The Great Went

Phish
August 16, 1997
The Great Went — Loring Air Force Base — Limestone, ME
I: Makisupa Policeman → Harpua[1] > Chalk Dust Torture, Theme From the Bottom > Punch You in the Eye > Ghost > Ginseng Sullivan, You Enjoy Myself > Train Song > Character Zero, The Squirming Coil
II: Wolfman’s Brother → Simple → My Soul, Jam → Slave to the Traffic Light > Rocky Top > Julius[2]
III: Halley’s Comet → Cities[3] → Llama > Lawn Boy, Limb By Limb > Funky Bitch[4]
E: Contact > Loving Cup

Footnotes:
[1] Picked up where the Clifford Ball Harpua left off.
[2] Intro performed a cappella with finger snaps.
[3] Trey altered lyrics to reference “Fishman sleeping in the daytime.”
[4] Fireworks.

This was the first show of The Great Went festival. Harpua picked up where the Clifford Ball Harpua left off. After Chalk Dust, Trey remarked that the first three songs served as the soundcheck, which the band did not do before the show. The jam out of Simple, the beginning of My Soul, and the jam before Slave included Odd Couple theme teases. The jam before Slave also contained an Entrance of the Gladiators tease. Halley’s Comet included On Your Way Down teases. The lyrics in Cities were changed to reference Fishman sleeping in the daytime. The Julius intro was partially performed a cappella with finger snaps. Funky Bitch featured a fireworks display behind the stage that culminated as the song ended. After the show, the members of Phish DJ’d under pseudonyms at a festival tent in what has become known as the “Disco Set.”

Phish
August 17, 1997
The Great Went — Loring Air Force Base — Limestone, ME
I: The Wedge, Beauty of My Dreams, Dogs Stole Things, Vultures, Water in the Sky > Maze, Bouncing Around the Room > Tweezer → Taste, Carolina
II: Down with Disease[1] → Bathtub Gin[1] > Uncle Pen, Also Sprach Zarathustra → Art Jam > Harry Hood
III: Buffalo Bill → NICU, Weigh, Guyute, Dirt, Scent of a Mule → Digital Delay Loop Jam → Scent of a Mule, Prince Caspian
E: When the Circus Comes, Tweezer Reprise

Footnotes:
[1] Unfinished.

This was the second show of The Great Went festival. Tweezer contained Simple teases and the Digital Delay Loop Jam included London Bridge is Falling Down teases. Disease was unfinished. Bathtub Gin contained a Proud Mary tease from Page. Throughout the weekend, fans painted pieces of wood that were assembled into an Art Tower. During Disease, Page and Fish painted their portions of the Art Tower; Mike and Trey painted theirs during 2001. The Art Jam saw the crowd carry the pieces of the band’s art to the side of the venue where it was hoisted onto the Art Tower and added to the fans’ art. During Tweezer Reprise, the Art Tower was burned to the ground as The Great Went came to a close. As the Hood jam kicked in, Trey asked Chris to turn the lights off and the band jammed while the front section of the audience engaged in the first Hood glowstick war. Trey remarked to the crowd at the end of the jam that the visual display was cool. Between the first and second sets, the Bangor Symphony Orchestra performed selections from Stravinsky and Debussy as a red-smoke-spewing glider synchronized its swoops and dives to the music. Buffalo Bill was played for the first time since December 31, 1994 (204 shows).

Setlists and setlist notes via phish.net.

📅 August 1997