, attached to 2022-08-14

Review by Hippogator

Hippogator I've been thinking a lot about this show. About critics, about ratings, about setlists. What I've come to really realize is that ratings and criticisms covering any media really don't mean anything at all. It's so subjective and what one person consisers as quality, another considers as trash.

This show is Phish in spectacular fashion. It has epic peaking rock and roll insanity, some flubs, and a hilariously awesome second set gag with an included Hold your Head Up. I'm not sure what anyone is actually looking for with this band, but if this isn't it, you might want to look elsewhere for your musical fix.

Landlady through 46 days is typical awesome Phish. This Landlady in particular is slow, but also relatively flawless. Go back and listen to one from last Alpine...it is ROUGH. To be honest, the 1st set trouble started at the flub into Stealing Time and it was pretty off putting. Similar to the Stash at the Mann. Following up with Shack and Shade was not my favorite calls(however beautiful Shade is) ,but this is not my band and I don't call the shots. I love halfway to the moon though and this where, in my opinion, this show got right back on track.

The 2nd set....does it really need an explanation? This set is absolute perfection.
Energy is a fun rarity. The Jibboo was fucking incredible. Absolute rock and roll beast with peaks taboot, this is the Jibboo of the summer. Soul Planet gets so much hate for being a 60 second song with a ridiculous jam vehicle attached to it. Never understood why people don't like this song. If it came out that P-Funk actually wrote the song, it would be adored by everyone. (Likewise if Phish had written Strawberry Letter, people would hate it as much as they hate Soul Planet). Rift, a really tough song that I am so happy they still play. Really special song to me. Is this a stand out version? In it's own way.

Reba was emotional and just a masterful expression of guitar work from Trey and playing in general by everyone. Is the composed part perfect? No. Is it ever REALLY perfect? No. Is Reba the perfect song? Yes. Yes, even in the 90's it was rarely flawless except for that one show you play all the time to prove they "used to play it perfectly".

Then the best part of the show happens and it is magnificent and silly and just pure nostalgia. Martian Monster and onward is a rare look into 90's Phish but in 2022. This is why I love this band. Again, if this doesn't get you off then you are probably missing a lot more of why this band is so dearly loved.

The Possum > Slave that followed is just plain awesome. Savage and beautiful. Beast and the Beauty.

Encore speaks for itself. Again, if there's one thing I've realized about criticism (.Net in particular)...it doesn't mean much. Some of my favorite movies are rated poorly. Are they objectively bad? Absolutely not. Are they Subjectively bad? Yes, literally everything is subjectively bad (or good).

Look, if you want to see a bunch of old men play the same songs the same way for 30 years without changing anything....go see the Red Hot Chilli Peppers or something. They will fill that whatever desire of needing everything to be perfect in order for it to be enjoyable. If you want high risk, high reward....keep on Phishin'. (Also there is a reason it's called "phishing" and not "catching".


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