Monday, 04/25/1994
Civic Auditorium, Knoxville, TN

Happy Jazzfest, y’all. It’s Friday morning and I’m enjoying my coffee on my buddy’s 120 year old, classic, porch here in New Orleans’ Seventh Ward. The next ten days will be spent doing what I love the most… eating, drinking, and dancing! Fuck yeah!! I can’t even believe that I’m seeing Phish at the Fairgrounds for the first time since 1996 tomorrow. Were you there? I was!!

I was also at today’s 1994 show. Unfortunately, I don’t have anywhere near the clear memories of it as I do the night before. What I remember most is hanging out in the lot with some friends and hearing the “Jams” disc from the the Derek and the Dominoes Box Set for the first time. Whew! I can’t even imagine my life without those jams now. HA!

I also remember this place. I can picture the inside of it. It was a theater, but it seemed cavernous. We had orchestra seats that were pretty far back where, in most places there would be a balcony overhang. Here there was not. It was just a big open space above. The ceiling seemed readicculusly high. That’s how I remember it, anyway.

Musically, I remember the acoustic Ginseng Sullivan and Dog Faced Boy. I’m glad, too, because that’s the only part of the recording that’s hard to hear.

Listening now, the show is not really even coming back to me. I’m not sure I’ve ever actually listened to this one since attending. This pristine soundboard recording sounds amazing, though. I’m loving it.

First thing that stands out here is the unique transition from Fee into Foam and the killer Foam! Then the Melt is intense. They were just ripping apart SOAM at this point. This one goes through several different phases, too. Never gets boring at all.

By the time I’m into this second set, everyone at the house is up and starting Jazzfest preparations. I’m not listening too closely at this point, but I’m happy for the nice soundboard audio. It may not be a standout second set, but it’s perfect background for this morning!!!

Thanks for reading, and HAPPY JAZZFEST!!!!

Monday, 04/25/1994
Civic Auditorium, Knoxville, TN

Set 1: The Landlady > Runaway Jim, Fee > Foam, Down with Disease, Ginseng Sullivan, Dog Faced Boy, Tela > Poor Heart > Split Open and Melt

Set 2: The Curtain > Sample in a Jar, My Mind’s Got a Mind of its Own > Run Like an Antelope, Mound, The Squirming Coil, Divided Sky, Bouncing Around the Room, Big Ball Jam > Big Black Furry Creature from Mars

Encore: Amazing Grace, Bold As Love

Notes: Trey sang the verses of Fee through a megaphone. Ginseng Sullivan and Dog Faced Boy were performed acoustic and, along with Amazing Grace, without microphones. Ginseng also featured Fishman on washboard. Antelope contained several Layla teases.

Setlist courtesy of phish.net.

Key tracks:
http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1994-04-25/fee
http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1994-04-25/foam
http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1994-04-25/split-open-and-melt
http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1994-04-25/bold-as-love