Whats up @FACTSAREUSELESS good to be back talking Phish. I just felt like Bangor had some interesting moments, but as far as tour openers go it just wasn't tight enough for me, which is especially what I'm looking for in the opener. It shows the base is strong for the rest of the launching for the shows to come. It also had the misfortune of trying to follow up Worcester and Bethel. High bars.

@melt_the_tek9 I'd just have to refer you to the @Icculus article regarding 'average great.' If songs are played and regarded as kinda meh, it's because there was no extra fire in them. The GBOTT had some nice understated flow but the Fuego seemed slightly choppy to me in execution. Both of these aren't referring to jamming at all, just how the songs were played. HTTM still shows Trey seeming a bit uncomfortable with his leads. The rest of the set until Stash was just nothing special. NOTHING to do with the songs played but purely HOW they were played. Which to me is the entire point. It seemed workmanlike and tentative until then, nothing you haven't hear better elsewhere, *in 3.0.* Nothing at all to do with '97. There are just a million versions of STFTFP I'd rather hear. The Wedge is probably my favorite 3.0 bar burner that they almost always seem to fan out to a glorious (non-jam) peak, even moreso than the 1.0 frames for that kind of thing like Chalkdust and Bag. It just wasn't the case for this show.

My point being that I think you kind of missed the analogy on the '97 thing. The ideal first set sound to me more like '92. Fun, tight, and on fire. The *only* reason that jamming is talked about as the saving grace of the set so often is because the rest of the set lacked good old fashioned intensity, strictly in the non-jam songs. So the only thing interesting turns out to be the mini-jam in Wolfman's, etc.

For comparison, off the top of my head, I'd refer you to the first set of the Disease Supreme show at Pine Knob (6-3-11) as an example as just a good first set. To me, that had such nice flow and great intensity, and a note-worthy light-hearted feel as it was Mike's birthday. (disclaimer--I was at this show if that matters). Zero drag, awesome setlist choices, great execution, no type II. What great first sets are all about. No compare Great Woods and I think you'll see what I'm talking about.