I wrote out and deleted three different drafts of this review before settling on this one - it's almost like Phish's version of Last Year at Marienbad or Gravity's Rainbow, in that it defies any sort of reasoned critique in a way that I'm not sure any other legendary show does. I mean, if you step back and look at it from a (relatively) objective standpoint, it's a show that's constructed much more like a 92-93 show in its setlist and doesn't get anywhere as knotty and insanely deep as you'd expect from a 1994 show (compare to 7/16, or anything in the fall, or the Bangor/Bozeman/Bomb Factory/Big Birch Tweezerfests), is inextricably tied to a historical event that could age the show in a way other shows aren't, and (much like 7/21/13 II, which I don't think *anyone* likes nearly as much as this show) boasts a Harpua as its longest jam. You might see a show like this and think to yourself "yeah, they played about 15-20 shows like this in the early '90s", and then move on.

And yet here I am, talking about a show that's probably more beloved than any of the Tweezerfests I mentioned, a show sporting one of the healthiest ratings on .net, and a show that people still talk about fondly to this day. When people talk about 1994 as one of Phish's great years, they are most assuredly including this show in that opinion. It's a classic show, it always has been, and it always will be.

The main reason for this? It's so damn *fun*. I mean, it's one thing to read the reviews about how upbeat and energetic this show is, but it's another thing to *hear* the show, the snarky OJ references already populating the 2001, the wild first draft of Simple that leaks into IAH, and the melodic firepower of both Mike's and Weekapaug (to say nothing of the Gamehendge-inflected Harpua), and be amazed at how much power the band put into their performances back then, before they properly harnessed it in 1995 and then dispersed it in new and exciting ways in 1997. There's still a lot of early 90s in this show (particularly Gamehendge), but with even more skill and ability than even a year ago, as the band were continuing to mature on stage. Once you get past the OJ stuff, that's what really remains - a band having as much fun as they ever had on stage, while showing just how far they'd come in such a short period of time. I'd say that makes this show worthy of its reputation.

Also, try not to laugh at "Run, OJ, run!"

The first set is fine mid-'94 stuff, sure, but every Phish fan needs to hear the second set, which peaks with an extraordinary Mike's, embryonic Simple, gorgeous H2, and manic energy powering every note. The O.J. hijinks are priceless. 'WILL HE MAKE IT?!' Weird that such a dark event prompted such a ecstatic night of music, but that's Phish for you: before 1997ish they were a relentlessly *sunny* band, as this show demonstrates. Give it a listen; grab 6/22/94 for dessert!

PHISH witnessed fans in the first several rows dropping like flies from heat exhaustion during the craziness of set II. Mostly girls. One of them to drop was my friend's girlfriend. I mean literally just dropped to the ground and TREY kept jamming. I don't know how PHISH coped with the heat that night and witnessing their own fans face down dropping. I assume PHISH had AC blowing at them somehow? How did they cope with the heat? If it was 107 at Deercreek 6/28/12, it must have been 117 the night of 6/17/94. To say it was like an oven would be an understatement. But here is the catch, no matter how hot it got in there that night, PHISH was hotter. I was front row. The energy they were putting out was one word - one word - SUPERNATURAL HEAT! I was awe inspired then just as I am now listening back to the SBD. Electric. Inspired. Excited. Determined. Mindbending. That is how I would describe them on stage that night - just raging and laughing ear to ear at Eagles Ballroom. It's not a big room Eagles Ballroom. Think of a big ballroom. Capacity is 1,500 in there. I think there were easily 1,700. A hot summer night in Milwaukee made hotter by The Phish packed and sweaty and the legendary OJ Simpson and his nasty deadly behavior. Frankenstein is right! Magical is PHISH. Harpua!

More than just a "Fun" show.

This show is solid from front to back.

The first set is less "fun" and more just solid 1994 Phish. The Jim that opens the show is Breathtakingly amazing. Melt is played flawlessly. There is excellent playing and especially harmonies in "If I could". Even typical first set songs from this period are above average like Foam and Scent of A Mule. Just an all around great set.

Set 2 is more of the fun sort. But still it weaves seamlessly. Sample has a ripping solo. Mike's is fun and exceptionally played even with all the craziness ahead. The segue into Simple is fantastic and it's a great version. I absolutely love the weird I am Hydrogen/Simple mashup. What song is it really? Can't say for sure. Harpua has one of my favorite stories ever. Julius has some extra mustard on it more than usual.

The only "Average" part of this show is the encore. You get a very typical and average Sleeping Monkey > Rocky Top. But it doesn't take anything away from this exceptionally played show.

This is by far one of the best Fun/Well Played shows I've heard.

Simply put, this is one of the most fun filled Phish shows out there. Don't pass up the first set as it contains a great SOAMelt and cacophonous Bathtub Gin. The real meat is in the second set, and while the O.J. stuff is funny, the funniest stuff to me is in Trey's narration during this extra long Harpua, which features a Hendrix jam. He just really lays the whole story out and is clearly having a great time just talking to the crowd. The song part of Harpua is particularly menacing to boot. The Mike's Groove is totally crazed and features Simple weaving it's way in and out, even during Hydrogen. None of the jams get super far out there, but the boys don't let up and deliver a set for the ages. Set II is available in soundboard and sounds fantastic. Fantastic all around really.

This was probably my favorite show ever. After sneaking in and spending about 90 minutes hiding in a stairwell before sneaking through a set of double doors to get into the venue, this was a show I will never ever forget!!!!
From the completely random OJ references (which nobody in the audience knew what was going on at the time), to the great set list and encore, to the condensation pouring down from the ceilings in the restroom during intermission. This was truly an awesome show.

I'm glad this show has gotten the archival-release treatment. I remember trading for this show early on in my phandom, and enjoying it quite a bit more then than I do now. It may just be my state of mind, or perhaps at 17 years and a week after my first show, I'm approaching "jaded oldbie" status. The manic energy on display is interesting, but I'm a little bit too old to really be able to get inside like I might once have. And I've always been more of a listener and music appreciator than just an out-and-out fanatic about Phish--which is not to say that I don't like machine-gun Trey ('cause I do!), or that seguefests aren't fun for me (check out 7/27/14 for a more recent one that really satisfies my musical ear.) I just think that sometimes the experimental, risk-taking nature of Phish led them to entertain themselves at the possible expense of kind of, I don't know, dumbfounding the audience? While not deliberately excluding them from the fun, in retrospect things like the Secret Language signals and things like that don't strike me so much as impressive tools for expression, as much as they strike me as deliberate gimmickry that seems designed both to invigorate the show experience but also to perpetrate a sort of juvenile pranksterish vibe that I'm growing to view with distaste. There's great music here, no doubt--though I think something's off with the LP SBD mix, maybe too much crowd noise--and I will probably listen to this show again just because Phish will always have a place in my soul, but this snapshot of the band from Summer '94 showcases a side of them that cropped up often enough that most times I'd rather listen to a sincere attempt at group-mind improvisation in shows with long jams and/or segued sets--yes, Fall '97, I'm looking at you--wherein the emphasis is upon some novel emotional thrill or resonance that seems obscured by quasi-adolescent piss and vinegar here. As @Icculus would say, "2 cents."

My 1st show. It was so hot in this little venue, two of my five friends passed out from heat exhaustion.
I must have been taking care of one of them during the second set- I did not see the big ball jam.

Oh yeah- why are these guys talking about OJ?
LOL!
Fun stuff.

A show I love more for its novelty than any groundbreaking musicianship, though there's plenty of that as well. Runaway Jim ends up being an appropriate opener and, though no low-hanging "Runaway Juice" jokes transpire, absolutely rips. Foam likewise stacks up well against some other powerhouse versions from '93-'95, flaunting expert control over the dynamic spectrum and growing from silence to booming peak with a deft hand. The Melt in this show could be a bit disappointing if you're looking for some inventive jamming as has been customary in contemporary jam chart editions; but if you instead appreciate a droning, ever-ascending approach to cacophonous doom, you'll find no dearth of greatness here. A sweet If I Could and (maybe not the cleanest) PYITE then precede a short, but jammed Gin. Gin jam begins very playfully, with Mike, Page, and Trey all landing on melodies reminiscent of a schoolyard rhyme. Some rhythmic variance ends up giving way to a purely Type I jam which dies down on the tune's main melody nicely. A tight Mule and Cavern wrap up Set 1 quite nicely.

Set 2 bares a heavy load earning this show the beloved status it enjoys today. Right off the bat, the OJ motif is clear, and every member of the band eats it up. Between the goofy allusions, though, there's plenty to love about this killer Mike's Groove. Working the early-state Simple into Mike's Song helps keep up a momentous energy that feels unstoppable. As the band quickly dips back into Mike's Song, Fishman's fills crush. Just as you expect H2, you're fooled with a calm and subdued Simple reprise before receiving the expected Groove close. Really awesome segment here. Next up is one of the best Harpua's (musically and narratively) I've ever heard--the band is really on top of this one. Although it's paired with perhaps the most deadpan Kung in history, both the pre- and post-Jimmy segments are incredibly spirited in playing. I found the Sparkle and BBJ choices a bit underwhelming considering the set thus far, but Julius and a slamming Frankenstein save the day with shred power. Love the Sleeping Monkey and Rocky Top pairing in the encore, as well.

Honestly, N00B100 gave a stellar review of this show and you should read that before this. What I have to say will be limited (but nonetheless, I will say something mostly because I am trying to go through all Phish shows and leave a review). From a superficial viewpoint, one where the context of the OJ Bronco chase was removed, this show is great but I prefer a '94 show with a raging Tweezerfest (e.g., Bomb Factory show in Dallas). The Bronco Chase and OJ antics are what really push this show into the territory of legend. The band has so much fun referencing it throughout, and there is a frenetic energy in the playing that weaves throughout the entire 2nd set that leaps out at you from the mere recording of the show. Highlights:

1) Split open & melt: I love a good SOAM and they were serving them up with hot steaming piles of dissonance back in '94. Classic version that gets toward the outer edges during its brief jam
2) If I could: Beautiful take on a beautiful song. Majestic, soaring... just how its meant to be played
3) 2001: So begins the OJ madness. Its hard to break down this second set because it all kind of weaves together. The 2001 is just the initiation of take-off
4)*Mike's->Simple->Mike's*: Undoubtedly the highlight of this mythical set, the Mission Impossible teases, taunts of OJ, and the skillfulness of the segues all make this an ooey gooey tasty sandwich song pairing

Honorable mentions:
-The simple tease in hydrogen is delightful and part of the unexpected "anything could happen" vibe of this show
-The weekpaug is clearly a victim of the pent up energy from the songs preceding it, getting lots of Bronco juice (Trey's soloing is spot on!)
-Voodoo Chile whole band tease during Harpua FTMFW!
-The closing Julius and Frankenstein are blistering hot rock n' roll ragers. What a way to close the set out.

I remember this day vividly as an Angeleno. I was not in attendance for it would be another three long years before I knew where my source of joy in life was from. (it was p***y but I heard phish for the first time that same fateful year of our Lord 1997. The OJ show has TREMENDOUS replay value. It's quintessential MUST LISTEN peak year prime phucking time phish! Don't sleep on this show. Never. Ever.