@Dressed_In_Gray said:

@n00b100 said:

Wouldn't be shocked to see 11/19/97 on here, too.

I would. If it is the Top 10, I will be shocked. No way it deserves to be higher than either night of the Went

In that I am in agreement, but that's a moot point now. It wouldn't deserve to be higher (in my estimation) than 7/1, which I would put above 7/2. It wouldn't deserve to be higher than 12/29, or 11/28, or 12/2. But we're running out of shows that would be considered "elite" or worthy of the last ten places, and 11/19 is a show people love, so, again, wouldn't be surprised. The Glastonbury show? 2/23? I'd be surprised.

I think, if anything else, this raises an important point - even the *best*, the very highest years of Phish, have a certain baseline when it comes to great shows, and there's plenty of shows that don't cross that baseline in those years. Which is good - if anyone was trying to argue that, say, 12/9/97 (a perfectly good show!) should be in the same presence as 11/22/97, it would not only look rather foolish, but destroy the entire nebulous concept of "greatness" that's informing this list in the first place. But it also means that a) not every show is 11/22/97, and b) the baseline is not 11/22/97, and never has been. Shit, the baseline's not 12/7/97 either. Worth remembering.