Let’s face it, we’re ridiculously excited for Phish to start their summer tour tonight. With the band recording a new album this winter with Producer Bob Ezrin and Percussionist Andrés Forero (from the Broadway show Hamilton), the anticipation is reaching a fever pitch for Phish Phans, as they wonder what the new songs will sound like, will the band bring beloved older songs like “Fluffhead” and “Foam” back into the rotation, and will they actually be debuting a brand new LED-based light show?

As the band prepares to answer everyone’s questions (or blow everyone’s minds) with their tour opener tonight at the Xcel Center in St. Paul, MN, we thought it’d be fun to take a look back at the opening show from each Summer of the 3.0 era. Take a look below at the awesome shows that have opened Phish’s past seven Summer Tours.

5/31/2009 – Fenway Park, Boston, MA

Five years after breaking up, Phish reunited in March 2009 with three triumphant comeback shows at “The Mothership,” Hampton Coliseum. After the celebratory return run, all eyes turned to Phish’s summer tour opener in Boston at Fenway Park. This show marked the first time band had ever played a Baseball Stadium, and the Phish celebrated the occasion by opening the show with a rare, a capella performance of the “Star Spangled Banner,” performed on the Pitcher’s Mound with the band wearing custom Red Sox jerseys. Phish then moved to the stage, lighting up the crowd from the get-go with a soaring “Sample In A Jar”. This one-off in Boston saw the debuts of both “Ocelot” and the divisive “Time Turns Elastic,” and the show featured several “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” teases. Phish featured a few major bust-outs on the night, as the band played “Destiny Unbound” for only the second time since 1991, and covered Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “The Ballad of Curtis Loew” for the first time since August 2, 1993.

Watch Phish’s huge bust out of “The Ballad of Curtis Loew,” below.

  

6/11/2010 – Toyota Park, Chicago, IL

This show at the home of the Chicago Fire was a ton of fun, as Phish played the aptly titled cover “Jesus Just Left Chicago” early in the show to get the crowd going. The band stretched out “Limb by Limb” with a vocal jam, and the they performed a wild “Run Like An Antelope,” complete with a “Dave’s Energy Guide” tease and some Fishman-related lyrical adlibs. This performance also saw the debut of the band’s love letter to its fans, “Show of Life.”

Check out Phish opening their show at Toyota Park with a raging “Down with Disease.” 

  

5/27/2011 – Bethel Woods Center for The Arts, Bethel, NY 

Marking the first night of a three night, tour-opening run at the beautiful Bethel Woods venue, this weekend was filled with amazing vibes, and Phish laid the groundwork for this classic run with a dark and dirty opening night. A dark “Tweezer” > “My Friend, My Friend” opened the show, and the energy never stopped as the band built towards an epic climax. Set two’s segue-fest of “Carini” > “Back on the Train” > “Boogie On Reggae Woman” > “Waves” > “Prince Caspian” > “Crosseyed and Painless” > “Wading in the Velvet Sea” was gorgeous, with “Waves” serving as the improv centerpiece of the evening. This summer tour also found Phish releasing high quality, pro-shot footage after each show, and they started off this new tradition by releasing a video of this incredible “Waves.”

Watch HD video of the stand-out “Waves” below.

  

6/07/2012 – DCU Center, Worcester, MA 

2012 found Phish starting their tour on on their home turf, as they played two nights in Worcester, MA at the DCU Center. This run acted as de-facto warm-up shows for the band’s insane run from Bonnaroo through three nights at Atlantic City’s Bader Field. The first night in Worcester featured multiple excellent jams, specifically the second set run of “Carini” -> “Taste” > “Ghost” > “Boogie On Reggae Woman”. Phish also surprised fans in the second set by performing the ever rare “If I Could” for the first time in 102 shows. The band perfectly set the table for their big week to come, giving their local New England fans a special show that set the bar high.

Watch the band land on “Boogie On Reggae Woman” at the DCU Center below.

 

7/03/2013 – Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion, Bangor, ME 

This show similarly served as a warm-up for a huge run, setting the stage for one of Phish’s most epic three night stands at SPAC. While the show featured a somewhat standard setlist, the performance certainly wasn’t a stinker, as it saw the band run seamlessly from “Theme From The Bottom” > “Chalkdust Torture” in set one, and found Page teasing “Manteca” as he led the band through a beautiful “Golden Age” jam in set two. A wild “Run Like An Antelope” closed the night, with the bend elongating the song with a short-but-sweet type II improv section.

Watch “Run Like An Antelope” from Darling’s Waterfront below.

7/01/2014 – Xfinity Center (Great Woods), Mansfield, MA

Another tour opener, another New England show. Phish loves to start their summer in familiar territory, and this show at the venue formerly-known as “Great Woods” is all about that “Hood.” While the band usually saves their extended jams for later in the tour (after they’ve had a chance to loosen up on the road), Phish delivered a sublime 19-minute version of “Harry Hood” on this night. This version of the classic song was simply incredible, as it launched off into a funky, exploratory jam near the end of set II and brought the show to a huge climax, leaving fans begging for more as the band left the stage.

Watch pro-shot video of this incredible “Harry Hood” below.

7/21/2015 – Les Schwab Amphitheater, Bend, OR

2015’s tour opener saw the band switching things up, leaving the cozy confines of New England behind as they ventured to the Pacific Northwest, playing the Les Schwab Ampitheater in Bend, OR to kick off the summer festivities. The show found the band feeling particularly loose, as they unleashed several debuts in “Blaze On,” “Shade,” and “No Men In No Man’s Land”. All three were very well received, and the band returned the positive energy in kind with huge jams out of both “Blaze On” and “No Men In No Man’s Land”, with a grinning Trey Anastasio unable to contain his excitement and smiling widely throughout. 

Watch full video of this fun West Coast Summer tour opener below. 

We can’t wait to see what Phish has in store for us tonight. We hope all phans who are en route to St. Paul, MN have safe travels, and we’ll see you inside the Xcel Center for what’s sure to be a memorable night!