[We would like to thank Doug Kaplan (@mrdougdoug) for recapping last night’s show. You can find Doug all over the world wide web, representing the record label he runs as @HausuMountain on just about every social media platform.]

After spending vacations upon vacations following this band all over the country, there’s nothing quite as luxurious as a local show. After an all-smiles kind of night on the floor last night, my wife and I are enjoying a relatively normal Saturday, hanging out with our toddler, reading her books, and going on a walk to see the woof woofs at the dog park when the sun comes out in the late afternoon. Our amazing nanny arrives at 5:00PM and we’re soon on our way to link back up with Phish’s 2025 summer tour–one which we’ve been closely following. We’ve been so particularly inspired by the masterful improvisation on display, the surprising song selections, the confidence and vulnerability, and the propulsive, muscular, athletic gait to it all. It’s really been working for us this summer.

It’s Saturday night, so you know it’s corn night again. What is corn night you may ask? Have you ever seen a group of between 4 and 40 people wearing corn shirts or corn-related regalia at the Phish show? Well, that’s us, and yes, it makes it very easy for us to find each other, and no we’re not from Indiana, but yes, we do love Deer Creek. Like many parts of the Phish experience, having this silly little tradition among friends instills a through line into our lives, connecting different nights in different cities throughout the years, helping us all construct the narrative of our lives, combatting against the way life can make all the years combine. Tonight is the 23rd official corn night in Phish history, and we all agree that it’s pure Phish corn magic that #23 is happening in MJ’s house. Let’s get ready to rumble

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[We would like to thank @thewatchfulhosemaker for recapping last night’s show. Thewatchfulhosemaker plays in local Chicago bands, Lunar Ticks & Beat The Meatles, and started a festival in Irving Park called Indie Park Fest. -Ed.]

There are a couple great teams playing in Chicago this weekend. Besides the Chicago Cubs over at Wrigley Field, who are playing some pretty great baseball this year, there’s the Rock band, Phish from Vermont, who by all accounts are making some fine music in the 2025 season.

To start, if you’re not a baseball fan, I apologize, but growing up playing the game, I always felt that there were a ton of similarities to baseball and the Phish experience. If you are a baseball fan, then I apologize for any wrong stats, clunky or trite metaphors, or if you root for the White Sox.

There’s more than a few famous quotes where replacing “Baseball” with “Phish” doesn’t really feel too out of place.

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[We would like to thank @unocrew for recapping last night’s show. -Ed.]

Hello everyone, thank you for taking the time to read my first official recap! After a 5 show run in 6 days I find myself with a short break before heading to Forest Hills next week.

Let’s first start off by taking a second to appreciate where we currently are - witnessing one of the greatest rock bands consistently throwing down heaters over four decades into their careers! If you had told me back in August 2004 I would be here typing a review with a gigantic smile on my face, I would never have believed you.

I feel The Mann is a great summer venue for Phish to play. From free parking, water stations, excellent sound and pleasant staff - it all makes for an enjoyable experience (despite the sweltering heat every run). This show will always be special to me. It is not because it is the 225th time seeing the band but because my 8 year old son is finally able to experience the joy along with me. The 8 year old (going on 18) is a big music lover and a seasoned pro when it comes to concerts. He has been asking to see Phish for a while now and it was just a matter of finding a family friendly venue for my wife and I to take him to.

Well, enough about me… let’s get down to the nitty gritty!

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[We would like to thank Matt Hoffman (@tonapdivine) for recapping last night’s show. Matt is a music journalist and has written for Relix, JamBase, Live for Live Music, the Phish.net blog, and others. -Ed.]

[Author’s note: I apologize for the delay: life happens!]

In writing, as in life and most things, I strive to do the best I can with what I’ve got; fortunately, as the guy tasked with recapping last night’s Phish show, the first of two at the TD Pavilion at Philadelphia’s Mann Center, I’ve got plenty to discuss. And it’s not just the setlist, jams, and PhishStats (h/t zzyxx), though there is plenty to cover there; rather, over the years, my Phish experience, particularly at a hometown show, has come to be about much more. My intention in presenting my recap of this show–an instant legend btw–is to present my take through the lens of that experience, which has a lot to do with the people I’ve met along the way.

Those people consist of friends from childhood and college friends, former colleagues and new collaborators. Some I met through Phish; with others, the commonality arose later. You’ll definitely recognize some folks I’ve gotten to know as a music writer, and as a part of my contribution to the annals of Phishtory (*sorry), I thought it would be cool to share them. (With approval!) I’m also hoping that the patchwork quilt that is my phamily (*sorry) will serve as but one example of the weird and windy paths one’s Phish experience can take and what that looks like after thirty years. I also feel that my friends’ perspectives are the best things I can share in this recap, so without further ado.

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[We would like to thank Suzy (@suzydrano) and Kersten (@kerstenB) for recapping last night’s show. -Ed.]

We’ve come to the end of the rainbow, folks. Thank you to our supportive partners who took care of our homes, loved ones, pets, and business while we - Suzy and Kersten - celebrated our 50th year with this run of shows.

After three fabulous nights in Charleston, it is time to say our farewells. We Phish fans - clad in t-shirts referencing obscure lyrics or edgy bands, or floridly bright or ironic outfits - descended upon a population notable for their decorum, wearing finely pressed cotton prints and linen, walking designer dogs on leashes bearing bow ties. We roamed among the genteel in the scorching sun as we readied ourselves for the shows to come each day. The band members roamed alongside us, enjoying the second Sunday festivities as we prepared for this last night. And what a last night it was.

The “Gentleman’s Final” for Wimbledon was today, and it was an epic match between two astonishingly talented players. Jannik Sinner, who went on to win, dropped the first set to Carlos Alcaraz, but then never looked back and just kept getting stronger, ultimately dominating the match and emerging the victor.

We were Jannik Sinner tonight. The first set had some gems, but it was the second set and encore that made the show. Let us explain.

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[We would like to thank Jonah (@LizardwithaZ), for transcribing the following interview after finding a mysterious cassette tape on the streets of Charleston. -Ed.]

Click.

Voice 1: So you want to tell me about tonight, yes? About what you witnessed? What you heard?

Voice 2: What do you want to know? Do you want to know everything? All of it? What it’s like to be…me? To be my kind?

Voice 1: Yes. I’ve been searching for you. I’ve heard tales. Tales of the vampire who–

Voice 2: Phampire.

Voice 1: Pardon?

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[We would like to thank Jeremy Levine (@Franklin) for recapping last night’s show. -Ed.]

Good morning from the Days Inn half a mile from the North Charleston Coliseum, where the air conditioners clank mercilessly, the pool is non-operational, the carpet is torn up, the coffee is strong enough to cause cardiac arrest in a wildebeest, and there are mysterious brown spots on the walls. While the premises is better suited to a remake of No Country for Old Men than it is to a slow morning rehashing the previous evening’s improvisational rock engagement, sometimes we have to persevere in the name of content. The sun is shining, the wooks are rising, and a musical odyssey has to be wrangled into narrative form. (I did wake up this morning and say “ooh, can’t wait to read the recap,” and then realized...)

We begin outside the auditorium, approximately twenty minutes before show time. The venue’s exterior was organized like my backpack in eighth grade, i.e. not at all. Entrances were unmarked, security was overwhelmed, corridors were narrow. While I recognize that the city of Charleston proper has urban planning challenges because of its complex history, the preposterous inefficiencies of this far-from-downtown venue seem more like an unforced error, like following “Reba” with “Devotion To A Dream.” Despite my (somewhat reasonable) arrival time, I failed to make it inside and purchase a bottle of water by the time the lights went down. Get there early if you’re going tonight.

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[We would like to thank Windi (@onthewindowsill) for recapping last night’s show. -Ed.]

While Phish comes to Ohio often, the last Columbus show was 25 years ago at Polaris Amphitheater; those who know, know. Like many others, I was very excited for the opportunity to see my favorite band without the expense of travel, hometown shows are the best. The day of on-sale my partner went for it the “old school way” along with seven other phans, and stood patiently at the box office window for 40 minutes awaiting it’s opening to procure our tickets. The whole process was seamless like it was the 1900’s – floors secured and took moments. I miss waiting in line for tickets -- it’s a vibe.

The morning of the show was filled with excitement and many texts—what’s the opener? Will they play a brief nod to honor the last show Jerry played with the Dead? My homie called a “So Many Roads” encore; while that would have been super RAD we all know that the band doesn’t always pick the low hanging fruits. My hope is always a “Party Time” opener, for obvious reasons. There are a few songs that I have been chasing for years that I would have loved for them to bust out, “All things reconsidered,” or “Dave’s Energy Guide.”

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[We would like to thank Rachael Wesley, author of the book SECOND SET CHANCES (Vine Leaves Press) for reviewing last night’s show. Find her at rachaelwesley.com. —Ed.]

The grumblings of Phish’s venue and date change from their usual Dick’s Labor Day weekend to a 4^th of July Folsom Field run have been a constant since tour was announced in February. Or at least that’s how it appeared to this Denver denizen. Since we are everywhere in this city, I often ran into fellow phans, and our conversation was certain to include a complaint about the switch. Folsom sucks. It’s so far. What, no shakedown? I certainly did my fair share of bitching.

For me, that all transformed during Thursday night’s magnificent show. Leaving the venue Friday night, after that nearly perfect second set, my feelings grew even more positive. And so, walking in last night, I was awash in various sentiments. Stoked for the night of music ahead, excitement to dance among friends, and curious about how many others’ ill feelings about Folsom had shifted throughout the run. However, there was one emotion that ruled above all the others.

Sadness.

You see, last night was my last Phish show while living on this continent.

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[We would like to thank Brett F (@BrettsintheBathtub) for recapping last night’s show.]

Phish returned to Folsom Field for a red, white, and bluegrass-tinged Fourth of July celebration that deftly balanced high-octane jamming, sharp song selection, and peaks as high as the flatirons themselves.

Per the band’s notice earlier in the day, set one kicked off about 30 minutes earlier than usual with a laid-back but slyly funky “Bathtub Gin”---an appropriate lyrical start for yours truly. The band eased the crowd into a beautiful Colorado summer night with a playful jam that culminates in a soaring, Leslie-soaked peak. The tone has been set.

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[We would like to thank Michael Ayers for recapping last night’s show. -Ed.]

Reviewing a Phish show is a bit like trying to rate dreams—some nights you wake up inspired, others leave you squinting into the haze wondering what just happened. The line between transcendent and “just fine” can be razor thin, and sometimes you’re handed a setlist that feels like a spiritual test more than a musical journey.

But last night? Last night, the clouds parted, the heavens opened, and God—clearly a fan of tightly wound jams and whimsical segues—shined down upon me and said, “You, my child, shall have the show.” And lo, I did.

Before the show even began, my friend and I found ourselves deep in conversation with the couple seated in front of us—bonding over one of life’s great mysteries: an odd vegetable that came with my friend’s meal from the food truck parked outside. Nobody was entirely sure what it was, but the woman guessed it might be a radish. Turns out, she nailed it—it was a Daigo, a bright yellow pickled radish. My friend insisted I include this moment in case she happens to read this… because credit where credit’s due: she called it.

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[This post is courtesy of user @kliked, thank you! -Ed.]

We interrupt your regularly scheduled tour recaps to present a new-to-circulation recording: November 9, 1990, at Lounge Ax in Chicago, courtesy of the Aadam Jacobs Collection!

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Zendo Project will be offering psychedelic peer support and compassionate care at the upcoming Phish shows at Folsom Field on July 3, 4, and 5. Zendo travels to music festivals and shows to create a calm space with teams of trip sitters so if someone at the show is experiencing psychological or emotional distress (related or unrelated to psychedelics). At the upcoming Boulder shows, they will have their team present and working alongside the other safety teams (medical and security) at the venue, available to anyone who needs a grounded touch-in or support throughout the three-night run. If you, or someone you encounter feels overwhelmed or in need of a calm space to land, find their sanctuary between gates 4 and 5; trained volunteers will sit with you, support you, and help make sure your experience is met with care.

Zendo Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming the way we care for people navigating challenging psychedelic and emotional experiences. Founded by mental health professionals and supported by a diverse team of volunteers — including doctors, therapists, nurses, social workers, and harm reduction experts — Zendo Project has provided peer support services at events around the world and trained thousands in compassionate care.

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[We would like to thank Landon Schoenefeld (user @nomidwestlove IG: @_colonel_mustard) for recapping last night’s show. -Ed.]

Howdy Partners! For today’s recap I’m going to need you to read these words and imagine the writer's voice is a cross between Sam Elliot’s character from The Big Lebowski and The Rich Texan from The Simpsons. I’m really leaning into the Texas thing here, and if you can’t handle that, then this recap may not be for you. Mosey along now, and feel free to hit that dusty trail doggie.

Austin, Texas. Helluva town, barring all the damn hippies that is. Amazing Tex-Mex. The best BBQ in the world. Every dang cocktail you’ve ever heard of turned into a slushie. The smell inside Allen’s Boots. They even build the buildings here in a way as to not block a single ray of sun from hitting the capitol building. Deep in the heart of Texas (clap, clap, clap)!

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[We would like to thank Ian Zigel (user @ripenesswasall) for recapping last night’s show. -Ed.]

When it was rumored and then announced that Phish would be playing in Austin, Texas this year, I made a mental note to self that I’d be hitting this run no matter what. I’ve been wanting to check out Austin for quite some time, I have a great crew of fellow music lovers who live out here (shoutout 4501 Depew!), and the energy of summer Phish shows in the south is unparalleled. As fate would have it I found myself at the Moody Center on this swelteringly hot Friday, brimming with anticipation for my first run of shows in 2025. The west-coast spring run was unbelievable, and the FOMO was deep as the first four nights of Summer 2025 tour all proved to be outstanding, with each seemingly better than the previous.

A few hours of cooking in the hot sun was a questionable decision, but it allowed us to secure some excellent space on the dancefloor for a large crew including several Phish virgins, about seven rows back from Trey and Page.

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