It Was 20 Years Ago Today: Phish, April 8th, 1994, University Park, PA

      Hello everyone. I hope your brackets didn't take too much of a hit. Mine did because I am awful at gambling on sports. But I'm not here to talk about March Madness, I'm here to discuss another type of madness, the kind that grabs you when you see an incredible band live for the first time. While I had no idea just how important this band would become to me, this is where it all began. So without further ado, let's get it on as I present another installment of It Was 20 Years Ago Today, Phish , Live at Rec Hall in University Park, PA on April 8, 1994.
       It was my junior year at Penn State. I had at least Picture of Necter and Hoist at the time. I definitely did not have any shows on tape. So I knew very little about Phish other than what I had read in Relix magazine. This was way before the Internet so information was scarce. Rec Hall is a rather small place, so as soon as this show was announced it became a hot ticket.
      I clearly remember people camping out overnight. I did not but was still able to score tickets. Pretty sure everyone on campus that I knew got tickets but I did read people following the Tour got shutout as it was sold out.
       We were pregaming at our apartment on West College Ave, which was about 5 blocks from the venue. Another pre show party was even closer to the venue which was next on our travel itinerary. But as we were chilling out, a news flash came across the TV screen. Kurt Cobain was dead, evidently from a self inflicted gunshot wound. Damn, I was floored. I loved Nirvana. Some of the people I was with couldn't have cared less, but I was really stunned. It was a truly sad time in the rock and roll community but the show must go on.
       We made our way to the other preshow party on the north side of campus. Ran into a bunch of people from the York area. There was one guy running around in a dress. He said something to the effect of, “Don't sweat it. It makes it really comfortable to dance in”. I replied something to the effect, “ No worries, I been to a bunch of Dead shows”. It was way more common back then to see that. As we are walking into venue, someone offered me a dose. I really wish I had taken it.

Friday, 04/08/1994
Recreation Hall, Penn State University, State College, PA

Set 1: Maze, Glide, Foam, I Didn't Know^[1], Punch You In the Eye, The Horse^[2] > Silent in the Morning > Down with Disease, If I Could, Lawn Boy, Llama
Set 2: Split Open and Melt, McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters, It's Ice -> Digital Delay Loop Jam^[3] -> It's Ice > Sparkle > Harry Hood, Bouncing Around the Room, Big Ball Jam -> David Bowie, Suzy Greenberg
Encore: Contact > Big Black Furry Creature from Mars^[4]
[1] Mimi Fishman on cymbals
[2] The beginning featured Trey on acoustic guitar.
[3] First ever Digital Delay Loop Jam.
[4] Mimi Fishman on "1-2-3-4".
Teases:
· Stairway to Heaven, Misty Mountain Hop, and Owner of a Lonely Heart teases in Suzy Greenberg
Notes: The beginning of The Horse featured Trey on acoustic guitar. It's Ice contained the first digital delay loop jam. Suzy included a Stairway to Heaven tease from Trey as well as Misty Mountain Hop and Owner of a Lonely Heart teases. I Didn’t Know included Mimi Fishman on cymbals. Mimi also counted off the break in BBFCFM.

You can stream it here 

 http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1994-04-08

      Maze was a great opener. The first 5 songs kind of sum up Phish at the time. Intense jamming, vocal gymnastics, weirdness, and a less intense type of jamming like in Foam. Overall, a very entertaining first set.

       The second set really blew me away. The Split was REALLY intense. I liked McGrupp because they name checked myself. It's Ice is considered one of the best versions of all time and I remember thinking, Why is that drummer standing on his stool? The Big Ball Jam was unlike anything I'd ever seen before and Suzy Greenburg seemed like a flat out rock and roll barn burner. I used to think if they ever released that as a single it would go to number 1.

      The encore was something else altogether. Contact was nice and mellow followed by some of the heaviest of heavy shit I've ever heard. Plus, the drummer's mom was involved in the second song of the night. Add in the lights, and my young brain was left scrambled.

One of the few photos from the 90's of myself

      As we left I really had no idea how much of an impact Phish would have on the next 20 years of my life After a show like that my first thought was “ok when do I see them again?” They were playing at a venue in Philly I had never heard of. And in that summer in 1994, I saw Phish at the Mann Music Center. Which is where they are playing again this summer, 20 years later.

Dave Kemp

BA American Studies

PhD Rock and Roll

It Was 20 Years Ago Today : Grateful Dead 3/21/94, Richfield, OH

      Good morning. I hope all is well in your 'hood as we all anxiously await the unveiling of Phish Summer Tour dates. But it is still March, and back in the 90's March meant one thing: Grateful Dead Spring Tour. I was blessed enough to hit 4 of them. So that means it is time once again time to jump into the wayback machine for another installment of my It was 20 Years Ago Today series. Today, we go to Richfield, Ohio for the March 21^st, 1994 performance by the good ole Grateful Dead.
      I was still at Penn State at the time and we were at the end of one of the most brutal winters I have ever experienced. State College had eclipsed their previous record for snowfall and also broke some records for lowest temperatures. It was really an extreme season. So I was really ready for spring tour.
     Myself and Nad ended up staying at a friend's apartment in Slippery Rock, PA. I'll just call her LST. I had heard how great the Rock was and upon arrival, I was a little underwhelmed. Her apartment was a dump, with shitty wood paneling. My first thought was it looked like a place were welfare recipients hang out and shoot drugs in between their checks.
      So while we were hanging out, we also were chilling out. LST kept referring to “the greens”. I thought it was just a different strain of bud. I found out later it was bud laced with angel dust or formaldehyde. I remember thinking the ceiling had fallen in on me, and I was slowly sinking into the couch. As I was siting there, I smelled something burning. What I didn't realize for a few minutes was the cherry from my cig had fallen off and my t shirt was slowly smoldering, right underneath my nose. Welcome to the Rock.
      We somehow survived and went to the show the next day. It was about an hour away and we had no issues getting there. I was supposed to meet my buddy Kristian at will call but we never met up. I then saw him much later in the bathroom at setbreak. This evidently was such a crazy timing thing I listed it as the “Most incredible thing that happened to you at a Show” on a questionnaire for Deadbase.

03-21-94 Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, Oh. (Mon)
1: Greatest> Bertha, Same Thing, Peggy-O, Queen Jane, West L. A., Eternity> Tennessee Jed
2: Picasso Moon> New Speedway> Victim> He's Gone> Jam> Drumz> Lovelight> Stella Blue> Lovelight E: Liberty

last "West L. A.": 05-21-93 [62]
 

You can stream it here

https://listentothedead.com/1994/3/21

      Greatest>Bertha is a great opening combo. The playing is nice and tight, with everyone hitting their marks. I mention this because if memory serves me correct, there was a lot of sloppiness by the time summer rolled around. Eternity is a bit of a slog, but I didn't care, as I was seeing the muther fuckin' Grateful Dead!
      Second set was really good. Looking back, Picasso Moon is a pretty decent second set opener. New Speedway is a another personal favorite of mine. The Jam after He's Gone is really good. I can't really put a finger on any of the themes they played around with but it's all good. The Space out of Drumz was good and the intro to Lovelight was incredible. Vince hits a really high, long, and outer worldly note on his keybiard as the band goes into Lovelight.
      They then surprise the hell out of me by going into Stella Blue without finishing Lovelight. Even before the Internet (and thanks to multiple volumes of Deadbase), I was VERY familiar with the Dead's setlists. It was super rare to come out of space with Lovelight. And this Stella Blue is without a doubt the best version I have ever witnessed. Jerry's voice sounded so full and he was hitting notes I bet he hasn't hit since the early 80's. Listen to the “nothing comes for free” line. Wow!!! How good is this Stella Blue? I looked on Youtube and sure enough, someone uploaded just that song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSXB-e1bYGU

      And how do you top a version of Stella Blue that good? You go back into Lovelight!!!! I was so ecstatic and out of my mind that if they did Johnny B Goode for the encore, I would have flung my orange fishing cap that was almost always upon my head in the early 90's (it was my secret homage to the Manchester scene of the late 80's that spawned the Stone Roses). Alas, the boys said No, keep your hat and we will just give you an average Liberty.
      So we spill out into the night, find our car and are ready to roll. Except one problem : LST's roommate is no where to be found. I can't remember when we lost her but I do know we waited over an hour until the police kicked us out of the Lot. Now remember kids, this was way before cell phones so we had no way to contacting her. Evidently, she was/is such a flake that L and her made plans on the assumption they would get separated. We finally got back to L's apartment and there she was waiting for us, with a packed bowl of the “greens” no doubt.
      So there you have it ; another chapter in the journey that, along with an honest tune, has taken me this far. Have a great week and the next time I see you it will be another episode of this series. But this one is gonna be a doozy, as I will be retelling the first time I saw The Phish from Vermont.



Dave Kemp
BA American Studies
PhD Rock and Roll
   

Phish, 10/29/13, Reading PA

      What's up everyone? I hope you survived this latest winter storm. I went to bed and they were calling for 6 to 10 inches. Got up and only had 3 if that lol. But I already had used a vacation day so I'd thought I'd catch up on somethings I've been neglecting, like Kempepedia. So today I'll finally get around to writing about a show I saw last Fall, Phish live in Reading , PA 10/29/2013.
      Like so many dying Rust Belt cities in Pennsylvania, I have a long and personal history with Reading. My mom was born and raised there. My dad also had an apartment he kept there because he had so many friends that lived in the area. They met when my Dad was working at Sears and the rest is my history.
       I spent a lot of time as a child in Reading as my divorced grandmother and grandfather both lived in the area. My grandmother even had an apartment within 4 blocks of the arena. I also had been to this arena back in 2004 to see Pearl Jam and many other artists on the Vote For Change tour. So a Phish show was as good as any reason to return.
      Flashback to August 6^th. I was in LA for the end of Phish's West Coast swing. I got up and had a hold on my credit card for 2 tickets for the Fall Tour. I ended Summer Tour and knew I was good for Fall Tour. How cool is that?
      I had gotten Halloween but the order I put on my mom's card got Reading so I was good to go. Another friend from Hanover, who has since moved out to the great Northwest, needed a Reading,. Plus, he has been born there. I was able to hook him up and and everyone was covered.
      I went to the show solo because I was going to crash at my brother's outside of Philly. I had to pick up Switzer and Josh at the airport the next day and my brother's crib was exactly an hour from Reading and an hour from the airport. On the way there, I was passed by Watson on the road but then never saw him at the show.

Tuesday, 10/29/2013
The Santander Arena, Reading, PA

Set 1: Cars Trucks Buses, Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan, Ginseng Sullivan, Wolfman's Brother, Sparkle > Walk Away, Divided Sky, Split Open and Melt^[1] > Julius
Set 2: Down with Disease^[2] > Taste, Twenty Years Later > Piper > Backwards Down the Number Line, You Enjoy Myself, Grind
Encore: Bouncing Around the Room > Reba, Good Times Bad Times
[1] Unfinished.
[2] Unfinished; Pop Goes the Weasel tease from Mike during intro.
Teases:
· Pop Goes the Weasel tease in Down with Disease
· Dave's Energy Guide tease in Taste
Notes: Melt and DWD were unfinished. Mike teased Pop Goes the Weasel during the DWD intro. Trey teased Dave's Energy Guide during Taste.

You can stream it here

http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/2013-10-29

      The Lot scene was pretty good. The had all the vending in one lot but pretty much let people do what they want. Saw a lot of people locally and from the West Coast. The unifying thread? Hanover, PA, The Place to Be!

      Went inside and found a good spot. First set was solid and my friend Renee finally got her first Sparkle after 17+ years of waiting. Melt was good with a dark jam at the end. But like most shows on this Tour, it was all about the second set.

      We got a Down with Disease opener and they tore it up. Trey unleashes what might be the prettiest solo I have ever heard him lay down. It was like sunshine flowing out of him. It was all HOSE. Really incredible stuff. Sounded rather Allman Brothers-esque, which got everyone thinking about Halloween and what album they might cover. Taste allowed us to catch our breath but that was no slouch either, including a Dave's Energy Guide tease, obviously in tribute to myself and my relationship to Reading.

       The surprise highlight of the set was 20 Years Later. A good friend told me this song really spoke to him as he looked back where he was 20 years ago. It spoke to every music and jam lover on this night. They went into a deep 3.0 jam that was just out of this world. I heard Rider teases and Watson heard the Wheel teases. I'm sure other people heard other Dead-esque jams throughout the song. Words really can't do it justice so you will just have to listen to it yourself. Really good, grade A stuff, like only the Phish from Vermont can do.

       And what can be said about the encore? 3 songs, including Reba! Wow. This was definitely a you snooze you lose, smack dab in the middle of the week, last show before a hyped big show.
      Here's to everyone having a good week and maybe even some Summer Tour dates to be announced!


Dave Kemp
BA American Studies
PhD Rock and Roll