While July 4th doesn’t sit on quite the same pedestal as Halloween or New Year’s in the pantheon of Phish holidays, Friday night’s blowout at Folsom Field in Boulder, CO made a strong case for its inclusion. There were no patriotic anthems or pyrotechnics, no cheeky nods to Uncle Sam, but what the band delivered instead was a searing, six-song second set with enough improvisational firepower to make fireworks feel almost redundant.
The first set laid a solid foundation, opening with a breezy “Bathtub Gin” and gradually shifting into deeper territory with “The Moma Dance”. The Del McCoury Band‘s “Beauty of My Dreams” made its first appearance since Billy Strings sat in on the tune last summer, followed by a bubbly “Theme from the Bottom” and an energizing “Rift”.
A standout “Oblivion” jam served as the turning point, where bassist Mike Gordon and keyboardist Page McConnell steered the ship into psychedelic waters while Trey Anastasio floated in their wake. “Timber” and the coveted “Guyute” brought the energy up, while “Back on the Train” and “Most Events Aren’t Planned” cemented the rhythmic interplay that would define the night. Tight, adventurous, and teeming with texture, the opening frame proved the band was dialed in, even if they weren’t quite lighting the fuse just yet.
Then came set two.
A contemplative “Simple” opened the proceedings, but rather than take the expected route toward euphoric peaks, it veered into unsettling terrain, with eerie synth work from Page. “What’s Going Through Your Mind” followed with a similar energy—equal parts spaced-out and locked-in, dark but deliberate.
“Tweezer” arrived next, and with it, the band opened the door to something altogether different. What began with familiar funk unravelled into a swirling mass of psychedelia. Trey, rather than commanding the jam, allowed himself to be enveloped by the rhythmic pull of his bandmates, contributing splashes of melody as the music gradually coalesced into a breathtaking peak. It was raw and unhurried—a masterclass in restraint and release.
As if to match the mood, the band then dipped into Led Zeppelin’s brooding “No Quarter”, which perfectly fit the night’s haunted tone. “Down With Disease” injected a shot of adrenaline, its riff-driven momentum momentarily lifting the darkness before dissolving into an abstract haze. But just as the jam dissipated, McConnell and Gordon pulled things back into form, helping Trey hammer home a raucous return to the song’s finale.
Then came “Ghost”, like a spectral apparition. What began with sinister clavinet stabs gave way to swirling Rhodes and Gordon’s thick-as-quicksand groove. After slipping into a psychedelic trance, the band brought the energy to a boil, finally igniting the fireworks they’d been withholding.
Phish – “Down With Disease” > “Ghost” [Pro-Shot] – 7/4/25
For the encore, Trey let loose during a high-octane “Character Zero”, and like any proper fireworks show, the night closed with an explosive finale, as an incendiary “Tweezer Reprise” detonated just before curfew.
Click below to check out the full setlist, video highlights, and photos from Friday’s show courtesy of photographer Brad Niederman.
Phish returns to Folsom Field tonight to close out its three-night debut at the Colorado shed. Tune in from home via LivePhish’s nightly livestreams here.
Phish – “Theme From the Bottom”, “Rift” – 7/4/25
[Video: Chad Sclove]
Tweezer Reprise. 7.4.25. Folsom Field. Boulder CO. pic.twitter.com/2lCd5VwDEG
— Highway Jill 🌼🌵 (@lawngurl) July 5, 2025
Setlist [via Phish.net]: Phish | Folsom Field | Boulder, CO | 7/4/25
Set 1: Bathtub Gin, The Moma Dance, Beauty of My Dreams (The Del McCoury Band), Theme From the Bottom, Rift, Oblivion, Timber (Jerry the Mule), Guyute, Back on the Train, Most Events Aren’t Planned
Set2: Simple -> What’s Going Through Your Mind > Tweezer > No Quarter (Led Zeppelin) > Down with Disease > Ghost
Encore: Character Zero > Tweezer Reprise
Notes:
Trey teased Sand in Oblivion and Rainy Day Women #12 and #35 in Back on the Train.
