After taking a couple days off, Phish resumed its 2025 summer tour on Friday night with the band’s first performance within Austin city limits in 15 years. Trey Anastasio, Mike Gordon, Jon Fishman, and Page McConnell took the stage at the Moody Center in front of 15,000 fans eager to see how the four-piece would follow up the improvisational fireworks of Pittsburgh’s 42-minute “What’s Going Through Your Mind” jam. While they didn’t match that extreme duration, the band did delivered a pair of 20-plus-minute exploratory centerpieces, combining for over 50 minutes of deep improvisation.
Opening with the politically charged “Crowd Control”—its first appearance in nearly three years—the band made a pointed statement before a quick shift into “Mike’s Song” signaled a pivot toward improvisation. The momentum continued to build through an energetic segment that broke convention with a detour into “Cities” rather than the usual “I Am Hydrogen”. The Talking Heads cover served as an early highlight, turning funky and off-kilter before coming to a full stop.
Phish – “Crowd Control” – 6/27/25
Phish – “Cities” – 6/27/25
[Video: Craig Palumbo]
From there, the first set offered a dynamic mix of older compositions and newer material. A soaring “Divided Sky” gave way to “The Well”, a relatively recent addition to the band’s repertoire that made the jump from Trey’s solo catalog in 2023. “Daniel Saw the Stone”, dusted off for the first time since 2017, added an element of surprise, while strong runs through “Taste” and “Dirt” kept the energy balanced. A high-octane “Weekapaug Groove” closed the set with Trey Anastasio testing the limits of his new guitar, dubbed “Koa 1.5” because it was made with wood from the same tree as his prized “Koa 1.”
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The second frame opened with a straightforward but lively “No Men In No Man’s Land”, setting the tone for what would become a much more expansive segment. “Fuego” followed, quickly unraveling into a textured, multi-layered jam that saw the band slip into more abstract territory, layering ambient sounds with propulsive rhythms. The transition into TV On The Radio‘s “Golden Age” proved seamless, and the nearly 28-minute performance that followed was the night’s clear improvisational centerpiece. The band moved as a cohesive unit through a range of moods—funky, spacey, and ultimately triumphant—building to a peak that left the audience roaring.
Phish – “No Men In No Man’s Land” – 6/27/25
After reaching those heights, “The Squirming Coil” provided a well-timed breather, capped by a graceful Page McConnell piano solo. But the band wasn’t finished: “Sand” returned the set to danceable territory, and “Character Zero” brought the energy to a boil, with Trey visibly reveling in the moment.
Phish closed the night with a two-song encore, pairing the anthemic “A Life Beyond the Dream” with a celebratory “First Tube”. As Trey raised his guitar above his head in the final moments, the crowd matched his enthusiasm with one last wave of applause.
In a show filled with unique song choices, telepathic improvisation, and a palpable sense of joy from the band, it was clear that Austin’s long wait for Phish’s return had been well worth it. With another show still to come, fans left the Moody Center with full hearts and high hopes for what night two might bring.
Click below to check out photos from Friday’s Phish show at the Moody Center in Austin, TX courtesy of photographer Kit Tincher and scroll down to view the full setlist. Stream the full show or listen to a full audio recording via Live Phish here. Find tickets to upcoming Phish tour dates here.
Setlist [via Phish.net]: Phish | Moody Center | Austin, TX | 6/27/25
Set 1: Crowd Control, Mike’s Song > Cities, Divided Sky, The Well, Daniel Saw the Stone, Taste, Dirt, Weekapaug Groove
Set 2: No Men In No Man’s Land, Fuego > Golden Age, The Squirming Coil, Sand, Character Zero
Encore: A Life Beyond The Dream, First Tube
Notes: Crowd Control was performed for the first time since August 2, 2022 (123 shows). Daniel Saw the Stone was last played August 1, 2017 (284 shows). Trey teased I’m a Man in Weekapaiug Groove.
