How many times has Phish played Cars Trucks Buses?

Phish has performed "Cars Trucks Buses" 89 times since September 27, 1995.

What is the longest version of Cars Trucks Buses by Phish?

The longest version of "Cars Trucks Buses" was 7:38 long, performed at HiFi Buys Amphitheatre in Atlanta, GA on July 26, 2003.

When was the last time Phish played Cars Trucks Buses?

Phish last played "Cars Trucks Buses" on July 20, 2025. The current gap is 31 shows.

When did Phish first play Cars Trucks Buses?

"Cars Trucks Buses" debuted on September 27, 1995 at Cal Expo Amphitheater in Sacramento, CA.

What songs does Phish commonly play with Cars Trucks Buses?

The songs most commonly played in the same show as "Cars Trucks Buses" are: Chalk Dust Torture, Sample in a Jar, David Bowie, Harry Hood, Run Like an Antelope.

FREQUENTLY ASKED

Common questions

← BACK·SONGS·Cars Trucks Buses

LIVE · 89 PERFORMANCES

Phish original

Cars Trucks Buses

89 performances since 1995, with 87 analyzed for jam quality. Best version scored 84 on 1999-09-26.

DEBUT · 1995-09-27 · Sacramento·LAST · 2025-07-20 · Chicago·LONGEST GAP · 95 SHOWS

DISPLAY· VERSION TIMELINE · 1995–2025INPUT · TRACK_FEATURES.SCORE_BY_YEAR

’95’00’05’10’15’20’25

BEST · 1999-09-26 · 84LONGEST · 9:34 · 1997-03-18SHORTEST · 2:18YEARS · 30

READOUT· PER-ERA BREAKDOWN87 OF 89 ANALYZED

v1.01983–2000 · 67 plays84

v2.02002–2004 · 3 plays78

v3.02009–2020 · 11 plays63

v4.02021–present · 8 plays68

BARS REPRESENT THE BEST-SCORING VERSION IN EACH ERAOPEN METHODOLOGY →

TOP VERSIONS· 10 OF 87 · BY SCORE87 ANALYZED

#SCOREVENUEBREAKDOWNDATELENGTH

#0184#1 / 87Kiefer UNO Lakefront Arena, University of New OrleansNew Orleans, LA · #3

1999-09-267:16

#0281#2 / 87The Flynn TheatreBurlington, VT · #4

1997-03-189:34

#0378#3 / 87HiFi Buys AmphitheatreAtlanta, GA · #1

2003-07-267:38

#0478#4 / 87New Orleans FairgroundsNew Orleans, LA · #5

1996-04-265:16

#0573#5 / 87Pepsi ArenaAlbany, NY · #2

2000-09-094:53

#0668#6 / 87Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront ParkWilmington, NC

2023-07-195:37

#0767#7 / 87Deer Creek Music CenterNoblesville, IN

2000-07-104:44

#0866#8 / 87United CenterChicago, IL

2025-07-205:36

#0964#9 / 87The Fox TheatreAtlanta, GA

1995-11-114:10

#1063#10 / 87Cal Expo AmphitheaterSacramento, CA

1995-09-273:49

RECENT VERSIONS· LAST 5 PLAYED

#SCOREVENUEBREAKDOWNDATELENGTH

#0166#8 / 87United CenterChicago, IL

2025-07-205:36

#02—Moon PalaceCancun, Quintana Roo

2025-01-316:45

#0348#33 / 87Chaifetz Arena, Saint Louis UniversitySt. Louis, MO

2024-07-305:29

#0468#6 / 87Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront ParkWilmington, NC

2023-07-195:37

#05—Moon PalaceCancun, Quintana Roo

2023-02-235:59

INSTRUMENTATION· SONG-LEVEL STATS6 CHANNELS LIVE

PLAYS89

DEBUT1995

LAST2025

AVG LEN4:48

CHARTED5

GAP MAX95

CIRCULATION· WHEN IT GETS PLAYEDINPUT · SETLIST_ENTRIES.DATE

DENSITY · YEAR × MONTH1995–2025 · 48 ACTIVE MONTHS

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC

'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25

DURATION· LENGTH SHAPEINPUT · TRACKS.DURATION + SETLIST_ENTRIES.DURATION

DISTRIBUTION · BY MINUTE88 VERSIONS

5101520255m

MEDIAN · 4:30PEAK · 3–4m (27)RANGE · 2–8m

AVERAGE · BY YEAR1995–2025

4:005:006:007:00

TOPOLOGY· WHERE IN THE SHOWINPUT · SETLIST_ENTRIES.SET + .POSITION + .TRANSITION

SET MIX & ROLE89 PLAYS

SET 1 · 81%SET 2 · 19%

SET 1 72SET 2 17

S1 OPEN20

S1 CLOSE0

S2 OPEN3

S2 CLOSE0

ENCORE0

POSITION & FLOWMEDIAN POS · 3

51015201

GEOGRAPHY· PLACE & TIMINGINPUT · SHOWS.VENUE + .STATE + .DATE

VENUES · BY PLAYSTOP 6

01Madison Square GardenNew York · NY3 02Deer Creek Music CenterNoblesville · IN3 03Moon PalaceCancun, Quintana Roo2 04United CenterChicago · IL1 05Chaifetz Arena, Saint Louis UniversitySt. Louis · MO1 06Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront ParkWilmington · NC1

STATES · BY PLAYSTOP 6

01NY10 02

PAIRINGS· COMPANION SONGSINPUT · SHARED SHOWS + FREQUENCY MATCH

SAME SHOW · MOST OFTENTOP 9

01Chalk Dust Torture32 02Sample in a Jar30 03David Bowie29 04Harry Hood28 05Run Like an Antelope26 06Character Zero26 07You Enjoy Myself25 08Free23 09Stash23

SIMILAR PLAY COUNT±20% RANGE · 8

Golden Age89 Water in the Sky

TOUR LOG· PER-TOUR BREAKDOWN41 TOURS · 89 PLAYS · 89 SHOWS

#TOURPLAYSSHOWSFIRST · LAST

011995 Fall Tour1919Sep 27, 1995·Dec 15, 1995 021996 Fall Tour1313Oct 16, 1996·Dec 6, 1996 031997 Summer U.S. Tour66Jul 26, 1997·Aug 14, 1997 041997 Winter European Tour44Feb 13, 1997·Feb 28, 1997 051997 Summer European Tour44Jun 14, 1997·Jul 9, 1997 06Not Part of a Tour22Apr 26, 1996·Mar 18, 1997 071998 Summer U.S. Tour22Jul 15, 1998·Aug 3, 1998 081996 Summer U.S. Tour22Aug 14, 1996·Aug 17, 1996 092012 Late Summer Tour22Aug 25, 2012·Sep 2, 2012 102000 Fall Tour22Sep 9, 2000·Sep 20, 2000

RELATED· CHARTED · FOLLOWS · PRECEDED · VENUES

SONG ID · 1313· DATA VERSION v3.2

SONG · CATALOG v3.2← CATALOG

Cars Trucks Buses

Phish original·debuted 09.27.95·Cal Expo Amphitheater, Sacramento

89 PLAYS·87 ANALYZED·4 ERASRARITY · UNCOMMON

84BEST

BEST VERSION · OF 89

09.26.99Kiefer UNO Lakefront A

New Orleans, LA · 7:16

→

Year by year21 ACTIVE YEARS

BEST SCORE / YEAR · 1995–2026v3.2

1999 · 84.3

'95'02'10'18'26

MULTIPLESINGLEHIATUS / 0PEAK ≥ 90

BEST YEAR · 19993 VERS · BEST 84.3

By era4 ERAS · 89 PLAYS

1.0 · 672.03.04.0

PHISH 1.01983–2000

PLAYS67

AVG · BEST45·84

BEST VERSION→

PHISH 2.02002–2004

PLAYS3

AVG · BEST54·78

BEST VERSION→

PHISH 3.02009–2020

PLAYS11

AVG · BEST51·63

BEST VERSION→

PHISH 4.02021–present

PLAYS8

AVG · BEST52·68

BEST VERSION→

Versions87 TOTAL

RKSHOW · VENUE · CITYSETDURSCR

#01

09.26.99 Kiefer UNO Lakefront A · New Orleans, LACHARTED

—7:1684 #02

03.18.97 The Flynn · Burlington, VTCHARTED

—9:3481 #03

07.26.03 HiFi Buys · Atlanta, GACHARTED

—7:3878 #04

04.26.96 New Orleans Fairground · New Orleans, LACHARTED

—5:1678 #05

09.09.00 Pepsi Arena · Albany, NYCHARTED

—4:5373 #06

07.19.23 Live Oak Bank at River · Wilmington, NC

—5:3768 #07

07.10.00 Deer Creek Music · Noblesville, IN

—4:4467 #08

07.20.25 United · Chicago, IL

—5:3666 #09

11.11.95 The Fox · Atlanta, GA

—4:1064 #10

09.27.95 Cal Expo · Sacramento, CA

—3:4963

By the numbers8 STATS

TOTAL PLAYS89across 4 eras

ANALYZED8798% of all

AVG DURATION4:485 charted

LONGEST9:3403.18.97 THE FLYNN

SHORTEST2:1807.18.96 DE VERDURE

LONGEST GAP95 SH.2013 → 2016

JAM CHART5CHARTED VERSIONS

DEBUT09.27.95SACRAMENTO

When it gets playedCIRCULATION

DENSITY · YR×MO · 1995–202589 PLAYS

JFMAMJJASOND

'95'97'99'01'03'05'07'09'11'13'15'17'19'21'23'25

MAX · 9 /MO·TOTAL · 89

GAP · SHOWS BETWEEN PLAYS88 PERFS

LONGEST · 95 SH.·MEDIAN · 4 SH.

How long it runsDURATION

DISTRIBUTION · BY MINUTE88 VERSIONS

2m8m

MEDIAN · 4:30·PEAK · 3–4m

AVERAGE · BY YEAR1995–2025

SHORT · 3:49 · 1995·LONG · 7:15 · 2013

Where in the showTOPOLOGY

SET MIX89 PLAYS

S1 81%S2 19%

S1 OPEN20

S1 CLOSE0

S2 OPEN3

S2 CLOSE0

ENCORE0

POSITION IN SETPEAK · #1

#1#14

TRANSITION OUT89 PLAYS

85%15%

STOP · 76SEGUE · 13

Where & whenGEOGRAPHY

VENUES · BY PLAYSTOP 6

STATES · BY PLAYSTOP 6

NY10CA8PA6GA4IN4MO3

DAY OF WEEKPEAK · WED

SUN14

MON9

TUE7

WED15

THU14

FRI15

SAT15

PLAY RATE · BY ERA% OF ERA SHOWS

v1.05.4%

v2.04.4%

v3.02.4%

v4.03.3%

Plays withPAIRINGS

SAME SHOW · MOST OFTENTOP 6

01Chalk Dust Torture32 02Sample in a Jar30 03David Bowie29 04Harry Hood28 05Run Like an Antelope26 06Character Zero26

SIMILAR PLAY COUNT±20% · 8

Golden Age89 Water in the Sky89 Peaches en Regalia89 No Men In No Man's Land87 Ginseng Sullivan87 Sneakin' Sally Thru the Alley86 The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday86 Paul and Silas92

By tour41 TOURS

TOUR LOG · BY PLAYS89 TOTAL

011995 Fall Tour1995 · 19 sh19 021996 Fall Tour1996 · 13 sh13 031997 Summer U.S. Tour1997 · 6 sh6 041997 Winter European Tour1997 · 4 sh4 051997 Summer European Tour1997 · 4 sh4 06Not Part of a Tour1996–1997 · 2 sh2 071998 Summer U.S. Tour1998 · 2 sh2 081996 Summer U.S. Tour1996 · 2 sh2

Charted appearances5 TOTAL →

CHRT#1

07.26.03·HiFi Buys · Atlanta

> from "Wilson". This version features a cool, almost quiet section in the middle. There is great interplay between Trey and Page, each showing off as they go back-and-forth.

→CHRT#2

09.09.00·Pepsi Arena · Albany

Following some odd, onstage antics, Michael Ray, already on trumpet, moves from "Makisupa" > "CTB," adding extra oomph to the song's choice set changes, before the band breaks for an excellent "Funky…

→CHRT#3

09.26.99·Kiefer UNO Lakefront A · New Orleans

Guests Michael Ray (Trumpet) and Tim Green (Saxophone) propel a fun, unique take on Page's scripted instrumental. A cool interlude follows intense brass - a nice touch of Trey - before morn horns push…

→CHRT#4

03.18.97·The Flynn · Burlington

Extended, jazzy jam with Dave Grippo on alto sax and James Harvey on trombone.

→CHRT#5

04.26.96·New Orleans Fairground · New Orleans

Jazz Festival version with Michael Ray rocking the trumpet.

→

Often follows / sets up

OFTEN → AFTER CARS TRUCKS BUSESSWIPE →