Welcome to the 365th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday, the first* and easiest of March! 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 the mystery clip. Each person gets one guess to start – if no one answers correctly in the first 24 hours, I'll post a hint. After the hint, everyone gets one more guess before Wednesday at 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. If that's confusing to you, check out the handy decision tree that @ucpete threw together to help guide you. If you're not sure if you've won before, check in the MJM Results spreadsheet linked below.

Answer: After being an active member of the MJM guessing crew for the better part of a decade, @drshaws only needed 3½ hours to break on through to the other side and snag his very first MJM win! This week, he made quick work of the "I Am Not 'I Am Hydrogen'" jam, identifying the 6/10/12 "Tweezer" from Phish's most recent appearance at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, where Phish will headline this summer instead of playing the Bay Area. Swing on by next week for MJM366 – will @drshaws go animal style and take down a double double?

[Welcome To Weekly Catch With Osiris! A weekly series brought to you from the team at Osiris. Each Wednesday we're going to bring you a historic Phish show from that week with some commentary. Our goal is to go beyond official releases and well-known shows to bring you some of the overlooked gems throughout Phish history. If you like what you find, we'd encourage you to check out the assortment of podcasts at the Osiris! This week's catch comes from Brian Brinkman of Beyond The Pond.]

Listen: Sarratt Student Center, Nashville, TN, 02/28/1991

After touring extensively throughout the Fall of 1990 in support of their second proper studio album, Lawn Boy, Phish went right back at it in early 1991. Very much on the rise, still focused on the "tighen-up" approach of the previous two years, this was a time when they were testing out new markets, refining their setlists, all while relishing in the most consistent period of creative output of their entire career. Their catalogue, while certainly smaller than today, was, at this point, by no means limited. However, a repeated song here & there, was far from a curious mistake, and rather a reflection of a continued focus on developing their setlists and showcasing their strogest material on a nightly basis.

It was a halcyon time to be in Phish, and to be a fan of the band. They played in small venues with the ambition of a band that was ready for the arena circut. They worked tirelessly to connect with their growing fanbase, and a show like February 28, 1991 from Vanderbilt - part of the band's first swing through Tennessee - showcases why they were increasingly becoming a "must-see" band outside of the Northeast & Colorado.

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Welcome to the 364th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday, the fourth and hardest of February. 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 songs and dates of the three mystery clips – these clips are connected by a theme that need not be part of the correct answer. Each person gets one guess to start – if no one answers correctly in the first 24 hours, I'll post a hint. After the hint, everyone gets one more guess before Wednesday at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Good luck!

Hint:

Answer: Wizard or vulture, it doesn't take a mathematician to figure out that @ChalkDustTeacher is only one win shy of the promised land. This week he schooled the rest of the weekly MJM crew for the sixth time, using the hint (and some juicy comments) to identify the 10/31/10 "Stash," the 10/31/98 "Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley," and the 7/30/03 "Twist." @ChalkDustTeacher didn't fall for the Halloween red herring, and instead figured out that the hint referred to show gaps – the first night of Mexico featured huge bust-outs of "Spock's Brain" (429 show gap), "Who Loves the Sun?" (602) and "Spanish Moon" (306), last played on 7/30/03, 10/31/98, and 10/31/10, respectively – the shows from which this week's clips derive. Stay tuned for MJM365 when we drop a single clip puzzle that will complete our first orbit.

The margaritas were strong. The enchiladas were spicy. The sand between my toes was… very coarse. Oh wait, that’s cat litter. ::sigh:: Sadly, I’m reviewing this show from Portland, OR. ::bigger sigh:: But don’t worry, I consulted with my friend in Chicago who hung a piñata for authenticity, and I looked at lots of Instagram stories from people who were there – all while wearing a Hawaiian shirt, so I think I got this. Maybe. ::exasperated sigh::

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[Thank you @Gr8phul for this report from the rail! -Ed.]

After what I thought was a mostly lackluster first night, outside of the stellar bustouts, I decided to take my chances and get a bracelet to see if I could get on the rail. Night one I chose to be directly in front of Kuroda. While the view of CK's lights and the mix were exceptional, there was far too much talking around me. So after getting a wrist band for the line, I was beyond excited that I was number five in line. I was able to procure a spot on the rail right in front of Mike.

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[Recap courtesy of dot net user @ObviousFool. Thank you! -Ed.]

Somewhere between the poolside daiquiris and the beachside margaritas, we realize that we might need a little down time before the show. We retreat to our suite for a soak in the hot tub and a doobie while we plan our evening. This does not suck.

We decide to go in shortly after doors to take in the surroundings, and get our bearings---and for the massive taco buffet, which also does not suck. After a day of eating at buffets that wouldn’t even make it at the Circus Circus Reno, we are grateful for the delectable sustenance.

Before we make our way forward into the crowd, the skies open up briefly and douse us in warm rain; not enough to soak, but just enough to cool us down. We ditch our flip flops by a palm tree and walk barefoot through the sand, proclaiming, once again, that this does not suck. And as the sun sinks into the western sky, a warm breeze comes in over the ocean, the lights go down, and the Phish take the stage.

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[Take the Bait is spirited deliberation centered around the hyperbole of Phish’s music and fandom, passionately exuded via the written words of phish.net contributors @FunkyCFunkyDo and @n00b100. Opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of phish.net, The Mockingbird Foundation, or any fan… but we're pretty sure we’re right. Probably.]

Funky: Magnaball, Big Cypress, The Great Went, IT - the big cheeses of in-house Phish’s festival circuit. Oswego, 8, Lemonwheel - the, uh, Ritz crackers of the circuit - they exist in the same universe, and are all good and stuff, but are not spoken about in the same breath. Uh, cheese and crackers, Funky.... Yeah yeah please don’t point out my obvious metaphorical flaws this early. And please don't take away my Tom Robbins metaphorical fan club card. No one wants that, in any reality. They want judgement!!

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[Welcome To Weekly Catch With Osiris! A weekly series brought to you from the team at Osiris. Each Wednesday we're going to bring you a historic Phish show from that week with some commentary. Our goal is to go beyond official releases and well-known shows to bring you some of the overlooked gems throughout Phish history. If you like what you find, we'd encourage you to check out the assortment of podcasts at the Osiris! This week's catch comes from Michael Shield of Across The Margin.]

Listen: Tenax, Florence, Italy, 02/21/1997

Even the most nooby of Phish fans has encountered the lore that surrounds Phish’s almighty 1997. It was a tremendous year, culminating in a Fall and New Year’s Run for the books. All good things must start somewhere, and 1997 kicked off with Winter European Tour, one that often goes unsung for its grandeur.

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[SoundCloud]
Welcome to the 363rd edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday, the third of February. This week's puzzle is brought to you from the mind of world class Phish jam clip identifier, @PhreePhish. 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 songs and dates of the two mystery clips – these clips are connected by a theme that need not be part of the correct answer. And yes, the second clip is so gorgeous I let it run for damn near two minutes! Each person gets one guess to start – if no one answers correctly in the first 24 hours, I'll post a hint. After the hint, everyone gets one more guess before Wednesday at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Good luck!

Hint: The reason these clips are so familiar to @MiguelSanchez is probably the same reason @PhreePhish chose them.

Answer: Come stumble my mirth beaten teacher, we've got another five time winner– that's right, @ChalkDustTeacher saw it again (the hint) and now sits two Ws short of the promised land. This week, he realized that both @PhreePhish and @MiguelSanchez had seen these midwest gems: 8/16/11 "Limb by Limb" and 11/8/98 "Down with Disease," both played at the second night of runs at UIC Pavilion in Chicago. Come back next week to see us rolling in our MJM364.

Beyond the Pond is a bi-weekly podcast in which Brian Brinkman (@sufferingjuke) and David Goldstein (@daveg924) use the music of Phish as a gateway to introduce the listener to many other bands, the vast majority of which are not jambands. An episode generally begins with a deep dive into a designated portion of Phish improvisation, and then can spin off to any variety of musical themes and other acts, the overarching purpose being introducing the listener to as many new and different bands as possible.

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[Welcome To Weekly Catch With Osiris! A weekly series brought to you from the team at Osiris. Each Wednesday we're going to bring you a historic Phish show from that week with some commentary. Our goal is to go beyond official releases and well-known shows to bring you some of the overlooked gems throughout Phish history. If you like what you find, we'd encourage you to check out the assortment of podcasts at the Osiris! This week's catch comes from RJ Bee of Helping Friendly Podcast.]

Listen: Mid-Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, NY, 2/12/93

Very few Phish tours are about specific instruments. But the Spring 1993 tour is different. It is 100%, completely about the addition of Page's baby grand piano. From the first notes of "Loving Cup" on 2/3/93 from Portland, Maine, you hear what this tour will bring. And this show, from a few days later in upstate New York, gives tons of ivory ammunition to dig into.

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Welcome to the 362nd edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday, the second of February! I cooked up this week's puzzle with assistance from fellow emeritus @justino; these clips are definitely tasty. 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 songs and dates of the two mystery clips. Each person gets one guess to start – if no one answers correctly in the first 24 hours, I'll post a hint. After the hint, everyone gets one more guess before Wednesday at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Good luck!

Hint:

Answer: Congrats to the @The_Blob on his fourth win, becoming the third MJMer the past five weeks to cross the halway mark to Gloria in Excelsis Jamicus. This week he was the real King of Limbs and identified the 8/28/12 "Limb by Limb" and the 12/3/99 "Limb by Limb" shortly after the hint was posted. Thanks again to @justino for the sweet recommendations and we'll see you for MJM363 with more mysterious jams from a Hall of Fame MJMer.

There's still time to shop for Valentine's Day, so we wanted to remind you to please use Amazon Smile so that you can support the Mockingbird Foundation, the all-volunteer phan-run effort to support music education for children, with 400 grants made so far. Bookmark smile.amazon.com/ch/16-1529562 or click here:

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[Take the Bait is spirited deliberation centered around the hyperbole of Phish’s music and fandom, passionately exuded via the written words of phish.net contributors @FunkyCFunkyDo and @n00b100. Opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of phish.net, The Mockingbird Foundation, or any fan… but we're pretty sure we’re right. Probably.]

Funky: Well, n00b, we sure did suck the fun out of Japan 2000. I mean, yes there was an all-time show in 6.14.00, and, yes, there were five extremely explorative jams in 6.16 “Runaway Jim,” 6.10 “Piper,” 6.10 “DWD,” 6.9 “Tweezer” and 6.15 “Ghost”… but the rest was pretty average, and, at times, disappointingly out of sync. Of course, I write all this with a healthy dose of envy, as neither of us were there, and going from the responses of a few who did attend (thank you for writing your responses, by the way, we sincerely do love feedback) the shows were extremely memorable, energetic, and downright fun, simply due to the facts that Phish was playing to an excited foreign audience in tiny, intimate venues. And that, the once-in-a-lifetime musical experience that only a couple thousand fans got to witness, undoubtedly, weighs heavier than any of our words written from the friendly confines of the .net HQ ::wipes Cheetos dust off fingers, swigs Mountain Dew::

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It's time for the 2018 version of the annual Phish.net Jam of the Year (JOTY) competition! The seeding is done and the bracket is ready; this year, the four regions are named after the members of Kasvot Växt. The Horst region begins this week.

The first four weeks will have eight matchups each (sixteen songs), while subsequent weeks will have four matchups or fewer, with the Jam of the Year decided by April. Voting will take place in the Phish.net forum in dedicated weekly "***Official*** JOTY" threads, like this one for the first round. Just post your favorites for each head-to-head matchup in the thread for that round, and the dedicated JOTY staff will tally everything up. Each round's winners will be announced in the following round's announcement. Voting for the first round closes at 5 pm ET, Monday, February 11th, 2019, but you may vote for a later round even if you missed an earlier round.

You can find the first round match-ups and bracket after the jump.

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