It seems to me that of all the venues Phish plays, there are none that produce more divisive reviews between the attendees and couchers than Riviera Maya. I was fortunate enough to make the first 2 editions of this glorious run and had the best times of my life. Were the shows transcendent? Absolutely not. I'd say that only 1 of the 6 qualifies as above-average, 4-star fare that I might return to for a listen. But I can say without a doubt that "average-great" Phish on a beach in MX is better than anything else I could have possibly been doing those days. That being said, were any of the shows on this run transcendent? Probably not. Did those in attendance have some of the best times of their lives? Probably. But overall, MX is a good lesson in tempering expectations. It's easy to look at previous killer shows and think they hitting on all cylinders and that will translate to the next one. But past performance is no guarantee of future returns. I, too am guilty of having a great time at a show and coming to Phish.net only to be disappointed by the overall review score. That's the beauty of this band. Everyone "Phishes" differently. So be kind to one another. It's ok to love this show, and it's ok to criticize it.

Much love, my friends! See you all this summer somewhere.