As of now, February 2010, the first 30 minutes of Set II is probably my favorite segments of Phish *ever* -- and that's not to downplay the rest of set II in any way....just that the first 30 mins are my absolute favorite consecutive notes the band has ever played.

(the rest of this was posted 12 years ago on rec.music.phish)
In general, most of the Pipers, esp those from this past Fall, are
incredible. I first heard this on one of the Europe tapes, and I remember
liking it. But what they have done to this song during the Fall tour is
incredible.

The 12.6.97 Auburn Hills Piper occurs right in the middle of a firey set,
after a gorgeous Tweezer opener, and an energy-driven Isabella which cools
down into (in the words of DJ Saul T Nutz) a Licentous Funk Groove taking
us into Wouldn't Twist Around, which (in the words of Mark Roberts) "is
awesome."

The chords of Piper float up like a ship over the horizon long overdue in
its homecoming. The people on shore see it in the distance, and their
excitement begins to mount. As the ship grows nearer, the energy
dominates, propelling the audience into a new, unfervored frenzy. The
climactic arrival is so astounding it parallels few feelings I have
experienced in my short life.

Long story short: I love this set, Piper being the indisputable climax.