OAK MOUNTAIN AMPHITHEATRE
Pelham, AL

SET 1: Wolfman's Brother: Crowd is super pumped before the start of this. Composed section is really snapping and popping, Mike sounds GREAT. Big ol’ loop at 9:15. Solid jam, nothing that will knock your socks off with historic respect regarding this song – but what a way to get this show underway!

Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley[1] – Not played since Oswego, 26 show gap. Nice, funky little jam but this doesn’t really merit being on jamcharts, right?

Tube: Pretty much any version from 99 is bound to impress. This one is no different.

Ginseng Sullivan: Standard >

Roggae: Mike dropping big bombs!

Maze: Smokes! Must have left many craters.

Wading in the Velvet Sea: Perfect placement and played perfectly, would re-listen for sure – this one has something extra.

Harry Hood: Unbelievable version. I hold this version in high regard. Great version regardless of ANY era. To close a first set is extra special. Trey gushes about how much they love the venue. ‘Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do.’

SET 2: Farmhouse: Has that extra something, played with a lot of heart and emotion. Great opener!

Heavy Things: Standard.

First Tube: Energy is through the roof at this point. Fans are frothing at the mouth, and then…

Tweezer: Fans are rewarded! Just the third of four Tweezer’s played on the entire tour. Sick loops employed to kick the jam, multiple layers. Headspace!!!! Trey and Mike team up in the 8- and 9-minute range to perfection, playing off one another. Just incredible. Trey is lead in the latter 9-minute range. I LOVE how the loops remain constant through the jam, always present and adding an extra edge. Trey lays back in the 11.5-minute range, deferring to Page. But a theme is discovered largely by Trey in the early 12’s. 13 even Trey breaks everyone out of this loudly and the fans love it, but this is brief, and they delve back into that theme. The fans are son engaged that a Chicago style clap along comes about around 14:50, and the band completely follows the fans, so awesome!!!!!!! >

Makisupa Policeman: Huge ovation once Makisupa is realized Key word schwaaaaaag There are so many cool effects going on in this one, for me; it is difficult to tell who is doing what. I love that! Trey on mini keyboard at 5:13 but only briefly. This jam is lengthy and awesome. Great pick for Live Bait volume 19.

Chalk Dust Torture: What a jolt to the system coming out of that mellow Makisupa jam. They are briefly out of sync in the early going, but only briefly. Fans going off throughout – this show has SOOOO much energy. Little sloppy towards the end, but it is all about the ENERGY.

You Enjoy Myself: Wow. Could not be a better set closer. Absolute perfection. Nirvana section is sublime and patient. 5 minute mark Page and Trey get pretty crossed up but just briefly. The funk jam that breaks out here is to die for. Imagine fans were just getting down so hard to this. At 17 minutes they go for the vocal jam.

ENCORE: Halley's Comet: Sloppy, Trey struggles a good bit >

Tweezer Reprise: Ripped!

Second set summary. Wow, just wow. This show is one I will hold near and dear as long as I can breathe yet did not attend. From the opener to the closer, the band recognizes energy and returns it in spades. Beautiful night in Alabama. It’s cool how Phish can light crowds on fire outside of their traditional strongholds and this show is a perfect example. Fantastic set and show. Would rate this higher than I know most would: 4.5 out of 5. Fight me!

[1] No vocal jam.

The YEM vocal jam included Sweet Home Alabama quotes.