On July 9, 1992, the first H.O.R.D.E. festival kicked off at Portland, ME’s Cumberland County Civic Center. Featuring Phish, Widespread Panic, Blues Traveler, Spin Doctors, The Aquarium Rescue Unit and Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, the inaugural tour brought together the jam scene’s brightest rising stars for a spirited eight date run through the Eastern Seaboard.

On the eve of the festival’s 20th anniversary, Relix looks back on the festival’s historic first outing through interviews with the festival’s founding fathers. Blues Traveler’s John Popper discusses the festival’s initial inception. Widespread Panic’s John Bell give us the scoop on H.O.R.D.E.‘s initial manger-less band meeting. Spin Doctors’ Chris Barron reminisces on Phish’s dog Marley, and Phish’s Page McConnell and Mike Gordon reveal how H.O.R.D.E. almost became the Clifford Ball. Col. Bruce Hampton, Bela Fleck, the festival’s producers and many others also share their H.O.R.D.E ’92 memories, while a slew of archival photos and contracts show us who got paid the most, how Aquarium Rescue Unit made out the best and just how poorly early ’90s fashion looks in retrospect.

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