Thanksgiving Shows

Here is a reprint of an email post I sent out in November 2007 for a Devolver show, with a few edits. Enjoy!!

     Well, of course it's family and friends getting together. But don't worry. I haven't taken an acid trip with Dr. Phil (fat bald dude not Lesh). No the most important part of the Thanksgiving weekend is the music. Let me travel back to the golden years of the 90's, specifically 1991 and 1992. Phish was still playing theatres around the country and had not become the arena rock monster so strong it will make you grind up Oxys and snort them off the ass of a hooker. (No that's not a leftover from my Vegas trip). Their main fanbase was college age kids and someone had a great idea of scheduling a run of shows over the Thanksgiving weekend at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester NY. It was a small vaudeville era theatre that the Dead made their home away from the Fillmore East. And what monster shows they put on there. The SkullFuck album was recorded there and the famed ESP experiment/show was conducted there as well. So the place definitely had some magic about it.
     The Phish shows from '91 and '92 were among the first Phish shows I ever got on tape. All old school shit, Harpua, secret languages, vacuum solos, etc. The shows remain legendary but have yet to be released officially. But then, the tours didn't quite work out for the boys to be playing around Thanksgiving. In ‘94, they almost got it right but played the boring Upper Midwest. In '95, they got it right. Wed. before Thanksgiving they played at the Cap Centre in DC. Saw the Dead there 6 times so it was really cool seeing Phish there. Then off to Pittsburgh for Black Friday. First time seeing the boys in the Steel City. Of course, the Late Fall Tour of 95 went down in history and these shows were a big part of it.
In '96 they spent Thanksgiving on the West Coast but in '97 showed alot of love to people on the East Coast who supported them through their early years. Weekend before Thanksgiving, two nights in Hampton, VA. Now this venue and scene need no introduction and what a way to start off the holiday week. Then, the weekend after Thanksgiving, and more importantly, on my birthday, Phish does a three night stand in Worsester MA. It's an old dying industrial town a half-hour outside of Boston. Tiny little hockey arena (holds 8000) with a laid back vibe. Fall tour, New England, almost a hometown show...DOES it get any better than this?
     The shows were sick. Wide variety of songs including the legendary 50 minute Runaway Jim. Fast forward to '98. Same thing, Hampton weekend before, Worsester weekend after. Now this is the good life. The live album Hampton Comes Alive came from the '98 run. Good times, good venues, good friends. In '99, they didn't tour in November (we would get the legendary last shows before Big Cyprus in Dec. in Hampton) but my other favorite band Widespread Panic played the Sat after Thanksgiving at Hampton. Dirty Dozen Brass Band opened up and then joined them for a few tunes. I went down with two couples that were in the middle of breaking up and it was crazy to say the least. Oh the lengths I will go to for total musical bliss.
     Which leads us to the present. Since 2000, Thanksgiving weekend has always been about Devolver. Classic shows in 2000 and especially 2001(van break downs, Kyle's illness, and my mind blowing, Earth shattering, life affirming birthday show. Dan channeling The Big Chief, Acid Test madness, all in Hanover. Had to have been there to witness it to be believed.) Since then it has been an old reliable schedule. Labor Day weekend, Thanksgiving weekend, and Christmas weekend with a few extras. So come out this Black Friday, November 26 to Kclinger’s. Show starts at 10. Thank you for indulging the sober Hunter S. Thompson in me
The D