On July 20, 1998 Phish again encountered Ventura's breezy oceanside. Ventura '98 was characterized by some new songs and some bustouts. The first set included a "Bathtub Gin" opener, a new arrangement of "Water In The Sky", the swinging funk of "The Moma Dance" and a "Split Open And Melt" Set I closer. Set II exploded with a bass-and-drums-fueled "Drowned" > "Makisupa Policeman" pairing that utilized Page's synth stylings to seamlessly blend rock and reggae. "Maze" led to a perfectly placed "Sea And Sand".
Awesome show. First Phish show I've listened to in at least a decade. It reminds me why I love these guys. Great sounding recording. you can really hear how awesome Mike is.
Fish (3/13/2026 6:45:04 PM)
Fishman is the best. starting around the 18 min mark of Bowie, the drums he lays down builds the foundation of one of my personal favorite segments of 97 phish. end of Bowie>Cities is where it's at.
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