My wife and I watched the livestream over at Over Yonder Brewing in Golden, Colorado. She had a breast cancer diagnosis 2 weeks ago. Her surgery is this Wednesday. We needed a diversion tonight and she knows how much I’m into the band.

Truth-told, she’s really not a big fan of Phish’s music. Most of the ‘likes’ on the My Wife Hates Phish Instagram account are from her. But she finds the whole Phish scene to be hysterical, in the most loving way possible.

Our first Dick’s show (SSSSSsssssss) was a few months after we started dating. We’ve spent many nights together at Dick’s since then - during courtship, and in the years after our wedding.

She knows at most 10 Phish songs. But she dresses up to the nines for every show. And she always RULES the floor. PhishChicks crowd around her, chat her up, want to dance with her. Boy, Man, God Shit - do I ever get jealous.

Did I mention that she’s from North Dakota? Whenever they play Nellie Kane, I burst. I’m the luckiest Phuck ever.

Tonight, she drank the Fast Enough for You Lager. Me, the Waiting in the Baltic Sea saison. This is Colorado, we’re pretty good at Phish.

The best first set of the run. Me: mansplaining of the songs to her, like us Phish-men tend to do. She: making me feel like this was the coolest place and the best night, and that I was the smartest Phish guy ever. Everything’s Right so Just Hold Tight.

Every song sounded so good. Highlights -- her recognition of the Gin riff, her laughing at my syrupy slow theatrical dancing during What’s the Use, guffaws at the Trey face, that dude across the room who can’t dance, that new Trey face.

(Aside: man, the tempo of that Gin jam!)

It all hit home on another level during Number Line. I provided (in 30 seconds) the background story of Trey’s drug dependency, his downfall, the band’s break-up, his rehab, Tom’s outreach, the overall significance of the song. While I droned, the band built. The joy on Trey’s face kept expanding. Our faces too, knowing one of our kids is one year drug free. The only rule is it begins…

We dug the nautical nonsense of Set III. It was such a treat to be able to spend a night like this. Those of you there in the room were sure lucky, though not as fortunate as me.