PHISH, THURSDAY 04/18/2024
SPHERE
Las Vegas, NV

SET 1:

Everything's Right: Formulaic major mode bliss jam to kick off the run. Very peaky.

Back on the Train: Trey holding notes and subsequently trilling whilst Page bangs on the baby grand is a lot of fun. Fun Train.

Wolfman's Brother: Nice and peaky, very fun Wolfman’s!

Maze: Standard.

Leaves: Has a bit of whale to it. Barely enough to distract.

Life Saving Gun: Kind of sounds like a DWD jam in the early going. Very fast, fun, and upbeat. They are going like mad. It stays in that vein through the mid 12’s when things take a turn for the semi funky and plenty of cool effects from Page. Would recommend, very fun jam – totally danceable the whole way through.

Dirt: Standard.

Carini: Standard.

SET 2:

Sand: Competent jam with good length and danceable enough for sure. They keep things at a nice even pace, and I felt like Page played the baby grand very well in a complimentary role to Trey. Nice Sand for sure. Good way to set the set. >

Tweezer: A bit too upbeat for my tastes. But objectively listening to this, it’s a good jam. Trey really picks through that solo in the 18’s and into the 19’s – dude can still play the crap out of that guitar. The last five minutes get super weird and a bit dark, very nice turn of events here. Definitely has some old school, Tweezer wind down elements in it – pretty cool. Would recommend. ->

My Friend, My Friend: Nasty, dark, evil and absolutely in your face. Would recommend. Trey in full shred mode! >

Mike's Song: Solid! Ripped it pretty well. >

Lifeboy: Gorgeous, relatively fresh take on this classic. Huge fan would highly recommend!

Weekapaug Groove: Standard.

Blaze On: Standard. >

Fluffhead: Trey gets lost in the early 5’s. Pretty epic flubbing.

ENCORE:

Farmhouse[1] Cool with Trey on acoustic to start and end. Neat.

Run Like an Antelope: Standard.

Summary: Very good show. 4/5. Review is purely based on the music, not on the visuals.

Replay Value: Life Saving Gun, Tweezer, My Friend, My Friend, Lifeboy

[1] Began and ended with Trey on acoustic guitar.

The band took the stage while the pre-show electronic music continued. During Back on the Train, psychedelic images of passing countryside were displayed behind and above the band, rotating in opposite directions in different sections of the dome. During Maze, psychedelic live images of each band member appeared, stacked on top of each other. These images then fragmented and spread out, dancing and turning throughout the jam. During Leaves, several giant paper lanterns appeared, flanking the stage, while the dome showed a multitude of paper lanterns floating over water, with the moon shining above. During Life Saving Gun, the dome displayed stacks of old-style televisions with rabbit ears, with each television showing a live shot of one of the band members. These TVs moved and rotated as the jam progressed. After the song, Trey said that he "loves any song with a Jon Fishman percussion rinse," and told the crowd they should see the Sphere from the stage. During Dirt, the dome showed a forest view, looking upwards through trees at a purple-hued sky. During Tweezer, a field of multi-colored cars appeared behind the band, changing in size and shape and with their headlights blinking on and off in patterns, while other cars drove past overhead. My Friend, My Friend included live spotlight silhouettes of the band members projected across the entire dome. The projections during Mike's Song made it seem as if the venue was outdoors, with the band playing in front of a body of water with a rotating sculpture on the far shore. During Lifeboy, the sun went down, and a number of other rotating sculptures lit up in the sky, creating a golden star-scape. The sun then rose again during Weekapaug. Farmhouse began and ended with Trey on acoustic guitar, as well as images of a farmhouse in a field under a night sky filled with stars and aurorae.