[We would like to thank @slewfoot of The Mockingbird Foundation for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

It seems like many of us are in the midst of big anniversaries for Phish. The growth of the 1993 - 1995 era from theaters to arenas allowed a large number of us to begin our decades long journey around that time. As I ponder that, the Anchorman-inspired quote above both makes me chuckle, yet also feels relevant. Last night marked the 30th Anniversary of when I first saw our favorite band. Back in 1994, I wasn’t sure what to expect on that cold December night in Philadelphia. I was a sophomore in high school and was in the midst of getting deep into the rabbit hole known as The Grateful Dead. Since I arrived to Phish via the Dead world, I had one eyebrow raised in skepticism (because obviously I knew everything at that age). But deep down I was hoping I’d really like the show as an excuse to have another great band to start seeing live. I can’t say I fully “got it” that night but, a few shows later, I certainly did.

So what does it all mean for us to still be seeing this band after all these years? Our connection to the Phish community showcases what I refer to as The Compound Interest of Memories. Each memory, each experience, builds upon one another to create emotions that, over time, become almost tangible. These layers of emotions built through the years have added so much meaning to our lives in ways that are so nuanced, yet also so difficult to describe. The music has always been the core of it all. But, from there, it spreads out in every direction. For many of us, our best friends have been found within the Phish community. For some, significant others -- which has led to families. And for most, the experience of wanting to be part of something bigger than ourselves in a group-mind setting that lives in the moment and beyond. Regardless of how or why we got here, we truly are all in it together.

Now, on to last night’s show! While I wish I could have been there, life got in the way this year. Luckily I was still able to enjoy the show thanks to this wild invention called the internet, which I didn’t know existed back in 1994. Part of me was wondering if there would be any overlap from 30 years ago. Perhaps some special rarities like “Mound” or “The Mango Song?” A killer “Mike’s Song?” Maybe the first Phish lyrics stuck in my head thanks to “Reba?” Apparently "yes" to a few of those!

“Simple” kicked things off wonderfully with its joyful, almost nostalgic feeling, especially since it was played exactly 30 years ago. "Simple" is one of those songs that can appear almost anywhere in a show and always works; that includes as an opener, which is a personal favorite spot. Soon after the initial outro solo, the band steered towards a thick, rolling Type II jam with a nice upbeat, engaging tempo, plus some soaring sustain from Trey before continuing on to a rocking finish with some added Trey jumps and kicks. They even stuck the landing back into the song! Heck of a run opener.

The band really seems to like “Free” these days so no surprise to hear it so early. As the song quieted just before the lyrics it almost had a “What’s the Use?” vibe for a brief moment. While Mike threw around gobs of goo all over the arena, Trey took the time to walk around and give notice to the crowd -- always a good sign. Page got funky while Fish provided waves of circular rhythms at various points. Really nice version that has everything one needs in a tight, classic "Free."

“Farmhouse” didn’t exactly keep the energy going, but Page sounded especially nice on it. An always-welcome “Poor Heart” came next to kick things back into gear. The intro from Trey was on point and seemed to catch the band by surprise yet they still locked in right away with no issues. Old school songs continued in the form of a “Tube” dance party with Kuroda adding some great tricks. I could hear this song at just about every show and be happy.

Time to get on the classic rock train with good ol’ “Kill Devil Falls.” The band seemed to have some tempo / timing issues during the lyrics, but they learned their lesson and settled into a nice groove for the ensuing jam. Trey’s tone at this point was classic, crystalline Languedoc. It really is so nice to see and hear those Mesa Boogies back up there. The jam stayed grounded in "KDF" and did its job very well building up to a fun, raucous peak.

It seemed appropriate and expected that we’d get a “Driver” on this night after the incredibly sad story about a fan’s son which can be read here. A poignant version that undoubtedly left a lump in many throats. Here’s to you, Driver and your family. You are missed.

No matter how times we may hear “Reba,” we’re all still hanging on to the edge of our seats at every moment of the composed section. The twists. The turns. The precision. When they nail it and follow it up with a heavenly jam like this one, all is right in the world at that moment. As “Oblivion” started up, it felt a little out of place at first with such a 90s-style setlist. Perhaps the band thought so, too, as the first minute seemed a bit sluggish. They soon got it together for what many must have thought would likely be a set closer. But instead we got one of everyone’s favorites in the form of “Run Like an Antelope.” The intro sounded like it may have been the fastest in 20+ years! As it built towards the release, the crowd was on it with a huge roar to push the band even higher. The jam was its usual scorching self with one of those killer, zany how-the-heck-do-they-do-that peaks.

Lots of awesomeness in this 83 minute stacked first set. One thing that was interesting to note for this set was the mix on the webcast. Trey sounded a little lower than usual while Page would dominate at times. It felt reversed from where’s it’s usually been in recent years. Not a good or bad thing. Just different. Fish and Mike sat nicely right where they should in the mix. Speaking of Mike, he provided an amusing and detailed rundown of his current rig during the webcast setbreak. Definitely wasn’t expecting that, especially since they just did rig rundowns the other year. Great to see and lots of insightful info. More to come, it seems, and do check it out!

The throwback style setlist continued with “Back on the Train” in a fun and unexpected set opening position. It’s always nice to hear songs like this get that extra kick from different placement. Gets everyone feeling that something different is afoot. The band seemed to feel as such as the jam had a textural, choppy quality to it with more space than usual. It also showed Trey in full eyes-closed-with-mouth-hanging-wide-open stance, which continued throughout the set. That look is always a big positive when it happens, as it clearly shows how into it Trey is. Regardless of what they play, knowing he’s up there having fun adds extra enjoyment for the rest of us.

“Axilla II” added to the unique setlist and the music sounded like a beast. So much so that the band almost couldn’t keep up with it at times yet still always found their footing. The proggy jam soon wound down to “A Wave of Hope” that may look odd on paper yet fit surprisingly well. Trey was wise to keep the Uni-Vibe going from the "Axilla" outro jam to begin the song. Mike sounded especially good, propelling the jam forward with direct, clear and round notes. Page once said something to the effect of, “Phish is at their best when everyone is soloing together.” That seemed to be happening here as the music felt very at ease with itself while each band member added their own flavor. The jam felt like it was cut a little short which led to, wait, what’s this? “Round Room?” Whoa! The first once since 2016 (a 322 show gap). A little rusty, but still a treat.

“I Always Wanted it that Way” probably wasn’t anyone’s choice for the next song, but as it got going it began to rip. The jam started off sounding like it was being beamed in from surrounding planets. This song can get out there these days and they wasted no time in doing so here. The music was swirling and Trey began playing around with a riff for a moment that I recalled from the Baker’s Dozen “Lawn Boy” before it took on brief elements of the Deer Creek “Simple.” And no, this wasn’t nearly as good as either of those jams by any means, but still always fun when one jam recalls an epic one from the past to some extent. “Twist” emerged from the elements and settled into a relaxed, mellow groove. Trey’s voice seemed to be getting a little rough at this point yet it didn’t affect the music otherwise. Things got very intimate-sounding. Hard to believe they were doing this in front of 20,000 people and not in their practice room. They were really listening to each little detail from one another which "Twist" often seems to showcase very well.

And then what do we have here?! “The Mango Song!” Another fantastic addition from 30 years ago even if a bit shaky at the start. It’s pretty much impossible to listen to this song without having a smile on your face. It encompasses so much about what we love from early Phish: whimsical lyrics, quirky changes, unbridled joy. It’s so catchy in its silliness and always felt it’s a good barometer to see if someone will become a fan or not: you’re either going to get a kick out of hearing that your hands and feet are mangos or say, "huh?" and turn the other way.

A perfunctory “Blaze On” followed which felt like it may be the closer until Trey had other ideas by tossing us into a powerful “Cavern.” That’s gotta be it, right? Nope! Those haunting cymbals at this point could only mean one thing: “David Bowie!” Not a lengthy exploratory version, but any "Bowie" played cleanly like this is always welcome in my book.

The encore began with another song they seem to really enjoy playing these days: “Mountains in the Mist.” And then another holy-crap song selection with “Fuck Your Face!” They were really feeling like tearing up the setlist playbook at times tonight! The song shredded and led into another shredder of “46 Days” to finally finish things off. Whew!

All in all, a solid and fun show even if it didn’t break much new ground or have any Jam of the Year candidates. The show will always be known as having a second set with no song going over 10 minutes and is what it is in that regard. Even if there weren’t any big jams in the second set, seeing Trey so into it added a lot. To my ears, the first set had better flow plus what may have been the highlight with "Simple," while the second set took us for a ride through different vistas and orbits.

Sure it would’ve been great to have attended an anniversary show such as this. But I’m not at all sad about it. I’m just glad it happened. Thank you, Phish and Happy New Year, everyone!!!

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