"I saaaaaaaaaaaaaw youuuuuuuuu, with a ticket stuuuub in your haaaaand!!!! Under the light, middle of the night, couldn't get it wrong. I saaaaaaaaaaaaaw youuuuuuuuu, with a ticket stuuuub in your haaaaand!!!!"
That line from the chorus of one of the first Phish songs ever written, while Trey & Mike were in science class, take's on entire new worlds of meaning at this juncture.
Above are the 4 tickets to the last New Years Run that Phish ever played, as well as the last shows I had the pleasure of seeing from December 28th through December 31st 2003. That run was one of the most fun experiences I have ever had, almost topping when I got to see them come back from their hiatus for New Years in 2002 at Madison Square Garden.
They played with such fervor, busted out incredible rare songs and first timers, threw down mammoth jams, and most of all went wild with the shenanigans appearing as though they were having the time of their lives!!! Fishman played the vacuum twice in the same run for goodness sake! They played Tube, Cities, Weigh, Mule, and endless other gems we seldom get to hear, first time covers like LA Woman, Iron Man, Jungle Boogie & others, and were joined by George Clinton & P-Funk for Give Up The Funk & other P-Funk classics.
The countdown to New Years had a MINI automobile lowered from high above Fishman's drum kit to the stage. Dozens of marching band members and cheerleaders emerged, one by one from the car until the stage was overrun by drumming marching band members playing a MEAN version of "Jungle Boogie" joined by Phish. Fishman then counted down to NYE and they went right into Auld Lang Syne which went into a first time played "Iron Man" and then a Phish staple on New Years, Runaway Jim.
The illusion of well over 50 people getting out of a tiny vehicle one after the other was a magical and hilarious delight. Obviously they were coming from a secret passageway from under the stage, as there is simply no way for them to have all been in the car. Yet, the way it was executed was brilliant, and a lot of what makes Phish who they are, and why they are endeared by so many individuals who have had their lives touched by all of the beautiful times they have experienced with the Phish community and the band over time.
I speak about these shows in Miami in great detail because of their deep importance to me.
Those shows were so special in so many ways, and it appeared as though Phish was truly BACK and here to stay. I remember feeling that, and saying it at the time, and the sad truth of the matter is that they were having the time of their lives on those 4 nights, but that was the crescendo of their return and it was downhill from there.
They ended up announcing the breakup a few months later declaring that the Summer Tour which had already been on sale for a bit would be their final tour. They informed us they would be closing out the era of Phish in Coventry, VT near their hometown for what would be the last of the giant Phish Festivals which had brought 70,000 plus people to areas in Upstate New York, Limestone, ME & of course Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation in the Florida Everglades for the legendary Millenium New Years extravaganza.
Also, that New Years Run means so much to me because they were the last shows I got to see before they broke up. I have heard strong rumors that they will be returning to Miami for their next New Years Run. There are also heavy rumors of their mythical New Years venue, Madison Square Garden, being the home of what would be the first Phish New Years Run in 6 years.
However, it would only be fitting in my eyes for them to return to the spot where they played their last New Years run in 2003 prior to breaking up, and come back full circle to enter a new decade of 2010 in the warmth of Miami for New Years. It makes the most sense to me. They played Big Cypress for '99 into '00 New Years Millenium Festival which would be ten years ago to the day of the upcoming New Years Run, and Miami was the last place they played for New Years from '03 into '04.
We shall see what they decide, but let's just say that if they do another 4 night Miami Run for New Years 09 into '10 nobody will be able to wipe the shit kickin' perma-grin off of my face for quite a while.
So yeah, those tickets in the photo at the top of this post were the last Phish tickets I had the privilege of holding in my hands.
Not anymore!!! Nooooope, not anymore!
As I checked my mail the other night and realized I was holding 2 Phish tickets to Mansfield, MA it barely hit me. It was the first time in over 5 years that I had PHISH TICKETS in my HANDS!!!!!!!!!! That may have been one of the most surreal moments of my recent life.
It would be impossible to truly describe the feeling it invoked, but to say that I was ecstatic would be an understatement.
At that moment it struck me. That is what it felt like to hold those tickets. Of course the entire process of Phish being back and touring period, tickets going on sale, and a close friend of mine having already notified me that they received our tickets in the mail for the tour opener at Jones Beach, has all been beyond the point of exciting. Yet, nothing can touch the feeling of actually holding hard tickets in your hand, and having the word PHISH stare you in the face from a ticket that is in your hands.
I am hoping to utilize the tickets to Mansfield in order to trade for the 2nd night of Jones Beach on Friday June 5th. My friend who got us 2 for Jones Beach Night One Tour Opener, was only able to get 1 ticket for the 2nd Night of Jones Beach, so I currently do not have a ticket for the Friday night Jones Beach show. However, he ended up getting 3 tickets for Mansfield, and I got 2. Therefore, a trade of a Mansfield ticket for a ticket for me to be able to hit up Jones Beach Night Two, while still having enough tickets for my homeboy and I to attend the Mansfield show is all completely in the cards.
Either way, I am either going to get to see 3 out of the first 4, or ALL 4 shows to open the first Summer of Phish in FIVE YEARS.
I'm tellin' ya that for me there was nothing like the feeling of holding Phish tickets in my hands for the first time in over half a decade. Nothing.
Only Phish can do that for me. I can't help but laugh and laugh and fall apart from the excitement of simply having tickets in my possession. I can't even fathom the bottle of emotions which will be flowing through me upon entering the lot scene, walking into the venue, taking our seats, waiting for the first note, and then its on!! Every twist and turn, zig and zag, and the return of the completely unknown mysterious journey of a Phish show twirling and whirling through us all, and then we get to do it again!!!!!
Less than 3 weeks until Hampton! Just the thought of getting to see NEW Setlists and hear NEW shows makes this guy a happy camper. I can't wait to hear the new Phish, and even moreso I cant wait to be there and immerse myself fully in the grooves. What a gift Phish gave us when teaching us to "surrender to the flow". It has been WAY to long for us all, and I think many of us not only forgot to do so, but forgot how to do so.
Not for long! Get ready to surrender to the floooooow once again come next month, all Summer long, and hopefully for years to come. Something tells me with the return of Phish will come renewed clarity for many of us.
See you in June!!!!
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