I hoped that blurb in this review, which is another really strong one in a string of good ones, i'd like to add, would encourage this discussion regarding the Fall Tour. I'm not ready for all out declaration, but like @lumpblockclod i too recognize a certain stellar quality about the 2nd sets of this tour. Boundary challenging is a phrase i am somewhat comfortable with off the top of my head.

Furthermore, the 1st sets of this tour have been exciting, in a way that i won't say is old school but it is how sets from the mid 90s felt to me, in the sense of solid execution, playful selection, and well-defined exploration. I loved Summer 2012 @nichobert, i feel you 100%, but i am not ready to fully discount Fall in that gambit, even while grasping the notion you are espousing, regarding a certain accurate playfulness of last year and this year's return to a tighter funk throwdown in certain corners of the setlist.

But one thing to point out fortrightly: Fall has brought the darkness back fully in a few jams, i mean that lightly, in a good way. But, thanks to melodic focus, this Fall has seen an abundance of definite jams the likes of which are unique in the canon, any way you slice it. It is a unique moment. 2012 was so dope, but this tour has emboldened something, dare i say, new in the arsenal, and it has nothing to do with Wingsuit, a certain Quality of the experience that is so living aliveness. It's likely just the heat of the moment, but this Fall lit up a fire between my ears.

I can admit to one thing with certainty right now, i will be listening to a lot of this music A LOT in the coming weeks, and i am excited for it. What a great tour, and it's wonderful as a listener and obsessive follower to have this opportunity for gleefulness, regardless of what's better or best. It's all so good, and we're in the middle of it, as spectators perhaps but in a way too as participants it feels like.

Phish-The Right Way, the 2013 slogan, holds so true. The costume was well placed, even if the songs felt somewhat underwhelming (It's a Phish album for crying out loud). It's been a full power year. Thanks phish.net for enabling!