Album Notes has largely consisted of "my favorite new thing I've heard since last Thursday." That remains true today, although, this is not an album. 

Few experiences exist on Earth quite like a Phish festival. I have been fortunate enough to attend two, although both are now more than 20 years in the rearview. But how often can you say things like, "There is no place I'd rather be than on a decommissioned air force base in Nowhere, Maine." Or, "You know, sitting in this traffic jam for 14 hours hasn't been so bad" before walking 12 miles to enter the festival grounds. It's all worth it, because the beauty of these events is the world the band creates, one in and of itself, removed from society, yet its own entirely. While I can't personally speak to how the festivals have been since Phish returned in 2009, from what I've heard/read, they still seem pretty damn awesome. And their "secret" set last Friday made me utter a phrase I never had before: I wish I was in Delaware.

The band is known for playing an extra, unannounced set at their festivals (and, for the uninitiated, these are not typical music fests: Phish is always the only band on the bill). From cruising the campgrounds on the back of a truck to performing on top of an air traffic control tower, there's usually something up their sleeve to keep attendees on their toes. The same was true this past weekend, although, normally, this would have been Saturday night instead of Friday, but due to weather forecasts, it got moved up a day. The expansiveness of the undertaking also required Trey to tell the crowd to stick around. This "secret" set would be on the main stage, commencing less than a half hour after the show proper concluded.

What transpired was visually stunning and musically, for the most part, rewarding. Some ambiance, some rocking, some bliss, some Trey on two guitars at once. All pure Phish. Listening live on the Bunny, I was entranced. Watching the next day, I was even more moved. It's like they took the basis of their April Sphere visuals and applied it to a standard stage. Oh, and decided to drop a 50-minute set of largely improvised music on top of it. It serves as a near-perfect encapsulation of modern day Phish. And makes me want to go to their next festival. Johnsy, are you in? Never forget, their intent is all for our delight.