IT colloquially and fondly is known as THE MOTHERSHIP, auguring that all who board her—when PHISH is at the helm—are ABOUT TO BLAST OFF and inter-galactically traverse the universe accompanied by an acidfunkadelic, soul-energizing soundtrack.

Last night was Phish’s first performance at the Hampton Coliseum in nearly seven years (see 10/21/2018 with its must-hear “Simple”), yet their music once again gracefully filled and elevated the legendary room, as if only days and not years had passed.

Although comparisons between Phish and The Grateful Dead (or, heaven forfend, “The Dead”) are to be scorned and disdained with the most extreme prejudice, last night’s performance by Phish is an achievement in IMPROVISATIONAL ROCK MUSIC HISTORY: with their twenty-second (22nd) show at the Coliseum, Phish surpassed The Grateful Dead’s twenty-two (22) total performances there between 1979 and 1992, including the (Formerly the) Warlocks shows on October 8 and 9, 1989 (a mere two days after this n00b first saw, and began to suck at, the Phish).

Now, that said, Jerry Garcia played the Coliseum with his Band twice, on 11/9/91 and 11/19/93 (must hear “Shining Star”), and so tomorrow on Sunday night Phish will match Jerry’s 23-show total.

The “Fluffhead” opener harked back of course to 3/6/2009, Phish’s return after the breakup period and Trey’s sobriety, a gift of unfathomable value to us all that keeps on giving show after show after show. The “46 Days” that followed was stunningly psyche-dark-elic or “evil Phish,” as They say, with Trey leading ominously from the jam’s very beginning through its customary conclusion.

“My Friend My Friend” was yet again (thankfully) an improvisational voyage, this time with a Floydian spirit, that after a key modulation slowly dissolved into a beset-by-creatures-of deep space puddle. During the thickest part of the jam, my friend my friend Marcie felt Mike’s bass in the seats. Indeed, throughout the evening, Mike seemed glad glad glad to be back in the Coliseum, filling it as only his bass can. [Editor’s Note: It is unknown if this deadly knife fight outside of the Coliseum occurred during MFMF or not.]

“Rift” was the 316th performance of “Rift,” and as it felt like the ten thousandth performance to me, I rested my weary shit-ass upon my seat.

“Gumbo” was fantastic, yet another groovy happy funktastic version that was charming and I expect will readily make its jamchart (by the way if you’ve not heard the jamcharts team now thankfully has seven members, with Brian “HFPod” Brinkman having recently joined us, as discussed on this HFPodcast beginning about 46 minutes in). You probably heard Trey literally teasing “Norwegian Wood” a few times between 7:57 and 8:22 or so, but this is a perfect example of the literal tease of part of a song’s melody line (in this case its first measure), but because it’s not a complete musical quote of the melody, we do not note it as a “tease” in the setlists.

The second quarter began with a cromulent “Pebbles and Marbles,” and then a bust-out of “Army of One” (last performed on July 26, 2023 (107 shows ago)), which n’er fails to remind me of, and giggle at, the rec.music.phish and phish.net user SirChanDestroy, as I run to join the sweaty, moist, and disgusting throng in the closest bathroom line.

The first set concluded with unremarkable (average-fine) versions of “Ya Mar,” “The Wedge,” and the first “Walls of the Cave” first-set-closer since oh ::fingers beard, gazes blankly:: weeks and weeks ago, at Friday’s SPAC show—also the first of three gigs at the same venue. At least the first set was vastly superior to that at Alpha2 amirite.

Second set began with the first “Energy” since 8/2/2023 MSG, a stellar performance of the song arguably equaled, if not exceeded, in majesty by last night’s bedazzlingly hypnotic version. About ten minutes or so into it, my friend my friend Jon Harris turned to me and yelled, PAGE ON THE RHODES THIS MUCH MAKES ME VERY VERY HAPPY. As it does me. And then “Tweezer.”

As many if not most of you know who are bothering to read this, there is pretty much nothing I can say about a performance of “Tweezer” that I have not, at one time or another o’er the course of the last thirty-one (31) god damn years, already said, or written. Suffice it to say that, once again, Phish performed an “N/R” version, i.e. it is not ratable, as it is incomparable with “average-great” or “above average-great” or “below average-great” versions given its spell-bindingly variegated improvisation that at times may be compelling, or dogshit, or among the most awe-inspiring jams that have e’er trumpeted your soul into the light and stars and dust of the cosmos, wherefrom every molecule of you was born. Yes, at times, it was that Good, and it was even “finished” with a return to “Tweezer’s” theme before Trey began “Ruby Waves.”

Many of us cannot help but mock the lyrics of RW, because, well, but no one disputes that Phish routinely Brings IT in jamming this tune. In fact one might even wonder whether nearly every version of this tune going forward will be jamcharted as remarkable and “above average-great,” which is absurd if only because the concept of “average-great” then loses whatever silly meaning it had in the first place. Whatever. If you’re a fan of this song, by all means hear it for yourself.

The NMINML that followed was “solid” to be sure but the tight, seemingly out-of-nowhere drop back into “Tweezer” was FUCKING SSIIIIIIIICK!!!!!!!!! and, apropos of the moment, the room EXPLODED SURPRISED BY JOY, as the tapers’ recordings will no doubt capture, THANK YOU TAPERS!

And then everyone got to rest with “Waste,” one of the band’s most beloved ballads and a song covered by Dave Matthews for Mockingbird’s Sharin’ in the Groove double-CD of Phish covers decades ago that continues to earn real money every month for the Foundation.

The fourth quarter then concluded with a good “Rock & Roll,” with bonus “all right’s,” before Phish punished everyone for spending their hard-earned time and money to see them with the second “FuckerBug” in Phish history (the first having been performed at SPAC on 7/1/2016 after a must-hear, symphonic CDT), and the first “FuckerBugTweeprise” (E), a huge fuck-you to the fans, that all present were nevertheless OVERJOYED by because we were all rightfully grateful to have been fortunate enough to attend another performance by one of the greatest improvisational rock bands in the history of recorded music. See you tonight? -$0.02 charlie

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