When fans look back at Phish’s shows in Nashville, TN, obviously the extended collaboration with Bob Weir from the first night will be more attention-grabbing than the subsequent night. Weir and Phish joined forces for a six song run on night one, mixing Grateful Dead and Phish classics in celebration of their extensive musical histories. Night two, however, was all Phish, as the band dove into their 33 years of music to bring out a classic Wednesday night performance, complete with big jams with all the fixings.
The show opened up with “Theme From The Bottom,” played in the opening spot for the first time in five years. The band was on point during the composed segment, with Trey Anastasio and Page McConnell playing off of each other and getting the show rolling. The set kept going with a couple of quick funky tunes in “Camel Walk” and Clifton Chenier’s “My Soul,” imposing a bouncy feel to the start of the performance.
Afterwards, Phish brought out their Big Boat opus track, “Petrichor.” The orchestral piece has been a staple of this fall tour, played for the third time now out of five shows. The well executed version moved through the composed sections well, and continues to be a favorite for Phish crowds everywhere. After the band knocked out a great “Petrichor,” they got to rocking with the Joy track “Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan.” Trey’s opening notes of “Faulty Plan” always gets the crowd going, and this short version was a fun moment of cool down after “Petrichor.”
The band then gave themselves a bouncy breather with “My Sweet One,” keeping things lighthearted before dropping into the heavier, new Mike Gordon original, “Waking Up Dead.” The Big Boat number was played well, drawing out with echo-laden tones and yearning vocals.
Page then got a chance to take the lead with “Halfway To The Moon,” singing the Fuego track with an emotional significance. The band got into a nice melodic jam on “Halfway To The Moon,” and ended it triumphantly.
Next up, the band debuted the final song from Big Boat that had yet to be played: “Running Out Of Time.” Big Boat is certainly an introspective album for Phish, and the short song certainly had a calming effect, especially with its melodic whistling ending. However, after a handful of slower songs, the band brought out a much needed “Tube” to get the funk going. Jon Fishman was as tight as ever in the pocket, fueling Page’s work on the clavinet to incite a dance party. They let this version of “Tube” glide into a drawn out funk pocket jam, though nothing quite like the Chula Vista version.
After the stupendous “Tube,” Phish played their second cover of the night:Â The Rolling Stones’Â “Shine A Light.” The heartfelt and energetic rendition brought the set to a close, giving the fans an exciting moment to carry through the set break.
With some time for fans to catch the Presidential debate during the intermission, Phish aptly ushered in their own “Golden Age” to start the second set. The TV On The Radio cover made its fall tour debut as the set opener, setting the stage for a floating jam session that dropped into the fan-favorite “Tweezer.” Let those glowsticks fly! The song quickly turned into a ripping jam out, led by soaring melody lines from Trey and counterpoint from Gordo and Page. Near the 15-minute mark, the tone of the jam dramatically changed into a more “plinko” funk effort with some distinct darker, atonal segments.
With that plinko funk established, the stage was set for Phish to jam into “No Men In No Man’s Land.” The fast-paced “No Men” kept things tight and groovy for some mid-set funk. A few minutes into the song, the band took the energy into a more melodic direction before returning to the chorus refrain. Some wading notes at the end of “No Men” allowed the band to slide into the Trey original, “Plasma.” Led by its catchy riff and mysterious lyrics, “Plasma” has crept into three previous performances since its 2014 Phish debut. It’s minor key jam segment was one of the most intriguing of the night, as the band played off of darker variations from the main riff to its dramatic conclusion.
With a sudden pop from Fishman, Phish launched into the beloved “Harry Hood.” This was a true feel-good rendition of the song, with the band settling in for a lengthy rendition. The jam patiently built with some great uplifting scales from Gordo and shredding from Trey, ultimately settling into a 70’s funk type segment with Page rolling on the piano. That set up two back-to-back, call-and-response “woo!” chants with the crowd. The jam also featured some “Petrichor” teases, but eventually Trey pulled “Hood” into its concluding chords and refrain. The set wasn’t over though, as “Suzy Greenberg” had that distinct honor. “Suzy” put a fun climactic end to a great six song set.
With some time to spare before their curfew, Phish opened up the encore portion of the show with “Walls Of The Cave.” The band ended the song on an energetic note, and doubled down with a show-closing rendition of the famed “Tweezer Reprise.” The head banging finale certainly left everyone with a smile on their faces, closing out a truly memorable two night run in Nashville, Tennessee.
Though the first set of this performances had its ups and downs, the second set was a pure marathon of Phish jamming that is sure to get its fair share of re-listens, highlighted by its musical fluidity and tight cohesiveness. Again, it’s true that the Bob Weir sit-in on night one will go down in the history books, but this is a show that will not soon be forgotten.
Check out the full Phish.net setlist below. All photos submitted by Phierce Photo.
Setlist: Phish at Ascend Amphitheater, Nashville, TN – 10/19/16
Set 1: Theme From the Bottom, Camel Walk, My Soul, Petrichor, Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan, My Sweet One, Waking Up Dead, Halfway to the Moon, Running Out of Time[1], Tube, Shine a Light
Set 2: Golden Age > Tweezer > No Men In No Man’s Land > Plasma > Harry Hood > Suzy Greenberg
Encore: Walls Of The Cave > Tweezer Reprise
[1] Debut.