1st Ramble On and Been Caught Stealing played1st Esther since 10/19/96 Production Credits: Recorded by Paul LanguedocMastered by Fred Kevorkian at Kevorkian MasteringPost-Production by Kevin ShapiroOn August 1, 1998 Phish returned to Alpine Valley in East Troy, WI for their third show in America’s Dairyland in as many years. Alpine is a favorite venue – one of the largest amphitheaters on the circuit with a capacity of 37,000, sprawling parking lot, a steep-sloped lawn, and wooden roof.  This was the thirteenth show of a 23-date U.S. summer tour.  Tickets and parking cost $27.75, and the show was sold out.  The rowdy Saturday night Alpine crowd was pumped but, even amidst the Summer of Covers, nobody could have predicted this show’s bookends. Set I exploded out of the gate with a four-song opening sequence of Ramble On > Mike’s Song > Esther > Weekapaug Groove.  The Led Zeppelin debut followed by Mike’s > Esther (the only such combination to-date) sent shockwaves through the audience.  This was the first Esther in almost two years, and it resolved into a funky cowbell-driven Weekapaug.  Other set I notables included Fikus, a rarity debuted earlier that summer in Copenhagen that appeared on ‘The Story of the Ghost’ album that fall, and a lively Funky Bitch set closer.  Set II highlights included Wilson > 2001 > (1998’s only) Magilla > 2001, a transcendent Tweezer > Fluffhead, and a blazing fast Chalk Dust Torture. The encore was another debut cover - Jane’s Addiction’s Been Caught Stealing > Tweezer Reprise, that put the exclamation point on this quintessential summer ‘98 show. 8/1/98 Alpine Valley was recorded by Paul Languedoc to soundboard DAT and was mastered by Fred Kevorkian.