[We would like to thank Matt Hoffman (@tonapdivine) for recapping last night’s show. Matt is a music journalist and has written for Relix, JamBase, Live for Live Music, the Phish.net blog, and others. -Ed.]

[Author’s note: I apologize for the delay: life happens!]

In writing, as in life and most things, I strive to do the best I can with what I’ve got; fortunately, as the guy tasked with recapping last night’s Phish show, the first of two at the TD Pavilion at Philadelphia’s Mann Center, I’ve got plenty to discuss. And it’s not just the setlist, jams, and PhishStats (h/t zzyxx), though there is plenty to cover there; rather, over the years, my Phish experience, particularly at a hometown show, has come to be about much more. My intention in presenting my recap of this show–an instant legend btw–is to present my take through the lens of that experience, which has a lot to do with the people I’ve met along the way.

Those people consist of friends from childhood and college friends, former colleagues and new collaborators. Some I met through Phish; with others, the commonality arose later. You’ll definitely recognize some folks I’ve gotten to know as a music writer, and as a part of my contribution to the annals of Phishtory (*sorry), I thought it would be cool to share them. (With approval!) I’m also hoping that the patchwork quilt that is my phamily (*sorry) will serve as but one example of the weird and windy paths one’s Phish experience can take and what that looks like after thirty years. I also feel that my friends’ perspectives are the best things I can share in this recap, so without further ado.

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