On July 24, 1993 Phish played their first headlining performance at Great Woods Performing Arts Center in Mansfield, MA, a modern amphitheater with a capacity of about 15,000. Reserved tickets cost $19.50 and the Saturday night show was sold out. This was a watershed moment. Phish had paid their dues around Boston from club dates at Molly’s and The Paradise to theater shows at the Strand, Somerville, and Orpheum, opening for Santana at Great Woods, and New Year’s Eve shows at World Trade Center and Matthews Arena. Unlike its predecessors, Great Woods ‘93 had a video feed that was captured on VHS tapes and kept in Page’s collection until being transferred for release - a rare full-show video from the legendary Summer 1993 Phish tour. On the heels of their latest album, Rift, Phish’s process of crafting live shows was evolving, incorporating new sounds including Page’s Yamaha C7 grand piano and the return of his Fender Rhodes. With a deeper catalog and instrumentation came expanded production, like the multi-panel Minkin backdrop and moving lights, and a growing devoted audience to enjoy it.

Llama opened the show and set I highlights continued with Divided Sky, a killer Stash with choreography, the only The Mango Song > Bouncing Around The Room pairing to-date, and The Squirming Coil. Set II got rolling with 2001 > Split Open And Melt and a potent Fluffhead > Maze with megaphone vocalizations and 2001 callback. Glide showcased Mike and Trey’s onstage ice-sliding moves and Mike’s Song featured an extended jam with strobe lights/hazers that set up Yerushalayim Shel Zahav > Weekapaug Groove. Purple Rain displayed Fish’s vocal and vacuum skills before Daniel Saw The Stone > Good Times Bad Times brought set II to a close. The arena rock barbershop air guitar of Free Bird capped an electric Great Woods experience.

Great Woods ‘93 was recorded by Paul Languedoc to DAT and cassette and mastered by Fred Kevorkian. Video from this show was featured on Episode 34 of ‘Dinner And A Movie - An Archival Video Series.

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

• Recorded by Paul Languedoc

• Additional source recording by Brad Sands

• Mastered by Fred Kevorkian at Kevorkian Mastering

• Post-Production by Kevin Shapiro

SHOW NOTES:

• 1st The Mango Song since 5/17/92

• Maze included 2001 teases