Attended!

SET 1: Sample in a Jar > The Curtain > Ha Ha Ha > This section sounds great, nice energy to get the show rolling.

Julius: Face melter, big time!

NICU: Standard. >

Bathtub Gin: Standard.

Rift: Man, this one sounds GOOD! So fast and clean. >

Fast Enough for You: Trey completely botches the opening lyrics and Page bails him out. Other than that, this version is perfection. Check out Trey’s solo – it might give you goosebumps like I just got. >

The Lizards: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Fire: Seems like Page and Trey were on different wavelengths at the end of this one. Trey was clearly done raging and not sure if Page just didn’t hear that? But he just kept banging away on the baby grand while Trey is trying to wind it down but not embarrass him. Weird. I don’t remember this at the show at all by the way.

SET 2: Cars Trucks Buses: Standard. >

Tweezer: The theme they create that starts at 5:34, I love it. I’ve listened to this one so many times, it’s instantly recognizable, like an old friend. The peak that they hit at 9:20, aww yeah! It’s a quick hitter but leads to much more. After this they are diving into a dissonant space. By 10:44 they are coming out of that dissonance as Page leads the way banging away on the baby grand. This goes on through 11:30. Here things are getting very herky jerky and at 11:52 here come some amazing Trey effects. Trey starts WAILING at 12:40. By 13:30 Page has wrested control back his way making bold moves on the baby grand. At 13:56 the baton is passed back to Trey. A new theme is realized here at 14:06 and by 14:21 the speed is ramping up. At 15:02 Page opts for the organ (sorry not sure specifically what he is playing here) and within 90 seconds or so this finds the band for a brief time in a heavy metal sounding jam but then just as quickly is out of that and just rocking out. At 17:50 intent is made to wrap up and the original Tweezer chords are being played prominently. 18:50 it becomes known that this is likely headed for Makisupa but they continue to play around with it. The funk is VERY deep at this point. 19:30 it’s a no brainer and you can hear Trey say YEAH ->

Makisupa Policeman: Wow!! My 22-year-old mind was completely blown trying to process what just happened. Woke up this morning, TEA. Followed by nerdy laughter (Page?). Trey nods for Antelope at 5:43. They develop this for nearly a whole minute! >

Run Like an Antelope: Check out the sync that Page and Trey get locked into at 6:31, effortless wouldn’t accurately describe how good this is and how they could do this on the fly in the middle of one of the best Antelopes of the tour. First peak at 6:45 and shortly after that sounds just a bit like Buried Alive. 7:41 is just red hot, scorching Trey. Check out Trey right before the Rye Rye Rocco – 8:21 way high up on the neck – listen to that run he plays – it’s the little things that make the legendary versions legendary – stuff like this! >

Scent of a Mule: Not my cup of tea. It’s charted but it feels like 85% of 95-96 version are charted I am sure that is an exaggeration but that is what seems like reality to me?

Free: Sounds like every other one from 95. No offense. Recall it being a lot of fun in person.

Strange Design: Standard.

Amazing Grace: Standard.

ENCORE: Harry Hood – This one goes along pretty ordinarily to my ear. You get your first false, brief peak at 12:53. Trey is having an absolute celebration as he is firing off all kinds of gorgeous licks in the 13:20’s and :30’s. The real deal comes in at 14:09. I don’t want to be that guy…but – based on many reviews I feel like most have a higher opinion of this Hood than I do and I have attendance bias. It was amazing but on tape there are plenty better just from this tour.

Summary: Solid first set. The goods are delivered in the second set with an all-time Tweezer and great Makisupa and an all-time Antelope and a very good Hood. Just a great, great Thursday night in Dayton. Phish LOVES my home state of Ohio. This is known. I would rate this as a 4.4 out of 5 all day long. The drive back to BGSU was an uneventful two hours. A great night for sure and even made it to all my classes the next day!