It'd been 4+ years since I'd last seen Phish, and boy, alot has changed since then....hell, songs that were "new" to me on this night had already become concert staples since my last show, as evidenced by the crowd participation (like "Fuego", for example). Other songs were apparently new to everyone else too, and this show (as well the night before, I was told) was the proverbial guinea pig for the band to test the waters on 'em. So for me personally, while I did enjoy the show, I spent alot of time digesting this onslaught of new and new-ish material.

As far as the "tried and true" songs go, they were performed with class....that's kind of a back-handed compliment in a way, because the jams, while serviceable, rarely reached "nasty" territory. Trey seemed to wrap up "Maze" prematurely, since Page appeared unready with the organ notes in the finale....shame, because I was hoping for things to climb another notch or two, and maybe Page was too, lol.... I was hoping the closing "Possum" would change all that, being it was their last shot to drive it home....but again, it was enjoyable but kinda mild. I guess I'll never hear a "Possum" like Atlanta '97 ever again, lol...

But to put things in perspective, I brought a first-timer along with me, and she enjoyed the hell of it & is eager to see them again. So, what the hell do I know?

Don't get me wrong. I had a great time, the band was tight, and the crowd was bananas....it'll be an enjoyable listen upon playback, but I don't expect to reach this show when I feel like getting my face melted off, lol...