QUICK THOUGHTS:

Sand ripped. Then the NYE gag happened. At first, it felt too cheesy and underwhelming for my taste, what with all the dancers with umbrellas, but then the umbrellas lifted and did beautiful synchronized movements above Phish while they played Petrichor, accompanied by percussion and the TAB horns. It may sound a bit cheap and unimpressive, but it was very entrancing and beautiful, going well with the music. At Midnight, Cat sounds! Followed by rubber cats and dogs raiding the stage and crowd. I basically shit myself there and then.

But then... the TAB guys just kind of stayed, like the kid who won't leave your house no matter how many subtle nods you give him. Yes, for much of Set III, it was TAB dadrock feat. Jon, Mike and Page. It was cool for a while, especially hearing that bumping trombone part on NMINML like in the studio version, but all the energy really sludged after that. But thankfully at the end, First Tube kicked it into high gear. Loving Cup (with horns, which always sounds awesome) ended the night.

RATING: 3.5/5