this is a pretty damn good show, but it is often overlooked due to the previous two nights shows and the fact that it was supposed to be the exclamation point to arguably phish's strongest year.

emotional rescue makes a welcome return after being debuted the month before in hampton. this one is not quite as out there, but it does the job getting the party started. the rest of the set is pretty standard. wolfman's does its thing but is subpar to average by the '97 standard. you gotta like the sloth.

musically, the second set is where the real action is. another fine '97 timber ho! gets this one going in fine style, and who can argue with the killer mike's song that follows. instead of going the way of hydrogen, it drifts into a pretty inspired piper. phish was still cutting its teeth on this jammer, and this one does not soar quite as high as other versions played in the fall, see utah or auburn hills. the finally drift into one of my favorite slow songs phish does. circus works well before completing the somewhat odd los lobos>ween pairing with roses are free. this is another gem they picked up over the past year. they made relatively quick work of this one before shifting into a very inspired weekapaugh.

the third set is pure rowdy mayhem. 2001 is somewhat straight forward before the ny countdown/raucaus. i really like tweezer in the ny slot, but with all the balloons and general rediculousness, this one does not do a whole lot. good energy though. maze is fun, but it is also a pit disjointed. they do slip in some fun birdland teases though. maybe a nod toward va beach from earlier in the year. the rest of this set does not do much for me. ny ny is fun and tweeprise closes the year out in style. good rowdy ending.