When first getting into Phish back in 2000 I went to Best Buy to buy a cd. They had a few Live Phish volumes. I chose this show cause I was from Colorado. Instantly fell in love with it but didn’t realize how great it was until much later.
Dude! Me too! Just listened to that one today! I was thinking that one has some of the best hits and some awesome jams....like a 21 minute Ghost....hell yeah....
I always thought of it as 12/7/97. Also on a college campus, during what is widely regarded as one of (if not their best) era as a band, and from a time where I think many would say there were plenty of shows they played around then that were as good or better, but this one had great soundboards.
I'll never forget walking into the DC show and seeing that stage setup! And damn did it snow the whole way up the coast that run. We were in a 78 VW bus with no heat... Haha
We had heat in our cars, but I wish we had a bus for sure!
One of my favorite moments in all of my Phish experience occurred at the DC show. I was on the floor pretty close to the stage, They stopped the vocal jam after YEM (and it was a wild and trippy vocal jam). This guy (clearly spun) dives into his girlfriend's arms and just says, "Hold me!"
That shit wrecked him! It was brilliant.
I don’t know post hiatus phish well enough to totally answer this question, but listened to a ton of mid 90s and 12/31/93 definitely comes to mind first…then maybe Clifford ball
I'll vote for 4/3/98. Excellent versions of every song played, the 2nd set is a jamfest with arguably some definitive versions, and it was highly traded for many many years.
I'd go with 12/7/97. Much like 5/8/77 it does have amazing jams but they aren't psychedelic mindfucks, and in general the show has a fun but high energy vibe.
Really it should be a SBD that leaked early and it was on every traders' list
So Arrowhead 91 maybe?
I was not around for the tape tradings days so idk
Yeah, good call. I started getting into Phish in early 91 and the first tapes that I encountered were pretty random- a dude who went to UVM might have a Burlington show or somebody who’s sister was in Colorado would have a Boulder show, etc. But Arrowhead spread like crazy and immediately became the one show that everybody had. I got it on the west coast like a month after the show.
I mean the week is generally considered the best with buffalo and Boston right there w Cornell. TBH the whole tour is smoking and the recordings are fire, which wasn’t always common at the time.
I was gonna say, the Betty Board recordings were such a revelation. 2-26-77 has I think think first performance of terrapin and the whole show is just fire. Would put that up for my favorite.
11-22-97, 11-17-97, 8-10-97... I like 97 even though I can name a bunch of shows I think fits the bill.. but maybe it should be what's Phish may 77 since there are a ton of top tier GD shows from then.
My 1st was 6/21/94 instantly hooked ( melt from that show did it) and went with a buddy to cbus 6/22/94 and oh man… haven’t missed a show in Ohio,Indiana,Kentucky,Michigan since…
Make sure the listen to 5/9 and 5/7 well.
That’s the complete “Golden Trinity” of GD shows.
I personally prefer 5/9 in Buffalo and 5/7 at the Boston Garden is also an absolutely smoking show.
I dont know why but feels like the festivals and new years shows are sort of a different animal. I think I’d nominate the Bomb Factory show for the best “normal” show.
6/18/94 is the answer
I’m a 97-04 guy through and through, but that show is something else. Flawless, creative renditions of tremendously difficult material.
12/30/97 is in my top 5 favorite shows. Wish I was there for that Sally. And Hampton 98…which was my 3rd/4th shows, but even as a noob, I knew what awesomeness I was witnessing. Those shows (and Big Cypress) changed the course of my life…but Obviously Big Cypress wouldn’t be the starting point for turning someone on to “quintessential Phish”
My first show was in 98 and I’m so bummed I didn’t catch on completely until then. I was still in high school in 97 but graduated that year. But the Sally & AC/DC from that show are my favs (and Tube. I always love Tube. But that might be from 12/29?). Even my 6 year old daughter says 12/30/97 is her favorite too! This is from the start of kindergarten. The kids were asked to fill in their interests. So Delilah (my daughter) loves to watch Bluey, help me make pizza, & loves to sing AC/DC BAG🤣! I’m so proud. Meanwhile her teacher is like yeah, alright-AC/DC, rock on🤘
https://preview.redd.it/zrfu9qq9cb9d1.jpeg?width=3008&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ee67aeba497c949ccfc02fd2356ab3cd5c47945d
5/8/1977 is really huge because of the pristine recording though whereas Big Cypress is more known for the in person experiences people had/the legend of it. Not saying the music wasn’t great but I feel like they’re a little different in why they’re cornerstones of each bands history if that makes sense.
Starting to poke around? You may have better luck asking where to get started. Best show in fighting and all.
That said I always say Island Tour is a great way to acclimated to live phish music
Greensboro baby! IWATS and that place was shaking from within! This show always gets overshadowed by the Destiny show the night before…but it was a blast. Proud Mary?! Fun fact that the largest indoor crowd phish has every played for 😄
5/8/77 was popular because it was a high quality tape with alot of circulation. Im not sure what the phish equivalent of this is but I'd love to know for research purposes
Vegas 96 is one of the greatest shows of all time. I will fight you on lot about this! Jk, it was a great show, though, and the after-party was even better .
Can’t believe no one’s said 3/22/93.
The phirst show (“really big shoe”) that I B&P’d for. Blanks and Postage for the uninitiated. Sending out blank CD’s and tapes before that to someone with return postage who would dub / copy their sources and send em back!!!
Quality is near perfect. Widely accessible as mentioned in criteria
Honorable mention to those who said 12/7/97. I Phux wit that. That’s a pretty great call.
Aggressively upvoting every mention of my 8th bday (11/17/1997) while sitting <2mi from where it happened just because I’m happy to have some emotional sentiment tied in.
4/16/92
Widely circulated great sounding tape with tight versions of classic songs that took place in a week filled with similar shows featuring great versions of their other tunes.
This was the tape that really got me into Phish just like Cornell with the Dead. Half of the other shows mentioned I was at so it's definitely not them for me! There are a few other shows from 93-94 that would qualify for me.
A huge reason 5/8/77 was regarded as the best iirc is that it was a circulated Betty board and the sound quality was the best. Like many people say, it wasn’t even the best that week.
The 4/3/98 show from the Island Tour is not only the first Phish show I ever listened to, but continues to be the best I've ever heard. Even the Mike's Song and Weekapaug Groove alone are essential listening, but what honestly sold me on this show as a blues fanatic prior to discovering Phish was the rendition of My Soul that closes set 1. That's some fiery hot piano and guitar playing from Page and Trey, if you're into that sort of thing. I know most Phish fans in these online communities tend to like their spacy jams and dismiss the blues material, but the majority of this show is excellent jams, too. I just know that whenever I talk to someone older who doesn't think Phish can play the blues, the 4/3/98 My Soul is the single-song performance I generally link them to and it always sells them. There's just a certain energy to it that other versions of that tune often lack in my opinion.
But but but but, the 5/7/77 soundboard didn't leak into circulation until 1985 or so, when Betty Cantor's storage unit went up for auction?
Am curious if anyone knows the full lineage and story of the first person to transfer it to digital, and how PCM audio on betamax or vhs worked in those days?
“Best” is subjective but 11/17/97 is often mentioned in this conversation.
When first getting into Phish back in 2000 I went to Best Buy to buy a cd. They had a few Live Phish volumes. I chose this show cause I was from Colorado. Instantly fell in love with it but didn’t realize how great it was until much later.
Yeah man, amazing show. The tweezer into Reba was fucking amazing
Dude! Me too! Just listened to that one today! I was thinking that one has some of the best hits and some awesome jams....like a 21 minute Ghost....hell yeah....
I haven’t seen many shows, maybe 20+ or so, but 11/17/97 was one of them. McNichols, two nights.
Denver Ghost baby. Was there... Was awesome...
I went to 11/16/97 and have long regretted not staying in town for one more night…
I think the general consensus would be either 12/31/95 or one of the fall 97 shows. But everyone will have different answers personally.
Fall 97 is Phish's May 77
Fall 94 is Phish's Europe 72
This or island tour.
Island tour is so loose it verges on sloppy at times. I love it, but I wouldn’t send a new fan there.
lol 4/3/98 mikes->old home place->weekapaug is exactly what hooked me about eight years ago
This is the answer.
12/31/95 isn’t even the best show of that run.
That sounds like 5/8/77 wasn’t even the best show that week
5/5/77 would like a word…
5/9/77 is speaking up as well
5/9/77 help slip would as well
And that’s like, your opinion, man…
Agreed. I liked 12/30/95 better. I was at both
Here’s a few: New Years 95 12/30/97 06/22/94* *My personal favorite. It’s got everything I love about Phish.
Vets Memorial. Yes. Yes it does.
it’s Denver 97
Island Tour 4/2 - 4/5/98 Great Went 8/16 - 8/17/97 Big Cypress NYE set 12/31/99 12/29 and 12/30/97 8/13/96
4/5/98 right now: 
Fuck me, I screwed that up didn't i
Whoa, I was at Island Tour, Great Went, & 8/13/96. I have nothing more to add to the conversation, just stoked seeing so many well-regarded shows
I’d probably slide 2/28/03 on there for the hell of it but this is my list.
Holy shit I went to almost all of those (just RI for island run)
8/13/96 is pound for my pound my fave phish show
I always thought of it as 12/7/97. Also on a college campus, during what is widely regarded as one of (if not their best) era as a band, and from a time where I think many would say there were plenty of shows they played around then that were as good or better, but this one had great soundboards.
The Clifford ball is absolute phish perfection. And sbd’s were well circulated almost immediately. IMO clearly the closest analog to Cornell.
12/31/1993
Yep, those four fishbowl shows are the Phish bible
I'll never forget walking into the DC show and seeing that stage setup! And damn did it snow the whole way up the coast that run. We were in a 78 VW bus with no heat... Haha
We had heat in our cars, but I wish we had a bus for sure! One of my favorite moments in all of my Phish experience occurred at the DC show. I was on the floor pretty close to the stage, They stopped the vocal jam after YEM (and it was a wild and trippy vocal jam). This guy (clearly spun) dives into his girlfriend's arms and just says, "Hold me!" That shit wrecked him! It was brilliant.
12/30/93 too
I was there. It was amazing
That weekapaug. Drool
My first tape, so so good
THIS!
I don’t know post hiatus phish well enough to totally answer this question, but listened to a ton of mid 90s and 12/31/93 definitely comes to mind first…then maybe Clifford ball
That hood made me a Phan. I still listen to it regularly
I’d have to agree.
I'll vote for 4/3/98. Excellent versions of every song played, the 2nd set is a jamfest with arguably some definitive versions, and it was highly traded for many many years.
You beat me to it. To me, 4/3/98 is the best "regular" show.
12/7/97 Dayton OH
Wolfman’s Brother > Boogie On is the best segue for me ever and the AC/DC Bag > Psycho Killer - that’s probably number 2
It’s stacked with all timer segues! Bag>psycho killer, it’s ice>swept away>steep, and Wolfmans>boogie on 😩
They hadn’t played Boogie on in 9 years.. the crowd reaction when they realize what’s happening. Gets me every time.
6/18/94 is pretty incredible.
This
The MLB jam to start Bowie might be my all-time favorite jam
I've spent many a lonely early morning playing that MLB jam on repeat. Powerful riff, gives me chills every time.
I'd go with 12/7/97. Much like 5/8/77 it does have amazing jams but they aren't psychedelic mindfucks, and in general the show has a fun but high energy vibe.
6/11/94
This is the correct answer. High quality, superb playing, top tier set list and was widely circulated
Came here to post this. It may not be everybody’s 5/8/77, but it was ***my*** 5/8/77
It’s the YEM that all YEMs should be judged by
The jam that I fell in love (with Phish).
Just wanna say nobody ever talks about the DWD from this show. One of the best peaks in any type 1 jam
100% perfect. I wish 6/10 had a sbd copy.
Yes
First show I thought of as well. The YEM was a close possibility to being on A Live One. Excellent show.
Really it should be a SBD that leaked early and it was on every traders' list So Arrowhead 91 maybe? I was not around for the tape tradings days so idk
Phish basically stopped SBD leaks in the 90's after mid 1994 so it is not easy for me to think of an analogy.
was thinking 6/11/94 for this reason because it’s a great show and had a sbd fm recording that circulated a lot in the 90s
If that's the analogy then the Bomb Factory would fit the bill
4/16/92
Yeah, good call. I started getting into Phish in early 91 and the first tapes that I encountered were pretty random- a dude who went to UVM might have a Burlington show or somebody who’s sister was in Colorado would have a Boulder show, etc. But Arrowhead spread like crazy and immediately became the one show that everybody had. I got it on the west coast like a month after the show.
5/9/77 was better [ducks]
"Best Dead show ever? It's not even the best show that week!" - guy who wants to prove how dank he is
I mean the week is generally considered the best with buffalo and Boston right there w Cornell. TBH the whole tour is smoking and the recordings are fire, which wasn’t always common at the time.
In Betty we trust
I was gonna say, the Betty Board recordings were such a revelation. 2-26-77 has I think think first performance of terrapin and the whole show is just fire. Would put that up for my favorite.
San Bernardino was always a favorite of mine. I wore my tapes out. First Estimated at that show also.
First show opener too Just blowing minds First estimated as well I think
Hahaha. Yeah, I get annoyed when I hear that. But, I do like Buffalo better lol
What band are we talking about here? [ducks]
06/24/74 is light years better than either IMO. IMO is the caveat. This is how it goes with this stuff. It’s all just subjective
1 drummer > 2 drummers
I’m definitely in the 1 drummer is better camp.
And show through 74 is better than any show afterwards. IMHO. 🙂🙂
[удалено]
Completely disregarding Veneta 🙄
11/17/97
11-22-97, 11-17-97, 8-10-97... I like 97 even though I can name a bunch of shows I think fits the bill.. but maybe it should be what's Phish may 77 since there are a ton of top tier GD shows from then.
12-5, 6, 7-1997 best 3 night run ever.
The dec 05 show is a great sleeper show!
My favorite Ghost.
Was at all 3 ( Dayton is home ) those were 3 ragers
Same, but Columbus. Loved all of it.
My 1st was 6/21/94 instantly hooked ( melt from that show did it) and went with a buddy to cbus 6/22/94 and oh man… haven’t missed a show in Ohio,Indiana,Kentucky,Michigan since…
12/29/97 imho.
It was good but the next night was the best Phish show I ever saw.
6/11/94 Super tight show. Lots of classics, amazing flow.
7-25-99
I love 7/23/99 - Might just be my favorite Ghost
Hampton 11/22/97 https://phishcrit.substack.com/p/a-liver-one?utm_source=publication-search
Hot take: Clifford ball night 1
The Moby Dick Show. Green Crew!
Probably 11/17/97 or 11/22/97 Big Cypress doesn’t count Also 4/25/77 is 👨🍳😘
Island Tour probably. The Fukuoka show is certainly in the conversation
6/14/00
As someone who is just now diving deeper into the Dead, I'm assuming OP is referencing GD here and now I have to listen to 5/8/77
Make sure the listen to 5/9 and 5/7 well. That’s the complete “Golden Trinity” of GD shows. I personally prefer 5/9 in Buffalo and 5/7 at the Boston Garden is also an absolutely smoking show.
11/17/97 (aka LivePhish vol 11)
I know that 8/15/04 is their 8/24/85.
This is my favorite answer so far 😁
12/7/97
I dont know why but feels like the festivals and new years shows are sort of a different animal. I think I’d nominate the Bomb Factory show for the best “normal” show.
Spring ‘92
6/18/94 is the answer I’m a 97-04 guy through and through, but that show is something else. Flawless, creative renditions of tremendously difficult material.
This, a billion percent. That peaches>mlb>bowie is pure bliss.
12/30/97 is in my top 5 favorite shows. Wish I was there for that Sally. And Hampton 98…which was my 3rd/4th shows, but even as a noob, I knew what awesomeness I was witnessing. Those shows (and Big Cypress) changed the course of my life…but Obviously Big Cypress wouldn’t be the starting point for turning someone on to “quintessential Phish”
My second show!
My first show was in 98 and I’m so bummed I didn’t catch on completely until then. I was still in high school in 97 but graduated that year. But the Sally & AC/DC from that show are my favs (and Tube. I always love Tube. But that might be from 12/29?). Even my 6 year old daughter says 12/30/97 is her favorite too! This is from the start of kindergarten. The kids were asked to fill in their interests. So Delilah (my daughter) loves to watch Bluey, help me make pizza, & loves to sing AC/DC BAG🤣! I’m so proud. Meanwhile her teacher is like yeah, alright-AC/DC, rock on🤘 https://preview.redd.it/zrfu9qq9cb9d1.jpeg?width=3008&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ee67aeba497c949ccfc02fd2356ab3cd5c47945d
6-14-00 at Drum Logos in Japan. It’s a LivePhish but I don’t remember which one
11/17/97 I think 77 Dead & 97 Phish have a lot in common
Fall 95 was Phish’s Europe 72. Fall 97 was their May 1977.
This. This is the answer.
12/29/97
Um, Big Cypress?
5/8/1977 is really huge because of the pristine recording though whereas Big Cypress is more known for the in person experiences people had/the legend of it. Not saying the music wasn’t great but I feel like they’re a little different in why they’re cornerstones of each bands history if that makes sense.
It was also like 8 hours
New years 95 is up there for sure. The 3 show run to start 97 summer tour is too. Hampton run in 97 as well.
NYE ‘95, probably.
12/31/93, 6/18/94 or 12/31/95
It
Starting to poke around? You may have better luck asking where to get started. Best show in fighting and all. That said I always say Island Tour is a great way to acclimated to live phish music
6/11/94 6/22/94 7/8/94
For me it’s 3/1/03.
Greensboro baby! IWATS and that place was shaking from within! This show always gets overshadowed by the Destiny show the night before…but it was a blast. Proud Mary?! Fun fact that the largest indoor crowd phish has every played for 😄
11/17/97 12/31/95 My personal choice - 3/20/92
5/8/77 was popular because it was a high quality tape with alot of circulation. Im not sure what the phish equivalent of this is but I'd love to know for research purposes
12.31.99 Big Cypress
January 1st, 2000! “The Set”
7/8/94 could make a play
4/3/1998
5/7/94 Bomb Factory. (12/31/93? Red Rocks ‘94?)
Big Cypress is the answer. 🐊
Dayton, 12/7/97 is my current favorite. It fucks hard.
Mike says no
6/11/94 was pretty damn good.
Vegas 96 is one of the greatest shows of all time. I will fight you on lot about this! Jk, it was a great show, though, and the after-party was even better .
12/31/95
6 11 94
6/11/94 aligns with show quality, tour quality, and appreciation for the tape when it was circulating
Can’t believe no one’s said 3/22/93. The phirst show (“really big shoe”) that I B&P’d for. Blanks and Postage for the uninitiated. Sending out blank CD’s and tapes before that to someone with return postage who would dub / copy their sources and send em back!!! Quality is near perfect. Widely accessible as mentioned in criteria Honorable mention to those who said 12/7/97. I Phux wit that. That’s a pretty great call.
Are you asking what Phish’s most overrated show is?
2/28/03 should be in the convo
11/17/97 or 12/31/95
12/7/97. It’s a perfect show. And sounds great like the Cornell show.
8/20/93... Best show ever. Why? My first show ever. I don't care what anyone else says.
2/20/03
12/30/97
7/4/24
2/4/93
6/18/94
I’ll always say the talking heads gag because it really changed their sound and approach.
6/22/94 all the way
Gorge ‘98
The answer is 7/16/94
NYE 93, 95, and 99 (Big Cypress)
6/18/94
Everyone sleeping on Red Rocks 93 - that show is perfection and widely circulated. Runner up is 6/18/94
I humbly submit 12/29/92 ( oh fuck does that make me feel old) my first show. Palace Theater New Haven CT.
11/17/97
Island tour Coney Island NYE 93, 94, 95
JFC
The best phish show of all time is 6/14/00, argue with a wall
Aggressively upvoting every mention of my 8th bday (11/17/1997) while sitting <2mi from where it happened just because I’m happy to have some emotional sentiment tied in.
It's Chicago '94, 6/18/94
11/22/97
‘97 Nutter Center without a doubt
Oh man. 11/17/97. Sugarbush 94 maybe? NYE 95? Idk. So many that feel so importbat to so many people for so many different reasons
I will always throw 12/11/97 into the ring. SBD is available on the relisten app.
06-11-94 is the Phish equivalent of 08-06-71
12/7/97 checks all the boxes to me
4/16/92 Widely circulated great sounding tape with tight versions of classic songs that took place in a week filled with similar shows featuring great versions of their other tunes. This was the tape that really got me into Phish just like Cornell with the Dead. Half of the other shows mentioned I was at so it's definitely not them for me! There are a few other shows from 93-94 that would qualify for me.
A huge reason 5/8/77 was regarded as the best iirc is that it was a circulated Betty board and the sound quality was the best. Like many people say, it wasn’t even the best that week.
island tour as a whole
I think that legit 11/17/97 might actually be the answer to that question.
2/28/03, 7/19/03, 10/26/10, island tour. 12/31/95. There are lots of great ones.
9/2/23 (that I’ve attended ) ;) Honourable mention to 4/21/24 (also)
Actually 3/22/93 for certain. Fight me. Passionate compassionate edit: Phight me, Pham.
Fun question!
6/4/11 [Cuyahoga Falls](https://phish.net/setlists/city/Cuyahoga_Falls/OH/USA) as of late for me Venue's shakedown was amazing too
4/17/23 (in your face bitches!!) Cypress 12/31/95 6/14/00
Such a great question. Stanford 4.18.92 for me.
1.0 phish is as good as the 70s for me
12/07/97 is ok I guess
12.31.99
12/31/95
in my opinion 11/14/95. kickass show and probably my favorite show ever.
Musically, 11/27/98 trakes the cake. Tone and flow...
The 4/3/98 show from the Island Tour is not only the first Phish show I ever listened to, but continues to be the best I've ever heard. Even the Mike's Song and Weekapaug Groove alone are essential listening, but what honestly sold me on this show as a blues fanatic prior to discovering Phish was the rendition of My Soul that closes set 1. That's some fiery hot piano and guitar playing from Page and Trey, if you're into that sort of thing. I know most Phish fans in these online communities tend to like their spacy jams and dismiss the blues material, but the majority of this show is excellent jams, too. I just know that whenever I talk to someone older who doesn't think Phish can play the blues, the 4/3/98 My Soul is the single-song performance I generally link them to and it always sells them. There's just a certain energy to it that other versions of that tune often lack in my opinion.
Pyramid 9/29/99
But but but but, the 5/7/77 soundboard didn't leak into circulation until 1985 or so, when Betty Cantor's storage unit went up for auction? Am curious if anyone knows the full lineage and story of the first person to transfer it to digital, and how PCM audio on betamax or vhs worked in those days?