Flew in from New York to help welcome Phish back to Portland for the first time in over 20 years, and it was worth it. The sound in Moda Center was a bit uneven in the first set, but that might’ve lent the band a feeling of looseness, or at least a little more leeway. Trey seemed to be rushing a little bit at times, perhaps to try and fit as much into the show as possible, but it wasn’t a big distraction. The lengthy 46 Days opener went plenty off-script before rifling back for a monstrous finish. Given the arena’s name and recent trends in mondegreenery, Moma felt like a surefire preshow guess, and it did not disappoint. Other highlights in S1 included a mammoth Sigma Oasis and a nicely placed Antelope right before the S.A.N.T.O.S. closer. S2 was another banger, full of Tweezer references and tease-adjacent sounds, but the feeling in the arena seemed to peak with 2001, sliding out of a righteously funky Boogie On Reggae Woman. Naturally, they nodded toward Mt. Hood with an engulfed Harry Hood to end the second. The Wilson -> Slave encore was a nice way to usher us to the end. All the while, CK5 was bringing Easter and Trail Blazers vibes in the lights, which only got better over time. I have to assume Bill Walton and Pope Francis would’ve enjoyed this one: a happy Easter.