Phish Tour 2021 – Setlist, Recap & The Skinny: Eugene Night 2

Phish continued their 2021 Fall Tour with the second of two concerts at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon on Wednesday. The quartet fit in a bust out of “End Of Session” during a first set-closing “Split Open And Melt” and found their way into a 30-minute “Ruby Waves” during the second frame of the Eugene finale.

Phish got things underway with “Mr. Completely” from the Trey Anastasio solo catalog. The quartet wasted no time dropping right into a galloping groove driven by the rhythm section of drummer Jon Fishman and bassist Mike Gordon that saw guitarist Trey Anastasio riffing before settling into a groove with Page McConnell manning the Wurlitzer eclectic piano. McConnell linked up with Anastasio as lighting designer Chris Kuroda’s rig tilted overhead and the band melted into a major jam with Page returning to piano. Trey began building with Page wailing behind him and getting into some delay-laden echoing effects before dropping into his dirty auto-wah tone with Page trickling in on his Moog synthesizer behind him as he headed back into the “Mr. Completely” riff and the song’s conclusion.

Up next was just the eighth version of “Energy” since the debut of The Apples In Stereo song at SPAC on July 5, 2013. Trey delivered the first couple verses before the band dropped into another groove that saw Trey, Mike and Page dancing around each other atop Fish’s steady beat. Then, Anastasio began the riffage in earnest interspersed with some groovy rhythm guitar work. Page heralded a major key change with some washed-out electric piano and Anastasio followed suit with some tasty note bending. Trey would bring things to a peak with a substantially sustained note before the band settled back down into a dreamy sequence that melted into “Timber (Jerry the Mule).” After the first verse, CK hit some spooky Halloween colors as Trey got down to business over Fish’s rolling toms and Page flipping back to the Wurlitzer with Mike adding bounding bass runs. Trey built things up with a frantic lick before heading back into the lyrics ahead of the final hits.

Page hopped on Clavinet as Trey joined with some wah work for the funky, reggae-tinged intro to Gordon’s “Casual Enlightenment,” which was seeing its second live outing since Phish unveiled it at Deer Creek this year. Mike led the band through the song before Anastasio worked the form a few times through ahead of a return to the final chorus and the band descended into a darker jam that they naturally faded out. Trey then jumped right into the opening strains of “Divided Sky.” Phish ran through the composed classic before Mike and Trey did some bouncing ahead of the song’s buildup and Anastasio played the first of the song’s two iconic riffs. Trey would hit the second fairly quickly over a bubbling bed of organ before then taking a pause. Trey was all smiles as the audience swelled and the band headed back into the segment and the song’s triumphant, cascading coda.

“Farmhouse” followed. CK delivered a gorgeous grid before Trey settled into some soloing with Page following him on Wurly. Trey usually delivers stellar soft-touch melodic work on “Farmhouse” and Eugene was no different. After the quiet contemplation of “Farmhouse” came the chaotic opening of “Split Open And Melt.” Trey got right into his low-end swampy tone to start the jam with Mike bubbling around and Page layering in electric piano as Fish kept a swinging shuffle. Page began to bring in synthscapes on the Moog ahead of a major key shift and a “Divided Sky” tease that led into a slower, blissed-out synth-soaked segment that the band quickly built up into a playful whirlpool which just as quickly dissolved into “End Of Session,” which the band dusted off for the first time in four years and the second time ever since its debut on July 25, 2017 at Madison Square Garden for a total gap of 126 shows. Things got spooky again as Trey swerved back into “Melt” to close out the set.

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

Phish got the second set on the road with “AC/DC Bag.” Anastasio reeled off some twangy descending lines before settling in on some cyclical, repetitive licks and Fish kicking it up into double-time which took a left turn and flowed into “Ruby Waves.” Page added wild synth lines on the “ball of energy” line heralding things to come and Phish quickly began spilling outside “Ruby Waves” as CK dropped some spotlight strobes over the darkened stage. Trey latched onto a stream of melodic lines with McConnell adding synth touches behind him and the band dropped into a droning groove. The guitarist then stomped on his Clav-like tone as the groove descended briefly into dark waters before Fishman locked into an intricate driving beat over which Anastasio and McConnell played before the band reformed in a shimmering soundscape. CK brought the first row of lights down low giving the arena a small club feel.

Page banged on the low end of the Wurlitzer signaling a bit of a more boisterous jam which Trey added to with increasingly rocking riffs. McConnell switched to organ as Trey built the sequence before dropping back into a swampy tone which he and Page crescendoed into a staccato jam with Mike utilizing effects as Trey and Page added bells and whistles behind him. Page then delivered some horn-like synth touches on the Moog as Trey returned to the bayou ahead of his backward guitar effects and more dreamscapes that led into “Lonely Trip.” The song has been something of a beacon coming out of jams and was certainly that marching, or sailing rather, out of the otherworldly 30-minute “Ruby Waves.”

“Golden Age” then emerged out of the ending of “Lonely Trip.” Page added more synth on the “all light beings” line of the stellar TV On The Radio tune ahead of the bridge before Trey painted some pretty lines over the bridge form ahead of a change to a minor key. The jam saw Mike, Page and Trey dancing around one another again even as the groove broke down and built back up again. Page then led the charge with some pulsing synth before Anastasio leaned into some more melodic work with a backward tinge to it which fittingly led into “Backwards Down The Number Line.” Trey began building the jam slowly with some twangy licks before getting into more rapid-fire, soaring soloing and a big blissy sustained note ahead of a huge close out to the second set.

Phish would kick off the encore with “Wilson.” Trey shredded ahead of the song’s conclusion and rolled right into “Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S.” Anastasio picked up where he left off on “Wilson,” doing his usual vibing with the audience and tearing things up ahead of the final chorus and evening’s conclusion.

Phish Fall Tour 2021 continues on Friday in Phoenix. Livestreams can be purchased via LivePhish.com

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