Phish

Ventura County Fairgrounds

Ventura, CA

Jul 30, 1997

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This Show is also part of

Ventura

Phish '97

Show Notes

ORDER THE 6 CD BOX SET HERE
All new 6-CD box set featuring two complete live shows, recorded July 30, 1997 and July 20, 1998 at Ventura County Fairgrounds in Ventura, California, a general admission dirt racetrack between the Pacific Coast Highway and Surfers Point Park. Bits of the each show's Soundchecks are included at the end of both shows.

The new box set was fully remixed from the band's multitrack masters and mastered for release. July 30, 1997 was Phish's first Ventura stop since Trey learned to surf nearby in 1993. The show featured a number of must-hear performances including a bass-driven, syncopated "Wolfman's Brother" > "Chalk Dust Torture", a deep and spacey "Stash" and "Character Zero" in Set I. A "Free" > "David Bowie" > "Cities" > "David Bowie" combination dominated the show's second half with some of the summer's biggest jams.

On July 20, 1998 Phish again encountered Ventura's breezy oceanside. Ventura '98 was characterized by some new songs and some bustouts. The first set included a "Bathtub Gin" opener, a new arrangement of "Water In The Sky", the swinging funk of "The Moma Dance" and a "Split Open And Melt" Set I closer. Set II exploded with a bass-and-drums-fueled "Drowned" > "Makisupa Policeman" pairing that utilized Page's synth stylings to seamlessly blend rock and reggae. "Maze" led to a perfectly placed "Sea And Sand".
Read Essay by Phish Archivist Kevin Shapiro

Reviews

Setlist at Ventura County Fairgrounds, Ventura, CA on Jul 30, 1997

Sound Check

Ventura '97 Soundcheck Jam 559

Set One

NICU 367

Wolfman's Brother 720

Chalk Dust Torture 667

Water In The Sky 251

Stash 924

Weigh 309

Piper 307

Cars Trucks Buses 290

Character Zero 561

Set Two

Punch You in the Eye 537

Free 676

David Bowie 1289

Cities 330

David Bowie 369

Bouncing Around the Room 234

Uncle Pen 255

Prince Caspian 536

Fire 412

Encore

My Soul 363

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