^ I’ve noticed a significant difference between '10 and '09. Comparing this holiday run to summer '09 definitely shows that the band is really progresseing, I think.
But I reeeeeallly think they need to retire a couple songs, for a little while anyway (ahemm possum).
From my point of view the band played much better in 10 than they did 09. I only saw 2 shows in 09 and saw 4 this past year but something was missing in '09. They just felt like they not only were playing better, but seemed to be enjoying it a lot more in '10. This could be simply because they had a year of “practice”, but thats how it felt.
I think 3.0 Phish is more of a “we are going to play the songs we enjoy, but we are going to play them tight” than early phish where a type 2 jam could insue for an hour. Bands seem to evolve and it happens to them all. I think right now they enjoy the way their sets are set up and don’t really want to dive too deep into some jams, because remember at the end of 1.0 the type 2’s were going nowhere and I don’t think they want that to happen again. This is def. just my guess so who knows 
09 = shit?
wtf?
we got some spoiled wookies up in here.
I never said they played like shit, i just said they’re gotten better and better with each tour
^No, Keith said it:
I very much agree. Great observations about evolution tour to tour. Although each individual band member was definitely firing on all cylinders at MSG, I thought Page was the mvp. But maybe that has to do more with your observation that he came into his own this run, and that over fall I wasn’t used to his confident keyboard attacks. There’s a list of songs from this run where I was very impressed by his playing.
I don’t think '09 was all shit but it was rougher than '10. 2010 was a whole different beast, IMO. Just a totally different feel right from the word go. They were super-tight right out of the gate in Chicago this summer.
09 summer was pretty weak, but that fall tour had some gems…I think you’ll agree with that
This right here! I have figured this out, after the past two years of going to any show that was close to me. This New York trip was a perfect example: I had wanted to see Phish at MSG ever since I got the NYE 95 CD in the Fall of 2004. And so I made it happen because it was a dream of mine. So I want to keep trying to do things like that: going to the special ones. Another example: the 4th of July show. I knew something special was going to happen, so I made it a point to go, despite the difficult tickets. I was rewarded with a Col. Forbins/Mockingbird AND a Harpua. Unreal. It’s true, pick and choose your shows wisely if you can.
Also, those of you saying that Phish is not evolving and changing… are you listening? I don’t mean to sound like a smartass (well, maybe a little), but give me a break. You cannot honestly say that 09 Phish sounded like 2010 Phish. I just don’t understand it. Unless the only thing you listen to is the jam structure, you HAVE to notice the difference. Mike’s tone is different, Trey cut out the whammy (whale) pedal, Page and Fish continue to improve. I think if you’re really saying they aren’t improving that you might be a bit bitter about missing it. Because most of us who have been going to shows have certainly noticed.
The biggest difference to me is Trey’s playing. Especially starting Fall 2010. Shredding meaningful, purposeful notes.
I felt in Hartford, June 2010 that they’d regressed because they were way tighter and stronger in Portland the previous fall. Trey lived on that whammy pedal early summer '10 and the jams were pretty boring compared to Fall tour. Maybe winter and spring rusted things up?
Phish has so many different things to offer, I guess it’s no surprise that we all react so differently to their changes.
Of course they were playing better this year but the vibe and emotion surrounding every show in '09 gave it a magic all its own.
Now that they’ve shaken off the rust and are past the tingles of simply having it all happen again, they seem to be comfortable enough to take a step back and focus on one show at a time and the actual playing itself, getting deeper and deeper into the music the more they reacquaint themselves with the overwhelming vibe of it all.
/miner-esque rant for the day.
^this…plus the patience.
Yeah…Trey absolutely was on fire this Holiday run. Except MSG PYITE 
^ I’ll have to go re-listen, but I’m not sure what you mean by that. I remember it being totally solid.
And Kenny Powers mentions Trey having patience now, and that is so true. A lot of the time now, when a jam starts or in the middle of a jam, Trey will lay back and be very quiet and let the other members (especially the Cactus oh mah gawd ) take center stage. A lot of the time, Mike or Page will come up with a great theme, and then Trey will come back in and build on that theme and create a really nice jam. The jams when Trey takes center stage and shreds and screams, he is almost always nailing every note.
If you think about it, his overall playing right now is, in my opinion, as good as it has ever been. He just seems a bit more hesitant. The skill is there, he just needs to get totally comfortable again. That break up period was really really rough, so it’s understandable that he would need some time to get fully comfortable again. I think he is very close now though, after what I saw at MSG.
Also, one thing that is worth mentioning is the fact that every time they come back and play shows after time off, there will be rust. Especially at the beginning of Summer Tour, but really anytime they’ve had a break; hell there was a bit of rust they had to shake off at the Worcester shows. They usually do it within a few songs though.
PHish sucks, enjoy yer 6 minute #line’s and ShowOfLyphe
^love it!
I agree with everything Kevin has been saying the past few pages. I too believe Phish relied so heavily on the jams in 2.0 because they lost their chops and couldn’t do much else.
I personally wouldn’t want a 4 song set every night, but by the same token, I don’t like the 20 count, 5 minutes-a-song set either. Something in the middle perhaps, or the 4 song set once or twice a tour. I think (hope) they are reaching for that happy medium.
Trey seems to want more structure these days which seems obvious in the pop/rock-esque songs he’s written the past few years, but he will venture out into the unknown on occasion. They are overplaying a few songs, but they are still throwing us curveballs and imo keeping things exciting.
Are they currently a band you should follow for a year, 2 years…I say no, but then again, I think people who tour with Phish now are holding onto an era that no longer exists. It mostly seems to be younger people who weren’t around during the “hey day” and those people need to get a grip. You missed it. Move on, lol.
^you are just as condescending and easy to dislike as ever.
LOL!
Age brings wisdom. Wisdom brings tolerance. Age=tolerance of the younger fans.
Completely disagree. I think it’s many of the vets who need to get a grip. You young’ns go get you as much of the band as your heart desires. It’s a beautiful thing. And don’t listen to anyone trying to tell you that what the band is doing isnt fucking special. Because it is.
Those that feel the need to keep younger folk in check with their Dec 95 war stories while cherry picking the best shows from 15 years of work to pit them against two years of work are completely missing the point.