Ah, the mystical, magical island tour night 2. Mike's opener is groovy and extended. Old home place played with great precision. The Weekapaug starts with terrific psychedelic guitar playing by Trey, then going into a very rhythmic section, back into the main Groove chords with a sizzling end. Train song and Billy Breathes give the audience a well deserved chill break after all that jam fury. Billy Breathes very well executed. Beauty of my dreams is one of my favorite bluegrass songs they play. They seemed to like this one a lot in 97 and 98 too. Reba was pretty good though not a standout version. My soul is a good set closer. Allows them to play around with the blues scale. A four song 2nd set! What to say about the Roses Nassau jam? It's a journey. Deep. Dark. Groovy. Key changes. Great full band teamwork on this one. Awesome quintessential 1998. Interesting Piper. Slows down. Gets weird. More of the 98 ambient sound. Great lead into Loving Cup. Fun funk Antelope to close.

SET 1: My Friend, My Friend: very cool opener, would be hyped to hear this open a show. Standard version though, perhaps not as ripped as it could be. With myfe ending. Kill Devil Falls: party starter placement. Standard and short. Camel Walk: nice! Band isn’t quite on the same page in the intro, with some false entries from Fish. Otherwise standard. A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing: standard, short, not very exciting. Poor Heart: opening guitar lick is almost correct! Band seems to have a lot of fun with this one, well placed. Tube: one of the slowest versions I’ve ever heard - Tube should always be faster than this, IMO. Jam has a lot of potential with Trey’s delay and effects but Fish rips into the breakdown section early, leading to a short and mostly eh version. Halley’s Comet: slower than usual, like Tube. Standard. Maze: great guitar effects bridging Halley’s and this, Trey was having fun. Fish must’ve been sick of the slow tempos because this one starts off nice and fast, and Fish’s playing is aggressive. Absolutely RAGING Page solo with Trey and Fish playing off one another and calling audibles, crowd roars in approval. Unfortunately Trey’s solo is short, not more than 2 minutes long - what gives? Refuses to take the reins. This had potential to be a fantastic Maze but Trey just doesn’t take the baton from Page. Lawn Boy: always love this as a funny cooldown, but after that Maze crumbled in the 4th quarter it’s questionable whether this fits well. Mike’s bass solo is very funny here though, whatever pedal he’s using is so garish lol. Actually a good version of this, whatever that means! Breath and Burning: Trey: ‘that was so great that we’re gonna play a new song with a line about Page in it.’ Page and Trey then thank the crowd for sticking with them through the storm warnings before the show. Debut, so no jam at all. Enjoyable song that they should bring back for a couple appearances a year. Saw It Again: welcome antidote to the sugar rush of Breath and Burning. Standard version. Set is definitely all over the place by this point. Theme From the Bottom: pretty mellow/unconfident version. Check out more cool Trey delay stuff at the end that leads into… > First Tube: credit to Trey, he absolutely rips this one. As far as 3.0 First Tubes go this one delivers the goods! Good set closer. SET 2: Punch You in the Eye: let’s get it on! Never not thrilled to hear this. Landlady section has a few flubs but nothing song-ruining. Back on the Train: interesting spot - immediately you wonder are they going to take this one for a ride? Unfortunately this is not the case, and this is a very uninteresting short version. Light: goes from the standard Light soloing to something darker at 5:20, with Trey laying on the effects thick. Murky funk passage at 6:50, nice - Trey and Page totally in unison. They eventually cave to the light around 9 mins in. Page fires out some incredibly inspired piano lines and there’s a standard major passage for a while that quickly is back into layered funk at 11min in (check out whatever Trey is doing here.) Hints of plinko and lots of atmosphere. Lovely. Bass bomb at 12min that gets a HUGE cheer. Total amorphous cowfunk at 13min in, after which it finally dissolves. Fun-ish jam, especially if you like jams that cover a lot of ground in a short period of time - probably not worth more than one or two relistens to me though. Nice transition > Golden Age: well placed. Not crazy about this showing up in a setlist but doesn’t have to be a groaner if it’s not used as a ripcord, and this has been a funky set, so it fits. Composed section is played passionately here, nicely done. Page really leans on the church organ throughout this one and it works surprisingly well. Fun microjam that delves into an especially cool organ-led groove at 6min in. Then seemingly out of thin air, -> Boogie On Reggae Woman: WOOO! AWESOME transition, Boogie On just appears out of nowhere and totally takes you by surprise. Trey is smiling. Funk never stops, baby! Page rages a great clav solo at the start of the jam which Trey more or less sits out of. From there it’s straight ahead funk goodness, continuing what Golden Age started. Would recommend this and the song that came before it, good stuff. Ends sort of abruptly into > Wingsuit: kills the momentum a little bit. Standard, peaks pretty high I guess if you’re a Wingsuit fan. > Shade: kills the momentum a LOT bit, Jesus. I like this song but following a Wingsuit that killed some awesome funk in its tracks? Very unwelcome. Possum: this does admittedly rage. An apology? ENCORE: Rock & Roll: raged! — OVERALL: meh show. First set is a throwaway except for the cool opener, a cool Mike solo in Lawn Boy, and First Tube. Second set starts cooking with gas in the Light > Golden Age > Boogie On segment but Wingsuit and Shade are a huge and immediate wet blanket. Closer and encore are good though, as if chosen as a peace offering - but there is no shortage of good type 1 Possums and Rock & Rolls out there. Would recommend the First Tube, Boogie On and Golden Age. 3.3 ish seems about right.

Very early show for me in my personal Phishtory, and while my memory doesn't have all that many stand-out musical segments from it (I starkly remember the encore - maybe the best part of the show), it was a great time in the moment to be sure. That said, listening back, this show's kinda overrated. Phish just got so much better in the back end of the 2010s that it overshadows this show's highlights in comparison. A lot of the playing is well-executed and precise, but the jamming sounds rather truncated and undeservedly floaty. I think you can tell by the songy second set that the lads just weren't syncing up at the right times to push beyond the confines of the song structures, leading to a lot of "bliss" passages, as someone else noted. Again though, the encore: high energy, and I remember my buddy Kevin exclaiming that "Trey doesn't wanna stop!", which felt true. Solid 3 stars though srynotsry

Wild show. The Bathtub > Llama is well worth the price of admission. Set 2 is the kind of stuff that if there wasn't a recording of the show people would not believe what happened. The energy is similar to the OJ Show, just a giddy band riding the nightly wave, perhaps on the back of the worm... Ya Mar reminded me of those moments in TMBG shows where the Johns do some interactive audience things (re Drink, Everybody Conga but especially Spy with Trey acting as the conductor here). This show is well worth it. Get it!

Absolutely triumphant s2, they had to pull deep to rescue the trainwreck of a set1. Not their fault, of course. But listen to the show in its entirety to get the full sonic picture. The Halley's and Simple jams had to come from somewhere, right? End of s1 has Trey as mad as I've ever heard him and he still sounds pretty gentle. The Weekapaug and Taste are great too. Worth a listen, small club energy abounds 3.5/5

Part of my full run through of Summer '98, see [url=https://phish.net/reviews/1380008243-batleon.html]here[/url] As we now sit at what appears to be the low point of Summer '98 we hit a really unusual show... this one is loaded with covers and only has one jam chart entry, but this feels deceptive to me. After listening to this show the band appears to be trying to course correct and jump start themselves, recognizing that they are losing steam with half a tour still left to go. The way they approach it here results in a show that feels very different from the others this tour... but is that a good thing or a bad thing? After a nice Birds of a Feather opener the band launches into their first cover of the evening... You Better Believe It Baby is only played twice by the band, but this one has a nice feel to it. After someone requests "something long" the band responds with a nice Bowie, and then, after a quick Frankie Says cooldown, obliges the fan some more with a great version of Reba as well. They wrap up the set with two more covers, both played with some fire. The band is clearly trying to re-energize, and this first set seems to have helped them along. The second set kicks off with yet another cover, but this one is an exciting bustout. This La Grange rips, and the band is clearly getting some of their groove back, as they follow up with a stellar version of YEM (nearly a half hour long) which is the centerpiece of the show. The band just seems to be having fun with this one and while it may not be anything unusual per se they seem to be applying the same "explore every corner" philosophy to the typical YEM jam which gives this one added fuel. The debut of Albuquerque serves as a nice pause after the rager that precedes it, before going into Simple. This one is not as exploratory as versions from earlier in the summer but still has a good feel and an ambient cooldown at the end. Bold as Love/Sample punctuate a rocking second set. The encore is fine... maybe the weakest part of the show, but by then the band seems to have done what they needed to do. Again, I know this one looks weird. Who needs six covers in one show? Why listen to a Summer '98 show with only one jam chart entry? But in the context of the journey this tour is taking, this feels like an important night. The band peaked at the Gorge and the trajectory between those shows and this one has been one of decline, with each show being a little less noteworthy than the one before it. This show though, the band just seems to be having fun, and the energy bleeds through. This first set is incredibly solid which felt like a relief after the previous show, and the second set felt much the same, with the exception of YEM which was well above average. Hopefully this means the tour is going to start tracking upward for the second half as we had to Lemonwheel.

Of all the shows I have attended this one is still of my faves. Karl Perazzo sitting in with Phish gave the songs more depth and complexity, and the boys were feeling it. From the opening notes of Yamar to the amazing Crosseyed>Antelope this show was fire. No wonder Phish released it as the Coral Sky DVD/Album. Highly recommend!

Part of my full run through of Summer '98, see [url=https://phish.net/reviews/1380008243-batleon.html]here[/url] As mentioned with the previous show, things are starting to decline for Phish during this summer tour, and this show continues the trend. It's actually hard to muster up a lot to say about this one... I appreciate that it sounds like it was pretty darn hot down in Texas this evening and the band was probably tired. Something like this was to be expected. Unlike the previous show, this one does not have as strong of a setlist. The Roses is Free opener is totally straightforward and the first set has yet another late set Guyute. The second set Tweezer feels downright boring and then has the audacity to mellow out into When the Circus Comes (sorry folks, have never really dug this one). A late set Fee/Antelope to close things out feels too little too late. I appreciate the Hood > Tweeprise encore though. Really the only bright spot of this show is the mid-set Ya Mar in the first frame. The jam starts off in typical upbeat fashion but then around eight and a half minutes starts to break free as Trey and Fish get more syncopated and Page and Mike fade back a bit. When Mike comes back in he drops a fantastic theme boasting a feel that is both funky and ambient at the same time, aka Phish's sweet spot this tour. What follows is several minutes of communication and build as the band explores this new space. Just before twelve minutes, Mike drives the theme into darker and a bit heavier territory, and Page obliges. We're now in the third distinct portion of this jam and, in the fashion of jams this tour, the band is taking all the time in the world to explore every shadowy nook and cranny of this space. Trey really takes command of this at around 14 minutes, winding this jam to a fantastic conclusion. It's unfortunate that such a great jam didn't help this show take off. Really looking at this one you could say to the crew "Give us this Ya Mar in a Live Bait someday and forget the rest of it happened." Really hoping we've hit the bottom here and things get more interesting in the next few shows.

Trey was recording loops throughout the show...from guitar loops, to bongoing the back of the guitar, tapping the neck, etc.... During Melt, all those loops came out to play...and it was out there.... nicely out there..... Heard some songs, likely I will never hear the Band play(lifeboy), and renewed my interest in some songs: ice, oblivion.. all in all great night Alabama Theater is beautiful. Such a lovely venue.

Total smoker of a show. This one goes deep, deep, deep. Fantastic source from the spreadsheet/relisten -a SBD/AUD matrix which plenty of audience but crisp enough definition from the soundboard source- MFMF and Guyute both in s1. They were definitively getting jiggy with it 4 years in advance (groans) Spectacular Stash with Fishman using the china cymbal violently. Tela is glorious and well played. Divided Sky its usual 94 top shape. s2 starts with a good Bowie but a phenomenal Reba follows with Trey shredding emotionally until 16:30 or so, we get the whistling coda. Very nice SoAM is a good one with Bela Fleck taking this one up a notch. Lifeboy occupies a wonderfully languid spot in the set with a gorgeous lazy groove -Roggae will fill this spot from 98 onwards- Then it's the end-of-regulation acoustic time. All of it a pleasure to the ears. Llama starts acoustic -really interesting version with great soloing from all- then goes electric and everybody nightcaps a couple more solos. Why not. Definitively worth your time. 4.5/5

By my very personal estimation, this is the greatest DWD ever played. Trey just shreds that sucker with unbelivable precision and speed yet he keeps changing his tone throughout, varying from the wicked Leslie tones to a raging tube-screamy fire shred to a melted octave'd down to psychdelic squeals from Boomerang loops then the jam takes it wayyyy down and and grooving, Page is especially clever here, with phased Rhodes then turns to the clavinet. Fishman the glue as always and kinda playing breakbeats ala Jojo Meyer. In a way, it's very 99. Reeks of a PPV Directv Special. You get the vibe. A lot of purple. red, blue colours. Brief search from Trey trying funk stabs before returning to a major anthemic theme. Hear it!

Part of my full run through of Summer '98, see [url=https://phish.net/reviews/1380008243-batleon.html]here[/url] After a great run things have started to peter off. This is a GOOD Phish show, with a very GOOD setlist, but not a GREAT Phish show. Most songs here are standard for '98 (again GOOD). The first set has a nice Bouncing Around the Room cool down before going into a nice run of songs, and caps with a hot Loving Cup. As far as the second set goes, honestly, the Scent of a Mule > HA HA HA > Scent of a Mule is fun, and the triple whammy of Slave/Chalkdust/Zero to close the set and encore is great rock energy. Oh but I skipped a few things there, didn't I? It seems we have something that is common during this era i.e. Phish playing "top heavy" sets, where the jams come out early. This show is a great example, because we have two sets that are played that way. The first set starts with yet another stellar '98 Moma Dance opener, and then breaks out into a very fun Runaway Jim jam, with an upbeat energy that feels light years away from the ambient cooldown Jim jam from 7/2. And the second set does the same, kicking off with a fantastic and compelling Wolfman's Brother jam (wasn't I just declaring that Wolfman's jams were past their prime a few shows ago? I take that back) that segues into a somewhat shorter but still sublime '98 version of 2001. On second thought maybe this was a great show? Hard to say when the purpose of this re-listen is to prove that Summer '98 is as strong as Fall '97. While the back two/thirds of both sets don't have anything jam chart worthy they're all great songs played really well, and the front portion of both sets make for great listening. This is a long form review after all, and when I look back at this show I'll probably just remember the great Runaway Jim and Wolfman's > 2001 from this show and just think, "yeah, those help prove my point."

Part of my full run through of Summer '98, see [url=https://phish.net/reviews/1380008243-batleon.html]here[/url] The west coast run is over, but the band still has a long way to go and a lot of ground to cover (both physically and musically) before hitting the end of this summer tour. After opening with AC/DC Bag the band jumps into Fluffhead, and this one is quite good. After another nice Roggae to cool down we get this Tube, and wow, I thought the Gorge version was good but this one is hotter. This jam is raging funk courtesy of Page and Mike, and then when the song proper ends, the band strrrrrreeeeeeeetttttches the last notes out and ascends into spacy funk driven by Fish and Mike. This all takes nine minutes or so but as seems to be the case with this tour, time has no meaning at all and it feels like we've been adrift for a while before the band lands on Sparkle. The late set Cavern empties out into the echoey depths of Frankie Says. After an especially delicate outro by Page, Antelope closes out the set in it's typical spirited fashion. The second set has a lot more interesting material, starting with a raging Mike's Groove. After the proper portion of the song is done the band breaks into the second jam. This one is defined by Fishman's plodding but unrelenting rhythm. This leaves Trey and Page to play out a steady, accented jam with a slow build that gets funkier as it unfolds. As Page hits the piano around 14 minutes in he and Trey suddenly explode with energy, a burst that lasts until Mike's returns to peak at about 16 and a half minutes, and transitions into Simple. While this one doesn't go deep it is a beautiful jam nonetheless that trails off into ambient space (in a fashion quite familiar at this point in the tour) before settling into a new key that allows the band to debut Bittersweet Motel. The inevitable Weekapaug follows here and while this isn't the behemoth it was at the Gorge the jam is joyous and finishes fantastically. Brian and Robert provides a pause before the band delivers another funky Ghost. This one marches forward with a steady beat and great grounding from Mike before Trey starts to ratchet things up around ten minutes in. The pace quickens and the funk transitions to explosive rock reminiscent of the fantastic Prague version. At seventeen minutes things finally start to ramp down, and then shifts into something more bluesy at nineteen minutes before transforming into the bustout of She Caught the Katy (after a show gap almost four digits long). This one is fairly well played after being gone for so long, but they don't linger, and quickly jump to a new song with the same singer in the form of a Funky Bitch set closer. The band refers to the encore Sleeping Monkey with Fishman on vocals as a companion to the previous night's first encore song as well (which I guess is a pretty funny bit). Rocky Top closes this one out. This one is on the same level as the previous night's show, mostly solid with some good jams (Tube, Mike's Groove, Ghost) and some solid bustouts. The trajectory of the tour is starting to shift a bit as we approach the halfway point between Denmark and Maine.

Part of my full run through of Summer '98, see [url=https://phish.net/reviews/1380008243-batleon.html]here[/url] Wow, so we only took one show off before we are back to having an official release to listen to. The beginning of this summer run is certainly well documented! This show opens up with a fantastic Bathtub Gin opener (no, not THAT Gin opener, we'll get to that one later). This one starts in the typical rollicking Type 1 fashion until eight minutes when Gordon starts dropping some fun alterations to the theme. Around ten minutes or so things start to pick up, with more action from Page. It's not until about 12 minutes or so where they really break free though, with Trey vamping and Mike really out front driving things. Trey solos for a bit and then at 14 minutes the band seizes on a fantastic groove from Mike and the funk is on. The rest of the jam lives in the upbeat funk space that you'd expect from a Fall '97 jam i.e. this is good stuff, if not untread ground. Finally at 20 minutes Trey starts to tease the Gin theme again and the band comes in for a landing. If you want a funky Gin, this should quench your thirst. The Poor Heart is extra spicy, with a fun outro full of false endings. It's clear during Lawn Boy and My Sweet One that the band is having fun this evening, with a little bit of band banter and several false endings of their own. At that point Trey seems to respond to a fan request for "something new" and the band launches into another solid Birds of a Feather. Theme, Water in the Sky, and Moma Dance are all standard; good songs, well played. The Split Open and Melt closer is it's typical dark and brooding self (again, good stuff), bringing the set to a fiery close. Set 2 opens with a rocking Drowned, with another great Type 1 jam. The theme starts to change in the last few minutes with the band getting spacy (not in the vein of other ambient outros from the surrounding shows) and then Trey starts to tease Makisupa... the band winds into the song proper and makes the key change to kick things off. The Makisupa gets extra spacy as well in the wake of the Drowned jam's ending. So what better follow up is there than the spaciest of Phish tunes, Maze. After this stretch the band takes a cool down, but not a typical one, busting out Sea and Sand for the first time since the legendary New Year's Eve '95 show. Caspian has a nice build, with Page really prominent. The Hood jam to close out the set doesn't feel as dynamic as some other versions of the song, but has a feeling of triumph at the peak with Trey trilling blissfully. The Sexual Healing > HYHU must have felt like such a curveball... HYHU was only played three times in '97, with the previous version having been done more than a year prior. Maybe some felt that Phish might have been done with this kind of comedic performance, but it comes roaring back here. Having scratched that itch, the band wraps thing up with a very funky Halley's jam. At around eight minutes it starts to descend and fade, and the band walks off as the end theme loops. An interesting end to the show. This one was fun, but we still seem to be coming down from the Gorge run. Is this what Summer '98 has in store for me? High highs and bright valleys? On to the next one...

Nice SBD source for this show. I wonder if the band started actively archiving their performances at this point? Rumor has it that a lot of SBD’s that made it into circulation came from Page. The Landlady cuts in halfway through to start the recording. Trey takes a different approach to the start of the jam in Chalk Dust. Really nice version here. Probably my favorite up to this point. YEM is also fantastic! The B&D section is slowed down and extra groovy. Following the VJ Trey says “that was called Pubic Hair in your Coke” lol Tape flip after YEM, beginning of Lizards is cut. Decent Jim to close. The mid set Bowie is fantastic! Unfortunately the show cuts towards the end of Mango. :( Hopefully the rest of the show makes it into circulation someday.

Part of my full run through of Summer '98, see [url=https://phish.net/reviews/1380008243-batleon.html]here[/url] Moma starts things out, just as fine and funky an opener as it was in Portland three shows earlier. After a fairly standard run through a few more songs, the band launches into the first notable jam of the show in the form of another funky Ghost. This one is very representative of the era; patient groove-based improv, great interplay between Trey and Page, and a fun vocal reprise at the end of the jam. Limb by Limb is still in it's glory during this period and this one's no exception, though it interestingly fades into something seemingly ambient before reforming into Roggae. The YEM closer is fierce with fantastic work from Mike. Overall this set lands, though isn't quite as strong as, say, the last set that had both Ghost and YEM in it (7/2). The second set jumps out of the gate with a Llama that feels almost deranged by the end, with Trey viciously tearing into the jam. This Wolfman has a nice Type 1 jam, though I feel like we are now past the song's creative peak. We get yet another ambient fade and then the band kicks into Piper which is, once again, surprisingly without a jam. Next up comes an interesting version of Tweezer; after vamping for a bit it seems like the jam isn't really going anywhere. Rather than force anything the band seems to accept it, and moves on to another quiet ambient interlude. This one gets bluesy, and instead of fading out surprisingly segues like silk into Jesus Just Left Chicago. It's clear that this is where the band needed to be instead of mucking about trying to make Tweezer work; this is a fantastic version. Page's organ play provides the fire and combusts in Trey's explosive solo. McGrupp is also excellent; aside from the Llama opener this set seems to belong to Page. When the song proper ends the band finally goes deep into ambient territory after teasing it several times throughout the show. It rolls out in the same territory as McGrupp's final notes, with Trey leading and nice interplay from Mike and Page. Fish comes in with a beat that almost gives this an I Am Hydrogen feel, but instead starts to grow more blissful. 14 minutes after McGrupp started, things fade out to near silence before Trey delivers some closing notes... and then Mike delves into an extra swampy intro of Down With Disease. The Disease closer and Possum>Tweeprise encore are not notably unique, but are delivered with a ton of enthusiasm. I suppose this was to be expected after the great Gorge run, the band can't deliver at that level every night. Is this how I felt listening to 12/9/97 after having heard 12/6 and 12/7 back to back? That is to say that neither this nor 12/9/97 are bad shows, but it's hard not to feel a bit down after being that high. For sure this show has a fun Ghost, and the Tweezer > JJLC > McGrupp > Jam sequence is great listening. I can't recall having heard a Jesus Just Left Chicago as good as this one. The band just decided to explore different things this evening than the previous, but the results were still very good.

Pretty good SBD source although the pitch is a hair sharp for set 1. There is some cassette hiss present. I’d guess this is one or two generations from the master. The band seems pumped up for their first fall show on the west coast. A fiery Chalk Dust gets the party started. It may be the sharp pitch of the recording, but Trey in particular sounds really good for this first set. Foam and Jim sound fantastic! Jim’s intro is extended. It’s Ice and Eliza make a great pair. Not sure what happened at the start of Llama but they pull it together for a scorching version. Memories is barely audible. Standard Golgi to close. Set 2 starts off with Trey saying “hey Fish let’s rock out!” lol Smokin’ Brother opener!!! They follow this up with an enjoyable Reba. Solid mid-set Antelope to get the juices flowing. Cool little tease of Take Me Out to the Ball Game at the start of the jam and Destiny Unbound during the Marco section. I Didn’t Know features the master of disguises, Butch Cassidy on vac. Trey points out that Suzy Greenberg is sitting in the front row. lol Trey drops the ball big time in Fee but they recover without aborting. Blistering Groove to round out the second half. The Fire to close out the night slays!

The SBD source for this show suffers from multiple cassette generations but is still pretty listenable. Thanks to Todd for getting this rare recording into circulation and Arty for cleaning it up! The first half of the set is standard fair for this tour. Things begin to get interesting starting with a decent Bag. Trey’s a little rusty in parts of TMWSIY. Another Solid version of Brother. After Brother Trey introduces the song and dedicates it to the guy that offered the band $10,000 dollars to play a different song that night. “Anytime you wanna come up and give us the money we’ll play it!” lol While Mike is changing his bass string they get Henrietta up for a little ditty. Fun banter around Fish’s distain for his Henrietta theme song, HYHU. Fish pulls out his bone for the HYHU outro. At the end of Golgi Trey says “we’ll be right back with more songs that Fish hates, more songs that we love and more songs that people are willing to pay $10,000 dollars to hear!” lol An inspired MSO gets the second set underway. A decent Stash follows. Enjoyable Hood. During I Didn’t Know Trey apologized for Fish’s horrible joke the last time they played in the area at Carlton College. He offered Fish a chance to come center stage for his typical vac/bone solo to redeem himself with another joke. He ends up telling the same joke he told during BBFCFM at The Rink in Buffalo on 9/28. The Possum to end the show rips!

Part of my full run through of Summer '98, see [url=https://phish.net/reviews/1380008243-batleon.html]here[/url] This one starts with a fun Makisupa that begins to get interesting towards the end, but then, in a rare departure from the band's patient exploration during this run, they opt instead to transition quickly into Ya Mar. Anything that we might have missed in Makisupa though seems to get picked up in this Ya Mar jam, which is airy and vibrant (pretty sure Trey even teases Makisupa at one point as well). This Gumbo is great as well; fantastic funky jamming from the band that fits right in with the vibe of this two night stand, and then comes to a sudden stop. The Divided Sky that follows is an excellent version too, rounding out a really powerful opening run to start this show. The rest of set 1 is standard but hits all the right notes after that incredible run. As with night one the band is patiently exploring each jam and the blend of both funk and ambient elements is fantastic and seamless. The culmination of three sets worth of this type of exploration hits home with the set two opener, the longest ever version of 2001. This intro is a slow burn that goes on for 3.5 minutes before the opening beats even start. The band then digs in, with everyone bringing a slow build for the next 5 minutes before Trey starts to take command. The band is in such a groove at this point; it's clear to them that they have all the time in the world and nowhere to go, so they are going to dive as deep into this thing as they can. The funk starts to build at around 12 minutes in (Mike is fantastic) and then finally, euphorically at just about the 14 minute mark the band finally goes into the 2001 theme to an explosion from the crowd. Page is throwing fills in everywhere as the theme crescendos; the first 15.5 minutes of this are just outstanding but then the band starts the SECOND jam. This one feels funkier as Trey and Page lay on the effects and Fish continues to hold the thing down as if his life depended on it. The band finally hits the theme again at just under 23 minutes. The coda is particularly triumphant, punctuating an incredible improvisational experiment. Hard to believe how short versions of this song were in, say, 1993 after listening to this absolute monster. The only way to follow this up are with the opening notes of Mike's Song, which feel even more euphoric. It's hard to completely describe this very unique Mike's Groove, one of the few with no song in the middle. The first Mike's jam very quickly goes off the beaten path, with a menacing beat that feels more like the heavy metal Wilson breakdowns from the previous shows. As this builds the more typical Mike's theme eventually weaves it's way in, courtesy of Page and Fish. The band continues to bounce back and forth between the dark and heavy theme and the proper Mike's theme, everyone holding their breath to see which will win out. At ten minutes this duel crescendos (Page and Fish are stellar here) until we finally hit the peak at around 11 minutes and enter into the second jam. Lead by Mike, the tempo slows down here and then eases into a theme much more joyful and uplifting. Eventually it slows to a near stop, with the rhythm section sitting out and letting Trey and Page bring the blissful theme to a conclusion. I usually don't use the words "beautiful" or "cinematic" to describe a Phish jam, but that's what this Mike's jam is. It amazingly goes from a very dark place to a very bright place and never feels out of place. As the theme slowly drops off Fish starts to come in with the Weekapuag beat, and the band is off to the races. This Weekapaug jam is also amazing, dripping with the triumphant bliss of the 2001 and Mike's that preceded it. Fishman is absolutely filthy as Trey carefully peaks. Trey even flips off the theme from the Taste jam in the middle of this because, why not, they are in complete control. As we get to the nine minute mark the tempo gets faster and faster, Fish will not let this thing go, he is unrelenting as Page jams on the clav. Then they go into start/stop jamming that really whips up the crowd. At 11.5 minutes the jam suddenly alters into a funky strut, and rather than close Weekapaug out the band instead goes into a ripping Character Zero to end the set. Honestly though, they could have just given Weekapaug a proper ending and walked off stage and it still would have been one of the best sets they ever played. For the band to come out and kick off the encore with Punch You in the Eye just makes this feel extra special; the Rocky Top finale is just icing on a very tall cake. When I started this run it was to see if I could prove that The Best Phish extended out to Summer '98. While the Europe run had it's ups and downs, this US tour seems like something else altogether. The Portland opener was good, Gorge night one was great, but this show has to be in the running for The Best Phish Ever. I do love Prague 2 but this show is better in my eyes, and might be better than any one show of the Island Tour either. I still have a long way to go to get to Lemonwheel but this feels like a real peak for the band. Essential listening from start to finish.

After the previous night(s) my expectations were high but grounded. The band did not disappoint. Heavy Things was a good energetic start. WGTYM kept the energy, being new I hadn't had a chance to really make up my mind (ha) about this one....but the groove was solid. Access me? Really? This was a pleasant surprise. Mike doesn't get enough mic time (ha! again) that much anymore so this was fun and bubbly. Myfe was a surprise.....Not gonna lie, not many of the recent versions really do it for me and this one is no exception. The MSO was fun....Page tore that up. LxL had a joyful playfulness about it the way the notes were bubbling up and bouncing all over. Mist is always a welcomed treat. This rendition was solid and heartfelt, the mist dissipating slowly as the song winds down is right up there with the quiet part of WTU in my book. KDF....that got weird...especially right after Trey played the Manteca line a couple times at the beginning of the jam....the synth layers Page added were the icing on the cake....their landing back into the main riff was stupendous. Not gonna sugar coat it, not a fan of Walls.....so it was time to sit down and relax. ER.....I'm always 50/50 on this song. Sometimes the jams within it can be a lil too pedestrian for my taste. They did catch a theme that sounded super familiar to my ears but I can't quite place it.....it was a very Allmans sounding riff.....the jam out was good on this one. Chalkdust. This was a monster. I'm usually not a fan of Chalkdust. That was not the case with this one. This one is a pure musical conversation. Sure, everyone caught that Stash tease.....but who was really listening?.....every review I've seen totally misses the Most Events segment towards the end. No mention of it at all. Listen to it again, after the "delay jam" part.....Fish settles into the beat, Mike has the sound he uses, and Page is even playing it.....They almost started playing it right then.......it was far more than a tease and I really thought at the time they were going to segue into it.......and then back into Chakdust to finish it out. Mercury is always solid. Then Velvet Sea. I really enjoyed how they took their time with it.....allowing the delicate nature of the song to shine. Most Events AREN'T Planned......I'm sorry, but this is one of Page's stronger songs that they REALLY should play a tiny bit more than they do. Trey did a REALLY nice job playing the lines he came up with...they had more bite than usual to my ears. The jam..Page really nailed it..after they shifted gears it was just glorious. 4 song encore.....Waste > Bug......you'd think 2 slower songs back to back like that would be a total bummer.....it wasn't. 8/10 for me. Walking out of the venue I was feeling very satisfied. I came to the shows this weekend with an itch for the jams......my itch was scratched.

Part of my full run through of Summer '98, see [url=https://phish.net/reviews/1380008243-batleon.html]here[/url] The band continues their west coast run with night one at the Gorge. I don't know, maybe it's just me, or maybe it's the excellent sound on the Gorge box set release, or maybe the band was really into the venue's setting, but the band seems to come out with some amazing energy on the Squirming Coil opener. They sound strong and bright throughout the song and it bleeds through on the release. The entire first set seems to carry that energy through. The Stash stays type one but still delivers strong tension via Trey and Page and release via Fish and Trey. This Reba is like day to the Europe version's night; where that one was a trainwreck this is nearly flawless and features a spectacular jam that drifts into a great Fast Enough For You. I didn't even mind hearing When the Circus Comes after that, and then the band delivers it's typical frenetic fury to the Antelope closer. This set is well over an hour but seemed to pass in a heartbeat, and I don't mean that in a bad way. The band was not afraid to be patient and intentional here, and listening to it made me lose my sense of time. This show certainly pulls you in. Things continue in the same vein with the set 2 opening Julius; the band stretches this thing out as if they have all the time in the world to explore. That makes the Moma Dance that follows all the more surprising; this is the best version of the song yet, ripping with energy and packing a powerful punch at the finish. Piper is jam-less (which still feels mystifying after the Prague version) and Axilla is standard, but at the end drifts off into some ambience, which flows nicely into a haunting Bowie intro. It's crazy that a Bowie like this that doesn't even make it into the jam charts still sounds so damn good, a testament to what a beast of a vehicle this song was for the band during the 1.0 era. What gets me about this show is how patient the band is, how they carefully explore every corner of the jam in each performance. The Tube is the perfect example of this, the band jumps from theme to theme here but never rushes and gives each one space to breathe. Again, your sense of time gets lost as you ask yourself how they could possibly have covered so much ground in just under 10 minutes. Slave feels like the perfect choice to close out, as this song has always been at it's best when delivered with a patient build (which it does here). The Sample encore is fine but unnecessary; this show has already delivered. Words like "overshadowed" and "underrated" are used for the reviews on this show, and I'd have to agree. Of the shows in this run I've been listening to, I'd say this is close to the best so far (I'd put just Prague 2 ahead of it really). I imagine the patient, spacious grooves of this show were perfect given their surroundings, and the band and the fans were rewarded by it (particularly in the Reba and Tube) but the band wasn't afraid to show it's rock firecracker energy as well on songs like Antelope and Moma Dance. Just a fantastic setlist too... this one is well worth your time.

Decent SBD source available for this show. The Memories opener is cut from the recording. They follow this up with a pretty standard version of Chalk Dust and Reba for this tour. Nice Sky. During the pause in Guelah Trey welcomes everyone to the Barrymore Theater and offers a warm welcome to everyone there for the Hemp Fest. Trey says “thanks for coming out tonight, we’re right behind ya” Page says “free the weed” lol Tape flip after Sparkle. Unfortunately the beginning of Suzy is cropped. Fun version of Magilla. A smokin’ Bowie closes out set 1! It practically falls off the tracks it gets so chaotic, but they rebound for a smooth landing. Back to back bluegrass songs to open set 2. A really nice Brother follows suit. Beautiful Foam. Pretty straightforward Stash for this tour. Coil segues into a cool little jam again with a Linus and Lucy jam/tease during Pages solo. Tape flip before Mike’s. Decent Groove to close. Adeline is inaudible to start the first encore. The band comes back out for a second encore offering up inspired versions of Love You and Llama. Jason Colton comes out at the end of the tape to announce that Blues Traveler will be playing there the following week and to urge people to pick up any trash they see on the way out to make it easier on the staff.

Part of my full run through of Summer '98, see [url=https://phish.net/reviews/1380008243-batleon.html]here[/url] So after the ups and downs of the European stint, Phish kicks off their summer an ocean and a full continent away in Portland, Oregon. This show was chosen for the fourth batch of Live Phish releases way back in the day, so you would expect this to be a good one. The Wolfman's Brother opener is a solid statement with good energy and none of the funk of the previous versions. The band follows with the US debuts of the new Water in the Sky arrangement and Moma Dance. After some banter (I don't remember this much banter in Fall '97 ha) about the venue they deliver a racing Guyute that comes to a sudden stop... and then starts back up again so that Trey can finish his solo. As the band approaches the end of Horn it seems the show has been pretty standard... but then something happens when Horn proper ends. It fades out into yet another ambient jam. It feels almost abrupt but the band is clearly itching to do something so they embrace it. This jam is even better than many of the ambient jam closings the band played in Europe. It stretches for quite a bit, with Trey gently rocking this forward as the rest of the band creates waves for Trey's theme to float on. It moves on in quiet bliss for a few minutes and then starts to ascend with Page and Mike providing the build, reaching it's destination with a rocking segue into Chalkdust Torture. Brian and Robert feels like a nice cool down after that. The run to end the first set is good... it features more banter after Roggae and a Birds of a Feather with a little extra bite. The Limb by Limb to kick off set 2 is excellent, but that's no surprise, the band was routinely killing this song at the time. As the song peters off the band once again goes into an ambient outro very much in the theme of Limb by Limb and winds their way into Simple. While this one lacks the wild jam from the European Tour closer, it doesn't matter, as the band kicks into another great Tweezer. The California Love segment gets all the attention but the fact is, take that out and you still have a great Tweezer jam from a time when the song was really killing it live. It segues nicely into a very unique Free. At the point where the band usually transitions into the jam they instead decide to stay in the space where Trey and Mike slam into the beat. The jam that arises is patient, steady, driven by a constant staccato rhythm held down by Mike and Fish while first Trey and then Page interplay in the space between the beats. This comes to a sudden stop, which actually leads naturally into the Meat that follows. This Hood is stronger than the versions played in Europe, rising to a beautiful peak to close out a set full of songs that had quieter, slow builds. The Wilson > Tweeprise encore feels explosive after this, with full the Wilson being full heavy metal and unfinished. Overall a strong show that feels very much like the European shows and less like Fall '97. This feels like a quick and light taste of what the tour has in store, but it's just the opener... there was a lot more to come. A curious choice for an early release for sure, but still worth a listen for the Horn jam and a really nice set 2 (with the Free being the standout from that set).

Part of my full run through of Summer '98, see [url=https://phish.net/reviews/1380008243-batleon.html]here[/url] Yikes, well this show is a tale of two halves. The first half is plagued by PA and other technical issues that threaten to completely derail the whole show. The band bails basically two and a half songs in due to PA issues and takes an early set break to try to figure things out. I know some are saying Trey screws up this Divided Sky before the PA shits the bed but I have to give him the benefit of the doubt here; Trey's playing is just fine before then and it seems like too much of a coincidence that he starts to crumble right around the time the PA system also gives out. Even when they return the PA continues to be a problem... but that doesn't prevent them from delivering some strong performances anyway. The Halley's set opener starts off with some PA issues and a little shakiness on the band's part. But when the jam kicks in at around 7 minutes the band shows why they are the best in the business at this point in their career; some PA problems aren't going to shake that. Nice ambient loops to start, and then just excellent groove based jamming instigated by Mike that the band rolls right into. The smooth funk is easy to get lost in, until around 12 minutes where Trey starts teasing First Tube and bringing this one home. Nice ambient finish during the last two minutes as well. The band is stretching their musical muscles after the technical issues and the result is a nice jam to kick off the only real set this show has to offer. After a nice Roggae the PA issues threaten to derail again during Sparkle. The band banters a bit again (bringing us full circle back to the first show of this tour) while the crew tries to assemble an acceptable setup. The band then launches into a 45 minute Mike's Groove that saves the entire show. The Mike's Song is solid and segues into Simple. All seems fairly normal as the band jams on the Simple theme until shortly after the ten minute mark... then Page starts to play with the theme a bit, and soon after Trey and Mike follow him. At that point the song starts to deconstruct. Just as it seems they are on the verge of fading out Mike starts to shift the bass line, and instead the band goes into a propulsive dark rock jam that feels like the antithesis of the bright and steady theme of the Simple that spawned it. This slowly edges into triumphant trilling from Trey as the band morphs and bursts into Weekapaug to the delight of the crowd. The Weekapaug itself is great, featuring several shifts to the song's theme and a jam centered around On Broadway before concluding. Standard renditions of Sample in a Jar and Good Times Bad Times brings the set to a fine conclusion. The encore is a microcosm of the entire European run; at times quiet and intimate (Brian and Robert) and other times full of energy and strong musicianship (Taste). This was an unexpected end to a tour that had a lot of peaks and valleys. PA problems not withstanding, the band really rallies here with very strong versions of Halley's and Simple. For sure it's hard to say this run was as strong as the tours that preceded it, but the band that made those tours what they were is still very much here, alive, and pushing themselves further at times. And I feel like I've been remiss in not mentioning the audio recordings from this tour, all of which are stellar. This second set is worth listening to, as are a number of other strong sets from this tour, and the recordings of all of them sound great. Again, if you're tired of hearing the same Fall '97/Island Tour jams you've listened to over and over again there is a lot in this tour that can scratch that same itch in a way that maybe you've never experienced before.

Think this is a much better show that its rated. 1st set is very well played and the Split gets weird. No Man's is fun. And then the Everything's Right jam -- awesome! Yes the caspian ripcord is a bit disappointing, but they play Caspian real well too. Lonely trip greatly executed with Page piano solo. The Harry Hood definitely deserves a listen. Funny playful beginning and an excellent minor key jam before the end! This show is worth the time!

My 14th show, first and only show at Star Lake/Burgettstown. Totally unplanned, last minute decision to roll up from Cincinnati with a small crew for a Tuesday one-nighter. I’ll never forget the energy when Trey started Daniel to open and damn…that lawn went nuts. Highlights are well-covered in the more thorough reviews here. I think it’s the set list fun & diversity for me: Daniel!, other rarity covers, Lots of Fishman vocals, gamehendge, memorable deep jams (crosseyed), tunes I never mind seeing (Timber, fee, brother), standard 1st set summer early 2000s fare (Jiboo), solid set closers… I’ll give ‘em a pass on that encore, because this show was worthy every penny. Always a good relisten!

Part of my full run through of Summer '98, see [url=https://phish.net/reviews/1380008243-batleon.html]here[/url] The show starts off with a comical Carini, where Trey references a stage rushing incident from the previous show. You might think we are going back to the banter-heavy shows from earlier this tour, but you'd be mistaken. This first set has a great setlist. Nothing unusual here, but the Boogie On, NICU, and Melt are all well played. This Meat is excellent, a 9 minute shot of swampy funk that feels fresh after the last few shows. Poor Heart provides a dose of energy, but this set really solidifies with a late rendition of Tweezer that kicks the show up a few notches. After the main theme, the Tweezer descends into a Mike-lead murky funk jam reminiscent of the Meat that preceded it, with hints of the ambient space that has become oh so familiar during this run of European shows. At 9 minutes Page starts to expand the theme and open this up, and then at around 11 minutes Trey seizes control. After the slow build his solo bends and peaks fantastically as the band escalates (Mike even slyly teases Manteca at around 15 minutes). This all crescendos into a peak that contains, of all things, a Wolfman's Brother tease before quietly sinking to it's conclusion. This is a great Tweezer and really puts the cap on one of the better Set 1s from this tour. The second set kicks off with Drowned, which is a great opener. Trey shreds into this one satisfactorily and when finished at around thirteen minutes, the band goes into a nice cool down outro that includes a return to the main theme making this one feel both powerful and complete. The slow down at the end eases nicely into Theme, making this a strong one-two punch to start the set. I'm not a Circus fan but I understand the band's need to pause for a bit after the opening run. At this point the second set delivers something fun and unique without the jams... Scent of a Mule is great and includes a rendition of the Violent Femmes "Blister in the Sun" during the duel section. They then close out with a Harry Hood > Izabella in a weird reverse of 12/30/97. This Hood isn't as strong as that rendition is at any point, and the transition is abrupt, but this still feels like a solid close to a good show. The Chalkdust fits the bill as well, with the return to the Ole chant at the end being a really nice touch. For the most part this is solid Phish with a good setlist of songs. The best stuff is heavy right in the middle of the show with very strong versions of Tweezer and Meat, and a great Drowned. Solid setlist with three good jams feels about right to me for night two of this run... let's see what night three brings.

Part of my full run through of Summer '98, see [url=https://phish.net/reviews/1380008243-batleon.html]here[/url] The show starts off with a comical Carini, where Trey references a stage rushing incident from the previous show. You might think we are going back to the banter-heavy shows from earlier this tour, but you'd be mistaken. This first set has a great setlist. Nothing unusual here, but the Boogie On, NICU, and Melt are all well played. This Meat is excellent, a 9 minute shot of swampy funk that feels fresh after the last few shows. Poor Heart provides a dose of energy, but this set really solidifies with a late rendition of Tweezer that kicks the show up a few notches. After the main theme, the Tweezer descends into a Mike-lead murky funk jam reminiscent of the Meat that preceded it, with hints of the ambient space that has become oh so familiar during this run of European shows. At 9 minutes Page starts to expand the theme and open this up, and then at around 11 minutes Trey seizes control. After the slow build his solo bends and peaks fantastically as the band escalates (Mike even slyly teases Manteca at around 15 minutes). This all crescendos into a peak that contains, of all things, a Wolfman's Brother tease before quietly sinking to it's conclusion. This is a great Tweezer and really puts the cap on one of the better Set 1s from this tour. The second set kicks off with Drowned, which is a great opener. Trey shreds into this one satisfactorily and when finished at around thirteen minutes, the band goes into a nice cool down outro that includes a return to the main theme making this one feel both powerful and complete. The slow down at the end eases nicely into Theme, making this a strong one-two punch to start the set. I'm not a Circus fan but I understand the band's need to pause for a bit after the opening run. At this point the second set delivers something fun and unique without the jams... Scent of a Mule is great and includes a rendition of the Violent Femmes "Blister in the Sun" during the duel section. They then close out with a Harry Hood > Izabella in a weired reverse of 12/30/97. This Hood isn't as strong as that rendition is at any point, and the transition is abrupt, but this still feels like a solid close to a good show. The Chalkdust fits the bill as well, with the return to the Ole chant at the end being a really nice touch. For the most part this is solid Phish with a good setlist of songs. The best stuff is heavy right in the middle of the show with a very strong Tweezer and a great Drowned. Solid setlist with two good jams feels about right to me for night two of this run... let's see what night three brings.

My first show. A lot of songs I’d not yet heard, with only a few live tapes in my library at that point. I was deep into the Fall ‘97 funk and hooked. Got a bit of that in the jam highlight “Cities”. Loved the “Curtain” set 2 opener. Seeing it live created a new appreciation for it, I’ll never forget the stage bathed in that hellish full red by Kuroda… “We follow the line going south!” Great experience, never looked back.

My first show. A lot of songs I’d not yet heard, with only a few live tapes in my library at that point. I was deep into the Fall ‘97 funk and hooked. Got a bit of that in the jam highlight “Cities”. Loved the “Curtain” set 2 opener. Seeing it live created a new appreciation for it, I’ll never forget the stage bathed in that hellish full red by Kuroda… “We follow the line going south!” Great experience, never looked back,