I was at Shoreline 10/6/2000... El Paso was good, Bobby was struggling to keep up during Chalkdust, and West LA Fadeway was decent... I was also there the following night, the last Phish show prior to the hiatus, this was truly an emotional weekend.

I was at Shoreline 7/31/1997, enjoying the nod to Jerry and Trey teasing Happy Birthday...

I was NOT in Nashville last night, but sure wish I was. I've always been on the "never cross the streams" side of the fence when it comes to Phish playing Dead songs (seen both bands dozens of times, there is no comparison, they are two completely different bands). However, this is a monumental second set for many reasons.

Fare Thee Well.... it's been in the back of everyone's minds for quite a while. "What will they do? Will they do anything? Will Phish play Dead songs? The question has finally been answered, and all speculation can finally be put to rest.

Samson and Delilah - Not a "Grateful Dead song" - a traditional piece, arrangement by the Dead, well executed by Phish fest. Ace. Also, who needs two drummers when you have a Jon Fishman?!? He was rolling fuego! Good one to start with - a happy medium.

Twist - Some of the online comments say that Bobby butchered the song, but I'm not hearing it. I hear a great rendition, not many flubs (what song doesn't have a few here and there? I'm a musician, I understand live performances are always better live) but the soundboard version sounds fantastic, and there's SOME JAMMING!

Miss You - I'm in f*cking tears. I have missed Jerry Garcia every single day for 7742 and a half days, it never gets any easier to hear Jerry singing, and hearing Bobby sing this song just chills me to the core of my soul. The lyric flubs are certainly forgivable. All I can really says is THANK YOU, thank you.... thank you. This is my favorite song on Big Boat and I actually wanted to write Trey a letter about how I connect with the song on many personal levels.

West LA Fadeaway - Way better than that version I saw in 2000. 16 years ago I was angry and frustrated about the hiatus, I thought Bobby showing up was a bit gimmicky. Fast forward to today, and I'm just a thankful and happy hippy. (Los Lobos does a phenomenal version of this song, too, by the way).

Playing in the Band.... That's the exclamation mark. We never have to talk about Phish playing Grateful Dead songs again, do we? The age-old conversation - can it finally be put to rest? I hope so.

"If a man among you
Got no sin upon his hand
Let him cast a stone at me
For playing in the band"

Thank you Phish. I love you even more today than I did yesterday, and every day since that hippy chick forced me to listen to that Junta tape back in 1990 when I was all about the Dead.

And the encore? Great bookend to close it out with the once common song that both bands executed many times in their careers.

"Come all without, come all within - You'll not see nothing like the Mighty Quinn"

Or Phish, in Nashville, with Bob Weir.