Phish returned to Albany, NY’s MVP Arena on Sunday for the third and final night of the band’s special fall run benefitting the Divided Sky Foundation, the Trey Anastasio-founded organization that provides “educational and introspective programming to foster a sober and productive foundation for individuals affected by addiction” via its Divided Sky Residential Recovery Retreat in Ludlow, VT.
After celebrating the spirit of the late Phil Lesh on Friday and leaning into Divided Sky-appropriate lyrical themes of recovery and renewal on Saturday, the band spent much of Sunday’s show pushing the boundaries of its songs and exploring the unknown.
Following the first “Heavy Things” opener since Halloween 2013, the band queued up one of the newest songs in its catalog, “What’s Going Through Your Mind”. The song, which had already proven its mettle in its first three appearances over the summer—including a Billy Strings-assisted debut in Michigan and extended takes at Mondegreen and Dick’s Sporting Goods Park—remained reined in for a few minutes of melodic riffing before coming to a close.
Up next was a rare take on Mike Gordon-penned Undermind deep cut “Access Me”, a song that first appeared on a Phish setlist in 2004 but had only been played six total times prior to Sunday night. The brief but welcome rendition benefitted from jagged Page McConnell synth tones and a biting Jon Fishman drum pattern.
Phish – “Access Me” – 10/27/24
[Video: digidigit]
“My Friend, My Friend” has been in the midst of an improvisational Renaissance for the last year and change, and the Albany rendition continued that trend with a spooky jam that toiled in sinister shadows en route to an explosive finish just shy of the 11-minute mark. Following a bit of bluegrass on “My Sweet One”, an airy, melodic “Limb by Limb”, and a delicate “Mountains in the Mist”, set one hit its high point with a high-speed tour of addiction parable/reliable rocker “Kill Devil Falls” that expertly intertwined texture and melody as it wove through a number distinct sonic motifs under churning LED trusses for nearly 19 minutes. Steadfast closer “Walls of the Cave” finally rounded out the first frame.
Phish launched into Albany’s final set on a mission and never looked back. From an opening “Everything’s Right” (which clocked in at just under 17 minutes) to the thick, charging, tease-filled “Chalk Dust Torture” that followed (23 minutes and change) to the celestial churn of the ensuing “Mercury” (runtime 14 minutes), Trey, Mike, Page, and Fish seemed less concerned with what song they were playing at any given moment and more concerned with chasing new discoveries in their orbit.
Phish – “Everything’s Right” > “Chalk Dust Torture” – 10/27/24
[Video: digidigit]
A perfectly placed “Wading in the Velvet Sea” breather provided a moment for sentimental reflection before surging Vida Blue holdover “Most Events Aren’t Planned” channeled some BTE (Big Tweeprise Energy) as it pushed to a howling climax.
Phish – “Most Events Aren’t Planned” (Vida Blue) – 10/27/24
[Video: digidigit]
The fact that Phish called it a set there speaks to its cohesive, in-the-moment nature. There was certainly time to throw in another song—an imbalance corrected by the extra-long encore that followed—but Sunday’s second set had been an organic showcase of the band’s collective creativity from its opening notes, and the triumphant peak of “Most Events Aren’t Planned” truly did feel like the natural conclusion of one long, winding story. If you’re listening back, we highly recommend resisting the urge to skip around and riding out this set from start to finish. It’s worth the trip.
With plenty of time to spare, Phish began its encore with a guitar onslaught on “Gotta Jiboo” and tapped into the uplifting spirit of the benefit weekend on “Waste” and “Bug” before sending MVP Arena into hysterics one last time with a closing “Character Zero”.
Phish – “Gotta Jibboo”, “Waste”, “Bug”, “Character Zero” – 10/27/24
[Video: digidigit]
Next up for Phish is the band’s return to Madison Square Garden for its 2024 New Year’s run on December 28th, 29th, 30th, and 31st. Find tickets to the Phish New Year’s run at the Garden here. Revisit our coverage of Albany Night 1 here and Night 2 here.
Setlist [via phish.net]: Phish | MVP Arena | Albany, NY | 10/27/24
Set One: Heavy Things, What’s Going Through Your Mind, Access Me, My Friend, My Friend, My Sweet One, Limb By Limb, Mountains in the Mist, Kill Devil Falls, Walls of the Cave
Set Two: Everything’s Right > Chalk Dust Torture, Mercury, Wading in the Velvet Sea, Most Events Aren’t Planned
Encore: Gotta Jibboo, Waste > Bug > Character Zero
Notes: Access Me was played for the first time since August 31, 2019 (185 show gap). Trey teased We’re Off to See the Wizard during Limb By Limb. Stash was teased during Chalk Dust Torture. This show was a benefit for Divided Sky Foundation.
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