1993-08-02: Ritz Theatre, Tampa, FL, USA

8/2/93 Ritz Theatre – Tampa, FL

On August 2, 1993, Phish played the Ritz Theatre in Tampa, FL – a 1,200-capacity movie palace-turned nightclub originally opened in the Ybor City historic district in 1917. It was their second appearance at this venue – both in 1993, as the band was integrating new sounds like Page’s grand piano and the return of his Fender Rhodes, and new production with expanded Minkin backdrops and moving lights. Tickets cost $13 and the show was sold out. The Ritz in August was a hot and sticky room with a bar in the back and a sloping floor with bottles rolling down toward the stage. Fish was fighting a fever that day but he persevered, adding an extra twist to the developing summer ’93 musical “Hey” experimentation and telepathy.

Chalk Dust Torture kicked off the show, Guelah Papyrus had some extra flourishes and The Simpsons secret language in the pause between The Asse Festival and Guelah (The Fly). The first Brother played in public since 7/14/92 kicked off a string of bust-outs and a non-stop sequence of Gin > Makisupa > My Mind’s Got A Mind > Dog Log > La Grange capped set I. Bathtub Gin reached a gnarly jam en route to Makisupa Policeman with a smooth segue to bluegrass for My Mind’s Got A Mind Of Its Own. Dog Log was the first performed publicly since 5/4/91 and was dedicated to “our soundman, Paul.” La Grange continued the rarities - the first played since 3/17/91.

Set II highlights included an extended Mike's Groove with a heavy metal Mike’s Song jam that featured local singer Joe Rooney on improvised vocals and falsetto screams. Mike’s Groove had the only Mike’s > Sparks pairing to date, the first public performance of Sparks since 9/13/90, and last The Ballad Of Curtis Loew played until Fenway Park 2009. Rift and The Squirming Coil followed with smooth segues into Weekapaug Groove and out to Hold Your Head Up during which Trey introduced Fish as "the Master of the Universe...Henrietta, reborn in Vermont." Fish announced his new 1953 Electrolux vacuum before launching into Bike warning "Don't try this at home you'll bleed.” Run Like An Antelope included teases of Contact, When The Saints Go Marching In, and The Landlady, and sandwiched a brief acrobatic reprise of Makisupa Policeman (only Antelope > Makisupa > Antelope to date) with the alternative lyric "Marco Policeman-dolas.” The encore was the only Sleeping Monkey of summer ’93 and Amazing Grace, which was performed without microphones.