Phish Performs With Jimmy Buffett & Butch Trucks On Fall Tour 1995

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 concluded a four-show run through Florida on this date during Fall Tour 1995 with help from Jimmy Buffett and The Allman Brothers Band drummer Butch Trucks. The guest spots came at the end of the quartet’s November 16, 1995 concert at the West Palm Beach Auditorium, one of three performances held on November 16th over the past 25 years.

Members of the band spent the morning hanging with Buffett and Trucks as road manager Brad Sands revealed in a recent episode of Under The Scales. Sands explained both musicians invited the guys to “do something.” Guitarist Trey Anastasio and keyboardist Page McConnell went to Buffett’s house, while drummer Jon Fishman and bassist Mike Gordon went to Butch’s house. “I think Butch was a little miffed,” Brad told Under The Scales’ host Tom Marshall. “It was old, ‘Where’s Trey?'”

Brad Sands accompanied Trey and Page to Jimmy’s house and Buffett took them on a boat ride. Sands had great things to say about both Jimmy and Butch. Trucks’ appearance came at the end of the second set. Sands recalled what went down:

Butch played on “Possum.” He basically played the “One Way Out” beat on “Possum,” which is sort of the same but not really. If you listen to that version of “Possum” it’s pretty funny, because he’s like “yeah, I get it” and then he just went out there and played “One Way Out.”

Phish went with it as Anastasio threw in licks from the ABB-popularized “One Way Out” within his “Possum” solo. Butch used Jon’s drum set for the set-closing “Possum,” while Fish played the mini drum kit that was part of Trey’s rig for the tour. Fishman then busted out his trombone towards the end of the song.

“Okay, we’ve got another special guest here,” Anastasio said when the band returned for their encore. “This one we just found out about backstage. Would you please give a warm hand for Jimmy Buffett. He’s going to come out here and sing for us.” Buffett then led Phish through their first and only cover of “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison.

“Just a quiet night in Palm Beach County, right?” Jimmy told the crowd at the start of the song. While it soon became clear Phish wasn’t familiar with “Brown Eyed Girl,” Buffett was no stranger to the tune. The Mississippi native has performed the Van Morrison classic more than any other cover as per Setlist.FM. Buffett even altered the lyrics to reference the nearby Intercoastal Waterway and Florida’s signature animal, the Manatee.

“It was one of those moments where you’re like, ‘whoever would’ve thought these two guys would be at the same concert playing?'” Sands added. The rest of the show was pretty good too. Phish fit in little accents at the all the right moments, such as a little jam on “The Rover” at the end of “Ha Ha Ha,” a slick transition from “Simple” into “Timber (Jerry The Mule)” and unusual start to “Guyute.” Other highlights were a “Jam” used as the soundtrack for the start of the tour’s second band versus audience “chess war” and standout versions of “David Bowie” and “Harry Hood.”

Watch video of the entire concert below queued up to “Possum”: