It's been a gas to watch all the musical costume chatter from our users these past few weeks. The staff is every bit as wound up for the big AC reveal, and the anticipation put us in a nostalgic way about a spate of shows during the Summer 1998 U.S. tour when Phish dared to don a musical costume nearly every night (even if only a song at a time).

The resulting flurry of debut covers -- some intentionally ironic, some unspeakably poignant, but all completely unexpected -- gave rise on rec.music.phish to the nickname "Jukebox Tour." The moniker didn't last, of course, and some of the output has even faded from memory for me personally (Wait, Phish played "Running With the Devil"?! Really?! Yep!), but that made it even more fun to revisit. We hope you'll enjoy with both ears and both thumbs.

[NOTE FOR THE ANALLY FIXATED: This is a list of debut cover songs from the Summer of 1998. Anybody who complains that established covers played during the Summer of 1998 were not included, or that debut covers from some other tour were not included, or that the "California Love Jam" that's not a song was not included, will be dipped in honey and fed to fire ants. Thank you, The Management.]

[ranker width="450" height="999" title="Phishing Poll Thursday, Vol. 9: Jukebox Tour" id="1044528" link="http://www.ranker.com/list/phishing-poll-thursday-vol-9-jukebox-tour/phishingpoll" /]

Marvin Gaye, "Sexual Healing" (Ventura 7/20)
Joe Tex, "You Better Believe it Baby" (Dallas 7/26)
Neil Young, "Albuquerque" (Dallas 7/26)
Steve Earle, "If You Need a Fool" (Riverport 7/29)
Jane's Addiction, "Been Caught Stealin'" (Alpine Valley 8/1)
Cole Porter, "I Get a Kick Out of You" (Deer Creek, 8/2)
The Smashing Pumpkins, "Rhinoceros" (Deer Creek, 8/3)
Van Halen, "Runnin' With the Devil" (Atlanta, 8/6)
Beastie Boys, "Sabotage" (Merriweather, 8/8)
The Grateful Dead, "Terrapin Station" (Virginia Beach, 8/9)
Bob Marley, "Trench Town Rock" (Burgettstown, 8/11)
Talking Heads, "Burning Down the House" (Vernon Downs, 8/12)

If you liked this blog post, one way you could "like" it is to make a donation to The Mockingbird Foundation, the sponsor of Phish.net. Support music education for children, and you just might change the world.