Dog Gone Blog: The Return to Red Rocks

This Thursday July 30^th, Phish will return to the famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado for four nights. Coincidentally (or not), July 30^th mark the 21^st anniversary of the first shows the band ever played in the Centennial state, at the Roma in Boulder, CO. Phish has played the scenic venue nine times before, each time offering a gem of a show. The first show came in August of 1993 where Trey famously stated:

“Ok, uh, first thing I want to say here just to get things started, this is definitely the most incredible place I've ever played music. This is unbelievable. I don't know how it looks from up there, but, it looks pretty amazing from up here. So, what I thought I'd do here is, uh, I figure that some of you probably think you know where Red Rocks is and when it started and everything and the whole events about how this whole place came to be, but uh, I'm sure you're wrong about it and I'm gonna tell you the Real story right now, so..."

The band then launched into an amazing rendition of “Harpua”, as Trey went on to tell us about his great knowledge of ancient languages “…I kinda looked closer and luckily I have a great knowledge of ancient languages; I know all the ancient languages…” For those of you who are unfamiliar with this show, the link to the torrent is posted below.

Not only was the August ’93 show a gem, it was also an important moment in the evolution of the band as a whole. In ’93 Phish was still playing small theaters with limited seating capacity, however, in August the band made the step to larger venues. After touring heavily all year long, the band drew a crowd of a few thousand to the scenic outdoor venue. Heavy rain showed up prior to show time, and rumors of cancellation began to swarm. After a long delay, the clouds broke and Phish, fittingly, took the stage and opened with a stellar version of “Divided Sky”. The rest of the show carried on the natural energy flowing on both sides of the stage that night, making for an epic experience for anyone in attendance.

Thursday night’s show will be the first at Red Rocks in 12 years. In 1996, fans clashed with the Morrison police and the band was temporarily banned from the venue. Apparently the clashes were due to "ticket shortages". The shows in 1996 are considered to be some of the finest, exhibiting some very interesting music, and spectacular sound. These shows also saw the first “Hood!” chant, as was arranged through the circulation of a flier prior to the show. All four nights are incredible, and are a must listen for any phish fan. If the past is any indication of the future, these upcoming four nights should be quite special. After leaving the crowd in Alpine Valley with their jaws hanging, the excitement surrounding the upcoming tour is soaring.

We will be providing extensive reviews of each Red Rocks show as well as torrent links as soon as possible.