I began listening to the band in the months leading up to their '09 reunion, unaware of the fortunate timing of my ventures. After spending 2 hours loading and reloading LiveNation ticketing, I was able to score a seat in the VERY last row of Jones Beach theater for a rather lackluster show, in retrospect. Still, I exited the theater craving more, and have since attended a few shows every tour to date while continuing to swim in the tapes and live releases of the Phish catalog.
Entering the Phish scene at a time with so much hype of their return and a new album, prompting excitement from many and overwhelming disappointment and hyper-criticism from others, I was privy to many polarizing opinions regarding the band and the state of their music and performances. This situation motivated me to develop an individual opinion of the band and become an attentive listener and fan.
The beauty of music, as with art in general, is it's power to induce feelings, convey messages, and allow the listener to interpret these. We have the right and responsibility to be analytic and judging of any art, including Phish and their live performances, minding the line between criticism and whining.
It is evident that this past year has been the best in terms of performance caliber since the band's '09 return and significant in their development as musicians and artists.
To me, by putting themselves in the middle of the world's most famous arena, away from their lighting and typical equipment, away from the theatrics of past gags, for the most anticipated show of the year is the band's way of sharing and showing as best they can why they are here now, have been for 30 years, and will continue to be. This is powerful because it is the same reason why we are fans now, and will continue to be. For us fans, Phish provokes thoughts and feels as Chris attempted to convey in his recap. These are unique for each of us, but are unifying in their existence, if nothing else.