Happy Birthday Mike Gordon: Performing Live On Phish Members’ Birthdays
Go “Backwards Down The Number Line” with birthday shows throughout the decades.
By Nate Todd Jun 3, 2022 • 10:11 am PDT
Today marks Phish bassist Mike Gordon’s 57th birthday. Michael Eliot Gordon was born on June 3, 1965 in Sudbury, Massachusetts.
After answering a flyer posted by guitarist Trey Anastasio seeking a bass player, Gordon would go on to form Phish with Anastasio, drummer Jon Fishman and guitarist Jeff Holdsworth in 1983 while the four musicians attended the University of Vermont. Holdsworth would depart and Phish keyboardist Page McConnell joined in 1985, cementing the legendary Vermont Quartet.
In the early days of Phish, Mike filled the roles of de facto band manager and public relations agent while providing the sticky mortar to drummer Jon Fishman’s foundational brick house beats. As such, Gordon played a big part in the band’s cohesiveness both onstage and off, bolstering the familial ties that helped Phish form their own culture and expand their family to thousands over the decades.
One thing most families come together over are birthdays. So in celebration of Mike “Cactus” Gordon’s birthday today, JamBase takes a ride “Backwards Down The Number Line” to take a look at shows on the birthdays of all four members of Phish for this edition of Full Show Friday. Phish plays again on Mike’s birthday tonight at Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana. Watch via LivePhish.com livestream or listen through SiriusXM’s Phish Radio.
Trey Anastasio – September 30, 2000
The list begins on September 30, 2000: Trey Anastasio’s 36th birthday. On that date, Phish capped off a two-night run at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas. The concert was captured for posterity as Phish’s first full concert DVD, Live in Vegas. The show got underway with the instrument swapping song “Walfredo” — Anastasio recently told the story of “Walfredo” at a gig in Vail, Colorado.
Along with “Walfredo,” the show contained two more bust outs. “Esther” was performed for the first time since August 9, 1998 and its absence was apparent as the birthday boy had some trouble with the final lyrics leading him to proclaim “She died. Dead.” The band also dusted off The Beatles’ magnum opus “A Day In The Life.” Coming at the end of the 1.0 era, “Fly Famous Mockingbird” included narration about the band’s imminent hiatus. The audience would also sing “Happy Birthday To You” to Trey as the band returned for the second set.
Set 1: Walfredo, The Curtain With, Maze, Roggae, I Didn't Know [1], Mike's Song > Simple > Saw It Again, Esther [2] > Weekapaug Groove
Set 2: Timber (Jerry the Mule), AC/DC Bag, Colonel Forbin's Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird [3], Twist > Sand > A Day in the Life
Encore: Emotional Rescue
Though the band came out in position for Walfredo, they were forced to pause due to technical difficulties. For the second show in a row, several breakouts dotted the setlist: Walfredo (first since February 22, 1997, or 250 shows), Esther (August 9, 1998, 148 shows), Forbinâs and Mockingbird (August 7, 1998, 150 shows), A Day in the Life (July 3, 1998, 172 shows), and Emotional Rescue (July 28, 1998, 157 shows). The Mockingbird narration referenced the bandâs upcoming hiatus. I Didnât Know included a reference to Kid Rockâs sidekick Joe C. Esther featured flubbed lyrics for the final verse, ending with Trey proclaiming: âShe died. Dead.â As the band returned for the second set, the crowd serenaded Trey with Happy Birthday. Twist contained San-Ho-Zay teases from Trey. Emotional Rescue included a bizarre synchronized duel on-stage between Trey and Mike. This show was webcast live and subsequently released in its entirety as the bandâs first full concert DVD, Live in Vegas.
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Jon Fishman – February 19, 1993
On February 19, 1993, Phish performed in Atlanta on Jon Fishman’s birthday. While the eventful show featured a number of highlights including guitarist Jimmy Herring joining the band during the latter half of the second set, the birthday festivities got underway in the intro to “David Bowie” when Trey referenced Fish’s birthday.
“Bowie” would give way to the Phish debut of Led Zeppelin drummer Jon Bonham’s signature drum solo song “Moby Dick,” which saw Fish soloing on both drums and vacuum. “Happy Birthday” teases would continue until finally, McConnell played the tune during a song from another of Fish’s heroes, Syd Barrett’s “Love You,” which featured Fishman on guitar and the Electrolux.
Set 1: Loving Cup, Rift, Split Open and Melt, Fee [1] -> Maze, Colonel Forbin's Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird [2] > Sparkle, My Friend, My Friend [3], Poor Heart > David Bowie [4] -> Moby Dick [5] > David Bowie [6]
Set 2: Runaway Jim, It's Ice > Paul and Silas, You Enjoy Myself > Ya Mar, Big Ball Jam, Lawn Boy, Funky Bitch [7], My Sweet One [8], Hold Your Head Up [9] > Love You [10] > Hold Your Head Up [11], Llama [12], Amazing Grace [13]
Encore: AC/DC Bag
Trey sang the verses of Fee through a megaphone. The Mockingbird narration recalled the flood from Phish’s last Atlanta performance, on March 28, 1992. The beginning of My Friend featured Trey on acoustic guitar. This show was performed on Fish’s birthday, which Trey made reference to during the Bowie intro. The Phish debut of Moby Dick featured Fish soloing on both drums and vacuum. The subsequent Bowie intro's continuation contained a Simpsons signal and Happy Trails and Jingle Jangle Jingle teases. Bowie later contained Moby Dick teases. Happy Birthday was teased in Bowie and Ya Mar and performed by Page during Love You. Mockingbird and Big Ball Jam contained "Charge!" teases. Lawn Boy was dedicated to Page’s parents. Funky Bitch through Llama featured Jimmy Herring sitting in on guitar. My Sweet One was unfinished. After the first HYHU, Trey tried unsuccessfully to convince Colonel Bruce Hampton to come out and jam on horns. Love You featured Fish on guitar and vacuum, as well as the delivery of a birthday cake. Trey also presented Fish with a clock necklace a la Flavor Flav of Public Enemy, so that Fish would never again be late for the bus. Amazing Grace was performed without microphones and was also dedicated to Page’s parents with Page saying it was one of his father's favorite songs. Page's father gave a standing ovation after the song's finish. AC/DC Bag was played for “Hack’s” 21st birthday, as he had evidently requested it at a party the night before. This show was released as part of the Phish At The Roxy box set.
Mike Gordon – June 3, 2011
Eleven years ago today, Phish performed at Pine Knob Music Theatre — now DTE Energy Music Theatre — in Clarkson, Michigan. Trey wished Mike a happy birthday during “NICU” and proceeded to tease “Happy Birthday To You” in “NICU.” The second set opening “Down With Disease,” a song Gordo ushers in with his effect-laden slap bass, saw “Happy Birthday” teases before and during a top-shelf version of the classic which also contained elements of John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme.”
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Set 1: Wolfman's Brother, Funky Bitch, Sample in a Jar, NICU [1], Mike's Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Tela > Chalk Dust Torture, The Wedge
Set 2: Down with Disease [2] -> Fluffhead > David Bowie, Waste > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Cavern
Encore: Good Times Bad Times
During NICU, Trey wished Mike a happy birthday. NICU subsequently contained a Happy Birthday tease from Trey. Trey teased Dave’s Energy Guide in Weekapaug. Happy Birthday was teased before and during Disease. Disease also featured a jam based on A Love Supreme and was unfinished. Also Sprach Zarathustra contained Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine and Super Bad teases from Trey.
Page McConnell – May 17, 1992 (Possum)
A concert landed on Page McConnell’s birthday, May 17, in 1992 at Union College in Schenectady, New York. The tease happy show saw a second set “Possum” containing “Simpsons, All Fall Down, Random Note, and Aw Fuck! signals, as well as teases of Rocky Mountain Way, L.A. Woman, China Grove, It’s Ice, and Divided Sky,” as per Phish.net (This show is available in its entirety on LivePhish.com but listen to the “Possum” above).
A song after “Possum,” the audience sang “Happy Birthday” to Page during a number that has long spotlighted the keyboardists, “The Squirming Coil.” Page himself added elements of “Happy Birthday” and more into “Love You,” which also saw Fish announcing birthdays in the band and introducing the crew.
Set 1: The Landlady, Llama, Colonel Forbin's Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird > My Sweet One > Reba, I Didn't Know [1], Stash, The Mango Song > Poor Heart > Chalk Dust Torture
Set 2: The Curtain > Possum [2], Guelah Papyrus, The Squirming Coil, All Things Reconsidered, Brother, Sanity > Cold as Ice > Love You > Hold Your Head Up, Sparkle > Harry Hood, Cavern
Encore: Lawn Boy > Good Times Bad Times
I Didn’t Know featured Fish on trombone. Possum included Simpsons, All Fall Down, Random Note, and Aw Fuck! signals, as well as teases of Rocky Mountain Way, L.A. Woman, China Grove, Itâs Ice, and Divided Sky. Coil included the crowd singing Happy Birthday to Page. Trey teased Avenu Malkenu in Brother. Page teased Happy Birthday (twice), “Charge!,” and Call to the Post in the Love You intro as Fish announced birthdays in the band and introduced the crew. Love You also contained Lonesome Cowboy Bill teases from Page. This show is available as an archival release on LivePhish.com.
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