I was at Phish 8/9/98, Virginia Beach Amp. In honor of the third anniversary of Jerry's death they played Terrapin Station as the Encore. It still gives me chills and almost tear up at the very beginning when I listen to it. I can picture it like it was 5 min. ago. I miss those days of freedom and am grateful to have been there, and awsome close center seats as well with all my best buds!! I'll never forget Trey and Mike checking out the full moon directly behind the crowd facing the band.

Just wanted to add that a huge full moon was visible from the stage just as SOTR started. It was beautiful and extremely memorable.

Ok, let's all take a deep breath. Yes, many Phish fans are also Grateful Dead fans. The members of Phish are also avowed fans, and both the band and the scene owe, and acknowledge, an immense debt to the trails blazed by the Dead. All of this is to say that I understand the powerful significance of Phish playing Terrapin Station as the encore to this show. I'm not being naive, or narrow-minded, and I am not trolling to get a rise out of my fellow phans.

Summer Tour '98 is remembered for all the surprise cover tunes that the band would break out almost nightly. Most of them were cool, but a little ragged, like the boys were daring themselves to get away with playing the song. Terrapin Station is *not* ragged; in fact, it is really well played, perhaps even cautiously played, as if the band wouldn't allow themselves to get away with a sloppy cover of a highly-esteemed Dead tune on the 3rd anniversary of Jerry Garcia's passing. It's one of the classic and classiest encores of the band's career. It's worth hearing just for the crowd reaction - truly awe-inspiring.

But as great as the encore is, IMO it doesn't make up for two of the weakest sets of the tour. I use the term "weakest" to reflect on the surprising strength of the rest of the tour - 3 shows from this tour have seen official release: 7/15, 7/20, and 8/11. Before listening to this show, I listened to all of the preceding shows starting with 7/31 Polaris. I thought the Polaris show was also on the weak side, but the other shows from Alpine through MPP were great, right there with the shows from the incredible West Coast run that started this tour.

Virginia Beach '98, to my ears, has three highlights: Terrapin encore, the jam out of AC/DC Bag (possibly the most upbeat Summer '98 jam), and the downright precious Waste->SOTR. All three are must-hear moments, standing with pride alongside other highlights from this tour. But the rest of the show gave me a case of the "meh"s. I can forgive the band for a lackluster first set Bathtub Gin, since the previous two versions were among the all-time best, but the Bowie and Antelope are very noodle-y, simmering but not boiling, and the funk jam in YEM lasts only slightly longer than the vocal jam.

I'm glad I listened to the whole show, and I can appreciate Phish shows where the highlights come in the quietest, most restrained moments. But I feel strongly that, top-to-bottom, this is a "below average Phish show", and with a show rating of 4.495, it is the most overrated Phish show on this site. If you are inclined to disagree with my opinions, feel free to PM me with an explanation, and I will give you a full refund on this show review

Another tape that was in HEAVY rotation during the end of the nineties, pre-hiatus.....just wanted to mention that the Waste>Rainbow was absolutely phenomenal, with Trey's layered, feedback-intense soloing as good as anything in that era. The Frankenstein was smoking as well, then of course, Terrapin.....you can almost hear the audience crying, and the cheering never let up throughout the entire vocal section, (right through the instrumental section before the last two verses) and they absolutely nailed the composed sections.....they could have done the whole thing through At a Siding, but I think they were emotionally drained. Truly awesome, once in a lifetime.

this show is pretty solid. of course, the encore is what everyone knows about. falling 3 years after the death of jerry garcia, some reference was expected, but this is about the best tribute one could hope for. of course, this performance took place before trey and page's interactions with phil and friends or phil, bobby, or billy sitting in with the band. at this time, phish ran from anything that could link them to the dead. they were seeking individuality and then....

punch opens this one up nicely. page and trey work well in the intro. the band really get it going early in this show with a very strong bathtub gin 2 songs deep in the show. trey and page work back and forth beautifully in this one too. you know, just another great '98 bt gin. the rest of this set is well-paced, has good flow, good song selection, and has some good energy. the set closing bowie really works.

ac/dc bag opens the 2nd set in fine form. as they start working through the bag jam, they start to hit on some really nice sabbath/electric funeral licks. good stuff. i felt that the middle of this set is a little up and down. sparkle is nice and high energy, but it's not the most exciting tune, imo. antelope is nice and firey, but they really kill any momentum with brian and robert, waste, and somewhere over the rainbow. yem picks it back up. gordon sounds good in this one. frankenstein appears poised to close this one down, but they drop chalk dust and hello my baby. then they come out for the encore. as trey strums the opening of terrapin station, the crowd erupts. the whole band really nails this one. page has some really nice moments mixed in here but when it comes time for the "big terrapin climax riff," trey hits a homerun. what a tribute!

all in all, i would say this is a fairly missable show. the gin in the first set is really strong; the rest of that set is pretty solid. ac/dc bag shines to open the set, but the whole middle section of the 2nd set is a touch dull. they bring it home by the end though. if it weren't for the encore, i would say that without a doubt, I would take the merriweather show from the night before, but you know, they played terrapin at this show. hmm, i still probably would take the merriweather show.... bigger jams and you still get sabotage! solid show in VA Beach though with an excellent terrapin station

highlights:

set 1:
gin, moma dance, bowie

set 2:

ac/dc bag, antelope, yem, terrapin station

Nothing dull here. Everything is well played. A perfect Sunday show!

this is not a reviews but why would u ever take merriweather over seeing t station !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! cmon my friends

On August 9th, 1998 I had a very rude awakening. After the previous night’s show my friend and I drove pretty late into the night towards a state park that we had found on the road atlas. It was well off the highway up a dark, lonely road and when we got there we found the place locked up tight. Hotel money was pretty much out of the question so with few options in front of us we pulled the car in front of the park gate and hunkered down for the night.

I think it was still dark when the cops arrived.

They knocked on the window and asked us a bunch of questions, then they told us both to stand in the dew-soaked field across the dirt road a hundred feet away from each other. We watched the cops search the vehicle and tried to look nonchalant, stealing occasional mute glances at one another. The back seat of the car was packed to the roof and it took them some time to go through things. Unsatisfied, they brought in a dog who went around and through the car and found nothing aside from our cherished bag of PC Decadent cookies, which the beast devoured without mercy. Curiously, thoughout the whole ordeal they never opened the trunk. Phew!

The cops brought us back to the car, apologized about the cookies and told us we were free to go. They didn’t have to tell us twice. As we pulled away from the cops there was a loud, clanging crash. My heart stopped as I slammed on the brakes. We quickly realized that the cops had left our metal camping plates on the roof of the car and the sound we heard was the dishes falling onto the trunk. My buddy immediately jumped out of the passenger seat to pick them up as the cops gave us an apologetic shrug. Such was our rush to get away from the whole scene that when he leapt out of the car my friend cut the top of his foot quite badly on a metal bracket that once held a stereo EQ under the dash.

At this point we weren’t stopping for nothin’, so he bled while I drove. We found a variety store and I ran in for napkins and coffees and the like and we sat in the parking lot in the stark morning light, my friend applying pressure to his gaping wound while I sipped coffees and searched the car for Band-Aids.

We eventually drove to the Phish show at Virginia Beach and found the concert medical tent, where I learned how to apply a butterfly bandage. Though my friend could have certainly used four or five stitches this would do the trick, so back out to the lot we went.

Which was a nightmare. The venue was very, very interested in shutting down any vending and all fun in the lot and they were using a legion of local officers to crack the whip. Mounted police patrolled the scene constantly. What a day I was having…dog cops, horse cops, cop cops. I literally had to cook my own grilled cheese sandwiches on the sly, for fear the police would confiscate my Coleman stove out of concern that I might be selling sandwiches.

Inside the show we found ourselves on the lawn. Rumours were circulating that this was to be the band’s 2,000th show (or was it 1,000th?), which, mixed with the universal knowledge that this was the third anniversary of Jerry Garcia’s death created much pre-show and setbreak speculation.

The band started with Punch You In The Eye, and punch me they did, serving up Bathtub Gin, Lizards, David Bowie, Sparkle, and a pretty Over The Rainbow by Trey to lead off You Enjoy Myself. What a nice pile of songs for a guy like me.

By the end of the second set my friend was finished. An evening standing on the grass while his body frantically tried to manufacture more blood had done him in. He headed for the car.

Which was a real shame, for it was time for all the hubbub to come to fruition. As Phish began their encore with the first notes of Terrapin Station a wash of joy blanketed the crowd. The band did a great job weaving their way through one of the Grateful Dead’s finest suites. I can hear the whole crowd now, crying as one: “Inspiration…”

After the show my friend assured me that he’d heard everything just fine from the parking lot. With no post-show lot scene to enjoy we started ‘er up and became part of the outro traffic jam. I have no recollection of where we slept that night; I suspect we set up the tent in a private campground somewhere. We certainly didn’t stay in a hotel, I’m sure of that.

www.toddmanout.com

Make this into an OFFICIAL Soundboard release please somewhere in the Phish higher ups?? I beg you I will tell you why for me personally. I always hated the Somewhere over the Rainbow renditions when it was a vacuum solo done mostly and solely by Fishman I understand making fun of Bike or Neil Diamond's Rosie and that other ND song but you cannot make fun of such an iconic song w vacuum i do not like it . . the LivePhish Volume that had 1996 vacuum the SHOW was great but only this show did what should be done with Judy Garland and made it into a slow epic quiet guitar solo I know Trey steals the show most nights anyways but on this one fuck Drummers we need electric Guitar to play Dorothy This is the ONLY good version of The Wizard of Oz ever I love Fishman doing If I only had a brain do not get me wrong I love Treys guitar solo version far far far more I want to hear THIS version not the HYHU version in the new millennium

please release this show as a soundboard show I have many reasons but one is ummm it is 1998 so almost every show is worthy ok that is weak as a reason
better reason is The Lizards my favorite song ever was played to perfection
another reason PYITE opener is almost the best opener ever followed behind Wilson and YEM and Golgi Apparatus and 1999>2001
Enough silliness this show had my almost favorite Esther of all time and that song is a rarity and I like her better than all the girl bitches (yes better than FEE and REBA and SING MONICA (the slut we all know from college) not maybe quite as good as Tela my girlfriend is Amanda and Tela but Reba and Esther are close seconds wait does that make me a pedophile i hope not she dies anyways so statute of limitations grew out on charges for being the Armenian man that killed her w that voodoo doll of mine. . .great epic version of Esther BTW spoil alert in 2000 Trey's birthday SHE DIES!!! SHE IS DEATH SHE IS DEAD!!!!

Ok now onto serious shit
Make this a real release because yes it is 1998 and all shows from that year should be but i regress and i admit that is true but not good enough reason what makes this show even in the best year ever UNIQUE? The Wizard of Oz not played like the other ones like the If I Only Had a Brains and Wanna Be Like You btw those make sense and are fucking awesome mostly the monkey song in 1994 was hilarious and works as a Fishman Vacuum song but when they then made Dorothy and her Ruby Wave Slippers into a farce like the Sci Fi Soldier album i called bullshit and did not like it It is what Trey says in Bittersweet Motel direct quote Rock and Roll on a certain level is a bunch of BULLSHIT but music is NOT music is the real it is the realist thing in the world to me And i agree with you Trey but you also love Rock and Roll Gags and the song Cover so i have to call half of what you say is lies bullshit on you there because that is a MORE reference to your love of using Rock and Roll to your benefit when it suits you and then making fun of sell out bands like Green Day and Kid Rock when it suits you and i get it I hate Rock and Roll too but then why do you cover a song w that exact title so very often You have to ask yourselves these questions as growing men in the faith and married real men and I respect you guys you have been together the same original members for 40 plus yrs now whotf does that except the Stones and I hate the stones minus 4 or so good songs Torn and Frayed Loving Cup Satisfaction and Shine a Light on us Jesus i respect you both and i only respect bands like you as much as maybe The Smashing Pumpkins (the best GRUNGE band ever fuck Kurt Cobain and Eddy Vedder they know nothing of Halloween pain) and Radiohead Nirvana Foo Fighters Pearl Jam Eric Clapton Bob Marley Tori Amos DCTalk Third Day Caedmon's Call i bet no one reading this knows those last 3 because no one loves Jesus Leaving Chicago Anymore not even Phish after the MET in 2019 they fell away from the faith after Covid and so did my sister a so called Christian so i dont blame you guys

This SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW alone is the reason i want you to make this a live release It is the only sweet guitar solo melody version around The rest are Fishman doing a wonky bullshit drum solo mixed with vaccum garbage making fun of Dorothy and OZ and Judy Gardland and i get it she became a barbituate freak but Trey became a Heroin Cocaine and Alcoholic freak around this time from 1999-2006 so be humble and stop making fun of Good artists like Trey and Judy and Elvis and Johnny Cash yes JC and Judy Garland died of Barbituates and Elvis Dies of Heroin on his toilet in the 80s but Trey also could have I started seeing Phish live in 2003 and i hate to say this but high as fuck works for a while until you burn out in 2004-2006 I loved the early days too and it all falls apart because you are addicted now not to music anymore but Rock and Roll and Satanic lies called being a Opiate Drunk nightly till the drugs and alcohol stop working and you split up your band and blame it on an opera singer saying it is self righteous because the best artists stop at the pinnacle high of their careers because she never wanted anyone to think of her as anything but that sweet angel that she once was Trey has never spoken about that Opera singer he talked about on Charlie Rose Gee I wonder why One Charlie Rose turned out to be a freak pedophile that loved underage woman and lured 18+ girls to his apartment w no clothes on after a shower and said if you want a deal cuddle and suck my cock. . .wow Trey please pick interviews better after being sober because you and Rose were lost in SaTANIC LIES You guys should both be in hell but luckily and gracefully and there is no such thing as luck so you are blessed Trey and Charlie is CURSED by his lies I wanna hear more though about your bullshit half lies about why you never stopped at the height of your career based on this song bird angel that says i never want them to hear me as what i now am because i am not what i used to be What a crock of shit release this show it is EPIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Part of my full run through of Summer '98, see here

The Virginia Beach show opens with Punch You in The Eye, a song that makes for a great opener in any era. This is quickly followed by Bathtub Gin; compared to others from this tour this one is very straightforward, but still provides a nice dose of rocking hose early in the set. The Gin fades into space and then goes into a brief Trey instrumental that teases the Tela theme but is also clearly an intro to The Lizards. This kicks off a batch of songs that bounce between Gamehendge and new '98 tunes. Nice versions of Moma Dance and BOAF follow The Lizards, and then Esther joins the frey, and this version has a little more oomph than others. The run wraps up with another solid version of Roggae. After a quick romp with Bouncing Around the Room the band dives into another David Bowie; again while these Summer '98 versions aren't making the jam charts they continue to make for excellent listening.

After some quick banter, the band opens set 2 with AC/DC Bag. At about seven minutes the key changes and the band jumps into a funky theme with a nice foundation laid by Mike. Trey and Page have great interplay here as well. At around 11 minutes the pace starts to pick up and the band goes for the peak. This one is full of great rock energy until it suddenly bottoms out at 13.5 minutes, and then slowly drones off with touches of ambience before segueing into Sparkle; overall a very unique and rocking Bag jam unlike the Fall '97 versions.

After Sparkle the song selection for this set gets a bit wild. First we have Antelope which starts out strong, but the band loses the transition into the ending. They try to bring it back by giving the ending a nice bouncy groove. After this the band gives us a cool down song (Brian and Robert) followed by a ballad (a pretty good version of Waste). The Waste fades out into ambience and then coalesces into an impromptu and beautiful version of Over the Rainbow (a nice touch here). What follows is then a whopping four songs in a row that could serve as closers at any given show. First is an unusual YEM that has no extended jam section to speak of, the vocal jam of which empties out creepily into Frankenstein. Next up is Chalkdust, performed at a ripping pace. Finally, the band closes things out a capella with Hello My Baby.

I'll admit I wasn't all that impressed with this show thus far, aside from the AC/DC Bag which was decent. That being said, I can totally understand why someone walking away from this show thought it was the best ever due to this encore. Seemingly out of nowhere, the band breaks out the Dead's Terrapin Station, a stunning tribute to Jerry Garcia on the third anniversary of his passing. This encore, captured as filler in the SBD release of the 8/8/98 show, is flawless and powerful. The roar of the crowd at each passing movement of the show is impossible to miss. This is Phish at the peak of their mastery, able to deliver a performance like this at a whim. Despite the show being underwhelming as a whole this encore is one of the highlights of the tour and should be sought out.

Such a memorable show, the Terrapin Station show.
As with any show that opens w PYITE, you basically know you're in for a good show (probably my favorite opener) and it really was just an overall great show... And clearly my own song bias will come into play for a review, but there was so many good songs that first set, a fun Bathtub, Lizards!! A nice deep funk Moma Dance, a sick BOAF and then getting a rare Esther! Who can complain... I'm not the biggest fan of Roggae amd who hasn't heard Bouncing 10 million times, so to me that was a good time for a bathroom break, but then ending the first set w a ripping Bowie was fantastic!
2nd set was also very solid and gave us a fun Over the Rainbow bust out .. the Antelope was a solid Antelope, as well as YEM, very good YEM, and then they killed it with Frankenstein and Chalkdust! At this point anything else they play would be icing on the cake, but this time they gave us a better treat, and absolutely beautiful tribute. As soon as it started, joy and amazement fill the air, people hugging, embracing each other as we settled into what we knew was something special. Such a memorable show

PHISH, SUNDAY 08/09/1998
GTE VIRGINIA BEACH AMPHITHEATER
Virginia Beach, VA

SET 1:

Punch You in the Eye: Standard.

Bathtub Gin: Has some length but just doesn’t do a whole lot. Still, nice to get a jam with some length this early in the show.

The Lizards: Standard.

The Moma Dance: Standard.

Birds of a Feather: Standard.

Esther: Standard.

Roggae: Standard.

Bouncing Around the Room: Standard.

David Bowie: Standard.

SET 2:

AC/DC Bag: The initial segment of this jam seamlessly weaves together quirky and funky elements, creating an engaging musical experience. Pay special attention to Fishman's virtuosity, reaching a masterful peak around the ten-minute mark. The concluding four minutes escalate into an intense and hard-rocking finale, adding a dynamic edge to the overall performance. Gorgeous hose from Trey from 12:06 to 12:40. Easy all timer and highly recommended. >

Sparkle: Standard.

Run Like an Antelope: Standard.

Brian and Robert: Standard.

Waste: Trey does some great stuff with this solo, would recommend. ->

Over the Rainbow: Nice little ditty. >

You Enjoy Myself: Less than average. Weak version. >

Frankenstein: Standard. >

Chalk Dust Torture: Standard.

Hello My Baby: Standard.

ENCORE:

Terrapin Station[1] - Incredible. My words certainly won’t do it justice. Magic on tape. Can’t believe what it would have been like to attend.

Summary: Solid show. For me, the current rating is way, way too high and for obvious reasons. But when you take the emotional and attendance bias out of it, this show feels like a 3.9/5 to me.

Replay Value: AC/DC Bag, Waste, Terrapin Station

[1] Phish debut.

Over the Rainbow was played for the first time since August 13, 1996 (152 shows). Terrapin Station made its Phish debut at this show, as the band commemorated the third anniversary of Jerry Garcia’s passing.
SHOW RATING
Ratings are currently offline.
Overall: 4.498/5 (>50 ratings)
JAM CHART VERSIONS
Esther, AC/DC Bag, You Enjoy Myself