Here I am about to dedicate a whole post to one song and specifically, one moment within that song. For the uninitiated this title might sound like a made up sentence. The Bakers Dozen Sample In a Jar? In the summer of 2017, Phish embarked on a 13 night run over the course of 17 days at the storied Madison Square Garden and dubbed it, “The Bakers Dozen”. Each night contained a donut theme with free donuts at the door, donut shaped tickets, and songs based on each nights flavor throughout each show. I could go on forever about how amazing those few weeks in Manhattan were for a Phish fan, or how they didn’t repeat a single song throughout the run or how they got a banner raised in the historic arena, but that’s another story for another time. This is about what transpired on Night four, or “Jam Filled” night.

The first three nights were all great shows in their own regard, and the buzz of what was happening at Madison Square Garden seemed to be growing with each passing day. After the band announced the flavor for the fourth show on July 25, 2017 as “Jam Filled”, that buzz grew deafening. Fans speculated that maybe they would only play 2 or 3 songs and stretch them out as long as possible; a desirable experience for any Phish fan and a confusing one for a stranger to the scene. The online forums were tirelessly trying to guess which songs would be played that night and how the show would go down on this mysterious, “Jam Night”. That’s where the song mentioned in this post comes in. “Sample In a Jar” is usually a pretty straight forward song, lasting around 4 to 6 minutes on average and not seeing any heavy jamming. It’s a fun little song to sing along to that doesn’t get talked about much outside of the context of set list jargon. Soon the lights went down as the band took the stage and the opening chords to “Sample In a Jar” started blaring across the arena. The moment I have been referring to takes place at around 3:00 – 3:20 in the song, at the bridge. As they entered the usually dry solo, it had a different feel to it this time around. The crowd quickly picks up that the band was extending the bridge a few extra measures than normal and erupts within unison as they understand what was unfolding. They were in fact doing just as everyone thought, they were gonna jam! I get chills every time I re-listen and hear that moment that is etched in time within the walls of that arena. It is rare to see a crowd react in such a way pertaining to how a band is playing a song , but Phish fans are smart when it comes to picking up musical cues given by the band, as there are data and analytics surrounding every show and every song that gets pushed the extra mile. Many people go to concerts to party and there happens to be music playing. They may know a few of the hit songs and go to have a good time with their friends and that’s awesome, but it’s the opposite for us “phans”, where we go for the music and there just so happens to be a party as well. That’s why this moment is so special because we chase those musical payoffs that we spend so much time and money searching for. The type of feeling where time stands still and all your worries go out the door and you are able to enjoy the moment as it is happening. If you haven’t experienced something of the same whether it be through music or anything else in life, you should start looking for it. I like to consider the moment Phish took this song those extra couple measures a essential moment in Phishtory because it propelled them throughout the rest of the already rocking Bakers Dozen that made us smile from ear to ear with each show and donut theme. The rest of this show would go down as one of the greatest the band has ever played in their then lustrous 34 year stint as a musical act. Go to 2:30 in this fan video to the start of the jam and listen for the crowd cheer as they soon realize what is happening.

After the 13 night run ended I found myself going back to this moment as the one that launched the band to even new heights that are usually unattainable this late into a career. Many people will pick and choose certain moments with the band as their favorite, but this one stands out to me because it encapsulates so well what this whole thing is about; community, communication, peace and love. It also was the start to a fantastic run of playing that we had only seen glimpses of during past tours as the boys proved to us they could play just as well now as at any point in their careers. Those unfamiliar with the band would not understand the context to this moment as it may sound like normal playing, but listen to any other version of the song and you will get it. In the two years since the infamous “Jam Night”, we’ve been graced with two joyous New Years Eve runs at the garden, two fun-filled and explosive summer tours, a jam heavy Fall tour, a festival cancellation that broke our hearts and a made up Scandinavian Prague rock band that pieced us back together a few months later. I don’t know, I’d say right now is a better time than ever to be a Phish fan, and boy am I grateful for being able to participate.