My first Phish show happened years after I'd been hearing their studio albums from friends and classmates. I'd settled into a steady diet of Grateful Dead shows, so it made sense to go check this younger, Dead-ish scene out.

A friend of a friend scored some tickets really close to the stage that Phish played on. I actually knew the Spin Doctors' music better, but found myself caught up in the intensity and camaraderie of the Phish fans around me. The comedians deserved to be booed off the stage.

Considering how short their set was, it ended up being a good enough dose to get me going back for more. These guys were closer to my age than the Dead, and I could see the influences of the same music that I'd grown up with. It was all there--the hard rock, the psychedelia, the poppiness and the straightforward rock and roll. Fishman's vacuum solo was a strong indication that they'd have a lot more to offer as their career progressed. It was the show that put the hook in for sure.