I for one welcome our new corporate overlords. I am sorry, the haters: Phish rocked the SiriusXM-branded show at the Met in Philly. Rocked it hard. Tweezers abound in S1 and S2 highlights were a very strong Type II coda jam out of CDT and an extended, heavy metal Marimba Lumina-powered 2001.

Disclosure: I was one of what I’m told are approximately 300+ fans who wrote our name with a sharpie on a piece of paper early afternoon before the show, and then returned later to stand in line (roughly) in the right order on the Broad Street sidewalk across the street from the Met. Around 715 or 730, amazingly kind gentlemen who I presume were Sirius or band/venue staff started moving us across the street in groups of 10. We were then handed tickets and wristbands and welcomed inside. I am in disbelief that this happened and was real, and expect the dream or simulation to shutter to a halt any time now. Thank you to PhishatMSG and Mdawg for spreading the word about the fan-made standby list on Twitter.

Further Disclosure: I was born in Philly, grew up in the Philly burbs, now own a home in Philly and work in Philly. I have been to all Phish 3.0 shows in Camden/Philly, I have Phish posters in my office and had tried to call in to win tix during almost every Met Drop. I had made peace (mostly) with the idea that Phish was going to perform a free concert at a small theatre in Philly and I was not going to be there. Then see Disclosure #1 above.

The small confines of the Met squeezed the band’s traditional setup, both spacing of band members and CK5’s rig were compressed. No floating / bobbing drone lights tonight, which felt kind of old school.

Trey and Mike seemed dressed up for a Night at the Opera. Page and Fish were in standard attire though.

The band opened with a Hello My Baby acapella bustout, eliciting roars of approval from the Met crowd right out of the gate. Then Trey rips into Tweezer. Similarly to the Ghost at Nassau, we get a Phish classic high up in S1 that very successfully creates Type I peaks. Tweezer nicely > into Free, and we get a standard solid reading of Free at our free concerts. Moma threatens to get just a little outside the funk-box and the band takes us back into the Tweezer jam ! Just a few funky Tweezer minutes before another nice > into Blaze On. Again, a standard solid rocking version. Jesus Left Chicago is a nice surprise and the band tears it up. Did I mention the sound in the small confines of the Met was outstanding? KDF is next, a nice rhythmic jam emerges and before long we dip back into Tweezer yet again ! A few minutes of Tweezer jamming gives way to the always welcome Ya Mar, and then the set closes with DWYS, my third version this year and second in the Met. I think this is one of the stronger GotF songs but I wish maybe they’d insert a bit of extended improv in the reggae portion. In any event S1 Tweezerfest in the books.

Lights hit and S2 opens with the anthemic Chalk Dust Torture. After the standard lyric-refrain closing Trey continues scratching away and we go into Type II, the band creating intricate rhythm-scapes in real time. Very successful CDT jam. And it goes back into Tweezer yet again !! Just a short Tweezer interlude before Trey launches into Mike’s Song. Mike’s is a fist pumping standard-great version, power chords resounding in the small space. The weird and funny pairing of Sparkle (the Met has a sparkly chandelier) and Ass Handed make up the meat of the Mike’s Groove, and then Weekapaug gives us a very fun Ass Handed reprise segment before the traditional feel-good peaking jam. Miss You is a cool down but Trey kind of shreds the shit out of it. Waves (as in radio waves) emerge next, and is nicely played but not jammed, instead moving directly into Twist, which rocks but stays very much within the lines. ADITL is next, a bit of a surprise and it’s a spot-on rendition, maybe it would end the set? Incorrect, instead we get the second S2 highlight in a 2001 that gets evil and weird in the best kind of way. Heavy metal shredding, Marimba Lumina sci fi tones, sick funky synth and bass, this 10+ min version is a keeper. More is next, and you people better believe I am vibrating with love and light as it closes the set.

Waste is poignant and beautiful as always, and then the band blows the doors off with Tweeprise, sending us fist pumping out into Broad Street.

I still can’t believe I got in. Get to Pitt and Charleston if you can.