Previous installments:

Part 1 (HM, #50-41)

Part 2 (#40-31)

Part 3 (#30-21)

Before we jump right in, might as well get this out of the way:

DISCLAIMER: All of this is just one man's very subjective opinion. Feel free to discuss, disagree (gently), and point out anything I may have missed or ignored in the comments. Vive la différence!

NUMBERS 20-11

20. 9/4/11 II, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO

An absolutely grand old time, capped off with one of the era’s finest “Piper”s and that crazy “Guy Forget” bustout in “Ghost”. There’re a few seams showing (“Come Together” is about as rickety as the 9/6/15 “Once in a Lifetime” is), but you won’t notice when you’re hearing those glorious segues or that heart-stopping "Roggae". I’d guess that we’d still have the Dick’s Labor Day tradition even if they hadn't played this exceptional show, but it’s always nice to put your best foot forward, isn’t it?

19. 6/23/12 II, First Niagara Pavilion, Burgettstown, PA

If there’s one trait (among many) that you can see evolve as 3.0 progresses, it’s the number of songs Phish plays between the meat of Set II and the final song, as they’ve grown more and more comfortable with improv in the 4th quarter. They hadn’t quite gotten that comfortable yet in this show; one imagines we’d get a really great “Hood” in 2015 after the monster “Mike’s Groove” (along with the sneaky and charming -> out of "Weekapaug" into "Seven Below") they dropped here, rather than the “Bouncin’”/”Julius” “Set 2 encore” special. Doesn’t make the “Mike’s Groove” any less special, of course, but just a thought. More on that in a bit.*

* Thought I'd drop a note here to mention that while I like the “Mike's” and “Weekapaug” from 8/4/15 more than the versions here (as, probably, everyone else does), I think that the 6/23/12 “Mike's Groove”, as a whole, works together better as a piece, which is why I like this full set more (that, and I really do like “Bouncin'” just fine). This is probably my favorite "Dead in '76/'77" set of the era.

18. 8/15/15 II, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD

If you’re as much of a voracious setlist-reader like I am, setlists like these are manna from heaven – you almost can’t wait to download this show (or hit phish.in these days, or wait for a tape in the old days) just to hear if the playing matches up to the setlist. And with that “46 Days”, “Piper”, and wicked cool “Tweezer” -> “NO2” -> “Tweezer” sandwich, I’d say the playing matches up with the setlist here.

17. 8/31/12 II, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO

And here’s the second half of one of 3.0’s biggest deals. The “Chalk Dust Torture” is probably the finest jam of the set (possibly the show; shoot, maybe the year as well), but I keep finding myself drawn to that ambient jam that ghosts its way out of “Farmhouse”, so close is it to the ambiance of the late-90s. And then “Alaska” barges its way in…

16. 12/31/15 III, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

Recency, schmecency. The staggering “No Men In No Man’s Land” is the closest the band’s gotten to the “Drive-In Jam” since the “Drive-In Jam”, and the run from “Blaze On” through “Bowie” nearly matches it in quality, as well. As with a set like 6/23/12 II, tack on, say, the 10/28/14 “Hood” at the end, and who knows where this sucker might land?

15. 10/28/14 II, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA

Speaking of which! Fall 2014 suffered from feast or famine (much like Summer 2012), but when the band was giving us a feast, we got sets like this one and two more down the line, filled to the brim with truly great music. I said it before, and I’ll say it again: I’d like that “Twist” to be playing when I’m on my deathbed. This, I think, is the range where any of the upcoming sets is a perfectly fine candidate for "best of the era"; the gradations between sets are pretty fine to begin with (the difference between, say, 6/23/12 II and 8/4/15 II isn't that great), but around here they start becoming paper-thin and entirely personal.

14. 11/2/14 II, MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, NV

My choice for the finest “Piper” of the era (that riff from Trey!), my choice for the finest “You Enjoy Myself” of the era (that Drums segment!), and one of 2014’s better “CDT”s (no small feat) add up to a set of remarkable quality. Sorry about “The Line”, everyone.

13. 10/26/10 II, Verizon Wireless Arena, Manchester, NH

I wonder what it says about the fact that the oldest set that I like the most from 3.0 is the truest throwback to the mid-90s of this era (well, this or…), with a classic jam (the “Light”) linked up with crazy antics like a “Makisupa” sandwich, the wild tease-laden “Paug”, and “Llama” exploding out of “Paug”’s back end to close the set and call back Set I as well. Probably nothing.

12. 10/31/14 II, MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, NV

I’d say that, for many folks, the main reason for Summer 2015 turning out the way it did was the “Fare Thee Well” shows and Trey’s remarkable guitar boot camp getting his fingers into a shape they probably haven’t been in for a decade-plus. But, to me, another large reason Summer 2015 was so great is this set, what went into it, and the fact that it showed that the band was still more than ready to take risks and potentially alienate its fans (more than the “Wingsuit” set, I honestly think); Summer 2015 took a fair share of risks, and just about all of them paid off handsomely. Of course, all that means nothing for the purposes of something like this blog entry if the music isn’t great, and the music here is great.

11. 9/2/12 II, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO

I wonder how many of these sets could be considered a candidate for “best set of 3.0 at the time it was played” on this list. This would definitely be one, 11/28/09 II, maybe 10/26/10 II, maybe 8/19/12 II and 9/4/11 II as well. A perfect finale to one of the finest runs of Phish's career.

Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment below, and look forward to Part 5 (the top 10!) on Sunday, March 20!

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In case you missed it:

Part 1 (HM and #50 - #41)

Part 2 (#40-31)

Addressing some comments from Part 2:

1) @RobPJohnson3, I don't disagree that a) Trey has improved from a few years ago and b) 3.0's progress is essentially an upwards arrow on a graph, but I also think that the very top end of every 3.0 year has at least a few shows worth the listen, almost exponentially increasing as each year goes along, and I think that this project essentially captures that. That said, I feel that the baseline for an "average" or even "pretty good" show has risen with each year, and I'd guess that if one actually listened to all 590 sets played in 3.0 and listed them all out (which is an undertaking even beyond my ken), they'd probably find the number of lower-end sets per year decreasing as the years went along as well. Something like 8/14/15, considered a "lesser" show of Summer '15, probably has much more to offer than something like, say, 6/4/09. But that doesn't mean 11/28/09 (a totally random example!) has less to offer than 8/14/15. I hope that makes sense.

2) @ekstewie1441, I don't doubt your understanding of the term "refined" is perfectly sound; what I was trying to say is that 11/1/14 II, to me, improves upon the sort of "shorter jams connected by segues or transitions to create a greater whole" set that 7/27/13 II is. Certainly you don't have to feel that way, especially if you don't think 11/1/14 II is all that great to begin with; I'll look at fourth quarters when deciding which set I prefer, but they generally don't affect my enjoyment of the meat of a set *that* much. But we'll get more into that later. Thank you for the respectful disagreement and the compliment attached.

And, just to make sure we keep things crisp and clean sans caffeine in here:

DISCLAIMER: All of this is just one man's very subjective opinion. Feel free to discuss, disagree (gently), and point out anything I may have missed or ignored in the comments. Vive la différence!

NUMBERS 30-21

30. 12/30/12 II, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

A wonderful multi-part “Disease,” great “Slave” at the end, and that gnarly as hell “Carini” (not to mention the really strong "Hood" in the encore) helped make for one of the era’s finest shows when this was played. That should tell you a lot about the strength of what’s coming ahead, I think.

29. 8/28/12 II, Chaifetz Arena, St. Louis, MO

Five songs strung together with fluid and intelligent segues, with a darned good darkness-into-light “Limb by Limb” immediately afterwards. This is a set that *I’m* not sure I’m not underrating; I loved it so much when it was played.

28. 12/31/13 II, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

I suppose you could argue that this is somewhat in line with the 9/6/15 Encore, which is way the heck lower down. But between the specialness of the occasion, the (mostly) faultless playing, the lovely Trey mini-narration in “Forbin’s,” and a really cool “Reba” on top, I think this one deserves a place among the more improv-laden sets that surround it.

27. 8/31/12 I, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO

The first half of one of 3.0’s biggest deals. A pretty good debate could be had over whether the “Undermind” here or the Magnaball “Bathtub Gin” is the finest Set 1 closer of the era, I think. Maybe I’m wrong.

26. 8/7/09 II, The Gorge, George, WA

8/7/09, as a full show, still holds up as one of the crown jewels of the era. “Light” -> “Taste” is the moment that has stuck with me the longest (that calypso jam!), but the A+ “Gin” at the end is probably the choice for most everyone else.

25. 11/28/09 II, Union Times Center, Albany, NY

I’d guess that this will probably get as many wrinkled noses as how I feel about 9/1/12 II will. I still think 11/28/09 II is an important set – from what I understand, it started to disabuse people of the notion that this incarnation of Phish wouldn’t jam (which, based on the earlier 2009 shows I’ve heard, wasn’t totally unfounded). To me, though, it’s receded a bit in comparison to the rest of the era since it was played. But that’s more about how good 3.0 has been!

24. 10/31/13 III, Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ

One of the finest examples of the band blowing off steam (which they had to have needed after the Wingsuit set). “Ghost” > “Carini” is an absolutely monster duo, and the rest of the set is more than listenable as well. Random note: how many times in this era has "Ghost" served as a sidecar to a monster jam in the same set? 8/29/14 II, 11/28/09 II, this set, 8/21/15 II, 7/20/14 II, 6/7/12 II...pretty interesting, no?

23. 1/3/15 II, American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL

From the moment the first burbling notes of this truly famous “Disease” start up until the rock star close to “Suzy Greenberg,” a set that doesn’t let up for one second. “Sally” is just so much fun, and a reminder that “Sally” needs to be a more frequent member of the rotation.

22. 11/1/13 II, Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ

Paired with the next set for how they serve as opposite sides of the coin. This one’s a pretty good set raised in quality by one jam I consider an all-time classic...

21. 10/29/13 II, The Santander Arena, Reading, PA

…and this one’s a really good set that buttresses a jam that I think is pretty good without quite being elite (although I know that people will disagree with me there). Which one you truly prefer is personal preference, and that’s okay! Phish casts a hell of a wide net. Both of these sets, by the way, neatly sum up why Fall 2013 is one of Phish's almighty tours.

Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment below, and look forward to Part 4 on Saturday, March 19!

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In case you missed it: Part 1 (HM and #50 - #41)

And now, part two! A few quick comments at the top:

1. Thank you all for the comments (and the politeness)! I’m glad to know there’re folks that are enjoying reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it out.

2. As @ucpete mentioned in the comments to the last blog entry, we’re talking “my favorite” 3.0 sets, not “the best” 3.0 sets, and the reason that distinction is important is because the term “the best” (at least, IMO), is something that is a) impossible to quantify and b) really doesn’t exist when we’re talking about something as subjective as art (de gustibus non est disputandum, or to put it another way, “ya likes what ya likes”). As long as we’re all on board with that and nobody’s feelings are getting hurt, I think everything should be gravy.

But just to make sure we’re all on the same page:

DISCLAIMER: All of this is just one man's very subjective opinion. Feel free to discuss, disagree (gently), and point out anything I may have missed or ignored in the comments. Vive la différence!

NUMBERS 40-31

40. 8/5/11 II, The Gorge, George, WA

“Rock & Roll” -> “Meatstick” -> “Boogie On Reggae Woman” would brighten up just about any set they’ve ever played. Throw something else in there to recommend, and we’re looking at about 15-20 higher spots.

39. 12/31/10 II, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

Much like a set we'll get to in a couple spots, a set that’s business in the front and party in the back (or is that like a mullet? I can’t remember). This one would have been much higher circa July 2011 or so. How can you not giggle at the “crab in my shoemouth” vocal jam?

38. 8/21/15 II, Magnaball, Watkins Glen, NY

Not Just The “Bathtub Gin”: The 8/21/15 Story. We need more Phrygian mode!

37. 6/3/11 II, DTE Music Theater, Clarkston, MI

This one would have been much higher circa July 2011, too. Phish has practically turned playing uplifting jams into a science these days, but the “Disease” here still manages to stand out. Really good “Bowie,” too, if you’re of the inclination that they still can play a good “Bowie” these days (now, playing a classic “Bowie,” that's another debate).

36. 8/4/15 II, Ascend Amphitheater, Nashville, TN

Here’s all you need to know about this killer set – the first “Mike’s Song” with a second jam in over a decade, and it was damn near overshadowed (some would omit the "damn near") by the uber-dark “Weekapaug Groove” that closed the set. An absolutely superb “Mike's”/”Paug” duo, probably the finest since 2000 - not that that's a particularly high bar to leap - and one of the most exciting sequences of the year.

35. 7/27/13 II, The Gorge, George, WA

I wrote a good deal about this set here. Random thought: I used to quibble about “Fluffhead” in the 4th quarter, and now I’m sad they haven’t played it in a while, so it’s always possible to see changes in your fandom.

34. 11/1/14 II, MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, NV

A slightly more refined version of 7/27/13 II, which is why I hold it a tiny bit higher in my heart. It’s hard not to love that roar from the crowd when “The Dogs” comes hurtling out of “Light’s” jam, as you can tell they’re still in love with the Halloween costume. The only Halloween 2014-related crowd roar I love more came about two months later.

33. 8/22/15 III, Magnaball, Watkins Glen, NY

This could have been a total throwaway after…well, we’ll get to that, but they still came out and played a killer set of music nevertheless. “Light” and “Blaze On,” in particular, really stand out, but don’t skip that “Mind Left Body”-inflected “Cities,” either.

32. 7/3/11 I, Superball IX, Watkins Glen, NY

A truly charming mix of giddy nostalgia (“Forbin’s” > “Mockingbird”!), strong jamming (for any set), crazy surprises (that “Wilson” > “Mound” duo!), and a grand “Reba” -> “Bowie” to top it off. If only the rest of Superball (“Storage Jam” excluded) had had this much quality to it…

31. 7/24/15 II, Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View, CA

Summer 2015 had only just started, and here they were playing a show of absolutely sterling quality, headlined by a truly killer “Twist” > “Light” duo. Expectations were raised pretty high out of the gate. The wildest thing is that the band actually met them.

Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment below, and look forward to Part 3 on Friday, March 18!

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Welcome to the 215th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday. The winner will receive TWO MP3 codes good for free downloads of any two shows, courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the song and date of the mystery jam clip. Each person gets one guess per day, with the second “day” starting after I post the hint. A hint will be posted on Tuesday if necessary, with the answer to follow on Wednesday. Good luck!

Tuesday hint (11:49 AM ET): You may need to go a camera to figure this one out.

Answer: Congratulations to first-time winner, @TwiceBitten, who takes home two codes for reading right through my hint and identifying the 7/15/94 David Bowie from (Nikon at) Jones Beach Amphitheater on Long Island.

Note: When the MJM started nearly six years ago, @lumpblockclod was able to post a mix of more popular and more obscure jams, and would post much longer clips, sometimes upwards of three minutes. The MJM was great fun becaue it relied on folks' musical memory to win, or searching through their local music archives for things they may've recognized, or maybe they'd pull a few shows from The Spreadsheet if they thought they were going down the right path. This was still the case when @bl002e took over too, but during his tenure, three years ago this week, PhishTracks came out... and it changed the game forever. Now we're firmly planted in the Phish.in' / PhishTracks era, where everyone has every jam at their fingertips, and scanning through dozens and dozens of jams per hour is not only possible, it's routine for many. For that reason, I may be moving the goalposts back a bit in future MJMs. It'll still be the same game at the same time each week, but I'm going to experiment with some new ideas to keep it fresh and make it challenging. First, as a reminder, I am reserving the right to reuse jams that have been used in previous MJMs -- I won't post the exact same clip from a previous MJM, but you may hear a different section of a previously-used jam. Second, I may post multi-part clips, or multiple, shorter segments from the same jam or the same show. Or I may post clips from different shows and ask folks to find what they have in common. I will keep the fundamental objective of the game intact, and it'll still be fun, but I do think we're in a good position to switch things up a bit in the near future. That said, tune in next week for MJM216!

Way back in the heady days of October 2014 (before the Chilling Thrilling Sounds set, the Miami "Disease," Magnaball, and the Mexico run), I put together a list of my favorite sets from the modern era, which can be found here. I’ve updated it a few times since then, and was ready to post the latest version on the forum, but since I’m now technically part of the .net team as a jam chart contributor, I’ve decided to give back to the website that’s given me so much, and am instead putting this latest update on the blog. So here they are: my 50 favorite sets of 3.0, and 11 honorable mentions, presented ten at a time over a series of five blog posts. Up first, the honorable mentions and sets #50 - #41. Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: All of this is just one man's very subjective opinion. Feel free to discuss, disagree (gently), and point out anything I may have missed or ignored in the comments. Vive la différence!

HONORABLE MENTIONS

HM: 9/6/15 Encore, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO

From a jamming perspective, easily the least impressive set (or, well, “set”) here. But from a pure fun, pure humor, and pure emotion perspective? One of the highlights of the whole darn era. And besides, who doesn’t like a good "Keyboard Army"?

HM: 7/12/14 II, Randall’s Island, New York, NY

One of those sets that functions far better as a sum of its parts than it does when taken individually. While the "Carini," "Ghost," and "Harry Hood" from this show are all quite good, there are versions of each that I like more in 2014. But when you put them together, threaded expertly with some “breather” tunes (if one can call "Rock & Roll" a “breather”), into one six-song set of music? Baby, you’ve got a stew going. A sleeper favorite of mine for sure.

HM: 7/30/14 II, nTelos Pavilion, Portsmouth, VA

Ah, forgot about this one, didn’t you? One of the funkiest sets of the modern era, headlined by the third (and the nastiest) of the big July 2014 "Fuegos," but also featuring an actually exciting "Meatstick" and a "Piper" that moves from gruesome to blissful with 3.0’s usual ease. A high-class show from Summer 2014, albeit one sucked under the current of some better-known Summer 2014 shows.

HM: 6/7/12 II, DCU Center, Worcester, MA

One of the era's finest tour openers; maybe a bit left back in the shuffle thanks to the last three years, but still featuring a potent and exciting "Carini" -> "Taste" > "Ghost" > "Boogie On" > "If I Could" run that showed off how much the band had improved to that point. I’m fairly sure people will think I’m underrating this one, and to be honest, I’m not sure that I’m not.

HM: 1/17/16 II, Barcelo Maya Beach, Riviera Maya, MX

The Mexico run has inspired more than enough debate as it is, but I think there’s very little debate on this puppy being the highlight of the three shows, with a "Disease" and "Crosseyed" that both settle into icy late-90s type grooves. A set forever known as the "Shipwreck" set, and a possible portent of a new direction for the band.

HM: 8/7/10 II, William Randolph Hearst Theater, Berkeley, CA

If anyone remembers this set today, they’ll remember it for the monster "Light" (segued into, even!), but it’s put together very well and the "Hood" and "Suzy" are true highlights. One of the top shows of Summer 2010.

HM: 9/5/15 II, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO

I go very hard in the paint for this show, so it pains me to have it here. Dick’s 2015 is often boiled down to its final night, but a set featuring a run of the quality of "CDT" -> "Twist" > "Mercury" > "Light" should not be ignored. "Light," in particular, is the first sign that the "Drive-In Jam" had stuck with the band (we’ll get to another one soon enough).

HM: 10/31/14 III, MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, NV

You can’t blame the band too much for both tiredness and sloppiness after what had come earlier that night, but they still managed a neat "Golden Age," cool segue into "Heavy Things" from "Tweezer," and an absolutely killer "Sand" -> "Tweezer Reprise" to close. A worthy end to one of *those* shows.

HM: 12/28/12 II, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

This "Tweezer" managed to hold the title of “Consensus Best 'Tweezer' of 3.0” for 7 months, but a six-song second set, especially one that features both "Fluffhead" and a very fine "David Bowie," shouldn’t be remembered just for that.

HM: 8/23/15 II, Magnaball, Watkins Glen, NY

Given how many sets in this era mainly gain respect for big jams, for a set whose highlight arguably isn’t its biggest jam (the "Disease") to show up here means that it’s got a lot to sell. And between the big segues, the laugh-out-loud fun of the "Twist," and that gorgeous "What’s The Use?," there’s a lot to sell for sure. Oh, by the way, we definitely haven't seen the last of this run.

HM: 8/9/15 II, Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI

The hardest omission for me; I think it says a lot about 3.0’s top-end quality that a set this good just barely misses my main list. But make no mistake, that "Waves" -> "Tweezer" and "Mike’s Song" triptych is really damn choice. We most definitely haven't seen the last of August 2015, as well.

And now, without further ado, the bottom ten of my top 50 favorite sets of 3.0!

NUMBERS 50-41

50. 6/17/11 II, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Charlotte, NC

As noted in a previous incarnation of this list, almost a history of Phish in reverse – 3.0 punching bag "Number Line," big late-90s jam vehicles with (a stellar) "Rock & Roll" and (pretty good) "Ghost," then the early-90s with "Reba," "Icculus," Fish singing, and "YEM." Just a fun set all around.

49. 12/30/15 II, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

I think people are still bummed about "Ghost" being used as a new song sandwich, but that only really means so much when you’ve got that ridiculous "Gin," multi-part "CDT," and "Paug" -> "WTU?" -> "Paug" to deal with. Don't miss out on the "Waves," either. One of those sets that just bounces from strength to strength.

48. 10/17/14 II, Matthew Knight Arena, Eugene, OR

My favorite tour opener of the era. A truly underrated show, distinguished by another superb "Crosseyed" that led into a lovely Type II "Harry Hood" (one of many from "Hood’s" banner year of 2014), but also featuring a cool "Carini" -> "Plasma" double shot and nifty Type 1.5 "Twist."

47. 10/30/10 II, Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ

Who doesn’t like songs about hobbits and the bedding of fair maidens?

46. 10/26/13 II, DCU Arena, Worcester, MA

The first set from the legendary Fall 2013 tour, probably the pick for 3.0’s finest tour until last year. Most people would consider the big-time "Drowned" as the highlight, but I’ve always been partial to that hip-hop inflected "Light" that serves as its sidecar.

45. 6/27/10 II, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD

The first of a few sets appearing on this list that were played at Merriweather Post Pavilion, which has really established itself as a must-see venue in 3.0 (odd that they’re not returning for 2016), as well as the first of a few sets played at MPP that feature great segues (hint, hint). Who doesn’t love a good teasefest?

44. 7/31/09 II, Red Rocks, Morrison, CO

It’s a bummer that they haven’t been to Red Rocks since, because I consider that run to be the moment where Phish shook off enough rust to begin the upward trend of 3.0. "Drowned" -> "C&P" is a heck of a beast, and "Fluffhead" gets taken for something of a ride, to boot. You can write off a decent amount of 2009, but this (and a few other shows) should convince you to not write off all of 2009.

43. 8/7/15 II, Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, OH

The "Ghost" and "Hood" from this show are both quite sharp, and getting "The Lizards" mid-set is a heck of a treat. But the reputation for this show lies almost entirely in "Chalk Dust Torture" -> "Tweezer," a highlight from a year positively swimming in highlights. A Fall 2013-style set, played in Summer 2015.

42. 6/4/11 II, Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, OH

Funny how this pairing worked out. A true highlight of June 2011 (a somewhat rocky month, to say the least), with some great moments – "Steam’s" debut, an upbeat dance party out of "Sally," a really sweet "Hood" / "Have Mercy" sandwich. Hopefully this show will get more attention in the future.

41. 9/1/12 II, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO

Another set that I think people will say I grievously underrated, to which I say “well, I don’t *love* the "Light," and if you don’t *love* something like the 7/13/14 "CDT," you probably won’t think that set’s all that great, either.” The "Light" IS really good, though, as are the "Caspian" and "Golden Age," so it might just be me.

Go ahead and leave a comment below, and stay tuned for #40 - #31, coming Wednesday, March 16th!

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Welcome to the 214th edition of the Mystery Jam Monday. My good friend Pete had to run off to Florida last minute, and asked me to step into the void. Unfortunately I don't think Pete will be catching the Orlando Stash on this trip, but perhaps he can introduce his kids to the Chilling Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House, since I'm pretty sure the original 1964 record album was published by Disney Records. Anyway have fun Pete, and good luck everyone: The winner will receive an MP3 code good for a free download of any show, courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the song and date of the mystery jam clip. Each person gets one guess per day, with the second “day” starting after I post the hint. A hint will be posted on Tuesday if necessary, with the answer to follow on Wednesday. Enjoy!

Update March 8: And... the referee throws out the yellow flag. We have a couple of technical defaults at play here. The MJM Jury has deliberated, and decided that the fairest course is to call MJM 214 a draw and double the prize for MJM 215. At issue are 1) @sirhotpants correctly guessing the right song, but incorrect version, and then posting a giveaway hint to all others after realizing his mistake; 2) @VanNicky75 picked up on @sirhotpants's clue, but technically, he had already submitted his guess for the day (Tahoe Tweezer, which, while it may have been in jest, is a guess nonetheless). Pete and I are NOT counting this as a win for the blog, as the 8/21/87 McGrupp was correctly identified by the users. But it's not being counted as a loss either. It's simply not being counted. Next week's winner will receive two free download codes.

Guys and Gals - We just want to remind you all of a couple of fairly simple rules: 1) you get one guess per day; day 2 begins AFTER a hint is posted; and 2) if you figure out the answer after you make a guess, please don't spoil it by posting something that gives the answer away to others, like the case this week. That's it. MJM 215 will be back as usual next week. Thanks again to Pete for letting me host. I had fun watching many you try to tree a Possum that wasn't there.

Welcome to the 213th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday. The winner will receive an MP3 code good for a free download of any show, courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the song and date of the mystery jam clip. Each person gets one guess per day, with the second “day” starting after I post the hint. A hint will be posted on Tuesday if necessary, with the answer to follow on Wednesday. Good luck!

Answer: Congrats to first-time winner @12_29_97_4eva, who quickly identified the 8/11/09 BDTNL from Toyota Park in Bridgeview, IL, and takes home a code for a free download of any show from LivePhish. Who knows, maybe he'll choose the best show from the 1997 NYE run, 12/30/97! Tune in next Monday at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET for MJM214 – write it down, just don't miss an MJM.

Welcome to the 212th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday. The winner will receive an MP3 code good for a free download of any show, courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the song and date of the mystery jam clip. Each person gets one guess per day, with the second “day” starting after I post the hint. A hint will be posted on Tuesday if necessary, with the answer to follow on Wednesday. Good luck!

Answer: In case you haven't been paying attention, we have another MJM savant on our hands: @schvice is taking the game by storm in winning four of the past seventeen, and is now more than halfway to emeritus status. But don't be fooled: he doesn't just have a good ear and a solid memory, he works at it, scanning dozens of jams to find the needle in the haystack. That's what it takes to win in the PhishTracks / Phish.in' age of the MJM. This week he correctly identified the 9/24/00 Cities from the Target Center in Minneapolis, a jam you don't often hear mentioned in "awesome jam" discussions, but a jam that deserves 19+ minutes of your attention nonetheless. With the tour opener in St. Paul this year, don't be surprised to see Kevin Shapiro (@shapsio) throw this beauty on Live Bait Vol. 12!

Natalie Cressman (part of the Trey Anastasio Band) and Mike Bono have graciously written and recorded a song about music education for the Mockingbird Foundation, for which we are extremely grateful and which we are excited to debut. Hear the track on Soundcloud, or via the following frame. Lyrics follow below the fold.

TEACH ME

I never knew quite how to turn the noise around
To cast a meaning glow, to paint with sound

Help me spin the trials of my heart into good
Into potent tunes, easily understood

To speak my mind without a word
Cascades of sound you've never heard
To sing my story clear as a bird
All I need is you to teach me

Tones with truth reach past any one tongue
Felt and repeated by everyone

Shape and build me up note by note
Bring my ear to blossom with all you wrote

I'll speak my mind without a word
Cascades of sound you've never heard
I'll sing my story clear as a bird
All I need is you to teach me

Standing on your shoulders I see
All that was out of reach

What you give, all you pass on,
Bring journeys that never cease

I'll speak my mind without a word
Cascades of sound you've never heard
I'll sing my story clear as a bird
All I need is you to teach me

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Welcome to the 211th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday. The winner will receive an MP3 code good for a free download of any show, courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the song and date of the mystery jam clip. Each person gets one guess per day, with the second “day” starting after I post the hint. A hint will be posted on Tuesday if necessary, with the answer to follow on Wednesday. Good luck!

Tuesday Hint:

Answer: It came down to the wire, but in the end @mickeyjoe86 was able to identify the 7/27/03 Prince Caspian as this week's mystery clip and will take home a code for a free show download. The Blog takes some solace in knowing that every time Phish plays Prince Caspian, dozens of you will now think of that random fleet-footed ballplayer whose cards I had as a kid and whose name popped into my head the first time (and every time since) I heard the lyrics to Prince Caspian. Oooooooooddibe McDowell'd again! Alas, the Blog does not like getting Fuckerpants'd by the users, so the Blog will be back next week with another deep cut (and hopefully, another hint) for MJM212.

Pretty much anyone who was in New York City on 2/12/06 remembers that day. The vast majority of NYC’s 8+ million inhabitants probably remember the record setting blizzard that dumped nearly 27 inches of snow in Central Park. For the 2,800 lucky souls who spent the evening a few blocks west at the Beacon Theater, the blizzard is only the second most memorable part of that day. More memorable is the outstanding Phil & Friends show with Trey sitting in for the entire show in place of Barry Sless.

I was lucky enough to be tipped off that morning that Trey would be sitting in. Somehow, great seats were still available on Ticketmaster. After pulling an Orchestra Row M, I set off to make the journey from the East Village to the Upper West Side.

Most folks in attendance were probably expecting a “snow” song to kick things off, but instead the band got right down to business with a nice run through of “Help” > “Slip” > “Franklin’s.” While this version doesn’t hold a candle to the Warfield ‘99 version with Page and Trey (the “Franklin’s,” in particular, is a bit ragged), it was still a great way to get things started. After an enjoyable version of The Band’s “Up on Cripple Creek,” we got the real meat of the first set. Typically, it’s a bad sign when the trio of “They Love Each Other” -> “Cold Rain & Snow” -> “Loose Lucy” form the highlights of a set. Not the case here, though. “TLEO” is downright hosey. Trey’s first solo veered into “I Know You Rider” territory, while the jam out of the final verse headed into a version of “Cold Rain & Snow” that simply did not need vocals.

After “Loose Lucy” we got one of the real treats of the set, a stunning version of “Buckets of Rain,” the last track from arguably Dylan’s greatest album, Blood on the Tracks, featuring Trey and Joan Osborne delivering tandem vocals and Larry Campbell on mandolin. A second consecutive Dylan cover in "All Along the Watchtower" closed the set.

Set II opens with a typically great version of "St. Stephen" (although check out the 6/30/06 version to hear Trey really launch this tune into the stratosphere). Next up is a Ryan Adams cover, "What Sin Replaces Love." At the time it seemed odd placement for this quiet song, but Phil knew what the rest of us didn't: the next hour was going to be straight psychedelic fire.

"Cryptical Envelopment" started up and the musical ideas flow like wine. At times Trey takes the lead, other times the jam is driven by Phil, still others Trey and Larry trade licks. Is that a "Cosmic Charley" jam? Over 22 minutes, the jam ebbs and flows but never bores, finally resolving into "Dark Star." Before long, "Dark Star" threatens to turn spacey when things take an unexpected turn as Larry Campbell picks up the violin -- during "DARK STAR." It completely works, though, and soon Trey is locked into Larry's violin. Phil steers the band into a unique version "The Other One" proper interspersed with fiery leads from Trey and Larry's continued fiddle work. The second verse of "Dark Star" is next and Larry finally returns to his guitar as he and Trey put the finishing touches on this 55-minute excursion.

No rest for the wicked, though, as "Eyes of the World" follows, one of the songs conspicuously absent from the '99 Phil & Phriends shows. "Eyes" is a fairly short version, sadly without the '73-'74 coda. Next up is "GDTRFB," a song that was hinted at during the preceding "Dark Star" / "Other One" madness. A perfunctory "Gimme Shelter" closed out the set. "Wolfman's Brother" appeared in the encore slot, the fourth (and, to date, final) time Phil has performed the song with a member of Phish. A bonus "In the Midnight Hour" sent everyone home happy.

The natural impulse, for Phish nerds anyway, is to compare this show to the other Phil & Friends shows with Trey. This is one case where I wouldn't make those comparisons. First off, those April '99 shows were magical. Most shows, including most Phish and Dead shows will pale in comparison. Second, this show was simply different. It doesn't have the same telepathic peaks that Kimock/Anastasio hit repeatedly over the Warfield run, nor does it have Page McConnell on piano. But what it does have is plenty: "Cold Rain & Snow" with Trey's guitar on lead vocals, a delicate "Buckets of Rain" and, of course, 55 minutes of Rolling Thunder with a fiddle.

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Welcome to the 210th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday. The winner will receive an MP3 code good for a free download of any show, courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the song and date of the mystery jam clip. Each person gets one guess per day, with the second “day” starting after I post the hint. A hint will be posted on Tuesday if necessary, with the answer to follow on Wednesday. Good luck!

Answer: Sometimes on Monday evening, the Blog gets excited that folks are way off base with their guesses, and scrambles to think of a hint. This... was not one of those weeks. By identifying the 10/30/85 Skippy the Wondermouse a mere 17 minutes after the clip was posted and before anyone could even muster a guess, @highhat goes back-to-back, earning his second code in less than a week. Do we have another MJM savant on our hands, or did he just catch lightning in a bottle? Find out Monday, on the next episode of MJM...

This guest post is written by Michael Mastroianni, user SimpleMike.

We’re into 2016, between tours and with plenty of time to reflect on the music we’ve enjoyed for the past 7 years. Instead of focusing on the great jams of the “3.0 era,” we turn our attention to the data in hopes of revealing what has become the band’s unspoken preferences of what to play and when.

The following analysis is restricted to the 285 shows between 2009 and 2015, since I think these years essentially comprise modern Phish and, in all probability, patterns prior to 2009 would be different and less relevant to make current predictions than those in the present, so-called “3.0 era.”

Set Bias

Are there certain songs Phish prefers to play during set 1? Similarly, are there certain songs Phish usually reserves for set 2? The graphs below show the top 20 songs by number of plays where the dominating set represents at least 80% of the shows in which the song was played. In other words, the graph for set 2 shows the top 20 songs with a set 2 bias, i.e., songs that were played in set 2 in at least 80% of the shows they were played in. "Tweezer," for example, was played in 80 of the 285 shows (28% of the shows). Only 10 of these were played during set 1.

It is interesting that “Divided Sky,” “Funky Bitch,” “Lawn Boy,” “Gumbo,” “Poor Heart,” “Ya Mar,” “Foam,” “Train Song,” “Alumni Blues,” “My Sweet One,” “Brian and Robert,” “Beauty of a Broken Heart,” “Vultures” and “Crowd Control” have only been played in Set 1 since 2009. Similarly, “Piper,” “Golden Age,” “Crosseyed and Painless,” “Waves” and “Drowned” have only been played in Set 2 since 2009. (Note, however, that I have excluded encores and any third sets.)

Transitions

What are the most common song transitions? I restricted my analysis to only include sets 1 and 2, and to consider one song following another within the same set as a “transition.” I also only examined transitions that occurred in at least 6 shows. The graph below shows these top transitions in descending order:

Some transitions are no surprise to see, of course, but it did surprise me that “Harry Hood” has led into “Cavern” so frequently. Similarly, “Down with Disease” into (or followed by) “Free” isn’t something I would have anticipated to have occurred in so many shows.

I visually examined a heat map of the “transitions” and their frequencies and there were virtually no patterns to be found. With the exception of the “transitions” shown in the graph above, there were mostly just a scattering of equally frequent events. This shows that Phish truly finds a way to make these happen on the fly. They do not pick certain songs that are easier to transition between seamlessly.

Predicting Songs During the Show

You have almost certainly been at a show and wondered, if they play song X, then what song (Y) will I most likely hear later on in the show? If I hear “grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, bum bum bum …” then will I hear my favorite song “You Enjoy Myself” in the same show? It turns out that the answer is “most of the time.” I calculated every probability for every pair of songs played from 2009 to 2015 and collected the most relevant for you.

In the table below, “Likelihood” is the chance that the second song listed in each row in the “Implication” column will be played during the show at some point before or after the performance of the first song listed in the “Implication” column (e.g., the actual timing of the song’s appearance in the show is not considered, which is why you’ll see that “Tweezer Reprise” implies that “Tweezer” will be played, even though “Tweezer Reprise” would never precede “Tweezer” in the show). “% of Shows With Antecedent” is the portion of shows during the 2009-2015 period in which the first song was played (ie. “Weekapaug Groove” was played in 27% of the shows and “Mike’s Song” was played in every one of these shows). The higher this percentage, the more likely the information in this table will be relevant to you at a future show, so keep it handy. The lower this percentage, the more likely that the information is coincidental (However, note that 4% here is at least 10 shows):

Other Useful Observations

The following also applies to shows between 2009 and 2015:

Most frequent set 1 openers: “AC/DC Bag,” “Kill Devil Falls,” “Chalk Dust Torture,” “Sample in a Jar,” “Runaway Jim,” “Crowd Control”

Most frequent set 1 closers: “Run Like an Antelope,” “David Bowie,” “Character Zero,” “Walls of the Cave,” “Suzy Greenberg”

Most frequent set 2 openers: “Down with Disease,” “Rock and Roll,” “Chalk Dust Torture,” “Carini,” “Crosseyed and Painless,” “Golden Age,” “Mike’s Song,” “Drowned,” “Backwards Down the Number Line,” “Tweezer.”

Most frequent set 2 closers: “You Enjoy Myself,” “Run Like an Antelope,” “Slave to the Traffic Light,” “Character Zero,” “Weekapaug Groove,” “Harry Hood”

Most frequent encore songs: “Tweezer Reprise,” “Loving Cup,” “Character Zero,” “Good Times Bad Times,” “First Tube,” “Sleeping Monkey,” “Suzy Greenberg,” “Show of Life,” “Julius,” “A Day in the Life”

Closing

It would appear, from all of the juicy results above, that we can make some solid predictions at our next show. It is true. I calculated the results in the Predicting Songs During the Show section above halfway through Saturday’s (1/16/16) show and correctly predicted not only that “Harry Hood” would close the second set, but that “Character Zero” would be the encore.

Despite some successful predictions, the most glaring property of the data was the chaos within it. This study looked at 285 shows. Among these 285 shows there were 99 unique set 1 openers, 60 unique set 1 closers, 68 unique set 2 openers, 52 unique set 2 closers and 102 unique songs played in encores. Phish evidently makes an effort to surprise us with the opening song of each show. Furthermore, 57% of the shows contained a song that was only played in 1 or 2 shows throughout all 7 years. Hats off to our favorite band for making every show special!

Good luck calling songs at your next show, but don’t blame me when they open with “Mexican Cousin.”

Happy touring,
Michael Mastroianni

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Welcome to the 209th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday. The winner will receive an MP3 code good for a free download of any show, courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the song and date of the mystery jam clip. Each person gets one guess per day, with the second “day” starting after I post the hint. A hint will be posted on Tuesday if necessary, with the answer to follow on Wednesday. Good luck!

Clue (11:30 AM ET): A ten song second set? Well, it certainly ended on a high note!

Answer: A moral victory for the blog this week, making it to the second day, but first time winner @highhat takes home a code good for a free show download from LivePhish.com. Tune in next week for MJM210!