This was my first show...I was a freshman at Castleton State and went with a bunch of people who were Vermonters and begged me to go...well I got a costume together and went dressed up as Jesus...I actually had a real crown of thorns and had paper stuck under my long hair to hold it in place...

The show was a lot fo fun I recall Trey handing my brother a sack full of macaroni and we all were shaking these boxes during possum...Antelope stands out in my head as I recalled Treys face contorted and stressed screamming "set the gear shift to the hi gear of your soul....run like an antelope, out of control" I was sold right then and there. The head space provided to me also was unforgetable. I was thinking, just who the hell are these guys?..well I saw 3 more shows in 1989 then about 60 more until 1994.

Posted to rec.music.phish and/or submitted to the legacy Phish.net site...

Trey was wearing leather pants, no shirt, little devil horns, and a big set of latex strap-on artificial breasts with chains connecting the nipples. He was having a lot of fun dancing during the opening band's (Ninja Custodian) set, running around and fondling his "nipples", etc.Mike had a big hairy dog-face mask. Phishman was in regalia too, but I can't quite recall what...

It was an amazing and very unique show. For instance, before playing David Bowie, the band distributed HUNDREDS of boxes of mac&cheese to the audience--one for everybody in the packed place. All so people could shake their boxes like maracas during the extended opening drum line that Fish plays on hihat.You don't see that at every show!

Also had definitely the best Antelope I've ever heard... as Trey sustains the final guitar note he yells "Thank you... drive safely... because we, we can stage a runaway golfcart marathon... next year... right here..." Amazing.

This was maybe my 5th show? I had junta on a black nondescript tape since 4/14/89 at Johnson. I was a student at Johnson State College in Johnson VT. I remember hearing about this show at Goddard at the last minute and talking this guy into going because I had seen them several time and loved them already. He was totally down, had no idea what he was getting into. We pulled into a long line of cars as the Goddard parking lots were already full. I started running into all my friends from college. Someone says hey man want some mushrooms. Sure I said. A few moments later Ninja Custodian started.

As an aside this was the second time I've heard Ninja and I didnt love them. The first time was on Cliff St in Stowe at a party (which is funny because it's right across from the Stowe police but they didn't bother us at all, long live 1988), the band was friends with Ninja and Trey was there because Sue is from Stowe, and it's where I met Fish and Page while playing hacky sack oddly enough. Not that it was a big deal, I think I had seen the band 3 times at that point and they were just a really special garage band and nothing more. So I appreciated them but they were just guys.

Back to 10/31/89, it is not normal for it to be 70F, on Halloween, at night, in Vermont in 1989. But it was. I was wearing what would be called docksiders. But they weren't the sperry docksiders that were popular at the time, they were slightly different and I would say cooler because they were different. But same idea. Once ninja was done the mushrooms kicked in. Even though I was totally into Phish already from the junta tape I think it was this night that forever cemented them in my mind. I was all over the place as a psychonaut is. I find myself in the middle of the crowd looking right at trey with his devil ears on. And he's is looking right at me saying he looks too much like dave, turns out my name is dave. I freaked the fuck out, how does this guy know my name!!! (btw you will note the show on phish'in says it's incomplete. I assure you they played mcgrupp). I remember the mac and cheese being passed out. And then I went outside into the rain. The 70 degree rain it was soooo warm. And I danced like I never danced before and my leather docksiders that werent sperry's melded to my feet and I dubbed them my tripping shoes from that moment on. And I wore them on every trip after, and there were many of them. I miss those shoes, and this was before cavern. No one told me to take care of my shoes but I did anyway.

Anyway it was during highway to hell that I realized that my ride had left without telling me. (come to find out he absolutely hated the band). I am now in Plainfield a long way from Johnson with no way home tripping on mushrooms. I remember loving contact but having no interest in run like an antelope because Im freaking out that Im out of my mind at this college that is even more fucked up than mine (at johnson even professors went on dead tour) and I have no way home. I find all my other friends had left too. The show ends and Im just in the parking lot watching everyone leave. And I finally see someone I know. He's like what are you doing kegmaster? (my name because I was good at running kegs at the time). His crew gave me a rideand it was the most terrifying drive of my life. The warmth of the night led to endless fog. If you have ever driven in Vermont you will know that roads like rt 14 and 15 are often curvy and crazy especially in the fog with a driver, who you know is also tripping and driving like it's a video game. I am honestly lucky to be alive after that, I cant believe I didnt literally shit myself. But I made it home and here I am today. Just got home from 8/26/23 and one of the best shows I have ever seen after all these years and something made me want to reflect and write this review.

Just got done listening to this show and man its a goodin! the david bowie was very very long for that time and had some nice jam jam to it! also I love hearing phish when they were first starting to see what songs go good back to back like - oh kee pa> suzy greenberg

https://youtu.be/YaRciLEOKxc?si=yk_JPayGUP6J1wmR
I was able to locate the video footage online from the first set of this Phish Halloween show on October 31, 1989 at Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont. This set and show are very good I enjoyed the video. The David Bowie from this show is a highlight from their early years. I hope you enjoy this footage and find it helpful.

The sound quality on this one is ok. There’s some noticeable CD skipping during Sky. Set 2 seems to be from a higher gen. source tape.

A nice upbeat Oh Kee Pah>Suzy gets things started. YEM was in slot three again like 10/26 but this version is much stronger. Trey asks Chris to cue up the mirrored ball during a somewhat vocally sloppy version of Fee.

At the start of set 2 They handed out boxes of Mac & Cheese for the first time. A master recording would pick up the audience participation but gets lost due to tape hiss. Bowie goes type 2 around 12 minutes in. It’s about the same length as 10/26 but is far less experimental.
Trey nailed the lyrics to Reba again. The dark Bag it Tag it section was mainly instrumental tonight with Mike laying it on thick with his new effect. Strong jam. Mike shines on this one!Sound quality improves a bit at the start of Forbin. Alumni has a few cuts at the start of the song. Possible tape flip? Strong Antelope to close things out but unfortunately cuts out during the jam. Solid playing tonight but nothing out of the ordinary for Fall ‘89