[This is the second of a three-part series exploring Phish's past excursions in Las Vegas, courtesy of user @paulj Paul Jakus, Executive Director of the Phish Studies Association.]

“[Las Vegas] was first financed by crime syndicates from back East, then a Mormon-run local bank, [and later] underwritten by Wall Street” – William L. Fox, Driving by Memory

Growth of the Las Vegas tourism industry in the mid-20^th century was constrained by its restricted access to investment capital, and stained by its ongoing association with organized crime. Bankers E. Parry Thomas and Jerome “Jerry” Mack (T&M), namesakes of the Thomas & Mack Center, were instrumental in managing Las Vegas’s transformation from outlaw ownership to corporate cash cow.

Operating through their Valley Bank, T&M’s collective fingerprints remain evident in every part of today’s Las Vegas. Investing valley-wide in commercial and real estate ventures, and politically advocating for critical water, sewer, and transportation infrastructure, the bankers were also key figures in the founding and expansion of what was to become the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

In the 1950s the only option for higher education in Las Vegas was a small extension of the University of Nevada’s main Reno campus, with night classes meeting at a local high school. Foreseeing future growth and, Nevada Southern College was established in the mid-1950s (later renamed as Nevada Southern University), with Jerry Mack appointed to its first Board of Regents

Increasing interest by hotel-casinos in off-Strip locations threatened the footprint of NSU’s small campus in the late 1960s. Thomas and Mack secured and donated 400 acres immediately adjacent to campus; T&M were also politically influential in getting NSU renamed as UNLV.

The photo shows the UNLV campus in 1972, looking to the northwest. The Sands hotel tower, site of today’s Venetian, is in the left of center distance; the International Hotel (now Westgate) is on the right edge. The Thomas & Mack Center would be built west of the tower in the lower left.

As a kid, I went to NSU/UNLV basketball games at the 6,300 seat Las Vegas Convention Center Rotunda. When Coach Jerry Tarkanian was hired —as perfect a fit for outlaw Las Vegas if there ever was one—college basketball became Las Vegas’ newest attraction. Tarkanian’s Runnin’ Rebels first made the Final Four in 1977 and remained a national power through the 1990s. Demand for basketball tickets was as hot as for any Las Vegas show, and the need for a larger arena was clear. Feasibility studies for the new arena were paid for by T&M, and the Center later named Thomas & Mack was erected on land donated by the pair.

The 18,000 seat Thomas & Mack Center was built as a large multipurpose arena. Its December 1983 grand opening featured a concert by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Diana Ross. The Center has served as a concert venue for many others, with its first rock concert by Loverboy. Other notable concerts at T&M include U2, Garth Brooks, Elton John, Tina Turner and, of course, Phish.

The Phish that arrived at T&M on November 13, 1997 was very different from the Phish that had appeared at the Aladdin just 11 months prior. After three tours earlier in the year spent honing a new cow-funk sound, their first Thomas & Mack show opened the fabled Fall 1997 “Phish Destroys America” tour. The Stash from this show is justifiably well-known, but fans of the Deer Creek ’97 Cities will find its cousin in this night’s Tweezer. If you like a dark Mike’s followed by a breakneck Weekapaug, this show has you covered.

In 1998, Phish played their first Las Vegas Halloween concert at T&M (Velvet Underground’s Loaded). The night before, believed at the time to be the band’s anniversary, had a first set bust-out of Long Cool Woman, last played 15 years before. The second set featured a series of seamless segues.

Phish returned to T&M in Fall 2000 as the band headed toward its hiatus. The first night featured the high energy misogyny of Kid Rock in a four-song guest appearance that offended many fans. The next night’s performance was an early webcast during which Trey took the opportunity to explain the hiatus (“via cyberspace, and all that”) and the band’s desire to return “for another 17 great years.” The audience pulled an outstanding prank when, amidst a lighter-lit arena, they sang a remarkably tight version of Happy Birthday to Trey at the start of the second set. Unfortunately, the audience performance is available only on the official DVD of this show.

Following the hiatus, Phish returned to Las Vegas for the second and third shows of their Winter 2003 tour. The 2/16/2003 show is the better regarded of the two, with its first set opener of Bowie->Catapult->Bowie and a second set Piper as the highlights.

And then came April 2004. Though each night had its moments (particularly Twist on Night 2), most of this run was just off. Jams failed to take shape. Kuroda wasn’t there. Trey’s voice was shot. Fish’s sonic dress didn’t work. The band tried to rap—more than once. Subsequent events proved this wasn’t merely a bad weekend of poorly received performances.

Just 39 days after leaving T&M, Phish announced its permanent breakup. Amid health concerns and fears of becoming a nostalgia act, they were done for good. In the words of Trey, “We’re cooked.” Pick your metaphor: Phish came to Vegas and saw the fading embers of a dying career, or Phish imploded as if it were an aging Las Vegas hotel.

I prefer the hotel metaphor. As William L. Fox notes, Las Vegas transforms itself “by simply blowing up its past.” The Aladdin becomes Planet Hollywood. The Marina Hotel becomes the MGM Grand. The Sands becomes the Venetian. And Phish? More than a decade later, a renewed and refreshed Phish returned to the Las Vegas stage and completely reinvented their Halloween tradition. Part 3 of this series will focus on Phish’s next Las Vegas venue, the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Sources:

Fox, William L. 1999. Driving by Memory. University of New Mexico Press.

Moehring, Eugene P. 2014. Reno, Las Vegas, and the Strip: A Tale of Three Cities. University of Nevada Press.

Wikipedia. Numerous pages.

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