I realize a lot of folks are finding the ratings of the recent shows tough to swallow, but here's the history. I apologize if you know it already, but several of the Comments to the capsule reviews of the Bethel shows have surprised me.

A long time ago on Rec.Music.Phish, a fan Scott Jordan proposed a show-rating-scale whereby a 5/10 rating would be a typically great, average-great, Phish show. Phish shows are basically always fun and "life changing" shows, after all, as @Peacey has noted above. But for obsessive fans who try to listen to every note Phish plays (or has played), the Scott Jordan Concert Review Poll Scale (aka SJCRPS) became an easy way to communicate -- to other knowledgeable fans -- what one's opinion of a particular show boiled down to.

A 3/10 Phish show isn't a bad Phish show. Let me repeat that. A 3/10 show IS NOT A BAD PHISH SHOW. Phish shows tend not to be "bad" of course. Such a show is just squarely below average, MUSICALLY SPEAKING, as far as those who listen to a lot of Phish are concerned. You don't have to agree, and indeed, I hope and encourage you to disagree in a thoughtful way, explaining why you think a particular show is closer to "average-great" (5/10) for example. But as @Lumpblockclod has noted, if 5/10 is average, you figure there should be a lot of 2's and 3's for every 8, 9, 10. And that's the thinking behind this rating scale.

Fwiw, I can't think of a single Phish show I'd give a "1" rating to, but I can think of a couple 10's. (Anyone who questions the majesty of Big Cypress is an asshat, btw. A royal f'ing asshat. It's a spectacular event in the history of rock music, not just Phish.) But there are a lot of shows that are still "fun" and "well-played" Phish shows that nevertheless have no top versions of tunes, and those are shows that deserve ratings in the 2-4 range, imo. I mean if you can't recommend that someone hear any version of any particular song from a show, that's not an "average-great" Phish show. Phish *routinely* plays a show with at least one stunning, "top" version of SOMETHING. They are an AMAZING BAND in this sense.

Also, IMO people who attend Phish shows tend to OVERRATE the music of those shows, not underrate it. Every Phish show has great lights and is enjoyable to attend, even if someone knocks a full $8 beer right out of your hand, or burns a hole through one of your favorite lot tshirts with their f'ing cig. It's the MUSIC that translates to "tape." Yes, there's an awesome authenticity to being at a show and basing your opinion about it on everything you experience at it. Of course. Duh. No question that that's critical and important. Period. But the non-musical elements of Phish shows tend to be remarkably similar show-to-show, whereas this isn't necessarily the case (and fortunately so) with respect to the improvisation in Phish's songs that improvise.

All this said is that you should take the ratings "worth a grain of salt" if you don't find them useful. But those of us who listen to EVERYTHING, and do so critically, will continue to find the SJCRPS useful and will continue to use it. My two cents.