I'm too old for extended reviews or first sets. listening notes on set 2 then:

youthful group play. WGTYM looks to finish in ambient noise but the band picks it up once more to drive a segue into a perfect spacey sfnal mid-set Tweezer. passage time turns inelastic as mike leads the band through a brief ominous passage which trey lifts up to a mighty climax. couldn't be happier with this segue/jam. it's the kind of show where No Quarter is the *cooldown* tune -- but that only tees up a locked-in DWD > Ghost sequence. Disease looks to dancepop until the band finds a strange little 3-1/2 minute hallway to a bluesrock tweeprisal; trey's closing lyrics don't even slow down the momentum and Ghost flies fast toward minor-key drama. backlot gothic cinemascope tweeprise vibes ramp up quick, then the finale of the Ghost jam is an shred-a-thon that finally tears the fucking place in half (trey doesn't wanna go)...and the encore only picks up from there, with a thrashing Zero followed by the three greatest minutes in rock. a first-time Phish attendee witnessing this set might well wonder, between religious ecstasies: where have these tireless senior citizens been her whole life? have they always been this good? she might ask. a nearby eavesdropper might respond: 'they've been better -- so have we.' happy independence day. death to tyrants.

Have coach toured this tour other than Sunday NH in the flesh and to these ears not a show yet that has come remotely close to being "lees than" and last night made have been the best of the lot so far. Every song just sounds like they are approaching each one with the ultimate in patience and letting them run their natural course for the moment. After a totally solid 1st quarter, pun intended, was stoked to hear Oblivion taken for a nearly 15 minute jaunt. Timber tore and the rest of the set was exemplary. The 2nd Set starting Simple set the stage for 45 minutes of multi faceted jamming thru another rocking WGTYM and a terrific Tweezer into the "cool down" song of the entire show, No Quarter(!). Filthy stuff it was then to resume the jamming with DWD and a take no prisoners Ghost. Add a Zero that clearly had extra mustard added to it by Trey joined happily by Page pounding on the piano keys and the triumphant Tweezer Reprise and it sounded like they truly are playing at their highest levels ever as Trey has been fond of saying of late and delivered another sizzling scorcher of a show. A great time to be on this bus imo. Eagerly awaiting my 2nd and 3rd bites of the apple at Forest Hills.