Jam Chart for Character Zero (14 entries)
| Date | City | Timing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-06-06 | Woodstock, NY | 5:31 | Fun debut. Notable for a strong vocals, tight play, and a decidedly different arrangement, it's clear the song is here to stay, even though "[the band] don't know the end yet." |
| 1997-11-26 | Hartford, CT | 20:43 | This uniquely jammed out version maintains a heavy rock vibe for the duration and features multiple Trey solo sections. -> "2001". |
| 1997-12-02 | Philadelphia, PA | 8:43 | Mellow - or offbeat - by "Zero" standards, the version, strangely musical, produces a fun and surprising "tripping up the steps" sensation. The band, clearly energized, performs at a much slower tempo, the song's customary forceful vibe created by shouting and Trey's deliberate, scuzzy soloing. |
| 1999-07-31 | Niigata, Japan | 9:19 | Prompted by a vocal Trey, the band launches into extended and impassioned jamming, Trey's tone and truly spirited soloing working well to capture, at least in part, the zeitgeist of the touring year. |
| 2000-10-05 | Irvine, CA | 8:30 | > Piper, Trey alights upon a cool, swinging riff, and the version rides this vibe, with on-point fills from Page, the jam not so much building as unfurling, a heavy sort of bass and drum stomp. Play then becomes outright weird when Page shifts to his keys and a moody, brooding, outro ensues, with Trey quoting "Fast Enough For You". |
| 2011-09-14 | Essex Junction, VT | 8:15 | To paraphrase @nicobert: One of the skronkiest, atonal, and harrowing "Zero" jams going. Like trying to walk a tight-rope to see how far he can push the song's structure without anyone noticing, typically on-fire Trey is especially incendiary, at one point using his mic as slide to, in a manner of listening, spew magma into a packed school bus. |
| 2017-07-26 | New York, NY | 9:41 | Woah. Sweet show-closer finds the band biding their time, and taking it slow. Straightaway, the jam assumes a smooth, bluesy feel, tinged with some stomping "Martian Monster" texture. Trey augments his tone to shape a cool solo, Fish and Page drop out, and great guitar is met in equal measure by Mike, whose liquid tone gels as the two share a solo. Casually, the version builds to regain its customary intensity, and Trey leads the band through "Zero's" impassioned conclusion. |
| 2018-08-08 | Camden, NJ | 7:37 | > from a memorable "Melt", "Stop-Start" / "Woo-Driven" action yields to smooth, fluid soloing (featuring Trey's incredibly warm tone), atop bedrock bass, drums, and Page's groovy play. Short but sweet, a fun way to send 'em home. |
| 2021-08-04 | Nashville, TN | 7:05 | Yeah, "Zero" has a JC. And not just to feature 11/26/97. Strange version, and while not on par with, say, what we get during the Baker's Dozen, the play is atypical, with Trey seemingly shearing off blocks of sound, and laying into his effects. Summer 2021. Anything goes. And that's the case here, with this interesting version. |
| 2022-04-21 | New York, NY | 4:42 | Trey loves MSG, a fact made clear here, when, in lieu of capping the set with a typical "Hood," he elects to floor the Garden, moving from zero to sixty in split seconds, bouncing around the room with typically rocking play (featuring a "Heartbreaker" tease) which, surprisingly, breaks for "Tweezer." |
| 2022-04-21 | New York, NY | 2:42 | -> from "Tweezer" to cap a fun, inspired close to a set rearranged and redefined. |
| 2022-05-29 | Orange Beach, AL | 12:54 | Surprise show opener (take a look at 7/3/10 for kicks), the band shows their renewed interest in what, since 96, has primarily been a set, however rocking, holder. Fun, focused, and effects-laden, the improvisation is what we've come to expect from Phish: Effortless. Cool, introspective play seems built to spill to inform a notable "Mike's Song." |
| 2022-08-06 | Atlantic City, NJ | 9:10 | The trend of pushing familiar songs out of their musical comfort zone in 2022 continues with another nicely extended version of this traditional set closer that goes beyond the normal rock peak, first by heaping on some extra fire, and then with an experimental outro that slowly peters out. |
| 2024-07-19 | Mansfield, MA | 9:37 | Second song of Summer '24, Trey demonstrates his commitment to reimagining older material. Atypical, the take seems born from that sonic batter mixed at the Baker's Dozen, the band, in lieu of a typical set-closing rocker, moving from the song, proper, into quieter, contemplative, "jazzy" musings - a welcome change of pace that, while a just dessert, sets the table for a tour full of surprises. |
Jam chart versions are selected because of improvisational and other characteristics that distinguish these from typical versions of the song.
The jam chart team has highlighted some versions with a yellow background; these are the versions the team believes to be especially improvisational, or otherwise notable.
A purple date indicates that you were in attendance.
The jam chart team has highlighted some versions with a yellow background; these are the versions the team believes to be especially improvisational, or otherwise notable.
A purple date indicates that you were in attendance.
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