So glad that this show holds up on playback as well as it does because honestly that is about the only way that I have memories of this show. I am not proud of that but I am also not the only one that was in that state. I was always a "its about the music first and foremost guy" but this night seemed a bit different, due to the hype around Y2K, the fact that we were secluded in the Everglades, and we had to have a plan to be able to rage for 7 hours after already doing the festival thing the night before and getting too little sleep. Combine that and you kinda get the perfect storm.

Case in point- I had been hunting a deep crosseyed and painless for quite some time by that point, and when we all gathered in the morning to compare setlists all of my buddies started clowning on me because that was missing from my setlist and recollection and they all knew I was chasing it for a while. Kind of a snapshot of what the night was like.

The thing that impresses me the most is the collective stamina. The jams that they were playing at 4AM were just as sick as the stuff around 1AM. The crowd was still dancing and wanting more as the sun came up. It was truly a moment of band>crowd energy that created something that I do not think could ever be recreated. They painted a masterpiece where all of the pieces came together and equalled perfection.

I think that one of the most enduring legacies of this show is its wide acceptance in the Phish community. The 99 sound was polarizing to say the least. For me, its my favorite sound ever. I saw every Phish show that year so Cypress was the metaphorical icing on the cake. But even those that found the 99 sound to be too repetitive or too groove based still found a way to celebrate what they were hearing and seeing that night.

In terms of the music itself, Cypress Sand is my favorite version of my favorite phish song (since 2001 is not a phish song). The Crosseyed is long, creative and weird. The Roses is kind of the bizarro world cousin to the Nassau Roses- it is a BIG version, but instead of finding the pocket like Nassau its a full on psychedelic shred fest.

Another beauty of this show is how different jams have been my favorite over the years. Right now I am loving the DWD since the release of the videos. I honestly forgot how amazing it was, even have hearing it several times since, but seeing it blew me away.

If you have not watched the videos, devote an hour and a half a night for a week and do it. Whether there or not, it is an amazing experience to share it.

Cheers
Eric