Taking a break from music reviews today to indulge myself in a little excitement for New Year’s Eve (37 Days!).

I know it’s hard for non-Phish fans to understand my extreme anticipation for their four-night stand in Miami this December, and I can’t really fully explain it. I just keep thinking: “3 nights with 2 sets per night plus 1 night with 3 sets equals 9 full sets of Phish with approximately 8 songs per set plus encores equals approximately 80 unique Phish songs without repeats in four back-to-back nights!”

I know.

I know! I’m insane.

But part of the fun of Phish is this anticipation, and the hope that in addition to your favorite songs, you’ll hear something really amazing – either a song they haven’t played in years (officially termed a “bustout”), or a totally incredible version of a more common song. In seeing 13 shows on tour this summer, I learned to leave my expectations at the gate and just be open to whatever the four of them are feeling that night, but since Phantasy Phish People have been posting “Phantasy Setlists” for weeks now, I can’t help thinking about what I really, REALLY want to hear next month.

So here you go, for your entertainment, I present The Top 5 Phish Songs Ka Ching Wants To Hear In Miami. All downloadable for your listening pleasure (directions in sidebar).

1. Halley’s Comet: The best Phish song I’ve never heard, I will jump up and down and squeal like a little girl if I hear Mike start singing “bee chiu ba ba b'jingo.” I think there’s a good chance they’d play this, since it’s silly and happy and celebratory.
(Version: Live Phish Volume 18, 5/7/94)

2. Guelah Papyrus: Purely for my stats. This is my #1 “Most common song that was not played” based on my past shows. Well, actually, it’s my #2 song, but since they haven’t played Landlady outside of PYITE since 1994, no one’s holding their breath. (And if you don’t know what that means, it means “KC’s a big geek.”)
(Version: A Picture of Nectar)

3. 2001: (aka: Also Sprach Zarathustra). My very favorite song to see indoors, it’s a dance-fest-cum-light show extraordinaire. Note: The version I have available for download is long, but it’s an amazing example of how groovy this song can get (check out the 10-11 minute point). It cuts off at the end because they segue into “Cities,” which is one of my favorite Phish covers.
(Version: Hartford Civic Center, 11/26/97)

4. Camel Walk: Syncopated genius. It took me years to get into this song, and now I love it in all its herky-jerky glory. Since they busted it out this summer, hoping for a replay in Miami is wishful thinking unless they’re really in the thick of it one night.
(Version: Post Gazette Pavilion, 7/29/03)

5. Once In A Lifetime: They’re not going to play this, and I know it. But if I had to wish for one true bustout, this would be it: my favorite Talking Heads song, and one of my favorite songs of all time. Phish has only played it once, when they covered the Talking Heads’ Remain In Light for Halloween in 1996. This summer, they played some other Halloween rarities for the first time since their debut, so it’s not THAT farfetched. Really!
(Version: Live Phish Volume 15, 10/31/96)