Tuesday, November 25, 2003
Blackwood Convention
20 years ago (next tuesday) Phish performed their first ever gig.
The First Gig
Friday, December 2, 1983
Harris-Millis Cafeteria
University of Vermont
Burlington, VT
Sound Check: Jam (with audience present)
Set I: Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress, Proud Mary, In the Midnight Hour, Squeeze Box, Roadhouse Blues, Happy Birthday
Set II: Scarlet Begonias > Fire
Show Notes: Trey, Mike, Fish, and Jeff Holdsworth recall being billed as "Blackwood Convention" for this show (though no one is certain what band name was used), which is believed to be their first public gig together. The band was short on equipment, so a hockey stick was used as a microphone stand. Between sets, the DJ spun some Michael Jackson and Trey drummed along to the album. The house music (which included more Michael Jackson) was presumably turned up after Fire to drown out the band. The setlist may be incomplete, though, as the master tape contains nothing after Trey's sarcastic comments about Michael Jackson following Fire. All songs are, of course, live debuts. While this show is often billed as an ROTC Halloween Dance that took place on October 30, 1983, this is incorrect. The master copy of the recording of this show, as unearthed by Phish archivist Kevin Shapiro, contains a handwritten note that pegs the date as December 2, 1983. In recent discussions with Kevin, band members confirmed that they recall rehearsing for this show over the Thanksgiving Break, and that the show was a Christmas semi-formal. Also, though many ROTC students lived in the dormitory (Mike's dorm at the time), it was not an ROTC-sponsored event; it was a dorm dance in a predominantly ROTC dorm.
And next Tuesday in the Fleet Center in Boston... ... Oh man, I don't know.. I can't wait... Their 20th Anniversay Show
1983 - (l-r) Jeff Holdsworth, Mike Gordon, Trey Anastasio and Jon Fishman ¶ 11/25/2003 03:48:00 PM
The First Gig
Friday, December 2, 1983
Harris-Millis Cafeteria
University of Vermont
Burlington, VT
Sound Check: Jam (with audience present)
Set I: Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress, Proud Mary, In the Midnight Hour, Squeeze Box, Roadhouse Blues, Happy Birthday
Set II: Scarlet Begonias > Fire
Show Notes: Trey, Mike, Fish, and Jeff Holdsworth recall being billed as "Blackwood Convention" for this show (though no one is certain what band name was used), which is believed to be their first public gig together. The band was short on equipment, so a hockey stick was used as a microphone stand. Between sets, the DJ spun some Michael Jackson and Trey drummed along to the album. The house music (which included more Michael Jackson) was presumably turned up after Fire to drown out the band. The setlist may be incomplete, though, as the master tape contains nothing after Trey's sarcastic comments about Michael Jackson following Fire. All songs are, of course, live debuts. While this show is often billed as an ROTC Halloween Dance that took place on October 30, 1983, this is incorrect. The master copy of the recording of this show, as unearthed by Phish archivist Kevin Shapiro, contains a handwritten note that pegs the date as December 2, 1983. In recent discussions with Kevin, band members confirmed that they recall rehearsing for this show over the Thanksgiving Break, and that the show was a Christmas semi-formal. Also, though many ROTC students lived in the dormitory (Mike's dorm at the time), it was not an ROTC-sponsored event; it was a dorm dance in a predominantly ROTC dorm.
And next Tuesday in the Fleet Center in Boston... ... Oh man, I don't know.. I can't wait... Their 20th Anniversay Show
1983 - (l-r) Jeff Holdsworth, Mike Gordon, Trey Anastasio and Jon Fishman ¶ 11/25/2003 03:48:00 PM
