You know it’s a heater when the head bobs manifest the next morning as major neck cramps.

I try not to pop-psychology the band too much, but I couldn’t shake the sense they were trying to bring it for those who made the haul from Jones Beach and the happy souls on the only southern stop this summer. First time to Walnut Creek and I have to say it’s got perfect summer amphitheater vibes. Lot of green, good lawn sight lines, and relatively open and easy ins and outs.

The weather was a background character in the melodrama of the day. Humidity was a beast (that’s what’ll get ya), pressure was low, and the temperature didn’t drop to tolerable till mid-set one when a distant lighting storm closed out the set with us with natural drama.

Moma and Possum to opened with groove and the punch to start the show. The Steam->Stash->Steam was so slick it makes me want to become a segue chaser. They’re playing so damn well this tour that the strong Funky Bitch, Wedge, and Horn felt “average”. I know all the Tweezer Bros of the universe can’t handle sincerity (yeah, I said it) and rage at Rise/Come Together. They’d do well to calm that reflex, cause it it beautiful and this 21 minute version was instant classic. Good shit, man.

The shot across the bow of BBFCFM into Carini to open set two gave me the jitters that they were gonna *unload* on us. It took some time to explore the contours of Carini’s head and there was arguable more investigating to do when Waste showed up. On a relisten today, it doesn’t sound near as ripcord as it felt in the moment. A heavy Ruby Waves jam that eventually petered out in the low end and BASOS was a subtly strong call that channeled beautiful, twinkling Jerry. Straight into Piper continued and they kept with the darkness jams that defined the evening, motoring into a BBFCFM vocal and melodic callback subsection. (Confession: Mashup callbacks is my favorite way to Phish.) Slipping into a Light that also found the darkness, then a clean and clever move to Shine a Light to close out what was a dirty, deep set with a return to the surface. Not the all-timer that it was shaping up to be, but fantastic set worth rotational listening.

The four(!!!) song encore was in order pretty, fun, unexpected, and slamming. All-in-all, a badass show for a Friday night in North Carolina. 10/10 would travel to this show again.

First time seeing Phish in person since 10/9/99. It was everything I could have hoped for…even if I am still rehydrating well into the next day.

I thought the first set was tight and well-played. Moma opener followed by Possum in the two-slot had me dancing like I was making up for the last 20+ years, until I remembered that (a) I am not young, (b) I am not in the best shape of my life, (c) the heat index was in triple digits, and (d) I needed to make it through another 2 hours of dancing.

The Steam/Stash sandwich was a nice surprise, with a segue into Stash that was every bit as slick as people are saying. Wish they had taken Stash a bit deeper, but as someone else has said, it was more than enough to make up for the rust the last time played. The duo of Rift songs were well-executed and well-placed to cool off a bit.

It was also threatening to pour for the back half of the first set, with some short spells of rain that never amounted to much…but the lightning! Far enough away that there was no imminent danger (I think?) but close enough to see bolt after bolt. During Rise/Come Together, it was a light show to rival CK5 - and the right in the band’s sight line, so I have to believe that drove the jam that ensued.

I feel like life’s too short to get worked up about individual songs, and so I don’t despise R/CT the way a lot of people seem to. But, I was happy to see it in Set 1 vs. Set 2, and figured it would give way to a rocking set closer. And it did - it just happened to be the same song! On relisten, I don’t think we’re talking JOTY contender, but a solid outing and some great f***ing with audience expectations. All in all, a strong opening set.

BBFCFM was just spot on as an opener for S2. Had to remind myself again that there was a whole set ahead. Couldn’t have been happier to hear the opening chords to Carini ring out - which kept the sinister vibe and adrenaline going. Ol’ Lumpy Head was strong, if not record-breaking, with a heavy emphasis on the Sigma Oasis progression to drive the jam post-10 min or so (I see @RubyWaves caught that, as well). Felt like there was more in the tank, but the cut to Waste said no. I love Waste, but was a little worried about what it would do to the energy so early in the set. Luckily, that concern wasn’t necessary, and after a nice sing-along break, the workhorse that is Ruby Waves decided to join the chat.

It was really useful to listen to RW again this morning. From where I was sitting (lower lawn, Mike side), I couldn’t get a grip on any subtleties that were at work in terms of the dissonant interplay in the back 1/3 of the jam. At the time, it sounded like Trey was refusing to abandon a minor mode when the rest of the band wasn’t buying in…until Mike finally hammered on a single note for about 10 seconds to say “everyone form up on me,” and then the dark dissonance became a bit more orderly. In reality, this only happened between about 9:30-10:15 of the jam. Mike’s drill outro was significantly more pronounced/pervasive in person than on the SBD.

The > into BASOS was a poignant resolution of the cacophony, and I had been hoping to catch this one. They didn’t disappoint. It seemed a bit more driving than the most free-form versions (Mohegan ‘19 is the GOAT for me), but still ethereal at times with heavy Dark Star vibes.

The > into Piper was pretty seamless, leading to a strong version with a well-integrated callback to BBFCFM. And then the best segue into Light I’ve ever heard. At the time, it seemed like they had dropped the tempo for Light, though that wasn’t as apparent to me on relisten. Shine a Light was a great choice for a less-played cover, and felt like a great close to the set.

As others have said, the stretch from RW through Shine a Light was masterful. Nothing way out of the box (besides the end of RW), but great song selection, tight execution, and definitely more depth to each element than the timestamps might suggest, making a cohesive whole. A lot of feels were had, especially as we watched the clouds break directly overhead while heat lightning danced around the venue.

For me, all Phish encores are playing with house money. A great one isn’t going to redeem a less-than-energizing show, and a crappy one isn’t going to tank a heater (IMO, YMMV). This one was fun. Strange Design is one of my favorite slow Phish tunes, and I figured that Heavy Things would be the cap on the evening. Then I looked at my watch and realized we had 15 more minutes. I could tell it was going to be Sally just before they dropped into it, and I was off like a pogo stick again. Great funky energy to send us home, with a nice moment of vocal jamming as all instruments dropped out except the drums. But we weren’t done yet! Wilson closed everything out in a frenzy, with plenty of white light from CK5.

And with that, my first show back was over. Drenched in sweat, probably closer to dehydrated than medically advisable, but extremely happy.

“May every song be your favorite tune…”

I'll start by saying I think this show is a gem that will get appreciated more over time. The fact that a Rise jam was the highlight of a really strong 1st set says a lot. They took some chances that did pay off in the second set, but had a couple that didn't from my ear. Still - that set was loaded with quality from beginning to end. Not a glaring miss the whole show. Add in a near 30 minute encore and you have probably the more interesting shows I've seen since the Dozen.

This was my favorite show of the three nights Raleigh > MPP I just did. And one of my favorite all time shows to date. It was a mixture of the weather, vibes, and of course the music. Everything seemed to go so smooth. The flow of the entire show from top to bottom was great, there wasn't any moment I was sort of like hmm okay odd choice but I'm down (maybe at the start of Rise/Come Together but we know how that turned out). The first set playing from the band was phenomenal and then we got to the jam of the Rise/Come Together. I think the band initially started the song because they may get cut off because of the lightning that was going on. This song usually is very very short. First time they jammed it out like this. So they kept it going and pushed it and played off the storm. Psychedelic and hose action. They were listening very well and weaving patterns around while we had mother nature doing the same behind us. It was truly a moment. The last several minutes of the jam took off and lifted off into a territory we all know too well. Trey soaring behind the drone of the band while they push and back into to the riff of the song and finish with with a high note of Rise, Come Together!

It was raining but not too bad. I typically go to the bathroom and get a beer during setbreak, but I actually didn't have to go. It think I sweat it all out in the lot before hand. So I waited in anticipation for a second set that hopefully the storm kept cool enough to let them ride it through. We got something nobody expected. A BBFCFM that had a different spin on it, more punk rock arrangement. And I know some people don't like the band messing around with classics (Maze, Llama) but to me that shows them experimenting and having fun you know. What bands do that almost 40 years into their career? Not to mention it keeps it interesting for them also. Imagine Playing Maze Im taking a wild guess here 5 times a year every year just about, its cool to switch it up and it keeps them and us on our toes. Anyways I loved how they handled the creature from mars while red heat lightning was going on in the background. Seemed like the Mind Flayer was hovering in the background and then they go into "Carini" as lightning, heat lightning, and light rain is going on. Truly something to witness. I was in heaven. I love weather in general and to see Phish somewhat play off of that was so incredible. I kept thinking back to the 97 show at Walnut with the first set closing "Taste" you can hear crackling in the recording from the lightning. Summer shows down east man! So the entire set up to the Shine A Light to me was just pure psychedelic, bliss, minor funk, space groovin weaving in and out. It's a show you put on from the start and don't skip a song. It's not too often I feel that way, but this tour they've been producing every night. My favorite part of the night was the Ruby Waves > Beneath A Sea Of Stars Part 1 > Piper....that was just incredible. The Ruby Waves jam got super intense. Some people don't realize the jam in Rube Waves starts super early. IT started around 2:40 into the song. They get right to it around 3:30 into it. Listening so well together its amazing. Trey this tour has been finding these riffs and melody's and really staying on them vs finding something and hopping off quick when another member finds it. Mike and Trey have been going together more this tour than I have ever heard since 3.0 era. Around 8 min or so the band hops into hose territory and starts to go deep. This is my favorite part of this show. Page came in with some intense synth/space sounds while trey is using octave bending delays, fishman just lightly in the background making it for a very quiet psychedelic point in the show, everyone was locked in no one yelling and they were all just droning out. Everyone making weird sounds, Mike using his drill, fishman hitting very very lightly. Page just enveloping us in his sounds, I was locked in. When you thought they might be going into something else they held that space and you could hear a pin drop. These un earthly sounds coming from everyone conjuring the upside down or another dimension. It was nuts. Imagine all of that going on with heat lightning in the background. I can't say enough about how the weather effected this show, at least for me. The segue into Sea of Stars was perfect. It honestly felt like a Drums/Space > Dark Star moment... I love Treys playing on this song so much, reminds me a lot of Jerry. That's what got me into the scene (like many) and I think a lot of folks feel the same. Now by the time they went into the song the rain had stopped and there weren't any heat lighting and then "Were all here together and the weather's fine" lyric was perfect. Just a beautiful moment. Then we go into Piper... a Song I could get at every show and be happy. I won't go into full breakdown mode but this is definitely a version worth checking out 100%. They all listened and played exceptional on the jam portion.

The 4th quarter was phenomenal. Light > Shine a Light was the first time that's happened. Great way to reflect the show. Then we get the first Strange Design to encore which i love that song so much I was so happy. As soon as Heavy Things came on I was stoked even though it's not my favorite song but because I knew there would be another one after that and this has nice groove to it, not to mention we did have rain come down on us maybe that's what they were going with. Into the funk party that is Sneakin Sally! Didn't go for a long walk but it sure did groove and everyone was pleased to hear the opening riffs of that familiar but more rare tune these days! Sending off with Wilson was a great way to walk out to lot feeling overwhelmed and joyous by what just happened. The rain was gone (come on perfect spot for Harpua we were with friends. Everything was good and I had two more shows the next days at MPP, the place i've been to almost more than any (MSG holds number 1 spot)

Definitely will be listening to this show for the rest of my life. Thank you once again Phish and this community! (Twitter @psylobryan)

How this show has a rating under 4 is beyond me!

I followed the band around the world throughout the 90s; yes, I took a break to get married and have kids, but I dutifully kept up with the lads, following them in spirit rather than in person. Now that my kids are older, I'm back to following in-person. This show marked my triumphant return to head-bobbing on the lawn, and I was completely blown away by the experience. The band have always been able to deliver, but their musical conversations, jams, and even their singing have reached an entirely new level -- a god-like tier that should cause every other band in the world to quit from shame and embarrassment.

And it's not just the band that have upped their game. Kuroda's UFO-like light rig was hypnotic as it bent, trailed, dipped, broke apart, reformed, and swerved along with the music. It was truly flashback-inducing. If the Spanish Inquisition were a part of this timeline, they'd burn him at the stake for being a warlock. Hell, they'd burn the entire outfit for witchcraft.

I think a lot of people have become so jaded that the ratings here (in my humble opinion) are no longer a reliable indicator of a show's worth. If you scored the show under 4-stars just because the setlist contained a Rise/Come Together, you need to take a step back and re-examine your relationship with Phish. I've not been a huge fan of all the love-light-peace songs, but I accept them as part of Trey's evolution as both a person and a musician. He obviously recognized these concepts as attributes of a higher power during recovery; whatever helps him remain healthy and flourishing is alright by me (also a recovering addict).

You guys are more adept than me at describing the musical intricacies of any given show, so I'll just share my own personal highlights:

Beneath a Sea of Stars Part 1 was beautiful, and it carried extra weight on the night because of the threatening thunderstorm that dissipated between sets. "We're all here together and the weather's fine" evoked a jubilant roar throughout the crowd, the extent of which is difficult to measure via the soundboard recording. I feel like we should have gotten a Timber between Ruby Waves and Sea of Stars, as it sounded like that was where they were headed (around 8 minutes and 10 seconds into Ruby).
BBFCFM was the best one I've ever heard; when Mike returned to it (lyrically) during a particularly trippy portion of the Piper jam, it reminded me of the old days when the jams would get so dark that those who were experiencing the show on a different level (per se) were frozen in near-terror, waiting for the bliss to return.
The encore (a.k.a., Set Three): Strange Design is a particular favorite of mine as it has helped me get through many a challenging drive home in my more reckless days.My daughter loves Heavy Things —seeing her face light up in sheer delight when she recognized the tune brought a proud dad tear to my eye. I thought they were going to end it with Sally (another personal favorite), but we got a surprise Wilson. The shouts of Wilson were so loud, I'm pretty sure Trey gave us an extra couple of bars so that it would carry on.
It's not noted in the setlist but, throughout the show, I could have sworn I heard several Odd Couple Theme teases. I'll mark them down next time I give the show a listen and will list all instances in an update. Did anyone else notice this?
Anyway. Fantastic show. I gave it a 5 that night when the adrenaline was pumping, but am changing that now to a
4.25/5

DOUBLE LIGHT SHOW!!!

When Zeus decides to pick a fight with CK5 for who has the best light effects, you know you’re in for a good one.

The Rise/Come Together Jam to finish the first and the Carini And Ruby Waves jams in the 2nd were punctuated by a dueling battle between the God of Thunder and The Cactus.

Some may look at the Waste between the two and question it…just picture how hot it was after these epic jam battles between the band and Mother Nature and then know that everyone in attendance needed it.

Other highlights:
Steam>Stash FINALLY
Piper got dirty
Shine a light - crowd in full throat
Sally amazing but I literally got knocked over by the Wilson encore closer

This was my first Phish show. Even though that is the case, I have been a fan for over a decade. The audience was very engaged, especially with songs like Possum, Stash, and Wilson. We had a wet Wedge and Horn, because it started pouring. Luckily, by Rise/Come Together, it stopped.

During the second set, we had some ominous lightning which riled up the audience during Carini. Page in particular did a great job on Funky Bitch. I enjoyed the long encore - I kept thinking it was the end, but it wasn't! The show ended in a very strong manner with Wilson. I loved the show and I hope to see them in 2023.

As of this writing, the average rating for this show is below 4, which makes me shake my head in amusement. Set 2 is a keeper from front to back, heavy on the jamming, only taking a breather during Waste. While the highlights are plenty, I should give special mention to the segue from Piper into Light, which seemed effortless in its execution. If you don't get hung up over the setlist on paper, you might realize set 1 has an enjoyably cohesive flow of its own, featuring a buttery Steam > Stash > Steam segue and a 21-minute exclamation point with a type II Rise/Come Together closer. The four song encore was nothing to sneeze at either, lol...

Do I have attendance bias? Possibly. However, while I've occasionally walked out of a show thinking "I had fun, but I didn't get taken to 'that place' tonight", I most definitely did NOT have that thought in Raleigh. Already relistened to it, and it still sounds great in my living room...

From the virtual confines of the couch and later bed, so take this for what it’s worth. The webcast perspective allows me to take in much more visually than I normally would at a show. I tend not to look up at the stage too often and so don’t often get a view of the lights. So the couch provided glimpses into perspectives I never really had a chance to enjoy. I have always known the power of Chris Kuroda and his creative pursuits pushing the boundaries of what accompanying lights could add as a dynamic that is often wasted on cheese backdrops and pulsing lava lamp style images. The rig he has set up is like a spaceship and a sailing vessel, an 80s vintage gaming system and futuristic mind meld all built into one. I am in awe.

To the show. The closing Rise/come together is one of those instances where you hear the song start and are like don’t get judgmental. But you do. Then you breath into the stretch and are happy that you did because this went deep in the first set when they could have rattled off another 3 songs. Love the first set mixup on this tour and throwing the second longest jam to close in a newer tune is spot on.

The second set felt fluid even with a Carini > Waste I didn’t feel as if it messed with the flow. While Ruby Waves could have gone deeper the gentle glide in BASOF was elegant and I love the lullaby feel of this song. The Piper Light segue, from where I heard it sounds like drawn butter on a warm brioche bun, just so smooth.

Set 3 aka the encore was packed with energy if not a bit rushed. Would have been nice to see them settle into a sally.

A lovely view of a lovely show. fWIW

Mahalo Nui,
Matthew

Since 1994, summer shows at Walnut Creek have reliably delivered peculiarities to the Phish canon. The 1997 lightning fest is perhaps the best known, but then there was the bizarre 2003 show where Mike left and returned to the stage after allegedly purging the previous night’s debauchery. The first show I saw at Walnut Creek was in 2000, which history has relegated to clunker status. My personal attendance high point was probably the boisterous 2018 show featuring the Set II Runaway Antelope mashup.

I expected the afternoon to be swelting as is often the case down south, but on this July day it was positively suffocating. The mercury soared into the 90s while the NPR broadcast crowed about a heat wave and the inevitability of inclement weather. Even the sturdy gravel parking lot appeared ready to melt leaving us to shelter in the precious little shade afforded by the nearby pines.

Once inside the venue I watched cobalt clouds gather in the distance. Soon the greasy fwonk of Moma Dance flooded the amphitheater and people in all directions began to bounce and sway. Moma gave way to a rambunctious Possum, the latter of which feels like a virtual certainty in the south. Steam was a fine choice that affirmed the sweltering afternoon, which segued smoothly into Stash. The transition was slick and the blissy jam at about six minutes proved to be an unexpected first set treat. After riffing again on the Steam theme, they dropped into their reliably scorching cover of Son Seals’ Funky Bitch. Trey smoked the lead section before guiding the band through the 1.0 classics Wedge and Horn, only to raise the stakes with Rise/Come Together. The latter proved to be the night’s longest jam that oscillated around a Free-like jam segment although it never felt like it found solid footing.

Since its debut in 1987, Big Black Furry Creature from Mars opened Set II for the first time. This rendition deviated from its typical angular, frenetic pulse towards a more straight-ahead rhythm that reminded me of the Dead Kennedys, or even the Ramones. Carini continued BBFCFM’s foray into the dark and edgy, which was a perfect accompaniment to the taciturn sky. After a hurried but sincere Waste, the urgent beauty of Ruby Waves revealed the night’s most patient exploration of themes as streaks of pink and purple pulsated from distant thunderheads. Ruby Waves descended dreamily into the lilting elegance of Beneath a Sea of Stars Pt. 1., only to unleash the rocking trifecta of Piper, Light, and Shine a Light, that included a brief BBFCM call back in Piper.

The four-song encore spanned several moods of Phish, ranging from the lonesome sentimentality of Strange Design and to the bare-knuckled bravado of Wilson with its rowdy call and response. Altogether a fine show that displayed the diversity and depths of Phish’s catalog while also highlighting their unique ability to play to the earth and sky. Throughout the night, spatters of rain and streaks of lightning threatened but the weather miraculously veered from Walnut Creek. In many ways it mirrored Phish’s performance — both etched lively dreamscapes onto the horizon without us having to experience the peculiar experience of a full deluge.

I have to say this show felt below average to me from the middle of the lawn. I wasn't in amazing crew but was amongst some real friends!

The rise/cometogether jam was pretty great as was the carini and a good bit of the ruby waves jam. Sea of stars didn't quite take for me.

The set ending piper>light>shine a light was pretty good but didn't knock my socks off.

I was hoping to see what someone else said before I weighed in, but figure I might as well be honest!