https://forum.phish.net/forum/permalink/1377926730

Portland, Oregon was one of the first West Coast locations to welcome and support Phish in the early 90's. The tapes from the first few Phish shows in Portland aren't the highest quality, but were still well circulated at the time, and demonstrate how the band appreciated the responsiveness of the audience. Phish pulled off a classic April Fool's joke during a two-night stand at the Roseland Ballroom in the Spring '93, and the shows from August '93 and July '98 have been officially released by the band. Other Portland shows since then like 9/12/99 and 10/19-20/21 have been well-received by phans, but I can't help but root for this plucky show from down the homestretch of the Fall 1996 tour. Why? Just Because.

Phish played a terrific run of shows in the Midwest between 11/6 and 11/19, but the band seemed to lose their momentum in the huge ice storm that coated the Northwestern U.S. on the 20th and 21st. However, the band was apparently able to rebound from a border crossing into Vancouver, during which (according to phish.com) "Trey and Fish got to know Customs Agents at the border". A Sunday show at Portland's Memorial Coliseum may have been easy to overlook for many on tour at the time, but reviews claim that the scenes both inside and outside the venue were very pleasant that night, not unlike shows in the area in 3.0. (I wonder if those Customs Agents requested the Loving Cup played during Portland's second set?)

2001 had earned a reputation as a lead-in for many dynamic jams, so the transition into Sparkle has probably caused many Phish jam fans to go cross-eyed. But both songs were also CK5 showcases, and it is worth closing one's eyes and imagining the colorful craziness above the stage as one listens to the band race each other to the end line. Speaking of racing, the Reba in the first set so fast and furious it would have made Paul Walker proud, and the Antelope first set closer is determined not to be left in the dust either. A Poor Heart > AC/DC Bag > All Things Reconsidered opening trio is certainly unusual, but impeccably performed, with Trey stretching out during AC/DC Bag and demonstrating his astonishing facility for creating melodic and harmonic tension during the solo.