Trey Remembers the Spectrum

You may remember that many of the memories Enrico and I listed when looking back on the Spectrum involved seeing Phish play there. Just after the Flyers and Sixers moved across the parking lot, we started going to Phish shows, both seeing our first of many during a legendary 1996 holiday run.

One added bonus of being a Phish fan in Philly was that the band had a strong connection to the Flyers. Trey grew up in South Jersey and worshiped the team as a kid. John LeClair was a native of Vermont, the where the band met and later called home. Seeing Trey rock a Flyers jersey on stage added some more fun to an already great experience, as did seeing the band sing an a capella Star Spangled Banner before the Flyers dropped the puck.

As part of their Spectrum pre-eulogy, the Flyers asked Trey to recount his favorite memory in the building. No, it wasn't the 12/28/96 show (my favorite memory there), it was a landmark goal by Reggie Leach that earned Trey a manna-from-the-sky burger. Video after the jump.

With Phish set to play a few nights at Hampton Coliseum in March, rumors abound that they'll be part of the Spectrum's closing ceremonies, with a long run there as well. We can only hope.

Comments

[EricStAngelo]

Slapshot... Pchoooewww!!
So cool.
I'm still looking for video of him playing in the celebrity game a couple of years back.
I think he got to suit up and play down there with Reggie and the gang if I'm not mistaken.

P.S. This is what part of the alphabet would look like if Q. and R. were eliminated.

P.S.S. 12/29 Wasn't too shabby either.

[EricStAngelo]

Also, you guys being into Phish and Philly sports just makes me melt.

[MikeC]

Here is a link to a download of 12/15/95
This was my first Phish show and Phish's first show at the Spectrum

http://www.sendspace.com/file/2r025x

[Oz]

My first concert at the spectrum happened to also be my first phish show. 12/11/99.

my only regret is not knowing more of their music at the time

[Zeke]

Extremely heady post. 12/28 was an amazing show but 12/29 blew my mind. Harpua? Tom Marshall coming out as an uber demon and singing champagne supernova? Waiting in line for tickets at Tower on South Street, winning the lottery and sitting front row and candy flipping for 8 hours? Ah, those were the days.......

[Not a fan of five]

nice mitch hedberg quote.

[Matt P]

@MikeC: got any more of those? the 12/28 would be awesome.

[theKrisheim]

trey needs money

[EricStAngelo]

Thanks. Figured Mitch and Phish are a nice match.
Also, Trey doesn't need any more money.

[bizurk]

My sister and I went to an album release party in Philly (for Billy Breathes) and she scored 12th row on the floor for 12/28/96. Still the best seats I ever actually had tickets to in 65 shows (starting 5/1/93 at the Tower).

Ahhhh, I can almost taste the mushrooms.....

[Christopher Barron]

Great to see this, I hope this happens, the only time I got to see Phish play the Spectrum was during the 20th Anniversary Run in 2003, I would love to see them again!

GO EAGLES

[Pjon]

Great Post here on a great Blog.

My favorite Phish show at the Spectrum has to be 12/11/99.

Looking forward to seeing Phish play at the Spectrum again hopefully.

It is great to see Trey looking great and sober in the video posted here.

He is a new man and his guitar playing skills have returned to the level that made me a fan in way back in 1994. I got to witness it first hand at his E-Factory show last month, classic TAB rocked.

PHISH is BACK!!!

[Dino]

I was fortunate to see the Grateful Dead 52 times in the ol' Philly Spectrum, ah yes,the Blotter Boogie & the Micro Dot Polka. Still yippin' 30 years later!

[beelove]

i saw phish both nights in december 99, and 12/11/99 is one of my all-time favorite concerts. i hate the wave, but after about 40 minutes of setbreak, fans in the seats started doing the wave, and as everyone was back in their seats, everyone was into it (myself included), getting louder and louder every time around the arena. after about the third full time around the place insanely loud and the lights went down, and the band came out to boogie on reggae woman. they didn't pause from there on through the second set.

it was such a great show, and three weeks later was big cypress. hell yeah.

nugs.net has the spectrum show from that night: http://stash.nugs.net/phish/spectrum99.asp?artist=2&show=44&cmd=shows

[pete]

12/11/99 was my first phish show ever as well, after 5 or 6 years of listening to them, and the stars were clearly aligned that night.

all i wanted to hear was 2001 and i am hydrogen, i had 6th row seats page side, and the crowd was just electric that night. 200 concerts later, this still ranks in my top 3 of all time...there will always be a special place in my heart for the spectrum.