I have seen my share of various incarnations of Phish side projects - at least one for every member. This show is the highlight of them all. The mood was exuberant, even rowdy for the intimate Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. The crowd was just brimming with energy - and right off the mark, the band responded in spades.

The TAB entrance alone tells you exactly what kind of show this was - marching in right through crowd in uniform no less, pumping out 'When the Saints Come Marching In.' How is that for an opening number? I will never forget that the feeling - oh yes, it was going to be one of those nights.

The first set is pretty stacked, but the one that really brought it all home was 'Mist' - just filled with moments of aching beauty. The second set brought the heat. 'Drifting' through 'Jibboo' was an all out rocking, mad dash through originals and smoking covers. It was truly a high-energy, crowd-pleasing romp. Cap that all off with a Mike Gordon appearance for the encore (acoustic 'Possum!') and the outro 'Yellow Submarine' march. Classic Phish-style hijinx, superbly executed by Big Red and Band.

I had never heard, let alone seen TAB before this night and it was a real treat. There was even a decent shakedown happening outside of the Civic Center, but hey that is Asheville for you. I haven't heard this as a recording so I don't know how it translates, but as with all things Phish - here's to being there .