What's Playing On The PA During Setbreak

The FAQ is currently in the process of being updated in the new system. We apologize for any inconvenience, and will be updating this page as soon as possible.

The 12/31/02 show started off with lots of music about returning, coming back, getting back, and reuniting. Other times, pre-show, setbreak, and post-show music played over the PA has been related to water, such as "The Flood" by Peter Gabriel and "Black Water" by the Doobies. The range is amazing, and so often fits the mood perfectly; any incomplete list is therefore somewhat misleading. But the PA music often introduces people to new music, and frequently they don't know what they're hearing. (There is a sentiment that Phish ought to somehow publicize what they've played over the PA before and after sets, perhaps on the inside of exit doors, or online in the following days)

Favorites: Some Phish.Nettters' favorites have included the Jazz Mandolin Project, Bela Fleck (esp. Acoustic Planet and Live Art), the Staple Singers (vocal gospel), the Aquarium Rescue Unit, Laurie Anderson, Charlie Hunter (especially Natty Dread), Miles Davis (especially Bitches Brew and Tribute to Jack Johnson), Joshua Redman, Patsy Kline (especially "Crazy") and others singing Patsy Kline songs, the Bee Gees (especially "Disco Inferno"), and Primus.

By date...

2000: Tom Waits ("Ol' 55" from Closing Time on 7/1); remix of the Sopranos theme song at the first PNC (New Jersey) show. (Jeffrey Greenblatt)

1999: Me'Shell NdegeOcello, Luscious Jackson, Tom Waits (Big in Japan 7/3), Bee Gees ("Night Fever&quit; 7/10, and Michael Jackson's PYT after the show), "Theme to the Godfather" (7/9), Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Benny Goodman (pre-show 7/9); Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Bob Marley, and Luscious Jackson (7/10/99); Stanton Moore (Galactic drummer) album "All Kooked Out" (7/15 setbreak).... (Thanks to Ben), Charlie Hunter's Natty Dread (7/17 and 7/23 setbreaks); and Tom Wait's new album Big in Japan (which features Primus as the backing band) on 7/26 (foreshadowin Phish's first Japan shows, one week later).

1997-1998: Lots of Primus, some Irish jigs (Robin Walthery 7/24/98 and Kurt Kauffman c.3/98 report that it's at least sometimes Solas), Elton John's "Rocket Man", Miles Davis Tribute to Jack Johnson, lots of Bee Gees, Louis Armstrong (inc. "Wonderful World"), some Ella Fitzgerald, Thelonious Monk, some techno, Mark Ribot (of Surrender), Allison Kraus (e.g. the setbreaks 12/28/97 and 4/2/98, and pre-show 8/8/98 and 12/31/98.), and Southern Culture on he Skids (Plastic Seat Sweat 11/15/98). Thanks to "Yolfer", David Steinberg, Zachary Layne , and others. And 8-9-98 (the third anniversary of Jerry Garcia's death) featured "The Theme from Godfather" over the PA after the "Terrapin Station" encore.

1997: lots of disco, especially in the summer

1996: Me'Shell NdegeOcello in the summer, and Miles Davis' Kind of Blue in the Fall.

1995: MMW's It's a Jungle in Here was very common in the fall, and appeared again on the Holiday/NYE Run

1994: Miles Davis' Tribute to Jack Johnson (also featured on A Live One)

Coventry: "After the band left the stage, lights illuminated the hillside amphitheater as some fans cried, some called for "One more song!," and Phish left them not with a recorded concert's-over song, but with the future of Phish: silence." - Jon Pareles, New York Times, 8/17/04

BTW, on Phish's first live release, A Live One, which is two discs set up to imitate the flow of a show, the second disc begins with "setbreak music", which happens to be a sample from Miles Davis' A Tribute to Jack Johnson, mimicking what Paul does with the PA at shows (even with this album, which is great!)

"We will be back in exactly fifteen minutes.""
-- Trey Anastasio"