[UPDATED] ‘Scents & Simple Sounds’ – Phish Delivers Stellar Second Set In Chicago: Recap, Setlist & The Skinny

On the second night of three tour-opening shows at the Huntington Bank Pavilion At Northerly Island, Phish wowed the crowd with multiple extended, exploratory jams in Chicago. The first set was a laid-back affair, but the band exploded out of the setbreak, treating the Chicago audience to all-time versions of “Simple” and “Scents And Subtle Sounds,” along with segues, a debut and the kind of tightness you’d expect to see only many shows into a tour.

Trey Anastasio gave the Chicago crowd a double helping of big guitar solos up front, in “Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan” and “The Moma Dance.” Jon Fishman needed an assist from Page McConnell on the latter, after he seemed to forget a few lyrics. In the third slot was “The Wedge,” which was more straightforward than the epic version the band played on the same stage in 2014. “Halfway To The Moon” was followed by a tight “Ya Mar,” featuring a popping bass solo from Mike Gordon. A funked-out, high-energy “Martian Monster” was followed by “Party Time,” which benefited from some dexterous organ work from McConnell. Anastasio took an inspired, melodic solo in “Wingsuit.” The year’s first “Bouncing Around the Room” preceded “More,” which closed the set with some guitar fireworks.

The second set opened with Phish’s debut of the Trey Anastasio Band staple “Corona.” While the song, which Phish had soundchecked in 2013, was short, the “Simple” that followed was anything but. The song’s 27+ minutes made it the third longest rendition in history. It began with alternating moments of psychedelia, rock and ambience before the quartet exploded into a dark pulsing section whose menacing, tribal beats seemed to suggest a segue into “Timber (Jerry)” that never came. Instead, the band found a major-key chord progression and took it for a ride, spoon-feeding bliss to the audience before finally descending to Earth for “Winterqueen.” The tune briefly switched to a minor key before Trey pulled the ripcord for “Light.”

Trey spewed some fire in “Light,” but the song quickly changed direction with a segue into “Scents And Subtle Sounds.” The ensuing jam was delicate, with focused interplay between all four musicians, settling into a Mike-led start-stop groove that eventually segued perfectly into “Cities.” A quick run through the Talking Heads classic was followed by “Slave to the Traffic Light,” which provided a fitting end to a fantastic set of music. The band concluded the evening with “Loving Cup.”

Phish returns to the same stage Sunday night to end the Windy City run.

[Simple | Captured by The Kamherst]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1aPzqle49o

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