Phish has been on a tear throughout its summer tour, unleashing transcendent jams, digging up rare gems, and goofing off to an appropriate degree. Maybe it’s the band’s new stage formation, with Mike Gordon and Trey Anastasio sharing center stage as they did in Phish’s 1.0 era, that has brought them back to their heyday, imbuing the band with a youthful energy and sense of adventure; maybe it’s the comfort of familiarity, the kind that comes from four decades of shared improvisation and evolution; or maybe it’s something unnameable—that elusive spark that appears when the moment is right and the crowd is ready. Whatever the reason, Phish is firing on all cylinders—confident, connected, and having a blast. That much was clear as the band kicked off three nights at Chicago, IL’s United Center with an extremely rare “Harry Hood” opener.
Typically reserved for the encore or at least the end of the second set, this was only the second time “Hood” appeared in the opening slot since Phish’s 20th anniversary gig in Boston on 12/2/03. The other time was during the band’s Thursday night kick-off set in Mexico in 2023. The song’s triumphant jam section set the tone for the night. Like a wink to the crowd, it signaled that the band knew exactly what it was doing—and that they felt good, good, good.
Phish – “Harry Hood” – 7/18/25
The audience’s roar of approval still echoing through the arena, Phish dove headfirst into “Oblivion”, which morphed from dark and eerie to blissful as the foursome navigated multiple key changes with effortless grace. “Heavy Things”, too, underscored the band’s cohesive chemistry without straying from the song’s underlying form.
The off-kilter opening of “Bathtub Gin” injected a shot of adrenaline, though the band tempered expectations with another tight jam. By this point, fans had to be wondering, would they ever pull the proverbial rip chord, or would they continue to keep the improv short and sweet as they had in Charleston?
Such ponderings were displaced, if not dispelled, by excitement for the night’s biggest bust-out, Allen Toussaint‘s “On Your Way Down”. Popularized via Little Feat‘s studio cover featured on 1973’s Dixie Chicken, the song had not appeared in a Phish setlist in nearly 14 years, since 8/6/11 at The Gorge. Page McConnell channelled Toussaint’s signature swagger, handling lead vocals and laying into the organ before passing the baton to Trey.
Phish – “On Your Way Down” (Allen Toussaint) – 7/18/25
[Video: shinepigeon]
“Limb By Limb” provided contrast after that detour through New Orleans. Jon Fishman seemed to float above his drum throne as he pulled off one of his most complex grooves with ambidextrous ease.
The band then dug into its most recent studio album, 2024’s Evolve, for the second time of the night with a funky “Hey Stranger”. It was Page’s turn to show off his versatility as he bounced between Clavinet, synth, Rhodes, and piano, locking in with Mike and Fish while Trey weaved his lead lines through their improvised tapestry.
Shifting agilely into “Character Zero”, Phish finished the first frame as it began, with triumphant splendor and effortless control.
Phish – “Character Zero” – 7/18/25
[Video: pb31]
The question on everyone’s mind as Phish busted into set two with “No Men In No Man’s Land” was whether the band would push out into the ether or remain tethered to terra firma, orbiting familiar themes. The answer arrived as the quartet stretched out a bit, riding past the 14-minute mark and directly into “What’s Going Through Your Mind”, which would turn out to be the improvisational highlight of the show.
Phish – “No Men In No Man’s Land” – 7/18/25
Clocking in at 28 total minutes, the song cycled through different keys and feels. At one point, Fishman pushed the tempo up a few beats per minute, like a cowboy digging his spurs into his trusty steed. Mike’s melodic bass playing interlaced with Trey’s lead guitar, their two voices mixing together like bodies of water flowing into a musical estuary while Page provided a subtle textural foundation. Eventually, they locked into a unison line that carried them up to a climactic peak, but the jam was still far from over.
Phish – “What’s Going Through Your Mind” – 7/18/25
[Video: shinepigeon]
All four voices settled into a heavy rock groove, as if they had planned it that way. What they apparently did arrange in advance was the transition into Talking Heads‘ “Crosseyed and Painless”. Though somewhat abrupt, the sudden change was executed with precision and welcomed by the crowd. Led by Fishman on lead vocals, “Crosseyed” kept the improvisation flowing, drifting from an upbeat funk groove into more experimental waters before dissolving like tissue paper in an acid bath.
Phish – “Crosseyed And Painless” (Talking Heads) > “Farmhouse”, “Light” – 7/18/25
[Video: lauren’s videos]
From the ashes emerged “Farmhouse”, which signaled the start of the band’s descent from climactic heights back down to more grounded, introspective terrain, winding through quiet valleys of reflection and restraint. A hushed bass solo brought the song to a breathtaking conclusion.
“Light” seemed poised to go one of two ways—either winding the set down or giving the energy one final push. At a modest nine minutes, it managed to do a bit of both. The same could be said of “Backwards Down the Number Line”, with its straightforward yet momentum-building trajectory.
“Cavern” capped the set on a joyous note. Though the choreography was nothing compared to the “Turtle in the Clouds” dance they pulled off in Charleston, Trey and Mike joined in lockstep at the end of the tune, kicking their feet out like retired showgirls reliving their glory days.
A three-song encore brought night one to a close, building from the gentle pairing of “The Horse” > “Silent in the Morning” to a climactic “46 Days”.
Phish – “The Horse” > “Silent In The Morning” – 7/18/25
[Video: lauren’s videos]
Two nights remain in Phish’s three-night stand in the Windy City, and if night one was any indication, they are not to be missed. Find tickets here.
You can stream or download audio of this show—and every Phish show dating back to 2003—via LivePhish here. LivePhish is also offering nightly pay-per-view webcasts of Phish’s ongoing summer tour. Order your LivePhish webcasts for night two in Philly here. [Editor’s note: Live For Live Music is a LivePhish affiliate. Ordering a webcast/download or subscribing to LivePhish+ via the links on this page helps support our work covering Phish and the rest of the live music world. Thanks for reading!]
Setlist [via Phish.net]: Phish | United Center | Chicago, IL | 7/18/25
Set 1: Harry Hood, Oblivion, Heavy Things, Bathtub Gin, On Your Way Down (Allen Toussaint), Limb By Limb, Hey Stranger > Character Zero
Set 2: No Men In No Man’s Land > What’s Going Through Your Mind > Crosseyed and Painless (Talking Heads) > Farmhouse, Light > Backwards Down the Number Line > Cavern
Encore: The Horse > Silent in the Morning, 46 Days
Notes:
Bathtub Gin included Entrance of the Gladiators, Tequila, and Dave’s Energy Guide teases. On Your Way Down was performed for the first time since August 6, 2011 (522 shows). Trey teased We’re Off to See the Wizard in Limb By Limb.