First, I'd like to say that I have not appreciated any recent audience tapes to circulate, except for the Utica show (released on DVD), which actually sounded fantastic.

Question: Did the reviewer rate the music based on the setlist or the performance? Did the reviewer notice the way that Trey is using the final note of one song to introduce the next: check Chalkdust-> Tweezer! The the reviewer listen to the sbd on a high end system and really get a sense about the music that went down?

Maybe not best ever versions of any song in particular, but the quality of performance and consistency is clearly best-ever.

No, it is not the funk of '97, the colorful dancing sound of '98, the dialated rage of '99, the trace grooves of 2000, the endless jams and swirling cocophanies of sound of 2003-4.... no. This is not Phish of the past.

This is Phish with new-found confidence, owning that which they do best, and putting on a great show that also keeps in with the times.

Once again, although the jams are not long on saturday night's Gorge show, there is nothing lacking. Hell, many shows of 2011 feel like long jams that contain several songs, and the band is connecting songs better than they have in years.

The Possum has some of Trey's best soloing in years, Moma Dance is silky and smooth, and Trey takes his time through the structure of the song, giving extra without becoming overindulgent.

Sample in a Jar soars like none I've heard. Trey no longer plays his solo verbatim every time. He gives us chorus after chorus of original, soaring rock and roll, perfectly united with the band. Mind you, the music is not just Trey anymore. Fishman is a beast on this show, as is Mike Gordon. Page is also much more tuned in than most of the first set of night 1.

Limb by Limb is peak after peak after peak. Try and follow Trey as he takes his solo to the Washington state skies. Ocelot gives us a flavor of the whale calls without overdoing it. It is a worthy version for sure, but it also seems to blend in with the flavors of the night.

Poor Heart forgoes the usual Fishman rants, and they give us the am radio version, really locking into a groove, with the whole band taking it up for the final chorus of the solo before the closing verses. Trey nails his parts while sacrificing none of the energy.

On Your Way Down is quite nice as well. I feel that Page gives a little extra, and Trey is really in a zone this show. His lines are actually very lyrical and complex; he seems to be drawing from a greatly expanded vocabulary as of late. One thing I have noticed with some great jazz musicians is that the bigger the flurry of notes, the less I notice of it until I learn how to hear it. Perhaps many fans are not sure how to approach Trey's artistic development. There is a lot more going on now, and each moment contains far greater riches than were once offered in an entire show.

At this point, the music captures the move from light into dark very gradually, as the sun sets on the venue, and perhaps upon the economy (is that not a major fear of many right now?). Wolfman's Brother brings the promise of funk, along with dancing grooves, and the aforementioned "heartbreaker" reference. Flowing freely, they drop into a great Maze, and although it is not a best-ever performance, they don't spare any details.

The Wilson that follows lacks the very cool descending jam of Superball IX, but it is given a full-throttle treatment that leads into another perfectly nailed Fluffhead. One thing I have noticed as of late is that Trey is not making mistakes on this tune, and he has traversed the place where the technical exercises of the orchestrations really sound like good fucking music to my ears. I particularly like Trey's variations on the 'Bundle of Joy' sequence in this version, where he adds some riffs that sound brand new and perfect.

The band is clearly breathing new life into old material, with a lighter, more focused sound. Trey plays more like he's speaking, and he embellishes old riffs with a plethora of notes, leaving only implications of the original form of which he references.

Set 2:

Chalkdust Torture. Out of place, perhaps, but there is a little of that James Brown funk chord between phrases on the verses, allowing the song to breathe in its initial stages. Treys solos are masterful, not simply peaking the old cliches, but embellishing the hell out of them as to deem them new and unfamiliar. The final note of Chakdust is the first note of Tweezer, creating a great exclamation point right there!

Tweezer has some of its best moments in the spaces between the verses. I'm not a big fan of the strut-strut-strut-strut strum that Trey has thrown in as of late during the theme, but he gets away from that after a bit, and some of the song's best moments actually hit between the verses before the jam.

The jam itself is flowing, unforced, and it seemed to me that Trey allows the other guys to carry the groove a bit more. The transition into Caspian is very natural and it works for me, as does the early departure into Sand.

Sand is probably my favorite jam of the night. This is the kind of music I was hoping Phish would eventually create when I became aware of them in 1993. Jon, Mike, Page and Trey play with complete ease and freedom, conversing naturally while protecting a most rare type of groove that is absolutely difficult to encounter. I don't have words to express what sets this Sand apart, except to say that this is my kind of music, the shit I search for that keeps me coming back. The return into Tweezer is textbook Phish, and the transition into Birds is just as natural.

Trey wastes no time getting to the verses, and the song is competently played.

I got a little sleepy during Golden Age and had to go back. Reba wasn't the peakiest version ever, and Mike flubbed the coda. Nonetheless, the musicianship remained stellar and I have noticed that this is the kind of music I hear something new and different in with every review.

Antelope is spectacular. I say this after listening to it three times, and finally hearing it on that third time. Trey plays more like a jazz musician here, but also takes the solo to its expected peaks. Mike's double-time solo during the Esquandolis part is very impressive, and Trey is less obnoxious here than the performance at Blossom Music Center June 4.

The encore is given that extra little bit as well, and the band clearly goes well past the 11:30 closing time, playing an extra 17 minutes. If there happens to be a curfew at the venue, then that would be money out of Phish's pockets from the band to the fans. A clear testament to the enjoyment factor that the musicians reveal in their performance on this night.

I have recently noticed that playing the sbd on a high end stereo really enhances my listening experience. Further, I think it is important to attempt to perceive all the changes this band has gone through over the years that have lead them to become what they are right now.

They are not the Grateful Dead. They are not Phish of old. This is a more mature sound, a more awake sound, and a more light and joyful sound. Further, It is not Fishman and Trey challenging each other to mighty heights. Mike Gordon's tone is fat and full, and rich with character. Page's keyboard technique reveals a matured freedom of his limitations of old. Trey is playing on a whole new level, painting castles in the air with intricate, musical lines that would make John Coltrane proud.

Listen again. This is a whole new Phish. In my opinion, this is a peak!