First of all, its structure is always changing. It's actually a kind of Super Band with each member coming from other bands and none of them is permanent. There are regulars like John Fishman (ring any bell ?) or Marco Benevento and new comers like Jennifer Hartswick (Trey Anastasio Band). it's really an orchestra for everyone to come and play. The only central axis is Matt Butler, leader and creator... whow doesn't play any instrument.

Everybody Orchestra's music can be defined as conducted improvisation. Indeed, Matt Butler conduct the band with gestures, jumps and boards where he writes words, feelings, moods to lead the music. Needless to say, each concert is different as there's no specific "song".

After 10 years of shows, Matt Butler wanred to make a studio album. But how could one make a studio recording of a concert-only, full improvisation, ever changing line-up act ? Simply by re-creating the same feeling in studio for a one of a kind recording : improvisation.

Now, in order to finish producing the album, a project has been set up on kickstarter.com to collect the needed 15.000$. Anyone can participate with any amount to help the cause and your credit card will be charge only if the goal is reached on January 6th 2012.
But it's more than just giving money. Depending on how much you gave, you'll receive a download of the album before it's released, a signed CD, all of that + bonus tracks, all of that + a signed poster or picture... It goes on to concert tickets, a meeting with the band or you nammed as producer of the album !
So even if you can't afford to have Matt Butler conduct your own band in your living room, it's like you pre-order the album while helping it happens ! It's open to everyone...

Anyway, have a listen to a preview of the session and let's participate here :
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/178370795/everyone-orchestra-first-studio-album-brooklyn-ses

It's here ! The new cd-boxset from Phish, Hampton Winston/Salem '97, is at home and playing...

But I have a copy for you to win by just leaving a comment here to tell why you're interrested in this boxset. You can also tweet the following line to double your luck :

Win the new @Phish 7CDs Boxset at #BouncingAroundEuroom http://tinyurl.com/BouncingGiveAway @YomeNetSan

Winner will be randomly choosen among comments and tweets made between now and Friday 16th December 13:00 (France time). This contest is open to european residents only.

To make up your mind, listen to AC/DC Bag -> Slave to the Traffic Light and Mike’s Song -> Harry Hood -> Weekapaug Groove.

Version française ici : http://tinyurl.com/ConcoursGamusik

I'm totally new to these 3 shows (Hampton Coliseum 11/21-22/1997 and Winston-Salem 11/23/1997) because at the time, I've know Phish for only 3 mounth and I thought they were disbanded for long. Later I listend to every Phish era, including 1997 but strangly enough I've never been aware of the fame of these concerts.

This morning, I listened for the first time for the Mike's Groove played at the beginning of the first Hampton show and my ears actually melted ! It's so full of groove and funk ! Mike's Song only has 4 distinctive jams, one of it based on a heavy Black-Eyed Katty tease ! The segue to Hydrogen is so smooth you don't hear it coming.

You can find this 64Mb/35min mp3 here.

In the midst of their legendary fall 1997 tour, Phish stopped in Dixie for two shows in Virginia and one in North Carolina.  The 1997 Hampton Coliseum shows were the band's first two-night stand at Hampton Coliseum – a venue they have played a total of fifteen times including a two-night stand in 1998 (released as Hampton Comes Alive) and a trio of reunion shows in 2009.  The shape and feel of the venue have earned it the nickname “The Mothership” among fans.  The next show after Hampton 1997 took place at Lawrence Joel Veteran's Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina - another familiar venue where Phish also performed in 1994, 1995 and 1998.

These three shows were a memorable triad for the band and fans.  They are among the most requested shows for soundboard release from the Phish Archives and make up a compelling slice of the twenty-two-show tour that stretched from Las Vegas to Albany.  The Hampton/Winston-Salem 97 shows were packed with notable renditions of classics including “Split Open And Melt”, “AC/DC Bag”, “Slave To The Traffic Light”, “Mike’s Song”, “Halley's Comet”, “Tweezer”, “Run Like An Antelope”, “Stash” and “Bathtub Gin”.  The band also showcased a wide variety of newer covers from the debut of the Rolling Stones' “Emotional Rescue” to Del McCoury's “Beauty Of My Dreams”, Jimi Hendrix's “Izabella”, Clifton Chenier's “My Soul” and even an impromptu take on War's “Low Rider” (sandwiched inside a blazing “Down With Disease”).  The Hampton/Winston-Salem 97 shows also showcased newer originals like “Dogs Stole Things”, “Ghost”, “Piper” and the brand-new-for-fall instrumental “Black-Eyed Katy”, which is the only song repeated on the release.  More than what was played, the sheer heights of these performances are what made them special and built their acclaim.

The Hampton/Winston-Salem 97 shows featured Phish at an emotional peak of execution and flow.  The band was hooking up at every turn, taking chances and dropping musical surprises for each other and the audience.  Throughout these shows, Phish seized most every opportunity to lift and expand their repertoire while maintaining a raging dance party at every turn.  The audience magnified this explosive energy, spinning the shows into a ball of psychedelic, funk-infused live Phish for the ages.  Paul Languedoc’s stereo “soundboard” mix re-mastered by Fred Kevorkian funnels the energy of these special shows to listeners' ears nearly fifteen years later.  Hampton/Winston-Salem 97 contains all the music played over these three shows for a total of 45 songs - over 8 hours of music - including never-before-heard material from soundchecks at both venues.  The 7-CD boxed set (also available as downloads at livephish.com) slated for release December 6, 2011 is a must-own collection for any Phish fan.

11/21/97 Hampton Coliseum - Hampton, VA
Disc One
Set I:
1. Emotional Rescue > (17:44)
2. Split Open And Melt (13:44)
3. Beauty Of My Dreams (3:27)
4. Dogs Stole Things (4:48)
5. Punch You In The Eye > (9:13)
6. Lawn Boy > (3:45)
7. Chalk Dust Torture (9:16)
8. Prince Caspian (10:33)

Disc Two
Set II:
1. Ghost > (15:48)
2. AC/DC Bag > (25:49)
3. Slave To The Traffic Light (12:32)
4. Loving Cup (7:39)
Encore:
5. Guyute (11:19)

11/22/97 Hampton Coliseum - Hampton, VA
Disc Three
Set I:
1. Mike's Song > (17:04)
2. I Am Hydrogen > (4:31)
3. Weekapaug Groove (14:52)
4. Harry Hood > (18:05)
5. Train Song (3:06)
6. Billy Breathes (7:05)
7. Frankenstein > (4:48)
8. Izabella (5:58)

Disc Four
set II:
1. Halley's Comet > (25:59)
2. Tweezer > (5:58)
3. Black-Eyed Katy > (12:41)
4. Piper > (7:53)
5. Run Like An Antelope (13:38)
Encore:
6. Bouncing Around The Room > (3:52)
7. Tweezer Reprise (4:06)

11/23/97 Lawrence Joel Veteran's Memorial Coliseum - Winston-Salem, NC
Disc Five 
set I:
1. My Soul (7:23)
2. Theme From The Bottom > (10:23)
3. Black-Eyed Katy (10:55)
4. Sparkle (4:02)
5. Twist > (10:21)
6. Stash > (17:03)
7. NICU (5:48)

Disc Six
set I, cont'd
1. Fluffhead > (15:39)
2. Character Zero (7:34)
set II:
3. Bathtub Gin > (31:57)
4. Down With Disease > (12:01)
5. Low Rider > (7:29)
6. Down With Disease (3:39)

Disc Seven
set II, cont'd
1. Bold As Love (7:57)
Encore:
2. Julius (11:12)

filler: from 11/21/97 Hampton Soundcheck:
3. Hampton '97 Soundcheck Jam (17:53)
filler: from 11/23/97 Winston-Salem Soundcheck:
4. Back At The Chicken Shack (11:21)

Here are the results for last week contest which consisted of answering a bunch of Phish related questions. The price was the new double DVD/CD Live in Utica. You'll find bellow the correct answers (green) along with some pieces of detail and the name of the winner.

1. Which of these songs has never been covered by Phish ?
   • "Waterloo" (ABBA)
     Never played by Phish although it was mistakly on the Wikipedia page : List of Phish cover versions.
     You can browse every song Phish has played on Phish's Stats.
   • "Sabotage"
     Played at the Hampton Coliseum on 21th November 1998
   • "99 Problems"
     Played on the 18th June 2004 in Brooklyn, with Jay-Z himself !
   • "Gettin' Jiggy With It"
     Sung by drummer John Fishman at the Hampton Coliseum on 20th November 1998
   • "I Kissed a Girl"
     Sung by drummer John Fishman on the 16th August 2010 in SPAC
   • "Mmm Bop"
     Played James Brown style during an open soundcheck in Italy on the 6th July 1997
2. Which of these songs is covered by Phish a cappela ?
   • "Bohemian Rhapsody"
     New Year's Eve 1996 encore, with a gospel choir
   • "Free Bird"
     Last example on the 29th November 2009
   • "Auld Lang Syne"
     Played intrumental at midnight at every NYE show
   • "The Great Gig In The Sky"
     Last time sung by John Fishman on the 2nd November 1998
   • "Big Pimpin'"
     Covered on the 18th June 2004 in Brooklyn, with Jay-Z.
3. When Phish cover these songs ("Purple Rain", "Love You", "Sexual Healing", "Gettin' Jiggy With It", "Bike" ), which instrument does the drummer use in his solo ? 
   • A Vacuum cleaner !
     FAQ on Phish.Net
     Here is an example with "Love You" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QovUHcmaw3U
4. Which of these video games has the same name of a Phish cover song ?
   • Wipeout
     Played on the 27th Novembre 1998
5. Ben Harper, k's Choice, Franz Ferdinand, Alanis Morissette and Phish both have played (at least once) a song having the same name, but which one of these ?
   • "Walk Away"
     Cover for Phish, original song for Ben Harper, k's Choice, Alanis Morissette and Franz Ferdinand
   • "Sexual Healing"
     Ben Harper has also covered this song as presented in his live album "Live From Mars"
   • "Something"
     Covered by k's Choice during their 2000 tour, as a tribute to George Harrison
   • "Take Me Out"
     Name for a Mike Gordon and Franz Ferdinand song
   • "Hand In My Pocket"
     A song by Alanis Morissette covered by Mike Gordon's solo band
6. What is special about those two shows (speaking of "reprise", the french word for "cover") : 6/18/10 and 6/19/10
   • "Tweezer Reprise"
     In Ted's words : Hartford had the double Tweezer Reprise (back to back Tweezer Reprises in the encore), and the very next night at SPAC they opened and closed the show with Tweezer Reprise! Classic Phishiness!
7. From which Michael Jackson album come the songs teased during the 2001 jam on the first anniversary of his death ?
   • "Thriller"
     In Ted's words : I was able to turn a Parisian friend onto Phish by playing him that 2001!
8. Which of these albums have never been covered in its entirely by Phish as a "musical costume" on Halloween ? 
   • "Quadrophenia"
     31th October 1995
   • "The Dark Side of the Moon"
     In Ted's words : In '98 everybody thought they were going to do "Dark Side" in Vegas for Halloween, but they did "Loaded" by the Velvet Underground instead. A couple of days later, on 11/2/98 in Salt Lake City, Utah, the arena was only half full. In the second set, out of nowhere Phish played a "Harpua" that went into a full rendition of Dark Side of the Moon! Craziness!
   • "Loaded"
     31th October 1996
   • "Exile on Main St."
     31th October 2009
   • "Waiting for Columbus"
     31th October 2010

The winner is Ted, a reader living in Grenoble, France. He sent me very detailed answers for every question and was radomly picked.

You can still watch several excepts from the DVD (almost all set 1) along with other HD video from current tour on the Vimeo Phish page.
LivePhish.com also provide two great live compilations to download here : Live Bait Volume 3 and Live Bait Volume 4.

All you have to do is answer the following question by using the contact page (don't answer in the comments). I'll pick up  the winner at random in answers I'll got here and on Gamusik. Answers has to be sent before the may 31th 23h59 (french time). Don't hesitate to sens partial or multiple answers. I'll trim them to the last one. This contest id open to european residents only.

Questions are about songs Phish have (or ahaven't) covered. Maybe you'll learn funny things about the best band in the world, who know ? Don't be affraid, there's nothing complicated and don't forget that Google is your friend...

1. Which of these songs has never been covered by Phish ?
   • "Waterloo" (ABBA)
   • "Sabotage" (Beastie Boys)
   • "99 Problems" (Jay-Z)
   • "Gettin' Jiggy With It" (Will Smith)
   • "I Kissed a Girl" (Katy Perry)
   • "Mmm Bop" (Hanson)
2. Which of these songs is covered by Phish a cappela ?
   • "Bohemian Rhapsody" (Queen)
   • "Free Bird" (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
   • "Auld Lang Syne" (Traditional)
   • "The Great Gig In The Sky" (Pink Floyd)
   • "Big Pimpin'" (Jay-Z)
3. When Phish cover these songs, which instrument does the drummer use in his solo ?
   • "Purple Rain" (Prince)
   • "Love You" (Syd Barrett)
   • "Sexual Healing" (Marvin Gaye)
   • "Gettin' Jiggy With It" (Will Smith)
   • "Bike" (Pink Floyd)
4. Which of these video games has the same name of a Phish cover song ?
   • Portal
   • Gran Turismo
   • Spore
   • Haunted Castle
   • Wipeout
5. Ben Harper, k's Choice, Franz Ferdinand, Alanis Morissette and Phish both have played (at least once) a song having the same name, but which one of these  ?
   • "Walk Away"
   • "Sexual Healing"
   • "Something"
   • "Take Me Out"
   • "Hand In My Pocket"
6. What is special about those two shows (speaking of "reprise", the french word for "cover") :
   • 6/18/10 Comcast Theatre, Hartford, CT
   • 6/19/10 Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
7. From which Michael Jackson album come the songs teased during the 2001 jam on the first anniversary of his death ?
   • Off the wall
   • Thriller
   • Bad
   • Dangerous
   • Invisible
8. Which of these albums have never been covered in its entirely by Phish as a "musical costume" on Halloween ? 
   • "Quadrophenia" (The Who)
   • "The Dark Side of the Moon" (Pink Floyd)
   • "Loaded" (The Velvet Underground)
   • "Exile on Main St." (The Rolling Stones)
   • "Waiting for Columbus" (Little Feat)

So send me your answers with the contact page and good luck !

Starting great with a rare Vulture, the night went out when Guyute arrived : every song that followed contained an ugly pig reference ! The second set was a segue festival (listen to a crazy Split > Mercy > Piper > Split > Slave bellow) and a jam heaven.

http://www.mediafire.com/?7ry3kimcy7gbvr4

The only thing that I'm waiting more than this DVD is a BluRay version...

The 2 CD / 2 DVD boxset will be released on the may 24.

During the past few months, there were several of these phases and I decided to present them as a Phish setlist with two sets (the first one is rather straight, the second one with lots of improv), segues, sandwiches, guests, covers and old tunes.

Don't forget to click on each link as they're all different. Most of them will lead you to the object's description page my other blog Gamusik, where you can browse my collections. Although this website is in french, the collection part should be easy to navigate for english speaking people...

>> French, original version on Gamusik

This picture of 13 japanese discs was taken this evening on one of my shelves.

The first of you who give me the complete and accurate list of these discs will win one one them (the choice has alreday been made, it'll be the 4th starting on the right).

Be careful, I was the artist/band et the complete title for every disc (there are 2 obvious traps). Honestly, I don't think it's really complicated...

Responses in the comments or with the contact page.

I hate special offers... when it comes in a time when I can't buy anything.

LivePhish.com is currently offering 25% off all 2010 CDs until tuesday. This means that every show is available for 17.25$ instead of 23$ (except for Halloween which is 22.50 instead of 30$).
So all 29 summer tour shows can be bought for 500.25$ only and the fall tour is 264$. Even the "buy all in once" packages are more expensive as they're respectively 600.30$ and 315.25$ (you only save 10%).

Pff... 44 Phish shows in CDs for 570€ is a damned good deal ! That's 12,95€ a show, 4,31€ a CD (as most shows are on 3 CDs)...

Damned, I realise that I write more about money (spending or saving) than music on a Phish blog...

So as this version isn't really widely spread (except from Relix) and is a perfect add-on to Moss The Remixes, I thought I'd share.

By the way, there's a complete recording of the Mossery on bt.etree.org.

FLAC + MP3 + JPG direct download from MediaFire