Welcome to the 286th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday, the first* and easiest of August. The winner will receive two MP3 download codes courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the song and date of the mystery clip. Each person gets one guess to start – if no one guesses correctly, I will post a hint on Tuesday, after which each person gets one more guess before I reveal the correct answer on Wednesday around 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Good luck!

*Reminder: For the first MJM of each month, only folks who have never won an MJM are allowed to answer before the hint. If you have never won an MJM, please answer as a blog comment below. If you have previously won an MJM, but you'd like to submit a guess before the hint, you may do so by PMing me; once the hint has been posted, everyone should answer on the blog. I have noticed that this seems too complicated for some, so I even drew up a handy decision tree to help guide you. If you're not sure if you've won before, look in the MJM Results spreadsheet linked below.

Answer: Congrats to @greenicle13 on his first win, taking home two LP codes and getting a sweet new .net achievement badge on his profile. This week's was easy – next week's will be too, but not today is the two year anniversary of one of the best second-set-opening pairings of the modern era easy. In case you've been sleeping under a rock (or you wiped your memory clean at the BD), this week's clip is the 8/7/15 "Chalk Dust Torture". See you Monday?

In celebration of Phish's 13-show run at Madison Square Garden, the Mockingbird Foundation is announcing 13 unsolicited "miracle grants" supporting music programs across the country. Each board member identified their favorite Phish show, and we found a worthy music education program nearby, part of the Foundation's long-standing Tour Grants program. We're presenting these 13 special grants chronologically, based on the dates of those favorited shows. Board member Peter Skewes-Cox picked the 8/19/12 show in San Francisco, CA:

Phish came to San Francisco for the first of four (and counting?) three night runs at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in 2012. The only other time any members of Phish had played BGCA previously was more than a decade prior, when my friends and I hopped the BART to Civic Center to get our Trey fix during the hiatus (12/31/02 wasn't announced until later that summer). [side note on 5/24/02: check out that Mr. C.] When the 2012 run was announced, I was beyond ecstatic; not just because I'd be seeing my first multinight run back in my hometown (and the band's first three night run in The City since Warfield '94), but because the third night was my birthday. Talk about total convergence of all things amazing: Phish playing a show 10 minutes from home on my birthday! What could top that?? It'd have to be something pretty epic...

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[The penultimate recap of the Baker’s Dozen is brought to you by one of Canada’s finest, Andrew Rose / @andrewrose]

“Only at the largest concert in the world can you get away with playing a song like that.” A younger Trey Anastasio jokingly offered these remarks on the last day of the last millennium, following a 25-minute, love-supreme-laden “Split Open and Melt -> Catapult.” To this day I’m still not sure if he meant the brief “Catapult” proper, or the miraculous jam over which its handful of absurd lyrics were laid. But no matter, both were true and still are. The irony of course being that such a big stage would be the last place you could attempt such a thing. The show in Big Cypress was the biggest concert in the world that night, and the fact that this silly band from Vermont was able to pull that off, and on its own terms, yielding music and spectacle at once absurd, but also a pinnacle of collective improvisation, was quite the achievement. Eighteen years and a standard dozen donuts later, is it safe to say Phish is about to wrap up a cohesive offering that more than matches it? That in its sheer scope surpasses it? Could we repurpose that cheeky line of Trey’s for 2017, the middle finger to the haters and doubters, and say “only at the largest string of concerts in the world can you get away with not repeating a single song like that.” I don’t think there’s another band in the world right now that could do two nights at Madison Square Garden and not repeat a song, let alone thirteen. (And I haven’t even touched on how consistently great these shows have been, by just about any metric.) So before I recap the band’s penultimate offering, and as we get ready for the finale, I’d like to take a step back and offer a deep acknowledging bow to this latest achievement. This sure has been fun. Am I right?

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[Recap courtesy of Jon Zinter, user @Zimmerman.]

The final weekend of Phish’s historic 13-show residency at Madison Square Garden is upon us, and it all feels like a blur. It doesn’t help that the band has been playing monster shows with a level of consistency that’s downright unprecedented for this era of the band’s history. “3.0” usually made it pretty easy to separate the best from the rest, but this residency has made choosing your favorite show more akin to choosing your favorite donut variety. Even the “weakest” show of the Baker’s Dozen (whichever one THAT is) would have been considered a top show of last summer’s tour. Having a room to themselves to work with for so many consecutive shows has been great for the band, and seemingly has only deepened their well of creativity. They know just how this building’s bones quiver.

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In celebration of Phish's 13-show run at Madison Square Garden, the Mockingbird Foundation is announcing 13 unsolicited "miracle grants" supporting music programs across the country. Each board member identified their favorite Phish show, and we found a worthy music education program nearby, part of the Foundation's long-standing Tour Grants program. We're presenting these 13 special grants chronologically, based on the dates of those favorited shows.

Board member Adam Scheinberg picked the 7/8/99 show in Virginia Beach, VA -- an underrated show which included a legendary "Fee" and an amazing "BOAF" -- and we've sent a $1,500 grant check to nearby Landstown Middle School. to support the LMS Orchestra.

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In celebration of Phish's 13-show run at Madison Square Garden, the Mockingbird Foundation is announcing 13 unsolicited "miracle grants" supporting music programs across the country. Each board member identified their favorite Phish show, and we found a worthy music education program nearby, part of the Foundation's long-standing Tour Grants program. We're presenting these 13 special grants chronologically, based on the dates of those favorited shows.

Board member Dan Purcell picked the 10/31/98 show in Las Vegas, NV:

It's the best concert I've ever seen, never mind the best Phish show. The first set has its merits -- a then-rare "Sneaking Sally" and a set-closing "Mike's Groove" that careens into the guardrail and back onto the track by the slimmest of margins. But the second set is Phish's most successful Halloween project, with only the sui generis Haunted House and its much bigger budget having an argument. Confronted with making a full set out of a 40-minute album, Phish expands Loaded far past its runtime. Performing the Velvet Underground's friendliest record with care and raging energy, they go fairly far out on "Sweet Jane," "Rock and Roll," and -- least expected and most gratifying of all -- "Lonesome Cowboy Bill," sung by Fish from behind his kit, no vacuum in sight. The message was clear: this was no joke. The closing "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'" had us looking around for someone to hug like Jim Valvano. I have never seen chaos at a Phish show like the concourse and bathrooms after that set, not even on the hillside at Great Woods or the muddy bottoms of Coventry.

If that wasn't enough, and it never is, the abbreviated third set brought the sheer terror that we require on Halloween. A half-hour take on "Wolfman's Brother," sung by Trey from under a wolfman mask, the long jam a low, faint hum peppered by whispered threats and moments of brutality. Resolving into "Piper" lightened the mood a touch but the slower build to the chorus felt less like ecstasy and more like running through the woods to escape something formless and terrible. They ran out of time to do much with their then-mission statement "Ghost," Trey stalking off dejectedly over a digital delay loop. But we had seen behind the curtain; we were ready to head back. "Sleeping Monkey" returned us to the world of flesh, and the "Tweezer Reprise" left over from the night before blew us out the doors and into the brisk neon desert night.

In honor of this magnificent evening, Mockingbird is sending a $1,500 grant check to the nearby Victoria Fertitta Middle School Firebird Band.

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[Recap of last night's show courtesy of Nathan Tobey, user @IcculusFTW.]

Check phone for donut announcement Tweet.

HOLES. What could it meannnnn!?

Will they play “In A Hole” for real this time? Would that be too obvious? But weren’t “Harpua” and “Cinnamon Girl” obvious? Wait, does anyone but me care if they play “In A Hole?”

Also, those donuts look super tasty. Ah, what this triumphant run does to our minds.

“Baker’s Dozen” – taken together with the astonishing mini-run that led up to it -- has produced one of the most consistently thrilling runs in the band’s 34 year history. Just when Americans seem to be losing faith in, well, nearly everything – the world apart of Phish is exactly the opposite. Night after night, a band that – by any normal standard of band longevity should have long since become a nostalgia act -- is giving us new reasons to believe. And yes, last night, on August 2, 2017, they did it again.

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A Phishy Baker's Dozen Periodic Table has been making the rounds, and the version current through 8/2/2017, created by Tyler Kreshover (user @phuck_you_22), appears below. The inspiration for it came from The Elements of Phish poster, created years ago by El Del Ink, and still available for sale, here.

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[We would like to thank Dr. Stephanie Jenkins, Ph.D., a professor of Phish, for this recap.]

Since the announcement of the Baker’s Dozen residency dates, Phish fans have speculated about ways the band might pay homage to the Grateful Dead during last night's August 1st show, which fell on Jerry Garcia’s 75th birthday. The revelation of Tuesday’s maple-flavored donut did not diminish fans’ hopes that their more than thirty-year wait for Phish’s next “Scarlet Begonias,” or debut of “Sugar Magnolia,” would come to an end. Some argued that the maple composition of Jerry’s Wolf guitar would elicit early 1970’s-inspired Dead covers. Rumors that Bob Weir was in the building also spread like wildfire before the show. Instead, with their ninth of thirteen shows at Madison Square Garden, Phish offered fans two Maple-themed debuts, an unprecedented "Steep" jam, and a comparatively mellow, yet crowd-pleasing, set list. Nine shows and 161 songs into the Baker’s Dozen, Phish continues its “no repeats” streak in a historic residency that has been un-jading vets one night at a time.

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In celebration of Phish's 13-show run at Madison Square Garden, the Mockingbird Foundation is announcing 13 unsolicited "miracle grants" supporting music programs across the country. Each board member identified their favorite Phish show, and we found a worthy music education program nearby, part of the Foundation's long-standing Tour Grants program. We're presenting these 13 special grants chronologically, based on the dates of those favorited shows.

Board member Scott Marks picked the 4/3/98 show in Uniondale, NY, and we're sending a $1,500 grant check to nearby Uniondale High School.

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In celebration of Phish's 13-show run at Madison Square Garden, the Mockingbird Foundation is announcing 13 unsolicited "miracle grants" supporting music programs across the country. Each board member identified their favorite Phish show, and we found a worthy music education program nearby, part of the Foundation's long-standing Tour Grants program. We're presenting these 13 special grants chronologically, based on the dates of those favorited shows. Here's #9...

There’s no denying the power of music, no matter what kind of music that speaks to your ears and soul, it is an influential force in life. As a country for years, we have seen a decrease in many federally funded programs, one of the most critical from my perspective is reduction in support of arts and music education. I am not a musician, or an artist as my brain strengths are more dominant on the scientific and analytical side, however, I have great admiration of those who create art and music, and respect for those who teach it to our upcoming generations. I am thrilled to be a part of the Mockingbird Foundation and on the Board of the Directors and have the honor of selecting an organization to a ‘miracle’ grant in my home state of North Carolina.

The recipient of this $1,500 grant is Easton Elementary School Music Program in Winston Salem, NC, honoring one of my favorite shows, 11/23/97 at the LJVM Coliseum. In selecting this program, the teachers interviewed were passionate about providing the smallest experimental education to their students, who are often under privileged. As a teacher, hearing comments such as a fourth grader telling you, you are the best thing that has ever happened to their school, and she made music “come back” to them has to be rewarding. Those are some touching words to come from a fourth grader! The grant will help fund classroom instrumentation and a microphone for singing.

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[We would like to thank Jeremy Levine, @Franklin, for writing the recap of last night's show.]

The Baker’s Dozen has felt like a weird jamband version of "Chopped." High stakes, themed sets, and more and more songs off the table with each passing night (presumably) means that they have to make something new and inventive in the face of confounding restrictions. Yesterday, when Phish opened its basket to reveal Rainbow Jimmies, expectations and predictions started to heat up. “The Squirming Coil” seemed like it was off the table after having been played the first night (7/21), but we could still be up for “Runaway Jim,” “Harpua,” something from Hendrix, Jimmy Page, or Quadrophenia, plus “Rainbow Connection,” “Somewhere Over The Rainbow,” or any other curve balls the band might have in store. After hearing about "Chocolate Rain," a thirty-minute "Lawn Boy," and the legendary spicy chicken sandwiches at Section 119, I couldn’t wait to see what Phish would cook up for my only Baker’s Dozen show.

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Welcome to the 285th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday, the last and most difficult of July. The winner will receive an MP3 download code courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the song and date of each of the three mystery clips. The clips are connected by a theme, but the theme needn't be part of the correct answer – though it should help you get there. Each person gets one guess to start – if no one guesses correctly, I will post a hint on Tuesday around 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET, after which each person gets one more guess before the correct answer is revealed on Wednesday around 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Good luck!

Hint:
Even though I sat at home, I did not miss last Sunday's show.
Nor buy a ticket, just for face; nor watch the webcast! No, Your Grace...

While on the same day these clips fell,
not Sunday! The real theme shows its spell...

Answer: I guess there aren't as many GoT fans out there as I thought – the Sunday show to which I was referring, Your Grace, is of course Game of Thrones. All three of these clips did fall on the same day, Saturday, and the real theme is the Sunday show the clips spell: 11/7/98 "Ghost," 10/2/99 "On Your Way Down," and 10/7/00 "Twist." With this win, the Blog is now old enough to drink legally in the US! Given the recent light participation on the MJM, for the month of August, we'll stick with easier MJMs. Stay tuned for MJM286 on Monday.

In celebration of Phish's 13-show run at Madison Square Garden, the Mockingbird Foundation is announcing 13 unsolicited "miracle grants" supporting music programs across the country. Each board member identified their favorite Phish show, and we found a worthy music education program nearby, part of the Foundation's long-standing Tour Grants program. We're presenting these 13 special grants chronologically, based on the dates of those favorited shows.

Board member Matt Sexauer picked the 8/16/96 show in Plattsburgh, NY - the first night of the Clifford Ball (not counting the 8/15 soundcheck), which was the first of Phish's one-band festivals (not counting Amy's Farm). The three-set show featured an acoustic mini-setup, six noteworthy jams, and fireworks to end "Hood", all followed by the 3:30 a.m. "Flatbed Truck" escapade.

In recognition of that foundational experience, we're sending a $1,500 grant check to nearby Plattsburgh High School to support foundational experiences in music education. With this check, Mockingbird has given over $100K in Tour Grants alone, and 331 total grants!

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Phish.net welcomes Tim Kelleher - @timkell - to recap Night 7 of the Baker's Dozen.

We’ve made it through a good number of donuts, and here on night seven of The Baker’s Dozen our long anticipated cinnamon donut gets the call - Cinnamon Glazed to be precise. There’s been so much great music so far, I’m no longer the least bit anxious about whether we will see a good show each night. These are going to be good. And we will be happy. This much I know.

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