Mike Gordon Kicks Off Summer Tour With Several New Songs & Cover Debuts

Phish bassist Mike Gordon played the first show of his solo summer tour last night at the State Theatre in Portland, Maine. Opening night’s setlist featured the live debuts of several songs from Gordon’s recently released solo album, Flying Games, new covers and more.

Gordon’s first solo band performance since prior to the pandemic was the first to feature keyboardist Rachel Eckroth, who was tapped to join the band while Robert Walter is on tour as a member of Roger Waters’ band. Along with Eckroth, Gordon’s band is rounded out by guitarist Scott Murawski, drummer and percussionist Craig Myers.

“Say Something,” which is part of Phish’s live repertoire, served as the tour’s opening song. The first debut of the night followed in the form of the Flying Games track “Pure Energy.” Another debut, this time a cover of Courtney Barnett’s “Before You Gotta Go,” came next with Murawski singing lead. “Mull,” which Phish plays and appeared on Flying Games, was then played solo by Gordon for the first time.

Eckroth handled lead vocals on a subsequent debut cover of Rufus & Chaka Khan’s “Ooh I Like Your Loving.” The rest of the set was filled in with another Phish crossover “Crazy Sometimes,” as well as “Jones” by Murawski’s band Max Creek, and a closing “Sughn Never Sets.”

“Victim” got the second half of the show going. Another Flying Games song making its live debut, “Connected,” came next. Eckroth then sang lead on “Circling,” a song she recorded with Donny McCaslin, before Gordon’s first solo band performance of Hot Chocolate’s “You Sexy Thing.”

The rest of the second set consisted of previously played Flying Games tracks “Haywire” and “Back In The Bubble,” surrounding the live debut of fellow album cut “Revolution Of The Mind.”

“This next song is an old ditty about some super old friends that we had — me and my friends had — back in the day,” Gordon said before starting the encore. He then launched into Phish’s “Carini,” which was another first-time performance for Gordon with his solo band.

Watch audience-shot video highlights of last night’s tour opener at the State below:

Setlist (via Phish.net)

Set One: Say Something > Pure Energy [1], Before You Gotta Go [2], Mull[2], Ooh I Like Your Loving[2], Crazy Sometimes, Jones, Sughn Never Sets

Set Two: Victim, Connected[1], Circling [2], You Sexy Thing[2], Haywire, Revolution of the Mind[1], Back in the Bubble

Encore: Carini[2]

Notes:

• [1] Debut.
• [2] Mike Gordon debut.