As of this writing, the rating of this show sits at an average 3.9 score, which of course is laughable to anyone who actually attended this show or watched the webcast in real time. I mean, we know what we saw and heard, and it's your loss if you're too hung up on the "But, but, Billy Strings was onstage for a wHoLe hOuR!!" narrative. Chew on this: It's true Billy played for an hour, but both nights in Grand Rapids clocked in at an impressive 3.25 hours, so you still got more than 2 hours of alone time with Phish. And not to be overshadowed by the Billy guest appearance, Phish's performance up to that point was mostly clicking too.

Believe it or not, I do sympathize with those naysayers somewhat, because I'm of a similar mindset when it comes to sit-ins... but in this case, Billy jumped into the Phish tank and helped create a monster hybrid with the boys. These weren't "Freebird"-type extended wank fests, but a 5-headed Phish still taking risks, many of those risks a rousing success.

Personally, I think this show (and the night before, definitely) is essential listening. Of course, it's already being drowned out by chatter about other shows at the usual "sexier" venues, so this has quickly become an overlooked stop on the tour. Many of us who attended will tell you Grand Rapids was the stop of the summer, so I guess it's up to you to see for yourself, and see for yourself without prejudice...