Venues

McNichols Arena

Denver, CO, USA

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Top Rated Shows

Highest rated shows at this venue by Phish.net users:

Date Rating
1997-11-17 1013 votes 4.6397/5
1997-11-16 193 votes 4.1036/5
1998-11-04 92 votes 3.6196/5

Top Reviews

Highest-rated reviews from shows at this venue:

1997-11-17 by argonbunnies 145
I wanted to share something with Phish.net regarding changing perception of the band over the years, and I didn't know where to do it. So, I figured it was on topic for discussion of a top-ranked show, because that's a perfect example of the changes. At every year, every tour, every moment in...
1997-11-17 by waxbanks 63
The three shows leading up to 11/17 are fine, of course, but this is countdown and liftoff: from this night in Denver to the drawn breath in Cleveland three weeks later, every single show is 200-proof danger, baby. (And that's not counting 12/6 II, which is a strong contender for best-ever single...
1997-11-17 by Hose_jam 30
One of my favorite all time jams in this Ghost. I particularly love this jam because it contains two distinct sections: hose and funk/rock. This jam really has it all and features patient playing, interplay, exploration and HOSE. Live Phish timings- Post composed jam: 3:38- Band drops...
1997-11-17 by MountainKung303 29
The night before was also really good. Pete Wernick sat in on banjo and Farmhouse was played for the first time. But this show is a great example of a "Magic" show. I remember tail gating in the parking lot of the McNichols Arena. That was my first Jäger experience and it has treated me well...
1997-11-17 by n00b100 26
There are days where I just want to pack it in and say "you know what? This is the best show of Fall '97, and by proxy the best Phish show ever"; those are usually the days that I'm listening to this show. Now, I still firmly believe that it's not, but when I'm putting it on and that Ghost is...
1997-11-17 by hiddenaway 11
This is a top 5 phish show of all time for me, no question. I was not at the show, I heard it on a mix tape maybe a month after the show. When I heard the Tweezer, I knew I was listening to Phish on a night when they were channeling the energies and allowing something special to happen....
1997-11-16 by VamonosPest 11
6th row center. Amazing tix-thanks, Phish Tickets By Mail. The dude who carded me for a beer out in the concourse shouted "Idaho" (my driver's license was issued there) and the Phans took up an Idaho chant for a bit. On the way there my truck's alternator died in Laramie, Wyoming in a brutal...
1997-11-16 by sprobeck 10
This was my first Phish show and my first ever show at an arena. I was 17. It was with some help that my friend and I were able to me make it to the show. Neither of us had a car so my Stepmother drove us down to Denver from Boulder and his Dad picked us up in the parking lot at Midnight. We...
1998-11-04 by westbrook 7
I think this show is somewhat neglected in light of the famous DSOTM show that preceded it. The song selection and flow are quite good if you ask me and there are a few must-hear jams in this show as well. Buried Alive>Character Zero makes for a pretty raucous show opening pair, and Guyute...
1997-11-17 by sarnap 7
This show's success is the result of a band that, more-so than ususal on this night, was both extremely loose and also intently focused on listening to each other. By the time they reined in the opening "Tweezer," I had already forgotten not only what song they were playing, but what set we were...

Notable Jam Chart Performances

Individual jam chart entries from this venue:

1997-11-17 • Ghost (21:20) Set 1 Noteworthy
Raging space funk. [The expected funk breaks into fantastic and towering blissful play, then shifts to great rocking and funk-driven jamming which gradually mellows. A fan favorite "Ghost."]
1997-11-17 • Johnny B. Goode (17:04) Set 2 Noteworthy
After concluding the song proper, the band launches into a high-quality jam which retains Fall 97's tone and timbre but is also a bit of a throwback to an earlier era with its spiraling, "DEG"-laced opening segment. The second half finds a space more emblematic of the tour with Trey's ethereal wah chord washes and eventually calms down, landing delicately -> "JJLC".
1997-11-17 • Jesus Just Left Chicago (14:05) Set 2 Noteworthy
-> in from "Johnny B. Goode." Page rocks the 88s, then Trey leads the band in a blistering, intense blues fest.
1997-11-16 • Timber (Jerry the Mule) (16:17) Set 2 Noteworthy
Long intro to this big Set II opener featuring a jam that begins in typical "Timber" style, then shifts to delicate and serene major mode playing in the final minutes. Unfinished with a -> to "Simple."
1998-11-04 • Ya Mar (9:35) Set 1
A cool little jam develops with Trey plucking staccato notes, Fish rocking the wood blocks, and Mike playing way up high.
A somewhat dark and low intensity groove with a swirling sense and cool effects from Page develops as the typical "Frankie Says" concludes and -> to "David Bowie."
1998-11-04 • Runaway Jim (11:32) Set 2
Unusual, somewhat ineffable version, which features more by way of wide-open spaces than compact, in-your-face jamming. Trey's 1998 style and tone is clearly on display, and the band does eventually coalesce to enter a bit more by way of a rocking, extended jam (listen for Page's interesting, and varied, contributions) which, in time, > for "Moma Dance".
1998-11-04 • Piper (17:40) Set 2
A nice building intro leads to a hard rocking straightforward "Piper" jam until 13:40, when the jam mellows into a nice low-key and rhythmic groove with delay loops. > to "2001."
1997-11-17 • Tweezer (16:00) Set 1
Very popular version, but check out the highlighted versions in this table if this version does IT for you (especially those in fall 1997).
A great, unconvential YEM to be sure... but still probably the most overrated YEM in history.
1997-11-16 • Farmhouse (5:26) Set 1
Debut features Page deploying the now familiar watery keyboard effects he would use for most of the '90s, while Trey briefly shows off his Hendrix-esque skills in a culminating trill.
1997-11-16 • Harry Hood (17:55) Set 2
A remarkable version in which the band repeatedly tests the "Type I" boundary after 12:30, with Page in particular altering the harmonic underpinning several times. Closes with a truly magnificent peak and > to "Izabella."
1997-11-16 • David Bowie (17:32) Set e
Nice old fashioned "Bowie" that breaks free in a few spots and is flush with tension and dissonance.


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