(Published in the second edition of The Phish Companion...)

After managing to catch all 21 shows this summer, looking back on them, they seem like one big blur…with a really boring drive through Kansas somewhere in the middle. However, there were several personal highlights for me: 1) the overwhelming amount of "Holy Shit!"s and "O My God!"s being tossed around at the Star Lake show, 2) the blistering "Wolfman's” -> “Jesus Left Chicago" from the Gorge ( I mean chills people), 3) the entire Utah show, and 4) Deer Creek in general.
By the third night of Deer Creek, I felt like part of the walking wounded. I was so happy to be seeing my third show in a row at the same venue (plus two at Alpine right before taboot!). Anyway, this night's show wasn't the best one they played all tour, but has some exceptional moments nonetheless. It started off with "Scents and Subtle Sounds," which was a standard in the rotation this summer, followed by one of my favorites, "Theme From the Bottom." "Theme" soared as usual and was followed by "Rift," which always gets a show moving by picking up the pace. Next was "Sample in a Jar," followed by my personal highlight of the show: the triumphant post-hiatus return of "Sneakin' Sally." This is one of the best covers Phish does. All I remember is Mike going nuts and my tired, ragged body digging down for that little extra to get me groovin'.
Set II opened with a great version of "Down with Disease." As much as I may complain, I really don't think I get tired of this one. Then came my long, lost love that I had been waiting for all summer (and thought I would get at the Gorge): "The Squirming Coil." Page should be my uncle, that guy is the man! "Antelope" was complete with a dedication to Antelope Greg (hope all works out brother), and this “Antelope” ripped. Maybe it was Greg's presence, who knows. . The set closed out with "Thunderhead" and "Slave," which was the perfect closing curtain on three memorable nights at the Creek.