Phish began their brief Spring Tour 2023 on Friday night with the first of two shows at Seattle’s newly renovated Climate Pledge Arena. Friday’s show marked the 10th time Phish has performed in Seattle and the fifth time at Climate Pledge Arena, the previous four times coming in 1995 (two shows), 1996 and in 2014 when it was called Key Arena.
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The first Phish show in Seattle in nearly nine years began with “Blaze On” opening the first set and opening up into a satisfying jam. In the midst of the improvisation, bassist Mike Gordon, who was playing a new Serek bass for the first time in concert, suggested a motif that was quickly picked up by guitarist Trey Anastasio who developed it into a seamless segue into “Plasma.” A smooth transition briefly back into “Blaze On” capped the eventful opening segment.
A well-executed “Vultures” set up a rocking “Sample In A Jar.” Mike then led the band in covering the calypso favorite “Ya Mar.” Trey prompted keyboardist Page McConnell to “play it Leo!” ahead of an organ solo. “Ya Mar” also saw Mike and Trey in a tight exchange while Page and drummer Jon Fishman dropped out.
Trey then thanked the audience and noted that being from the Northeast it was good to be in the other corner in the Northwest. He also offered congratulations for landing the new NHL team the Kraken who play at Climate Pledge, adding that he wanted a professional hockey team in Vermont.
Climate Pledge Arena was filled with a foggy haze during the subsequent “Steam.” A menacing “My Friend My Friend” and a hard-charging “Walls Of The Cave” filled in the latter part of the set. A relatively tame “Ghost” would fill the closer role, ending the set with a meandering jam that caught traction and finished with a tension-releasing peak.
Read on after The Skinny for the rest of the recap and more.
The Skinny
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The Setlist | |
|---|---|
Set 1: Blaze On -> Plasma -> Blaze On, Vultures, Sample in a Jar, Ya Mar, Steam > My Friend, My Friend [1] > Walls of the Cave > Ghost Set 2: A Wave of Hope, Bouncing Around the Room, No Men In No Man’s Land -> Golden Age, Martian Monster, The Wedge, Bug > Back on the Train Encore: My Friend My Friend did not contain the “Myfe” ending. | |
The Venue | |
Climate Pledge Arena [See upcoming shows] | |
18,000 | |
4 shows | |
The Music | |
9 songs | |
9 songs | |
18 songs | |
2001 | |
6.22 [Gap chart] | |
None | |
All | |
Vultures LTP 07/23/2022 (28 Show Gap) | |
A Wave of Hope 21:03 | |
Blaze On (Reprise) 1:57 | |
Junta – 1, Lawn Boy – 1, Rift – 2, Hoist – 1, The Story of the Ghost – 1, Farmhouse – 2, Round Room – 1, Big Boat – 2, Chilling Thrilling Sounds – 1, Sigma Oasis – 1, Misc. – 3, Covers – 2 | |
The Rest | |
57° and Sunny at Showtime | |
Koa 1 | |
After set break, “A Wave Of Hope” brought the band into the second set. The song, which appeared on Trey’s 2020 pandemic album Lonely Trip, was the catalyst for an expansive jam that would span 21 minutes before completion. Within that improvised segment, the band took its time working through a minimal and spacey sequence with Mike (who started the set wearing an interesting pair of glasses) laying a deep bassline and Chris Kuroda’s spectacle of moving lights in sync with the music coming from the stage.
The jam coaleced around a melody introduced by Trey that Page responded to on piano and soon all four were off on a gorgeous progression of instant composition. The four musicians seemed propelled by the music they were making, barrelling forward and gaining momentum through each pass through the settled-on theme.
After a quick run through “Bouncing Around The Room,” the band was soon back to jamming, first via the pathway provided by “No Men In No Man’s Land” which sprouted a forceful improvisation bolstered by Mike’s assertive contributions and colored by Page spatial synth sounds. The “NMINML” jam dissolved and “Golden Age” emerged.
The TV On The Radio cover was another gateway to inspired improvisation, not to be overshadowed by the set-opening jam. Dynamic interplay between Trey and Page, Mike and Fish, and all four collectively was on full-on display as they angled their way from one improvised sequence to the next. At one point, Mike employed an effect that could be described as the sound of a screaming robot, truly wild.
Page triggered the sound effects for “Martian Monster” alerting everyone that their trip would be short. Arena-ready rockers “The Wedge” and “Bug” put plenty of fits in the air. “Back On The Train,” which before Friday had never been the final song of set, was selected as a closer for the first time since its debut in 1999.
For the encore, Phish chose “Fluffhead.” The performance was just the eighth time the longstanding classic original was played during an encore.
Phish returns to the Climate Pledge Arena again tonight. Watch livestreams via LivePhish.com.
Phish From The Road Photos
https://www.instagram.com/p/CrCSHIxuEat/
Posters
https://www.instagram.com/p/CrB3DROpI7i/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CrB0XAKpbHS/
