It's fall '97, we know what we're getting; the cream of the crop, intensity in ten cities, a little bit of all right. Every show in this tour is pure gold, as most phans know, and these Hampton shows might just be the best representation of this era.

Emotional Rescue is a great Stones song, and an even better Phish song. I've listened to this Rescue too many times, and a long time before I ever even checked out the full show. Gordo is peak here, completely carrying the song and the following jam. Page also rages in the second half of the jam. It doesn't take long for us to get to the funk, which soon evolves into a patient, space-y jam; and, like always, when Mike starts throwing in his weird effects, the band knows it's time to move on > a hot, scary Split Open and Melt, once again led by our dearest Gordo and Leo. Beauty of My Dreams is standard, but a nice cool down. Dogs Stole Things is always fun, really. I'll never complain if it shows up in a setlist, and this version in particular is a highlight. BEST PUNCH EVER?? This was actually the first version of this song that I ever heard (a few years ago, of course) and it blew my mind. Trey and Page dominate this one, especially during the intro and the Landlady section. All-time punch here, truly. Scary outro -> hysterical Lawn Boy. I'm a big fan of the drum solo. Phish is jazz after all! > A non-stop fireball of sound, this Chalkdust doesn’t give you time to rest > A beautiful, if not standard Prince Caspian. I’ve never agreed with finishing a set with this one, but it was very effective after that raging Chalkdust. Some cool effects echo as the song fades into silence, waiting to emerge at another time. That’s the thing about Caspian, it doesn’t just start or end, but instead fades in and out of our perception, leaving for another adventure on the seas. We will meet again, Caspian.

Ghost is amazing; funky as shit, and Gordo shows us some awesome tricks all throughout. I think ‘97 Ghosts are some of the best examples of what Phish can do -> Bag stays in type-1 territory for a while, and even turns into a Punch jam for a minute, but becomes something much more. The jam evolves into so many different sounds; it’s rock, it’s funky, it’s ambient, it has a little something for everyone. I really like this one. Maybe not as good as Coventry Bag, but very close. The end gets very slow and thoughtful, with Fish carrying the groove excellently, and everyone following with whatever sounds they have available, Trey and Page in particular. This jam is very akin to waves (not the song, the property of the ocean), in that it fluctuates from fast to slow seamlessly as the jam continues. It slows down for the final time, and we stay on the A to G progression, and you know what that means! -> Slave! A very pretty version, too. Everyone chips in here; Fish’s percussion rinse, Page’s raw piano tones, Mike’s bouncy reggae melodies, and Trey’s emotional guitar licks, it all adds up to a beautiful, patient conclusion. Patient is the perfect word to describe it; they don’t jump right ahead to the peaks and ride them, you have to put in the time and experience the ride to the top of the mountain with the band. It makes for a much more satisfying ending. Then we get our second Stones song of the night, Loving Cup, which is a unbeatable ending to a set. The song is both energetic and retrospective, which is exactly how a show should end.

A perfectly executed Guyute for an encore, which is a great choice. It has a lot of different elements, as all the best Phish songs do, which is a great way to remember the show as a whole. Plus, it has one of the best peaks/endings to any Phish song, or show, for that matter.

One of the best shows, nothing more to say, really. Listen to both Hampton shows if you want to better yourself.