Phish Uncorks Monster ‘Carini’ During Night 2 At The Mann In Philadelphia

Last night was the 15th time Phish has played at Philadelphia’s The Mann Center for the Performing Arts, the first time being in 1992 when they opened for Santana. Even though it has been a favorite stop on many past summer tours, it was my first time at the gorgeous amphitheater.

My afternoon started a few miles away where we hosted an Osiris event with a live Helping Friendly Podcast recap of Tuesday’s show and a performance from the Cal Kehoe Band including songs just written with longtime Phish lyricist, Tom Marshall. The mood was joyful and celebratory on the school bus ride from the Ardmore Music Hall to the venue and everyone was talking about the over 20-minute version of the band’s new song, “The Well,” from the night before.

Our friendly bus driver dropped us off and I saw the back of the amphitheater for the first time. I was unprepared for the scale and the beauty of the wooden structure. Built in 1976 for the Philadelphia Orchestra the venue was even more impressive once inside. The vaulted ceilings bring to mind a forest cathedral and ceiling fans and open sides kept the breeze flowing all evening.

The first Phish show to open with “Mike’s Song” was in 1988 and the song has opened 26 shows since then. The classic, throwback feeling of last night’s show would start then and continue throughout. The band played a tight version of the song, letting us know that guitarist Trey Anastasio would be leading this band with authority this evening, as he so often has on this tour. The song was ending and I waited to see if they would play a classic “Mike’s Groove,” the suite of music that follows “Mike’s Song” with “I Am Hydrogen” and “Weekapaug Groove,” but the band thought otherwise as they headed into a sultry cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Boogie On Reggae Woman.” The perfect way to get everyone dancing on a late summer evening and perfect if you love 1997 style, funky Phish as I do.

This was the first time this song has been played within a “Mike’s Groove,” showing a band willing to play the classics but with a new spin. I wondered if they were going to finish the suite much later by playing “Hydrogen” and “Weekapaug Groove” as the two-song encore, but after a short, focused return to “Mike’s Song” with drummer Jon Fishman driving the breathless pace and Anastasio soloing above it with intent and clarity, the band played the stunning and quiet “Hydrogen.”

This no doubt pleased my co-host on the Helping Friendly Podcast, Jonathan Hart, as he is a firm believer that the suite should remain in the classic three-song arrangement. Hearing them play this delicate song and find the breath in between the notes seemed to indicate they were ready for the focused intensity of playing in Madison Square Garden, which is right around the corner for them. The classic, jaunty “Weekapaug Groove” followed. It was a masterclass in rhythm and demonstrated this band’s ability to continue to serve up the breakneck tempo required for so many of their older songs.

Keyboardist Page McConnell provided the first breather of the night with the contemplative, “Army of One,” from the band’s 2004 album, Undermind, their last before their (temporary) “breakup” later that year. McConnell’s voice seems to get better with age and the song gave Anastasio a chance to play with the gorgeous expression he has been demonstrating this summer.

Next up was “Mound,” a song I hadn’t heard live since 1995 and a song usually played only once or twice a year. On this tour, we have seen the band continue to pull from their extensive catalog and ensure their repertoire stays robust. Thrilled when they launched into “The Moma Dance,” I consider myself an aficionado of this song and although I am always hoping this song serves as a launching pad for a funky jam, this 10-minute version was compact and bubbly showing great interplay between Anastasio and McConnell. Anastasio danced while playing this song and his hair was blowing in the wind, his buoyancy and lightness maybe inspired him to choose what came next.

A messy segue into “Prince Caspian” followed, but I am always happy to hear this song. It’s a gorgeous, anthemic song that has served me well through the years. I have sung this song alone in a dorm room listening to the beautifully crafted Billy Breathes album and as a lullaby while comforting my newborn daughter on a deck in Brooklyn. The soaring solo gave us a chance to be soothed by Anastasio’s tone, which has been so warm and rich this tour.

A brief dedication to the next song was made to the fifth member of the band, lighting designer extraordinaire, Chris Kuroda, for his birthday. It’s hard to overstate the impact of Kuroda’s work on the Phish concert experience, but he is one of the most innovative lighting designers in the field, and watching his lighting rig move like a living, breathing organism that every year grows more intricate and layered is truly inspiring. The addition of what some have called “twerking” lights this year adds an unsettled and vibrating dimension to the show. But there was nothing unsettled about “Backwards Down the Number Line” and we sang this song to our best friends next to us and the new best friends that we met when they sat down next to us just over an hour earlier.

“About to Run” from the 2019 Ghosts of the Forest album was next and bassist, bassist Mike Gordon, locked in with Fishman playing syncopated, primal rhythms that hit so hard. The dark song was expertly followed by the fan favorite, “Fluffhead.” Seeing Phish play this complicated and exalted song well is truly a remarkable thing to witness and last night’s version was beautiful with McConnell playing stunning, inspired piano and ending the set with the crowd screaming, “Fluffhead,” at the top of our lungs.

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

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Set two opened with “Set Your Soul Free” with Anastasio delivering that emotion we have come to expect from this journeyman musician. This 12-minute version built soundscapes with deep, hypnotic rolling hills, but the real crowning jewel of this set came with the monster jam vehicle, “Carini,” that followed. At almost 23 minutes long, this “Carini” was a journey that left the shore of the song with a melodic riff and a carefree feeling. The band patiently climbed up to a gradual peak that Anastasio led with clarity. About 12 minutes in a shift came as Anastasio played with rhythm and an almost choogle feeling that sent the jam in a different direction.

Then we heard the synthesizers creep in. McConnell’s incredible washes of texture added a disorientated feeling to the jam which perfectly set the table for Anastasio to emerge organically, playing with added soul. McConnell was all over this jam, arms in both directions playing two keyboards at once. His work continues to deepen the band’s jams. Fishman, as usual, kept the pace relentless and thrashed throughout the monster peak.

As the band built up to the high point of the show their speed was astounding and McConnell danced all over the piano. Gordon’s bass was reverberating through my chest and Anastasio brought the “hose” as Carlos Santana dubbed him those years long ago when they first set foot on this stage. But what was glorious about this ending was the beauty and detail they found within the crescendo and the last few minutes of this song are truly an accomplishment in adding flourish and texture to a peak in a way that only Phish can. Was glad to be in the room for this “Carini.”

The synthetic melt into “Joy” felt deserved and this song has probably meant something powerful to every Phish fan as the lyrics are so intimate and so raw. The cover of TV on the Radio’s “Golden Age” was next and even though this song can occasionally go deep, tonight it was quickly followed by “Limb by Limb.” Has there ever been a song that sounds so like its lyrics?

Written by Anasatio, Tom Marshall and collaborator Scott Herman, the words to this song are so evocative and make me feel like I am dangling on the proverbial edge and the lifeline thrown down is Anastasio’s dramatic playing that allows me to climb back up to safety. This song lives on the edge, and I’m here for it. A nod back to the opening of the show with excellent versions of old classics, “Golgi Apparatus” and the always welcomed, feel-good “Harry Hood,” bookended the concert with older songs and closed this fantastic set of Phish.

The band’s employment of two (or more) songs per encore this tour has been super effective as they find ways to add depth and personality to their final moments on stage. This encore was no exception starting with the heart-wrenching song, “A Life Beyond the Dream.” If you have ever experienced heartbreak or had to say goodbye to a love that was not destined to be, then you might not be surprised to find yourself to be in tears as Anastasio uses gorgeous imagery and piercing notes to paint so complete a picture of those feelings in one of my favorite songs off of Ghosts of the Forest. Last night we were able to wipe our tears and gallop towards the light with a spirited “Run Like An Antelope” to close the show.

As the band left the stage I felt more than ever that they are ready for their seven-show residency at Madison Square Garden that starts tomorrow. Whether they decide to do a thematic run, like they did in 2017’s Baker’s Dozen, or not, they should know they don’t need it to make the run a success. The strength of their playing on this tour alone, not even including their celebrated and inspired spring tour, demonstrates an ability to captivate and deliver on a level warranted for this type of honor. I am excited to see them harness the energy of the world’s most famous arena and create those goosebump-inducing moments in both the big rock peaks and the small quiet spaces that are so intense inside that room. Let’s hope the fans can keep up with this incredible band’s stamina and pace.

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Phish’s Summer Tour 2023 heads to New York City for seven shows at Madison Square Garden. Watch livestreams of the MSG shows and the rest of Phish Summer Tour 2023 via LivePhish.com.

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