The Verdict:
The absolute highlight of the third night in Miami is the "Weekapaug Groove," and it's one of my favorite jams in a long time. But the fact remains that if you take that jam away, this show becomes a clunker on the level of 1/1. The "Mike's" > "46 Days" combo that leads up to the "Groove" gets a little bit out there, but the only reason it's worth mentioning is precisely because it leads into such a great jam. The rest of the show, frankly, is in average-great territory.
I say this not because I enjoy dissing Phish shows; I don't, and I actually really enjoy the opposite. But, in the corners of the internet where I read about Phish, at least, this run was talked up as the run, and so I guess I was a little excited about the idea of a better-than-usual SF run, followed by an incredible Halloween run, followed by an even-better NYE run. But the reality is that the middle of this run, at least, is run-of-the-mill, save for the first half of this show's second set. It is, as I say below, a good '11 or '12 show at best. Trey pushes the band through a decent first half of S1, but then when he falls back, nobody else steps up to fill the gap. The "Groove" is great, but immediately after the band enters jukebox mode and stays there for the rest of the night. I don't know if this makes it better or worse that 1/3 is just amazing.
The Live Review:
1/2/15: N3 in Miami starts off with a REALLY muted Free.
1/2/15: That was probably the tiredest-sounding version of Free I've heard in a long time.
1/2/15: In response, Trey calls for Moma Dance, the ultimate deck-clearer.
1/2/15: They're audibly pulling it together throughout the course of this Moma. Nice to hear.
1/2/15: Possum in the three-slot, and at this point the band is sounding like its usual self.
1/2/15: Trey has been soloing basically since the beginning of the song (including under Mike's vocals). It's interesting.
1/2/15: Roggae!
1/2/15: Trey leading early in the jam with a long melodic solo. Mike picking up with accents on the melody.
1/2/15: Roggae jam stays Trey-centric until the final build. Nice version, > Stash.
1/2/15: Really compact Stash, also almost entirely Trey-led.
1/2/15: This set is much better than the opening Free indicated, but it's improved b/c of Trey just taking over everything so far.
1/2/15: Moma, Possum, Roggae, Stash is a great run of songs, but I'd like to hear the rest of the band a little more.
1/2/15: That said, Trey driving isn't such a bad thing when he's playing so damn well. He's currently dominating BOTT, now.
1/2/15: Sugar Shack! The ultimate test of Trey's ability to play ahead of the rest of the band :)
1/2/15: On a scale of 'Disaster' > 'Uncomfortably Awkward' > 'Charming' > 'Good' > 'Legitimately Well Done,' that was Uncomfortably Awkward.
1/2/15: You're not going to win me over with the second half of a set that's BOTT, a rough Sugar Shack, The Line, Ocelot, and Coil.
1/2/15: Would prefer this set to have just been Moma, Moma, Possum, Possum, Roggae, Roggae, Stash, Stash, Coil.
1/2/15: I guess.
1/2/15: Let's just roll this set into the lackluster 1/1 show and move on for 1/2 S2 and all of 1/3, shall we?
1/2/15: Wow. Trey just absolutely butchered The Line outro solo. I mean, like, it sounded like me when I take a solo. That bad.
1/2/15: I mean, it's not a huge knock against the show or anything, 15 seconds or so of music, but it just surprised me.
1/2/15: Ocelot contains a pretty intense rock peak after a few minutes of the usual Ocelot-style jam. Worth a listen.
1/2/15: I think someone just yelled 'Take your clothes off!' on the SBD, after Ocelot. #crowdbanter
1/2/15: I'm not sure who I hope they're talking about. Page, I guess? Fish? #crowdbanter
1/2/15: Neat interplay between Trey and Page in the Coil outro. Crowd responds with a roar.
1/2/15: Pretty sure someone just screamed 'Thunder Road!' at the beginning of S2 on the SBD. #crowdbanter
1/2/15: That would be a HILARIOUS and amazing cover to bust out. #crowdbanter
1/2/15: The big question is, who does the vocals? #crowdbanter
1/2/15: Trey's guitar playing that outro horn line would probably be just about the best thing ever. #crowdbanter
1/2/15: Okay, so Mike's to open the second set. Good?
1/2/15: Immediately a bit of a funk swing feel to the Mike's jam. I'm liking this.
1/2/15: A lot like the Dick's Mike's, but a little heavier, if that makes any sense.
1/2/15: That was a really hot version and multifaceted. I hate to say 'for 3.0,' but, you know, when it comes to Mike's...
1/2/15: 46 Days next. Really fast tempo.
1/2/15: Loops coming in during the 46 Days jam.
1/2/15: Mashup of plinko and Manteca-style jamming now.
1/2/15: Quick synth breakdown, then Fish-led, sort-of -> Groove.
1/2/15: Clav mania ensues immediately in the Groove.
1/2/15: Really kinetic Groove jam. Trey is putting down some excellent '14-style chording.
1/2/15: Woo jam bit. I can feel people who hate fun cringing.
1/2/15: THEY ATTACK
1/2/15: Second Weekapaug jam! Loop city, Fish has a fantastic beat going.
1/2/15: No idea what's going on now, but someone who isn't Trey is playing the guitar. I imagine it's Mike. Someone's on the marimba.
1/2/15: Definitely watching this on YouTube later.
1/2/15: That was awesomely weird, but also never stopped being a legitimately quality jam. Wow.
1/2/15: Fuego after that fantastic Mike's Groove.
1/2/15: Fuego goes the usual jam-on-the-riff-to-ambient-fade route, although it almost sounded like it was going to -> Slave at one point.
1/2/15: Oh. Well, after the song ends, we get a > Slave instead. I guess that's almost as good.
1/2/15: Standard take on Slave > chordy 2001.
1/2/15: Walls set closer!
1/2/15: That was definitely a Trey Shredz, set-closing Walls, and not a normal Walls. Rock and roll!
1/2/15: Sleeping Monkey encore!
1/2/15: Okay, Rocky Top is a perfect follow-up to Sleeping Monkey for the encore.
1/2/15: Weird show in general, though. Hot/cold S1, no surprise songs or jammed tunes.
1/2/15: S2 Mike's Groove is incredible, the rest of the show is pure jukebox. Almost like a really good '11 or '12 show, here.
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