The last few weeks have been rough both personally and for the Phish community at large. I caught Covid after a Billy Strings concert and on September 28, I had to go to the hospital as I was having symptoms of hypoxia. Fortunately it was "just" the Covid creating pneumonia and the ER sent me home a few hours later, but in the moment it was terrifying. I didn't know if I would ever leave the hospital again.

The one cool thing that did happen from that horrible day is that Trey was tipped off that I was there and he sent me a message from his solo set that night, telling the story about how me timing songs and how I might not have been the fan that musicians dream about when they form a band, but ultimately moved it to a direction of genuine affection, a sign that Trey really does care about the community.

So after the drama of catching Corona, fearing for one's life, and then recovering, three weeks from the day of my hospital visit, I somehow found myself inside Matthew Knight Arena - on the floor close to the stage no less - about to see Phish. And what do they start with? "Down With Disease." And not just any "Down With Disease" but the 6th longest ever played. While I doubt it was intentional, that opener - complete with a few interesting themes, a "There is a Mountain" tease, and some very cool effects from Mike - felt like a perfect way to mark the end of one of the scariest chapters of my life.

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