[This recap is courtesy of Phish.net contributor, Jeff Goldberg (user @Jeff_Goldberg.]. -charlie]

Every once in a great while, an artist announces an upcoming event or two that triggers an immediate “must see” knee-jerk response from the deepest realms of its fan base. In the world of Phishdom, events like Big Cypress, The Clifford Ball, The Hampton Reunion shows, and the Red Rocks shows are legendary examples of such. The heart-pumping excitement which surged through my music-loving veins when I read that Trey Anastasio was planning on playing three solo acoustic shows in the Northeast reminded me of those aforementioned days of yore: the days when the mere idea of missing such a revered event would cause enough cognitive dissonance that a solid night’s rest would potentially become a challenge until the conundrum had been resolved.

The opportunity to enjoy a rare treat had been presented to the music fans of the world: getting to see Trey play an entire show armed with nothing but his acoustic guitar, his voice, and a few clever tricks up his sleeve.

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[The following is brought to you by the team behind the Helping Friendly Podcast, dot net users @swittersdc, @mdphunk, @rowjimmy, and @brad10s. -charlie]

For many (most?) fans, there’s no greater gift at a Phish show than a "Tweezer." Phish experiences are formed and strengthened based on single performances of this song. Shows can be saved by its appearance, soaring out of the speakers with Superman cape and all.

To do an episode about "Tweezer" seemed at the same time overwhelming and almost unfair, because there’s just so much to it. But our friend and collaborator mdphunk took us deep into "Tweezer," in the most ambitious way possible—with data. This week’s podcast is part 1 where we discuss and listen to versions of "Tweezer" from its debut in 1990 all the way through 2000. We will pick up part 2 in the next month or so.

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Welcome to the 264th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday, the first and easiest of March. The winner will receive two MP3 download codes courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the song and date of the mystery clip. 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 I reveal the correct answer on Wednesday around 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Good luck!

Heads-up: Starting with the first MJM next month (April), and only for the first MJM of each month thereafter, my plan is to only allow MJMers who have never won previously to guess before the hint is dropped – as soon as the hint is dropped, anyone can answer. This isn't to discourage veterans from playing or to preclude anyone from winning the easiest MJM each month, but rather to give any new players a day each month where they have a better chance of winning, in hopes of continuing to bring new players into the fold. If anyone thinks this is a really stupid idea (or a really good one), feel free to comment below or PM me – I'm always open to changing my mind.

Answer: Congrats to six-time MJM winner @dbertsch, who is one win away from forced retirement! There are now three players on the doorstep to legendary status (and another three sitting on five wins) – who will get there first? This week's MJM was in fact dropped on the 3/6/09 Hampton reunion anniversary, a run I was lucky enough to attend. But instead of going completely obvious with the Fluffhead crowd noise, I clipped 30 seconds from the last notes played before the reunion – what many of us thought were the last notes we'd ever hear our favorite band play – the 8/15/04 The Curtain With. There's a lot of eeriness in that outro, and it's packed with (mixed) emotions and beauty... but I am really glad Phish got back together 8 years ago and is still doing their thing, even if they don't hit the West Coast in 2017 (despite clearly favoring the Best Coast since 2014, if musical quality is any indication*).
*just trolling, ignore me

In August 2015, during the most recent peak in Phish's history, Zeb (@frankstallone) shared with us some great news: he had received a copy of a previously-uncirculated show, 4/3/91, from Ashland, OR. It isn't often that ~25 year-old recordings are unearthed and circulated. Zeb quickly got the audio files (transferred from cassette) to phish.net admins / Mockingbird Foundation board members John Demeter and Charlie Dirksen, who immediately relayed the files to the esteemed Charlie Miller for mastering and circulation. But from whom did Zeb get the audio files?? It turns out that his friend and fellow New Orleans resident, R. David Guidry (@RDGwayup on phish.net and @rdguidry on Twitter), who runs Concertmats.com, had attended the 4/3/91 show (his first Phish show) with another friend who had happened to record it, and David had kept the second-generation casettes in his collection for many years. As luck would have it, David is a professional photographer with his own photo lab and shop, and the 4/3/91 recording wasn't the only quarter century-old relic in his possession. March 3rd, 1993 – 24 years ago today – Phish played their fifth (and final) show at Tipitina's in New Orleans, LA. As a New Orleans resident and newly converted Phish fan, David was at the show (and the night before); and as a photographer, he took pictures. Today, on the 24th anniversary of Phish's last show at Tipitina's (also during Mardi Gras celebrations), we are pleased to share David's photos from that evening.

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Welcome to the 263rd edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday, the final and most difficult of February. 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 songs and dates of the three mystery clips – these clips are only vaguely connected by a theme, so I don't expect it to help much and won't require it to be part of the correct answer. Each person gets one guess – if no one guesses correctly, I will post a hint on Tuesday, after which each person gets one more guess before I reveal the correct answer on Wednesday around 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Good luck!

Hint: While all three clips come from shows in three different decades, with each show featuring a Mike's Groove, the reason I put them together is because they're all atypical endings of their respective songs.

Update: Our apologies for the site maintenance issues – thanks to our awesome tech team, we're back in business! In case anyone missed my comment below, the MJM will end tomorrow (Thursday) morning before 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Did I mention that the clips come from songs before*, after*, and in the Mike's Grooves from the shows at which they were played?
*not necessarily the song immediately before or after...

Answer: It took an MJM with the most tenuous (ableit revealed-at-hint) theme to date, and folks were closing in on the answer in the waning (extended) moments, but it finally happened: The Blog has won its 18th MJM! The Blog hadn't won in more than six months, and I myself hadn't won as host in more than ten months (the last two wins were during the no holds barred Emeritus Challenge). Despite a few hints down the stretch, folks were unable to identify the 4/14/89 The Sloth, the 10/22/16 First Tube, and the 7/31/97 Mike's Song, all of which had generally unusual and atypical-for-the-song endings. For MJM264 I expect a feeding frenzy, as the difficulty will drop precipitously and we'll be playing for two codes.

Welcome to the 262nd edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday, the third February version, and somewhat more challenging than the two preceding editions this month. 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 songs and dates of the three mystery clips – these clips are connected by a theme, but the theme needn't be part of the correct answer. Each person gets one guess – if no one guesses correctly, I will post a hint on Tuesday, after which each person gets one more guess before I reveal the correct answer on Wednesday around 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Good luck!

Hint:

Answer: Congratulations to @dbertsch, who wins his fifth MJM by correctly identifying this week's tracks, the 11/9/95 Bathtub Gin, the 5/2/93 Run Like an Antelope, and the 8/2/03 Reba, based on this week's theme, which was songs from the album Lawn Boy. @dbertsch is now just two wins away from achieving Emeritus status, and the corresponding mandatory retirement associated with that distinction. Nice work! Incidentally all three versions from this week's MJM are outstanding examples of each song, and check out the full length versions if you're not familar with any. Next week, the difficultly level goes up even higher, when @ucpete throws down the month's culminating MJM 263.

Welcome to the 261st edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday, the second (easiest) of February. 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 songs and dates of the two mystery clips – these clips are connected by a theme, but the theme needn't be part of the correct answer. Each person gets one guess – if no one guesses correctly, I will post a hint on Tuesday, after which each person gets one more guess before I reveal the correct answer on Wednesday around 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Good luck!

Answer: Congrats to longtime vet / lurker but brand spankin' new phish.net user and first-time MJM winner @jimsleftear for quickly identifying the 2/13/93 Wilson and the 2/13/87 Quinn the Eskimo – that's two first timers in a row taking down the MJM. If you haven't figured out the theme yet, this week's MJM was posted on 2/13, the 24 and 30 year anniversaries of the shows from which this week's clips came – and thus, the 30 year anniversary of the (likely) debut of Suzy G.. Stay tuned on Monday for MJM262, when @Dog_Faced_Boy tries his hand at stumping the MJM crew while I get checked by a neurologist.

Welcome to the 260th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday, the first and easiest of February. 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 songs and dates of the mystery clip. Each person gets one guess – 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 I reveal the correct answer on Wednesday around 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Good luck!

Hint:

Answer: Congrats to @RunawayJim4180, who wins his first MJM by identifying the 9/27/85 Melt the Guns, which featured a Macaroni and Cheese Vocal Jam and the audience members shaking boxes of Macaroni and Cheese – whether they were Kraft Macarnoi & Cheese boxes (hence the picture of Patriots owner* Robert Kraft) is open to debate, but whether the whole thing was The Cheesiest is not. Stop by Monday for MJM261 and more cheesy humor.

*I totally thought part of the Kraft Group's holdings was Kraft Foods. Thanks for the correction.

Welcome to the 259th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday, the fifth, last, and hardest MJM of January. 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 songs and dates of the four mystery clips – these clips are connected by a theme, but the theme needn't be part of the correct answer. Each person gets one guess – 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 I reveal the correct answer on Wednesday around 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. As always, no sharing or trading of answers is allowed. Good luck!

Answer: Congrats to @12_29_97_4eva, who wins his second consecutive MJM (and fifth overall) by correctly identifying the 9/22/99 Ghost, the 11/16/97 Timber, the 12/9/94 Tweezer, and the 11/14/97 Twist – these jams were played in the states that meet at Four Corners. Special thanks to fellow MJM Emeritus, @WayIFeel, for helping out with this week's MJM – the Four Corners theme was his other idea during the MJM Emeritus Challenge last summer. Given the clips and the theme, I am shocked it didn't even make it to the hint! Stay tuned for MJM260 on Monday, where we'll see a precipitous drop in difficulty as we kick off February in style.

Welcome to the 258th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday, the penultimate and second-hardest MJM of January. 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 songs and dates of the three mystery clips – these clips are connected by a theme, but the theme needn't be part of the correct answer. Each person gets one guess – if no one guesses correctly, I will post a hint on Tuesday, after which each person gets one more guess before I reveal the correct answer on Wednesday around 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Good luck!

Answer: Congrats to @12_29_97_4eva who snags his fourth win by quickly identifying the 3/13/93 Wilson, the 9/27/00 Piper, and the 10/10/10 Ghost, all played in the state of Colorado. We now have ten active players across the halfway mark to Emeritus status, with ten more players already there – that's a whole shiver of sharks lying in wait! Next week, we'll get crazy with the hardest MJM of January – see you Monday morning?

[Editor's note: For this recap, we'd like to welcome back guest contributor Pete Hoherd (@FunkyCFunkyDo) - @ucpete]

It was only a few months ago when I was waxing poetic about palm trees swaying placidly over Sleep Train Amphitheater on July 23rd. Phish delivered a complete show that night, a show at which one can throw a proverbial dart with your eyes closed and confidently exclaim "BULLSEYE" before the dart finds its mark – a show that the palm trees seemed to acknowledge with gentle acceptance personified by waving fronds, as they have more important issues to deal with than silly bar games. Far removed from the warm, soft, summer breeze and tropical flora – well, for some at least – mired across the country in a deep freeze, we looked onward at our television and computer screens, margaritas and cervezas firmly, and ironically, coldly, in hand, hoping to be warmed by what Phish might deliver on Sunday. I found myself in the same situation as most of you, looking for warmth via the glow of the screen. The closest thing we have to a palm tree here in Portland, OR is the fluorescent pink and lime green hues of the The Palms Motel sign buried somewhere in the snow in north Portland. ::shudders:: A far cry from Chula Vista, and an even further cry from those running their toes in the sandy beaches in Mexico – beaches adorned with real palm trees. Real sunshine. Real warmth. Suddenly I have the urge to purchase The Palms Motel sign – maybe it'll give me a tan if I stand close enough.

Seeing Phish live in concert is a pinnacle life experience, no matter the show, quite honestly. Nothing beats the in-the-moment energy, enthusiasm, and raw electricity the band and fan symbiotically produce. In fact, as I write this the hairs on my body stand at attention as a wave of electricity flows through them, enough to power that neon The Palms Motel sign for at least six and a half seconds. Enough to get me that much closer to Mexico. But alas, a fool's errand. Because here I am stuck in Portland, OR, where, I kid you not, a state of emergency has been declared because of the snow and ice. No amount of inert gases could've transported me to where I really wanted to be. So, fellow lamenter, I offer you this review with as much diligence, integrity, and warmth that one can offer from their couch with sub-zero temperatures lurking outside; but reader beware: no matter how tall we make our margarita, nor how spicy the enchilada, nothing compares to being there, in that corner of time and space, at a Phish show. But I will do my best to take you there. Better crank up the heater and start mixing that second batch now.

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Welcome to the 257th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday, the middle of five in time and difficulty in January. The winner will receive an MP3 download courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the songs and dates of the three mystery clips – these clips are connected by a theme, but the theme needn't be part of the correct answer. Each person gets one guess – if no one guesses correctly, I will post a hint on Tuesday, after which each person gets one more guess before I reveal the correct answer on Wednesday around 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Good luck, and Happy MLK Day!

Hint: This should get you most of the way there:

Answer: My sincerest apologies for all the issues with this week's MJM – we're still dealing with some technical issues at .net HQ, which include folks being unable to comment on any posts more than a day old. Kind of crucial for an MJM that makes it to the hint! In any event, @justino and @runlikecarini PM'd me yesterday that they had figured out the first two tracks, the 12/1/03 Wolfman's Brother and the 2/15/03 Wolfman's Brother, but were still chasing down the third. Unfortunately for them, the hint wasn't partcularly helpful – the telephone that was handed to Liz would only get them most of the way there: two-thirds of the way, to be exact. But after checking pretty much every "Wolfman's Brother" ever, @runlikecarini entertained other themes and realized that it could be as straightforward as "Jams played in 2003" – which proved correct. It wasn't too long into his search of 2003 jams that he found the third clip, from the first show of 2003 (not counting 12/31/02 III of course): the 1/2/03 Chalk Dust Torture. In doing so, @runlikecarini wins back-to-back MJMs, his third of the past four, and his sixth overall – all in the past 4 months! – continuing one of the most impressive streaks in MJM history*. One more win for @runlikecarini and we'll be chaining him to that iceberg and pushing him out into the sunset, to eventually arrive on the shores of Gamehendge where the rest the MJM Emeritus Crew awaits him with collars popped, topsiders polished, cocktails in hand, and keys to the The Vault jingling on their pleated khaki shorts. A shout-out to a few fellow 2.0Phishionados who recommended some of this week's clips, and next week: may your hints be punctual, your comments posted, and your hints crystal clear. MJM258 drops at the same time and place as always.

*To be fair, @runlikecarini never had to battle with the likes of @RabeldyNugs, @pauly, @bl002e, @ghostboogie, @PersnicketyJim, @mcgrupp81, @yunkfunk, @me, @WayIFeel, or @schvice – who all entered the MJM HoF before his first win.

This recap is coming to you from the land of champagne powder, Steamboat Springs, CO. I enjoyed a day of hiking in the snow with my golden, Tela, and cross-country skiing. I am transformed to another time and another space as I sit down to watch the webcast of Phish taking on their second Saturday night appearance in the amazing setting of Mexico. Sometimes we long for the old days, but you have to be grateful for technology :) A few questions going in: Will Fishman continue to sport the Lucha libre wrestler mask the entire run? Saturday night shows are somewhat of a mixed bag, we have all heard the saying about Friday, Saturday, and Sunday shows.. so will Phish deliver something special or standard great this show?

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IT appears that many of our site's users were angered by Trey's golden, flowing hair, no... Fish's fierce Lucha libre wrestling mask, no... by @SausageMahoney's recap of the December 29th MSG show. A comment from user @CoryRoc reads: "nothing annoys me more than these reviews, yet i keep reading them to remind myself to never become as jaded as the clowns who write them."

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An excerpt of The Phish Companion, 3rd Edition by Noah Cole

On the first night, Friday, the band soundchecked as a few hundred people waded in the ocean in front of the resort. The gates opened and we were greeted by waiters in tuxedos with trays of margaritas and beer and surprisingly decent food – the “all-inclusive” experience might not have included WiFi or room service at many places, but it did include food and drinks in the venue.

It was hot and humid as Phish took the stage, amidst elaborately decorated palm trees (Fish yarn bombs), sand sculptures, and “Page Side Rage Side” temporarily renamed “Page Side Wave Side” due to the proximity to the Caribbean. A predictable – but perfect choice given the setting – “A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing” opened this first Mexico Phish show, and gave CK5 his first chance to show the extra lights that lit the ocean. Standard versions of “My Soul,” “Martian Monster,” and “Ya Mar” were followed by a sing-along “Halley’s Comet” and “Fuego.”

Early attempts were made at keeping fans out of the water, but eventually there were dozens of fans wading in the waters, so “The Wedge” was an appropriate choice as the band returned to the water motif established at the beginning of the set. “The Wedge” lyrics had been in my head all day, as many of us lazed away the afternoon bobbing on the surface of the warm and wonderful sea.

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