Today is 2/18/2018. So, 25 years ago, tonight, I went to my first PHiSH show. I remember it being cold. I remember it being at the Elecrtic Ballroom, which was a sh*t hole dance club underneath the interstate bridge mess known as the Henley Street exit off of I-275 and I-40 (it’s “I-275” in the South, not “The 275” like on the West Coast, where I lived off and on for 20 plus years). Some phriends of mine lived about 6 blocks from there so we walked. Psylly times ensued as we walked there and made our way into the venue. I had spent the past few years on Grateful Dead tour and was interested in seeing a
Mini tour, similar to Widespread Panic. He lot was sketchy, not because of the kids, but due to being dimly lit under the interstates so we didn’t spend much time outside. The show started off rocking. I didn’t know any of the tunes but got into the bounce and felt the groove quickly. I had a couple of bootlegs but they didn’t grab me the way being in the show did. A few songs in I heard Tweezer, whIch went into Foam. Foam has been since that night my favorite song. Coulda been the psyilliness involved, the strange vibe in the club or the cool art work I heard Mike and his mom made for the backdrop. Whatever it was it was cool. The second set was more rocking than the first until the soundboard shorted out. The band asked us to be quiet and started singing a capella, which I already knew they did but was Very Cool. They ended with Rocky Top, the Tennessee Anthem, and the crowd was satisfied even with the shortened show. I wasn’t hooked that night quite yet. It would be a couple of months later floating in my pool listening to The Wedge that I would actually get it but I did. 122 shows later, I have slowed down from 18-19 shows a year but still dig this band.

This place, as I recall, was an old airplane hangar. It was underneath a freeway, and there was construction everywhere so the ground was all torn up in huge, gravelly/muddy chunks and frozen. What a shithole for a Phish show, but what can you do. My theory on the fried soundboard is the fact that the metal structure was so thin that the extreme cold from outside mixed with the heat, both electrical and human, produced some serious condensation and got into the board, frying it. I was next to the board, and there was no drink spilled on it. The setlist is blahzay, but the show, as with most all of '93, was pretty intense. Seemed pretty loose as evidenced by the extended Hydrogen and the "MAKE!" in Weekapaug. Anyway, you won't find anything here you have to have, but it's a nice trip down memory lane.

For all you conspiracy theorists out there, this was the thirteenth show of the tour and bad luck was surely with them this night! This is the only show at the Electric Ballroom. It has some good songs, and then gets sloppier as it goes along, then has an abrupt ending. Lots of problems for Paul at the soundboard tonight. Good recording, what there is of it anyway.

Ok, first set opens up with a great Chalk Dust, I mean smoking and almost flawless. You can hear the delay on the vocals. That may have led to a brief spot of uncertainty from Fishman in an otherwise solid Guelah. A good Poor Heart also has a little extra tag at the end of Page's solo. Tweezer has a shaky intro, but is pretty good overall. Nice funk from Mike and quite a strange ending going into decent Foam. A few rough spots on this one. Sparkle was good. Trey blew the lyrics a little in Cavern, otherwise it was well played. Reba was ok, spotty in the middle and had a trill-tastic solo from Trey. It was a little different than your average Reba. Nice Lawn Boy with Trey taking the solo again. See I knew it wasn't that rare. Antelope has a very loose intro, but a great jam leading to the end. Mike also teases his It's Ice bass line again. Not too bad of a first set.

I had high hopes for the next Rift, but Fish's timing is still not locking in on this one yet. Stash started off ok, had a few rough spots, but a good jam. Trey retunes during the Lizards intro and this is a pretty good one. There was a massive glitch in the recording, sound problems already? Trey remarks "Should we do it?" before a really rough Punch. It’s still new and Mike is off and Trey blows more lyrics and actually apologizes during the song. Mike's was kind of sloppy just from general screwing around and the tramps I suppose. Hydro was rough. Weekapaug was rocking along with teases happening until the crackling of the soundboard intervened. The boys jam on for two more minutes then the recording cuts off and into the second verse of Mound. When the song ended they stopped to explain the fried soundboard. Paul? Chris?

Well, then the recording cuts off as Trey says they need it to be quiet so they can put their barbershop lessons to good use. This was the first Memories of the year. Too bad the taper didn't keep going. It would have been fun to hear the Rocky Top.

Again, I feel that this show is over rated so I'm only giving it two stars to bring the average down. Way too much sloppy playing to be anywhere near four stars.