@ForgeTheCoin said:

I have been thoroughly enjoying following this run so far, of course with all of the anticipation of what a post-GD50 Trey was going to sounds like coming back into the fold. Now, I'm totally gonna be that guy but to set aside all of the highlights thus far, and there have been many, I've gotta say there have been quite a number of times from Bend 1 through LA where I've been scratching my head thinking "WFT is going on with the timing??"

With as tight as certain songs have been, there have been many examples each night where the timing just goes to shambles, even with as musically straightforward a tune as "Ya Mar" - and yes, there have been moments of flubbing written parts, but that's to be expected to a certain extent. What I'm hearing in particular is that coming off the GD50 run, Trey is sort of slowed-down in terms of pace, for lack of a better term, or maybe still in a mindset of GD pace to an extent, and having trouble finding footing in a lot of Phish tunes. I have a hard time explaining it, but it's very noticeable, at least sitting at home streaming the SBD's.

I would almost say that the band sounds most locked-in playing the new material, which is of course exciting to hear. Already a few of the tunes are destined to become favorites and rotation regulars.

LA highlights for me: No Men's, Roggae, Slave, YEM

As far as my scrutinizing the screw ups go, it's mostly from a place of curiosity. I think GD50 had a big impact on Trey, and I'm interested to see how it continues to feed into future Phish. There are just a lot of moments where things don't sound as tight as they should and I have to wonder if it's they looseness of GD playing that's the cause, or if the band is still getting their sea legs under them on this tour...

Yes, I've heard that quite a bit too. I think the band needs to adjust to Trey, not Trey to the band, in this issue.

It happened in the Gin at Bend, in the early part of Twist, and many other places as well. I believe that Trey found a fresh place in his soul during the sessions leading up to the Fare Thee Well shows. I would venture to guess that there haven't been too many times in the past 20 years when Trey has had the better part of a whole Spring/early Summer to play guitar alone in a studio for 5 hours a day, concentrating on material he didn't know. This had to have sharpened his skills (this seems obvious, really) but more to your point, I think the Dead's material has connected him to a musical place which was perhaps unknown to him, if I can say that. Not that he couldn't play it, but perhaps didn't know it. In a spiritual sense.

I think you are quite right in your observation of Trey's mental "pace" as it were....

There is a triumphant ring to his playing in these jams that has a major key celebratory vibe to it. I just think that he's in a place of pure victorious freedom. I mean he just played with his boyhood heroes and won the slam dunk contest. More importantly, he won the admiration of a fan base that generally didn't like him very much, but didn't know him. He carries the baton of kingship, and he's one of the few people in the Music Kingdom who can do so with grace and humility.

Just some thought on an interesting angle that you've brought up.

I think this is a glorious time for all.