Phish — 9 Years Ago Today…
09/22/99 Pan American Center, Las Cruces, NM
(from HPB)The Aggie Song, played during soundcheck, was a song made up on the spot about being an Aggie, or a student at New Mexico State University at Las Cruces (named after the school’s mascot). The impromptu song referenced fan David “ZZYZX” Steinberg, also known as The Timer, with the lyric “Timer is an Aggie, too.”
Set I: Also Sprach Zarathustra, Chalkdust Torture, Guelah Papyrus, Axilla, My Mind’s Got a Mind of its Own, Beauty of my Dreams, Bathtub Gin, Mozambique, Sand, Waste
Set II: Gotta Jibboo, Ghost, Taste, Brian and Robert, Mike’s Song, Simple, Train Song, Weekapaug Groove
Encore: La Grange
Nine years ago today was one of those Phish shows you just had to love. In the middle of the week in Las Cruces, New Mexico, with few tangential show goers other than a few hundred students from New Mexico State, this one would be for the people on tour. A casual afternoon lot scene gave way to a spacious venue with a GA floor that provided a very laid back experience for those in attendance. Able to move around freely, stubbing anyone you wanted down to the floor, this show was as casual as it gets, and represented the perks of west coast, out-of-the-way, shows. Sure, they didn’t have the ominous feeling of MSG or Worcester, but you a got the sense that you were getting a more exclusive concert, one played just for you and those who made it a point to drive into the middle of New Mexico, Idaho, or Alabama. Taking on a completely different, but just as Phishy of a feel, shows like Las Cruces, New Mexico provided a necessary balance to a tour that would inevitably pass through all the major markets and wind up in the crowded venues of the northeast. Back to back with another show of a similar vibe, Las Cruces and Pima County Fairgrounds in Tuscon, AZ, gave Fall ‘99 a southwestern siesta portion of the tour. Continue Reading…
