@cglushko said:

2) I have nothing against Bug. I've even grown to not hate Caspian as much as I did in the 90s. But this list is about ranking. Therefore, comparisons have to be made. The Bug and Caspian don't make shows like Deer Creek1 a bad show. But what makes a set better -- a late set Bug and Caspian or a late set Ghost or Sally? There's nothing wrong with a ballad, but when other factors are even, typically the set that keeps up the heat is going to get the nod.

This is where my mileage varies from many pholks. A set that "keeps up the heat" often feels flat to me, no matter how raging it might be. Dynamic changes in mood & tempo make it a much richer experience IMO. Whether those changes come in the form of a 30-minute jam on one song, or 5 songs spanning the same half hour, is merely academic if they pull it off effectively.