This show is a 3.0 BEAST!!! Solid show straight through. One of two Walfredo's on US soil(seen em both) to open was a Grate way to start a show. Unique, energetic, and engaging. The "eating crabs at Merriweather Post" got a big response and rightfully so. The LP SBDreveals some feedback from someone's stage mic right about the time they are saying the "Merriweather Post" part and I always wonder about higher powers, celestial signs, and spiritual shit when I hear it. I don't know. Whatever. 

The Mellow Mood that follows was equally suprising and just kept building on the excitement created by Walfredo. I had seen this in Vegas back in 2000 but those memories are hazey at best. Tela, My Soul, Ginsing Sullivan, Brian & Robert- all firsts of 2010. A nice first set. The Gin and Antelope are good, not Grate, but good. If those would've been rippers this would be a 5 star show easily imo.

Second set is one of the finer sets of Phish in the 3.0 era. A Wilson second set opener can go so many ways... And this one took us down a delightfully evil path. What came next is hands down the most musically inspired Meatstick I have ever heard, or witnessed. Page's funky keyboards gives this Meatstick some fat! Ya dig? 10 minutes long Trey and Page really take this jam down a hot type 1 highway. 

This Meatstick molted into the first I Saw it Again(Mellow Mood also) since  IT In 2003. From what I gather this bust-out was inspired by a sign down front that the band(Trey) honored as they are now, an "all request band!" Well this I Saw it Again would remain with the set for the rest of the evening, woven into other songs with novelty one-liners and what not.

The Piper that comes next has to be one of the best Pipers in recent history(3.0). 15 or so minutes of truely inspired and beautiful Phish music. Now a lot of people mention this Piper before the Ghost that follows but I must say, for me this Ghost was the highlight of the night.

Straight shooter type 1 rock and roll Ghost happening until you could feel something coming on. It was slow at first. I could catch faint hints at a familiar rythmn/tease. I remember looking across the lawn and trying to hum the song that was in my head. I wanted to be the first to recognize this tease. And then........ BAMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!

Jumpin Jack Flash is a gas gas gas!!!!!! I think Trey just broke into the lyrics because he couldn't wait any longer. Gawd i almost had it, but tey beat me to it. I yelled Jumpin Jack Flash at the top of my lungs and eveyone around me on the lawn was like "yeah!!" "That's it!"  "It IS JJF!!!" We all high-fived and then Phish jammed that fucker. It was a little rough, but it was totally bad ass and I'll take it.  Way good segue and so appropriate out of a rockin type 1 Ghost.

It's funny cuz I now listen to different Ghost's prior to this version and I can hear where they should/would go into JJF.  Sweet, sweet Phish right here. It is a toss up for me really on whether I prefer this segue into JJF or the Ghost->Spooky later in the year at Boarwalk Hall(10/30). They are both as smooth as a pimp suit fresh out the dry-cleaners.

One small note: someone somewhere referred to the effect Trey is using on his guitar as a "whale call". In that moment, in that time, it wasn't so noticeable. As I listen back though, I hear it, and it is slightly annoying. Just slightly. And it definately doesn't keep me from revisiting this gem on occasion.

Really the rest of the set is... whatever. YEM is a standard 3.0 YEM- this song just aint what it used to be. Sorry. Fire encorwe usually means you witnessed just that- a FIRE Phish concert. It was

3.0-5 stars
Grand scheme of things-4 stars

4 stars