Exactly 22 years after their fabled Gamehendge performance, Phish returned to Mansfield, MA to kick off a three-night weekend run throughout the Northeast. The first such show took place at the Xfinity Center, packed with phans eager to celebrate all things Phishy. 

The band kicked off the show in style, bringing out the Jon Fishman classic “Party Time.” The locked and loaded first set featured stand out versions of “Bathtub Gin” and “Cities,” the latter of which featured some playful banter as Trey Anastasio broke a string mid-song. That allowed Trey to introduce his guitar tech, Brian Brown, and eventually bassist Mike Gordon picked up the guitar as Anastasio switched to the Marimba Lumina. The first set also featured the tour debuts of “Fast Enough For You,” “How Many People Are You” and “Strange Design,” each played consecutively. The return of the a cappella “Space Oddity,” as debuted at Wrigley Field earlier this summer, capped off the set.

The second picked up with an energetic “Ghost” > “Light” combination, bringing an incredible jam session to start things off. After over a half hour with the two songs alone (with “Light” coming it at nearly 19 minutes), it was “Wolfman’s Brother” that kept things grooving… until the PA blew out and put an abrupt end to the set’s momentum. They kept things going with a vocal jam, but ultimately left the stage while the sound was being fixed. Phish tried to bring the energy back up with a rocking “Chalk Dust Torture,” but with less time than expected, the remaining “Saw It Again,” “Back On The Train” and “Slave To The Traffic Light” kept things short and sweet. Fans could have hoped for more, but it was a great set nonetheless.

Finally, Phish brought out their cover of Beatles’ “I Am The Walrus” for the second time this summer and third time ever, closing out the show with the song’s psychedelic ascending jam. Next up is a stop at the Xfinity Theatre in Hartford, CT. Check out the Phish.net setlist below, as well as a full gallery from ATS Photography.

Setlist: Phish at Xfinity Center, Mansfield, MA – 7/8/16

Set 1: Party Time > 46 Days, Poor Heart, The Dogs, Bathtub Gin, Fast Enough for You, How Many People Are You, Strange Design, Fuego, Cities[1], Space Oddity

Set 2: Ghost > Light > Wolfman’s Brother[2], Chalk Dust Torture, Saw It Again > Back on the Train > Slave to the Traffic Light

Encore: I Am the Walrus,

[1] Trey broke a string and switched guitars mid-song, also introducing his guitar tech, Brian Brown. Trey then switched to Marimba Lumina and Mike played Trey’s guitar.
[2] Vocal jam, during which the PA cut out and the band left the stage. Unfinished.
Notes: During Cities, Trey broke a string, switched guitars, and introduced his guitar tech, Brian Brown; Trey then switched to Marimba Lumina while Mike played Trey’s guitar. Wolfman’s contained a vocal jam, during which the PA cut out and the band left the stage. Wolfman’s was unfinished, and after several minutes the band resumed with CDT.

[Cover photo via Phish From The Road/Instagram]