[We would like to thank Your Name (@ObviousFool) aka @silasioak for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

There is a palpable excitement on the first day of a Phish run, when the waiting is finally over and the day of the show is finally here. This is especially true of a Phish festival, a truly singular experience, and one that many in this fanbase have yet to experience. It’s been almost a decade since Magnaball, the last Phish festival to actually occur, and some of us have PTSD from the last time we were supposed to be doing this.

As I arrive in Baltimore at the crack of dawn, I’ve barely slept, kept awake by an intoxicating cocktail of anxiety, anticipation, and excitement. The day before, when my wristband arrived in the mail, some of the anxiety was replaced with goosebumps, but after our misadventures in 2018, I’m not counting any chickens before they’ve hatched, grown, and been turned into spicy chicken sandwiches.

I grab my rental car and after quick stops for snacks and coffee, I make my way towards Dover. I arrive at my hotel shortly after 9AM, naively optimistic that my room might be ready for me six hours before check-in. After a couple hours of napping in the A/C in my backseat, I return to the lobby to find Reed (@DaleCooper) and his brother Nathan (@DriftlessMN) - it turns out they’re actually staying at the hotel across the street, but by the luck of their error, I’ve found my first friends.

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