[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.

The opening wah wah notes of “Moma Dance” keeps the set moving, with a rock-steady bass groove from Mike and a tongue-in-cheek “eeeeeeeeyah” from Fishman. Trey delivers a high-energy solo here, although it felt like it was cut a bit short before it could really take off.

A bouncing “Beauty of My Dreams” brought some front-porch bluegrass charm and continued the band’s streak of working bluegrass/Phishgrass staples into almost every show this tour. Along with Fish’s new drum kit placement, I can’t help but wonder if this is a subtle return to 90s Phish form.

The band transitioned into a sweet, textured “Theme from the Bottom,” which found Trey using loops and reverb to paint an eerie underwater soundscape. The last remaining rays of sunset beaming into the stadium combined with arms-raised “AND I ASK YOU WHYYYYY” swaying just felt right. For my money, this was one of my favorite versions of this song that I’ve seen, especially given the location.

A high-energy “Rift” followed, tight and focused, before the first 4.0 song of the show and longest song of the set: “Oblivion.” After a few minutes of patient headbobbing, the band guides the crowd into some outerspace funk that’s become a centerpiece of this era. Page’s synth and Trey’s growler pedal are in full effect as the jam lifts off.

“Timber” moves us along, as Trey settles into calming arpeggios around the melody before rising into a swirling (but brief) solo. After a short pause, the band drops into a rare mid-set “Guyute,” with the band nailing the composed sections before dropping into the uptempo bridge---I look around to see the crowd bouncing all around the stadium. Tension builds brick-by-brick into the screaming guitar peak, before halting to a stop with unsettling vocals before returning to the jubilant finale.

After some slight evil Phish vibes at the end of the previous song, the band bursting into “Back on the Train” is appreciated. And buddy are we grooving. By the time this 50k seat Colorado train rolls into the station that is Trey’s solo, Kuroda’s lights are fully popping off.

“Most Events Aren’t Planned” feels like a premonition: loose but intentional, brimming with improvisational risk, and there’s surely more to come. Mike’s bass holds things in place while Page rides the clav into the turnaround. My wife asks if we’re “allowed to smoke a cigarette up here.” I assure her it won’t be an issue. A standard but rocking solo from Trey ends the set as the remaining sunlight fades on the horizon.

The opening slide into the notes of “Simple” awakens the crowd to start the second set. We trudge along for a while, reminded of the things that make a band: Cymbals. Saxophone. Bebop. Skyscrapers. And all the combinations therein. After the band progresses into a characteristically bouncy jam, the tone shifts to a more laid back groove. Swirling synth noises, growling guitar, and ambient keys transport us directly into the 10th playing of “What’s Going Through Your Mind.”

The lyrics appropriately note that “the crowd begins to dissipate” as scores head out for a bathroom break. But we all know what’s eventually going to happen here: Newer, underloved song means a jam is near. After rising into melody-centered jam, the band slips into another ambient but slightly funky jam. Page’s keys are vibrating while Trey scratches some funky chords. Although we don’t reach a full peak blast off, never fear - “Tweezer” is here.

The stadium is absolutely roaring. Glo-stick mania - just like the Dick’s days past (and hopefully future). A literal unsanctioned firework explodes directly behind the stage and the crowd cheers. After a few minutes of funky bliss, spaceship swirling synth and popping bass deliver us to a new dimension. Trey eventually steps in and blasts an extended high note before settling into some characteristic, feel-good mixolydian noodling that culminates in a soaring peak for the ages. Kuroda is fully in his bag and Trey rips some Chuck Berry-esque notes to wrap our journey.

An ambient transition seeps directly into “No Quarter.” Page’s leslie-laden keys are soaking every inch of the stadium before the heavy unmistakable power chords ring out. Page is in full wizard mode, delivering one of his strongest vocal takes in recent memory. Halfway through the song, Trey sprays a slurry overdriven solo - summoning the guitar legends of the era from which this cover hails.

As “No Quarter” dissolved, “Down with Disease” erupted like a(nother) firework. The build to the chorus seems to drag at times, but there’s no doubt that this is going to be a heater. And before we know it, Trey is effortlessly skipping up and down and all the way back the scale. Everyone in my vicinity is bobbing along with the funky scratching chords while the band fully clicks until delving into bleep blorp city - no expenses are being spared in terms of effects. Captain Trey and the Starship Languedoc are rocketing us to Pluto and there’s no looking back.

Given the time and the early start, it feels like we must be nearing the end. So when the opening notes to “Ghost” ring out, the crowd delights at another favorite. Fishman is locked in while Trey hammers out the bluesy, bended chords. After a slow burning build into the jam, we’ve reached the top of the mountain. Trey is leaving it all on Folsom Field. It doesn’t get any better than a peak like this - absolutely electric.

The band leaves the stage as we attempt to collect ourselves and returns before you can say “Character Zero.” In my experience, people normally aren’t super excited for this song as an encore. That’s not the case tonight. Boulder is in full hands-up megachurch mode. A mostly straightforward but welcome Zero coalesces into the inevitable “Tweeprise” - the perfect ending with true-to-Dicks confetti and streamers taboot.

After the band leaves the stage, the crowd disperses out toward the majestic flatirons, which have been reshaped by the band’s first return to Boulder since 1993. Just like the rest of us, the mountains wonder: What’s in store for tomorrow night?

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