I'm going to assume that you are already familiar with the top-5 Bathtub Gin that opens the show and the top-1 Buried Alive that opens the second set. If not, stop what your doing right now and go listen. Both circulate in SBD form and are widely available on the internet.

Outside of Gin, the first set features a relative rarity in the form of Dog Log, the always welcome (by me anyway) Fikus and the debut of the new arrangement of Vultures. The second set is pretty close to flawless. The aforementioned Buried Alive segues very nicely into If you Need a Fool, which is a great Bluegrass cover that they should play again. The Lizards "jam" section is beautifully played and is even more delicate than usual. The crowd is surprisingly attentive for a 98 amphitheater. The second set closes with an excellent 9 minute Tube > Kung > an Antelope that starts with Fishman on the vacuum and proceeds to the usual Antelope territory from there. A three song encore is always welcome even if two of the songs are ballads. It may seem a little anticlimactic to end with Bittersweet Motel, but its just so pretty and seems to fit with the vibe of the night.

Highlights: Gin, Buried Alive, Lizards, Tube > Kung

Just another example of the many, many top-level Phish shows from Summer 98

4.65 / 5 Grade A Phish