Ten days after graduating high school, my friends and I set out to see if the live performances could stand up to the Fire on the Mountain from Dead Set that had been melting our ears since that drive around the block in Hopkins Minnesota in '83. Although we did not get our Fire at GD Alpine 85, we fell in love with a band which changed many of our live for ever. Beyond, we fell in love with a venue which did the same. In 1990, Phish visited the Cabooze in Minneapolis and, as time went on, I understood that I had two bands which were my favorites for similar and different reasons. These shows marked the 30th year I have scanned the calendar for a reason to make the 300 mile trek to Alpine.

I was amazed night one with the forty-somethings I encountered and the level to which my wife and I felt we could relate to these people. We sat both nights by some guys who were neighborhood friends from upstate NY and these guys turned our "this is a great time" into "this is a really great time"

The first set of this show was an absolute all timer in my song selection book. Although upset that I had narrowly missed Alpine-common Lizards and Bug, the latter of which is quite-profound favorite to my little Earthling pea brain, I was blown away at the throw down of the entire first set. Although I have seen my fair share of Famous Mockingbirds, usually accompanied by Tela, jewel of Wilson's foul domain, the Forbin's Accent was one of 2(?) in my history. My first Saw it Again blew me away and would have been the cherry on my Sunday if not for the Sanity which I have not chased from my head twelve days after it took place. AS IF that was not enough, they played the most enjoyable Split I believe I have ever seen. When the first set ended, my wife, amazed at the length and girth of the set asked " is that it or our they going to play another set?"

The second set could not soar to the heights of the mountains we had summited in set 1. If it had, we would be talking all-time greatness. Still a great, great, great show with sooo much to look back on. The 30th anniversary of that fateful summer for me did not disappoint, it inspired. I'll be back to Alpine in 2045 to see what the wood ceiling has yet to reveil. Hope to see you there.