Impossible as it may seem, and old as it may make you feel, Phish archivist Kevin Shapiro curated his first "From The Archives" show at The Clifford Ball. Nearly 15 years later, a Phish festival wouldn't feel like a Phish festival without "FTA", and the fanboy with the gig every other fanboy would gladly kill for can still deliver the goods.

Before I get down to the biz at hand, it bears repeating that just last week - and perhaps not coincidentally - Phish released Live Bait #5, a themed compilation of choice nuggets from Phish festivals dating all the way back to 1987 (Ian McLean’s Party at Connie Condon’s Farm). If you haven't picked up LB5 yet then get off your ass and do it now. It presents Phish as a band of seasons, a band of eras, and a band of epochs, whose evolution has been punctuated, among other things, by big balls.

And now, a super ball.

Tonight's Superball IX "From The Archives" show blasted off just like a Phish show - about 45 minutes behind schedule - and your intrepid Phish.net reporter stayed up past his bedtime to capture all the action. Here's how it went down on The Bunny...

"Drowned" -> "Rock & Roll" - PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ - 6/29/00

This combo of classic covers was requested relentlessly this past week on Twitter, and it's no mystery why. The band is clearly locked down and primed from the first bars of "Drowned", and the jam moves effortlessly from idea to idea, never losing direction or purpose, before the band crafts an astonishingly impeccable segue into "Rock & Roll". This version is a mustang - short from nose to tail but muscular, quick, and strong willed -- owing in no small part to the rhythm section's relentless propulsion throughout.

"Waves" - Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, Bethel, NY - 5/27/11 (Tech Rehearsal)

Well, spank my ass and call me collect. Phish may well be more comfortable these days improvising when there's no crowd in front of them (see today's post-"Ginseng" soundcheck jam). This "Waves" is a full-blown 29-minute revelation, emphatically type-II, and undeniably the best known version of this song that Phish has ever played (including the iconic IT reading). This is one of those rare Phish jams in which Page prods the conversation to a darker place. When he does so the rest of the band nearly always follows, and they do so here to great effect. What follows is pure distilled hose. By the time we wake up tomorrow, this recording will be highly sought-after, and hopefully widely available, because it's a tearjerking gem that every fan must hear.

Hey, Kevin, how about a Live Bait of just soundchecks? Please?

"Wolfman's Brother" -> "Simple" - Loring Commerce Center, Limestone, ME - 8/16/97

This "Wolfman's" is classic 1997 Phish - patient, uber-greasy, and harmonically bold. Sections of this jam presage the nakedly emotional and modulating qualities of the Fall 1997 tour to follow, foreshadowing jams like the 11/13/97 "Stash" and the 11/21/97 "AC/DC Bag". Listen for Trey's divebombing E-string scratch right before the deft segue into "Simple", and then revel in the DMT-gnomes-on-Broadway "Odd Couple" quotes that precede the -> into "My Soul".

"Run Like an Antelope" > "Suzy Greenberg" - The Ballpark, Old Orchard Beach, ME - 7/3/94

In China (where fireworks were invented), 1994 was the Year of the Dog. In Phishstory, 1994 was quite possibly the Year of the Antelope. This version is a model of standard-awesome mid-90s tension and release all the way up to the pause. Things then proceed to get good and weird in the pre-"Rocco" section before a nicely raucous ending. As "Suzy" begins, you can hear the trebly crackle of fireworks and a feisty roar of approval from the crowd. While a perfectly appropriate "FTA" selection for an Independence Day weekend festival, this selection doesn't really stand up to its preceding ones, but by this point it's a tall bar.

Some genuinely electrifying Phish was offered up tonight, and I hope all of you enjoyed it as much as I did. Have a safe and thrilling weekend, everyone.

(Chris Bertolet, @bertoletdown)

If you liked this blog post, one way you could "like" it is to make a donation to The Mockingbird Foundation, the sponsor of Phish.net. Support music education for children, and you just might change the world.