Better Late Than Never: Phish Plays Rain-Delayed Show In Noblesville – Recap, Setlist & The Skinny

After a triumphant two-night run at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, Phish capped off the weekend at Klipsch Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana. The venue, also known as Deer Creek, welcomed the band back for the first time since 2012. Some wondered if they would have any fuel in their tank after the Wrigley shows, and the answer proved to be a resounding yes. Following a weather delay, the quartet played two sets consisting entirely of tour debuts, including a handful of covers, one world premiere, and a brilliantly jammed version of “Light.”

Clouds of uncertainty, along with literal clouds, surrounded the opening of the show, as the doors opened 90 minutes late due to weather. But everything cleared up in time for the band to take the stage just after 9 p.m. local time, opening with “My Friend, My Friend” for the first time since July 30, 2003. “Kill Devil Falls” came next, burning fast and hot before passing the flame to the slower but equally sweat-inducing “Camel Walk.” A few flubs didn’t do much to mar the Jeff Holdsworth-penned tune. After some lengthy discussion, the band dipped into the Phish 2.0 well, playing “A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing” for the first time since it opened January’s Mexico run. Trey got in a few soaring lead guitar lines in a quick jam. The band switched gears with “Poor Heart,” then took quick trips through a pair of former jam vehicles: a somewhat slow-paced “Tube,” followed by “Halley’s Comet.”

Page McConnell ruled the next segment of the set, with a fierce organ solo in “Maze,” and with his crooning in a “Lawn Boy” that was also notable for Mike Gordon’s electro-synthy solo. The focus stayed on the keyboardist, as Trey introduced the world debut of the original composition “Breath and Burning,” which he told the audience he likes because it has a line about Page. The upbeat, major-key tune was sung by Trey and featured a short organ solo. A brief “Saw It Again” was followed by a straightforward “Theme From The Bottom.” The set concluded with a rousing run through “First Tube.”

The second set opened with “Punch You in the Eye,” making its first appearance since the stand-alone versions of “The Landlady” in Colorado and Mexico. The band shook off a bit of rust in the high-octane classic before a straight-ahead, guitars-blazin’ take on “Back on the Train.” The night’s first big jam came in “Light,” which saw the band shift between multiple keys and moods, including a dark, spacy, MuTron-inflected section that yielded to a patient yet uplifting few minutes of majestic full-band improv. Some muted, staccato interplay followed, with Page massaging the clavinet over Trey’s wah’ed-out chording, as Mike and Fishman went to town on their instruments.

From the ashes of the jam, “Golden Age” emerged. Its short, funky jam was the launch pad for a perfect segue into “Boogie On Reggae Woman.” The band rode the song’s groove deep for a solid few minutes before an abrupt end. Having flown high for five straight songs, they glided back down to Earth in a strong version of “Wingsuit.” The fourth-ever version of the ballad “Shade” came next, before the band closed the set with a fiery rendition of “Possum.” Trey lit the stage aflame one last time in the Velvet Underground’s “Rock and Roll,” which brought the show, and the tour-opening Midwest run, to a close. Two nights in Philly are up next starting Tuesday.

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