Yes, really digging this series of focused posts on '97 -- and other years would be great too! Thanks for generating discussion and sparking the return to listening to older shows ... my list would be different, although many of these shows would make it although ranked differently ... got to catch 16 shows in '97 (most of any year for me) and had the lucky experience of touring in Europe for the summer and then hitting The Went, Woosta, and NYC's new year's run ... great, great year of AMAZING ORIGINAL music ...

Happy to see both the Amsterdam gigs in this list, although they sit higher for me -- I feel a bit of a U.S.-played bias to this top 20 (HA!). Maybe it's because I was there, but 7/1+2/97 stand as 2 of the best musical experiences I've ever had. That opening Ghost explodes around the 8min mark with an incredible peak that moves us into some of the grooviest spontaneous composing the band has *ever* made (to my ears), and the rest of the set does not let up, with Set II being just about perfect in construction. 7/2's first set is actually VERY strong despite the lack of large jams, although that Weekapaug goes on quite a journey of sounds (especially Page!) and is perhaps the hottest performance of that tune that year. And Set II is another wacky but perfect whole set.

6/25 from Lille (another show I had the fortune of seeing with about 299 other lucky pholks) stands high for me as well, simply because the first set is a nice long collection of tunes, mish-mashing from old to brand new ... and well, Set II takes us (like the 7/1 Ghost does in a microcosm) through all available PHISH sounds at that time, from incredible peaks, funk, raging, new tunes, silly humour, etc. It has it all in spades!

Somebody mentioned 7/25 earlier, and that would get another huge vote from me -- wasn't at the show but both sets are SUPER HOT, with Set I offering some wonderful segues as well as Set II, and Gullotti just adds a whole other energy! Stands above many shows on this top 20 in my ears, but as many have said this year is so freakin' good that the top 20 becomes fairly subjective based on your experience and tastes ... and well, there's 7/9, 11/14, etc., etc. ... thanks for the trip down memory lane!