Rd 1 - Bathtub Gin - (1) 07-29-98 vs. (4) 12-29-95

[runawayjimbo]

Round #1 - Bathtub Gin Bracket

(1) 07-29-1998 - Riverport Amphitheater - Maryland Heights, MO

vs.

(4) 12-29-1995 - Worcester Centrum Centre - Worcester, MA

POLLS CLOSE: Monday, 7/23, 10pm EST

[susep]

love the worcester drowned > Funk!

[runawayjimbo]

This one's definitely going to be one of the tougher matchups for me.

[mistercharlie]

I love the Real Gin, but 07-29-98 is my all time favorite phish jam.

The grooving funk that erupts from this Gin is just 100% awesome. It was the perfect way to start a show and halfway through it the boomers I was on really started to take hold and the vivid colors and bright movements of the song (effects of the drugs) are still burned into my brain. Every time I listen to it I am filled with euphoria and get goosebumps. The only other phish jam that brings back the excitement of the show and gives me goosebumps still is the transition from My Left Toe ->Whipping Post from 07-25-99.

[JPhishman]

Riverport has it all. I had probably heard it 20+ times thanks to the LP15 filler before I even realized that it opened the show. To say the least I was  :-o :crazy: :-o :crazy: !

If this isn't epic Phish, nothing is.

[WhatstheUse?]

Riverpoint by far.

and that's saying something, cause the Real Gin is ser biz.

[birdman]

I'm going with Worcester on this one. Blew my mind seeing it live. It's hard for me to vote against 95

[khalpin]

While the Worcester Gin may have one of the greatest segues of all time, if you take out The Real Me, the Gin doesn't have all that much going for it.  Maybe that's just me, though.

[Hicks]

While the Worcester Gin may have one of the greatest segues of all time, if you take out The Real Me, the Gin doesn't have all that much going for it.  Maybe that's just me, though.

Agreed, it's a smooth segue, but in terms of actual improv the Riverport version takes the cake. 

[birdman]

While the Worcester Gin may have one of the greatest segues of all time, if you take out The Real Me, the Gin doesn't have all that much going for it.  Maybe that's just me, though.

The segue is what makes it great. You can't separate the two.

[susep]

While the Worcester Gin may have one of the greatest segues of all time, if you take out The Real Me, the Gin doesn't have all that much going for it.  Maybe that's just me, though.

Agreed, it's a smooth segue, but in terms of actual improv the Riverport version takes the cake.

the funk jam out of The Real Me holds up to 29July98 and is a perfect ex. of how funky Phish could be pre-96/97. 

[VDB]

The Real Gin is good -- I'm not trying to knock it -- but I've just never gotten really into it like others have. I dunno.

The Riverport Gin starts off with a soaring hose jam that kicks into some nasty techno-funk around 13:00 and really gets real serious around 14:00. Exceptional stuff.

[Superfreakie]

Riverport

But even Riverport takes some time before it gets "out there".

[susep]

I love the Riverport Gin however I must expound on how great the jam out of The Real Me is, bust out your FTA from '07 or '08 to hear its breath taking funk. 

[runawayjimbo]

I listened to these two back to back more than any other pairing in the last week. It's really close for me. As susep and birdman have pointed out Worcester is just so smooth and some great funk from the pre-funk era. But as I listened again to both today, I found myself more often shaking my head (in a good way) to Riverport. Every movement is better than the last and they just flow through it so effortlessly.

Really tough draw for the Real Gin here, but Riverport wins for me.

Also, polls close in about an hour so if you haven't voted or care to change your vote get on it.