Phish fans with delicate constitutions are well served just skipping the August '04 shows; this'll do for a final act if you like. The second set is an hour-and-a-half grand finale; between the Tweeprise jam in Piper, that unexpected pop-the-top climax to LxL, and a richly-deserved valediction in Velvet Sea, there wasn't much to say after this one. And that's without mentioning the thermonuclear hourlong sequence that ends Set One, or the wonderfully overextended Ocean to open Set Two. This show isn't to everyone's taste, but if you're already a fan it plays like the kicker ending to a yearlong joke - check out that self-deprecating Purple Haze tease, for god's sake. The rest of June '04 is strong, of course, but to my ears this is the hammer blow.

I wont comment on the mood and type of energy that was present at the time. Everyone has different things to say about that. However, it was an absolutely gorgeous summer day, and night. Great open to a standard first set. This show will be remembered for Piper. 32 minutes on the board with multiple teases and directions. But for me the most beautiful music made in this show was during the end of Walls>Bowie. If you listen to Walls the end contains about 4 minutes of an ambient H2 style jam that really is beautiful and one of those examples of music only Phish can create. During glowsticks in Piper my friend pointed up to the stars to show me the big dipper, which rested right above and was "pouring" directly into the amphitheater. It will always be a very special day to me, despite anything negative many would say about this show.

Anyone whose opinions on this show are overly negative would be best served by putting on a pair of headphones and just drowning out everything except for the glorious music thats being hosed directly into your brain. Sometimes you just have to suckle that hose & close your eyes. The Walls & ASIHTOS alone have enough spellbinding improvisation that they'd be highlights of 3.0 if you could somehow bend time and slip them into a random show from the past few years.

Like the Coventry SOAMelt & so many other amazing moments where everything clicked in the 2.0 era, I think it is our duty as Phish fans to never forget the sacrifices made at the feet of the Bullgod Hoseous.

Fishman is just so psychotically ON for the whole show!

I was second row, DFC, for the first set of this show (thanks PTBM!). Reba opener was fun.

Check out A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing > Piper - a show highlight for sure; maybe one of the best moments of 2004 phish???

Will be hosed.