After 40 years, Phish has been around the block a time or two, so it’s not every day the band and its followers find themselves feeling out a new venue. Make that double in NYC where, like Billy Joel, the quartet has gotten extremely cozy at Madison Square Garden—a venue Trey Anastasio has claimed he could recognize the room blindfolded, simply by how a single note reverberates off the back wall. It’s no surprise, then, that the group’s first visit to Queens’ Forest Hills Stadium took some getting used to. But if Tuesday night’s show was the orientation, Wednesday’s was for settling in and getting comfortable.
Unlike other stops on the tour, there was little drama, musically speaking. The jams were not full of tension and climactic peaks, but rather relaxed, static, and sturdy, reminiscent more of Magnaball‘s ambient Drive-In Jam than of some of the explosive improvisations seen this summer. That’s not to say the show was worse in any way; it was a great show—just different.
With the sun still high overhead, Phish greeted fans promptly at 6:30 p.m. with “Free”. A pair of inflatable burritos bounced atop the crowd like beach balls, and though the wind was strong, it was no match for the bubble guns wielded by fans, which helped make up for the sun-dampened effect of Chris Kuroda‘s light rig. Speaking of guns, Mike Gordon donned a fitted tee with extra short sleeves to show off his physique, which was complemented by his noticeably fresh, high and tight haircut.
At first, only Trey and Jon Fishman wore sunglasses to shield their eyes from invasive summer sun, but by the time the band finished warming up and transitioned to “Back on the Train”, all four members were rocking dark shades. They kept the jam short and sweet, as they had with “Free”, wrapping up after a brief guitar solo.
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The band began to spread its wings during “Theme From the Bottom” with an airy major key jam, and the crowd followed suit at the start of “Cities”, singing along to the first verse. Trey referenced the beating sun, changing the lyrics to “bright in the daytime” rather than “dark in the daytime,” and perhaps the mention of Birmingham could be interpreted as a (very) subtle wink to the passing of Ozzy Osbourne the day before.
The band really loosened up during “Cities” with a funky clavinet-infused jam. Mike spoke to his bandmates through his talk-back mic, giving covert cues that seemed to precipitate a key change. The first big jam of the night transitioned smoothly back into the song’s original key and groove, coming to a masterfully and spontaneously orchestrated conclusion.
Phish followed that improvisational foray up with the heavily composed “Divided Sky”. The crowd went especially crazy during the song’s dramatic pause, and Trey took note. As he turned his gaze to one side of the stadium, fans on that side of the venue erupted and raised their arms, as if doing the wave. When he turned in the other direction, the other side of the stadium did the same. He playfully went back and forth, starting a call and response “hey” chant between the two sides before picking the song back up where the band had left off.
One Love 🎾
Trey doing what Trey does best: being goofy AF as he leads the crowd through his own mini U.S. Open during Divided Sky.
7/23/25, Queens, NY #phish pic.twitter.com/dS7KT8bVVQ
— Phish Phashion (@PhishPhashion) July 24, 2025
Phish was fully in the flow by the start of “Timber”, which featured a solid but even-keeled jam, establishing what would become the theme of the night.
The mood shifted a bit with “Ether Edge”. Simple and bubbly, the song made for a unique jam, propelled by Fishman’s fluttering drum groove. By now the sun was finally starting to set, making the lights more noticeable as they blinked in time with the band’s interlocking rhythms. The smooth, groove-based jam gradually built to a climactic finish without ever reverting to the song’s underlying form, ultimately giving way to the set one closer.
“The Squirming Coil” finished the frame on a cheerful note, drawing cheers from the crowd as the band left the stage one by one until Page McConnell was left to finish it off with a chord-based piano solo.
The sun had nearly set by the time Phish punched back in with a rambunctious “Punch You in the Eye”. The audience bounced along as Trey and Mike showed off their fancy, choreographed footwork during the song’s Latin-tinged interlude.
It was “Ghost” that fully established the normal second set ethos of unbridled experimentation with an extended jam that danced around both meter and key. Then, without a discrete stop between songs—”from out of the chaos”—”A Wave of Hope” appeared. Page shined during a brief piano solo between choruses, and Mike got a moment in the spotlight, moving effortlessly around the fretboard as he took the lead at the beginning of the jam section. The lights were in full effect by this point, with the straight LED bars seeming to spiral above the band. The effect was all the more impactful after daylight had made the lights feel barely present up to nightfall.
A jam characterized by a symphony of robotic synth sounds led straight into a dramatic “What’s the Use”. At one point, the stage went dark and the band went silent before building back up in a powerful crescendo.
“Ruby Waves” (the second “wave” song of the set, for those keeping track) featured an extended, synth-driven jam that sounded like the house music that might play in the bar on a spaceship. Clocking in at 21 minutes, it was the most expansive jam of the night—though, like the rest, it was notable for its lack of tension as much as its futuristic appeal.
The glow sticks were a flying throughout a compact “Backwards Down the Number Line”, and the entire audience seemed to sing along as the set came to a triumphant conclusion with “Character Zero”.
With about 15 minutes remaining before the venue’s strict 10 p.m. curfew, Phish returned for another three-song encore. Kicking it off with “Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley”, the band incorporated a vocal jam, with each member singing in unison with their instrument. Then they brought it back to Gamehendge with “Wilson” before ending the night on a joyous note with a blazing-fast “Rocky Top”. Trey threw it over to Page for a quick piano solo, introducing him as the “relief pitcher” after he had thrown out the first pitch at Citi Field earlier in the day (let’s go Mets).
Though it might have lacked the drama of other shows, Phish’s Forest Hills finale stood out in a different way, offering an argument that sometimes it’s a steady simmer rather than an explosive climax that leaves the deepest impression. Settle in and ride the wave.
Phish continues its summer tour this weekend with three nights at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Find tickets here, or stream the show—and every Phish show dating back to 2003—via LivePhish here.
Phish – “Back On The Train” – 7/23/25
[Video: Chad Sclove]
Setlist [via phish.net]: Phish | Forest Hills Stadium | Forest Hills, NY | 7/22/25
Set 1: Free, Back on the Train, Theme From the Bottom, Cities (Talking Heads), Divided Sky, Timber (Jerry the Mule) (Josh White), Ether Edge, The Squirming Coil
Set 2: Punch You in the Eye > Ghost > A Wave of Hope > What’s the Use? > Ruby Waves > Backwards Down the Number Line > Character Zero
Encore: Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley (Allen Toussaint) > Wilson > Rocky Top (Felice & Boudleaux Bryant)
Notes: Trey added the lyrics “bright in the daytime” to Cities in reference to the show’s early start time of 6:30pm, and teased Take Me Out to the Ballgame during Ghost. During Rocky Top, Trey introduced Page, who had thrown out the first pitch at Citi Field earlier in the day, as the “relief pitcher.”