@Dog_Faced_Boy said:

Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, and I appreciate the author taking time out from a national holiday to offer his perspective. Three songs he didn't mention in his recap merit a comment or two. First, Scent of a Mule shows the band paying homage to its historically wacky and humor-filled side, with a marimba lumina solo and crazy bass action from Mike. No it's not the same as catching YEM, but it's real Phish nonetheless. And not too long ago, Mule was sent to a barn for retired animals, with versions typically featuring a brief Page solo, then moving on. Since around 2012, the band has brought some life back to this song, as well as to It's Ice which has also rediscovered its more rocking roots.

Possum, while a bit on the short side, is a solid version and boasts excellent playing by a Trey clearly out in front. I much prefer this type of Possum to the Page solo / Trey solo variety that have become so common of late.

I think the compact Hood is quite strong - it packs a lot of punch in a relatively short time frame. There are different types of Hood jams. Some languish and gradually work up to a simmer and boil. Others are more like putting the pot of water on the stove with the burner on high from the start - this one has energy and momentum from the get-go and builds to a nice peak, and like Possum, Trey's playing is strong.

Lastly, for all those folks complaining that they didn't get a Tweezer, Ghost or YEM at SPAC, I imagine if you replaced the first five minutes of Moma with the first five minutes of Ghost or Tweezer, that people's perspective on this show would be vastly more generous. Hard to believe it all boils down to which 5 minutes of composed music the band chose to play.

No it wasn't about 5 minutes. Your points are appreciated regarding the above-average Hood and the excellent Mule.

But it was not 5 minutes. It was the flaccidness of the entire run which culminated in the disappointment of 45 minutes of elevator music to close out the final frame.

And no Tweezer.