LivePhish has announced on Friday it will release a new archival recording from Phish’s performance at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium in Spartanburg, S.C. circa Oct. 29, 1994. The show holds significance as it was Phish’s final performance before their renowned White Album Halloween concert in Glen Falls, N.Y., just two days later.
Although the show has often been overshadowed by Phish’s iconic 1994 Halloween show, where they performed a complete classic album as a musical costume for the first time, the South Carolina concert showcased the band’s raw power during a peak period in their early career.
Highlights from the evening include an intense opening rendition of “My Friend, My Friend,” fluid transitions between “Sparkle” and “Simple,” a red-hot “Runaway Jim,” and an effervescent “Foam.” Page McConnell is also highlighted during “Lawn Boy,” followed by an unconventional and exhilarating sequence that includes “Split Open and Melt,” “Buffalo Bill,” “Makisupa Policeman,” and the unique first set-closing “Rift.”
In an intriguing statistic, the second set features more songs than the first, with a total of 11 tracks compared to 10. The frame kicks off with “Down With Disease,” tracking in at 11 minutes length marking one of the longest of the night. From there, the band flow with segues abound with “The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday” > “Avenu Malkanu” back into “The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday” and “Sparks” > “Uncle Pen.” The longest song of the evening, “You Enjoy Myself clocks in at 19 minutes and furthers the performance as it takes distinct turns as the band engages in a peculiar vocal jam, setting the stage for drummer Jon Fishman to take charge with “Hold Your Head Up” and an ethereal cover of Syd Barrett’s “Bike.” The pinnacle of segues from the Oct. 29 show come in the form of a set-closing run of “Run Like An Antelope” > “Sleeping Monkey” > “Antelope,” followed by a captivating encore performance of “Harry Hood” that brought the experience to a magnificent close.
While soundboard tape recordings of the show have circulated among fans for years, this release will feature high-quality multi-track recordings. These same recordings were used for Phish’s acclaimed album A Live One, which was also recorded during their 1994 fall tour.
Enjoy the upgraded audio streaming on LivePhish this Friday, offering a truly immersive experience of this memorable concert here.
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