Set List
Soundcheck
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Dog Log/Funky Bitch Mashup >
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work on Peaches en Regalia drums
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Set I
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work on The Wedge
Set II
Encore
Show Notes
This was Phish’s 1st show in Nevada and the band’s only performance at The Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts – an ornate performance space (originally opened in 1976 by Neil Diamond and home of 1991 and 1996 Miss Universe pageants and several televised boxing matches) inside the Aladdin Resort on the Vegas Strip with a capacity of 7,500. Tickets cost $22.50 and the show was sold out well in advance. This venue was imploded in 1998. Funky Bitch from the soundcheck was mashed up with Dog Log lyrics. Mike played this show in serious sequin pants that were only worn onstage this one time. Like in Sacramento, 2001 included a tease of Super Bad. Simple included Blister In The Sun quotes. In a possible nod to the venue’s boxing history, Harry Hood included some Mike foot bell. Sweet Adeline was performed without microphones. This over-the-top encore was a parade of guests including Les Claypool and Larry LaLonde of Primus, John McEuen, and a host of Elvis impersonators. Harpua was performed in a slightly different arrangement with the 7/4 opening transposed to 4/4 time. Wildwood Weed (Stafford/Bowman cover) was the 1st played by Phish and featured Les Claypool on vocals/narration. I Want To Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart (Patsy Montana cover) was also the 1st played by Phish and featured the Yodeling Cowgirls (Hearther August and Anamieke Carrozza of Phoenix, AZ) on vocals, Claypool, LaLonde, and John McEuen. Happy Trails was teased in Harpua before and after Cowboy’s Sweetheart. Suspicious Minds incorporated four Elvis impersonators on vocals plus Fish joining in at the end in his light-up Elvis cape. Suzy Greenberg featured all the guests plus actor Courtney Gains (aka Malachi from Children of the Corn) on Trey’s percussion rig. Finally, the Elvi’s led Suzy into the grand finale – the 1st Susie Q (Broadwater/Hawkins/Lewis cover) played by Phish. After this show the band and crew flew home to celebrate the holidays. On December 17, Phish was nominated for Performance Magazine’s 1996 Reader’s Poll Award for Arena/Amphitheatre Tour Of The Year. The November/December 1996 Doniac Schvice – Phish News contained Holiday Tour 96 mail order for two Philadelphia Spectrum shows and two Boston Fleet Center (new Boston Garden) shows. The Vegas show was released in a November 2007 CD/DVD box set as ‘Vegas 96.’
By the time of Phish’s pioneer gig in the Silver State of Nevada, they had toured Europe for the second time, had masterminded their first single-band mega-festival and released their sixth studio album Billy Breathes. On December 6, 1996, they reached the Aladdin Theatre for the last show of a 35-show fall tour that stretched from Buffalo, NY to Las Vegas. With frontier spirit, Phish displayed many of their most compelling aspects, stringing together old classics in new ways, hosting a parade of special guests, acting out stories and even conjuring The King with four Elvis Presley impersonators joining them onstage.Encore with Les Claypool and Larry LaLonde from Primus Cowboy’s Sweetheart with Yodelers and John McEuen (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) Suspicous Minds with Elvis impersonators.