Not a show

20 entries · 12 soundchecks, 5 television appearances, 1 ceremony, 1 tech rehearsal and 1 radio taping

Soundchecks, and television and radio sessions. phish.net lists these and marks them as excluded from statistics, so they are absent from the show calendar this site counts with — no gap here counts them, no verdict is measured over them, and the figures on their own pages describe the entry rather than a show the band played. They are kept because they happened: five songs the band has otherwise never touched exist only here, and a handful of these performances circulated well enough to be rated among the best versions of their song.

The line is phish.net's rather than this site's, and they are not consistent about it across their whole history — of the studio, TV and radio sessions in the song histories, some count and some do not, split roughly at 1999. This site defers to their flag rather than inventing a rule, so where they disagree with themselves it disagrees in exactly the same places, which is at least auditable. How this works has the rest of it, including why there is no honest total for how many shows the band has played.

Before a show
13
On their own
7
Never at a show
9
Rated versions
14

Before a show

The band in the room before the doors, and each one names the show it came before — that is the whole reason it happened. Twelve are soundchecks. The thirteenth is the 2011 Bethel Woods tech rehearsal, which this site called a soundcheck until Ian pointed out that it is not one: a soundcheck is the afternoon of a concert, a rehearsal is for a run. phish.net’s note says which, so the rows say which.

  1. 2026-01-27soundcheckMoon Palace, Cancun, Quintana Roo3 songsbefore 2026-01-28This was the soundcheck for Phish's upcoming performances at Moon Palace.
  2. 2025-01-28soundcheckMoon Palace, Cancun, Quintana Roo3 songsbefore 2025-01-29This was the soundcheck for Phish's upcoming performances at Moon Palace. Call to the Post was teased by Mike before My Soul and by Trey before Ocelot. Mike quoted Soul Shakedown Party in the second jam.
  3. 2024-08-14soundcheckThe Woodlands, Dover, DE8 songsbefore 2024-08-15This was the soundcheck for Mondegreen. The Jam featured a Frankenstein tease from Trey, a Simpsons tease from Mike, a Psycho Killer tease from Trey, and a Hold Your Head Up jam. Trey quoted Oh Sherrie at the end of My Sharona. Starship Trooper (only the Würm portion was played) contained Big Black Furry Creature from Mars lyrics. Stairway to Heaven was the ending only.
  4. 2024-02-20soundcheckMoon Palace, Cancun, Quintana Roo3 songsbefore 2024-02-21This was the soundcheck for Phish's upcoming performances at Moon Palace.
  5. 2022-02-23soundcheckMoon Palace, Cancun, Quintana Roo4 songsbefore 2022-02-24This was the soundcheck for Phish's upcoming performances at Moon Palace. Trey teased Simple (to the tune of Sample in a Jar) before and after Dog Log. Page teased You Are the Sunshine of My Life before Ghost. Trey teased Third Stone From the Sun in Ghost.
  6. 2020-02-19soundcheckMoon Palace, Cancun, Quintana Roo3 songsbefore 2020-02-20This was the soundcheck for Phish's upcoming performances at Moon Palace. The jam after Sunshine Superman contained jams and lyrics from the themes from Mister Ed and Flipper.
  7. 2019-02-20soundcheckBarceló Maya Beach, Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo3 songsbefore 2019-02-21This was the soundcheck for Barceló Maya Beach shows.
  8. 2017-01-12soundcheckBarceló Maya Beach, Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo3 songsbefore 2017-01-13This was the soundcheck for Barceló Maya Beach shows and may be incomplete.
  9. 2015-08-20soundcheckWatkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, NY1 songbefore 2015-08-21This was the soundcheck for the Magnaball Festival. The soundcheck consisted of one 46-minute jam, which included Fish and Trey saying "Feel the Bern" (in reference to 2016 presidential candidate Bernie Sanders),  a Rock Around the Clock quote from Mike, and was broadcast on "The Bunny."
  10. 2011-06-30soundcheckWatkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, NY5 songsbefore 2011-07-01This was the soundcheck for the Super Ball IX festival. The end of Sleep Again was repeated in order to teach Fish, who had apparently forgot the song's conclusion. Fish was yelling "Maxine don't eat rocks!" during the intro to My Soul. Georgy Girl (The Seekers) was teased before Ginseng.
  11. 2011-05-26tech rehearsalBethel Woods Center for the Arts, Bethel, NY1 songbefore 2011-05-27This performance was from the tech rehearsal for Phish's 2011 Bethel Woods run. This stunning version of Waves (with A Love Supreme themes) was first revealed on Kevin Shapiro's "From the Archives" #15 in the early morning of 7/1/11 on The Bunny @ SBIX.
  12. 2009-10-29soundcheckEmpire Polo Club, Indio, CA11 songsbefore 2009-10-30There were two soundchecks for Festival 8: an acoustic afternoon session, followed several hours later by a separate electric soundcheck that evening. The electric soundcheck was broadcast on Phish's on-site festival radio, JACK-FM 95.9 "The Bunny" as well as Sirus/XM Radio. The acoustic soundcheck was not broadcast and the song order may be incorrect. The short Devil With a Blue Dress On Jam included the chorus and part of a verse sung by Trey, as well as a Good Golly Miss Molly quote. The Starship Trooper Jam consisted of part of the Würm segment of the song. Before Liquid Time, Trey quoted Fuck Your Face and briefly teased Kids (MGMT); the jam out of Liquid Time dissolved into a vocal jam featuring the band members snoring and featured a Lengthwise quote from Trey.
  13. 2009-06-11soundcheckBonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Manchester, TN1 songbefore 2009-06-12This was the soundcheck for Phish’s Bonnaroo performances.

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Occasions of their own

Not attached to any concert: five television appearances, NPR’s Tiny Desk, and the night in 2010 when Phish played two Genesis songs at the Waldorf Astoria and Trey made the case for inducting them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That last one was filed as a session until the same read-through, and a ceremony is not a session either.

  1. 2024-07-17radioNPR Headquarters, Washington, DC5 songsThis performance was part of NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts series and was previously recorded. The All Things Considered theme was teased during and after Sigma Oasis and Evolve. The band marched out of the room with maracas and other percussion instruments during the You Enjoy Myself vocal jam.
  2. 2024-07-11televisionNBC Television Studios, Studio 6B, New York, NY1 songPhish was the musical guest on The Tonight Show. In addition to performing Evolve, Phish was part of the cold open skit "Phish in an Elevator" where they, along with Jimmy Fallon and members of The Roots, sang part of Love in an Elevator (with "Phish" substituted for "Love") in an elevator.
  3. 2020-08-11televisionNBC Television Studios, Studio 6B, New York, NY1 songTrey was the first in-studio guest on The Tonight Show in five months (due to the COVID-19 pandemic) for the debut of I Never Needed You Like This Before with The Roots as his backing band.
  4. 2016-10-10televisionNBC Studios, New York, NY2 songsPhish were the musical guests on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Breath and Burning aired on the NBC broadcast and featured two members of the Roots horn section (Ian Hendrickson-Smith on saxophone and David Guy on trumpet). Blaze On was made available as a web exclusive.
  5. 2014-07-14televisionNBC Studios, New York, NY2 songsPhish were the musical guests on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Waiting All Night aired on the NBC broadcast; Fuego was made available as a web exclusive.
  6. 2010-05-13televisionNBC Television Studios, Studio 6B, New York, NY2 songsPhish (introduced by Keith Richards!) were the musical guests on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon as part of a week of artists performing Exile On Main St songs on the show in celebration of The Rolling Stones' re-release of the album. Phish stuck around after the conclusion of the show and played Kill Devil Falls, which was not included in that evening's broadcast, but was subsequently aired as part of the 6/9/10 Fallon show.
  7. 2010-03-15ceremonyThe Waldorf Astoria, New York, NY2 songsPhish performed two Genesis tunes, Watcher of the Skies and No Reply at All, between which Trey gave what Phil Collins described as "a convincing argument" for inducting Genesis into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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Never at a show

9 songs the band has played, and never once at a concert. Five of them are a single afternoon — the covers soundcheck at The Woodlands on 2024-08-14. These are the only songs on this site with no gap, no median and no verdict, because every figure here is counted in shows and they have none.

  1. Starship TroopersoundcheckThe Woodlands2024-08-14
  2. Slow RidesoundcheckThe Woodlands2024-08-14
  3. Mystery AchievementsoundcheckThe Woodlands2024-08-14
  4. My SharonasoundcheckThe Woodlands2024-08-14
  5. Day TrippersoundcheckThe Woodlands2024-08-14
  6. Sunshine SupermansoundcheckMoon Palace2020-02-19
  7. Watcher of the SkiesceremonyThe Waldorf Astoria2010-03-15
  8. No Reply At AllceremonyThe Waldorf Astoria2010-03-15
  9. Liquid TimesoundcheckEmpire Polo Club2009-10-29

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Rated away from the stage

fouldomain scores every performance that circulates rather than every show, so a soundcheck that got out is scored beside the concerts. These are the 14 that did. None of them is its song’s best version. The closest is My Soul, at no. 2 of the 25 versions of it fouldomain rates highest. A rank here is within that song’s own rated versions, which is the only honest way to read a score that is fouldomain’s rather than this site’s.

A score is not the only evidence that one of these got out, and on the strength of the notes above it is not the best. The Waves from the 2011 Bethel Woods tech rehearsal was released on Kevin Shapiro’s From the Archives and phish.net calls it stunning — and fouldomain has no score for it, so it is not in this list. Read the notes for the ones that circulated; this list is only the ones that were also rated.

  1. Wading in the Velvet Seanot a showBrad Sands's and Pete Carini's House1997-06-06 · rated 74, no. 13 of 25
  2. My SoulsoundcheckWatkins Glen International2011-06-30 · rated 68, no. 2 of 25
  3. Riftnot a showThe Band House1992-01-14 · rated 64, no. 11 of 25
  4. The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterdaynot a showWendell Recording Studio1990-06-17 · rated 62, no. 12 of 22
  5. Vulturesnot a showBrad Sands's and Pete Carini's House1997-06-06 · rated 62, no. 12 of 25
  6. Water in the Skynot a showBrad Sands's and Pete Carini's House1997-06-06 · rated 61, no. 7 of 25
  7. Saw It Againnot a showBrad Sands's and Pete Carini's House1997-06-06 · rated 60, no. 8 of 24
  8. Moundnot a showThe Band House1992-01-14 · rated 58, no. 11 of 25
  9. Weighnot a showThe Band House1992-01-14 · rated 57, no. 3 of 25
  10. NICUnot a showThe Band House1992-01-14 · rated 56, no. 18 of 25
  11. Waiting All NighttelevisionNBC Studios2014-07-14 · rated 54, no. 5 of 25
  12. Dogs Stole Thingsnot a showBrad Sands's and Pete Carini's House1997-06-06 · rated 50, no. 8 of 25
  13. Izabellanot a showBrad Sands's and Pete Carini's House1997-06-06 · rated 41, no. 11 of 23
  14. Breath and BurningtelevisionNBC Studios2016-10-10 · rated 38, no. 13 of 19

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