I could use one word to describe this show...

[Spoiler]

We all see Phish for a variety of reasons ranging from the interconnected community/band experience, to the interwoven spiritual consciousness a live show produces, to see what Mike's going to wear, and because they are just plain fun. Throughout all of these though, I think a common thread would be, all of us, searching, hoping to see, The Show. That Show, start-to-finish, that delivers everything you could ever want. That Show, that musically, psychologically, spiritually, psychedelically, you-name--it-ly, delivers everything, simultaneously. This show, is that Show.

As I have become immersed in this tour, I have begun to get an ear for the crowd as the band is taking the stage. This show, the crowd was as hot as I have ever heard. No wonder, with the masterpiece from two nights prior, expectations were high, and the level of anticipation of "How can they top that?!?" was even higher. Phish has a knack for delivering in the clutch, which I why I commonly refer to Phish shows as "Magic Johnson." "Hey Funky, what are you doing this summer?" "Oh you know, gonna go follow Magic around the country." ::blank stare:: Well, maybe I don't say that, but maybe I do... anyways, Magic was in the house tonight.

Birds of a Feather attacks! Like an A-10 Thunderbolt, it blitzes the crowd like it would a Russian tank - with ferocity and tempo equals parts unexpected and devastating.
[Spoiler]
Holy moly what a smokin hot Birds. If one song wasn't enough to convince you how hot this show was going to be, surely the 12-year bustout of Destiny Unbound sealed the deal. It did. Damn. Wow. 2 songs into the set and we have the makings of The Show. A spunky funky little jam in Destiny unleashes, I am certain, the most controversial dance moves of the entire tour. What a start! An impeccably placed and played Horn follows up and we know, when Trey hits note after note, that Phish was locked in. For real. This was IT. Now here is when things gets real fun. 2.14 and 2.22 and 2.28. THE Bathtub Gins. 2.28 is masterpiece. A piece of music so interwoven, so fluid, so bouncy, so peppy, so focused, so Magical. Swish. I could write about each second of this song, from its immediate break from Gin proper into a peppy groove, to its sashaying into this swanky groove, to its build into some amazing Trey trilling, to its breakdown into some deep Mike grooves... it just has it all. It really does. And that breakdown at the very end where Trey goes up the scales, Fish is riding the cymbal, and Mike goes down the scale, THAT is what dreams are made of. Oh and hey, we aren't even half way through set 1. A perfectly placed Sleep comes next, and is just that, perfect. Back on the Train. Not just any Train. This is a locomotive made of volcanoes and hurricanes. This is a freighliner made of thunder and TNT. This Back on the Train features the most consistent, mind blowing, jaw dropping, tension-and-release, build after build after build. Good GOD, Lemon! Let's take a break to change our pants ok? Ok. Ok pants changed. Thanks Bouncing. Oh... oh you just changed your pants, well, this Walls of the Cave has something to say about that. My favorite Walls of the Tour (with 12.31.02 being a close second and 2.14.03 being a suuuuper close third), this one doesn't venture into deep space, no, it just slays us right where we are standing. Seismic, incendiary, crushing. This Walls blows the roof off, no wait, the roofs has already been blown off... hmmm... leaves an impact crater the likes of which most certainly made Chicxulub jealous. What a set!!!

So, after that set, I mean... they can't do much else to top it, right? Right. If you are nodding along, "Yeah Funky, you're right" I would slap you across your face. Then apologize, but would add that you deserved it. There is music that is played in whatever you want Heaven to be. This is the music, specifically from the 10-minute mark onward. The tone, the feel, the passion, the soul... this is uncharted territory for Phish, at least to my ears. Through all of the eras, not limited to Tweezer, I have never heard a jam reach the peaks and spirituality of this Tweezer. It is truly divine. It speaks to other levels of being. Other levels of living. Of feeling. It is remarkable. It is beautiful. It is inspiring. Wow. Just... wow. Oh hey, let's dust off another decade (ish) worth of material and have a -> Soul Shakedown. My god Phish (specifically Mike)! I mean, all you had to do was ASK us to bring a box of condoms. Sheesh. Soooo filthy. Mike lays the wood in this Bob Marley cover, and man, does he ever bring it. If you had a child born in November/December 2003, there is a 100% likelihood Mike "Gacktoilder" Gordon is the father. Just saying, kid's gonna have great musical genes. So dirty this 8_ minute groove train is, and then you add the Sagan-esq space -> to Bowie, and man, sign me up for the next Voyager mission. This Bowie, like all the Bowies this tour, features a crazy spiraling intro. A lockstep burst into the song proper gives way to a pulsing, swirling, bobbing jam that gnarls and bares its teeth. Strong, fierce playing encapsulate this 18 minutes masterpiece. Like a yard dog protecting his territory, this Bowie circles and eyes you down, mano y mano, and comes out on top. Man, what a beast of a Bowie. A dreamy Round Room settles our nerves and, again, following the pattern of brilliance, finds a PERFECT placement late in what is already an all-time show. Swimming the melodies, this Round Room, for me at least, tops the Vegas one despite being 5 minutes shorter. Time isn't always the best indicator of quality, remember that. Next up. Harry Hood. Let me say this, or rather picture it:
[Spoiler]
That is this Hood. Pure explosion. Pure fire. From the depths of Phish's souls, this version erupts through their instruments. Peak after peak after peak of red hot, soul scorching music. I have no problem saying this is my favorite Hood to listen to. Yup. My favorite. Does it mean it's the best? Who knows. But it is, without a doubt, my favorite. What a way to end the show. Oh did I say end? I mean a THREE SONG ENCORE. Contact, Mexican Cousin, and Tweezer Mother Funking Reprise!!!

:: passes out ::

Must-hear jams: My advice to you, each and every one of you, listen to this show start-to-finish and behold Phish playing at their highest level imaginable. It's really incredible. What a show.