@RubyWaves said:

Always had the not-that-popular opinion that 8/3 was the superior show to 8/2 - as for 8/2, I adore set 1, think set 3 is great but a little overrated, and set 2 doesn't do much of anything for me outside of Waves and that wacky NICU -> Brother segue. Whereas all 3 big jams of 8/3 are, in my opinion, top 10 jams of 2003 (with maybe 2 in the top 5), 8/3 set 2 is my favorite set of the festival, and I think the rest of sets 1 and 3 are very cool with a lot of songs I like (from CDT on, set 1 is pure gold). Is it as consistent as n1? Not really, but I think the big jams are just SO GOOD that it carries an insurmountable amount of weight.

Also shoutouts to the 8/2 encore - Dog Log > Mango Song is so funny but I love it

I’m with you that 8/3 II might be the set of the run — the Ghost is a Top 5 Phish jam for me. But the consistency of 8/2, which you mention, is just ridiculous. E.g., the Limb by Limb, which no one in this thread has mentioned but is very possibly the best version this century. Hard to argue with 8/2 as THE show, overall.

But they really deserve to be appreciated as a combo, with the hourlong jams as well.