Phish Returns To Shoreline | Setlist & The Skinny

On Friday night Phish Phish returned to Shoreline Amphitheatre for their first appearance at the West Coast venue since 2009 and 14th since first taking the stage there in 1992. Though the tour trend of debuting new songs ceased at Shoreline, the cover-free show, bolstered by the improvisation filled second set offered plenty of new original content for those assembled at the storied Bay Area locale.

A photo posted by phishfromtheroad (@phishfromtheroad) on Jul 24, 2015 at 8:54pm PDT

Phish began their first set with “The Line,” marking the first time the song that made its debut on Halloween 2013 has opened a show. Like the opener, “The Moma Dance” that followed gave Page McConnell a chance to briefly exchange piano runs with guitarist Trey Anastasio’s melodic guitar work. The first-set-favorite rocker “Kill Devil Falls” kept things moving as the band progressed into the show and after a slow build finally brought the energy level to an energetic peak. The mellow pace of the set continued with bassist Mike Gordon stepping forward to lead the band through the reggae-tinged “Yarmouth Road.” A bubbly “Undermind” that again saw McConnell nicely standing out, this time on organ as well as piano, descended into Anastasio counting off “Free” and Gordon soon demonstrating his command of the deeply low end.

The patient vibe of the set continued after the “Reba” lyric portion that slowly built to a tension filled peak with Anastasio leaving plenty of room for the other three before taking over with inspiring guitar play that ultimately led to the fan favorite -if a bit shaky – whistling segment to close the otherwise excellently executed song. The energy remained high for the “46 Days” that came next, Anastasio again taking control, belting out lyrics and ripping notes, backed by Jon Fishman’s propelling drumming to close out the set -the band’s third consecutive set of all original compositions.

The second set opened with the second ever performance of the recently debuted “Blaze On.” Like the original rendition at the tour opener in Bend on Tuesday, Friday’s version quickly led to interplay between all four musicians, Anastasio and McConnell delivering funk-charged licks as Fishman and Gordon locked into a supportive groove. The ensuing multifaceted jam melted into a spacey minimal construction that slipped into “Twist.” Gordon quickly asserted himself utilizing his Lovetone Meatball envelope filter to provide a backbone of a bassline over which McConnell drove another inspired portion of improvisation. Anastasio took the band on a soaring but still restrained journey as they stretched further into the lengthy jam, Fishman punctuating Trey’s tasteful fretwork with equally spartan rhythms as they moved further into new ground.

The pretty melodies and four-way communication continued with the ensuing “Light” that wasted no time getting back into improvisation. Riffing out of the song’s theme, Gordon conjured a spacey, funky and hypnotic groove that they centered on for a few minutes until Anastasio brought them into an uplifting power jam with hints of “Manteca” and a gorgeous pinnacle that included a heavy feel of “I Know You Rider.” The Anastasio sung ballad “Joy” brought things to a rest after the improv-laden 40 minutes that opened the set. The subsequent “Harry Hood” was reminiscent of the laid-back approach featured often in set one, the band taking their time building to a roaring crescendo, peppered by a number of thunder bombs from Gordon. A raucous “Cavern” then drew another all-originals set to a fiery conclusion. A rocking “Character Zero” filled a frequent encore slot bringing their long-awaited return to Mountain View to an uplifting end.

Setlist…

[via Phish.net]

Venue Type: Outdoor Amphitheater / 22,500
Previous Shows at Venue: 13 Shows -08/29/1992, 09/30/1995, 07/31/1997, 07/19/1998, 10/17/1998, 10/18/1998, 09/16/1999, 09/17/1999, 10/06/2000, 10/07/2000, 07/09/2003, 07/10/2003 and 08/05/2009
Number Of Songs / Length – First Set: 8 / 8:07 p.m. -9:17 (70 minutes)
Number Of Songs / Length – Second Set & Encore: 7 / 9:50 p.m. -11:14 (84 minutes)
Total Number of Songs / Covers / Originals: 15 / 0 / 15
Biggest Bustout: Joy 19 Shows (LTP -08/31/2014)
Average Song Vintage: 2002
Debuts: N/A
Guitar Used By Trey Anastasio: KOA #1
Weather: 70°F Mostly Cloudy
Average Song Gap: 5.27
The Spread: Joy -3, Misc. -3, Billy Breathes -2, Fuego – 1, Undermind -1, Round Room -1, Farmhouse -1, The Story of the Ghost -1, A Picture of Nectar – 1, Lawn Boy -1
Longest LivePhish Track / Shortest LivePhish Track: Twist 16:45 / Cavern 6:04
Audio: Live Phish