The write was quite clear about the impossible nature of splitting hairs on a ranked list.

That being said, I have no issue with this list. All the shows on it have obvious merit for consideration and I have no quibbles with the rankings either.

There were two periods of music this year which were categorically superior in terms of consistent quality, and those were the shows from Gorge1 through BGA3, and Hampton3 through Reading (with the obvious exclusion of Rochester).

Any shows from either time stretch are valid considerations for this list and I find them well-represented here, as they should be.

I personally felt that Gorge1 and Reading were the two finest shows of the year, but it is subjective and not by a large margin. I am really partial to Gorge1 in particular as an all-time classic, but the same can be said for Tahoe2 on the merits of the first 50 minutes of the 2nd set.

MPP2 does not deserve top ten mention though it was a great show, for sure, but as Chris points out the second set does not really hold up to the quality of most of Fall Tour.

I would like to give an honorable mention to Chicago2. I thought that was quite a magical evening.

Happy I'm not alone in feeling that MSG2 was special as well. That Disease> Carini was something else.