I was never a huge fan of 2.0 and at the very time this show was happening I was very likely buried deep in the Thrill Jockey Records catalog.

Wow...what a show. Honestly, the perfect Phish show. It has everything you could ask for….great flow, bustouts, HIGH ENERGY, super tight shredfest type 1 jams and crazy type 2 jams, balls out party crowd and a band gelling together perfectly.

Page’s playing throughout the night is incredible. He’s always doing exactly what he should be doing at all the right times.

The interplay between Trey and Fish is perfect. There a more than a couple times that they make you say “whoa”.

I know that some people don’t realise this but Phish is unique in that the drummer follows the guitar. Most bands have the vocals, guitar and keys taking up the lead with the bass and drums holding down the back end. The bass and drums, and sometimes the keys provide the foundation. With Phish, you have a drummer that is doing that, but is also TOTALLY locked into the lead guitar. This is not normal. You can sometimes imagine Fish and Trey as one person, with Page floating somewhere in between and Mike doing whatever the fuck he wants. This of course is not always true and just as Phish’s sound has changed over the years this dynamic also changes. BUT this at the core is what I believe is what makes Phish so unique to so many other bands and why they can sound so different from anything else you’ve heard.

When their rhythm, symmetry and telepathy are at their peak….you get a show like this. Everything is so well played, so tight, top of their game.

Every song has extra mustard.

I listened to this show about 5 times to prep and I’m still hearing new things.

I dislike reading song-by-song breakdowns but it's hard to do this any other way.

Highlights:

DESTINY: The biggest bust out of all bustouts, not played in 796 shows. People had been BEGGING for this song for years (see 11/22/97, review coming in a few weeks!). It’s not even because it’s such an awesome song, its just because Phish stopped playing it and Phish fans are crazy and they want rare treats. Whelp, for no reason, here it is. Judging by the crowd response, it seems like people knew what they were hearing.

GIN: I love a slow burn and this has such a slow burn jam to it. Nice swing tempo throughout that keeps it light and makes for some great Mike work.

BOTT: Great fucking version. Trey is on fire, everyone is on fire.

Love SLEEP and TRAIN SONG

WALLS: I only started liking this song a few years ago and this is the best version I’ve ever heard of this song. Today's versions don’t variate much but this one has extra spicey mustard all over it.

TWEEZER: Who likes a 27m Tweezer? Me!!! Quite possibly the BEST song to open a second set, actually, I’m positive this is the best. Man...what to say? The first half is good but it doesn't REALLY start cooking until about 14m in. 19min mark, Trey and Fish...WOW, 22min, let's wrap this thing up by shredding the fuck out of everything! HIGH FIVES!!!! WE DID IT!!!!

SOUL SHAKEDOWN: Bustout #2, Not seen in 270 shows. Great way to cool down. Everybody loves Marley, everyone is having a blast.

BOWIE:. I remember saying to a rando at a show a few years back that I will NEVER get tired of hearing Bowie. Never. It’s the perfect Phish song. Dark, weird lyrics, progy, long arranged beginning, jammed out middle and an ending. My favorite Phish songs have endings. I want them to go WAAAAYYYY out and then try to bring it back and wrap it into a neat little bow. Bowie is the definition of a Phish song.

I love everything about this Bowie. The long intro, the perfectly played middle and the “wrap up” part at the end is everything I always wanted in every Bowie, ever. The hard and heavy they stumbled upon will make you want to punch babies holding puppies. They fade into different times and themes and always land back on their feet. The tension and release is...orgasmic. THIS IS PHISH TENSION AND RELEASE!!!!!! Good lord….fucking monster.

Round Room: Thanks god they didn’t place Horse->Silent….because that’s what Trey wanted to play and Mike Said FUCK NO so they played Round Room. FUCK yeah Mike, you tell Trey to cram it up his stupid butt.

HOOD: It’s a great hood. You can hear the glowsticks ruining things after the drop but once people settle down it's a great version. Trey plays his guitar so hard that I’m surprised the thing didn’t explode into a cloud of sawdust. Ha ha….that would be awesome

MEXICAN COUSIN is an awesome encore song and a total party anthem. Perfect end of the night song to send everyone home with. Best way to end a show? Tweezer Reprise of course. It’s actually the only reason I go to Phish shows. Just to hear Tweezer reprise.

BONUS: Make sure you listen to the Poor Heart soundcheck. It’s hilarious.

So there you have it. Every song is played like it’s the last time they’ll ever play it. Awesome fucking show, definitely one of their best, if not THE best. No complaints!!!