I was at PNC night 2, and totally agree with your critique of the show. My expectations were not low per se, but they were by no means high. Here's a band that has been together for like 30 years, playing some songs that are almost as old, on top of all of their previous accomplishments and standards they have set for themselves and fans expect of them. Sometimes I feel that the hyper-fan base that is the Phish scene almost makes it difficult (for me at least) to even get really excited about the shows. It hard to feel an intimate connection with a band that is now so plugged in; being there for$60 is sort of crazy when this show will ALWAYS be available for free, videos are taken and so forth. I understand that it is a sign of the times and that Phish really probably wants nothing more than to connect with more and more of their fans in current ways. I guess what this screed is really all about is more on the fact of these immense expectations that are impossible to fulfill. And its not that the band plays badly, it just seems like we are never truly satisfied unless we get that one insane show, ie Utica or Halloween run.
Thinking about curfew too, what the hell? Imagine if places would just let the thing run it's course and bands could play all night long. Allmans would play until 6am! That's and event, not a statistic provider that Phish shows seems to be. That being said I love Phish and had a great time with great people which is way cooler than music I don't personally create!