Darien Lake
Evening of August 14
on a quest to discover if
the Phish is Phresh!
So here we find ourselves backstage mounting a full-tilt-boogie Prankster attack so stand back Jack!!! Phish is jamming through the beginning of their second set with ChalkdustTorture plus Sad & Gone among other songs.
Kesey directed the Pranksters about his
vision for the adventure... 
"We're going to look for the Lost
Bozos" he explained. I want
the Bozos to filter out into the audience mingling among the crowd acting
as if they are lost. After the Scarecrow, Tinman and Frankenstein are onstage,
I will cue the Bozos to light the sparklers attached to their hands which
will provide the light to guide them back to us. We will have found the
Lost Bozos from this Bus, and they will come onto the stage and join us.
We will be reunited."
Phish
began playing Colonel Forbin's Ascent from Gamehenge. Colonel Forbin
is a mythical older man spawned from Trey's furtile imagination. Trey is
one of the Phish guitar players and a damn fine one at that! Colonel Forbin
was walking in the woods one day with his dog Harpua and came across a door
in the woods, and on this particular day he decided to enter. The door opened
into Gamehenge where the Lizard People live and the Helping Friendly Book
has landed. When the Book is in the hands of good everything is wonderful.
When the Book is in the hands of evil, everything is destructive. Colonel
Forbin goes up to the mountain to find Icculus to help him rediscover the
book back to the hands of good but Icculus was nowhere to be found... 
Phish went into a stimulating
improvisatory riff, Trey announced that there was a very special guest among
us.
ALL OF A SUDDEN... Ken Kesey, wearing a black cape and black, high top hat appears onstage as the Wizard of OZ. Following the yellow brick road with him is the Scarecrow, then the Tinman. The Phish Phans are going nuts with admiration and approval!!! Then the mood of the music changes from the happy sound of OZ to the dark side of scary as Frankenstein also known as Frankie stiffly walks onto the stage lead by the three foot tall Big Bob Prankster house munchkin tugging at Frankie's pant leg. The crowd is wild with amazement, Phish is improvising perfectly with Kesey and the Pranksters. 22,000 Phans are experiencing an event beyond their wildest imaginations. Is this live, or is this the Merry Pranksters? The Wizard of OZ, the Scarecrow, Tinman and Frankie began chanting WHERE ARE THE BOZOS? WHERE ARE THE BOZOS as the Head Wiz proclaimed that they had been on a quest to FIND THE LOST BOZOS.
Five Bozos who
had been out among the Phans in the audience began dancing onto the stage
joining the Wizard of OZ and others as Phish continued their incredible
improvisation. The evening had reached a spectacular climax!!! The scene
from the stage was waaaaaay BIGGER than life. Phish had taken the extra
step and went F_U_R_T_H_E_R_!
The Merry Pranksters took their bows and exited stage left whooping and hollering back into the dressing room where the energy was very high among us. Drinks were hoisted in appoving toasts accompanied by a round of doobiousness. THAT WAS FANTASTIC!!! Even the Chief, the Head Wiz himself felt good about that one!!! Phish continued their concert as the Pranksters packed up and split to beat the inevitable traffic jam. The Bus was a very merry place to be on our way home tonite.
Kesey's take on the evening from his own phingers is... "Phurthurther had phantastic phun at the Phishnic. Scarecrow phlapped and pharted phooishly. Tinman's heart phibrilated. Big Bob phorgot the lines to Phollow the Yellow Brick Road but was able to come up with phillin phor our lost Lion: Phrankenstien's Monster! Phranky let out a phoracious roar and headed for the hapless Phish. Big Bob was unable to stave him off with his electric cattle prod. In fact the monster seemed to enjoy the shock. His little electrodes were phlashing green sparks. Phortunately the Phast thinking Phish segued into their version of Phrankentien. Cooled the big oaf out completely. .... ....Music hath powers to soothe the savage breast."
Phil (the Scarecrow from OZ) says... "Phish cast a net of love at Darien Lake and landed us all. We can hardly wait to go Phish'in again."
So much for fun...
it's time to prepare for
that damned border crossing
