Phish Unleashes 29-Minute ‘Tweezer’ During Night 2 In Alpharetta

Phish returned to Ameris Bank Amphitheatre on Saturday night for the second of three shows in Alpharetta, Georgia. The band picked up where they’d left off Friday, in a show packed with explosive and exploratory improvisation and excellent takes on songs both new and old. Though the evening’s centerpiece was a gargantuan “Tweezer” that stretched for nearly a half hour, both sets were filled with highlights.

“Runaway Jim” > “Foam” is among Phish’s most classic one-two punches: the pair has opened 55 shows over the years, but Saturday was the first time the duo opened a show since 11/2/14. This “Jim” had some extra tricks up its sleeve: rather than playing a straight-ahead solo, guitarist Trey Anastasio laid down a bed of gorgeous loops, then led the band to an exceptional minor key jam before seamlessly returning to the song’s final chorus. The “Foam” that followed was welcome and well-rehearsed.

“Set Your Soul Free” took the improvisatory baton from “Jim” and ran with it. The jam had several distinct sections, with the meat featuring a mellow groove that kept escalating, as keyboardist Page McConnell spun a web of synth notes over which Trey played some masterful and focused guitar lines.

After the evening’s jam-heavy first quarter, a breather might have been called for, but the band had other ideas. They tore through “Fluffhead” with just a few small hiccups, then opted for yet another big gun: “Everything’s Right.” The tune enjoyed a rocking, guitar-heavy peak before the set’s third and fourth Junta tunes, “Esther” and “Golgi Apparatus.”

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

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The second set opened with a snappy “Rift” before a “Tweezer” that fell just shy of 30 minutes. The first half of the jam was mellow, highlighted by McConnell’s synth touches and drummer Jon Fishman‘s delicate work on the kit. But the band eventually found themselves in the land of bliss jams, and they reveled there for several minutes before turning for darker terrain. Some propulsive, growling guitar notes signaled that the jam was ready to end, and the band launched into “Golden Age.”

A quick trip through the TV on the Radio cover was followed by an extended “I Always Wanted It This Way,” which wove through several keys and moods, ending in a molten bliss jam before abruptly transitioning into the main groove from “Tweezer.” After a couple runs through that lick, the band settled into “Harry Hood.” The quartet explored major and minor keys before returning to an ebullient peak.

For the fourth time in as many shows on this tour, Phish saved some surprises for the encore. This one started out in standard fashion, with “A Life Beyond the Dream” and “Tweezer Reprise.” As the song’s final notes rang out, Trey thanked the crowd, seeming to bring the night to a close — and then the band shocked the audience with “Big Black Furry Creature From Mars.” Trey assumed a horizontal position before the last verse, as bassist Mike Gordon brought the show to a screaming finish.

Phish returns to Ameris Bank Amphitheatre on Sunday night. Livestreams for that show and the rest of the band’s 2023 Summer Tour are available via LivePhish.com.

Photos by Ian Rawn

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