A Tale Of 2 Sets: Phish Delivers Ethereal ‘Piper’ At Riviera Maya In Mexico

Phish continued the eighth Phish: Riviera Maya destination event in Cancún, Mexico on Thursday with their second of four two-set shows. The first set saw the band focus on running through straightforward versions of their songs and then they loaded the second set with impressive improvisation, including a +21-minute “Piper.”

While the first set was well played, there was a distinct lack of jamming. Phish went the complete opposite direction after the setbreak as the closing stanza featured varied exploration throughout to the delight of those on the beach and watching from home.

The quartet opened last night’s show with a fiery “Blaze On.” Guitarist Trey Anastasio and keyboardist Page McConnell traded hot licks as Phish built the Type-I jam to a strong peak. Next came a double dose of songs that hadn’t been performed in over 20 shows with a laidback “Plasma” and the McConnell-sung “Halfway To The Moon.” After kicking off the action with a trio of tunes from the ’10s, the band pulled “46 Days” from the 2.0 era and looked to 2000’s Farmhouse for “Back On The Train.”

“Gumbo” filled the six-slot and featured a euphoric run from Trey and a particularly jazzy end solo from Page. Bassist Mike Gordon then led his bandmates through Son Seals’ “Funky Bitch,” the only cover of the night. The ensuing “Roggae” gave all four members of Phish a chance to share lead vocal duties. “Halley’s Comet” followed before the band capped the set with more old school material in “Runaway Jim” and “Cavern.”

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

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After a 30-minute setbreak, Phish returned with an “Everything’s Right” that birthed the show’s first adventurous jam. The foursome connected on a blissful excursion they patiently explored. Page expertly moved between grand and electric piano as he accentuated Trey’s leads while Mike and drummer Jon Fishman provided a sturdy groove. Eventually, the band moved to more swampy terrain with Gordon utilizing a synth tone to great effect. Mike played lead bass as Fish gave a master class in drumming and Trey focused on rhythmic work.

Phish transitioned into “No Men In No Man’s Land” just before “Everything’s Right” passed the milestone 20-minute mark. The “we’re happy that we’re here” lyric received lots of cheers from fans enjoying the idyllic setting. Alas, the band returned to the mode of raging version but no jam for the “NMINML.” Up next was a slow and sludgey “Twenty Years Later” and for the first time in the song’s history, Phish was not a going concern two decades prior as they had broken up after Coventry in 2004 through their return at Hampton Coliseum in 2009. LD Chris Kuroda painted a masterpiece behind the band while they entered Type II territory.

Deliciously weird jamming paved the way for “Piper.” Phish wasted little time blowing past the song’s structure as they continued to make up for the lack of improvisation in the first set. The Mexico ’25 “Piper” was an egalitarian affair featuring impressive contributions from all four members. Pink Floyd vibes were infused throughout the jam. Raging, high-energy exploration was followed by a bliss-laden jam filled with pretty melodies including “Norweigan Wood” teases from Trey. “Is this still ‘Piper?'” posts were lighting up social media at this point as Phish hit the gas and reached a memorable climax.

A spot-on “Taste” emerged from the madness after Phish had uncorked their first 20-minute “Piper” since the legendary SPAC ’04 version. The quartet then filled the ballad slot with “Shade.” From there, the band played “The Wedge” in a higher key than normal. A typically high-octane “Character Zero” ended the second set and saw Trey point out the key change in the previous song was a mistake by singing “to play that song in the key of A.” A joyous “Harry Hood” encore was tacked on for good measure.

Phish: Riviera Maya resumes on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET. Purchase livestreams via LivePhish.com.

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