[We would like to thank @Blerzen for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

As I sit on a cushy beach chair on a breezy, sunny, 72 degree morning in Riviera Maya, MX, I ponder the question: is Mexico Phish the ultimate Phish experience? When I last saw Phish in September 2025 back home in Atlanta, the shows were mid-week and I had to work those days. A 40+ minute drive to and from the venue in Alpharetta means staying focused and coherent enough to make it home safely, and knowing work looms the next morning. But those concerns don’t exist here and that lack of stress and the ease of virtually everything makes for a carefree vibe that you don’t get at any other Phish show.

My first time here is off to a great start.

On night 1, guitarist Trey Anastasio wore a $250 t-shirt, but last night he really upped the ante, and the band followed suit and outdid themselves musically with a near perfect show, full of inspired playing, risk taking, and some choice setlist calls.

Night 2 began with a rare “Gumbo” opener. Having opened only 3 shows in the band's history, there were early signs that we were in for an unconventional show. In a nod to Mardi Gras being just a couple weeks away, lighting designer Chris Kuroda lit the stage with purple, green, and gold and the tone was set. The ~12 minute breezy “Gumbo” found the band loose, confident and in an exploratory mood.

Continuing the breezy vibe, “NICU” was up next in the two slot, and the first “Play it, Leo!” of two in the same set.

A gorgeous “Prince Caspian” came next, and everyone singing in unison on the beach in Mexico was a Phish moment I didn’t know I needed. Clocking in at over 12 minutes, the band brought more early first set exploration, getting outside the bounds of a standard Caspian. Trey, drummer Jon Fishman and bassist Mike Gordon locked into a tight groove, while keyboardist Page McConnell added tasteful accents on the Fender Rhodes keyboard, before going synthy and segueing into “Oblivion”.

“Oblivion” gave the band yet another chance to flex their improv muscles. Still in the 1st quarter of the show, it was apparent that the band was completely locked in, and any rust that existed on night 1 was a distant memory. This was a great example of when the jams seem to be playing the band, and they just can’t help but slide into them. 4 songs into the set and 3 of them had effortlessly gone to this beautiful place.

After Oblivion wrapped up, Trey told us we looked beautiful and we all blushed, before telling us the band has a secret joke button on stage, which plays Rodney Dangerfield jokes, according to Fishman.

Trey grabbed an acoustic guitar and the band treated us to a rare “Brian and Robert." The introspective, isolated feelings this song evokes reminded us all how lucky we are to be among a few thousand friends sharing a beautiful collective experience with our favorite band.

After some banter about Fishman telling a prison joke at a previous show, and determining that nobody in the crowd had been there for it, Trey hit the opening notes to “Stash”.

(Note: Phish statistician David Steinberg pointed out that the prison joke occurred in Northfield, MN.)

The “Stash” was a fairly standard version, building to a crescendo of fiery Trey licks before wrapping up.

“Ya Mar” brought back the breezy beach vibes, and the second “Play it, Leo!” of the set.

The always welcome treat “McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters” came next and our crew had a really fun moment, because our friend Joel looks way too much like Dave Matthews. He’s been mistaken for Dave since college and in the three days we’ve been in Mexico, at least half a dozen people approached him and indicated his likeness to that famous Dave. “McGrupp” was played perfectly, with Page shining brightly on the grand piano, before Trey brought it home to wrap up a lovely version.

(Here's Joel rocking an apropos “Ruby Waves” shirt.)

“Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S.” got the nod to put an exclamation point on a first set full of treats and loose jamming.

I’m not sure how to accurately encapsulate set 2 in re-cap format, but I’ll do my best.

Continuing with the ‘beach appropriate’ theme, set 2 began with the one-two punch of “A Wave of Hope” and “Ruby Waves.” Two of their most reliable jam workhorses of the current Phish era, these versions did not disappoint. What’s remarkable about both of these songs is the ease of which they get into the jam, after the brief formality of 3-4 minutes of singing the lyrics.

While the 21+ minute high energy launching pad of “A Wave of Hope” would be the centerpiece jam of almost any other show, the ~29 minute “Ruby Waves” is when they sent us to a galaxy far far away. At around the 15 minute mark, Trey gets into major key white lights territory and then the band slides into a rhythmic jungle, followed by high speed tension without release, the jam then dissolves into demented chaos and further exploration before wrapping it up.

“Lonely Trip” was the perfect soft landing after 50 minutes of musical cliff jumping, and gave everyone a chance to exhale.

Closing the rare and coveted four song second set was “What’s Going Through Your Mind.” The band wasn’t done jamming yet and stretched “WGTYM” out beyond the 14 minute mark, in heavily shredded set closing fashion. Whew.

For the encore, the well earned debut of the new Trey ballad “Dancing in Midair” was up first, before “Run Like An Antelope” got our heart rates back up before heading back to the dance party at the Sunrise pool. What a night.

Three days/two shows into my first Mexico run, and I can safely say that this IS the ultimate Phish experience. When we booked the trip last year, I had no idea how much I would need this reprieve from the daily madness and horrors we’re experiencing back home in the states.

Easy, breezy, beautiful.

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