50% of shows, by definition, have to be below average. There are highlights to *every* Phish show. It may well be that night 1 was the best tour opener in the last decade. It may be that night 2 featured some exploratory jamming that has been missing from Phish performances of late. But that doesn't automatically catapult these shows to the top of Phish-tory. These were great shows to be sure, but all Phish shows are great in some respects.

Eric's job was to be realistic, not just lather on the praise. I don't agree with everything he said, but I do agree that it's foolish to pretend that something like night 3 was worth of "best ever" anything. This is why it's a personal review.