After dabbling at the Hollywood Bowl and Long Beach Arena in earlier part of the decade, Phish has found themselves a comfortable home at The Forum.  For the third consecutive year, the guys performed a rollicking show at the venerable arena. Phish and fans love the Forum, and the biggest benefactor is Chris Kuroda.  With a tour very heavy on outdoor venues, finally having a big comfy arena to show off his new lights and LED panels was a real treat. The hall was bathed with soft pastel lighting interspersed with brilliant flashes of color.  The two massive panels only added aesthetic imagery as Kuroda was in full jam lighting mode.

It’s been a busy week on the West Coast, and the band started off in typical fashion. “Moma Dance” and “Sample In A Jar” were on par, with Trey Anastasio missing his mark at one point. After dusting off the rare bluegrass “Paul and Silas” (first time in 107 shows –  October 2013) they started kicking it in gear.  A solid “Yarmouth” Road followed.

“Kill Devil Falls” made a return visit to The Forum, and “Horn,” “Halfway to the Moon” and “Heavy Things” gave the set a nice breezy pace. It was “Blaze On” and “Stash” that really cranked up the heat. “Stash” especially stretched things out with a psychedelic close to the smokin’ jam. A solid “Cavern” and a brilliant “Run Like An Antelope” closed out the set, and the latter song had an intro with a bluegrassier-than-usual feel to it. Anastasio also played with the lyrics, saying “Mike-o Esquandolas” to give Mike Gordon a brief solo.

After a long set break, “Axilla I” came strong out of the gate with typical high energy. Then the band went into a stunning “Fuego” that had a dreamy jam that reached deep and delivered, before “Back On The Train” got the crowd loose with its funky rock vibe.

“Saw It Again” was punchy and punky with its typical Gothic build up into musical desperation. Anastasio channeled Jimi Hendrix with the acid guitar at the end, to great effect. “Prince Caspian” was warm and inviting and well delivered, and a terrific segue into “Waves” followed, which had a rolling jam working its way patiently through the song. “Joy” and “The Wedge” were nice moments in the second set as well, though they failed in taking the band deep into jamming territory.

One of the show highlights was a superb “Scent of a Mule.” Page McConnell contributed an extended piano solo as he played all the scales flawlessly, before switching to the synthesizer with fully funky aplomb. The jam was not done yet, as Trey and Jon Fishman on Marimba Lumina finished out Scent with a bang.   A second highlight followed with a great version of “Rock and Roll.”

Luckily, to close the set, “You Enjoy Myself” made a triumphant return to the Forum. Trey and Mike at one point standing three inches apart, taking us on a long loose ride. Gordo went deep feedback on a great solo at the end of the song, while Trey was dancing, guitarless. With a groovy a cappella soaring into the abstract, the set ended with psychedelic overdrive. The crowd was frantic, cheering with loud approval!

The band came back with three old classics for the encore: “Boogie On Reggae Woman,” “Bouncing Around the Room” and “Golgi Apparatus.” It was an all-around fun show, only enhanced by The Forum’s core energy. Phish, if you’re out there – please do us a favor and book The Forum next year. It’s now your LA home.

Check out a video playlist with highlights below, taped by Tom Rowles on YouTube. You can navigate between songs using the icon on the top left.

You can see the full setlist from Phish.net, posted below.

Setlist: Phish at The Forum, Los Angeles, CA – 7/22/16

Set 1: The Moma Dance > Sample in a Jar, Paul and Silas, Yarmouth Road, Kill Devil Falls, Horn, Halfway to the Moon, Heavy Things > Blaze On, Stash, Cavern > Run Like an Antelope

Set 2: Axilla, Fuego > Back on the Train > Saw It Again > Prince Caspian > Waves > Joy > The Wedge, Scent of a Mule[1], Rock and Roll > You Enjoy Myself

Encore: Boogie On Reggae Woman, Bouncing Around the Room, Golgi Apparatus

[1] Trey and Fish on Marimba Lumina

Notes: This show was webcast via Live Phish. Paul and Silas was played for the first time since October 20, 2013 (107 shows).

Photos by Steve Rose: