The last minute and a half remind me of a take on the ending of Kill Devil Falls. You could easily imagine them singing "don't go back to Kill Devil Falls" over the rock vamp they have going. It's awesome

A Gin that turns the screws so hard you can actually hear the jam *squeal*, before they head to The Land of Peak. Damn good stuff from a damn good show, festival or no festival.

The last three to four minutes of this jam are jaw dropping. Just pure and exultant hose. One of my favorite jams of 2015. Page's piano lines in the peak are heavenly.

I want to start with this: I'm not a big fan of Gin. I've seen it live more times than any other song, and I'm usually less than excited when it inevitably finds it's way into the setlist. However, this Gin was different. This Gin has a great funky vocal jam and it heads into a semi-blissful direction. I've listened to this great jam more times than any other jam from all of the great 2015 shows. Easily my favorite Gin of 3.0.

An absolutely killer grab-on-for-dear-life groove that caps off Bathtub Gin's finest year since 2003, the sort of jam that arose once in a while in Phish's first two incarnations and is practically the maker's mark of Phish in this incarnation. It remains to be seen - as of this writing - whether 2015 is to Gin what the first half of 2014 was for Fuego (a false dawn for the jam hounds), or what 2013 was for Chalk Dust Torture (the first signs of a song morphing into a dependable jam vehicle; of course, for Gin it would be *re-morphing* into a jam vehicle), but whichever one it is, it's hard to argue with two jams as strong as this one and the Magnaball Gin.

Really one of the sickest bathtub gins I've heard. Fast and Heavy. Love it. Lucky to have been there : )

Don't need to add too much to the jam chart description (*love* Phrygian Mode Trey), so I'll just use this space to point out that it's only taken a couple years for it to seem *crazy* that Chalk Dust Torture, one of 3.0's most reliable vehicles for high-class improv, *wasn't* originally conceived as such.

@CameToPlay said:

Trey establishes a lilting, but deliberate pace early in the jam with some nice patient chords. They slow-walk it for a bit and then he hits the Tru-Tron quickly which foreshadows, if you will, the highlight of the jam. Returning to it after the 9 minute mark, Trey lays down the best Tru-Tron segment of the summer starting just after the 9:30 mark and lasting about a minute. Good Gin without it, but that sequence alone makes it great. Terrific start to a classic 5-song set.

Trey establishes a lilting, but deliberate pace early in the jam with some nice patient chords. They slow-walk it for a bit and then he hits the Tru-Tron quickly which foreshadows, if you will, the highlight of the jam. Returning to it after the 9 minute mark, Trey lays down the best Tru-Tron segment of the summer starting just after the 9:30 mark and last about a minute. Good Gin without it, but that sequence alone makes it great. Terrific start to a classic 5-song set.

I'm surprised this hasn't made the chart...yet...

My personal favorite non-Magnaball Gin of 2015, a very strong year for Gin (within the envelope of Type I jams); this one gets a little added boost by the amusing Reba-esque whistling at the start, the Guy Forget tease (it's there, damn it), and the absolute flip-on-the-nitrous-tank-and-punch-the-gas-pedal Classic Gin jam they crank out. A perfect end to an essential set.

BTW, the above entry should be for the 7/3/14 version, not this one. This version is pretty darn good, though.

I still think this puppy gets a bit of a bad rap because a) it was the first 2nd set Gin in 2 years (and only the 2nd Type 2 Gin since the return) and b) one of the most experimental 3.0 versions of a song that had entered the realm of "Type I rager" as 3.0 went along, but isn't quite on the level of the great Gins of old. But just because a jam isn't at the top of the mountain doesn't mean it doesn't deserve plaudits, and this Gin, which moves from typical fiery Gin jam to a wah-wah laden funkier groove to something more relaxed (driven by Mike and Page) before petering out and rolling into LxL. The SPAC 14 Gin gets more attention, but don't pass this one by.

Simply the best 3.0 Gin to date.

This version takes right off with excellent work from Page. This Gin doesn't reach the raucous heights of other versions but it is super groovy with Mike & Fish LOCKED IN. (Personal side note: I always think of this Gin as the brethren of the Went Tweezer. Both are excellent versions that stand in the shadows of Giants...on this night the Tweezer of Set II overshadows Set I Gin, while the roles were reversed at the Went.)

FISHMAN

In a year stacked with great versions of Bathtub Gin, this version is well worthy of Noteworthy Jam status, in my opinion. If we had a better recording of this show, I think it'd be better-known. I'm certainly gan'na fluff it from now on.

Maybe this version doesn't peak like 6/23 and 6/28, but I really like what Trey does during the solo here.

Jon really kicks this one into a high-gear disco-type groove that spurs Trey into full-on rockstar mode.

I got a hold of this one from the "Leaked Soundboard" project... man... the intensity in this one is undeniable... Machine Gun Trey all over the place at the end makes this one of my favorites of all time.

Slot this one under Hampton Carini-style happy good time jamming, where the band locks into a groove and rides that sucker for every single last drop of energy it can wring out. Probably the best example of the "Classic Gin" jam, in a way that even the Went Gin doesn't really reach (if only because the Went Gin is its own animal in a lot of ways).

This version is straight up fire!

By this point in Phish's career, Bathtub Gin had proved itself to be a heavy first set jam vehicle, with fewer second set Gins per capita in '97-'99 than '93-'95. Even still, the Oswego Gin seems to be played early in the fist set. Coming just after a Water in the Sky, and just before a BOTT, and with nearly 3/4 of the set to go, a nearly 20-minute jam seems oddly placed. But I'm not one to complain about 20 minute jams appearing anywhere in a show (hell, I enjoy the Hampton '04 show even with its setlist oddities).

Getting back on track; the 7/18/99 Gin is played pretty much how one would expect it to be played in the summer of 1999. This is the intermittent time period just after Fall '98's dark/ambient style and just before the discotheque grooves of fall/winter '99. There was no rush, no other place more important to be, and not a care in the world during the hot mid-summer day, and this seems to be reflected in the music well. The Gin jam starts out in familiar territory with Phish playing close to comfort, until Trey starts chugging the power chords around the 10 minute mark, signaling the beginning of the next section...

...which never exactly takes off how one might like. Page hops on the organ/synth in a similar manner to when he does in the Riverport '98 gin. This tricks the listener into thinking that this Gin is about to get funky and type II. Instead, Trey opts to shred the Gin theme for the final remaining minutes in type I fashion before hopping on the pitch-shifter and reprising the Gin coda.

Don't get me wrong, this is not a bad jam by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I've been finding myself revisiting this Gin lately. And maybe that's the real power behind the jam; it's replay value and catchy themes. Beyond that, this Gin and various others around this time period (7/10/99, 9/12/99, 10/1/99, 12/6/99) continue to show time and time again why 1999 is considered such a strong year for Bathtub Gin. Though the funky Gins of 1997 and 1998 may be gone, the absolute quantity of quality Gins is astounding in '99. It seemed like if you caught a Bathtub Gin in 1999, you were almost guaranteed at least a 15-20 minute jam. The Oswego Gin happens to be one of those Gins that helps perpetuate this thinking.

Check this one out if you're wanting an excellently played standard jam in Bathtub Gin. And then check out the rest of this highly underrated festival show.

You could call this the greatest jam Phish has ever played and I wouldn't blink. One of the few truly Famous Jams that lives up to its reputation.

In my opinion, this is my favorite bathtub gin, the first 12 minutes of the jam were face melting, then it turns to an electro funky jam for the remainder of the song, which was extremely outstanding, and this would be on my 10 favorite phish jams because its very face melting, outstanding and very long (24 minutes), I like the went jam too but riverport takes the cake for this one!

P.S: I was listening to the exact jam while typing this comment!

No comments.. wow. I haven't listened to much Phish compared to a lot of people here (I'm a 3.0 noob), but from what I have heard, this jam is top-shelf. Simply extraordinary.. AND it was the fucking opener!

I feel like if this didn't happen 9 days before the Riverport Gin, it'd get talked about a lot more. In a way this Gin feels like the little brother/dress rehearsal of Riverport one: both Gins are show openers, go for 20+ minutes, and follow a similar progression (beautiful hose to sexy funk-rock groove with shades of ambience before returning to Gin). The "little brother/dress rehearsal" comment is meant in the best way possible because, even if this one isn't an all-timer like its brother jam, it is still a phenomenal piece of improv. Doesn't hurt that its available in amazing sound quality via the Ventura box set either!

I can't quite say that I share the enthusiasm for this jam that the other comments here (or, um, most everyone on the forum) have towards it - to me, it's sorta like a river that's quite wide but not particularly deep. It's a good jam, don't get me wrong, but the DWD -> Low Rider -> DWD is, for me, what really stands out.

I wonder how many people had to be hospitalized following this Gin.

A relentless ride aboard the big red runaway train. This gin does not let up for the entire 30 minutes as it grooves and moves its way toward the finish line, sprinting the entire marathon.

I really feel this should be a Recommended Jam on the Jam Charts! The energy is real.

Few hose peaks in Phish's career are as satisfying as this one. It's better than advertised

So uplifting, so engaging, so propulsive, so joyful... so good.

Some of the most joyful moments of my life were when I was coasting the highway through PA alongside the Susquehanna River listening to this bad boy. In fact, I save it for special occasions when I'm feeling down.. always reminds me of the true beauty in life.

Whoa, when did it earn its notable, yellow wings? Mazel Tov!

Not overrated in the slightest - amongst Phish's finest, most canonical moments.

This might very well be the most famous Phish jam *among Phish fans* (the most famous Phish jam among the general public would be an interesting debate), if only because it really does invite its fair share of debate. I don't think it's their best jam ever, nor is it particularly close, but I would also consider it essential in that it's an absolute "you gotta hear this" cornerstone, the way the Providence Bowie (which I have even less good feelings toward) is as well. Plus, when they lock into THAT groove, it's almost impossible not to feel *something*.

How is this Gin not essential by the way. Gin was one of the sure-shots of 97-00. And this was the first and most beautiful of all.

@sethadam1 said:

This is one of my top 5 moments of Phish. I know it's clich�, but eff the haters. This jam is pure awesome. So is the Disease before it.

I concur. The DWD is one of the alltime Fishman blowouts. This fucking set just has too much to offer. A plethora of riches.

This is one of my top 5 moments of Phish. I know it's cliché, but eff the haters. This jam is pure awesome. So is the Disease before it.

Go to happy jam. Can't not feel happy hearing this classic

Definitely hearing a Catapult tease in there.

Most of Fall '96 has plenty of highlights. And this Gin is somewhere near the top. Being the second-longest (right behind 11/23/97 I think) this Gin wastes very little, if no time at all. In fact, parts almost sound like a precursor to the famous Riverport Gin in '98, and I think this jam is another great example of the pre-'97 funk sound. It wasn't quite at *that level yet, but it was well on its way.

The formula of the jam is pretty familiar to most Gin lovers and goes a little something like this; type I Trey action-> breakdown/next section (Page funk section in this case)-> dissonant space. Every section melds together as smoothly as butter and even the final spacey minutes are worth listening to (Trey uses some cool effects. One sounds similar to the CxP from 5 nights prior).

Highly recommended Gin (and show) and, if nothing else, it's interesting just to see how Phish was prepping their new sound for the following year(s) to come. In fact, I would say that the Karl Perazzo shows, 11/6/96, and this show are some very strong examples of Phish's transitional sound during this period. Of course, most of the Fall tour illustrates this quite well.

Anyway, before I go too off topic again, be sure to check this one out. The jam is ridiculous and the everyone seems to be in sync here. And every phan knows that makes for a helluva jam.

The cornerstone of a truly exceptional show, and one of the finest Gins ever played. The regular Gin jam looks to be heading to a more contemplative space (not really what you'd associate with December 1995), but instead picks up speed and morphs absolutely amazingly into The Real Me, as absolutely superb a segue as they've pulled out. The actual Real Me is exceptional, and after a quick and energetic jam that actually nods a little towards funk, the band transitions neatly back into Gin and closes with a flourish. An immaculate jam, worthy of headlining just about any set.

I've listened to this Gin more times than I can count. This is probably the jam that got me hooked on '93 Phish and the "early" Phish sound in general, since I tend to prefer '97 and beyond.

A pretty neat demarcation line between old wacky "hey, let's see how THIS sounds shoved into THAT" Phish and improv masters Phish, with the Weekapaug jam in particular one of those light-bulb-going-off moments for the band in a way that other similar jams aren't. 8/13/93 is still one of their most compulsively listenable, outright fun shows, and this is its raucous and brilliant centerpiece.