5) The Dude of Life – many, many occasions
Be it singing “Diamond Girl” in a Ronald Reagan mask, playing his own songs at Amy’s Farm, or declaring, “And most importantly, here’s to 20 more years of Phish!” on the 20th Anniversary Run, the Dude usually comes out for a song or two and just adds a dollop of fun. Bring in the Dude!
4) Jay-Z – “99 Problems” and “Big Pimping” 6/18/04
I need to point out my bias here. When this happened, I was not happy about it, as there was so little time left in Phish’s history. However now Phish have come back, making that argument kind of stupid. At the time I would have loved to have seen one more “Divided Sky,” or something but I’ve seen plenty in the last 20 months – most played better than any would have been in 2004 – and in exchange, I got to see Jay Z in Brooklyn.
My favorite stories about this appearance involve the vendors behind the soundboard. Apparently there were a lot of really bored locals during the show but when Jay-Z came out, they all pulled out their cell phones to make excited calls to their friends. At the time Jay-Z was retired himself, making this an important moment in his career too.
3) Bela Fleck and the Flecktones – Most of the second set and encore 8/21/93
Yes that’s a long time for an artist to stay out, but what made this work is that it didn’t take over the set. Phish continued to play their material, just with a lot of extra talented musicians. It was kind of like the GCH, only for a night. While both Bela and the Flecktones have come out on other nights, 8/21/93 rarely gets talked about, especially compared to the night before, but it’s a unique show, one where guests come on stage and are more than able to keep up with Phish. The “Mind Left Body” themed jam in “David Bowie” is especially good.
2) Karl Perazzo, Dave Grippo, and Gray Gazaway – Remain in Light Set 10/31/96
I didn’t count the Giant Country Horns as a guest because they were part of the band on that tour, but one member did help out for one of the most exciting half hours in Phish’s history. I don’t know if the power of the first half of the Remain in Light set could ever be reproduced even if they brought back the extra members, but for one night, Phish hit a level of textured energy that they’ve never been able to match. “The Great Curve” is one of the best songs Phish have ever played and it couldn’t have been done without the guests.
1) Sharon Jones – Exile Set and encore 10/31/09
I was fortunate enough to have seen Sharon Jones before Indio as a charismatic performer on Jam Cruise. This made me excited just to hear the rumors. Sharon’s vocals – along with Saundra Williams – on “I Just Want to See His Face,” “All Down the Line,” and “Shine a Light” really took those songs to a different level. She then did this amazing call and response with Williams during the “Suzie Greenberg” reprise jam.
What elevates Jones to the number one spot was the reaction after the show. It’s rare that I’ve heard that many people request that Phish somehow find a way to somehow convert a guest into a part time member of the band. Sharon Jones created a lot of new fans that night. Feel free to come out at any show I attend.
David Steinberg got his Masters Degree in mathematics from New Mexico State University in 1994. He first discovered the power of live music at the Capital Centre in 1988 and never has been the same. His Phish stats website is at http://www.ihoz.com/PhishStats.html and he’s on the board of directors for The Mockingbird Foundation. He occasionally posts at the Phish.net blog and has a daily update on the Phish Stats Facebook page
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