Tap Dancing & Year End Awards

The sheer length of this year’s ‘Tap Dancing’ piece (the biggest it’s been in years) shows what I get for not doing my normal research back in October. Even though the East had a winning record against the West for the first time this millennium, it bears mentioning that the fourth seed in the East still doesn’t even make the playoffs in the West. On to business…

EAST

I had in…

3. Toronto Raptors (33-49) – Injuries to Chris Bosh, Jose Calderon and Jermaine O’Neal (before he was traded) played a part in Toronto’s awfulness, as did the firing of Coach Sam Mitchell after only 17 games. However none of that adds up to a sufficient excuse for why the Raps were this bad. T-Dot was once again in the bottom third of the league in both defensive field goal percentage and rebound differential. What that tells me since they switched coaches is it’s time for some new defensive minded personnel. GM Bryan Colangelo has his work doubly cut out for him with Bosh entering free agency after next season. Either they turn it around in ’09-10 or they blow it up and rebuild, it’s really that simple.

7. Indiana Pacers (36-46) – Once again injuries tell some of the story here as Danny Granger, Marquis Daniels, and Mike Dunleavy Jr. all missed significant time. But really it was the Pacers’ ineptitude in close games that killed them. I can’t tell you how many times I watched this team blow leads and/or fall apart in the 4th quarter. But really, it’s on Coach Jim O’Brien to get them to play better defense next season. If Indy is healthy next year and Obie can get them forcing turnovers and steals, they should be fine. Conversely if they struggle stopping the opposition again O’Brien probably won’t last all 82 games.

8. Washington Wizards (19-63) – I based this pick on Gilbert Arenas being back in late January, not early April. I chalk this one up to a lesson learned; which is never pick a team based on someone coming back from a serious knee injury. From what I’ve seen recently though, when GA and Brendan Haywood are healthy and in the starting lineup the Wiz aren’t half bad. I look for them to bounce back to middling playoff contenders next season.

I had out…

9. Atlanta Hawks (47-35) – I don’t feel that bad when I have a team ninth and they end up making the playoffs. I probably put too much stock in what John Hollinger (Atlanta resident) said about them in the pre-season. While the Hawks did have a good year, let’s not get crazy here. They still don’t qualify for the post season in the West.

11. Chicago Bulls (41-41) – The funny thing about the Bulls is I liked their roster on paper back in October, but wasn’t at all sold on Coach Vinny Del Negro. Well the main reason they made the playoffs is because of all the roster changes VP John Paxson made in season. Adding John Salmons and Brad Miller while subtracting guys like Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden and Andres Nocioni changed the chemistry in Chicago big time and allowed them to survive Luol Deng’s right leg injury. I’m still not a believer in Del Negro, but this club is a few moves away from being very good next year.

14. Miami Heat (43-39) – I’ve already covered my miscalculations on the Heat a few times, but for the sake of closure I’ll do it one last time. First I vastly underestimated Coach Erik Spoelstra’s abilities on the sideline. Next I didn’t give a healthy Dwyane Wade the credit he rightly deserves as an elite player. That said this team was teetering on the brink until President Pat Riley made the trade for Jermaine O’Neal and Jamario Moon. Until that deal was consummated I’m not convinced the Heat were a lock for the playoffs.

WEST

I had in…

5. Phoenix Suns (46-36) – This one is simple to me. GM Steve Kerr made a terrible decision trying to change the Suns into a more “traditional” team by hiring Coach Terry Porter. Then once Kerr realized his mistake and fired Porter, Amar’e Stoudemire was lost for the season with a detached retina in his right eye. Case closed.

I had out…

9. Denver Nuggets (54-28) – Even more simple is why Denver made the playoffs. VP Mark Warkentien traded Allen Iverson for Chauncey Billups. I can say without a doubt that if the Nugs made that trade in the summer I have them in the post season.

Defensive Player of the Year

1. Dwight Howard (Orlando)
2. Ron Artest (Houston)
3. Shane Battier (Houston)

All-Defense Team

PG – Rajon Rondo (Boston)
SG – Ron Artest (Houston)
SF – Shane Battier (Houston)
PF – Kevin Garnett (Boston)
C – Dwight Howard (Orlando)

Sixth Man of the Year

1. Jason Terry (Dallas)
2. J.R. Smith (Denver)
3. Lamar Odom (Lakers)

Executive of the Year

1. Mark Warkentien (Denver)
2. John Paxson (Chicago)
3. Otis Smith (Orlando)

Coach of the Year

1. Mike Brown (Cleveland)
2. Stan Van Gundy (Orlando)
3. George Karl (Denver)

Rookie of the Year

1. Derrick Rose (Chicago)
2. Brook Lopez (New Jersey)
3. Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City)

All-Rookie Team

PG – Derrick Rose (Chicago)
SG – Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City)
SF – O.J. Mayo (Memphis)
PF –Marc Gasol (Memphis)
C – Brook Lopez (New Jersey)

Most Valuable Player

1. LeBron James (Cleveland)
2. Kobe Bryant (Lakers)
3. Dwight Howard (Orlando)
4. Dwyane Wade (Miami)
5. Chris Paul (New Orleans)

All-NBA

PG – Chris Paul (New Orleans)
SG – Dwyane Wade (Miami)
SF – Kobe Bryant (Lakers)
PF – LeBron James (Cleveland)
C – Dwight Howard (Orlando)

Second Team

PG – Tony Parker (San Antonio)
SG – Brandon Roy (Portland)
SF – Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas)
PF – Pau Gasol (Lakers)
C – Yao Ming (Houston)

Third Team

PG – Chauncey Billups (Denver)
SG – Deron Williams (Utah)
SF – Paul Pierce (Boston)
PF – Tim Duncan (San Antonio)
C – Shaquille O’Neal (Phoenix)

First Round

This is becoming all too regular on my blog, but I have to apologize to my regular readers since my first round breakdowns won’t be quite as in depth as usual. A new/different format may actually be a good thing. Or maybe the old way will come back for round two? We shall see. I just flat out don’t have the energy or time to go as overboard as I usually do in one night. But I would be remiss if I didn’t give the gamblers out there the info they need to succeed.

To my growing legion of new readers, welcome.

Now let’s get down to business.

EAST

Pistons at Cavaliers

Cleveland – They have the home court, LeBron James and are relatively healthy with the exception of Ben Wallace (left knee). They also finished second in defensive field goal percentage (OPFG%), third in rebound differential (RBDF) and closed the season on a 14-3 kick. As long as they play their normal suffocating D, make open outside shots and feed off their home crowd I can’t see them having a problem.

Detroit – Even though they went 6-12 over the final month of the season, they somehow still think they will be able to “flip the switch.” Well since they haven’t been able to do that for three seasons running, don’t have Chauncey Billups anymore and have seriously downgraded at coach, I’ll go out on a limb and say that’s not happening. Then factor in that Rasheed Wallace (left calf) and Richard Hamilton (left groin) aren’t truly healthy and we’re looking at the end of an era in Motown.

The pick – Cavs in 4

Bulls at Celtics

Boston – I know Kevin Garnett (right knee) is out for the post season, but the C’s went 18-7 without him (a .720 winning percentage) and finished the last month on a 12-4 kick. They are also first in OPFG%, second in RBDF and still have Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and the vastly underrated Rajon Rondo. As long as they keep the pace of the game slow and focus on playing their brand of lockdown defense I see them sticking around for at least one more round.

Chicago – They finished 14th in OPFG% and 20th in RBDF, but closed out the season a very respectable 11-4. So they are peaking at the right time and also possess enough athleticism to give Boston fits. Conversely they don’t have a low post threat to take advantage of KG’s absence. They are also led by a rookie PG and coach and don’t pose any serious matchup problems to Boston.

The pick – Celts in 5

76ers at Magic

Orlando – They stumbled a bit over the last month going 11-6, but are an excellent defensive squad (3rd in OPFG%) and can rebound as well (9th in RBDF). They must to pound the ball into Dwight Howard excessively since Philly has no one that can even remotely check him. If Orlando does that, takes care of the ball, and makes open 3-pointers they will be just fine. The one caveat being the health of Rashard Lewis (right knee) and Hedo Turkoglu (left ankle).

Philadelphia – I must admit that I’m sick to death of this team and interim coach Tony DiLeo. They went a measly 9-10 over the last month, are 18th in OPFG% and a rather surprising 6th in RBDF. Their only chance to win is to play fast, create a bunch of turnovers and get tons of easy baskets. The problem is I don’t think their collective discipline as a unit is capable of that. I will give the Sixers this though, they will hustle and play hard until the bitter end.

The pick – Magic in 5

Heat at Hawks

Atlanta – They finished the last month of the season a rather unimpressive 9-7, are 25th in RBDF and 11th in OPFG%. What they do have going for them though is experience, athleticism and a rowdy home crowd. The Hawks normally use their plethora of athletes to “jump double” Dwyane Wade on every pick and roll, forcing him to either pass or pull back and take a jumper. The two keys for the ATL are to make someone besides Wade beat them and to play smart on offense. A healthy Marvin Williams (back) would help too.

Miami – Let’s see here…7-10 over the final month, 26th in RBDF, 13th in OPFG% and a rookie PG, coach and sixth man. Oh yeah, and Udonis Haslem (right thumb), Jermaine O’Neal (left calf), Jamario Moon (right groin) and Wade (right hip) aren’t right. I really only give the Heaters a chance because of the greatness of D Wade, otherwise the rest of their roster is pretty much slop. They have to turn each game into a slug fest, keep it close and hope Wade can save them in the end.

The pick – Hawks in 7

WEST

Jazz at Lakers

Los Angeles – Call me crazy, but I kind of feel like the Lakers aren’t getting the respect they deserve. I don’t know how that’s even possible when they went 13-4 over the last month (including a grueling 7 game road trip), are 5th in RBDF, 6th in OPFG%, played without their starting center for 32 games and only finished 1 game out of the best record overall. The one worry I do have going forward is the play of PG’s Derek Fisher (12.15 PER) and Jordan Farmar (9.93). You know things are shaky when Shannon Brown (12.95) has the best PER amongst your PG’s.

Utah – These are not your parent’s Jazz, although they still stink on the road (15-26). They backed into the playoffs on a 7-10 slide, are 20th in OPFG% and 14th in RBDF. Carlos Boozer (left knee) still doesn’t look right and C.J. Miles (left index finger) and Memo Okur (right hamstring) are also dinged up. Plus there are suddenly reports of locker room friction beginning to surface. Deron Williams can score on the Lakers whenever he wants to, but Utah’s versatile front line won’t cause LA any problems.

The pick – Lakers in 4

Hornets at Nuggets

Denver – They closed out the last month on a 12-3 tear and are 4th OPFG%. Where this club slips, as always, is on the chemistry and playing smart fronts. Yes Chauncey Billups has helped, but if things start going bad this group could implode in a hurry. And while they are a good defensive team, I don’t see them having anyone that can bother Chris Paul even slightly. They need to run and pound the ball inside as much as possible to take advantage of their superior depth.

New Orleans – They are severely banged up and sputtered to a 8-9 finish. None of Peja Stojakovic (back), Tyson Chandler (right ankle), James Posey (left elbow) or David West (left ankle) have looked right for some time. CP3 wills his team to compete though and the Hornets are 7th in OPFG%. But I really question if they have the depth up front, much less the health, to compete over a seven game series at altitude.

The pick – Nugs in 6

Mavericks at Spurs

San Antonio – No Manu Ginobili (right ankle) and a hobbled Tim Duncan (tendonosis both knees) means it’s Tony Parker time. I think it’s kind of flown under the radar, but Mr. Longoria has been carrying the Spurs over the second half of the season. That said they did only go 10-7 down the stretch, are 15th in RBDF and 9th in OPFG% (bad for them). Watching them pull out the final game of the season though I saw that there was still something left deep inside them. Their savvy, coaching and discipline combined with home court still means they will be a very tough out.

Dallas – Everyone is saying how they are peaking at the right time, but they were a very average 10-6 to close the year. Couple that with a mediocre defense (12th in OPFG%) and Josh Howard (left ankle) being hurt and it’s not actually that rosy a picture. However, SA typically has no answers for Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs are the better rebounding team (8th in RBDF). Dallas must push the tempo at all times to take advantage of their depth. If they can do that and somehow not let Parker kill them this will be an extremely competitive series.

The pick – Spurs in 7

Rockets at Trail Blazers

Portland – They finished the season on a 13-4 kick (two of the losses were in OT too) and are number one in RBDF. Yet their D can be shaky at times (17th in OPFG%) and their most experienced playoff performer amongst regulars is Steve Blake (9 games). That said they do have the horses to matchup with Yao Ming in Joel Przybilla and Greg Oden. Home court is going to be huge for such a young group, but it remains to be seen how guys like Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Travis Outlaw and Rudy Fernandez will perform under post season pressure for the first time.

Houston – They really blew it on the final night of the season and I wonder if that will linger with them a little. They did play decent over the final month (10-4) and are 4th in RBDF and 5th in OPFG%. The Rockets also have some very solid defenders to throw at the Blazers’ best players. Shane Battier and Ron Artest will harass Roy and Chuck Hayes and Carl Landry will be all over Aldridge. I worry about Houston’s PG situation, their streaky outside shooting and when they “forget” to pump the ball to Yao.

The pick – Blazers in 7

Reunion Rundown

I know I’m way behind on posting this, but we got back from Virginia on Monday 3/9 and new dates were announced Wednesday 3/11 (including Red Rocks). So it went from the post show euphoria (that really did last a few days truth be told) to ticket lottery angst. We ended up getting very lucky in the lottery which made it so we didn’t have to deal with the pressure of the near impossible public on sales.

The non-stop Phishing didn’t end there however, as we had to make several trades to complete our Summer Tour. Well the last of those came to fruition Friday (4/3) afternoon and now we are in every show from Star Lake to the Gorge. 11 shows in a row plus the 3 I’ve already seen and that’s 14 Phish shows before the end of August. NICE!

3/5/09 – the Disco Biscuits – Norfolk, VA – The NorVa (17th show)
I: The Overture > Caves of the East, Nughuffer > The Great Abyss > Spacebirdmatingcall > Nughuffer
II: Mirrors*, The Very Moon > Voices Insane > I-Man > Crickets > I-Man > Orch Theme > I-Man
E: Hope > The Overture
* 1st time played

After an hour long cab ride from Williamsburg we arrived at the NorVa during “Caves of the East.” The place was packed and sweaty, but there were some places to boogie if you searched hard enough. “Caves” was a nice little ditty that was a debut to my ears and a rather nice welcome to Bisco moment for our crew.

After a brief hello from bassist Marc Brownstein the boys dropped into “Nughuffer.” The story didn't have much to it, but at the 5:13 mark they drop into some Bisco madness that doesn’t let up until the end of the set. The rest of “Nughuffer” just builds into a sick “Great Abyss” which went on for almost 23 minutes. At this point Teri and I were in the upstairs bar, drinks in hand, dancing our asses off.

“Spacebird” is always nice to hear and took the dance party into a somewhat more ambient direction. The segue back into “Nughuffer” was seamless and we were left amazed after only about an hour of music. Overall this was about all I could ask for in a first set after being on the East Coast for all of a few hours.

Set number two opened with a brand new Brownie tune called “Mirrors.” It had an island feel to it, was well received by the hardcore’s in attendance and certainly has a lot of potential in the future. From there stuff got crazy again with “Very Moon > Voices Insane > I-Man > Crickets > I-Man.” I stop it there only because we left somewhere around the “Crickets > I-Man” section. Hey, it was already one o’clock in the morning and we had another hour long cab ride home staring us in the face.

Now would it have been nice to stay until the end? Sure, especially when I saw that “Hope” was played as an encore, but this show was all about distracting us from the next day. I’d say it did that and then some.

3/6/09 – Phish – Hampton, VA – Hampton Coliseum (86th show)
I: Fluffhead*, The Divided Sky, Chalkdust Torture, Sample in a Jar, Stash, I Didn't Know, The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony > Suzy Greenberg, Farmhouse, NICU, Horn, Rift, Train Song**, Water in the Sky, The Squirming Coil, David Bowie
II: Backwards Down the Number Line^, Tweezer > Taste, Possum, Theme from the Bottom, First Tube, Harry Hood, Waste, You Enjoy Myself
E: Grind***, Bouncing Around the Room, Loving Cup
* last played 9/29/00
** last played 5/23/00
*** last played 12/30/98
^ 1st time played

By the time we were in the car driving to the Mothership all of the excitement and happiness we had been feeling for months had morphed into a nervous anxiety that none of us could control. Nothing seemed to help us either. We were stuck in Friday traffic on the way to the arena. Then I made a wrong choice as a navigator (which was made worse by Teri’s stubbornness) adding some additional 15 minutes or more to our wait to get parked. Then we when we finally got situated on the lot, it was more or less time to go in.

The scene getting in was something that I’d never experienced before in my entire life. It was so bad that Teri and I were literally at the mercy of the crowd a few times. Meaning we were getting pushed to and fro in a mass of people with no control of where we were going. We eventually did get in after some borderline scary moments. Once inside almost all the seats were taken so we ended up way high up on Page side about center court so to speak. They were actually pretty good seats believe it or not.

So now we had to just sit and wait with the rest of the nearly 80% packed house. With so much of the crowd inside so early that anxiety I mentioned was magnified a thousand times. Yes people were excited and happy, but really it was a very nervous energy. When the band finally came on the roar of the crowd was deafening. I mean you couldn’t hear yourself think it was that loud, and sustained too.

So what would they play? I think it’s safe to say that the opening notes of “Fluffhead” took 90% of the people there by surprise. Not like a what the heck surprise, more like a jubilant euphoria surprise. The kicker was how they nailed it. Meaning you could tell that they had really practiced beforehand. And when Trey finally got to the powerful pills line the place literally erupted with a massive “Oh Yeah!”

So after the multi-layered symbolism that the “Fluffhead” opener provided, what could be next? “Divided Sky” was out of nowhere for me. I was not expecting another extended composed piece to follow a 16 minute “Fluffhead.” Just unreal. If “Fluff” was a clue, it was “Divided Sky” where I was sure that my boys were officially back and had prepared something very special for us.

I was floating after “DSky” so the perfect thing to take it up another level? Why “Chalkdust” of course! I’d estimate that I’ve listened to these opening three songs no less than 25 times already, and probably more. “Sample” slowed things down a touch and let everyone breathe for a moment.

Even though it wasn’t particularly extended, “Stash” was where the first Phish 3.0 jam happened. From there it was treats and more treats. A Fishman vacuum solo in “I Didn’t Know” and then “Oh Kee Pah > Suzy”? It was absolute paradise for a geek like me.

It didn’t stop there though. “Farmhouse”, “Horn”, “Train Song” and “Water in the Sky” were like the middle ballad portion of the set, with the later being played the old slower country & western way. None of them warranted a bathroom break either. Mixed in with those four “NICU” and “Rift” brought things back up to dance party status.

When I heard the opening notes of “Coil” I thought for sure the set was over. But no, there was still a “Bowie” to come (which almost killed Kenny…seriously). All told, Phish’s first set back clocked in at around 2 hours. I was speechless, as was everyone around us. People spent the set break in stunned amazement at what had just happened. No one that is telling the truth ever thought the first set back would, or even could be, that good.

Set two started with the expected debut of “Number Line”, but the set really got cooking with those familiar opening guitar notes of “Tweezer.” “Tweezer” transitioned nicely into “Taste” and from there the set really took off for me. It doesn’t get much better than “Possum, Theme from the Bottom, First Tube, Harry Hood” in my eyes.

I was especially loving the “Theme, 1st Tube” one-two punch. But when I heard the floating sections of “Hood” I knew all was right in the world again. I thought “Waste” would be it for the night, but as would be the case all weekend false endings were the norm. “YEM”, even though botched, was the perfect way to close the night. The vocal jam did exactly what it needed to do.

I ran to the bathroom and missed most of “Grind”, but the “Bouncing, Loving Cup” was more than satisfactory for an encore. We left immediately after the music and bolted the lot in the same quick-time fashion, opting for late night hotel debauchery over fun on the lot.

3/7/09 – Phish – Hampton, VA – Hampton Coliseum (87th show)
I: Back on the Train, Runaway Jim, Brian and Robert, Split Open and Melt, Heavy Things, Punch You in the Eye, Gumbo, Reba, Mexican Cousin, It's Ice, Halley's Comet > Beauty of a Broken Heart^, Guelah Papyrus*, Lawn Boy, Run Like an Antelope
II: Rock and Roll > Limb by Limb, Ghost, Piper > Birds of a Feather, Wolfman's Brother, Prince Caspian, Mike's Song > I am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Character Zero
E: A Day in the Life**
* last played 9/18/00
** last played 9/30/00
^ 1st time played

Day two saw Teri and me taking a cab to the lot early to see what we could see. And that turned out to be not much, although we did see Jeff Austin from Yonder Mountain String Band in the Embassy Suites bar. As we realized later on inside, this was a very veteran laden crowd. Which explained the lack of a true Shakedown Street on the lot and the way people handled themselves inside. It had to be the most knowledgeable crowd I ever had the pleasure of seeing a run of Phish shows with.

We met Kenny on the lot right as it was time to head in. We went in a little earlier than the previous night and ended up with worse seats. That’s all relative though as we were right behind Fishman on an angle about five rows up. This gave us a different vantage point allowing us to see what the band sees, which is some pretty wild stuff.

“Back on the Train” was a very nice opener and contained what I thought was an underrated jam. “Runaway Jim, Brian and Robert” didn’t do much for me, but that would end with opening bass notes of “Melt.” From there this set would feature non-stop action with the exception of “Heavy Things” and “Mexican Cousin.”

“Punch You in the Eye, Gumbo, Reba” and “It’s Ice, Halley's Comet > Beauty of a Broken Heart, Guelah Papyrus” were more than I would have asked for in the entire run, much less one set. I felt like the band was playing a little game of one-upmanship. Like we know you didn’t expect us to play “It’s Ice” so here’s a “Halley’s Comet” for you. The topper had to be “Broken Heart” from Page’s solo album though. Here’s to hoping we hear some tunes from Mike’s solo album this summer.

After “Lawn Boy” just about everyone knew that “Antelope” was coming next. This was Teri’s favorite set of the entire weekend. I liked it too, but as far as the first sets went, this one probably finishes third in my eyes.

The second set started off like gangbusters with “Rock and Roll > Limb by Limb, Ghost.” Again, it couldn’t have been scripted any better for me. Unfortunately the set went downhill from there. I know that’s not a popular sentiment, and I’m not saying it was bad by any means. It’s just that when compared to the other epic sets of this run I think this particular set falls short. Save for a decent “Birds of a Feather” and a solid jam in “Wolfman’s.”

It all started to go bad with a botched “Piper” and the rest of the songs in the set (that I haven’t mentioned) seemed a little cookie cutter to me. A breakout of the Beatles “A Day in the Life” salvaged it somewhat for me though. I’ve read many reviews where people say this was thee set of the entire run. After many re-listens I still don’t hear it. Oh well, to each his own.

3/8/09 – Phish – Hampton, VA – Hampton Coliseum (88th show)
I: Sanity*, Wilson, Foam, Bathtub Gin, Undermind^, AC/DC Bag, My Friend My Friend, Scent of a Mule, All of These Dreams, Maze, She Thinks I Still Care^, Army of One, Tube, Cars Trucks Buses, Free, Frankenstein
II: Down with Disease > Seven Below, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Twist > Also Sprach Zarathustra, The Moma Dance, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Wading in the Velvet Sea, Slave to the Traffic Light
E: Contact, Bug, Tweezer Reprise
* last played 11/27/98
^ 1st time played

On the third day we finally got it right. We hung at the hotel all day relaxing on the deck in the fresh air and got to the lot at just the right time with no traffic. We didn’t fool around and headed in even earlier than night two. It paid off as we got great seats nearly straight on just off to Fish side. The lights were stellar from this vantage point, and this is also a perfect time to give kudos to lighting director Chris Kuroda. Granted this was a three-day run where they had the venue rented for the entire week prior for rehearsals, but damn did CK5 outdo himself. If you want to see what I’m talking about just clink on this link and take your pick. All I have to say is the best lights in the business are back!

It only took me 14 years and 88 shows to see my first “Sanity.” YES!!! From there was the “Wilson” I had predicted and after that it was rapid fire awesomeness. “Foam, Bathtub Gin, Undermind, AC/DC Bag, My Friend My Friend, Scent of a Mule” offered no let up at all. “Undermind” was especially brilliant, but “My Friend” took the out of nowhere award as a tune I never thought I’d hear.

It was like everyone in the arena had the same idea during “All of These Dreams” as the bathroom line was so long I had to abandon ship when I heard the opening notes of “Maze.” I’m not normally a huge fan of “Maze”, but I enjoyed this one thoroughly. There’s no bigger Mike phan than me, but covering George Jones’ “She Still Thinks I Care” was questionable at best and a momentum killer at worst.

It didn’t matter though as what followed may have been my favorite run of songs of the entire weekend. “Army of One, Tube, Cars Trucks Buses, Free” just does not get any better. All of them are tunes I love to hear. I’d been waiting on “Tube” and “Free” and was relieved to finally hear them. Even though they weren’t the best versions ever, they didn’t disappoint either. The “Cars Trucks Buses” cannot be overlooked in between as Page continued his MVP performance tearing up the keys.

Then came Edgar Winter’s “Frankenstein” with Page out front in between Trey and Mike on keytar. It was classic! When the set finally ended everyone around us was basically spent, mouth agape, in awe of what just happened. Seriously. Everyone was looking at their friends like did you just see that? Then as the shock wore off it became well if that was the first set what’s going to happen in set two?

I’ll tell you what, the best jam of the run. “Down with Disease” clocked in at almost 23 minutes and featured at least three different themes to my ears. Phish was finally all the way back. The jam went way out there and grooved from idea to idea before sliding ever so smoothly into “7 Below.” What a nice surprise that was!

“Horse > Silent” was the breather section before some more ripping Phish. “Twist > 2001, Moma” was super-phat. When “Twist” finally became “2001” all hell broke loose with everyone high-fiving their friends and waiting for the Mothership to achieve lift off during the first peak. I mean, what else can I say? If you’ve ever seen an arena “2001” you know Kuroda is at his phinest during this tune. But it was really the spaced out ending that dropped into “Moma” which cemented this show as the best for me.

It was far from over though. We next entered the false ending-athon. I doubt anyone would have complained if “Guitar Weeps” was all she wrote. Then there was “Wading”, which again would have made a fine closer. But the only way to properly cap a comeback as epic as this was with “Slave.” I mean you could really tell how much thought Trey had put into these setlists when you look at them on paper.

I’m not sure an encore was even necessary at this point, but the three songer was perfect. “Contact” brought the fun along with a sweet little keyboard freak out jam. “Bug” got us all in a reflective mood and “Tweezer Reprise” blew it up one last time. To me this was easily the best show of the run. Hands down, and that’s not to cast aspersions on the other nights at all.

Overall Phish focused more on being tight and playing their compositions precisely than huge jams and getting way out there. I didn’t see anyone complaining about it either. I mean, 85 total songs played? Three 4-hour shows? No one expected that, no one. It’s like guitarist Seth Yacovone said, “It [was] like going to see the Dead in 1984 and they play Europe '72.” So true.

I don’t know how I’m going to cope for the eleven shows from Fenway to the Fabulous Fox when I know Phish is on stage and I won’t be there. Likewise for the five shows that close out the summer from Chicago to SPAC after my personal run is over with. Oh well, I guess.

I must close with a thank you to Kenny who actually picked the hotel months in advance that Phish ended up staying at. We saw their tour bus after Saturday’s show and Teri swears she heard Page talking on a cell phone across the lake out our back door one morning. No we didn’t try and track them down to talk or anything like that, but it was verified by a woman who works at the gift shop that Phish was indeed there for the entire week.