Tonight, we have a special night from Spring ‘91. A defining year in Phish history; it was a period of great musical exploration, combining latin rock with classic jazz, an excellent time for their music. The setlist looks great on paper, and the sound quality is pretty great for the time period.

The Curtain is one of, if not the best 1st set opener. I always use this one to pump myself up for any show. The lyrics are just perfect. This version is a little sloppy (I mean sloppy in the best way possible), but this is a defining trait of this show as a whole; a lot of it is very free-form, leaving you with a very strange experience > A smooth transition into a standard Wilson. Lots of energy, Trey seems really excited > a fairly freeform Divided Sky, Trey nails the peak. This Melt is extremely chaotic, mostly due to Trey’s weird poly-rhythms; he’s intentionally playing the notes at the wrong times, which leads to a very confusing, hectic jam. Very fun. Fee is very standard, but picks up at the end, and goes into -> a strange Buried Alive, Trey does some weird jamming throughout. Still, very fun. Mango Song is extremely jazzy, but otherwise standard. Page has a lot of fun in the ending segment. We cut to Sloth, which has a little extra mustard than usual. Next, we have a weird Dinner and a Movie, which also has a lot more mustard than usual. Magilla is jazz at its’ finest; everyones’ solos are amazing, especially Fish’s, Buddy Rich-type stuff. Llama is a punch to the gut, just a lot of energy and power in this one. Fish goes absolutely crazy. Perfect set closer.

Bowie starts off with a dissonant, unsettling intro with a cool Sound of Silence tease from Trey. This Bowie is akin to lightning in a bottle; not figuratively in the sense that it’s a guaranteed hit, but in the sense that it feels like they are trying to contain their power in the jam, but are ultimately unable to control their energy, which leads to an unusual jam for Bowie. At one point, there’s a full stop, but then it jumps right back into the action. Unexpected and awesome. They try out some new stuff with this one, and it makes for a very unique version. Check this one out, for sure. Bathtub Gin is standard, but has a cool, creepy outro. Mike is really good here. Ya Mar is great. Mike does some cool stuff in the intro, and Fish ROCKS the cowbell during/after the second verse. A cool Happy Birthday tease by Trey after the third verse; I just really like this whole solo. This is a short, but fun version. This baby version of Guelah Papyrus is standard, but very well played. My Sweet One is fun > a solid version of Oh Kee Pah, I love Fish and Mike in this one > a very hyped up Bag. There’s some excellent interplay between Trey and Mike, and many full stop-go moments. The band never gives you time to catch up, they’re always two steps ahead. This one’s pretty short, but oh-so good. Mike starts up Hood with some Earth-shattering playing, and continues to be the main source of power throughout the first half. But soon Trey takes over at the jam, and starts the section with a lot of energy, adding more rhythm in his playing than usual. The jam is very energetic overall, and takes no time getting to the meat. This is an extremely cheerful Hood overall. Let’s Go keeps up with this tour’s gag > a surprisingly strong Terrapin. Fish’s solo is great, and he even sings the entire third verse through his new vacuum, making for a strange, noteworthy version. Trey acts quite violent towards the drum kit all-throughout > wrapping up with Let’s Go. Chalkdust is standard, but very angry. Great way to close a set.

This faux encore begins with Trey sharing some words about his excitement, specifically about Fish’s new vacuum, and some kind sentiments toward the Phish crew. Fish then starts up one of the greatest jazz tunes ever created, Caravan. The band all jump in, and what entails is a jam that Dizzy himself would compliment. Everyone has their time to control the jam, and the interplay between each member is simply stunning. It’s gritty, but sophisticated. Structured, but free-form. I love this one a lot > an ultra-demonic BBFCFM. Mike sounds like he finally snapped, and he takes out all his rage on the audience. Fish plays the voice of reason, and tries to get everyone to be silent, but is shut down by Mike’s unadulterated fury. Spectacular.

Mike remains in control in the real encore, which begins with a pleasant and excellently played Contact. Golgi is standard, but a perfectly suitable way to end an encore.

This show is just wild. Some very, very weird jamming all-throughout. One might would call this one a veteran show, as it would scare off any newcomer trying to get into the band. Check out the Bowie, Bag, Hood, and Caravan > BBFCFM. Listen to this one under extreme caution. Great stuff.