In what has become an annual summer tour tradition, Phish hit the The Mann Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, PA for the third straight year. The first night of the two-show run brought some straight fire to the Philly venue, scorching with a great show that included new material, bust outs, and some classic Phishy jams.

Right from the first notes, the crowd was locked in for the call-and-response introduction of “Wilson.” The upbeat rocker brought a taste of Gamehendge to the Mann, but it was Mike Gordon that would take the lead on the next tune, “Funky Bitch.” The classic Son Seals cover kept the set grooving right along, and the funk continued with the 2015 debut, “No Men In No Man’s Land.” The song that defined New Year’s Eve 2015 was the first repeat of the summer tour, but it raged hard and kept the crowd on their toes.

From there, the band took a moment to slow things down, bringing out the fan favorite “Roggae.” The song always unites fans in a sway, and Trey Anastasio rocked a great and melodic solo in the song’s instrumental section. The band then went into “Nellie Kane,” bringing some bluegrass flavor into the set. The guitar intro of “Birds of a Feather” whirled the crowd into a veritable frenzy, before funking things out with a great version of “Gumbo.” They were locked and loaded in this great first set, with Page McConnell really shining on the “Gumbo.” The set then featured the night’s first big bust out, as they brought out the Anastasio original, “Sleep Again.” Played for only the fifth time by Phish, the song hadn’t been heard since 2010 (224 shows), and was warmly welcomed by the crowd.

With the fans in the palm of their hand, the band took an opportunity to debut their third new song of the tour, “Things People Do.” The bluegrassy-type song saw McConnell take the lead on vocals, leading fans through a short but sweet tune before heading into “Limb By Limb.” The beloved song built up some great energy, only to have it drop into darker waters with “Split Open And Melt.” The song’s heavier jam provided some of the first heady instrumental moments before wrapping up neatly. Finally, it was a classic combination of “The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony > Suzy Greenberg” that got the job done, finishing off the first set with some rock and roll. It was the first “Oh Kee Pa” in three years (98 shows), and its introduction to “Suzy” was a great nod for Phish’s loyal fans.

Things People Do

After a brief respite, Phish returned ready to rage the second set. The band opened with the 2014 title track “Fuego,” taking the energetic rocker into mellow and melodic territory before segueing cleanly into “Runaway Jim.” The song always raises the energy in the house, and got into a thick jam before concluding nicely. The group then brought out their first “Gotta Jibboo” of the tour, treating fans to the carefree number with glee.

They continued the set with the new song that was debuted two days prior, “Breath and Burning.” This time, the song was given the second set treatment, allowing Phish to stretch the song’s limits. Some droning bass and echoing synths brought “Breath and Burning” into the ether, letting the tune develop steadily. As the jam faded, it was Anastasio and Jon Fishman that led the group into “Timber (Jerry).” The song gave fans a chance to sing along with the mule-based rocker, and it was McConnell that let loose with a great organ solo to get the jam going. 

After getting low down with some rock and roll, Phish took the second set to a heavenly space with “Slave To The Traffic Light.” They drew out the song nicely, letting it fade before dropping the bomb of the second set, “You Enjoy Myself.” The band’s opus was a great set ender, as Anastasio nailed the intro and kept the song moving. Anastasio even hopped on Fishman’s marimba lumina for the jam to really take the improvisation to the next level, and the ever-fun vocal jam closed out the great set of music.

With a rocking and rolling cover of Bob Dylan’s “Quinn The Eskimo,” the band called it a night, leaving The Mann with a great, great performance. Check out the full setlist below, courtesy of Phish.net.

Setlist: Phish at The Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA – 6/28/16

Set 1: Wilson, Funky Bitch, No Men In No Man’s Land, Roggae, Nellie Kane, Gumbo > Birds of a Feather, Sleep Again, Things People Do[1], Limb By Limb, Split Open and Melt, The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony > Suzy Greenberg

Set 2: Fuego > Runaway Jim > Gotta Jibboo > Breath and Burning > Timber (Jerry) > Slave to the Traffic Light > You Enjoy Myself

Encore: Quinn The Eskimo

[1] Debut

Notes: Sleep Again was last played 2010-08-07 (224 shows). This show featured the debut of Things People Do.

[Photo via Phish From The Road]