https://forum.phish.net/forum/permalink/1377730358

It's the closest we can get to time travel: putting on a show, closing our eyes and imagining what it was like to experience it in person. Phish had developed a strong fanbase in Charlottesville by playing the legendary Trax six times during 1990-1992, and had been actively focusing on expanding their audience by playing gigs in basketball arenas on college campuses. 10/27/94 captures the band in the middle of a run of five shows in five nights, as they were deep in rehearsals for the White Album performance at Glens Falls, and their playing was evidently honed to a razor's edge.

Sometimes we are guilty of ranking a show highly because of just a few moments of elation, and conversely, assigning a low rating because of one or two disappointing songs. Tweezer is set up to be the centerpiece jam of the second set, but this meek and mild version would soon be dwarfed by the heavyweight versions in Bangor, Bozeman, and Mesa in the following months. Another reason for the low rating might be the notably short 2nd set, clocking in at 50 minutes (?!), but our heroes compensate their audience with a lengthy and generous encore. And there are still a few examples of the improv in random places that made Fall '94 special.

It is worth noting the significance of the band's featuring of Gamehendge material on this night, from the Wilson opener to the surprise Icculus in the middle of the encore, referencing the pan-dimensional Vibration of Life during the narration between Forbin's and Mockingbird. Of course, this show is best known for this excellent version of Divided Sky, with Jedi Trey expertly leading the band through the composed section and then laying waste to all negativity and doubt with his soloing.

10/27/94 is a show without any of the towering jams that were to come later in this tour, but it holds together with many strong performances.