Coral Sky

DVD is high quailty picture & sound & is 1 complete Phish concert from Florida during the fall 1996 tour, the show right after the epic 10.31.96 Atlanta Taking Heads Remain in Light album show! It picks up right were 10.31.96 left off ! this concert is 11/2/96 at an outdoor venue, the Coral Sky Amphitheater in West Palm Beach, FL & you can tell that by learning the album & performing the Taking Heads Remain in Light show that it had a major influence on Phish as they changed their sound into a great groove-based, somewhat simple but great, funk sound stating late 96 & up until 98. As for this 11.2.96 show the great Karl Perazzo sat in on percussion for the entire show as he did the halloween show prior. He adds alot to Phihs's sound & his percussion work fit in nice with all these songs palyed at thsi concert. First set is solid with a great Ya Mar opener & then followed by a rockin Julius - Next is the classic tune Fee into the then new song Taste & then comesa few classic Phish staples; Cavern& Stash, The Lizards, then new song Free & a Johnny B. Goode to close the set. Solid first set but set 2 is smokin! This Set 2 opens with forty minutes of absolute mayhem, some of the best jamming ever by Phish- the first 2 songs of the second set are worth the price of the dvd alone ! It is a nasty Crosseyed and Painless from Taking Heads Remain in Light album into a wild wild Run Like an Antelope the boyz rocked them 2 so hard they had to chill out the rest of the set with a Waste, a Hood & a great A Day in the Life. The Funky B encore is fun too- all & all a great show & great dvd if you like live Phish !

In the interview with David Byrne for Sessions at West 54th, Page mentioned that the 1996 Halloween show (where Phish covered the Talking Heads' "Remain in Light") was the beginning of their groove-based playing, from which can be extrapolated the genesis of 1997's "funk trench" style of playing, perhaps pinnacled by that year's fall shows - in any event, this show is immediately following Remain in Light, and as such offers a fascinating glimpse into the band, mid-transformation. Karl Perazzo's presence on percussion adds a distinct Latin feel to the band's sound, and it's quite interesting to see/hear how Fish's drumming gets noticeably more spacious, given the extra percussive coverage provided by Perazzo (to say nothing of when Trey starts playing his mini-kit as well).Highlights for me are Taste, Stash, Free, and of course the obligatory Crosseyed > Antelope, as well as Harry. The individual camera angles afford lots of close-ups (good for watching Trey's fingers but less so for being up close and personal to his neck-beard), not nearly enough wide shots to capture the light show, but the quality is pretty good for 1996 archival footage and the sound is great.Nearly required viewing for rabid fans, potentially quite valuable to those who want to see Phish as they went from Kooky Improv to Vermon Cow Funk (with no value judgments placed on either version of the band), should be placed on the back-burner for those who want to get into them in general. My recommendations of DVDs for the latter group (in this order): Bittersweet Motel, Live in Vegas, Walnut Creek, Clifford Ball. I'm sure Star Lake '98 will be added to this list, I just have yet to view it.

Out of all the Phish concert DVDs out there, I bought this one based on the comments that this one was the best as far as capturing the band's light show (which was a highlight at the one concert I've been fortunate to attend). So while considerations whether this is the band's best performance or the best set list, etc., are largely lost on me, I have to simply observe that close-ups of Trey swaying back and forth while soloing loses interest for me after not too long and misses the larger sensory impact that I think the band's live show offers. Hopefully, I'll eventually find a video document that better captures the sum of Phish's live performance.

Having attended this show, I was thrilled to discover that it was available in DVD. The video does not disappoint: it shows the band in its typical form - lots of extended jams surrounded by spectacular light shows. Accompanied by guest percussionists Karl Perazza (Santana) and Butch Trucks (Allman Bros), the band performs in such a way that it leaves no wonder why Phish attracts huge crowds of devoted fans. This disc is a keeper; it'll continue to entertain and amaze with each viewing. For those who may not be all too familiar with the band, 'Coral Sky' will serve as a primer for one of America's unique and original musical expressions.

this is an awesome video. Great shots of the band and Carl, nice mix with the crowd. Awesome sound --- well, well worth the price of admission.

Awesome gift!

Love it. Great Value!

I was at this show and I actually snuck in a video camcorder to record the concert and got caught about 4 songs in. They brought me to some back room at Coral Sky ampitheater where all the other pot-heads that got caught were being held. I saw this dude that somehow snuck in a huge oxygen tank that he was using to get high somehow. I gotta say, it was quite a memorable show regardless of getting my camcorder almost confiscated. They just made me record over everything i had already recorded which was a bummer to lose but now that this DVD exists I am able to relive the concert! I am so glad they decided to release this. I am a little late to the party but man this is a great DVD to own. The show was fantastic.