Phish Opens 2018 Run At Bill Graham Civic Auditorium – Recap, Setlist & The Skinny

Phish opened their two-night stand at San Francisco’s Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on Tuesday night, playing their 13th-ever gig at the indoor venue. This night was a lucky one for the fans who were in attendance, as the band built on their momentum coming out of the weekend’s shows at The Gorge. The first set included a diverse blend of genres, while the second featured an equally diverse array of improvisational approaches, with several excellent jams, including a phenomenal “Carini.”

Trey Anastasio got a chance to show off his new pedals to the Bay Area crowd right off the bat, painting “46 Days” with some psychedelic textures en route to a rocking peak. Next up were two rarities last seen at last year’s Baker’s Dozen: “McGrupp And The Watchful Hosemasters” and Trey Anastasio Band staple “Pigtail.” The evening’s first cover, “Cities,” had a lyric change before a brief dark spacy jam. The band switched gears for another cover, “Nellie Kane.” The “Gumbo” that came next enjoyed a nifty clavinet solo by Page McConnell. Standard takes on “Guyute”, “Axilla” and “The Dogs” were then followed by an especially quiet “Dirt.” “David Bowie” gave the set its first extended improvisation, with some skillful interplay between the four band members before the break.

Entering the second set, the band had played 11 sets and over 100 songs this summer without playing a single tune twice. That ended with the second set opener, “The Moma Dance.” Despite recent extended takes on “Moma” last week in Lake Tahoe and last year in New York City, this version was short. But the “A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing” that came next was not. The show’s first Type II jam went into a major key, where Mike Gordon set the tone with a driving yet reserved groove. A few minutes and some guitar fireworks later, the band went back into the song’s refrain before heading for “Mercury.”

The Big Boat outtake is always interesting, but Tuesday’s “Mercury” was one of the most extended and compelling versions in the song’s three-year history. It soared, somewhat akin to the peak of an especially good “What’s The Use” jam. Next, “Carini” gave the set its third straight jam vehicle, and its third straight jam that sounded absolutely nothing like the previous one. This “Carini” went very funky very quickly, with the rhythm section of Mike Gordon and Jon Fishman leading the band into a nasty groove. The jam found its second movement in a major key, with Trey leading the way to a glorious peak.

After a satisfying “Maze,” Mike laid down some more thick funk in “Boogie on Reggae Woman.” Finally, a majestic “Harry Hood” closed the set. The encore was a well-played “Squirming Coil,” with McConnell the last man standing on stage, closing the show with a characteristically beautiful piano solo.

Phish returns to Bill Graham Civic Auditorium Wednesday night. A free webcast is available at LivePhish.com.

Want more Phish stats?

Visit JamBase’s The Skinny Hub

More Skinny

Phish From The Road Photos

Poster