https://forum.phish.net/forum/permalink/1377836606

The legacy of Phish in Philadelphia is an old story worth retelling. The city was one of the earliest touring hubs for Phish during 1989-1990, likely for its proximity to Trey's boyhood home of Princeton, NJ. They played enough shows in the area to establish a definite fan base there, and by 1992 the Philly crowds was becoming really rowdy at the shows (you can hear the same brave soul shouting for "Crazy Train" during 3/21/92, 11/25/92, and 5/2/93. Stay classy, Philly). Phish graduated to the legendary Spectrum venue in 1995, and the Spectrum can claim to be one of the few venues to host Phish shows in all three eras of the band.

Trey's affinity for the Spectrum is also well known, not least because it was the home of the Philadelphia Flyers, who won consecutive Stanley Cups while young Ernest Anastasio III was still playing for the Lawrence Pee Wee hockey squad. [I don't know of any confirmation of this, but I suspect Trey's use and subsequent abuse of painkillers was a result of his appearance in a Flyers Celebrity hockey game at the venue in March of 1997. His posture on stage strikes me as very "relaxed" on the Walnut Creek '97 DVD, and this would also explain the random "All Fall Down" signal at the venue on 12/11/99.] Trey has noted that his first rock show was Jethro Tull at the Spectrum, while the frequency of Bowies at this hallowed venue leads me to infer that Trey also saw the Picasso of Pop perform there during his "Serious Moonlight" tour in July of 1983, just a few weeks before Trey matriculated at the University of Vermont.

Suffice it to say that the band has delivered more knockouts at the Spectrum than Rocky himself, and there are many fans who cite shows from this venue as among their all-time favorites. The 1996 NYE run, however, remains overlooked by many fans, mainly due to the disappointing 12/30-31 shows at Boston's Fleet Center, for which more blame falls on the venue than on the band. The 12/29 Spectrum show earns the highest rating on .net from this run, but this show from the previous night deserves recognition as well.

There was very little rust for the band to shake off as it geared up for another NYE run. The first standout song of the show is Wolfman's Brother, showing the initial signs of the metamorphosis that would occur the following spring, and a notably smooth transition leads into a speedy It's Ice. The DDLJ > TMWSIY reminds me of the contemplative My Left Toe from the Siket Disc, and the Mike's > Strange Design > Weekapaug Groove also features some softer playing, with Weekapaug ending with a Page piano solo a la Squirming Coil. Those that were there may have complained that these quieter moments "sucked the energy out of the whole city", but the playing holds up on tape and then some!