Phish Delivers Barn Burner At Blossom – Setlist & The Skinny

On Friday night Phish Summer Tour moved on to Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The quartet came back to the Cleveland-area shed in 2010, 2011 and 2012 after a layoff of nearly a decade but hadn’t been back since the summer of 2012. Phish served up a heater at Blossom, delivering an all-around barn-burner with little let down in intensity. The band also focused on older material as just two songs played in Cuyahoga Falls were debuted within the last 17 years.

The first set at Blossom not only contained a whopping six 2015 debuts out of 11 songs, the opening stanza was a high-impact affair that played off the energy in the room. Phish came out of the gates with a strong version of “A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing,” marking the first time this year a song off 2004’s Undermind LP served as show opener. Next up were the 2015 debuts of Jon Fishman’s “My Sweet One” and Gamehendge classic “Wilson.” The quartet continued to mine their massive repertoire for gold with a double dose of tour debut covers – “Timber (Jerry)” and “Roses Are Free.” After “Roses Are Free” guitarist Trey Anastasio made a plea for Ween to return. Read much more about Trey’s comments here. After the surprising banter Phish played staples “Rift” and “The Moma Dance.” In a set filled with songs that hadn’t been performed in a while, “Ginseng Sullivan” was the biggest bust out as the Norman Blake cover had been shelved for 62 shows (last time played – October 29, 2013). A spot-on “Wingsuit,” complete with bassist Mike Gordon using a foot pedal to flip a drill into his hands at the end of the song, led into yet another tour debut – “It’s Ice.” The funky “It’s Ice” jam saw Anastasio utlize his MuTron effect, while keyboardist Page McConnell employed a wah’d out clavinet. A “Bathtub Gin” featuring a jam that ended with a glorious Trey-led peak that sent the crowd into hysterics closed out the first set.

Phish kicked off the second set with “Chalk Dust Torture” and as with most “Chalk Dust” second set openers they quickly blew through the song’s typical structure into previously unchartered terrain. The quartet settled in on a powerful, anthemic chord progression similar to ones they’ve played during the famed Providence “Bowie” and Chicago “Wedge” and built the tempo for a few impressive minutes. Once they finished having fun with the progression, Phish continued exploring new ground. A move back into a minor key signaled the start of one of the tour’s best segues yet as “Tweezer” emerged. The tour’s first two “Tweezers” were about as different as they come from the short and funky Inglewood version to the exploratory 26-minute version in Atlanta. For the first ten minutes of the Blossom “Tweezer” Phish vamped on the song’s standard progression as if it was 1992 again and then broke through into a more spacey jam space. Just as they did in “Chalk Dust,” the quartet eventually connected on an catchy progression they worked over for the duration of the 17- minute, stand out “Tweezer.” The year’s first “Lizards” followed the nearly 40 minutes of improv-heavy action that started the set.

After years in regular rotation “Makisupa Policeman” has become a rarity. Phish finally dusted off the reggae-tinged original in Cuyahoga Falls after a span of 60 shows, the longest gap between versions since 1993. Trey made reference to vaping in “Makisupa” noting his favorite flavors are bubble gum and strawberry. The “Makisupa” solo/jam was abandoned in favor of “Ghost.” Phish played it straight for most of “Ghost” as again the quartet built the song’s typical chord progression to a rolling boil which made for an energetic yet unadventurous version. A transcendent set chock full of oldies with no let down concluded with another winning “Harry Hood” featuring a “Dave’s Energy Guide” tease thrown in by Trey and the expected “Tweezer Reprise.” A cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times Bad Times” as the encore sent the well-satiated crowd home happy.

Phish now heads to Alpine Valley to start a two-night stand tomorrow.

Setlist…

[via Phish.net]

• Venue Type: Outdoor Amphitheater / 23,000
• Previous Shows at Venue: 6 Shows – 07/31/1992 (Opening for Santana), 06/20/1995, 09/18/2000, 06/12/2010, 06/04/2011 and 06/24/2012
• Number Of Songs / Length – First Set: 11 / 7:40 p.m. – 8:56 p.m. (76 Minutes)
• Number Of Songs / Length – Second Set & Encore: 8 / 9:33 p.m. – 10:57 p.m. (84 Minutes)
• Total Number of Songs / Covers / Originals: 19 / 4 / 15
• Biggest Bustout: Ginseng Sullivan – 62 Shows (Last Time Played – 10/29/2013)
• Average Song Vintage: 1992
• Debuts: N/A
• Tour Debuts: My Sweet One, Wilson, Timber (Jerry), Roses Are Free, Ginseng Sullivan, It’s Ice, The Lizards, Makisupa Policeman, Good Times Bad Times
• Weather: 81°F and Fair at ticket time
• Guitar Used By Trey Anastasio: KOA #3, aka Ocedoc
• Average Song Gap: 17:47
• The Spread: Lawn Boy – 2, Picture Of Nectar – 3, Rift – 2, Story Of The Ghost – 2, Undermind – 1, Fuego – 1, Misc. – 4, Covers – 4
• Longest LivePhish Track / Shortest LivePhish Track: Tweezer 19:18 / My Sweet One 2:19
• Audio: Live Phish

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