This was my first show, which would be followed by the next night (6/24/00.) I had been listening to Phish since 1998 but I wasn't interested enough by 1999 to go to Lakewood for that Independence-Day Weekend double-header. Kicking myself. Great Ghost -> Slave from the 4th.

Ya Mar was a nice breezy opener, quintessentially summer, and it really wasn't that hot out by the time Phish started playing. My Soul has a Lady With a Fan tease by Trey before the lyrics start. Some people in my crew's section groaned when Heavy Things started up. I really liked Farmhouse at the time and still do, including that song so whatevs. Back on the Train was the one song I really wanted to hear from the new album, but my first Bowie was excellent. I didn't know Talking Heads outside of Burning Down the House then, so I didn't catch the Crosseyed tease. Cars Trucks Buses was welcome, but Farmhouse was IMO a weak way to close the set.

Rock and Roll was awesome. Someone had brought all these boxes full of glowrings and was throwing them 100 or so at a time in time with the peaks of the jam. Not a lot of my favorite songs were in this set, but looking back now an unfinished DWD was at least unusual. I had seen a guy with a lot Makisupa Policeman shirt on at the Amoco before the show so I was grinning when Makisupa started up. Don't remember much about the encore, but in contrast to most of the second set, Possum is one of my favorites so I was happy leaving the venue after 3 or so hours of my new favorite band hitting some killer highs with virtually no lows. I think this is a very "even" show, with no noticeable dip in energy throughout. That may have been due to my state of mind at the time, aided as it was by party favors, but relistening to this and the next night right now makes me regret missing Alpharetta this year because of that storm (and the webcast rips I got skipped.)

I said in my review for the next night's show that I might not ever see Phish again, but I am personally quite satisfied with not being there in person, especially since every single show is available in HQ an hour after the encore. I love Phish, "Don't Get Me Wrong," but with 135 GB of legally acquired Phish SBDs I can honestly say that I'm probably the only jaded vet you'll ever meet whose stats consist of 2 shows. Maybe it's me, maybe it really is the scene is not what it used to be, but I will always follow Phish, in my own way.