This show was INCREDIBLE!! Full ENERGY throughout!!!

Day 2 in Hampton was lots of fun. Crew had an Airbnb up by Williamsburg where we made breakfast tacos. Was settling into the time zone difference. Hampton is such a weird place, it's not really right next to either of the main cities on either side of it, and it's kind of in the middle of just flat suburban land. The venue sticks out like a gem and that's what we're all there for. I suppose Hampton would be a nice little vacation trek/destination to someone who lived in NYC, Boston or Philly, and for that I can see the charm it probably had in the 1990s and 2000s. I was just happy to be there, really.

On lot I met up with some folks that I had only known online through the Phish contingent on Bluesky. We got in early and sat down in the back right of the venue, seats this time. Not like I was going to be sitting down at any moment during this show, of course. Lines were longer this time around to get in. Anticipation was building for the show to start, and when it finally did, I couldn't imagine a much cooler opener choice. Boogie On, opening a show for just the second time ever! (Mexico 2017 being the other.) That was so hype and so cool and I knew we were in for a banger. Always loved Bouncing, that song got me into Phish. I was excited when the Birds of a Feather came - this was my first live version (this would occur like 6 times this show!). Not only was it my first ever live, but it was actually a really good version. This was the first jamming surprise of the night and it has a nice energetic jam. Was loving things for sure. Esther was next - always a cool rarity. Had seen it up at the Gorge 2021 (come back there, please!) and I remember going nuts and no one else knew what was happening. This time around, this was a "home" crowd that knew Phish, similarly to MSG crowds, and so they were right on top of it. I read somewhere that 91% of tickets were from people not in the VA area, which is wild. Esther was well played and a nice slowdown of sorts. Re-listened prior to writing this and everything is just at such a high level. My first Funky Bitch was next and love a good Mike tune. He gets off a nice yell in this one. First It's Ice (abolish ICE!) next and that was cool. The ETHER EDGE is one of the highlights for me of this set and run. It really kills listening back. I could have sworn they were going to go into Good Lovin' or La Bamba lol but it was just a similar chord progression. Was cheering loud when they went into Ether Edge and it was rewarded with a 15+ excursion into hose territory, there is a really good jam on this Edge. Frenzied guitar from Mr. Trey on this one. Hope they play it more in following shows. Anything could have ended the set after that, but we hit the jackpot here, with Moonage. A continued quest to take the set to the next level and a song that I had really wanted to see live. Finally got the wish and they absolutely killed it. Crowd not only right on top of the band throughout the song, but I will never forget Trey with a shit-eating grin singing "Press your SPACE face close to mine" in the Mothership.. that was special. The solo on this absolutely rips and there was that Hampton roar of energy. IMO this had the best crowd energy out of 3 (hard bar to top, to be fair, all were killers). The way it just kept building was incredible and CK5 also killed it with the shining red and white. Money first set!

I had guessed that Everything's Right was going to be played this night as a response to the killing outside of the show on N1. It was great to sing along at full blast to the song, I love ER and always have. That one has gotten me out of some dark places. A nice jam for sure and Trey leads us into Simple, a real nice segue and the crowd went ballistic, definitely a must-hear, as is really the entire S2. This Simple could possibly be worth the price of admission alone. Mind-blowing stuff there. A great jam and the energy continues into Wave of Hope, another good version of that and then back into Simple for the final ribbon on top. One of the most memorable moments of the run, and easily one of the most unique, happens next when they go into Beneath a Sea of Stars. I LOVE BASOS and versions like this are exactly why. This evokes the primordial psychic soup of some of the greatest Dark Stars. The lights were turned off inside of the Mothership during this, and it was just like a fat slab of pure psychadelic jamming. Straight to my veins. This was so so so good. I will slurp up the BASOS soup all day. The decision to go into Jibboo after the ambience was diabolical, LMAO. Trey and the guys are so fucking funny. I was cackling in the moment, it was gold. This is like the Phish version of Dark Star -> El Paso. Also, it was my first Jibboo and it was a good one - similar to the BOAF earlier! This has a real solid jam to it as well and it peaks quite nicely. In my mind I was thinking this moment would be perfect for a Suzy, so I actually wasn't surprised when it happened. The energy was ELECTRIC around this time - just pure pleasure for all involved. I was sweating dancing my ass off to this Suzy, rhythmic as always. Thought that could have ended the set but then they went into Julius after, another banger, perfect selection. My first live Julius as well. They were just showing off for this "home" crowd and delivering the goods. Words cannot really describe the pure power of how much energy was in the room during the Suzy through Possum stretch, that was just electric. Always nice to catch an Izabella and Possum to close. My favorite show of the run, just because of the almost otherworldly force of the way that both sets ended. That was Phish magic and why you go to these shows....

After the encore ended we walked out and the arena was so hot and so much energy was expelled that it was WET everywhere. The ground was wet, there was condensation in the air, and I nearly slipped a few times just getting out of there. Never seen anything like that at any show. I suppose that's Hampton for ya. My crew bought a nitrous tank for at-home usage and although I didn't partake in that, I did with other things, and continued the party into the wee hours of the night. What a night and what a show. 10/10