No 28-Year Wait This Time: Phish Opens Wide, Closes Strong On Night 2 In Madison

Phish Summer Tour 2026 continued on Wednesday with their second straight concert at the Kohl Center on the campus of the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

Coming off a solid tour opener on Tuesday, fans did not have to wait another nearly 28 years for another show at the Kohl Center. Instead, night two in Madison picked up from the foundation built on night one, with noteworthy jamming coming immediately into play and arriving throughout the two-set performance.

A calmness filled the room when Phish began the show with “Sigma Oasis,” which quickly broke out into an expansive jam. The loping, slow boiling improvisation had the early-show feel of the four band members getting properly stretched out. At around the 15-minute mark, the tempo increased and began a cycling back to wrap “Sigma Oasis.”

There was a rough start to “The Moma Dance” and difficulties persisted throughout the normally sturdy staple. The shakiness of “Moma” was shaken off with guitarist Trey Anastasio calling upon “Runaway Jim.” Acting like your pet dog that loves you mistakes-and-all, “Runaway Jim” steadied the ship for the foursome to lock back in.

A positive reaction came from the crowd in response to the start of “Cities,” which would soon join “Sigma Oasis” as the second 19-minute song of the first set. Bassist Mike Gordon came through with a full-sounding force, laying the groundwork for a jam that unfolded through several acts, the first laying into the funkiness from the start.

A sizzling second act picked up intensity through Jon Fishman’s engine-like drumming. The third and final component was colored by keyboardist Page McConnell’s wide palette of instruments, one gorgeous passage in particular relying heavily on his Fender Rhodes.

At the end of “Cities,” in my notes app I wrote, “That ‘Cities’ was very sick.” Not much else to add there.

The rest of the first set was filled in with the introspective “Leaves,” and a double-closer of sorts with “Julius” and “Cavern” (the latter getting off to a shaky start) going back-to-back to wrap up the first half.

Conferring with others after the show, it was agreed that it felt like the ensuing second set flew by, as all the pieces fit together to form a sonic puzzle. The beginning sequence of “Kill Devil Falls,” followed by “Prince Caspian” seguing into “Twist” and then “No Men In No Man’s Land” going into “Possum” came through like a single collective thought.

The “Kill Devil Falls” kick-off stretched to 15 minutes, becoming the longest song of the second set. Within that improvisation was a roundtable discussion – often led by Trey’s cutting guitar lines – driven by the quartet’s killer collective instincts.

A deep, methodical jam was packed into the “Prince Caspian,” which saw a variety of elements touched upon, with a turn nearing a reggae vamp and biting angularness among its disparate flavors. A fantastic and seamless segue into “Twist” was wonderful to witness and feel the reaction in the arena at its realization.

“Twist” was tight and squirmy, emblematic of its title, shifting through Page’s synthesized textures and Mike’s groovy bass. “No Men In No Man’s Land” brought about more get-to-the-point and get-there-fast jamming, shaped by Trey’s guitar flourishes and Page’s responsive piano playing.

The fly-by start to the set rocked and rolled on with Mike taking the lead on the longtime setlist staple “Possum.” The mood shifted for the penultimate song of the set, a straightforward, standalone rendering of the high drama “Monsters.”

“Harry Hood” was the last selection of the set and closed it with a dramatic force. A sublime performance, “Harry Hood” aimed high and hit the target on Wednesday night in Wisconsin. The four band members were in total harmony throughout the gorgeous presentation, culminating with a superbly applied final segment.

The encore was classic Phish fare made up of two songs from opposite ends of the spectrum. The quiet and reflective “Waste” was selected first. The rambunctious instrumental rocker “First Tube” came next as Trey stomped around the stage while wailing on his guitar that was held high above his head at the song and show’s end.

Phish Summer Tour 2026 continues this weekend with three shows at Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana. Livestreams of Phish Summer Tour 2026 shows are available with a LivePhish With subscription.

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