Oh, you know it was a good show when all the salty East Coasters stay up late to sandbag it! Sour grapes, suckas. Sorry you couldn't make it to the bowl. Best of luck at MSG ????

For the rest of us, let's talk about what we learned tonight...

First, that whole "no tour repeats" theory went right out the window as soon as they dropped into The Moma Dance. And you know what? Good! They're feeling it. They don't need to appease anybody but themselves. Second, they made it clear that they were only gonna jam on their own terms tonight. This Moma is a rager. No real dynamic except a downhill moment that would carry over to Sigma Oasis, which saw the first substantial jamming of the evening. It's a clean, sharp Type I affair that begins in an unassuming way and reaches a modest peak. A lean, mean Party Time sets the stage for the first surprise of the night courtesy of a classic Shuggie Otis track. I caught its debut at the Baker's Dozen and managed to catch it again in Charleston a few years back. The arrangement never changes, but it's a clear fan favorite that had us dancing clear up at the top of the Bowl tonight. And with that, we have ourselves a show!

Loose and limber, Trey leads the charge into Everything's Right, which still seems to be a controversial pick among 2.0ers, 1.0ers, and No.0ers looking to tout their aging tour cred by bashing new material. Luckily, the band cares not for your clout-chasing negativity. This Everything's Right is everything right about our beloved band 40 years(!) on. Yeah, the sentiment might feel a bit corny, but you can't argue with results. The band takes this mother out for the spin of first-set spins tonight, working their way through at least one key change and a couple of stellar peaks. By the time they decide to wrap it up, they don't even care about modulating back. They just drop right back into the refrain. That says a lot about their unbelievable musical aptitude, but also about their adventurousness, turning in a massive Type II jam late in the first frame.

With both the crowd and the band in need of a short breather, we get a proficient-if-inspired Shade, the beauty of which seems a natural compliment to such a scenic venue. Mike quickly brings the energy back up with everyone's favorite Son Seals track, getting the crowd back on their feet as we pull into the set's final stretch.

I'll be the first to admit I've been sleeping on A Wave of Hope, but I'm happy to report that will be the case no longer. This set-closing take, built on a rollicking Rhythm & Blues backbeat, puts its thumb on the throttle and burns a path clear through to the end. Trey's rapid-fire guitar work toward the climax is a thing of beauty. Inevitably, this jam is going to be overshadowed by the longer, deeper explorations that surround it, but don't sleep on this guy. I think it might have been my second favorite jam of the night.

At that brings us to the oh-so-inspired second frame...

Yet another tour repeat — Sample — kicks things off on the right note. This is an unremarkable version, but its job is not to impress. It is merely a launching pad, a springboard into the abyss of deep improvisation that would follow. Disease in the #2 slot is usually a good sign. Its been known to break big here. And, mercy, does it ever!

This Down With Disease is a masterpiece. I'm saying that without a second listen and I'm pretty confident about that statement. Why? Well, I can tell you that it gets pretty interesting pretty quickly. The band experiments with some key changes before locking in on one that balances light and dark on a knife's edge. When Trey gets a little too happy or blissed out, Page pulls him back down to earth and reminds him to keep his feet firmly planted in the dirt. This jam peaks in a manner similar to the first crescendo of the Berkeley Tweezer — that is, quasi-heavy metal ornamented with some booming drops courtesy of El Gordo, nervy electronics courtesy of Chairman Rageside, and some delightfully wicked guitar theatrics from our boy Pistachio. I don't know if it will translate at all to the recording, but the climax of this beast had the entire Bowl vibrating and reverberating in real time. Even a salty East Coaster looking for excuses to write off this show will find something to love here. Trust me. This jam is peak Phish. Listen without distraction.

Now, instead of resting on their laurels by taking another lightweight victory lap (à la Shade), the band launches into the knotty Mercury, bereft of jamming, navigating its twists and turns deftly into a very clean transition to the next big jam vehicle of the evening: Blaze On. Noting the song's weedy double entendres, Trey casually switches up some lyrics on the fly to include references to the Bowl (heh, get it?) and generally seems to be having a great time here. I mean, who could blame him? This venue is absolutely stunning. The crowd is locked in and hanging on every note. It's time for another one to break big. The jam is smart and nuanced, featuring subtle rhythmic and harmonic shifts that gradually build toward a patient and well-rounded peak. My money is still on Disease as the jam of the night, with the dark horse AWOH trailing close behind, but I don't want to undersell this Blaze On. It develops beautifully and it never loses momentum. In some ways, it might be the most 'classic' jam of the bunch. I would recommend at least one complete listen.

Closing things out, the band launches into an inspired YEM, played cleaning and featuring a really nice Trey-Mike duel en route to one of the better vocal jams I've seen. Maybe there's something to be said for actually being there in the moment, feeling the wind pick up momentarily while the band's voices echo off the canyon walls. It's almost... supernatural. I think we all probably figured this YEM would close the set (as it is wont to do), so it was a pleasant surprise to hear the band count off a buoyant Cavern to close things out instead.

That's a stellar six pack of music right there, people. Don't just take my word for it. Grab a cold one and fire up the stream. You'll be glad you did.

Drift While You're Sleeping proves to be the perfect encore, emerging at an unassuming pace that picks up steam on its way to a final singalong, neatly punctuating both the song and the show. With that, we have night 1 in the books!

Really, folks, I'm sorry you weren't here tonight. I know it's makes you real mad. I know you're going to rage-listen to this one tomorrow and you'll begrudgingly bump that impulsive four-star rating up to five where it belongs. This show was absolutely wonderful to see in person and I hope that comes across in the recording. Great song selection, inspired performances, and some absolutely stellar Grade-A jamming. Drop all that into the Hollywood Hills in one of the most scenic venues anywhere in the world and you have the makings of a stone classic.

Don't sleep on this one, folks. It might be the show of the tour (so far!). It bodes well for the rest of the run and the rest of the year. I'll catch y'all somewhere down the trail.

Great start to a tour closing run. I don’t see how anyone would rate this below a 4. unless maybe u didn’t like how it was a good deal of 3.0 songs. They were locked in from the start and the Everything’s Right set the tone for the night. Great first set energy here. Don’t sleep on a Wave of Hope either it gets deep right away.

The second set had a nice Hoist themed intro, which got me excited right away the whole crowd was vibrant. That DWD was my highlight, dark and heavy exploring a lot of area. Trey is a fearless leader. Mercury was short and sweet, a nice bridge over to Blaze on. Another very well done version. They kept it sweet and funky. Then they just dropped YEM on us. The venue was ecstatic. They built the tension perfectly. Vocal jam was great too. Cavern on top brought back that early 90’s beginning. The band is so at set song selection.

Really no complaints here. For modern day Phish this is really top notch. Excited for what’s next

My first Phish show. Allow me to explain the long adventure that allowed this to happen.

The shows were announced. The lottery was opened. I submitted my chance into the lottery almost immediately. I did not win the lottery. I immediately scurried to COT to find someone who did and was going to sell their ticket. -$100 and ticket secured.

In the midst of all this adrenaline, I had yet to consider one thing; my parents. I was not willing to reveal to them possibly one of the trashiest things one can possibly confess to: being a Phish fan. I was especially worried about my mother, who becomes a paranoid wreck every time I go outside by myself. The show reels closer and closer, and my anxiety keeps piling on. But I devise a plan; on Tuesday, I tell my dad I have plans to go see a movie with my friend in Hollywood on Friday night. He's cool with it. The next obstacle; my phone's GPS. The fix is simple; I dig up my old phone from years back and change my GPS to come from that phone. I quite admired the phone case I had on it, but it was made of some cheap silicone, and I had found the phone covered in this sticky slime that came from the phone case melting around it. A tragedy indeed; I wipe it down and plug it in and see a time machine from ancient worrski history. This may all go according to plan, I thought, but I couldn't be further from the truth.

On the day of the show I pack my two phones into my pocket. I head out in my mother's SUV and drive to my first stop, a movie theater in Hollywood, to keep up this illusion. I decide to do the phone location switchover at an intersection with notoriously long red lights. Stopped, I go into the old phone's settings when I face possibly the biggest setback in my adventure; my phone was refusing to connect to any WiFi. I tried every possible attempt to heal the symptoms, but none affected the cause. This phone was broken, and the only way I'd be able to fix it was to go to an Apple store, which I had zero time for. I would not be able to resolve the location issue, and I thought it was game over. I was heartbroken, I had lost the battle and would not be able to make it to the show. My new plan was to drive on the way to the theater anyways, and eventually make a u-turn back home in defeat. I'd tell my parents that my friend had cancelled last minute on me, and I'd go to my room and attempt to sadly watch a stream of the show.

When driving on the freeway to nowhere I was suddenly starstruck by motivation. The night before was the 20th of April, and to celebrate I had watched the 2004 cinematic masterpiece Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. A personal favorite of mine, I was randomly thinking of the beautiful coming of age film and the many themes it depicted. Arguably, Harold and Kumar had much more in their way to White Castle than I did to the Hollywood Bowl. I won't get too into it, if you haven't seen the movie I insist you stop reading and give it a watch before coming back to this long winded ramble of a "review". I began to realize that if these fictional movie characters could overcome numerous obstacles to make it to the place they truly desired to be, there's nothing stopping me from doing the same. I hyped myself up in a mania and decided to go with Plan B; I'd have to turn off both phones' connections and undertake the journey from the movie theater to the Bowl completely offline. This was by far the worst case scenario and would raise suspicion, but I assured myself it would all work out. "If phans could complete their voyages completely offline back in 1.0, why can't I?" I knew that I had to follow through and absolutely couldn't stand down. "What if they play another monster jam like they did in Berkeley? What if they play an extended 2001? What if they play Down with Disease?" I said to myself. I knew I would be kicking myself if I missed it, just like I did when they last came to town on October 24, 2021 (granted, I knew there was no way I could make that one lmao). I had to keep going, I was gonna do anything for rock and roll.

I arrive at the movie theater. I text my dad that the movie theater "doesn't allow phones", so I'd be going offline from there on out until the "movie" ends. I drive a couple blocks to the Bowl, giggling at every "EXPECT HEAVY TRAFFIC; BOWL EVENTS APR 21-23" display on the road. Memorizing the GPS directions I read before going offline, I snake around Hollywood until I make it to the nightmare that is Hollywood Bowl's Lot B. Doesn't matter, I park and run towards the seas of people. Old boomers, frat douchebags, hippie nerds, families with small children, bootleg shirt sellers, performers busking with bucket drumming and singing puppets, and men with large stainless steel tanks yelling "ICE COLD FATTIESSSS!". There was barely a "Shakedown", although I assumed I probably wasn't looking hard enough. Ideally, I'd be there hours early chomping down grilled cheeses and "vegan" brownies, but that dream was long gone and I was only looking forward to being in my seat when the show starts. The line through the metal detectors was slow and never seemed to move, but somehow I got in. Gliding up escalators and running through the paths, I enter the walls of the kingdom around 7:35. Despite living in the Los Angeles area all my life, this was my first time inside the Bowl. Sure, I'd been inside the Greek Theatre the previous October for my other rock heroes Porcupine Tree, but this was the Bowl. It was grand. It was beautiful. I had sensed this feeling of peace, that now I now longer had to worry as I had made it.

I sat next to this very kind older couple, both of which looked like they'd came straight out of a photograph in the Haight-Ashbury dated 1969. They saw I was a bit younger and alone and they gave me a water from the stand. I also sat next to this bro-dude named Jason who'd ask me all these questions "Do you get down with Phish? What's your favorite instrument in this band?" etc, along with these strange non-sequiturs about seconds and time and whatever which gave me the assumption he was tripping balls.

First set is suuuper funky and danceable. Moma opener kicks it OFF, Sigma Oasis and Party Time are real groovers, Page is on fire this entire time. Rocked out to the somewhat-rare Strawberry Letter 23 and got a real nice Everything's Right jam locked in. I'm not too big on Shade but it was a well deserved cool down. Funky Bitch keeps the vibes going and they wrap up the first set with AWOH, Trey's personal favorite jam vehicle as of late.

I walk laps around the venue during setbreak because Jason was being a real chomper, not like I could blame him or anything. I saw CK5 up close in his booth taking his break, and while I chose not to bug him (not like I could through the glass) it really put into perspective that I was suddenly in the same shed as all these mythically talented folks I've adored over the past two or so years. I begin to worry that maybe this plan won't work as well as I thought, but that all went away when Phish came back on stage.

They start the set with a fairly usual Sample in a Jar, which allows us to get the vibe of more to come. Then Mike starts playing a dark funky riff and I go insane. DOWN WITH MOTHERFUCKING DISEASE. Right then I knew this entire adventure had paid off. And not JUST DwD, but a GRAND 21 min type II BEAST of a DwD. They go DARK, they go AMBIENT, they PEAK, literally EXACTLY what I wished for. It's almost as if they played it just for me. They go into Mercury, and then wrap it up with a SUPER CLEAN segue into BLAZE ON. I knew they had just played it in Seattle, so maybe I was a little bummed we wouldn't be getting a whole tour of no repeats (what I didn't know is that they also played Moma in Seattle lmao) but I don't mind getting that Blaze On because it's one of my personal favorites of Trey's sometimes hit-or-miss wholesome post-sobriety feel-good songwriting. And they jam it good so that helps. My second first show wish comes true shortly after; they kick into that classic YEM intro and the crowd lights up. While I'm not a YEM worshipper or anything, I felt so rewarded that my first show just happened to have their most popular song. They end the second set with Cavern, and in that moment it just felt like the perfect show closer.

Their one encore pick was Drift While You're Sleeping, which I didn't get to hear all of because it was getting late. Perhaps it's attendance bias, but this show was the show that got me to appreciate this song, after previously not being much of a fan. Regardless, I was worried my plan would mess up, so I started running to the car. After fifteen minutes of getting out of Bowl parking (ugh), I speed through the empty Los Angeles freeway system like a fucking movie. Everything about the night just felt so awesome I couldn't believe it was real. I truly fucking did it. I somehow manage to make it back before midnight, and I tell my parents all about the movie I watched. I go to bed, noticing that somehow I fucking did it. Everything went perfect. Or at least, I had thought so.

I wake up to my dad asking me again if I liked the movie. I said some shit about how it was a good movie but I slept through a bit of it. Then he fucking hits me out of nowhere with the "You didn't go to that movie." I had just woken up, but that shocked me awake completely. I thought I had made it, but it was completely over. I was done. After like thirty minutes of him interrogating me he somehow gets it out of me that I went to go see Phish. I was defeated. He wasn't nearly as mad as I'd thought he'd be, finding out that his child was not just a liar but a fucking Phish fan, so I was a little relieved, but still recognized that all-in-all my plan had failed. I had lost, but I had also won.

I read the dotnet recap/setlist, I read the Discord for what people thought of it. For those who've made it through this entire ramble, congrats. I guess what I'm trying to say this whole time, is that I can't complain. Sure, one could say this show didn't have nearly as much jams as they wanted it to. People are probably complaining a shit ton about the setlist being dominated by songs only introduced in the past 15 years. But I couldn't, because I couldn't let all that all be for nothing. That was a fucking adventure, and I couldn't ask for more coming from my first Phish show. Harold and Kumar would probably be proud. I pray Vegas is next this year.

SET 1: The Moma Dance: Standard Moma jam. >

Sigma Oasis: Trey sounds fantastic in the early going of this jam. Pretty good jam overall.

Party Time: Standard Time.

Strawberry Letter 23: Standard.

Everything's Right: Love Mike’s tone as the jam begins, meatballs for days. A chunk of this jam seems a tad directionless. Things seem to pick up nearing the 13 minute mark. Trey plays some beautiful lines in the 16 minute range. The re-entry into the vocals is a little jarring. Overall, this is a very solid jam.

Shade: Standard.

Funky Bitch: Standard.

A Wave of Hope: The jam comes flying out of the gate, fast and furious as Trey gives it a proper ripping. It more or less maintains an aggressive stance through 13 minutes.

SET 2: Sample in a Jar: Broadway Trey’d, big time. >

Down with Disease: Intro is a mess and Broadway Trey’d. Super heavy on the effects in the mid-teens. Had to be fun on a head full. Almost sounded like Llama could have come out of it around 16:20. Very impressive jam right here, would revisit for sure. >

Mercury: Standard but great segue into… ->

Blaze On: Very mellow, feel good jam. At 13:20 it almost sounded like Rift was about to happen. This one really rips in the last quarter or so. Solid jam would relisten for sure. >

You Enjoy Myself: Nice Trey and Mike duet. But this YEM jam is very short. Before you know it, it is in the bass and drums segment.

Cavern: Standard.

ENCORE: Drift While You're Sleeping: Trey rips the crap out of the ending.

Replay Value: Everything’s Right, Down with Disease, Blaze On.

Summary: A very solid Phish show with a few, significant high points and nice consistency throughout both sets. Great start to a three night run!

I enjoyed the show - the current 3.8/3.9 feels just about right. The sound was excellent at the Bowl and the weather was perfect - stayed about 75 degrees with a light breeze well into the night. That’s why we love SoCal.

Others will do a much better job than I on a detailed play-by-play. Suffice it to say, there were some standout jams. The whole night had a strong bluesy vibe, especially the first set. Throughout the night I found myself often initially disappointed by song selection and then quickly surprised by how good the jams were on those songs I don’t typically love. Everything’s Right was solid, Funky Bitch was a blast, and the DWD was a dark and nasty barnburner!! Really good stuff there. YEM>Cavern to close was sufficient, albeit fun. Didn’t love the encore, and overall too many songs from Sigma Oasis and Big Boat, but it definitely wasn’t a show I regret going to. Hoping to get a real breakout at the Saturday show.

Down with the Bowl

Phish in the Bowl!

Hard not to love almost everything about the conditions last night in the Hollywood Hills, the bands first trip back to the Hollywood Bowl in 10 years, this time the first of a three night run in April, meaning lots of cheap tickets available. In almost 30 years of seeing the band, I’d never until this point seen West Coast Phish, and I took this opportunity to treat myself to a visit to this gorgeous venue and some sun as a bonus. It was hot and sunny all day and even the post sunset temperature drop you’d expect was only a modest dip, cooling the Bowl just enough to stay comfortable. Security was relaxed, it was easy to move around, and the mood was lit.

The band immediately put to rest any speculation that this would indeed be a no repeat tour, firing up the crowd with Moma Dance, as if to say ‘the moment of songs not being repeated ends.’ They sounded sharp. Sigma Oasis showed up in the second slot and seemed for a moment or two like it might go on an excursion, something the band has been doing reliably once or twice in Set 1 this tour, as they have the last couple years. It didn’t quite get there (see the 8/10/22 Sigma for more of a standout version of this nature), but playing was again solid. The Party Time was an easy call here with everyone warmed up and the party on. Jon Fishman was ready to flex, something he’d continue to do all damn night.

I was pumped to finally catch a version of Strawberry Letter 23, a nod to another local (after they acknowledged Hendrix in Seattle with Izabella)—this time LA native Shuggie Otis.

Then they fired up Everything’s Right, which would deliver as the primary jam vehicle of the first set. Clocking in at just under 20 mins, it’s a not unfamiliar explorations but worth your time all the same, especially for the payoff towards the end. The band, anchored by Fish and Mike with a lot of force and precision, were able to really pack a punch in jams without coming off sloppy. Both Trey and Page sounded to my ears a step above where they’ve been so far this tour, and you could start to feel things breaking open in little places. Shade was a sort of coda marking the sun having properly set, and a quick Funky Bitch countered with punch. A Wave of Hope served as your first set closer, another repeat appearance after a really strong showing in Seattle. This one didn’t go quite as deep, but the song continues to secure its place in the pantheon of modern era jam vehicles.

I had no complaints hearing Sample open the second set, despite having seen in two of the last three shows I was at last summer 22. But both those versions, on 7/22 and 8/10 in Bethel and Toronto respectively, were outstanding with dynamic, beautiful jams, and yet very different. Well this Sample didn’t do that, but it certainly set the mood high and whatever it lacked in jamming, the Disease that followed more than made up for it.

Put this one on your must listen queue folks. It’s just over 20 minutes but wastes no time and pulls through numerous sequences, as the best jams do. At times a kind of psychedelic electro-fusion Kid A era Radiohead sounds pushed through a firecracker. The last thunderous 8 minutes or so go down tempo, echoing Pink Floyd at their meanest. The energy and execution is hard to communicate here, as if they pumped some of the pulse of 2003 into the PA, only with the gnarliest of 21-23 era sounds. A+

Mercury->Blaze On is a terrific sequence in its own right, the Blaze On jam going 18 minutes, and seeing more familiar Trey led rock out territory to varying effect. Great finale. The YEM is noteworthy too. Not so much for a blow up jam as for a rare Trey/Mike duel that’s intricate and soulful, and winds wonderfully into a bluesy strut that sounds almost like they were going to go into My Soul or a Zz Top number. Listen for for the aggressive riffing Trey leads off the Cavern with. Powerful!

Drift While You’re Sleeping shows up again as an encore, and really brings her home in the last few minute finale. Scorching send off for a night more than well spent in the Bowl.

See you tonight for Part 2!