Phish's first appearance at Deer Creek was a good indicator of the love affair that would blossom over the next 15 years. In a summer that found Phish dropping monster psychedelic on a near nightly basis, Deer Creek would get a small taste of that in a memorable Simple>Bowie that opened set two. While the Simple was really just a springboard to Bowie, it still brought some high energy to a very young and growing fanbase. The Bowie itself stretched past 20mins, and was largely a search through the cosmos, sometimes briefly touching the stars, other times ready to be sucked into a black hole. Summer '95 Phish though was all about the journey, and this Bowie is a fine example of the headspace the band was in during this era. After that, the set was fun, bringing the crowd back into the fold with good runs through Mango, Loving Cup and Sparkle. A noteworthy YEM as they hit some nice space early on, stretching it out more than normal in the beginning section. A real second highlight of set II.
First set has a Reba that cannot be overlooked. The band locks in a euphoric groove midway through, which brings the climax to a special place. Still to this day one of the most underrated Reba's out there. Overall, this show had all the elements that make a great Phish, song selection, deep jamming, and some quirkiness.