Living in LA and working full time, this was the first show I've been able to make so far this year (though I will be at Dick's and MSG later on!). The venue was amazing, including the best outdoor acoustics I've yet witnessed (I could hear Fish whispering during Moma clear as day) and the light show that the dome offered was unique and spectacular. It was a nice flare to see the Hollywood sign not far off in the distance.
Page in particular was very talkative during the show, which we all know doesn't happen every day. It was great hearing him express his gratitude and excitement over the community (phamily) that everyone reading this post is surely apart of. His enthusiastic singing during Lawn Boy made us all happy.
I finally got to see my first live Wolfman's Brother, which was a major highlight of the first set. The most memorable first set instance, however, was (without a doubt) seeing the entire band on the drum kit during Mule. As hilariously awesome as that thought is, it must be noted how incredible that section of the song sounded. It wasn't just a gimmick. Mike held his bass up and fretted notes flawlessly while Fish played it with mallets. Meanwhile, Page took up some sticks and laid a track of tom tom hits as Trey reached over the front and played ride cymbal. Another exciting factor that made this show a special one.
Set Two was at par for the first three songs, until a slower yet awesomely funkadelic Sand kicked in that is a must hear for this show. My Friend was also so well played that everyone around me was floored, so check that out too if you want a real darkly intense experience.
I see there are mixed reviews about the "HollyHood" so far. In my opinion, this Hood was by far the highlight of the entire show. At 22:33 minutes, Phish allowed plenty of time to explore some new funky routes that we rarely hear from a Hood jam. Some people complain that the jam switched direction too much. I wholeheartedly disagree. Trey was hellbent to take Hood to new territories, and he succeeded. Listen to it for yourself and keep an open mind, as we phans should all be experts at. Nothing brilliant doesn't get mixed reviews.
All in all, the show was well worth attending. It's so great to see Phish back in LA. Please come back every year!!