Phish

Sound Check

• Jam

Set I

• Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress
• Proud Mary
• In The Midnight Hour
• Squeeze Box
• Roadhouse Blues
• Happy Birthday

Set II

• Scarlet Begonias  >
• Fire On The Mountain
• Good Lovin’ Tease
• Beat It Tease

This was Phish’s (Trey Anastasio, Jon Fishman, Mike Gordon and Jeff Holdsworth) 1st show – a semi formal Christmas dance in Mike’s dorm commonly mistaken by the band to be 10/30/83 (including in the Phish book, Bittersweet Motel and onstage 10/30/98).  A hockey stick was used as a microphone stand. This show included the 1st performances of: Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress (The Hollies cover sung by Jeff), Proud Mary (John Fogerty/Creedence Clearwater Revival cover sung by Trey), In The Midnight Hour (Wilson Pickett cover sung by Jeff), Squeeze Box (The Who cover sung by Trey), Roadhouse Blues (The Doors cover sung by Jeff), Scarlet Begonias (Grateful Dead cover sung by Trey), and Fire On The Mountain (Grateful Dead cover sung by Trey). The “soundcheck” jam was performed in front of the audience. Happy Birthday was sung by Trey to Sue three times before the band took a long break. After the break, Trey said something like “you guys are so excited about our music” and bantered with Sue in a friendly confrontation. Someone put a Michael Jackson “Thriller” tape on the stereo and Trey played drums along to Billy Jean and Human Nature. After teasing Good Lovin’ and Beat It, Trey said “Big surprise now, more Michael Jackson” and noodled around a bit more before the show and recording ended. It’s worth noting that Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video was released on this day. Legend had it that the name, Blackwood Convention was used for this show and at least one other early gig, but Trey and Fish cleared that up in a 12/3/19 Phish Radio interview where Trey said “We were never called f*cking Blackwood Convention.”