Phish Summer Tour 2019: Toronto – Setlist, Recap & The Skinny

Phish‘s Summer Tour 2019 stopped in Canada on Tuesday night for a concert at Budweiser Stage in Toronto. Formerly known as Molson Amphitheatre, the venue first hosted the band in 1999 and again in 2000, with the foursome’s last show at the outdoor space coming in 2013. Tuesday’s concert saw several tour debuts in the first set, as well as Phish’s first performance of “Ruby Waves” and a second set highlighted by the jam that came out of “Golden Age.”

“AC/DC Bag” opened Phish’s first Canadian set in six years, followed by bassist Mike Gordon leading the band through his “555.” Trey Anastasio started warming up during the “Ocelot” that came after, laying out breezy runs on his guitar. Next up was “Sample In A Jar,” breaking the longest streak between performances (37 shows) since the often-played song’s debut. “Stash,” much like it did during the first set of the summer tour, opened up into a gorgeous jam that left the structure of the song for several minutes as Page McConnell’s piano playing intensified alongside Trey’s complimentary soloing. The satisfying “Stash” was trailed by a lively “The Wedge,” which was well-received by the cheering crowd who then were treated to the fourth Phish performance of the Trey Anastasio Band’s “Frost.”

Gordon then kicked off the a cappella intro into a briskly delivered “Halley’s Comet.” What followed was the highly anticipated Phish debut of “Ruby Waves.” Played once by TAB in 2008, the song was resurrected by Trey for his recent Ghost Of The Forest shows, and the heavy, pressing original was punctuated with a fierce solo by the guitarist who was propelled by his GOTF band mate, drummer Jon Fishman, solidifying a well-executed first-time performance by the band. Page then took a turn out front for “Lawn Boy” with Gordon providing a mid-song solo. Trey and Mike’s first time trampolining this summer came during the set-closing “You Enjoy Myself.” The classic was driven by Trey’s assertive lead work that steered the second half of the song toward Mike and Fish’s funky breakdown and the spacey vocal jam coda.

The second set opened with “Plasma,” the TAB staple making just its eighth Phish setlist. The quartet transitioned into “The Final Hurrah,” impressively and seamlessly segueing into the Kasvot Växt tune. After face planting into rock, a mellow jam developed as the band patiently entered into an improvised sequence that swelled but never lost a restrained vibe. The slow start to the subsequent “Wingsuit” was countered with Trey’s climatic build to the song’s powerful conclusion.

The only cover of Tuesday’s show, TV On The Radio’s “Golden Age,” led to the improvisational highlight of the night. Page set the tone for the jam with bold synth lines that led the first few minutes of the improv while Trey, Mike and Fish held down a funky foundation. Trey then took over control, cooly coming out in front without overwhelming the others onstage, who responded with equal coolness as they all shifted and fused around a pretty motif. Page was called upon again as “I Always Wanted It This Way” emerged from the dissolving jam. The newer, upbeat space-rock tune soon gave way to “Prince Caspian,” which lacked any improvisation and quickly transitioned into the sweet ballad “If I Could.”

The final song of the second half, “46 Days,” was also short on improv but provided a high energy end to the set. Drawing once again on Ghost Of The Forest material, the multi-part “Drift While You’re Sleeping” made its second appearance of the summer tour during Tuesday’s encore. Phish Summer Tour 2019 continues tonight at Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.

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