So this one goes to prove that the tapes do not always represent the energy level of the show. First of all it should be known that weather like we got at Jones Beach affects everyone. The band,the crew,sound,lights and video all have a much harder time when there is a mini-hurricane going on. Humidity affects Guitars,pianos,drums and all their gear. So for Phish to put out a high quality show in these conditions make it extra impressive. For a lot of people the rain was an insurmountable problem. But for the majority of people there they dealt with it. Once you are soaked through to your underwear you just have to go with the flow.

CDT was a great opener for this sort of weather because it just gets you going. They didn't seem that tight but like I said there are a lot of challenges to playing in that weather. Cars Trucks and Buses seemed to really get the band in a nice spot though. The crowd ate it up and the band appreciated it as evidenced by Page's comments to the crowd. I personally love Ocelot and was happy to hear it. It kept everyone dancing and the energy level didn't dissipate. My Sweet One was another high energy tune that kept us warm. I was especially happy to hear it because I hadn't seen it since 12.14.95... that was like 50 shows ago! A Song I heard the Ocean Sing was hoped for but I didn't think it would be played. I was pleasantly surprised by it. Water in the Sky was obviously expected. I had never really liked this tune but under those conditions it was just perfect. It really made me happy when in the past I used to just wait for it to be over... I personally love the Sloth. Yes there were some flubs but the song is kind of a punk rock tune so I didn't really mind. I'm too busy dancing to really be a critic anyway. Beauty is a great Page tune. I just listened to 6.7.12 which was my last show and I was hoping they would play it. I had no idea it was so rarely played until I checked the gap chart for this show. I'm not too familiar with Sugar Shack but I enjoyed it even though Trey definitely fucked up. It's a nice uptempo dance song and really kept the energy up. Page was cheering us on and we were all happy to oblige him. 46 days was next and I had only heard it once before live. I really got into it and was happy the band was keeping up the pace we needed to help us forget about the weather. BDNTL is not my favorite song so I took the chance to go get a poncho and warm up for a second. It wasn't that long at all and before I knew it Reba had started. I remember a time when people were sick of Reba and it used to get kind of shit on. I'm glad those days are over because it's one of their classics. Great version and I was happy to hear the whistling. I prefer it that way so i was pumped. Bowie was fantastic. The best version I've seen in 3.0. Trey had some interesting lines and the rest of the band was in the pocket. Great set closer.

Set break consisted of huddling together for warmth and avoiding the rain in anyway possible. Rock and Roll isn't my favorite song but they immediately took it out for a ride and this is by far my favorite that I've seen. I am usually not too critical of jamming because it's a hit or miss prospect. When it's great it's great and when it's terrible it's terrible. I feel like there really is no middle ground. Tonight I thought the jamming was great. RNR quickly went into jamming territory and it was upbeat and well executed. The band was in sync which is what leads to greatness. The segues were especially tight. 2001 seemed to belong right at the end of RNR not forced at all. I thought this was a great 2001 they hit all the right notes and got me very excited for the >. I think the stronger they feel about the 2001 the better the tune they >with. Tweezer is one of the best songs they can drop in this spot. The energy just gets turned up a notch and people are very happy. This Tweezer was fantastic. The lyrics were totally in sync with the attitude of the crowd. Everyone was taking off their ponchos and feeling the absence of rain. I've only seen one version in 3.0 but honestly I like this style of Tweezer better than the long drawn out ones from the 90's. I was at Mud Island and also saw the Fleezer and I really didn't like them. It was versions like that that made me lose interest in the band for awhile. So this Tweezer was fantastic. Keeping the main theme going for most of the jam but venturing out enough to qualify as a jam. The segue into Cities was SWEET. Up to snuff with any of the other great segues of any era. I loved it. A lot of people were pleased with the 2nd set placement of Cities. I was too. It just always seemed like it belonged there to me. I feel the same way about The Wedge. And the segue between both was very smooth and honestly almost sounded composed. The Wedge is a very powerful emotional song for me lyricallyand in the 2nd set the music moved me as well. Velveteen has always irked me but I didn't hate it at this show. Zero is a song that has grown on me over the years. When it first came out I heard it 6 shows in a row and it just burned me out on the tune. The first time I actually enjoyed it was 8.14.09...

THe encore is what kind of proves to me that you really have to be at a show to truly enjoy it. Sleeping Monkey is a tune that I haven't always loved but after this show we needed some comic relief and it was perfect. Trey flubbing the lyrics was fantastic. That would never translate on a recording but we were all in on the joke. I'm glad they started over because it would have been a train wreck if they kept going on. And of course Tweeprise. It was so late that I thought they might skip it so I was psyched they played it.

Overall a great show that reminded me that shows are more about the interaction between the band and the crowd than setlists and the longest jam contest...

PS People have been asking about a curfew and why they got to play so late. I am a sound engineer in the NYC area and I've worked at Jones Beach and Phish's other venues in the neighborhood many times. Jones Beach and SPAC have a much more chill union than MSG or PNC so they probably cut the band a break. The way it works in most houses is that the hands get a 4 hour minimum for a load out. Phish is probably an 8 hour loadout although it only probably takes 4 hours.