@ColForbin said:

Does this mean I think Phish should hang it up and quit playing? No way - there have still been moments in 3.0 that live up to the best of what 1.0 and 2.0 have to offer. But for me there are way fewer, and that's where my disappointment (after the fact, not in the moment) with the direction of the band comes in. Maybe it's unfair to the band and myself as a fan to feel this way, but I'm not going to pretend I don't. And I know I'm not alone.

Again (and more pointedly) -- your evaluative language is directed at the music, but it's really referring to your own feelings. It's not particularly important that you're disappointed with the band's direction: the point is that (again with the aspirational talk) we could all instead just work on not being disappointed at all.

As to hearing new-to-me Phish: the next show I download will be the next show. That's the whole point for me, at this point (in my own fandom).

Back later. Gotta watch Community!