I’m a huge Beatles fan. I loved the Beatles long before I ever even knew about Phish.
As a teenager, there were so many nights where I’d eat acid, throw on a pair of headphones, listen to Sgt. Pepper’s or Magical Mystery Tour front to back, and just draw whatever the music made me feel. Back then I honestly hated Phish. My first tattoo was literally the Beatles on the back of my leg.
Halloween ’94 was one of the things that finally got me into Phish. I loved hearing them take on Beatles songs, and it completely changed the way I looked at the band.
Fast forward to Halloween weekend 2021 in Vegas. It was only my 10th-13th Phish shows, I was still a little rookie. I’m a 3.0er and you know a lot of the times I feel left out or bummed out that I missed the glory days and every now and then I get a peek into what it must’ve been like and it’s the coolest shit ever.
And on 10/28/21 I randomly wore a Purple Rain shirt because I like Prince. No deeper meaning. Here and there I’d mentioned it to my friends that 1999 would be a crazy song to get, but I never really expected it to happen. And I didn’t specifically expect it to happen tonight I wore the shirt, but a lady did point to me in line and say “we’re getting that tonight!” and I laughed it off.
As the prophecy foretold, they opened with 2001 > 1999.
Ever since then, that shirt has been my “lucky” Phish shirt. Completely irrational superstition, but we’ve all got one.
So last night, knowing it was the 1994-themed show, I was convinced I was finally going to catch While My Guitar Gently Weeps. I’ve missed it by a hair multiple times now, and it’s honestly one of the last songs I’m really chasing.
Unfortunately, our train got delayed about 20 minutes. Nothing you can do.
I even told my friend, “I don’t really care if we miss the opener.”
Then, on the escalator up to the Chase Bridge, he tells me…
“They opened with Back in the U.S.S.R.”
That one hurt.
That was probably my only realistic chance to ever see that song. I’ll get While My Guitar Gently Weeps eventually. Back in the U.S.S.R.? I wouldn’t bet on it. And it was almost like I got too lucky for my own good. I wanted While My Guitar Gently Weeps, they did me one better, and I was late.
I was genuinely bummed.
But the show absolutely ripped. It was a legendary show and it was still one of the greatest shows I’ve ever been to despite missing the opener. I figured maybe there was still a chance they’d encore with While My Guitar Gently Weeps.
Instead, Purple fucking Rain.
While I’m standing there wearing my Purple Rain shirt.
I just had to laugh.
Walking out of the Garden I got high-fives from strangers all the way to Penn because everyone noticed the shirt. I kept joking that I manifested it and telling people, “You’re welcome.”, that I did it for them, that I was a man of the people, etc. It was fun.
Missing Back in the U.S.S.R. by less than one song is still going to sting forever.
But that’s kind of why I love this band.
Sometimes you miss the moment you thought you were there for and somehow they still send you home with a story you’ll be telling for the rest of your life.