Phish Visits Band Members Houses During ‘Makisupa Policeman’ At Bethel 2011

By Scott Bernstein May 28, 2020 8:02 am PDT

Phish played the second of three shows that formed their only visit to Bethel Woods in Bethel, New York adjacent to the site where the Woodstock Festival took place on this date in 2011. The quartet delivered a wild Saturday night rock show in Bethel on May 28, 2011 which included a fun version of “Makisupa Policeman” featuring a trip to multiple band members’ “houses” in a play off the lyric, “policeman came to my house.”

Guitarist Trey Anastasio acted as storyteller during “Makisupa” as he guided fans to the dark and funky “Mike’s house,” the more raucous “Page’s house,” a percussive-heavy “Fish’s house” and even threw in a mention of his favorite TV show, House. Watch fan-shot footage of the humorous “Makisupa Policeman” which ended with a clever transition into “Harry Hood” from five years ago today captured by Platoplates:


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Another highlight came when Phish extended “Runaway Jim” ever so slightly with a style of jamming fans dubbed “plinko.” Watch footage of “Runaway Jim” captured by LazyLightning55:


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The other transcendent moment of the quartet’s Saturday night special at Bethel Woods was a stellar “Bathtub Gin” -> “Manteca” > “Bathtub Gin” sequence that ended the second set. Phish worked a jam on “Golden Age” into the mix of one of the more well-jammed endings of a first set since the band returned in 2009. At points it seemed the band was playing “Golden Age,” “Bathtub Gin” and “Manteca” at the same time to the delight of the crowd. Listen to the magical “Gin” from five years ago tonight:

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Set 1: Theme From the Bottom, NICU, Cities, Halley's Comet > Runaway Jim, Gumbo > Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn) > Limb By Limb, Horn, Bathtub Gin -> Manteca > Bathtub Gin

Set 2: Down with Disease [1] > Free > Backwards Down the Number Line > Makisupa Policeman [2] > Harry Hood > Cavern > David Bowie

Encore: A Day in the Life

Gin included a mash-up jam of Golden Age and Manteca and later closed with a Manteca quote from Trey. Disease was unfinished. BDTNL featured a DEG tease from Mike. Makisupa included lyrics referencing several band members’ houses (and Trey’s favorite show, House).

[Originally Published: May 28, 2016]

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