Sunday, 05/29/1994
Laguna Seca Raceway, Monterey, CA
This is such a great show that I cannot even imagine it as part of a festival with OTHER bands playing. All I can think about is how it feels like a tour closer and how great it would have been to have camped out for these shows! What a scene it must’ve been, indeed!
The first set here is really fantastic, if a bit generic. A great Divided Sky gets things rolling right away. A string of great tunes follows. And a super-intense Bowie closes it out.
The second set is even better with a standout Melt that really must be heard. It goes into some really dark territory for a long long time. Band members are screaming. Trey and Mike are locking into patterns for minutes at a time. It’s almost maddening.Then it just gets quieter and breaks down toward the end without ever losing any energy at all. Outstanding!
A great Chalkdust and a stunning McGupp are clear highlights of the middle section of the set. Then theres this HUGE Antelope! Whew!
So, when it comes time for the encore you can hear a group in the crowd chanting “ONE MORE SET! ONE MORE SET!” Wishful thinking, to be sure, but they cannot have been disappointed by what transpired…
They start with Wilson and the chant starts immediately for the first time. It’s only a handful of people, but there is no delay. Thay are definitely chanting “WIIILSON!” right out of the gate! Cool.
Throw in Golgi and Rocky Top and everyone would assume they’re done! Not so fast!! The band comes back out (sans Trey who needs to “take a leak”)!! Fantastic. I was at one show where this happened. We’ll get to it this fall and I will tell the tale.
Not only did they come back out, but they played an EPIC Hood. The last few Hoods have all been stellar, but this one just feels really good. Cap it off with GTBT… great encore to a great show.
Now I get a full 10 days off!! I don’t know what I’m gonna do with myself. Will I listen to any Phish? If so, will I listen to 1994 Phish? Will I just not listen to much music at all and spend more time listening to podcasts like WTF? Only time will tell.
Thanks for reading. I’ll be back on June 9th!!
Sunday, 05/29/1994
Laguna Seca Raceway, Monterey, CA
Set 1: Divided Sky, Guelah Papyrus, Halley’s Comet > Down with Disease > Sparkle, Julius, I Didn’t Know, David Bowie
Set 2: Nellie Kane > Split Open and Melt, Esther > Chalk Dust Torture, Horn > McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters > The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony > Suzy Greenberg > Run Like an Antelope, Free Bird
Encore: Wilson > Golgi Apparatus, Rocky Top
Encore 2: Jam, Harry Hood, Good Times Bad Times
Notes: This performance was part of the Laguna Seca Daze Festival that also included Four Non Blondes, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, The Mother Hips and Meat Puppets. The jam at the start of the second encore is often labeled as “Trey Taking a Leak Jam” because Trey was in the bathroom when the band took the stage. Wilson was played by request.
Setlist courtesy of Phish.net.
Key tracks:
http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1994-05-29/david-bowie
http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1994-05-29/split-open-and-melt
http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1994-05-29/run-like-an-antelope
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