Phish Wraps Riviera Maya Mexico 2022: Setlist, Recap & Skinny – Night 4

On Sunday, Phish closed out their four-night Riviera Maya weekend in Mexico, treating fans to another excellent evening of music on the beach. The first set, which took place in the late afternoon, kicked off with the first “Fat Man in the Bathtub” in 11 years, and included memorable takes on “46 Days” and “Split Open and Melt.” The second set featured a suite of excellent jams that were long on beachy vibes, as well as multiple songs that explicitly referenced the sea.

For years, many Phish fans had wished for the return of their cover of Little Feat‘s “Fat Man in the Bathtub,” which had been missing in action following two renditions in late 2010. It’s hard to imagine a better place for it to return than in the opener slot on a sunny Riviera Maya day. A relatively by-the-book “Mike’s Groove” followed, with solid but unremarkable versions of “Mike’s Song” and “Weekapaug Groove” and a lovely “I Am Hydrogen” between them.

As the sun began to set, the band took “46 Days” into the sky. Like so many of the weekend’s jams, this one was patient and contemplative, led by guitarist Trey Anastasio’s purposeful soloing and Page McConnell’s colorful work on the keys.

In the “Rift” that followed, Trey struggled a few times to find the right notes, despite the clarity of vision that his freshly flipped up sunglasses should have provided. He made it up with a lovely, ultra-chill solo in “If I Could,” and a gritty “My Friend My Friend.” He also wove a scorching solo into “Clear Your Mind,” which, along with Thursday’s “The Howling,” mark the only appearances of Sci-Fi Soldier songs since they premiered on Halloween.

“Split Open and Melt” has been consistently cacophonous and consistently excellent in recent years, and this version was no exception. As far out as the band traveled to sea, they always felt firmly in control of the rudder, thanks in large part to Jon Fishman’s exceptional drumming. The set closed with a typically raucous “Suzy Greenberg.”

Read on after The Skinny for the rest of the recap and more.

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The second-set opener, “No Men in No Man’s Land,” was long on passionate guitar lines from Trey. But the set’s exploration was yet to come. It came first in “Everything’s Right,” which hovered in some gloriously airy zones, with Fish lending the jam color and groove in equal parts, as Mike Gordon’s sparse bass notes and Page’s synths filled out the vibe. “Prince Caspian” kept the vibes coming, as Trey’s guitar spit fire through a dizzying array of pedals and feedback.

The set’s chill reached another level with “Beneath a Sea of Stars, Part 1,” which featured some fascinating ambient layers, propelled by Page’s gorgeous work on the synth. Page also took the lead on the first part of the “Golden Age” jam, as Trey played a fierce rhythm guitar. From there, the jam got truly demented in the best way, charting a completely different course from the rest of the set.

“Lonely Trip” has consistently been perfectly placed since it premiered last summer, and this rendition was no exception, enabling a soft landing from the “Golden Age” mayhem. Next was the eagerly anticipated “Harry Hood,” and it did not disappoint: the band effortlessly shifted between major and minor keys, between uneasy tension and blissful release. That yin and yang was present in the encore, as well, as the emotional “Life Beyond The Dream” was followed by the rocking “First Tube,” which brought the weekend’s party to a close.

Phish will return to the stage for their rescheduled four-night New Year’s Eve run at Madison Square Garden in New York City, which begins April 20.

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