Rote and predictable? The only thing rote and predictable to me is the constant penchant for old Heads to look down their proverbial noses at anything that goes on these days with the band. Why is everything always measured against '97? (I'm not a newbie by the way....I'm the same age as the boys and been a fan for years). IMO, a lot of the jamming in '97 is underdeveloped in sophistication compared to what they're doing today. Phish today is a like aged whiskey........I smell it coming through the speakers...they are consummate pros and masters in their field. I think, honestly, that a lot of phans are simply nostalgic and as the years go by y'all forget the duds and misfires and only remember the magic. There's a lot of magic coming from these guys now, and quite consistently. Besides, I personally like the way their sound has evolved and matured over the years. Even on "average" nights, they are never hard on the ears, and I appreciate that. THE SHOW ITSELF IS HUGE. Agree with most of the above....Tweezer was masterful. My only criticism of the boys these days is that they're not on the road long enough. They need to get greasy and worn out and then the jams will take off in more interesting directions. I think any predictability they show is a result of not enough time on the road together.