Phish Tour 2021 – Setlist, Recap & The Skinny: Atlantic City

Phish got their three-night run in Atlantic City underway on Friday. The Vermont quartet played a tight show mixed with classics, newer tunes and the first vacuum solo of the tour.

Phish kicked things off with guitarist Trey Anastasio introducing a “hometown favorite” and keyboardist Page McConnell dropping into his composition “Cars Trucks Buses.” Page handled a piano solo with Trey adding some echoing accents as Page built. Trey reeled off a twangy solo before the band closed out the Billy Breathes instrumental.

The quartet then jumped into “AC/DC Bag.” Anastasio ran the band through the song and added a “put em’ on a beach” lyric change. Drummer Jon Fishman kicked Trey into the double-time section, which segued nicely into “Blaze On.” After Leo took a solo, Anastasio threw in a “we’ll be dancing on the beach” lyric. “Blaze On” saw the band stretching out a bit, beginning with a funk groove that gave way to a major and minor toggle that went bliss before Anastasio utilized some flange ahead of his low end, clav-like tone. Trey then got into some soaring licks before heading back into the chorus to close.

Anastasio welcomed everyone to the beach ahead of “Wolfman’s Brother.” “Wolfman’s” got tight and funky with bassist Mike Gordon serving up some tasty slapping throughout another 10-plus minute funk excursion. Next up, “I Didn’t Know,” which saw Trey introducing Fish’s first vacuum solo of the tour. Gordon then led the band through “Funky Bitch” followed by “Rift.” A rollicking and fitting “Sand” closed out the first frame.

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

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The second set got off to a lively start with “Tweezer.” Phish dropped into a groove with McConnell manning the electric piano and Trey delivering some screaming notes ahead of some swampy stuff. Anastasio then climbed with ascending runs that almost hinted at “Peaches En Regalia” before the quartet gathered on a more upbeat groove. Page intertwined some synth that signaled a major change which would hop back and forth between major and minor ahead of a slow build that switched from bliss to Trey’s synth tone. Page then delivered some synth of his own which melted back into the “Tweezer” riff and a slow down conclusion.

Phish then got right into “Bathtub Gin.” The quartet floated into another slow build with Trey and Page playing off each other on the “Gin” riff and getting into a galloping groove punctuated by some echo hits from Anastasio ahead of a descending run laced with synth and brought to a boil with rapid fire notes from Trey.

“Everything’s Right” followed and headed into a well-placed “Possum.” Mike led the band through the tune followed by spirited solos from McConnell and Anastasio. “Also Sprach Zarathustra” then led into “Rise/Come Together.” A well-played “Harry Hood” came next. The classic kicked off with Page squashing the clavinet. Mike and Trey would link up ahead of bluesy “Hood” jam. Trey held out a note and then went into the song’s coda, which gave way to “More” to close the seamless second set. Phish would come back out to encore with a rocking “Loving Cup.”

Phish plays Atlantic City again tonight. Livestreams are available via LivePhish.com.

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