Prior to this 3-night run, the best show I had ever seen was at Magnaball. That was a very special weekend for me. My first festival. The entire weekend was great but that second night was stellar! That Sunday was my birthday. Everything fell into place with that festival and I had regarded night 2 to be the best Phish I will ever see and I was fortunate to have been there. With that being said, some of that would be proven to be wrong.

Six years later and absolutely sick with, not Covid, but a raging case of cabin fever, me and my tour friend set out on our third trip to Deer Creek together. Our first was 2003 and then 2012, although he had also been there in 1996 as well. In between the shows we went to was a span of 9 years. Nearly a decade. It can almost be used as a sort of measuring stick in our lives. How much has changed, but most things stay the same. We were in our 40s now, still doing that thing we love so much. Both of us had been seeing this band since we were teenagers.

I suck at money lotteries. I never win the free money. But I notice we play a lot of lotteries in life, not just monetary ones. One lottery I play is in the tickets I decide to buy. I'm hoping my ticket holds the prize of the best show of the tour. Unfortunately, I can't stray too far from home so the numbers (venues) I pick are usually the same.

There was an energy in Deer Creek the first night. It's recognizable when you've seen it a few times. When the band came out and opened with Carini, that energy was responded to. I noticed at the end of the song, the crowd was not letting up. High cheers and applause kicked Phish into a Wlofman's that didn't disappoint anybody. A repeated heavy applause after Wolfman's and still no sign of let up from the crowd they gave us another good one. Sand created a bit of a three headed monster of an opener. I could begin to feel it. This was going to be a special night.

Though nothing spectacular can be said about Lawn Boy through The Wedge, I thought Walls of the Cave was a banger. That was a great first set closer. It was confirmation the night wasn't over.

When AC/DC Bag started, both my friend and I thought this was going to be the jam of the night. Suprised us both when it was cut short from that. Also surprised us when Blaze On turned out to be what it was. Clearly Blaze On took over the song of the night. That was an amazing jam. Top tier Blaze On. Wilson was confirmation that the crowd was still in it. I think at this point we all knew this show was going to go down as one of the best.

What else is there to say about Simple that hasn't already been said? I was out of my mind for the majority of it. It was the craziest thing I have ever seen the band do on stage. The lights were fantastic all throughout. I remembered the art print for the show had aliens on it and I was wondering if Phish was trying to get a U.F.O. to land at the venue because that's what the music was sounding like. Extraterrestrial.

Harry Hood as a contrast to me personally was on the other side. That song signifies everything is going to be all right... here on Earth. I Never Needed You Like This Before was mutual. I needed what they gave me that night. I remember walking back to my tent that night after the show thinking I had quite possible seen the best show I have ever seen. 22 years after my first show. That's incredible. Find me another band capable of that.