The old saying of "never judge a book by its color" sure rings true for this show.

I am a South Floridian and as a result have to travel across the country to see Phish do their thing. While I wish that the band would visit FL again soon, I like the opportunity to explore new cities, venues, and have new experiences all while on the road catching a Phish show.

I found myself in Ocean City, NJ on a family reunion trip the week leading up to the Chicago run. The noticeable pep in my step that week on the shore was attributable to the fact that I was flying out of Philadelphia on Friday to head to meet with friends and catch the Saturday night show at the United Center.

Friday night, my friend and I elected to drive to a Chicago suburb and catch a local jam band called "Mr. Blotto." While I was sad about missing N1 at the United Center, it was cool to catch some great local music. This band played Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley that night, possibly as a nod to the big show going on up the road. Some great Dead tunes and other songs carried us through that night. A nice warm up for another Saturday night with Phish.

Saturday finally came but the day dragged on. The whole "a watched pot never boils" theory always holds true on show days for me. Time seems to stand still as the show grows nearer. After a walk-through a summer street fair in Streeterville and a couple (few, maybe more) cocktails at a local pub, my friend and I were in an Uber on our way to the United Center.

There was a long line to get in, which I learned was similar to N1. We were on the floor, which I was really looking forward to. My last Phish show prior to this was at MSG on 12/29 where I mistakenly bought seats in a section which had an obstructed view thanks to the Chase Skybridge. Floor was essential at the United Center - redemption.

Okay, enough of the preamble. On to what really matters - the music. Immediately, I knew we were in for a "box of chocolates" setlist. The Life Saving Gun opener was a bit of a surprise - FTP as an opener since Nashville in 2023. I thought very well played and cool to hear this song live. The Steam that followed was almost predictable, since my friend and I had heard that song on Ch. 29 about two or three times that weekend prior to the show. Cosmic coincidence, maybe. I really enjoyed the intro into McGrupp and was surprised to catch this one tonight. I've always been a fan on The Line, and it may have been played for the first time in ~8 years as a nod to the Chicago Bulls. Pretty cool to see this one make a return, despite the hate that this song gets. The instrumental Seven Below was interesting and unexpected, I believe this was the first time played as an instrumental. This was my first Phish show with my friend Jeff since 2023 at Star Lake. That night, they played Ocelot - a song that we always seemed to catch together. So, of course I predicted that we would get an Ocelot on this night and that obviously happened. Not my favorite Phish song, but always fun to hear. Ya Mar was welcomed and added a nice kind of reggae flair to the night. They can keep Mountains in the Mist. At this point during the show, I felt like the setlist was a bit of an uphill climb. Some clunkers, some odd choices, some odd placements; despite each song being well played. The crown jewel of the first set came late with the one-two punch of Golgi Apparatus and Most Events Aren't Planned. Golgi had the whole arena buzzing and the MEAP was shocking in how it brought the house down to end the set. I was blown away by these two songs, and it totally changed the vibe of the night for me heading into set break.

During the break, my friend and I grabbed a table in the concourse and had a couple cocktails and shared our thoughts about the first set. There were grumblings around us "last night was better," "terrible setlist so far tonight," etc. Like I said, a box of chocolates!

The second set got off to an immediately hot start with Tube. At this point, my friend and I had moved closer to the stage on the floor, and I noticed that the sound mix was just a little bit off for the first two minutes of Tube. It was rectified quickly and the rest of the song proceeded as normal. I really enjoyed ASIHTOS tonight. Perhaps a nod to me after spending the last week on the beach in Ocean City (ha)! The DWD>7B>DWD sandwich is the meat of the show, and boy is it some delicious meat. I could have left after this and been fully satisfied. I was especially happy that they finished DWD instead of leaving it unfinished and hearing the 7B reprise with lyrics was again a twist I was not expecting. Always on your toes. Pillow Jets was okay, kind of wished there was a stronger song in this slot. It just kind of meanders. My friend and I always joke about how we get 2001 when we are at shows together. Similar to Ocelot, we got 2001 at our last show together in 2023. So, of course we got it tonight deep into the second set. I really enjoy how they tear this song apart. This performance was no exception. The Chalk Dust was out of this world fun. I don't have many words other than "wow!"

Trey went full rock star for the Gently Weeps into First Tube encore. At one point, he was using his guitar as a sword; holding it above his head, pointing it at the crowd, wielding it around as the final notes of the show came crashing down around him and the band. All the while, CK5 is blasting the entire arena with an incredible barege of lights, sending us home with stars in our eyes and ringing ears. What a fantastic show and what a way to end it.

I stayed in Chicago the next night too and had a last-minute opportunity to go to the Sunday show. But, despite the odd setlist, I decided that I got everything I needed from the Saturday show. Some may look at this show and scoff at it. I truly believe this show is a collector's item, a "you had to be there" type of night. I am so glad I made the trip to Chicago to see them. And I am super excited to see my next show at MSG in 6 short days. All I can ask for Christmas this year is for the boys to do a FL run...