February 7, 2008

When I received an e-mail from Ace last July asking me if I had any interest in a private Crowded House concert, I quickly jumped on the opportunity.

As a young whippersnapper I would often throw their debut album and Temple of Low Men in the ol’ cassette player. I really enjoyed their music but had never seen them live (of course, they took a hiatus from 1996-2007 making it difficult to see them play). So I went to that concert in July and was blown away by their performance. Neil Finn’s tight compositions, interesting lyrics and catchy hooks kept me enthralled all night.

Six months later, the concert, which was recorded for the Artist Den television series, will finally air on Ovation tonight at 8:00 PM. Now everyone will have a chance to experience what I witnessed that night. In order to celebrate we’re offering a quick list of 10 incredible tunes that we hope made the cut. Read on after the jump to enjoy these videos, as an appetizer for tonight’s main course…

We’re proud to announce that Rupert of The Ghosts of Wayne Fontes has joined Hidden Track as a full-time contributor. Let’s celebrate this glorious occasion by debuting one of his new columns…

Today marks the birthday of a new brainchild here at Hidden Track. This is the inaugural edition of Bust Outs, a recurring segment dedicated to the finest surprises thrown down by our favorite bands. The idea is to highlight some of the special moments that blow your mind in the live setting, be it a setlist rarity, a stellar cover selection or a back-from-retirement resurgence.

Phish – 2/28/2003 – Destiny Unbound

Obviously, the inaugural episode would be utterly remiss, and not nearly cliché enough for us, if it didn’t include the ‘03 Destiny Unbound bust out. The lucky Long Islanders at the Uniondale show were treated to one of the most sought-after bust outs in all of Phish history. Hearing Destiny became huge. It was THE song that had to come out of retirement. It became bigger than any old favorite, bigger than a giant black boner, bigger than even bringing back Halley’s or Boogie On. Destiny was everyone’s dream bust out. Well, they just did it one night in 2003…randomly. It was monumental, if not a little anti-climactic. Nevertheless, they busted it out and played it well, which is always the worry with a big bust out. What’s the point of packing the heat if you don’t know how to use it?

Read on for several more prized bust outs from the road…

Was there ever a more polarizing figure in the history of Phish special guests than The Dude of Life? The man born into the world Steve Pollak, a childhood friend

Everyone who attended Marco Benevento’s January residency at Sullivan Hall came back raving about most of the five shows he played. And according to Neddy last Thursday’s closing gig was