Well, what to say about this show? There was a cleansing kind of downpour a few hours before the show that seemed to clear the air and set up a beautiful night. I took my 12 year son to his first Phish show, and really couldn't have asked for a better night. We had a great spot about 20 feet in front of the stage, directly in front of Trey. We were surrounded by some really great people; friendly, kind, and funny. There was a whole crew from Philly that we connected with, who were gracious and seemed to love the fact that my boy was having such a great time. Just spectacular!

Well, on to the music... Ghost opener was welcome in a spot that it doesn't normally occupy. It was a really vibrant version, jammed well (and contained a couple of Guy Forget notes from Trey? Maybe I was hearing things...) and was a portend for the rest of the night. Next was a fun NICU, and then the ICCULUS! There was a plane flying around pre-show that trailed the message "Read The Book" behind it, which Trey referenced in the story (as well as loving Dick's). It was really indicative of the fun that the boys were having, as you can hear Trey laughing during this. The crowd just loved it, as did I. On a side note, the aforementioned crew from Philly were on to them spelling something backwards the moment they began Icculus (as the first three spelled I-N-G). This began the speculation about what they were going to spell, as well as the guessing of what was coming next. I'm not gonna lie, when they played Heavy and Theme, we were on to the word "Something", and for me that meant that there was a strong possibility that "Esther" ( a song I have been chasing for 21 years) would be played. And I got my wish. I was ecstatic, and treated to a wonderful version; phucking phantastic! Thank you, thank you, thank you. A strong Moma > Ocelot, Stash came next. Stash was really nice and focused. It was good Type-I jamming (I hope I am getting that right), and considering where they played it, was a compact version, yet still well-thought out. Lawn Boy saw Page channeling his inner lounge singer. From where I sat he really looked like he was hamming it up for the camera. Those of you on Couch Tour could probably confirm this, but he really seemed to be wooing the lens ... When they began Limb by Limb (which was very good), we all figured it would end the set and they would open Set II with Energy (as it was either going to be "smell" or "spell" that came next, seemingly). But, much to our delight, it was the Phish debut of Easy to Slip. I recognized the song from the times I saw Weir/Wasserman in the summer of 1991, as well as Bob Weir's other incarnations. But admittedly, didn't know it was a Little Feat tune; i now know :-).

During set break, patting my own back (Captain Obvious that I am), I called the PYITE -> Sand opener. Merely because I figured it would be spell rather than smell. Anyway, they were wonderful versions of both, though I give the nod to Sand here. And though it didn't reach the epic heights of last year's at Dick's, it was still excellent. God damn, these guys were really treating us to something beautiful! Moving on, those around me deduced that Say Something would follow (Say Something, Spell Something), but, I stopped following there, assuming that it was a Fuck Your Face type end a la last year. But, I was wrong. A strong Walls was next, with a really nice fleshing out. Oh Kee Pa was fun as usual, and we were kind of expecting Suzy, but got a good, albeit unfinished, Hood next. My son was enthralled with the ensuing glowstick war that followed (which I promised him would come). Next came a "horseless" Silent in the Morning (which they have been doing lately) that lead to Twist, which seemed to not be as jammed out as others, but still a solid offering. The set ended with a really contemplative and thoughtful Slave that for me was a nice statement of laying a guitar down gently and walking away, as opposed to beating it to death (like Pete Townsend) in the form of a rocker (like Antelope). I like those endings too, but on this night, it seemed appropriate. The double encore was nice, as my son got one of his wishes seeing Meatstick (mine too, love it).

I want to sincerely thank Phish for such a beautiful night under the clouds, as well as those around us that added to the ambiance. A great night, and I can't wait for tonight's show!