Another archival Phish release is available for streaming and download: 06/16/2000 Zepp Osaka, Osaka, Japan:
In summer 1999, Phish traveled to Asia for the first time to play Japan’s Fuji Rock Festival. Fish had traveled to Japan in 1998 and sat in with Tokyo band Big Frog during his visit, but this was most locals’ first chance to experience live Phish. They played an unprecedented 3-night headline engagement within the festival on their own idyllic, Field Of Heaven stage. With those three Fuji Rock shows plus a normal festival slot on the more prominent Green Stage, the connection with Japanese fans was born. Phish returned to Japan in June of 2000 for a 7-show club tour supporting the release of the Farmhouse Japanese edition CD, which included two bonus songs, Driver and Mist, not on the U.S. release (the bonus Japanese tracks were re-released in 2023 on vinyl 7-inch). The 2000 Japan tour saw a new arrangement of The Meatstick with Japanese lyrics debuted June 9th at On Air East in Tokyo, and Big Frog as the opening act June 11th at Tokyo’s Hibya Outdoor Theatre. The 6/14/00 Drum Logos Fukuoka show was recorded and released as ‘Live Phish Vol. 4’, and the mini-tour wrapped up with two Osaka shows - the first at Big Cat Osaka followed by the tour closer at Zepp Osaka.
On June 16, 2000, Phish loaded into Zepp Osaka - a ballroom-style 2500-capacity club with vaulted ceilings, a small balcony, and cocktail waiter service. Osaka is known as Japan’s City of Water due to its location on Osaka Bay with crisscrossing rivers and canals. Zepp Osaka was the last show on the Japan tour and Farmhouse material was heavily featured with Back On The Train, First Tube, Heavy Things, Dirt, Driver, and Bug. The tour closer was played loose and dirty but also patient and expressive with poignant ballads and soaring improvisation. Japanese audiences were attentive, inspiring subtle interplay and dynamic moments throughout. Set I highlights included the Limb By Limb opener, First Tube, Reba, and Character Zero. Set II featured the huge, multifaceted Runaway Jim > Theme From The Bottom opening sequence, Slave To The Traffic Light, and Bouncing Around The Room > Harry Hood encore. Osaka 2000 was recorded by Paul Languedoc to DAT and mastered by Fred Kevorkian.
Setlist and notes from phish.net:
SET 1: Limb By Limb, Back on the Train > Sample in a Jar, First Tube > Golgi Apparatus, Heavy Things, Dirt > My Sweet One, Reba, Character Zero
SET 2: Runaway Jim -> Theme From the Bottom -> Dog Faced Boy, Driver > Slave to the Traffic Light > Julius, Bug
ENCORE: Bouncing Around the Room > Harry Hood
Reba was preceded by a brief Bowie tease.
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