This show has been given the Live Phish treatment, so that right there is a pretty good reason to seek it out. The AC/DC Bag....man. The first 12 minutes or so may be some of my favorite Phish ever. They drop into a minor key, and just go to town on stuff that sounds like it came from a movie soundtrack. And I love that stretch from The Sloth through Velvet Sea. There's just a feeling of good energy, good communication between the band and an attentive, appreciative audience. Great stuff.

Both of the Great Woods ‘95 shows were a lot of fun to attend but for whatever reason the next night seems to be the more popular of the two. Perhaps that’s due to the availability of the soundboard or it’s due to the setlist. Regardless, this night has many gems and I think this show is arguably underrated. With AC/DC Bag and Mule in the 1-2 opening slots, the band gives a nice, high energy sequence. Both are solid. After a quick Horn, the band plays Taste. This tune is noteworthy as being the final early version before the band reworked it into what would briefly become The Fog That Surrounds. Despite being short, this is a tight, energetic version. Much of the rest of the set is solid but not particularly noteworthy until the Antelope. This version is a typical mid-90’s version, full of zest and a bit more extended than modern versions. While not as thrilling as the previous year’s Antelope (which knocked it out of the park, or the Woods), it still closes the set out nicely, with fun, alternate lyrics. The Mike’s > Contact > Weekapaug Groove are the highlights of Set II but I like the opening sequence of 2001 and Possum > Ha Ha Ha. After the rare TMWSIY > Avenu Malkenu, we get to the meat of the set. I love this Mike’s, which instantly launches this set to the next level. This was a great year for Mike’s and this version was no exception, as it was high energy, exploratory.and generally awesome with a very interesting jam that starts around the 12 minute mark, eventually moving into a more ambient jam. The transition into Contact is nice, and Contact in the middle here is fun and unexpected. In fact, by my count Contact has been between Mike’s and Weekapaug only 2 other times, the first time being 6.20.95 and more recently on 7.7.12. The Weekapaug that follows is a beast and is highly recommended. They close out the set with a lovely Coil, followed by Cracklin’ Rosie and Golgi in the encore slot. Overall this is an enjoyable show with a couple of real highlights, particularly the Antelope and the Mike’s > Contact > Weekapaug segment.

This show has all the signs of an underrated gem. Off the bat, it’s 1994 so that’s an automatic good start as this was such a landmark year for the band. Next, a soundboard is in circulation, which I would think makes this show more attractive. Highlights from the first set include the set-opening Loving Cup, which has only happened a handful of times, moving right into the ever-welcome Foam. The DWD, while short and still evolving, packs a punch and moves deftly into If I Could. The second set is pretty packed, and highlights include an amazing Bowie, followed by an amazing Wolfman’s being played only for the fourth time. As with many from this year, the Reba is spectacular. Maze too is worth a listen. It’s quite a set with a handful of very strong tunes. Plus we get a Bold as Love encore, which I’ll always welcome. Overall, this show deserves greater recognition and to my ears is without a doubt underrated.

It was a smoker. All Night. I never took a bathroom break. Llama got things going nicely, While going from the lawn to my pav seats BBFCFM was playing and I always like to watch the staff of the venue and see their reactions. When Meat started playing everyone started really grooving- the plaza was loaded with people dancing. It was quite a site and it was basically its own separate party the whole night. Oh boy was I glad to be in the pavilion for this night because the night before we were in Chomper Town, I try to shrug off people talking the best I can (out of my control), but N1 at MPP you could barely hear the band over the talkers. Alaska- I absolutely love this song and it gets me every time when Trey is just rippin solos. Tweezer- Short but solid - smooth transition into a smoking Gin (Hose). Got feels in with Curtain. Then an absolute FIRE CDT (Hose X3). Tweeprise to open S2 was everything you would hope for. NMINML - Gordo was hitting some basslines at 7:30 that got my nips hard, toe tapping stuff. Twist slowed it down a little but still hype- I have no problems with saying I like Caspian- I love to look around the room when Caspian plays and I take it all in. Piper- just when things started getting into hose territory, it was like a WAVE just took over me and the crowd, Tweeprise happened and took MPP into another universe- almost like everything you have done in your life was all leading up to that point, pure orgasmic joy- the roar of the crowd means you know that Phish were, in the best way I can describe it, hitting everyone's G-spot- serious squirting going on, ie: HOSE. They could have ended it there and I would have been fine. I really like BDTNL and thought it was placed perfectly in the set- another song to look around and take it all in. 2001- WTF- this is was down right sexy- super space funk with Mikes bass and Trey blasting off those effects that were just melting my brain, not a single person wasn't moving - DANCE PARTY USA. Harry Hood- perfect closer- all the feels, Hood will always have a special place in my heart and when executed perfectly it really rustles my jimmies, twas the case here. Solid Encore with Tweeprise to take us home. This was a perfect setlist on a perfect night at MPP. My friend who couldn't be there said this was the kind of show why I have seen them over 250 times. Blaze On.

It's nice to hear young Trey rock lead guitar and vocals on a verse with a very tight group of professional musicians. This is a fun boogie song, I think would sound good ending a Phish set. Can be heard at: https://youtu.be/uqNJ3jSofpc?t=19m20s (Adding more to be long enough to post.) The preceding NPR show on that recording is also very fun. I like hearing Phish cater to a more adult audience than was likely seeing them on tour. Funny to hear fans shouting for Fee, Reba, Golgi, and Suzy before Landlady.

This won't be the last review I leave about this show. But the Ghost->Crosseyed needs to be added to the jam chart. The jams out of each were both unique and the segue was ridiculous. It reminded me of the 12/30/97 AC/DC Bag where they almost went into Psycho Killer but just teased it. That sequence was too good. Also, the Mercury needs to be on the jam chart because it is the best version to date with Mexico 2017 being close. The funk jam following "the net's unbreakable" part is ridiculously funky. None of the jams I mentioned should be highlighted yellow, but they should at least be listed

Great show; beautiful weather and a great vibe at the venue! Perhaps the staff @ phish.net would reconsider the "Eminence Front" tease/quote in Free, which I don't believe it was. Though it was similar to the "Come and join the party ... dressed to kill" line from Eminence, it just appears to be a descending set of notes from Trey. A side by side listen would clear it up. Discuss!

For those who get as excited about little details as I do: When they go -> Tweezer Reprise (which is glorious in its own right) Page does something totally sweet when he kicks into the starting piano chords. Maybe he's done this in versions elsewhere but none that I can specifically recall. Basically he plays a reprise of the normal chords (which I believe the cycle of 4 is [D, E-sus4 (A-7/E?), F (D-/F?), G], something like that). Not to get bogged down in the technical detail but he plays the first pass through as normal with the exception of returning to the 2nd chord following the 4th, the next two passes through the cycle are noticeably 'reprised'. It's pretty cool, a tweezer reprise reprise (the original threeprise?), only fitting to cap off Tweezerfest....

Great weather, great people, great music. I really only have one thing to say... I thought the stage with Phish on it was going to start lifting off of the ground somewhere during the SYSF > Fuego combo. This was by far my favorite show of the run. Glad to have been a part of it all and sharing in the groove with so many wonderful fans.

WTF is wrong with Gotta Jibboo? I mean, it's fine if you don't like the tune, but don't accuse them of "mushing it all up" with a song that like 90% of the Phish crowd has no problem with. Phish has put together a lot of really good jams (even if some are only 12 minutes) with Gotta Jibboo, if you've listened to the Baker's Dozen version or Jibboo from 12/31/17 you know what I mean. Anyway, I thought this show kicked ass. I liked the Soul Planet opener going straight into Possum, I liked the Mellow Mood bust-out, for the most part I really liked their song selection in the first set. Miss You isn't my favorite, but hey, it's still an original and if Antelope follows, I'm more than cool with it. I didn't get to be there for this show, had to fly home but I think this is one of the greatest 2nd sets of the year. I'm extremely happy for all that were in attendance because I think the 46 Days -> Tweezer -> GA > Steam is top-shelf Phish. Sure, they could have picked other songs besides Suzy and Zero to close with but they opted to keep the energy high and rock out. Nothing wrong with that. I'll be listening to this set 2 for quite some time, and I hope you do too. WE LOVE DICK'S!!

Gotta say, GREAT SHOW. The energy was slow at first but was truly amazing after Tube loosened up the crowd. Opener was great to break into the night. Tube definitely shocked me tho. First set highlights include the light show. Started off slow and then WOW. Anyone who has ever seen a light show and saw those lights must have been blown away. Jim was a real treat and the follow up with The Horse and Silent sure to come made for a nice middle chunk of funk for Keepin which apparently was a debut. Driver drove. Sweet and simple. Saw it Again kept the crowd screaming into Ocelot. Definitely had some major jam material. Nice to see that one can take any shape. Two of the newer songs sandwiched Backwards. I have been coming around to the last two albums... That being said I was looking forward to the second set! Set Your Soul was a new one to me. I should know every tune ya?.... Twist Was Ridiculous = Fun Fun Fun! Man did the crowd get down on that tune. Gotta love "police man" harmonies... Trey is Hilarious. Never seen a SASS without the intro. That was cool. Right into it. What's the use really had trey using the reverb and feedback with that sustain. Love those tones.... The Wedge. What else can I say. We had our whole band there and it inspired us to add it to the set list!!! Love that tune. Second set ender Possum was, as usual, a toe tapper. THE LIZARDS. What else can I say. They ended with a tale and big finish. Crowd was wonderful... Loved the lights. !!!

Forever overshadowed by the previous night, this show is underrated and is worthy of greater recognition. As we all know, Summer ‘94 was a peak time for the band. This show was no exception, with killer playing and a knockout setlist. Kudos to @kipman for highlighting this fine show in the underrated shows forum posts. Reading this column and having attended this show (and the previous night, thankfully) inspired another listen. I wasn’t disappointed and it was fun reliving the show. The band opens with the classic early-to-mid-90s combo of Jim > Foam. I really love this pairing and both are solid renditions, with Foam being its usual awesome self. I really miss that tune being in regular rotation. After a brief but welcome Gumbo we come to Maze. This Maze is a strong version and an early highlight of the set. Next comes Guelah, which I’ll take anytime, followed by a decent Scent. I like this version but it’s not anything that’s really noteworthy. We then get a short and still evolving DWD followed by Horse > Silent, and then to Antelope to close the set. The Antelopes from this era were generally incredible and this one is no exception. I love this version. We get a little Call to the Post, leading into the build filled with intensity and verve. Trey wails on this one. This is exactly what the crowd needs to send us into set break. Opening Set II is a short 2001, leading effortlessly into Melt. This was a peak time for this tune during this peak era, so the chances were good that this one would smoke. And smoke it does. The band is in full sync here, which I can only describe as organized chaos. There is some screaming at a few points during the jam, and some laughter at the end, which is actually the perfect way to end this magnificent, frenzied version. Up next is Fluffhead, another highlight, as this is a very nicely played version that is perfectly placed in the set before leading into Poor Heart. The band is unrelenting so far, and this continues as this then leads into Tweezer. This version is relatively short and while it has a few moments that are interesting it’s not a particularly noteworthy take. Lifeboy, Sparkle and BBJ give us a chance to catch our breaths before the Hood > Suzy closing sequence. This Hood is a fantastic version of one of my favorite tunes, with a strong peak before its finale. Sleeping Monkey and Tweezeprise close it out nicely. Overall, this is an excellent show that deserves numerous listens as it has a lot to offer, including stellar versions of Maze, Antelope, Melt Fluffhead, and Hood. This show is an underrated gem.

It's hard to compare this show to the other 2 played earlier this weekend. The energy inside the venue was incredible. Soul Planet wasn't the opener I was hoping for but the segue into Possum was nailed and the place went nuts. Mellow Mood was a great bust out and the Tube>Funky Bitch that followed got the place going crazy again. MFMF>Horn>Maze was a great Rift triplet and the Antelope was a fun way to close the set. The 46 Days->Tweezer->Golden Age was probably the best music of the entire weekend. The whole venue lost their mind when Tweezer started. The amount of glowsticks flying around was the most I've seen since Magnaball. Steam through Gotta Jibboo was good song selection but the closing Suzy and Zero was slightly disappointing cause I was looking for a YEM or Fluffhead but oh well. Overall this show was another winner and Dick's 2018 was a blast. I'll be listening to the 46 Days Tweezer Golden Age section of this show several times

Really enjoyed this show, there was a moment probably around Mr Completely where Trey had all these lights focused on his his guitar and it created a strong beam of reflecting light which trey then took the time to shine across the crowd from left to right. Great venue, I had seen Trey at the Fare Thee Well shows earlier that year, so it was a cool feeling going from a football stadium to such a small room.

Never miss a Sunday show. In this (first time) reviewers opinion, those words delivered on their promise. This was my first Dicks run and I held high expectations because of the history of the band in this venue. I was completely fulfilled by Sunday's show, with Phish seemingly influenced by the scale and presence of the Rocky Mountains. The first set was a deluge of music, with highlights that included a crowd bouncing Possum, sweet reggae groove Mellow Mood, a beautiful Ocelot, Phish showing that they are always Keepin' it Real, face melting triad of My Friend, Horn, and Maze, and finally a soulful rendition of Miss You, closing with a majestic Antelope. The crowd needed that set break to ready themselves for one last push, which Phish then provided in the second set. Is hard to pick out a specific highlight from a second set that was a single, continuous flow of the finest music this reviewer than recall being a part of. I think the second set is best viewed as a single entity, a massive organism of music and energy, that gave the phans in attendance a transcendent experience. This colossal show was capped off by an emotional Horse/Silent in the Morning followed by the anticipated, and explosive Tweezer Reprise. I held high expectations for this run and this show, and those expectations were exceeded.

Because I don't tour anymore, I only go to the Dick's shows because they're a 30 min drive from my place. I started to get this weird feeling that the band was playing a lot of the same songs year after year when they come here. I looked into it last year and, to my surprise, it seemed even more prevalent than I imagined. I compiled a list of how many times the most-played songs appeared at Dick's and posted it to the reviews under 9/3/17. I'm updating that list after their 8th consecutive run in Commerce City. I'm not adept at statistics and advanced probability, so if someone out there can speak to whether this falls within or beyond the bounds of expectation, especially the songs that have appeared at all 8 Dick's shows, I would be eager to hear from you. An asterisk denotes that the song was also played during Phish's 3-day run at 1st Bank Center in 2010. Light (8)* CDT (8)* Ghost (8)* Piper (8)* Antelope (8)* The Wedge (8) Hood (8) Tweezer (7)* Moma (7)* 46 Days (7)* Slave (7)* DwD (7) Sand (7) Gin (7) Free (6)* Twist (6)* Carini (6) Suzy (6) Steam (6) - - Steam played only 32 times since it’s ’11 debut (almost 1 out of every 5 at Dick's)

Another Dicks winner! I felt like the first two nights had a delicate, introspective precision to them. Last night the music had a great easy going flow from the stage to the crowd...Soul Planet was rockin and set a great tone for the evening...a lot of the songs had a deep psychedelic vibe which was on full display in the 46 days>Tweezer>Golden Age segment. It was wonky and bizarre yet totally worked...cheers to Phish on wrapping up a great tour and can’t wait for Albany!!!

From start to finish...nothing but eternal sound! Patient and guided. Inspired and curvy! An absolute blowout to an absolute blowout weekend! I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to have been present. Kuroda, my man, MVP! If anyone finds my face in the clean up crew’s endeavors, please pm me.

Wow. In the late haze of eastern time couch tour, these words spin forth. I enjoyed the full weekend. Friday was wonderful Saturday was solid Sunday was ethereal I love this band, but i have one critique of the entire weekend. Pick any song but jiboo in that spot. You literally had an all time show going and you mushed it all up with gotta jiboo. Finish the fourth quarter. Friday: 4.75 Saturday: 4.10 Sunday: 4.33

Great show! #firstsetbeliever. They’re focused and it’s a damn dance party out there. Dwd was solid and the early Shade was a good move. SSF and Fuego were on, transition to CDT was less than optimal, but I’ll leave the nitpicking to other reviews. Dallas Mike gave 2001-> A+ and DM knows his shit. Honorable mention to Lance & Tara who made the drive from Arkansas and great people in the area, from the Sarah-Eric-Obie trifecta, solo Chad, to the big crew that brought it. Energy like that makes any show a best show.

Another solid show. A not so typical set one opener Sand kicked us off. DWD had a great jam that built to a proper crescendo and delivered a proper ending of the song. Shade cooled it down and was the first balled of the weekend. Up next was Home. I really hope that the band explores the possibilities that the end of this song offers for jamming in the future. It always ends too soon for me when they play it. Wolfman's was up next, and had some excellent playing by all involved. Towards the end of the jam I could have swore that Page was trying to steer them towards Sneaking Sally but we would have to wait... Wombat was tight and didn't really get exploratory but is always fun. Bathtub Gin had a great ascending jam till Trey played the familiar riff we all know and brought set one to a close. To me the band seemed to be getting more hyped as the set went on and the way Trey looked at the crowd, I figured set two would be rocking and I was right. Set Your Soul Free works very well as a second set opener and the transition into Fuego worked very well. Fuego has become one of my favorite 3.0 songs and when placed early in the second set is an indicator of good things to come. CDT is when the band really came alive. Trey was jumping around and adding blues licks at the intro of CDT and you could feel the energy, like touching a spark plug. CDT segued into a rather short Twist with nice work from Mike and Page. Piper has always been a jam vehicle for the band and although this one was short, it contained some nice moments before the transition into The Wedge which was nicely delivered. The pause that followed was pulsated by Fishman's beat indicating 2001. This version had some thick funk layered throughout it and did not disappoint. A surprise Sneaking Sally arose from 2001 and immediately brought a smile to my face. Short but sweet it had some vocal jamming before the first chords of Slave could be heard. I am a sucker for Slave and this was a pretty good one and the perfect way to close the set. I was expecting an encore along the lines of Friday night but instead we were treated to More. And that is how Phish always leaves me, wanting more. So well played gentlemen, well played.... Best advice, never miss a Sunday show... Ever. Also, anyone else a little confused by the lack of Mike songs the past two nights?

This was another great Phish show. Sand was a fun opener and the DWD covered some ground before peaking and returning to the song's theme. Shade and Home were a bit slow but Wolfman's through Bathtub Gin was an enjoyable stretch of songs. The Set Your Soul Free>Fuego combo worked really well together and I enjoyed each song more than I thought I would. CDT through the wedge kept the energy high and all the songs were well played and fun despite the lack of type 2 jamming. The crowd was having a blast. However, the big highlight of the show was the stretch of 2001>Sally>Slave. That was a great way to end a set. I was expecting more from the encore after last night's raging Martian Monster and Julius but oh well. Overall, this was a great live experience with high energy despite the lack of type 2 jamming that blew everybody's mind the first night. Hopefully the Sunday show doesn't disappoint!

]How could they top that Friday show? The energy, passion, emotion, and intent that was displayed on Friday night was intense. You felt it. It was undeniable. The concert ended. After parties were had. Stories were shared. Rest, wake, repeat and here we are again. Ready for round 2 and they didn’t waste any time phunking around. Sand kicked off the first set and sets an immediate vibe with Trey looking noticeably more relaxed and patient. They jam on this and make sure to give it one proper lift off to the moon before going back into the Sand riff to cap out a heater of a first song. Proving tonight isn’t going to be your run of the mill first set, Mike rumbles his bass and we’re off into DWD. This hasn’t been quite the summer for DWD where only Camden and Austin come to mind but Dick Diseases usually don't disappoint. Trey changed his tone after a few minutes, Page starts doing the space noises, and we find ourselves in a Gordon driven jam with Page adding splashes, Fishman grinding, and Trey being patient. This shit will get your head bopping. That is until Trey decides build it up to a frenzy then completed it with its proper ending and now we’re on our way. Shade followed DWD and gave us our first ballad of the long weekend. They sound-checked this pre-show so though a slight bust out, didn’t come as a complete shocker. Home gave Page a chance to test out the vocals and they executed this quite nicely. They went quickly into a raging Wolfmans Brothers. Keeping it pretty high tempo the whole time with a nice peak at the end. Wolfman introduces his good friend Mr Wombat and this the animal has some funky vibe vibing. They nailed the lyrics and changes and seemed to be having some fun with this number but didn't really venture much. Next up is one we all expected this weekend. Some called it as an opener for last nights gig. Everything’s Right stepped on the court and gave some new meaning and reflection to the lyrics we have heard Trey happily sing for the last couple years. They jammed it, we loved it and then they decided to serve up one of our favorite cocktails Bathtub Gin. This Gin had some pop and was really building momentum and upon peak Trey kicked it up another level where I can only assume their amps were turned up to 11 at the time. Then, just when you think they are going to kick it into ludicrous speed, Trey opts for the Ginn riff and they end the set gently. This is a very solid first set and one we would sign up for any day. Moving on. Set 2 kicks off with Set your Soul Free. Downvote me all you want but I love this song. Love the lyrics, love the vocal harmony at the end, and I love the way my 3 year old daughter sings it around the house. It’s fun. This songs jam stays pretty uptempo for a while and then they slow it down where you start to notice your eyes closing while Trey and Page have a musical conversation using multiple effects on their respective instruments. They catch a real fine wave and carve that sucker up and down till Trey starts repeating a three cord riff similar to DWD Mexico that we are all familiar with. After toying with that for a minute thing quiet down and Page rings out the opening notes to Fuego. The rocked the song with Trey adding some extra effects and the jam was par for the course until Trey employed a strange effect and the band followed which created a psychedelic feel. Some heavy stuff in there with incredible focus and timing. Fuego came to a quick end before Mike could “drill” us home and CDT was underway and fast tempo one of that. (3.0 fast). Without slowing down for any turns, CDT went full speed into the the bright white lights that CK5 had on full throttle while the crowd chanted “Can I Live While I’m Young” like it was the first time they ever sang those liberating words of freedom. Now, this where the concert takes a few Twist” and turns before arriving at the song selected for the fourth slot. Twist came and went pretty quick and changed quickly into Piper. Intro was short and sweet. Jam was uplifting, relentless, had multiple themes. Give it a spin. They decided that given the distance to the pin, a Wedge would appropriate and it played well. They had time for one more phunk phest. 2001 has been one of 2018’s MVP’s with segues, teases, and the best CL5’s light show has to offer. Calling them relisten -able would be an understatement. This was a solid 2001 that had moments and was what everyone thought would close the set until Sneaky Sally and Slave came through to give this show the one two punch it it earned but didn’t need. Sally was standard. I don’t give my opinion on Slave. Every Slave to the Traffic Light is different for every passenger that boards it’s train. To each their own with that one. But check this one out, it rocks. You want “More”. You got it. Sing along. Lights Close. Saturday Night 2 in the Books. P.S I wrote this review while watching the web stream and posted it immediately after the show at close to 2am EST. . I find writing these and reading yours a lot of fun. Enjoy, thanks for reading, and don’t ever ever ever miss a Sunday

I was there and have relistened quite a few times. Party Time has some extra party to it, and Breathe and Burning has a peak that just can't be denied. Stash has moment or two of extra spice, but the big guns don't really get blazing until 46 Days, which is a dark, beast of a jam. To open the second set, Sand has some nice phrasing, but never really picks up steam. Who's ever heard of a Sand second set opener without a peak? Sort of a travesty. After no-peak Sand, Mercury comes in. Mercury is welcome company most of the time, but with such a long build up in the song, it should be coming in after a big moment, like a light cool down before the next big jam. The Mercury jam starts out strong, but Trey totally flubs the peak, as in he legitimately loses time and hits the wrong notes. A nice ambient jam after that, but it's really hard to enjoy that Mercury with the crucial climax being so badly messed up. Ghost is the highpoint of the set with a strong build and an ecstatic peak that reminds everyone why they came to the show, and Fuego does a fine job functioning as a transition song to a nice and patient Slave. Martian Monster throws down hard in the encore, and Golgi is well-played too.

[b]Disclaimer[/b]: I watched the HD webcast. I've been a phan since 1994 but did not become obsessed until 2015. As my wife always tells me, nothing ruins one of my stories like an eye witness. Not to say I lie, I just tend to embellish. This is my first review ever for anything. S1 - [b]free[/b]: they come out firing, taking us back to the start of the tour and skips first song of the summer emerges again, mike leads the way in first part of jam, loving treys new fx, build to a sweet but subtle peak, come back to chorus and sing their hearts out. the boys are here to win back the hearts of their phans - [b]hood[/b]: mike is once again laying the thick gooey funk, trey starts laying down some gritty riffs with the new fx warming up, crowd is singing their asses off, trey looks directly into the web cam during hood jam and sees inside your soul (watch for it!), gentle trey solo with solid glow stick war, band trying to find their way a bit but you can tell they are all in and its going to be a fully committed and passionate night at the office, mike continues to shine, fishman is feeling it and page is absolutely killing it, builds to the second peak of the night, blissful and filled with love and positive energy, all you need to know about is you can feel good about hood, 2 for 2, solid start to the night - [b]what's the use[/b]: it's always a good sign for the night when what's the use appears in the first set, it's never been played this much in one tour, some are disappointed by that, I think they like it because they can gauge how fucking tight they are for the night and if each of them have it, well this night they most certainly have it, a few min in and we're going below ground, not necessarily dark, but more like entering outer space through a tunnel in the ground, it's minimal, cinematic, and comes back to the song as beautifully as it left, with trey luring in his target with gentle lullaby notes that silence talkers (his target) - [b]blaze[/b]: my friend at the show just commented that this set is very intentional and I must agree there is definitely a story unfolding, I'm just glad they wrote this song, it's a great first setter and has a super fun dad rock vibe, but the bottomline is the worst days are gone and the band plays on, and off they go on their third jam of the night, page sets the tone, hands off to trey who continues down a more sentimental path as the band for the first time tonight fully connects and shows what dad rock can and should be, trey continues to push, fishman pushes harder, first sick lights of the night, could go down as an all time great blaze, one that will definitely be referred to in years to come, mike talks to tech, trey od's on water, chats with fishman and page - [b]ghost[/b]: when I said a story was unfolding this is the one I was referring to, this could go really deep, some nice runs by page before the chorus but they are building this one slowly, as they enter the jam they feel connected right out of the gate with each of them going on their own lil journey before trey makes the first attempt to take them somewhere happy, mike and page want more spacey, fishman wants to push it and he does to some of the most unique sounds of the summer, until trey reels us back in with his patented sound of the last few summers, reminiscent of nminml 16, at this point they are firing on all cylinders and everyone is off and running on their own sick solo, trey breaks out the wah wah, mike and page take the lead and the first signs of BD17 emerge in Colorado, although new territory for sure, which I'm sure the boys found over the last few weeks knowing they needed to deliver a performance that soothed our souls, and boy have they, it is officially curvy dicks and the crowd is loving it, fuck I'm even loving it on this free (if you consider a grand in travel cost to curveball free) goddamn HD webcast - [b]crosseyed[/b]: and now a seamless transition into my all time favorite, this is too good not to be rehearsed but fuck who cares it is so good, fishman kills the vocals, trey loves what he is hearing, and after the first chorus the boys once again go somewhere special, first set is ratcheting up at a pace that is going to be tough to eclipse in the second half, but if there was ever a night when they were going to do it, it's tonight, after chorus two were hooked in again and this time their taking into the depths of the still waiting jams of gorge16, but super jazzadelic, kind of like a morphine drip after too much time in the sun drinking daiquiris and eating edibles, and then the first sign of hendrix appears, could an Izabella be on the horizon, we'll just have to wait and see as we're still waiting, after returning to the still waiting chorus for a few rounds we return to an upbeat jam that quickly plummets into the depths of our souls, trey is mike breaks out his noisemaker on the mic while trey, page and fish lay down minimal licks of the psych ward variety, until simple emerges out of the anxiety - [b]simple[/b]: the intention of this set is clear, we fucking get it but hey we're free, you can feel good, although what's the use, ah don't sweat it the worst days are gone, and we're going to blaze on motherfucker, right into the best jamming we have done all summer, but we're gonna keep you waiting for more because hey we're a band and we've got it simple, and now back to the sweetest, buttery jam of the night, the mix sounds fantastic and the boys are once again hooked in and firing on all cylinders, so good to have them back and all that curveball shit behind us, this group has a ton left in the tank and nobody is a better entertainer and ratcheting up the energy over the course of a tour than phish, I could've used another ten minutes of this but a seamless transition into cavern will finish off this set - [b]cavern[/b]: trey is getting pumped, dancing and jumping, and he should be because he just hit this first set song selection out of the park, or in tonight's case, the back of the net, slight flubb on the lyrics because he is so amped, but immediately locked back in and the wailing guitar licks begin to set the tone for where this is going, a brief dance by trey and mike lead us fishmans short solo, a pause and then we blast off into a hormone collector, for a tight emphatic effects filled close to the first set - the best nights are when it just keeps getting better and that first set went nowhere but up, or maybe no mans land [b]S2[/b] - [b]NMINML[/b]: two years ago this was my favorite jam of the first night and still reference regularly, we're happy that they're here and if trey builds off the first set ghost effects, which he is, then we are in for a ride right out of the gate, here we go, immediately locked in, mike killing it, page layering away and fishman setting a blistering pace, trey turns around to adjust his effects and begins taking on a ride, page sets the tone, takes us to another dimension as he jumps between multiple boards, and now the eyeball lights make their first appearance, and here goes trey with his patented 16 dicks NMINML fx, patiently locking everyone into a groove, fishman keep s pushing, trey starts exploring new territory, as does page, and now the boys have decided to go somewhere a little darker for the first time this weekend, but fishman will not let the pace slow, he continues to push and it is magic, mike is killing it with spicy dark mustard, this is must re-listen shit, killer ending - [b]carini[/b]: at this point the crowd is going nuts, the band is all smiles and page and mike are once again laying down brand new licks that are delivering a very original carini, trey takes the lead with another original lead with which i do not have any past comparisons, all i can say is the crowd looks a lot shorter from the holes they are dance digging into the ground, fisherman refuses to letup, the rhythm section is in full control tonight and as they maintain the foundation page once again shines as trey weaves in and out of his runs, we're somewhere special now and it feels right, like a you a sexy thang is playing around in there, and now we've landed in a place where every member feels comfortable doing their thang, its a super happy carini and where they go from here doesn't really matter, this show has delivered everything you could ask for, even after a festival gets cancelled, this band genuinely loves their phans and at this point in their careers will not let them down, this is all about respect and gratitude and i guarantee no one there is talking right now, they heart is simply too filled with love, and then they deliver by building to the next peak of the night with a bit of machine gun trey and incredible page runs, while mike and jon absolutely kill the rhythm with solos of their own, another all time great carini, with a peak that all i can say is the best of the summer and should go down in the carini history books for originality, and although it might not burst with love and light it will remind you of one of your best whippet hits ever - [b]theme[/b]: it always takes me back to being front and center at the pepsi arena, in this version gordo is absolutely crushing it and taking us on a p funk ride through the galaxy, but when we return it always important to know who is your friend, because you're going to be with them your entire life, and you're going to have weekends like atl 18, curveball and curvy dicks, where the boys are absolutely shredding this evenings performance, not a single moment where you're like wtf, this has been a show for the ages and this theme reiterates that this band is as good today as they were 21 years ago, but more wise and caring, which is why mercury is the right ballad for tonight - [b]mercury[/b]: i was hoping for a dirt in this slot but anything will work at this point, what a show, fishman on the marimba is always a treat and tonight he absolutely nails it, they stick to the song structure but they are locked in again and after the nets unbreakable chorus they lock in on their next jam of the night, i have feeling this could be a real bust out, it starts with very simple patterns, fishman, pushes, page leads, mike and trey riff off each other until trey plays the nets unbreakable on his guitar and they set sail on what appears to be their way to the next peak of the night, but before we get there we get some of the dirtiest guitar work of the evening, and to no avail the peak never happens and ripcords into light - [b]light[/b]: light starts off a bit shaky compared to the rest of the show but they eventually settle into a light is growing brighter groove that has energy and passion, and as they slow it down to let each member's sensitivity shine, they eventually land in another new and original place where each member is offering something unique for the night and stretching what would be an ordinary ballad for any other band to a place of new discovery, reminiscent of 2012 light explorations, build to a solid peak with machine gun trey runs being driven by mike's killer bass licks, and if one peak wasn't enough you get two this night, and a 4th quarter light that delivers as you would hope any 4th quarter jam would, standout performance of this song is usually mike and tonight is no different, and of course you cannot forget about ck5 on light, his work is outstanding on this rendition, and that concludes set 2, the light certainly is growing brighter now [b]E[/b] - [b]martian monster[/b]: what could be better than phishs sense of humor. your trip is short. do not sleep on this jam. mike and page go next level and trey brings back the first set effects that are becoming a staple of dicks. highlighted by a mike trey dual solo slug fest, trey face fucks mike until gordo blows his load all over this dicks crowd, this is a special night for sure - [b]julius[/b]: looking at the stats the first show of summer started and ended the same as this one, free > julius, not sure what the message is there but they certainly left the crowd wanting more, as one phan (nagle) said "these fucking guys have never been more dialed in"

This was a great show. It was really similar to night 1 of Dick's last year but had some better moments. Harry Hood and the Ghost->Crosseyed was incredible. Light really stole the show. Some of the jams like Carini took a while to develop but being there and getting lost in the groove was an incredible experience. Can't wait for the rest of the weekend!

This first set was an absolute heater but I don’t think set 2 was as high energy. Obviously there were some solid jams but the focus from the first set wasn’t there. I’m surprised no one has commented on Trey’s direct quotes of Pink Floyd’s Young Lust at the end of Mercury. He played the main riff of that tune for a solid 30 seconds.

The (re)View from Section 115 [u]Free[/u]: way too fast as usual, but the quick tempo set up the Eminence Front tease nicely. We were there to forget, forget that we were hiding, forget who were think we are or who we are supposed to be in our daily lives. [u]Harry Hood[/u]: It's never too early in the show for glowstick explosions. @MShow96 was the one who had spotted us and waved us down to his seat, so at the appropriate time, I tapped him on the shoulder and said, "Thank you Mr. MShow". Hark The Herald Angels Sing ("Glo-o-o-o-o-o-ria") tease from Trey, which was fitting as we were soon levitating up to dance with angels above the earth. [u]What's The Use?[/u]: Clouds were still hanging in the sky, glowing pink with the last rays of the sunset and the urban lights of Denver. When the band begins the second melodic theme ultra-quietly, and then builds it up, it propelled us even higher into the sky, up in the clouds, carefree. [u]Blaze On[/u]: a good time to heat things up as the temperature had dropped. Probably the weakest song of this set, which proves how strong this set was. [u]Ghost[/u]: I felt a few scattered drops of precipitation during this one. We were standing (or more precisely, grooving) in the wind and rain, hoping for Phish to look, but they would keep us waiting - or were they waiting for us? [u]Crosseyed & Painless[/u]: The segue was well executed, and I was pleased that the band ratcheted down the tempo for this one - maybe even slower than 8/13/97 Star Lake? I took the opportunity to use the facilities during this one, because I knew there would be no lines, and because it afforded me the opportunity to cheer up others in the Men's room by singing, "Still urinating". [u]Simple[/u]: another pleasant segue. At this point I started getting worried about the band throwing down three of their most reliable jam vehicles in a row, along with the surprise Hood earlier. I decided that this was the band challenging themselves a la Baker's Dozen, getting the obvious tunes out of the way in order to dig deeper into their repertoire over the next two nights. We shall see… [u]Cavern:[/u] a satisfactory landing from the mass levitation during the Simple jam, adding punctuation to a surprisingly open-ended first set sequence. [u]setbreak[/u]: @missblue75 and I were wearing disco ball necklaces to the show, courtesy of @CavalierGirl; during set break we presented these necklaces to esteemed guests @DreamComeTrue and @hepkat, informing them that they were "even more Fam" now by wearing them. [u]No Men In No Man's Land[/u]: I was slightly surprised to have called this set opener during set break, but who could be disappointed by the band leading off with their recent and most reliable jam vehicle? 20,000 phans were floating in the air once again with elation. [u]Carini[/u]: And with that mighty riff, the band had played all five songs they had played during Night 1 Set 2 last year at Dick's. Schrödinger's cat floated above his box, looked at me and said, "Deja Vu much?", and was gone before I could respond. @SkyTrainWand had appeared next to me at the start of this set, and the people all were screaming when they saw the Monk. But it may have been just my voice that was screaming... [u]Theme From The Bottom[/u]: the eighth tune repeated from Night 1 last year. I was seriously doubting my own presence in the venue, believing that I was observing the band omnisciently, while they were simultaneously observing my dancing, writhing body omnisciently, while still playing this wonderful song. I texted @EvenCarlSagan, who I knew was watching the webcast from home, to ask him for confirmation that this show was actually happening as I was witnessing it. He didn't respond until after the show was over, which answered my question anyway. [u]Mercury[/u]: This was too much for some people, and I saw many who had been levitating were now returning to seats on the aluminum alloy bleachers. Pacing is important, whether listening, creating, aerobicizing, or orbiting the earth. I followed the many sections of this song, directing my attention to the odd rhythms and the flowing, swooping lights. [u]Light[/u]: At this point, I was near hysterics. *Another* huge jam? Was this really happening, or wasn't it? Does Phish even play shows like this anymore? I was utterly lost mentally during this jam, absorbed by the sights and sounds, taken far away. What did I believe was true, anyway? I was only certain that when Phish ended the song, bowed, and left the stage, I only wanted to hear more. [u]Martian Monster[/u]: My trip is short? Yeah, I wish! The breakdown duet between Trey and Mike was great, but it was Fishman who brought everyone back to the main riff afterwards. He may have slipped up on the MalletKat during Mercury, but from his drum throne he ruled his domain throughout. [u]Julius[/u]: We ought to be present and aware of your surroundings, even when they don't appear to be real. It's a stretch, but that was my takeaway from last night, anyway.

Looks like I'm an outlier on this one. After flying across the country to get Curveballed, my expectations and anticipation for this show were sky high. I was locked and loaded and ready to go to Pluto, but this show never quite achieved escape velocity. Despite a couple of really cool sections (Ghost > C&P was a stellar segue), the juice just wasn't there for me tonight. The jams mostly felt unfocused, and wandered for long periods of time without really getting anywhere. Seems like I'm an odd man out on this one, so feel free to take my review with a grain of salt, but I will not be re-listening to this one.

I’m really surprised to see that there is no mention of the You Sexy Thing tease throughout the show. It actually defined the show in almost every song - at some point they broke into the tease jam during each song that wove its way throughout the night. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this keep happening...