Phish Delivers Pair Of +20-Minute Jams At The Greek: Night 2 – Setlist, Recap & The Skinny

On Tuesday night, Phish returned to Berkeley’s Greek Theatre, which had incredibly been rebuilt in the 22-odd hours since the band burned it down Monday with an epic “Tweezer” into “Simple.” The previous night’s second set would be a near-impossible act to follow, but Phish has made a career of achieving the impossible.

Sure enough, they came out swinging on Tuesday, and never let up over the course of two sets, each of which included a 20-minute jam as well as several additional highlights.

Upon taking the stage, guitarist Trey Anastasio proclaimed, “This place is allll right.” The good vibes underlying the statement were present throughout the set, beginning with a pair of songs making their 2023 debuts: “Olivia’s Pool” and “Seven Below.” The latter included a gorgeous, patient jam, with drummer Jon Fishman’s delicate fills perfectly complementing Trey’s guitar lines as they danced atop his own loops. A fiery “Maze” was followed by a lovely “Mist.”

The set’s centerpiece, “Bathtub Gin,” came next, offering a 24-minute clinic on the immense improvisational ground that can be covered atop a single rhythmic foundation. As Fishman made only minor tweaks to the driving beat that opened the jam, Trey, keyboardist Page McConnell and bassist Mike Gordon explored an enormous array of moods, tones, genres, and methods of interplay, covering every nook and cranny of their respective rigs. The jam concluded with an exuberant climax before returning to the song.

The “555” that came next included a slightly extended evil funk jam, to the delight of those who have long wished the Gordon tune would become a vehicle for improvisation. “Possum” brought the set to a rollicking close.

Read on after The Skinny for the rest of the recap and more.

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The jam out of second set opener “Don’t Doubt Me” was far more subtle than the aggressive yelling of the song itself. The band wove between menacing psychedelia and a wonder-filled fantasyland, as Trey’s playful high-pitched guitar sprays and Page’s synth fills evoked the soundtrack to a joyful and very trippy video game.

While the excursion was cut off for “Kill Devil Falls,” the jam out of the latter made up for the interruption. After a few twists and turns, the “KDF” jam seemed to be winding down, at which point Mike and Fishman showed why they’re the best rhythm section in the game, with Mike’s propulsive lines giving the jam new life, and seeming to inspire Page’s excellent organ work.

The single best sign that Phish is feeling it is when they start jamming in weird places. And the end of the Greek “Fuego” illustrates this perfectly. As a feisty version of the song wound down, the band didn’t simply move to the next song; instead, they luxuriated in the quiet, settling into a brilliant twinkling ambience that somehow snaked its way into an evil march, embracing a beautiful darkness as the song passed the 20-minute mark.

Not ready to stop jamming yet, the band busted into “Light,” which served as a launchpad for a big classic rock jam with an ecstatic peak. After four songs were stretched across the set’s first hour, it was finally time for a breather, care of “Lonely Trip.” The raucous funk of “The Howling” was followed by the gentle beauty of “Farmhouse” and a rocking “Backwards Down the Number Line.”

After complimenting Mike’s neon yellow jacket, Trey launched into “Character Zero,” squeezing some blazing guitar riffs in before the 10 p.m. curfew. Phish’s three-night run at The Greek wraps with a final show tonight. Watch a livestream via LivePhish.com.

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