Phish Goes Deep With 4-Song 2nd Set At Dick’s

Phish didn’t need bust-outs, debuts or unusual song choices to make the second night of their Labor Day Weekend run at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park stand out. The quartet instead went deep on familiar material Saturday, packing just 13 songs into two jam-heavy sets and an encore.

The first three songs after setbreak alone spanned more than 66 minutes, with “What’s Going Through Your Mind,” “A Wave Of Hope” and “Tweezer” each stretching past 17 minutes. Yet length wasn’t the whole story. Phish was remarkably tight throughout the night, with Trey Anastasio, Mike Gordon, Page McConnell and Jon Fishman quickly picking up on ideas introduced by their bandmates and patiently developing them. Major-key bliss was a recurring destination, though the route there varied considerably from jam to jam.

Saturday marked Phish’s second of three shows at Dick’s, where the band resumed its Labor Day Weekend tradition after breaking from the pattern in 2025 to perform at Folsom Field in Boulder over Fourth Of July Weekend. Phish previously spent Labor Day Weekend at the Commerce City, Colorado soccer stadium annually from 2011 through 2024, save for the pandemic-canceled 2020 run.

“Possum” opened the concert, the first time the song filled that role since December 30, 2024 at Madison Square Garden. The real action began when Phish rolled directly into “Sand.” The quartet quickly departed typical “Sand” territory for a beautiful major-key passage featuring McConnell’s clavinet playing off Anastasio’s leads.

The 17-minute “Sand” kept evolving from there. Phish shifted back into a minor key and latched onto an anthemic progression they worked for several minutes before another turn brought them to a sequence reminiscent of “Down With Disease.” Anastasio used the progression to launch another major-key ascent, alternating a repeated melodic lick with soaring leads as the band pushed toward a peak. Eventually, the quartet found its way back to “Sand” to finish an excellent version that stood among the night’s highlights.

“Sigma Oasis” provided the first of two appearances by Anastasio’s mini drum kit. Fishman initially stood out during the jam with delicate work across his kit while McConnell took the melodic lead on electric piano and Trey concentrated on rhythm. Anastasio eventually used his Boomerang to establish a guitar loop and moved behind the mini kit, giving Page room to direct the improvisation on synthesizer and electric piano.

Trey returned to his Languedoc around the 15-minute mark and the quartet modulated into the kind of blissful major-key territory that would repeatedly surface throughout the show. Phish then brought the nearly 20-minute “Sigma Oasis” back home.

“The Moma Dance” occupied an unusual mid-set slot and flowed into “Back On The Train.” Next came a particularly funky start to the “Free” jam. The band took its time developing the improvisation before moving into deep psychedelic darkness and eventually returning to the song’s conclusion. McConnell then handled his first lead vocals of the night on Vida Blue’s “Most Events Aren’t Planned” to close the lengthy, improvisation-heavy opening frame.

Phish came back from setbreak with “What’s Going Through Your Mind,” kicking off a four-song second set in which improvisation was the overriding concern. The quartet settled into a deep pocket during the 24-minute opener before moving into major-key territory with McConnell on electric piano and Anastasio uncorking angular riffs. Around the 20-minute mark, Phish locked onto a pretty progression and patiently explored it before the music dissolved into ambient space.

Anastasio emerged from the haze with “A Wave Of Hope.” The ensuing 17-minute jam traversed both major and minor keys before Trey again created a guitar loop and moved to his mini drum kit. McConnell took command rhythmically on synthesizer while Gordon deployed a synth-like auto-wah effect and Fishman powered the excursion with a forceful groove.

Trey eventually returned to guitar, initially sticking with rhythmic work before leading a killer transition into “Tweezer.” Phish began the night’s standout jam in unusually slow and methodical fashion. The sparse, Pink Floyd-esque exploration gradually gathered speed as Anastasio began firing off leads and McConnell helped steer the quartet into major-key territory.

From there, Phish methodically built toward a huge payoff. Anastasio repeatedly reached for euphoric melodic phrases as McConnell supported him on Fender Rhodes and grand piano. The four musicians eventually locked together for a massive and sustained climax before easing off the throttle around the 20-minute mark. After briefly revisiting terrain closer to the song’s traditional jam, Trey pulled the trigger on “Chalk Dust Torture.”

The pairing offered a double dose of songs from Phish’s 1992 album A Picture Of Nectar. “Chalk Dust” remained Type I but featured a particularly intense Anastasio solo before a rare rough patch as the band returned to the song’s structure. The rocker brought the four-song second set to a close.

Phish finally reached beyond its own repertoire to begin the encore with Los Lobos’ “When The Circus Comes.” The tour debut was the first performance of the ballad since July 11, 2025. “Carini” then supplied one last blast of improvisation, almost immediately moving into beautiful major-key territory as Anastasio repeatedly deployed powerful descending phrases during the nearly 12-minute finale.

One song conspicuously didn’t arrive: “Tweezer Reprise.” Phish left the companion piece on the table with one concert remaining in the Dick’s run.

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Phish’s Labor Day Weekend run at Dick’s concludes tonight. Livestreams of Phish Summer Tour 2026 shows are available with a LivePhish With subscription.

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