As the awe-inspiring fireworks show lit up both the Maine sky and the faces of 60,000 muddy Phish fans below, the last song perfectly captured the weekend festival: “Good Times, Bad Times.”

Phish romped through 39 shows in the nine months since the band’s hiatus. The experience, some fans say, is not what it used to be. Kids used to flock to Phish shows for the music; now, they do it for the drugs.

Phish’s answer: hold a two-day summer tour blowout at an abandoned Air Force base in the northeast corner of the country. Setting up shop way out in the middle of nowhere is a good way to weed out the posers and have a weekend bash for the die-hard music fans.

For me, the bad times came first. Twenty-four hours in a car is no one’s idea of a good time. What’s worse is that it took us 14 hours to move four miles. When we arrived, the campgrounds were a muddy mess and everything smelled like shit.

And the good times, well, you know I had my share. Six sets of Phish in 36 hours – how could this go wrong? It couldn’t.

We walked around the campgrounds, letting our feet lead the way. We saw some funny characters – enough, I thought, to make some mini-MasterCard commercials. (Ticket: $150. Ganja brownie: $5. Fat guy with a mullet wearing an “I beat anorexia” T-shirt: Priceless.)

The music started Saturday afternoon in full effect. “Ya Mar” was ferocious, and the band jammed the song to new places. “Meatstick,” complete with Japanese lyrics – a first for me – showed the guys on stage were clearly enjoying themselves, if not simply basking in the fact that they were satisfying – scratch that, euphoriating – 60,000 people.

Set two was decent by comparison. They left “Down with Disease” go unfinished, and contrasted with a 40-minute “Waves.” The typical “David Bowie” closer was a nice touch.

They jammed out like monsters in set three, flawlessly playing a synthesis of new and old material. The best part was the “Seven Below”>”Scents and Subtle Sounds”>”Seven Below” sandwich of new jams.

The unannounced but heavily rumored “gig in the sky” from the top of the air-traffic control tower was some of the most ridiculous playing I have ever heard. No canned songs, just jamming. The Tower Jam was a very eerie scene, with a surreal light show and Cirque Du Soleil-esque acrobats repelling the tower.

On Sunday, the band played well, if not all that tight. Seemed to me that they were playing to please the crowd and not to piece together perfect music. Examples: a shortest-ever “Wilson” and a spacey and slightly off “Chalkdust.” But, the first set ended on a high note with a compact and flawless “Mike’s Song”>“Hydrogen”>“Weekapaug Groove.”

If “Good Times, Bad Times” summed up the weekend, “Mellow Mood,” the Bob Marley classic Phish opened the second Sunday set with, certainly encapsulated the vibe. Next they played the best “Ghost” I have ever heard, launching the crowd into a mammoth glowstick war. “Pebbles and Marbles,” “You Enjoy Myself” and “Loving Cup” capped off set two.

The festival’s final set was also a knockdown. I still can’t figure out how they make it sound like they have a horn section during “Lizards.” And the “Antelope” – gotta love it.

And just as I tried to put the whole whopping six sets (plus Tower Jam) together in my head, the band came out with an electrifying Zeppelin closer. Lead singer Trey Anastasio announced the band was “back for good” and that they were already planning a New Year’s Eve spectacular. To that, fireworks went ballistic, and 60,000 people chimed in happily with the lyrics, “Realize, sweet babe, we ain’t ever gonna part.”

Good times, bad times: Phish is back.

– JAKE FURST