Wednesday night. The fifth show of seven. They’ve still got it.
Last night officially marked the longest stretch of Phish shows I’ve ever done consecutively, surpassing my previous two four-night MSG runs. I was incredibly excited going into the show – because who wouldn’t be? It’s Phish.
The night got off to an energetic spot with “Possum,” which led into a well-played rendition of “Guyute.” Guitarist Trey Anastasio sported his trademark grin through the first two songs as he moved through the blazing solo of the first song and intricate composition of the second. “Axilla (Part II)” made an appearance next, and its sludgy jam gave way nicely to the first “Energy” of the year.
The jamming also began to seep into the set at this point as the Apples in Stereo cover delved deep into Type II territory. The band landed in a funky motif that eventually bled into an upbeat and rocking jam led by keyboardist Page McConnell’s insistent piano playing. Anastasio took the last minute of the song by force on wah guitar, getting into some darker territory as McConnell delivered some synth washes that bled smoothly into the beginning of “Meatstick.” Delving immediately back into the murk, a synth-drenched groove developed for a few minutes before Anastasio initiated another PERFECT segue into “It’s Ice.” Funk continued to be the theme throughout this jam as drummer Jon Fishman crafted one of his trademark tight-yet-fluid grooves. Anastasio threw in a foreshadowing “Frankenstein” tease as the improv wound to a close.
Recently, “Blaze On” has been a favourite in the set-closing slot, often running for a mere 6-8 minutes and acting as an exclamation point on the set. Fortunately, the band opted for deeper improv last night and dove into a – you guessed it – funk jam yet again. McConnell’s Wurlitzer electric piano propelled the music at first before Anastasio locked into a sunny theme and brought the band to a euphoric set-closing peak.
With a funk theme like this, it should have been little surprise when Phish opened the second frame with a formless funk jam. As Fish took an excellent and groovy drum break early on, I began to hear a resemblance to a certain unique rendition of a song from Island Tour in 1998…and then Anastasio started singing “Cavern.”
Needless to say, I lost my shit.
Phish played the Island Tour “Cavern.” In 2023. What a band!
The slow, funky version had only ever existed as an isolated incident on 4/5/98, inspired by the deep funk theme of that incredible four-night run of shows. The crowd absolutely went wild last night for this unique moment that I am still in disbelief about witnessing.
A brief outro jam led to “Carini,” which featured its own cowfunk breakdown within the song. Fish led the jam with massive energy, an absolutely blistering peak taking shape quickly as Anastasio’s leads and McConnell’s synth blasts led to a massive moment of pure joy. A post-peak motif developed with a repeating arpeggio from Anastasio and McConnell before bassist Mike Gordon made a suggestion at a modulation into a more minor key.
Anastasio took that suggestion and smoothly led the rest of the band into a darker theme before beginning “Piper” out of the ashes. A fast and aggressive eight minutes followed before “The Well” emerged from the music. While not going massively Type II like the version from Philadelphia, last night’s “Well” explored every inch of the dark jam in a very “Saw it Again”-like fashion. The energy refused to abate even a little bit through the funky dance party of “The Howling” and a solid reading of “Taste.” “About to Run” and “Chalk Dust Torture” put Anastasio in the spotlight as he unleashed a flamethrower of guitar on the crowd.
The first “Frankenstein” in 120 shows began the encore with the awesome experience of getting to see McConnell strap on James Brown’s keytar live for the first time. “Slave to the Traffic Light” did what it does best – close a show with an emotional and joyous peak.
While last night may look weaker on paper, it was an incredible show to be at in terms of energy and execution…and oh yeah – they played the Island Tour Cavern.
Two more nights remain and they haven’t played a single track off of Round Room…what does it all mean?
See you at the Garden tomorrow night!
7/28
7/30
7/29
8/2
8/1