This Soundcheck Jam and the Drive-In set epitomize the reason why I chose to attend this festival. I have long enjoyed every soundcheck I can lay my hands on. They are often the loosest, most creative pieces of music out there. As @Renaissance notes, this lives up to the infamous open improv of the Grateful Dead's infamous '73 soundcheck which features a proto-Fire on the Mountain groove.

The biggest difference with Phish's check, here, is that while it may evoke hints of Deep Purple's signature anthem, as @n00b100 pointed out, it is wholly unique. I have been catching various live acts since 1981, and I left this weekend thinking, This is some of the best darn music I have ever witnessed! That last word is key, looping back around to my first sentence.

I wish that I had had the foresight, though, to have my own portable radio outfitted with headphones. Why? This is the sort of jam which requires blocking out all distraction to be fully appreciated.

Thanks to the Phish from Vermont, I feel fortified musically for another year. The entire weekend was that good, and this was the moment which portended the grooves to come.