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Honorable Mentions 1-5 (no order)

Charleston 2022—expectations weren’t high enough, shows weren’t bad enough

Fenway 2009—Getting all the jamming songs w/ no jams was disturbing but still a fun time

Fillmore 98—Hard to be too disappointed when the show was so unobtainable/unknown to most

Curveball—Tough call but I left this off to make room for another

9/27/95 Cal Expo—One of the worst shows ever. Mild expectations bc of venue/GD connection but not enough

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Honorable Mentions 6-10 (no order)

2/24/03 Meadowlands—terrible show, terrible guest. Neither had much hype

7/3/16 SPAC—Just missed the cut

12/12/97 Albany—S2 setlist was a disappointing war crime for first Knick show since 12/9/95, but this show is really good

8/5/17 Boston Creme—Missed the cut despite some putrid setlist calls on a hyped BD night

Dicks 2015 1st 5 Sets—First time Dicks was a true disappointment but then that DWD & encore. Apology accepted.

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#40 12/15/95 Philly Spectrum

First Spectrum show. Trey’s hometown venue. Epic tour loaded with epic improv. The centerpiece of the second set? A brutal rotation jam.

For many fans, this was their first show, and it holds a special place in their hearts. Too bad the band members didn’t stick to the instruments they know how to play to leave some lasting musical memories.

You might think this is harsh. And maybe it is. Blame Fall 95 for setting the bar high.

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#39 Dicks 2017 Saturdays & Sunday

After slaying the Baker’s Dozen, the no repeats restrictions came off, and Phish played a show for the ages on Friday, 9/1/17, at Dick’s.

Fans braced themselves for an epic 3 nights, but something happened at setbreak on Saturday. 3 meh sets followed. The band either ran out of gas or ran out of fucks. Too bad, because the #Phish who showed up on Friday played like they wanted to conquer the world.

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#38 10/24/14 The Forum, Los Angeles

Did you hear MSG bought the Forum and spent millions renovating it into a concert palace? Yeah, man. Phish’s first indoor show in LA in 10+ years. They’re gonna slay!

Well…

The show was pretty strong from DWD on. But after that first set and the 555 > BDTNL dagger of an opener, it didn’t matter. Jimi Hendrix could have risen from the dead and not saved it. At least LA fans will get more Forum shows in the coming years…

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#37 9/14/11 Essex Junction, VT

First hometown show since 3/18/97 Flynn (Essex might as well be Burlington).

What would they do? Old school throwdown? Local special guests? A nod to their Burlington roots in some manner, right?

How about a very average setlist with very average play? I wonder how many fans called in favors, paid through the nose, or did despicable things to get in?

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#36 12/30/95 MSG

Bet you didn’t expect to see this one here? I didn’t either. As a wide-eyed n00b, I LOVED this show at the time. I paid no attention to the Caspian opener, mid-second set Mule, and complete lack of type II improv in ::checks date:: December 95.

I might be pushing it a bit with this show in the top 40, but this night single-handedly keeps 1995 from having the best Holiday Run ever. It deserves a call out.

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#35 12/3/19 The Met, Philadelphia

Unlike other rare small venue shows of the last 20 years, this one occurred mid-tour and in prime Phish country. It was hyped to no end being a special event for SiriusXM and broadcast live on Phish Radio.

While this show is average for Fall 2019, the broadcast mix and compression from Sirius were so terrible that the only word to describe how the show sounded was “ass.” A laugh-filled letdown for tens of thousands listening.

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#34 10/16/96 Lake Placid

First show since the Clifford Ball at an intimate arena only a two-hour drive from Burlington, VT. Can’t miss!

It missed. Commonly cited as “worst show I ever saw” by fans in attendance, this night set the tone for an underwhelming Fall 96 swing that still plagues that tour’s reputation to this day.