[We would like to thank Suzy (@suzydrano) and Kersten (@kerstenB) for recapping last night’s show. -Ed.]

We’ve come to the end of the rainbow, folks. Thank you to our supportive partners who took care of our homes, loved ones, pets, and business while we - Suzy and Kersten - celebrated our 50th year with this run of shows.

After three fabulous nights in Charleston, it is time to say our farewells. We Phish fans - clad in t-shirts referencing obscure lyrics or edgy bands, or floridly bright or ironic outfits - descended upon a population notable for their decorum, wearing finely pressed cotton prints and linen, walking designer dogs on leashes bearing bow ties. We roamed among the genteel in the scorching sun as we readied ourselves for the shows to come each day. The band members roamed alongside us, enjoying the second Sunday festivities as we prepared for this last night. And what a last night it was.

The “Gentleman’s Final” for Wimbledon was today, and it was an epic match between two astonishingly talented players. Jannik Sinner, who went on to win, dropped the first set to Carlos Alcaraz, but then never looked back and just kept getting stronger, ultimately dominating the match and emerging the victor.

We were Jannik Sinner tonight. The first set had some gems, but it was the second set and encore that made the show. Let us explain.

The crowd burned with anticipation as the band took the stage. Predictions abounded, and three nights of roiling energy buzzed in the atmosphere.

The set opener was an ace. “Runaway Jim” is one of Suzy’s favorite songs, and is an undeniable and justifiable crowd favorite. As purple and white streams of light descended upon the shimmying crowd, delight filled the air.

While “Jim” can act as an accelerant, this one was tight and controlled. The jam brought the energy from a fever pitch to a low simmer. We found a collective peacefulness that came from the band’s musical reassurance.

“Foam” was a pleasant surprise for most of us, as none of the rampant speculators in our circle had nominated this classic romp. It was a lovely rendition, with Page’s keys cascading over Trey’s chords leading into the guitar solo. It was as close to a perfect rendition of the song as we have heard.

The “Wolfman’s Brother” that followed began with the same textbook precision that characterized much of the three nights. The phrase “the band is locked in” gets thrown around too loosely at times, but it was absolutely true in this case. Trey was scatting happily as they segued seamlessly into a groovy jam that became funkier than third night port-a-potties. The lights undulated with the exquisitely in sync quartet, who fed the crowd’s appetite for an opportunity to boogie down. At minute 13, the slow burn of the jam built to a fiery peak. Explosions of joyous dancing ensued with the soaring guitar.

Since neither of us have listened to “Thread” very much, it took us a moment to identify it. The composed part at the beginning of the song was straightforward, though it took only about four minutes for the band to launch into a phenomenal hypnotic and fractal jam. The 15/16 time signature that provided an extravagant display of Fishman’s wizardry was coupled with counterpoint guitar soloing to illustrate the band’s technical brilliance. In a run that overflowed with fantastic jams, this one stood out for its uniqueness and cool. Trey said at the end, “We hope it was as much fun for all of you as it was for us,” and it was.

“Don’t knock it till you try it, as they say,” he chuckled, as the band launched into “Stash.” The light patterns oscillated into a steady rhythm, and the song invited its usual heavy crowd participation. While the “Thread” jam was a voyage into uncharted territory, the consistency of this beautifully articulated “Stash” brought us back into the known. To return to our tennis analogy, Phish went from sliding backhand volleys at the net to ripping forehands from the baseline. The jam was impeccable: energetic, wicked hot, tight as a knot. We have both seen many renditions of “Stash,” and we agreed that this was one of the best in recent memory.

Next came a fun, groovy “555.” This Mike fan favorite captured some of the essence of the run, which felt very Mike-forward. As an aside, Suzy had noticed an increase in the band playing bluegrass tunes, which led her to wonder if Mike has been taking a more prominent role in song choices. Then, during this run, it was easy to observe the frequency of Mike acting as conductor, gesticulating to his band mates. We also appreciated how his melodically dynamic bass playing added innovative touches to every song.

When the band played the first strains of “Walk Away,” we looked at each other with mouths agape and then proceeded to jump up and down with glee, like pretty much everyone around us. This was an ace, then an ace, then another ace - absolutely crushed it. As Page sang the opening lyrics, we were grinning and giggling and gyrating, and the exuberance was maintained for the full glorious six minutes of the song. The bust outs this run were pretty legendary. The first night had “Spanish Moon,” the second night had “I Am the Walrus,” and then “Walk Away.” Insanely high energy, lofting us into the heights. What a set ender!

But . . .

Ahem . . .

As the expression goes, “if you don’t have something nice to say, it is better not to say anything at all.” That will be our approach for “Drift While You’re Sleeping” - a disappointing end to the first set that signaled a possible momentum change.

We needn’t have been concerned, because the second set was, in our opinion, one of the best - if not the best set - of the run. There is always something bittersweet about the band returning to the stage for the final set of a three night run. The lyrics of the opener “Set Your Soul Free” met the moment:

I'm trying to share

What it's all about

Let the music do the talking

It'll help you out

Stay up for days

Don't get down

Roll with the funk now

Turn it around

This song epitomized the connection between the band and the crowd, and among us in the audience. From the lyrics to the layers of major chords to the criss-crossing rays of light that transitioned into disco ball cascades, bliss bubbled across the crowd. We really love when they jam this song out. At recent shows, they have saved the major jams for the second song of the second set, but they gave “SYSF” a generous and magnificent sixteen minutes.

Just as they seemed to be winding down, they instead shifted into an unexpectedly lovely jam. The sinewy flow of the guitar, piano, and bass then morphed into a rhythmic sequence punctuated by Fishman’s cymbals. They accelerated again, cresting a final wave before sweeping into the final bars.

We were already “in the zone;” 18 shot rallies were concluding in our favor.

And then, “Tweezer.”

The song we were discussing at length prior to the show. There had to be a “Tweezer.”

It was everything we craved. How they brought the energy and sustained it for this absolutely epic 30 minute “Tweezer” - the longest on this tour - after that set opener was mind boggling. It was quintessential Phish: tight, funky, complex, multifaceted. The interplay between Trey and Mike was riveting to watch and to hear. An arc toward the sublime launched us into an ethereal stratosphere. Then, a steady build, driving and pulsating as the light rigs descended and started to send spirals into the crowd. The mix of speed and precision was heady; they played so hard that it ventured into the realm of the superhuman. Perfect synchronicity yielded an ecstatic release.

As “Tweezer” came to a close, there was a brief, alien transmission sound from the loop pedal that Trey maintained through the transition to and first verse of “Ghost.” Trey was playing with power and purpose, and brought an edgy quality to the jam. At one point, bathed in the glow of yellow and orange, they started to unfold into something mellower before bringing it back into an electrifying, scorching final two minutes of the jam.

The excitement was already at an incomparable level. They were straight up dominating the match. When they began to play “Golden Age,” we were amazed at how they found exactly the right tune to sustain the momentum without stretching it to its limits. This jam had a jazzier quality without losing the funky undercurrents.

After that mind blowing trio of supremely excellent tunes and jams, they played “A Life Beyond the Dream.” Enough said about that.

It took less than an instant for the crowd to recognize “Slave to the Traffic Light,” and the smiles spread from ear to ear. CK5 was prepared with projections of intersecting red, yellow, and green circles over the crowd, which was moving as one with each other and the band. It was everything you could wish for out of a “Slave” and more. At just shy of twelve minutes, the band struck the ideal balance between composition and improvisation to close the set.

The three song encore of “Meatstick,” “Turtle in the Clouds,” and “Tweezer Reprise” exceeded expectations in terms of sheer fun. Mike and Trey were at their goofiest as they danced and performed. It was an absolute blast.

As we bask in the aftermath of this run, we want to thank the wonderful people who sat in our section for all three nights, including a rowmate who celebrated his 100th show sporting custom sneakers, a pair of longtime friends like us who met up from Austin and Columbia, and a kind and creative couple from New Jersey. It was great to see friends old and new, and to meet friends of friends.

Game, set, match - we all won in the Queen City.

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