How about a Tweeprise to kick things off? I had to check and see if I'd inadvertently started playing disc 3! By opening up with this song, Phish effectively pulls the net out from under themselves as they step onto the tightrope: if the rest of the show turns out to be lackluster, they'll look rather silly, won't they?
Reba jams don't often get me off, but I'll propose that this one is quite nice. Kung surprisingly pops into existence the very moment that CTB concludes, with an extended chorus of “Kung! Kung! Kung!” chants (in the middle of which Fishman hilariously poses the question on everyone's minds: “Kung?”)
Fast forward past a handful of tunes (all featuring highly inspired, TIGHT playing)... GTBT. Right, fair enough, this will be the close of an excellent set. But wait, this is a bit odd: Trey is really pushing the boundaries with his solo, stacking up the tension, and almost playing out of key. Hmm... The rest of the band just plays along as usual, probably not quite sure what else to do. The end of Trey's solo comes around, and just then he effortlessly sliiiides back into Tweeprise! It's apparent that the rest of the band didn't quite see this coming, but they turn on a dime and the transition is very smooth. Wow! (This took my breath away the first time I heard it!)
Set 2 appropriately opens up with a snappy 2001, which soon disintegrates into Bowie. The band tries hard as hell to make this an excellent version, and I'd say they succeed. Trey leaves plenty of space for Page to jump in with some tasty licks. Between 13:00 and 14:00, there's a a short-lived tempo change with a muddy, heavy metal feel – pretty cool. The effects that Trey applies during the climactic breaks will certainly put a smile on your face.
Lifeboy is especially pretty. YEM is a hard-groovin', ass-shaking throwdown. Purple Rain, while absolutely absurd, is strangely appropriate following YEM's extended vocal jam. Harry Hood also plays its part in contributing to the excellence of this set 2.
While it's certainly a fantastic set 2, set 1 may have even been better! When all is said and done, this is a *GREAT SHOW*, entirely deserving of the LivePhish “archival release” treatment.