Jam Chart for Light (35 entries)
| Date | City | Timing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-05-31 | Boston, MA | 4:42 | Debut. |
| 2009-08-07 | George, WA | 13:15 | After a rough composed section, a largely standard jam suddenly morphs into a highly melodic calypso section, replete with vocal harmonies, before neatly -> to "Taste." |
| 2009-11-01 | Indio, CA | 15:19 | A dissonant/loop jam loaded with spacey effects emerges from "Light" proper. Part of a great sandwich with "Mike's" and "Slave." |
| 2009-12-02 | New York, NY | 16:53 | A multi-section improvisational heavyweight, which includes rhythmic, chordal play, upbeat major mode exploration, and a return to minor mode rocking with dynamic variation and great contributions by Page, Mike and Trey. |
| 2010-08-07 | Berkeley, CA | 17:13 | Outstanding and textured play throughout the entire jam, which also includes an amazing ebb and flow of intensity. Must-hear |
| 2010-10-19 | Augusta, ME | 14:28 | Magnificent and varied throughout touching on at least four or five different jam styles highlighted by an outstanding "calypso" stanza. |
| 2011-08-09 | Stateline, NV | 16:57 | Heavy-duty "Storage Jam"-like improv. While lacking the melodic grandeur of some versions, it out-improvs nearly all other versions in a very cool space out jam. |
| 2012-06-16 | Atlantic City, NJ | 5:01 | A fast break from "Light" -> to a quick rendition of "Manteca." Fantastic stuff. Remainder of the jam is Fish-driven and unlike another "Light" jam. There is quality "Type I" jamming as the band shreds over "Manteca" and "Crosseyed" teases. |
| 2012-06-16 | Atlantic City, NJ | 8:36 | -> in from "Manteca" as the strong "Light" jam really takes off in its aftermath. |
| 2012-08-19 | San Francisco, CA | 14:48 | Outstanding version. Tight throughout with a tension and release that easily rivals great moments in Phish's past. Never sloppy, this version is a pure rager. |
| 2012-09-01 | Commerce City, CO | 23:56 | In football you often hear the phrase "a tale of two halves" and this certainly applies to the infamous "Dick's Light." While the first half of the jam is wrought with pitch effects and a meandering flow, the second is pure fire. It is easily the most identified version in the song's history and worthy of great praise whether the first half lowers your opinion of its ordering in this list or not. |
| 2013-07-05 | Saratoga Springs, NY | 15:07 | A chaotic atonal interlude from the standard jam gives way to a pulsating, reverberating major mode section that settles into a melodic space before -> to "Mango." |
| 2013-07-14 | Columbia, MD | 12:16 | An amazing show of improvisation. Trey stays away from the whammy predominantly and the band engages in a stop/start jam that harkens back to the hey-hole-jams of the early 90's. Infectiously fun, and truly unlike any other version to date. |
| 2013-10-26 | Worcester, MA | 13:14 | An excellent jam breaks from the "Light" at 8:00 into a funky and rhythmic groove. The melodic content gradually increases, Fish add "Hey" vocal interjections, and Mike's bass takes the con. |
| 2013-12-31 | New York, NY | 16:49 | Exceedingly good version. As with most of the 2013 Holiday Run the version itself doesn't stand out with noticable highlights, but the entire version is well above average. Focused throughout with a great peak. |
| 2014-07-13 | New York, NY | 11:34 | Near the 8:30 mark the band really keys in on the jam and Trey absolutley takes off for hyperspace at 10:00 for an amazing, albeit brief, crescendo. |
| 2015-07-24 | Mountain View, CA | 15:12 | A solid version which follows a trajectory similar to other recent strong versions. Towards the end, many hear jamming similar to "I Know You Rider." |
| 2015-08-22 | Watkins Glen, NY | 15:57 | Particularly delicate playing from Trey in the first jam which is broken off by Fish in thunderous fashion. Second jam features calypso rhythms reminiscent of the Augusta version. |
| 2016-01-01 | New York, NY | 17:41 | Trey thankfully abandons the typically atonal, dissonant "Type I" jam in favor of a more melodic and rock-oriented approach. Then Mike leads some solidly mellow grooving, before Fish steps it up into more rhythmic, percussive play. Trey hints at a peaking bliss finale, but instead sticks to the Fish plan. There is adept use of key modulation throughout this "Light." |
| 2016-06-26 | Noblesville, IN | 14:36 | Quickly maneuvers into a relaxed zone with Trey on MuTron, then climbs into blissful major key at Page's insistence and then beautifully slides into space. Page's clavinet really does some work at the end. |
| 2016-07-08 | Mansfield, MA | 19:16 | Amusing vocal challenges and a slight return to atonal phrasing by Trey at first. Then this excellent jam courses through hard charging rock, start-stop "woo"-infused play, and funky, "Manteca"-like action. Serious sonic exploration as each player deploys an instrumental weapon of choice, before finally giving way to cathartic space and the rise of the "Wolfman." |
| 2016-09-04 | Commerce City, CO | 14:24 | Anchoring an hourlong improvisational journey during the last set of summer tour, the sixth Dick's "Light" grows brighter than ever, passing through a quieter space, a patient build, and a celebratory peak, replete with "C&P" quotes and a unique, haunting outro. |
| 2016-10-28 | Las Vegas, NV | 13:41 | Moving beyond some rocking and melodic action in the instrumental section, the jam breaks into some swirling and rhythmic play, before settling into some excellent brooding, probing and charged intergalactic space. |
| 2016-12-30 | New York, NY | 22:43 | Delves into a knotty space out of the verses at Mike's urging, then Page takes the reins and he and Trey bring in a cavalcade of spacey effects and the jam gets foggier and fuzzier, Fishman hanging back and adding color rather than driving the proceedings. Resolves into an almost calypso-style space, with some dissonant and atonal playing from Trey, then slides into an upbeat zone that Trey and Page briefly sing "Party Time" vocals over. The band builds to a pretty sweet peak, we get some more "Party Time" vocals for funsies, then > into "Velvet Sea". A strong jam from a killer set. |
| 2017-01-14 | Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo, Mexico | 15:41 | The typical "Light" jam takes goes mildly dissonant, before shifting to some funk/rock action. This percussive section, with excellent playing led by Fish and Page, moves further and further away from "Light" proper, before eventually settling into a solid cool-down jam in the final few minutes. |
| 2018-08-07 | Camden, NJ | 16:30 | Strong vocals yield to pure, fun-in-the-sun jamming. Trey shapes his tone around 4:30, and alights upon a melody, matched, in equal measure, by Page. Trey lays back and Mike steps up - his play characteristically super - and in-step with Page, who soon bathes the stage with synthetic waves. Trey again enters the fray, finds a warm, melodic line, and the four musicians gel as one, summoning an easy-going, yet spirited vibe. Fish offers terrific fills; sound swells; and energy builds to a plucky rise, culminating with Trey creating a shimmering, feel-good, paint-by-number peak. |
| 2018-08-31 | Commerce City, CO | 17:26 | Historic (the first "Light" to close a second set), the version caps an incredible evening of music. > from a hot "Mercury", the band refuses to cool, working through complex, patterned passages, some symphonic, others psychedelic in nature. Worth multiple listens, locking in on each musician provides a truly wonderful experience. In tremendous, show-closing fashion, play eventually brightens as Trey patiently builds the jam to a euphoric, and protracted, release. |
| 2018-10-21 | Hampton, VA | 16:18 | The jam peels away from typical playing at around 5:45, shifting to some soft, warm grooving. Picking up energy, the familiar "bliss" jam feels imminent, but instead, the playing shifts to some darker, spacey, Mike-led punchy rock. The intensity builds to a peak, before grinding down. |
| 2018-12-30 | New York, NY | 20:01 | Slides into a warm and relaxed Page-driven jam with Fish's woodblock adding color, then dives into a space not too far away from the preceding "Plasma" at Mike's urging, before building to a huge trill-laden finale and dying away into spaciness. Tremendous version. |
| 2019-12-31 | New York, NY | 12:31 | Quickly drops into a low-boil minor-key zone, then heads into more upbeat waters. Swerves into a swaggering and funkier zone with Page doing work on the keys, then delves into a sprightly calypso-adjacent jam thanks to Mike's strong work. Trey takes the jam into more anthemic territory, and this blistering rockout ends with a nice peak. A compact version that still finds multiple moods. > into a ferocious "Twist". |
| 2022-04-22 | New York, NY | 16:11 | Drifts into some sweet major-key jamming before Fish goes calypso mode and the band hits on a really danceable groove. Trey then switches his playing to "anthemic" mode, and the band hits on a powerful "Roll With The Changes"-esque jam. Very powerful music. > into an equally fantastic "Fuego". |
| 2022-05-31 | Charleston, SC | 17:36 | > from "2001." The band feels connected and that connection is on display throughout this great jam. They work effortlessly as one organism as the feel and the tempo of the jam changes. > into "Mountains in the Mist." |
| 2023-07-30 | New York, NY | 13:10 | Strange and cool jam. Play quickly, and especially for "Light," becomes muddled and murky. This isn't to suggest the version isn't musical or, in parts, melodic; rather, the first part of the jam possesses many unique qualities. Just for a bit. Pleasant bleakness considerably brightens, and that by way of experimental play is erased by a bright, peak-driven conclusion. |
| 2024-04-21 | Las Vegas, NV | 22:09 | Jam starts off in typical but inspired fashion, with the band taking a melodic, jazzy/conversational approach highlighted by Fishman and Mike's dynamic, syncopated play. A brief spell of "woos" signals a pivot, as emerging ambience coalesces into a spacey minor key groove. A major key shift then leads to peak-filled anthemic territory, followed by a brief, rhythmic groovy conclusion. > "Ether Edge". |
| 2024-08-15 | Dover, DE | 11:41 | > from "CDT," play is gorgeous, melodic, and enchanting, before a stunning drop into dizzying mayhem eventually >'s into "Prince Caspian." Choice version. |
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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