I want to start by saying I loved last night's show, but if you didn't read on, I will try and justify my opinion.

First set is an enjoyable rocking 1st set of Phish. Listen, 90% of the time you are not going to get huge type 2 jams first set. Just not how they are rolling right now. I would equate it to having fruit for dessert. It was good but would you have rather had a piece of cheese cake? Probably, but if you like fruit it still tasted good. If once in a while you get that piece of fruit that is perfect and excites your taste buds as much as cheese cake, (ex. Hartford Rock and Roll's type 2) lucky you. Basically I think people should rate 1st sets for what 1st sets are. Fun, rock and roll like Phish does it. If you don't like that, well, feel free to give it a bad rating. I won't argue your opinion, just don't compare it to a 2nd set, its not.

Set 3 was awesome. Ghost and Carini are both A jams. Best evers? Probably not, only 1 best ever can exist but both went really cool places and kept the momentum of this awesome tour. Hood was probably about average but its one of my favorite songs so I am biased and will always consider an average Hood great. High energy Antelopes are always fun. I would say nothing to complain about. CK5 had the full rig, new lights, back drop curtains with different capabilities. I think Antelope benefits from this as much as any song.

Encore was good. Quinn was fine but to be honest, since they didn't do a cover album I was hoping for an original (just not Show of Life). Up to that point the show was all originals and thought it would have been a cool twist on a night where covers were expected.

As far as set 2 went I think a few of those songs are going to become big time contenders over the next few years. The Wombat dancing w/ Abe Vigoda silliness was great (not to mention a very cool song). I would need to listen back to specifically comment on the others but I really liked most of them. Fishman on the stand up drum kit was cool (although not my favorite of the songs).

As far as them doing what they did I thought the 2nd set took balls and they pulled it off in spades. Are people who really wanted a cover album gonna be upset? Of course, and I don't think they are wrong to be so. It is what they hoped for. I am upset every show I go to that doesn't have a Harpua. That doesn't mean I don't like the show (which is a good thing since I've never seen one). Obviously its not an exact comparison since you don't go to a show expecting to see it but you get what I'm trying to say. I am kind of bummed that they didn't play a cover album but it didn't take away from what they did play. The band seemed genuinely thankful that they could do what they did and have the whole, or at least most of the crowd listen and dance and cheer with such intensity. This was definitely not a kick in the balls as some people are suggesting. They didn't do this because they don't care. They did it because they know we are in this together and if they do something like this, most will enjoy.

One other side thought I think is interesting is the fact that most albums they would pick would not be familiar to everyone at the show. Maybe part of their rationale was this way you didn't disappoint people that didn't know it (like my wife in 2010). Nobody knew it. We really were all in this together. Just a thought.