[Originally posted on Mon, 20 Dec 1999]

Maybe it was just the super-dank gooball I had eaten in the lot, but this show was freakin NUTS!

We got to our seats in Denver, well, maybe it just felt like Denver 'cause we were a mile high. We're talking three rows TOTAL behind us to the wall. Somehow though, the view was still pretty good. As the lights went down, they took the stage and I grabbed my pen ready for a wacky cover or a bustout. But instead, Hood. Now see here, I love Hood. I think it rivals YEM for the quintessential Phish song. But I've seen it so many times and it's so predictably climactic everytime (So is Antelope, 2001, Bowie, and every other long Phish song, but who's complaining?). And the fact is, the "special-ness" of the Hood opener was lost by them having done it in Philly. I must admit, I was let down. But they made up for it. Despite the inevitable and increasingly lame glowstick war, this was a monster Hood. When the hell is Trey going to stop the music and just say "Hey! Fuckers! Cut the shit already! This is a nice calm song and we're really working hard to make it sound incredible. Now sit down and enjoy the music or get the fuck out of here!" But I digress.

Back at the Chicken Shack: I thought it was My Soul at first, and I was pissed. But as I realized what it was and I opened up to the jam I started really feeling it. An excellent rendition. Then came a few chords I didn't pick up right away. Through the feedback, I started hearing Dog Log, but I assured myself that I was inventing songs out of the noise, as I've been known to do. But, sho nuff, I hear that familiar riff and "boom!" Dog Log it is. Sa-weet! Tube followed. Though this is getting to be as common as sunset, but who cares? Doesn't it rock anyways? I thought this version did.....a lot. Then Heavy Things. Pop song, Shmop song. It's awesome. GBOTT: Not my favorite of the new tunes. I liked it better when it was Trey solo. Now it's only okay, imo. But I wasn't upset. First Tube: Yay! Finally this tune that tore me up at 9:30 Club done by Phish. They did not disappoint, what a whopper of a song! Minestrone: I almost cried. Such perfect melody wound with complexity. I really love this beautiful song. YEM:

Why did I leave my review of YEM blank? 'Cause no words will do justice to this fantastic version. It was just that freakin good. The composed part was note-for-note, the jam itself was never flat, the vocal jam was a Kuroda-controlled mindfuck. I won't even attempt to review it. Get the tapes and find out for yourself.

Set two was an "I Could Sleep" set for me. That means if, for some reason, I slept through, and consequently missed, the entire set, the show would still be awesome. When the came out with 2001, I had to sigh. Some things this weekend were just plain predictable. This was one. My buddy had mentioned he was primed for a sweet ASZ, so I was psyched for him to get the song he was looking for. It turned out to be a really good version, with the crowd participation really sealing the deal. Sand, sand, sand....I loved this on the Trey tour, and this was my first Phish attempt. What a great platform for them -- they just launched into superjam mode. I was thrilled. Horse > Silent: Like one of the other reviewers, I was really expecting them to ditch Silent to counterbalance the solo SITM from last week, but this clean version was fantastic anyway. I have to admit, I absolutely adore this song. So.....bubbly. Trips me out pretty bad.

Possum. I think I'm the only Phish fan who doesn't really like Possum too much. I sat through the entire song. Mike's Song: Back on my feet for the final "sure-thing prediction" of the stand. I really dig Mike's. I wish I could say this one was epic, but, in Hampton, expectations are high, and this Mike's only clocks in at "amazingly awesome." The segue into Simple was great for me. I've learned to really appreciate this song as they've learned to really enjoy playing it. I danced right along with everyone. Then came Weekapaug, despite what I thought was a push to move into Hydrogen. I was kinda upset, because I really didn't want the show to end. Now what the setlist doesn't say it how clean the next segue was. I could hear Mike's little "Bum, ba-dum dum" bass line creeping up and I leaned over to my friend Bryan and said something like "I think I hear Buffalo Bill, if they play it, I'm gonna soil myself." Well, I nearly was forced to. The real drum line didn't start until after the lyrics, and I saw Ttrey step up to the mike. We both said, together, "Looking for Owls?" I nearly fainted. Finally, my Buffalo Bill! So incredible! It was short, unfortunately, no BB guitar jam at the end, but the whole band knew exactly when to re-launch Weekapaug, and that smoooooooooth segue is worth so much in my book. What proPHISHionals! As the second Groove wound down, I took a deep breath. Two fantastic encores blew the roof off, a totally bouncy Ya Mar and a rare Let It Be, I mean, Sleeping Monkey. If this was only whetting our appetitaes for Florida, what the hell could be in store for us?!