this show is easily in the upper 1/3 of shows played in the summer of '95, which is certainly saying something. they get things jumping right off the bat with a nice llama. spock's brain, which would all but fall by the wayside after this tour, works well. the rest of the set is fairly standard. bathtub takes off and gives you some nice first set improvisation. melt closes things out in style, but it's also pretty standard for the times.

halley's is a nice little treat to kick things off. chalkdust leads you to believe that this set won't be slowing down, but then they pull out caspian....lame in my book. uncle penn picks things up, and just like red rocks 10 days before, they follow a snappy penn with a monster mike's song. personally, i prefer the red rocks version, but this is no slouch. this groove makes this one of the true hidden gems of summer '95. the work the tension and release masterfully. instead of dipping into hydrogen, they drop into a nice contact, which is followed by a very inspired weekapaugh. the fishman interlude is nice, and highway to hell closes this set in fine style. don't miss the nice slave encore either. page sounds lovely on that one.

This Mike's Song is ridiculous; plain and simple.

What can I say about my first phish show?? I was the ripe age of 14. My brother and I rolled down from Detroit to check out the band he had been hearing about. We got pulled over twice in one hour on the Ohio turnpike and It's a wonder we didn't end up in some Ohio lock up that day (twice)!!

Thankfully we made it to the show on time. As soon as we hit the lot we immediately took steps to getting in the right "frame of mind". From there what was left of my mind was absolutely blown! I had never seen anything like it. The people, sounds, dancing, lights and the energy were the most exciting thing I had experienced in my life to that point.

I'd never seen a band that didn't stop playing to chat or tell a story to the crowd. Phish just played, and played and played! The only song I really knew was highway to hell. But in that moment I had absolutely no idea why they'd be playing an AC/DC song.

In hindsight I count my blessings and recognize how lucky I was to see that Cuyahoga show. An unbelievably well played set and awesome selection of tunes. My highlights were the if I could and foam. Two songs both played with sincere emotion and energy on two completely opposite ends of the spectrum. From beautiful and heart felt to more intense(I really felt like I was falling in that well for a minute).

Thankfully I was not in that well. There was no well at all. In that 4 hours I feel like I got the perfect taste of what phish had to offer. Every show I see it's like hopping in a time machine. Those feelings I had that day in 95 come rushing right back each time. Gotta love it!!

Somewhat ironically, this was one of only two shows I had heard from Summer '95 at the time it was released. I have since gotten my ass in gear and heard quite a few more, because this was a great tour. But I digress...

This is a pretty sweet show punctuated by a really wonderful Mike's Groove. I'll take me a Contact as the "meat" any day! The Mike's in particular is really inventive and has a unique Mike solo section. He plays some really nice melodies. Weekapaug rages nicely, and even gets a little weird. All told, that 35+ minute stretch in the second set is the highlight of the show (and one of the higher points of the tour), but there are still some other great cuts to see here.

Summer '95 was a great tour for Split; this one is relentless. So dissonant. So intense. Foam and Slave get decent workouts as well. Also, Spock's Brain. Everything else is served straight up.

Not a classic show in the grand scheme of things, but a really fun listen nonetheless.

My first show. Highlights included Spock's Brain, If I could (with a great ending), a dreary and very different Mike's Song->Contact, and the crazy dude dancing on the roof during Highway to Hell. Over-all an average show, especially when compared to the gems that followed that December. Great scene though. Blossom is a beautiful place to see Phish.

So, on the one hand this is an official release from '95, which is unquestionably a good thing. One should never complain about an official release, let alone an official release from '95. The playing is as tight and energetic and fun as you would expect. It's a good show, and as filler you get the obscene Theme -> Tweezer -> Tweeprise from a couple nights later, which, hell yeah.

On the other hand, this is one of a handful of official releases that, while I'm happy to have it, does leave me scratching my head. Why *this* show? There are more than a few '95 shows that deserve official release treatment, and if you're looking for something from the summer in particular, I will enthusiastically point you in the direction of 6/26 SPAC, which is a kick-ass show.

As for this show, the Mike's Groove does feature a pretty slick (and unexpected considering where the Mike's Song ends up) -> from Mike's Song to Contact, and the Slave is a particularly beautiful rendition and probably the highlight for me.

Now, on to listen to 6/26...

PHISH, TUESDAY 06/20/1995
BLOSSOM MUSIC CENTER
Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Soundcheck: Funky Bitch, Ginseng Sullivan, My Generation, Daniel Saw the Stone > Rock Lobster, Horn, Blues Jam

SET 1:

Llama: Standard.

Spock's Brain: Standard.

Ginseng Sullivan: Standard. >

Foam: As Page’s solo gracefully winds down, a subtle yet captivating crescendo emerges, courtesy of Mike’s deft bass work during Trey’s introspective solo. The resulting surge of energy is nothing short of electrifying. Would recommend!

Bathtub Gin: Standard.

If I Could: Trey masterfully employs the Leslie, creating a mesmerizing sonic landscape that seamlessly complements the exquisite piano artistry by Page. Would recommend!

Taste: Standard.

I Didn't Know: Standard.

Split Open and Melt: Standard.

SET 2:

Halley's Comet: Standard. >

Chalk Dust Torture: The band deftly weaves intricate musical layers into a compact timeframe. Their improvisational journey ventures through diverse sonic landscapes, showcasing their prowess and delivering a killer, short jam.

Prince Caspian: I had forgotten how short the early iterations of this were. Of the first 15, I want to say 13 of them clocked in under 3 minutes!

Uncle Pen: Last time UP was paired with Mike’s: 6/5/1990, 6/9/1990, 10/19/1990, 2/11/1993, 3/5/1993, 4/29/1994, 6/10/1995, 6/20/1995

Mike's Song: This one has an unassuming 1st jam. However, the subsequent 2nd jam plunges into a mysterious, shadowy realm. Yet, Mike and Fish’s unwavering rhythm, guided by Trey’s deliberate playing, resurrects the energy into a rocking groove. Around the 12:00 to 15:30 mark, pulsating musical motifs emerge, only to recede back into the enigmatic depths. Finally, the band transitions smoothly into the uplifting tones of Contact. This was my first Mike’s and the best I have ever seen! Easy all timer and highly recommended! ->

Contact: Standard. >

Weekapaug Groove: Fairly interesting and unique but there is no ending/payoff so blue balls unfortunately. >

Hold Your Head Up > Cracklin' Rosie > Hold Your Head Up: Standard.

Highway to Hell: So, this actually happened. I was on the lawn and saw it happened. When this started up, a dude ran up that big support thing and got on the roof and was dancing up there. Cops realize it. So does the wook. He scrambles across the roof running towards the other end, down the other support on Mike’s side, down into the lawn and into the crowd and he seemingly got away. One of the craziest things I have ever seen at a show.

ENCORE:

Slave to the Traffic Light: The heavy metal build up in this intro is spectacular and intense. The climax is very peaky. Would recommend.

Amazing Grace: Standard.

Summary: Very good show feels like a 4/5.

Replay Value: Foam, If I Could, Chalk Dust Torture, Mike's Song, Slave to the Traffic Light

The soundcheck's My Generation was performed acoustic. Bathtub Gin contained Long Tall Glasses teases from Trey. This show is available as an archival release on LivePhish.com.
JAM CHART VERSIONS
Foam, If I Could, Chalk Dust Torture, Mike's Song
TEASES
Long Tall Glasses tease in Bathtub Gin

Probably the best If I Could I've ever heard. Just so much spirit in this one. The Foam and SOAM both kill in the first set too. CDT is so impressively tight for how fast and crazy they're playing. Mike's Groove is the obvious high point: Mike's Song fucking goes places and melts so beautifully into Contact. The Weekapaug is no slumper either--excellent drum work by Fish. The Slave encore is a great choice taboot.