Prague, Czech Republic, July 1998

After a full day in Vienna (Wien), Mike, Sam, and I caught up with Phish in Prague, in the Czech Republic. My parents had taken me to the communist Czechoslovakia in the 1980s, and my limited memories are of a dark, drab, bleak world.

But in the short five years since Czechoslovakia had separated into two distinct countries, capitalism (fueled by tourism) had revitalized the Czech capital, breathing life into one of the most remarkable cities on the planet. The medieval city still looks like it exists in the 15th century, with extravagant castles and exuberant baroque treasures covering the landscape.

The former home of Mozart and Kafka looked more like it belonged in a fairy tale than in heart of Eastern Europe.

Staromestska radnice: 15th-century clock

We did quite a bit of sight-seeing during our three days in Prague. Then again, there are quite a few sights to be seen. The clock above is the famous 15th century Clock Tower of the Staromestska radnice (otherwise known as the Old Town Hall).

Getting into Prague late at night on the Fourth of July, we checked into the Globus Hotel, a fun choice for our very own Sam Globus, but not convenient at all. So the next morning we headed into the city center for some first-class tourism. And, oh yeah, Phish was playing a club in this fairy tale kingdom. Twice.

Photo collage of St. Nicholas Church (with Sam and Mike)

Before leaving the United States, a buddy recommended a bar in Prague where pot is sold freely. It was called "Taz Bar", and I wrote that name in my guide book immediately. We walked around the city center in awe, ending up in a centrally located hotel, aptly named Central Hotel. With the cheap currency (33 koruny to the dollar--trust me it's great), we were able to live it up and set up camp in a three-room suite. And it wasn't until later that night that I realized that the Taz Bar was across the street!

Oh, and as we were preparing to leave the room (#212, like Manhattan) for the show, my buddy Kenny Funk (yes, really) from Fire Island walked out of the room adjacent to our suite. I had seen him in London and Hamburg in 1996, and we were hanging out a few weeks ago in FI. Now we were next to each other, randomly, in the Czech Republic. Only on Phish tour do these things happen.

The Lucerna Theatre, in stark contrast to the Grey Hall in Copenhagen, was a sleek, modern, ballroom with two stunning balconies. But it was similar in that it was ultra-crowded, and extraordinarily hot. The cheap beer ($2 or so) made for a nice coolant. The first show was a sloppy mess. The rumor mill had it that the boys were experimenting with absinthe, a European liquor with a high alcohol content, and I believe it. Trey forgot most of the lyrics to Fee, and he started cracking himself up. Then the band clumsily segued into Water in the Sky, not one of my favorite tunes.

The sets were short, and not only was the playing sloppy but Trey was pumping his fists in drunken excitement the whole night. When the show finally ended with a Funky Bitch encore, Trey was jumping up and down as if he had played the most rockin' concert of his life. I later read an interview with Trey where he discussed his perspective of music. He said how he'll think the band played the best show ever, then Chris Kuroda will tell him that they actually sucked. I believe he was referring to this show specifically.

Sam (left) and Mike (right) atop a tower

Checking out Prague with Sam and Mike was a blast. They are two of the biggest characters I've ever known--practically walking caricatures.

The second Prague show was much better than the first. Opening with Buried Alive, then AC/DC Bag, I knew it was going to be a good night. Perhaps the band was laying off the heavy drinking (or drugging). In any event, they were on. Ghost morphed into Cities, which made so much sense. With the single exception of the Landover, MD, performance on 12-28-97 (my 50th show), Cities has always been appropriate. Whether it's in the heart of Manhattan, the staged city of the Lemonwheel, or in the magical, mystical land of Prague, find yourself a city to live in! Phish, as always, was helping me do just that.

Train Song, the tune written for the phans on Europe's train tour in 1996 (like me), was also fitting. I actually miss that song now that it's been semi-retired (played once in 2000). Trey stopped the Set I Maze to thank the crowds for coming out. I wanted to thank Trey for once again giving me the chance to see the world with the world's best music as the soundtrack. Julius has a great, catchy guitar riff, and I always wondered why they didn't reprise it like they do with Tweezer. Well, they did it, starting the second set with Julius> Meat> Julius Jam Reprise. Piper, my new favorite song, jammed into the reggae of Makisupa, which was followed by two classic rock standards: David Bowie and Loving Cup. A Possum closed the perfect evening.

3-Shot Collage of facde of St. Nicholas Church

Prague is the English name given to the former communist capital of Czechoslovakia. But in the native Czech language, the city is known as Praha, pronounced PRA-Ha Tying the town into the world of Phish, Mike, Sam, and I devised a personal joke between us. After repeating the rock riff to the Fishman tune Ha Ha Ha, another one of us would say, "Pra-ha-ha-ha" instead of the usual "ha-ha-ha-ha." It was a stupid little joke, but it made us laugh. On the train out of Prague, I overheard a small group of three or four Phishheads repeat the Pra-ha-ha joke to themselves. Same joke. Same context. Unbelievable.

On our final day in Prague, we headed to Josefov, the Jewish Quarter to see the historic Old Jewish Cemetery. The ancient graveyard plays host to thousands of Jewish scholars, layered as far as 12 people deep in the small grassy plot. The crowded cemetery was packed with tombstones dating from the mid-14th century.

The neighborhood was also a shrine to the thousands of Jews that lost their life in the Holocaust. I found my last name in the endless list of murdered Jews and said a prayer. 75% of Prague's Jewish population was eliminated only two generations ago. I was reminded to be grateful every day.

I had to make a huge decision after Prague: Do I rush over to Spain with Sam and Mike to see the next Phish show, or do I explore Europe on my own? I wanted to visit my friend Anna Vera in Germany. I wanted to see the Italian Riviera. I wanted to travel at my own pace. So while Mike and Sam flew across the European continent, I made my way to Freiburg, to visit an old friend. My Phish tour was over, but the journey kept on going.