Another archival Phish release is available for streaming and download: 11/30/1995 Ervin J. Nutter Center, Wright State University, Dayton, OH.
Following the release of A Live One in June 1995, Phish hit the road for a 54-show fall tour from California to Lake Placid, their longest since 1993 and the last of such duration. Fall ’95 found the band playing to bigger crowds in larger venues while pushing the limits of musical exploration to new peaks.
On November 30, 1995 Phish played their first of three shows at the Ervin J. Nutter Center, a multi-purpose basketball and hockey arena with a capacity of about 12,000 on the campus of Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Tickets cost $20.00 and were still available at showtime for those fortunate enough to walk up.
Dayton ’95 set I was relatively short for Phish, but the 53- minute excursion boasted intense playing and great flow throughout, with scarcely time for the band to catch their breath during the few pauses between segments. The Curtain > Ha Ha Ha > Julius capped an impressive four-song opening sequence, and NICU > Bathtub Gin and Fast Enough For You > The Lizards contained some unusual twists. Set II was The Truth - masterly improvised with unbounded fall ’95 energy. Cars Trucks Buses > Tweezer > Makisupa Policeman > Run Like An Antelope made for an unforgettable cassette side, with the only Tweezer > Makisupa > Antelope triumverate to-date instantly propelling set II into must-hear territory. Scent Of A Mule and a stellar Harry Hood encore rounded out this nearly non-stop performance in what became a cornerstone venue in the improvisational mecca of Phish Country, Ohio.
Setlist and notes from phish.net:
SET 1: Sample in a Jar > The Curtain > Ha Ha Ha > Julius, NICU > Bathtub Gin, Rift > Fast Enough for You > The Lizards, Fire
SET 2: Cars Trucks Buses > Tweezer -> Makisupa Policeman > Run Like an Antelope > Scent of a Mule, Free, Strange Design, Amazing Grace
ENCORE: Harry Hood» livephish.com
