THE GOOD

3. B.B. King, Fisher Auditorium, IUP, Spring '86

A friend who attended this show said he wasn't into B.B. and was just coming along for the ride. Afterward, all he could say was, "Wow!"

They don't come anymore legendary than Riley B. King, and this concert proved why he was - and still is - the consummate showman. And not a bad guitar player, to boot. (Rolling Stone had him ranked just behind Jimi Hendrix and Duane Allman, making him the greatest living guitarist. At any rate, it's between him and Buddy Guy.)

4. Phish, Station Square, Pittsburgh, July 1993

Before Phish played nothing but sold-out arenas, they performed in Pittsburgh for maybe a thousand early enthusiasts. What made this show so cool were two occurrences that have been passed down in band lore.

As they started playing a tune called "Esther," a train passed by alongside of Mt. Washington. By coincidence, the cadence of the railcars exactly matched the rhythm of the song. Neat stuff.

The show happened to be during Fireworks Night across the river at Three Rivers Stadium, a scheduling circumstance of which the band was completely unaware. As an instrumental, "Run Like an Antelope," kicked into high gear, the fireworks started going off behind Phish. The guys looked over their shoulders, grinned, and started jamming in time to the display.

Just a fun night all around.