After rewarding fans for weathering Hurricane Debby to get to Bethel Woods Center for the Arts with another jam of historic proportions on Friday, Phish returned to the famous Upstate NY venue near the site of the 1969 Woodstock festival ready to get “Back on the Train”.
Trey Anastasio, Jon Fishmn, Mike Gordon, and Page McConnell have been at the top of their game this summer, delivering boundary-pushing jams night after night and building anticipation in the lead-up to Mondegreen, the first Phish festival in nearly a decade. Saturday was no exception, though it was one of the tamer shows in recent memory.
Opening with the bluegrass-inspired “Back on the Train” (after having just jammed with bluegrass firebrand Billy Strings in Grand Rapids), Phish was fired up but kept things simple, moving on to “Sample in a Jar” after a solid six minutes. “Sample” likewise got in and out in without much fuss, establishing an all-business tone for the set.
Phish – “Back On The Train – 8/10/24
Phish then got a little looser with “Hey Stranger”. The newer composition, which was released as single and featured on the band’s recent album, Evolve, opened things up a bit but turned out to be just a preview for the first “Dinner and a Movie” since 2/24/23 in Mexico. Anastasio couldn’t help but crack a smile at Fishman’s humorous vocal interpolations—even after 40 years of Phish, they keep each other laughing.
A laid-back “Halley’s Comet” ended without ever opening up into a jam, giving way to an expansive “Sand”. The quartet built tension without ever breeching type two territory as Trey and Page shifted keys while Mike kept grooving on the song’s bassline for the duration of the jam.
Phish spiced up the set with a tasty “Gumbo”, flavored with some nice soloing from Page and ending with a unique shuffle feel courtesy of Fishman. The band then got lost in a “Maze” that also featured some impressive work from the Chairman of the Boards.
A relatively rare “Weigh” introduced a bit of dark humor ahead of the two longest jams of the set, Talking Heads‘ “Cities” (13 minutes), which saw the band navigate multiple key changes with masterful skill, and “Run Like an Antelope” (11 minutes). The pair of extended jams ended the set on a high note and signaled good things to come.
Busting into set two with Gamehendge favorite “Wilson”, Phish got “Down with Disease” for a thrilling 18 minutes. It was off to the races as Trey broke from the song’s structure early and led the quartet through spontaneous wanderings, locking in with Page on improvised melodies in impressive bouts of musical interaction.
Phish – “Wilson” – 8/10/24
From the DWD jam, “Waves” emerged to wash and rinse the crowd before a smooth transition to “Twist”. Clocking in at under nine minutes, the song’s sparse jam showcased the band’s masterful use of space and made it an unexpected highlight of the improv-heavy set.
The jams kept flowing with a 17-minute “Kill Devil Falls”, followed by the more intricately composed “Beneath a Sea of Stars Part 1”, which concluded with beautiful, ethereal improvisation. A trio of classic fan favorites finished the set: “Backwards Down the Number Line” > “Ghost” > “Tweezer Reprise”.
To cap off the evening, Phish returned to the stage for a two-song encore. Pairing the slow and steady “Wading in the Velvet Sea” with the far more upbeat “Runaway Jim”, the band brought the evening to a satisfying conclusion while leaving fans wanting more. One more night at Bethel Woods remains, and you know what they say about Sunday shows…
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Setlist [via phish.net]: Phish | Bethel Woods Center For The Arts | Bethel, NY | 8/10/24
Set 1: Back on the Train, Sample in a Jar, Hey Stranger, Dinner and a Movie, Halley’s Comet > Sand, Gumbo > Maze, Weigh, Cities > Run Like an Antelope
Set 2: Wilson > Down with Disease -> Waves > Twist > Kill Devil Falls > Beneath a Sea of Stars Part 1 -> Backwards Down the Number Line > Ghost > Tweezer Reprise
Encore: Wading in the Velvet Sea > Runaway Jim
Trey teased Call to the Post at the end of Weigh. DwD was unfinished
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