OK, I've had a week to reconstruct my brain. Here it goes...

Longtime lurker, first time reviewer. Quick Phish bio: loved Hoist and ALO in Jr. High, intro to the live experience was the epic Foreplay/Longtime opener at Great Woods in 1999. Didn't see them again until IT. Stepped in human poop (had tp and everything) walking down the highway to get to Coventry. Despite Phish consuming a disproportionate amount of my energy, ipod space, expendable income and wardrobe for the past 18 years, I have attended a relatively paltry 44 shows. However, it seems that whenever I make the effort and travel to a show (from Boston, which they seem to avoid) the band comes up huge. In recent years I've been blessed to be in attendance at the Gorge 2011, Dicks FYF in 2012, Vegas Halloween 2014, and the past few MSG Tweezers.

When the BD was announced I knew i'd get to a show or two but wasn't sure on the details. Summer calendar fills up quick, especially with kids, and the weekend shows all coincided with mandatory commitments. When the resolution of a large case made the first few weekday shows a possibility I decided to take the plunge - booked a hotel and initiated negotiations with the wife.

I got into NYC about 3 on Tuesday and checked into a hotel near Trump Tower so that I could give it the finger and dose the water supply if given the opportunity. Picked up my reasonably-priced ticket for the evening from a Stubhub location then went out to a pub to meet the guy that had my Wednesday ticket and grab a bite and a burger before the show. Got both tickets for face value, gotta love those weekday shows (may not apply to shows 9 & 10)!

Stomach full, I consulted with my trusted alternative medicine practitioner and decided to go with a healthy 1.5 serving of some very reputable sunshine-family-descendant stuff for the evening's psychedelic dessert.

My seats were fantastic, Section 2, on the floor but raised so I had a clear, front-and-center view right behind the soundboard and a seat to relax on during setbreak. Expectations were pretty high due to the "Jam-Filled" donut theme and Trey didn't make us wait long for the payoff, blasting off with a major chord before the final chorus in Sample. There were shit-eating grins and high-fives throughout!

And then Lawn Boy happened! When Page breaks out the keytar about 2 minutes in I thought we were going to get a fun little keytar/bass jam, which would still have been cool and unique for Lawn Boy, and then pack it up. Then at 3:30 Page holds a note and Fishman switches up the beat, sending it sideways and into deep space with an "Exodus" sounding jam for a few minutes while Page heads over to the synth for some gnarfunk craziness. I won't waste your time with a play-by-play, but its obviously a must listen/watch. There were many high fives and hugs in my section and we were only on song #2!

The lighting rig became sentient at some point. The video backs me up on this, should you doubt my ability as a reliable narrator.

They jammed the heck out of the rest of the set as my dessert kept climbing like a peak in the White Mountains with several agonies - when you think you're at the top you've still got plenty of distance to cover. MFMF was particularly beautiful while Stash and Gin were awesome versions that would have been standouts in any other set.

At setbreak a neighbor in my section mentioned that he was an engineer with the Department of Energy, and reassured me that the DOE staff is very capable despite the clown(s) at the top. I went into set 2 relieved that our nuclear arsenal was in good hands. If you're out there - thank you and keep up the good work! There was also a girl behind me complaining to her date that she didn't like the extended jams and wished they would play some songs she knew. That sounded familiar because my wife said the same thing after the Chilling, Thrilling set, which is why she doesn't get invited anymore.

As you know, the second set was chalked full of more ridiculousness, beginning with a patient Fuego jam that had some gorgeous moments. The ending to Thread was pretty cool, especially followed by the intensity of C&P. I think that was the pinnacle for me. A Talking Heads song in NYC just always feels perfect, especially that one, delivered at a time when the place was primed for an energy explosion. At a certain point in the C&P jam I remember thinking "they could ask the crowd to partake in human sacrifice right now and we would". Shit was wild. Big shout out to Section 2 for staying quiet during the "Space" portion of C&P as well. My jaw was firmly on the floor.

I was getting very strong and delightful visuals throughout, but especially during this portion. At one point, during a pleasant bliss jam section in C&P it seemed to me that something very similar to a Donkey Kong level was vividly playing out in the light rig with the music being played directing the movements of the characters. I remember having a deep thought that I can't fully grasp now, the gist being "of course this is what happens when Phish does this type of jam with such precision. Video games played through sound."

Loved getting Makisupa knowing that it might be jammed, but what came out of it was better than anything I could have imagined. Big props to the young dude in from of me that turned around and asked "is this End of Session from Story of the Ghost?" about three notes in. I'm sure that my reply was incoherent, but I had tears in my eyes by the end.

Tuesday is only acceptable on a Tuesday after they've played that show. It also had a nice little solo. Cavern was a perfect energy-valve release for the end of the set, and chanting those lyrics with 20,000 of my closest friends got me thinking again that it was a religious experience for everyone there (glad they didn't ask for the human sacrifice....). Julius was Julius - Lawn Boy reprise was a great nod to that instant classic.

After the show I chilled out in an empty Bryant Park for a bit to regain my senses until I was rudely asked to obey the "no smoking" signs. Was pretty exhausted by that point so I retired to the hotel to watch the patterns on my eyelids and rest up for the Powdered Donut festivities on Wednesday.

So, ah, in conclusion, it was a pretty good way to spend a Tuesday in NYC in July! Thanks for bearing with me through this trip report.