It's interesting to go back and look at the LivePhish.com releases (not the actual Live Phish releases, as those are usually obvious selections with the major exception of the non-Fukuoka 2000 shows) and think about what it is that led Phish to release them. You've got obvious stone-cold classics (the Island Tour, 12/6-7/97, 6/18/94), shows with historical significance (12/31/91, which is also great musically), shows to benefit worthy causes (the New Orleans and Japan shows), and fan favorites that have to have been clamored for for years (11/14/95, Coral Sky, Walnut Creek). And then there's 7/6/98, part of a 9-show European jaunt to kick off 1998 proper (I think most everyone kinda considers the Island Tour part of '97 in their minds), and a show that might very well come off to people as a two trick pony. But holy hell, what tricks those two are.

The first-set Ghost comes hurtling pell-mell out of AC/DC Bag, with the band coursing with impatient energy like a bridled horse during the composed section, then galloping full speed across the plains during the jam. And that jam - "galloping" might be the right word for it, with Trey ripping off vicious solo after vicious solo, the rhythm section matching him step for step, before a sudden full band stop and an absolutely outrageous segue into Cities, so outrageous that the band actually has to hit the brakes to reach the proper Cities tempo (and that Cities is pretty sweet, too). The rest of the set is definitely worth a listen, with a fine Limb by Limb and a semi-deranged Maze that slams to a dead halt so Trey can thank the crowd (yes, mid-jam) before immediately restarting into an even more vicious jam.

The second set gets off to a nice, if somewhat standard, start with Julius and Meat, but then comes Trick #2 in the form of a Piper for the ages. Much like the first-set Ghost, the band practically rips through the composed section so that they can play in the jam section, and the jam section opens up to allow everyone to go at it with late-'95 intensity, peaking at about the 13 minute mark with some of the loudest, most thrilling hose jamming (I'm using that term correctly, right? So hard to tell sometimes) you can possibly imagine, before mellowing things out and going spacey, culminating in a slow-crawl, almost *bluesy* jam that segues somewhat hilariously into Makisupa Policeman (a particularly goofy version, thanks to the anti-drum solo). A perfectly fine Bowie, Loving Cup, and energetic Possum close things out.

This probably isn't the best show of 1998 (I'd say that's 7/17, with its ridiculous second set, or take your pick of the Island Tour), but it's certainly up there, and the two big jams here are of the "slap on some good headphones and crank that shit" variety. And that's the justification for the LivePhish remaster treatment right there.

From www.OnlinePhishTour.com />
7/6/1998 Prague, Czech Republic

In July of 1998 Phish traveled to Europe, they stopped at a small place called The Lucerna Theater for two nights. Kuroda had to use an old school lighting setup of strictly can lights for it--making people forget that they are a band that usually plays in arenas and outdoor amphitheaters with one of the most impressive lighting shows in entertainment. The venue is extremely small, only holding approximately 500 people, makes it one of Phish's most intimate and cozy venues played ever.

Phish takes full advantage of playing the tiny venue--knowing that fans on the other side of the pond were dying to be there, Phish did what was expected and made them sorry they didn't make the trip. As you can see from the picture to the right, the place looks just like a dining hall--the circular part of the stage was removed for when Phish performed. Knowing the recording of these shows were fan favorites, especially the second night, Phish released it as a Live Phish album.

The show starts out with one of the coolest strings of songs they ever performed--Buried Alive>AC/DC Bag->Ghost->Cities. The Buried Alive is lively and ferocious. The AC/DC Bag's jam quickly sinks into thick funk laced with digital delay loops--Mike noticeably starts with the loosened Ghost bass lines relatively quickly out of the gates, allowing Phish to jam on a Ghost-based theme for a while before actually reaching the beginning of the song. This version of Ghost, one of their most popular YouTube videos, is arguably one of the best versions they have ever played. Listening to the recording certainly reflects how amazing the blistering improvisation was, but seeing it on the video (thank you to whoever video taped this) really shows you the energy of the band and the room. With the low hung and low tech can lights hanging above the band's heads on a small stage with the crowd only inches from the instruments, Trey's goes into full rockstar mode--as if he is at a packed Soldier Field with pyrotechnics behind him. Trey takes this jam and turns it inside out with his guitar effects and straightforward, blistering chops--listening closely to Fishman for cues on when to take it up to the next level. Trey, with his lush and longer hair bobs and headbangs for portions of it, sometimes with his tongue hanging out. He is jumping and kicking his knees up when his feet are not firmly planted on stage in a wider-than-normal stance to brace himself from not being toppled over by his swaying body. As the jam finally winds down, Trey cues the band to make a HUGE start/stop right before segueing into a fast-paced Cities--then, right before Cities' first refrian, the drums slow everything down to the correct speed while the Mike throws down a tasty lick, making the tiny crowd erupt louder than MSG. The Cities is spacey and funky. If you have not seen this video, watch it now--it will be one of your favorite videos for life...

During Maze towards the end of the set, Trey halted the intense jam to thank the crowd--totally unexpected and impressive in my opinion.

Like the first set, the second set is also front-heavy--opening with Julius>Meat>Piper->Makisupa Policeman. The Julius is intense and hits high peaks, after which they use Meat to slow things down and gather their bearings. Then comes Piper--a 20 minute Piper--1998 is when Phish first really started experimenting with the song. Once Phish dropped the song's outro segment, they realized how much improvisational potential the song really had once it was open ended. This is a great example of them going "wow, look at how far we can take this!" All I can really say about the song is that Trey plays an insane amount of notes and it is absolutely blistering. One of the hottest versions ever.

The Makisupa Policeman was original and humorous, with some banter and add-libs. The show encored with Possum; it was particularly fun with Trey going into a sort of guitar refrain throughout the jam--it also included a well placed Stash tease.

Get this show, watch the video!

Download the show at www.OnlinePhishTour.com

The whole show is great, but the Ghost and Piper are all-world versions.

Just finished listening to this and had a thought about something in the Ghost. Does anyone else hear a little Jumpin' Jack Flash? Maybe not worthy of a "tease notation" but definite hints of it when the jam picks up towards the end.

I'm far from savvy/educated when it comes to the technical side of music. And I was at (and loved) MPP 6-27-10, which may be coloring this whole thing. But I was curious if anyone else heard some JFF in that Ghost. Especially after 11 minutes and the 13:30 mark by the Spotify timer. Thanks!

The Ghost is a fine version, no doubt (though it's a bit hard to hear Trey "Treying-out" over the noisey audience at times), but this Piper has to be heard to be believed. I try not to get into best-ever pissing matches too much, but I think it could be said with relative safety (even from my lowly noob status) that is version is a serious contender. Absolutely relentless shred fest of the highest order. This is the type stuff that will convert a non-beliver. Does the rest of the show even matter?

A couple side notes: I love me some of the effects Trey is using here. Also, listen for the guy around 16:30 saying, "What song are they playing again?"

LOL!!!!

Everything about this show is SICK. Except Golgi.

A simply phenomenal Piper! Not to be missed.

just an observation, im almost positive Fishman is playing the Fikus drumbeat starting around the 17min mark of Piper, he does that for a couple minutes or so. i also think i hear Trey playing little Fikus-like riffs here and there, but i could be wrong on that...

I have the best picture of my friend @petrea I took while we were dancing in the balcony to this ACDC Bag. She has THE BIGGEST SHIT-EATING GRIN on her face.

It pretty much sums up the night. This night of Phish music is infamous, and rightfully so. Glad I could be there. One of the best months of my life.

5 stars.... Ya bettah axe sumbahdy

the reason trey shouts petroff is because page is playing a petroff piano. You can see that they are all playing with different rigs, trey and mike both are missing most of their cabs. Treys hard truckers arn't there. and hes messin with some crazy awesome effects that are mind melting. Overall the whole show has crazy energy in every song. Even though the ghost is the most popular, this whole show is a banger.

If 7/5's sloppiness was brought to you by absinthe, then 7/6 was brought to you by cocaine. The entire show is dripping with balls-to-the-wall Rock and Roll bravado. Almost every song is played with an increased vigor and bumped up tempo. The two marquee jams from this show (Ghost, Piper) are both shreddy rock fests. It's not without it's sloppiness (Golgi, yikes!), but certainly an improvement over the previous night.

Having said all that, this show is slightly overrated. Not that its not good (it is), but I'm not sure it deserves the legendary status it enjoys. There are other shows from 98 and even from this European tour that I would have selected to be released before this one (Gray Hall, hello). This Ghost is often in the conversation for GOAT, and it is good, but its not even the best version they played that week (GRAY HALL, HELLO).

Highlights: Bag -> Ghost -> Cities, Limb, Piper -> Makisupa

4/5 Grade A Phish

RagingMobOfJoggers posted from www.OnlinePhishTour.com , "The venue is extremely small, only holding approximately 500 people, makes it one of Phish's most intimate and cozy venues played ever.?"

While generally speaking this statement is true, Phish does have a rich history of playing in small venues...many of which hold less than 500 people...so I'm sure it was cozy and intimate for 1998, but nothing too new for the boys!!! Pretty good show to listen to in the car!!!

Anyone else hear a Rockin' in the Free World tease from Trey like 2 minutes before Ghost becomes Cities? Or am I just crazy?

This whole show is incredible and I would have given so much to be in Prague for this show.!! I know the Ghost and Piper are absolutely otherworldly, but that quick stop in Maze makes me freak out every time I hear it! It is such a great example of how damn tight as musicians they are.

I just wish they would attack first sets with that fury still. I love '98 Phish!

PHISH, MONDAY 07/06/1998
LUCERNA THEATRE
Prague, Czech Republic

SET 1:

Buried Alive: Killer opener, band means business after last night’s mess! >

AC/DC Bag: The part that would typically be the launchpad for the jam – they go right into a nasty funk jam filled with many loops, very sick! They slide right into Ghost, really nice segue! ->

Ghost: Trey in full, unabated, unabashed rock star mode here. He crushes run after run, it’s impressive, raw and right in your face. Super aggressive. The theme that develops around 13:20 and lasts for about 15 seconds, I feel like I know it but cannot unfortunately place it. The last minute of this delve into another funk jam. It also has a little stop start to it for a full 15 seconds. Easy all timer and highly recommended. ->

Cities: This one starts off fast! At about the one minute mark they take a beat to recalibrate it and slow it down to it’s normal tempo. This turns out to be a pretty standard Cities other than Trey taking a little solo at the end.

Limb By Limb: Treys intro lyrics are so delicate, lol. This version is strong, great soloing and overall band interplay. Excellent mid set selection.

Train Song: Good placement!

Roggae: Good jam but nothing out of the ordinary that would bring me back for replay value.

Maze[1] - Trey messes up this line: And I take a wrong turn and I'm on the wrong path. During the middle of Trey’s raging solo they literally all stop on a dime and Trey tells everyone how much they have enjoyed playing in Prague. He counts off 1,2 a 1,2,3,4 and they launch right back into that fierce jam without ever missing a beat. Practiced or not (which of course it had to have been practiced) this was a legendary feat. Would recommend!

Golgi Apparatus: Sloppy.

SET 2:

Julius: Absolutely smoking! >

Meat: Standard. >

Piper: Like Ghost, this is just incendiary but has more staying power and jam time as this one runs hard through 14 and a half minutes. It toys with a quirky, kind of bluesy jam but that is short lived and dissolves into the ambient abyss for almost 3 and a half minutes before segueing into Makisupa. Easy all timer and highly recommended. ->

Makisupa Policeman[2] -- Fun version.

David Bowie: Standard. Solid.

Loving Cup: Another rocker.

ENCORE:

Possum: This was so much fun! Has those little funk interludes that just set this apart from a normal version. Would recommend.

Summary: Sick show. I like set one better than set two. They were out to redeem themselves from the shit show that was the prior evening. They certainly found redemption! Amazing Phish show right here.

Replay Value: Ghost, Maze, Piper, Possum

[1] Jam halted while Trey thanked the crowd.
[2] Lyric changed to "Came to Vermont."

The Maze jam was halted while Trey humorously thanked the crowd. Golgi ended with Hip Hop Hooray quotes by Trey. The last line in Makisupa changed to "came to Vermont." Trey called Page "Petroff" before he took a piano solo. Trey let Fish take a drum solo but told the crowd to whistle if he (Fish) went on too long. Trey added that they had a "band rule" that they all begin whistling if Fish, who likes to ramble when he talks, ever talks for longer than two minutes. Fish took a boring "drum solo," which drew whistles from the crowd. Piper contained a Lady (Little River Band) tease from Page and Trey and Possum contained a Stash tease from Trey. This show is available as an archival release on LivePhish.com.
SHOW RATING
Your rating:
Overall: 4.575/5 (327 ratings)
JAM CHART VERSIONS
Ghost, Roggae, Maze, Piper, Loving Cup, Possum
TEASES
Lady tease in Piper, Stash tease in Possum, Hip Hop Hooray quote in Golgi Apparatus