Phish Deals Winning Hand At Return To Mohegan Sun Arena

For the second stop on their summer tour, Phish parked their buses at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut and strutted into the casino like high rollers after a solid tour opening run in Mansfield, Massachusetts. Only their second time at the 10,000 seat arena (July 9 – 10, 2019), the band treated everyone who sat through the punishing Interstate 95 traffic to an energetic first set and a second set packed with deep improvisation.

On this tour the band has been changing up their setlists, playing songs in different positions than usual. Last night’s concert was a perfect example of the quartet’s ability to pull from their extensive catalog and incorporate classic Phish songs and new material into their sets seamlessly while also maintaining excellent flow in their shows.

The band wasted no time kicking off the show with energy and joy. “Martian Monster,” the sample-heavy funk song inspired by the narration from the Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House album, opened a Phish show for the fifth time. Providing an energetic opening one-two punch, “Rift” came next. Off an album that introduced many fans of a certain age to the band, the crowd sang the last final notes together and the arena felt intimate to those East Coasters used to seeing the band at Madison Square Garden.

Usually a second set jam vehicle, the TV on the Radio cover, “Golden Age,” was played in the first set for the first time last night. The band used this opportunity to launch into some gorgeous improvisation early in the show. With sunny, melodic phrasing guitarist Trey Anastasio soared over the keys laid down by keyboardist Page McConnell and bassist Mike Gordon contributed thoughtful bass lines. Pretty, connected improvisation blossomed as Page and Trey echoed each other. The four-piece’s ability to find and create music that sounds composed quickly while improvising is leading to a lot of jams in the 11-18 minute range that still deliver multiple sections and themes. This “Golden Age” is one of a few examples of this from the show last night.

“Gumbo” kept the momentum going and Page ferociously attacked the keys in the ending, bringing the crowd to a roar. Trey ripped the opening notes to the Son Seals’ cover, “Funky Bitch” and that perfect tone was on excellent display. After their run at Sphere the band has been experimenting with their stage setups and last night Trey had his Paul Languedoc-built cabinets and his Mesa Boogie amp back on stage. The custom Languedoc cabinets were last onstage in the fall of 2016 and the Mesa Boogie amp in the summer of 2015. Trey’s tone has been strong all year, but it really stood out when he ripped this blues number.

The complicated composition “Guyute” came next and is always a crowd favorite. Usually played about once a year, its arrival in the setlist typically means the band has been practicing. The band played a great version with Trey hitting all his marks and leading the crowd to an evil peak. The triumphant ending had the crowd erupting in cheers again.

“Undermind” provided the audience with the first use of effects from Trey. He played a section with the muted effect and it delivered such a nice contrast when he dropped back into his natural tone. Once again, the Chairman of the Boards, Page, played the keys and the organ with commitment and heart

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The new Phish song, “Evolve,” is having a real moment. The title track on their recently released album, this song has made recent appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and NPR’s Tiny Desk series. Radio-friendly and incredibly strong lyrically with words by longtime lyricists Tom Marshall and Scott Herman, “Evolve” is not only a timeless song, but it’s also a testament to what this band does best. Phish continues to evolve and that’s their real superpower.

The first set wrapped up with the ballad “Waste” and the ultimate set one closer, “Walls Of The Cave.” Lighting designer Chris Kuroda made his spinning lights look like undulating waves and when the white lights hit the crowd it was a nice exclamation point on a dance-heavy, energetic first set.

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

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As set two started all halftime bets were on Phish coming in with some deep jams for the second set. Those bets were winning as the band from Vermont showed why their dedicated fan base will face Northeast traffic in the middle of the week to see them play. The longest version of “Plasma” ever played opened set two. Over 16 minutes long, the band finds gorgeous melodies complemented by drummer Jon Fishman’s deep, resonating drumming. Trey and Page were once again in lockstep dancing together effortlessly. Around the 11-minute mark, the jam took a shift and momentarily wrestled with darkness, only to find the light again. This jam is bright, soulful and has a nice reentry into the song.

Exactly one year after a memorable “Kill Devil Falls” from Syracuse last year, the band performed another exciting, exploratory version last night. Almost hitting the 20-minute mark, Phish took this rocking tune through a few diverse sections. Everyone contributed equally in the early section, layering riffs and setting a serene, if slightly off-kilter, scene. Page and Trey kept things super bright while Mike laid the foundation. Fishman pushed the jam forward like only he can.

Around 12 minutes, Trey started soaring and playing with sustain. He let his long notes float above the insanely propulsive beat Fishman was playing. Page came in with the synths to add depth, texture and mood and the jam turned a corner and headed towards a more unsettling energy. Anastasio found an anxious riff and continued to chip away at it and then everyone jumped onto Fishman’s beat and let him steer the ship. This was one of those moments when it is hard to tell who is doing what on their instruments because they sounded so organic and connected. This was when the crowd stopped feeling like they were in a concert and started to feel like they were in an experience. It’s a compelling jam that continued to have new ideas even through the last few minutes. Trey led the band back into the song with a smooth segue that had the crowd going nuts. A masterclass in improvisational jamming, don’t miss this “Kill Devil Falls.”

The crowd was still cheering when Trey played the unmistakable opening guitar riff to “Carini” and the energy continued to build inside the arena. Last played while accompanied by some incredible graphics at the Las Vegas Sphere, “Carini” jams are known to go big or go home. This version is bubbly and returned to some themes from the “Kill Devil Falls” jam. Some of the jams on this tour have not been the usual bliss jams where they play pretty music and build towards a peak. It’s been interesting to see the way they are playing uplifting music but also hinting at an undercurrent of contemplation or darkness just below the surface. The bubbling of intrigue in this “Carini” is sophisticated and builds towards an unusual and satisfying peak that lands in the return of the opening riff to close.

This set started to feel like an embarrassment of riches when “Ruby Waves” came next. This Ghosts of the Forest song always delivers and has had some tremendous moments in Phish sets (July 14, 2019, October 20, 2021 and October 22, 2023 to name a few). Right away this jam felt menacing and untrustworthy. Page’s synths set the tone making the crowd feel like they were in a dystopian Ray Bradbury novel. Trey built some strong peaks and brightened the mood. Even these peaks had a little grit though and played with texture and emotion. “Ruby Waves” was the fourth song to go over 14 minutes in a row, and that’s a place Phish fans like to find themselves.

A short “Piper” followed and then the simple and stunning “Mercy.” Trey sang his heart out in this vocal showcase and you can hear the results of the work he has been doing to improve his singing. He sang with deep emotion and the crowd roared when he sang the final lines with so much soul. This is elder statesman, wise sage Trey Anastasio and he’s growing into this role with real joy and humility. Page also stood out with his gorgeous work on the piano in this song.

It was a rock star ending to the set with “Everything’s Right.” Trey found some rock and roll chords and the crowd loved it, cheering him on as he head banged and rocked out. The first time this song has closed set two, it was a fun and unique way to close a great set of Phish.

Despite Trey’s recent talk of not doing encores, the band has been playing some great ones recently and this was a different and fun combination of old and new. “Julius” was played at a slightly slower tempo than usual but the “About To Run” absolutely slayed with Trey shredding and letting everyone know this band isn’t going anywhere.

Phish returns to the stage tonight for night two at Mohegan Sun Arena. Another strong show is likely and all futures bet on the tour being a win look promising. Watch livestreams of Phish’s entire 2024 Summer Tour via LivePhish.com.

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