Today is 2/18/2018. So, 25 years ago, tonight, I went to my first PHiSH show. I remember it being cold. I remember it being at the Elecrtic Ballroom, which was a sh*t hole dance club underneath the interstate bridge mess known as the Henley Street exit off of I-275 and I-40 (it’s “I-275” in the South, not “The 275” like on the West Coast, where I lived off and on for 20 plus years). Some phriends of mine lived about 6 blocks from there so we walked. Psylly times ensued as we walked there and made our way into the venue. I had spent the past few years on Grateful Dead tour and was interested in seeing a
Mini tour, similar to Widespread Panic. He lot was sketchy, not because of the kids, but due to being dimly lit under the interstates so we didn’t spend much time outside. The show started off rocking. I didn’t know any of the tunes but got into the bounce and felt the groove quickly. I had a couple of bootlegs but they didn’t grab me the way being in the show did. A few songs in I heard Tweezer, whIch went into Foam. Foam has been since that night my favorite song. Coulda been the psyilliness involved, the strange vibe in the club or the cool art work I heard Mike and his mom made for the backdrop. Whatever it was it was cool. The second set was more rocking than the first until the soundboard shorted out. The band asked us to be quiet and started singing a capella, which I already knew they did but was Very Cool. They ended with Rocky Top, the Tennessee Anthem, and the crowd was satisfied even with the shortened show. I wasn’t hooked that night quite yet. It would be a couple of months later floating in my pool listening to The Wedge that I would actually get it but I did. 122 shows later, I have slowed down from 18-19 shows a year but still dig this band.

This place, as I recall, was an old airplane hangar. It was underneath a freeway, and there was construction everywhere so the ground was all torn up in huge, gravelly/muddy chunks and frozen. What a shithole for a Phish show, but what can you do. My theory on the fried soundboard is the fact that the metal structure was so thin that the extreme cold from outside mixed with the heat, both electrical and human, produced some serious condensation and got into the board, frying it. I was next to the board, and there was no drink spilled on it. The setlist is blahzay, but the show, as with most all of '93, was pretty intense. Seemed pretty loose as evidenced by the extended Hydrogen and the "MAKE!" in Weekapaug. Anyway, you won't find anything here you have to have, but it's a nice trip down memory lane.

For all you conspiracy theorists out there, this was the thirteenth show of the tour and bad luck was surely with them this night! This is the only show at the Electric Ballroom. It has some good songs, and then gets sloppier as it goes along, then has an abrupt ending. Lots of problems for Paul at the soundboard tonight. Good recording, what there is of it anyway.

Ok, first set opens up with a great Chalk Dust, I mean smoking and almost flawless. You can hear the delay on the vocals. That may have led to a brief spot of uncertainty from Fishman in an otherwise solid Guelah. A good Poor Heart also has a little extra tag at the end of Page's solo. Tweezer has a shaky intro, but is pretty good overall. Nice funk from Mike and quite a strange ending going into decent Foam. A few rough spots on this one. Sparkle was good. Trey blew the lyrics a little in Cavern, otherwise it was well played. Reba was ok, spotty in the middle and had a trill-tastic solo from Trey. It was a little different than your average Reba. Nice Lawn Boy with Trey taking the solo again. See I knew it wasn't that rare. Antelope has a very loose intro, but a great jam leading to the end. Mike also teases his It's Ice bass line again. Not too bad of a first set.

I had high hopes for the next Rift, but Fish's timing is still not locking in on this one yet. Stash started off ok, had a few rough spots, but a good jam. Trey retunes during the Lizards intro and this is a pretty good one. There was a massive glitch in the recording, sound problems already? Trey remarks "Should we do it?" before a really rough Punch. It’s still new and Mike is off and Trey blows more lyrics and actually apologizes during the song. Mike's was kind of sloppy just from general screwing around and the tramps I suppose. Hydro was rough. Weekapaug was rocking along with teases happening until the crackling of the soundboard intervened. The boys jam on for two more minutes then the recording cuts off and into the second verse of Mound. When the song ended they stopped to explain the fried soundboard. Paul? Chris?

Well, then the recording cuts off as Trey says they need it to be quiet so they can put their barbershop lessons to good use. This was the first Memories of the year. Too bad the taper didn't keep going. It would have been fun to hear the Rocky Top.

Again, I feel that this show is over rated so I'm only giving it two stars to bring the average down. Way too much sloppy playing to be anywhere near four stars.

Big fan of this show just prior to the historic Roxy run. The second set is cut short due to technical issues (someone spilled a drink on the soundboard) and there are a few rough spots in the compositions but when they cut loose the play is really ripping.

You'll first want to check out the soundcheck for a run-through of Shaggy Dog, Quinn the Eskimo jam, and banter from Trey about wanting to play one more song and then have a fight (pretty sure this is said in jest?).

Chalk Dust ably opens the show with the first of several plus versions and is followed by Guelah and a smoking Poor Heart. Yes, a smoking Poor Heart. Trey's solo is just about note perfect. It's not something I've really tracked but I'd put this version up there with any of them. Next up is the only first set Tweezer of 1993. It has a knotty jam that nicely segues into first-set stalwart Foam and then comes Sparkle (check) and Cavern (check).

Reba is the best jam of the night. It's a total show-stopper. I have this as a top-five version of 93, the year that Reba entered its mid-90s peak. This one is a hard rocker and really cranks the energy up by the end of the jam. Incredible.
A breather with Lawn Boy is warranted after the tremendous Reba and the set rockets to a close with another "extra mustard please" jam in Antelope. Like Reba, 93 is lousy with strong Antelopes and this one sits comfortably in the company of the best outside of August.

Rift is the second set opener for its second appearance in a row. The song hasn't been used as an opener in 3.0 but I think it can work there for sure. I also like the early second set placement for Stash that was really only consistently done in Feb. 93. Stash is not as dynamic as it would become later in the year but it's a satisfying "in-your-face" jam nonetheless.

Lizards and PYITE take us to Gamehendge and despite some slip-ups in Punch, make for a pleasing pair. Following that is a strong Mike's Groove where all three components are noteworthy. Definite highlight material. Mike's itself is menacing and diabolical but retains its musicality while working in effective teases of "in the Hall of the Mountain King" and "Another One Bites the Dust". Hydrogen is quite extended with some extra feedback swells from Trey before he starts the melody which is super cool. Weekapaug is another blistering rendition packing a lot of heat into a tight jam. Unfortunately this is where the sound issues really become evident and Weekapaug cuts out and the tape picks back up after Mound starts. It would be great to hear the rest of what seemed to be another wild Spring 93 Weekapaug. The material played without microphones is not available.

Definite recommend.