Phish Delivers Standout ‘Harry Hood’ In Vancouver On This Date In 1996
By Scott Bernstein Nov 23, 2018 • 11:10 am PST
November 1996 was an extremely active month for Phish as the jam quartet was on the road for the duration of the month marching from one coast to the other. On November 23, 1996 Phish played their first show in Canada in over a year, when they performed at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver. The show was notable on multiple accounts including a standout version of “Harry Hood” which can be streamed below.
The band was reportedly stopped as they crossed the border into Canada. Guitarist Trey Anastasio noted the situation during “Makisupa Policeman” in Vancouver when he exclaimed, “Woke up in the morning, border guard in my bunk, he took his fucking dog on the bus, and he found my dank.” Phish did take the opportunity of their border stop to learn Tim O’Brien’s “Midnight On The Highway,” a song they performed for the first and only time as part of the first set. Trey announced the one-timer as, “We’re gonna do one we just learned this morning specifically for you that Mike’s going to sing. We had kinda a long night coming through the border and met some funny people at the border, so we had some time awake to learn a few songs.”
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Phish’s second set in Vancouver from November 23, 1996 was an all-killer, no-filler affair. A seamless 50-minute sequence of “The Curtain” > “Mike’s Song” -> “Simple” -> “Makisupa Policeman” > “Axilla” > “Weekapaug Groove” -> “Catapult” began the closing stanza and was followed by a poignant “Waste” and a capella “Amazing Grace.” The foursome’s second set ended with a wonderful “Harry Hood.” Phish patiently built to a peak and extended the climax for nearly five minutes. Just when you think the band had reached the end of the jam, they take it up a notch. Anastasio and keyboardist Page McConnell shine throughout.
Stream the “Harry Hood” Phish played in Vancouver on November 23, 1996:
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Here’s a recording of the entire show from an unknown taper shared by From The Aquarium:
Set 1: Chalk Dust Torture, Guelah Papyrus, Cars Trucks Buses, Divided Sky, Punch You in the Eye, Midnight on the Highway [1], Split Open and Melt, Rift, Funky Bitch
Set 2: The Curtain > Mike's Song -> Simple -> Makisupa Policeman [2] > Axilla > Weekapaug Groove [3] -> Catapult, Waste, Amazing Grace, Harry Hood
Encore: Good Times Bad Times
This show included the first Phish performance of Midnight on the Highway, which was learned while the band was stopped at the American/Canadian border. Makisupa also referenced the border-crossing incident: âWoke up in the morning, border guard in my bunk, he took his fucking dog on the bus, and he found my dank.â Weekapaug was unfinished.
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[Originally Published: November 23, 2016]
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