Reviewed like a true new who clearly only gets to see shows at docks fucking joke simple best jam of 14 it most certainly wasn't even the best simple in a while you obviously mussed simple at the green in 2010 can we get a real review please.

Wow spell complete fucked me on that one let's see newb dicks missed and the greek. Now it's fixed.

Dicks us getting old like a dump truck with two spare tires

I apologize only for the newb comment. It must have been the drugs and not your newbiness.

Nice work troll. Rather than attack the reviewer, why not give a meaningful, alternate, well-reasoned review? I suppose being a douche is easier.

Your right just kinda sick of gushing reviews I want something with a little honesty

Reviewer- see 8/10 simple greek

Why does all reviewers think latest is best?! Chalk dust last year was amazing; last night was a mere pretender

Hey thanks for the review. It's great to hear thought out and well written opinions on the music being created.

@THE_OGuyforget

I get it. Reviews devoid of perspective can be frustrating, especially ones that believe that every new version is the "best ever" (not to accuse this reviewer of that). But that notwithstanding, I for one would love to hear others' perspective instead of attacks. There were many great things about last night and this weekend in general. Was it an excellent Simple? Undoubtedly. Was it the best ever or, rather, where does it rank amongst the great ones? Only time and repeated listens/comparisons will tell. Last nights show was, from one who was there, a visibly concentrated, group effort reminiscent of the late 90s when the band was consistently on fire, churning out great jam after great jam. They delivered on a lot of versions of songs last night. Were they all 20+ outstanding versions? No. But were they compact, focused Type I jams that delivered? Absolutely. Did they venture into some Type II territory, getting dark and spacey? Yup. Did all of that equal a far above average show? Yes. Could we quibble over song selection, sour notes, missed opportunity to go the extra mile for that one jam to enter the pantheon of greats? Maybe. No show was ever perfect, start to finish. Back in the 90s or now. Being a jamband has its quirks and hiccups. Seeking perfection in others is a zero sum game, but as fans we can hope they strive to achieve it; and therein deliver memorable jams, moments, and overall goodness. Last night was a lot of fun to be a part of, along with 27,000 other like-minded people, and it was clear the band was having fun. I for one am glad to be part of a collective consciousness that appreciates the effort, the delivery, and the sense of community that surrounds these fellows that continually make us happy day after day. Thanks to the band, and those around that contribute to the positive experience that these shows continue to be.

*I meant to say expecting perfection, rather than seeking...

@Cdurfee99 said:

Why does all reviewers think latest is best?! Chalk dust last year was amazing; last night was a mere pretender

You'll have to point me to the part in the recap where I said last night's CDT was the best...

@THE_OGuyforget said:

Reviewed like a true new who clearly only gets to see shows at docks fucking joke simple best jam of 14 it most certainly wasn't even the best simple in a while you obviously mussed simple at the green in 2010 can we get a real review please.

Can't even begin to fathom where you are coming from.....

Ha ha you bicker like beaahtches...
It was a real good time and I'm glad glad glad I was in attendance. Thanks for the tunes boys! We got monster rock, good jams, tidy versions, and I appreciate the heart in the new tunes. Phish rips like no other - and frankly, the most recent show IS always the best or you aren't living in the present. Stay home and listen to your Simple Greek 8/10 over and over - I will dance of you at the gig.

Take it from a grizzled phish vet(since1993), i have been to all 4 Dick's runs, & they all have been clearly above average shows, each having distinct moments of awesomeness. this past weekend did not disappoint. Down right filthy Simple night1, set2 night 2 & the exploder Fluff encore, night 3 was the best of the weekend in my opinion, The Curtain with opener really did set the tone & ending with super tight Mikes> Sally> Weekapaug. Dicks turned into DanceParty USA. I also agree that it has become special like NYE & halloween. So all you haters, negative Nellies,& Debbie downers, take your lousy attitude someplace else, cause every time i see Phish I have a blast

all i can say is... i was there last night and i will never forget this concert.

set two will be my favorite soundtrack now in an urban pedestrian lifestyle

thank you phish.net for the points and historical notes in the review. i agree that set two was a superlative experience. a must listen - excellent to see the band exit summer tour in superb musical form.

thank you to the phish from vermont - see you next fall
we love you and we love dicks and...
four - more - years!!!!

Pro tip--If you are going to criticize somebody else's review, you might want to make sure you are capable of stringing together a coherent sentence first.

You might even want to offer a competing review, where you provide your own commentary about the show, instead of just bashing somebody else who actually appears to be literate and able to communicate in English above the 5th grade level.

Just saying....

@THE_OGuyforget must be "in A-hole"

Sand was hot stuff, and that late set Mike's was very nice.

Trey even started Sneaking Sally in the right key for once.

Great show. Nice writeup.

@lumpblockclod can we call it Tweezer -> Sand -> Tweezer to complete the Tweezer Sandwich? Get it? My lady and I webcasted the show and felt what you and thousands of others felt. Let's not diss our instincts. Sand was a type I affair but when the Tweezer "tease" occurs they drop back into the jam Trey had opted out of earlier. It is the culmination of the sandwich. Plus, SANDwich. Please and thank you for your consideration.

In sum, .net setlist is correct imo. Livephish is knockin' on the fun.

@lumpblockclod can we call it Tweezer -> Sand -> Tweezer to complete the Tweezer Sandwich? Get it? My lady and I webcasted the show and felt what you and thousands of others felt. Let's not diss our instincts. Sand was a type I affair but when the Tweezer "tease" occurs they drop back into the jam Trey had opted out of earlier. It is the culmination of the sandwich. Plus, SANDwich. Please and thank you for your consideration.

In sum, .net setlist was correct this morning. Livephish (now .net) is knockin' on the fun.

As for me I am very impressed with the work the boys did this weekend. Their playing was sharp, focused (is that redundant?), and inventive.

While last year's Dick's run seemed rather flat at times and a step down from the peak of late summer during the Gorge, Tahoe and Bill Graham shows, this year's version was not a step down at all but really capped the tour wonderfully.

I feel like a little kid in Willy Wonkaland......I can't afford to download all the shows I want to own these last two years. The band is enjoying a true renaissance.

@FACTSAREUSELESS said:

As for me I am very impressed with the work the boys did this weekend. Their playing was sharp, focused (is that redundant?), and inventive.

While last year's Dick's run seemed rather flat at times and a step down from the peak of late summer during the Gorge, Tahoe and Bill Graham shows, this year's version was not a step down at all but really capped the tour wonderfully.

I feel like a little kid in Willy Wonkaland......I can't afford to download all the shows I want to own these last two years. The band is enjoying a true renaissance.

This is all accurate.

Phish is King. Period.

The band looked and sounded tired last night. Sorry to bust balls but that is what I honestly thought. Curtain was a great opener but everything after that was standard fare in the first set, with no shock value fun. Set ii was better and I agree that the Tweezwich was a takeaway highlight from the weekend. It's too bad they opted for piper instead of 2001 coming out of it. The jam and space was perfect but trey rip corded into a working mans piper. Mikes had some good deep playing but there was little IT coming from the band at this point. Forced effort. Last night just seemed tired phish. Definitely the weakest Sunday show of summer. My 2c

Great recap and right on, @lumpblockclod. What. A. Mike's.

Loved the Tweezer through Piper segment. I think Tweezer tease in Sand is the right call, as Fish never leaves the Sand beat and Page never returns to Tweezer chords. Any way you write it up, though, it kicks ass.

@BornXEyed said:

The band looked and sounded tired last night. Sorry to bust balls but that is what I honestly thought. Curtain was a great opener but everything after that was standard fare in the first set, with no shock value fun. Set ii was better and I agree that the Tweezwich was a takeaway highlight from the weekend. It's too bad they opted for piper instead of 2001 coming out of it. The jam and space was perfect but trey rip corded into a working mans piper. Mikes had some good deep playing but there was little IT coming from the band at this point. Forced effort. Last night just seemed tired phish. Definitely the weakest Sunday show of summer. My 2c

Not to denigrate your take, as you are entitled to it, but I can't agree with your premise or conclusion. If, after The Wedge, the band had chosen a cool-down song or two followed by a series of "closer" songs, a.k.a. 2010, then I may have given your view credence, but for the band to fill the mid-set transition with the Tweezer> Sandjam (by all accounts an epic highlight), which carried well into the 4th quarter, well, all I can say is that if this represents the work of "tired" musicians, then let's raise a glass to sleepless nights.

Just a short 24 months ago this show would have been lauded as a watermark. We're getting spoiled.

Mike's> Sally> Paug was a strong finish, by any era's standard.

Thank you lumpblockclod! You are truly missed at MJM. I love a review from a vet that is not so jaded

@TheEmu said:

Great recap and right on, @lumpblockclod. What. A. Mike's.

Loved the Tweezer through Piper segment. I think Tweezer tease in Sand is the right call, as Fish never leaves the Sand beat and Page never returns to Tweezer chords. Any way you write it up, though, it kicks ass.

Page is tearing up the Tweezer riff as Trey does at about 2 hrs 51 minutes into the webcast. Fish and Mike seem to have clicked back into a certain gear, which sounds an awful lot like Tweezer -> Sand -> Tweezer [1]. To my ears, unequivocally, we were back into the freezer, where, there laid a sandwich. 'Twas delicious. The mayo was just right.

[1] Unfinished. Is there a rule against this? Is it possible for a song to be jammed out of, then back into, yet still unfinished? As long as there is a recognizable return to the theme, which the 08/31/2014 Tweezer Sandwich most certainly contains, it should not be impossible for it to be marked as such.

@Alaskanmoma said:

@TheEmu said:

Great recap and right on, @lumpblockclod. What. A. Mike's.

Loved the Tweezer through Piper segment. I think Tweezer tease in Sand is the right call, as Fish never leaves the Sand beat and Page never returns to Tweezer chords. Any way you write it up, though, it kicks ass.

Page is tearing up the Tweezer riff as Trey does at about 2 hrs 51 minutes into the webcast. Fish and Mike seem to have clicked back into a certain gear, which sounds an awful lot like Tweezer -> Sand -> Tweezer [1]. To my ears, unequivocally, we were back into the freezer, where, there laid a sandwich. 'Twas delicious. The mayo was just right.

[1] Unfinished. Is there a rule against this? Is it possible for a song to be jammed out of, then back into, yet still unfinished? As long as there is a recognizable return to the theme, which the 08/31/2014 Tweezer Sandwich most certainly contains, it should not be impossible for it to be marked as such.

Well, what I meant was that Page,while he is of course playing along with Trey, is not playing the comp he normally plays behind the main Tweezer riff. Also, as soon as Trey starts the Tweezer riff, Page switches from piano to clav, instead of staying on piano as he normally would in Tweezer. The tempo is also consistent with Sand.

Not that any of this really matters. Jam is just as tasty no matter what we call it.

@BornXEyed said:

Curtain was a great opener but everything after that was standard fare in the first set, with no shock value fun.

You thought the Wolfman's was standard fare? I thought it raged.

I love how passionate we all are. My few dick or should I say dicks comments were definitely mean spirited, but as a diehard as most of us are, I expect honesty when it comes to a review. I absolutely appreciate the personal experiences, but as a reader I want the cold hard facts. And don't give me terms like best ever if that shit ain't best ever that's really all I was trying to say. I am well aware the reviewer is no newb but it is merely his newbish type speak that really gets me deep In a hole.

To say The Curtain With was "cleanly played" is a bit of a stretch. All I could think of at the time is I wonder if Mike ever gets frustrated at Trey on stage.

Interesting note: this is the first year that neither Maze nor Bathtub Gin made it to Dicks. Sad for Gin, because the last three Dick's Gins were the best of their respective years.

@funkbeard said:

Interesting note: this is the first year that neither Maze nor Bathtub Gin made it to Dicks. Sad for Gin, because the last three Dick's Gins were the best of their respective years.

FORGET THE MAZE. They didn't do it last year.

But Gin.....

@BornXEyed said:

The band looked and sounded tired last night. Sorry to bust balls but that is what I honestly thought. Curtain was a great opener but everything after that was standard fare in the first set, with no shock value fun. Set ii was better and I agree that the Tweezwich was a takeaway highlight from the weekend. It's too bad they opted for piper instead of 2001 coming out of it. The jam and space was perfect but trey rip corded into a working mans piper. Mikes had some good deep playing but there was little IT coming from the band at this point. Forced effort. Last night just seemed tired phish. Definitely the weakest Sunday show of summer. My 2c

.
Were you there, because I was there and there was absolutely no flagging energy. It was a dance party all night long. *ahem* Joy... You may be excused from aforementioned dance party..

If there were a roof on the place, it would have been gone when Tweeprise dropped.

@THE_OGuyforget said:

I love how passionate we all are. My few dick or should I say dicks comments were definitely mean spirited, but as a diehard as most of us are, I expect honesty when it comes to a review. I absolutely appreciate the personal experiences, but as a reader I want the cold hard facts. And don't give me terms like best ever if that shit ain't best ever that's really all I was trying to say. I am well aware the reviewer is no newb but it is merely his newbish type speak that really gets me deep In a hole.

Dude said, verbatim, "in my estimation (which means opinion, I include this because I assume you're dumb as well as a butthole), best single jam of 2014... And you come back with Greek '10. If you're gonna troll or be picky, at least read the damn thing first and respond accordingly. Or, how about, just don't respond at all and think in your head 'man, I don't agree with that assessment in the least'.

On a side note... What credentials do I need to be a diehard like you... It's obviously the path which I yearn to go down. Posts like these piss me off as much as the 400 fucking balloons littering the parking lot of my hotel this morning when I left Denver. Amateur hour. Grow up.

@THE_OGuyforget said:

I love how passionate we all are. My few dick or should I say dicks comments were definitely mean spirited, but as a diehard as most of us are, I expect honesty when it comes to a review. I absolutely appreciate the personal experiences, but as a reader I want the cold hard facts. And don't give me terms like best ever if that shit ain't best ever that's really all I was trying to say. I am well aware the reviewer is no newb but it is merely his newbish type speak that really gets me deep In a hole.

You posted again?......How did you make it out of rehab so fast?

Shit is hilarious everyone is so personally offended.

@THE_OGuyforget said:

Shit is hilarious everyone is so personally offended.

I don't want to speak for everyone, but I imagine most are offended by your hideous butchery of the English language and subsequent casting of blame of said butchery on how "spell complete" "fucked you".

@THE_OGuyforget said:

And don't give me terms like best ever if that shit ain't best ever

The term "best ever" does not appear in the recap.

Somewhere between the fluffers and the haters lies the truth. Curtain W, Poor Heart, KDF were all "off" at the beginning (Trey especially). The second set is great. My complaint would be that they didnt take any risks this weekend. This is the new era of Phish.

The funniest part about the comment with @THE_OGuyforget calling @lumpblockclod a newb is @THE_OGuyforget calling @lumpblockclod a newb.

Clearly he forgets that "best" is a subjective term. An opinion based on one's own experience. But, @THE_OGuyforget is entitled to his/her opinion.

On that note, call me a newb, but personally, I think that Simple is easily up there with the best jams of 2014.

Also been touring since Feb 93. We r definitely spoiled. Obviously, from all the complainers. Summer 2014 will be remembered as absolutely epic forever in phish history. In time it will achieve status of fabled fall 95 and fall 97, etc. The boys have been steadily improving since 09 & they r now consistently nasty. Dicks 2014 was great. Period. So we're the mann & randall's & mpp I also attended. Phish is back in full force.

For 50 year olds!!!

@Timbereba said:

Also been touring since Feb 93. We r definitely spoiled. Obviously, from all the complainers. Summer 2014 will be remembered as absolutely epic forever in phish history. In time it will achieve status of fabled fall 95 and fall 97, etc. The boys have been steadily improving since 09 & they r now consistently nasty. Dicks 2014 was great. Period. So we're the mann & randall's & mpp I also attended. Phish is back in full force.

I agree with most of what you say. They have steadily improved since the reunion (almost exponentially in the last year). But I think the only way that summer 2014 would reach fall '95/fall '97 or even fall '13 status is if:

A) They break up; or,
B) Every tour is subpar from now on.

I hope neither of those come to pass.

Great recap, @lumpblockclod (you friggin' N00bie von N00benhammer )

I agree with that actually. Fall 2013 & summer 2014 have been a wonderful time for the boys. Let's hope the exponential continues!

Hey Oguyforget- phantasytour is that away. Great place to misspell words, call people noobs and talk about how disappointing phish is after every single show.

I enjoyed the weekend thoroughly and thought this review was spot on.

I attended all three nights of Dicks 2014 run. All three nights were fun well-played concerts. Night 1 sounded and felt like a warm-up. But it felt like a special night because it was the first Phish concert EVER where the fans could legally buy and smoke weed. The band made no mention of this hallmark, but I went into the show fully aware of the relevance and history. Considering that Phish inherited the cultural children of the 60's counterculture, it was awesome to place this show and it's abundance of legal weed in the counterculture timeline. Change truly has come to America, or at the very least Colorodo.

Night 2 was the highlight---the whole band played with confidence, and the soloing is always more profound when the band members solo confidently. Trey is forever hot-cold when it comes to his guitar playing, and it all has to do with his confidence and hesitating or being cautious with his fingers on the frets. The best moments in phish improv come when the band members aren't trying not to make mistakes, when their playing is so fast that mistakes get weaved into the flow and what some would call a mistake becomes dissonance waiting for resolution or controlled tension-release.

Either way, I thought the band played their best show night 2, the Saturday show. I was not a fan of the venue due to sitting in GA stands. After getting almost front row all three nights of Randalls Island, I was dissappointed with the low energy of the crowd in the stands. The band can rage into miracle territory, and half the audience will always be too high to fully engage or enjoy the intensity of a jam.

Slight nitpick, Dividedsky333, but the band played in Amsterdam in July of '96, which I think would qualify as that 1st legal weed show.

Sunday night was my 55th show overall and my 12th show at Dick's. Personally I think the first 2 years were better than last 2 years. Does that mean they were awful? Hell no, they have been great shows! I agree that Simple was a huge highlight but whether it was the best ever is in the ear of the beholder. What one person likes about a jam, another person could maybe do without. For me, every Phish show is special, even the one my wife calls her "worst show ever". Phish is more than just the music. It gives us a chance to see our friends all across the country that we normally wouldn't have the opportunity to hang out with. You see people in the lot you've met at various shows, you barely can remember their name but you recognize their face and it's like no time had elapsed since the last show at which you saw them. Phish really is a community of like minded people and I think we forget that sometimes. We are the luckiest fans on earth. These guys came back in 2009 after no one thought they would ever play together again. Here we are in 2014, and in my humble opinion summer tour 2014 was the best year overall since their return. I agree that some songs were butchered this weekend and I think it's ok to have an opinion about those. There were also some great jams that took us to type II territory. I'm not going to review the shows, no one would be interesting in reading that. My point is that we are all adults here and should be able to discuss the show in an open and honest way without being negative to one another. The author's review of the show is his/her opinion of the music. Does everyone that reviews a show have to be a 25 year vet of seeing the band? No! There's no need for people to be negative towards others opinions, whether we agree or not. If you think you could do better submit your own review to the site and see if you can get it posted. Lastly, why do we have to compare every show to '97? That was almost 18 years ago, these guys age just like we do. What were you better at in '97 than you are now? Again, we are the luckiest fans on the planet. The band is playing their best music since their return. Is it perfect, no but I'm so damn happy we are here talking about the last 4 years of a new Phish tradition.

To say The Curtain With was "cleanly played" is a bit of a stretch. All I could think of at the time is I wonder if Mike ever gets frustrated at Trey on stage.

I'm pretty sure that Page does, sometimes he gives Trey these really ticked off looks. Fish is probably used to it by now.

The Curtain With is my favorite Phish song and they butchered it on Sunday, full stop. The gorgeous slow part before the jam was just sad, it was painful to listen to, even the jam went nowhere. It seems to be a pattern: their more prog rock songs like TCW, Divided Sky and so on aren't setlist regulars anymore and when they do get played, they sound like they could have used some serious rehearsal time. *sigh*

it was awesome to place this show and it's abundance of legal weed in the counterculture timeline.

Hmmm.....maybe that's why.....

half the audience will always be too high to fully engage or enjoy the intensity of a jam

I puff a little before a show, have a few beers, but I never get so wasted that I'm blacking out or need help. I just don't get people who go through all the trouble and expense of going to a show and then get totally wasted. I sure as hell don't want to be anywhere near them after the show either.....

lol at legal weed making a phish show historic and then juxtaposing it's "significance" with the point about half the audience being too high to appreciate the music. that is ser funny right there.

to my previous point about the band sounding tired; I get it, if you were there it was a blast. it had to be right? how could it not be? my impression of the band appearing and sounding tired was based on watching and listening to the feed sans distractions. And they looked/sounded flat most of the night, save for tweezwich and some of mikes. and i think it's an assessment that's fair and agreed upon by many fans in the phish community.

this show was awesome and if you dont think so you might as well do yourself a favor quit phishin

My two cents.

Deadhead since '89. Phish vet since '92. Saw the Dead 12 times (once with Brent, 11 with Vince). Jerry was literally dying on stage from '92 on. Loved the music dearly (still do) and loved going to the shows but knew it was something (much) less than what it used to be. Actually disappointed at several shows I attended, and I'm not one of those guys! I can't listen to anything post '90 now because it's really just terrible for the most part. I only say all of this because I know what it is to watch a band crumble.

Now to Phish. Saw about 15 shows between '92 and 2000. Started going again in 2011 and have seen another 12 shows. Phish today is as relevant and imaginative and plain old fun as they've ever been. Period. I'll grant that Trey is no-longer the gunslinger he used to be but that's ok. Michael Jordan went from holy-shit-did-you-see-that-dunk machine in the first half of his career to dead-eye jumpshooter in the second half. Just as effective and just as deadly. Trey's doing the same thing and he's still at the top of his game. And as far as I'm concerned, neither Mike, Page nor Fish have lost even a half-step, in fact they could be on steroids because they've all gotten better as time has gone on.

Bottom line, I watched the Dead fade away. Phish is picking up steam and going to their shows is a fucking treat, even though not every one is truly epic. And they're still writing great new tunes. I was there in '92-'93 when tons of songs were played back to back nights because they didn't have all that many (and several were awful tunes that thank god are no longer in their repertoire). I pull out shows from '11 just as soon as I'd pull out a '97 just for the great variety, not to mention growth in playing.

So quit yer whinin', feel free to critique versions of this vs. that - that's what we do. As someone who absolutely loves '90s shredding machine-gun Trey, stop with the whole they ain't what they used to be. Some nights they're better, some nights they're worse. Grow up and enjoy.

@digitalhoward said:

My two cents.

Deadhead since '89. Phish vet since '92. Saw the Dead 12 times (once with Brent, 11 with Vince). Jerry was literally dying on stage from '92 on. Loved the music dearly (still do) and loved going to the shows but knew it was something (much) less than what it used to be. Actually disappointed at several shows I attended, and I'm not one of those guys! I can't listen to anything post '90 now because it's really just terrible for the most part. I only say all of this because I know what it is to watch a band crumble.

Now to Phish. Saw about 15 shows between '92 and 2000. Started going again in 2011 and have seen another 12 shows. Phish today is as relevant and imaginative and plain old fun as they've ever been. Period. I'll grant that Trey is no-longer the gunslinger he used to be but that's ok. Michael Jordan went from holy-shit-did-you-see-that-dunk machine in the first half of his career to dead-eye jumpshooter in the second half. Just as effective and just as deadly. Trey's doing the same thing and he's still at the top of his game. And as far as I'm concerned, neither Mike, Page nor Fish have lost even a half-step, in fact they could be on steroids because they've all gotten better as time has gone on.

Bottom line, I watched the Dead fade away. Phish is picking up steam and going to their shows is a fucking treat, even though not every one is truly epic. And they're still writing great new tunes. I was there in '92-'93 when tons of songs were played back to back nights because they didn't have all that many (and several were awful tunes that thank god are no longer in their repertoire). I pull out shows from '11 just as soon as I'd pull out a '97 just for the great variety, not to mention growth in playing.

So quit yer whinin', feel free to critique versions of this vs. that - that's what we do. As someone who absolutely loves '90s shredding machine-gun Trey, stop with the whole they ain't what they used to be. Some nights they're better, some nights they're worse. Grow up and enjoy.

Yep. Spot on.

Jesus, relax! Night 2 first 4 tunes and wing suit ; night 3 tweezer-sand; mike's were the highlights. Curtain with as opener is tantalizing , but little sloppy

Almost none of you get it and that's a real shame. I've been around a long while and NOW is where it's at with Phish. That's how it always has been and hopefully continues to be. Give me Wingsuit, Fuego, 555, Wombat, Winterqueen, etc everyday and twice on Sunday. Phish is happening now so if you are still listening to '95 or '98 or whatever year and comparing it to this past weekend, I feel bad for you. You're missing out on some great new music and even some great twists on old songs. They continue to create art, and I love it!

@cuddlybutmuscular said:

Almost none of you get it and that's a real shame. I've been around a long while and NOW is where it's at with Phish. That's how it always has been and hopefully continues to be. Give me Wingsuit, Fuego, 555, Wombat, Winterqueen, etc everyday and twice on Sunday. Phish is happening now so if you are still listening to '95 or '98 or whatever year and comparing it to this past weekend, I feel bad for you. You're missing out on some great new music and even some great twists on old songs. They continue to create art, and I love it!

Amen brother.

After reading all of the reviews for Dick's weekend, I got to say if you were at the stadium, I don't know of anyone who didn't have a good time! If you were watching from the webcast, you'll always get a different perspective of the band as you get to see the band close up. I certainly don't think the sound is better at home?? With that being said I like to provide a perspective (veteran of 128 GD shows and just saw my 199th show on Sunday at Dick's):

There are people who put the band on a pedestal and expectation level to near ridiculousness. There are newbies (no pun intended) that will write how they view their experience. Their best songs will differ from a more experience phans' songs. Then there are people who get IT! The IT crew don't put too much emphasis on the best ever, don't expect too much from the band and wants the band to play well. High expectation for the band from individuals is setting up for a miserable time. Why bother if you own head is going to play the expectation game?? The most important thing is how well the band is playing. If they're on, hold on to your jacket and get ready to take a ride....

Before going further, I have to mention the Fuego album. Personally, I think this is the most focused album since the 1.0 hiatus. The songs are catchy and potential to be exploratory. I've seen Fuego 6 times (including the Halloween show) and will say SPAC and Mann Center versions are my new "Dark Star". If you listen carefully, you'll hear that they are taking us on a journey. The album is a "rough draft" what the band can do. I'm truly looking for fresh, new exploratory, and improvisational territory. The fall tour should be a very interesting time...

Now onto Dicks: The 1st night 1st set was very cool. LUSHINGTON followed by the joke is on us "Ha Ha Ha", then Suzy Greenberg with Jennifer Hartswick and Natalie Cressman. I liked Trey stepping up to the mike after Ha Ha Ha and said "You Asked, We Delivered"! The highlight of the 1st set was Guyute and No Quarter. Guyute had a nice buildup in the middle section that kept going and going before reaching a crescendo, then coming back to earth. Very well played version for 1st played in 2014. No Quarter was a nice mini-breakout (Worcester 10/26/13) and was hauntingly beautiful. Page's vocal was blending in the music so well that it was sounding downright creepy! Enjoyed this 1st set better than the night 2 & 3 1st set lists.

2nd set was shockingly good! Some of my friends thought this was the best 2nd set of the run. I thought all 3 nights had plenty of great moments. Night 1 was without question "Dick's Simple" into "Story of the Ghost". 46 days was more exploratory than recent versions (hit the 10 mins mark) into a solid Back on the Train. Then came Simple. Personally, the lyric is quirky and sophomoric, yet the jam that came out of the lyric was one for the ages. I would be a hypocrite (as I said earlier about the best ever) to say this was one of my "live" favorite versions ever. I would have to go back and listen to some of the previous versions I've seen (seen 27 times as per phish.net - by the way thank goodness for this site to keep track of my phishistory - keep up the great work!). Yet, I loved every second of it! Ghost was another expansive, exploration, and innovative music by Phish. This band is so good these days, it's no wonder why I keep going to shows!

Night 2 highlights was the 2nd set. The 1st set was good and fun, but no real exploratory, kick your face type of jams. Also, there were some sloppiness on the lyrics as Trey's brain went haywire during Cavern and turned the microphone toward the fans as he was tongue tied. Probably the weakest set of the run. 2nd set was a 180 turn. Down with Disease> What The Use?, Carini> Light> Fuego> Slave To the Traffic Light, Meatstick> Bold as Love. With the exception of Fuego (very standard), the rest of the set had a great flow! I'm not going to provide not the minute details, yet I would strongly suggest listening to the set I got to hear it again hanging out at a friend's room in Embassy Suites - and it was better than I expected. Have a listen....

Night 3 - Thoroughly enjoyed The Curtain With as an opener. 1st time opening slot since 1987?? Something need to be said about that. Wombat got the crowd moving with the FUNK! I love how they play this song. A little hip-hoppish vocals with the funky music. The show "FISH" with Abe Vigoda! Very fun version. This is a song I can see going out into a nice exploration trip. The next favorite was Lawn Boy. I understand this is Page's time to shine. However, Page gave Mike Gordon a well deserved salute and the crowd applauded after he finished his solo. Wolfman's brother is another great song in Phish's repertoire that every fans can't wait to hear the jam out of the song. This version did not disappoint! The rest of the set was well played.

Set 2 was probably my favorite of the weekend, yet all 3 nights was so close to each other in terms of playing, that you can pick out of a hat and be happy with any of them. CDT has been very consistent staying at a high level. This version was very upbeat for the entire 14:26 of the song. It was great! Twist Around and The Wedge was a nice version. Tweezer> Sand> and whatever anyone wants to call it - I heard Sand the entire time with other songs being dropped during the jams. Tweezer> Sand was the highlight for me that was borderline filthy and creepiness followed by a nasty throw down of Mike's Song> Sneakin Sally> Weekapaug that was 25 minutes of bliss! The Mike's version was disgustingly dirty and dark that kept up for a solid 9 minutes into a surprisingly Sneakin Sally. Come to think of it, this should not have comes as a surprise as Mike's Song> Sneakin' Sally ended the 2nd set at Mann Center (7/9/14). Sneakin was really good as it segue into Weekapaug cleanly. This was a great version. Loving Cup was a pleasant surprise and it was fantastic - OOOOHHH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL BUZZZZZZZZZ as being in Colorado was a Surrealistic Heaven! Tweezer reprise is one of the greatest rock 'n' roll songs closer in history (as said by a friend). The song ripped into shredding monster that always have Trey bouncing and shaking his head up and down again and again. This was truly a great weekend of music. The band is as good as ever and I'm not joking. Remember 2009 was the "New Beginning", 2014 is as good as ever.

One last note, being in Colorado was absolute HEAVEN. Went to my first legal "dispensary" and was blown away by the operation (Green Solutions - 4440 Grape Street off of Rt. 70 on the south side between exit 277 and 278. Must get off at exit 277 from either directions). I've been to Amsterdam 13 times and never get tired. However, this being in United States of America where I never thought I would see a legal shop, it was magical. We had to wait 20 minutes before a person escorted us through the buying process to cashing out. Nice selections and a very clean, safe facility. Highly recommend!

Combined with the legalization and Phish playing at Dick's, this was a match made in Heaven. I hope for many more years at Dick's. Thank you Phish for being a big part of my life these days...

@digitalhoward said:

My two cents.

Deadhead since '89. Phish vet since '92. Saw the Dead 12 times (once with Brent, 11 with Vince). Jerry was literally dying on stage from '92 on. Loved the music dearly (still do) and loved going to the shows but knew it was something (much) less than what it used to be. Actually disappointed at several shows I attended, and I'm not one of those guys! I can't listen to anything post '90 now because it's really just terrible for the most part. I only say all of this because I know what it is to watch a band crumble.

Now to Phish. Saw about 15 shows between '92 and 2000. Started going again in 2011 and have seen another 12 shows. Phish today is as relevant and imaginative and plain old fun as they've ever been. Period. I'll grant that Trey is no-longer the gunslinger he used to be but that's ok. Michael Jordan went from holy-shit-did-you-see-that-dunk machine in the first half of his career to dead-eye jumpshooter in the second half. Just as effective and just as deadly. Trey's doing the same thing and he's still at the top of his game. And as far as I'm concerned, neither Mike, Page nor Fish have lost even a half-step, in fact they could be on steroids because they've all gotten better as time has gone on.

Bottom line, I watched the Dead fade away. Phish is picking up steam and going to their shows is a fucking treat, even though not every one is truly epic. And they're still writing great new tunes. I was there in '92-'93 when tons of songs were played back to back nights because they didn't have all that many (and several were awful tunes that thank god are no longer in their repertoire). I pull out shows from '11 just as soon as I'd pull out a '97 just for the great variety, not to mention growth in playing.

So quit yer whinin', feel free to critique versions of this vs. that - that's what we do. As someone who absolutely loves '90s shredding machine-gun Trey, stop with the whole they ain't what they used to be. Some nights they're better, some nights they're worse. Grow up and enjoy.

Really love what you had to say in this post and I agree with all of it. I tried to articulate the whole "Jerry dying before our eyes" bit a couple years ago and got soundly criticized for it, but I agree with you, obviously. Saw my first GD show in '81. Went to a boatload of shows on the East Coast over the decade of the '80's. Never went to see them in the '90's because by '89 I couldn't take it anymore. Everyone was bragging about their "renaissance" but I didn't hear it. Jerry would sleepwalk through much of the first set (with exceptions, of course) and just didn't have the physical energy to pour out with any consistency or endurance. The Dead were really pretty much cooked after '82. They were on fumes after that. People who were digging the scene may disagree, as there were a lot of young college kids (I was one of them!) who got into the band during that era. The Dead were the "thing" in those days. Everyone wanted to go to a show and find out what the buzz was about.

Really, though, the creative and musically interesting period of the Dead was for the most part over by mid-'78. If you listen to older GD it's like a completely different band than the '80's.

You are right about Phish. They are different now, too, but not in a "disentegrating" way. I worry about Trey over the last year or so, as his playing is really much sloppier than it was just a couple short years ago. Yet, he seems perfectly coherent and engaged, they are smiling and enjoying each other's playing....

Trey "seems" sharper when he plays with TAB, which leads me to believe that the sloppiness I hear (that we all hear) with Phish is a result of him pushing and experimenting with ideas and stylings. He has been much more of an engaged listener to his bandmates in general over the last year and a half than previous, I think, and I believe the result has been more inventive and creative playing from his mates.

Jerrry Garcia could not get outside the box effectively over the last years of his career because he was barely alive most of the time. So the band just did what they could.

Phish is actively pushing the boundaries this year, presenting new music, reinterpreting old tunes and generally hitting home runs frequently. I mean, what they've done with Harry Hood this year is quite something and it obviously started last year in Hollywood Bowl. Back in '10 I never would have guessed that the Hood would ever stray beyond its perscribed limits again. I used to dread it's prescence in second sets because it was so predictable. Not anymore. Now, their most beautiful singular piece of music has been reignited with fresh life. That is not the work of a band "playing out the string".

I agree with your sentiments entirely. If there had been a blog in the '80's that used the same stringent criteria of judgment that we put against Phish these days, I can only imagine what we would have read.

Let's see.....set-killers, momentum-killers, rote playing, type 1, type 2, set construction, flubs, etc.etc. We're pretty tough on the Phish of Vermont and all they do is continue to impress.

I meant to qualify my last statemtents to mean a blog on the Dead!

Agree if we had applied the 'Phish criteria" to the Dead in the 80"s and 90"s , we would have crucified them and quit going to shows. In terms of the 1990's they seemed to resurrect for the spring 1993 run - especially the Chicago run. Not a coincidence that this was likely Jerry's last "clean" run. You can hear the energy in his playing.

Don't forget the extremely dark segment that joined Piper and Joy... Cool way to start a song like "Joy".

@Lee_Fordham said:

Slight nitpick, Dividedsky333, but the band played in Amsterdam in July of '96, which I think would qualify as that 1st legal weed show.

To nitpick a nitpick..weed wasn't/isn't "technically" legal in Amsterdam, there are a whole bunch of weird laws around the possession, purchasing and sale of weed. Coffee shops can sell it, but they can't grow or buy it? You technically can't have weed outside of a coffeeshop (like at a music venue where Phish would play...)but it's illegal for the cops to search you for it. So we should count Dick's 2014 as the first Legalized Pot Phish Concert.

Thinktankted bringing down the double nitpick on me!

I was at that Amsterdam show, and it was the single WORST musical performance I've seen the band play (in 80 shows). Everyone was just too stoned. This past weekend was a much different story. Let us rejoice, then, in the music from the 1st Legal Weed Phish show!

My personal opinion......take night 1 first set and then put it in front of night 3 second set and you have one of Phish's greatest shows of any era. Obviously that cannot happen but all that means is that Phish is playing on a different level right now. Even if you are not a fan of 3.0 era stuff, can't we all at least say they are playing better than they have in years!? I am totally stoked for what is to come in the future. I love this band!

@toddvoss said:

Agree if we had applied the 'Phish criteria" to the Dead in the 80"s and 90"s , we would have crucified them and quit going to shows. In terms of the 1990's they seemed to resurrect for the spring 1993 run - especially the Chicago run. Not a coincidence that this was likely Jerry's last "clean" run. You can hear the energy in his playing.

An excellent point. That supports what I was saying and should make the fans of the band remorseful over what could have been if Jerry had succeeded in doing what Trey did; namely, kick the drug bug.

The work of Lesh and Weir in their respective projects the many years after Jerry's passing sort of prove the point. They had plenty left in the tank, it turned out.

One of the most harrowing quotes I ever read belonged to Phil Lesh after Jerry passed:
"In the end, drugs were more important to him than the music."

That quote from Phil, easily his closest friend in the band, was a cutting statement of reality as a postmortum sentiment. In other words, more important than his friends.

I couldn't stick around to watch it happen, meaning the end of Jerry. He meant too much to me in memory to watch him go the way he did.

@FACTSAREUSELESS said:

One of the most harrowing quotes I ever read belonged to Phil Lesh after Jerry passed:
"In the end, drugs were more important to him than the music."

Yuck. What a sad statement. I was worried I would hear this out of Fishmans mouth at some point in my life. I hope I never do.

I'll have to re-read the comments meticulously, but I don't recall reading anyone complaining about the band overall or comparing them to the 90s shows in this thread (though I understand that happens often on the boards). So it seems silly to rag on .netters who hold objective opinions about a show, or compare the scene to GD. There are several "I'm deader than thou posts" in here that offer no substance to the conversation about this particular show. And telling people to "stop whinnin" or "stop phishin" just because they disagree on the "epicness" of this show, is childish.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and while I agree Phish is currently at their best in a very, very long time, this show fell flat...for me. If you wanted style over substance, then I guess this is your show: a bunch of mostly popular songs played straightforward. If you sought risk taking, curve ball playing, and dynamic flow, then it didn't deliver, save for Tweezer> Sand.

It was a safe show and this run will not be acknowledged much in the future when discussing "Best Of" shows and runs, in any era of Phish.

@BornXEyed said:

I'll have to re-read the comments meticulously, but I don't recall reading anyone complaining about the band overall or comparing them to the 90s shows in this thread (though I understand that happens often on the boards). So it seems silly to rag on .netters who hold objective opinions about a show, or compare the scene to GD.

I think you should re-read the comments meticulously, as you proposed. The Dead conversation was never intended to pertain to the "show in question"....it was just a discussion, which you are free to join in on.

@BornXEyed said:

It was a safe show and this run will not be acknowledged much in the future when discussing "Best Of" shows and runs, in any era of Phish.

As @Ivy_Light said above....nothing they do today will ever be considered a "best ever" unless they retire or go downhill. It's the nature of the beast. We are always sentimental and protective of our distant memories, whether or not they are accurate and rooted in reality.

@FACTSAREUSELESS said:

@BornXEyed said:

I'll have to re-read the comments meticulously, but I don't recall reading anyone complaining about the band overall or comparing them to the 90s shows in this thread (though I understand that happens often on the boards). So it seems silly to rag on .netters who hold objective opinions about a show, or compare the scene to GD.

I think you should re-read the comments meticulously, as you proposed. The Dead conversation was never intended to pertain to the "show in question"....it was just a discussion, which you are free to join in on.

If you read digitalhoward's post, it kicks off the Dead discussion by comparing the scenes somewhat and acknowledging that there's no use in comparing now and then. "So quit yer whinin," was his end quote basically. I was just wondering who whined or compared this show (or 3.0 for that matter) to previous eras within this thread? (Have to omit GuyForget's ridiculousness).

Another comment in response to reading anything objective included "Almost none of you get it and that's a real shame. I've been around a long while and NOW is where it's at with Phish," by cuddlybutmuscular.

I get IT. Have for a long while. Long before we started calling the "x factor" IT. If an objective opinion is now considered "whinin" or "not getting it" then shame on the few who can't handle valid discussion.

FWIW, I feel Phish is on the verge of peaking again overall, which is why I can't entirely agree with Ivy_Light either. This summer has proved that; the MPP shows were the best run in that particular venue all-time imo and I was at every MPP show since they headlined in 98. The best Wedge all-time? I think you'd have to say Northerly Wedge makes a strong case. Best Chalkdust? Randall's compares nicely to Camden 99. The list could go on and on really.

So while me not thinking this particular Dick's show was all that OR that it likely would not land on a "Best of Dicks" list in their entire four years there might piss some people off, I stand by my opinion. Sorry phanners.

And to add to the GD discussion. I was fortunate enough to catch the tail end of the Dead (or unfortunate as some of you probably believe). Believe me though, there's not a day that goes by I don't listen to the boys and imagine "what if." It's a cruel game to play, but damn if I wouldn't trade seeing Phish 50 shows today for one more night with Jerry. My 2c.

@BornXEyed

Good comments. Agree with your sentiment on the Dead. I was neutral to your comments knocking the show down a peg.

I can understand your reaction to folks that can't handle criticisms. I wasn't crazy about Alpharetta and I made a lot of folks upset there.

Personally, I thought the two Portsmouth shows were stronger than MPP, but I'm not as high on the Tweezerfest as most are. It was a great show but I felt it was a bit gimmicky. Then again, I thought that the FuckYourFace show on 8/31/12 was the weakest of the three that weekend. I actually feel that the second set of 9/1/12 was the best set, along with 8/19/12 at Bill Graham, that year.

Everyone hears what they hear. Agree with you about the peak thing. I just wish Trey would lay down the whale and go back to the Ocedoc.

@BornXEyed said:

@FACTSAREUSELESS said:

@BornXEyed said:

I'll have to re-read the comments meticulously, but I don't recall reading anyone complaining about the band overall or comparing them to the 90s shows in this thread (though I understand that happens often on the boards). So it seems silly to rag on .netters who hold objective opinions about a show, or compare the scene to GD.

I think you should re-read the comments meticulously, as you proposed. The Dead conversation was never intended to pertain to the "show in question"....it was just a discussion, which you are free to join in on.

If you read digitalhoward's post, it kicks off the Dead discussion by comparing the scenes somewhat and acknowledging that there's no use in comparing now and then. "So quit yer whinin," was his end quote basically. I was just wondering who whined or compared this show (or 3.0 for that matter) to previous eras within this thread? (Have to omit GuyForget's ridiculousness).

Another comment in response to reading anything objective included "Almost none of you get it and that's a real shame. I've been around a long while and NOW is where it's at with Phish," by cuddlybutmuscular.

I get IT. Have for a long while. Long before we started calling the "x factor" IT. If an objective opinion is now considered "whinin" or "not getting it" then shame on the few who can't handle valid discussion.

FWIW, I feel Phish is on the verge of peaking again overall, which is why I can't entirely agree with Ivy_Light either. This summer has proved that; the MPP shows were the best run in that particular venue all-time imo and I was at every MPP show since they headlined in 98. The best Wedge all-time? I think you'd have to say Northerly Wedge makes a strong case. Best Chalkdust? Randall's compares nicely to Camden 99. The list could go on and on really.

So while me not thinking this particular Dick's show was all that OR that it likely would not land on a "Best of Dicks" list in their entire four years there might piss some people off, I stand by my opinion. Sorry phanners.

And to add to the GD discussion. I was fortunate enough to catch the tail end of the Dead (or unfortunate as some of you probably believe). Believe me though, there's not a day that goes by I don't listen to the boys and imagine "what if." It's a cruel game to play, but damn if I wouldn't trade seeing Phish 50 shows today for one more night with Jerry. My 2c.

You pretty much missed anything I was getting at and you certainly didn't get the tone. I wasn't ragging on anybody, I never compared the scenes, and the only reason I brought the Dead into this (sigh) was to just give a little perspective to the folks who think Phish is a band in decline as someone who witnessed what happened to Jerry, who I adored. Trey just seems to take a lot of heat.

And the very next words following "quit yer whinin'" acknowledged that what we as fans love to do is to compare this vs. that. That's what makes us truly insane fans who write messages on the internet.

Oh, and "objective opinion" - that's not a thing. Just sayin'.

@digitalhoward

we are on the same page.

I agree with y'all. Guess I got on the defensive because it can difficult to go against the grain. And I have to laugh at myself for "objective opinion". That's a good catch howard. It's all good. All the shows are fun shows, and part of that fun is analyzing, comparing sets, discussing the music. All good people here...I think.