Flashback | Phish Rages Against Machine In Alpharetta

Five years ago tonight Phish concluded the first leg of their Summer Tour 2010 with a July 4th show in Alpharetta, Georgia. One of the most unexpected covers in Phish history took place towards the end of the second set, when drummer Jon Fishman led the Vermonters on the debut and for now only Phish cover of Rage Against The Machine’s “Killing In The Name.”

The cover came in the middle of “Harpua,” a rarely played song in which guitarist Trey Anastasio usually tells a story. In Alpharetta, Trey’s tale found protagonist Jimmy blasting the song while his cat Poster Nutbag heads out to meet its eventual demise. According to Phish.net, Anastasio “went on to cite Rage Against the Machine as one of the few bands other than Phish that ‘won’t bullshit you’ which is why they are one of Jimmy’s all-time favorite bands.'” Our favorite part of the cover is the fans’ reaction. While you wouldn’t expect many Phish fans to dig on RATM, the video below shows otherwise. The crowd goes ballistic and turns Rage’s anthem into a singalong.

Watch video shot from the pit of the portion of “Harpua” featuring “Killing In The Name” as filmed by lilcha85: