This is my first review for the site, so I might as well start with the launching point for my new phase of phandom. I attempted to get into Phish last year after a successful bout with the Dead, but it ultimately went off by the wayside after a few months. Looking back, I’ve noticed by interest in this fantastic group seems seasonal, so I’d better enjoy it while the weather is good. I also realize now that skipping track to track isn’t the way to do it, so I dug up this show and dove in headfirst.
This show is both a great education (or re-Neducation, in my case) in Phish’s style and an awfully fun time overall. Their playing sticks closely to the raw days of early 1.0 and Type I jamming, but the band is so tight and composed that it doesn’t matter (The quality of the tape is top-notch as well, by the way).While spacey and exploratory jams are more to my liking, I can’t deny the overwhelming quantity of joy this show filled me with, nor the laps around the yard it made me partake in. Find this show!

HIGHLIGHTS:

Cavern-Nice, fun, and bouncy- a good start to the adventure.

Divided Sky-YES!!! Maybe it’s because this was my first encounter with the song, but I found this to be a very beautiful piece and performance, and look forward to future renditions.

Mike’s>Hydrogen>Weekapaug-Very crazy and rocking. I dig it.

Tweezer-A rocker in its own right, the addition of the Giant Country Horns allows this one to take off. Sounds like a Zappa studio cut. Groovy.

Honorable Mentions: Guelah Papyrus, The Lizards, I Didn’t Know, Esther, Contact- These were just fun songs. That’s all I really have to say about that.