This is a breakthrough show and will stand up nicely in future. The first set is just a teaser for the Wilson > etc. > Contact run, which is the best series the band has put together since June '04, maybe August '03. This Piper isn't quite as interesting as what surrounds it, but it's so nice to hear the tune get a jitter-free extended performance that you won't mind. The rest of the run is pure gold, from the nightblack return of Saw It Again to a burning, compact Ghost and that sneaky-surprise Stones cover. (Compare it to the rickety Psycho Killer from Hartford '09 to see just how far the band has come in a year.) The band doesn't escape into the dreamtime here as in winter/summer '03 (check out the superb 2/16/03 gig for a post-hiatus hybrid), but it's great stuff nonetheless; for coherence and boldness it surpasses this summer's Hershey dance party (6/13) and MJ-tinged Camden throwdown (6/25).

All the auguries are lookin' good. As far as I'm concerned, Phish's summer 2010 shows have left nearly all the band's 2009 work in the shade - and we're only halfway through the season! Can't wait to hear what comes out of the late summer shows.

To say that this is one of the best Phish shows ever would be a tremendous overstatement, but this show is certainly a high point in Phish 3.0.

Set one contained two shows which haven't been played in some time right off the bat. They were fun, up, and well-played. This theme was followed for much of the first set. Very fun, good song selection, and all four members shone in their respective roles.

Set two started off with a strong Wilson which segued into Meatstick. Meatstick is one of those songs which you either love or hate, and for those in the former category, I'll refrain from stating my real opinion. I will say that it was one of the more enjoyable versions of Meatstick I've heard, and that should suffice. Saw It Again took the jamming in a dark direction which has been lacking in quite a few shows this tour, and was a pleasant surprise and a stark contrast from the first set. Piper began to take the show on a more upbeat turn, but after segueing into Ghost, there were definitely dark and dramatic tones being adopted by the boys. Jumpin' Jack Flash was transitioned into beautifully, a cover which was both completely unexpected and well-executed. When it segued back into Saw It Again, the darker tones came back. Contact was well-played, and the YEM was quite enjoyable during this show, if I do say so myself. The encore of Fire wasn't the best the band has played, but it was a very nice end to a really killer show. 8/10.

Good Christ... almost gizzed myself during Saw it Again- Great Show, Great Weekend.

This show was so much fun and the jams were nonstop. After the show, I was standing around with about 20 folks just talking about the madness that had just passed, all of us agreeing that the show was the best since of the first comeback (that began on Dec 31 2002). Personally, I wonder if I've ever heard Phish play so well, so consistently. There were certainly shows over the years that can stack up to this show, but have there been many runs to compare with the Hartford>SPAC>Camden>MPP run from this year? I think not.

Great show, worth all of the time it will take you to listen to it, for as long as it remains on your 'favorites' playlist.

There were more "flubs" this night than at camden or hartford, but they were non-significant when placed in the context of the rest of what was being played and the consistent energy during the show.
Listen, and understand.

After having to bail at the last minute on the Saturday night show, I was excited to get to Columbia for a night of Phish with my girl. Our friends were already in town, so we had a pretty good ideas of the vibe from last night. Little did we know, we picked a good night to come.

Venue: Merriweather has a nice outdoor vibe to it. Had lawns for this show, but my buddies scored a killer spot below the big projector. We were on a slight hill, put vowed that gravity would never stop our dance moves. The HEAT was bad! Lot's of humidity, def. could have rained on us but it held back. This actually created a sweaty, half naked crowd that was just waiting to get down. Had a decent view of the band, great light shots, and killer sound. A good energetic crowd as well. Glow stick wars during Piper/Ghost/YEM got pretty heavy at points. Security inside was chill, or at least I didn't see any problems. From what I saw going in and out though they were busting up the lot scene pretty heavy, flying the whirly birds over head post-show. However, I got to walk along this wooded path to and from my friends place, which made for an easy no hassle way home. Lot traffic looked like hell as we cruised by them on foot. On another note, Clydes is a great place to go for a bite before and after the show. Phan friendly for sure, heard several phans raged the World Cup there on Saturday as well. Anyways, onto the real review.

Music:
Set I: Walfredo to start things off was a treat. I had only seen it on the Phish in Vegas DVD before, so it was amazing to see the guys switch it all up. MVP was def. Fish on bass. Too funny. They brought it back to normal form, and launched into a Mellow Mood. Ut oh, back to back bustouts. The crowd ate this one up and everyone got their dancing shoes warm for what was to come. STFTFP and Divided Sky were good, not standouts on a night like this though. Tela was a treat for sure, lots of people chase that one. Personally though, I thought the My Soul made you forget all about it cause it was blues rock at it's finest. Talk about a get down. Showcasing their ability to still nail bluegrass, the boys rip on Ginseng Sullivan. Sample is sample. Gin was good, but I thought the nTelos version I saw a few weeks ago was much better. Antelope was stellar! Mike hitting a mini-solo after a "Micheal Esquandolas" lyric change was cool, because I had noticed they had been having fun with that all tour. Crowd is ready to rock as the sun goes down on a terribly hot night.

Set II: Wilson and we are off. Real dark lighting effects here, as CK5 might be starting to paint a mood early. Then we get another request via a phan sign (rumored, but more the likely true), the Meatstick makes it place known in 2010 with a great funky sound. Lots of grooving here. The Japanese lyrics have had me laughing since Sunday night. So funny. Side note: the Meatstick dance seemed to be dead, I never got to see it when it was alive (however youtube teaches many things), but I can assure you people had no idea what to do. Next came the theme for the night, Saw It Again (Side Note: I can confirm a Saw It Again sign, as I ran into the guy leaving the venue. Tour Note: SIGNS ARE WORKING). The boys jammed right into it as my girl and I were gonna run to the bathroom, but decided we had to stay for this! Little to we know it would be in till Contact that we would have a chance to go. I had been hoping to hear this song this summer, and I was super stocked when it started. Little did I know, I was gonna see IT again. Super dark, funky, and really got people moving into what would become a MAJOR Piper. This may be the best Piper of 3.0. I mean it was that good. Jamming without a net, Phish slipped into the Ghost everyone had wanted to hear. The Glow stick wars were a raging, CK5 has the lights in a new dimension of darkness, and the band was hitting on every note, playing a delicate game of give and take. You have to give this a spin to understand. They tease Saw It Again lyrics throughout, then move seamlessly into Jumping Jack Flash. It was so smooth I had no clue they even did it. In fact, none of my crew did. The crowd is now a full peak I would say, if you weren't moving you weren't breathing. Bringing up back to where we all got lost in the first place, they land back into Saw It Again. Contact (not for me sorry), finally gave me and my girl the break to find our faces and make it to the bathroom. We step out and YEM kicks off. Killer version, trampolines, glow stick wars, great sound and a nice vocal jam. Again we get Saw It Again teases. Quick exit, and back on stage for the encore. Fire. My girl loves her some Jimi so it's a very fitting ending to a wonderful night.

Next stop Raleigh.

This show is the perfect mixture of fun with a great setlist. It's one of those nights that truly feels like the guys are playing something special for those in attendance.

Tela is the first really notable song in the first set to my ears, it has some very inspired and powerful playing to it. Sample has a really nice peaky solo to it. Gin has some great hose for how short it is along with great peaks. Antelope is also very strong to end things.

Set 2 is where all kinds of crazy and fun things happen. The first -> into Saw it again is fantastic and meticulously done. The beginning of the Piper jam sounds like they really want to jam and are trying to find their footing, but never quite find it during the duration of it as they keep weeding through ideas. Ghost has a nice little micro jam to it that to me is better than the stretched out Piper. Although very rough Jumping Jack Flash is an awesome debut and reminiscent of the "Taking Care of Business" debut just a few years later. Another pretty awesome -> back into saw it again. YEM ends the set on a very strong note.

Fire is well fire.

Overall a fantastically unique and fun show. Definitely one of the best from 2010.

Not a review, I just don't know how to get this info to the people who maintain the setlists so I'm putting it here in the hopes that someone relevant sees it. I hate to be "that phan," but in the interest of being totally complete, it should also be noted that YEM's vocal jam contains a Meatstick tease. Look for the Meatstick chorus melody, coming from Trey I believe, at 14:58 on the official SBD. It only comes once so it's easy to miss but once you notice it, it's clear.

One of the best...especially set 1.......this is Phish

I usually prefer a Sunday show to a Saturday performance. My reasoning is that a Saturday night crowd gives off the wrong energy for a band like Phish. Excluding special shows like NYE, Halloween, or Festivals, I find that they play their best when a crowd starts mellow with no expectations and builds naturally as the band organically escalates. But, it can cut either way during a two night stand at a venue. One show is usually much better than the other. I did not attend the night before and heard mixed reviews of the show in the lot. Also, despite the great looking setlist that I was jealous of when I read in Camden, I was also hearing that the energy was a little off and the show was not as good as it looked on paper. So essentially, I was going to the last show of a 4 night mid-Atlantic run and I lucked out. As a side not, lady luck was surely in my corner. My buddy had traded for pavillion sets while in the Camden lot and the tickets turned out to be bunk. Pleading my case with the box office, I was able to BS my way to convincing them that they were legit. It was a performance for the ages and we waltzed into MPP and found our spot towards the back of the pavillion Page side.

Set 1:
Fantastic vibes all around in the lot and on the way in. I actually called Walfredo in the lot, even though it wasn't rocket science with the MPP quote in the tune. It was fine. Mellow Mood sounded great. The crowd was engaged, chill, and digging the twilight hours. When Faulty Plan kicked in, I was pleased. Of the songs on the new album, this one is the standout for me (although as I write this I am starting to get a little nervous that this might turn into a Zero and become a predictable, indulgent excuse for Trey to end the set as a rock star). That night in MD, it was hot. Divided through Sample was well played, but pretty standard. That is to say, great. The set was flowing beautifully and felt natural and unforced. The crowd was comfortable with it despite the oppressive heat. This Gin should be sought out. Of the 3 shows I have seen in 3.0, I have gotten 3 Gins. Each have moved like this one. After the actual song, a 5-6 minute solid, confident, peaking jam ensues with Trey playing the damn guitar like we all know he can. Just a relentless wave of notes along the lines of Coltrane's Giant Steps. Gordon might say, "you played a lot of notes" and be annoyed, but these Gins are sweet and perfect examples of the fact that Trey has that ax mastered. Antelope closes the set in style.

Set Break: Met up with some friends on the lawn and all agreed that this show was really solid so far. We also thought that they were gonna pull out some serious shit for Set 2. We were right.

Set 2: Hands down, the best Phish set I have seen live since the 90's. Seriously, this set smoked. Wilson was fine and I was still making my way back to the seats, and Meatstick was fun. Now here we go. The jam coming out of Meatstick is soooo funky that I would have been content to hear it for another 30 minutes. They were letting loose and simply so tuned into each other. Give it a listen. I was slightly bummed when Trey forced the segue into Saw It Again, but I am glad it was that tune and not Number Line or something else that would have altered the momentum. Despite the slightly awkward transition, Saw It Again was intense. Heavy, heavy jamming led by Mike created a swirling, psychedelic sound that had my jaw on the floor (in fact, it wouldn't return to my upper lip until Contact!). Saw It Again devolved into pure chaos for a good 5 minutes at one point and there was no one in that venue that wasn't awed by the sound coming off the stage. The sound of Piper coming from a distance is so perfect when played amid a dirty jam. It is like an approaching object that you cannot stop from coming directly at you. Fantastic placement and good version. Ghost was the popular call in the lots that afternoon, and I agreed. Here it is coming out of a Piper Jam that seemed to be just a part of the ongoing theme that had been melting faces since Meatstick. This Ghost is right on. The funk was there and the band was sweaty, intense, and with purpose. I should also give credit to CK because I felt like from Meatstick, he was also right on with the band. The lights were reddish with a little odd yellow and went right with the heat of the night and the heavy sounds coming off the stage. All were locked in, including the fans. No one even saw Jumpin Jack Flash coming out of the funky Ghost, but the band crushed it much to the delight of us. After that, it was back to improve in A, which led to more chaos. Somewhere, each band member was yelling Saw It Again in what seemed like a disturbing tone. This foray into the abyss just naturally collapses after really going on for a while. This made me happy because, like I said. A Sunday night show at the end of a 4 night run takes the pressure off the band (Trey) to "get to the next song." It is here where the fans luck out. When Page starts to tinkle Contact, everyone exhales and takes a deep breath. Whoa. A good chunk head for the head, but I stay. This Contact is nice and fun. Always a good time and the Gordon solo sounds great. Smack into YEM. It's kind of a shame for me that i was so spent from the heat and the "heat" I had just witnessed, because this YEM was tight. If ever this song can be called "standard", this is that. A 20-minute musical feast without any flubs and peaking with a twisted vocal jam. "Boy man, I saw it again!" What a great ending to a special set. The Fire encore was icing on the cake much like Frankenstein used to be in the 90's.

Final Thoughts: I truly think that this second set deserves to be in the upper echelon of Phish sets. Certainly since Cypress, this second set has to be considered top stuff. Even taking into account the wacky and long career of these guys, I think this set stands up strong. It was well-paced, thoughtful, inspired, dark, lifting, and focused. They were on. Perfect placement of tunes and flawless execution. Seek it out.

This was the final night of my 4 show summer tour (that is until they come back to Jones Beach). My friend called Walfredo prior to the show and it is his 1- timer for the tour tournament. I was familiar with Walfredo, but not too familiar with all of the lyrics. Prior to the show we went to the Crab Shanty (eating crab at MPP). We also saw a couple on lot sitting at a little wood table covered w/newspaper, using wooden mallets to get at their crab meat.

When we arrived at our seats we walked almost right into Chris Koroda. One of my friends didn't recognize him and since Chris was donning a Brandon Jacobs GIANTS t-shirt he addressed him "there's a Giants fan!"; Chris smiled. It turned out that our seats were directly behind CK, so the sights and sounds were perfect. When Fish came out and strapped on Mike's hulking bass we knew what we were in for. Great versions of Walfredo (which has quickly become a favorite) and Mellow Mood, which seemed appropriate for crunchy Sunday. Great line from Walfredo which my friend repeatedly sang "when Fish played the vacuum, he ruined your set".

I never tire of The Divided Sky and this was a strong one; hell they've all been pretty strong. Tela is one of my favorites and while this was not a perfect version it certainly put a smile on my face. Happy to see the now rarely played Ginseng and My Soul too. Sample always rocks. Gin was huge and Antelope was raging. Brian and Robert served as a nice bridge between the two.

The second set was fantastic and obviously will be remembered as the Saw it Again set. Ghost was over due and they played a dark, funky one that I really enjoyed.

When I returned to New York late Monday afternoon I was feeling totally fried after seeing: Camden, Camden, MPP, MPP. I spent some time with my wife and kids and after the kids went to bed we settled in for two hours of the Family Guy on TBS. All 4 episodes were great; however, the episode where Peter becomes obsessed with the song Surfing Bird really cracked us up the most. It wasn't till today when I checked the set lists that I remembered the band incorporated it into YEM. My wife and I have been singing "bird, bird, bird, bird is the word" for the past 3 days.

Sometimes you get shone the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right.

I'll leave the rest of the show to everyone else's reviews.. or at least everyone who was raving about how absolutely incredible it was..

I was listening to the New Years 97 shows a few days before this show, and I had this nagging thought in my head during both nights at MPP.... "Jimi Hendrix"
I was thinking Izabella, but just anything Hendrix.
By the time YEM was done, I was so tired I didn't think anything they could pick would get me to stand up again, and my friend and I even considered making our way towards the exit rather than waiting through the encore.. and then Fire started. It was like I'd just gotten a full night sleep and a red bull! The experience being there, and being granted that one nagging wish out of nowhere is one that I know many many many people had that night (mellow mood, meatstick, saw it again, jumpin jack flash, and even tela for some folks), but that was definitely a moment for me and I'll never forget it.

I am generally not a fan of 2010, but perhaps unfairly. So I went back to this show and gave it a listen.

Walfredo opens with a great nod to eating crabs at MPP. It's a decent little run through the tune & the band digs into the catalogue for the subsequent Mellow Mood. Tasteful playing by Trey (although there's a noticeable sour note) in MM & I like the laid back opening pairing. Stealing Time ratchets things up nicely before they kick into Divided Sky. This is a solid enough version (although unexceptional) and Tela follows, which is always welcome, if not perfectly executed. Interesting kind of vibe to this show, pretty mellow, but I actually like the flow up to this point. My Soul, Ginseng Sullivan and Sample is kind of an "off" run of tunes, which kind of don't fit and are more jukebox in nature. A run through a typical 3.0 (enjoyable) Gin, Brian and Robert, &(solid enough) Antelope closes the set nicely and brings the previously mellow vibe to a screaming conclusion. (B&R fits nicely between the two jammers, I have a soft spot for the tune). Antelope also contains some B&R teasing from Trey in the intro (not sure why not annotated?)

It's funny - I tend to appreciate a set I like this, perhaps due to personal association with airy outdoor summer shed sets at MPP. The set has good song selection and flow (aside from those middle 3 forgettable tunes), but generally speaking, I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. More sum of parts than any individual performances - which frankly you'll find better versions of every tune played elsewhere in Phish's storied career.

Set II is a fun and jammy set. A Wilson set II opener always sets the table nicely and I like it plenty in that slot. Meatstick to follow is not my favorite call, but this version is typical fun, a soaring Trey solo, with an added (& plenty nasty) outro jam that resolves nicely & surprisingly into Saw It Again. The 9th minute of the outro jam really showcases Trey and Mike exchanging some great phrases, before Trey starts the move (which is not exactly 100% buttery smooth, but hey). This initiates a wonderful segue-fest type set, with another pulsating, spacey outro jam bleeding into Piper. The ensuing Piper represents the best 3.0 version to date at the time, replete with a fine jam that is unfortunately not annotated in the setlist. The 13th minute has some very nice jamming, which moves towards deeper space (the last minute is very good spacey stuff). After some fun jamming we land in Ghost which is fun & cookin' and manages to be more of a launch pad into Jumpin' Jack Flash (perfect segue) which careens back into a Saw it Again jam completing a stellar & fluid segment. The resolution into Contact is always welcome and an enjoyable, in unremarkable YEM caps off a fine set in style. Fire rocks adequately in the encore slot.

Overall, I am happy I chose to dive back into one of 2010's finer shows, as this one really showcases an "ON" night for the band in their early 3.0 permutation. This captures the magic of Phish appropriately and rightfully send the community buzzing about a show that fits the bill as a 4/5 - which were not as common in those first couple years of the band's return. The style of Trey's playing leans on some of those pitch-bender Digitech Whammy fueled notes known as the "Whale-Call" but his mastery of the tool is actually quite impressive when removed from it's overuse. I'll also note, one reason why I didn't care for 2010 much is this tone/style, and Piper is a case in point here. It's a very good jam, but the opening jam really leans on the pitch shifter and the bends are just off enough to make it less than enjoyable at times. I should also note the soundboard on Spotify sounds excellent with Mike's depth really shining nicely.

easily hands down an amazing show!!! SawitAgain in everything... all over...and a crazy JumpJackFlash!!
Super fun show... great vibes all night
That whole 2nd set was off the hook, and the Encore was a good way to end the night... they knew they were on friggen fire that night!!!

This show is a 3.0 BEAST!!! Solid show straight through. One of two Walfredo's on US soil(seen em both) to open was a Grate way to start a show. Unique, energetic, and engaging. The "eating crabs at Merriweather Post" got a big response and rightfully so. The LP SBDreveals some feedback from someone's stage mic right about the time they are saying the "Merriweather Post" part and I always wonder about higher powers, celestial signs, and spiritual shit when I hear it. I don't know. Whatever. 

The Mellow Mood that follows was equally suprising and just kept building on the excitement created by Walfredo. I had seen this in Vegas back in 2000 but those memories are hazey at best. Tela, My Soul, Ginsing Sullivan, Brian & Robert- all firsts of 2010. A nice first set. The Gin and Antelope are good, not Grate, but good. If those would've been rippers this would be a 5 star show easily imo.

Second set is one of the finer sets of Phish in the 3.0 era. A Wilson second set opener can go so many ways... And this one took us down a delightfully evil path. What came next is hands down the most musically inspired Meatstick I have ever heard, or witnessed. Page's funky keyboards gives this Meatstick some fat! Ya dig? 10 minutes long Trey and Page really take this jam down a hot type 1 highway. 

This Meatstick molted into the first I Saw it Again(Mellow Mood also) since  IT In 2003. From what I gather this bust-out was inspired by a sign down front that the band(Trey) honored as they are now, an "all request band!" Well this I Saw it Again would remain with the set for the rest of the evening, woven into other songs with novelty one-liners and what not.

The Piper that comes next has to be one of the best Pipers in recent history(3.0). 15 or so minutes of truely inspired and beautiful Phish music. Now a lot of people mention this Piper before the Ghost that follows but I must say, for me this Ghost was the highlight of the night.

Straight shooter type 1 rock and roll Ghost happening until you could feel something coming on. It was slow at first. I could catch faint hints at a familiar rythmn/tease. I remember looking across the lawn and trying to hum the song that was in my head. I wanted to be the first to recognize this tease. And then........ BAMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!

Jumpin Jack Flash is a gas gas gas!!!!!! I think Trey just broke into the lyrics because he couldn't wait any longer. Gawd i almost had it, but tey beat me to it. I yelled Jumpin Jack Flash at the top of my lungs and eveyone around me on the lawn was like "yeah!!" "That's it!"  "It IS JJF!!!" We all high-fived and then Phish jammed that fucker. It was a little rough, but it was totally bad ass and I'll take it.  Way good segue and so appropriate out of a rockin type 1 Ghost.

It's funny cuz I now listen to different Ghost's prior to this version and I can hear where they should/would go into JJF.  Sweet, sweet Phish right here. It is a toss up for me really on whether I prefer this segue into JJF or the Ghost->Spooky later in the year at Boarwalk Hall(10/30). They are both as smooth as a pimp suit fresh out the dry-cleaners.

One small note: someone somewhere referred to the effect Trey is using on his guitar as a "whale call". In that moment, in that time, it wasn't so noticeable. As I listen back though, I hear it, and it is slightly annoying. Just slightly. And it definately doesn't keep me from revisiting this gem on occasion.

Really the rest of the set is... whatever. YEM is a standard 3.0 YEM- this song just aint what it used to be. Sorry. Fire encorwe usually means you witnessed just that- a FIRE Phish concert. It was

3.0-5 stars
Grand scheme of things-4 stars

4 stars

This show will make a believer of you. The first set is solid pretty much start to finish, with choice song selection and some powerful playing. While not particularly adventurous, everything is delivered well – particularly an extended Mellow Mood, energetic Stealing Time and My Soul, and a tight, upbeat Bathtub Gin.

The incredible second set then starts strong and never once slumps. From a short, punchy Wilson, the band bounces into a playful, funky Meatstick – I’ve never been crazy about this song, but it fits really well here – that evolves into the progressive riffs of a snarling, extended Saw It Again that spills over into a gorgeous, escalating Piper before eventually descending to scare up a soulful Ghost that effortlessly “discovers” Jumpin’ Jack Flash amidst the continuing improvisational momentum.

Jack rounds out with a brief Saw It Yet Again reprise before touching down into a vibrant and surprisingly funky Contact –best live version I’ve heard. The YEM that follows is fresh and full of delightful teases that complete this stunning second set suite as only Phish can. Boy, Man... I saw it again...

The Fire encore is pretty standard, but the continued teases and Fishman shout-out make it a fine cap to the evening. The entire show, especially Set II, is played with remarkable energy, inventiveness and vitality, proving indisputably that The Phish, oh yes, they’ve still got it…

I was Miracled! thanks to some awesome phan.

Another (way too) long review. Consider yourself forewarned.

I woke up in my own bed still stunned by what I'd witnessed during that second set the night before. Made it back to Merriweather by mid-afternoon to find it even hotter than the day before when I stepped out onto the lot. Got a chance to meet and briefly chat with the This Week on Lot crew and enjoy an exemplary chicken burrito freshly prepared by some college-aged guys (possibly frat boys, possibly from the south(?)… but whoever they were, they made a fucking delicious burrito).

Shortly after dumping about half a bottle of water on my head, the gates opened and I had my choice of anywhere on the lawn for the second night running. I situated myself a just a couple feet back from the front, where the grass wasn't quite as eroded and the hillside wasn't quite so steep. Saw a lot of familiar faces from first night settle into the spots around me, and made the acquaintance of a very kind longtime phan named Heather, who was pregnant and therefore probably enjoying her last show for at least a little while to come.

I was just about in the perfect state of receptivity by the time the show started. I knew this would be my last show of the tour, and probably the summer (though I'm now thinking of trying to get to Jones Beach, but that's another story), so the feeling was somewhat bittersweet. But after the night before, I was just totally in awe of Phish, freed from all expectations and pre-conceived notions, and ready for whatever it was they had in store for us.

SET ONE

WALFREDO. I actually had totally forgotten about the Merriweather reference in the song, having heard it only a couple times prior, so I was likely even more surprised than the rest of the crowd when Phish came on and assumed the "wrong" instruments. ["Oops," you can hear Mike say on the LivePhish recording.] Suffice to say, I will never forget anything about this song again: it's exceptionally catchy, and the timing/location was, of course, perfect (the first line is "It's been ten years since I saw you"; the previous performance was Vegas in 2000). The vocals were a little weak (Page's harmonies were strained, and Fish's lines were inaudible at times), but Mike on guitar was great to hear (and see: his Trey-style Jedi business at the end cracked me up). Obviously, a special way to start the show for everyone there.

MELLOW MOOD. … and they kept the bust-outs coming! I don't think I'd heard this one at all before, but I could guess what it was pretty much as soon as it started. Again, the weak link was vocals, specifically Page's falsetto part, but it's a beautiful song that further instilled the feeling of a special night.

STEALING TIME. A fine choice of a "heavier rotation" number. Rocked hard as pretty much every version this summer has (though didn't have as much steam behind it as Portsmouth's did on the heels of that Gin).

DIVIDED. Fine placement for a feel-good anthem, with its typically soaring jam, which I recall getting more into than usual. Divided will never be my favorite of the composed epics, but I certainly enjoyed this one, and I definitely prefer it earlier rather than later in the first set.

TELA. I didn't think this would be the next rarity we'd see, as I'd assumed they'd make people wait a little bit longer than 14 shows following a 236-show gap. I wasn't at Miami, however, and I've really come to love this song in recent months, so I was delighted to catch it here. It wasn't executed quite as well as Miami's, but by this point I'm pretty sure most people were happy they'd decided to show up.

MY SOUL. I really love this song. I think it's always brought out some really great blues playing from the band, and, I confess, I'd almost always take this over Funky Bitch (another big-time jammed-out Bitch excepting). Anyhow, this is another one that was played at MIami but totally took me by surprise here. Everyone sounded at the top of their game, Trey and Page in particular—playing with the right mixture of control and abandon. Just a lot of fun.

GINSENG. Loved catching the last one in Cincinnati, and loved it again here! Probably my favorite number in the Phishgrass songbook, this got a very strong performance (a definite step up from Cincy's, I think), and kept me feeling great about the set.

SAMPLE. My first in seven shows. Seemed to me it was played with a little more vigor than usual; nice injection of some anthemic pop-rock.

BATHTUB. Although I wasn't as Gin-starved as I was by the time the song hit Portsmouth, I will always get a thrill whenever this song starts up—one of my indisputable favorites. Before the show I'd been telling someone just how much I'd enjoyed the Portsmouth Gin, and at set fbreak he would ask me how this one compared. Well, it certainly took a different approach. This one was much more chromatic and tension-release-driven; the jamming style was almost like that of an Antelope at times. On the whole, I probably enjoyed Portsmouth's more (the peak was just pure euphoria), but this one was hugely exhilarating.

BRIAN AND ROBERT. A breather was certainly welcome at this point in the set. I liked this song way more in its old, more depressive arrangement; it's got just a little bit too much heart somehow these days. That said, it's still a song I enjoy…

ANTELOPE. … particularly when it's teased all over the next song. Like pretty much every 3.0 Antelope (Red Rocks is the only exception I can think of), you wish they would let it get a little crazier before ending the jam, but they drew out the peak of the jam longer than usual, and the whole thing featured excellent playing.

SET ONE RECAP. A very strong first set, particularly if you're a fan of the rarities and bust-outs. Song by song, might have been the most consistently interesting/exciting first set I saw this tour, even though Hershey and Portsmouth's first sets both reached higher musical peaks. Highlights were My Soul, Bathtub, and the rarity factor (especially in the opening duo). Probably a 6.9 by my estimation.

[SET BREAK. I'd been telling people that Meatstick was probably the number one rarity I was looking for, that I couldn't get enough of the song and that I would just LOSE IT if it I saw it played. At set break, Heather and I tried to collectively recall the Meatstick dance, just in case it, uh, reared its meaty head. I'd only seen YouTube videos, and she of course hadn't seen the song with any regularity for ten years, but we were able to piece most of it together by the time the band took the stage again.]

SET TWO

WILSON. Wilson as an opener is something I enjoy just fine, but it never makes any kind of statement to me. It just feels like a prelude to the set to come. The evil king, however, stepped aside to reveal, to my unbelievable shock and delight…

MEATSTICK. As soon as they laid down the opening groove (in the right key again, too, after Jones Beach last year), I whooped with glee and hugged just about everyone around me. A big part of the Phish experience is where a song, any song, can take you, particularly when you're least expecting it, but there's something uniquely wonderful about catching the ONE that you're never sure you'll have a chance to and loving it just by virtue of it appearing. But on top of that, this was an excellent Meatstick, just perfectly delivered—dank, sticky basslines, rhythmic and melodic play from Trey, dizzy swirls of color from Page, and dead-solid groove propulsion from Fish. All that, and it even found its way into a type-II outro which warped its way into

SAW IT AGAIN. The transition was not as smooth as it could have been, and arguably premature, but very exciting to witness. The song itself (as a song) isn't one I have a strong opinion about, but it certainly kept the excitement level sky-high here. The jam out of Saw It Again was where the set started to get balls-out crazy. The last couple minutes were effectively a wall of noise live—just thunderous. Not as scary as the Tweezer the night before, but certainly awe-inspiring.

PIPER. At the opening notes of Piper, as the murk of Saw It Again began to lift, it honestly felt like a storm was clearing. Of course, sixteen minutes later, after the most adventurous (and best) Piper of 3.0, it became apparent that the storm hadn't gone anywhere. This one refused to stay grounded in routine, fast-paced, clattery funk. This night the worm soared through a couple passages reminiscent of one of the bigger, more aggressive '98 Pipers, hinted at Maze a couple times, and even when finding a more typical groove maintained a distinct aura of danger. As a standalone jam, probably not as strong as either R&R or Tweezer the night before, but this set wasn't about standalone jams, and this Piper made for a great improvisational centerpiece to a set which was already pretty damn amazing.

GHOST. Not played since the tour opener, everyone had been calling it for what felt like forever, so it was a welcome relief to see the apparition finally return to haunt us. The jam went for heavy as opposed to funky (one of these days, I'd love to catch a straight funk Ghost a la Red Rocks or Miami last year), sounding like a more adrenalized cousin of the previous night's Tweezer. All of a sudden, Martin next to me started getting excited. "They're teasing Satisfaction!" "They are?! No, wait! It's…"

JUMPIN' JACK FLASH. After the smoothest possible introduction of the central riff, Trey stepped up to the microphone before anyone had realized what was going on. "I was born in a crossfire hurricane…." The spontaneity of the moment was obvious, but hugely welcome for all that, and it didn't come off too sloppily either. For its just about seamless arrival in the midst of a heavy-hitting second set, I'd call it one of the most remarkable entries in the second summer of covers. But what happened next was breathtaking.

SAW IT AGAIN. Following the rocked-out ending of JJF came probably the coolest two minutes of the set. I remember listening live and thinking I wouldn't know what to label this segment on a setlist. LivePhish and phish.net both call it Saw It Again, but it lacked the song's chord progression. Instead, the band kept chanting "I saw it again" over an uneasy, driving jam that could just as easily be considered part of Jumpin' Jack Flash or even Ghost. Point is, this instantly memorable segment delved immediately, unhesitatingly over the edge into the dark essence that makes up this second set. Whether it was a Saw It Again reprise or not, it definitely brought a wonderful symmetry to the set and beautifully closed the very daring sequence that had begun with Meatstick.

CONTACT. It was certainly a fine time for some more easygoing fare, and I don't think many people were complaining about this particular selection. Fun and spirited as always, and who doesn't love that funked-out interlude (or, for that matter, watching thousands of adults wave their arms back and forth in unison to a song like Contact—just beautiful)?

YEM. At this point I was (very boldly) calling Llama and/or Walls as closer/encore, and, selfishly, would have preferred a Hood to this as I've yet to catch one, but this probably best fit the vibe of the set. The jam itself wasn't all that remarkable apart from some Jumpin' Jack Flashes teases—certainly it wasn't what Hershey's monster was—but it didn't feel too perfunctory either, and the vocal jam was another great example of the form from this tour, ending, of course, in more cries of "I saw it again!"

SET TWO RECAP. Well, quite obviously that second set was pretty damn remarkable. A couple sets played last year might have been better (i.e., slightly more refined efforts boasting more developed individual jams), but nothing else from 3.0 can match this set for craziness/adventurousness. I'm pretty sure it's the craziest second set they've pulled off since 7/15/03 II. Everything from Meatstick through the Saw It Again reprise was all one outrageous highlight (plus that Piper would be a highlight on its own, too). Individual jams the previous two nights were stronger, but this is the SET of tour. Hard set to rate, because it really is one of those whole-is-greater-than-sum-of-parts deals, but let's call it a 9.1.

Encore was Fire, which is always a good, efficient way to burn things up one more time. The two sets average out at 8.0, which is about accurate, I think. I definitely think it's the strongest overall effort of June-July 2010, and witnessing it live was just unbelievable, transcendent. I hardly knew what to do with myself after this one, and all I've figured out since is that I pretty much need to find my way to Jones Beach next month….

Phish bring the show of the tour to MPP. Sorry MJ... But THIS IS IT !

So far, this is arguably the greatest Phish tour ever...? A Consistant barrage of goodness from note #1. Just when you think It's safe to go back in the water... ( insert Jaws theme here ) Phish come out of nowhere to devour the night before... I said at the beginning of the tour... "We're gonna need a bigger boat" and, well... WE'RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER BOAT !!!