I saw 8 shows this Summer, starting in Wrigley then SPAC, Syracuse and the Gorge, but have listened to everything intensely and hear are my thoughts on the Summer in general...

I think the band is playing fantastic. Considering that they had written new songs and are basically playing everything from their catalogue it is amazing that they can play so many tunes so well and remember all the words!

Having said that, I agree with many posters here (and notably Mr. Minor's somewhat scathing critique) that there weren't enough jams in the main summer tour and too many ballads, especially in the second set.

So be it. That's what Trey was into and they (he) needed to get that out of his system which he apparently has considering the band didn't play a single ballad in any of the five second sets starting with Lockn'.

I remember back in the nineties the Grateful Dead would do the same thing, play all the new less known and inspiring songs whether we the audience cared for it or not. Think: Corrina, Days Between, Lazy River Road, I Fought the Law, etc.

That's part of the creative process for any band.

However, the Summer tour that I witnessed or heard on tape had some seriously great sets. Wrigley night two is a monster with the Carini-Tweezer-Fluffhead-Piper-Steam I'd say the first 40 minutes holds up against any 40 minutes of 3.0

Spac1 was also fantastic the Carini-Chalkdust is otheworldly...

And of course, Night 1 of the Gorge and second night San Fran.

The second San Fran show basically had this poster's dream second set that was played to perfection and I would rate it as the best set of 2016. The second set of Gorge 1 is also primetime listening.

While the Phish community is currently still high from the closing set on Sunday at Dick's (and for good reason) consider that at the Gorge the Band took the Crosseyed theme ALONG with No Man's and What's the Use and wove all three songs throughout the set back and forth. An incredible performance which then followed with a big three song encore. I am curious to know from people who were at both which set they got more from....of course, they are both stellar and must listening.

Overall, though 2016 may not have had to punch to it that the magnificent 2015 had the band is still firing on all cylinders and sounds both tight and loose and together. They are mixing around song placements and keeping the lists fresh and I very much look forward to the rest of 2016 and beyond.

Yogi out.