Subject: The First Time We Drank Gin: 5/26/89
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 1997 02:06:35 -0500 (EST)
From: benjy eisen
 
BathtubGinFiles #18

5/26/89  Valley Club; Rutland, VT
         GinStats: Set II (of III) Time: 4:57
 
"This may be the first time, I don't know..."

IMPORTANT PHISHTORICAL NOTES:
  When they played this song at Ian McClain's Farm on 5/28/89, 
they announced it as a new Phish tune, leading many to mis-conclude 
that that was the song's debut.  The real debut of the song was 
actually here, two nights earlier, at the Valley Club in Rutland, VT. 
  Funny thing is, in the first set of this show, (before they have 
ever played the song "officially") two people from the audience 
distinctly yell out for the song..."Bathtub Gin!  Bathtub Gin!" they 
shout in unison.  Maybe this is Suzannah Goodman's trick? Well, Suzannah?

  Trey opens the second set, however, by announcing that both Bathtub Gin 
and The Mango Song are two brand new tunes to be played for the first 
time ever (in-front of a paying audience anyway).  This gig also 
represents a new bass drum, new tom-tom, new "hang cymbal" and "Trey's 
new chord"...
 

O:OO Starts with Trey hesitantly strumming and doesn't really "kick-in"
  till 0:15 

Page jumps in at 0:17->0:34 very timidly and understated.  But give it 
  time and he'll learn :)  A few more years and the true BEAST in his 
  breast will come out, but for now he plays it conservatively, 
  suprisingly making only passing reference to Rhapsody In Blue.

Lyrics Segment: 0:34

Page Fill 1: 1:08->1:16 Pure Rhapsody In Blue, but not the usual section 
     of it that he most often reverts back to, here.
     Fill 2: 1:50->2:07 Page sounds like a small child, wondering if it's
     really alright to jump into a Bathtub filled with Gin.  He puts his
     feet in, but not much else.

FAUCET: 2:24 As perfect as it gets...it's all downhill from 
  here..seriously folks, this section has ZERO FLUBS as far as I'm 
  concerned; they could have used it for the album version just about.
  What mistakes there are, are extremely minor.

SINGING W/THE FAUCET: 3:07 Enthusiatic and nailing it the way it was 
  intended - with a virgin feeling of excitement, curiosity and sense of 
  possibility.  Their voices have since improved, but the feeling of 
  freshness in this particular section doesn't get any fresher. 
  This is Super-Fresh Phish Food shopping...

WATER FROM THE FAUCET: 4:28 by Mike continuing to sing "Bathtub Gin" and 
  they now all repeat it, round-robin style, effectively creating a very 
  dizzy, non-stop round of "bathtub gin BATHTUB GIN bathtub gin BATHTUB 
  GIN."  This may be the first time they've ever played this song, but 
  this is the *only* time I've ever heard them do it like this...

  At 4:38 "Don't get into that Bathtub now, Gin!" somebody yells 
  in a high-pitched shrill!! Very amusing, I'd say... 
  The round-robin singing continues until it

ENDS AT: 4:57 after a final "Bathtub GIN!"

  Trey proudly proclaims "Yes, Bathtub Gin! You heard it here first." 

  Compared to today's standards this doesn't compete, but considering 
that this is the breakout, it shouldn't have to.  I flat-out refuse to 
put a label on it other than

Rating:
N/A

Seek it out for amusement (this whole show is funny) or for Phishtorical
value, but not for musical magic given the dozens of Gins out there 
that razzle, dazzle, entrance and enlight...


Talking of which,

Walk with Light my friends,
Benjy