They do not give a sense of being impressed with themselves, not at all -- that's the earnestness that saves them, which makes them seem like Such Nice Boys to us (inside the tent) where everyone else just hears 'spectacle happened' and assumes it's gaudy rock bullshit.

I’ll bite on this. Fall ‘97 and Spring ‘98 Trey seemed very aware of exactly how thoroughly they were annihilating almost every night.
The best bands always seem to have a mild, if not outright, contempt for their most devoted followers. I’m thinking of ESP-era Miles Davis, early 2000’s Wilco, and basically every era of Bob Dylan.
While Phish’s contempt was never as complex or virulent, I’m of the opinion that the slavish devotion started to wear on them. And how could it not?