Music Go (see) Phish July 9, 1994 - The Boston Herald by Dean Johnson Music Go (see) Phish for a good show Phish at Great Woods last night and tonight There was nothing fishy about Phish's 3 1-2-hour concert at Great Woods last night for 16,000. The Vermont quartet unleashed a couple of lengthy sets that were more fiery and tightly focused than last summer's Great Woods gig and included some absolutely stunning improvisation. The quirky foursome, known for never knowing what they're going to play until they hit the stage, had two very different treats in store for their wet and devoted fans. The opening 90-minute set included the unrecorded musical 'Gamehendge' played in order, followed by a rousing 'Divided Sky' seasoned with a dazzling instrumental coda. The music poured out of the band almost literally in a non-stop fashion early on, interrupted solely by guitarist Trey Anastasio's spoken introductions between each song. 'Gamehendge' is a song cycle about the battle of good and evil filled with characters like Rutherford the Brave, Mr. Palmer (the accountant to the evil king) and the Famous Mockingbird. It's fairly oblique stuff. But the songs provided the band the opportunity to engage in some rip-snorting ensemble playing highlighted by great chunks of incandescent guitar, especially on 'The Sloth.' After a short break, Phish returned with some tunes from its new album, 'Hoist,' a steamy and straight-faced cover of the old Edgar Winter hit 'Frankenstein,' and more furious jamming. At times the band hit a groove eerily reminiscent of the Grateful Dead's cosmic 'DarkStar' tune but with a vibrancy the Dead haven't shown in these parts for some time. Phish also uncorked a powerful version of their new single 'Sample in a Jar' that was about as bracing as any rock tune aired out at Great Woods thus far this summer. There were goofy moments in the second set when the band indulged in some weird acappella exercises. -- But there were also passages where the band members hit that line between high-energy music and chaos and danced on it like they just took ownership of it. Those were the moments that dominated last night's savory show, and a variation will likely be repeated at tonight's performance where a few shed seats and lawn tickets are still available.