As fans begin to flock to Dover, DE for one of the most highly anticipated music events of the summer, Mondegreen, the fun has already started for Phish, who took to The Woodlands stage earlier today for a soundcheck comprised of classic rock covers featuring commonly misheard lyrics, or mondegreens.

After getting loose with an improvised jam that featured various teases including Edgar Winter‘s “Frankenstein”, Talking Heads‘ “Psycho Killer”, and the Simpsons theme, Trey Anastasio, Jon Fishman, Mike Gordon, and Page McConnell dialed in their sound with a series of songs never played by the band, starting with “Mystery Achievement” by The Pretenders. Next came a playful take on The Knack‘s “My Sharona”, followed by Foghat‘s “Slowride” and The Beatles‘ “Day Tripper”.

“Midnight Rider” was the first song that the band had played before, though if a soundcheck performance can count as a bust-out, this would be one, being the band’s first take on the Allman Brothers Band classic since the summer of 1994. Phish then concluded the soundcheck with Yes‘ “Starship Trooper” and the latter portion of “Stairway to Heaven”, which Phish debuted in 2010 and had not played since.

Did the soundcheck tell fans anything about what to expect this weekend at Mondegreen? Probably not, but it does show that the band has somehow found time to rehearse, or at least learn new songs, despite being on a heater of a summer tour, which bodes well for the festival.

Mondegreen is set to kick off on Thursday and include a variety of entertainment including stand-up comedy, late-night DJ sets, and a whole lot more. Those unable to make it in person can tune in to Phish’s nightly performances via LivePhish. [Note: Live For Live Music is a LivePhish affiliate. Ordering your webcast via the links on this page helps support our work covering Phish and the world of live music as a whole. Thanks for reading!].

Phish – Mondegreen Soundcheck – The Woodlands – Dover, DE – 8/14/24 [Audio Only]

[Video: Wes Broadway]

Setlist [via phish.net]: Phish | The Woodlands | Dover, DE | 8/14/24

Set: Jam -> Mystery Achievement -> My Sharona > Slow Ride > Day Tripper -> Midnight Rider > Starship Trooper > Stairway to Heaven

This was the soundcheck for Mondegreen. The Jam featured a Frankenstein tease from Trey, a Simpsons tease from Mike, a Psycho Killer tease from Trey, and a Hold Your Head Up jam. Starship Trooper (only the Würm portion was played) contained Big Black Furry Creature from Mars lyrics. Stairway to Heaven was the ending only.