"Part of the excitement about so many songs is the promise that they will go on to do something new and interesting; when they are not given a chance to do so (rather than merely trying and failing), it is a betrayal of that promise and weakens the impact of the song the next time around."

Aye, there's the rub. What are the listener's expectations? Do they want to hear something new, or are they happy to accept whatever Phish is performing in the moment? To what extent does the listener allow his/her prior experiences dictate their present experience?

Each of us must decide for ourselves, but I *try* to incorporate both points of view when I check out a show. It ain't easy, but I'm not giving up.

JDG, thanks for the recap, and for sparking the discussion.