"Old phan. Just like back when your referring to (even though in your memory you think every performance was the best) songs like slave have varied in tempo, cadences, signature riffs and even what key the song is played in based on the mood of the band, the particular night and many other random things. This band has never been as uniform as you seem to be implying. Mellow? There have always been shows that were more energetic or conversely more mellow than others. Your just a diff person now with a diff discerning approach to your interaction with the band. Really most things have not changed as much as people think. It's usually the people who have changed. It's like going back to something you though was big when you were a kid and now that your grown it seems so much smaller.. Other than the things that have always changed from day one like: the ever evolving jam style that seems to be the only reasons the band members aren't bored with themselves yet....and thank god cuz all you negatoids out there catch this scenario: so let's assume for a min the band had any inclination to take ( and it would be) giant steps backwards in terms of their technical progression and go back to the days of their 93' style (when there were amazing amazing shows with lots of magic and trey led the sound almost exclusively and yet for every magic moment ther was an awkward one cuz trey played so fast and frenetic not evryone could always keep up and also because they hadn't become the longform jam masters they are today)as so many jaded vets say they would love. I guarentee you once they had been back there for awhile and if they listened to you people and stayed like that they'd just quit. This band will continue ONLY as long as their having fun and that only happens whey they are stimulated musically by a continuous evoution to their sound-love it or hate it don't care...that's the facts about why this band keeps playing at this point. I love how they sound now just like I did in 98' when I started, so I'm on board. But to OLD PHAN what you think is mellow is really called jamming "laterally" instead of in a "vertical" manner. Most generic jambands(including phish early on and even the dead to a certain extant early)jam in an almost exclusively vertical way(or in some cases like groove based jambands such as sound tribe almost exclusively lateral). Meaning most of the "jamming" comes in the form of volume swells, slow builds into cresecendos, (ie a Harry hood bliss style jam) and rising tension and releases. Jamming laterally is more about grooves and textures(ie crosseyed and painless or Tube). There are generic jambands that do one or the other really well. Phish has always incorporated both better than anyone other than the dead. but it was drastically skewed towards the vertical kind until the big changes they started to make in 1996 influenced by their dive into the Talking heads and also on a sidebar by the bands interest in Brian eno and robert fripp. This had led to a purposeful evolution integrating much more lateral style jamming than ever before with a focus on musical space and constantly changing musical textures and tension and release that doesn't just involve volume swells. I mean don't get me wrong , phish does the slow build better than ANYONE. And I'm a huge sucker for it everytime. There is nothing like that quiet moment like at the beginning of the scents and subtle sounds jam portion or after the chorus in Hood , or the quiet moment in Bowie after the chorus...it's like the ocean withdrawing from the beach before a typhoon! But I'm saying that their new style isn't any less valuable. In fact ask a musician what's harder and most will say fast and frenetic is way easier than in control but still managing to play meaningful and interesting stuff. Someday all of this will be documented fact about the greatness of this band. Unfortunetely while history is being made there are often many who don't see it at that moment. Just like in art with artists work not being worth anything till they are dead. But enjoy it while it lasts cuz it will be gone someday. Oh yea and final note. Anyone obsessed with energy like old phan who's looking for a classic classic show sound go check out the little talked about Blossom show from Cuyahoga Falls in 2011. It will knock your sox off.....if your open to it. "

"Before someone tells me I don't know what I'm talking about it was typo that I didn't say guitarists regarding moe. Yea, I am aware they have two. And the both of them if they could add all their talent up together and throw in Eric Clapton and jimmy page on top with a dash of Santana and you might, just might begin to have a guitarist resembling the talent that is BIG RED. You still wouldn't come close but it might begin to resemble. "

"Wait up old phan? Moe and umphs? First off...barely any cheaper if at all! Secondly hate to tell you but yes during a winter tour they might play smaller venues but in summer they play the same summer outdoor sheds as phish so not getting your analogy there either. And third listening to a moe jam is the most agonizing thing for someone who is a phish phan and knows what it's all about. Moe is about as generic a jamband as it gets. Their guitarist shred practice scales bs their bassist has a terrible voice and doesn't so anything interesting on bass. They really don't even deserve this much discussion. Umphreys I like more than Moe but still just a straight up generic jamband. Very little changes to the what they do. Very little evoution as bands. I mean neither of those bands is anywhere near where phish is. And what is wrong with mellow occasionally? Plus I just think it's a completely farcical myth that there isn't energy at these shows, complete bullshit really. But just question to you is why would you want to drink wine out of a box when you can sip champagne from a flutes glass? Or why would smoke schwag when you have some heady sour diesel available? That's about the measure of the difference between these bands your mentioning. On the jamband scene no one comes close to phish or the dead-related stuff. But out of them all id rather are string cheese or widespread than moe or umphreys...but again that's like arguing what my favorite General Mills cereal is while I'm eating a gourmet meal. Phish=gourmet...others=generic store brand ...nuf said. "

"Anonymous's post=worst attempt at snarky witticism ever!"

"best fucking 3 nights each night was soooo epic phuck yeah phish!!!!"