Phish fans: what's your favorite era of live shows?

[bbernardini]

I've recently gotten into Phish again after some discussions with a colleague (and because of the reunion shows in 2009). I acquired the new Roxy set (as I remembered having a tape of one of the shows back in the day), and I got to thinking how much I prefer the early to mid 90s pseudo-progressive stuff rather than the later space-funk jams. (If I wanted to listen to a funk jam, I'd listen to P-Funk.) What era do you prefer?

[SoxFan]

1. This is going to piss you off...

I'm not a Phish fan. I've never cared for them. But I saw them at a tiny club in Portland, ME in 1989. There couldn't have been more than 150 people in the place.

[bbernardini]

2. Oh, it doesn't piss me off. To each his or her own.

What club in Portland? I usually go to Portland once a year, but I haven't been to any clubs to see a show yet. Saw The Saw Doctors at Baystock a few years ago, which was great.

[SoxFan]

7. The Tree Cafe

Not sure if its still around.

[bbernardini]

10. They played there 7 times in 1989.

I can only find a setlist for the November show, though. Some pretty good tunes in the first set.

[eyepaddle]

3. For me it was from PIcture of Nectar up to Hoist, after that they got a little too atmospheric

I think my favorite Phish show was seeing them at teh State Theater in Minneapolis when they were touring for Hoist. I'd have to do some digging but I want to say that in the summer of 1994. Page was on top of his game that night.

[bbernardini]

5. "Hoist" was my introduction to Phish...

I was pleasantly surprised when I heard "Julius".

[StrongBad]

4. 1997-2000

Funky Phish.

Incidentally, 1997 is when I saw my first show, so I could be biased.

[bbernardini]

8. Hmm...what era do you suppose Strong Bad (the actual character) would like?

Probably any show where they covered "Highway To Hell".

[StrongBad]

13. I'd say early 90's because they could rock pretty hard and fast during those years.

And we all know StrongBad loves to rock.

:headbang:

[TieDyedDad]

6. same era

early 90's...

[SteppingRazor]

9. The best shows are 1996-1998. n/t

[tekisui]

11. I agree.

That is when they really came into their own, IMO. The experimentation in the following years was playing with what they had discovered, not bad, but not as satisfying.

[SteppingRazor]

12. Exactly. The process of discovery made it exciting. There are exceptions, of course...

Big Cypress was an obscenely great show, for example. But I tend to dismiss almost everything post-hiatus.