I'm not in the business of calling "best ever jams." Unless you make the argument that the "best ever jam" is the one happening now, I can go along with that. I see shows as shapes, colors, temperature. There are lots of different ways Phish can find the tube, bring IT, however you want to describe it.

Over the years their sounds of choice, their tone, the conversation has evolved, but I dont see it as better or worse than before, I see it as whether they are dipping into the ether or coasting, and if they are out in front of the wave instead dragging behind it nostalgically, how long do they stay out in front of it is how I measure a show over another. That is why a great show from any era for me goes to the same place, and it does so the whole night.

Last night the band made choices that kept the temperature turned up and the colors white hot. From ASIHTOS they set this tone and carried it through both sets, a feat you cant count on anymore. I am not going pick and choose a couple songs from the first set or skip it all entirely when I load the SBD on my phone, it's all in there. And the choices they made second set continued with pure heat.

Yes, we got our late second set ballad to turn us back to earth from our journey to the sun, and sure, I'll admit, I was one of those guys shouting You Enjoy Myself during the encore break. Character Zero has become the pariah of 3.0 and I winced when they busted it out. but I got my dance moves back and jumped onto the back of the wave with the rest to party out the night. So it goes. Hot show. See you all in the fall.