A stellar end to a very, very solid run. Very little to complain about all weekend.

Set 1: Absolutely fire. Loved the troll job by the band to play the Scents intro and take it right into one of the best Moma’s in recent memory. Type II Moma Dance? Well okay! Transition to Final Hurrah was nice (and admittedly I thought Trey was going into Blaze On again!). This is one of my favorite KV tunes. Awesome proper Mikes Groove, hearing Hydrogen with the breeze on the beach was breathtaking. The Sloth! Not perfect but I’ll always take it. Roggae was blissful, BOTT funky, but the highlight of Q2 was the YEM. To my ears, the best in a while. Trey sounded awesome and didn’t phone it in. Seemed like he was really dialed in. What a set!

Set 2: OK, this was one of the coolest sets I’ve seen and I’m not too sure how to explain it. I’ll preface it with the fact that I do Phish sober. IMO it’s the best way to experience Phish. But this set followed a storyline throughout for me. I’ll try to lay it out as I followed it live:

Carini: Set opens with an absolute ripper of a Carini. Dark yet blissful, not quite reaching a peak but some incredible playing throughout. Here’s where the journey begins for whoever the protagonist is. Something is happening, changing for them. They’re not sure what it is but they’re struggling with it, haunted by its existence.

SYSF: The protagonist decides to venture out, setting themself free of whatever is haunting them. It’s an uplifting song and whatever is around the corner is exciting. They decide to take to the water.

BSoS: The protagonist heads out on the ocean, starting their journey to solve whatever it is that’s holding them back. They look up at the stars and begin to gaze and dream, drifting off in the ocean’s current. This song is spectacular. Such a treat to hear live and another one that was breathtaking in that environment.

Piper: As the protagonist drifts, a storm approaches. It slowly builds in the distance and eventually brings a raging storm. This was the highlight of the set for me. The best Piper I’ve seen in the last few year. Just unreal stuff even thought it’s not a huge time stamp.

Waves: The storm passes and the protagonist is weary, but he treads on. They continue to drift in the Waves in the wake of the storm. Was hoping for something more for my first Waves, but a treat to hear nonetheless.

Simple: The protagonist has a breakthrough. It’s joyous, fun, and promising. They’re coming to understand the pleasures in life.

About to Run: But not without some second guessing first. They start to re-think everything and their journey thus far. They’re struggling with their inner self.

First Tube: The final leg of the journey, to wherever they’re heading. It’s the end of a long journey but they’re successful in overcoming the obstacle in the end. It’s a happy ending. I’ll never get tired of hearing this one live.

Encore: Fluffhead is the credits. Maybe this was Fluff’s journey (travels?). Either way, a great selection that was met with many cheers. And BDTNL is one of my favorites to hear when it’s in the right spot. Not a popular take but nobody was standing still tonight. A 25 minute encore? Don’t mind if I do. Trey sent us all dancing onto the boardwalk and into the night with a rippin’ version.

This was my favorite show of the run. Up there with Hershey N2. No crazy long jams, but it’s all packed in there. Set 2 for me was more like one long jam with songs intertwined. I’m not sure what made me think of all this, but I like to think it was the muse. There was something a bit magical about tonight, from my perspective anyway. This is one show I will revisit from top to bottom fairly often.

What’s the frequency, Kenneth?

Phish Atlantic City 2021 culminated more than 24 hours ago, but there’s a tingling in my body that’s just resurged. Although the “Sail away on the Block Island Ferry” jingle initially woke me, it’s this tingling that’s both preventing me from falling back asleep and driving me to seek a creative outlet.

I never needed you like this before. Sure I liked you, often loved you, but more often than not I needed the music to end and the people to go so I could retreat and regroup in a less stimulating environment. There were years when truly there was no more to give, the well was dry. Those were gap years spent away from Phish, on their end or mine. My own personal break occurred most notably 2017-2018. There was work to be done on the homefront, I barely had enough energy for myself, never mind anyone else.

I got back on the train in 2019 with some holiday weekend runs close to home: Fenway for Independence Day, The Dunk for Thanksgiving. But it’s tough to straddle Phishing and Adulting. 11.29 and 11.30 brought Bug, Biggie Brunch, and a Big Black Furry Creature from Mars; but 12.1 brought a Cub Scout float in a holiday parade. Hubs was Woodstock, I rolled in as Peppermint Patty. Let’s get weird.

We didn’t have to wait long: 3 1/2 months later things got really weird, and although we had already made our plans for Phish on the beach in Atlantic City, there was not much fun to be had in 2020. It was a bummer on the best days, a bottomless pit on the worst. We sought solace however we could. Dinner and a Movie gave us a momentary escape; Trey and the Beacon Jams gently guided us out of 2020. Then we waited for a light to shine, leading us through the darkness.

2021 brought vaccines and hope and live music back to the U.S. The doors opened and we advanced, some of us eager to ride the rail, many of us cautiously stepping forward into the sand. We reconnected beside the Atlantic, under the stars, wary eyes trained on the heat lightning just off in the distance. There’s electricity in the air, and we are seeking to understand it, to bend it to our will. And so we gathered.

Although this was my first 3 night Phish run ever (did a 4 night run for 2003 NYE Miami), I could immediately see the value of a 3 night run. First night we’re settling in, finding our footing, learning from our mistakes. Second night is for tweaking, exploring, enhancing. 3rd night is aiming for mastery, while also surrendering to the flow, collaboratively, as a unit.

Trey wasn’t lying when he said Sunday night was magical. It was. We all felt it, the collective retuning, of our vibrations, of our souls, of our frequencies. We showed up, with a lingering promise to be present, kind, open and together. We formed our set list requests, speaking them out loud or wearing them in the form of Ziggy Stardust earrings, wondering if they’ve been received. And then we waited with an urgent expectancy, wanting the show to start, but not wanting it to be over. Not yet. If we end by going backwards, does that mean we get more time? ***

We are home now. The lights and sights of Atlantic City, although sparkly and bright and enticing, were not what I came for. They certainly enhanced the experience, as did the ocean waves, pineapple margaritas, and birds flocking outside. It’s the energy exchange that I crave, the feeling as one with my community, like a valued participant in a game I thought I forgot how to play.

Just like Phish 4.0 is on a different level, Phans 4.0 seems to be too. Not that I speak from vast experience: unless something changes, these will be my only Phish shows of 2021. Reality beckons, as it always does, and I must heed its call. The tingling still lingers though, and I lie here in this moment that never ends, wading in the velvet sea between sleep and consciousness and creation…until we meet again.

Couldn't have possibly asked for a better first show. Going into this one I had very low expectations since I saw what they had already done on this run and thought that song selection would make this one a true snoozefest. Big wrong. First set was perfect. Perfect. No question. As soon as Trey came on stage he did a little muted 16th note funk thing to check the amp and my friend and I looked at eachother, no question that Trey was going to be locked in. Landlady opener was electric, 35,000 wooks getting the fuck down. Amazing. From that point on really no lulls until the headier part of the carini jam that didn't go anywhere before getting into the next songs. Overall though second set was great. I'm not sure if we all just burnt out from dancing through the first but the second set was way headier and more calm which I think was appropriate, you'll hear people say there were no peaks but in honesty who even still had gas in them to keep dancing by that point? The mikes groove was really great and the hydrogen was like distinguishable which is cool because a lot of the times you don't realize when its been played. Piper was really great, it seemed to get faster with the crowd as everyone found what little energy they had left to start jumping. First tube was great, it was cool to see Trey get loose, I think his guitar-less dancing before the YEM vocal jam oughta get a footnote too. Really cool little moment. And the vocal jam was top notch, even rhytmic at some points I was definitely dancing. CK5 made this part soar. Number line was great too stop being bitter. 10/10 shredder. Worth the 6 hour drive. Go to re-listen and bump.

So, I know I am probably in the mega-minority here, but Beneath a Sea of Stars was absolutely perfect! It was so beautiful and sincere (without being cheesy). I wasn't there and listened to the show and it just stopped me in my tracks. Call me kooky, but that is a great example of 4.0, the ability to quietly jam to match the space. Not all of the improve can be raging or dark; this was so pretty. I can't think of a 'cool-down' that wasn't just playing the song proper.

honestly loved the show..might not be an all timer or anything but I will relisten, for the fantastic memory of the weekend.

one comment was that i'm now a fan of "beneath a sea of stars. in that environment, in that moment in the set, I thought it was incredibly beautiful. proof that there's always a time for every song that will make you a fan, if your mind is open

great show to cap off a really fun AC run.

the band is on fire with their first sets; all three in AC were dimes. the scents intro thing was funny--guess the band gave it to trey for ripcording it last night. one highlight of the set was the moma which fully jammed. outstanding version. listen to it. mikes also had a little extra sauce on it; i'd say above average version for modern era phish. another peak of the set was YEM. thought they were gonna save it for the encore but was proven wrong. trey absolutely shreds. like last night's reba, this was among the better YEMs ive seen.

set 2 was quality, but in my opinion not transcendent. carini was a magnificent jam, with a beautiful bliss section and some darker exploration. SYSF didn't go quite as deep as i expected, but it was still a solid (and very efficient at only 10 min) type 2 jam. sea of stars is a solid "cooldown" here and it led nicely into what i thought was the highlight of the set: piper. while we still didn't get the elusive slow build, this piper absolutely ripped, with the band really pushing the song's boundaries in a way that isn't typical of a 3.0 piper. rest of the set was pretty standard; i personally would have preferred if they had played just one of waves or simple and jammed it a bit more, but that's splitting hairs.

encore of fluff which, unlike some of the other classic songs this run (reba, CDT, YEM), was frankly not an exemplary version, but still always a joy to here. personally i would have preferred if they'd ended it with fluff, but more phish is more phish. BDTNL to send us home from a great run. can't wait for dicks.

This was my 41st birthday and was supposed to be my 40th birthday celebration in 2020 but COVID got in the way. This was a long time coming and I was very excited to close out the three night run.

The temperature finally broke from the 90+ temps the two days prior and was a nice reprieve from the heat. I brought my bathing suit and finally took a dip in the Ocean and swam at a Phish show which was such a cool treat. Hit the Merch tent and snagged a Tee shirt and It felt good to have something to remember the experience by.

The venue was large and held 35K people but was surprisingly well organized and the music sounded good from just about anywhere. Many screens mounted throughout the venue gave you a good viewing experience despite the band looking like ants on the stage.

The First set opened with Landlady which has the salsa/island feel. My wife (who is 7 months Pregnant and did all three shows - Warrior) called PYITE opener so she got it half right. The Moma dance was fire and I was surprisingly delighted when I heard Sloth. The ended the second set with YEM and this was my 12th show and still hadn’t seen a YEM so glad to finally check that off. The first set felt like a second set and I was really excited for the second set.

Carini kicked off the second set and got the crowd right back into a frenzy. I felt like they were searching a little in the second set but it was still solid. The second set ended with a First Tube that danced the night away.

Fluffhead was the encore. Getting a YEM, Sloth, and Fluffhead in one set really was awesome and some songs that I have been chasing now checked off. BDTNL followed fluff and is not one of my favorites but it seemed surprisingly fitting to close out the night on my birthday w some of my best friends.

AC could have been such a disaster given the city, beach venue, etc but it was truly an awesome experience. Phish is amazing and really cares about the fan experience. We are all so lucky to be able to experience the best band ever

I loved the Landlady open on Night 3. Apparently you don’t have to go to Mexico to hear it anymore. The Jersey sand is enough to make it happen.

Actually thought, oh no, they’re getting old and forgot when they started playing S&SS because they played it the night before. Rip corded into Moma but then realized it was the intro that they didn’t do from the night before.

Final Hurrah sounded like Blaze On at first and then figured it out. Thought they might be doing a mess with Adam night….

The Mike’s was solid and very welcomed. H2 was a nice breather. Weekapaug had some nice changes but pretty standard.

Sloth was very welcomed. Love catching the only of a leg of shows. Roggae was a nice version, nothing crazy but well placed.

BOTT was a nice warm up for the YEM to close. Duh the song selection all weekend and this set was no different.

Easy Carini call to open. Cool version, not crazy long but they revisit later. The trans into SYSF was pretty cool. I hadn’t heard SYSF yet and was waiting for a cool placement decent version and got it.

Sea of Stars was a nice breather. I’m not completely sold on it yet, but was nice to be surprised by a call.

Piper> Carini was some of the best music of the weekend. Really dug the back and forth through this segment. Love not being able to tell who’s actually making certain sounds during jams. Is it Page, is that Mike, maybe it’s just Trey or all of them blending. It’s pretty cool.

Waves>Simple were good calls as well. They flowed together nicely. It’s no DC Simple but it felt right for the occasion.

I love the About to Run placement. That song just rips. Very pleased to hear it then. First Tube pulled up the rear with a nice quickie to close.

Great encore with Fluffhead. Standard but hadn’t heard it yet this leg. Wasn’t expecting Numberline. It made a lot of sense with the placement.

Besides my feet and legs being crushed from dancing like a madman in the sand for 3 nights, I loved the venue. Had a blast and didn’t sleep one wink all 3 nights!!! Pumped for Dicks in a couple weeks!!!

Ok. I haven’t walked out of a show so damn happy and fulfilled since 8/6/17. First set was so fun, they clicked on everything. Trey with the trickery! YEM to close it told me we were in for a very special end to a magical weekend.

Set two through the encore might be my first or second favorite set I’ve ever experienced. I can’t yet put into words exactly what I mean so I’ll explain like this. Fluffhead was simply outstanding. I was jumping up and down like a person possessed. Started getting some tears of pure joy. The people in our area were so fun, so nice, so INTO it all. Few chompers to speak of, and the one time I politely asked the guys near us to please quiet a bit and they were very understanding (Sea of Stars, it’s a song I feel needs quiet from the crowd) and stopped being loud. Kudos to them for being cool, as in the past I’ve had people get in my face when I have asked to either quiet a bit or take it elsewhere. If you’re reading this, thank you, you all are awesome fans.

Then Number Line. The song holds such a special meaning to me, reminding me of two of my best friends who are no longer with us. Almost felt like it was a message, telling me they’re ok where they are. Yeah, I know how cheesy that sounds but whatever, I don’t care. Dancing with all those awesome people singing ALL MY FRIENDS filled me with a joy that I only achieve at Phish.

I’m still smiling ear to ear and the final show of this run is something I’ll always look back upon with such fondness. Thanks Phish, and thank you to all the amazing new friends we met this weekend.

Best night of weather of the 3 nights- not as muggy! So it had that goin for it pre show. I was about 20 folks back from Fishman around 2 hours before showtime, just hanging and meetin' and talking with people i only see and new people i only meet at a show- and usually we only get to talk before the show! After it started we're all usually out there! And after we Phish off!!
One guy and his wife were at the '98 Van Andel show and i told them i saw them 4 days later in Tennessee and it sucked in comparison. They laughed...how could any phish suck?? Some of it does. A tiny bit.
Then about 5 or 6 people I knew showed up and made space next to the wiry, tireless, inventive, sun-craisin next to us who was scooping sand out of a 5 foot diameter circle so he would have a harder, more level surface to dance on- cuz about 2 feet under the sand is basically smooth, hard sand. The dude took up about a football teams huddle amount of space with all the excavated sand, but no one really cared. Except an ingenious fan who circled the dudes dancin' pit with glowsticks cuz sooo many walkers crumbled into it during the first set. Oh and the tunes.

My friends showed up with paper so i had 1, which kept me up til I got home the next night at 2am! Good stuff. But i only was on it for an hour before the show, so of course whatever they played first was gonna be weirdish and it was to me, as this is how i saw things, how i felt'em, what i thought. Just me! The Landlady! My first time hearing it as it once was, so that was happiness in papers weird form, no matter how janky the song was played at times. Then the first "OMAHA"! of the night with the S&SS intro into Moma! WELL PLAYED S&SS intro, too! That intro could soundtrack a scene of Shakespeare, ya know? The show had its first unforgettable moment. And the Moma was a helluva effort- extended to new sounds that showed why I come to shows still- their supreme improv. They're the best at it! The greatest. And the longer they play together the better they can be at it.
The Landlady nowadays is as slow as an elder landlady might walk, but the improv in Moma was as piercingly forthright as a landlady should be in order to be good at her job.
The Final Hurrah sounded like Blaze On, and it mighta been at first, or they mighta just hit an incorrect note or two. I like The Final Hurrah. I think it's amazingly arraigned and the lyrics are great melodic humor.
Hell yes it's Mike's. And a shimmering, gruff, worthwhile Mike's it was! So then the beauty of Hydrogen kinda reminded the drug to perform. What a song. Such eternal beauty!!! Off to Weekapaug for the Sock Hop! We danced.
Phish is about the only music I will actually dance to. So they owe me something for forcing FORCING me to embarrass myself like I do.
Fishman's "Yeaaa" vocal effect after Weekapaug was well timed.
They did The Sloth well. Love it. Been feelin' real outcasty as this pandemic continues.
Anyways, we now hear one of only two 1.0 songs I think have peaked in 3.0 and beyond. Roggae didn't have its best night on the swell Atlantic City shore, and neither did Carini (the other 1.0 song that got better- I feel hit it its peak at Dicks in '17. Idk which Roggae is my favorite, but it's definitely after 2008.)
Back On The Train is a fav of mine cuz I heard it on the radio in '00, right after the station played Zero- I was just passing through Montana when I heard it, and back home in Tennessee I had only heard any twice- Free on our college station in '97, and in 2000 i heard Heavy Things on the same station (but I count that as a Hanson cover

BOY!! A real nice YEM- especially the beginning 3 or 4 minutes while on the paper... is like hearing the music of a bunch of dead yet immortal lords of composers. The dude who was at Van Andel and I looked at each other and I had a huge deafening smile going as we shook hands for some reason as I muttered, "THEY STILL HAVE IT!!" He nodded goofily and we haven't spoken since!
Such as a setbreak is.
My friends and I spoke though! What about, I hardly know. But i do remember laughing. Hell yeah.
So then the best part of the show for me. The Carini jam put my mind in a nice space cuz the music was just so good, so damn goooood. I started to feel grateful. And lucky to be alive, unlike 3 friends I knew back home who died from Covid. One of them my uncle. I was surprised that I was feeling my way. But, this pandemic is unprecedented and being at one of my favorite places was quite the emotion. I took a chance even going, and everything worked out for the most part. I began to get some tears though, and they reminded me how powerful these guys' music is these days. Their art.

Then during Set Your Soul Free, a song I'm not likin' yet although I do usually enjoy its improv, I began hearing consistent talking. No talking during improv, please. Especially 2nd set-I might die/I might pass on a disease that dies ya/i spent too much money- improv. So after 5 minutes of on and off talking I just, for the first time in my life, turned around and asked, "could you please tell your story in 50 minutes or an hour, please?" The New Jersey accent was torturing my acid soaked southern ears, and how could 2 "pleases" not work? As I turned around I put my hands together like I was praying they'd stay quiet, and they did! Thank y'all.
My first time hearing Beneath A Sea of Stars was ok. It def needed quietness to work as a song. Being near the sound sweet section helped this tune- Mike's bass floated us around in a soothing bog.
That Piper rocked! The show did, too. It was my favorite of the 5 shows i saw this year. Oak Mt and n2 Alpharetta being the others.
If it sounds like I'm done rambling I am! Fluffhead was fine and dandy, but not as Phish because of their lack of flowing speed during the slightly impossible up and down parts in The Chase and Who Do? We Do! It didn't, to me, this night, have the same effect as it has in the past, but that's ok as can be! It's fuckin' Fluffhead!
In the moment I wanted something besides Number Line to end it, but within 30 seconds I was into it and all that is behind its history. It just takes being there, as the song and the surrounding joy of the crowd and band pointed my mind into remembering the good times with my uncle...
Thank you Phish.

Shout out to all the couch tour’ers! Must not be many of us as that beach is packed. As a guy who bailed last minute to spend time with wife and kids, I’ve decided to do a rare non- in person review (except MX2019, but I had a point to make).

It’s totally a different experience watching/reviewing remote, and I know with a 100% certainty my crew danced there asses off tonight (taking a slash at the right moments). They for sure had a blast pre, during, and post show. As most do. My mantra hasn’t changed- any show I’m (er, anyone) is at is the best ever. Or these days, any show phish is playing to a live audience is the best ever. That said, there are things one could ‘analyze’ in this show.
>>>>Side note… wife (non fan) was sort of confused that I was willing to detail differences (+/-) of the AC songs vs others of tour. I came to realize, we’re like musical sommeliers.

Shout out to all the couch tour’ers! Must not be many of us as that beach is packed. As a guy who bailed last minute to spend time with wife and kids, I’ve decided to do a rare non- in person review (except MX2019, but I had a point to make).

It’s totally a different experience watching/reviewing remote, and I know with a 100% certainty my crew danced there asses off tonight (taking a slash at the right moments). They for sure had a blast pre, during, and post show. As most do. My mantra hasn’t changed- any show I’m (er, anyone) is at is the best ever. Or these days, any show phish is playing to a live audience is the best ever. That said, there are things one could ‘analyze’ in this show.

>>>>Side note… wife (non fan) was sort of confused that I was willing to detail differences (+/-) of the AC songs vs others of tour. I came to realize, we’re like musical sommeliers.