#Phish95 Review: 6.20.95, Cuyahoga Falls, OH

Review written by Steven Gripp

Phish, 6.20.95, Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, OH

Set 1: Llama, Spock’s Brain, Ginseng Sullivan > Foam, Bathtub Gin, If I Could, Taste, I Didn’t Know, Split Open and Melt

Set 2: Halley’s Comet > Chalk Dust Torture, Prince Caspian, Uncle Pen, Mike’s Song -> Contact > Weekapaug Groove > Hold Your Head Up > Cracklin’ Rosie > Hold Your Head Up, Highway to Hell

Encore: Slave to the Traffic Light, Amazing Grace

One of the later livePhish releases, this show exemplifies 95 Summer Phish. In the flora of Ohio, Phish presented vast amounts of sonic amplitude, and don’t look back. “Llama” to open, pure, fast energy, no foreplay today (not the song, the figurative re…whatever, you know).

Then “Spock’s Brain,” a new tune, and for me, the best performance of this song all summer. Still ruminating on why this song never stayed with them (until 2014 — thanks Mike.) A little bluegrass with “Ginseng,” then “Foam” — These first four moves are classic Phish — strong opening, slow down with some eclectic song, bluegrass, then Junta. Packaged perfectly. Seriously, the set could end there with a strong middle jam from Page and Mike.

“Gin” next: what’s fascinating about this “Gin” is that it is a fulcrum between old “Gin,” where syncopation and choppy percussion control the jam, to a more sinuous groove — you can hear the groove, if not a glint of it, around 6:30. The band (Mike, Page, Fish) get this now formulated groove started, but Trey still wants to hack it up (in a good way nonetheless.) I was listening to it, and there it was — buttery and sinuous. A precursor to 97 “Gins.”

Then a gorgeous, gorgeous “If I Could>Taste.” “Taste” is in its early stages, but this is my favorite early version — it fit the set perfectly. Then a brief I didn’t know, and a raucous, cohesive “Melt.” The refinement in this “Melt,” minimalist and a tad tension/release toward the end, is all Trey. Well done — this first set has everything, once again. On point.

Set 2 has the stuff of legend. Starts out weird — “Halley’s,” then a lofty “CDT,” with a little energy at the end. Then an awkward, awkward “Caspian” — it was a fairly new song, so it didn’t fit into the ballad repertoire yet, since it technically isn’t one — over the years it held it’s own panache as a subsequent stand-alone jam post type II, but for this early version, this compulsory tone comes off as uncomfortable.

“Uncle Pen” saves the memory, and we’re back on some solid ground — we’re waiting for the heavy stuff, for which I feel Phish is toying with us. I do enjoy the Type II pushed later into the set sometimes, keeps it fresh. Then………………..The Mother of All Motherships. “Mike’s.”

Do you remember in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones where Obi-Wan goes into the bar and Jedi Mind tricks that drunky to go home and rethink his life? Yeah, he went home, listened to this “Mike’s>Contact>Weekapaug,” then became the all powerful master of the universe. Just all out mastery, from all time periods. I’m not going to breakdown the timepiece by time, just listen to the whole thing through.

It has progressive psych-rock, chip chop starts that lead into sick sick sick sick SICK SICK SIIIIIIICCCCCCKKKKK Dark ambiance. That leads us right into “Contact” — perfect Phish combo. “Contact” takes us to, what I think, is the best “Weekapaug” of the year. Talk amongst yourselves. Ardent jam facades — take us right to “HYHU” — bring Fishman down — watcha got holmes? NEIL DIAMOND! Nice. Fun version. Close it up with “Highway To Hell” — I’m starting to wonder if “Highway To Hell” is a symbol of saying to the Audience “we are satisfied with this show.” Every version I hear, it follows a phenomenal show. Someone do research on this.

Encore is “Slave” and “Amazing Grace.”