(Published on the legacy Phish.net site many years ago...)

This was a very special show for me. Besides a very well played show with excellent song selection, this show happened to occur on my 25th birthday. Although I live in California, I organized my schedule so that I could go out there for the event. Before the second set, Trey held up a trophy and said that that the group had waited 8 years to award this trophy and that he was presenting this trophy for the longest distance traveled for any singular PHISH gig (Amy's Farm 8.3.91 Palo Alto, CA -> Auburn, ME) and preceded to call "Henry from California" onstage and wished me a happy birthday! Needless to say, it was a complete surprise and and a very special moment in my life. The second set raged as you might be able to tell from the setlist. Before leaving home, I tried to think of what songs that I would want to hear on my birthday if I had the choice. It came down to two tunes, which for me encapsulate several aspects of PHISH's style of music, energy levels and humor: Run Like An Antelope and Mike's Song -> I Am Hydrogen -> Weekaparg Groove. To my great delight, they played both that night.

After "I Am Hydrogen," Trey went to the back of the stage, changed his guitar over to the wireless setup, changed from sneakers to Rollerblades, came back to the front of the stage and started into "Weekaparg Groove." When it came time for the solo, he jumped off the front of the stage and proceeded to rollerblade through the crowd while playing an extended solo. It was one of the most wild things that I have ever seen a performer do while playing. Before the encore, he apologized for bowling over a woman near the back of the Rink. Definitely a moment in PHISH history!

Cheers!

Henry

"Expanding exponentially like some recursive virus"