Right after a great show in Charlotte, it was going to be hard to outdo that beast of a show. Nevertheless, we got a fun Saturday night show on the first night of MPP.

The first set started off nicely with Undermind, a song that I am always down with. Undermind is followed by an excellent Tube that shifts into full out rock mode before concluding as usual. Funky Bitch is a nice rocker. Steam is our first true jam of the night, and it takes us to some cool places in its 10 minute duration. My Sweet One and NICU are nice classics, and our first and only GOTF song comes with Friend. NMINML features an excellent little jam which really got me going and energized after being relatively low key at the beginning of the set. Horse > Silent kept the energy going. Bowie was awesome to see in person, and the energy of both this version and the audience was incredible. I assumed the set would be over after Bowie, but instead we get Coil, the icing on an already delicious cake. Overall, I really enjoyed the first set.

The second set was not as consistent and exciting as the first set, but it certainly had its moments. Ghost was a great way to open the set, and even at just 14 minutes, this is quite the version. Give it a listen, you won’t be disappointed. I was surprised to see Axilla in the second set, but it kept the energy going with its rock and roll. Set Your Soul Free is another jam in the second set. The band really catches on a nice groove, and it gives way for WTU. During WTU, I really appreciated the quiet and had somewhat of a religious moment as I soaked the emotion in. You really have to be there for WTU to appreciate it.

From here on out is where the second set became rather odd. Billy Breathes is nice to hear, but WTU already acted as somewhat of a slower, more chill song. DDHVL was cool, but felt a little out of place not being after a huge jam. BDTNL was ok, pretty much confirmed most of the jamming was done for the night. Hood is the biggest highlight of the late second set bunch. Even for a rather short version, there is quite a bit going on here. Rise/Come Together and Golgi close the set in typical fashion. Bug > Zero was the encore, place erupted for Zero.

Overall, while this show will not go down is history as one of Phish’s greatest shows, I had a lot of fun at this show. Though there wasn’t a lot of jamming and the second set was questionable at times, those who were there certainly enjoyed the high energy rock and roll this show provided. Tomorrow is going to be awesome!