2010

Words: Eric Wyman

For 13 nights in December of 1995, Phish played perfectly. Years of hard work put them in a position to call their own shots and a barnstorming exercise throughout the month of December turned into what in my mind is the single greatest short run the band has every had. More on that later.

Phish – Albany YEM

During that month I was a sophomore at the University of Connecticut and firmly ensconced in the ultimate laissez faire semester when Phish scheduled what amounted to basically an entire month touring venues all within driving distance. While I didn’t leave my studies completely, there certainly was the opportunity to hop in a car any night and just go. There was something sublime about throwing caution to the wind and seeing Phish without regard for repercussion. I planned my schedule and charted what seemed to be a fairly doable agenda given the impending finals crunch.

(It should be noted that I probably failed at least half of those finals)

While I am quick to point out the December run, it should be noted that the band had already played 41 shows on the Fall/Winter tour. Places like Chandler, Cedar Rapids, Missoula and West Palm Beach (bonus points if you can identify all of those states).

• Type II Cast: A December To Remember

Coincidentally, it was the first of December when the band setup in Hershey, PA and played one of the finest versions of Mike’s Song ever. Had it been one day earlier, my story would just be awkward…so I am grateful for that. That improvisation launched a run that saw “best of” efforts in nearly every show and real “best of” version contenders in almost half of them. New Haven (Tweezer), Amherst (Gin), Niagra (Melt), Albany (YEM), Binghamton (Timber), etc. And after four more shows over the holidays in 1995, capped by the sublime effort in Madison Square Garden on 12/31, the band would never be the same.

READ ON for more of Eric’s take on Phish in December ’95…

2010 has been super kind to Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, who ended last night’s episode of The Late Show by laying down a smokin’ version of Paris (Ooh La

[Last Chance to Enter!] With New Year’s Day falling on a Saturday this year, there’s an extra night to rock out over New Year’s Weekend. Brooklyn Bowl takes advantage of

Today, we’re going to continue a segment started in 2006 called the Four Questions. If you’re a long-time Hidden Track reader who has never commented before, we hope that you’ll

You’ve gotta love when a band comprised of three guitarists, a bassist, and a drummer – none of whom really do much singing – tackles Mariah Carey’s, Always Be My

While working at a deli during college, somebody once gave me a great piece of advice. We were screwing around and trying to devise ideas for tasty new sandwiches when this particular gentleman said, “Just make what tastes good to you. If you like it, other people will too.”

In retrospect, it’s a pretty obvious statement, but it really stuck with me as over the years I’ve come to realize that it applies to many other art forms beyond that of crafting a delicious sandwich, not the least of which is music. Sure, different people have different tastes, but by and large, if something is of high quality, it’s logical that it will likely be perceived that way by a broader group. So, with that little mantra in mind, I wanted to point to a specific personal musical preference (and equally obvious observation) as it pertains to Harry Hood.

Harry Hood jams tend to be significantly better with heavy distortion on Trey’s guitar.

I mentioned this in passing a while back (under R in our Summer Tour A to Z piece), but today I wanted to put a little meat on the bones so-to-speak. In the 3.0 era of Phish, it’s no secret that Harry Hood is one song that has been a little slower to make its full return to grace. Upon coming off the shelf post-breakup in 2009, the band initially fumbled for a period of time in getting the composed parts down, but they quickly resolved that issue. Yet, to this day – save for a few exceptions  like the Greek Theater, Thompson Boling Arena, and MSG I – the jams haven’t quite reached that “lift off” level. You know the ones where you’re in your car and get lost in the song, only to look down at the speedometer and realize your driving 95 miles per hour and missed the exit five miles back?

READ ON for a few examples of the Harry Hood X-Factor…