Easin’ The Pain At The Knick: Phish Honors Phil Lesh By Being Phish To Kick Off Albany Run

Phish returned to Albany on Friday for the first time in six years to open a three-night stand of Divided Sky Foundation benefit concerts at the MVP Arena. The show took on a whole new meaning, direction, purpose and emotional resonance at 3:15 p.m. on Friday afternoon when the Lesh family announced Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh had died at age 84.

Phil Lesh’s death was on the minds of many attendees entering the venue originally known as The Knickerbocker Arena. Conversations could be heard all over Pearl Street about the bassist’s effect on fans and the realization he was gone. It was Kismet that Lesh died on the same day the only run of Phish shows between Labor Day Weekend and the end of the year began. The concert allowed devotees to gather and get their emotions out in a celebratory fashion.

With Phil gone, everything would be seen differently. How would Phish pay tribute to a musician who was one of the most influential on their sound as any other? The band immediately addressed the elephant in the room by debuting a cover of “Box Of Rain,” Lesh’s signature song, to get the show underway. Then, they commemorated Lesh’s spirit by being themselves over the remainder of the marathon 21-song performance.

Phish setlists are created on the fly with guitarist Trey Anastasio doing his due diligence before the show but letting the muse lead to alterations. The setlists give a glimpse into what Anastasio is feeling that day, serving as a journal of sorts, and of course Trey was thinking about the loss of his friend and mentor. “The Moma Dance” followed “Box Of Rain” and perhaps it was chosen because “the moment ends.” Next came “Free” with Lesh shuffling off this mortal coil and his physical body soon to live beneath the “Dirt.”

If connections between Phil’s passing and the first three originals of the night were abstract, the choice of the “Wolfman’s Brother” that ensued was more concrete. Lesh covered the Hoist cut more than any other Phish song with his own post-Jerry bands. Additionally, “Wolfman’s” was one of just two Phish songs played during Lesh’s lone appearance with the quartet on September 17, 1999 at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. Phish delivered an exquisite Type-I “Wolfman’s” that saw the band expertly use the tension and release so key to their music.

Phish showed little signs of rust as they worked through a pairing of “No Men In No Man’s Land” and “Theme From The Bottom.” Both songs were played with mid-tour luster and extra mustard. “Steam” was a showcase for the handiwork of LD Chris Kuroda, a huge Grateful Dead fan who must have been elated to be able to light Phish performing “Box Of Rain” earlier in the evening. The four-piece tacked on a memorable and extended “Sand” for good measure to end last night’s first set.

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

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Phish loaded the second set with bold and exciting improvisation in following the pattern the Grateful Dead devised over 50 years ago for the flow of concerts. The first four songs of the frame — “Blaze On,” “Piper,” “Light” and “Tweezer” — each featured lengthy exploration. “Piper” was the night’s highlight for jamming, scoring high marks on both the quantity and quality scales. The must-hear version included multiple movements with each building on the last. The band landed on “Carol Of The Bells” and impressively jammed on the theme for a few minutes before the “Lullaby Light” saw Phish travel a completely different route as they focused on the bliss.

While each of the first five tunes were connected by particularly cool segues, nothing topped the transition from “Light” to “Tweezer.” Anastasio worked hints of the beloved tune into the “Light” jam and the band patiently moved into launching “Tweezer.” However, Phish never truly found their footing, and in this era featuring so many incredible versions of “Tweezer,” last night’s was mostly forgettable.

“The Wedge” flowed out of “Tweezer” and ended the seamless hour of music to start set two. From there, Phish uncorked “The Howling,” which became more fun and energetic as fans found spots to howl, garnering approving smiles from Anastasio. Next up was the beautiful ballad “Monsters” and a “Backwards Down The Number Line” that one had to think would close the frame. Yet Phish wasn’t done yet and treated fans to a fierce “Carini” filled with potent jamming.

Phish came back out for a lengthy encore. Up first was fan-favorite “Sleeping Monkey,” last played over two years prior during Summer Tour 2022. Drummer Jon Fishman sang his part with passion, Trey cracked himself up and keyboardist Page McConnell crushed the “Let It Be” riff. Bassist Mike Gordon had himself a great night especially on the powerful “Ghost” that followed. The quartet said farewell for the evening with “Tweezer Reprise,” leaving the stage a tick before 11:45 p.m.

Phish posted a tribute to Phil Lesh on social media shortly after leaving the stage on Friday. Fittingly, Mike Gordon put the band’s memories into words. Read the note below:

The band returns to the MVP Arena on Saturday and Sunday night. Livestreams are available for purchase via LivePhish.com. Proceeds from the concerts and webcasts will benefit the Divided Sky Foundation.

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