@NipseySlicer said:

@FACTSAREUSELESS said: [quote]Okay, let's face it. I'm willing to state the obvious. The band started to peak at the Gorge with two incredible shows. Not as much as two years ago , good not great shows at the Gorge this year where as that Rock and Roll is Epic top 10. I would argue that they peaked at Dick's last year and have yet to surpass that high water mark.
I agree that Tahoe was a peak of this summer. I don't think Tahowheezer was all that strong, quite a lot of low energy noodling that really doesn't justify 37 minutes. The ending crescendo is great but .... It pales in comparison to the density of 10 different jams in last years Dick's Light all seamlessly trans versed musically complex with zero noodling. The Tahoe shows of two years ago were the eggs of the west coast ( I think Fishman was physically ill cause he was off in a big way one night)
Phish's batting average for high level shows (especially out west) is at an all time high . While Friday's show suffered from the disjointed nature of the spelling nonsense, Saturday was the funky dance party throw down that I needed.Start to finish. the entire show was a monstrous funk groove. On Sunday Meat at under 5 minutes proves that they don't need to play long to get to incredible music.Listen to Ice again , gets my vote for best version ever, extremely tight without being boring.The whole second set was unique and had great flow. That Piper was extremely fast and became something totally different than usual in the jam.Then in Weekapaug they bring back the funk groove from the previous night showing how masterfully they can shift gears to whole different levels instantly. 37 minutes of noodling Tweezer in Tahoe is still weak sauce compared to the density of music from Dick's Light last year where they found 10 distinct sections of complexity, with no searching .Long does not equal good. The amazing thing about 3.0 is that they can get so far out so fast. I was at Nectar's in 88 and 89. I've seen the whole trajectory of this band. The scene has more caring, sharing, beautiful people at Dick's that any I've been a part of( Telluride and The Gorge are a close second). It does not matter what song they are playing. Phish finds the jamminess in all . Even that Backwards Down the Number Line second set closer Saturday achieved brilliance.

The three week layoff killed their momentum and they came out flat this past weekend.
After Friday night I was concerned about this as a possiblity but Saturday was funky flow city.

I hear you. Kind of in the middle of the road with your explanation. (Your post was confusing by the way as I found it hard to distinguish your new comments from previous postings. Technical, I know....)

I agree with you about Light from last year's Dick's run. It's my favorite jam of last year's tour.

I'm going to go and listen to this year's Dick's run again on Phishtracks and give it a fair shot. Usually my gut is correct but I hear your passion on the subject and you're not alone, that's for sure. So I agree to suspend my judgement on the subject.

Regarding the Tahoe Tweezer. I've heard this "long is not always better" argument to the point of wanting to break shit and I'm going to address it. Just because I think the Tweezer jam is the coupe de grace for 3.0, stop assuming (and that goes for everyone else touting the same argument) that it's because I'm giving it extra credit for being LONG. The fact that it went 37 minutes means nothing to me. I've stated already in another thread that my favorite single moment of the tour was the Piper> Slave at Northerly Island, a show that I otherwise rate as just above the middle of the pack this year. Do I give it extra credit for being interesting for most of the 37 minutes? Yes, absolutely. Did I personally enjoy the jam? Absolutely. It sounds like you didn't as much, and that's fine, I get that and respect it.

My point with the Tahoe Tweezer is that the "ending crescendo" you refer to, which btw is close to six minutes long, has an orgasmic and totally organically inspired call-response interactivity which elevated the experience to a near life-changing event for those who found it inspiring. I'm trying to not sound hyperbolic, but it's difficult because it was a ONCE-IN-A-CAREER event of mammoth import. THAT'S why I rate it so high. Stand-alone musically, you can certainly make the case that you're making and hold your head high and firm in it. I grant you that. However, those such as yourself who choose to tear down the merits of the Tahoe Tweezer are all doing so in order to build up some other piece of music that you think is better, for this or that reason (it doesn't matter) while completely ignoring the social and career significance of the EPIC MOMENT that was that jam. You simply cannot separate it from the time and space in which it was birthed without immediately losing key perspective. It's the same thing, by the way, which makes it difficult to objectively criticize the FYF show last year. I personally thought that musically the show is not as good as the other two shows of the run, but the EPIC MOMENT that was the FYF show cannot be denied. YOU MUST YIELD YOUR POSITION ON IT TO HISTORY. Yes, it's like that.

All that being said, I live in the Burlington VT area and I am instantly in fellowship with you as you speak of the scene at Nectar's (which still exists, for fans not from this area).

I respect you and your feelings/thoughts on the subject. You make a lot of sense. And you're not wrong. I just believe you're looking at it with the wrong lens, if you will.

I also must admit that I have not been to Dick's and cannot by nature of that fact really appreciate your experience there. So I yield to your experience. However, you must also recognize that your experience at the venue colors your interpretation of the music you heard within it.

Finally, I can't agree with you about the Gorge '11 being better than this year. I own all four shows and love them all but this year's shows were tremendous. I wil admit, though, that the 1st set of 8/5/11 is better than either first set this year. Anyway, I feel like a millionaire comparing my yacht to someone else's. We are rich in Phishiness.