Lost in the long shadow of 10-31-94 is a fabulous and unique show. In just about any other position in Phish tour history other than the show before "OMG Phish Does The White Album," this set list would have been an instant contender for best set list of the tour. Most heads know about this show, but if you're just starting to mine the vast treasure trove that is 1994, put this one in your top 10. To my ears, there was a strange feel to this show - maybe the impending Halloween spirits were gathering two days early, or maybe it was just the entire aura of well-controlled craziness that glowed around the entire tour.

Who knows? Whatever the reason, this show deserves classic status. It's got it all - the bust-out factor, the great (if compressed slightly) fall 94 jamming, the creative set list design for both sets, and a killer encore.

Let's dive in.

Set I: Um, hello? A rare and intense My Friend opener; a strangely placed Simple->Runaway Jim combo (and a strange combo for any show); and the pure treat of SOAM->Buffalo Bill->Makisupa->Rift to cap it off makes what would have been an otherwise typical warm-up set for a Fall 94 jamfest in Set II become absolutely mandatory listening for any phan. Forever.

Set II: You mean it gets better?!

DWD->TMWSIY>Avenu>TMWSIY->Sparks>Uncle Pen to kick it off. I don't think I need to really say much more about that string; it's self-explanatory. The DWD is high-energy and rocking; the TMWSIY sandwich is always serene-plus-fun; and just throw in a dash of The Who's Tommy for seasoning. Plus some bluegrass for good measure. w00t!

Caught your breath? Good. Next stop: YEM. A typical strong 94 YEM, and actually a short and sweet version considering the other YEMs of that tour and year. Jazzy-creepy vocal jam.

Good Fishman-tastic fun and banter with Bike is next. Now they'll probably wind it down with something lame like Sample or maybe a nice Horse>Silent, right?

WRONG. How about a smoking Antelope with Sleeping Monkey plunked right in the middle of it? Bam! That. Just. Happened.

Encore? A beautiful, soaring Harry Hood. The perfect way to end any show, and a pitch-perfect way to end this one.

For those who don't know the set list by heart already, this show is a lot of fun to just put on from start to finish and try not to remember or even guess what song comes next.

Because 9 times out of 10 with 10-29-94, what comes next is anyone's guess.

Highly recommended.

right before the fabled halloween 94 show there lies a hidden gem. an exceptional, mind blowing show from the opening my friend on. each song has a little unique transition jam that creates a sense of flow. one of those shows that really shines with the finer aspects of the 93-95 era. the electricity, swagger, and sheer power of the bands playing is breathtaking. the simple is notable (and should be noted) for being absolutely STUNNING. gorgeous, gorgeous trey. the rest of the first set that follows is perfect as well.
the second set, take a look.... its interesting on paper and more than holds up as a listen. it carries the same glowing, airtight playing from the first set but with second set experimentation.

an absolutely incredible performance, about as good as phish gets really. one can really sense the grandeur in their playing during this show, and the white album practicing just might be showing a bit. 5 stars, must hear!!!

Raible,

I think when you saw Aura at this show I know what you mean. This was my first and still probably one of my top 3 Phish shows. Up there with the Bozo Darien Lake 96 and Cypress, IMO!

It was on the campus of Wofford, a small Liberal Arts college of about 3000 kids. Lets just say this was Halloween South, it was the end of the road for fall 94 for alot of southern heads. I lot of my buddies did ATL>Boone>Charlottesville>Charleston>Spartanburg. I had tix to Charleston but couldnt get off work, so Spartanburg was my baptism. People were in costume which to a 19 year old n00b like me at the time was crazy! And lets just say the white fluffy goodness Brain fuel was EVERYWHERE!! think people were just unloading everything before heading home, not sure, but the WHOLE venue of about 2800ish lucky people were dosed to the rafters. Monkeys were loose in the banana factory (Fishman's reference to "Bad Banana" in Bike, LOL I had a buddy who walked in sober and walked out zonked out of his mind and has no idea to this day how it happened (his drink I suppose?) he said he didnt take a thing, even passed on the vials being passed down the aisles! 18 years later this bad boy still rains fresh in my mind.

Gold medal show, I know im a wee bit biased being my first, but it really is up there. There really isnt a weak point in the thing, even the Bluegrass is perfect and fitting. I must say my favorite segment might just be the Sparkle>Simple>Jim. Just psychedelic as all hell and back, awashed in a colored display. Sparkle is white, Simple is blue and Jim was a dark dark green BRAVO!!

I have been listening to the entire fall 94 tour and now I arrive at this show... and it marks a huge turning point in the tour.

There have been 18 shows in the tour before this one. And of those 18 shows, only two have been spectacular (Vanderbilt and UFL). This show kicks off one of the strongest runs in Phish history. Over the next 21 shows, through 12/2, the average show score will be 4.35! That is ridiculous and this should be a wild ride.

About this particular show, the first set is one of the strongest most consistent sets that I've ever heard. A real pleasure with some way out jamming. The second set honestly doesn't jam as hard as the first, but the song selection is super sweet and everything is executed with precision. And the Hood encore is a thing of beauty.

A real reminder of why I love Phish soooo much!

This was a tough ticket. 1st one of the tour. We expected Halloween to be madness (& it was), but thought this was gonna be fairly easy w/ most ppl headed up to Glen Falls, which was a jaunt upward still. Anyway, upon arrival, we soon learned the show was sold out plus thousands w/o tix. Once the show started, the local po po swept the lot forcing those w/o tix to leave. That prompted up to head up to the rear entrance where we became friends with the guard. We could also hear the music pretty well. After over an hour of groveling & bribes, we broke him. He said "go in & STAY TO THE LEFT", so naturally I'm thinking, "hmm? What's on the right?". Turns out we were walking under the stage & the hall on the right led to the band's dressing rooms where we were spotted by ppl who knew we weren't supposed to be there. So we sprint back to the left hall & through a door. We were then standing front row stage right! Looking a Fish's back! Got in during DwD & though we missed that great 1st set, the 2nd fucked faces. This show in so many ways was abnormal, but mostly I remember the sound was unlike anything I'd heard before. Very crisp, clean w/ Mike turnt way up. I remember feeling the bass in my chest, thumping & rolling through every space. It was awesome. I thought Sparks was a hint, Bike was a riot, Lope>Monkey>Lope was an all timer & Harry for encore doesnt get any better. Even though I only saw 2nd set, I marked it attended in my stats. Is that wrong? There have been a handful of shows that I got in through alternate methods & missed parts. Should they count as attended in stats?

This show is a keeper, is consistent and interesting throughout, and a potential contender for best of tour. MFMF opens and this is my favorite placement for this tune. The energy from the band is immediately palpable. After Sparkle, the band heads into Simple which is notable for being a bit more extended than the last couple of versions, giving a hint of its capability as a jam vehicle. It’s not until its next outing, on Halloween, that the band finally stretches it out. And, of course, the band launched into the monstrous version several weeks later on 11.16.94 but I’m getting ahead of myself.

Simple leads into a fantastic Jim, and the band is clearly on fire here. This leads into a well-executed Foam. This version is smoking. The Simple > Jim > Foam sequence is really fun and the combo was an insta-re-listen.

After Lawn Boy, we get a great Melt. This version is shorter than earlier ones from the tour but it is chaotic, dark and is a worthy listen before transitioning nicely into Buffalo Bill. This is a welcome return, being played only for the second time since its debut nearly two years prior. The transition into the Makisupa is smooth and the song itself is great, taking its time before heading into a chaotic jam, which then transitions nicely into Rift. Wow! It’s worth noting too that this is the only time Rift has served in the set-closing position.

The DWD to open Set II is solid, before leading into TMWSIY > Avenu Malkenu > TMWSIY. Another rarity is next, Sparks, which is a nice choice here, and which won’t be played again for over two years. The YEM is fantastic and is worth listening to. Mike and Page both take leads that are really interesting. This is my favorite version that I’ve listened to recently.

Closing out the set is a lovely Antelope > Sleeping Monkey > Antelope sandwich. The combo works well here, with the initial transition into Sleeping Monkey being pretty smooth, but it’s the two Antelopes collectively that add another notch to this show’s strength. The show ends on a high note with a fantastic Hood encore. This was a great year for this tune and the band gave this version its all here.

Overall, this is my favorite show of the Fall ‘94 tour to this point, containing the right mix of high energy, interesting jams and bust outs. Highly recommended!

I missed this show in my tape trading days (1999-2001), never read anything about it, never even noticed that it was mentioned as an underrated 1994 show to seek out in my Pharmer’s Almanac (Vol 6). Even now I just listened to it because I wanted a show leading up to Halloween ’94, not because I had read anything that mentioned it. This show is phenomenal, front to back. There really is no weak part.

It starts off hot with a wicked “My Friend” that gets countered by a bubbly “Sparkle” which moves into a blistering “Simple” that overwhelms with its everything-is-loud aesthetic. It’s not a major jam but it gives a lot of color and I might have liked the song more initially as a young fan if this were the version on A Live One. “Runaway Jim” is a breathtaking excursion into building tension. “Foam” works as a false cooldown song, where the middle jam descends into a quiet section that and slowly builds up from there into an intense ending. “Lawn Boy” cools down legitimately before “Split” opens things up again. “Split -> Buffalo Bill -> Makisupa Policeman -> Rift” is another incredible section unto itself. These latter segues are somehow even smoother than the great ones earlier in the set!

I am in love with this show. The song choices here are fascinating in themselves and the playing is focused and on point. It’s hard to listen to just a single song without listening through the rest of the set. It flows that well. There’s greatness in the second set as well: I love the “Sparks,” “Uncle Pen,” “YEM” and the weirdly perfect mashup of “Run Like a (Sleeping) Antelope.” Then there’s a gorgeous “Hood” to close out the night. I definitely need to dig into some more Fall '94.

Phenomenal show! Entertaining and unexpected segues abound, and the energy is pure fire.

Two notes:
1. Melt is debatably unfinished. While it never lands on that final note, it gets right up to the edge and sustains for a while. It's similar to a Hood that doesn't have an abrupt "I feel good" conclusion. (i.e. it ends like a 3.0 Hood typically does, and like a Melt typically doesn't)
2. Brutal tease of Have Mercy for the first few seconds of Makisupa. Gordo is clearly locked into the Have Mercy bassline for the first 40+ seconds, before the rest of the band steers from ambiguity into Makisupa and he follows suit. (I like Makisupa okay enough, but Have Mercy *moves* me!)

This show has some of the cleanest segues I've heard. The Melt>Buffalo Bill>Makisupa>Rift is like one incredible, flowing piece. The Simple is basically flawless. The amazing segues continue in set 2. Of course The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday is always special, but flowing into sparks really makes this one unique. After listening to so many YEMs in my life it sometimes feels a bit drab, but this version crushes. It has a lot of great energy in the jam. This Antelope>monkey>Antelope is another amazing segue and might actually be my favorite Antelope. Hood encore is OUTSTANDING. One of the more underrated Hoods of all time I'd say. Great show!

SET 1: My Friend, My Friend: Super hard edge, Trey must have been crushing his mic stand as a guitar slide – sounds awesome.

Sparkle > Simple: Outstanding segment. Sparkle is breakneck and Simple is soaring!!! ->

Runaway Jim: Absolute face melter!!!

Foam: This is the band at the very height of their powers. The way they mess with this and that – it is incredible. Silent jam. Just unreal. Toying with all of us.

Lawn Boy: Standard

Split Open and Melt: This one gets very heavy and moody – very quick. Not long after that in lands in a quiet place and then out of nowhere…!!!! ->

Buffalo Bill -> Makisupa Policeman: Gets very, very spacey and psychedelic then out of nowhere it gets this heavy metal, hard rocking jam – what in the hell????? Sounds like it is going BBFCFM but then…it takes a HARD left turn into -> Rift

First set summary: Exceptional! Could not ask for a better set. The transitions are what make this set great.

SET 2: Down with Disease: Unbelievable jam, this is a break out version in terms of jamming for this song. ->

The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Avenu Malkenu > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday ->

Sparks: Wow, not seen since the Bomb Factory, legendary show 5.7.94 and not to be seen again until the Cow Palace, 11.29.96 which would be 173 shows later, pretty awesome!!! >

Uncle Pen: Standard

You Enjoy Myself: Wow, what a YEM. Page and Mike own this one for the most part. Awesome! Trey goes on to do his thing as typical but Page really plays a lead role in the version.

Hold Your Head Up > Bike > Hold Your Head Up: Standard. Banana hijinks.

Run Like an Antelope -> Sleeping Monkey > Run Like an Antelope: May the Force Be With You / Star Wars jam around 5 minutes or so. Absolutely cosmic Antelope. Gets way, way out there. All timer. Ridiculous jam. Face melting does not begin to describe this one. Lord have mercy.

ENCORE: Harry Hood: Mike and Trey get synced up in the early going of the jam, it is very sweet. This Hood gets very frenetic. Very nice peak!

Second set summary: From jump street, this set is amazing. DwD busts out of what it typically is, Sparks bust out and then it won’t be seen again for two years, and an outstanding YEM, Antelope and Hood. There is a reason why Fall 94 is held in such high regard. Happy to rate this show as a 4.6 out of 5.

@nichobert -- I have that FTA recording as well, and it's a completely different SOAMelt than the one from 10/29/94. It's a mislabel... the spreadsheet version of the Melt is definitely unfinished.

I'm confused about the SOAMelt, this says it was unfinished?

The only copy I have is on a From the Archives, and the Melt ends and then Bill starts..but the Bill sounds like it comes out of a jam? Did Shapiro just add the wrong Melt to the mix somehow?

Only two nights before the fellas would tear down Glenn Falls and begin one of my favorite Phish traditions, they left a massive crater in Spartanburg, SC. The post-Halloween back half of Fall '94 typically gets a little more love, but the October shows certainly have their moments, not the least of which is 10/29. MFMF opens with some very strong Fishman and a fun outro jam that was typical of the time. Runaway Jim and Foam provide two more mid-set highlights with more tremendous drumming and some spectacular Trey. The Melt->Buffalo Bill->Makisupa->Rift sequence is a super unexpected conglomeration of tunes, but the band manages to make them flow super well. SOAM builds and shreds in a fashion typical of '93 before dissolving to sonic chaos (an approach to the jam that Trey seems to have revived this past summer). The ship then crash lands into a playful groove and evolves into Buffalo Bill (a subtle hint to the White Album show that would follow). This transitions naturally to a spacy Makisupa, which peaks up speed and energy, teasing BBFCFM before Trey takes us to Rift. I think this is the only time Rift has closed a set, fun fact.

With all the excitement packed into the first set, it's obvious the band is dialed in. DwD opens in classic '94, ferocious fashion, but appends an extended, ambient outro that gives way to TMWSIY. Out of the reprise of this tune emerges an awesome Sparks, which is always an omen for a banger of a show. A couple tunes later, YEM absolutely blows the roof off. Played just a tad slower than some other '94 versions, this YEM leans harder on the funk side than the rock side and features a really excellent Page solo section. The B&D extends coolly into the VJ as well. The Antelope->Sleeping Monkey->Antelope finale is another unorthodox segue pairing, but works extremely well. Trey's May the Force Be With You tease is a sweet touch, and can be heard again in the Glenn Falls Soundcheck Jam from 10/31. As the jam charts point out, the Hood encore is one of great company in the Fall '94 HOF. Excellent ascent from the valley to the peak, driven in large part by the rhythm section.

Show's available in SBD in Relisten, go check it out.