I posted this in the SSPAC2 thread, but think it belongs on this thread as well. Maybe explains the harshness of some of the judgment being passed...

"After listening to night 3 and a re-listen of night two. I agree they were off (way off) a few (okay, more than a few) times this weekend. Much like any longtime fan, its tough to take when you know what they are capable of. I started listening in '94 and was blessed to really start digging into this band in their "glory years". I consumed every tape I could get my hands on. So many Maxell XL-II's sent across the country. I loved the ripping fire that was the outro of Bowie when Trey played 32nd notes with an incredible (almost unnatural) precision. The cohesiveness of the structured parts of Reba, The Asse Festival, Oh Kee Pah, YEM, etc.. They sounded like a band that practiced together 4 hours a day, 5 days a week. They breathed together back then. It was so cool to see and as a young musician, blew my mind that a group could be so tight. Then came the cowfunk of '97 and all the greatness that came along with a band at the top of their game. To me, they could do no wrong. Then came the drugs (and families and real life) and we all know what happened from there.

When you were present for those early days it makes the flubs so much harder to take now. I take it with a grain of salt, because I know life gets in the way. I've played guitar for 20+ years and my hands have slowed down and I just don't have the time to practice that I did in my late teens and early 20's. This is not an excuse for the sloppiness because I'm not a professional musician. Trey is. And, for better or for worse, he is the rock upon which Phish is built. I don't know what the disconnect was this weekend. I do know they'll find their way back to form. They always seem to. One of the things I really love about webcasts is you can see the band and how into it they are. Trey is generally always smiling and moving like the rockstar he is. Mike's head is bobbing just as much as it used too, you just cant see that curly mop flopping around anymore. Page is still jumping all over the boards and killing it. And Fishman is always squarely in the groove, eyes squinted with concentration, absolutely rock-steady."

You don't always get the fire, but a lot of us remember when it seemed like every other show was a face-melter. I originally defended the band this weekend, but after some re-listens. There's some pretty shoddy work that went on.