Have you noticed that Phil keeps a pained expression on his face while he plays now? Its like frozen on for hours!!!!!

I see Phil smiling a whole lot when he plays. Especially when the music is going well. When Jeff lays down something nice Phil's smile becomes radiant.

nycdave wrote:


Thats probablly a smile Dave. It just looks like he is in pain. It is constant though. Never used to be.

Pained no, smiling yes and sometimes it seems like he is counting, I'm not a musician but does that mean he is going through scales?

I don't know about scales. If he's counting it might have something to do with the tempo. Or he could just be listening very carefully to the music. Even in Furthur he's still largely the one who's directing the jams. That said, I see him smiling quite a lot lately. Looks to me like he's really enjoying himself.

I heard its in response to the talkers. "oh, the music is playing. we just have to talk louder now."

Phil's expression can best be described as "ecstatic concentration"; orgasmic even. The only pain he's feeling is maybe a touch of arthritis in his hands or the knowledge that he MAY not be doing this for 45 more years.