Pink Talking Fish Welcomes Goose’s Cotter Ellis For Phish Staple In Burlington

Pink Talking Fish came to Higher Ground in Burlington, Vermont on Saturday. The Pink Floyd/Talking Heads/Phish tribute welcomed Goose drummer Cotter Ellis and guitarist Joe Agnello for a Phish staple during the second set.

Pink Talking Fish’s show in Burlington was billed as “PTF Meets The Beatles.” The quartet — bassist Eric Gould, guitarist Cal Kehoe, drummer Zack Burwick and keyboardist Steve Learson — launched the concert with Phish’s “The Curtain” before heading into “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” The band then fit “Get Back” within Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer.”

Additional Beatles songs performed in set one included “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” and “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” PTF also delivered a “Theme From The Bottom” (Phish)/“Dear Prudence” mashup. The first set came to a close with “I Am The Walrus.”

PTF returned to The Beatles to kick off the second set with “I Got a Feeling,” which led into a choice “Carini” mash with Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.” The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour obscurity, “Flying,” found a home within Talking Heads’ “Cities” (a song Phish covers).

Following Pink Floyd’s “Fearless,” PTF welcomed Ellis and Agnello for “Free,” which boasted an excellent jam with “Tweezer Reprise” and “Hey Jude” teases. Check out a clip of “Free” below:

The second set also saw PTF sandwiching The Beatles’ psychedelic favorite “Tomorrow Never Knows” within Talking Heads’ “Life During Wartime.” Pink Talking Fish wrapped the second frame with the closing suite of Abbey Road: “Golden Slumbers” > “Carry That Weight” > “The End.”

The beloved George Harrison-penned Abbey Road cut “Something” eased the band into the encore. The song began with Kehoe on ukulele, a favorite instrument of Harrison’s. The Lennon/McCartney magnum opus “A Day in the Life” (also covered by Phish) brought the concert to a close.

Following a show in Maine on December 21, Pink Talking Fish will head out west for a year-closing tour, including a New Year’s Eve run in Seattle. Scroll down for PTF’s itinerary and ticket info. Scroll down for PTF’s itinerary and ticket info.

Setlist