On Thursday night in Las Vegas, fans returned to the MGM Grand thirsty for more Phish, or Kasvot Växt as they had been known the evening before on Halloween. Unlike 2016, when their Ziggy Stardust costume closed out the 4-night Sin City run, All Hallows’ Eve 2018 was just getting the party started.
In a city where long nights feel like they are never over and seeing the sun come up is about as common as blinking lights and strip clubs, the appropriately placed “Everything’s Right” opened the show. The first jam of the evening dove into a funky full-band take down which led to a silky smooth Trey Anastasio solo. This tune has been one of the VIPs of Fall 2018 in terms of jam vehicles, and while it was not stretched to the outer banks of the solar system like it has in recent versions, it did not disappoint on Thursday night.
Next up was the Gamehendge rocker, “AC/DC Bag” for the second time in 2018 which Page McConnell dissolved into “Wolfman’s Brother.” Jon Fishman gave the early jam more cowbell than usual while Mike Gordon slathered a thick coat of bass all over the crowd. Three songs in to this dance fest and Page McConnell was already hopping back and forth from board to board showcasing his talent. Anastasio rode a heavy groove that peaked the high-energy jam before moving into a two-pack of cover tunes. “Nellie Kane” and Funky Bitch” were paired together for the first time ever leading to a memorable first-set “Chalkdust Torture.”
Anastasio caught the entire crowd (and his drummer) off guard by taking a second plunge into the “Chalkdust” with help from McConnell’s Hohner Clavinet. The end of tour is a great time to see the quartet at their well-oiled best and this particular jam found these robot angels (see í Rokk playbill) dialed in. The “Third Stone from the Sun” tease gave some solace to the Jimi Hendrix fans wishing for an Are You Experienced costume the night prior, but the inventive improvisation brought smiles around the entire arena. Welcomed banter between McConnell and Anastasio set up “I’ve Been Around,” “Joy” and “Walls of the Cave.” A raging “Walls” brought yet another great first set to a close for the third time this tour.
Launching into the second set with a Big Boat jam vehicle, “Blaze On” reintroduced the plinko-jamming that was briefly showcased during the “Chalkdust” and settled in on light and tranquil Type II terrain. Working as a cohesive unit, the “Blaze” found a safe environment where every member had their moment to shine. Chris Kuroda spewed forth his array of colors during Trey’s patient playing which eventually inspired West-coast “wooing” as the 20-minute tune came to a dead stop. Another vehicle from Big Boat, “No Men In No Man’s Land,” came as no surprise as the tune has appeared on a setlist in every multi-night city since The Forum back in July. Anastasio switched gears from the melodic “Blaze On” and developed some ferocious licks with help from an ambitious Gordon in “NMINML.” The trifecta was complete as yet another 3.0 jam monster in the form of “Fuego” landed upon Type II ambient space on Thursday night. They had found their sweet spot, but before Phish took the piece too far below sea level, Anastasio went searching for more wooing with “Twist.”
The trippy “Twist” had a sonic cat-chasing-mouse sequence where McConnell and Gordon teamed up to create a serious bass-organ groove. Anastasio seemed to be ahead of himself belting out the “Prince Caspian” opening “Oooh” during the thick of the jam. The tag team of Gordon and McConnell did not give up on their progression for a few minutes before finally giving in to the transition. “Caspian” would go on short ride with some extra juice from Trey before morphing back into “Twist” to finish off the sandwich. After an hour of well-placed and well-played material, the radio-friendly classic ,“Bouncin’ Around the Room,” wedged its way into a second set filled with ambient, inventive jamming and set the stage for a stellar, set-ending “Harry Hood.” Anastasio and McConnell did their best to reenact the noises coming out Vegas slot machines by utilizing layers of next-level effects. Anastasio held down a welcoming, soulful section of “Hood” that was reminiscent of a 1970’s theme song from a TV gameshow. Gordon placed his foot on the gas and dropped bombs that shook the entire room, leaving everyone feeling better than good to end the show.
In a second set filled with 3.0 jam monsters, the band took the encore back to the old-school with Junta’s “Contact.” Gordon and Anastasio, looking like two best buds, played each other’s instruments at the beginning of the Captain Obvious tune that describes sadness after a car tow. The crowd got an extra jolt with the timely lyrics “I woke up one morning in November and I realized I loved you,” before turning the MGM Grand into a sea of waving hands in unison with the band. Returning to 3.0 material, Phish put an exclamation point on a stellar show with “Rise/Come Together.”
“Everything’s Right”
[Video: Phish]
“Blaze On”
[Video: Phish]
“Harry Hood”
[Video: Jacobotubo]
“I’ve Been Around”
[Video: kembra allen]
“Contact”
[Video: kembra allen]
Stay tuned for Friday night’s third performance and remember what happens in Vegas, slays in Vegas.
Setlist: Phish | MGM Grand Garden Arena | Las Vegas, NV | 11/1/18
SET 1: Everything’s Right, AC/DC Bag > Wolfman’s Brother, Nellie Kane, Funky Bitch, Chalk Dust Torture, I Been Around, Joy, Walls of the Cave
SET 2: Blaze On > No Men In No Man’s Land, Fuego > Twist > Prince Caspian > Twist, Bouncing Around the Room, Harry Hood
ENCORE: Contact > Rise/Come Together
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