Welcome to the 195th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday. The winner will receive an MP3 download 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!

Hint (Posted 2015-08-11 12:05 pm): Smoke 'em if you got 'em.

Answer: Congrats to @WayIFeel, who IDed the 11/19/98 Gumbo, played in Winston-Salem.

Phish’s summer 2015 tour wrapped-up a two-night stand on Sunday at Wisconsin’s massive, sprawling venue on the steepest hill in all of rock and roll, the Alpine Valley Music Theatre. My friend and colleague Parker Harrington did a spectacular job setting the Alpine Valley scene in his recap of Saturday’s show, and there is a lot to cover from this edition of “never miss a Sunday show” so let’s cut right to the action from the bunny hill in the corn fields.

The band kicked off the gig at 7:45 with “The Very Long Fuse” from Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House, the first performance of the song since the 10/31/14 debut in Las Vegas. This was one of the tunes from that set that was seemingly a long-shot to appear again in the repertoire, given the centrality of the theatrics in the first performance with the laser “cutting” a hole in the haunted house set, ultimately revealing the band. Surprising though this may have been, it was but a hint of what was to come. Instead of exposing the haunted house, “The Very Long Fuse” would instead create a huge explosion to reveal… Colonel Forbin!

Photo © @tweeprise

The first “Colonel Forbin’s Ascent” since the MSG “Truck Your Face” set from 12/31/13 (57 shows), this edition would offer one of the more hysterical chapters in the ongoing Gamehendge saga: The Bird Shit Narration. We here at phish.net are rather fond of “Fly Famous Mockingbird” – in addition to it being a delightfully weird and simultaneously beautiful song, it’s eponymous character is the namesake of the non-profit foundation that sponsors this site. The narration is simply too good not to include in its entirety.

Trey: “Thanks everybody. I’m not much of a talker these days, but I used to be when I wouldn’t shut up for fifteen minutes at a time. I will say this, when we stay at Alpine Valley here, some of us, sometimes all four of us, we sleep in the parking lot right back there, I sleep in the parking lot when we play here. I woke up there this morning, it was pretty cool, I got up and put my headphones on, I was listening to a mix tape, and I got to walk around the venue out there. I walked around all morning, we never, the four of us had never really been out there. We always see you guys from this perspective and you always see us from this perspective. It was really fun this morning to walk around, and I walked around and I walked all the way up there, and up where that guy who is waving his arms is, which is like on the peak of that hill, and it is so beautiful from up there, you can see over the top of the venue, and I was also really loving that tree right there, so this is a special shout to the people by the tree, you guys are all waving, thanks, man! The tree is really cool, and then my other favorite spot was that tree, over there, right on the corner is really beautiful. And then the last place I was standing, there was like a piece of wooden platform, that if you’re on the hill, there’s a flat area, you guys right there are on it, and that was one of my favorite spots. And it was there where I was standing when I felt a drop of rain dropping on my head. And I looked up and saw no clouds, and I realized that it was bird shit! And then I thought, maybe tonight is the night to do “Famous Mockingbird!” It’s a sign from the heavens! So I’d like to thank that bird. And then, when I got back, after my little stroll, I started looking up some little factoids that I want to share with you. So thanks to the shitting bird, and by the way, for those of you on the grassy knoll, if you feel bird shit, and you feel a second bird shit, there is obviously a second shitter, on the grassy knoll. Anyway, ba-da-bump! So when I started looking up some facts, I wanted to say that apparently we’ve played here seventeen times, which is pretty cool, man. And tomorrow is apparently the nineteenth anniversary of us first coming to Alpine Valley. So I just want to say, we love it here, and we’ve had such great times, that’s pretty amazing, nineteen years, and we get to share all that with you at this beautiful venue. I’d like to thank the shitting bird, and I’d like to shut up now and play a song, about another bird, the famous mockingbird… as we carry you to Gamehendge.”

As Scott Bernstein aptly noted on Twitter, “the bird that shit on Trey at Alpine wins creativity points over @drewphish but kudos to both for getting Trey to play their requests.”

Photo © @tweeprise

The set then proceeded to include seven more songs – every single one – that was a tour debut, fourteen shows deep into the run. “Brian and Robert” was played for the first time since 10/27/14 at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium (BGCA). “Saw It Again” was played for the first time since 10/31/14 Vegas featuring another episode of Mike and Trey coordinated dancing, and not one but two false endings. “Esther” saw its first live action since 8/30/13 at Dick’s (77 shows), and was notable – given often sloppy performances, especially after sitting on the shelf – for being well-executed, despite the break.

Mike’s lovingly bizarre “Weigh” (first since 8/3/13 BGCA, 80 shows) was a welcome treat, though marred by crowd “woos.” “The Sloth” emerged for the first time since 7/12/13 Jones Beach (94 shows), and “Sanity” took a hard look in the mirror for the first time since 10/28/14 BGCA. While this diverse and surprising set was a treat by any reasonable measure, it was still absent any real jamming; enter “Split Open and Melt,” the first since 1/3/15 Miami. “Melt” has, ironically, been in a bit of a closed shell of late in terms of expansive and exploratory jamming; this edition isn’t going to recall the song’s glory days, but it was certainly more than serviceable and really rather excellent for the era, especially Trey’s machine-gun routine at the end, and ended the set on a high note.

When first sets suck, relative to Phish's ridiculously high standards – and I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but sometimes they do – we note that. This set, to be sure, did not suck! And to be fair, there have been a bunch of first sets this tour that have been pretty awesome, Nashville and Atlanta1 in particular. There was clearly a conscious force at work here to mix up the routine, and it is an effort that fans appreciate in the extreme. The repertoire built over the course of three decades is teeming with riches, so, sometimes go ahead and dig deep, right? They did exactly that, to the fan’s delight. Bravo!

Photo © @tweeprise

Although obviously not a bust-out, “Run Like an Antelope” opened the second set for the first time since 8/11/04 Great Woods (245 shows). While nothing extraordinary took place in the ten-plus minute run time, “Antelope” had the crowd going wild in excitement, as is its role. “Carini” found itself in the two-hole and was a curious bird: there wasn’t a lot happening here early in the jam. Trey went for the Mu-Tron but backed off quickly, and the jam was picking up steam until about six minutes in, when they shifted to a pretty, light, bright jam that was rather delightful, if brief, setting the stage for “Waves.” Or another way to look at it, the “Waves” jam started even before the song proper, in place of a “Carini” jam. The first few minutes of the “Waves” jam were carried by a brisk current, before dissolving to calm, almost flat waters. Trey signals “Tweezer” with about half a minute left in “Waves,” and the segue to “Tweezer” is really odd (and great), with what comes tantalizingly close to but not quite a tease of the signature descending riff of “Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again.”

Photo © @tweeprise

The second “Tweezer” of the weekend following Blossom’s excellent “Cheezer” (“Chalk Dust” -> “Tweezer”) from Friday, Trey launches from the “Memphis Blues” riff into the “Tweezer” theme with the Mu-Tron leading the way, crunching through the corn fields. Early on in the jam it almost seemed like they were going to bail out, with light hints of “Back On the Train” a la 7/27/14 Merriweather, but they hung in with Trey leading brilliantly, chunka, chunka, chunka. Page led the flight to lightness and Mike and Trey followed with Fish calmly driving the tempo. A tap of Mike’s fight bell, a few comet shots from Page, and we’re back into delightfully familiar territory from this tour with bright, sunny, open major key spaces. This segment evoked the lightest hints of “Dear Prudence” and “Franklin’s Tower” while never wavering from the core Phish essence. What an awesome jam!

“Dirt” offered a brief contemplative interlude, offering one a moment to perhaps reflect on the 20th anniversary of Jerry Garcia’s passing. In the humble opinion of this observer, “Dirt” is no less than one of Phish’s best songs, with haunting lyrics tenderly delivered alongside passionate solos from Trey. “Mike’s Song” sure left a mark in Nashville with the long-awaited return of the second jam, and its first appearance since then had fans again on the edge of their seats. Trey and Page rode the thick groove to Funky Town in the first jam – first jams matter – and then at decision time, nobody was throwing up a stop sign, so we’re on to the second jam! Since a number of observers – rightly, if snarkily – noted that the second jam in Nashville wasn’t the second jam, The Right Way, we’ll just call this one “Drew’s Jam,” if that’s OK with you. Page was on fire and let the charge that broke out into some start-stop jamming. And the "woos." Come on, people, what are you, twelve? Shut the fuck up! Seriously. You're at a performance of music, you are not the musician, so your job is to, wait for it... shut up and listen. Killer jam, though.

Photo © @tweeprise

This tour’s anthemic “Blaze On” rained chemtrails on the assembled masses, laying the seeds for the next generation of yearbook quotes. You’ve got one life, Blaze On, it’s kinda like a Dead song! A compact “Weekapaug Groove” (“woo”) sent us around the homestretch, though in one of the only questionable decisions of the entire night, “Weekapaug” actually came to a dead stop rather than offering a launch-pad to bang straight into “Tweezer Reprise.” A mere nit-picky footnote, however, to the best four minutes in rock and roll. While “Tweeprise” has closed sets rather than encored throughout the song’s history, it is notable (and awesome) that it has closed the second set in each of the four instances where “Tweezer” was played on this tour.

The tour debuts kept rolling through the double encore with Mike’s ode to love, “Contact” (first since 10/29/14), and the barn-burning “Frankenstein” (first since 10/31/14) put a wrap on this thrilling performance by The Phish From Vermont. This show had it all, it was the whole Phish package. Get some!

The Road to Magnaball continues on Tuesday at The Mann in Philly. Wit, or Witout? It’s all up to you. We’ll be back with more coverage on Wednesday, enjoy the day off!

-Phillip Zerbo

Photo © @tweeprise

Phish Summer 2015 – Setlists & Recaps
07/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 1
07/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 2
07/24/15 Setlist – Recap, Recap2 – Shoreline
07/25/15 Setlist – Recap – LA Forum
07/28/15 Setlist – Recap – Austin
07/29/15 Setlist – Recap – Grand Prarie
07/31/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 1
08/01/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 2
08/02/15 Setlist – Recap – Tuscaloosa
08/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Nashville
08/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Kansas City
08/07/15 Setlist – Recap – Blossom
08/08/15 Setlist – Recap – Alpine 1
08/09/15 Setlist – Recap – Apline 2
08/11/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 1
08/12/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 2
08/14/15 Setlist – Recap – Raleigh
08/15/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 1
08/16/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 2
08/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 1
08/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 2
08/23/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 3
09/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 1
09/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 2
09/06/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 3

Alpine Valley posters by Brad Klausen.

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The Front. Nectar’s. Hampton. MSG. Unquestionably a handful of the most storied venues in Phish’s long history, and not a coincidence that they all happen to be the most played venues in the band’s history. After this current two-night run, Alpine Valley Music Theater, in the rolling hills of East Troy, Wisconsin, jumps past Hunt’s and into the Top Five of Phish’s most played venues. Though, better watch out Alpine! Dick’s is quickly knocking on your door!

Lots of fans have a love/hate relationship with Alpine. And let’s be honest, many of them skew more towards the hate side of that equation. Yet, despite some of the drawbacks of the venue – heavy handed law enforcement, preposterously steep lawn, nightmarish traffic jams in and out – I for one love Alpine and every single trip I’ve made there.

As it is for Phish, it was a special venue for the Grateful Dead, too, and one of their most played venues as well. There is just something magical about Alpine. There’s character and history dripping from its distinctive wood roof with an elegance and charm simply not found in the cookie-cutter, tin & cement shit that defines the Live Nation era of outdoor sheds.
Photo by Rene Huemer © Phish From the Road

The massive amphitheater, one of the largest in the country, with pavilion seating nearing 8,000 (larger than some venues this summer tour) and overall capacity of 37,000 has now hosted Phish sixteen times. Its breathtaking views, unusually beautiful sunsets, sprawling lawn, and spectacular sound for a venue of this size keeps the crowds returning. I am excited and happy every year that Phish announces summer tour and Alpine is on the list and breathe a sigh of relief knowing that another great chapter will likely be written.

While it is impossible to highlight all the memorable jams, debuts and special moments from Alpine, a handful that come to mind since Phish’s debut almost exactly nineteen years ago on 8/10/96 include:

• Their second performance on 8/9/97 with an incendiary set-closing “Weekapaug Groove” that concluded the near set-long “Mike’s Groove” and showcased the magnificent hose of 1997.
• Debuts of Zeppelin’s scorching “Ramble On” as well as Jane’s Addiction’s “Been Caught Stealing” on one of the very first webcasts on 8/1/98
• The debut and single performance of the quirky track “Happy Whip and Dung Song” from the Siket Disk on 7/24/99. An overall outstanding show with liberal doses of extended jamming (in particular, check out the jam out of “Fluffhead”) and the massive bustout (324 shows) of “Alumni Blues” in the four-song encore.
• One of the very first “LivePhish” releases (Number 5) from 7/8/00.
• And from the last time they performed here on 7/1/12, a personal all-time favorite in the fantastic “Fee”.

Photo © @tweeprise

Alpine is for sale and many people think the future is tenuous and challenged by its newer, more modern, and more convenient cousin to the south in Northerly Island. I, for one, hope that Phish fits Alpine into the schedule every few years so more and more people will gleefully be able to say, “I saw Phish at Alpine!” Now that the first of the two-show weekend set has concluded – every Phish show here has always been on the weekend – what will they be saying about last night? Was it another show with Good Wood?

The show kicked off with a perfunctory take of “No Men In No Man’s Land” for the first time in the show opener slot and quickly into an energetic “Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan.” Up-tempo bluegrass tunes always seem to fit like a glove in summer shows and “Poor Heart” filled the role well. Another thing that works well is when “Julius” comes early in the first set. I’d much rather it give a good kick of energy early in a show, as it did here, than late in the second set or encore slot.

Photo by Rene Huemer © Phish From the Road

Since 2009, “Frankie Says” only pops up about once a year (or not at all!) and was a great treat. And of course a tour debut. While lyrically interesting, “Frankie Says” is not a very demanding song musically, but great juxtaposed next to one of Phish’s more complex and demanding tunes in “Maze”. This spirited version was nailed pretty good and even featured a fun Mission: Impossible tease by Page.

Is this where the “Wood” really gets good?

After “Mercury” debuted at the second show in Bend, it has been one of the new songs that most fans have most been eager to hear again. They have sound checked it many times, extensively re-worked it during the Nashville soundcheck, and came to Alpine armed and ready to play. Focusing on the breakdown and jam part of the tune (at least in Nashville) seems to have paid dividends. At times light and airy, almost like a Jethro Tull song, “Mercury” also has the “Canterbury sound” of early Floyd with Marimba Lumina sprinkled in. Mercury’s day may indeed be longer than its year (depending how you define year) but it may have been longer than the attention span of much of the crowd at Alpine, too. In time, I’ll hazard a guess that that won’t be the case for most crowds. No fear, though, as the crowd was instantly brought back in by “Reba” and a hot set-closing “Possum” (Phish’s 500th performance) that featured especially bright and prominent keys by Page.

Photo © @tweeprise

“Down with Disease” has already spectacularly opened the second set in Tuscaloosa this summer. Would this set opener bring the same great results? Just after the ten-minute mark it seemed to be ready to really launch into some interesting space, with Fishman kicking out an interesting beat and an overall contemplative pace with just the right amount of Mu-Tron pedal by Trey. No sooner had “Disease” settled into its groove, it segued into “Halley’s Comet”. Extended jams coming out of “Halley’s#x201D; are a rarity these days. Given the placement here in the second set and the way Phish has been playing this tour, hopes were high and fans on the edge of their seats, like they were when “Mike’s Song” started in Nashville. Yet, while fun, the “Halley’s” didn’t deliver terribly much more than it does typically these days. It was a touch longer and did have a nice little jam that many likely heard a bit of Trey’s “Fare Thee Well” influence. It nicely devolved into “Twist” that had been portended a couple times earlier in the set. Again, like the “Halley’s”, “Twist” was enjoyable and a decent, “syrupy” jam but no real legs.

Photo by Rene Huemer © Phish From the Road

In the power clean-up spot in the set, “Light” also had the potential to be the first candidate for a Phish.net Jam Chart addition from the show. The second half of second set has had such monsters this tour, and Trey seemed particularly spirited with his vocals so again, hopes were high. When it seemed as though “Light’s” light was dimming and heading into something different entirely, a nice curve-ball thrown and the elusive, loved and magical “What’s The Use?” enthralled the crowd. Another, Siket Disc tune for the annals of Alpine history and its second helping in “3.0”. This is really one of those songs that always buoys up the song that preceded it. One of the best things about “What’s The Use?” is the impossibility of when to predict it will be turn up. In this case, the first time following “Light” and as always “What’s The Use?” delivered its signature spacey, mind-fucking goodness (albeit a brief fucking).

In the homestretch, “Fuego” segued nicely out of “What’s the Use?” and offered up its normal fire, albeit again without any jamming. The anthematic “Backwards Down The Number Line” had the crowd singing along and the always sublime and enjoyable “Slave to the Traffic Light” closed the set. The double encore pair of “Meatstick” and a raucous “Character Zero” closed the show.

Will this be looked back and remembered as another legendary Alpine show? No, most certainly not, but “Saturday Night Special” shows have their place. Crowd pleasing numbers, rock-show theatrics and boisterous numbers with crowd sing-alongs and engagement pleases many fans. Phish summer 2015 has had some incredibly great moments. And while lots of tonight may not have elevated to the “incredible” level, the crowd was treated to a couple of rarities, a great take on the new “Mercury,” great mini-jams in both “Disease” and “Light” and the almost return of a jammed out “Halley’s.” I think it sets us up perfectly for a great Sunday night show, and another hopefully historic Alpine show. Enjoy the Wood.

Photo © @tweeprise

Phish Summer 2015 – Setlists & Recaps
07/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 1
07/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 2
07/24/15 Setlist – Recap, Recap2 – Shoreline
07/25/15 Setlist – Recap – LA Forum
07/28/15 Setlist – Recap – Austin
07/29/15 Setlist – Recap – Grand Prarie
07/31/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 1
08/01/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 2
08/02/15 Setlist – Recap – Tuscaloosa
08/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Nashville
08/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Kansas City
08/07/15 Setlist – Recap – Blossom
08/08/15 Setlist – Recap – Alpine 1
08/09/15 Setlist – Recap – Apline 2
08/11/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 1
08/12/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 2
08/14/15 Setlist – Recap – Raleigh
08/15/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 1
08/16/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 2
08/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 1
08/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 2
08/23/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 3
09/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 1
09/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 2
09/06/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 3

Alpine Valley posters by Brad Klausen.

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I think it’s largely true that how much fun you have at a Phish show is up to you and your ability to, if you’ll allow, “surrender to the flow.” But it sure helps when you’ve got a pristine summer day and perfect seats in one of the most beautiful venues I’ve ever seen on your side. This was my first trip to Blossom Music Center, the sonic and architectural gem built specifically with the Cleveland Orchestra in mind, and I was floored. Blossom has everything going for it, from the setting in Cuyahoga Valley National Park to the relaxed and welcoming atmosphere (and congrats to the couple that got married in the middle of shakedown), but it’s the sound that knocked me off my feet. I can’t imagine a better spot to allow a person to get good and thoroughly hosed than right in front of Chris Kuroda underneath that wood pavilion last night, so to whatever forces conspired to put me there, thank you.

Photo © Jake Silco

Right from the start, the solo in “A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing,” you can hear how confident and relaxed Trey has been all tour. I can’t imagine what it must have felt like to step up and knock it out of the park for Fare Thee Well, but Mr. Anastasio has been riding that wave since Bend, and we are all fortunate enough to get caught in the spray. “My Sweet One” and “Wilson” have each become something of a rarity, and during the “Wilson” chant I was first struck by the enormity of the sound crafted in part by the amphitheatre. Not only is the music of Phish huge, but the sound of the crowd, and therefore the literal energy of the people is reflected back down on them, and it’s breathtaking. This fierce “Wilson” set up a creative song choice, and third straight 20+ show gap, “Timber (Jerry).” There’s been some deliciously dark Phish lately, and “Timber” fits that mold nicely. To cap off a run of songs not heard since fall 2014, we were treated to “Roses Are Free” as well as a plea – well, less a plea than a statement of fact – that it’s time for Gene and Dean Ween to get the band back together.

Photo © @tweeprise

There were flubs in this show. Quite a few of them. And I saw Trey gesticulating emphatically offstage at several points during both sets, looking frustrated with some technical issue or the other. As a result, there were some rough patches, particularly in songs like “Rift” and “It’s Ice.” I mention this not because these perceived imperfections detract from or alter the experience, but only to point out how even when some things aren’t working, this is a band of supremely talented and professional artists who can lay waste to whole regions of the country with a single jam. And that’s pretty much the experience I had last night, so this will be the last mention I make of “flubs.”

When “Moma” kicked in, I was almost startled by the slow pace, and not in a bad way. It seemed like a deliberate attempt to make things as sticky and funky as possible, and as it turns out, foreshadowed the thick, dark, green, molasses grooves to come. The first “Ginseng Sullivan” in almost two years, the night’s biggest bustout, was next, followed by “Wingsuit” and another powerful Trey solo. Please forgive the focus on Trey, who tends to pull my attention anyway, but the man is seriously on fire right now. It’s also Mu-Tron Madness 2015 right now, which I absolutely love, and which brings the funk oozing into “It’s Ice” while Trey sort-of almost teases “For The Love of Money.” This “Ice” melts into “Bathtub Gin,” the relative newcomer to the first-set closer spot that continues to really thrive in that role. The jam here begins slyly, then gets a jolt from CK5’s effervescent light show, peaks once solidly, and then just blows the lid off the joint. It was a tremendous exclamation point to take us to the break.

Photo by Rene Huemer © Phish From the Road

A second set “Chalk Dust” opener is an exciting thing, isn’t it? Where will it take you? I had to rush back to my sonic sweet spot and made it back in time for the start of the journey. After a bit of exploration and some serene phrasing from Trey, the jam becomes celebratory in the fashion that 3.0 Phish has become known for. From this “Paradise City” peak, the music becomes contemplative again, then begins to pick up pace before executing the most thrilling segue I’ve seen live.

It was “Tweezer” before I knew it was “Tweezer,” on fire the moment it was born. What I can tell you about this “Tweezer” is that the first several minutes of the jam contain some of the nastiest, filthiest, sickest, stickiest Phish I’ve ever experienced, like a high voltage wire coated in psychedelic honey. The slow electrocution of the funk brought us to a dark realm, where the monsters are and where there’s always just a hint of fear that you may not be able to find the exit. But, as always, Phish brings us back again, and as this “Tweezer” took on gentle, lullaby qualities, I was sure were going from the dark to the “Shade,” but no. “The Lizards” is one of those beloved tunes that, even if you’re not the one who has been chasing it, you can’t help but well up with joy for all those who are finally catching one, and it sounded like there were quite a few of those from the tremendous ovation it received.

Photo © @tweeprise

Following this beautiful and emotional Gamehendge tune, time for a little silliness, and Trey has fun in “Makisupa Policeman,” struggling to find the right terminology for vaping. Or maybe “goop in the top part” is the correct nomenclature, I wouldn’t know. What I do know is that this brief humorous interlude was suddenly possessed by an angry sounding “Ghost” that once again saw Trey shred like he was going to turn Blossom into toothpicks. This jam reaches a blistering peak, flirts with “Psycho Killer,” and breaks into a thousand plinko-y pieces from which “Harry Hood” emerges.

The last two years have been historic for “Harry,” so there’s no shame in this not being one of the best versions of the year. It is a perfect cap for an amazing set… unless, of course, you want to go ahead and “Tweeprise” that Bad Larry right now, in which case, that would really be the perfect cap! Once again, the colossal nature of a “Tweezer Reprise” taken in from dead center of a venue like Blossom is difficult to imagine until you’re there with your sternum rattling. And, to give credit where credit is due, my better half called the “Good Times Bad Times” that Trey then used like a flamethrower to melt any faces left intact, an old-school encore on a night that saw only two songs that debuted in this century.

Photo © @tweeprise

Look, this is the part of my recaps where I always say something about how much I love Phish, how great the show was, and how you should go see Phish this tour. All of that is absolutely true, every time I say it. But, seriously. Seriously. Go see Phish, if you possibly can, this tour. The six years of touring they have under their belt since the breakup, the maturity, the benefits of working with their side projects and being able to balance that with family, it’s all coming together right now. I’m in awe. See you at Watkins, be safe!

Photo by Rene Huemer © Phish From the Road

Phish Summer 2015 – Setlists & Recaps
07/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 1
07/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 2
07/24/15 Setlist – Recap, Recap2 – Shoreline
07/25/15 Setlist – Recap – LA Forum
07/28/15 Setlist – Recap – Austin
07/29/15 Setlist – Recap – Grand Prarie
07/31/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 1
08/01/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 2
08/02/15 Setlist – Recap – Tuscaloosa
08/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Nashville
08/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Kansas City
08/07/15 Setlist – Recap – Blossom
08/08/15 Setlist – Recap – Alpine 1
08/09/15 Setlist – Recap – Apline 2
08/11/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 1
08/12/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 2
08/14/15 Setlist – Recap – Raleigh
08/15/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 1
08/16/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 2
08/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 1
08/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 2
08/23/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 3
09/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 1
09/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 2
09/06/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 3

Blossom Music Center poster by Subject Matter Studio. Edition of 675. 18x24.

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Fresh off their ascension to new peaks in the land of “Rocky Top,” the band and their pillaging H.O.R.D.E. of wooks, rail-riders, and spunions made the “555” mile trip northwest to lay siege to the turreted castle walls of Kansas City’s Starlight Theatre for a second time. Whereas the initial Phish foray (8/22/12) into this historic artisan’s citadel may only be noteworthy for an average great show replete with solid but otherwise unremarkable takes on a number of repertoire favorites, the most recent performance of “Skin It Back,” some Todd Akin mockery and a “Stairway to Heaven” tease in “Suzy Greenberg,” last night’s show in contrast was a monumentally stellar experience which continued the upward trend that has largely defined the summer 2015 campaign.

Photo by Rene Huemer © Phish From the Road

At least that’s what I wanted to be able to say this morning. But you know, sometimes reality bites and the endeavor takes a few steps back. Don’t get me wrong, this was as always, a Phish show, which is pretty damn awesome all things reconsidered… even if the song selection may be a little repetitive at this stage of the tour and a few of the numbers fell flat. Thankfully there were still a few flashes of brilliance on which I would be happy to ejaculate, so let’s get down (with disease) and wallow in the mire.

Following a THEY ATTACK! quote of “The Birds,” the first set gets underway with a well-spiced serving of “Gumbo” that Page kept bubbling and Trey gave a good stir with his thick wooden spoon. During the tasty but far too brief clavinet outro, Fishman starts playing around with a “Dogs Stole Things” (no wait “Mound”) backbeat but that idea unfortunately drops into a future stream of consciousness and cascades over the ledge into “Kill Devil Falls.” After that Hotlanta monster, there is nothing much to say about this third version of the tour other than it had high energy and a strong groovy beat that one could dance to. “Back on the Train” gave us the second repeat from the first night of Lakewood in as many songs. Like its predecessor it was a typical lively first set rendition travelling through some pleasant but generally familiar scenery. As the train nears the station some of the second set begins to bleed back through the wormhole but it quickly slams shut, leaving us “Bouncing Around the Room.” Just once… I wish the boys would smash this one open and inspect the gooey entrails that lie within… don’t you?

Photo by Rene Huemer © Phish From the Road

As our star’s light faded from the heavens above the Starlight, it was time to admire our “Divided Sky” in all it’s gloriously peaceful serenity. You know how there are those moments when you gaze upwards and your breath is taken away by what you see? This wasn’t one of those majestic cerulean visions by any means… but it wasn’t hail and brimstone either. That came next. Though certainly interesting and new as far as the music goes, the Phish debut of Mike Gordon’s “The Last Step” suffers the same vocal agony as “Snow” did on 10/31/13. Here again I think the notes being played are pretty outstanding. This would be a great instrumental. Mike’s pipes just don’t do his words justice. The fifth “Blaze On” of summer 2015 follows allowing it to ease in front of “No Men in No Man’s Land” in the race for most played new song. I love both of these songs of course… but what the hell happened to “Mercury” and when will it leave the retrograde phase?

The answer to that question comes immediately and it seems I will be “Waiting All Night” for the winged messenger to return. We will also continue to wait for something ear-popping to happen with this frequently played Fuego track. I really believe it has a lot of potential to go off the deep end into some thickly textured soaring ambience, but has yet to do such a thing. Please take it for a ride some day, guys. The set closes with a short but muscular “46 Days” and thereby seals this one’s fate as nothing special as far as summer 2015 opening frames go. The problem with raising the bar is that sometimes you smash your junk on it the next time you try to jump over.

Photo © @tweeprise

“Gotta Jibboo” trots out for the second half and shanks a short pooch kick to the up-back on the hands team. No return to be had on this one. The same must be said for the far too concise “Twist” that followed, unfortunately. This version gets dark and sinister for a few minutes, shows flashes of the brilliance it has displayed earlier in the tour (see Shoreline), but then gets ripped from our greedy clutches far too soon. So far this second set is feeling like a second first set. I guess it is all about mass balance. When some shows are so jam heavy, others have to be jam light to keep the galaxy’s spiral arms in place. “The Wedge” follows in the mid-second set slot it occupied most recently during the first night at the Les Schwab Amphitheater in Bend. In keeping with this similar setlist placement, it contains a synonymous “Stash” tease and does little in the way of architectural achievement as far as the show structure is concerned. I’m sure the dude that was throwing down in front of me in Bend was loving it as always!

Starlight’s star blight to the rescue! A blight, you see, is a plant disease, one that is typically caused by fungi such as mildews, rusts, and smuts. This show had ample infestations of rust, mildew, and smut before we came “Down with Disease” if you know what I’m saying. The latest offering in the 20+ minute jams of summer 2015 is another winner. The jam engages as a lush cerebral groove that veers towards “What’s the Use?” space via “Wingsuit” briefly revisits “Piper” asks “How Many People Are You?” then builds patiently toward a steep yet truncated peak that pierces the bulk and allows a glimpse into the infinite quietude of deep space before the drop into “Sand.” Slinky groove, dimensional flanging, gravitational fuzz rock firestorm, give me this sound all day… or at least more than eight minutes… seriously more of that!

Photo © @tweeprise

You know, if you want me to be happy and full of “Joy” that is. Speaking of, this tune actually is starting to have something for everybody. I noticed during the Shoreline performance that it covers every angle of the Phish experience and often builds to a face melting peak these days. It is my song too… if only for a few seconds. “You Enjoy Myself” brings the set to a close with some time-bending crunchiness a “Groove is in the Heart” dalliance and a largely plaintive vocal jam that is representative of the overall average-great vibe of the show.

I love “Bug” and think it is a great encore. The lyrics are deep if you let them take you there. It pays musical homage to The Velvet Underground and The Marshall Tucker Band simultaneously. It places value on experiences rather than material possessions. It reminds us each and every time it is played that the opinions we have as individuals especially when striving to give a critical assessment of the band’s performance on a given night is just one opinion… and whether we overrate or underrate the music… it just doesn’t matter. What would you rather be doing??? You’re next, Blossom… go get high in the middle and round on both ends!

Photo by Rene Huemer © Phish From the Road

Phish Summer 2015 – Setlists & Recaps
07/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 1
07/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 2
07/24/15 Setlist – Recap, Recap2 – Shoreline
07/25/15 Setlist – Recap – LA Forum
07/28/15 Setlist – Recap – Austin
07/29/15 Setlist – Recap – Grand Prarie
07/31/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 1
08/01/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 2
08/02/15 Setlist – Recap – Tuscaloosa
08/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Nashville
08/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Kansas City
08/07/15 Setlist – Recap – Blossom
08/08/15 Setlist – Recap – Alpine 1
08/09/15 Setlist – Recap – Apline 2
08/11/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 1
08/12/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 2
08/14/15 Setlist – Recap – Raleigh
08/15/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 1
08/16/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 2
08/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 1
08/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 2
08/23/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 3
09/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 1
09/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 2
09/06/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 3

Kansas City LE poster by @GREGMIKE. Edition of 675.

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On Tuesday night Phish’s summer tour descended on the brand new, 6,800-capacity Ascend Amphitheater in downtown Nashville, TN. The Nashville Skyline form the backdrop and the gentle arches of the Korean Veteran’s Memorial Bridge spanning the Cumberland River in the background frame this gorgeous spot in Nashville’s West Riverfront Park. This was Phish’s 26th performance in the state of Tennessee, the first since 6/10/12 Bonnaroo; it was Phish’s fourth in Nashville, though the first in almost twenty years since 11/29/95 at the Municipal Auditorium.

Reports from the brand new venue were universally positive. Seats were just folding chairs on grass and were not permanently affixed, and none of the seats were yet numbered barring the first one in row, as if details were still being added. Most of the staff were laid back and accommodating, and the facilities were so fresh that they had "new car smell." The venue acoustics was unusually pristine – crisp and bright – offering the best of both worlds, with wide open and full sound like the best outdoor venues but with the sharp, dialed-in sound of an indoor venue. The extreme heat that has followed the band throughout much of their tour was no exception in Nashville, an unrelenting 90F° at the 7:34 start time.

Photo © @tweeprise

The gig kicked off with a spirited “Free;” this was the sixth deployment in the kick-off position since the song opened the MSG run on 12/28/11, and the role fits the song like a glove. The tour’s bright, peppy new Anastasio/Marshall funk vehicle “No Men In No Man’s Land” is gaining steam and fans as it rolls across America. While the Mu-tron effect gets a lot of ink, it’s Trey’s playful, engaged, attacking jamming leads, weaving and jutting and sailing over the bedrock of the best rhythm section in rock, that is propelling this song to strong Rookie of the Year contention.

“Wolfman’s Brother” was next – you know the set is shaping up as a winner when “Wolfman’s” is offered this early, when there was no pressing need for an energy boost. Mike and Trey engaged in the first of several adventures in Glen Close jamming – this bromance is no act, the affection (musical and otherwise) for each other is palpable on stage. It borders on redundant to note Mike’s contributions to “Wolfman’s” ongoing excellence, but this is as good a place as any to note that Mike’s playing this summer has been consistently phenomenal in a lead jamming role, brilliant musical ideas rolling off one after another into the Phish stew. This set was kicking so much ass that even “555” was superb, featuring a fiery Trey solo.

Photo © @tweeprise

Trey was using his Ocedoc guitar for this gig, and in an unusual move switched to the KOA for “Birds of a Feather.” Trey has switched guitars during the tour from one show to the next, but it is exceedingly rare for him to do so mid-gig. While this “BOAF” was brief at six minutes, Trey was super active in the composed section, playing lead fills where he usually just chords. Intentional or otherwise, Page chimed in with a series of scary effects toward the end, like the kitchen sink of screeching animal noises. The whole sequence was weird, but awesome weird. Don’t sleep on this “BOAF” when scanning the timings; it’s a jam-packed six minutes. When “BOAF” ended, Trey switched back to the Ocedoc.

“Funky Bitch” featured Mike showing strong vocals and a fantastic Page solo, and a tender delivery by Trey of “When the Circus Comes” provided what is in the last few years a rare instance of back-to-back cover songs. This version of “Stash” isn’t going to whiff any seasoned observers “best of” lists, but it rounded out the set nicely. After a brief interlude with the Chairman of the Boards in “Lawn Boy” – where Page visited and acknowledged Mike Side (the right side) – a pounding “Walls of the Cave” punctuated this excellent first set. While this set didn't have a tent-pole jam like the Atlanta1 “Ghost” or even a very non-first-set-like opening sequence of “Martian Monster” and “Down with Disease” from the LA Forum, this set had great pace and flow, thoughtful song selection and inspired type-I playing that easily ranks it among the top tier of this tour's first sets.

Photo by Rene Huemer © Phish From the Road

The first “Golden Age” since the ground-breaking 10/31/14 Vegas gig opened the second set festivities. The “song” part of the song was light on love, heavy on falter; maybe something was amiss with Trey’s prompter? The jam section starts out with real potential, a chunky groove with Page on clav that went type-II, though in an unusual move reverted back to the type-I jam. This wasn’t negative at all it was just unusual, as Trey shifted the band to a major key with an airy, open approach and tone. “Light” brought out the rock star in Trey, almost a 90s style where he was out on the ledge, way out front with more typically hard rock licks, leaving the band a bit behind but in a good way, deep into his art before lots of pedal tweaking and a reduction to a soft spacey wash that set the stage for “Shade.” Another new Anastasio/Marshall composition, “Shade” may not have been liked by all for blocking the “Light,” but the selection could be reasonably excused given that Tom was in attendance.

Many readers know the story of “Mike’s Song” and its long-lost “second jam.” For those catching up, back in the proverbial day (up until the first hiatus in the fall of 2000), “Mike’s Song” would often contain not one but two jams – the first jam after the vocal section, and the second at the end of the descending chord progression that resolves to “Simple,” “I Am Hydrogen,” or any number of other tunes. When Phish returned to the stage after their break and break-up, – in 2002, and then again in 2009, respectively – ”Mike’s” second jam was seemingly a thing of the past. Which was, you know, not that big of a deal. We’re all adults, for the most part; we can accept change, more or less. That said, for fans of a certain age, “Mike’s” second jam was at the very top of lists of things from the good ol’ days that we’d wish might someday return.

Photo © @tweeprise

Enter my friend and colleague, Drew Hitz. Drew is a professional musician and music business consultant, a world-renowned tubist who has performed with many of the greatest ensembles of our time, a phish.net contributor, and a member of the board of directors of The Mockingbird Foundation. He’s also a pretty big fan of the second jam in “Mike’s Song.” So, on 5/22/13, when Drew had the opportunity of a lifetime to perform tuba with Trey and the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center presenting orchestrations by Don Hart, he had the chance that every Phish fan dreams of: a few private moments with Trey. Drew thanked Trey for being able to perform with him that night, what he described as the highlight of his career. Then he asked if he could be a pain in the ass Phish fan for one minute, and he asked what had happened to “Mike’s” second jam – you know, it’s in “F”! Drew noted how incredibly gracious Trey is, all the time, even with super fans. The “Mike’s Song” discussion didn’t quite take, however, and the “second jam” remained in mothballs.

When Phish announced that they were playing in Nashville, home of Drew and Trey’s common friend and colleague, Don Hart, Drew decided to make the trip. Don arranged for Drew to attend soundcheck, and again Drew had the chance to speak with Trey. This time he left little to chance; he had a recording of the last known instance of “Mike’s” second jam, 7/14/00 Columbus, OH, queued up on his iPhone, which he played for Trey, to remind him how it goes. “So, Trey, do you want to break Twitter tonight?” None of this was a secret – Drew tweeted about it – so when the opening notes of “Mike’s” hit, the suspense was, for many of us, rather thick. The show was also being webcast – it wasn’t quite the whole world that was watching, but for those who follow Phish with passionate regularity, this was the "who shot J.R.?" moment – we were all tuned in.

Photo by Rene Huemer © Phish From the Road

Now that we’re all on the same page, we had the pesky matter of the first jam in “Mike’s Song,” which was excellent in its own right. If they would have concluded “Mike’s” then and there, well, no big deal, right? But after two false endings… a hint at “Simple” and then... no way! The second jam! This holy shit moment, the all-time couch-tour synchronized desk-flipping moment, instigated by a fan. Pretty cool, huh? And the (second) jam! Much ink will be spilled about this in the coming days and weeks, but for now let’s just say that it was well worth the wait. Trey even capped off the fun by briefly teasing “Eleanor Rigby” near the end of second “Mike’s” jam. Clocking in at 14:27, it was the longest “Mike’s Song” in over twelve years, since 2/21/03 Cincinnati. Wow. Just… wow!

At this point in the show, the “W” is obviously secure. It would have been so easy to take a knee. Park the bus. Call off the dogs. It would take an act of monumental stupidity to fuck this up, so play a few songs straight-up and hit the tunnel, right? Wrong. Good Phish shows get their work done in the third quarter, stick it in cruise control, take a bow, and move on to the next town. Great Phish shows power through the fourth quarter with ferocity and determination... to glory! This was a great Phish show. “Piper” was simply outstanding, pushing the boundaries of sonic space. When “Crosseyed and Painless” hit, there were no more desks left to flip. Fish was so on, all night, and he still had the juice to drive the powertrain and offer a transcendent vocal performance, while Trey was channeling his inner Adrian Belew.

Photo © @tweeprise

Then, there is the not-so-small matter of the “Weekapaug Groove.” First, a silky smooth segue from the “C+P”. Then the “Weekapaug” intro at first seems a little trainwrecky, but it’s all coming up Millhouse so they work it to their advantage. Then, a funky change in key and tempo, more bromance coordinated dancing to a funky dark groove – that contained strong hints of Black Sabbath’s “Electric Funeral” – before heading back to the concluding chorus. Still Waiting! Using “Crosseyed’s” “still waiting” chorus to smoothe the transition from the dark slow part to the light fast part was absolutely brilliant. “Weekapaug” was like a mini-movie thriller with more twists and turns than a “Mike’s Song” with a second jam! Fifteen-minute “Weekapaug”; 45-minute “Mike’s Groove”... holy shit. Take a few deep breaths, hug the person closest to you, and then sit back and enjoy a sublime “Slave to the Traffic Light” encore.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but sometimes, after all these years and decades, you wonder… why is it that I still spend so much time and energy and money on a rock and roll band? Sometimes, that answer isn’t readily apparent. Sometimes the answer is still waiting. Sometimes the answer never comes at all. Then, Shoreline II. Atlanta1 I & II. Nashville (Or Vegas, or Randall’s Island, or….). When you get whacked in the face with brilliant, powerful, masterful, awe-inspiring shows like that, the answer is simple. It’s the art of four men, it’s right in front of you, it’s undeniable, and when it’s on, it’s totally awesome. That’s why.

We’ll be back here tomorrow with more coverage of Phish's summer tour from Kansas City.

-Phillip Zerbo

Photo by Rene Huemer © Phish From the Road

Phish Summer 2015 – Setlists & Recaps
07/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 1
07/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 2
07/24/15 Setlist – Recap, Recap2 – Shoreline
07/25/15 Setlist – Recap – LA Forum
07/28/15 Setlist – Recap – Austin
07/29/15 Setlist – Recap – Grand Prarie
07/31/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 1
08/01/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 2
08/02/15 Setlist – Recap – Tuscaloosa
08/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Nashville
08/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Kansas City
08/07/15 Setlist – Recap – Blossom
08/08/15 Setlist – Recap – Alpine 1
08/09/15 Setlist – Recap – Apline 2
08/11/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 1
08/12/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 2
08/14/15 Setlist – Recap – Raleigh
08/15/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 1
08/16/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 2
08/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 1
08/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 2
08/23/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 3
09/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 1
09/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 2
09/06/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 3

Nashville, TN LE poster by Status Serigraph. Edition of 700. 18x24.

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[Editor's Note: this recap is by musicologist and phish.net contributor Jake Cohen. Jake's blog is at: smoothatonalsound.com. –PZ]

Trying to predict anything about a certain Phish show is an exercise in futility. All you can ever be sure of is that you will hear lots of songs you love and have an amazing time. That’s the baseline standard, but there are huge variations within all that. Coming off what are in the view of many the two best shows of the summer so far in Atlanta, it was tough to say how the band would respond. On the one hand, they had just blown up Atlanta with heady, deep improvisation in both night’s second sets (and in the first set on Friday), and were about to cap off that three-night run. On the other, they changed venues and cities, which might interrupt the momentum. But of course, #NeverMissASundayShow.

Tuscaloosa Amphitheater is a gorgeous small amphitheater with no lawn. Imagine just the pavilion of a venue like Merriweather or Great Woods, but the entire lower 100-level section was GA. Sight lines were excellent and the venue felt really tiny, with great sound everywhere, and cheap beer! With the sun setting behind the stage and woods all around, and a friendly Southern spirit in the air, the scene was right for a good time.

Photo by Walter Maddox, Tuscaloosa, AL Mayor

“Sample in a Jar” got things started off, and right away the energy was palpable. It was as if everyone was carrying over their excitement and spirit from the Atlanta shows into Alabama. Being in both a college town and also being in the South, away from the main core of the fanbase, the crowd seemed to skew a touch younger than usual, which overall made for a highly enthusiastic opener, and the feel-good rock/pop vibe of “Sample” matched it well. A surprising second slot “Chalk Dust” came along at a slow, thick tempo, immediately hinting at the possibility for some drawn out improv early in the show. This wasn’t a typical first set in-your-face rocker; instead Phish seemed to be taking their time on the build, with Mike and Fish locked into a funkier-than-normal pocket. Instead of going deep in the second song, Trey opted for something more traditional: a classic tension and release peak. Building up dissonant lines over a big dominant harmony, Trey released to the climactic riff like it was ‘92 hose.

The crowd continued to show even more of their excitement and energy during the break after “Chalk Dust,” clearly amped up on both the big release of the “Chalk Dust” jam and still riding the fumes from the mindblowing Atlanta jams the night before. Showing our love for them, the band acknowledged the fevered exhilaration of the crowd, with Trey visibly expressing gratitude. We are all really so, so lucky.

The rare “Train Song” showed up next, likely referencing the train bridge that cut across the river directly behind the venue. Unlike some recent version which have been train wrecks, Phish played Mike’s folksy composition perfectly, delivering what is probably the most accurate version in a while. In fact, throughout the night the band’s playing on compositions, especially Trey, would have a confidence and accuracy that matched the show energy. “Devotion to a Dream” came next, another good version that continues to showcase Trey’s new post-GD50 comfort with country/blues soloing. Page thanked the crowd, saying how happy they were to be back and that they hadn’t played Tuscaloosa since 1993. The first surprise of the night came with a big, fun, laid back “Meat.” This trip through this now-rarity saw some sections extended even longer than usual, and only one fake-out ending. “Maze” continued the theme of big energy and classic tension/release jamming that we got in the “Chalk Dust,” with a serious big Page organ solo.

Photo © Phish From the Road

“The Line” came next, and this is just honestly one of the few songs I don’t care for. Everyone has one or two – for me, it’s “The Line.” But this was a good place for it, where it couldn’t do much damage to the flow or energy in the set. “Roggae” is a song that I will gladly hear anytime at any show, and this version again showed how Trey’s practicing on modal, moderate-tempo Dead tunes has filtered into his Phish playing, with a truly gorgeous, soaring solo. It was funny that I heard “My Friend, My Friend” in back to back sets, but of course a treat, and the end of the song just has so much intensity which brought the crowd’s energy roaring back. A badass “46 Days” seemed to be the closer, but then they surprised everyone with “Cavern.” Trey even thanked the crowd and said they’d be right back, something that he doesn’t really do anymore at the end of first sets, clearly showing that the band’s excitement matched the crowd’s.

Everyone had a feeling set two would lead off with “Down with Disease” and the band delivered with a nice high energy version. Settling into the groove, the band kept chugging away at a relatively moderate tempo and volume, not getting too fast or high energy coming into the jam. Trey sat back at first, offering some excellent chunky strumming and setting up a loop of him playing tremolo on a single note while Page dominated the early part of the jam on piano. Things seemed to be heading for that typical spacey slowdown that 3.0 era “Disease” jams often find themselves in, but instead Fishman kept up the beat as the band turned to more minor key jamming.

Photo © @tweeprise

About twelve minutes into the jam, Fishman switched up the beat to something with a bit more peppiness to it, shifting Page onto the clav and Trey into a major key area again. Soon Trey found himself in a familiar place, playing the plagal-style jam that has become such a hallmark of 3.0 style. Yet he was doing it all with strumming, as Page swirled around on piano keys. Trey’s strumming pattern resembled “Piper” heavily at this point, and since he was playing two of the chords that make up the “Piper” progression, Fishman responded by going right into the “Piper” drum beat while Mike played a few of the octaves that typically signal the beginning stages of a “Piper” build. But instead of a segue, Trey kept soloing, and gave us a wild, high-energy “Piper” jam during the “Disease.”

I really thought that at any point throughout this whole section of the jam they would slam into “Piper,” but eventually they wound down again, heading for a minor sound with Trey giving some big, wah-infused funk strums. Weird spaciness followed, with really eccentric dissonant notes, and Fishman slowed the beat into something even funkier. Mike played some really eerie circular riffs on his bass and it seemed as though everything might keep getting weirder, but instead Trey surprised everyone with another fun tour debut: “Camel Walk.”

In the post-jam cooldown spot, “Camel Walk” absolutely shined. It was not only an old, rare tune, but it just dripped with funk. It had a playfulness after all of that “Disease” improvisation that it doesn’t always have when it shows up in the first set, as it has the past few years. Trey’s soloing was the perfect combo of melodious lines and funky riffs, and just as with the first set’s compositions, they nailed every change.

Photo © Phish From the Road

The improv potential continued with the tour’s first “Seven Below.” As someone who saw 27 shows in 2003, “Seven Below” has a ton of personal resonance, and this version packed a lot of heat into what felt like much longer than ten minutes. The tempo clicked along at a slightly faster pace than usual, really propelling the jam forward. Right away, Trey eased the jam into another plagal progression jam, clearly wanting to get back to that improvisational launching pad that he’s found so comfortable. All the while Trey had a shimmering electronic sound going on in the background, giving everything a psychedelic sheen, and he played around with some big circular riffs high up on the neck of his guitar with the Mu-tron turned on. Heading for a big ramping up of energy, Trey found his way into some fast strumming with Fishman playing around heavily on the woodblocks. The return of Fish’s love affair with his woodblocks is one of the fun stories of summer 2015 so far. The jam peaked without a flurry of hose, but rather with a increasing amount of action from Page and Mike, with Trey finally erupting into some big chords and, interestingly, returning to the “Seven Below” riff to end the tune.

Sound faded away into the piano opening of “Fuego,” starting a fantastic string of songs that would end the second set with a series of high energy punches. The “Fuego” jam kept the energy flying as the band headed into the first “2001” of the summer. This was a classic version with Page and Trey both offering a variety of jazzy funk licks without trying to peak or build the jam, just keeping it grooving along on the Mike/Fishman pocket. Longer than the four or five-minute versions of a few years ago but not quite up to the ten-plus minute versions of the late 90s, this “2001” was a big crowd pleaser and set everyone up nicely for the “Harry Hood” that dropped in what seemed to be the closer spot.

Unlike the Shoreline and Texas versions, this “Hood” toed the line pretty close to the normal structure, which is to say that it was gorgeous and gentle leading to a big, classic tension and release peak. Like the “Maze” and “Chalk Dust” in the first set, Phish chose to stick to the tried and true improvisational style that characterizes so much of their sound, but they did so with a crispness and ease that we don’t always see in this era. Every mini-peak seemed to be perfectly placed within the overall form of these jams, and the entire band was dialed in to each other’s cues as to where the major structural points of the jam should be.

Photos © @tweeprise

Letting it all loose on the final “Possum,” the boys delivered one more burst of energy to cap off the blazing night before returning to huge applause and treating us to the always welcome “A Day in the Life” encore.

In the end, Phish followed up what are probably their two jammiest and biggest shows of 2015 not with more of that dark exploratory improv that burst through the seams of Atlanta’s “Kill Devil Falls,” “Tweezer,” and “Carini” jams, but instead by building on the energy of those great shows and delivering a Sunday night full of the same excitement and buzz as Atlanta but a bit shorter on transcendent improvisational moments. Still, the nearly 20-minute “Disease” with its “Piper” jam and the big blowout jam on “Seven Below,” along with a number of bustouts, tour debuts, and a much needed “2001” dance party made for a fun, spirited Sunday night.

Phish Summer 2015 – Setlists & Recaps
07/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 1
07/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 2
07/24/15 Setlist – Recap, Recap2 – Shoreline
07/25/15 Setlist – Recap – LA Forum
07/28/15 Setlist – Recap – Austin
07/29/15 Setlist – Recap – Grand Prarie
07/31/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 1
08/01/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 2
08/02/15 Setlist – Recap – Tuscaloosa
08/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Nashville
08/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Kansas City
08/07/15 Setlist – Recap – Blossom
08/08/15 Setlist – Recap – Alpine 1
08/09/15 Setlist – Recap – Apline 2
08/11/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 1
08/12/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 2
08/14/15 Setlist – Recap – Raleigh
08/15/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 1
08/16/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 2
08/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 1
08/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 2
08/23/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 3
09/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 1
09/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 2
09/06/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 3

Tuscaloosa, AL LE poster by Leslie Herman. Edition of 600. 18x24.

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Welcome to the 194th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday. The winner will receive an MP3 download 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: I'm honored to present to you the fourth member of the Mystery Jam Monday Emeritus Club, @PersnicketyJim, who won his seventh by recognizing the 11/24/95 Bathtub Gin. Be in the lookout in the coming weeks for a future MJM edition to be handpicked by our newest esteemed member.

[Editor's Note: this recap is by phish.net contributor Craig Hillwig –PZ]

Phish returned to Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood, Georgia on August 1, 2015 for the second show of a two-night stand. Heading into Lakewood, I had many questions. First, which version of Phish would show up? Other than a fine effort at Shoreline and select segments of others, the performances had been pretty hit and miss through the first six shows of the tour. Second, there was a pretty big elephant in the room. Trey’s guest performances during the Fare Thee Well run of shows sparked renewed and vigorous debate over whether Phish would – or even should – pay tribute to Jerry Garcia in honor of his birthday on August 1 (or of his passing on August 9 at Alpine Valley).

Photo © @tweeprise

After the exhilarating first night of Lakewood, however, the question on everyone’s mind was whether Phish’s follow-up performance would deliver anywhere close to the top-shelf effort that we were treated to July 31. All three questions would be answered on this night. (tl;dr version – (1) Phish brought it – big; (2) yes, kinda and (3) no, but that’s hardly surprising.

The first set kicked off with a crisp “Runaway Jim” that easily could have gone longer but settled in at 9:15. “Undermind” followed with Fishman taking the lead early in the opening, giving it an unhurried pace that provided Trey a lot of room to stretch out during the strictly Type-I jam. Judging from the first two songs, Phish was on track to possibly top 7/31’s well-crafted first set. But the set then took on a decidedly more pedestrian feel with “Nellie Kane,” “Blaze On,” “Halfway to the Moon,” and “Ocelot” – all-well played versions with a little extra mustard from Trey on the solos. During the “Ocelot” I heard Trey quote the melody to Joe Raposo’s “Sing” (a/k/a “Sing a Song”), which was one of my favorite jams from my Sesame Street days.

Photo by @hapstweet

As an aside, while many people were wondering which band would show up in Lakewood, your correspondent was even more curious about which guitar would show up. Trey has been switching guitars far more frequently this tour than I can ever remember. Typically, Trey would use the same guitar for the whole tour and often for consecutive tours. But heading into Lakewood, Trey had already switched guitars twice. From Bend through LA, he played what I call the “old koa” (circa 1996-98), “koa” being the wood used on the top of the body and “old” to distinguish it from the darker finished “New Koa” guitar Trey played for most of 2.0 and during 2012-13. You can tell these two koa guitars by luthier Paul Languedoc’s standard inlaid signature on the headstocks. Then in Austin he switched to “Puppy Marley,” the blonde-colored axe we all remember so fondly from the salad days of 1990-95, inlaid on the headstock with a picture of puppy Marley and the thought bubble, “Who’s the Mar-Mar?” It’s also the guitar he used for Fare Thee Well. But the Austin show turned out to be somewhat of a turkey. He switched back to Old Koa in Grand Prairie, and that was a much better effort. It seems like Trey may have been struggling to get comfortable, but this is just reading tea leaves on my part.

Photo © Phish From the Road

Come Lakewood, Trey switched guitars yet again to what’s commonly called the “Ocedoc.” The Ocedoc is a gorgeous piece of art with a deep, rich finish on a body hand-crafted from a rare piece of wood that Paul Languedoc had been saving for many years, and named for its custom ocelot inlay on the headstock. This guitar debuted at the Greek Theatre in 2010, and at the time Trey said it was his “magic guitar.” Ocedoc would be Trey’s main axe from roughly 2010 to 2012, when he went back to “New Koa.” For whatever reason, Trey chose correctly in Lakewood with the Ocedoc. These two shows were among Trey’s most consistent, confident and complete back-to-back performances of 3.0. I predict he’ll keep riding this cat as long as it continues to serve him well this tour.

The first set continued with a peppy “Heavy Things.” Trey played some “Happy Birthday to You” quotes during his solo which, in light of the “Heavy Things” song choice, easily could have been a tongue-in-cheek nod to the Fat Man’s birthday. The first set closed out strong with “Theme From the Bottom” and “Run Like an Antelope.” The “Theme” was a fairly standard first-set version and the “Antelope” was a shred-fest that brought the house down as it typically does. We as fans tend to make a lot of excuses for first sets, but there are none needed for this one. While the song selection was more heavily loaded with typical first set fare, everything was extremely well-played. If the rest of the first sets this tour are of equal caliber, I expect very few complaints from all but the haters.

Photo © @tweeprise

In this regard, the song selection in the second set was no different. While there’s plenty of room for disagreement over the set flow, the jams were abundant and well-developed with numerous modulations. Set two also took a decidedly darker tone, with lots of crunchy, raucous, testosterone-driven thrash in the jams. Things got real right off the bat with the second “Tweezer” of the tour, a 26:36 long stunner with liberal helpings of Type-II jamming. While lacking the length of the Tahoe “Tweezer” played nearly two years ago to the day, this version more than made up for it in girth.

Nor was this a blissful “Tweezer” – it was a filthy, nasty, wrecking machine of overdriven guitar, envelope filters, Taurus pedals, Clavinet, and the new kid on the block, Trey’s new Mu-Tron pedal. Trey relied heavily on the Mu-Tron at several points during the jam, and its pairing with the Clavinet on this song is a joy to behold. “Tweezer” reached liftoff for a more than few moments before settling back into the filth and then fading into ambiance, segueing into “Waiting All Night.” “WAN” extended the dark mood of the set until a heartfelt and raucous “Backwards Down the Number Line” brought perhaps the second paean of the night to Jerry’s birthday.

Photo © Phish From the Road

The darkness then returned in the form of “Carini,” which picked up where the “Tweezer” left off with liberal helpings of crunky grunge that arguably (but perhaps not firmly) entered Type-II territory, and which at one point sounded like it could go back into “Tweezer.” “Carini” was also loud. I was very impressed with the front of house sound in Lakewood, even during the loudest parts. This was my first time at the venue, but it’s wholly unsurprising to me that audience tapes from this shed routinely rival the best sounding recordings from any amphitheatre Phish has played. “Carini” faded after about ten minutes into “Waste,” a welcomed cool down with this now-rarely played classic. “Waste” came full stop and next up was “Sand.”

Photo © @tweeprise

“Sand” brought even more liberal doses of Mu-Tron and Clavinet, with Trey settling into the pocket early into a funky disco-inflected jam that more than hinted of “Shakedown Street” before resolving into a bombastic “Tweezer Reprise.” The “Tweeprise” was even louder than the “Carini” and was punctuated at the end by a massive detonation from Mike’s Taurus pedal that rattled my ribcage. The Velvet Underground’s “Rock and Roll” was unexpectedly tapped for the encore slot (first time since 6/4/09) and sent everyone home smiling.

All in all, the Lakewood shows were terrific, and reaffirmed that this band can still bring it big on consecutive nights. Don’t be the only one left on the block. See this band right now, as much as you can. The next show is tonight in Tuscaloosa... any wagers on which guitar shows up?

Photo © Phish From the Road

Phish Summer 2015 – Setlists & Recaps
07/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 1
07/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 2
07/24/15 Setlist – Recap, Recap2 – Shoreline
07/25/15 Setlist – Recap – LA Forum
07/28/15 Setlist – Recap – Austin
07/29/15 Setlist – Recap – Grand Prarie
07/31/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 1
08/01/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 2
08/02/15 Setlist – Recap – Tuscaloosa
08/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Nashville
08/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Kansas City
08/07/15 Setlist – Recap – Blossom
08/08/15 Setlist – Recap – Alpine 1
08/09/15 Setlist – Recap – Apline 2
08/11/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 1
08/12/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 2
08/14/15 Setlist – Recap – Raleigh
08/15/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 1
08/16/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 2
08/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 1
08/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 2
08/23/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 3
09/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 1
09/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 2
09/06/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 3

Official 7/31-8/1 Atlanta, GA LE poster by James Weinberg. Edition of 800. 18x24.

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[Editor's Note: this recap is by @sausagemahoney and @jugglerswithfire –PZ]

Happy Tahoe Tweezer anniversary! 7/31 has produced some stellar shows and gems in our past. Once again the band brought the heat on their first night in a southern weekend run of fun. Friday night in Atlanta was easily the best show of the tour so far, and certainly in an elite group of “3.0” shows led by 8/31/12 that also includes 8/7/09, 11/28/09, 8/19/12, 9/1/12, 8/4/13, 10/20/13, 10/27/13, 10/29/13, 11/1/13, 7/13/14, and 10/31/14.

And yet it starts with "Prince Caspian" and ends – not to spoil things – with "Character Zero." Jon Fishman is active and playful from the beginning, laying behind the beat, letting the beat roll back over him. As a result of which this "Caspian" is a perfectly pleasant way to start the evening. Then there's a backwards guitar loop and all of a sudden, boom! An explosion into the greasy Nawlins clavinet groove of "No Men in No Man's Land." A perfect to add some funky energy back into sticky Hotlanta air and really get the dance party started! All four members seemed really locked into a synergistic groove. I sincerely believe this is a good song. My favorite of the new ones. May we enjoy it for years to come. The version from The Forum last week, the best take on the tune so far, had three distinct jams. They would just bring the vocals back, and then go out again with a different jam. You had the sense they could do it five, six times, going out and coming back, each time navigating to a different place. This one won't be that special, since it's the first set and all and there are rules here, man, but it is hella tight and Jon Fishman is at the front of the peloton slicing through the headwind.

Photo © Phish From the Road

A slower start to the tour for Fish I thought, who didn't assert himself on the west coast quite how he's showing up tonight. Then again it was always going to be hard for Fish to match his MVP performance in the 2014 season. The telepathy between Trey's right hand and Fish's snare drum was the thing that initially captivated me about Phish and it is still as strong as ever.

I can't help it, the minute Trey states the "Ghost" riff my immediate thought is "how bad will they clam up the turnaround." This time: they nail it pretty good. Of course this is pitiful small potatoes because the point and strength of "Ghost" has always been the jam. This one is languid, slinky, a little fierce, a sort of gypsy-Latin flavor.

At this point all involved are thinking, already: "this is pretty damn strong for a first set." For those who say first sets don't matter, give a listen to this "Ghost" and get back to me. As this "Ghost" reaches farther than its other first set predecessors, the band reaches a peak in the first set yielding a blissful emotion and a guaranteed big smile on any fan's face.

Then, as Phish will do, they kick "Ghost" into an altogether higher gear, and it's not just a nice first-set treat anymore, it's shredding at a high tempo Osaka-style. And effortlessly back into the "Ghost" head. So confident tonight. Slooooooowing down a la the old-school "Tweezer" ending and it's very swampy and how was that only twelve and a half minutes.

Photo © Phish From the Road

"The Wedge" is always okay by me because I love singing the harmonies, usually to the disappointment of the people immediately around me at shows. I usually do the Page part. Nothing wrong whatsoever with Trey's "Wedge" solo. I don't know but it sure seems possible that Trey's experience this summer being a Dead sideman reminded him of the importance of the structured four-chorus guitar solo, or at least suggested new ways of approaching and structuring such solos. The humidified Austin show aside, he's been telling stories on this tour.

I will be honest with you and say that "Moma Dance" is not something I ever want to hear at a Phish live music concert, but even "Moma" is terrific tonight. Fish continues to lay waste to the tundra before him in the early going, and when the vocals pop up he's also singing his ass off. Between the two vocal segments Trey creates a cool rotating-insect Siket Disk counterpoint guitar loop that injects a cute little psychedelic component into the throb.

There have been no Dead covers this summer as many speculated there would be, but it's nice to see Phish nodding its appreciation for the Dead's practice of taking two- or three- or seven-minute breaks in between songs.

"How Many People Are You?," Mike Gordon's Hard Promises outtake, is a terrific song. If it fades into oblivion like "Say Something" it would be a sad deal indeed. Memo to Phish: please replace all future instances of "555" with "How Many People Are You."

Photo © Phish From the Road

You can complain about "Mike's Groove" not hitting the heights of 1993-97, but you can't reasonably complain about a first-set closing "Mike's Groove," which as the band currently conceives of the sequence is the absolute optimal place for it. The best part of the whole deal is the "Mike's Song" intro, with its hilarious reggaeton drop which is wonderfully loose and confident, but the whole thing is fine, just fine, and a wonderful gift to send the crowd into halftime. Even “Hydrogen” is served with extra mustard… no, really! Trey shreds the climax of "Weekapaug" like he did "Wedge," not quite Garcia-like fanning but not totally uninfluenced by it, either.

Thank you, they'll be back in exactly fifteen minutes. Synchronize your watches. Don't get caught in the bathroom. Because they will be back here playing in exactly fifteen minutes.

In the spirit of historical jamming on this date, the band chose to rip out a very rare type II version of "Kill Devil Falls," which should be on your list of must hear versions of this tune. Quite dark and exploratory, this is the type of Phish jamming that has continued to keep me coming back for more year after year. It's evident almost right away that the band intends to take this "KDF" deep.

The other major noticeable influence on Trey from the Dead shows, apart from his renewed commitment to credent, structured solos, is the use of the Mutron that Jerry Garcia was so fond of during his late 70s salad days. He goes to it early in the jam here and instantly the amphitheater is a spacecraft.

Distinct "Manteca" riffing by Trey around the twelve minute mark. Does he state the melody exactly? Look, buddy, I'm not going to chart it out. It's the thought that counts. Fifteen minutes in and it seems like someone hit the accelerator although you didn't really feel it, and the spacecraft is surging between asteroids and the stars in the heavens are getting blurry.

Photo © @tweeprise

19:45 and the "Manteca" feel is back. But then Trey drops into basically a straight-up "Tweezer Reprise" jam. For a minute or so Fish sticks with the Latin "Manteca" feel but soon he's pounding four on the floor with the rest of them. At 22:12 Trey hits the eject button. The explosive bolts instantly rupture the cabin, sending flames and pressure outward, dotting the night sky with shards of guitar and rotating embers of piano.

Let's not get crazy here, but it seems to me that this "KDF" emphatically displaces the Bend "Simple" as the best jam of tour and is competitive with recent titans such as the Randall's "Chalk Dust" and Reading "Disease." Maybe not quite the Reading "Disease."

When we land it's time for our spaceship to blast off again. All available evidence suggests that "Martian Monster" is the band's favorite of the Haunted House songs, much to the chagrin of us partisans of "The Very Long Fuse" or "The Unsafe Bridge."

It's no wonder. Your trip is short!

Photo © @tweeprise

There ensues a peripatetic interlude where Trey fiddles with Page's keyboards, then Fish's drums, then takes over on drums while Fish sort of plays guitar. We've discussed this and it's not truly a "rotation" given that Page stays put. Back into "Martian Monster," easy as pie, smooth as the drop back out of the "Ghost" jam a couple of hours ago. This is fun.

A sweet “Twist” with the natural "woo" made me think of how many woo's we chanted in 2013 with the fond memories of the "Tahoe Tweezer". This is an ideal spot for "Twist" to work its magic. And the jam quickly heads for the blustery seaside with a margarita, driving sensibly with the top down. Because eventually, once you get to the seaside, you'll want to get freaky, "Twist" takes you there eventually, throwing down a provocatively surging and melodic two-chord jam that takes us all the way into the station.

Apparently Trey has this all figured out. As "Twist" is winding down he cranks up "Back on the Train," which is as raging and concise as you'd expect it to be in the context of this great and purposeful show, and then as "BOTT" is ending he launches the "Reba" riff. A second set "Reba," guys. It's a tight "Reba" too, with 2015 Trey effectively navigating the minefields laid by his 1989 former self. And then there's the bliss of the "Reba" jam, blowing like the warm Caribbean breeze across my nude ass. Best "Reba" since Augusta 2010?

And then "Bathtub Gin"? This song hasn't been seen this deep in the second set since the Gorge in 2009, and almost never in its history. Trey sort of does part of the "Reba" whistling ending during the "Gin" intro, and at this point it's like, sure, fuck it, whatever. We'll buy whatever you're selling. A panda playing keyboards? Sure. There's nothing in the rule book that says we can't have a Dog President.

Photo © @tweeprise

Every single song played in this set has been excellent. There's no reason to think "Gin" will be any different and it isn't. It's not that long, and it won’t rank with the Riverports and Winston-Salems and Nassaus in the final historical analysis, but boy does it bring home the bacon. In fact the real jumping-off point for the excellent jam is Trey catching the riff from Frank Zappa's "Apostrophe" about 6:10 in.

There's more Garcia influence in the fanning right before the band reenters the head of the tune and closes it out and leaves the crowd yelling for more under blue lights. Fish chants and howls something under the closing "Gin" vamp and my solemn pledge to you is that the Phish.net staff will not rest until we determine what, exactly, he said. I can't imagine it's super important.

When he comes back out for the encore, Trey starts picking out an arpeggio and for all the world it sounds like they're going to do the long awaited "Prince Caspian Reprise," or as we call it "Fuckerprise." But alas no: Fish climbs astride the woodblock for "Farmhouse." It doesn't matter what they play at this point, you can rest assured it will be wonderfully tasteful and patient. Trey and Page husband the tune skyward in tandem and it's extremely pretty. Then "Character Zero," about which no more will be said.

All in all, this show was a great start to the southern weekend. This show had excellent flow, jams, antics, and was just pure fun Phish. Keep having a blast on tour my friends! Remember, your trip is short, and dance while you can! You guys don't need any more encouragement to get out and see Phish. They do not usually deliver on this rarefied level. But on any given night they might.

Phish Summer 2015 – Setlists & Recaps
07/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 1
07/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 2
07/24/15 Setlist – Recap, Recap2 – Shoreline
07/25/15 Setlist – Recap – LA Forum
07/28/15 Setlist – Recap – Austin
07/29/15 Setlist – Recap – Grand Prarie
07/31/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 1
08/01/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 2
08/02/15 Setlist – Recap – Tuscaloosa
08/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Nashville
08/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Kansas City
08/07/15 Setlist – Recap – Blossom
08/08/15 Setlist – Recap – Alpine 1
08/09/15 Setlist – Recap – Apline 2
08/11/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 1
08/12/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 2
08/14/15 Setlist – Recap – Raleigh
08/15/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 1
08/16/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 2
08/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 1
08/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 2
08/23/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 3
09/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 1
09/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 2
09/06/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 3

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[Editor's note: This Grand Prairie recap is by phish.net contributor Matt Burnham. –PZ]

On Wednesday, Phish played their first show in the greater Dallas area in seventeen years. Not since the hallowed summer tours of 1997 and 1998 had Phish graced this part of the country with its presence. In fact, up until the Austin show this tour, no second set had been played in all of Texas since 1999. After an unbalanced (and hot!) show on Tuesday, the band finished up their Texas Two Step by taking over the Verizon Theater at Grand Prairie. As Trey noted, the venue was about 20 miles east of his Ft. Worth birthplace, making this more of a hometown show and building extra anticipation among the crowd. Adding to this, the Verizon Theater is by far the smallest venue of the tour and acoustically without equal. And it was indoors and air conditioned providing a reprieve from the Texas sun and heat.

Energy is obviously very important when seeing live music. It's the unwritten communication method between the crowd and band. Playing in such a small and controlled space really seemed to energize the band – the energy and interplay between the crowd and the band was like nothing I've seen before. Feeding off of this energy really propelled the band on Wednesday.

Photo © @tweeprise

The band took the stage at 8:15pm and opened with “Tube,” possibly as a reference to the recently-deceased Harris Wittels who was looking for that next big “Tube” jam and for whom Mike wore a shirt in a remembrance that he posted to Instagram the previous day. “Tube” didn’t open up into a funk jam but instead ended quickly, as most 3.0 “Tubes” tend to do. “Guelah Papyrus” came next and the Trey/Mike interplay was on full display during the synchronized dancing parts. This dancing section continued through an energetic “Punch You In The Eye”; even Mike was smiling a bit during the “Landlady” dancing. “PYITE” wound down and segued into “Steam.”

“Steam” has historically been exclusively a second set song, but in its debut first set appearance here it was played with a first set precision; it didn’t lead into a jam but was extremely well played. “Poor Heart” and “NICU” were up next and were great examples of what first set songs can be. It’s very trendy (and factual) to say that 3.0 first sets are not as high quality as they had been in previous years. The thing about expectations, if you go into the first set of a show and expect to get a 25-minute “Tweezer,” that’s not likely to happen. A perfect first set shows the band is having fun, is tactically strong, and deploys unique song choices. Through these first six songs (other than “Steam” not existing at that point yet) this first set could have easily been from 1993 or 1994. “I Didn’t Know” was next and Fishman came out and did his thing, as Trey addressed the crowd briefly noting that he never thought he’d be twenty miles from his hometown introducing a man in a dress.

Photo © @tweeprise

“Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan” was next and led to the first set highlight, when the band launched into a stellar, soaring, sixteen-plus minute “Divided Sky.” During the pause, wave after wave of adulation and applause showered down on the band in a way that made Trey laugh and the entire crowd smile. “The Squirming Coil” was pegged as the set closer and Page’s solo was typically gorgeous and felt slightly longer than normal. Afterwards, Page made a “Thank you, good night” style joke before acknowledging they would be right back. There was a welcome and decidedly “old school” vibe to this very good first set.

Photo © @tweeprise

After the break the band harkened back to the song of 2014 and put “Chalk Dust Torture” in the set opener role. All throughout 2014, when “CDT” opened second sets, great things developed. This version carried that tradition forward, and as it descended into serene bliss, recalling the great 7/10/99 Camden “Chalk Dust.” As the unfinished “CDT” wrapped up, Trey started the signature lick to “Simple.” Another song that has been on a recent stretch of great versions going back to Dick’s from last year, this version wouldn’t be explored to great lengths, but again was well played. About six minutes in, Trey starts teasing around a riff that sounded like “Silent in the Morning,” and that was where the band chose to go. The only true (->) segue of the show was a nice one musically, although there was a slight hiccup in vocals. “Silent” was played well and as it ended, everyone was wondering what could come next… “The Line”

Photo by Patrick Jordan © Phish From the Road

“The Line” is likely to be the most maligned song currently in their catalog. But it’s a redemptive song, and like “Backwards Down the Number Line,” if these songs didn’t exist, then 3.0 Phish probably doesn’t exist either. “Birds of a Feather” – with the ubiquitous “They Attack!” quote – was fired up next. Although it’s not been one of my favorite songs historically, this version was pure energy and worked well. The stalwart “Fuego” was played rote to the album version and eventually moved into “Julius.” “Julius” is one of the songs that whenever Phish plays them, there becomes a new ‘best ever’ version. This was no exception as the band pushed the normal version a little harder and a little longer than normal. “Harry Hood,” the “other” song of 2014, closed the set in great fashion. Although not reaching the improvisational heights of many 2014 versions, this “Hood” was still enough to make everyone feel good heading into the encore. especially with Trey playing an extremely long note toward the end to allow the band to vamp around him in an extremely satisfying manner.

Photo © Phish From the Road

When the band came back out for the encore, it would be interesting to know what they had in mind. Regardless of their plans, they interacted with some fans in the front of the pit who had held a cardboard sign with “The Connection” on it. The band conferred, and decided to give it a go for the first time since 2010. Although it started a bit rough, they pulled it together admirably in the end. And as the only song of the show from the “2.0” era, it was appreciated. It’s been said before that “Tweezer Reprise” is the best four minutes in music. If that’s the case, then “First Tube” can be considered among the best nine minutes in music. Encores should make the crowd drop their jaws and leave the venue smiling. This worked perfectly.

Austin was a bit rough and uneven but Grand Prairie was among the best shows of the tour so far. Anyone who had any doubt coming into the show that the band had lost a step could rest easily. There may not have been much exploratory type-II jamming in Grand Prairie, but there was definitely enough of everything else to make everyone happy.

LE poster by Ken Taylor. Edition of 700, metallic inks.

Phish Summer 2015 – Setlists & Recaps
07/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 1
07/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 2
07/24/15 Setlist – Recap, Recap2 – Shoreline
07/25/15 Setlist – Recap – LA Forum
07/28/15 Setlist – Recap – Austin
07/29/15 Setlist – Recap – Grand Prarie
07/31/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 1
08/01/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 2
08/02/15 Setlist – Recap – Tuscaloosa
08/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Nashville
08/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Kansas City
08/07/15 Setlist – Recap – Blossom
08/08/15 Setlist – Recap – Alpine 1
08/09/15 Setlist – Recap – Apline 2
08/11/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 1
08/12/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 2
08/14/15 Setlist – Recap – Raleigh
08/15/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 1
08/16/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 2
08/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 1
08/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 2
08/23/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 3
09/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 1
09/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 2
09/06/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 3

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On Tuesday night Phish’s performed their first gig at the 14,000-capacity Austin 360 Amphitheater. It was their twenty-third show in Texas, with the first on 10/25/90 at The Showbar in Houston, and most recently on 10/8/10 at the Austin City Limits festival. Great performances litter the Texas roster, including the famed Bomb Factory show on 5/7/94 and the two-step at the Starplex Amphitheater in Dallas on 7/25/97 and Austin’s South Park Meadows on 7/26/97. Nobody was expecting cool breezes for this late July Texas show, and the 8:34pm start time saw the band and fans doing their best to manage a sweltering 95°F.

Photo © Austin 360 Ampitheater

Phish’s fans are rightly noted for being devoted, obsessive, and, at times, overly critical of the band’s performances. In the “3.0” era, much fan angst has been focused on the quality of performances in the first set. This critique boils down to songs being played in an interchangeable, uninspired and often sloppy manner. The mantra that “anything can happen at a Phish show” is belied by many modern day first set performances, where the only real variation is the degree songs they’ve been playing for ten, twenty, even thirty years are botched. Sometimes this stock criticism is unfair, reactionary, and entitled. Other times, it is spot on… it’s like a different band is the warm-up act, but with the same lineup as Phish. The first set from Austin falls squarely in the latter category; it was far below average, even for the modest standards of a modern Phish first set.

“Party Time” opened the festivities in a casual, almost serene manner. “Free” brought the tempo up a little but was marred by Trey having difficulty recalling the song’s pesky details, followed by a “Halley’s Comet” that seemed to wilt under the oppressive heat. Even “Wolfman’s Brother” – often the bright spot in otherwise listless first sets – couldn’t harness any heat. “Possum” was respectable, and if one was forced to pick a first set highlight this would be as good as any. A sequence of short standards included “Lawn Boy,” “Bouncing Around the Room” (a difficult song for Trey despite its seeming simplicity was punctuated at the end by him stepping on a wrong pedal, scrEECH!) and “Water in the Sky.”

Photo © Austin 360 Ampitheater

“Dirt” was a minor bust-out, having been last played on 10/25/13 in Worcester, a 58-show gap that was the longest in the song's eighteen-year history. After “Devotion to a Dream” they offered Mike’s “Sugar Shack,” a mystifying call given Trey's historic difficulties with the song and the fact he was genuinely struggling on guitar, with predictable results. “Run Like an Antelope” has saved plenty of lackluster sets in its day, but there would be no heroics on this night until after the break. All that said, no big deal, right? Everyone has a bad day at the office; precious few, however, turn those around as fast, decisively, and often as Phish.

Photo © @tweeprise

After a relatively short break, they did exactly that, busting out of the gates with a fiery “46 Days.” The vibe established in this “46 Days” was night-and-day from the first set, the band displaying fresh and powerful confidence. The show being webcast, desks started flipping across America when they slipped into “The Dogs” from last Halloween’s Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House set. Another smooth segue back into “46 Days” witnessed the second half of the sandwich taking a decidedly more open, flowing and airy approach, setting the stage for “Piper.” While not quite containing the “slow build” of old, the intro was slow-ish, before building into an up-tempo early pace. The early stages of the “Piper” jam is vintage Fishman, drive-pounding Phish’s engine room, with Trey gliding above, before taking charge with his bandmates in close supportive pursuit. After a bit of a tempo downshift, Trey briefly hinted at “Lizards” before settling on “Ghost.” “Ghost” featured more great Fishman fills coming out of the “composed” section. “Ghost” was awesome – patient, sailing into a bright major key, with a tempo kick into the bliss zone and hints of “Runaway Jim” toward the end. If you are looking for the highlight reel CliffNotes for this gig, the opening half-hour of the second set is money.

Photo © @tweeprise

The new Anastasio/Marshall ballad “Shade” – with its opening a dead ringer for the Dead’s “Standing on the Moon” – made its second appearance, after its debut at the tour opener in Bend. While unusually placed between two slower songs, don’t sleep on the excellent “Gotta Jibboo” that featured Trey offering much more focused leads than are often found in this groove-based vehicle. “Waiting All Night” was performed in back-to-back shows, squandering much hope for fourth quarter momentum. The apparently self-referential “Blaze On” will likely be a fixture in the rotation; Trey clearly loves performing this song. A vocal segment of the fanbase clamours for Dead songs to enter Phish’s rotation, and in "Blaze On" you get three for the price of one (“Not Fade Away,” “Liberty” and “Women Are Smarter”)! “Wading In the Velvet Sea” gave Page another turn in the spotlight before giving way to “David Bowie.” “Bowie” offered a truncated intro, a reasonably solid composed section, and solid jam sequence with CK5 unloading the kitchen sink of psychedelia on his favorite song.

Photo © @tweeprise

“Suzy Greenberg” took us down the home stretch, with Trey finding another vehicle for the deployment of his Mutron pedal (the ‘77 “Dancing in the Street” effect). A Neurologist in Austin!? Austin scooped up the Forum’s hanging “Tweezer Reprise,” and a “Loving Cup” encore closed the books on this first leg of the 2015 Texas Two-Step.

Wednesday’s gig takes us up north on I-35 and brings us back indoors to the Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie; tickets are still available if you find yourself in the area, and the show will also be webcast via LivePhish. We’ll be back here with more coverage tomorrow.

– Phillip Zerbo

LE poster by Conor Nolan. Edition of 675. 18x24

Phish Summer 2015 – Setlists & Recaps
07/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 1
07/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 2
07/24/15 Setlist – Recap, Recap2 – Shoreline
07/25/15 Setlist – Recap – LA Forum
07/28/15 Setlist – Recap – Austin
07/29/15 Setlist – Recap – Grand Prarie
07/31/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 1
08/01/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 2
08/02/15 Setlist – Recap – Tuscaloosa
08/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Nashville
08/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Kansas City
08/07/15 Setlist – Recap – Blossom
08/08/15 Setlist – Recap – Alpine 1
08/09/15 Setlist – Recap – Apline 2
08/11/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 1
08/12/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 2
08/14/15 Setlist – Recap – Raleigh
08/15/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 1
08/16/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 2
08/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 1
08/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 2
08/23/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 3
09/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 1
09/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 2
09/06/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 3

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Welcome to the 193th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday. The winner will receive an MP3 download 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: @yunkfunk earns win number four, IDing the 8/26/93 Fee.