A case study in evil Phish.

Don’t be fooled by the accelerant whimsy of “Sparkle,” the grooving bliss of “Halfway,” the naked sentimentality of “Bouncing,” or the introspective literality of “Mountains.” Friday night at Dick’s was a fucking bloodbath.

The most common question in the late-night lot was, “What the fuck just happened?” As we cruised shakedown, a Japanese June bug flew into my friend Stuart’s forehead, and I’m pretty sure that’s a metaphor. Or an omen–only after the fact.

If “Wolfman” represents the classic shape-shifter, then it was a most fitting opener for this Jeckyl and Hyde of a show. “Sparkle” is the happiest saddest song in the Phish catalog, so you can’t say they didn’t warn us. The breeze-floating melody of “Esther” masks the chilling narrative of its lyrics.

The depth of the evil in the darkest jams is directly proportional to the puffiness of the cotton candy fluff that streams threadwise like an audio spiderweb from the soundboard’s flosshead. So after hints of the evil to come embedded in the “Gin” and “Stash,”by the time they arrived at “Bowie,” they were set to plumb the depths. The closing minutes of the first set stretched time in a discordant arpeggio as the doll pulled us down through the eerie green deep and the sinister cackle of the old Armenian man laughing echoed in our ears.

Anyway, if there’s a way to sell out to chlamydia, Phish has clearly figured it out.

Elizabeth called “Sand” thirty seconds before set break ended, but she couldn’t have predicted the twenty-five minutes of aggravated assault that would ensue. After a solid fourteen of straight jamming, at the point it would be natrual to transition into another song, the jam grinds for ten-minute of extra time. The Gordon lava was gloopy–sticky and viscous. The guitar licks were like chewing on glass. Fish’s kick drum channeling Kathy Bates in her sledgehammer phase. A slide down the neck and Page swiped at the jugular with a scalpel of futuristic robotic dissonance. It left a CSI homicide scene in each of 54,000 individual ear canals.

(For the record: Phish is playing their composed music flawlessly.)

In a similar fashion, “No Men” kicks into overdrive in the ninth minute, with some rumbling synthsizer thunder and flashes of guitar lightning, and continues speeding toward a climax that fades ever to the horizon as we extend our reach. When “Llama” is the mid-set come-down, you know you’re “in blood / Stepped in so far that should [we] wade no more, / Returning were as tedious as go o'er.”

Okay, perhaps “Mountains” is really the mid-set break, but it’s a mere respite as the band prepares another onslaught. “Scents” played the role of Gene Wilder’s Willie Wonka, its celebratory exterior a clown’s mask veiling fundamental questions concerning spectral colors in the void. The void. Always there at the end.

You’re welcome for the reminder. How about a nice breezy lullaby jam to soothe you there?

Was it lost on Phish the irony of the “Shine,” “Wilson,” “Split” closer? It’s like they wanted to remind us of how beautiful music can make us feel, like bring tears to your eyes beauty that you laugh when you realize you're crying which makes you cry more and laugh more until you release it all in a scream after the final note. And just when you feel best about music and life and the universe and all is in harmony, you have to go and ask us: “Can you still have fun?”

Which really makes us think.

And just as we’re lost, mid-thought, you throw us into the Great Pit of Carcoon that was the Dicks 2023 “Split.” I think we can all agree on the basic truth that evil Phish is the best Phish, and this SOAM was the apotheosis of all the hints of evil from throughout the show. Like Ash opening the Necronomicon and playing the tape of the professor’s translation.

Once the jam exited the song’s template, it plunged precipitously to rock-bottom and settled there for the final ten minutes of the encore, as the audience swayed, zombie-transfixed. Like a record executive straining through Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, you question what you’re listening to, and find there is no word to classify the music you’re hearing.

The jam punches you in the face, daring you to call it “music” one more time. When you insist it must be “music,” it punches you in the face two more times, and double-dares you… in that really menacing voice that the Christopher Nolan Batman sometimes used. It was the kind of music that inspires you to wander past midnight, studying cracks in the asphalt of a parking lot, asking questions impossible to answer. You can’t believe any band would have the chutzpah to end a show with such a descent into the portal. Filthy. By the end of it, all left temples were streaked with white hair.

Existing in this environment is so demanding.

Thank you Phish. Thank you to the entire crew.

The energy in dicks is incredible! Party vibe, and insane exploration. No words to describe the in person experience. I'm sure the videos and audio recordings are great too and I can't wait to see them, but this is my birthday show and I'm so over the moon. The lights with the melt was some sort or mad science lab with electric bolts and ... just watch. Insane

This show will live in my head for quite some time. They open with Wolfmans which immediately sets the tone for the rest of the show. I was talking with my friend before the show how it used to feel like Phish would take 4 or 5 minutes into a jam before it found its groove and now they seem to just find it immediately. Wolfmans was a prime example, what a jam! And then it reaches some high peaks. This opener could've easily been a set closer it rocked so hard. The first set never slows down and the Bowie to close it out had the whole arena buzzing.

Sometimes I worry they are gonna kind of mellow out in the 2nd set after a wild 1st. It happens, not that I hate it but I wanted to keep dancing my ass off last night. And wow. Just wow. The 24 minute Sand to open the 2nd is a must listen for those who were not at the show. Beautiful tones and melodies throughout this monster jam that finishes upbeat and rockin. I didn't want it to end and I think I wasn't alone in that sentiment. 2nd night in a row with a 20+ min set opener (20 min Carini yesterday) and im here for it. Keep it going! Just to blow my mind further, they go right into NMINML where I thought Fishmans hands were going to fall off I thought he was going so fast. Wow he is good. The band was in sync, they could do no wrong. Then Llama! Taboot taboot. Enough said. Mountains in the Mist was a much needed show breather and a beautiful one at that. Shine a Light is a great song that I haven't heard in a long time. Great way to cap the set off.

Okay okay, what now? Maybe a heartfelt encore? Or how about they melt our faces off with a Wilson and wild weird crazy Split. Yeah that sounds good to me. Another peak Phish show in the books.

Confirmed with good dose of Jack Frost shrooms. Set 2 is a very amazing psychedelic masterpiece!!! Most Phish shows have moments. Usually you can count on the 3rd quarter, but typically there are lots of moments or even whole shows that are really good, but not psychedelic masterpieces....like this 2nd set, or even psychedelic at all. I know there are lots of people who don't dose and can still enjoy, but until you are tripping balls and have listened to a set like this 2nd set (or 7/28/23...and I am sure there are others), you just don't know what you are missing. What is key is that it flows from start to finish with no duds, as that will spoil it. This one is perfection.

Wow! Great show all around.

Awesome song selection/placement. Wolfman's Brother was a very well jammed out opener, then Page got on the grand piano in a wonderful recurring theme, first as part of a Sparkle-ing Gin cocktail. Back on the Train is a personal favourite and I wish it could have been extended, but they had other plans as we went Halfway to the Moon in a beautifully played version with really nice interplay between Page and Trey. Stash and Esther were the highlights of the set, in my opinion, with nice little detours from the usual composed sections, with a solid standard Bowie closer. It was my friend's second show and Stash is his favourite, which was a nice treat for him.

Set 2, which I will henceforth dub the "Llama in No Man's Sand" set, was simply spectacular. That Sand, holy heck it was dirty and we were mesmerized by its range. This song has a way of following me to nearly every city I go, and it is always a welcome guest, most of all tonight. The smooth transition to NMINML for another 15 min burner was incredible to take in. The seamless back and forth between Trey and Page was very evident tonight, and this was solidified during Mountains in the Mist. But perhaps the chose set title is unfair in that it excludes the contribution of Scents and Subtle Sounds, a high energy blissful version that sealed the fate of this set as an absolute banger.

And if that weren't enough, that encore SOAM, my word! Best encore song I have bore witness to (to be followed by the best encore set the following night...), it went to dark places, crunchy, funky and wildly improvisational, just the cherry on top of an incredible show!

Phish Dicks part IIIf the first night was disjunctive, odd and sometimes discordant, the second night was tight, seamless and 
Opening up with Wolman's Brother is just a great way to start a show. It says, "We're here to throw down." Like Phish is known to do. Extended jamming to start a show really makes you feel right at home.Next up, the Sparkle kept the fast pace going with its usual tempo that's hard to match. Spinning spinning, falling apart, I just couldn't stop dancing no matter how fast the band jammed.I'll take a small credit for calling the Bathtub Gin, which never disappoints...especially here at Dicks, where it looks like we're all in a giant bathtub together. An audience participatory favorite that jammed and jammed and jammed some more, there was no doubt that tonight's show was going to be a heater.Back on the Train has always been one of those tunes that grabs me...ever since the first time they played it in 1999, I've felt a fondness for the sentiment that it brings me. In fact, last year when they played it here at Dicks it was one of the seminal moments in my reintegration to this life/band. Tonight measured right up to the bar, being the best version of the song, at the moment anyway. That's the magic of this band, when the version they're playing at that moment is the BEST version ever...lost in the moments...that's where I like to find myself.The first slowdown of the night, for me anyway, was Halfway to the Moon. I'm sure that I'm missing something with that song, maybe just because it was a slow moment and I was able to catch my breath for a minute or three.The classic Bouncing Around the Room was next, and it delivered that signature Phish sound/theme/silliness. I actually never tire of this song, even though some folks might say that it's too mainstream. It was definitely an early favorite when I first found the band, and remains on the top of my enjoyability scale at a Phish show.Another never to disappoint early classic, Stash, with all of its double entendres keeps the ripping pace rolling right along. As if the classics just can't stop coming, Esther, with its strange, magical journey, begins the slowing of the tempo as the set nears its end. I can feel the icy waters swallowing me whole.And then...wait for it...Phish's tribute to 2 of the greatest bands of the 80's David Bowie and UB40 is in the wings to wrap up a dynamic and rollicking first set, playing a song that has ZERO resemblance to neither the band that the song was named for, nor the other one named in the song. I've never understood so much about where Phish came up with some/most of their lyrics.Nonetheless, and quite allthemore, I was left dripping in sweat and out of breath at the end of the set, and dove right into intense discussion of what we'd just experienced with my friends and neighbors.
2nd set reminded me of that Thai market phrase I have become quite accustomed to. "same same but different".Same in the aspect that the classics and the rockin' Phishiness just kept on streaming out of the stadium's speaker system with Sand to scream open the second set.The twisted sounds kept winding its way through the tapestry that I had to check at least a couple of times that yes, in fact, it was still Sand.Up next a newer tune No Man in No Man's Land for me, always starts a little droll and uninspiring, however, as the lyrics came to an end, and the real texture of the internal jams began, I, yet again, found myself lost in that meditation of dance that I long for in a show. That moment that I forget what song it is they're playing and when it's really on, forget where I am and who is performing. THAT'S where the magic happens for me.And the quintessential Phish kept up its quick pace with Llama coming seemingly out of nowhere and ripping a new one for all in attendance.Somehow Phish sometimes really knows when and how to slow things down at just the right moment so we can catch our breath.Tonight's Mountains in the Mist was the perfect song for that exercise. This song has always held a special place in my heart. It's about a woman named Julia Butterfly who sat vigil in a giant redwood tree in Northern California for over 2 years, in fact she spent 738 days living in the over 1,000 year old redwood tree named Luna.I once had the opportunity to visit her and bring her supplies along with Mickey Hart and John Molo, and a host of over 100 other visitors all drumming and chanting and bringing supplies to her outpost.Keeping a lighter pace, the band moved next into Scents and Subtle sounds, a bit of a wandering musical journey with multiple jams and tempo changes, offering a little something for everyone, from psychedelic lyrics to overlapping layers of instrumentation all tied up in a neat little package.To wrap up the set, without skipping a beat, the band stepped right into the Rolling Stones' Shine a Light. Recently this has become more of a favorite Phish cover for me. And I danced with reckless abandon, letting the light shine right on me as I spun and spun and just got down. So much so that I failed to shoot a single second of video of that song.Dripping with sweat again, and completely out of breath, what could they possibly top that off with?The wait was brief and Trey stepped right up and went "BUM BA DAM" and the crowd responded "WILSON" and it was on...we stepped into yesterday, and the land of Gamehendge as the story of the Evil King Wilson was yet again told.As if that wasn't enough, there was one more surprise in store, and a surprise it was with a double encore ending in a mind melting Split Open and Melt. I mean, who expects the fun to keep going like THAT? Surely a moment usually reserved for a mid set, or set closer, however, getting lost in the melting jam at the end of the night was just perfect for me.And so wrapped up another fantastic night with one of my favorite bands that still performs live on planet earth today!!!Back for another round tomorrow, well, today, since I'm writing this the day after...I can and will wait to see what's in store for Saturday!!!

DICKS DICKS DICKS DICKS

This is my first Dick’s run, and it’s been incredible so far! I really enjoyed Thursday’s show, but tonight managed to surpass it.

Set 1 was a very fun and high energy set. Wolfman’s was a superb opener. Sparkle was Sparkle, but then they follow it up with a great first set Bathtub Gin. Back on the Train was also a really fun version, and Halfway to the Moon is a song I will never complain about getting. After Bouncing, I was stoked to hear Stash, and this version did not disappoint. I love Esther, and this was a very well performed version. Bowie closed out the set in fiery fashion. Overall, a great, high energy first set.

The second set started out with Sand, and this was a heavy-weight version easily among the best ever played. It explored many ideas and never lost steam. The results were incredible. No Men continued the jamming energy from Sand and delivered a sweet jam, with Llama rocking us out to close the third quarter. Mountains in the Mist was a welcome cooldown, and Scents was a welcome return to improvisational territory. Shine a Light was an unexpected but nice set closer. A really great, improvisational second set.

Wilson was standard encore fare, but nobody was prepared for what was next. Unexpectedly, the Melt drumbeat starts, and this was not just a standard short version one might expect from an encore. This was a wild, deranged Melt among the best modern versions. A wild jam to close a wild show.

Overall, this was an excellent Friday night show, and I look forward to seeing what we have in store for Saturday and Sunday. If these past two nights are anything to go by, we have some great stuff ahead of us.

Flew from Detroit metro for my 1st ever Dick’s run and now I know why Phans make the pilgrimage every year. Great venue, beautiful scenery, one of the largest shakedown streets you will see and Phish always throws down at Dick’s. Hell, even the cops were chill. I have this one at the top for this run. Narrowly, and I mean razor thin, edging out N3. Wolfman’s to start and it gets oh so funky and had my ass dancing right away. Sparkle into Gin had me feeling like the 90’s. BOTT, Halfway to the moon and Bouncing don’t stray to far into unchartered territory, although you would be foolish to skim over the BOTT. Next a wonderfully played Stash into an Esther which caught me off guard in a most sublime way. Finish the set with a Bowie and we are halfway through a heater. Set II starts off with the jam of the entire weekend for me…..Sand. This one was special, Probably the most inspired jam of the run. I was at the 34 minute 6/5/22 Sand from DC and this one is just as if not better than that one. Top notch Phish here. NMINML is next and the peak and last 6 minutes are fire! Next up is a straight forward Llama. If you like your Llama’s fsst & furious this one is for you. The slow down comes next and I read a reviewer speak to how they only like a couple slow down songs and Mountains is one and I have to agree. My first one live in person and it did not disappoint. Complete SASS with intro is just icing on the cake and standard straightforward shine a light takes us home. For the Encore we start off with a Wilson which is a great way to get the. Crowd going but then we are hit with a 17 minute bohemeth of a SOAM. I’ve always said, SOAM is best enjoyed Live when you can watch CK5 land that monster alien ship won’t he lights and this one was no exception. Just a frenzied and jammy ride. Overall this show has no weaknesses and is one of the better Phish shows I have seen in person. Definitely one of the top shows of this tour. The whole Dick’s run was amazing but N2 and N3 made the cost of hotel and flight from Detroit worth every Penny. For me, Mike was the MVP of this particular show as well as this entire run. As always thank you Phish and see you all in Dayton….

Another Psychedelic masterpiece of a 2nd set! This one rivals the First Friday 2nd set at MSG I am sure....just need to test it out officially with some psychedelics, as could not tonight. But 7/28/23 has been tested and it passes with flying colours. Electric Ladyland levels folks.... Not joking. Anyway, tonight's first set was well played and the 4 jam tunes were great! Wolf, Gin, Stash, Bowie. Nothing outrageous, but well measured and very tasteful, while keeping it chill and very 1st set. Patient jams for a set 1.
But the 2nd set.... I know will have the perfect warmth, chillness and spaceyness for a great trip! Just need to road test it. Sand was 20+ minutes of zen > another spacey jam on No Man. Very fine indeed. My fav versions of both from this summer. Llama was Llama. Great. Then Mountains...so glad they have decided to jam on the floating ending. 7/28 really shines, but this was also blissful. Scents was really psychedelic I thought it had a little extra edge to it from the rest of the show and then at this point people needed to dance so Shine a Light was perfect. Wilson provided the rock out that was needed and then the Melt rivals and maybe even surpasses the MSG one for balls to the wall constant brain orgasm when you are tripping balls. That is what happens with the MSG one (tested that...mind blown both times). You will not really get the MSG Melt unless you are on psychedlics....trust me on that. It's like Electric Ladyland. And I am sure this one will have the same effect. Goes WAY out there!!! Brilliant boys! Great night! 5/5

SET 1:

Wolfman's Brother: Easily the best of the run so far. Sick, patient, old school funk in the intro. Good stuff and a helluva way to open this show. Woo hoo!

Sparkle: Slooooow. Old. One of the worst versions ever? Probably. Time for the shelf. >

Bathtub Gin: Trey’s voice sounds hoarse. Solid jam, good version – workmanlike. No bliss crutch!

Back on the Train: Trey blows one line of lyrics.

Halfway to the Moon: Fantastic back and forth between Page and Trey! Really nice jam.

Bouncing Around the Room: Sounded good I thought.

Stash: These days, the beginning of this jam is about as patient as we can hope for. Very well done! Great peak too! For the era, I would recommend. It has replay value *for the era*

Esther: Good version, clean. >

David Bowie: Pretty good. I have been calling for them to shelve Bowie. Still feel that way. But this was pretty good.

SET 2:

Sand: The first part of the jam is super lame. But with 8 and half minutes it gets weird and cool. Lots of reverse reverb from Trey. Sounds like a fall 99 jam! Check out the effect Page throws down at 21:20, woo hoo! I bet CK5 went wild with that. Again at 22:00 >

No Men In No Man's Land: Nice and sparse to open the jam. But it unfortunately moves on quickly to the canned bliss jam you have heard hundreds of times since 2017. ->

Llama: Like the placement.

Mountains in the Mist: Nice cool down.

Scents and Subtle Sounds: Lots of whale call in here. Did not like this one. >

Shine a Light: Nicely played, sounds great.

ENCORE:

Wilson: Standard. >

Split Open and Melt: I guess I just don’t ‘get’ this song anymore. I feel like you need to be there and be on drugs to ‘get it.

Summary: Really good first set, very fun. But the second set just doesn’t have much to hang your hat on outside of 8 and a half minutes of Sand. Would rate this as a 3.8/5.

Replay Value: Wolfman’s Brother, Stash, Sand.

how can anyone really take reviews of shows seriously anymore? who on earth are these people rating this show so highly? sadly the youth(once our future), are now our present. and they have no idea on earth what great phish sounds like. each show is great, and your little personal bubble can be amazing with proper surroundings and toxicology. but for the live of god, every show isn’t epic. or magical. or insane. some are just ok. like this one.