This past weekend, Phish headed to Riviera Maya, Mexico for the third edition of their Mexican destination event. This year’s Mexico trip has been widely hailed by fans as the best of the band’s three Mexico runs, with rare bust-outs, long-lost covers, and plenty of improv popping up throughout the three-show engagement. Following their triumphant trip south of the border, the band has shared pro-shot video of the colossal “I Always Wanted It This Way” > “Death Don’t Hurt Very Long” sement from the second set of their first of three shows on Thursday.

After a set-opening “Soul Planet” and a rare cover of Little Feat’s “Spanish Moon”, played for the first time since the 2010 Halloween Waiting for Columbus costume, the crowd was treated to the longest and most exploratory rendition of “I Always Wanted It This Way” to date. The Page McConnell-penned Big Boat tune got the ride of its life, standing out as the improvisational highlight of Phish’s first night in Mexico. The synth-heavy sound transformed into a light and beachy 20-minute jam that gave all four members time in the spotlight. Jon Fishman communicated to Trey Anastasio with an ear-to-ear grin before McConnell teamed up with Gordon to create a boisterous clavinet/bass concoction. After the noteworthy “IAWITW”, the quartet melted into a slow-tempo “Death Don’t Hurt Very Long”, debuted during the band’s recent Kasvot Växt Halloween set.

You can watch pro-shot video of Phish’s Mexican “I Always Wanted It This Way” > “Death Don’t Hurt Very Long” below:

Phish – “I Always Wanted It This Way” > “Death Don’t Hurt Very Long” [Pro-Shot]

[Video: Phish]

Phish will now take the next few months off as the band members head out to perform with various side projects including a number of Trey Anastasio Band dates, the first-ever performances by Trey Anastasio and Jon Fishman‘s new Ghosts of the Forest project, and a number of March shows by Mike Gordon‘s solo outfit. All four members of Phish will reunite in June to commence their 2019 summer tour.

For a full list of upcoming dates, head here.

Setlist: Phish | Barceló Maya | Quintana Roo, Mexico | 2/21/2019

Set One: Spock’s Brain, Twist, Free, Who Loves the Sun?, Everything’s Right, We Are Come to Outlive Our Brains, Rise/Come Together, Funky Bitch, Sand

Set Two: Soul Planet -> Spanish Moon, I Always Wanted It This Way > Death Don’t Hurt Very Long, Also Sprach Zarathustra, Bathtub Gin, The Squirming Coil

Encore: Waste, Bold As Love