Eight years ago today I headed south on I-55, the good ol’ Stevenson, for my second straight night with the popular rock band Phish. October 3rd had been quite possibly my worst-ever experience with the band, and I needed to cleanse the palate. So my friends and I packed up the car and shifted to Normal, where I proceeded to experience one of my best nights with the Vermont foursome.
So let’s kick off this edition of ‘Gems with a flashback to the fabulous, off-the-radar show I’ll never forget and move on to four equally incredible SugarMegs streams. There’s something for everyone, whether your tastes include a rare duo of two geniuses, a bearded trio’s first time in Europe, the demos for one of the best albums you own or New Orleans coming to a West Virginia festival. They’re all worth a listen, so pick at least one and clear your aural schedule.
- Phish: 10/4/99 — Redbird Arena — Normal, Illinois
- Bela Fleck & Chick Corea: 2/28/07 — Modlin Center — Richmond, VA
- Zed Zed Top: 4/20/80 — Grugahalle — Essen, Germany
- Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Demos (definitely listen if you haven’t)
- Porter, Batiste, Stoltz: 7/13/07 — All Good Music Festival, WV
2 Responses
Only show I ever missed songs at…they started right on time, the traffic was awful and the parking sucked. Missed that Uncle Pen and that Funky Bitch, walked in during Vultures. Great show, though. Second set = sweet.
That ZZ Top show sounds awesome.
Oh man, my first phish show. Finally managed to convince my mother I wasnt gonna die off in a sea of unwashed hippies. Such a great time, they absolutely raged. Sure I’m biased cause it was my first but I pull that bootleg out a lot.