The (re)View from Section 115

Free: way too fast as usual, but the quick tempo set up the Eminence Front tease nicely. We were there to forget, forget that we were hiding, forget who were think we are or who we are supposed to be in our daily lives.

Harry Hood: It's never too early in the show for glowstick explosions. @MShow96 was the one who had spotted us and waved us down to his seat, so at the appropriate time, I tapped him on the shoulder and said, "Thank you Mr. MShow". Hark The Herald Angels Sing ("Glo-o-o-o-o-o-ria") tease from Trey, which was fitting as we were soon levitating up to dance with angels above the earth.

What's The Use?: Clouds were still hanging in the sky, glowing pink with the last rays of the sunset and the urban lights of Denver. When the band begins the second melodic theme ultra-quietly, and then builds it up, it propelled us even higher into the sky, up in the clouds, carefree.

Blaze On: a good time to heat things up as the temperature had dropped. Probably the weakest song of this set, which proves how strong this set was.

Ghost: I felt a few scattered drops of precipitation during this one. We were standing (or more precisely, grooving) in the wind and rain, hoping for Phish to look, but they would keep us waiting - or were they waiting for us?

Crosseyed & Painless: The segue was well executed, and I was pleased that the band ratcheted down the tempo for this one - maybe even slower than 8/13/97 Star Lake? I took the opportunity to use the facilities during this one, because I knew there would be no lines, and because it afforded me the opportunity to cheer up others in the Men's room by singing, "Still urinating".

Simple: another pleasant segue. At this point I started getting worried about the band throwing down three of their most reliable jam vehicles in a row, along with the surprise Hood earlier. I decided that this was the band challenging themselves a la Baker's Dozen, getting the obvious tunes out of the way in order to dig deeper into their repertoire over the next two nights. We shall see…

Cavern: a satisfactory landing from the mass levitation during the Simple jam, adding punctuation to a surprisingly open-ended first set sequence.

setbreak: @missblue75 and I were wearing disco ball necklaces to the show, courtesy of @CavalierGirl; during set break we presented these necklaces to esteemed guests @DreamComeTrue and @hepkat, informing them that they were "even more Fam" now by wearing them.

No Men In No Man's Land: I was slightly surprised to have called this set opener during set break, but who could be disappointed by the band leading off with their recent and most reliable jam vehicle? 20,000 phans were floating in the air once again with elation.

Carini: And with that mighty riff, the band had played all five songs they had played during Night 1 Set 2 last year at Dick's. Schrödinger's cat floated above his box, looked at me and said, "Deja Vu much?", and was gone before I could respond. @SkyTrainWand had appeared next to me at the start of this set, and the people all were screaming when they saw the Monk. But it may have been just my voice that was screaming...

Theme From The Bottom: the eighth tune repeated from Night 1 last year. I was seriously doubting my own presence in the venue, believing that I was observing the band omnisciently, while they were simultaneously observing my dancing, writhing body omnisciently, while still playing this wonderful song. I texted @EvenCarlSagan, who I knew was watching the webcast from home, to ask him for confirmation that this show was actually happening as I was witnessing it. He didn't respond until after the show was over, which answered my question anyway.

Mercury: This was too much for some people, and I saw many who had been levitating were now returning to seats on the aluminum alloy bleachers. Pacing is important, whether listening, creating, aerobicizing, or orbiting the earth. I followed the many sections of this song, directing my attention to the odd rhythms and the flowing, swooping lights.

Light: At this point, I was near hysterics. *Another* huge jam? Was this really happening, or wasn't it? Does Phish even play shows like this anymore? I was utterly lost mentally during this jam, absorbed by the sights and sounds, taken far away. What did I believe was true, anyway? I was only certain that when Phish ended the song, bowed, and left the stage, I only wanted to hear more.

Martian Monster: My trip is short? Yeah, I wish! The breakdown duet between Trey and Mike was great, but it was Fishman who brought everyone back to the main riff afterwards. He may have slipped up on the MalletKat during Mercury, but from his drum throne he ruled his domain throughout.

Julius: We ought to be present and aware of your surroundings, even when they don't appear to be real. It's a stretch, but that was my takeaway from last night, anyway.