[We would like to thank John Montague (@mazegue) for writing this recap. -Ed.]

Assessing a show in less than 24 hours feels like an impossible task. I’ve attended its birth and, now, these sounds I’m hearing are less than a day old. Honestly, I won’t have a hard opinion on any of this until days of re-listening have passed. I’m reporting on fumes and a healthy dose of post-show listening. Here’s my initial take.

Phish gave the phans an absolute banger of a show. For a band that encompasses many genres, last night provided a heavy dose of old-school straight hard rock. That doesn’t mean they didn’t save plenty of space for solid exploratory type 2 jamming. There were definitely a handful of jams that are worth digesting and exploring. I thought the show had a 1.0 tinge to it, with the kind of messes that didn’t take anything away from the vibe, because the vibe was filthy. This show was downright dirty.

Before the run, I was curious to see if the guys would treat this as more of a benefit show or a tour closer. Now that the run is over, I’m not sure I have an answer. On one hand, this show was dripping with tour closer energy, and there weren’t many signs of traditional benefit show speeches and 'thank yous.' The band did, however, speak to the January 2025 LA wildfires with their music and their production, in ways that were both artful and provocative.

This run marked Phish’s 6th, 7th, and 8th appearances at the Hollywood Bowl. They had one show here in 2011, one show in 2013, and three in 2023. This was my second show at The Bowl, with my first coming on Saturday. The venue provided a cool variety of sight lines throughout the venue, with 100 feet of vertical drop from the stage to the top row. It’s also an iconic venue, first opening on July 11,1922. On the inside, the venue was pretty easy to navigate and mostly hassle-free. Once you stepped outside the venue, things got a little crazy with crowded sidewalks and wave upon wave of nitrous-induced “wacky zones.”

I was in from out of town for my 21st show overall, and my 4th show of the tour. I’m 50 years old and wrapping up 4 shows in 6 days. I’m not going to lie. I’m both exhausted and borderline overwhelmed by the amount of music and energy I’ve consumed and expended this week. Honestly, I’ll need to decompress a little before I can wrap my head around everything I’ve heard. I’m pretty far down the rabbit hole, just in terms of how much Phish I’ve been taking in lately. I dissected every run of 2024 before the Spring Tour started. 2024 was a banner year. I’m kind of hard-pressed to find a run in any era that can compete with Dicks ‘24. I’ll take your suggestions! I really believe the band has produced some of their very best live material in the last year and a half. There have been a couple of shows on this tour that can compete with the stronger shows of 2024. Tonight might have been one of them. Time will tell. I don’t think there’s any doubt that this “YEM” is the stuff of legends. I’m curious to see how jams like “Fuego,” “Twist,” “KDF,” and “Timber” hold up.

So, let’s get to the show. I situated myself in terrace seating on Page side rage side with a couple of friends. I’m normally a Mike’s side guy, but not last night. We shared a box with Stefanie, who was celebrating her birthday and sporting a celebratory 140th show tee-shirt. I wouldn’t typically grant tee-shirt status to 140, but it was her birthday, so she got a free pass. The box came with 6 folding chairs, but we set those aside, and created a little dance floor for our crew. Stefanie and her friend, Jenn, were here to straight-up rock. There was also an empty seat in our box, so we had a little extra wiggle room to move around.

This first set was mostly good, straight, hard rock and roll, with a solid lineup from start to finish. As Jenn pointed out at the end of the set, “Nobody sat down.” Usually, some stretch of music puts people in their seats or sends a wave to the bathroom. That didn’t happen in either set last night.

I had multiple conversations in the 24 hours leading up to the show about “The Landlady”, and how it was way overdue. Sure enough, it opened. I love it when stuff like that happens. The coincidences are one of my favorite things about the phandom. After a Saturday night with 3 near-bustouts, it was great to kick the show off with a 110 show gapper. On top of that, we got an immediate dose of synchronized dancing between Trey and Mike. I think this is a sneaky good “Landlady”, well-paced, with really fluid guitar work. This felt like a heartfelt nod to Carlos Santana, who was recently hospitalized after collapsing on stage from deyhdration. This old-school tune would be a sign of things to come.

“Cavern” gave us a healthy dose of straight up rock and roll. It was simple and straightforward. I’m not sure this version will hold up to repeated listens, but it kept the momentum of the show going. With back to back songs from A Picture of Nectar, an old-school 1.0 trend was developing.

“Llama” was next, and it might have been the best quick-hitter of the night. The elements cooperated with a little bit of “rain coming down” on an unseasonably cool night in Hollywood. This version is a dirty, filthy, rocker. I really think this is going to hold up to my ears on repeated listens.

If the band was about to throw down a master class on straight rock and roll, 3 straight songs from A Picture of Nectar was a good starting point. That’s Phish’s best straight rock and roll album IMHO. I started listening to Phish in 1990, and when PON came out in 1992, I was absolutely floored.

The band has been killing “Sand” since well into last year, so I was stoked when I heard that groove kick into gear. After an upbeat intro, Trey peeled into a grimy section. I like my Phish a little dirty. Fish was tearing it up back there too. There are a couple of moments where the band stalls a little, but I think this is going to sound good in a few listens. Once again, it’s good, straight rock and roll.

This was my 21st show, and I’m at that stage of my phandom where I’m celebrating firsts when I get them. Tonight, I got my first “The Lizards”, and everyone got their second bustout of the night. This was the right point in the show to come up for air following those 4 straight rockers. This “Lizards” reminds me of some of those older 1.0 versions. There’s a little dirty edge to Trey’s guitar that hits me just right. I love the composition for Page in this tune, and it was cool to see it live.

After “The Lizards”, we went right back into another heater. “Hey Stranger” made its first and only appearance of the tour. I don’t think this was a banner version, but again, it didn’t do anything to kill the momentum of the show. I wish they would push this jam into type 2 territory. I’m an absolute whore for this tune, and I feel like it can get there eventually. I guess you can’t force it. If the portal is open, the portal is open. Some fans have pointed out that there was an overhaul last night, with a key change from B-flat minor to A minor. I didn’t notice, but if you have an ear for those kinds of details, it’s there waiting for you.

At this point, I was wondering if we were in for a straight rocker altogether. Then, “Timber (Jerry The Mule)” came. I don’t have a final verdict on this jam yet, but I’m really looking forward to unpacking it in the coming days. It gets a little messy in there, but I’m always eager for exploration. While the song choice held true to the growing setlist of rippers, this was the first jam of the night that really ventured out into type 2 territory. I’ve scraped together a few sleepless listens, and I think this will absolutely hold up as a jam-chart worthy version.

“Joy” set the right tone for the moment, and the transitions from peaks to valleys really felt smooth all night. At no point did I feel the show was disjointed. Thanks to @Brooklynrob for pointing out that Trey wrote this for his sister, who passed away 16 years ago. The anniversary of her death is on Tuesday, which probably explains why Trey got a little choked up. I appreciate this song more now.

“Most Events Aren’t Planned” finished things off for a somewhat short but cooking first set. "MEAP" is another one of those straight-hard rockers, and it’s been showing up regularly as a closer lately. Page’s vocals were particularly good in this version, and this was a great way to close the set down hard. Mike was locked in, and things got pretty grimy again. I think this has the potential to be one of the better short jams of the run. Time will tell if it holds up to repeated listens, but I think it will.

Set break arrived, and I celebrated that cooker of a set with a chicken tinga burrito. At one point, my half-eaten and unwrapped burrito found its way into the front pocket of my bathrobe. For the rest of the show, I found stray pieces of rice in the bottom of my pocket. More grime.

The second set kicked off with “More.” This isn’t my jam of choice. I’m part of that anti-"More" crowd, but I gotta admit, they hit it pretty hard last night, at least hard for “More.” I dug it. This might be one of those short little jams that holds up to at least a few listens. Song choice is secondary to the connectedness of the band in my book. I don’t care what they play anymore. Every song in the repertoire presents an opportunity for something good to happen. This was pretty locked in for me, atypically dirty at times, with most of that dirt coming from Trey’s guitar. .

After digging around in the dirt for over a set in what I’d best describe as an earthbound rocker, “You Enjoy Myself” was the spaceship I ultimately desired. Let’s face it. These guys are the closest thing I’ll get to space travel in my lifetime. My initial reaction is that this “YEM” is a legit contender for jam of the tour. It doesn’t matter that Trey flubbed the lyrics, because he almost said “shit” instead of “god.” Luckily, he accidentally set himself up for a comical and almost deflated delivery of the regularly scheduled “shit” that came a couple of beats later. Structurally, this version veers way outside the box of its original composition, with a jam that extends for over 12 minutes after the vocal jam. We saw a little extra jamming at Dick’s last year. However, this version gets into some rare air, exiting the composition altogether and truly venturing into type 2. Around that 18-minute mark, everyone is aboard, the portal is open, and I’m wondering if this is a “YEM” all-timer? I think it might be. I really think it might be. For me, time will tell if this holds up, but I am already applauding the effort to take this iconic jam into some new territory. The song deserves it. The band deserves it. The fans deserve it.

Then came “Twist.” Despite the slightly shaky start, this version went down into a wonderful mellow zone for a good stretch. It also toyed with some space rock, which always wins me over. Trey mentioned assigning energy levels of 1-10 to their music in the New Yorker article, and this is an outstanding jam in that 1-3 category. It isn’t pristine, but I think this will hold up to repeated listens. I was happy that we were still drifting out in space, post-"YEM," connecting with some chill vibes from beyond. I appreciated the straight rock of set 1, but what I really wanted was the departure, and the exploration of the boundaries. The middle of this second set really went places last night.

Next up was “Kill Devil Falls”, which set up a marriage between the straight rock of the first set and the deeper exploration of “YEM” and “Twist.” Once again, the band was leaning heavily into their best straight-rock and roll material. This version is an absolute banger, but also a bonkers departure. It’s one of those 11 minute jams that feels longer (in a good way). It’s too early to tell, but I have my eyes on this 3 song stretch between “YEM” and “KDF” as possibly the best 3 song stretch of the tour. “Carini” to “Ruby Waves” on 7/22/25 also has my attention.

After 3 straight jams somewhere out in the vicinity of deep space, “Lifeboy” brought us floating back toward Earth. This is a real nice straightforward version, and it was also a chance to catch our breaths before the big finish.

“2001” gave CK5 a chance to shine, which sent us hurtling back toward space. Straightforward, tight, and a little on the mellower side.

“Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S.” closed the set out with another straight ripper. I’m not sure how this one holds up. I love the choice to close the set with more straight rock, but I’m not sure this version is tight enough for 5+ listens. It’s kind of messy, but it still brought the house down.

In the wake of the fires, I was scratching my head at the song choice of “Fuego” for the encore. It was a provocative move, but they absolutely 100% landed it. The LA crowd embraced it from the get go, and the collective energy in the venue was palpable. A sea of people swayed together. One last epic jam. This one is worth chewing on. It has a steadiness to it, and kept me engaged throughout. It went deep for an encore too, stretching for 22 minutes. Soon into the jam, the whole building was entranced, transported. This long and foreboding jam, accompanied by smoke billowing from the stage, somehow brought everyone in The Bowl together in that moment. I took it as a message of resilience and unity in the aftermath of the fires. Yes, life happens, and disaster strikes sometimes, but life goes on, and we keep it rolling.

Was Sunday a straight rock and roll blitz? Absolutely. Were there also a handful of delicious type 2 exploratory jams in there too? Yes sir. This is a hell of a show. Everyone came to rock tonight. The band pushed hard through the night, and pulled back when they needed to. They also set aside a good chunk of the show for the deep end. In terms of navigating the ebb and flow from song to song, this was one of the better shows I can remember. Despite a handful of moments that were rough around the edges, it was the right kind of mess, and ultimately a pretty tight show. There was a sense of urgency, an urgency appropriate for a tour closer, and sometimes reminiscent of those high energy early-mid ‘90’s shows. Stefanie got what she wanted on her birthday. It was the best straight rocker of the tour. I got what I wanted with a handful of new jams that we can dissect in the coming year. It was a momentous show, filled with subplots. The Hall, the tour closer, and the wildfires were all wrapped into one show. One might say there was a lot resting on the band’s shoulders last night. Well, they rose to the occasion, and proved yet again that they are redefining rock and roll and hovering somewhere above its pinnacle.

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