Last night, Phish took the stage in Noblesville, IN for the third and last of three shows at the venue formerly known as Deer Creek, now called Ruoff Music Center. Sunday’s concert marked the end of the band’s eight-show mini spring tour, with Phish taking a well-deserved break until the marathon summer tour begins on June 14th in Mansfield, MA.

It should come as no surprise to the Phish faithful that The Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” has never opened a Phish show until last night. The guitar showcase is often reserved for late in sets or encores, but Trey Anastasio proved his George Harrison impression works at any point, even at the top of the show.

Following was the Clifton Chenier straight-ahead-blues rocker “My Soul”, upping the energy and letting keyboardist Page McConnell and Trey flex a bit. After Trey struggled with parts of “Rift” the band slid nicely through “Horn”, going back to back with compositions from 1993’s Rift.

Sticking with the composed stuff, the first “Wombat” of the year showed up. It always seems like Trey is laughing through most of this one, with Big Red really getting a kick out of it. The band opened up nicely on the back end of this one for the first jam of the evening.

After a bit of a breather with “Evolve” from Trey’s Lonely Trip album, Phish jumped back into the ambitious compositions with “Guyute”. It was a valiant effort, but not the strongest performance in recent Phish history.

Phish – “Guyute” – 6/5/22

[Video: concertvids]

A short but solid “Limb By Limb” preceded a “Mercury” that made sure to come back home once the streetlights came on, never venturing too far from comfort.

Closing a first set for the first time ever was perennial show opener “The Moma Dance”. I must say, I love it in this spot. They just dig in and give it so much extra juice at the end of a set. Tradition be damned, this groove-inducing mini-vehicle—a jam moped, if you will—might be best suited for later in the show.

Phish – “The Moma Dance” – 6/5/22

[Video: concertvids]

Opening the second frame was a laid-back and patient “Sand” that stayed that way for about 20 minutes. That patience paid off as Phish floated out into type II territory and finally locked into an ominous, charging theme I’m going to call “The Sunday Scaries.” Trey and bassist Mike Gordon eventually stepped out front and took this one nuclear, with some scorching guitar and heavy bass bombs. But the band didn’t stop there. Weaving through multiple effects-laden sections, the band seemed intent on exploring for nearly 35 minutes before the last notes rang out and Trey moved into “Sigma Oasis”.

Phish – “Sand” [Pro-Shot] – 6/5/22

Phish.net clocks the Big Cypress “Sand” in at 36:27, which would make Sunday’s “Sand” the second-longest in Phish history. For over 20 years, however, it stood as only 22 minutes of “Sand”, followed by the 14-minute live debut of “Quadrophonic Toppling”. But last month in Alabama, Phish brought the ambient Siket Disc jam back out at the tour opener, igniting fresh controversy over whether the ethereal improvisation can even be constituted as a “song” per se. Phish.net ultimately labeled last month’s “Quadrophonic Toppling” as only a quote, as well as changed the Big Cypress version to only a quote, therefore adding 14 additional minutes to the 12/31/99 “Sand” and officially stating that “Quadrophonic Toppling” has never been performed live by Phish.

All stats and records aside, it felt like this short spring tour was all building toward this “Sand” and this set since Phish first landed on Alabama’s Gulf Coast over Memorial Day weekend.

The “Sigma Oasis” that followed felt like an excuse to go right back into the same territory the band had just left. Phish connected and coasted for 11 minutes before Trey pulled them back into the coda for “Sand” to wrap things up. A short “Twenty Years Later” was a great, mellow contrast to the first two songs of the set before the irreverent and bright “Mango Song” and a big, albeit quick, “Rise/Come Together”.

Phish – “The Mango Song” – 6/5/22

[Video: concertvids]

Closing the second set for only the second time in the band’s history (the first was 9/17/00) was a charging, up-tempo “Free” with a similarly conclusive jam to the “Moma Dance” that closed the first set.

Phish – “Free” – 6/5/22

[Video: concertvids]

The acapella “Grind” kicked off the encore before the traditional parting gift that is “Slave To The Traffic Light”. It’s worth noting that Mike and Page seemed particularly inspired during this robust and magnificent “Slave”.

It was a fun Sunday night in Indiana and a solid close to the pre-summer warm-up tour. That “Sand” will be talked about for a while, taking it’s place as the clear standout this spring. Phish returns to the road for a two-night stand at Xfinity Center in Mansfield, MA on June 14th and 15th. Visit the ban’s website for tickets and a full list of tour dates. Revisit Live For Live Music‘s coverage of Friday and Saturday in Noblesville.

Setlist [via Phish.net]: Phish | Ruoff Music Center | Noblesville, IN | 6/5/22

Set One: While My Guitar Gently Weeps, My Soul, Rift, Horn, Wombat, Evolve, Guyute, Limb By Limb, Mercury, The Moma Dance

Set Two: Sand, Sigma Oasis -> Sand, Twenty Years Later > The Mango Song, Rise/Come Together, Free

Encore: Grind, Slave to the Traffic Light

Mike teased Dueling Banjos in Slave to the Traffic Light.