Ok, I should probably know better than continue to engage but I’m legitimately curious about how much of a nerve the critical side of my review seems to have struck, and in the spirit of open constructive discourse want to unpack some of the more curious comments above and say a couple more things..

@mountain wrote:
" It was popular at the show, why be negative about something that the crowd loved?"
Let’s overlook for a second that it’s pretty impossible to assume that ‘the crowd’ loved it, as if the crowd is a homogenous entity with singular taste (and the fact that I heard plenty of groans around me post show) ... I kind of rolled my eyes about it because, um, that’s how I felt about it ...? Also I really don’t want to understate how little I really thought about it either way compared to the actual music, but you folks sure seem keen on defending it!

@shefwed
" "The show had suddenly taken a powerful emotional turn, at least for me"

I think only for you dude"

Ok wait, so one part of the show that I really did appreciate, I was the only one in the room to do so? So not only did I totally overlook how tight Trey was, but I was totally wrong about how emotionally impactful he was at another point in the night? Man, what is wrong with me?

"Just don't come reviewing here again as anything close to definitive
"

You’re right, I should totally take out the part at the beginning of my review where I declare that it’s the definitive take on the night. My bad. Wait...

@experiencechuck said: " you shouldn’t think it’s WRONG of folks in the comments to state their disagreements with you."

Did I ... say it was...?

"I mean, the THX gag had me holding my side, texting my brother at setbreak, grinning ear to ear. The fact that you found it cumbersome shows that we get off in very different ways at shows. And that’s fine. And it’s fine for me to come here and mention that fact."

yup!

@goodtimesbadtimes
" This review isn't even close."

Close... to what? Your experience? God’s?

All your experiences are valid, people. Whether you’ve been seeing and listening to the band for 25 years, or 2. Whether you get off on the gags or the bliss jams, the bust outs or the ballads. Phish is wonderful because if you’re lucky enough to have found your way in, there’s a thousand different things to appreciate, and a thousand layers deep for each of those things. What I’ve grown to appreciate more over the years is just the story itself, win lose or draw. It’s all a win for me. I said to @icculus before the show that for me we’ve been in bonus territory since 2009, and I mean that. And I meant what I said about how grateful I am for the band and the moments that do still get me to drive 6 hours in December and leave my kids and take time off work. But that also means that part of the richness for me is seeing all the variety, the ups and downs, and really tuning into why I loved a moment so much, or why I didn’t. So I thought the Golgi was butchered beyond recognition based on my history and experience, so what? If that’s really bothering you so much, maybe ask yourself why it matters what this guy thinks? If you genuinely think I’m reading it wrong, or missing something crucial, great! Tell me why. Unpack your own experience and paint the picture. That’s the only way things will get richer. Once you start invalidating someone else’s though, that’s when you miss the forest for the trees. Actually it’s more like that’s when you end up without a forest altogether. And we need more of them right now.

Peace.