Got to go backsatge after this show! Though over the years I had met everyone in the band before this was different. The show rocked! The guy sitting next to us lived in Dallas and his girlfriend worked at the Starplex, he had never heard of The Phish before but he went to every show at the Starplex and was excited to see a band he never heard. At set break he was floored! He couldnt believe there was a band this great and he never even knew their name. It was cool seeing someone get so excited!

My review is nothing scientific, just my thoughts and opinions on the show. Thanks

Pretty good first set overall. ‘you better believe it baby’ got in to a nice groove for a first time played tune, but the highlight of the set for me was a nice ‘Frankie’ into a sweet ‘Reba’, with the whistling for those that prefer it. The Bowie from this night was good, really good yet somehow laid back.

Set two, I love this YEM! Starts off a little flat, but by the time you get to the end of this 30 minute version you should be feelin’ it! And then you are treated to a first ever ‘Albuquerque’ which sounds beautiful.

And although the encore was nothing special, and I think most people don’t like to end the show on the soft side, both PYITE and Motel were nicely done.

Circulates as a matrix of an ALD SBD and an AUD tape. It is a much better recording than the one from 7/24.

This show features 6 covers (including two debuts), two of which are Texas specific. For my money, thats too many covers, but your mileage may vary. Any first set with a Bowie and a Reba is ok in my book and both of them have the proverbial "extra mustard." The second set opens up with a raging rendition of La Grange that almost doesn't find its way back to the song proper. The highlight of the show is without question the YEM, which is 30 minutes of gooey funk punctuated by a chill and less-annoying-than-usual vocal jam. Perhaps the best YEM of the year is rounded out nicely with the debut of Albuquerque > a very pretty Simple. The rest of the show is about what you'd expect from the rest of a show.

3.83 / 5 - Good, not great Phish B+

Great show for me. It was my first. I had listened to plenty of their music prior to the show so I knew what I was getting into there. What I had no idea about was the lot scene. I thought it was the coolest place on eart. ANd this was in Dallas, TX, mind you. Anyway, it was a life changing experience for me.

Part of my full run through of Summer '98, see here

As we now sit at what appears to be the low point of Summer '98 we hit a really unusual show... this one is loaded with covers and only has one jam chart entry, but this feels deceptive to me. After listening to this show the band appears to be trying to course correct and jump start themselves, recognizing that they are losing steam with half a tour still left to go. The way they approach it here results in a show that feels very different from the others this tour... but is that a good thing or a bad thing?

After a nice Birds of a Feather opener the band launches into their first cover of the evening... You Better Believe It Baby is only played twice by the band, but this one has a nice feel to it. After someone requests "something long" the band responds with a nice Bowie, and then, after a quick Frankie Says cooldown, obliges the fan some more with a great version of Reba as well. They wrap up the set with two more covers, both played with some fire. The band is clearly trying to re-energize, and this first set seems to have helped them along.

The second set kicks off with yet another cover, but this one is an exciting bustout. This La Grange rips, and the band is clearly getting some of their groove back, as they follow up with a stellar version of YEM (nearly a half hour long) which is the centerpiece of the show. The band just seems to be having fun with this one and while it may not be anything unusual per se they seem to be applying the same "explore every corner" philosophy to the typical YEM jam which gives this one added fuel. The debut of Albuquerque serves as a nice pause after the rager that precedes it, before going into Simple. This one is not as exploratory as versions from earlier in the summer but still has a good feel and an ambient cooldown at the end. Bold as Love/Sample punctuate a rocking second set. The encore is fine... maybe the weakest part of the show, but by then the band seems to have done what they needed to do.

Again, I know this one looks weird. Who needs six covers in one show? Why listen to a Summer '98 show with only one jam chart entry? But in the context of the journey this tour is taking, this feels like an important night. The band peaked at the Gorge and the trajectory between those shows and this one has been one of decline, with each show being a little less noteworthy than the one before it. This show though, the band just seems to be having fun, and the energy bleeds through. This first set is incredibly solid which felt like a relief after the previous show, and the second set felt much the same, with the exception of YEM which was well above average. Hopefully this means the tour is going to start tracking upward for the second half as we had to Lemonwheel.

PHISH, SUNDAY 07/26/1998
STARPLEX AMPHITHEATRE
Dallas, TX

SET 1:

Birds of a Feather: Standard.

You Better Believe It Baby[1] - This cover debut is a nice nod to a local musician Joe Tex. The lyrics are an interesting nod to what was going on backstage and beyond with the band.

David Bowie: Trey agrees to play a ‘long one’ for a fan. Average Bowie though. Good placement.

Frankie Says: Standard. >

Reba: Standard.

Funky Bitch: Has a little extra heat.

Good Times Bad Times: Standard.

SET 2:

La Grange: Easily the longest version they have ever played, they crush this! There is not another version that even comes close to this one. Awesome placement and sets the second set up for great success potentially.

You Enjoy Myself: Wow! Apparently they are feeling it because this placement is amazing, I love it! They hadn’t played one this long since 7.31.97 and have never played one over 29 minutes since this version, fun fact. This is a mellow version with no blazing solo from Trey. Instead it’s a 4 headed beast of a funk groove the entire way with loops going in the background. Super solid version. Would recommend, good pick for a dark horse version.

Albuquerque[1] - The debut of this sensational cover. This tune being introduced to the rotation was a window into what was going on with the band backstage, perhaps more specifically with Trey. >

Simple: Standard. Very mellow outro and segues into Bold as Love >

Bold As Love: Standard.

Sample in a Jar:

ENCORE:

Punch You in the Eye: >

Bittersweet Motel:

Summary: Wow, so many covers in this show. This show has very little energy and is definitely below average. This is a show that was just going through the motions for the most part. I would score this as a 3/5. The current rating on Phish.net of 3.817/5 (109 ratings) seems rather inflated to me.

Replay Value: La Grange, You Enjoy Myself

[1] Phish debut.

This show marked the Phish debuts of You Better Believe It Baby and Albuquerque.
SHOW RATING
Your rating:
Overall: 3.817/5 (109 ratings)
JAM CHART VERSIONS
You Enjoy Myself

This was kind of a hangover show. The heat and the security were oppressive.

The highlights for me were the covers...all great straightforward versions. The La Grange was particularly hot and the Albuquerque was very nice.

The YEM was a long hypnotic version but never really hit the next level.