I know everyone has those little things that they want to see every time they go to a show. Maybe you need a certain vibe from the crowd, or you get the song you've been chasing for a while. Do you need a 4 song second set? Is it the jams? How tight is the playing? Maybe some playful banter gets you going?

I'm sure it's a combination of all the above, plus some other things that will leave you satisfied when the house lights go up. I was just wondering, that when headed to a show, are you looking for one thing in particular?

I've always thought it was important on how good a show was, with how well the -> were. These are important to me, for a few reasons. It keeps the set going in a particular direction (most of the time)and I love when songs just seem to come out of nowhere. And I believe it shows that the playing is tight, or at least on the same page.

For a realy good show, I need to get the feeling that the band is "on". It doesn't even necessarily need to be a big scorching jam, i just need to feel like the band is cohesive and playing well together. Im okay with lots of songs with little bits of exploration between or during the songs. As long as i dont feel like something got ripcorded when it was going towards something bigger(although that can quickly be erased). The crowd needs to be into it, if im in the lawn or the pit i need to feel as if i am in the middle of a pack of rabid animals(for lack of a better analogy). A lot of what makes a good show is in the crowd, a C/B show can easily personally jump to a B/A show if i was in the crowd and it was nuts.

For an A++++ show there needs to be something special, a cherry of some sort. That can be anything from a big jam, to a bust-out/rarity, or even a silly joke or goofy vocal jam. The Sanity> Makisupa> First Tube encore from June 11, 2011 sticks out in my mind for this. Sanity as an encore opener was pretty cool, into a Makisupa that was pretty funny(Trey talking about his wife's bundt cake, and the back-and-forth "WHAAAAT"s), the went right into a nice barn-burning encore closer in First Tube.

I dont know that i have ever said a show was bad enough to be anything lower than a C, usually being in the crowd and experiencing it can make an iffy show, at least to a good show.

Really good? Got to "feel" it

Great song selection
Improv
Segues
Little to no flubbing
A bust out cant hurt.

Tight playing... one of my favorite shows is 10/15/10 which is barely jammed out, but is amazingly well played and has kind of a crazy setlist. Not that I'd want so little jamming every show, but under the right circumstances, tightness alone can make a show IMO.

To me, a great Phish show is a lot like a great baseball game in that I get to witness something that I haven't seen before.

I walked out of Yankee Stadium a happy guy last May when I got to see Ivan Nova get the first 7 Reds out via strikeout. It was unique, that's for sure, especially considering he let up runs in between the Ks.

In a similar fashion, Amherst 10/23/10 was unique for me when each guy took the lead on a song in a 4-song stretch (Lawn Boy, Sparkle, BBFCFM, Love You). It didn't hurt that it had an above average Tweezer and an amazing Maze, of course.

Cool covers
Bust outs
Jokes
"On"
being in the right mindset
good people around you doesn't matter if its your best friends or new friends
hearing songs you've wanted to hear
getting your favorite jam or song
lots of segues
good weather
nice venue
story songs
sometimes special guests can really push it over the edge
free your mind and your ass will follow....

@the_Crested_Hogchoker said:

Tight playing... one of my favorite shows is 10/15/10 which is barely jammed out, but is amazingly well played and has kind of a crazy setlist. Not that I'd want so little jamming every show, but under the right circumstances, tightness alone can make a show IMO.

Crowd energy was sick that night.

its all about the vibe for me - Like when the crowd started cheering during Sand at SPAC N1, that was pretty sublime.

Also when they play the song I want to hear.

Also, I am still childlike enough in my Phishness where I think every show is a miraculous masterpiece, so don't listen to me.

Tight playing
Solid Jams
A diverse set list
A good crowd

@Bostonron

I agree..one monster song..could make it worth the price of admission...Crowd vibe isn't that important to me..I'm not wandering around..Yes there are parts of a show where band and crowd are on the same level..and getting caught up in that is awesome..I usually keep to myself at shows..I'll chat with the people around me..but that's about it..haha and if it's outdoors..I can usually be found by the back of the lawn..makes for a quick exit and to beat the traffic..

/old man'd

For me, it's a PHISH show.

Any and all. I have never left a show dissapointed.

The only thing for me to make it a really good show is Phish. That may sound wierd, but I have never had a show that let me down. Some are better than others, but every show I 've been to has been really good, for one reason or another.

@LawnBoy0925 said:

@the_Crested_Hogchoker said:

Tight playing... one of my favorite shows is 10/15/10 which is barely jammed out, but is amazingly well played and has kind of a crazy setlist. Not that I'd want so little jamming every show, but under the right circumstances, tightness alone can make a show IMO.

Crowd energy was sick that night.

.

That place was like a tick ready to pop, even before the shpw started

Pretty much any show I go to..
but the ones I enjoy the most are the ones with the most jammed out songs that you get lost in.

I go in with no expectations, and just let it happen...whatever 'it' happens to be that night. It's always something different, and if I were waiting for it to happen, it probably wouldn't...

Trey has to play a lot of notes that are really close to each other, Mike should drop proverbial bombs, Fish has to wear a dress and Page should rage.
...Also Harry Hood. That's my shit right there, dude.

@dave25 said:

@twisty_m said:

Being there is as good as it gets.

Right on mrs twisty can't say that I have ever been at a show and said to myself wow this sucks. I'm sure some of y'all will disagree with this because I have only seen 9 shows I'm sure if I had as many as you's this would change what I just said

Alpharetta night 2.... didn't suck but pretty disappointing