So I apologize in advance for length, possible homo-erotic references, adjective redundancy, and a lack of knowledge of musical theory.

This is the long review I've been asking other people to do because I am too lazy to do it myself. The only thing that competes with my laziness is my finely honed sense of procrastination, of which this review was done in a blissful state. Aside: don't even try to read Husserl. That guy is a dick to the face in his own right.

As was said before, a patient first tube that still grabs you. Not a sonic assault, but still shakes you and says wake up this is a phish show.

Uncle Pen is sharp. Not 94 sharp, but this is pretty darn tight. I think people tend to forget just how hard it is to play these bluegrass songs. The breakdowns require rhythmic precision as there is just no faking it through these turns. Trey comes pretty close to nailing it and of course everyone else is on point.

Carini, ahhh, Carini. How far has this song come in 3.0?

6:45 a switch towards major key melody, amazing fills by mike at 7:00 sustain turned melodious run at 7:30 by trey. Just gorgeous stuff in here, complete understanding of the spaces between notes.

Locking into a repeating ascending/descending run by mike and trey 8-9, then trey takes the helm pushing the little theme with more force, hiiiigh notes by mike 9:15.

9:30 whammy-esque effects by trey leading to more space/ambience. Some power chording by trey around 10-10:30 followed by start stop and siiiick mike effects. A haze enveloping leading to some powerful trey licks, a la fall 97. Think of if they took an Izabella waaaaay out there. Just a patient crescendo here punctuated by some scratch, as things turn ambient again at 12:45.

High hat by fish as the swell washes out to a more post-apocalyptic feel. It gets louder as the rhythm slows down. Fantastic bleeding out.

And here comes Kill Devil Falls. First solo break shows a patient trey that is not hitting us over the head with the chordal changes. Heating up to a mini-peak of sustained tonics around the 5 minute mark. When you get to a hot peak its just so much more satisfying after stretching out first. Like foreplay. Bringing a bit of heat around 7 with some nice runs that culminate in a mash up of double-stop strumming and sustain.

Trey saying how phish loves dicks, and a nice rimshot (haha) by Fish punctuated by a crowd chant of "we love dicks" too. I think they had to add "Sporting Goods" between "Dick's" and "Park" to try and alleviate some of the obvious hilarity but I still label as simply "Dick's Park." Which leads us to YEM. So I'll put on my best Charlie Dirksen face and go after the YEM. But really, the guy has done enough, like 500 reviews.

Pre nirvana has a spacy interlude, showing some patience again. Nirvana at 3:31 and the dancing page runs are gloriously good as always. I think we may all sometimes forget just how good this portion sounds. If we had to win over friends and neighbors to the dark side, playing the YEM composed section alone might be enough.

Darkness in the pre-charge mike section at 4:15-4:30. A splash of yang to the yin of glorious melody. Good sustain at 5:43 and 5:53, not quite the *note* though. Ah 6:26 monsters in the machine at the real attempt at the note.

AHHHHHH BOY!! Emphatic after a whole band scream. Funky ass Mike between the "lyrics" A little clop by Fish at 7:30 or so.

Pre- Tramps take off by page on what I think might be the clav before the second Washuffizi. And organ proper on the tramps segment. Using rhythm to emphasize the changes in the first half of the 9 minute mark. Greeeaat run using the left hand by page here to fill the low end with chordal emphasis while running along with the right at 9:45. Just locked in groove, well done sir.

Peak at 10:05 and trey enters chording along nicely. 10:22 trey proper. Low end slaky groove with a perky rhythm. Emphasizing the ends of the runs with quasi-staccato. Sustain at 11:18 cloud-like support by Page here (I can't think of any other term). And Mike steps into the space! Funking it up in dreamy fashion. Trey steps back and then enters again with a bit more passion around 11:52 especially. 12:11 for real. Taking the helm during the 13th minute by trey. Just a good solid lead in here (nothing to die for mind-blowing) but still a reasonably passionate take on the old warhorse. Things get dirty at 13:45 with some double time strum-lead by trey leading to Mike's section. B+D I suppose.

Mike is his usual funked out self with the filter. Following the melody with some nice changes at 15:00-15:25. Ok, he definitely stepped out of the box at the end there. Well done. Most hilarious and best Vocal Jam by faaar. Cheesecake can eat a dick for all I care. They are cracking up here at 16:40. Seriously, a must hear VJ. Ends 18:35: 18:56- "I hope you're all having as much fun as we are" Trey.

Ocelot: this little jam has finally earned its lot-T. Its been a little-extra decent lately and goes from being enjoyable both for the song and the little type I mini-jam it contains. The song itself has such syncopated tension before the tonic chord that its a great listen on its own. You know, where you get the extra-hard hod bop when it comes to that chord when dancing.

Jam at 4:05 with a coy trey taking slow lead sustain. Dirty note at 4:27. Very solid playing all around here wIth trey swelling in and out and dancing around some trills at 5:37. The slow-played dirty emphasis on the notes leading to a more rapid peaking reminds me of (dare I say it) a really solid Ten Jed. But of course trey's a very different guitarist than Jerry with more concern about the build-release. Which is excellent here by the way around the 8 minute mark. Repeating trills up and down the neck at 8 to 8:30 with a big drop back into the structure-rhythmically nailed.

UUUUNDERMIND….aaaahhhh. Flashbacks to the Element at UIC. Also, the lyrics are far more appropriate to 3.0 than 2.0.

1:55 and we're in the organ, trey pull-ups (chording or soloing?) with mike bouncing on the notes. Fish at slight syncopation not playing the downbeat. Just great great standard type-I in here, trey playing the melody outright at 3:30 and again at 3:40 reminding us all what song is it we wanna hear??

Fantastic staccato runs at around 4, trey puts on a bit more sustain and we're back to the verse.

Lryically fading away into the jam with trey "undecided undefined" how is THAT for a jam mantra? Amazing interplay between trey and mike immediately. Trey's playing a two chord structure that (while I repeat is not, not in any way a tease of FOTM) can be best described as similar in structure to Fire. But in no way at all is a tease or a jam or anything else. Just a musical reference point here of my own device for review purposes. Between the rhythmic stressing of the two notes by trey's chording there, is a really fast Mike run that is just prefect contrast to what trey is playing. A role reversal from the traditional guitarist-bassist interplay.

Anyway, hear it. Hear it. Just hear it. That little bit from 5:15 to 6:15 alone is what I'm referring to above (and I'm not even describing page in here, tasteful organ accompaniment). 6:30 things open up quite a bit punctuated by the occasional woodblock clop. A hazy escape from the song structure itself towards new horizons. Sustain by trey at 7:43 signaling further departure. reaching upwards in the still-probably-type-I soloing from trey at 8:15- 8:45. Finding a theme at 8:57-9! Which trey shows us (this could easily be a key change but of course I am deaf so someone else can fill in on this one) and then proceeds to immediately trill away from. Yet, the rest of the band is LOCKED into. Subtly running around the theme without playing it exactly, while the melodic structure is intact. Trey picking out which notes to emphasize here at 9:50-10:15 turning on some kind of elfin phase shifter blocking the build the rest of the band was going to go after.

This does not deny the build, just causes its tensions to be EVEN larger. This is a slow dripping glorious run up to the mountain top. Trey's jedi glory melody building in here 11:40-12 ahhhh that run at 12. Just exuding happy melody WITH a build. I might have to consult Charlie or Benjy Eisen, but I believe this is the DEFINITION OF HOSE!! Just fantastic repeating trilling three notes building and building and building ahhhhh fish 13:25 pushes a gear shift trey sustain at 13:30!!!! This is seriously orgasmic.

Just absolutely transcending playing, they alll hit the same peak at 14:18 and *hold on* till 14:45 washing the jam out to the end. This is the Dick's show so I'll just get extremely homosexual and say it: this sounds like all 4 of them coming at the same time. Subtle and patient, extremely connected to each other, they almost know what each will do before they do it. They all hit that final peak at exactly the same time, and the music's over. Not because they have decided to end the jam but because when everyone comes the sex is over.

Sorry for that excursion into homo-erotic group orgy imagery, but I cannot think of a better way to illustrate the kind of connectedness in jamming I mean here. This is definitely one of those "music plays the band" moments where they are just receiving the language of the gods beamed into their souls by a culture of aliens much further advanced than our own. This is what best YEMs and Gins of 1.0 are made of. This is their exact DNA filtered through the consciousness of the band at this stage of their career. Go back and listen to your favorite 1.0 jams and I'll tell you, this holds up with any of them. When you glimpse perfection, it can only be repeated and never bettered.

I feel at this point, regrettably, a disclaimer is warranted. I don't mean to be that guy claiming that his "phish dick" is the biggest, but I feel that given the Undermind review I have to give some context. I am not a fluffer and this isn't Mr. Miner speaking. There are 497 shows in my phish collection and I have heard every note of all of them. So I don't just go giving praise where it isn't warranted and trust me when I say I know the historical context of phish.

And that, my friends is the end of the first set. I'll say it again. The. First. Set. Also, they have spelled out "FUCK YOU" as everyone who with a pulse has recognized already.

"Hey, Hey, we're not finished" from Page it sounds like. Audience already yelling Fuck Your Face!! Happy B-Day to Matty from Waterwheel.

AND we're off into Runaway Jim. Which, fwiw, I thought was a great left turn when everybody was thinking Rock n Roll after the recent excursions. Standard tightness, with the Mike lead on the melody at 2:30 building up to the classic trey intro. God, it takes a show like this to remind me how much I love Phish songs. Remember when you first heard them? Quiet part and slam! into the archetypical Jim dynamics.

Solo at 4:45 adding a little flavor, very patient. Not emphasizing the notes again but the beautifully textured spaces between them. Playful runs by trey around 5:30. Picking up a little heat: sustaaaain, quick run, sustaaaain, quick run. Chording at 6:52 interspersed with runs. 7:05 dark direction, could be key change to minor. I always felt the mark of a great guitar player was the ability to play lead and rhythm at the same time which trey evidences. Some space at 8:15. Kinda losing the previous hold of direction. Still searching at 9. Great turn to punctuated higher notes at 9:06 by trey. Mike offering direction at 9:25. Gorgeous filtered runs by trey around 9:35. Chording with more purpose at 9:50 and more heat from trey. Biiiiig upstart of new direction around 10:30 from trey. Fully locked at 10:56 awesome page loooow chording. Smoky flavored.

This direction is taken hold of and explored through the 12th minute with great trey wah mutes scratches. BAM BAM ba da da BAM BAM. Best I can do, sorry. Hendrix mute scratches again. This is definitely underscoring the rhythm of the jam more than melody through 13:15. Mike takes over a lead at 13:25. Space opens up at 13:45.

Filtered stuff from Mike at 14, more introspective but very engaging still at this point. Long sustain by Trey and Mike filling in with an Arabian scale lead. Very awesomely Floydish. Mike making it his bitch at 14:50. Backwards guitar intro by Trey at 15. AHHH, there we are. Walking down the hall, father!, yes son?, I want to kill you! Spin 3.1.97 again. Darkly done. Losing the grip a little at 16, Trey turning more melodic. Another key reversal in this jam.

Kind of in between major and minor, like a sunny day with clouds on the horizon. Sorry for the cheese. Sustain by Trey at 17:22 and its a nice descending waterfall trills at 17:35, with power chording at 17:40, page fills at 17:48 repeating trey chords of power at 17:55. great Mike run at 18:15, organ swells by Page at 18:25 mixed with light piano (nice). An almost rhythmic stop and some melody by Trey at 18:50. Mike bomb 19:08 watch out! Page plays something on the clav I swear is something recognizable, sounding a bit like Kraftwerk. Machine robot melody glory.

19:45 strange effects. Highhat and tom roll. Farmhouse.

Beautiful sustain 3:35-4:24. Yes that's right almost a minute of sustain from trey. One of those teary-eyed moments at the show for sure. Gorgeous soloing, a must-hear Farmhouse. Haha, its awesome to be able to say that. How far has this song come in 3.0? I mean, wow. Bigtime effects from all present 6:20-10:53. No other way to say it, others have already said it on the review board here. Very pleasant to hear and another great fake out. I repeat, very pleasant. Okay, I have to mention the Floyd run by Mike at 10:35. Listen.

Like a cop knocking on your window when you are right about to spark up a J, Alaska comes in instead of 2001. Talk about a slap in the face. Wow. Again, hate to be that guy but I like this song much better when it was called Tennessee Jed. Once the awful awful cheese lyrics are over, things get better. A buddy of mine said, "Hey its your favorite!!!" right when they played this at UIC and before I could get a word out about what an asshole he was the girl right in front of us said, "Me too!" Hahaha, I guess you get what you deserve at a phish show.

Seriously though, crunchy chording by Trey who seems very enthused to be playing Alaska. Dirty bend by Trey at 4:37 to enter the solo/jam. Really nice tone and bends. Nice fill from page at 6 repeating the descending bridge which trey locks onto at 6:20. Heating up at 8 fuzzy dirty sustain with trey nailing the peaks.

Chalkdust with great rhythmic punctuations between the change to the main riff by Trey and solid Mike fills. "CAN'T I LIVE WHILE IM YOUNG?!" at 2:08. This song is such an energy beast. Solo at 3:15 which we shall see turns into a *jam* instead of a solo for the 2nd one. Standard chalkdust soloing at this point though. Nice first release at 4:08. Big energy strum to release at 4:30 and another ascending run peak at 4:50. Oooh, 5 min mark TRILLS UP THE NECK! Nice stuff there. Main theme return and back into verse at 5:33.

Hmm missed change at 6:20 by Trey turned into gold by a power dive at 6:45. 7 Mike comes in in a big way, they all seem to be on the same page here about the jamming impetus. No false endings. Trey developing rhythm bouncing off mike at 7:30. Niiice quote of the original melody in low register by Page at 7:38. Funk funky playing at this point with Mike and Page in fine form and Trey really fastly chording in mute wah. Maintaining chalkdust pace here yet space opens up in the jam. Reminds me of the "quiet section" of a Weekapaug 7:30-9:00. Trey comes in soloing off this pace at 9 with force, the pace not dictating an early peak but the semi-staccato. Hitting the peaks with lead-rhyhm emphasized here. 10:06 nice spunky line by trey picked up on by Mike. Neeeeearly plinko but not quite. Things turn melodic in a big way at 10:30 simultaneously by Trey and Mike. Great melodic chording in here.

This point sounds like a sped-up chordal version of the Alpine Fee. If that makes any sense. Trey picks up on a repeating pattern/run and throws it through permutations 11-12 min mark. Things shift with a 5 note slice of glory at 12. Righteously repeated by Trey and Mike into a beautiful little jam. Melodic and fast, this is very very nice. Tease at 13:15 of Linus and Lucy perhaps? I know its something I just can't place. Jessica? Maybe. Either way it sounds glorious and is interwoven with the lead lines of Trey through 13:35. 13:50 things become lighter with a nice Mike run at 14. 14:15 wow! Trey picks up this some melody but, instead of playing the lead, he chords to a chalkdust pace, this heavenly melody. Very nice stuff in here and demonstrative of slight shifts that go a long way in big jams.

Back to to solo in 15:13 with the band locked in more passionate soloing over this intricate band play. High notes from Trey at 16. Forceful single punctuation notes at 16:25 through 16:40, just amazingly inventive guitar work. Fading in repetitious effects haze at 16:55, using the digital delay perhaps, that sounds like sonic lasers slicing through a sunset. Seriously great and mesmerizing stuff at the 18th minute mark. Exactly at 18 things turn reflectively haze and the smoke clears.

Top notch stuff here. Top notch. Very close to hose if not actually so. I would be absolutely drooling over this jam if it weren't for the fact that I just heard the musical voice of baby jesus speaking to the Community of Phish in mystical reassurances in the Undermind Jam.

Hilarious falsetto by Mike on Emotional Rescue. Seriously though, he's got some vocal skill. Will this be another 20 minute '97 style dip? No. And that would just be greedy anyway. Nice chordal bass work too.

The capping glory of Fuck Your Face comes. Further humor by the encores.

Taken as a whole, I'd say this is the best show of 3.0. Others have there moments but this motherfucker was crafted. No moments of uncertainness or adolescent anxiety. A dick to the face for sure.

This is an incredible show with lots of jamming. Only 15 songs, so the band had to extend several songs that do not usually get the treatment. Carini, Undermind, Jim, and Chalk Dust all had fantastic jams and all went about 15 minutes or more. The setlist spelling Fuck Your Face was fun, but the music is the real reason this is a stellar show. I hope to hear more of the same the following 2 nights.

So this right here is your top show of 3.0, to-date. Why, you ask? Well, in this reviewer’s eyes, it has little to do with the Fuck Your Face prank. Not nothing to do with, mind-you; many a great show in the band's history, especially from the earlier days, boast pranks, inside jokes and themes of all kinds. But those elements are always just the cherry on top. And what a delicious sundae the band whipped up on 8/31/12, which now sits there beneath that fucking cherry for all to enjoy. Yes, this one is about the music, and the jams, as it should be.

The First Tube to open is one of those 'uh-oh, Trey is on tonight' revelations. The entire tone and direction during his solo is atypical for the song, full of life, energy, and excitement. And is there a more beloved bluegrass tune in the repertoire than Uncle Pen? It always takes me back to the Great Went when I hear it.

Carini boasts the first real exploration of the night, and it's a doozy. Trey leaves space for the rest of the band to lay down some gooey texture at the outset of the jam, and then takes them on a classic, patient, major-melodic journey. Carini has been no slouch in the 3.0 years, most notably with the 2011 summer tour closer on 9/14/11, and the excellent summer tour-opening version on 6/7/12. But I'd argue you might have to go back to its 2/17/97 debut to hear a version that tops Dicks. It's that good. It's reminiscent at times of some of the band's best spacey, mid-tempo melodic jamming of the late 90s (The 8/1/98 Tweezer come to mind). That was in the #3 slot.

After Kill Devil Falls confidently and quickly completes the 'Fuck,' the band drops a mid-first-set You Enjoy Myself. Once the most commonly played song in Phish’s repertoire, YEM became a bit of a rarity in the last year or so, but every show at which it was played in 2012 is a keeper. This version is 'typically great,' and punctuated by what's certainly the funnest vocal jam of the 3.0 years. I won't spoil it for you if you haven't heard it. (I may be in the minority on this one, but I'll also note hear that I actually prefer the delicateness uniqueness of the 8/19/12 YEM). Still, a first set YEM after a Carini like that already has this set miles above most opening segment offerings in 3.0.

And then after a nice Ocelot (will this song ever get to see the second set?), the band drops a bomb with Undermind. A rarity that had only a single show gap between its previous appearance (at the excellent but now sure to be overshadowed segue-heavy show on 8/28/12), this version immediately declares itself as not only the one to beat, but one of the top jams of 3.0. Mike and Fish have a lot of fun fleshing out the rhythmic clicks and pops on this, with 2.0-like confidence, and then around 9 minutes Trey takes off, again. The floor of the jam is solid and has space, and he just climbs to the heavens like its 1999, only there's enough tonal and stylistic variation to remind you this is definitely 2012, and Page follows. And right when you think you're listening to the future, the 4/18/92 Hood peaks in for a tiny hello in the form of a barely recognizable (possibly unintentional?) but certainly present Linus & Lucy quote. Trill-laden (but not indulgent) wall of sound finale to this 15 minute masterpiece, and the best first set the band has played in eons, and certainly in 3.0. (Shout-out to 8/7/09 here, though, and its excellent Sneaking Sally. I'd put that first set in the number 2 slot now.)

Right, so, Fuck You, apparently! The crowd was onto things by now, and you can hear Page responding to the profanity being thrown at them before the second set with a 'hey hey, we're not finished!' Fuck Your Face, then? Right. And so what does the band bust out to open to the second set? Not another Rock n' Roll (though hey, nothing wrong with that 20-minute offering on Long Beach on 8/15/12), but Runaway Jim. And this Jim is special for a lot of reasons. Actually this second leg in general was special for one particular reason: the return of the 20-minute second set opener. Along with the aforementioned Rock n Roll, and the excellent Sand that would follow on 9/2/12, this Jim stands like the proud return of a jam-slot that some of us feared had runaway for good. It also marks the return of a true type-II Runaway Jim jam, something you could argue hasn't occurred since 12/31/03 (unless you count Coventry's short but interesting improv). Indeed there are echoes of 2.0 in this show in terms of the band's willingness to launch a jam just about anywhere, and the ease with which they do it. This Jim is arguable the most 2.0-sounding offering of the night in terms of the themes it seamlessly explores. It's not the most engaging jam of the night, but that doesn't mean it's not one of the best the band has delivered in the past four years. And fuck, they opened a second set with a twenty minute Jim. The last time they did that was 7/3/00.

The Farmhouse>Alaska sequence is notable for a couple related reasons. One: the band stretches the Farmhouse outro into a jam in its own right, a 5 minute ambient affair which seemed like a prime set up for 2001. And that is, two: the band undoubtedly slipped another mini-prank inside the Fuck Your Face gag by faking out Also Sprach Zarathustra and swapping it with Alaska. Ha ha ha.

And then the Chalk Dust. Like the first set Undermind, Chalk Dust had just been performed on 8/28, to interesting effect; they turned an outro into a neat little jam that segued into Frankie Says. The band was obviously feeling confident with this otherwise typically straight-ahead classic. And by this point in the night the show was already a classic in its own right. But then they went ahead and played another 18 minute jam that you could argue is the highlight of the whole show. Chalk Dust isn't entirely a stranger to Type II exploration: 7/10/99 and 8/3/03 represent the longest and most interesting 1.0 and 2.0 versions, respectively, and the excellent (and often overlooked) 17-minute version from 6/25/10 is a high point from that underrated 3.0 tour. All are very different but on similar footing in terms of their greatness. I'm not sure if this one tops them, but it's certainly in the same camp, and if you said it was the best, I wouldn't call you crazy. Like the Carini and Undermind jams, when Trey feels comfortable enough in the jam to launch his glory-mode-melodicism it just all comes together. By that point you can hear a kind of joy and pride in Mike's playing as a kind of compliment to it. It’s moving shit. It sounds like coming home.

That they complete the FYF phrase with Emotional Rescue of all things is just straight up money by this point. You won't hear a case from me about it being the best version of the song they've ever played (that'd go to its debut on 11/21/97), and in fact it might be the worst actual performance. But it’s a hilarious, true-to-form bustout, made all the more fitting coming on the heels of a show that feels a lot like true redemption for the band, even to the most jaded of vets. "Is there nothing I can say, nothing I can do? To change your mind.. I'm so in love with you..." Well yeah, play a show like that, boys, and I'm yours forever. Anyway, Fuck Your Face completes the other half of the exclamation mark to close the set, and the Grind and Meatstick tag a heartfelt uplifting coda onto the gag.

Put that one in your stash, folks. Next to the best of them.

Jaw dropping from the First Tube. Carini > Jam > Jam tastey Jam out of Carini. WoWoW!! YEM? Stunning. Magical. Smiled for 3 straight hours on the webcast. Love Dicks they sure and f$ck do your face emotional night rescued by a meastick. The best Runaway Jim > Jam in years!!!! A Space Jam after Farmhouse!!! Another JAM out of Chalkdust...>WOWW!!! OMG - Trey has seen the light!!!

Apologies for no musical analysis in this review; that's been covered. Just a quick mental exercise.

Not that I think this show is better than 11/17/97 (although if you wanted to start a debate I wouldn't be offended or anything), but you know how 11/17/97 has that really neat thing where both sets look like second sets and would be linchpin sets of pretty much any other show Phish has played? That's what we have with this show - two sets that a) look and flow like 3.0 second sets (this is unfair, given the show gimmick, but I would take this show's ridiculous first set over any of the 15-song bustout-laden 1st sets of 2012's first leg, to give an example) and b) would probably be the best sets of most shows from 3.0. Add all that up, and I believe this will be *the* show people talk about when they talk about 3.0. For now, of course.

Off to play that Undermind again...

In my opinion, busting out Emotional Rescue was something more special than the many bustouts of first leg. I got Skin It Back in Jones Beach (as well as Happiness is a Warm Gun), I got Sweet Jane at Deer, I got my Dog Log, I got my Shaggy Dog, I saw La Grange, I saw Psycho Killer, I saw Sabotage. Each of these "bustouts" were such a surprise and brought me nothing short of pure joy. To say that I was longing for these particular songs would be a lie. Yes, I was so ecstatic to hear these songs and got the "holy shit are they actually playing this?" feeling. But one bustout that I and many other people have been begging for has been Emotion Rescue. Whether u think they played it well or not, the fact that they did this tonight, the fact that Mike took that risk of opening up his Vocals, you must feel very appreciative. What a treat, thanks guys.

Not only does the show spell out F U C K Y O U R F A C E, it has not been noticed that the boys brilliantly signed it as well with E F G M (Ernest, Fish, Gordon and McConnell, or rather Emotional Rescue, Fuck Your Face, Grind, Meatstick)! Hahaha!

Set 1: First Tube, Uncle Pen, Carini, Kill Devil Falls, You Enjoy Myself, Ocelot, Undermine
Set 2: Runaway Jim, Farmhouse, Alaska, Chalkdust Torture, Emotional Rescue, Fuck Your Face
Encore: Grind, Meatstick

Amazing!

7 songs first set.... damn!!!!!!!
and the first letters all spell fuck you!!!
take that they say, well done boys we love you antics and shenanigans.
the jam after chalkdust was over flowing with energy and so was runaway jim. great first show.
thx for mixing it up.

8/31/12 Undermind....

Still remember that beauty as clear as day... The colors, my view, the people, my friends, and their faces. But most importantly the sound. I remember Trey's notes during the last peak of the jam just piercing through my soul and knowing I was witnessing true musical greatness in it's purest form. Everything else in this show is top notch too, listen for yourself if you are somehow reading this and already haven't listened. Dicks 2012 marked the beginning of a new era for Phish in my opinion.

Great show.

I liked the extra planning. First time I ever wanted a jam to end, just to find out what "E" would be.

Also, the jam after Undermined was like the revelation of a long middle finger to put an exclamation on the meaning of the first set.

Maybe phish does read .net everyone saying no bust outs no extended jams and then they fuck your face awesome

the absolute face melting jaw dropping mind fuck that this show is needs a review by Meatballs. whereyat meatman?
btw, this show is beyond words but I still look forward to the words of Waxbanks and to a much lesser extent Meatballs.
Dear God what in the hell transpired tonite????

I am not one who employs the use of vulgar language. Generally, I prefer to use humorous or nonsensical substitutes, e.g. "mamaquacker", "piece of junk", "son-of-a-bee-sting", etc. Having said that, in my opinion this show surpasses Utica and UIC I as the best show of 3.0.

I have listened through the whole of Summer '12, and rated each single song performance using the 5 star scale on my iTunes. The majority of songs performed in Summer '12 would receive either 1 or 2 stars, and I ended up with only 8 tracks that received a full 5 stars. Of those 8 tracks, this show contains 2: Runaway Jim and Chalkdust Torture. That's a huge advantage. Then add 3 4-star performances: Carini, Undermind, and Farmhouse, and this is now the most improvisational show of the year. And with the setlist gimmick, Emotional Rescue breakout, and a mid-first set YEM?

My only, ONLY quibble is the F your Face as a set closer. I'm glad they played it, but I follow it in the playlist with something a little tighter, like "Ha Ha Ha" or even "Frankenstein". Everything else about this show, however, is perfection.

If you only ever purchase one download from LivePhish.com, it should be this show. Particularly since the windy conditions affected the Aud recordings. What would happen if Phish pulled planned setlist pranks every night?

what else can be said? you start spelling out your set and we know exactly what youre gonna do. but what's that? emotional rescue? pfft I'LL TAKE IT!

5/5 best of 2k12.

Yes....the Fuck Your Face show. I didn't think anything else could be added to the discussion on this one, but here I am sitting in quarantine doing Dinner and a Movie Tuesday and I heard something nobody has mentioned. Trey teases Rainy Day Women in Alaska, and right before they wrap it up, Page goes riffs on it for a bar or two. Nice little nod to Colorado everybody musta been too baked too notice before.

Balls to the Wall at Dicks

The boys were really on top of it and full of spunk tonight. Mike just blew me away, and Trey seemed very playful as he laid down some penetrating licks. After we were all loosened up from the crowd chanting "we love dicks," the FUCK YOUR FACE acronym entered the arena, and things really started climaxing. Dicks might be a hard sell for a less standup band; but, from the slick First Tube to the Japanese Meatstick, my skull certainly got the pounding it deserved from tour closer, night 1. Page, seriously, thank YOU guys.
Also, that Runaway Jim jam changed me as a person, and I was only Couchtouring!

I flew in the night before the shows to meet up with several good friends and explore the Denver nightlife. Several bars later and 4am approaching I thought it might be a good time to call it a night with such a big weekend ahead of me. The next morning my friend and I went on a 5 mile hike through Golden Gate state park and also hit up the Golden City brewery. Apparently it's the "second" largest brewery in Golden, CO. I slammed several golden ales and split a large pizza with my buddy and thought it would be a good base before a big night of partying. I checked into my hotel with a few hours to spare before show time. I had will call tickets so headed over to the venue pretty early. Little did I know the mess I would be getting myself into by doing will call. I stood in the regular line for an hour to then get told that my tickets weren't on file and I would have to go wait in the customer service line and deal with it there. Another 30 minutes there and when it was my turn at the window the chicks computer froze. Finally she found me on record but just handed me a ticket and a floor wrist band. CLOSE CALL!!
I finally got down to the floor to meet up with the rest of my crew on this night. 10 minutes to spare. A few pre-game party favorites and I was ready to go.
Right out of the gates the band demolishes an uncharacteristic First Tube opener. If this level of playing was any indication on how the night would shape up we were all in for a treat. Uncle Pen was a nice contrast to the opener with a nice bluegrass feel. The band would soon roll hard into Carini. First Tube & Carini early on gave me the sense this could shape up to be a very strong first set. This Carini would leave most people looking for their jaws on the floor. Holy shit...the band didn't waste anytime showing off their new found improvisational prowess on this weekend. I would put this Carini right up there with the leg 1 Worcester Carini hands down. The early spacey darker tone would smoothly transition into a more peaceful and steady arrangement. Big Red would showcase a multitude of hard rock licks to carry us all into the opening notes of Kill Devil. Only a few of us caught on at this point. Yes, all of the first letters of each song spelled out the word FUCK. The boys would continue their splendid playing as they roared through KDF. How would they close out the set was what I really wanted to know. When they dropped into a first set YEM next there was so much liveliness from the crowd. The "we all love dicks" vocal perfectly showed how much fun the band was already having so early on in this weekend. This YEM brought back the late 90's Phish Phunk we would hear most of the weekend. This would be the first glimpse into the time machine the band brought everyone on this labor day weekend. This YEM is a must listen for any era fan. Ocelot and Undermind would round out the set. FUCKYOU. As we were just dipped in 90's funk the band flips a switch and delights us all with some of the most heavenly tunes of the night. Ocelot delivered a very quality version which would soon be overshadowed by one of the best versions of Undermind to date. No 2012 version comes close and it might top last years UIC version. This would be one of many pieces the band turned to gold this weekend. From Fishman's rock steady rythym, to Trey's dazzling display of soothing sounds, to Page's orgasmic organ esque melody, to Mike's beautiful bass barrage. This bad boy had it all. Mmmmm so damn good!

During set break there was much talk about the FUCKYOU set and yes there was a lot of the guessing game going on. I was more impressed with how well they played despite the gimmick that followed in the footsteps of last years S show. There was plenty more heart and soul put into these first 7 songs then I felt in all of last years night 1 IMO.

I snagged two Sunshine wheat cans from the goofy looking beer guy walking around dripping sweat and I quickly lit up before the lights went.

Runaway Jim would start the second half with a monster slam dunk. The crowd roared as we got another uncharacteristic superstar to begin the set. There would be a multitude of layers to follow with this Jim. What would start with some tasty crunchy funk would soon turn into an ambient playground only later to explore never heard before Phunk electonica. WOW...how is this possible...with each minute passing the band is bringing new sights and sounds to the table and astonishing all in attendance. As the last brilliant notes of Jim faded out we trickled into Farmhouse. I truly didn't know if this would be a bad call or not. I can't remember in recent years a Farmhouse that took a hold of its placement in the set in such a way as this one did. Trey hits one of the most glorious and penetrating notes I've ever heard out of this jam. Once they finished the ending to the last verse of the song they decide to just let it peacefully prolong into sonic experimentation. Floydian esque loops from Trey take us to new levels. The band then chose to stop on a dime and head to Alaska. The gimmick continued FUCKYOURFA. We could see how this was shaping out. Chalkdust would follow and if you haven't heard this one yet...what the hell are you waiting for! Little did I know I would be the 13th man to walk on the moon after this one finished. If there was any improvisational climax to this night it would be this colossal Chalkdust. I couldn't say one member shined over the next. It was just sweet bliss and harmony amongst each of the boys. Emotional Rescue would soon complete FUCKYOURFACE and couldn't of been a more perfect bust out. I bet there wasn't a soul in the place who would of guessed this one. It had been nearly 12 years since they last played it and such a delight. I guess the only fitting end to the set would to play Fuck Your Face and it only solidified the overall creativity the band displayed on this night. One of those shows I will just never forget.

Grind and Meatstick finished off an already fun filled night and were both well played.

I left this night in such high spirits and was salivating for what was on the horizon for the next two nights. A couple of cold beers, a few balloons and a late night sesh closed out the night one fiesta.

I am not one to review a show or even give my two cents that often, but I think the majority of people missed the full message from phish during the "fuck your face show." Before the band completed the "fuck your face", "fuck you" was first. Most people figured out by Ocelot that the band was having their way with us; we were mid prank and a themed set all in one.

What I think most people missed was Phish saying F you to all the haters during the climactic build up of 2001 which transformed into Alaska. The band intentionally started teasing 2001, which the real name starts with A (Also Sprachzuthuriasis? or something like that). We have experienced this huge build up of tension a few times this summer, sometimes this build up went into 2001, ghost, twist, and sometimes Bug (see jones beach). Phish duped everyone, even phish.net put up that the song was 2001, but on this night the band went into Alaska to say fuck you to all the haters of that song.

So many people bad mouth the band on .net or PT. Even the reviews of this show are all over the place, makes me think that people just don't get it. Kuroda even said at the All Good Fest that the band does peruse .net and PT and is in fact affected negatively by some of the comments on these sites. One has to go into a show with low expectations, accept what the band is going to play what they want and hopefully you can have fun no matter what. Like what Ben and Jerry said, "if its not fun why do it!" Sure Alaska is Phish's version of Tennessee Jed, but if they are having fun playing it then I am having fun.

I saw 20 of 33 shows this summer. Every show I was hoping in the back of my mind for a Forbins>Mockingbird, but one can not be disappointed by not getting one or two of thousands of songs the band may play.

To be honest, it took me a full 24 hours of recollection to fully grasp what The phish had done night one at Dicks. They were able to say to a crowd of who knows how many people: fuck you, fuck you for hating on some of our songs like Alaska, fuck your face, and grind your meatstick, all the while throwing down an epic set of live music.

I am not sure how much they are practicing these days or what has changed amongst the band since 09, but the the boys are back. If they keep playing like this they are going to start out growing venues like Dick's and tickets are going to become harder and harder to get.
So enjoy them while you can before the circus gets out of control again.

just my $.02

Well, what to say? This is a great show. To all who've said that, you're absolutely correct. Fabulous beyond description. Best band ever? Yes. Better than Phish in '97? '95'? Whenever?
Who knows??
Whatever. It doesn't matter. This is a masterful quartet that is on the top fucking echelon of music. Period. Stop reading. Oh...you want to continue reading? Oh, well, here goes:
You thought you were just going to see you're friends fav band play; no big deal, right? Then you showed up...a rapid first set consisting of just a few songs melted your face off...you said, 'what the fuck bro-dog? That was 'a-hellofa-show' and we've got to move on.
LOW, out of nowhere, you're reminded that this is the end of the first set. You realize your life is worthless and then you get your face melted again in the 2nd set....what's happening, what's going on? Only an awesome show...well done boys, well done.

I LOVE DICK'S. Amazing show.

I am seeing Dick's on couchtour for the 2nd year, but am not missing the next round of live Dick's.

Amazing jams on this first night of 3. Jams that stood out to me were Carini, Undermind, Runaway Jim, Alaska, and Chalkdust Torture. They were definitely on fire and enjoying themselves, which always generates better tunes. Nice to know Fuck Your Face was coming too.

Up until YEM, I was wondering how they would follow up Ssssss from LY's first night at Dick's. Not only was it a better "shenanigan", but also I thought they played better than last year....and last year's Dick's was a treat itself.

I'm sure the next 2 nights are guaranteed to be as impressive.

Anybody else hear Trey playing with the Peanuts theme towards the end of the Undermind jam?

That's why I love these guys. Just when I thought they were getting lazy they come out and say "F-U" to me in the 1st set and then finish it all off in the second set with the rest. Classic. Right up there with the "S" show last year. Hopefully they keep it going through Sunday. Too much fun!!

Easily top 3 show of 3.0! Absolutely fire show from start to finish. Huge replay value and an absolute must listen. Quintessential phish from any era. Prime 3.0 aka "4.0". (Lmao)
To hear this band stretch songs such as Farmhouse and Alaska out as far as they did was a treat beyond measure. The vibes at all of the lettered dicks shows is a rare and special thing. The venue itself is the most laid back and no-stress setting you could ever expect to see this band. If you've never made the pilgrimage, do yourself a favor. It's a right of passage. I've never been let down.
This show is a must hear without a doubt. The THANK YOU set and the "S" set were particularly note worthy as well. Go listen to all of them!

The variety of jamming on display in this show astonishes me to this day (and I'd like to thank Phish for the longest Jim since--at the latest--2.0.) As we watched the webcast, it was almost as if Fall '97 had crashed the party to the delight of all, because there were actual, honest-to-goodness jams in the first set. Sure, the spelling gimmick is amazing, and the "We love Dick's" antics are funny, but the music is my passion with Phish, first and foremost, and it's remarkable how you can go from an ambient sort of bliss jam in Carini, to a peakier jam in Undermind, to a kind of combination in Jim, to pure ambience in Farmhouse (for goodness' sake!), to a coherent and thoroughly satisfying melange in Chalkdust. This is the best show 3.0 has produced, in my opinion, especially if you exclude Halloween runs and New Year's runs. It was just novel as all get-out, and I love it!

As we're staring down the barrel of another Friday night at Dick's, I keep coming back to this Friday night Dick's show from 2012 as the show of 3.0 so far, especially now with a few additional years perspective. Rather than argue if it's THE best, let's just all agree that it's certainly one of them. I don't make it to a lot of shows these days, but I made it to this one, about 50 feet back on the floor.

I think the thing that makes this one really stand out is the process of spelling "FUCK YOU" with the song titles forced them to get outside their comfort zone of how they normally weave songs/setlists together. This could have backfired BIG TIME, and was a definite risk, but wow did it pay off. The jamming here is fluid and inspired, with the highlights already noted in green (but don't overlook that Carini jam!).

As to the "FUN" factor at the show, I thought the crowd was overall very chill and respectful on the floor where I was. I remember meeting some girls who were at their first show (all from West Palm Beach, which I thought was odd being from Miami that I went all the way to Denver to meet people from West Palm). When I tried telling them that the set spelled FUCK YOUR FACE, their reaction was definitely uneasy They probably thought I was some drug crazed pervert coming on to them, but then I managed to pull the set list from phish.net (it took a LONG time to load haha) and handed one of them my phone. It was cool to see the look on her face slowly go from anxiety to humor, and she passed my phone to her friends who reacted the same way. Then they actually played Fuck Your Face, and before the encore they started asking me some funny questions, like "Is every show like this?" I wish honey, I wish.....

These are the types of jams I love and can't get enough of them.

Months later. Not even going to talk about the music, although it's in constant rotation in my brain and on my CD player.

Nope. I'm talking about the look. If you were there, you know what I mean. It was the look we all had as we climbed the steps off the field and out to the lot. Kind of stunned. Happy, for sure. Confused; what was that that just happened to me? Eye contact all around, what, you too, so it was real, not just a dream I had? Hesitant questions, really, did did did I just see that? What is that dripping down my face? Is it my brain? Did we just get our faces fucked?

Oh yes we did.

And only a bit less than two months until summer tour 2013, and I'm so trying not to hold onto the past, and trying not to wish for any particular future. But damn they make it hard not to. Whoa.

Whoa, best show I've ever seen.

Only been in the game since '04, but the best show I've attended by far. I am not going to get into the whole 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 debate obviously gems from '93 (The Murat - My favorite), '94, and '97 are going to better when the boys were more comfortable experimenting and laying down some funk but they are getting back in the groove. This is the best they have been playing (2012 tour) since their triumphant return in my opinion...This show is for all the haters, I figured out the word play around end of set 1, and thought it was just going to be FUCK YOU which would have been hilarious in itself, but then they continued into the FYF show which was awesome "Phish loves dick's" - classic.

This tour is one that I will actually re-listen to over and over again, I wouldn't necessarily listen to a lot of previous tours since '09, obviously some awesome shows in there, but these for me just sound more coherent and while some song choice and placement may be awkward still makes a great show. Made it 10 shows this summer and all were phenomenal, not once did I during or after the show become disappointed or turned off. SPAC and this Dick's run will be in my book forever as gems of mine.

Listen or don't listen to me, call me a noob I don't really care, enjoy the music that they are playing, if not don't shell out the money to go, or don't sit on your couch and criticize. You weren't there your [negative] review doesn't count, you don't know if they are suddenly going to stop again so get off your pedestal and stop the rant. The boys are human too, they make mistakes and bad calls, but that is sometimes what makes it more fun. Obviously I am there for the music...what are you there for?

What can I say that hasn't probably been said already? Everyone knows why this was a great show. I decided to give myself a few days before I reviewed it...and I still think this show kicks ass. Probably my favorite live concert experience.

I found out during set break that the songs in the first set spelled out "Fuck You" and proceeded to tell everyone I knew. We speculated what they would eventually spell...there was a general feeling that it would end up being "Fuck Your Face," and when they opened the second set with Runaway Jim, that suspicion was confirmed.

Not only was the gimmick for this show interesting enough in it's own respect, the band came out and played quality versions of every song on this night, and some stellar performances on others. The first set is nearly perfect in my opinion. It has a great mix of heavy hitters, pump up songs and jams. A first set YEM is so rare and that alone made it special. That was the first time I thought something awesome might be happening...a first set YEM after we had already heard a MONSTER Carini? Things were looking good, and we weren't even in on the secret yet. It only got better with a set-closing Undermind, a song I had been chasing for a while. Not only did I get my Undermind, but I got one of the best jams I've ever experience. Bliss in the first set.

Second set highlights; obviously the Jim was fantastic. Some awesome funk went down and I remember dancing and thinking, 'Man they don't play Jim like this anymore!' I enjoyed the Alaska and Farmhouse, partly because they stuck with the jammy theme of the night. Other songs might have been 'better,' but I was pleased with the song choice. My new favorite version of CDT...killer jam that led into Emotional Rescue. I was nearly in tears from smiling and laughing and all of the joy that came with it when Mike started singing ER in that ridiculous voice. Such an awesome moment, a song I never expected to see live, but truly a great way to end the night. FYF is always a treat and I'm happy to say I've seen 2 in 2 years. Grind and Meatstick made for a pleasing encore, as dancing the Meatstick is always a fun experience.

All in all, Dick's night 1 currently holds the number one spot on my shows list (that is, shows that I've seen)

Best show of tour period. Put on first tube and let the whole thing play. By far the best first set of the summer with carini and undermind going deep. and for the third yem this leg cactus lays down a nasty nasty bass jam. Im not going to say anymore just do urself a favor and listen to this show all the way through. Fantastico.. furgettaboutit

Excellent show. Very good energy the entire night. Didn't even realize until the end that they were spelling FYF. The first set YEM was outstanding, the vocal jam was hilarious as the crowd chanted along, "we love Dick's". A lot of my favorite moments were the unexpected jams, like Farmhouse, for example.

It was very well done, and Phish was obviously having a lot of fun. There was a lot of really great energy that night from the crowd and from the band.

This show was IT, I really don't know what to write because at alot of points during the show it left me speechless. This is the phish I absolutely love. Two great jams in the first set! yes i said first set (which was only seven songs long absolutely love that). Carini and Undermind stole the show first set. Even from the first tube jam i could tell something was on this evening. The jam during it wasn't ur regular shredfest it was patient. and with trey being patient amazing things happend as evidenced this night. 2nd set= 6 songs mindblowing this is the kind of show I live for. Jim and Chalkdust were highlights of this set. Throw in the fuck your face antics and evryone loving dicks so much especially trey (he seemed very giddy talkn bout loving dicks.) IMO this is by far the best show of this tour followed by star lake then bgca3, and is up there with the best shows of 3.0 if not the best. I live for improvisation and minimal song selection and both were done to the nines on this night. Trey let the music breath with his patient work on the ocedoc and look what we got. absolutely awesome i will be listening and listening again for days to come. mind blown

Fuck your face and grind meatstick.

ha ha ha ha.... naysayers be fucked! HA!

I see no 1st set...only 2 insane 2nd sets plus a grind on a meatstick. I really should have ventured out there...

wasnt there ordered webcast. my brother was there... ummm epic on so many levels and best jams imo carini chalkdust....

but again most phun and epic

weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

"what else can be said? you start spelling out your set and we know exactly what youre gonna do. but what's that? emotional rescue?"

Phish has a lot of songs that start with different letters.

This set could have just as easily gone

Foam-> Undermind*-> Colonel Forbins-> Kung-> Yerushalayim Shel Zahav, Oblivious Fool, Uncle Pen, Reba

Fly Famous Mockingbird> Axilla, Camel Walk-> Esther

If nothing else we'd get the first jammed out Foam, Camel Walk & Esther ever. Or a half hour Reba.

* Ok Undermind & Uncle Pen pretty much have to be here in some capacity if we're using songs they've already done. My fake first set just made me Rock & Roll, Come Together, Twist Around and ride the red red rocket worm from last years stinky old dicks all the way to the walls of the cave.

Why we fuckin love em'!!

Such an incredible experience. Full body chills every time I revisit the YEM, Undermind, Runaway Jim, and Chalkdust from this night. Great memories with all the family. Once realization of the gag was brought forward, trying to speculate on which songs were coming next was a blast. Thank you Phish.

I can't say a whole lot about this show that hasn't already been said ... My buddy Keith and I had to confirm with each other at several points in the show that we hadn't somehow been transported back to 1997. But realizing that we weren't there and couldn't give our 1997 selves some valuable advice for the future we settled back in and soaked up this gem from any era.

Just listened to the tapes, and this is a damn solid show all around. To rate it higher than such gems as the Went or 4/3/98 is a bit too bold for my taste, but all the ingredients for some tasty phish stew are here; subtle (or maybe not) gags, long jams that explore several different genres with one underlying theme (cohesive playing), and a flow that feels as if all the individual pieces are the sum of a whole night of great energy.

That said, I find 9/1 more enjoyable "on tape", mostly because of that soul lifting Light jam. Is there any song since '09 that's seemingly improved more with each try?

Is this first 3.0 show to be on the .net top 5? If so, it deserves it. Musically, this entire show, much like the 10-31-94 YEM, the "Fleezer", and 11-29-97 Jim, completely sums up why I love Phish. This is it.

can someone PLEASE update the show notes to include the rampant and blatant Tomorrow Never Knows jam during Undermind. To ignore this is just plain reckless...it goes on for like 3 minutes and is hardly a "tease".

-cp

What was the funky groove they played during the setbreak on the webcast? Damn, gotta find that.

Once we got in the car to get in the lot, we knew it was on. Little did we know how "on" it really was... From start to finish, this show had creativity out the wazoo along with excellent cohesiveness within the solos and transitions which definitely made this show aside from the setlist antics from the boys.

First Tube: In the opener slot, First Tube didn't really make much sense, but you have to to figure it would take us somewhere. It was excellently played all the way thru. Strong, driving beat that didn't explore much, but was more rock n' roll feely, just to get the ball rolling.

Uncle Pen: I called this song before the show, but after First Tube, it made no sense to me at all (later in the show it made sense). Trey was on it, his intros, verses, and solo molded the Bill Munroe tune into a get-up-and-dance throwdown. The timing between Page and Trey was unfaultering, while Mike and Fishman kept a fast, constant beat with no real bells and whistles.

Carini: Wow!!! Talk about a Carini! Again very unexpected. This monster really got the show rolling in terms of exploration in the jam section. The verses were run thru with ease, but when the jam came, the boys turned it into overdrive and took this Carini down to the depths of darkness, while showing improvisation at the best. Once the darkening jam dissipate, we got a tiny breather, then Trey kicks off....

Kill Devil Falls: This song has grown on me considerably since I first saw it performed in Chicago of '09. This time KDF got aboard the Trey shred mobile and stuck there til it was all said and done. After KDF phans, playing off Page's remark about loving the venue, responded with a "We Love DICK'S!!!" Chant which lasted up to the opening notwa of....

You Enjoy Myself: Awesome song. Weird placement, but something to behold nonetheless. The composed section is run thru flawlessly, timing was spot on. When Trey hits his first solos, he completely destroys them, leaving nothing behind. During the verses, Mike is dropping bass bombs all around while Fishman is playing off all three of them. The jam is driven by Fishman and Page, every drim hit corresponds with with all the notes Page weaves together. Once Mike and Trey are off the trampolines, the two start playing off each other in a very flowing style. Definitely an epic YEM throughout the composed and jam sections. The vocal jam confirmed that all four of the boys onstagw definitely liked Dick's.

Ocelot: At this point in the show, I was definitely jolted from the craziness, which was happening. Ocelot was a welcomed break in the 1st set. It was a nice, slow song which didn't take alot of leaps and bounds, but rather chose the easy, more bluesy route.

Undermind: Undermind definitely continued the chill vibe, laid down by Ocelot. It.was a pretty straightforward and to the point. Good call considering all the "U" songs in their repertoire (At this point, the setlist acrostic read "FUCK YOU") I didn't catch it until set break, but still hadno clue where they were going with it, or how they would get there, setlist wise. Set break definitely had everyone there wondering what would happen next.

After set break, there was much to talk about: the "FUCK YOU" 1st set, 2nd set opener calls, and general talk about.... well... general stuff, but when the lights went down again, it was on, although no one expected what the 2nd set would have to offer.

Runaway Jim: Stopping right at 20:00min, this Runaway Jim showed itself as a jam vehicle which went over the top in many places. It included excellent off-time jamming from all four band members. At the close of the song, they did not return to the Jim theme, but opted to drift ever-so-easily into....

Farmhouse: Farmhouse was a nice sing-along. Trey's two solo breaks were immaculate, soaring through air into the ears of people listening in the crowd. The outro solo was my highlight of the song. It was extended at the end and included what seemed like a 2001 tease, but 2001 was not to happen because they were lookong for an "A" song.

Alaska: I'm not the biggest fan of Alaska, but it was nice to hear after Farmhouse. It kept a good flow all the way from the last 3min of Runaway Jim. This version is pretty standard. Good soloing by Trey, and Page commanded his piano into honky-tonk mode. Mike had some really nifty, little bass line hooks, and Fishman, unchanging behind his kit, held it all together.

Chalk Dust Torture: Trey rips into this CDT and the floodgates are opened for an 18min onalaught of unison and flow between the boys. The veres and the main solo were standard, but very much on point. The jam is a high point of the song, not because it caps off at 18min or so, but because of the boys taking it places only talked about of years past. The improvisation between Trey, Mike, Page, and Fishman in the song again takes the jam into a world of uncharted territory. Some guy I was talking to in the stands made the comment that he hadn't heard playing like this since '97. Anyways CDT dissipates into a rare song which had been on the shelf for some tome.

Emotional Rescue: Good cover for having not played it in over a decade. Nothing special except for Mike singing in that goofy, squeaky voice. After the song is finished, they start up the first bars of the theme for the show.

Fuck Your Face: Starts off in the usual grungy fashion before ending in complete, utter chaos.

Encore

Grind: Good harmonizing all around. They counted how many days they had lived to that point. Each. Then added them all up.

Meatstick: Good encore choice. Why? Because it fits the theme ie
"FUCK YOUR FACE""Grind the Meatstick". Pretty standard version with no flubs. Trey and Mike even joined in the Meatstick Dance in the end.

Walking out of the stadium, I was in complete awe of what had just occurred in the 3hrs previous. Witnessing that reminded me of why I will always try to see them asmuch as possible throughout my life. Left the lot that night and had no worries about the next two nights. The flame was lit, and I was sure it wasn't going out anytime soon.

3.whoa. Here's the video of the 8/31 show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3UZJnLSPDY&index=1&feature=plpp_video

I would say that this was worth the 16 hour solo drive from Austin. I could have gotten back in the car and driven home happy. Thankfully, I didn't.

OK CentralScrutinizer. I'm definitely convinced that you are trolling at this point. Take that Haterade to PhantasyTour.

Posting this a day late, had to try to fully digest what I saw and heard on what was an epic day for me personally as the band was kind enough to play for the very first time in their storied career on August 31st, coinciding with my (insert whatever number you'd like...:-wink) th birthday and throwing me the biggest baddest birthday party that one could ask for, so many friends that traveled in from near and far to share it with me and I couldn't be more thankful for them, my life support system they are...:-smile.

So I could say that I'm naturally biased to say that it was a great show. But bias or no bias, it was a great show. A cunningly crafted masterpiece they put together for the 1st night at Dicks, they fucked my face in the best possible way. Opening with First Tube simply screamed out loud that this was going to be a special show. My first Uncle Pen, as a 3.0 newbie, was kewl. The one song that I wanted to hear out of this run, Carini, was the 3rd song of the set and began the fuck my face festivities in earnest. The KDF completed the FUCK portion and my friends that were more "in the know" were buzzing that something truly out of the ordinary was unfolding before our very eyes and ears. The YEM merely (merely? LOL!) confirmed what the folks had begun to suspect. I had hoped for Ocelot, it speaks directly to me, and lo and behold was another relatively quick repeat but a welcomed one to my ears. And Undermind finished the fucking of my face with one of the most extraordinary and exquisite jams I've ever had the pleasure to witness live.

The buzz during intermission was palpable, joy abounded for what we had witnessed and what was to come.

And when Runaway Jim started the 2nd set, it was approaching critical mass on the pandemonium chart And the following Farmhouse and the ensuring jam after it was simply manna from heaven, the full moon shining brightly on all of us. I personally love Alaska, to me their version of the GD's Tennessee Jed, a fun and rollicking song and this one was no less fun and rollicking. And what to say bout CDT except that it rocked Dick's and me to the core, simply ridiculous. More ridiculous was the Emotional Rescue, obviously my first and to my ears fucking spot-on, Gordon's vocals were tickling my ears in the best possible way. I dare the Stones to perform a better version...:-wink! And then the final Fuck Your Face, the end of the perfect show. Then they stepped away and then back to Grind the Meatstick and my face hurt so much from both being fucked and the smile that permeated from it alllllllllllll nightttttttttttt longggggggggg.

This show alone justified my coming back for some more Dick's after last years Summer-ending run and because I penned this after the Saturday show I can safely say that the fun did not stop on this night and I look forward to today's Summer-ending show. I'm going to guess that it will be pretty good, at the least...:-wink/smile!

My thanks to everybody (especially my beloved peeps, they know who they are) and everything that had to do with giving me the best birthday party that this Phish Phan could have asked for. I walked in with expectations based on last year's run and I'll be returning to NYC on Thursday with my face still hurting with all the smiling from the memories off another memorable and historic visit to Dick's. Yes, I LOVE DICK'S. And so does Phish...

Peace,
Alex

SET I is maybe the best way to introduce this band to a someone who has never heard them. great review. to all the nit-pickers....fuck you, they play what they want....

I would have brought my bread and peanut butter had I known there would be that much jam!

The moment when Cactus abandons the falsetto in Emotional Rescue, Trey fucking loses it....I got *chills* on my couch....check it out

you guy's its hard to see here, but the set actually says fuck your face, up until fuck your face. not fuck you, the r from run away jim is in the "your" the face is from farm house alaska chalk dust, and emotional rescue. just want to clear that up. this show was pure melt, i wish i could of been there but the web cast helped out. Awesome show

How about that runaway jam on Runaway Jim?!? That was mesmerizing! So tight and cohesive throughout the show. I wish I could've been there. Can't wait to hear what they bring to the stage next

To everyone who was saying that Phish was slacking off on the second leg... BOOM! Not anymore with this bombshell! Man oh man, even on the couch this show was red-hot. When I heard the opening of YEM during the first set, I knew this was going to be a great show. The Runaway Jim was magical and with only seven songs during the first set and six during the second... BOOM! Ah, God even after all these years - Phish is still my one and only and will forever bring me love and light.

This will be the best show I've ever and will ever attend. The FUCK YOUR FACE show! The jams were incredible: Farmhouse got so out there the wooks around me thought it would never come back.

Combined with Trey showing off his dance skills (very impressive IMO) and Mike showing off his …erm…best Rolling Stones cover voice, I couldn't wipe the goofy grin off my face the whole night.

Can't wait to see what they bring for me the next two nights. And if we learn anything from this it's: NEVER miss Friday night at Dicks.

This is one of the best jokes the band has ever pulled on their audience.! Classic

So its safe to say that this is the "Fuck You Show!"

Fuck your Face. Grind your Meatstick.

fuck r face!

Absolutely love this show! I would love it even better if they did this again. Maybe with these songs next? (just for fun):

1: Fuego > Under Pressure, Cars Trucks Buses, Keyboard Army -> On Your Way Down, Us and Them

2: Roggae -> Frankenstein, AC/DC Bag > Cavern -> Energy

E: Whats the Use? -> Fuck Your Face

Set I
First Tube 2.75/5
Uncle Pen 2.25/5
Carini 3.75/5
Kill Devil Falls 3.25/5
You Enjoy Myself 4.25/5
Ocelot 3.25/5
Undermind 4/5

Set II
Runaway Jim 4.25/5
Farmhouse 3.25/5
Alaska 3.25/5
Chalkdust Torture 3.75/5
Emotional Rescue 2.5/5
Fuck Your Face 2.5/5

Encore
Grind 2.25/5
Meatstick 2.75/5

Overall-9/10

Meh

Very nice show. They are back.

The setlist is not correct as listed here, however. The author was way to profligate with his/her segue designations. It should be:

Set 1: First Tube, Uncle Pen, Carini, Kill Devil Falls, You Enjoy Myself, Ocelot, Undermine

Set 2: Runaway Jim, Farmhouse, Alaska, Chalkdust Torture, Emotional Rescue, Fuck Your Face

Encore: Grind, Meatstick

There are big outro jams in Runaway Jim, Farmhouse and Chalkdust Torture, so you could conceivable track the second set out as Runaway Jim > Jam, Farmhouse > Jam, Alaska, Chalkdust Torture > Jam, Emotional Rescue, Fuck Your Face, but that sells the underlying songs short; those jams are just seemless improvisational parts of those songs in my view.

I honestly don't see what all the hype is about. The second set can only be described as average at best. Just because Runaway was long doesn't mean it was very interesting. There were 12 minutes of what I thought was meandering, uninspired jamming that after 20 minutes petered out into nothing. No segue to speak of whatsoever. I liked the spin on Farmhouse - no doubt about that. Alaska was tough to sit through -- though mainly because I despise that song (along with Joy). Fair chalkdust, ER an FYF. The Grind-Meatstick thing was clever but other than being cute, were these musically remarkable in any way? I don't believe so.

Very strong first set, let down by the 2nd. 3-stars here.

This was a pretty fun show but didn't capture the magic they're capable of. I'm a huge undermind fan and have been waitin for them to turn one out and this one was explored but i didnt find the jam very exciting or moving. Ditto for te chalkdust jam. It's great they jammed it out and were patient and waited for something to materialize while communication and playing off each other well. But neither jam really went anywhere particularly moving or inspirational or exciting. The dick jokes in fuck your face and grind Meatstick is pretty awesome. I love them so much. But in this show nothing in either set really got me off except triggering my sense of humor which they are great at. Vocal jam, banter and initials of setkist was my favorite part of the whole show but I'm not buying a FLAC show for vocal jams banter and initials of te setlist. I give this show a B. 3/5 stars for humor, creativity and effort. At least they tried. Sounds like some people value the distance they travel into "type 2" jamming away from te song structure but to me that has little value wihout getting someolace really exciting or moving, it has to do more than just be long and far from the "launch pad". It has to get to a jam that, separate from the song structure, could stand on its own as a great piece of original music and none of the jams got there for me on this night although I'm happy theyre trying. A for effort guys. You're the best. Good luck tonight. Break a leg.

Anyone who likes this show is a gay fish.