[We would like to thank Michael Leigh and Loretta Leigh (@Mcquinn and @Llama2Boot) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

Phish’s last show on January 28 was in 1990. So, that made tonight kinda special. It’s hard to get a January 28 show.

The day was the usual Day 1 chill. People still arriving, people running into annual Mexico friends or others they’ve not seen since their last show. So many of us glad to get out of the bitter cold in the States. Even if the temps here are on the cooler side, 72F is still 50+ degrees warmer than where my wife and I came from.

All were wondering what would come tonight. Some new songs? "Real Me" and "Mindless Mood" were road tested with TAB’s last tour, but would they make the jump? Would we get some Mexico debuts? Would we get a Bobby tribute at all? We were treated to a great 22-minute-ish "Theme from the Bottom" for soundcheck yesterday (Jam, “My Soul,” “Theme,” ran about an hour total with the full band). That followed Trey playing drums by himself for almost 2 hours until the others joined him for soundcheck. Would that be the best "Theme" of the weekend?

So, Bobby shorts and lavender polo donned (Wednesday was leg day for the guys - a wardrobe I regretted later) we parked ourselves under the palms where we always land.

Night One in Mexico didn’t so much begin as it detonated—in the best way. After a day (and for many, several days) of missed flights, frozen plans, and that low-grade, modern anxiety humming beneath everything—the state of the world, our jobs, the endless blah blah blah—we hit the ground running with an opener that felt both unexpected and exactly right. “hey stranger” came slinking out of the palms and my group joined the larger murmurings of those around us celebrating the call.

Funky, welcoming, and immediately grounding, it was the antidote we didn’t know we were waiting for. This was the perfect boogie for shaking off the icicles: loose but precise, joyful without trying too hard. By the time the second song landed—an early “The Moma Dance,” as expected, everything had snapped into focus. As “Moma” closed Trey immediately flicked into “Back on the Train,” and the band kept the groove tight and we gave a collective nod to finally being able to laugh about all of the travel woes and nonsense of the past week.

The band’s musical welcome done, Trey said welcome and we all said welcome back, and whatever had tried to follow us to Mexico from whatever else was going on in our lives had been left behind.

Phish felt it, too, it seemed, and the opening notes of “Roggae” sounded. We felt the first breath of spaciousness of the evening with the always beautiful “Roggae” unfolding in its melodic patience and warmth and whimsy. I love “Roggae,” which always feels right at Mexico. A tune which seems like all love but also feels, somehow, unheralded.

“Sand” was expected and placed just right - Trey hit the jam siren early and the groove deepened and expanded for the first time tonight.

Earlier in the day, a buddy commented that we need to bring back “Breath and Burning” at Mexico and we delighted in the bust out. A choicely-placed comfort song.

“Sigma Oasis” was short, and when they started I was hoping they would stretch it out a bit, but instead we were treated to a new tune after all, “Fling Your Head.” I was wondering if I was so out of touch with Mike songs that I just couldn’t recall what it was and was delighted when I asked someone who confirmed this is a new song indeed. It was a typical Mike-like song, funky and silly.

I love “Chalk Dust Torture.” I mean, everyone loves “Chalk Dust,” and it was straight-up party time, as always, when it came roaring out. Here I’ve gotta pause because it was one of my best bud’s 47th birthday last night, and he walked in having seen 46 “CDTs.” 47 on 47 is one of those Dot Net nerdy things that we all reveled in. Ha! HBD @swifty!

Phish threw down a hot 16-minute “CDT.” A nice rocking, “typical” Chalkdusty style, and as Trey brought it roaring back around for the white lights and chorus I found myself doing the delicate dance of trying to get my Bobby jorts off and pants on behind the ADA/Medic tent. Jorts in one hand, pants halfway on, belting out “can I live while I’m young,” a rocking-ass “CDT” set closer was the most fitting nod to Bobby. I felt on top of the situation.

“Waves” welcomed us back and I felt a patient, exploratory mood setting in.

Trey signals the opening note of “Fuego” and, to me, it was a perfect call. “Fuego” can be anything, and by about the 10-minute mark, as usual, the band was starting to break free of (and break down) the song. Mike, Trey, and Jon land in a propulsive groove and Trey starts layering guitar licks while Page kept the background sonic landscape in place. Nice little funk-rock groove that continues to the end when Trey brightens the mood at about minute 21 toward “No Men in No Man’s Land.” Great placement, and when it burst forth the mood brightened on the beach and I looked around and smiled. After all these years we’re still just a bunch of friends still hanging out together outside, dancing to rock and roll.

As “NMINML” ended, everyone took a quick breath, band too, and the real treat of the night for me and mine came with “Mercury.” I’ve lamented the relatively short “Mercurys” of late, wishing they would really stretch it out more often, and tonight’s had that ‘click’ moment at about minute 10 where it did start to feel different. At 11:30 in, the mood darkened briefly before Trey hits on quick, bright licks and the band follows along into a bright, popping jam that continues into the 20-minute mark, and then it picks up tempo and builds to its triumphant conclusion with a straight up rock-n-roll ending.

We can hear the band searching for what’s next and Mike makes the call: out of the dissonance he breaks into the bass line for “Boogie On Reggae Woman.” REALLY nice friggin’ call.

“Backwards Down the Numberline” followed for all those celebrating birthdays and for the rest of us celebrating with them.

One of my buddies says, “every great show gets 'Zero’d.'” And when the band ripped into “Character Zero,” fists were pumping and the dancing referees in front of me were having a blast. This same buddy, face melted, turns to us with a tear in his eye and said, “I guess every great show does get 'Zero’d.'” And we all BUSTED out laughing.

Before the encore, no offense to anyone, we were guessing and I said it’ll probably be “A Life Beyond the Dream,” but it should be any other slow song. I love “ALBTD,” but it is a little overplayed in the first encore slot - to the detriment of SO MANY beautiful Phish ballads. Tonight we got a treat in “Dog Faced Boy,” and that was followed in an almost full-circle moment when, like “hey stranger” to start, the notes of “Ghost” slinked out of the trees to bring us back home with a little more funk.

As my wife likes to say, it was a real Phish lovers' Phish show. Woot! On to day 2!

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