My first show, so not possible for me to be partial about the comparative quality of the music.

It was very crowded at the show, and rowdy too. I was told that the Phish show 9 months earlier at the same venue was sparsely attended. I guess a lot of people had been "educated" in that timeframe, me included.

Regarding the laughter from Trey during Cavern, it was actually that a girl jumped up on stage just in time to be nabbed by security at the exact moment Trey was singing "Taking turns at grabbing her."

I also remember lots of crowd participation during Forbin, including waving of hands in the air to simulate the waters of the Great Mississippi.

Loved the show, got me hooked for the next 20 years (and counting)....

Yep, that girl's timing in jumping on stage for the lyric was pretty amazing. Even more amazing. Her name was Suzy - or so she said. My buddy and I had talked with her back by the bar (surprise surprise) earlier in the set. She claimed to know the band. I guess she needed to remove her mask.

Note how the second set opened. So, I'll always remember this one as "The Suzy Show".

Phish was a lot of fun in small venues.

Continuing to mimic their Spring tour dates, we have the second of two 1992 shows at Mississippi Nights. Thirteenth show of Fall tour. First set edges out the second for me. The recording was a little slow making everyone sound a little tired at times.

Llama rocks for a good start. Foam has some rough moments and feedback early on as we get the sound EQ'd. Very dynamic jam, but a rushed end. Poor Heart was solid. Stash was just ok tonight, nothing too special. Glide was well played into a triple shot of new Rift material. All well played. Next would be the high point for me, as I love a good Forbin story. Great story from Trey tonight and a really good Mockingbird to follow. Cavern is a solid closer, with lots of laughter during the lyrics from Trey. Crazy stuff going on in the crowd? Great first set!

After mentioning squashed people, Suzy leads off second set. Nothing too special. Bowie's intro has the usual antics, and what was Mike doing between sets? He is all over the place in Bowie itself. Esther also sounds tentative. Trey even slips a word or two. A long Possum breaks the spell and lets them just jam. Ice is really weak tonight. Needs more polishing. Page to the rescue in a nicely played Coil. Trey asks the crowd to be dead quiet for Carolina with the usual shushing. Hood was pretty well played. Maybe a few bumps here and there. On to another version of Faht by Fishman. These are much more subdued than his usual rowdiness. Trey makes the HYHU rowdy instead. YEM has its problems early on, but the jam makes you forget all about that. Nice Mike solo at the end. The past three vocal jams have ended with the church choir harmonizing. New trend in vocal practice? Anyway, ok second set.

Double encore tonight starts off with a cool Fee. Very mellow with megaphone verses. Rocky Top is on fire! So fast they almost fall off the horse.

Nice show overall tonight. A few rough songs in there. The Forbin's story is worth the listen!

https://forum.phish.net/forum/permalink/1377827296

It's generally accepted that there is no need for Phish to tour as heavily as they did in the early 1990s. They have earned name recognition in the music industry, as well as the reputation for being one of the most lucrative live acts ever. But every monument needs a pedestal, and Phish clearly made sure that they were building their careers on a firm foundation.

The Fall '92 tour schedule was hectic, setting the pace for the next two years: 21 shows in 25 days, traveling over 4000 miles to 19 cities; a grueling schedule by even the most road-rashed tourhead standards. From one perspective, Phish didn't need to undertake this whirlwind run to the Midwestern U.S. and back. They had already toured for 2 1/2 months the previous spring, then spent the summer as a support act for several high-profile artists and festivals, then recorded and mixed an album of really, really difficult original material in the fall. (Trey's face in the band photograph included in the Rift release is an illustration of exhaustion). With a record deal already inked and a new album in the can, most bands would have used the final weeks of the year to take a break from the road, focusing instead on music videos and publicity appearances, attempting to maximize their public visibility.

Wisely, Phish and their manager Jon Paluska had recognized that this was not the most effective path to success for them. Instead, the band went out on tour again. Their contract with Elektra provided for no monetary support from the label for tours, but the band knew that touring was the best way to expand their audience. Phish wanted to improve their PA and lighting systems, and add a grand piano on stage, and travel in a tour bus with sleeping accommodations instead of a riding in a van and doubling up in hotel rooms. So they ground out this tour, playing shows for likely around $2,000 a gig, and put their profits back into the organization, believing that this strategy would pay dividends in the years to come.

As for 12/4/92, it's one of those shows where the listener must dig a little for highlights. The first set is a "Fall 1991 special" until FEFY and Maze bring us up to date, and Trey's Forbin's>Mockingbird story is a good one (evidence that Trey wasn't lying when he claimed to be a submarine in Time Turns Elastic). Bowie contains secret language but Possum does not, which is exceptional for 1992, and there's a goofy "Aw f***!" signal in the Hood intro, plus a "Milk!" exclamation from Trey at the end. And don't forget to check out the show reviews that explain why Trey cracked up during Cavern, and subsequently asked everyone to "try to be cool" before the second set!

And there's another unidentified tease - check out what Page plays on the B-3 at 7:30 of YEM. I'd really like to know what song he is teasing - anyone?