By the way, I am intentionally writing without having listened to the recordings because I want to only go by my memory of the shows as I experienced them.
The first show started promising enough, with the first-ever "Free" opener, but my seats, which seemed good on paper - aisle seat on the 100 level, directly across the arena with a clear sightline - ended up becoming an annoyance. I thought the aisle seat would mean a little extra dancing room, but it turned out to be the opposite. I was next to entrance to the concession stands, so every one coming in and out of the walkway kept bumping into me...or crashing into me as the set continued. Eventually, the whole aisle was full of people just standing there, crowding the space where others were trying to walk in and out, leading to more pushing and shoving. Finally, after getting beer spilled on me from a particularly drunken, clumsy fool, I had had enough. I plotted a move for the second set.
As for the music, well, it was hard to say. The sound was so-so all the way across the arena. There may have been great jams in "Stash", "Kill Devil Falls" and "Bathtub Gin" (though I do recall being impressed with the latter). I also recall "Glide" being redeemed for me after the last time I heard it, at the Coventry festival in 2004.
"Possum" was played for what seemed to be the billionth time last year, which was bad because I had seen it so often, but good because they have gotten so darn great at playing it as a result. I do remember a time back in the late 90s when my friends and I referred to "Possum" as "Roadkill".
It was a nice treat to see Phish play "The Ballad of Curtis Leow" again, "Contact" and "Sample in a Jar" were fun (always nice to see the fans do the arm-waving in the former), and for some reason, I recall "Cities" being a highlight with a post-song jam.
Determined to find a better seat, I roamed the arena during set break. The band started up again and every so often, I would emerge from the walkways and into the arena in a new spot while Phish played "Birds of a Feather" and "Carini". Were they any good? I wish I could tell you.
I went upstairs to the 300 level and finally found my spot. It was high up, a the end of the walkway, but almost next to Fish side where the giant PA speakers were hung. There were fans packed in the seats, but in the alcove, Gate 77, there were a dozen or so people dancing and having a ball without the stage even being visible.
I have learned something about Phish shows - to hear, dance, and be around good people with good vibes trumps being able to see.
As I danced with my fellow revelers to "Tweezer", "My Friend My Friend", an absolutely incredible "Rock and Roll", and a fantastic "Harry Hood", I recalled the set from Super Ball IX in which I boogied my ass off near the colored lights on the sidelines to "Golden Age", not seeing the stage at all, but hearing and feeling it in such a profound way.
Even the shaky "NICU" and the standard "Bouncing Around the Room" (which always draws groans from other longtime fans) had an air of fun and happiness in my little world of Gate 77. The huge ending of "Bug" which I have always loved as a set closer (Big Cypress, It, and Coney Island come to mind) was perfect.
Topping it off with a three-song encore of "Tube" funk, "Rocky Top" bluegrass, and "Tweezer Reprise" climax sealed the deal that the show would in fact, leave a good impression on me, despite the first set troubles.
So what makes a good Phish show? Clearly, it takes more than the band. They could be playing their best, but the fans, the environment, the sound quality, and the vibe are what make it. Otherwise, we would all just listen to the recordings, wouldn't we?
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