Full disclosure: I'm a Midwest Phish fan and for the past handful of years have only been able to catch shows within a 5-6 hour drive of Chicago. Work, family, etc.....Thank goodness for Couch Tour and readily accessible AUDs....they allow me to maintain my religious-like attention to what's going on with the band.
I understand that any list/ranking is bound to fluster many, especially given the typical fervor of Phish fans. I also understand that the live experience can skew the relative value of any given show. Example: I was at the 12/31/2002 return from hiatus. The energy in MSG that night was beyond description. I will remember it on my deathbed and wouldn't trade it for any number of ostensibly superior 2.0 shows.
So - Alpine2. I was there and LOVED the show (I have seen all 17 of the band's Alpine gigs....and it was cool to hear Trey acknowledge their history at the venue during Forbin Narrations - for fucks sake.....we got a Forbin with narration and Mockingbird....that alone is a treat). I digress. A first set, which.....let's admit, generally have been perfunctory, even during superior tours like Fall 13 and Summer 15. If you're not a fan of bustouts.....I can understand, because often times they are botched versions of songs that used to sparkle. In the case of Alpine2, however, these bustouts were played with precision. I have a soft spot for B&R, Saw It Again RAGED, Esther was close to impeccable (I'll relisten), Weigh, The Sloth, Sanity .....and then a smoking hot SOAM to close. THAT WAS THE FIRST SET. Excepting Very Long Fuse (2014), Waves (2002/2003), and Blaze On (2015) - this show could have been played in the late 90s (a la Blossom).
Lights dim and the table is set for the main course - Set II. The bar was set high....
ANTELOPE to OPEN. Jolt of energy back in the venue. Decent transition into Carini, and while it's not a Fall 13 type version....it's interesting, hinting early and eventually finding it's way into Waves. An ambient minute or so outro gives way to an unusually funky drop into Tweezer. I think Trey surprised himself that he was back into Tweezer given the Bloosom version just two nights earlier.
Fuller disclosure: I go to shows hoping to hear Tweezer. The rest is gravy. Ergo, I was jealous and disappointed to watch the Blossom setlist roll in a few nights prior. I'll listen to ANY Tweezer. There's almost always something (or a lot of somethings) that delight my ears (whole body really). From 5 minutes on this version really worked for me. Mu Tron, Fight Bell, funk, and then.....from about 8:30 on just bliss Phish. If this doesn't make you move - you best check your pulse. I could continue, but suffice it to say, I love this Tweezer. Uncle Ebenezer melts into Dirt, which you could say is an energy kill, but it's another rarity....perhaps a slight tip of the proverbial cap to Garcia on the anniversary. I think it worked perfectly in this spot.
Now it's 4th Q time.....and they move into Mikes. Nights earlier they "broke the internet" with the first second jam in Mikes since 2000 (I was at the Polaris show with the last extended Mikes), so interest was piqued, and at first it wasn't clear if they were going to take it for a post Nashville ride or if that would be a one-off. Well - they did it again and it was awesome. Funky. Check. Tension. Check. Release. Check. Woos (ugh...). Check. Again....Blaze on sandwiched in Mikes Groove worked for me. Maybe Weekapaug wasn't the best, but they finished the set with an incendiary Reprise. They didn't save that for encore. The pavilion was up for grabs when they brought Tweeprise to a close.
Do NOT miss a Sunday show. Period.
Contact....Frankenstein and we have one fantastic Phish show.
Bustout laden set I played with precision.
A second set that opens with Antelope and includes Carini, Tweezer, Mikes +second jam.....and that's not top 10?
Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I feel better having voiced mine.