February 13, 2018

Phish: new archival release 08/12/1998 Vernon Downs, Vernon, NY

Another archival Phish release is available for streaming and download: Vernon Downs 1998:

On August 12, 1998 Phish played outdoors at Vernon Downs – a harness racetrack in the town of Vernon, NY. This was the last regular show of 23 U.S. dates leading up to Lemonwheel, a tour dubbed the Summer Of Covers due to near-nightly bustouts of new cover songs. It was Phish’s only Vernon show and a homecoming for Jon Fishman, who grew up in nearby Syracuse. Vernon’s general admission, open field set the stage for a pre-festival barnburner.

Among set I highlights were the La Grange > Makisupa Policeman > Funky Bitch opening sequence, Possum dedicated to Jeff Holdsworth, and a transcendent Ramble On > Slave To The Traffic Light set closer. Set II was a set-long Mike’s Groove, from a potent Mike’s Song > Simple > Rift through a fiery Loving Cup > Sleeping Monkey > Weekapaug Groove. The Encore featured summer’s last new cover - Phish’s only Burning Down The House (sung as “Vernon Down the House”) followed by You Enjoy Myself at Fish’s request. All in all this was an old-school, rowdy rocker with some serious jams throughout.

Setlist and notes from phish.net:

SET 1: SET 1: La Grange > Makisupa Policeman > Funky Bitch, Possum, Roggae, Character Zero, Ramble On -> Slave to the Traffic Light

SET 2: Mike's Song > Simple > Rift, Loving Cup > Sleeping Monkey > Weekapaug Groove, The Squirming Coil

ENCORE: Burning Down the House[1], You Enjoy Myself

[1] Phish debut; lyrics changed to "Vernon down the house."
Possum was dedicated to its author, Jeff Holdsworth, and Fish’s band in high school, Frodo. Ramble On was played in honor of Fish seeing a Led Zeppelin concert at age eleven and contained Cocaine teases; Slave subsequently included Ramble On teases, as well as Those Were the Days teases from Trey and Mike. The Phish debut of Burning Down the House contained alternate lyrics ("Vernon down the house"). YEM included HYHU and Mission: Impossible theme teases.

» livephish.com

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