while i think this show failed to "top" the first night, it is still a full on can't miss show. there are some serious highlights here, especially in the second set.

as for the first set, the wedge serves as a nice opener. it was still a pretty rare treat back in '97, and this one is very well played. beauty of my dreams and dog stole things worked very well following the wedge. then they shifted gears a bit, playing a pretty solid take of vultures. this song really sounded good on the '97 summer tour, and by the end of the tour, it had really taken off. water in the sky was pretty straight forward, and then, maze gave the band their first chance to really take off. as always, trey and page bounced off each other beautifully, and it seemed they were ready to kick the intensity up a notch. batr was straight forward. tweezer provided another chance for the band to improvise a bit. they explored some nice funky realms, but this one never quite caught fire. good version for the first set though. taste had some nimble trey/page exchanges before going with a carolina set closer. the first set was solid, but not out of this world.

the second set, on the other hand, was out of this world. dwd immediately takes off into the nether regions. they start off working a more rocking jam, but they eventually started to hit that funk/space realm that they were so well-known for in '97. this was a beautiful jam, and it eventually falls right into a lovely bathtub gin. this one stretches out even more so than the dwd that preceded it. fish and gordo controlled the tempo masterfully and trey and page put some beautiful licks on top of them. eventually, they find themselves in a pretty snappy jam that quickly turns over into a super fun uncle penn. after all this space funk jamming, they find themselves in uncle penn of all things. after that, they get back in the explorative funk mode. this 2001 is one of my top 5 favorites. they really have a very loose/free feel throughout this song/jam. eventually, they found themselves in an "art jam" which is pretty solid, but from what i hear, the tapes don't do it justice. then, they drop into a very focused and deep harry hood. of course, this features the first glow stick war, as kuroda cuts the lights. phish loved it; little did they know, they would be getting pelted with those damn things for the next couple of years. i wonder if they regret the glow stick war? either way, this is a killer hood.

the jam factor is turned down a notch in set 3, but this one is still a sure fire winner. buffalo bill is always a welcome set opener and this one works well into a very fun nicu. weigh is another always fun choice and i like the way it pairs up with a very tight guyute. dirt mellows things out a bit, but mule picks things right back up. the mule duel is pretty standard but still a winner. i hate caspian, but the went was so damn good that it is tough to bitch about a caspian closer. although, i would have loved to have seen a better set closer here.

circus seems to be an appropriate encore and tweezer reprise ends the festie on a rowdy note.

the first set here is probably the most unexciting of the went festival, but it is still pretty solid. the second set, on the other hand, is some sure fire must hear phish. it is just one big jam. the third set, while the jam factor is turned down, flows beautifully and has great song selection. plus, all the songs are played beautifully. as for the went, if you don't have it, get both nights. if you are a phish fan, you still don't know how good this band can be if you have not heard the great went. from a musical standpoint, this is easily their best festival.