My 1st show since September 2000, and what a stinker it was. I stayed away from the post-hiatus shows, due to quality/accuracy issues, but I was psyched for this show, and the opportunity to turn a buddy onto live Phish.

The new tunes were cool, especially Ocelot, but MAN, what a sub-par show. Never thought I'd ever say that Wilson was the main show highlight, but the Wilson->2001->ChalkDust (which was pretty badass) was the best of the lot. It felt like Picture Of Nectar does...things just don't quite fit. And then there was Harry Hood. Never, and I mean ever, have I done anything but pay rapt attention during Hood, but I found myself looking at the crowd instead. I support Phish's drive to try new things, but I reserve the right to say if it sucks.

And it sucked.

Of course, the Worst Phish Show Ever is still WAAAAY better than the Best Work Day Ever, but this show was below sub-par. It was sub-bogey.

My buddy dug it, which is great. Sometimes ignorance is bliss. But this kid is pretty sharp. He caught up with me at set break at Cobo Arena later in November and said the first set of the Cobo show was better than the entire Toyota Park show.

I said yeah, and then some.