In a career spanning more than 20 years, Phish became one of the most significant live music phenomena of all time. On the basis of word-of-mouth about their performances—with virtually no radio hits or video support—the band grew from playing club gigs along their native East Coast to drawing 100,000 music fans to their multi-day festivals in remote corners of the country.
At every turn, Phish managed to win over newcomers while maintaining the loyalty of their devotees with a singularly broad repertoire, virtuosity, and by making a unique event of each show. With the release of the Phish ‘Live in Brooklyn’ two-DVD set and three-CD set on July 11th (JEMP Records/Rhino), fans will relive this landmark show in high-definition video quality and 5.1 audio while others will have the chance to experience the magic of Phish at their best.
‘Live in Brooklyn’ was filmed and recorded June 17, 2004 at the Keyspan Park baseball field on Coney Island, the first show after Phish’s emotional May 2004 announcement that their upcoming tour would be their last. The band played two consecutive nights at Keyspan Park.
The concert was shot by eight cameras in HD and is presented in maximum quality on two dual-layer DVDs with 5.1 Surround Sound. The two-DVD set features the entire 6/17/04 concert (two sets of music) and bonus material including excerpts from sound check, backstage footage, and three full songs from the 6/18 performance. The three-CD soundtrack—which will be sold separately—is the entire first night on three CDs remixed and mastered from the band’s digital multi-track tapes.
The material on Live in Brooklyn ranges from Phish live classics such as “Suzy Greenberg,” “Mike’s Song” and “The Divided Sky” to rarities including “The Curtain With” and “Kung.”
Like all of the band’s shows, the Coney Island concerts included some surprising interpretations of others’ songs, as well as standout improvisational performances of “Moma Dance” and “Free.”
The first set closes with a version of Edgar Winters Group’s “Frankenstein,” and midway through the second set, the group performs Eumir Deodato’s eerie “Also Sprach Zarathustra” theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey. The concert also includes Phish’s first live performances of “A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing” and “Nothing.”
‘Live in Brooklyn’ marks the first DVD release and second CD release by JEMP Records, a new label devoted to releasing what the band members consider the greatest and most important shows of their career.
The inaugural release was the recent New Year’s Eve 1995 – ‘Live at Madison Square Garden’ three-CD set, which won a Jammy Award for “Best Archival Release” and received rave reviews from Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Blender, Newsweek, and others. The DVD is also the first full, uncut concert Phish has released on DVD since Live in Vegas (2000).
DVD Cover
‘Live in Brooklyn’ promises to be a particularly successful Phish release. The band’s IT DVD was certified platinum by the RIAA and all Phish DVDs have debuted at #1 or #2. The Brooklyn shows were simulcast live in movie theaters nationwide - arguably the most successful live theatrical broadcast to date - with legions of loyal fans dancing in the aisles in nearly 50 American cities.
‘Live in Brooklyn’ three-CD set is now available for pre-order at Amazon . Visit the music database for more information and a complete track listing. The two-DVD set is now available for pre-order at Amazon . Visit the DVD database for more information.
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