Grab this second set, if only for the raucous Disease > Oye Como Twist > Piper run. The usual rules apply: you can't go wrong with Phish '09, but the Deep Ones don't get summoned from their oceanic lairs until late June at the earliest, maybe late July, so don't expect the old segue madness - just fine, attentive, joyous rock'n'roll.

This was my first show (after an aborted attempt to get from Westchester to Nassau Coliseum in 03 involving 2 flat tires and lying to parents, lol teenagers). My best friend and I walked in during Wilson cracking huge smiles, knowing that we had finally achieved something we thought might be lost after Coventry, namely a Phish show!

Personal highlights include Theme, Ya Mar, and Slave. Loved catching DwD and ACDC Bag at my first show. Through the light rain I can remember A Day in the Life encore and leaving the show knowing there'd be more to come. Obviously biased on this one, but give it a listen and let it bring a smile to your face!

My first show back. Raining balls, but we were bundled and poncho'd, so it wasnt really a factor. And the rain took a break during setbreak, which was nice. I saw, then lost track of, some really cool photos on fb right after the show of the whole amphitheater decked out in multicolored rain gear.

1st set was choppy at best. Thrilled to hear My Friend, and then into YaMar and Theme, but things sounded a little off. Melt in particular seemed like a molasses struggle. But happily forgiven due to the "rust" factor. They were still easily the best band I'd seen in the past 5 years. (Thank Icculus. I mean, who knew if they were for real or just moneygrabbin at this point? But even through a choppy first set, their intent was crystal clear. WooHoo.)

But then what a difference a break makes. 2nd set is the definition of "Standard Awesome" ("Spectacularly Average...?") Phish. The flow was exceptional. Dance Party in the rain all the way. Twenty Years Later absolutely floored me - couldn't have been a better environment for that debut - dark, stormy, haunting, over the water. And the lyrics clear as a bell. I've listened to this set quite a few times since. While there are no mind-bending, groundbreaking highlights, there is no weak spot or let-up. Its close to a perfect set, in that regard. Especially given time and place. To my deaf ears at least.

I like the set so much, I asked @CaptainPookie to paint it for me. I think he nailed it:
http://www.phanart.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Pookie-Painting-JB-2009-for-JD.jpg />
(Copied from here: http://forum.phish.net/forum/show/1375410146#page=1 )

According to my scores, this show was the third worst show of the summer. It got a Gotta Have It Rating of 3.1, though, and if you look at the Gotta Have It ratings from the 2nd Ed. of the Phish Companion, 3.1 is actually pretty good. I think I have been rating these summer shows higher than usual, but then I think I rate shows generally higher than everyone else anyway. I am critical, though, I think. Sorry to those of you out there who think I am too soft. The highlight of this show was Kill Devil Falls. This song should be voted the best song of the summer. I love this song. It is so good. One of the best Phish has ever written. I don't want to give sole credit to Trey but he did a good job here. This song is unreal. A true rock song. A song about a woman who leaves for no reason. A song about an insensitive man. The lyrics "Who knew a day would turn into a week," and "I learned my lesson until I do it again. WOOOOOOOOOO!" Man, I love this song. Among the other highlights are I Didn't Know (always a great song), Ya Mar, and Backwards Down the Number Line. Suprisingly, 2001, Boogie on Reggae Woman, and AC/DC Bag were the weak links.

Set I
Wilson:***
Buried Alive:***
Kill Devil Falls:*****
AC/DC Bag:**
I Didn't Know:****
My Friend, My Friend:***
Ya Mar:****
Theme From The Bottom:***
Boogie On Reggae Woman:**
Split Open and Melt:***

Set II
Down With Disease:***
Twist:***
Piper:***
Backwards Down the Number Line:*****
Free:***
Twenty Years Later:***
2001:**
Slave to the Traffic Light:***

Encore
A Day In The Life:***

GHI: 3.1/5.0
Batting Average: .621 (59/95)

The two ratings are Batting Average and GHI. Both are defined below.
BA: The total number of stars achieved divided by the total possible stars a concert can achieve. Each song can achieve a total possible 5 stars, 5 being the best, 0 being the worst. Therefore, each show receives anywhere from a 1.0 to a .001.

GHI: This rating is used in The Phish Companion 2nd Ed. Each show is given a score from 0 to 5, five being the best and 0 being the worst.

The two scores are synonymous. I like the BA form better because each show receives a score closer to its worth depending on how you rated it.

June 5th, 2009 was my first and only time at Jones Beach Amphitheatre. I spent the afternoon meeting a million new people at a pre-party near the venue and arrived at the show with enough time for a drink or two in the lot. Ours was one of a million little circles of friends hanging out before the show with eyes turned upwards toward the darkening skies.

This was the last show of a three night run at Jones Beach, a venue infamous among Phish fans, and not just because the band makes a habit of playing here when they tour the east coast. The amphitheatre is right on the water, which I’m sure is much more picturesque from a boat than it is from the stands, but tonight the venue would feel like it was actually in the water.

When it rains it pours; it rained and it poured. I remember standing in the concrete upper tier with water literally swirling above my ankles. It was a warm night and the rain felt good. I was wearing a poncho that was soaked through enough that I didn’t care anymore so I just enjoyed the show. They played of few of my favourites, like Theme From The Bottom and My Friend, My Friend and they debuted Twenty Years Later, a new song I liked instantly; from the very first line (“I can hold my breath for a minute or so…”). And anytime Phish encores with A Day in the Life I generally walk out in a good mood, even if I’m in soggy shoes.

I have no idea how I managed to get a poster home safe and dry, but I did. It still lives in the tube and has not seen the light of day since the show.

Come to think of it, the poster might be damaged after all.

On the Ya Mar, Trey changes the lyrics around 3:00 to "He was Mike's Grandpa" and then later in the song he says "Mike's gonna play one for his grandpa now!" before Mike teases How Far Is Heaven from The Los Lonely Boys. Link can be found here (https://youtu.be/1X5Sxf6_ZcE?t=180), nice little Easter egg in tribute to Mike's IRL grandfather who passed away a few weeks prior. If you remember the Ya Mar origin story, Mike was on vacation with his grandparents in the Caribbean when he heard the original version by Cyril Ferguson for the first time, so that's a doubly nice little tribute there.