A few things about this, already one of the markers in Phish's timeline:

1. I have seen a decent number of folks say that doing this - in an anniversary year, and in a decade-anniversary year, which they have historically done something major and based in nostalgia, lest we forget - shows that the band is out of ideas or whatever. And the more I think about it, the more I think that it's the opposite - rather than being out of ideas, the band (or, I guess, really Trey) has a ton of ideas, and they're more often than not based around the band itself. Kasvot Vaxt and Sci-Fi Soldier were concepts based around getting away from being Phish and even building a whole lore around the getting away from being Phish. Last year's NYE show and its nods to Phish's continuity (so to speak) was probably what they would have done this year if TMWSIY wasn't on the table. But TMWSIY would always be on the table until they just finally did it, the ultimate serotonin hit for nostalgia seekers, the bustout everyone chases, the rumor that wouldn't go away. And now they've done it, and that roadblock has been cleared away for good, to where (like Izabella or Destiny Unbound) the next performance, if there ever is one, can just be a good time and not A Whole Big Thing. Maybe I'm wrong, and they'll just keep recycling things they've done before for these gags (or, like the spelling gimmick at Dick's, do away with them altogether), and it'll show the band in terminal decline some of the naysayers apparently want to see. Or maybe I'm right, and a whole new world has opened up for the band now that they've fulfilled the one wish every fan seeing shows since the 90s has kept in their back pocket. We shall see.

2. Having watched the second and third sets, I can certainly imagine that a little something might be lost in translation on the audio-only version. That said, I'm certain that the oceanic roar at Jimmy's grandmother taking us to Gamehendge would not, nor would the tight and well-oiled performances (Llama and PYITE, for example, were as strong as they've been since 2009), nor the majestic and dirt-nasty jam in AC/DC Bag. Visual extravaganza or no visual extravaganza, at the end of the day The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday is about the songs - I always smile thinking about Trey just sorta lamely giving up the narration in 3/22/93 II - and the songs were performed with gusto and with the consideration that comes from knowing you're going to do this.

3. Not that anyone's ever going to give a damn about the first set, but the first set's a reasonably good listen, and the opening duo of a sweet little jam in Everything's Right and the fun Mary Tyler Moore-infused upbeat blissful hose jam in Tube are worth your time. Reba was nicely played as well, and benefitted from Trey's chops being as good as they've been in this era, give or take a 2015 or 2021.

4. The third set is the stronger musically in terms of jams, with Melt really drilling into oceanic depths and YEM tight and driving, but the second set is much more celebratory and (as noted) Bag is one hell of a damn piece of musical improvisation. They're both among the best of the era, quite easily, when you throw in the historical factor - and you have to, there are precious few shows in any era with *this* kind of historical factor, after all.

5. Hell of a show, man. Can't wait to see what comes next NYE, and I'm glad we've got this keepsake forever, the final canonical form of Trey's greatest musical accomplishment. Happy new year, everyone.