As I finish off my fourth year of creating commemorative Phish ticket stubs, I still enjoy creating illustrated setlists of shows. I usually keep commissions open for setlists of past shows throughout the year, with 12 commissioned setlists created this year. These commissions allow me to take a deep dive into these shows and choose images that best suit that specific show.
Each setlist was made as a very small edition, but I may have some physical copies available, so you can send me a message via Etsy to inquire. These are also available as a digital file.
As I finish off my third year of creating commemorative Phish ticket stubs, I still enjoy creating illustrated setlists of shows. I usually keep commissions open for setlists of past shows throughout the year, with 9 commissioned setlists created this year. These commissions allow me to listen to shows for the first time, or revisit others. I also get to hear about someone’s first/ show, or in one case, how someone lost their glasses at a show, only for Fishman to be the one who found them!
These were made as a very small edition, but I have a few physical copies available. These are also available as a digital file.
I had stopped creating my setlist art last year to focus on my ticket stubs, but when Phish played Gamehendge for the first time since 1994, I felt I had no choice but to create one for this historic show!
Tube contained teases of the theme to The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Harpua was unfinished. During the Harpua narration, Trey talked about some of the Harpuas and Phish shows at Madison Square Garden of the past 40 years, a bed appeared from beneath the front of the stage, with an actor playing Jimmy and a puppet version of Poster Nutbag. Trey interrupted the song before the “I want a dog” lyric. Trey said Jimmy had lacked a strong female influence over the years, and introduced actress Annie Golden as Jimmy’s grandmother. While consoling Jimmy, she told him it was time to tell the truth about the owner of Harpua. After telling Jimmy that the old man had given the puppet to Esther and helped Reba make liquid meat, a book was brought, and a glowing rhombus rose to frame the entire stage. The band then began the first performance of the Gamehendge saga since July 8, 1994, with Golden and Trey providing the narration and performers acting out the parts of Colonel Forbin, Rutherford, the AC/DC Bag, Tela, Errand Wolfe (later billed in post-show credits as “The Wolf”), and the Sloth. The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday, The Lizards, Tela, Wilson, Divided Sky, Colonel Forbin’s Ascent, and Fly Famous Mockingbird featured an off-stage backing chorus. The multi-beast and McGrupp were also performed by puppets. Tela performed acrobatics on wires during her song, with Jo Lampert (as the Wolf) providing additional vocals during Wilson. The Sloth’s lyrics were changed to “I’m squeezing that Charmin. Thank you, Mr. Whipple. I’m still squeezing that Charmin. Thank you, Mr. Whipple.” Colonel Forbin ascended the rhombus during Colonel Forbin’s Ascent (which had lyrics changed to “weary body”), and a large Famous Mockingbird puppet (with a top hat) flew over the crowd during Fly Famous Mockingbird, which also featured Annie Golden on additional vocals. Before Melt, Trey asked Jimmy’s grandmother if she knew that the mountain was a volcano, and the Lizards reappeared to dance to the ensuing Melt jam, eventually leaving the stage one by one as the rhombus was lowered again.
2023 was a very busy year for me, my time being taken up by the Phish ticket stubs I have been creating for every show this year. I did manage to find some time to work on some illustrated setlists via commissions I took on. I have a long history with these setlists, which I started making in 2014 and created for nearly every show until 2022. At this point, including commissions, I’ve made over 340 illustrated setlists! I’ve always enjoyed making them, many actually being created while live-streaming the shows. This year I finally made the decision of retiring the illustrated setlists, but still keeping commissions open.
This past year has been a busy one, full of new approaches to creating art inspired by Phish. As I shifted towards designing and creating ticket stubs, I eased up on creating setlist art for every show, and I began accepting more commissions to create setlist art for older shows. This was actually my busiest year, having created over 10 older setlists! I really enjoy doing these, since it gives me an opportunity to discover older shows that I may not have heard before. And of course, there’s the satisfaction of creating something to commemorate a special show to someone, be it their first, hundredth, or the show where they met that special someone!
After years of talking about it, I recently finished creating a one-stop shop to view all my setlist art. I was inspired by the Phish Downloads Spreadsheet, which contains downloads of almost every Phish show, recorded by tapers at shows.
My spreadsheet contains every show I’ve created setlist art for since I started in 2014. I also include all the commissioned setlists for older shows (57 to date!), some of 2013 that I had done, and nearly every setlist for each showed played from 2014-2021!
Each section is listed by year and gives you an Imgur link to view the setlist art, purchase links, and a link to the setlist via Phish.net if you need help figuring it out!
I’ve finally gotten around to finishing up the Fall Tour setlists! It’s been a busy couple of months with hybrid teaching and working on my MSG print (I’ll be posting about it next week!)
ENCORE: Drift While You’re Sleeping This show featured the Phish debut of I Never Left Home. Down with Disease was unfinished and contained a There is a Mountain tease. After Stash, Trey spoke about the two fans who had fallen at the previous show, expressed love and sorrow, and encouraged everyone to be safe. Trey teased Hey, Ho, Nobody Home during Plasma. Trey teased I Always Wanted It This Way in Also Sprach Zarathustra.
ENCORE: Wilson > Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S. Mike teased Hatikvah in Timber (Jerry the Mule). Trey teased Divided Sky in the first Split Open and Melt. End of Session was performed for the first time since July 25, 2017 (126 shows). Page teased Lonely Trip in Golden Age.
Setlists are available as single shows, or both night sets, as well as digital copies in my shop: www.joseeen.etsy.com
ENCORE: Suzy Greenberg > Cavern Mike teased Foam in Martian Monster. Trey teased Brother in Soul Planet. My Friend did not contain the “Myfe” ending. Ghost ended with a Julius jam. Trey teased Manteca and Third Stone From the Sun in Everything’s Right.
ENCORE: Carini Frankie Says was performed for the first time since August 8, 2015 (196 shows), contained Manteca teases from Trey, and ended with Bathtub Gin teases. Moma Dance contained a Monkey Man jam with quotes from Fish. This was the rescheduled date from the show that had been postponed due to the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak in 2020.
ENCORE: Lawn Boy, Wolfman’s Brother Steam contained a Dave’s Energy Guide tease. Chalk Dust Torture included a Wingsuit tease. This was the rescheduled date from the show that had been postponed due to the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak in 2020.
Setlists are available as single shows, or both night sets, as well as digital copies in my shop: www.joseeen.etsy.com
ENCORE: Sand This show featured the debut of And so to Bed which had been previously been released on The White Tape 35 years earlier. Trey quoted Psycho Killer in Sigma Oasis. Tube was unfinished and contained a Tears of the Clown tease from Trey. Brother was restarted after the first verse and was performed for the first time since December 30, 2017 (107 shows). Mike teased “Charge!” after Brother.
Not just reading the book, 