Phish Steps Into 30-Minute ‘Tweezer’ At 2nd San Francisco Show

When Team JamBase asked me to do a review for one of Phish's shows from this Spring Tour, did I know I’d get to write about a 30-minute “Tweezer”? Of course I did!

The secret Phish information cabal is alive and well. This is the same group that knew they were going to cover The Residents for Halloween 2018, and the ones who know the real date of the official release of the coveted July 25, 1999 show.

As our esteemed friend Ben Greenfield pointed out yesterday, it’s been seven years since Phish played at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. Built in 1915, this building was home to an NBA team, political conventions, operas and more. But for us, it’s best known as a place where Phish can tap into the history of San Francisco music and let loose.

On night two, they opened with “Simple,” which fell into a comfortable and relaxed groove, and then toward the end, a grungy chord jam that shockingly segued directly into “Punch You in the Eye.”

This pre-song jam was a novel way of getting into “Punch.” It was the inverse of what they had done with staples like “My Friend, My Friend” and “You Enjoy Myself,” where they tacked a jam onto the back end of the song. Doing this on the front end showed a continued willingness to try new things with safe and proven approaches.

The pre-jam was a little like the buildup to a “2001” jam, but with drummer Jon Fishman never laying off the beat. “The Landlady” section was played great, like most composed songs, likely because guitarist Trey Anastasio had been getting so much practice playing solo on the acoustic tour.

“Gumbo” came next, another great choice, another segue, no break yet. Keyboardist Page McConnell shined on the solo, then they very softly dropped into a jam, with Trey hanging back playing chords while bassist Mike Gordon drove the bus.

Patience is really the key to this tour so far, having seen it a few times at earlier shows, and again that night. They weren’t rushed, they weren’t worried about the next song, they were just there. Ever since Phish came out West in 1991, California had been a place where they would experiment, expand, and grow. That seemed to still be happening last night.

Trey eventually got into that growly tone again. Was he subtly hinting at “Tweezer?” Time would tell. This patient build, and multiple sonic approaches, made the payoff at the end of “Gumbo” even more powerful. I bet a few people there were wondering “what song is this again?” That’s the sign of a fantastic first set.

“Reba” was up next, and again, the foursome got straight into it. The composed section was really nice. There is an elegant art to a setlist like this. The song choices worked together, there was no playing songs just to play them. Each one played its own part, the set resembling a story that unfolded before our eyes and ears.

Finally they took a breather before dropping into “The Well.” On the webcast, you could see Trey visibly loosen up a little as they got into the upbeat verses and chorus. Then they delivered a short, but intense jam, lighting director Chris Kuroda adding to the madness.

Anyone who listens to the Helping Friendly Podcast knows our feelings about “David Bowie.” It often seems like a waste of time, if it is just running through the motions without a notable jam payoff. I know, I know, Phish fans, right?

As they got into the “Bowie” jam, instead of keeping the dark tone of “The Well,” they went into a galloping, upbeat jam that took it completely out of the structure of the “Bowie” framework. Fantastic. Then fluidly back into the jam to get to the ending. This was how you “Bowie.”

A typically potent “Character Zero” served as the final chapter of the excellent first set.

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

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Phish opened set two with “Sample In A Jar.” I love this move of playing “the song before the jam” to open set 2. (A few other notable examples: “Evening Song” before “Carini” on July 30, 2021, “More” before “Tweezer” on August 1, 2021, and “Prince Caspian” before “Set Your Soul Free” on September 1, 2024.)

The “Tweezer” is truly a monster — unable to be pinned down or controlled. The jam started with subtle chord jamming with a looping effect (another feature from the solo acoustic tour), which allowed Mike space to lead for a bit before Trey came back with a riff that returned to the “Manteca” theme he found the previous night. Are we getting a jammed out “Manteca” in L.A.?

Trey invoked that growly tone once again, which eventually evolved into a patient peak, with Trey landing on a nice riff that carried them up the mountain. Then it dissolved again. A post-peak jam rose from the ashes, sounding a bit like “Golden Age,” and almost getting to a “Mind Left Body” jam, while never going fully to either place. Just a wonderful “Tweezer,” out in space.

“Lonely Trip” was a perfect place to land after the big jam, and provided a little breather, before the launch into “Crosseyed and Painless.” Fishman kept the tempo high the entire time, pushing the band forward, until it eventually liquefied into an ambient space with vocals over the song’s theme.

A brief stop for the anthemic joy of “Pillow Jets” trailed, before closing with THE song, “You Enjoy Myself.” No jam after the vocal jam here, but still a terrific way to close out another phenomenal two-night run at BGCA.

A “Wading in the Velvet Sea” and “First Tube” encore sent those in person and on couch tour off with excitement for the next show. Tell your friends: Phish is alive and well, still pushing boundaries, exploring, and doing new things for all of us fans to talk about.

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