1st Time At Folsom Field: Phish Begins Holiday Weekend Run In Boulder

Thursday night, Phish made their annual return to Colorado, but as has been their modus operandi for the last four decades, they decided to unexpectedly flip the script earlier this year. Instead of resuming their long standing tradition of Labor Day and the love affair with Dick’s Sporting Goods Arena in Commerce City, the four musical suitors sweet on the Centennial state changed up their dance card completely, shifting not only the dates that fans have planned their summers around for more than a decade but also turning their amorous gaze to a new locale: the University of Colorado’s Folsom Field.

Built in 1924 and adorned in red and grey sandstone and limestone, the 50,000 concert capacity college football stadium sits at the heart of campus like a rising centerpiece on the more than 700 acres that comprise the Boulder institution. Although a new lift off site for Phish, the venue has been ground zero for several performances by legendary acts, including The Rolling Stones, U2, and The Who. After a long hiatus from concerts starting in 2001 following a curfew violation by Dave Matthews Band, the Home of the Buffs was most recently resurrected by Dead & Company in 2016 and became a mecca for annual trips, making it a familiar space for many of those who would arrive for Thursday night’s festivities.

Arriving at high noon at the institution of higher learning, the July temperatures were already setting in, and the tree-lined streets and green open spaces were beginning to embrace the slow-paced invasion of tie-dye and general psychedelic fandom. From VW vans to travelling vendors setting up their food and wares in the parking areas that dot the lots closest to the stadium, those eager to start the weekend on a Thursday were already taking it all in on this first day of the holiday weekend. The usual suspects, namely railriders and early merch poster fiends, were found in their prospective positions, many arriving much earlier that morning to secure that which was the focus of their fancy. By 3 p.m., the campus was in full swing and although many had hesitations about how CU would contrast to Dick’s, everything seemed business as usual. From welcoming police talking to fans graciously to campus employees happy to direct those in need, the central vibe remained intact even without the wild west dynamics that the beloved soccer fields often rep.

With new qualifiers at play, speculation was high that the band would deliver with its own brand of excitement, and when soundcheck finally began, those who paused to listen from outside Folsom’s locked gates certainly got an earful that leveled up the giddiness of those with tickets in hand. Beginning with an extended take on “The Well,” guitarist Trey Anastasio slid into a droning repeating note, which was certainly nothing to write home about, but then inspired him to add his usual brand of comedy to the moment. Chuckling at his own repeated statements of “We are Phish, the band from Vermont,” the red-headed comic went on to add “we play songs with only one note,: causing him to audibly increase in giggle and guffaw along with those gathering outside the main gates unbeknownst to him on Colorado Avenue. Fans could be heard remarking on what a good mood Trey seemed to be in, and as most veterans would say, “this bodes well for the evening.”

As soundcheck continued, so did the droning note, as well as the unseen hilarity from inside the venue. With the singular buzz still emanating from the sound system, Trey began singing “Buffalo Bill,” a probable reference to the university’s mascot as well as the state’s long-standing connection with the famous wild west figure. Rolling in laughter and humorously doling out more, Trey shifted from the Fab Four and proceeded back into Phish territory, comically, of course. “Catapult” was up next and again came under the guise of the single note jam and was followed shortly by the lyrical stock of “Kung,” for which drummer Jon Fishman jumped on board for the “from the hills” section of the verse. All in all, the providence of soundcheck showed that Trey and the band seemed to be in good spirits on this hot summer day.

By 5 p.m., the scene was in motion as the multitudes made their way to entrances and by half past, those with field tickets had packed up their belongings and moved into mission mode. With gates opening right on schedule, the herd was met with not one, not two, but three stops to the field, being reminded that “water” and “walking” were the two words of the weekend. Unlike previous tours, Phish announced this summer that the practice of holding space on the floor with tarps and blankets was going by the wayside and that it was every fan for themselves in an effort to preserve an equal opportunity at a shot to be near the band we all love and support. By showtime, the end result proved fruitful as the rail and its proximity did not fill to the gills in the last 20 minutes and provided plentiful dancing room for those who chose to do so. Wild tuna versus canned sardines with an attitude was a welcome reprieve for those who knew the difference.

When the band finally took the stage at minutes before 8 p.m., it was clear that venue was nowhere near being sold out and appeared that the roughly 27,000 who typically populate Dick’s had shown up minus a few thousand less. Certainly, the upside made for shorter lines and plenty of room to breathe and dance and seemingly the end result carried no negative impact other than the bottom line for those concerned with such things. With wide smiles, the band entered from stage left and took in the first roar of recognition of the night, pausing to make eyes and search faces before getting down to business.

Following a peace sign and a “hello” from Trey, the band gathered themselves and put their game faces on, and following the piano lead and a customary pick drag down the strings from Big Red, the show got rolling with a healthy “Wolfman’s Brother.” Hitting double digits, this one came stepping out on an energetic foot. Mike Gordon put the funk dunk in the “Wolfman’s” cup early on and was prominent in the mix from the get-go. Chairman of the Board Page McConnell moved effortlessly from synth to piano and kept the blend percolating nicely as Trey ascended some excitable arpeggios. Fishman’s signature shuffle was on point, and by the end of song one, the band showed that being in a new space felt as comfortable as it ever has. Of note, this version served as a show opener for just the 13th time since its introduction in 1994, with the last one also happening in Colorado back in 2023.

Pausing briefly, Trey introduced “Tube” and kept everyone dancing. Following suit with the opener, this one also landed in double-digit territory, and it was Page who got first turn in the spotlight and wasted nary a moment driving the tune with his warm clavinet stylings. Trey jumped in, and the two grooved off of each other for several measures. Mike worked the upper registry and laid into a nice melodic vibe.

A few minutes in, the layering took on some fulfilling builds that just felt oh so good. Fishman’s high hat sizzled as he popped the snare under the hot sun, driving the band down the proverbial musical freeway. The totality of the jam interlude was patient and built nicely before dropping back into the gritty blues structure of the tune.

For slot three, the band took the opportunity to provide the faithful with the first bust out of the weekend. Dusting off Ween’s “Roses Are Free” for the first time in nearly two years and 136 shows, the crowd recognized the rarity from its signature opening and let the band feel their appreciation.

Coming in around nine minutes, the halfway point shifted this one from humorous melancholy to edgy rocker and had the whole place swinging with Page pounding out the eighty-eight and Trey burning the place to the ground in fiery reverb and effect.

Out of the final embers of the beloved Ween cover, the steady high hat and pulse of “Maze” fired off across the bowl. From the start, the band seemed to try to keep the lid on the tension on this one, at least in the beginning. Conversely to the bombastic one-two punch that is a longtime dynamic of this tune, it felt like the band played the lyrical portion with more restraint than years past, offering stability and continuity over the back-and-forth rough ride of its classic reading.

Per usual, Page got first turn on the solo space and, spinning the whirling Leslie speaker, lit up the Hammond organ in unencumbered prestidigitation. As his handiwork ensued, Trey snarled at the guitar, and the rhythm section kept it all tight and progressing. Eventually returning to the aforementioned one-two punch with the standard fervor and heat, the build-up payoff certainly hit its mark, sending the crowd into blissful ecstasy and disabling release, the ending containing an extended tension and release moment that showed the character and agility of the hands at play.

Nearly 40 minutes into the set, the foursome turned to the sweet breath of “Bouncing Around The Room.” This one provided a nice interlude of singing along in rounds set against the warm melody of this long-time staple.

With the band hitting the final note, the crowd was treated to Mike Gordon’s delivery of the bluegrass ditty “Nellie Kane.” Originally written by Tim O’Brien for the late 1970s bluegrass band Hot Rize, it has been a part of the Phish canon since 1993, but has certainly fallen to rarer sightings in setlists recently, this version being only the second one since 2021.

Jumping back into the thick of it, Trey kicked off the familiar guitar intro of “Kill Devil Falls.” This upbeat rocker came in at right around 12 minutes and got everyone back into the dancing mood. Finishing the main construct around four minutes, the quartet laid back and began to gel. With Page alternating between synth and electric piano and Trey sprinkling in embracing patterns and chords, Mike added to the mix, keeping the heavy end lifting lightly and putting everyone into a state of hypnotic grace with his repeating refined lines. Nearing the nine-minute mark, Trey turned on the strange, shifting his gaze to the floor to deliver some foot pedal magic as Page pounded it out on the baby grand. Although the ending was devoid of any major climax, this version, at 12 minutes, was still a good showing.

Pouring through the hourglass, “Sand” dropped everyone back onto the dance floor. Wielding the weird, the infectious trance driven by the Gordon-Fishman connection took full hold as the last bits of twilight slipped from the horizon and put the wizardry of LD Chris Kuroda on full display, bringing the unsettling inspiration to another level of highly encouraged disorientation. This one also got a tease of “Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan” from Trey.

Closing out the set, the band went old-school and put “Fluffhead” and his travels on full display. Running right up to the average 15-minute mark, this one checked all the boxes, scratching that compositional difficulty itch while delivering on all those lyrical oddities that often are left behind in the modern Phish era. This one certainly left everyone with a smile and something to talk about heading into set break.

Returning after a mere 27 minutes, Trey ground out the introductory gnarl of “Carini” to a crowd who was audibly more than ready to get dark under clear skies and the lights of Kuroda. Stomping through the primordial ooze, this one always gets the edgy love from both the crowd and the band. Making quick work of the lyrics, the fearsome foursome dove headfirst into deep waters. Breathing deep and opening up the gap, the band poured out texture against space, proving mastery over the uncharted, and shifted between the discomfort of weightlessness to the acceptance and surrender of the moment.

Keeping things phishy, around nine minutes, Trey and Mike began trading licks on “Dueling Banjos” and played on that structure for several measures, eventually morphing the tease into a more Middle Eastern flavor before touching on the edge of space and dissonance as the band began its transition into the next selection.

Without a pause, “You Enjoy Myself” was up next. Coming in at 20 minutes, this one started with wonderful tonal blending from the strings, albeit a bit short in the intro. The break had Fishman offbeat, but he held to his intention, shifting back at the next exit, pairing back up with Gordon. Once again, Mike was spreading the mustard thick throughout this adventure. Dropping to the “Boy. Man. God. Shit.” section, folks at Folsom were getting down hard.

Of course, what “YEM” would be complete without a good romp on trampolines and certainly this one was no different. To complete the formula of fun that is this tune, the Boulder crowd was treated to a nice vocal jam that never lost steam and eventually transitioned back into a Mike-driven funk that had this Thursday crowd throwing off the work week and swinging into full weekend mode.

Opening up the strut even further, the band moved from the cardio workout of the “YEM” closer and kept on swinging with the relative rarity “Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley.” Last played 81 shows prior in 2023, this resurrection marked the song’s second-longest performance gap, the first being in 1997, where it had not been seen in 925 shows. Timing out at over 17 minutes and getting a tease of Herbie Hancock’s “Chameleon” from Trey, this version had many smiling, sweaty, and feeling oh so swanky with ‘tude. Trey certainly brought the cow funk for this one, and Mike was anything but reserved, matching his stringed compatriot minute for minute, measure for measure. Fishman’s snare snaps popped and crackled throughout, and the encapsulating synth vibe from Page made this one whole, complete, and a centerpiece of the second set.

Nine minutes in, the band turned a corner and went from swagger to playful, and Trey took the opportunity to add some country effect to the otherwise very urban-styled tune. Bending notes reminiscent of the likes of early ‘70s Jerry Garcia, it was yet another breath of fresh air to take in the varied dynamic of his talent and expression. Within the last four minutes, Trey ascended numerous vertical runs, pulling the band and the horde along with him ever skyward, everyone happy to be along for the ride. Although some might have wished for back-to-back vocal jams, no one was complaining when the tune came to an end, satisfaction and satiety fully realized.

Pausing only to count off the next one, Page and Trey kept the fire stoked with an uplifting version of “Light.” This one had Fishman rolling out thundering tom fills from the onset and diverting at four minutes into tattered textures and nomadic wanderings, Trey, Mike, and Page all teased at the “Plasma” theme before cycling back out into improvisational territory. To these ears, it also sounded like “Timber” was knocking at the doorstep, but alas, the Bad Lieutenant had other plans and turned the tune of illumination towards the existential ponderings of “What’s The Use?” From the brash overture to spaces so quiet one could take pause in the opportunity to fully realize the surroundings of the tens of thousands, this instrumental delivered harmonically and dramatically, and is clearly a selection that the band loves to take out.

Out of the dissolve, the evening’s only track from the new album, Evolve, came in the new fan favorite “Pillow Jets.” With great harmonies from Trey and Page, this lilting piece contains both elements of the dream state as well as a hard-edged grind, making for that perfect spectrum of juxtaposition that keeps the fanbase tantalized at what the band will produce next. With “Pillow Jets” acting as a jam vehicle in the recent past, many were hopeful this version would turn cosmic, but this one remained mostly within the context of the studio presentation, hitting only the six-minute mark. Although brief, it still checked all the boxes and finished strong with some serious shredding from Trey and envelope bass tactics from Mike plastered up against frenetic percussive rinse and synth wash from Fishman and Page, respectively.

As the new tune faded into the ether, the house was returned to the dance party in the form of “Also Sprach Zarathustra” (“2001″). The combination of “Pillow Jets” followed by “2001” has only been done one other time, during the 2024 Dick’s run. Page pushed the chill vibes, and the steady hands of Fishman met every change and shift with precision.

Wrapping up the set, the moment turned to Mike to lead the way with a very excited “Possum.” Ears were treated again to the aforementioned country Jerry bend from Trey, adding to the authenticity of the tune’s construct. Page got first turn at the helm and doled out some sweet ragtime on the piano as the rest of the band stayed back to give this man all the time to say what he needed to say, which turned out to be a lot. Trey was up next and worked up some great swells and runs, slipping from fiery fanning to sustained notes and back again.

To close out the evening, the band dialed up “Stash,” making this not only the third time ever in the encore slot, but also the first time since 1996 to find itself there. On top of that, the first time “Stash” ever served as an encore was in 1991 at Denver’s Gothic Theatre. At nine minutes, this standard version was no slouch.

In an effort to send everyone out of the first Folsom with a bang, the final selection was “Rocky Top.” Seemingly played for its reference to the Rocky Mountains and turned out at its normal breakneck speed, this three-minute wonder had Trey chanting, “Leo, Leo, Leo, Leo!” before the piano man’s lightning run. As the cherry on the sundae, “Rocky Top” was the biggest bust out of the evening, having sat on the shelf since 2019 for a total of 198 shows. The surprise certainly was not wasted on the fans in the know and lit the fuse of those who had been chasing the elusive cover for years.

Although Phish hadn’t performed in Boulder since their KBCO Studio C appearance in 1998 and before that at Balch Fieldhouse in 1993, the band seemed right at home at their premiere outing at Folsom Field. The quartet exchanged many glances and smiles throughout the night and a considerable amount of the content came off with intent and creativity, representing that these four friends continue to do what they love as a sum of parts and thoroughly enjoy sharing it with the world.

Colorado has often been referenced as a second home to “the band from Vermont,” and Thursday’s performance showed this statement to be just as true as ever, with a healthy crowd turning out on a hot midweek day to take in their quirky concoction. Although most think prison when they hear the term “Folsom,” opening night for Phish set hearts and feet free rather than incarcerating them and laid the foundation for what has certainly turned out to be a beautiful weekend full of the love, community, and independence that is demonstrated by both the band and the fans that make each show its own brand of special.

Photos by Jake Cudek

---

Livestream tonight’s 4th of July concert in Boulder and the rest of Phish’s Summer Tour 2025 concerts through LivePhish.com.

---

Want more Phish stats?

Visit JamBase’s The Skinny Hub

More Skinny

Posters