Under the blazing New Orleans sun, a calypso, bouncy "Ya
Mar" set the tone, and got everyone dancin right off. Right
on! A slow and groovy "AC/DC Bag" then showed the Festival
crowd the phunk that these Yankee honkees are capable of laying
down. Phish, scheduled for a 3:25 start, came out early (just
after 3:00) and we were treated to a full two hours of Phish faves
including "Harry Hood", "2001", and a gorgeous
"You Enjoy Myself" that melted into an a capella "Wolfman's
Brother" which waxed electric toward the refrain. Earlier
on after "Stash", Michael Ray (who at his Jazz Fest
gig last year was joined on-stage by Trey) came out and shared
his horn for a bouncy "Cars, Trucks, and Buses" - probably
the highlight of the set. The band was out to strut their stuff,
and the Fest audience was very receptive to the groove.
The mostly-Phish crowd at the Ray Ban stage was in for a good
time, even under the oppressive sunshine. If it were not for
the spray gun dude and other creative water-sprayers, we might
all have melted. Luckily, the sun gave way to some sprinkles
just as we were "taking care of our shoes" at the end
of "Cavern," Phish's second encore.
The Flags weren;t the only ones flying high!
As the show ended several flags and other creatively-decorated
posts flew high, marking people's territory, and (perhaps shielding
mics, too) . Most are custom made and many have been cultivated
over the years, like Mardi Gras costumes. After a terrific show,
Phish made their mark on the Festival and took their place among
the traditional musical greatness that is annually associated
with Jazz Fest.
Phish Setlist 4/26/96
Ya Mar-> AC/DC Bag Sparkle Stash Cars, Trucks, and Buses (with Michael Ray on Trumpet) You Enjoy Myself-> Wolfman's Brother Scent of a Mule 2001 Sample in a Jar Harry Hood Day in the Life David Bowie *ENCORE* Hello, My Baby Cavern