, attached to 1998-07-01

Review by batleon

batleon Part of my full run through of Summer '98, see here: https://phish.net/reviews/1380008243-batleon.html />
So after kicking things off with their only June show of the year, I approach July with a bit more trepidation about my hypothesis on Summer '98, but it turns out I needn't have worried. The show once again starts in modest fashion with a three song run capped off by a peppy but still not quite ready for prime time version of Moma Dance. After that, we get a bit of a "banter reprise" from the previous night showing the band is still feeling playful. At that point, Trey prompts Mike to launch into Down With Disease and at this point I think Summer '98 really starts to take off.

This version rages on in the DwD theme for nearly eleven minutes before quickly but not abruptly smoothing out into a quiet interlude (still in the key of DwD) which makes the explosive return to close the song out that much more enthusiastic for the attentive audience. And then, as the song ends around 14 or so minutes in the band slowly breaks down into an ambient jam reminiscent of something like the Stash from the Island Tour... and instead of going dark it becomes upbeat and downright cheerful. This goes on for several minutes until the band (in the same vein as the previous night's Stash > Cities) sneakily transitions into Dog Faced Boy. Where other versions tend to be melancholic this one is quite chipper (invoking the spirit of the 12/2/97 version). After a straightforward Piper (no jamming here) and Waste, they wrap things up, running through Chalkdust with a little extra mustard, as Trey plays with a heavy rock groove for a bit before breaking out a well executed solo to close out the set.

Set 2 seems to be where the band truly launches as the band attempts to step back up to the level of the tours that preceded it. This is, in fact, a 5 song set 2 so it passes the eye test in being a show of the era. It kicks off with a Tweezer that plays it mostly safe; it grooves enjoyably on for 20 minutes before the band once again breaks out into ambient bliss to close it out. Not surprisingly, a groovy 2001 follows; this is the era of powerful 2001s and this one fits the bill. The two covers that follow are punchy and the a capella capper is a nich touch. And who could complain about a Harry Hood encore? The band has clearly shaken off any cobwebs and doubts and are ready to push themselves forward once more. The race is on.
Score: 0
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