The Pittsburgh show was the third of fall '96. And by most accounts, it was the first decent show of the tour. Most of the setlist was well played, yet there still were not many moments truly worthy of praise. One of the only things that really stands out in my memory is the YEM vocal jam with Kuroda's lights (the Civic Arena, with its big dome, was quite a venue for a CK5 light show). Additionally, the fact that the second set only included six songs seemed strange at the time, though this would of course become normal the following year.

The other vivid memory I have of this night is the Maze. It was only a year since I had witnessed my first Phish show, but anyone could tell as it was happening that this version was a doozy. This is often lauded as one of the finest renditions of the song - but on top of the music itself, I'm sure those who were there will remember "the guy."

Just as the band was peaking in the jam, some guy jumped out of the crowd and onto the stage. Kuroda's lights were on bright, white strobe while this guy thrashed around right on the front of the stage. It was perfect. The band didn't even seem to take notice as they pushed on towards insanity. As security closed in on the guy, he dove headfirst back into the crowd.

I would usually be the first to say that jumping on stage is totally inappropriate, but that Pittsburgh freak-out actually added to the quality of the show given the context of the song and the guy's timing. For a moment, that man really got out of the Maze.