Right in the middle of the summer '94 tour, 6/22 at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium is one of only a few shows to have been selected for the initial Live Phish release series. Upon first listen, one would likely (and correctly assume) that this honor is earned in the second set, as the first half of the show, while strong, does little to stand out on its own. Llama opener rips pretty hard, and there's a sweet Mule worked in there, but only Stash really rises to the challenge. I do really love the early harmonic synchronization Trey and Mike land on, underlining the dark movements of the tune, and the final minutes that approach the song's end are more unique than many others. Solid first set, but where's the meat?

The answer to that question comes immediately after Trey announces the first quarter score of the NBA finals, launching my personal favorite segue-fest. Though this mega-stuffed Mike's Groove may not boast the same distance and ground explored as Tinley Park Antelope or Bomb Factory Tweezer, the energy and mood more than make up for any shortage of Type II jamming. Best Catapult and Icculus out there; the Midnight Rider theme carries the band far. The groove is only further sweetened by an immaculate transition into TMWSIY/Avenu/TMWSIY, which itself bleeds expertly into a beautiful DDLJ. Tack on a strong Fluffhead and a killer JJLC (along with some other loosies), and you've got yourself a bangin' second set. (Side note: I loooove the era of Cavern with Trey's wailing and bends at the end of each verse. Bring that shit back!)