On this date in 2003 Phish laid down arguably their best performance of the post-hiatus era, aka 2.0, as the penultimate show of Winter Tour 2003 at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. The barn-burner is filled with impressive jams and includes a pair of wild bust outs many Phish fans thought would never happen.
The quartet displayed this wouldn’t be a typical show early on by opening with a fiery “Birds Of A Feather” and then busting out the Mike Gordon-penned “Destiny Unbound” for the first time since November 15, 1991 – a whopping 796 shows. Phish not only broke out the long-lost classic, they played it very well to the delight of the die-hards in the crowd. As if the return of “Destiny” wasn’t enough, the first set also includes top-notch versions of “Bathtub Gin,” “Back On The Train” and “Walls Of The Cave.”
Set Two shows off the high level of improvisation Phish was capable of in 2003. The set is a five-song, all-killer no-filler affair which starts with an insane 27-minute “Tweezer” that scores high on both the quality and quantity scales. All four members of the band add impressive contributions to a “Tweezer” which features multiple standout jam segments. Next up was yet another major shock for the capacity crowd as Phish dusted off a cover of Bob Marley’s “Soul Shakedown Party” for the first time since February 20, 1997 and its first-ever performance on U.S. soil. A masterfully evil “David Bowie” nearly hits the 20-minute mark and is followed by Gordon’s “Round Room” and a euphoric “Harry Hood.” A triple encore of “Contact,” “Mexican Cousin” and “Tweezer Reprise” closed out a performance those in attendance will never forget.
An official recording of the show is available via LivePhish.com or through a Spotify stream below:
Check out an audience recording via From The Aquarium:
[Originally Published: February 28, 2016]
