it to tie together every song played at the end, even taking the normally short goofy "Hold Your Head Up" as a launchpad to explore a little more... this is something that marks this night as a special occasion.
For those of us lucky enough to be in attendance, the 2/3-filled Bomb Factory in the Deep Elum region of Dallas is the location of a euphoric event, a defining night in the lives of many of us. In honor of that electric evening, the Mockingbird Foundation is giving a $1,500 grant to support music education at Benjamin Franklin Middle School in Dallas, TX. Located 9 miles north of the Factory, one can only hope that their band has been inspired by the energy present that night. As Jon sang, “Yeah, it’s time we all reach out to the new. And that means you too [the Benjamin Franklin Middle School of] Dallas, TX!”
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