I was invited by schoolmates three hundred mile away. With no context, except the age-old stereotypes, I attended my first set of Phish shows at Alpine Valley in the summer of 2012. I was open-minded and without reluctance or expectations. After two entrancing nights of rock-n-roll, wooks and glow sticks I was hooked. The group I went with would become some of my dearest friends. The band I saw that weekend carved a new facet in my life and I’m thankful to be part of this music experience.

Add a few shows, a few tours, a few years and the setlist still holds up. Imagine it through the ears and mind of someone totally unfamiliar with Phish’s music - First set: My Soul opener! Reba, Sloth, Timber and Suzy closer! Second set: Golden Age > 2001 > RnR > Steam, Quinn and GTBT encore! Yes, thank you! I’ll definitely be back tomorrow.