Phish Crushes 27-Minute ‘Carini’ & Debuts ‘Simeon’ In Mexico

A clear trend developed over the first three (of four) shows Phish will play at this year’s destination event in Riviera Maya, Mexico. Like the previous two nights, Friday’s penultimate performance once again included the live debut of a new song and had plentiful amounts of improvisation across the evening’s two sets.

Phish fired up the first set with “Blaze On” and guitarist Trey Anastasio altered the lyrics to mention “dancing on the beach.” Two songs debuted decades apart but with much the same feel and tone, “Bouncing Around The Room” from 1990 and “Evolve” from 2021, went back-to-back after the opener.

The first consequential jam of the night grew out of the ensuing “Wolfman’s Brother.” A subdued groove developed from Page McConnell’s chunky synthesizer lines and Mike Gordon’s nimble bass flourishes. Jon Fishman’s minimalist drumming – dotted with plenty of cowbell – matched Trey’s rhythmic guitar attack.

“Tube” arrived next, and soon the foursome was back inside a similar sonic space as just before, forming a tightly constructed pocket, layered with funkiness. Trey switched to acoustic guitar, as he did for a song on night two, prior to the start of “Water In The Sky,” whose verse mentioning the Everglades still elicited a smattering of cheers across the beach.

The band went “splashing in the sea” as they waded through a formidable offering of “Free.” The second big jam of the first set materialized out of the subsequent “Bathtub Gin.” The script flipped for the “Bathtub” jam. Gone was the laid-back approach of earlier improvised sequences in favor of an all-out, hard-charging, explosively energetic sequence that tallied nearly 15 minutes.

One of Page’s few originals in the band’s live rotation, “Most Events Aren’t Planned,” was the first set’s final selection. The song’s restrained start, which transitions into a thrilling climactic conclusion, makes it a sneaky, well-suited closer.

The sinister sound of “Carini” starting up triggered the beginning of the second set. Over the unfolding next 27 minutes, the improvisation veered from linear routes, taking on several different forms. The four bandmates traversed richly melodic, instant-composition territory, moved on to angular sonic textures and settled into hive-mind fluidity on a beautifully constructed run.

Multiple musical chapters were established and intensified until a darkness encapsulated the sound coming from the stage. Phish lit into “Light” as the prevailing jam wound down. Much was packed into “Light” as the group jumped from one idea to the next.

An unexpected “Frankie Says,” appearing for the first time since 2023, emerged from a pronounced segue out of “Light.” The quick rendering of the rarity transitioned into “Everything’s Right.” The song’s joyous optimism carried into its vibrant jam, driven by Trey’s rockstar riffing.

“Life Saving Gun” continued to prove to be a fruitful new jam vehicle with another noteworthy, nearly 20-minute iteration. Trey was again the dominating factor, clinically slicing to the forefront and providing the path for the others to carve into.

A dramatic shift into menacing space was emphasized by Fish pounding his drums and cymbals with mallets underneath Trey’s unrelenting soloing. Chris Kuroda’s pulsating control of the lights also added a layer of heaviness to the feverish jamming coming from the stage.

Moments after circling back to complete “Light Saving Gun,” the second “tube” tune of the night, “First Tube,” ignited the end of the set with Trey’s theatrics raising his guitar triumphantly above his head.

One of the songs Trey debuted in November 2025 with the Trey Anastasio Band, “Simeon,” made its live debut with Phish at the onset of Friday’s encore. The quiet “Simeon” was the third debut of this year’s Mexico event, joining “Fling Your Head” from the first show and “Dancing In Midair” from the second show. The reflective “A Life Beyond The Dream” was chosen to follow the new song premiere and bring the concert to an end.

Phish: Riviera Maya 2026 concludes tonight. Livestreams of all four Phish performances in Mexico are available to purchase through LivePhish and nugs.

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