Phish Leaves Hearts Billowing At St. Louis Finale With Another Barn Burner

On Wednesday, Phish played a second consecutive barn burner at St. Louis’ Chaifetz Arena, ensuring that both concerts will enter the upper echelon of shows the band has ever played in the Show-Me State. Even more than on Tuesday night, the band saved virtually all of their improvisation for the second set, but once the the set break ended, they did not skimp on the jams, unleashing a “Mr. Completely” and “Ruby Waves” for the ages.

Wednesday’s first set was the epitome of what some fans used to call “standard great.” Will any of the set’s songs make the rankers’ Top 10 Versions lists? No. But was it an enjoyable set with good song selection and solid playing? Absolutely.

The festivities began with “Turtle in the Clouds,” a song that always brings the fun to a show, with the crowd and band alike getting a chance to dance. “Hey Stranger” followed, foregoing any extended jam in favor of a tight rock guitar solo.

“Back on the Train” included a satisfying peak, but was otherwise standard, as was the always enjoyable “Lawn Boy.” The band continued to go through the motions — and, to be sure, have plenty of fun doing so — in “Backwards Down the Number Line,” “Horn,” and “Pebbles and Marbles.” They appeared to get a boost of energy in “Boogie On Reggae Woman,” as Mike Gordon‘s thumping bass lines kicked the rest of the band into a higher gear. The energy continued through the set-closing “Squirming Coil” and into the set break.

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

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The band returned to the stage on a tear, and never let up for the rest of the evening. Like many great second sets in recent years, this one paired a relatively brief, punchy opener — “Free,” in this case — with a massive jam, courtesy of “Mr. Completely.” The latter covered a huge amount of ground in its 22 minutes, all utterly focused, with the quartet in deep musical conversation. When they’d empted their creative quiver, they treated the audience to a gorgeous rendition of “If I Could.” A slick, lovely “Twist” followed.

“Ruby Waves” was next, plunging the St. Louis crowd into the depths of the beautiful, thrilling realm we call Evil Phish. The jam’s particular blend of darkness was totally new, with each band member exploring uncharted territory, while the quartet as a whole never became unmoored. At times the jam resembled the breezy desert heat of a western movie soundtrack. The clouds eventually parted for an uplifting rock jam before the band bailed for “No Men in No Man’s Land.” The latter tune had a couple Easter eggs, in the form of teases of “Tequila” and “Smoke on the Water” (or was it “Cat Scratch Fever”? We may never know.) “First Tube” closed the set with all its bells and whistles: guitar windmills, feedback, and a giant jolt of musical electricity.

The band re-emerged around their a cappella mics, and Trey Anastasio asked Jon Fishman if he’d tell the Prison Joke. Fish said “once was enough,” and through their laughter, the band sang “Grind.” Trey, who was in a talkative mood, asked the crowd if they were in a rush, or if they could do a couple more songs. They proceeded to play a lovely “Miss You” before closing the show with a perfect exercise in tension and jaw-dropping release courtesy of “Harry Hood.”

Phish returns to the stage on Friday, when they begin a three-night run at the venue formerly known as Deer Creek in Noblesville, Indiana. Watch livestreams of Phish’s entire 2024 Summer Tour via LivePhish.com.

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