International Phish

The big news in the Phish world yesterday was the announcement of Phish Riviera Maya – a destination event featuring three full shows on the beaches of Riviera Maya, Mexico. Phish has never performed in Mexico before, but it won’t be the band’s first performances outside of the U.S.

The band’s first gig outside of the U.S. took place just across the border from Vermont in Montreal, Quebec on July 1, 1989; when Phish played a one-set show as part of the Montreal International Jazz Fest. The quartet didn’t play abroad again until the summer of 1992 for a series of European appearances mostly opening for Violent Femmes. That December Phish returned to Canada for a pair of gigs and then played a total of 12 gigs in Canada between 1993 and 1996. In the summer of 1996 the group headed back to Europe for a string of performances that included a mix of two-set shows and sets opening for Santana. Phish embarked on headlining tours of Europe in Winter ’97 and Summer ’97. In 1999 the quartet played Japan’s Fuji Rock Festival and came back the following summer for a series of seven shows. The last two international Phish shows took place at Molson Ampitheatre in Toronto on July 6, 2000 and July 22, 2013.

In honor of the jam titans’ upcoming visit to Mexico, here’s a look at professionally-shot video from five International Phish performances:

1. 02/16/1997 – Cologne, Germany

Phish’s first headlining tour of Europe took place in February and March of 1997. On February 16 the band played Alter Wartesaal in Cologne, Germany. The entire show was filmed and broadcast on Germany’s famed Rockpalast television series. Included within is the debut of “Beauty Of My Dreams” and hot versions of “David Bowie” and “Split Open and Melt” as well as the unusual “Theme From The Bottom” > “Johnny B. Goode” encore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n2B4WOFPfc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOvoOCHAVzM

2. 06/22/1997 – Koblenz, Germany

It didn’t take long for Phish to return to Europe for their second headlining tour in the summer of 1997, just four months after their first. However they have yet to tour the continent since. On June 22, 1997 Phish played a lone set at the WDR Loreley Festival that again was broadcast on Rockpalast. The set features a handful of songs debuted earlier that tour as well as an interesting take on “Taste.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anz9wz9vmro

3. 07/31/1999 – Niigata, Japan

Phish made their first trip to Japan count with a series of outstanding performances at the Fuji Rock Festival in 1999. Pro-shot footage from the fest was broadcast on Japanese television the following summer and one full set of that footage circulates on YouTube. Among the highlights is arguably the best “straight” version of “Prince Caspian” in Phish history sporting a ridiculous solo from Trey Anastasio and a guest spot from Nawang Khechog on horn and flute for a jam (featuring Jon Fishman on vacuum) and “Brian And Robert.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOCQkNUns1c

4. 06/11/2000 – Tokyo, Japan

Eleven months after Fuji Rock ’99 Phish came back to Japan for a seven-show headlining tour. Portions of the band’s June 11 performance at Hibiya Outdoor Theatre in the Chiyoda-ku district of Tokyo were broadcast on Japanese television. Here’s all five songs that circulate on YouTube:

5. 07/22/2013 – Toronto, Canada

As hard as it is to believe Phish has only played one show abroad in the past 15 years and it almost didn’t happen. The quartet was originally scheduled to play Toronto’s Molson Amphitheatre on July 9, 2013. “Due to insurmountable transportation and public safety issues resulting from the power outage in Toronto” the show was postponed by a few weeks. When the show finally took place on July 22 it featured standout versions of “Down With Disease” and “David Bowie.” The band shared pro-shot footage of both songs on YouTube soon after the show.

International Phish Playlist

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