I can appreciate all the myriad points of view, but the bottom line is that Worcester was a warm up for Bonnaroo. Phish agreed to do Bonnaroo weeks before their summer plans were solidified and they knew that they needed to do a couple of shows before the Roo to warm up. Take one look at the set-lists for the three and it is patently obvious. Nearly everything played at Bonnaroo was played at Worcester either during the four sets of performance or the sound-checks. And can you blame them? Bonnaroo is a chance to snare new, young fans, and the band knows that their future depends on that. The band was also aware that this show would be internationally webcast, for free, on a website featuring all the bands on the bill, which would certainly attract the attention of fans far and wide beyond the scope of those normally tuned into Phish. They had to put together something for everyone, and it had to be clean and polished, which it was! Overall, Bonnaroo was a great success for the band, and the Worcester warm up was a key component. It ensured that they would be able to perform a show as if they were already on tour for several weeks and not the third show after a five month break. Anyone who thinks that these shows served any other purpose, contrast them to the first real outing of the summer at Bader. The Bader shows were "real" phish shows, for real phans, and were real siiick, especially night 2. This is a smart band. They understand the market and what they have to do to ensure continued success. We might like to think that Phish is above these tactics, but quite frankly they are not... no one is. This is a business and to remain successful only playing 40-60 shows a year requires strategy. You don't get to be a 29 year touring outfit without some careful planning, especially when there were some things that occurred in the history of this band that could have derailed them forever. The fact that 3.0 has been as successful as it has been, despite declining sales (which continue to decline, sadly), is a clear testament to the vision of the band and the success of their public relations and management.

I am a frequent lurker, yet seldom post... my first show was The Clifford Ball.