For the third night in a row, Phish hit the glorious Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY, wrapping up the run with a great celebration over Fourth of July weekend. The band has been on fire all summer long, bringing out an insane “Chalk Dust Torture” on night one and some serious heat on night two! How would fans fare for the Sunday finale?

The show started with a slow funky “The Wedge,” letting Trey Anastasio warm up with some tight grooves. The lighthearted set continued with “Heavy Things,” but it was “Tube” that really kicked the band into high gear. They took the song for an extended jam, really bringing the energy to another level. 

Next up was “Sugar Shack,” the first Mike Gordon penned song of the night. Anastasio fumbled the song’s melody, but tightened things up for the finale. Page McConnell then took the stage with “Lawn Boy,” playfully singing lead and letting Gordo solo. The fun “Sparkle” made its first appearance, before rocking hard into “Sample in a Jar.”

From there, the first set only got more intense, with Phish bringing out “It’s Ice” to raise the bar of excitement. They kept it up by dusting off “Guelah Papyrus,” and they really locked in on the instrumental section. A loose and nicely jammed “Ocelot” came next, keeping things playful before rocking into the classic “Scent of a Mule.” It was Jon Fishman who would be the MVP of the jam, finally taking a turn playing his marimba lumina for a true solo – the rest of the band, and crowd, watched Fish as he worked. The clear improvisational highlight of the set, Phish brought the song to a powerful conclusion. A truly raging “Possum” ended the set, inciting an uproar of crowd frenzy with its own energy.

With a short break, Phish picked up set two with a bust out cover of Bob Marley’s “Soul Shakedown Party,” getting the crowd excited and ready for the party ahead. Next up was “The Moma Dance,” played in the 2nd set for the first time since 2009. The second set “Moma” took the song into totally unexpected waters. No particular band member ever took the lead, but the music was greater than its parts, moving through different ease with brilliant playing. 

The standout moment was followed by a smooth segue into a fiery “Twist,” bringing some funk to the SPAC crowds. They jammed out the song nicely, with Anastasio taking the reins. A heartfelt “Joy” followed before the third offering of 2016 debut, “Breath and Burning.” The band let loose, before erupting in the rock and roller, “Axilla.”

With the energy up high, the band broke into “Theme From The Bottom.” Anastasio did mess up part of the song instrumental section, but the energetic jam captured the crowd with its dramatic finale. From there, it was a feel-good “Harry Hood” that came to take over the set. Phish let the jam flow gradually, starting off with a mellow pace and picking up speed steadily into the triumphant ending. It was “Show of Life” that ended the set on a emotional high note, played for the first time since NYE 2013 (84 shows). What a set!

With lots of time left, Phish returned for one final song: “Rock and Roll.” The Velvet Underground cover put smiles on faces, wrapping up three great shows with a passion. Phish gave SPAC their money’s worth, playing a Sunday show full of surprises. With bust outs and jams in unexpected places – whoever called a “Tweezer” clearly didn’t know “Moma” could, and would, jam that hard – this was a true standout show. 

Never ones to brag, Phish closed the run by humbly singing “it was all right.” It sure was. Check out the full video below from DrFunkenstein2k.

You can see the full setlist from Phish.net, below!

Setlist: Phish at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY – 7/3/16

Set 1: The Wedge, Heavy Things, Tube, Sugar Shack, Lawn Boy, Sparkle > Sample in a Jar, It’s Ice > Guelah Papyrus, Ocelot > Scent of a Mule[1], Possum

Set 2: Soul Shakedown Party, The Moma Dance[2] > Twist > Joy > Breath and Burning, Axilla > Theme From the Bottom > Harry Hood > Show of Life

Encore: Rock and Roll

Notes: This show was webcast via Live Phish. Scent of a Mule featured Fish on Marimba Lumina