For 2026, we’re starting a new series called “Yea, I was there” here on the shop website. Posts will be sporadic but frequent. We’ll take a mini-dive into some legendary concerts that took place in Oxford, Mississippi over the past 60 years. With this series we hope to turn folks onto some Oxford history while also encouraging some creative ways to get involved with the Oxford music scene. We’re also on the hunt for your stories and memorabilia from the shows. Got a story? Were you there? Got a poster or a t-shirt from the gig? Send us an email!
We’ll be delving into famous Oxford shows like B.B. King at Ole Miss from 1979, Bob Dylan at the Tad Pad in 1990, Animal Collective at The Library in 2009, R.E.M. in 1997, Fugazi at Lafayettes in 1996, Ween at the Library in 2003, so many Proud Larry’s shows, and many more. We’ll also be providing streaming links and videos of the shows when available. Stay tuned!
For the first “Yea, I was there” post we are looking at Phish. Read below.
Phish has only played two shows in the state of Mississippi, both were in Oxford in the early 1990’s.
Were you there? Do you have pictures or flyers? Got a story to tell? Please let us know!
Email us at endofallmusic@gmail.com
The first show was Thursday, March 7, 1991 at the legendary bar and venue in Oxford, The Gin. The Gin was a mainstay in Oxford for many years before the building burned down in 2010. The band notably encored with the song, “Bathtub Gin.” Recordings of this Oxford show seem hard to come by (let us know if you have one). The band performed in Memphis the night before at the New Daisy Theater on Beale Street.
Here’s some show info from Phish’s official archive:
This was Phish’s 1st show in Mississippi and one of only two MS shows to-date. Col. Bruce Hampton & The Aquarium Rescue Unit opened. This setlist was adopted from fan reports and is unconfirmed and possibly incomplete – ie: Phish may have played two sets but, if they did, the setlist for set II is unknown.
Setlist for The Gin show:
The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony > The Landlady, The Sloth, Runaway Jim, Reba, Possum, I Didn’t Know, Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Guelah Papyrus, My Sweet One, Good Times Bad Times
ENCORE: Bathtub Gin
(flyer provided by DeMatt Harkins)
(Daily Mississippian 10/10/1994)
Below is a tour t-shirt listing the band’s 1994 show in Oxford on October 13th. This was there 2nd (and last as of now) time to play in Mississippi.
The second Phish show in Mississippi took place, also, on a Thursday, on October 14, 1994. The band was on a extensive tour in 1994 promoting the new album, Hoist. The band played on the Ole Miss campus at the “girl’s dorm parking lot” next to Crosby Hall. The band’s official archive list the venue as “Grove area parking lot.”
YOU CAN STREAM THIS SHOW RIGHT HERE.
Here’s a nice write up about the show by Rob Mitchum over on the website, Medium.
Below is a schedule from the day (from a twitter post by the band’s archivist, Kevin Shapiro). Shapiro mentions that 3,000 people were in attendance.
(Daily Mississippian 10/14/1994)
Here’s some show info for the 1994 gig from Phish’s official archive:
This was the only Phish show on campus at Ole Miss – the band played in a parking lot at The Grove Area with a capacity of 3,000. Tickets cost $10 for students and $14 for non-students. Trey introduced Fish during I Didn’t Know as “Henrietta, this year’s homecoming queen” and Fish played his solo on Madonna Washboard rather than trombone or vacuum. Fish also played a special hi-hat solo during Run Like An Antelope. Foreplay/Long Time was performed acoustic with Trey on acoustic guitar, Mike on banjo, Page on upright bass and Fish on Madonna washboard. After this show the band and crew traveled 350 miles overnight to New Orleans, Louisiana.
YOU CAN STREAM THE 1994 SHOW RIGHT HERE.
(Daily Mississippian Oct. 10, 1994)
Below is a tour shirt from fall 1994 designed by Jim Pollock. Jim visited the record store a few years ago and even made us our very own t-shirt.
Some more artwork by Jim Pollock for the 1994 tour:
