The first set is great fun, and remarkably energetic (the folks streaming it live were not lying); any set with a whistling Reba, Peaches, and Camel Walk is going to get a thumbs up from me. The second set is just as much fun, but with some Type II to spare - the (too short for me, but whatever) Undermind was very welcome, Sand laid down a tight groove as it has all tour, and of course the Limb by Limb went to some dark, spaced-out places, a marquee jam along the lines of Charlotte's Tweezer or Oak Mountain's Rock & Roll. The first five songs flow together really, really well, and a YEM, average or no, is always welcome in any set.

Maybe this is because I was not as high on the first leg as most people, but I would say this show tops all but the best Leg 1 shows (barring Star Lake and SPAC 3), and is the best of the post-CA runup to Dick's. Considering the brevity of Phish 2012, that's pretty high praise. But one listen to that second set should make that praise understandable.

I think because STL was a sleeper and BGCA3 is considered the big marquee (prior to Dick's), the details aren't considered as closely. I think there is a general consensus among the Leg 2 shows (at least among those that attend/listen carefully/download) that the best shows pre-Dick's are BGCA3, STL, and Long Beach (but without a truly inspiring Rock and Roll, where would Long Beach be?). I am not here to scrutinize. Robert Fripp once explained the clear distinction when attending a show between "listening" and "hearing" the music. He said it is the difference between being alive or not- listening is a careful attention to the music, hearing is putting yourself on "auto-pilot" and not actively using your brain during the "musical event." With this explained, I would like to make clear that this is a defense of the STL sleeper show. Ranking is biased based on individual desires, predispositions, and personal experience/knowledge. So I wish not to rank, but to make a comparison outside of any hierarchy. STL was in my humble, but attentive perspective, the most focused and tightest show musically of the entire second leg. I heard a raw energy there unlike any other, as if Phish was neutral energy-wise stepping on the stage, and after the first set, they were running off with a youthful buzz. The second set was a tribute to what mature, 3.0 phish is truly capable of, that which no other band is today- deep musical cohesion and precision. I believe the band was surprised by IT in STL. Again, this is just a review of STL; which I felt inclined to report, because I have not listened to such a tight show since Deer Creek 1. I would also say that Alpine 1 and 2 are highly underrated for variables different than the usual ones. Anyway, whatever this special IT is, I believe it catches Trey, Mike, Page, and Fish off guard. Check out STL, particularly after things get hot- approximately after Ocelot. Try to listen to things that are intangible compared to the usual variables (such as: how many bustouts?, type II jams?, gimicks, etc) - listen for IT in STL.

This Limb by Limb was very special.

Wow what can I say.
Personally I saw 6 songs I've never seen live - though may have seen soundchecked.

I didnt know
The Curtain
Peaches
Mound
Frankie Says
Limb by Limb

I also got my first Whistle Reba I think
It's gonna take a few days for this to wear off - straight fire!

THIS was "the Heat" a total life-changer, really high energy start to finish and certain minor musical mistakes only reinforce the risks that they take on stage to create such a forceful performance...5 stars, will be listening, talking, comparing, this show for a looong long time, definitely a must-listen!

My first show since Superball, I was ready.

Ocelot was nice & punchy.
Frankie Says was surreal.
The Limb by Limb was a great jam.

High-energy show for me, start to finish.
The guys sound GREAT!!!

TOP THREE OF 2012 CONTENDER....awaiting 3 night closer in CC, CO...

After being blown away from the audience recording I sneakily listened to while working on discovery for a case this morning..... (all thanks to the \"@fromtheaquarium" - which he so kindly posted to youtube this morning....BTW....check out this guy's work gathering audience recordings...amazing job!!!!)

..I had to grab the real thing from the phish.net website....def. worth the $$$.

1st Set

Updbat song selection that doesn't stop....the pace stays high throughout and each song, IMHO is played spot on.....no matter what era you dig!

IDK Vacuum solo is sweet, plus a long awaited Curtain...a dirty Camel Walk....spectacular Possom..I have listened to an enormous volume of Phish....may not have been old enough to catch the early shows....but I HAVE LISTENED TO THEM VERY ATTENTIVELY...thanks to trading, youtube, and torrents...

my point....

Phish's 3.0, particularly Trey's tone makes these versions sound more fuller, and quite frankly, more professional as the craftsmanship of the instruments and quality of the soundboard has increased dramatically from say...the early 1990's...Possom is a perfect example of this....take each note Trey played in this version and apply his '88-'91 tone....and no one could deny the headiness...IMHO...Trey's choice of notes in his solo is spectacular...ive been playing guitar for 12 years now (26 yrs old) and I am blown away by the fluidity of this version.....

I digress.....

Next comes Quinn the Eskimo....love the Grateful Dead versions of song and Phish nail it here and is a perfect sing along set closer.

2nd Set:

CDT opener that blazes a path of fire behind it that would rival and wild fire the USA has faced in the last decade (apologies to anyone who may have lost a home or pet by such wild fires)

CDT dissolves into an ambient groove that will put a smile on an Ork's face (Elder Scroll's anyone??)

next up....not since DCU in '10...and what a glorious version of Frankie the boys play for us...Page's voice sounds gorgeous...great harmony between Page and Trey....but I am partial towards this song...the piano and guitar interplay is magic to the ears!

UNDERMIND is next...I have loved this song since it came into being and feel as thought it is not played live enough....

Sand is so HOT...partial to this song too..this version competes with ones from '99 and '00...hot version....

LxL is PHUCKING AMAZING....the ending jam is my favorite part of this song and for some reason reminds me a little bit of Spanish Jam from The Grateful Dead....

will-be classic version of Julius with a tight transition into 2001....

YEM closer.....honestly, how can you deny the band's superb choice of song selection for this performance...I envy the people of St. Louis....

I was at BGCA3 and I this show through the speakers may have an inch on it!

I predict a "knock-your-socks-off" NIGHT 2 in Commerce City.....

I'd like to add my 2 cents.
I wasn't at this show. I planned on trying to attend, but last minute life decisions put that to rest. Either way, I felt like I was there. Not trying to sound like a meatball here, but that show was that good.
Yes I heard what went down in that mound. There was no way not to. Mind you, up to the mound I was still getting the kids to bed and was only half listening through 1 ear. Once I got to the mound I strapped in and it was on. I would honestly need to re hear this show to give a song by song review. It seemed like one long jam to me. Hell, this entire run has seemed like one long jam to me. If anyone has the means, download this show immediately and give it all of your attention. You will not be sorry.

With due respect to wakajawakka, who clearly enjoys Phish and has strong opinions about what he likes about Phish, did anyone feel just a little condescended to by that review? What is this "don't be fooled" business? I'd rather he just said "who are you going to believe, me or your lying ears?" I don't mind the negative show review, but I'd rather not feel like some dumb neophyte for liking the show and Set II.

We traveled from MI for this show. It was a rare decision on our part to travel mid-week, but in my mind it was necessary to combat the mundaneness that had quickly overtaken our summer since the end of leg I. On the drive down, we played a game relating billboards, random road signs, and objects to Phish songs. Signs for “Cavern Tours” and “Fresh Peaches” loomed around us, as well as the obvious picks for road travel (tires=Contact, unrecognizable roadkill=Possum, etc).

We arrived in STL a bit behind schedule. We didn't even bother to look for shakedown, and I was a bit saddened by that since I wanted to socialize and pick up the group vibe. Nonetheless, I was extremely excited to see Phish in a town I hadn't visited since I was a kid. As the show began, somewhere in one of the 10X sections, I noticed a bright orange (?) sign with the words "Frankie Sez" written on it. “Yes! Great request!” I thought (haha).

PYITE was a solid, fun opener and the audience cheers seemed sustained throughout the entire song - we were amped! In return we received a fiery Runaway Jim, a freewheeling Ocelot and a Reba! And what's a variety show without comedy..."Ladies and gentlemen, the John Coltrane of the vacuum cleaner, Jon Fishman", Trey joked in I Didn't Know. A serene Curtain, a blast of Zappa energy (Peaches) and Mound provided the perfect mid-set combo. Sample was its usual self and the Sloth was well received by all. The Camel Walk groove seemed slightly thicker and more sedated than the last time I'd heard it (UIC ‘11). It was slick, cool, and laid back. Oh, Possum…love it or hate it, the bounce is infectious live. This version gets pretty damn insistent just after the 5:20 min mark, with some serious slicing and dicing by Trey. Our sing-along ended with Quinn the Eskimo to close the first set.

Set two played like a series of vignettes appearing out of a foggy terrain. Chalkdust was a surprising opener, but I'd heard what they did with it in Lakewood the other night, so I was excited for the possibility of more exploration. It carried its usual spunk, but as Fish started climbing towards the end of the song, Trey pushed to take things a little further and left the song unfinished. Just after 7:30, I heard a familiar beat trickling from Fish's corner as they settled in to a carefree, misty groove. I blinked and a Frankie Says appeared.

Aside: I've loved this song since I first heard it on SOTG. It seems to fade in and out of existence on that album. If you turned up the volume a little more and adjusted the EQ just right on any other song, you just might hear it rustling the notes and musical structures, like wind in the trees. It’s always there, oscillating just below the surface and just above the deep. It's that wavering shadow you just barely detect out of the corner of your eye but when you turn to face it, it’s not there.

So, in and out of that song they seemed to flow (like a daydream) and we were right back on our original path. Clearly, we were headed towards Sand when out popped quirky little Undermind! I think the more it's played the more peculiar layers they seem to add and/or reveal. Afterwards, we arrived at Sand which offered a gritty sound and an almost repentant, wailing melody. Walk Away burst through the seams to lighten the mood.

A late set Limb by Limb showed us its killer side. Trey started laying down the landscape not long after the lyrics ended. I liked the interplay between Trey and Fish just around the 4:45 mark. They broke things down slow and easy, and then pieced them together again after the 7min mark -- like turning a small cabin in the woods into a bustling metropolis. Everything was so subtle, then all of a sudden larger than life. It was a very rousing segment so Julius was a good follow up tune along with 2001.

Everyone loves a YEM...goddamnit, do we love it! It walks in the room and everyone seems to scream, “NORM!”, except we don't really say any words, we just exhale something akin to extreme relief. A collective "Ahhhhhh" is released by the crowd which extends into cheers of joy. It was a great set closer. Finally, Shine a Light ended the show and solidified our glow as we scampered out into the night.

How can you say this show looks terrible on paper? Looks like a pretty epic setlist to me? My question was how did it sounds, i can see the set is hot lol...

lots and lots of rare songs, i mean The Curtain>Peaches>Mound is unheard of stretch of hot songs...

awesome show in STL. didn't expect to see or hear at all. even the local reviewer couldn't say a bad thing. ...

http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/rftmusic/2012/08/phish_photos_setlist_review_chaifetz_fans.php

One thing that isn't mentioned about the rare appearance of Frankie Says is that someone, right on the first level of the elevated stands at Chaifetz arena, fairly close to the stage, basically right at the band's eye level was holding a large sign with simple black letters starting early on in the show that raid "FRANKIE SAYZ" - this is the person whom should be thanked. I could tell they were feeling good that night, in that small packed arena, it felt like everyone was close. Someone mentioned they may have soundchecked this song, but I'm guessing not. And then, the version was fantastic- so what does that ultimately say about this show?

This show was fantastic. My first Phish show, and for one who has been a big Deadhead that goes to Furthur shows I really couldn't ask for anything better.

I surprisingly knew and recognized more songs than I thought I would (obviously quinn and 2001, but even runaway jim, julius, and some others).

I could go on and on about the show but much has already been said. I merely want to react to the previous post.

I think you could definitely be correct that the jams could have been more exploratory musically. This is a legitimate criticism I suppose. However, the goodness of a show is not necessarily determined by how many and the quality of really exploratory jams. All that is great and fantastic stuff, but as far as I'm concerned shows like this are about 2 main things. 1) Having as much fun as possible, getting as many people to let go and have FUN! and 2) Getting everyone higher. This goes along with point number 1 but especially during the YEM vocal jam there was tons of audience participation, you could feel the highness of the crowd (or maybe I imagined all that cause I was so spun). The way the lights were managed when the band/crowed sang together and did a sort of chakric alignment type thang. As people and the band ascended the scale of notes they were singing, the lights changed from red and so forth up the scale. Ultimately the crowd was able to get high enough for a green but everyone settled one step below at the yellow frequency, and thus the jam re-started from that level. Truly cool stuff.

What I'm getting at, even aside from my little YEM diatribe, is that what is important is the ENERGY, not necessarily the nuances of the music. IMO that kind of stuff is a bonus. Perhaps Phish was really just locked into certain grooves and having fun. The crowd was having hella funs. Thats for damn sure.

It just makes me think of certain Furthur shows I've seen and Dead recordings. Some of the most powerful dead songs are not their most exploratory in terms of jamming.

I know you rider, for instance, is a classic tune that is simple and known by pretty much everyone. When they come out of a hot china cat jam and go into I Know You Rider it's a LOT of FUN! And usually the Rider is much more powerful and packs a stronger punch than the chinacat.

I guess in Dead terms what I'm saying is that what I expect out of an I Know You Rider is completely different from what I expect from Dark Star. Not every song has be perfect and blow your mind musically, sometimes the very "in-syncness" of the band and audience can blow your mind equally or more than an intricate exploratory jam.

I've never seen a crowd more in-tune with a band than at this phish show. And to me that intercommunication is what's really important. Oftentimes at these kinds of shows I view the quality of the music as a signpost for how high the audience is. This audience was quite high, at least I was, and you cannot deny the tightness and the quality of the playing, even if it was not as "out-there" as some would have liked. I personally thought the 2001 was great, but it's the only time I've seen it live, and I was on the floor. Maybe if I had been talkin to a friend or not listening and dancing as intently I would have missed how truly awesome it was.

i knew that stl was going to be the heater... just didnt have the means to make it... congrats to all that made the trip and glgl phishin in the future

i called this show inbetween leg 1 and leg 2 as the indoor sleeper and just couldnt get the means to make it... as a result i couldnt bare to listen on the stream so I have no actual musically review just sad for myself and friends that didnt make it in and happy for all you phans that did

this is why i love phish!!!!!

PHISH = HEAVEN

I listened to part of the show on the stream and there was some crazy stuff played in the 2nd set. The Undermind.... Sand... Walk Away... Limb By Limb run was just amazing. Trey shreds during Sand...... Warp 27 shredding..... Killer!!! Couldn't catch the rest of the show so I'll have to listen to it at some point. On a completely different note..... Is there a list of rules or something as to what is allowed to be posted or not? I've never seen one so everyone should chill out. If you don't like someone's post, then don't read it. It's not hard to recognize a name and then skip their post. Adding 50 posts complaining does not help the situation. Personally, I laughed my ass off at this shows Meatball post. Very descriptive writing, your English teacher would be proud. Just don't recycle your posts. That is lame.

We were all prisoners of the groove last night and Phish set us phree. I wish it'd show up on etree soon so I can relive this show. . .spark a j, lean back, clothes my eyes and let Phish take me on a ride.

some nice momentum going into Denver this weekend!

How did I get a negative review for saying this setlist looks hot? Doesnt anyone else think this is a great setlist?? idk but i just thought that was odd...

also first punch opener since 2011 NYE run and the next one before that was 2010 NYE run... pretty phun opener!!!

Ocelot is definitely coming into its own, and the version from this show was excellent. Ocelot, Light, and Stealing Time are the best tracks the band can play live off Joy.

On a separate note, I'm dying to hear some Pebbles......

Frankie says is a bad ass tune!!!!!

Anyone else feel that Trey had the '97 tone working on that solo?

I am referring to the solo in Julius...sorry for the double post...too bad there isn't an "edit your post feature."

I may be a total noob, but am I the only one who noticed the animal theme to the first set? Jim, Ocelot, Sloth, Camel, Possum, and pigeons in Quinn! Do they do this stuff on purpose? I guess I'm surprised we didn't get an Antelope close.....

Great show. Tons of energy and excellent song selection all crisply played. Epic? No, but it was way worth the price of admission and upon a second listen, courtesy of LivePhish, it holds up and then some.

What happened at the beginning & end of mound? No one caught that? Call it a tease. Call it something.

Really well put wakajawakka. I too got ripped for similar comments in the blog here http://blog.phish.net/1346249444/st-louis-recap . The second set was full of great segues, but not jams. And even the Limb x Limb, great as it was, turned into yet another rock jam instead of the surreal masterpiece it started off into. "muzzled 2001 and just-average YEM" is perfectly put! Please don't play 2001 unless you are going to play IT, guys.

Go listen to the Undermind, Runaway Jim, and Chalkdust Torture from 8/31/12 before you reply to hear what wakajawakka and I were looking for in the ones we heard in StL. Even Carini is a metal rocker but Denver got HOSE out of it. Would have been nice to have heard that out of Sloth or Possum or Quinn or Sand or Walk Away or Julius or any of the other hard rocking type Is we got.