@elfinito said:

Warning -- a less than glowing review...here comes angry fans, how dare you criticize a show -- you must be a jaded vet!!!

"lost their passion" is a bit absurd. It's sometimes too much passion -- from listening to every note and knowing the extensive history and hearing the infinite possibilities...but also hearing when things are clicking into place in the jams. Passion doesn't have to equal being an uncritical fanboy!! The reviews last tour weer spot-on on almost every show, and critical where they had reasons -- but filled with super high praise when warranted. (yes, there was some pining for that "monster" jam --- but all-in-all, across the board, this site was in love with the 1st leg of Summer 2012)

Your assumptions that they (and listeners like myself) are pining for something of old is simply not true -- in fact something new is what will get me more excited than anything I have heard before.

And, as far as reviewing the music itself, sometimes I appreciate a review from someone just listening. A pure musical review can be tainted by the "experience" (often drug enhanced). I read these reviews as musical reviews...not reviews of the setting, which is wholly subjective, and often based on the cluster of 100 or so people immediately surrounding you.

And last -- the review didn't at all insult the jamming of the "Storage Jam" -- but just pointed out that that style showed up in 2009, 2 years before the Storage Jam, so the reference is a bit misleading.

And you do not have to read reviews here. if you don't like them, and find they do not mesh with your thoughts on Phish -- go read the reviews posted on pother blogs, or on the show link, not phish.net's "Jaded vet" reviews

I think I agree with the original point that you really can't review a show properly if you were not there. It's not even close to the same thing.