SET 1: Maze: Long, massive Maze. Trey sets up the end solo exceptionally well. Tons of tension and huge, textbook release. Theme From the Bottom > NICU > The Sloth > Rift, Bouncing Around the Room, Free: Standard. Billy Breathes: Trey has a tough time with some lyrices1:40’ish. Dog Faced Boy, Chalk Dust Torture: Standard. SET 2: Timber (Jerry the Mule): Standard. Wilson: The Beavis and Butthead stuff is hilarious. “Asswipe” “Uh, this sucks” “You dumbass” > Gumbo: Standard. You Enjoy Myself: Bliss jam in the 12’s is so clutch. They were so rare back then. Totally hosed out! The funk jam in the 23’rds with Trey and Page trading those licks – some of the best Phish ever. Best YEM ever? Many say so. I would tend to agree. Lawn Boy: Standard. Slave to the Traffic Light: Solid. > Crossroads: Absolutely crushed! Sweet Adeline: Standard. ENCORE: Loving Cup: Smoked. Summary: Replay value: Maze and obviously YEM. Super solid show. Great show. But I am not as high on it as many when I look at the ratings which are at 4.5. I don’t think this show is as good as Nashville or Dayton and doesn’t come close to Hershey or 12.7. I am good at 4.2 out of 5, flame away ????

SET 1: Sample in a Jar: Standard. Poor Heart: Standard. > Simple: Love the segue here, feel like -> would more accurately describe it but whatever… > Runaway Jim: Another fantastic fall 95 version right here, with some additional length to it. It’s the longest of the tour by over a full minute (no, I am not counting 12.31.95). Fluffhead: Incredible end shred, just smoked! Must hear. It's Ice: Good jam. Acoustic Army, Prince Caspian: Standard. Good Times Bad Times: Trey remarks on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and how he grew up loving Led Zeppelin. Dragon pants, etc. They crush this one and do LZ proud. SET 2: Also Sprach Zarathustra: Nice jam with cool effects from Trey, perfect set opener and things are about to get nuts… > Tweezer: (My second Tweezer, first being 11.3095 – I was spoiled early on, lol). They quickly find a cool theme at 4:40 that is almost stop/startish – kind of not really? Love it though. I still remember looking around the arena being bathed in lights by CK5 and everyone getting down as one! Theme shifts at 5:50 into something a bit more insistent and driven. By 8:20 things are starting to get a little weird with Page playing out of his mind on the baby grand. At 9:40 things get suddenly pretty quiet and then Page and Fish are throwing down some loudness. They stay in this space for a full two minutes, if that wasn’t intense enough for us, what comes next just keeps ramping up! Extreme dissonance at 13:00, very crazy. 13:30 they are out of that mode and back into the hard charging full band groove. 14:13 Trey steps up for a solo and a long, extended note and 30 seconds later a BIG peak! 15:20 time for a deep dive into funky waters led by Page. 17:50 things are getting super weird again and here comes… -> Kung: Check out Fishman with the almost Middle Eastern sounding stuff at 19:00, haunting stuff. Very intense Kung. -> Tweezer: 22:00 back into it big time with Fish screaming his fool head off. They just RAGE it in here and then the it slowly peters out into the old school wind down. Good Lord, that was a lot to take in, my eggs were thoroughly scrambled. Love You > Hold Your Head Up: Fish on top of his game spitting these lyrics out super fast. The Squirming Coil: Very good. Tweezer Reprise: Ahhh, show is ending. Wait, not so fast! > Run Like an Antelope: Smoked for sure. Hot version. Great set closer. ENCORE: Come Together: The first time played of only two and the only complete version. > A Day in the Life: Definitely left me spinning like a top. Wow. Intense. Summary: Really, really strong show. Tweezer is definitely an all timer, incredible version and Kung in the midst of it just decimated so many in attendance, me included. As far as the rest and replay value is concerned check out the Fluffhead and Antelope. I love this show and attended, but I think the 4.41 rating it holds is a bit high. I would be happy rating it as a 4.3 out of 5. For me, the Dayton show I saw 9 days before was just a tick ahead of the Cleveland show. Out into the snowstorm we went and a brutal drive home through that weather but made it home in one piece a few hours later. My last show of the year.

SET 1: The Old Home Place: Odd opener. In 45 times played, this has only opened set one twice – here and at the Clifford Ball day two, 8.17.96. > The Curtain: Beautifully played. > AC/DC Bag: Great deal of tension built in the late 6’s and early 7’s leading to a nice release. Demand > Rift: Standard. Slave to the Traffic Light: Super cool placement. I can recite this one in my sleep. The quiet part with Trey repeating that line so delicately and Fish tapping patiently away. It’s one of my favorite Phish moments of all time. Trey leaning hard on that Leslie late in this jam, be still my beating heart. This is an epic, all time version. Guyute: Standard. Bouncing Around the Room: Standard. Possum: White hot, completely smoked. Hello My Baby: Standard. SET 2: Split Open and Melt: An unhealthy amount of tension is built, built, and then built some more. This would wreck even the strongest psychedelic warrior. Absolutely incredible. Obvious all timer. Strange Design: Was there ever better placement than this right here? > Taste That Surrounds: Standard. Reba: Absolutely exceptional, textbook yet brilliant peak that explodes upon your senses. All timer!!! Julius: No Trey solo, Page only. .net cites this is the only time this has happened. Sleeping Monkey > Sparkle: Standard. > Mike's Song: Very strong first jam. The second gets nuts with Trey on his kit and Page leading a very funky jam. In the 13-minute range you can hear ‘Paug evolving and it super blissful. Two straight versions that go directly into Weekapaug and has only happened 4 times ever! -> Weekapaug Groove -> Digital Delay Loop Jam: Love how this ‘Paug slides into this deep space loop jam, it is so mesmerizing. After not too long things get extremely intense and it sounds like they are going into Maze. This does not come to fruition but spirals ever deeper into sever darkness. Again like in the depths of SOAMelt, this had to have put most in attendance to the test. They eventually just fade this one out into nothing. Amazing Grace ENCORE: Uncle Pen Replay value: Slave, Possum, Melt, Reba, Mike’s, Weekapaug. All of those are extremely strong and all timers! This show is extremely hot and one of the best of the entire tour. I feel like this show has a slight edge on Hershey so I will go with a 4.65 out of 5.

Great recording tonight! The levels get bumped up midway through set 1. Gin cuts in towards the end. Trey pushes this one a little further than versions that have preceded it. Minor slip up during the composed section of Sky but the jam delivers. Solid Ya Mar. Afterwards Trey remarks on how good the sound is this evening. Sick version of Bag!!! Levels get bumped up during the opening portion of Foam. Antelope slays tonight! Cool Marco section. Lawn Boy debut! Frankenstein closes set 1 again in grand fashion. Top notch first half! The first minute or so of Reba is cut. :( Strong jam tonight! Great Possum to follow. Undun is absolutely hilarious!! It’s the worst/best version yet! lol There’s some tape warble towards the end of Undun. Tape flip cuts into Fee. Some more tape warble during Melt. Crazy version of Melt! DEG teasing taboot taboot! Tight A-Train! Fun version of Suzy! Cool opening half to Bowie with a nice jam. Not as experimental as some of the Bowie’s from this tour but still a very strong version. Cool new ending to In a Hole but they didn’t end with I’m an A Hole! Killer show tonight!!! 11/30 has produced some amazing shows throughout Phishtory and this one is no exception!

SET 1: Wilson: Standard. > Peaches en Regalia: Standard. > Poor Heart: Fishman is in high spirits. > Also Sprach Zarathustra: Super Bad tease by James Brown at 2:00. Super funky! Pre cursor to 97. > Llama: Standard. You Enjoy Myself: The lines Page plays during tramps I can essentially recite in my head. So good! The rhythm that Trey plays post tramps is so sick, so 97. Exceptional YEM, all timer! Donuts, I love donuts!!! Cars Trucks Buses: > Down with Disease: Oh God, oh God. That groove they hit at 7:25 is oh, so sublime!!! The trilling from Trey heavily throughout the 8’s – it’s what Phish dreams are made of. Incredible. > Frankenstein SET 2: Julius: Completely smoked. Sparkle: Standard. > Mike's Song: Love Trey’s staccato intro. That nasty space they get into at 7:45 is why I Phish. So dark and nasty. Trey’s trilling at 9:30 is so choice. The peak at 10:00 is about as high as you can get. > Simple: At 12:00 this one finally busts out of the pretty picking and gets into a heavy groove in the late 12’s. Aggressive, dark and mean. At 14:00, it could almost go Izabella, but it was not to be. In the late 14’s this is going major jam, very blissed out. That theme that they hit at 16:49 just kills me every time, I love it so much, sound a bit like Blister in the Sun and then Fish starts singing it at 17:29. > Harry Hood: How do you even follow that up? With a smoking Hood of course! The hose is realized right around the ten minute mark as Trey hits on the same repeating theme a number of times, gorgeous music. 13:39 is why I Phish. As you can tell this is one of my favorite versions. The peak isn’t even spectacular. But the build is a wonder to behold. > Weekapaug Groove: Love Fish and Trey egging Mike on during his intro solo! Fun stop/start stuff two times. Definitely a solid version right here. Sweet Adeline: Standard. Good Times Bad Times: Smoking! Page’s vocals are as strong as any you will ever hear from him. ENCORE: Harpua: Happy Trails tease by Dale Evans Rogers at 0:34 and at 2:34. -> Wildwood Weed: Funny stuff. -> Harpua: Jimmy in the desert. -> I Want To Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart: Wish there was video of this. -> Harpua: This is NOT Red Rocks in Colorado (lol). Trey calls on Fish but he must have been backstage getting ready for Suspicious Minds “oh, he’s gone” -> Suspicious Minds: Absolutely hilarious, you have to watch the video of this – it’s so funny!!! -> Harpua: Put all your money on 17 people. Suzy Greenberg: Susie Q tease by Dale Hawkins. 97 funk shows it’s face in this one. Les destroys it in here. Replay value: 2001, YEM, DWD, Julius, Mike’s, Simple, Hood, ‘Paug, Harpua, Suzy. Just an incredible show, so many significant highlights and then the madness that they threw down in the encore slot? Incredible. Wonder how hard they partied after this show? Anyway, this show is an obvious all timer and the second best of the tour – second only to Halloween! I would rate this as a 4.6 out of 5.

Holy crap... this Taste is spectacular! All the raging passion of the best versions to come in the following few years, like the amazing Walnut Creek 97 version in the thunderstorm. Trey's really possessed in this one... might be his finest solo of the year. It's a sneak preview of '97 Tastes with a flashback to Trey '94 gun-slinging guitar. Thanks to all of you who brought this version to my attention...special track!

SET 1: My Friend, My Friend: Standard. Chalk Dust Torture: Standard. Horn: Trey butchers the solo. Uncle Pen: Standard. Timber (Jerry the Mule) Standard. > Sample in a Jar: Standard. Train Song: Standard. Guyute: Standard. Character Zero: Standard. The Lizards: Standard. David Bowie: Really good Bowie, I enjoy the hell out of this jam. Would relisten! SET 2: Ha Ha Ha: Standard. Out of the 33 times this has been played it had only been paired with Mike’s twice – 6.30.98 being the other – I must say, they should do it more often, it is a great pairing. I think it would work extremely well coming out of Mike’s which has never happened before. > Mike's Song: Some serious Trey pornofunk emerges at 3:48, very sick. Trey jumps on his drum kit at 8:08. The effects he produces I can’t say I have heard and they sound really cool! Back on the guitar after a minute and a half or so. Around 10 and a half or so he gets a good theme going that he repeats a few times. This is a fantastic version of Mike’s with tons of replay value. > Prince Caspian: Definitely not a fan of pairing Mike’s with Caspian, all that Mike’s momentum goes up in smoke. I have no idea why this is a charted version. > Sparkle: What the hell? > Punch You in the Eye: Get Up Offa That Thing tease by James Brown at 0:38. Odd placement continues. Life on Mars? Reba: What the hell is that sound at 1:46 and 1:48. The only way I can describe it as someone cracking their knuckles loudly into a microphone. Just bizarre. Average version here. Lawn Boy: Special nod to the catering crew. Weekapaug Groove: Standard. Extremely standard. ENCORE: Jesus Just Left Chicago: Played 81 total times but only seen in the encore slot 9 times and this was the last time it was seen as an encore. Summary: Pretty meh show for the second to the last of a big tour. I would recommend the Bowie. Mike’s definitely kicks ass and is certainly – in my mind – has all timer type status. Outside of that, there is nothing I would ever revisit from this show intentionally. I would rate this show as a 3.5 out of 5.

SET 1: Horn: Trey has a tough time with his solo 2:51 to 2:56. What an odd opener, first and last time this happened. > Chalk Dust Torture: Screamer! Taste That Surrounds: This one felt like it could go off the rails at any point but they manage to hold it together. The Lizards: Just met Dick Vitale backstage so this is for you Dick. The solo is less than perfect, Dick must have made Trey nervous. Free: Standard. Esther: Less than perfect in multiple areas (Trey) > David Bowie: At the time, this was by far the longest Gin they had played. Dave’s Energy Guide tease at 7:03. Very active and entertaining jam when at 10:55 Trey seemingly drops out and Mike takes over. This doesn’t last for too long, but it sounds awesome! By 12 minutes Trey is back in the lead. Huge peak at 13:57. The space they get into in the mid 16’s and then into the 17’s is hypnotic. Trey holds a note for a long time and then it just keeps getting better from there. Trey comes out of the ether at 17:45 and starts hitting some short bursts here and there. Things are getting very weird in the early 22’s, Mike throwing down some tasty, earth rumbling licks. Incredible jam. Best Gin they had played up until this point. Better than the Murate. I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome: Standard. SET 2: Poor Heart: Standard. > Bathtub Gin: Love the space they get into in the mid 8’s, Mike is really throwing down! 11:35 Tweezer Reprise type jamming. -> Keyboard Army: Standard. Scent of a Mule: It’s a charted version (isn’t every 95 and 96 version?). Just not a fan of this tune. > Jam: Cool, little jam that gets tacked on to the end of Mule. > Lifeboy: Standard. Harry Hood: Kind of a unique version. Pretty good Hood. Cavern: Standard. ENCORE: Theme From the Bottom – Out of 172 times played, this has only been the encore 8 times – twice in 95. This is a good version. But not a fan of the encore placement. Sweet Adeline: Standard. Summary: Very good show I think. I loved this Bowie. Gin is outstanding and a big leap forward for this song in the historical context. Those two tunes I would encourage anyone to seek out and stand out in my mind as have replay value. I would rate this show as a 4 out of 5.

SET 1: Julius: White hot, crowd eats it up. Gumbo: Nice and punchy. Divided Sky: Punch You in the Eye: The perfect one, two punch! Stash: Some strong tension built up in this one. Great peak in the late 9’s, another at 10:27 and 10:43. From here they ominously take this quietly down a dark and disturbing rabbit hole. It starts getting loud again in the late 11’s with a big wall of sound – then they suddenly jump back into the Maybe So, Maybe Not lyrics. This caught Page off guard I think, they kind of hung him out to dry it seems and he is sloppy at the end. My Mind's Got a Mind of its Own, Axilla (Part II), The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Hello My Baby: Standard. While My Guitar Gently Weeps: Very strong, excellent closer. Trey makes that guitar WEEP. The UMASS Minuteman made the audience chess move! SET 2: Timber (Jerry the Mule) Intense as always. > Sparkle: Standard. > Ya Mar: Missed out on an opportunity to keep the set dark and intense after Timber. Nice staccato playing from Trey late in the Ya Mar jam coupled nicely with Cactus’ support. Run Like an Antelope: Very interesting intro from Trey, can’t accurately describe what he is doing with his guitar, but it sounds cool. This version RIPS. Billy Breathes, Cars Trucks Buses: Poor placement. You Enjoy Myself: Mike's solo section post nirvana is really cool and weird sounding, definitely check it out. Trey’s second shot at the Note is beautiful – awesome sustain! Huge clap along in the 12’s. Oye Como Va not long after the clapping from Trey. Huge peak in the late 15’s, great stuff in there. Very good YEM! Sample in a Jar: Standard. > Frankenstein: Page sounds especially prominent and crunchy in the intro. ENCORE: Bouncing Around the Room, Rocky Top – Throw away encore, oh well. Summary: Pretty good show here but for December 95 it is certainly in the lower tier of awesomeness. Seek out the Stash, Antelope and YEM, you will be glad you did.

This may be a perfect show for me. The lot was buzzing after the night before, tickets were on sale at the box office, and we were ready to throw down. PYITE is how you start a party and then 3 great covers, ending with the meth-funk Drowned jam, didn't let us catch a breath. Next up was another fantastic run of Gumbo> 2001> YEM that put a huge exclamation point on the set. As good as it was, the second set is a masterpiece, sneaky candidate for top 3 show of the tour. The Bowie is fantastic with over 5 minutes letting the intro breath before hitting the song proper. Bowie was a tough one to break free of it's form and this one did in spectacular fashion, so much so it ended up in Possum. Possum, not to be out down, gets lost in a funk jam that resolves into the first 'slow song' of the night Caspian. With some mustard left over from the massive version earlier in the tour it allowed the end to blossom into Frankenstein. The Hood is always welcomed and competent, but I think by that point they had left it all on the table. A solid Crossroads left us spilling into the Philadelphia night

The source for this show is decent/good. The pitch does seem a bit slow in spots? Most noticeable during Tela. Things kick off with Mike’s Song. Unfortunately most of the jam portion is cut. Mike’s solo to start Weekapaug has a little more bounce than the versions that have preceded it. Decent Gin tonight. Reba had a nice but very short jam tonight. Fantastic YEM! Strong jam section. This leads into the second version of Frankenstein. This one isn’t as impressive as the debut version in Burlington but wraps set 1 up in arena rock fashion. Hard to believe they would be selling out amphitheater’s and arenas just 4 short years later in this state! Also, I forgot to mention it the last time but I love the vocal breakdown in these early versions of Frankenstein. Who doesn’t love a Sloth second set opener! Nice transition into another solid Bag! Tela is dedicated to an anonymous birthday boy/girl. Beautiful version that melts into Bowie! This Bowie isn’t flashy but still delivers the goods! Just as they we’re starting to come in for a landing the tape abruptly ends! Harsh cut for sure! Now just reading the show notes of what went down! Crazy night!

The entire second set is worth a listen. The energy in the band is definitely present throughout, from the moment they emerge from the goofy rendition of Free Bird to provide a face melting jam. 1) [u]Quinn the Eskimo[/u]: Saucy jam with Page and Trey taking turns, respectively, in marinating the groove [b]2) [u]Free Bird[/u]:[/b] This rendition is so stupid and silly. Comically half-assed vocals, bizzare wailing sound effects from Page throughout. What a laugh. And just when you turn your back on it, a soul demon leaps out Trey's guitar and slays face, and you are blinded by the blood streaming down your eyes because the rampage only intensifies. Goofy hijinx + rock carnage = Classic Phish. 3) [u]Happy Birthday -> Harry Hood[/u]: The reggae-style happy birthday is a nice novelty, but I really like this butter smooth transition into a respectable Hood 4) [u]Tell Me Something Good[/u]: Damn, I forgot that this song kind of rocks. The female vocals is kind of nice too. Would stoked if Phish brought this back to the rotation one day. It just has that groove vibe ala Phish 5) [u]Freeworld[/u]: Another interesting one off. A fast-paced lounge style bluesy song. The energy wave that Phish is riding during this second set makes it a pretty nice addition to the set.

Trey's grandma and her friends from Sun City were in the audience. SET 1: Rocky Top: Standard. > AC/DC Bag: Smokes. Bouncing Around the Room: Standard. You Enjoy Myself: The 97 funk peaks through in this one, very danceable version. I Didn't Know: LOL at Trey’s intro of Fishman, very funny stuff. Funniest I have heard. Has a boxing theme and everything. Theme From the Bottom: Standard. Gumbo: Standard. Julius: Standard face melter. SET 2: Ya Mar: LOL at the poster nut bag chant at the beginning of this one. What’s that the Mike sings at 10:50? “I am going to rectify????” Divided Sky: Definitely has more juice than a typical version. Worth a relisten. Check out the run Trey goes on from 13:20 through 13:40! Wolfman's Brother: They grow ever closer to figuring out what to do with this jam here in this version. Really cool, little jam here. Check it out. > Taste: Totally smoked, this is a version that has tons of relisten value! > Free: Same old, same old. Scent of a Mule: LOL @ Mike screwing this one all up. Really strange. Wish there were more insight as to what happened here. Harry Hood: Solid yet unspectacular – they kind of back into the climax as opposed to building towards it and then having it explode. Sweet Adeline: Standard. ENCORE: Fire – Standard. Summary: Pretty average show. Outside of the Divided Sky and the Taste, I wouldn’t be seeking out much else. Maybe the Wolfman’s, YEM and Bag but those are not truly notable versions as such. My rating? 3.3 out of 5.

The quality isn’t great for this one. The levels are all over the place and there isn’t much room mixed in like other shows this tour. This results in a pretty lifeless SBD recording. Trey struggles during the composed section of Golgi tonight. Average/good YEM. Trey introduces Moses Brown out of the Vocal Jam for back to back versions of Brain. Before they launch into the debut of Frankenstein Fishman thanks the crowd for making it in time for their warm up appearance. Great debut version of Frankenstein! Trey uses a really gritty effect. Frankenstein is definitely the highlight of this opening set.

A birthday show for me. Although I was not old enough at the time to know who Phish was, I like to think that there was something in the cosmos that night that made the band pull this one out for me. I won't get too deep in the analytical weeds here, but I just want to call out that there's a general trend amongst phans to equate longer with better. I really dislike that position because not only are there some underwhelming long jams out there, but more importantly there are countless epic masterpieces that clock in on the lighter side. That said, what Phish pulled of in Set 2 was nothing shy of awe-inducing and shocking. 59 fucking minutes, and, in my opinion, one of the most insanely creative and inspired jams of the band's career. Every movement is distinct and unique, showcasing a different element of the band's prowess, reminiscent of some of the best Fall '94 Tweezers. Runaway Jim. Fuckin hell man, just listen to the crowd's ovation at the start of Strange Design. Anyway, rest of the show is worth a listen, too. The first set isn't super noteworthy in the context of the rest of the tour, though Foam is pretty strong, and I actually really like the Bowie closer too (I like the '97-'98 Type I but crazy Bowie format a lot, even if it's less exciting than the earlier days). Second set Hood > Caspian is also pretty awesome, in my opinion. Suzy is choppy, but notable for the return of an absolute staple after its longest ever gap (43 shows!? That's nuts in retrospect). Fun encore too, with a particularly rambunctious Fire.

Third show of Phish Destroys America. Definitely lives in the shadow of the second night at McNichols, and perhaps doesn't live up the same consistent grandeur of the first two shows. Nevertheless, this is certainly above average Phish and features a particularly strong second set. Set 1 is notable for the second-ever BEK, which I'd venture to say is already on the right track to greatness. Right up next is the debut of Farmhouse. I know the song isn't a favorite for many folks these days, but I do really love going back and listening to it played in the original late-90s style. The Mule sit-in and the powerful Taste are nice, as well. Set 2 definitely draws more attention for good reason. The Timber opener is one of the sickest versions of the tune, diving real deep into to murky waters. The energetic thrashing in the middle of the jam is followed by a great, ambient droning segment. (Somewhere in there, Trey plays with a catchy little lick that aficionados will recognize from the following night's Johnny B Goode aka Denver Jam.) From out of the ashes, a cheeky early Frankie Says jam, which Trey takes expertly -> Simple. Simple itself also ends on a subdued, but beautifully textured note. The Denver run really features some lovely ambient passages. Yet again, Trey takes the opportunity to segue quite creatively and smoothly--this time into Wilson. The Harry Hood that follows teeters the Type I/II line without ever fully tipping over, but man is this version spirited and beautiful. Excellent moments of tension and relief in here with a fantastic peak (Page's piano work at 16 minutes...). Closing out the set with a strong Izabella, the fellas wrap up a damn hell of a set 2. Oh, that wasn't enough for you? How about a fucking ripper of a Bowie to encore? I know '93-'95 is really Bowie at its prime, but some of these '97-'98 versions really do insanely well.

SET 1: Prince Caspian, Runaway Jim, Mound > Guelah Papyrus, Reba, My Sweet One, Free, Taste That Surrounds, Bouncing Around the Room, Possum (all fall down signal) Not going to comment song by song here. Nothing is earth shattering but as you can imagine things are tight, tight, tight. First ever show opening Caspian, and that only happened a handful more times since. I have said this a bunch as I am working my way through this tour but here is another Runaway Jim that is fantastic. Reba is solid and Possum definitely smokes its way into set break. Very fun first set. SET 2: Also Sprach Zarathustra > Maze > Simple -> This segment is fire. 2001 is awesome coming out of the break, Maze is a rager and Simple has a little extra juice. Faht: Last one ever played. Tweezer: Take Me To The River by Al Green and Mabon "Teenie" Hodges at 13:45. You know it, you love it – the New Haven Tweezer. You won’t find anyone complain about any noodling in this one. It is just straight up, hair on fire, face melting, breakneck Phish. All-timer > A Day in the Life > Golgi Apparatus: Standard. The Squirming Coil: Carol of the Bells by Mykola Leontovych at 7:52. Page is great in his solo. Tweezer Reprise. ENCORE: Bold As Love -- Something about this night makes me think Trey was out for blood. Two more numbers here that features him ripping stuff up. Aggressive. Summary: TWEEZER!!! Outside of that you won’t find anything to hang your hat on regarding all time jams. Just a ton of solid Phish that is super tight and aggressive. I know I will draw some ire, especially considering the recent release of this on Live Phish – but it’s rated too high at 4.43. I am good at 4.2 out of 5.

SET 1: Peaches en Regalia: Huge bustout, had been shelved since December 31, 1994 (144 shows). Awesome! > Poor Heart: Trey sounds awesome. > Cavern > Cars Trucks Buses, Character Zero: Standard. The Curtain: Vocals sound great. > Down with Disease: Nicely extended versus what had been seen/heard previously on this tour. Really good jam! Train Song, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Sample in a Jar: Standard. > Run Like an Antelope: Huge, huge peak. Face melter! SET 2: Tweezer: Live Bait 11. This is your typical 96 Tweezer until 10:15 when things take a turn for the dissonant, evil and weird. Twisted Fish cackle at 10:50. Around 13, Trey jumps on his drum kit and things get decidedly funky but still weird. Trey back on the doc at 14.5 and in a big way. Big solo, ripping it up. This ends quickly and is right into what sounds to me like the Moma Death March from 6.17.04. Lots of Fish antics in here. The last couple of minutes are false endings, and band antics. > Sparkle: Fish obviously was feeling no pain, check this one out. > Simple: Very, very cool. Has an almost three minute jam that is quite good, big fan. -> A Day in the Life: Killer segue but wish they would have kept jamming that Simple, it was really getting there… Reba: Very speedy and briefly funky after the composed. Plinko type stuff around 8:20. Turns out to be a good, but not a great Reba. Swept Away > Steep > Tweezer Reprise > Johnny B. Goode: Standard. > Slave to the Traffic Light: I remember this being a good bit better than what I just listened to. I was listening carefully as well. It’s solid but nothing too crazy. Great closer though. ENCORE: Highway to Hell – Perfect encore! Killer Tweezer, big Peaches bustout and then good versions of DWD, Reba, Slave, and Simple. This is a very good show, top to bottom! I would rate it as a 3.9 out of a 5.

Limb by Limb was played after a fan request, and was a Trey acoustic debut. During the "jam" portion of the song, the audience unexpectedly chimed in with vocals, off which Trey formed his playing around. I can't really describe it, but there was a real musical connection between Trey and the crowd. After the song, Trey remarked "That was the coolest thing I've ever experienced!". Ditto. And I'll take his word for it.

Second show of Fall '97 produces some absolute heaters, but is overall overlooked because pretty much each of the highlights are arguably topped by more noteworthy versions over the next few weeks (this Twist might take the cake, but look to 11/26 for Gumbo and 2001, 11/22 for Antelope, 11/19 for Wolfman's Brother, and 12/7 for Slave). Nonetheless, in a vacuum this show is absolutely spectacular front to back. Set I Gumbo brings that great, extended, laidback '97 funk. Maze features an extended Page solo in which he really works the organ for all it's worth. After a great Trey peak, he decides to turn just before the finish line and ripcord into FEFY, which is glorious as ever. 2001 has some excellently tasty Mike involved, and the transition into Funky Bitch is a great catapult. The Guyute whistling influence in Antelope makes for a very fun twist, but the jam itself is also worth noting for its great drum and bass work. Set II greatly illustrates Phish's excellent ability to seamlessly morph. Wolfman's, Twist, and Slave each evolve so gradually and subtly, that you're not quite sure how you got from point A to point B. In fact, you don't even remember leaving Point A to begin with. Wolfman's remains largely mixolydian funky, but in the final minutes takes on a darker aura almost reminiscent of a deep jam Stash. The transition to Piper is silky smooth. Twist is probably highlight of the show for me. The band reaches a floating, mystical soundscape fully of great bass, synths, and spacey ambient guitar. The walk to get there is gradual, so its worth stopping every minute or so to take stock of what's going on. The Slave closer is a gradual crescendo, demonstrative of the band's great propensity for patience before the peak.

Missed the first night as was at my annual Arlo Guthrie show at Carnegie but so grateful to make the final show at the Cap. I had a great night at this all-around solid show with some noteworthy highlights that make it more than worthy of a re-listen 30 years later. Great versions of MSO, Foam, Stash and Esther with secret language. Fast Enough For You >All Things Reconsidered>Mike's Groove finishes the first set off in style. "Sorry, that was so long." Fishman's simple apology for the lengthy vacuum solo in Love You - and it was pretty long - where are the stats for length of vacuum solo? Go back inside Fish's head and enjoy excellent versions of MSO, MWSIY>Avenu Malkenu, Harpua, Contact and others!

One of the hottest tour openers for one of the hottest tours--if not the absolute peak of the band's career. CDT opens things up real hot right out of the gate. The crowd dies down quickly, unsure what they're listening to as the band heads straight into the debut of BEK. It's really fun listening to the increasingly excited crowd reactions to this tune as the tour goes on and people become more familiar with the tune. This version is pretty strong, if typical. Give it a week and it'll be the stuff of legends. The Set I YEM features some extremely catchy riffing from Trey and impeccable funk grooving. Though there's technically no B&D section as we know it, the final segment features some damn sweet chorused-up Mike while Page/Trey take a more ambient backseat. Set 2 opens with a rich, dark, and textured Stash that explores the deepest corners of the tune and the comes seamlessly back up for air to close out. Really strong PYITE and Caspian follow, but the highlight of the show, in my opinion, is the Mike's Groove. Notwithstanding some navigational issues in Hydrogen, the two tunes on either side among the best versions of each. First jam in Mike's rocks per usual, but the subdued, groovy, rolling second jam is some of the most peaceful and uplifting Phish I've ever heard. I could listen to this on loop for hours. In contrast, the Weekapaug burns white hot...I mean jesus christ the sheer speed at which they play this tune is ridiculous. Fishman drives this one up a wall, but the rest of the fellas absolutely keep up. Crazy to deliver something like this on the first night of the tour...but then again, it's Fall '97.

1) [u]Fluffhead[/u]: Fluff is always a great song to hear at any show, but this version just has that vibe. Apparent the band is locked-in and ready to slay. 2) [b][u]Fire[/u]:[/b] Damn, they've really mastered fire since the last recorded version from 1984-12-01. I love that you can hear people in the crowd screaming in response to the energy! 3) [u]Back Porch Boogie Blues[/u]: The back end of this tune has has some greasy fat to chew on. Really messy, energetic fun. 4) [u]Lushington[/u]: Great outro jam, so much raw energy

SET 1: Runaway Jim: Can’t go wrong with this one opening the show. > Punch You in the Eye: Get Up Offa That Thing tease by James Brown at 0:40 All Things Reconsidered: Second to last one ever played (2.23.97). Bouncing Around the Room: Standard. Stash: Immense tension built in the 9’s and a nice peak out of that. Decent Stash, no peak at the end though. Fluffhead: Rip roaring end shred. The Old Home Place, Uncle Pen: John McEuen on banjo – This was fantastic! Prince Caspian: Nicely ripped. > Chalk Dust Torture: Has pornofunk elements to it, very cool and unique for a Fall 96 CDT up until this point. SET 2: La Grange: Absolutely SMOKES. Killer opener! It's Ice: More pornofunk in the beginning, very cool. Super crazy breakdown, tons of effects. Unfortunately my Relisten audio at this point really took a major nosedive. Sounds a lot like What’s the Use? At 6:26 and 6:56 and beyond. Killer It’s Ice!!! Glide, Brother[3], Contact > Also Sprach Zarathustra: Get Up Offa That Thing by James Brown at 2:35, Super Bad by James Brown at 2:45 > Timber (Jerry the Mule) - Peter Apfelbaum on tenor saxophone: This was awesome! > Taste: Peter Apfelbaum on tenor saxophone, slowed down intro: The jam in between Timber and Taste with Apfelbaum is exceptional, it is short but oh so sweet, a must hear for any fan. As far as the actual Taste – most of this is not my bag – sounds like that episode of Seinfeld where Elaine is dating that horn player – you know what I’m talking about – I know I am in the minority here – but I am not a fan. Funky Bitch: Peter Apfelbaum on tenor saxophone – This works, tons of fun. Amazing Grace: Standard. Amazing Grace Jam: With both special guests, and this jam is special. Last of three Amazing Grace jams ever played. Like I said in my 10.20.95 review, this gives me goosebumps. It’s just cathartic. Would recommend! ENCORE: Possum: Peter Apfelbaum on tenor saxophone and John McEuen on lap slide guitar. Good fun here. Summary: Really good bordering on great show, all things considered, hah. Fluffhead, CDT, La Grange, It’s Ice, 2001, and Timber I would suggest as replay value. Nothing super huge or all time here, just lot’s of unique, cool stuff that is off the beaten path due in large part to the special guests. I would rate this a bit lower than what you currently see – I am good at 4.1 out of 5.

I was at this show but never actually got in the arena and never heard a moment of live music. I took a Peter Pan bus from New Paltz with my girlfriend with no tickets, no plan to get back, and a vague idea that my friends heading back from the west coast might hit this show. Finally got into Glen Falls and the scene around the small arena was extraordinarily high. It quickly became apparent that a lot of people who had made the trek were going to get shut out. I found my friends and gave my one buddy a dollar to go work his trading magic. He turned that one dollar into two beers, a joint, and couple unidentifiable pills. The late start time really let the energy build and at some point those whose miracle never appeared decided to take fate into their own hands. Rumors were spreading about ways to get in and people were starting to rush the doors. We, of course, surrendered to the flow, and also started charging ahead: Me, My buddy, and our respective girlfriends. It was a sea of people as we approached the doors, pushing , scrambling, yelling , generally a crowd unhinged on Halloween. My buddy and I made it through( we had passed security) only 20 more feet. Head up the stairs to the right and melt into the crowd…. BUT halfway through that 20 feet as my legs are pumping and my arms whirling my buddy and i both stop look back and see out girlfriends being trampled…UGGGGGGGGG…: well all these years later I still can be proud of being an honorable and chivalrous person who turned back and rescued the distressed and was pushed back with feeling that the door had slammed shut AND every Halloween I get that phone call where my buddy describes beat for beat how I missed one of the best phish shows ever and all the fun he had as I waited outside in the cold dark night. ps. Thanks Mike Macaroni for answering my 3 am screams and getting me home

Listening to Gordo's 2022 picks right now and find it pretty surprising that the Stash from this show is not listed on the jam charts. Even though fairly short, this version definitely breaks the traditional mold and packs a ton of energy. The transition back to Stash proper is perfectly executed as well.

Crispy SBD available for this show! There are some cuts during the show that are pretty annoying though. I must say the quality this tour has been pretty consistent. Split Opens things up. Suzy has some annoying little cuts. Nice transition from Sky into Bag. Another strong version of Bag tonight. YEM cuts out after a minute in. :( The rest isn’t on Relisten but it looks like the whole thing is available on the main source. Solid La Grange to close set 1. Hood is always a welcome set opener. Beautiful version. You could practically hear a pin drop at the start of the jam. About 17 seconds into Hydrogen Trey says “I parked my bike at ?? school”? Fantastic version of Weekapaug that cuts during a sizzling jam. I’m listening through Relisten so it looks like the other half is there on the original source. This is followed up by McGrupp that transitions into the now predictable Who Do? We Do! But just when think they’re about to transition to the next number they throw a curveball and continue into Clod! This transitions into Sloth. Brain always gets some good laughs. A pretty straightforward Possum wraps up set 2. The source sounds brighter when it cuts back in for the encore. Harpua has an Elvis chant from the crowd during the goldfish portion of the song which prompts Mike to deliver his best Elvis (dad) impression. lol A Train has a fun solo from Mike tonight. Great version of Antelope to close things out! Nothing out of the ordinary tonight but some great Fall ‘89 goodness.

7 hour and 13-minute overnight drive – BRUTAL!!! SET 1: Buried Alive: Exceptional opener and the crowd is really, really into it! > Down with Disease: The quintessential Type I DWD! This is the textbook of how you rip this song a new one. 6:10 I imagine is a soundtrack in many of our memories. Just blistered!!! > Theme From the Bottom: Smoked, this one just has IT, an extra gear. Poor Heart: Standard. Wolfman's Brother: Trey flubs @ 2:21 Trey “Liked that last one so much I’m going to sing it again. > Chalk Dust Torture: White hot. Colonel Forbin's Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird: Mmmmmmmmm chocolate! Stash: This one gets evil at 7:38, it goes down the rabbit hole fast and deep. This one takes you down into hell, frankly; you will find yourself wondering if you will be able to crawly out. After almost five minutes of thrashing around in hell, the band gives you a glimmer of hope that there might be a way out. 12 and a half and they are going for a climax. The peak isn’t the highest or the best that this tune has seen – doesn’t matter – what matters is that 4 or 5 minutes of utter darkness – that is what makes this Stash truly great. Cavern: Standard. SET 2: Halley's Comet: The crowd is super rowdy for the chess move. The beginning of this one is pretty iffy. Trey has a bit of pornofunk working at 3:59 > Mike's Song: Good first jam. The theme that they get working around 7:20 is interesting. Page starts getting kind of bluesy on the baby grand around 8:05. Things really are coming to a head in the early 14’s. Big peak at 14:06. Early 15’s Trey has dropped out and jumped on his drum kit, Page leading the way on the baby grand. He is seriously killing it in here. Back to the organ at 16.5 and this funk is truly special. Fish and Trey sound great in here on the drums, this all works very well. Page certainly earned his check in this segment alone, check out 17:53 through 18:40. Back to the baby grand in the late 18’s and a big wall of sound has developed. 19:45 you can hear Trey’s intent for Weekapaug, 30 seconds later LivePhish lists this as Weekapaug. Not sure about that as it seems Weekapaug doesn’t really start for another minute. Killer segue! -> Weekapaug Groove: Intro vocals are super rough/wrong key or something. Love the whole band jamming going on early in this. Mike especially sounds great in here. Trey develops a theme starting right at 4:11 that must hear Phish. Inspiring to say the least! At 4:50 he is moving off of that into speedy, traditional Weekapaug type stuff but that 40 second segment is amazing. Things are definitely getting weird coming out of an audience clap along in the early 7’s. Lots and lots of tension being built here, higher, and higher we go. Screaming peak at 8:11 but it’s way, way off key, ouch Oh well, you can’t win ‘em all I suppose! The Mango Song: Such a fun tune, love Page on the baby grand in the late going of this one. > Wilson: Standard. > Suspicious Minds > Hold Your Head Up: Standard. David Bowie -> Catapult[3] -> David Bowie: Mmmmmmmmm chocolate!!! I love the space they get into in the late 7’s through the early 9’s, specifically 8:20 through 8:40. Big, big peak at 12:20. ENCORE: Suzy Greenberg: Totally rocking version, couldn’t ask for a better cap to this amazing show! Summary: An all-time great show. For replay value IMHO, go for DWD, CDT, Stash, Mike’s (all-timer), and Weekapaug. Just an incredible show top to bottom. Top five of 95 and top 50 all time.

Attended! SET 1: Sample in a Jar > The Curtain > Ha Ha Ha > This section sounds great, nice energy to get the show rolling. Julius: Face melter, big time! NICU: Standard. > Bathtub Gin: Standard. Rift: Man, this one sounds GOOD! So fast and clean. > Fast Enough for You: Trey completely botches the opening lyrics and Page bails him out. Other than that, this version is perfection. Check out Trey’s solo – it might give you goosebumps like I just got. > The Lizards: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! Fire: Seems like Page and Trey were on different wavelengths at the end of this one. Trey was clearly done raging and not sure if Page just didn’t hear that? But he just kept banging away on the baby grand while Trey is trying to wind it down but not embarrass him. Weird. I don’t remember this at the show at all by the way. SET 2: Cars Trucks Buses: Standard. > Tweezer: The theme they create that starts at 5:34, I love it. I’ve listened to this one so many times, it’s instantly recognizable, like an old friend. The peak that they hit at 9:20, aww yeah! It’s a quick hitter but leads to much more. After this they are diving into a dissonant space. By 10:44 they are coming out of that dissonance as Page leads the way banging away on the baby grand. This goes on through 11:30. Here things are getting very herky jerky and at 11:52 here come some amazing Trey effects. Trey starts WAILING at 12:40. By 13:30 Page has wrested control back his way making bold moves on the baby grand. At 13:56 the baton is passed back to Trey. A new theme is realized here at 14:06 and by 14:21 the speed is ramping up. At 15:02 Page opts for the organ (sorry not sure specifically what he is playing here) and within 90 seconds or so this finds the band for a brief time in a heavy metal sounding jam but then just as quickly is out of that and just rocking out. At 17:50 intent is made to wrap up and the original Tweezer chords are being played prominently. 18:50 it becomes known that this is likely headed for Makisupa but they continue to play around with it. The funk is VERY deep at this point. 19:30 it’s a no brainer and you can hear Trey say YEAH -> Makisupa Policeman: Wow!! My 22-year-old mind was completely blown trying to process what just happened. Woke up this morning, TEA. Followed by nerdy laughter (Page?). Trey nods for Antelope at 5:43. They develop this for nearly a whole minute! > Run Like an Antelope: Check out the sync that Page and Trey get locked into at 6:31, effortless wouldn’t accurately describe how good this is and how they could do this on the fly in the middle of one of the best Antelopes of the tour. First peak at 6:45 and shortly after that sounds just a bit like Buried Alive. 7:41 is just red hot, scorching Trey. Check out Trey right before the Rye Rye Rocco – 8:21 way high up on the neck – listen to that run he plays – it’s the little things that make the legendary versions legendary – stuff like this! > Scent of a Mule: Not my cup of tea. It’s charted but it feels like 85% of 95-96 version are charted I am sure that is an exaggeration but that is what seems like reality to me? Free: Sounds like every other one from 95. No offense. Recall it being a lot of fun in person. Strange Design: Standard. Amazing Grace: Standard. ENCORE: Harry Hood – This one goes along pretty ordinarily to my ear. You get your first false, brief peak at 12:53. Trey is having an absolute celebration as he is firing off all kinds of gorgeous licks in the 13:20’s and :30’s. The real deal comes in at 14:09. I don’t want to be that guy…but – based on many reviews I feel like most have a higher opinion of this Hood than I do and I have attendance bias. It was amazing but on tape there are plenty better just from this tour. Summary: Solid first set. The goods are delivered in the second set with an all-time Tweezer and great Makisupa and an all-time Antelope and a very good Hood. Just a great, great Thursday night in Dayton. Phish LOVES my home state of Ohio. This is known. I would rate this as a 4.4 out of 5 all day long. The drive back to BGSU was an uneventful two hours. A great night for sure and even made it to all my classes the next day!

Today I received a nice little email from phish.net reminding me of how very old I am. It reminded me that today, 11/21/22, is the 31st.....THIRTHY-FIRST!!! ...anniversary of my first phish show. The email reminded me of this show that took place 31 years ago today, and also asked me to review it. This will be my first attempt at reviewing a show 31 years in the past. And obviously, I will forget most of the details. But I'll write down what I do remember from this life-changing experience. I was a brand-new freshman in college at Clark U. in Worcester, MA. But I guess where this review really starts is at a small boarding school in rural Pennsylvania. At that time, I was a Deadhead. Well, a wanna-be, prep-school hippie, Deadhead, that is. Not from San Francisco, not alive in the late 60s, and had only been to a small handful of Dead shows from 1988-1991. I started early seeing my first Dead show at MSG on 9/24/88 at the tender age of 15. I collected tapes, I partied with my other young prep-school hippie friends, and by our Sophmore year at prep school, we heard our first live recordings of this small band called Phish that was from Vermont. We enjoyed the wacky lyrics about bagging it, tagging it, and selling it to the butcher in the store, but didn't think too much more of it at that time. But by the time we were seniors in High School, we had listened to Junta & Lawnboy extensively. The guitar wizardry was like nothing I had ever heard, and I certainly could not imagine Jerry playing anything like it. Not to mention the off-beat weirdness - a song named "David Bowie," a song about tires on your car contacting the road, a soaring song with incredible written sections and guitar work called "Divided Sky," and a song about running like an antelope....out of control. All that said, Phish wasn't really on my radar as I finished high school other than the thought "Next year, when I'm in college in Massachusetts, I'm going to definitely check out this Phish band live." In fact, my girlfriend at the time, who seemed to understand the full and awesome power of live Phish before me (I was still under the spell of the Grateful Dead), asked if I wanted to join her to go see Phish at Arrowhead Ranch that summer. I declined. I already had plans to see the Dead with my buddies that summer, and as I needed to work to make money to spend my freshman year of college, I had very limited time off available. I chose the Dead at RFK with my buddies over Phish at Arrowhead Ranch with my girlfriend. Now the Dead show was tasty....Black-Throated Wind, Help>Slip>Franklins>Dark Star and a Stella Blue taboot, just to name a few....but if wishes and buts were candy and nuts, I would have been chowing down all that snack food while camping at Arrowhead Ranch. Oh well...I didn't know! Ok, back to freshman year of college. As I listened to more high-quality recordings of Phish, I was getting more and more excited to see them live. I had a buddy who attended Tufts U. in Somerville, MA and he called to let me know he got us tickets for the Phish show that was quickly approaching. I had seen 6 nights of the Dead at Boston Garden in September, and those shows were pretty solid, if a little weird (still getting used to no Brent). Not to mention, they were crowded and a bit of a hassle. So my most recent concert memories were of the Grateful Dead a few months before as I approached the Somerville Theater. I met my buddy and his friend in Somerville. We may have eaten at a restaurant beforehand, or not. I don't remember. But I do remember getting in the line which formed outside the door for this GA show. And I definitely remember taking our spots up front in the 2nd row right in the middle. I want to say this was the only full Phish show I ever saw where there was an opening band, but I may be mis-remembering. Maybe it was just a dude with a guitar that opened. Or maybe no opener at all. Sorry, it's all pretty foggy, but I'm going to keep bravely progressing forward. The lights go down, the band walks up, and the first thing I notice is just how darn close I am to the stage and the band. The Somerville Theater is a tiny little place that holds 800 people or so. Being in the second row, having mostly only seen big concerts at outdoor venues or hockey arenas, was amazing. There was nothing dividing the band from the fans. It felt like they were right on top of us. I'd been front row for the Dead, and that was more like being in the 10th row at Somerville with the divider, security, etc. So first and foremost, this just looked and felt so much more intimate than any live show I was used to seeing. Lights go out and they start Chalkdust Torture. I had never heard the tune before, but the solo and intensity was blowing me away. Will this shreddy peaking guitar solo never end???!!?? But end it did and they immediately started Bouncin', which I knew. Everyone around me was bouncing up and down, smiles plastered, and I was loving how loud, engulfing, and intense this experience was in this little room. After Poor Heart, Geulah Papyrus was played, which I had never heard before, and really stood out to me as a super cool song. The thumping bass, the lyrics about expanding exponentially like some recursive virus, and the vamping while Mike and Trey did this little shuffle dance that ended with a kick right as they slammed a note. This was so cool!!! Jerry and Bobby never do any little choreographed shuffle dances during tunes! The rest of the set were mostly songs I knew and just kept hitting wave after wave as my smile grew larger and larger. Foam! Split Open and Melt! Esther!!! I LOVE ESTHER, such a weird, dark little song. Then they closed the set with Mike's>Hydrogen>Groove. I remember thinking I am Hydrogen was such a bizarre, lilting, off-beat, but beautiful little section. And the Weekapaug closer was super intense....kept going and going....and then they reprised it - twice!! Trey going "Thanks so much, we'll be right back." Then "No really, we really appreciate you being here, thank you so much!" And I was thinking, is this for real??? These guys are SO good but also THIS MUCH WACKY FUN????? I have way less memories of the second set. So perhaps, things were kicking in by then. But it was a solid, well-played show throughout. Wilson, Hood....I remember thinking It's Ice was a cool song sung by Page that got pretty weird. And the man Who Stepped>Avenu>Man Who Stepped was perplexing in a good way. Jams, odd off-beat songs, weird lyrics, crazy antics and so much energy on the stage. I do remember them doing secret language, but I wasn't in on the secret yet. So the random "D'oh!!" coming from the band....and crowd??? Was really strange and trippy to me. And I specifically remember the band did an "Asshole in the front row" signal. There was a large man in the front row, who would turn away from the band and look back at the crowd, was kind of loud, and wasn't playing close attention to the band. He was sort of making a scene about himself. I remember, the guy was hamming it up and looking away from the stage, when the band played the 'me and my arrow' riff, then all stopped and pointed at this asshole in the front row. I didn't know the secret language yet, but I think everyone around this dude picked up on what the band was laying down. Which was hilarious to me. I was a young, full of energy, smart-ass, music-loving college kid who was ready for something new. Phish fit like a glove. From that day on, Dead shows played second-fiddle to the most important live band in the world...Phish. I spent the rest of my college years and beyond seeing as many Phish shows as possible. My only regrets are the Phish shows I didn't go to. Thanks for the reminder of my first show, Phish.net!