Phish Plays 25-Minute ‘Golden Age’ On Fall Tour 2016

This year marks 25 years since Phish’s historic Fall Tour 1995. In recognition of that noteworthy tour and to make up for the lack of shows this fall, JamBase presents a daily retrospective highlighting a noteworthy moment from a Phish fall tour concert that took place on that date over the past 25 years (read a note on Fall 1997 here). The 25 Years Of Phish Fall Tour series runs each day between the start of Phish Fall Tour 1995 on September 27 through that tour’s finale on December 17.

Phish’s Fall Tour 2016 saw the band return to MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas following their first visit in 2014 for a three-night Halloween run of shows that began with the Chilling, Thrilling Sounds musical costume set on October 31. Phish’s 2016 Halloween run was a four-nighter, starting with a show on October 28 and culminating with The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars on October 31.

Phish’s October 28, 2016 show had a number of highlights, none more so than the 25-minute version of TV On The Radio’s “Golden Age” from the evening’s second set. In addition to the massive “Golden Age,” the first set offered other gems, like the “Martian Monster” opener calling back to Halloween 2014, bust outs of “Dogs Stole Things,” (ending a 182 show gap) and “Beauty Of My Dreams” (ending a 227 show gap), a rare set one “Steam” and the second performance of keyboardist Page McConnell’s Big Boat tune “Home.”

The second set had its own bust out via the Dude Of Life’s “Crimes Of The Mind.” The set opener was the song’s eighth live performance by Phish and just the second without the Dude just as it was for its previous appearance in 2009 (283 shows prior). Then came a “Golden Age” for the ages. The Vegas 2016 “Golden Age” was the longest on record of the 23 versions that have made the song’s Phish.net jam chart since Phish first covered it in November 2009.

On the night of October 28, 2016, JamBase’s The Skinny recap of the show described the “Golden Age,” and what followed, like this:

TV On The Radio’s “Golden Age” was then used as a catapult to an eclectic sequence of improvisation that took twists and turns behind [drummer] Jon Fishman’s varied rhythms. [Guitarist] Trey Anastasio ultimately took charge by laying out a melodic theme that Page latched onto and [bassist] Mike Gordon and Fish were able to sync up under and the foursome soon set off on one tension-filled passage after another. After reaching a glorious peak, they transitioned to an extended funky vamp as the improv pushed well past the 20-minute mark, leading to an onslaught of intense highs.

The crowd roared in appreciation as the incredible jam segued into “Simple,” which gave way to a brief ambient segment before a transition into “Light.” Seemingly ready to pick up where they left off before, another inspired dose of improv came with Page pounding away at the piano and Trey delivering dirty, hypnotic riffs that led to a straightforward take on “Twenty Years Later.”

The subsequent “Blaze On” stayed within the confines of the Big Boat tune and “The Squirming Coil” closed the set as McConnell assumed his usual role of providing the song’s coda solo. Well worn singalong “Bouncing Around The Room” opened the encore and a cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Bold As Love” wrapped up the first night in Vegas.

Click below to start at “Golden Age” from a recording by Scott Schneider of Phish’s October 28, 2016 show below: