Phish‘s 1,767th documented show took place on a hot and rainy night at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. In Raleigh on Friday night, I brought a friend who was seeing his third Phish show, giving me the rare opportunity to look at a show through a beginner’s eyes. It made me reflective all weekend, especially going into Sunday night — Phish’s 20th show at the venue, and the ninth Sunday show at MPP. (Is there another venue where almost 50% of shows played have been on a Sunday?) When you try to explain to a relative newcomer to Phish that being at a show feels like home, they may think you’re insane. But by the end of the concert, they’ll understand.
You don’t want to miss a Sunday show, that’s conventional wisdom. But you especially don’t want to miss a Sunday show at Merriweather Post Pavilion. The preshow rain kept the lots fairly sparse, but once we were in the venue, the expectations for another great show were real.
According to the Phish.net setlist, the average year of song debuts from last night was 2001, ironically, or maybe not, almost exactly halfway between when the band started and today. And the show was a reflection of that melding — what’s new is old, what’s old is … not necessarily gone.
The confidence and lack of hesitation that the band is playing with right now is astounding. Coming out with a 15-minute “A Wave of Hope” to start, a song that’s not even a year old, and pushing it, was a statement. A couple songs later, we get a 10-minute “AC/DC Bag,” a song that debuted in 1986. But the similarity is the willingness to push and innovate. I heard some Dayton ’97 direction in the jam, but it ended up in this ’22 sound.
Later in the set, you get another song that’s only a year old, “Mull,” and that gets pushed to 12 minutes as well. From my vantage point in the pit, guitarist Trey Anastasio was all business last night. There were laughs and smiles, but he was concentrating on delivering a well-played, unique experience for the fans. Even the Flub Spotters could take a night off, with a nice Foam that led into the set closing “Ghost” — a pulsating, driving, fast groove that was reminiscent of a “Bathtub Gin” jam.
Read on after The Skinny for the rest of the recap and more.
The Skinny
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The Setlist | |
|---|---|
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The Venue | |
Merriweather Post Pavilion [See upcoming shows] | |
Outdoor Amphitheatre | |
19,319 | |
20 shows | |
The Music | |
8 songs | |
12 songs | |
20 songs | |
2001 | |
16.2 [Gap chart] | |
None | |
Wingsuit, Taste, Show Of Life | |
Taste LTP 08/08/2021 (56 Show Gap) | |
Tweezer 18:53 | |
Tweezer (2nd Instance) 2:04 | |
Junta – 1, A Picture of Nectar – 2, Rift – 1, Billy Breathes – 1, The Story of the Ghost – 2, The Siket Disc – 1, Farmhouse – 1, Joy – 1, Fuego – 1, Kasvot Växt – 1, Sci-Fi Soldier – 1, Misc. – 6, Covers – 1 | |
The Rest | |
71° and Light Rain at Showtime | |
Koa 1 | |
The pit started to thin out at setbreak, leaving me and my friends (and my 20 new friends) to spread out and get ready for the main event. “Halley’s Comet” kicked things off, and when it became clear that it wasn’t going to go long, we knew “Tweezer” was coming. And it delivered. Nineteen minutes of the ’22 sound — dark, then blissful, minimal effects, clean tones, modulation, challenging themselves and each other — and into “Wingsuit.”
“Tweezer” has often led to a cool-down song, but this landing into “Wingsuit” was just perfect. The rain from outside was blowing in and giving us just a little bit of relief from the heat, and then … back into “Tweezer”!? We got a taste of a “Tweezer”-fest, but that was the last revisiting. “Birds of a Feather” kept the energy high, and although it was only nine minutes, it pushed into improvisational space as well. They only need five minutes to get into truly jamming territory, which is amazing in itself.
Finally, beautifully, they drop into “Joy” (good call, Aaron). And although both Saturday and Sunday the energy ebbed and flowed in the last quarter of the show, without a giant propping it up (“YEM,” “Hood,” etc.), we were sent into the night howling with the pairing of “The Howling” and “Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S.” to end the set and an encore featuring “Show Of Life,” “Loving Cup” and “Tweezer Reprise.”
As I reflect on this weekend, I’m truly in awe at the fact that we’re nearly 40 years into this band’s career. But it’s not only that, there are plenty of bands who are still playing 40 years later. What makes Phish in 2022 special is taking the new and the old, the nostalgic and the novel, and combining them in a way that keeps the band determined to deliver a memorable and thrilling experience every night, that’s what keeps us coming back. They truly want us to be happy.
A Phish show is home for us, and for the band. You see old friends, you meet new friends, you go through your routines, the lights go down and you’re there. You’re home. It’s been perfectly planned. It’s completely insane. It’s a revolving cast, but it’s the same old game. See you in AC.
Phish heads to Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio on Tuesday. Livestreams are available via LivePhish.com.
Phish From The Road Photos
https://www.instagram.com/p/CgsYC2kOHPm/
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https://www.instagram.com/p/CgsqR38uz6j/
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https://www.instagram.com/p/CgsyBE7OLv3/
Poster
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Phish Tour 2022: Merriweather Post Pavilion Night 1 – Recap, Setlist & The Skinny
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Phish Tour 2022: Walnut Creek – Setlist, Recap & The Skinny
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Phish Tour 2022: Jones Beach Night 2 – Setlist, Recap & The Skinny
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Phish Tour 2022: Jones Beach Night 1 – Setlist, Recap & The Skinny
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Phish Tour 2022: Hartford – Setlist, Recap & The Skinny
