The Phish from Vermont in Chicago 11/7 & 11/8 1998

I was fortunate enough to go see 2 Phish shows in the city of Chicago in the fall of 1998. I had just begun school at Michigan, so we got a few Michigan folks together including PH who was with us at 12/6/97., and AK whose father picked us up on a snowy highway after my car crash on the way to Grand Rapids 96, and I believe AK's ladyfriend AK also joined us. In fact, I believe we stayed with someone associated with AK's girl AK (older brother perhaps) that put us up in a high rise near Wacker and Michigan. This would be my first official trip to Chicago in my life. I would end up traveling to Chicago a lot and I even lived there briefly. In any case, the setup we had was perfect for my first visit, despite how ridiculously cold it was. And here's the setlist.
11-07-98 UIC Pavilion, Chicago, IL

1: My Soul, Mike's Song, Driver*, Brian and Robert*, The Wedge, Limb by Limb, Fikus, Billy Breathes, Beauty of My Dreams, Weekapaug Groove (1:13)

2: AC/DC Bag -> Ghost, Reba, Farmhouse (0:56)

E: Guyute, While My Guitar Gently Weeps (0:14)

*Trey on acoustic guitar.

11-08-98 UIC Pavilion, Chicago, IL

1: Taste, Carini*, Love Me, Ride Captain Ride, Fee, Paul and Silas, Roggae, Water in the Sky, Stash**, Cavern# (1:06)

2: Chalk Dust Torture, Meat, Rock and Roll##, Down With Disease^ -> Piper, Wading in the Velvet Sea, Run Like an Antelope (1:08)

E: Been Caught Stealing^^ (0:04)

*Trey added verse about the streaker from the 11-06-98 Prince Caspian. **With "Fikus" bass tease by Mike during the jam. #Trey messed up the lyrics while tapping guitar pedals, and laughed at his mistake through the rest of the verse. ##Velvet Underground cover (from Loaded). ^Ended with a 3/4 minute Ambient Jam (with a Baba O'Reily-type sequencing loop and spacey synths from the "Cold As Ice" intro). ^^With trampolines.

The Been Caught Stealing Encore was the highlight, great Mikes & Ghost, and a sweet Antelope with a reggae beat ending ala 12/29/97. Phish played really, really well both shows and I'm disappointed I didn't stay for the 3rd night. In all honesty, I remember more about visiting the city of Chicago for the first time than really much about these shows so I'll be ending my 1998 Phish experience very shortly.

Phish in 1998 was a true adventure, a time when everything was still new and I had shown how ridiculously far I would go to see this jamband from Vermont. Phish is addicting because of the energy this band exudes in 3 hours of your life each time they play. I really regret not going to the show in Grand Rapids on 11-11-98 because of my chance to see this song called Tela. It would be a long 8 months before I would see Phish again and make my first official road trip south to Hotlanta.

Thanks for reading.