The first set of this show is entirely forgettable (and a great example that rarities alone don't necessarily make for a good set), with the exception of the hilarious world premiere of "Party Time." Otherwise, the set seemed to completely lack any flow and there's really not a single memorable jam. Worse, the second set picked up where the first left off. But then something lit a spark under them and "46 Days" turns out to be not just the highlight of the show, but one of the better jams of the entire tour. They continued the momentum with a beautiful "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'" and a solid "Hood." Still not the best show, but the closing trio should definitely be heard.

4 years later, I retract my negative review. It's my fault for staying away for 15 years, WTF was I thinking. Wasted years.
This show was '09, so still a tiny bit of rust, but a vn effort from the boys.
Set 1 - KDF was a personal highlight as one I was really looking forward to hearing & did not disappoint, always love Sloth & Ester, Axilla, Foam. Debut of Party Time so much fun, and quite a few newbies - wish I could go back & relive the Stealing Time.
Set 2 - Alaska, 46, Hood stand on their heads.
E - GDBT had the joint shaking.

Emu, thanks for the smackdown. I am personally grateful to be living in the era of this band, one of the greatest musical experiences ever presented to ears & souls. Whatever you do, take care of your shoes.

This was my second show of the tour, that being said I was very excited to be seeing Phish back to touring. This was my first trip to this venue and i personally liked it....different lot scene compared to what i was used to file the high concentration of police, but they were cool with my group and let us know early to use plastic cups for our beers and all would be good....they even got us some solo cups from one of the cars parked next to us.

The set list was somewhat odd, but i didnt care....the boys are back and the show must go on...

I know this is one of the least favorite shows of 2009, but still worth a listen if you never heard it.

I can't resist...let me preface this by saying I am not being critical of bad reviews, at all. If you think a show was bad, by all means, say so. But I have to point this out:

I was preparing myself for a letdown. Got it.

Negatives include...

c'mon boys I waited 15 years for this!!

definitely a solo HR and the rest of the 1st set was so/so.

the last few songs of the 1st set were a huge bathroom break. I felt so unsatified.

Tweezer opener really didn't do it for me, sorry.

I was really wondering when this show was going to get good.

15 years people, 15 freaking years and they give me...

I was getting restless.

(when did the audience start yelling HOOD? Not sure how much I like that).

a lackluster show

****** I hate to say anything negative,

Had to give some shit for that.

An undistinguished (though plenty enjoyable) show with one huge highlight (46 Days). The song's standard strutting guitar rock just melts away into one of those ambient interludes that seemed to pop up all over summer 2009 - then Fishman et al. drive the song into a loping jam before spiraling heavenward to a Great Big Phish Peak(tm). Little lost by skipping the rest of the show, though any above-average Phish show is bound to offer *some* moments of interdimensional transport (and the two remaining Set II songs are a lovely followup to that 46 Days).

Lots of good reviews here already for what is currently the 2009 show with the lowest rating on .net. Listening to this show in 2014, the flaws are the Junta-era tunes in the first set, and a disappointing Tweezer 2nd set opener. But the Joy material sounds particularly strong here, as well as the other new tunes Party Time, Let Me Lie and a groovy Beauty of a Broken Heart. Taste has a great peak, the Fishman banter during the first set is cute, and the 46 Days jam is must-hear. Check it out and decide for your own ears.

Now I’m as jaded as the next twenty-year veteran but I’ve got to give this show some love! Especially the first set. I’ve been listening to all the shows in order for the whole tour and after reading the reviews posted here I had to say something in its defense. This was the eleventh show of the second leg of summer tour; second to last show and the boys are close to home and ready for a two-month break.

Sounds like they forgot the ending to the Crowd Control opener, which was a good song choice to me but not great. KDF is one of my favorite new Joy songs and this one rocks! No complaints from me on this one. Fish does show some weakness on Sloth but overall its good. Beauty is probably not totally loved by the community but this one is pretty solid if you give it a chance. Axilla rocks plain and simple, not the tightest one I’ve heard but good. Then a double shot of more old school songs, which I love, with a decent Foam and a rare Esther. Both songs are what I would call rusty gold, rusty playing on golden songs. Trey has some minor problems in Foam and Mike in Esther. A double shot of Fishman songs! ?? Complete with stage banter from Trey and Fish, which I love to hear. Ha Ha Ha is funny and rocking, and then you get the high-energy debut of Party Time. It sounds like the boys are having fun. More funny stage banter as a decent Tube is played by request as you can hear the crowd yelling for it as far back as Esther. Again, it’s good but not great. Now I think my favorite new Joy era song is Stealing Time and this one doesn’t disappoint, it just rocks! A second Page song in the first set is kind of rare with a solid Strange Design. Not bad and I don’t mind hearing this one. The following complaining is just me being a jaded vet, but getting TTE’d to end your first set is cruel at best, and it happened to me a couple of times in 2009. I openly don’t like this song. Even from a purely musical standpoint, this version is sloppy all over the middle. BUT! It doesn’t diminish how solid I thought the first set actually was, at least to my ears anyways...

I do concede that this is a loose, lackluster Tweezer to open the second set. It was not very tight at all to me. Taste was ok, again not great but a pretty good jam. Trey repeats the lyrics to open an average Alaska. And you can hear Page say, “Sing it a third time!” Then even more stage banter from Trey afterwards. Another song I openly dislike is Let Me Lie, and now I’m feeling a little more sympathy for the other reviewers, especially for those who were there. Blah! 46 Days is a good redemption song after that. This one has a good long jam that goes through a few different phases but kind of ends abruptly. Another lead vocal part for Page tonight as he croons a rare Sweet Nuthin’ which was pretty well played. I have not been impressed by 2009 Hood’s and this one is no exception. The playing is not that tight through the composed middle section but the jam is nice at the end and it’s been a good, solid set closer for years.

GTBT gets the encore spot tonight and this one has some messy parts from Trey but Page gets one more chance to shine on the last lead vocal, overall it rocks, as usual. The expected Tweeprise follows to send everyone home with a smile.

I’m going to give this show four stars, only to up the average score, but in my heart I know it should only get three stars at best. It’s a very controlled Page and Trey heavy show. Fish is pretty solid, as usual, and Mike just seems like he’s along for the ride tonight.

I would like to expand the highlights list to include: KDF, Beauty, Party Time’s debut, and Stealing Time to go along with the aforementioned 46 Days.

Underrated! I'm not saying this show is a gem, but it has gotten a lot of hate and it wasn't really that bad. The second half of set two is great on relisten. 46 days has a nice jam, one of only six ever Oh Sweet Nothin's and a solid hood. I will take that any day of the week.

The first set had Esther, which we've gotten about once a year in 3.0 (and it was played well). The trio of fishman songs was fun, plus there was some good banter (and THE SLOTH!!!).

So with all that said, this show did get a little boring at times (Alaska and Let Me Lie in the middle of a second set???) but this show is on the higher end of average (if that is a thing) and lots of people treat it like bottom barrel Phish.

Hands down the worst Phish show I have seen...uggggh

My first show, venue and the show were Fantastic. Well worth the ride from Newark delaware.

My first show in 15 years... and after seeing the setlist from the previous night in CT I guess I was preparing myself for a letdown. Got it. Negatives include that the show ended well before Merriweather's show "curfew" - they started late & ended early, c'mon boys I waited 15 years for this!! I loved KDF, had been listening to it online and was looking forward to hearing it, a good rockin' version. The Sloth was a homerun, but it was definitely a solo HR and the rest of the 1st set was so/so. It was cool to hear Ester live, and Party Time was neat, but the last few songs of the 1st set were a huge bathroom break. I felt so unsatified. OK, 2nd set. Tweezer opener really didn't do it for me, sorry. And I guess Alaska and 46 days were good, but I was really wondering when this show was going to get good. Did I mention it had been 15 years since I last saw Phish live? 15 years people, 15 freaking years and they give me Tube, Stealing Time, Strange Design, TTE, Taste, Let me Lie, Stealing Time, Oh Sweet Nothing.... I was getting restless. Enter Mr Miner. Harry -"HOOD" - Harry "HOOD" (when did the audience start yelling HOOD? Not sure how much I like that). Hood was good. Very Good. The Glowstick wars were going nuts, btw. So I was phinally pheeling really good, back in the groove, when the band came out for the encore. When Trey hit the first few notes of GTBT the place went nuts - they made up for a lackluster show with Hood & GTBT. I hate to say anything negative, but it just wasn't what I was expecting. I felt as though they should have played at least one more song, but I guess I will just have to go to another show! Scale of 1-10? I give this show a solid 5... okay, a 6.25 Happy? Welcome back, boys!

Or, more concisely: 'What he said.'

The crowd certainly did wan'na hear Tube for crying out loud, LOL! Crowd Control opener is energetic and parlays into a well-played show with a few notable moments or highlights: Foam and Esther are played pretty well if not note-perfectly, Ha Ha Ha is a fun rarity, you get your debut of Party Time and some banter surrounding that trio of songs (with Tube), and Time Turns Elastic closes the set, my favorite Phish song debuted since the reunion. Tweezer to open Set II doesn't get that wild, really, and Alaska, Let Me Lie in a second set might've seemed kind of head-scratchy at the time (though those kinds of song choices have become a lot more common since then), but 46 Days has a great outing, with synth from Page and a display of the jamming tendencies inherent to early 3.0, which were pretty wide-ranging in retrospect. Finally, Oh! Sweet Nuthin' which I think has only been played once more since this version > Harry Hood, again not a really wild version but good, and Good Times Bad Times, Tweezer Reprise to close the show. I think the Tube calls in the audience were kind of annoying the band, but stuff like that catches on with ordinary people and the madness of crowds.

There was a lot of hype for this show. Seemed like the band had trouble finding their groove.

Set 1 Highlights - Crowd Control was an appropriate opener considering how hard it was to find a ticket. I waited in line in hopes the band would release some last minute GA tickets. Which they did! So that was awesome. Party Time was a lot of fun. Other than that not much to write home about.

Set 2 Highlights - 46 Days had some nice length to it. Harry Hood was nice.