#nedstalgia

Another "hometown" show, 25 years ago, frontrowcenter for my 100th PH at Vernon Downs (although didn't realize at the time it was 💯). What fun! High spirits all around. The Ramble On >> Slave was spectacular, but lots of highlights, including the encore.

Back then I RARELY ever met anyone in triple digits, had a pretty good run 92-98 with more 1.0 all-timers than I can count. Eternally grateful to be in the right place at the right time + to have the wherewithal to take advantage.

#nedstalgia

Remember when PH played freakin Sabotage for the first time 25 years ago tonight? I do!

The energy in that place was... ‼️‼️‼️

Gotta be a top 100 PH moment for me.

#nedstalgia

30 years ago, PH At Darien Lake. My lucky 13th show of 1993. A bit of AUG93 perfection. Top to bottom. If you know, you know.

https://spotify.link/0NIxtPHA4Bb

#nedstalgia

071598 was different almost every way from 071593, down to the racetrack venue being more upscale, open and grassy, a setlist with no form-breaking debuts, but a more coherent style and energy.

Probably an essay to be written about what transpired for the band in the 5 years between July of 1993 and July of 1998 and how that manifests itself in the differences between these two shows.

(I nominate @robmitchum to write it)

It wasn't quite August 93 form in mid-July quite yet, but a fun show with several debuts.

Also, side note, the catch phrase "you know it's summer when they're rockin' at Weedsport" (iykyk) has to be one of the cooler tag lines for a summer concert series, especially one held on a dirt track in the boonies.

#nedstalgia

Perhaps my favorite memory of 071593 is walking into the venue with @unclejuice, surveying the scene before us, turning to him and saying "follow me" and 5 minutes later we're standing with our arms on the rail. Different times, my friends, different times.

#nedstalgia

The return of #nedstalgia and I don't think I ever made this connection before, but I was dead center on the rail for two different summer tour openers held on racetracks on opposite sides of the country on this date 5 years apart. 30 years ago in ("you know it's summer when they're rocking in'") Weedsport and 25 years ago in Portland, OR. Yay me!

#nedstalgia #phish

The story/legend went that Trey met this guy on vacation in the Caribbean and offhandedly said "next time we're in Albany, come play with us!" and then these guys show up at the stage door with instruments in hand. Open invitation! Then the band completely built the show around them.

I wonder if that story is true. Lol.

Ended up being a great companion show to the ARU madness the night with before.

#nedstalgia #phish

Next night in Albany, 30 years ago tonight, equally weird for different reasons with another set of guests and first extended bluegrass/country section they ever did, I believe.

My fave memory of 5/6/93 was the Mike's, with the characteristic thick smoke and Trey + Mike jamming while on the tramps and all of the sudden, the fiddler from the 1st set is jumping up and down and jamming the fiddle in between them as they go into an Ob-la-di-ob-la-da Beatles jam. Totally surreal.

#nedstalgia #phish

All about the YEM of course, the og Albany YEM. Tapes will never do justice to the mayhem of witnessing live ARU + Dude of Life + Col Bruce filling that stage with weirdness & music. Mike on keys, Fish on washboard so Q258 + Oteil-from-Egypt could do their thing. At one point Dude is just screaming & shaking his car keys. Freeform PH at its best, atypical for the day. Was a revelation and as good as it does/doesn't sound on playback, absolutely a had-to-be-there experience.

#nedstalgia #phish

The reason why I'm such a 93 stan of course, is seeing a crapload of sick shows in 93 at an impressionable 19 years of age. Saw 10 shows on the winter/spring tour including 3 of the 1st 4 and 3 of the last 4, that final bit kicking off 30 years ago in Albany.

Palace Theater a great spot for livemusic, wasn't quite dfc, but close enough. Band was in the proverbial high gear, in that we-can-do-anything mode...

#nedstalgia

Been remiss about my interesting-to-me lookbacks, but it was on this day, 20 years ago, that I was at the New Orleans jazz fest for the final time. Wonder if I'll ever go back.

The triple bill of Snooks Eaglin, Anders Osborne, and Sonny Landreth that night at the Rock N Bowl was one of my favorite JF shows, though. I remember it well.

#nedstalgia #phish

But not too shabby? Probably should listen again...

#nedstalgia #phish

Perhaps most importantly, this was the first time I ever waited on line to get a good spot at a PH show. I had been on the rail and up front before, but by this point 30 years ago, I pretty much *had* to be in the spot, worth waiting for in my young-and-dumb opinion.

Ended up on the rail, dfc and would be there more often than not for the next 5+ years. Some non-trivial amount of my life has been spent waiting to get into PH shows and I regret nothing.

#nedstalgia #phish

One day after schlepping to Montreal and back, drive to Hartford for a show in a university field house. I think this was my least fave of the 93 shows I saw, but second set was still pretty great. Loved the Good, The Bad & the Ugly teasing in Wilson.

Maybe my highlight was during the clapping section of Mound, screaming "you played this last night!" and getting Trey to F up the clapping and give me a "we didn't think anyone at last night's show would be here tonight" laugh.

OK, I looked it up and room capacity was 1200, definitely less than 1000. Don't think I saw em anywhere smaller than that. Mostly UVM kids that night.

#nedstalgia

#nedstalgia #phish

30 years ago my first (of 2) trips To Canada to see PH. Probably the smallest room I saw them in? Maybe the Montreal show the next year was in a smaller room, but 30 years ago in a moderate-sized rock club that was probably not 2/3 full, PH put on a rager. Crazy high energy show, people tried to stage dive! Wild!

#nedstalgia

Have you ever been to a show when you definitely should not have been at a show?

#phish
#nedstalgia

Every year on 4/23 I listen to the 4/23/93 Weekapaug, because it's one of my favorite versions, Trey does some shit in there that blows my mind. But this year it's the 30th anniversary of PH @ Colgate. Tiny college gym that didn't sound great & also I was very sick & probably should not have been at a concert or out of bed at all. Thankfully I survived + saw Curtis Loew for the 1st time & also a crazy good Weekapaug, although I was pretty hepped on cold medicine. Weird night.

#nedstalgia

Speaking of #MusicDiscovery, 20 years ago tonight I did something I don't think I'd ever done before: I went to see a band I knew absolutely nothing about. I was in the midst of understanding there was more to the musical world than the jambands and jazz I was seeing and so I saw that this band was playing three nights at the Bowery Ballroom and based solely on the fact that "they must be good if they're playing 3 nights" I went to the final, Sunday show... 1/?