The 95 Fox Theatre run is grand overall, and this middle show is solid from top to bottom. With the band's huge 95 sound, it sounds like the relatively small venue is bursting at the seams when the band gets churning.

The show starts off with the first Bouncing opener since 6/16/94, and the Jim in the 2 spot is sweet. Taste that surrounds is solid, though not as evolved as the later versions. Mike messes up the first verse of Old Home Place so Trey helps him out, making this one of the few times you can hear Trey sing on this song. Page takes the lead in It's Ice's brief spacey jam, and Dog Faced Boy serves as a good breather before smoking versions off Maze and Guyute and the Cavern set-closer. The first set is decent, but the real fireworks are in the second set.

Kicking things off with a standard early Free, the set gets its first instance of significant improv in a crazy Scent of a Mule with a vocal jam. This version is must-hear, as is the following YEM. You Enjoy Myself was at an all-time high during this tour, and this one sandwiching Crossroads is incredible. You really need to seek this jam out if you haven't heard it. Strange Design and Sparkle set the table for a really good Bag on the back end of the set. Sweet Adeline ends the set, leaving only the encore remaining. This is no throwaway encore though. Hood always makes a great show-closer, but this one is really excellent, starting with an extended, jammy intro.

All in all, this is an above-average show from this period with some big highlights. The whole second set flows nicely and makes a great listen.

SET 1: Bouncing Around the Room: Standard.

Runaway Jim: This one has a huge peak that the crowd is on fire for and eating up every second of it. Trey's Leslie infused tone is just perfect. Is there a Dave's Energy Guide tease in here?

Taste That Surrounds: Standard.

The Old Home Place: Mike blows the lyrics and Trey has to bail him out.

It's Ice: Is there a Dave's Energy Guide tease in here?

Dog Faced Boy: Standard.

Maze: Solid and properly raged by all parties involved.

Guyute, Cavern: Standard.

SET 2: Free: Great opener!

Scent of a Mule: Not a fan of this tune but I'd be a real hater not to appreciate the craziness of this version as the vocal jam finds new versions of top shelf weirdness and Trey rips on the doc too. Mikes falsetto/baritone singing at the end is clutch too.

You Enjoy Myself -> Crossroads -> You Enjoy Myself: Seminal meeting moment in the band's history - the jam that precedes the segue is great but the one after is one of legends. Heavy metal with Page killing the baby grand and Mike and Fish just crushing it. Absolutely ridiculous. Mike's jam coming out of all of this is something that is likely burned into many of our memories. Cannot be unheard. The last two YEM's played are all timers!

Strange Design: Perfect placement!

Sparkle: Standard. >

AC/DC Bag: Trey blows the lyrics and Page bails him out. Crazy placement!

Sweet Adeline: Standard.

ENCORE: Harry Hood - Shushers are overrun and outmatched. One of the very best versions of this tune which is high, high praise. The jam starts out so very delicately. Patient. Quiet. The way it should be! The way this one evolves and builds - these guys are at the height of their powers. Gorgeous music and a wonderful peak. An epic version, saying it's an all-timer would not begin to do it justice. Mount Everest.

Summary: I like this show just a skosh more than the night before. Jim, Maze, Mule, YEM and Hood all have significant replay value. Hood is some of the best Phish you can find from any year. For that this YEM also has a place at the table of best ever too. I love this show and really enjoyed listening to it just now. Happy to rate it as a 4.3 out of 5.

It's as if--after the opening Bouncing Around the Room--each band member gets a "feature": Trey in Runaway Jim, featuring arguable Dave's Energy Guide teasing that's not currently noted in the setlist; Fish in Taste That Surrounds, a drummer's workout in any sense; Mike vocally on The Old Home Place, which is briefly helped by Trey; and Page in It's Ice. There're also good renditions of Maze and Guyute in the first set. The Scent of a Mule in Set II, though a Highly Recommended Jam according to .Net, doesn't move me that much, perhaps because I'm not a huge fan of that song in the first place, but I do take note of the You Enjoy Myself -> Crossroads -> You Enjoy Myself. I'm always amazed by how Fishman-led segues tend to originate with Trey moving a motif into a jam and Fish responding somehow (telepathically?) on the drums and then they bust out the segue. The AC/DC Bag is also well worth a listen at least as a contrast lesson with the other big Bags, which were typically spacey and funky. Also listen to the Harry Hood encore, which takes a brief minimalist approach to its Type-I jam that therefore tends to verge on Type II.

This show seems to slip a bit under the radar. Maybe it's because of the awesomeness of the shows on both sides, or because of the preceding Halloween show and the famous Stash from 11.14.95. (If you haven't listened to that Stash, that's a must!). Regardless, this show deserves some accolades as it has lots to offer.

Bouncin' is an interesting opener. While it wouldn't be my top choice in this slot, it did the job admirably. Next up - Runaway Jim - is a great version. I miss the days when Jim was commonplace. Now, when it does appear, it tends to not go anywhere. Here, we get what is probably an average-for-the-time version that is a lot of fun and smokes.

Although I'm not a huge fan of these early versions of Taste, this is a very good version, and I'm always struck by how much this tune evolved. Sadly, it is a rarity in the modern era. We get a little vocal flub in The Old Home Place, which acts as breather. The It's Ice is a decent take, as is Dog-Faced Boy.

And this brings us to Maze, which is fantastic, and the point of the show where they really get rolling. High energy throughout, this is a rocking version and is the absolute highlight of the set. Page wails here, as does Trey. The Guyute that follows is a well-played version that doesn't disappoint. Closing it out is Cavern. In total, a fine, fun first set that really hits its stride in Maze.

Free is one of those tunes I think never quite met its potential. Summer and Fall '95 is the closest it came, however, and this version is a good example. It has an extended jam, but just when it starts the get interesting they reign it back in. Still this version smokes and tops most modern days takes on the tune.

This brings us to the heart of the set with Mule and the subsequent YEM Crossroads sandwich. I typically wouldn't seek out a Mule in the two spot in the second set but I like this version here and can see why it gets a highly recommended mark. It's a very fun version, with a nice piano solo, an interesting vocal jam, and is quite the set up for what's about to happen.

During a tour that offered at least one legendary YEM, which I caught on 12.9.95, this one is pretty amazing itself and might even be underrated. This excellent version proceeds along very nicely and, in the midst of an awesome jam, they effortlessly wind up in a speedy Crossroads. Once it's over, they jump right back into a jam that quickly leads to a Mike-led portion that just smokes. Mike is a monster here. This is a jaw-dropping sequence that deserves much more play, at least for my ears. And while overall I like the combo I often find these mid-song sandwiches more of an annoyance than not. Here, it worked well as I've seen much worse (e.g., Ghost > Can't Always Listen > Ghost from 12.30.15). I also love the YEM mid-set, similar to 12.9.95.

A couple of breathers later, we come to AC/DC Bag. This is a fantastic version and reminds me how strong this song can be when called upon. This was the case on this night, leading to a powerful crescendo, and it was a fitting near-end to a packed set.

I've been listening to a bunch of shows that coincidentally have Hood as the encore. No complaints about that! I love this version. It drops to this lovely quiet part that is pretty interesting and drawn out, only to build back up to an intense ending. What a way to close out a very good show. Overall, while not as strong as many others from this tour this show has much merit worthy of a listen or two.