A birthday show for me. Although I was not old enough at the time to know who Phish was, I like to think that there was something in the cosmos that night that made the band pull this one out for me.

I won't get too deep in the analytical weeds here, but I just want to call out that there's a general trend amongst phans to equate longer with better. I really dislike that position because not only are there some underwhelming long jams out there, but more importantly there are countless epic masterpieces that clock in on the lighter side. That said, what Phish pulled of in Set 2 was nothing shy of awe-inducing and shocking. 59 fucking minutes, and, in my opinion, one of the most insanely creative and inspired jams of the band's career. Every movement is distinct and unique, showcasing a different element of the band's prowess, reminiscent of some of the best Fall '94 Tweezers. Runaway Jim. Fuckin hell man, just listen to the crowd's ovation at the start of Strange Design.

Anyway, rest of the show is worth a listen, too. The first set isn't super noteworthy in the context of the rest of the tour, though Foam is pretty strong, and I actually really like the Bowie closer too (I like the '97-'98 Type I but crazy Bowie format a lot, even if it's less exciting than the earlier days). Second set Hood > Caspian is also pretty awesome, in my opinion. Suzy is choppy, but notable for the return of an absolute staple after its longest ever gap (43 shows!? That's nuts in retrospect). Fun encore too, with a particularly rambunctious Fire.