Phish returned to United Center in Chicago to cap off the band’s eight-show fall tour, and you know what they say about never missing a Sunday show. The band delivered a particularly high-energy performance and continued to dig through its back catalog, retrieving a few long-shelved selections and songs from past Halloween shows, likely in recognition of it being the band’s last show until after the holiday.
“Everything is Hollow”, a song from Phish’s 2018 Kasvot Växt Halloween set, made its first appearance since 2019 and arrived in the opening slot for the first time ever. Then came Josh White and Sam Gary‘s “Timber (Jerry the Mule)”, followed by two more songs named for animals, “Ocelot” and “Vultures”, the latter of which featured a tease of Jimi Henderix‘s “Third Stone From the Sun” from Trey Anastasio.
Phish – “Everything Is Hollow” – 10/15/23
The band then revisited “Monsters” for the first time since debuting the tune this summer following its premiere during Trey’s trio tour with Jon Fishman and Trey Anastasio Band bassist Dezron Douglas. “Plasma” and “Mercury”, two songs from Phish’s 3.0 era then gave way to “Stash”, which would mark the improvisational highlight in a more song-focused first set. “Leaves” then fell (just in time for fall) ahead of a set-closing “David Bowie” (potentially a reference to Phish’s musical costume for Halloween 2016), which ended the frame on a high note and served as a sign of an electric set still to come.
Phish opened set two with a cover of The Who‘s “Drowned”, which the band debuted on Halloween 1995 when it covered Quadrophenia, before diving into one of the best jam segments of the evening. “A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing” flowed directly into a lyric-less continuation of night one’s “Tweezer”, which in turn transitioned into “Simple”, with the energy building as the band and fans fed off each other throughout the sequence.
Phish – “Drowned” (The Who) – 10/15/23
“Pebbles and Marbles” came next before another highlight of the night, Little Feat’s “Spanish Moon”, which Phish played on Halloween 2010 and only one other time in Mexico in 2019. Then, after a synthy “Wave of Hope” and a to-the-point “Evolve”, the band capped set two with The Rolling Stones‘ “Loving Cup”, which has appeared in the Phish repertoire since 1993 but was notably included in the band’s Halloween 2009 recreation of Exile on Main Street at Festival 8.
Returning for the encore, Phish tore through “Run Like an Antelope” and, just to drive the theme home, included “Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S.” from 2018’s Kasvot Växt Halloween set, before ending the night on a high with “Tweezer Reprise”.
Click below to view fan-shot footage and a gallery of photos from photographer Josh Druding. For a full list of Phish’s upcoming shows and to purchase tickets, visit the band’s website.
Phish – “Timber (Jerry The Mule)” (Josh White, Sam Gary) – 10/15/23
[Video: shinepigeon]
Setlist [via Phish.net]: Phish | United Center | Chicago, IL | 10/15/23
Set 1: Everything is Hollow > Timber (Jerry the Mule), Ocelot, Vultures, Monsters, Plasma, Mercury, Stash, Leaves, David Bowie
Set 2: Drowned > A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing -> Tweezer[1] -> Simple, Pebbles and Marbles, Spanish Moon, A Wave of Hope > Evolve, Loving Cup
Encore: Run Like an Antelope > Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S. > Tweezer Reprise
[1] No lyrics.
Notes:
Everything is Hollow was performed for the first time since December 8, 2019 (135 Shows). Trey teased Third Stone From the Sun during Vultures. Drowned was played for the first time since August 14, 2021 (114 Shows). Tweezer was performed as a “continuation” of October 13th’s version (played between the original Tweezer on that night and the Tweezer Reprise that would follow later in this show) and had no lyrics. Trey teased Get Back in Simple. Spanish Moon was played for the first time since February 21, 2019 (171 shows).
