Now 3.6 is not terrible, but certainly doesn't represent the show I saw or have listened to after.

Crowd Control & Mound are lackluster songs, and IMO not the best way to kick off a show, but none the less they made up with it during the rest of Set I.

AC/DC Bag > Gin we're a blast. Yes, maybe not the most inspired jamming, but really tight playing.

Set II Golden Age > Waves was probably the highlight and I believe stands up to the jamming in other 2nd sets before and after this night in this run.

Now it does lose some steam when we get to PC, but I personally love BORW, SG, Cavern & 46 days, so I thoroughly enjoyed hearing these out of the only 2 nights I went. SG had incredible energy with the crowd and Page ripped that song a new one. Not a fan of Bug so I'll skip talking about that. Cavern was fun and funky as always and 46 days was just a fantastic way to end the set.

The encore... IMO the best of the run. Great to get 3 songs, and 3 great ones at that.

My apologies for the mini review, but I just don't see how you can rate this show just a 3 and shame on you if you rated it lower than that. Also, don't hate on me, but I like this show better than 12/28 (musically, can't speak for being there). This deserves 4 at the very least.

Suzy's are normally just Suzy's but Page kicked that Suzy's ass. I could care less what set and when a song is played.

I think my biggest beef with the reviews of this show (not on here) is when words/phrases like "uninspired", "lacking improvisation", "non exploratory" are used. Many fans keep complaining that theyre not playing multiple, extended type 2 jams. No one is forcing them to go to these shows, and yet, they feel this band owes it to them to improvise as much as they did in the 90s. They appear to be a slightly different band now, and they seem VERY happy about where they are and what they are doing on stage. To me, this is more important, and I never feel this band owes anything to me.

While I cannot afford to do multiple night runs of shows and critique each based off the others in the run, I had an amazing time on 12/29. Got my first Mound (my favorite song) and thoroughly enjoyed Rock and Roll, Golden Age, 46 Days, Suzy, among many others.

Ehh I dunno. I've listened to this a couple of times now and I think 3.6 is honestly a little high. Solid 3 star show imo

@Sprachtor said:

Worst show I probably have ever attended. 3.6 is too high.

Oh come on spractie, we both saw Homdel 5/31 (and pepsi 99). This show was better played than either of those....

Note:
The new script font on my name make it look like listenAmyHorn. Now I can't see it as anything else.

Show sucked.

@listen4myHorn said:

I also feel people jumped the gun in reviewing this show as "less than." I almost get the sense that a lot of people were afraid that this run was going to be similar to the 2011 and wanted to be first in line to say they "noticed it first".

If this show was in the 2011 run, most would make it the pick of the litter.

not sure about the whole "pick of the litter" comment. 12/28 and 12/29 of 2011 were both better shows than 12/29/12

but as far as jumping the gun in the ratings? sure, thats possible. people normally jump the gun on the sub-par shows as well as the great shows. and there could definitely be a little bit of "piling on" going on with these ratings.

@Slothberries said:

@listen4myHorn said:

I also feel people jumped the gun in reviewing this show as "less than." I almost get the sense that a lot of people were afraid that this run was going to be similar to the 2011 and wanted to be first in line to say they "noticed it first".

If this show was in the 2011 run, most would make it the pick of the litter.

not sure about the whole "pick of the litter" comment. 12/28 and 12/29 of 2011 were both better shows than 12/29/12

but as far as jumping the gun in the ratings? sure, thats possible. people normally jump the gun on the sub-par shows as well as the great shows. and there could definitely be a little bit of "piling on" going on with these ratings.

You have a good argument for 12/28 but I would take this years 12/29 easily. Then again we are debating "middle quality shows". It would be pretty funny to listen to both shows to compare which one is the better average candidate.

@AllForYourDelight said:

@Slothberries said:

@AllForYourDelight said:

People are just pissed that Waves didn't become type II and go into Bethel Waves territory.

I think you are 100% correct here. but thats not the ONLY reason why people dont praise 12/29 as much as the other nights. The other shows are just better, imo and apparently in .nets opinion as well.

I agree with that, but at the same time I think people have too high of expectations. If you (not you specifically) walked out of the building pissed because no jams went type II and thought it was a poor effort by the band then you need to rethink spending 100s of $$$ on Phish.

again, i agree 100% with what you are saying. Expectations are the enemy. All they do is get in the way of you having the most fun that you possibly can.

I dont "expect" phish to jam anything out anymore. do i want to see it? sure. but i dont expect it. big difference. I go into every show with a closed mind and an open soul. Because of that...im having just as much fun as i had 18 years ago.

Now that doesnt mean that i dont feel slightly "deflated" when a jam stops before it gets started. I mean, sometimes they amp you up by settling into a nice jam...only to pull the plug. Being let down by that is not the same thing as having lofty expectations.

@Slothberries said:

@listen4myHorn said:

@Slothberries said:

@AllForYourDelight said:

People are just pissed that Waves didn't become type II and go into Bethel Waves territory.

I think you are 100% correct here. but thats not the ONLY reason why people dont praise 12/29 as much as the other nights. The other shows are just better, imo and apparently in .nets opinion as well.

You are making an important and good distinction. It isn't as good as the other nights (in hindsight) but the immediate reviews before the rest of the shows were played colored it as a "bad" or "off" show. As a stand alone show, I don't think it is getting a fair shake.

point well taken.

best friends.

@listen4myHorn said: "@Slothberries said: "@listen4myHorn said: "@Slothberries said: "@AllForYourDelight said: "People are just pissed that Waves didn't become type II and go into Bethel Waves territory."

I think you are 100% correct here. but thats not the ONLY reason why people dont praise 12/29 as much as the other nights. The other shows are just better, imo and apparently in .nets opinion as well."

You are making an important and good distinction. It isn't as good as the other nights (in hindsight) but the immediate reviews before the rest of the shows were played colored it as a "bad" or "off" show. As a stand alone show, I don't think it is getting a fair shake."point well taken."

best friends."

@Abrahm said:

@allforyourdelight, I have to (respectfully) disagree that people being disapointed with the lack of jamming need to rethink seeing shows. I see and love this band for the improvisation. I know what phish's songs sound like, ya know?

I agree, and that's pretty much the same reason I've been obsessed with Phish for 15 years. But, at some point, during 3.0 I realized that we cannot force/beg/plead this band to constantly improvise. They have mostly always done things on their terms. They seem very happy on stage and with the direction they are going.

Average show.nothing more nothing less.That Bag had some serious energy though

A lot of it has to do with your state of mind, the people around you, where you are located inside the building, etc.

On 12/29 i sat in section 211 (middle of the arena) with @theemu and @ivy_light. Our seats were in the first row...i was leaning/dancing on the glass in front of me all night....nobody in front of me. All i could see in front of me were Phish and 20,000 people.

So the seats were amazing, the company was great (ivy's energy is contagious) and the people around us were respectful, energetic and having a great time. All of that led to me having a TREMENDOUS time....especially during set 1. I got down hard and had one of the best times that Ive had in 3.0 (during set 1)

So in hindsight, it wasnt a super great Phish show by anyones standards...but the level of fun that I had, thanks in part to my environment, made the show worth every penny.

@Slothberries said:

A lot of it has to do with your state of mind, the people around you, where you are located inside the building, etc.

On 12/29 i sat in section 211 (middle of the arena) with @theemu and @ivy_light. Our seats were in the first row...i was leaning/dancing on the glass in front of me all night....nobody in front of me. All i could see in front of me were Phish and 20,000 people.

So the seats were amazing, the company was great (ivy's energy is contagious) and the people around us were respectful, energetic and having a great time. All of that led to me having a TREMENDOUS time....especially during set 1. I got down hard and had one of the best times that Ive had in 3.0 (during set 1)

So in hindsight, it wasnt a super great Phish show by anyones standards...but the level of fun that I had, thanks in part to my environment, made the show worth every penny.

Well said. I can also speak for the small population of people who may have not seen Phish in sometime (me, 2.5 years). Even though I have been well versed with the 2011 & 2012 tours, it was great to finally see the band I just have so much admiration for again. I was in the 400s directly center and had a BLAST (even though I'd be blown away 100x over in GA east the next night), 12/29 was somewhat of a reunion for me, and it served me well.

If we are rating on a 5-star curve, then 2.5-stars would be average. This was, at best, an average PHISH show. I'm not saying it was an average concert, because a sh*tty Phish show beats most other bands on their best night. But if you rate this show highter than a 3.6 then the scale doesn't go high enough for nights like 12/28 or 12/30. If you objectively listen to either the Tweezer from night 1 or the Disease> 20 Years> Carini from 12/30...there's just nothing on 12/29 that comes close to either of those.

I thought 12/29 had way too much of the same sound all show -- Trey went to the same interchangeable build and release jam almost every tune. I love it...but I want patience getting there.

Very surprised at some on hear saying 12/29 was as good as 12/28. The variety of playing in 12/28 was far superior, never mind two unique jams... in Wolfman's Drummer and Tweezer, and a Twist that was as good as anything played on 12/29.

I couch tour'd the whole run from my living room and had a blast at every show. Beers were cheap and no lines for the bathrooms...drinking games with the crew for set break...

I've also re-listened to the shows this week at work and can say that they were all very good musically. MUCH better than last year.

Thanks again Phish!

3.6 is not a bad rating. And IMO what it deserves.

Was good on TV but would have been disapointed to have been there.

3.6 seems high. I'd give it a 2.

Certainly the weakest of the run, with that said the energy was through the freekin roof (I'm sure many of you are sick of hearing that by now)

I love 12/29. No time to read thread now, but I will.

I loved the show.

12/29 was no classic show. But I was there and thought it was a great show.

@Sprachtor said:

Worst show I ever saw. Fact.

you have no credibility Tebow lover. I mean how could anyone ever take your opinion serious again? Even if it was the BEST show you thought you ever saw you'd probably have a fund drive to change it to another show at some point in the future. Hahahaha