The current rating (2.36) places this show in the select club of worst shows ever; "beyond abysmal", said a reviewer. So what happened? Trey started using again? Fish was drunk? Mike was only interested in his upcoming tour? Page wore the wrong shirt?

No, simply this: no jam.

Does it mean that the band played badly? No, they didn't. Actually they played very well, better than usual. Does it mean that there was a lack of musical interaction? Listen to that Taste and I think you'll agree the boys were clearly listening to each other. So what, they were tired and there was no energy? Julius, among others, disagrees.

No, again, simply this: no jam.

This is not a bad concert, it's a jamless one. And obviously ratings on .net rate jams, not show themselves, because this was an excellent concert, and the rating doesn't reflect that at all. Quite the contrary. It's almost insulting how this show isn't even appreciated for what it is.

So maybe you don't like Phish when they go "adult contemporary", as another reviewer said, but that's part of what they do now (and have been doing for quite some years). Trey is a great composer (the recent Petrichor is proof of that) but also a great songwriter (Mike too, for that matter). And his songwriting often verges on the cheesy, but that's what makes it so good. He's just sincere. Phish is not just a jamband, it's also a progressive rock band, a goofy band, and yes, an adult contemporary band.

Now, maybe I'm just trying to redeem a bad show because I can't stand the idea of my favorite band doing anything wrong. Except I readily admit that there are tons of boring Phish shows out there. To me, however, they generally include a perfunctory 20min DwD or whatever run-of-the-mill spacey section followed by a shift to major mode, etc.

I will not listen again to many of the shows containing good jams, because there are killer shows that simply make listening to others quite irrelevant. But nothing compares to this show, like it or not, and I'm certainly going to listen to it again. I sometimes like an hour of extremely well crafted songs, especially when they are played with such gusto.

And oh, of course, only the second set is in dispute. The first is just great.