They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway. That may never have been more true than it was on June 21, 2004.

Through some grateful coincidence, Delta had no seats to Denver available on June 20th or 21st--only the morning of the 22nd. So I postponed the honeymoon another day or two, figuring I'll use Monday to prepare for the adventure.

When Phish announced that they would be performing on the Late Show with David Letterman on June 21, I thought little of it. It would be nearly impossible to get tickets for Letterman when Phish was his guest.

But in the days before the Letterman gig, when word spread that Phish would be playing outside the Ed Sullivan Theater, on top of the marquee, that's when I took note.

And so it was that after the last day of work before a month-long vacation across America, I hopped aboard the 1 train to midtown. To see a Phish show for the fourth time in five days. But this time, for free, on Broadway.

Above left, Gabe, Beth, and Jill smile for a forthcoming free Phish concert. Above right, Phish sets up their stage on the marquee as scores of spectators watch from windows overhead. It was a surreal sight, to be sure. My favorite band of all time, with fewer than ten concerts left, was playing for the last time in New York 30 feet over Broadway.

Phish's performance on the Letterman marquee reminded me greatly of The Beatles' final live performance on the rooftop of Apple Studios in 1969. The Beatles' 42-minute finale session marked the end of their Let It Be sessions, The Fab Four's final album. With Phish retiring at their peak, the Beatles' Let It Be vibe was overwhelming. It gave me chills.

The song Phish chose to be broadcast that night was Scents and Subtle Sounds, a standout on their final album Undermind. Combined with the the intro segment to the song, S&SS was a perfectly poetic choice. The tune was appropriate for Phish's farewell; its theme--to appreciate every moment--was pervasive throughout the summer. It would continue, for me at least, through the end of Coventry.

The lyrics to the song's introduction are shown at right and continued below.

Above left, David Letterman smiles down on my exuberant newlywed bride Beth. Above right, Doro and I grin giddily.

After completing both the intro and the full version to Scents and Subtle Sounds, Phish continued with their set. In Phish fashion, they kicked into the classical composition Also Sprach Zarathustra, better known as the theme to the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. The instrumental buildup was ideally suited for the futuristic setting--above ground in a valley of enormous skyscrapers. I wonder if the original composer Richard Strauss ever envisioned his masterpiece in this setting.

I can't explain the absurdity I felt dancing on the sidewalk while cars, trucks, and busses drove by on Broadway. At one point I looked north on Broadway and saw a shredding/recycling truck heading our way. With it approaching the stage area, I hollered at the top of my lungs, "SHRED IT, TREY!!!" When the truck passed, I heard people laughing at the coincidence.

As if grooving to the theme of 2001 on the city sidewalk wasn't bizarre enough, Phish followed with Wilson, the fan favorite famous for its crowd chants. The thousand or so in attendance yelled "WILSON!" in response to Trey's cues, and the echoes of the chant reverberated off the towering buildings around us. For a minute it felt like we owned Broadway. A friend passed me a oney. Phish was playing a private concert for us. Here was reason #3,148,329 why I love New York.

Another Phish standard, Chalkdust Torture, flowed down from the marquee after Wilson. "Can't I live while I'm young," I sang along to myself, for the first time as a married man. Coming from my last day of work, Chalkdust was a welcome transition into the official vacation. It was followed by Tweezer, and the set was capped by Tweezer Reprise. It was only the third time in several hundred performances of Tweezer that the Reprise followed directly. It was P E R F E C T.