IT appeared at first that things would be horrendous on Northerly Island Friday night. The weather reports ominously foretold thunderstorms, and the venue reports (especially about the lawn) in the weeks before the show were bleak. But as Phish opened with “Suzy Greenberg,” the crowd roared with glee.

The weather was as gorgeous as gorgeous could be, with an intermittent breeze cooling down the 90+ degree ambient temperature under a largely blue sky. The set featured a funkalicious “Wolfman’s Brother,” and Fish dazzlingly engaging the audience on the Marimba Lumina during “Scent of a Mule.” There was also a memorably must-hear version of “Limb by Limb,” masterfully crazy-fingered by Trey. Fans danced-off calories left and right, including calories earned pre-show drinking copious amounts of “Sample” ale in mason jars at Rock Bottom brewpub’s wonderful, all-weekend fundraiser for The Mockingbird Foundation, whose volunteers manage this site.

It was easily among the tour’s finest first sets. What would the second set bring? Would we get yet another powerful second set of tour, fans wondered as the sky steadily darkened, and lightning began to twist and pounce on the horizon, both Page, and Mike, side.

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