[We would like to thank Windi (@onthewindowsill) for recapping last night’s review. -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.”

The Schott is The Ohio State University’s basketball arena, with a capacity of 20K, and although it does pretty frequently host big name acts, it isn’t known for amazing sound – there are definitely better venues in this regard, but it is also not the worst. With high hopes of a bust out, we enter and get settled into our spot for the evening. Shoutout to my boy Natedog and his wife Amy for helping to hold down our space on the floor during the first set.

As the house lights fade down, they came out the gate with a classic opener, "AC/DC Bag," full of energy and the crowd were amped and ready for more. Teetering on a type 2 jam we were led into the first "Roggae" of summer tour, which while well played it seems to be a tad slower than usual.

The "Vultures" was a special treat; Fishman really took the lead here ruling the stage. And it presented many of us with the age-old quandary of “to woo, or not to woo…that is the question?” I am a purest—I prefer to not woo but I don’t want to yuck anyone’s “yay.” The wooing ensued as this jam came to a close. The funky grooves are guaranteed whenever they lay into a "Martian Monster," and even the most in-their-seat, chair-dancing fan who isn’t in the moat can’t help but move to this total dance party. It truly brought the funk and was down and dirty.

"Mull!" Now this has been a song that is common, yes, but I always miss it! So, it was a moment of personal joy to actually check this jam off my “chase” list. There are always mixed reviews about this song—I intend to love the jam and this rendition was definitely worth the wait.

"Strawberry Letter 23" is always a great cover—it's totally in Trey’s range and the crowd ate it up, going wild as they led us into a stellar "Undermind," where we really saw Trey come alive during the solo.

Bust out? "Petrichor"—yes please. While there may be a range of opinions on whether or not this song is a solid selection or not, hearing it for the first time in 121 shows is well worth noting. It harkens old school Phish and gives the crowd a much-needed reprieve to catch our breath. This melody delicately leads us into"Life Saving Gun." Admittedly, this is not one of my favorite new songs. Does it jam, YES, do people love it, SURE. This rendition served up some Sci-fi tones with Type 2 jams; the band was locked in together.

Set Two

They came out the gate with a "Sample," tried and true – everyone loves a good "Sample." Again this evening’s version was full to the brim with many type 2 grooves and was followed by everyone’s favorite “phish light” song -- "A Wave of Hope," which did not disappoint, offering a total bliss peak. Unfortunately, Trey bailed on the jam and opted to serve up a more chill vibe, seguing into "Waiting All Night." I know I know, it’s everyone’s bathroom song. But it holds a sentimental place in my heart; everyone has one sappy song that they love and for me it’s this one.

With plenty of recovery time, they bust out "Axilla (Part II)," which immediately pushes the crowd back into dance mode after that little breather. I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing them play I and II together—but maybe they will consider this for the New Years run since the band seems to be taking us back down memory lane with all of the indoor college-town shows this summer.

"Piper" is and will always be special to me – it brings up fond memories of my GF Nora. While this may not have been a late 90’s mind-blowing, aggressive "Piper," it was beautiful, delicate at times, and covered a lot of ground over the course of 22 minutes – solid and welcomed.

After that "Piper" we are gently glided into a "Lonely Trip," Everyone’s cheesy favorite. Love it or hate it, in my experience, people always seem to enjoy this song. "Backwards Down the Number Line" picked the pace back up, giving us yet another reason to smile this evening Looking around during this song, I was surrounded with joy and smiles – a real feel-good crowd pleaser. People were singing and dancing with their friends, and if you ask me, it was a perfect way to begin wrapping up the evening with a little light-hearted groove.

The set-closing "Loving Cup" followed, and given its placement and the feel-good crowd vibes of BDTNL, it predictably turned into a sing-a-long; this Stones cover is always a crowd favorite, especially here in the Midwest. We had made our way from the floor up to the 300s for a different vantage point and it did not disappoint. Watching all of the attendees sing and sway together was extra special.

ENCORE: Bug, The Mango Song > Run Like an Antelope. We’ve all been waiting since Spring for this and it was the icing on the cake. I'm a sucker for a good Bug, and I feel like this placement, kicking off the encore following the back-to-back feel-good set closers, really works for this song. This was followed by a clean and concise performance of "The Mango Song," setting us up for the summer’s first "Run Like an Antelope," giving the crowd one more chance to really get-down before heading out into the warm night.

Overall, Phish served Columbus an unforgettable evening of Type 2 jams that served up funky dance party vibes all night long. The energy in the space was priceless! Columbus loves you and would love to host more shows. Twenty-five years later…we are still upside down.

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