this show is pretty freaking solid. those that were there say that there was a little bit of bad mojo in the audience. i guess there was a fight either over by the sbd or in the taper's section. i believe it was during set break. either way, it does not really carry over to the tape. this show has some very serious highlights.

the first set is non stop fun. yamar, in my opinion, is kind of an ironic opener. yamar always reminds me of good old fashioned out door summer fun. i'm sure that december 12th in providence was not a summery day. anyway, sample gets the newbies in the game, and a very good early set divided sky works very well. trey soars on this one. to this point, it really has a "summer tour" feel. life boy takes the set into a darker realm. punch you in the eye works well. page plays well in the intro. the horse/silent is always a good first set selection, imo. antelope works really well here. trey, as usual, burns through this one. antelope ended up not closing this set down. instead, they play a nice little i'm blue, i'm lonesome, and then drop a nice little set closing coil.

free is always a good set opener. the boys come out ripping right off the bat. like theme from the bottom, this is a song that debuted in '95 and really came out of the gates burning. sparkle keeps the energy level up before a mind blowing down with disease. they were not really at the point yet where they jammed this one out routinely, so i think this one caught the crowd off guard. this jam just keeps moving and moving and moving. fishmand and gordon lock into a really nice groove. page and trey explore nicely right above them. eventually, this one drifts into a nice little lizards. an early simple fits kind of oddly here, but it is well-played. run away jim is also kind of an odd selection, but i like it in the set closing slot. nothing really to see at the end of this show, but oh doggy, that down with disease is an early beast.

highlights:

set 1:
yamar, punch, antelope, i'm blue/i'm lonesome

set 2:
free, dwd>lizards

I chose to review this show after noting one lone review while many of the surrounding shows have so many accolades. This seemed odd so I decided to see why, especially since the show offers an intriguing setlist with what looks to be a monster DWD. I had caught 12.9.95 and its monstrous YEM so this DWD held promise.

Ya Mar is such a great opener. It's a feel-good, positive, party tune. It sets the mood and now I'm wishing they'd open with it more frequently. This version doesn't disappoint. Sample is fine, and Divided Sky is its typical, awesome self. We're off to a fantastic start!

Lifeboy - I used to groan at this one but now I like it. I enjoyed this version and wish they'd bring it back more often. A nice breather before the high energetics of PYITE, a song I like in the opening slot but I welcome anywhere, anytime. I love this tune and here we get a well-executed version.

After Horse > Silent, we get a fiery 'Lope that I just love. I'm sure many in the crowd thought this was the set closer. How could they not after a ridiculous version like this, which just builds and builds like the best of them? And how many times have I fallen for this trick by this band? So this moves the tune into a fairly rare mid-set position, which is a nice treat. They close out the set with lovely versions of I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome and Coil.

And this brings us to Free to open set II. I love these early versions. Just a bit exploratory while staying within the confines of the tune. I also love the contrast here between the quietness during the vocals and how they crank it up between the lyrics and during the jam. I wish they would take this one further these days. Even at 12.30.15 everyone seemed to take note when the band took the tune out for a slightly longer than usual spin.

Sparkle was a breather before the clear centerpiece of the show. This DWD is ridiculous and is such a prototypical example of how Phish was connecting as a band that Fall and how in tune they were with each other. Despite the length it didn't seem like there were any moments where they lost their way. The tune builds to a pretty intense peak, containing elements that are Llama-esque, before dissolving into a really nice ambient jam near the end. Overall this is a pretty awesome version.

Lizards, Simple, Jim to close out the set. Phew. All three are fine but pale in comparison to DWD. The Jim in the closing spot is a nice treat and, while well-played, isn't anything extraordinary. Fire closes it out in energetic fashion.

With Lope, DWD and Jim all in atypical slots, I like that the band mixed up the setlist here. It worked and this show resulted in some major highlights.

SET 1: Ya Mar, Sample in a Jar: Standard. >

Divided Sky: Outstanding! Would relisten!

Lifeboy, Punch You in the Eye, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Run Like an Antelope, I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome[1], The Squirming Coil: Standard.

SET 2: Free, Sparkle: Standard. >

Down with Disease: I have given this one many chances over the years. Always wondered if I wasn’t listening close enough. Maybe not in the right head space? After this most current listen – nah – it’s just not for me. Appreciate the effort but I can’t see myself ever taking 30 minutes of my life to give it an 8th chance. Trey and his drum kit for the L. ->

The Lizards > Simple, Runaway Jim: Love this sequence even though it seems more first set than closing a second set.

ENCORE: Fire: Standard.

Summary: Currently rated as a 4.309. To me, that is comical. Only reason it get’s that strong rating is because it’s a December 95 show and there is a 30 minute jam. In my world, this show is a 3.8 out of 5. Nothing more, nothing less.

I do not remember a fight, but I was near the soundboard and saw a kid (looked like he was 15 or so) falling and hitting his head on one of the seats and splitting his head open. It was a few rows in front of me and he was covered in blood and really struggling. Security and folks came over after a bit and helped him out. It stuck with me all this time as I was stuck in a loop thinking I am too old for this with all these little kids here and what has happened to the scene etc throughout the show. It kind of spun me in a different direction for the night.