This was my first show, 21 years ago today, whoa! Phish.net reminded me and invited me to write a review - so here goes!

I'll review the show based on listening to the recording over the years, since I was too young to contribute a constructive review based on that experience alone.

The show opens with a raging Llama! WOO! Divided Sky and Guelah Papyrus I consider litmus tests as you can judge the energy in the venue during the two quiet parts and I think these results came up positive!!! I wasn't aware but the Mango song was a bit of a bust out...A powerful Stash starts some exploration that continues later and the coil wraps the first segment up beautifully.

Set two wastes no time getting serious. I absolutely love these earlier versions of also sprach before they got all super space funk jam, these are more short, tight, and to the point, but still full of that groove. And the one-two punch of Also Sprach into Split Open and Melt is just perfect, like they were meant to be played together. The Split gets dark and deep and scary and totally awesome psychedelic. Fiery and scary beginning to the second set. Fluff is solid, the ending is bursting with joy! The Maze is downright sinister, with a nice Also Sprach tease - they're just playing in and out of whatever they like on this July eve in Mass...Glide is great, then sparkle, but it's all about this freaking Mike's - this is a complete monster - even if you sleep on this show don't sleep on the mike's - it goes all over the place and eventually hits yerushalayim shel zahav before entering the Weekapaug...This sandwich is the magic of the night - check it out. Some nice fishman purple rain action, Daniel saw the stone keeps the energy high and Good times bad times potently caps an incredible set. And who doesn't love a free bird encore?

So that's my review of the show based on listening over the years. What follows is a more personal account from the experience.

I was 12, so there's that. My memory is foggy, rather groggy, but the things I remember without a doubt (and will never forget) are:
females with hair under their arms, and still hot, who knew?
glass pipes, with a strange new smell. Asked my dad if it was marijuana, he said yeah, I asked how he knew what it smelled like, he said "I was in 'Nam! I know what the fuck it smells like!"
I remember the drummer playing a vacuum cleaner, to a beautiful purple rain, with neat lights, and lots of lighters (more lighters!)
I remember the melody to divided sky, even though it would be months until I heard it again on Junta. These are really the only things that stuck with me, and a huge sense of wonder at the gap between the only other Phish I'd heard (A Picture of Nectar) and this live experience - my mind was blown, to put it lightly.