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

The Surf Club was a very narrow, long building which had the effect of making the crowded floor seem very intimate. The stage was so narrow that Henrietta's drums were set up behind Trey and Mike, rather than to the side as usual. Having played the comparatively cavernous Roseland Theatre the night before, Trey really seemed to be getting off on having everybody right in his lap paying such rapt attention. I think that the intimacy of the room was a large reason he was inspired to go on the Gamehendge rap.

It was excellent to hear all of those Gamehendge songs strung together with narration, like we were all taking a journey together through the music. Just as this crowd seemed more accessable to the band, this was the closest I had seen the band in my handfull of shows, and Trey seemed really psyched. He was having a wonderful time.

In addition to Gamehendge, highlights for me were a smoking Reba, my very first Bathtub Gin (one of my favorite tunes) a surprize Jesus Left Chicago and the barbershop quartet final encore. (At Portland the night before they had opened the show with the quartet, and the asshole crowd talked through the whole thing 8-(. )