Phish Cracks Open ‘Horn’ & Sets ‘Split Open And Melt’ Record In Savannah

Phish had one surprise after another in store for fans Tuesday during the band’s debut performance at Savannah’s Enmarket Arena. Summer tour had already produced its share of memorable nights, but the foursome from Vermont raised the bar by turning unlikely songs into expansive jam vehicles while delivering some of the year’s most inspired improvisation.

The quartet came out of the gates with “David Bowie,” the first version of the Junta classic to open a show in over 16 years. Phish impressively modulated to a major key within “Bowie” for the first of what would be many bliss-laden improvisational moments in Savannah.

A delightfully extended “Gumbo” followed and, at 16 minutes, became the longest version of Jon Fishman-penned song laid down since 2003. Guitarist Trey Anastasio shouted out keyboardist Page McConnell as “Gumbo” became the latest member of the “play it, Leo” club. The egalitarian jam was swampy with Anastasio employing an autowah effect while McConnell vamped on synth.

Trey landed on a lick similar to “Birds Of A Feather,” which may have given him the idea to launch into the song. Phish didn’t paint outside the lines on the Story Of The Ghost rocker before bassist Mike Gordon guided the band through the bluegrass number “The Old Home Place.” Gordon flubbed a lyric on The Dillards’ cover and cracked a huge smile, leading to cheers of encouragement from the crowd.

A swampy “Steam” came next, setting the stage for a fairly tight “The Curtain With.” Phish took their time working over the song’s soaring end jam with Anastasio stringing together one sublime melody after another. “Horn” then started innocently enough, in the same fashion as all 179 previous versions played since Phish debuted the song on May 24, 1990.

Yet this wouldn’t be a typical “Horn,” as Phish made a turn into “Type II” territory. In a similar fashion to how they jammed “Bouncing Around The Room” at Deer Creek, the band took the Rift track deep for the first time ever. The Savannah “Horn” jam still retained elements of the song’s structure while being cracked open, unlike the previous record holder for the longest version of the song on July 15, 1998 – which was notated on Phish.net as “Horn” -> “Jam.” The 14-minute take closed the set and showed any song in the Phish repertoire can be turned into a jam vehicle.

Phish lit into “Split Open And Melt” to kick off the second set. While the fan-favorite is known for birthing dark and evil improvisation, the version played in Savannah was loaded with euphoric major-key exploration. The quartet flexed throughout with one modulation after another as they showed off the chemistry that comes with over four decades of performing together. At 32 minutes, the outrageous “Split” was the longest played in the song’s 37-year history. Another record was set as “Split” marked third Phish show in a row with a +30-minute jam, a feat the band had never pulled off before.

The foursome did play into evil vibes towards the end of “Split,” which they left unfinished before dropping into “Sand,” the first repeat of the tour. Phish impressively went over 11 sets into the summer before calling upon a song for the second time. The “Sand” featured yet another strong jam, one that would easily be called a highlight of the night if not fit into a show of such a high caliber. Like the other lengthy jams before it, “Sand” wasn’t just long; it was strong.

Nearly 17 minutes in, Phish connected on a pattern that left a pause between notes, leading fans to “Woo.” Instead of playing into the “woo”ing, the band pulled off an exceptional segue into “It’s Ice.” The foursome fit a short but eventful jam into the Rift cut and then followed with the potent “About To Run.”

As the clock passed 11 p.m., Anastasio struck up “Piper.” The version that followed was played at hyperspeed with Trey and Page trading beautiful melodies at a blazing tempo. Phish didn’t stray far from structure before a dissolve left McConnell alone in the mix to guide his bandmates into the “Walls Of A Cave” that would wrap the set.

Page was also showcased when the band returned to start their encore with “The Squirming Coil.” Trey, Mike and Fish stuck around while the keyboardist soloed, cluing in fans that another song was still to come. Phish punctuated a night to remember with “Fire,” their first cover of the Jimi Hendrix song since July 25, 2023 – a gap of 132 shows.

The nature of a Phish show is unpredictability, as it’s nearly impossible to predict what will happen from night to night and where the best shows will take place. On any given night, say a Tuesday in Savannah, magic can happen.

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Phish Summer Tour 2026 resumes tonight with a second show at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia. Livestreams of Phish Summer Tour 2026 shows are available with a LivePhish With subscription.

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