Phish returned to The Wharf Amphitheater last night, playing the second night of a three-night, tour-opening stand at the waterside venue in Orange Beach, Alabama. After a solid first outing that saw the band play “Quadrophonic Toppling” for the first time in this century (603 shows), fans were eager to hear what was in store for night two.

The band opened the show with a light-hearted “Sigma Oasis”, which quickly drifted into a dreamy improvisational section led by guitarist Trey Anastasio. The jam went into more exploratory waters from there, dropping into a funk-fueled, “2001”-esque session powered by bassist Mike Gordon. The band eventually resolved the jam nearly 20 minutes later, returning to the song’s upbeat refrain: “you’re already there.”

Phish then whipped the crowd into a frenzy with a blistering “Possum”; the high-energy version was highlighted by Page McConnell’s solo on the Yamaha grand piano followed by a slick guitar solo from Trey. “AC/DC Bag” was up next, a tightly-played rendition that kept the energy flowing in the set.

The band continued playing the classics, following “Possum” and “Bag” with the Lawn Boy composition “Reba”. Aside from a lyrical false start from Trey, the “Reba” was executed well, culminating in an upbeat, floating jam-out session guided by Trey’s melodic guitar playing. The band did include the whistling ending to close out the number.

 

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A dreamy version of “Roggae” followed, but the big surprise of the first set came afterwards in the form of “My Mind’s Got a Mind of its Own”. The upbeat bluegrass number was last played in 2013, a gap of 283 shows. Whether you count the previous night’s “Toppling” as a true setlist entry may be a matter of debate, but this was an undeniable bust out for those keeping score at home.

Phish then face planted into the next song, “The Final Hurrah” from Kasvot Växt, highlighted by some shredding guitar playing from Trey and Jon Fishman’s drumming as the driving force behind it all.

“Free” was next on the setlist. This was a headier version of “Free” that bounced into atonal, hypnotic territory during the bass-heavy part of the jam section, before Trey deftly maneuvered to the song’s finale. With that came the close of the first set, some 80 minutes and eight songs later. This was the band’s first time closing a set with “Free” since 11/28/03 in Nassau.

Phish – “Free” [Pro-Shot] – 5/8/22

The band returned for set two with “A Wave of Hope” from Trey’s Lonely Trip quarantine album. The rocker was notably featured during Phish’s post-New Year’s Earth Day celebration, when the band played a water-themed set and turned Madison Square Garden into an aquarium.

The energetic set opener segued smoothly into “Mr. Completely”, the 2.0 jam vehicle that was revived in 2017 and has been on regular rotation ever since. This was a free-flowing “Completely” that moved through dark, heavy themes, launching into outer space and eventually returning to Earth, landing on the opening notes of the James Gang’s funk-rocker “Walk Away”. While Page led the band through the song’s lyrics, it was Trey that turned things up at the end of the song with some wailing blues guitar.

 

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After a brief pause, Phish launched into its second consecutive cover of the set, TV On The Radio’s “Golden Age”. This would evolve into one of the stand-out jams of the night, as the band explored light and dark themes before resolving in an impassioned crescendo led by Trey’s uplifting melodies. The band then dropped into the song’s opening riff before fading into the instrumental “What’s The Use?”.

The slow-building “WTU” provided a mellow moment in the second set, building up the tension before letting loose on the funk tune known as “The Moma Dance”. This was a fun, albeit standard version of “Moma”, followed in the setlist by “If I Could”. The Hoist ballad ended on a triumphant note, making room for the final song of the second set: “Run Like An Antelope”. This was a barn burning “Antelope”, closing out set two on a high note.

As Phish returned to the stage for the encore, fans immediately noticed that Trey was wearing an acoustic guitar. The band approached its four-pronged a cappella microphone stand and sang “I Am In Miami”, a song from Sci-Fi Soldier, Phish’s most recent Halloween performance. After the fun song, Trey quipped that they were “giving it the old college try for a band from Vermont” and thanked the audience for welcoming them to Orange Beach. Sure, it’s a 10 hour drive from Orange Beach to Miami according to Google Maps, but the oceanside, Southeastern setting must have inspired the “Miami” selection.

Closing out the show was a cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Izabella”, played for the first time in 53 shows and only the third time since 1998. The up-tempo blues number was reintroduced into the rotation on the final night of the Baker’s Dozen run in 2017. It’s no exaggeration to say that all four band members—five, including Chris Kuroda—performed this “Izabella” with passion and enthusiasm, making it an excellent selection for the final spot.

There you have it: an altogether solid performance highlighted by some extended jam sessions and bust out song selections. Phish returns for the final night of the three-night stand at The Wharf tonight, May 29. You can read the full setlist below.

Setlist [via phish.net]: Phish | The Wharf Amphitheater | Orange Beach, AL | 5/28/22

SET 1: Sigma Oasis, Possum, AC/DC Bag > Reba, Roggae, My Mind’s Got a Mind of its Own > The Final Hurrah > Free

SET 2: A Wave of Hope > Mr. Completely > Walk Away, Golden Age > What’s the Use? > The Moma Dance, If I Could, Run Like An Antelope

ENCORE: I Am In Miami, Izabella

 

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