The return of #nedstalgia and I don't think I ever made this connection before, but I was dead center on the rail for two different summer tour openers held on racetracks on opposite sides of the country on this date 5 years apart. 30 years ago in ("you know it's summer when they're rocking in'") Weedsport and 25 years ago in Portland, OR. Yay me!
Perhaps my favorite memory of 071593 is walking into the venue with @unclejuice, surveying the scene before us, turning to him and saying "follow me" and 5 minutes later we're standing with our arms on the rail. Different times, my friends, different times.
Next favorite memory: Brad Sands coming to the front during setbreak & telling girls next to us to scream for Free Bird right after Chalkdust.
Well, we waited & they don't play it and so we just started screaming Free Bird! whenever.
Then, finally, they encore w/ Chalkdust & we scream and Trey laughs a classic 93 goofy Trey laugh & they sing the most surprising + interesting cover of Free Bird that's probably ever been. When you don't know what's coming and you get that... Well, that's Phish!
It wasn't quite August 93 form in mid-July quite yet, but a fun show with several debuts.
Also, side note, the catch phrase "you know it's summer when they're rockin' at Weedsport" (iykyk) has to be one of the cooler tag lines for a summer concert series, especially one held on a dirt track in the boonies.
071598 was different almost every way from 071593, down to the racetrack venue being more upscale, open and grassy, a setlist with no form-breaking debuts, but a more coherent style and energy.
Probably an essay to be written about what transpired for the band in the 5 years between July of 1993 and July of 1998 and how that manifests itself in the differences between these two shows.
(I nominate @robmitchum to write it)
@Neddyo I was thinking that the two major aspects from those summers didn’t happen at either first show. Summer 1993 had 2001 opening almost every second set, starting at the second show. 1998 became the Summer of Cove(rs), with all the crazy one timers.
@aRoastia very true. Summer 93 had 2001 *and* Purple Rain.