The History Of Phish At The Gorge
By Scott Bernstein Jul 15, 2016 • 10:11 am PDT
This evening, Phish kicks off a two-night stand at one of the world’s most beautiful venues, The Gorge in Quincy, Washington. The Gorge is a nine-time winner of Pollstar’s Best Outdoor Music Venue award since it first opened in 1986. Phish has played 14 prior shows at The Gorge starting in 1997 with this weekend marking the group’s 15th and 16th-ever concerts at the amphitheater which “offers sweeping and majestic views of the Columbia River as it skirts the foothills of the Cascade Range southbound, as well as extreme eastern Kittitas County and extreme western Grant County. It is also known for its spectacular views of the Columbia Gorge canyon.”
Before The Gorge took its current form, “The original amphitheater was owned and operated by Dr. Vince Bryan, along with the adjoining winery, Champs de Brionne Winery. The amphitheater was very small, seating only about 3000 people.” Phish has played two-night stands at the venue in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2011 and 2013. Here’s audio (thanks to From The Aquarium and the tapers), setlists and a brief run downs of all 14 prior visits from the quartet to The Gorge.
1997
8/2/1997 Highlights: Phish’s debut at The Gorge included the band’s first version of “Tweezer” in 37 shows, which is the longest gap since the song’s debut in 1990 by a long shot. In fact, Phish has only gone more than 10 shows between “Tweezer” four other times over the past 26 years. Other memorable moments include a blissful “Divided Sky” at a venue made for the tune, a short but incredibly sweet “Wolfman’s,” a cow funk-heavy “Down With Disease” and a version of “Harry Hood” in which all the lights at the venue were turned off.
Set 1: Theme From the Bottom, Ginseng Sullivan, Ghost, Dogs Stole Things, Divided Sky, Wolfman's Brother, Water in the Sky, Split Open and Melt
Set 2: Down with Disease [1] -> Tweezer -> Johnny B. Goode > Sparkle, Wading in the Velvet Sea, Loving Cup > Tweezer Reprise
Encore: Harry Hood
Disease included teases of Three Blind Mice and Take Me Out to the Ball Game in its intro and was unfinished. Disease was subsequently teased near the end of Tweezer. During Hood, Trey asked Chris Kuroda to turn off the lights, "So we can just have the outdoor vibe here." Also, at Hood's end, Trey added "Mount Hood" once after the lyric, "You can feel good about Hood."
8/3/1997 Highlights: The longest “Foam” in Phish history, the second and final “Samson Variation,” a “My Mind Has A Mind Of Its Own” bust out, inventive “Limb By Limb,” near Type II “Taste,” beautiful “Lifeboy” and wild “Julius” are among the must-hear moments from Night Two at The Gorge in 1997.
Set 1: Bathtub Gin > Foam, Samson Variation > Dirt > Vultures, My Mind's Got a Mind of its Own, Twist -> Jesus Just Left Chicago, Limb By Limb, Character Zero
Set 2: Julius > Simple > Fluffhead, Lifeboy > Taste, Hello My Baby, Frankenstein
Encore: Bouncing Around the Room, Slave to the Traffic Light
1998
7/16/1998 Highlights: Among the memorable moments were the 1997 debuts of “The Squirming Coil,” “Fast Enough For You” and “Slave To The Traffic Light” as well as stand out versions of “Reba,” “Julius” and “Tube.”
Set 1: The Squirming Coil, NICU, Stash, Reba [1] > Fast Enough for You > When the Circus Comes, Run Like an Antelope
Set 2: Julius, The Moma Dance > Piper, Axilla [2] > David Bowie, Tube > Slave to the Traffic Light
Encore: Sample in a Jar
Trey teased Lazy in Julius. Reba did not have the whistling ending. Axilla featured the Axilla II ending. Trey teased Oye Como Va in the soundcheck’s jam. This show was released as part of The Gorge ’98 box set.
7/17/1998 Highlights: The evening’s four-song second set needs to be heard to be believed with insane versions of “2001,” “Mike’s” and “Weekapaug” along with the energetic “Character Zero.” A “Makisupa” > “Ya Mar” opening sequence also stands out as does a “Gumbo” with “Manteca” teases.
Set 1: Makisupa Policeman > Ya Mar, Gumbo, Divided Sky, Waste > My Mind's Got a Mind of its Own, My Soul
Set 2: Also Sprach Zarathustra > Mike's Song > Weekapaug Groove [1] > Character Zero
Encore: Punch You in the Eye > Rocky Top
Trey teased Close to the Edge and Makisupa Policeman in Ya Mar. Gumbo included Fire (Ohio Players) teases. This unfinished Weekapaug included syncopated jamming and a tease of the theme that signals the closing of the jam segment of Taste by Trey. This show was released as part of The Gorge ’98 box set.
1999
9/10/1999 Highlights: Phish debuted a cover of Billy Preston’s “Will It Go Round In Circles?” at this second night of Fall Tour ’99 and would only play it again one other time. The show is also memorable for the Phish debut of “Gotta Jibboo” and a frisky “Fee.”
Set 1: Farmhouse, First Tube, Twist, Divided Sky, Ginseng Sullivan, Carini, What's the Use? > Will It Go Round in Circles [1]
Set 2: Down with Disease > The Moma Dance > Piper, Fee, Gotta Jibboo [2], Saw It Again, Split Open and Melt > Cavern > David Bowie
Encore: The Squirming Coil
Will It Go Round in Circles and Gotta Jibboo made their Phish debuts at this show.
9/11/1999 Highlights: The Vermonters’ Gorge finale in ’99 included the Phish debuts of “Heavy Things and “Sand” as well as an atypical “Harry Hood,” an all-over-the-place “Wolfman’s Brother” and wild “Prince Caspian” from one of the best years in the song’s history.
Set 1: Tube > Funky Bitch > Limb By Limb, Dogs Stole Things, Punch You in the Eye, Billy Breathes, Heavy Things [1], Guyute > Free
Set 2: Wolfman's Brother -> Sand [2], Meatstick -> Maze, Prince Caspian > Harry Hood [3]
Encore: When the Circus Comes
Trey teased Long Tall Glasses in Limb By Limb. Heavy Things and Sand made their Phish debuts at this show. Hood concluded with an atypical, repetitive ending.
2003
7/12/2003 Highlights: Phish debuted “Mock Song,” “Army Of One” and “Two Versions Of Me” on this night and the former would be the only version of the song until last summer’s Magnaball festival. A rare exploratory “Maze” and a “Ghost” that would make Jimi Hendrix proud also stand out.
Set 1: Taste, Mexican Cousin, Stash, NICU, Heavy Things, Mock Song [1], Army of One [2], Maze
Set 2: Piper > Two Versions of Me [3], Tweezer -> Dogs Stole Things, Water in the Sky, Ghost > David Bowie
Encore: Frankenstein > Tweezer Reprise
This show marked the debut of Mock Song and Two Versions of Me, and the Phish debut of Army of One. Tweezer included a Free tease.
7/13/2003 Highlights: Mike busted out a set of electric bagpipes he bought earlier in the tour for “Halley’s Comet” and “Guyute.” One of two versions of “Round Room” to make Phish.net’s Jamming Chart and crazy, 21-minute “Seven Below” were among the evening’s other impressive moments.
Set 1: Runaway Jim, Scents and Subtle Sounds, Axilla > Carini, Dog Faced Boy, Round Room, Halley's Comet [1] > Guyute [2], You Enjoy Myself
Set 2: Llama, Wolfman's Brother -> Jesus Just Left Chicago, Seven Below, Harry Hood, Chalk Dust Torture
Encore: First Tube
Round Room included a Dixie tease. Mike played electric bagpipes on portions of Halley’s and Guyute. Seven Below included a Third Stone from the Sun tease and the Hood intro included a Seven Below tease.
2009
8/7/2009 Highlights: The era’s first versions of “Pebbles & Marbles” and “Sneakin'” are found in the first set with the latter among the year’s best jams. “Light” and “Bathtub Gin” are also must-hear takes.
Set 1: Down with Disease, Ocelot, Pebbles and Marbles > Possum, Sleep, Destiny Unbound, Stash, Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley > Cavern
Set 2: The Moma Dance, Light -> Taste, Fluffhead, Joy, Bathtub Gin [1] > Harry Hood
Encore: Slave to the Traffic Light
Gin was unfinished.
8/8/2009 Highlights: The Phish debut of “Middle Of The Road,” a “Makisupa Policeman” with a rotation jam and insane 22-minute “Rock & Roll” highlight the final night of the band’s visit to The Gorge in 2009.
Set 1: The Mango Song > Chalk Dust Torture, Middle of the Road [1], Tweezer, Driver, Twenty Years Later, Ya Mar, It's Ice, Wolfman's Brother > Character Zero > Run Like an Antelope
Set 2: Rock and Roll -> Makisupa Policeman [2], Alaska, The Wedge, You Enjoy Myself, Backwards Down the Number Line [3] > Piper, Grind
Encore: Good Times Bad Times, Tweezer Reprise
This show marked the Phish debut of Middle of the Road. Page teased The Birdwatcher in Ya Mar. Prior to Mikeâs solo in the intro of Antelope, Trey whispered, âCactus, Cactus, Cactus gonna play it for you, Cactus.â The keyword for Makisupa was âdid like Bobby Brown. I ate my breakfast and I laid back down.â Trey and Mike switched instruments during Makisupa. Trey teased Hedwigâs Theme during YEM. BDTNL was unfinished. During the soundcheck, Trey played an extended tease of the intro to Fly Famous Mockingbird.
2011
08/05/2011 Highlights: There’s plenty to love on this night including what still stands as the longest and best “Roggae” in Phish history. An insane “Rock & Roll” with a transition into “Meatsick” that needs to be heard to be believed and fantastic “Boogie On” also stand out.
Set 1: Kill Devil Falls, The Wedge, Bathtub Gin, Nellie Kane > My Friend, My Friend, Cavern > Taste > Roggae > Walk Away, Funky Bitch, Roses Are Free > David Bowie
Set 2: Backwards Down the Number Line > Rock and Roll [1] -> Meatstick -> Boogie On Reggae Woman > Farmhouse > Show of Life > Julius > Character Zero
Encore: Loving Cup
Rock and Roll featured Trey teasing By-Tor & the Snow Dog and Page on theremin.
08/06/2011 Highlights: A wild “Run Like An Antelope” with teases of SEVEN other songs and crazy “Tweezer” > “Prince Caspian” > “Sand” -> “Tweezer” sequence are where it’s at.
Set 1: Possum, The Moma Dance > Sample in a Jar, Limb By Limb, Ocelot, Poor Heart, On Your Way Down, Wolfman's Brother > Maze > Wilson > Fluffhead
Set 2: Chalk Dust Torture > Tweezer > Prince Caspian > Sand -> Tweezer > Birds of a Feather, Waste > Golden Age > Reba, Run Like an Antelope [1]
Encore: Suzy Greenberg > Sanity > Tweezer Reprise
Wolfman's contained Heartbreaker teases. The Antelope intro contained Reba whistling and Tweezer, Tweezer Reprise, Nellie Kane, Blister in the Sun, and Sand teases. The Antelope jam segment subsequently contained teases of Golden Age. Antelope's "Marco Esquandolas" lyric was changed to "Mike-O Esquandolas." Suzy contained an I Feel the Earth Move tease from Mike.
2013
07/26/2013 Highlights: Trey made the locals proud by sporting a t-shirt honoring Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson on this night and yes, they played “Wilson.” Also, “Secret Smile” returned after 156 shows and still hasn’t been played again. “Wolfman’s,” “Crosseyed & Painless,” “The Mango Song” and “Waves” each featured “extra mustard,” while “Character Zero” saw the quartet howl at the moon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQDnQo0OrLMSet 1: AC/DC Bag > Timber (Jerry the Mule), Wolfman's Brother, Funky Bitch, Happy Birthday to You, Wilson > Possum, Tube, Secret Smile, McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters > The Ballad of Curtis Loew, Split Open and Melt
Set 2: Crosseyed and Painless > Twist > Steam > Waves -> Twenty Years Later > The Mango Song > Bug > David Bowie, Rocky Top > Character Zero [1]
Encore: Harry Hood > Fire [2]
Happy Birthday was played for Chris Kuroda (last played March 8, 2009, or 186 shows) and contained a Call to the Post tease from Mike. There was a full-band (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction tease before Wilson. Before the “blat-boom!” in Wilson, Trey, wearing a Russell Wilson t-shirt, talked about how he wanted to hear the Wilson chant this season in Seattle. Secret Smile was performed for the first time since November 1, 2009 (156 shows). Crosseyed included Seven Below teases from Fish. Twist contained a Tequila tease. Steam contained a Crosseyed tease and quote. Bowie contained Bug teases and Crosseyed teases and quotes. During Character Zero Trey asked Kuroda to turn off the lights for a “Moon Jam” that featured band members howling at the moon! Fire featured alternate lyrics from Trey “Move over rover and let Jon Fishman take over!”
07/27/2013 Highlights: “After Midnight” was played in honor of JJ Cale who had just passed, while the show also featured the debut of “Say Something,” Type II “Undermind” and a winning “Sneakin’ Sally.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHuVKJ5XI28Set 1: Architect, Golgi Apparatus, The Curtain With, Kill Devil Falls > The Moma Dance > Maze, Beauty of a Broken Heart, Roses Are Free, Say Something [1], Ocelot, After Midnight
Set 2: Down with Disease [2] -> Undermind [3] > Light -> Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Walls of the Cave > Fluffhead > Run Like an Antelope
Encore: Show of Life > Good Times Bad Times
This show featured the debut of Say Something. Disease was unfinished. Undermind featured Fish on Marimba Lumina. Light contained a Sneakin' Sally tease from Mike.
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