Phish Drives ‘The Wedge’ Into New Improvisational Territory In Savannah

Phish returned to Enmarket Arena on Wednesday for their second Summer Tour 2026 show at the venue in Savannah, Georgia. The foursome continued to keep fans guessing by designating an unexpected song (or songs, as we’ll see) for a longer-than-usual jam.

Following the format of night one at Enmarket Arena – Phish’s first career performance in Savannah – the second show also opened with a song from the band’s 1989 debut studio album, Junta, as the whimsical “Dinner And A Movie” made its first setlist since 2024.

Page McConnell’s cascading piano introduced the second-slot “Vultures.” Prior to its appearance on Wednesday, “Vultures” presented only nine entries on its Phish.net Jam Chart page, with only one occurring since 2000. A new longest “Vultures” record was set in Savannah.

With a modest 13:01 runtime, “Vultures” colored outside of the lines and made for an outstanding and atypical burst of improvisation within. Once they shifted to the jam, bassist Mike Gordon played effortless melodic runs, tastefully punching through the mix and laying a sturdy foundation next to guitarist Trey Anastasio’s demonstrative soloing.

As Phish moved on from the top-tier “Vultures” onto a well-executed “Taste,” it seemed evident that, like the 15-minute “Bouncing Around The Room” at Deer Creek and the 14-minute “Horn” from the first Savannah show, “Vultures” would be the night’s unexpected jam vehicle … and then came “The Wedge.”

Since its 1993 debut, there have been 13 performances of “The Wedge” that have made its Phish.net Jam Chart page, and only one surpassed 10 minutes. Another new record was established with Wednesday’s “The Wedge” accumulating over 29 minutes from start to finish.

Trey impacted the initial pathway of “The Wedge” jam, iterating on a melody while drummer Jon Fishman used the song’s rolling rhythm as a guidepost. Due to the cohesiveness of the jam, there were multiple instances when it seemed like a segue or tease of another song was developing, but instead proved to be the collective creative communication among the four musicians.

“The Wedge” jam explored a variety of sonic textures, but never felt rushed or incongruent. Each band member found a cognizant role in shaping the overall output, like they were all reading off the same instantly written sheet music.

A quarter of the way through the show, two record-setting jams already set, “Pebbles And Marbles” drew a welcoming cheer upon its post “Wedge” arrival.

Phish went back to Junta to source “The Divided Sky,” and following the trip through the classic Trey composition, the band stayed old-school for a lighthearted “Halley’s Comet” performance.

The first set was capped with “Drift While You’re Sleeping.” The journey across the multifaceted song from Trey’s Ghosts Of The Forest project made sense as the final choice of the dynamic first set.

Under different circumstances, the 22-minute “Flightless Escape” that opened set two would be the headline-drawing jam of the night. The band took a reserved approach as they began the show’s second half with delicate improvising, colored by Page’s angelic Fender Rhodes, Trey’s conversational guitar work, Mike’s bridge-building bass and Fish’s encouraging drum support.

Inventive improvising continued with a dive into “A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing.” Once fully into the jam, Phish leveled up and enhanced the tempo and drama. A collective confidence, expressed throughout the evening, was again the story of the “ASIHTOS” improv. Joyful and absent any hesitation, like a musical flow state.

The first of two covers, “Crosseyed And Painless,” roared in next, and a Type I approach was taken for the first part of the ensuing improvisation. A distinct transition into Type II territory was steered by Trey’s aggressive guitar and Fish’s pulsating responsiveness.

As “Crosseyed” dissolved, Trey found the notes for “Farmhouse” and led his bandmates into the nostalgic title track to Phish’s 2000 studio album. The reggae-tinged vibes of “Farmhouse” gave way to “Scents And Subtle Sounds.” At this point in the show, a seemingly effortless, well-conceived and masterfully applied jam out of “Scents” was almost an afterthought given what had preceded – and then Phish delivered just that.

The meaty second set ended with a lean and mean “Ghost.” The funk-driven favorite, somewhat tame by “Ghost” standards, bopped and popped, grooving ahead toward a celebratory “look what we just did” conclusion of the set.

A Page-led cover of The Velvet Underground’s “Rock And Roll” was tapped for the encore and energetically brought an end to Phish’s long-awaited, first visit to Savannah.

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Phish Summer Tour 2026 continues on Friday in Raleigh, North Carolina. Livestreams of Phish Summer Tour 2026 shows are available with a LivePhish With subscription.

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