“What songs are you hoping to hear tonight?”, my friend asked from the passenger seat on our drive from Michigan to Columbus. As Keller Williams’ acoustic cover of Run Like An Antelope blasted from the stereo, I replied that I’ve reached a point in my Phish fandom where I’m looking more for variety and surprise than for replication of any specific endorphin rush from my past… “But I sure wouldn’t mind getting an Antelope!”

A scan of recent setlists revealed that none of summer tour’s nine previous shows had been graced by the presence of the swift herbivore. I began to sense a tiny thrill of anticipation, that feeling I forgot. Columbus had hosted several memorable moments in Phish history, including the phenomenal Polaris ’99 Birds Of A Feather selected for a “Dinner and a Movie” webcast and the legendary 1994 performance memorialized on Live Phish Volume 10. Tonight marked the band’s first appearance in Ohio’s capital in 25 years, and its first at Ohio State University’s indoor basketball arena.

It turned out to be a show full of interesting song choices, quirky setlist construction, and big jams in surprising places. AC/DC Bag kicked things off with 5 minutes of Bag and 6 minutes of stellar improv, a clear sign the band came to play. Next, Roggae scattered into a tumble of major-key sunbeams, and the first Vultures of 2025 offered the crowd a chance to woo Trey into a broad smile. Martian Monster’s trip was short indeed. Mull, a Mike Gordon original debuted in 2021, delivered a jam so deep and intricate it seemed to surprise even the musicians themselves. Quick takes on Strawberry Letter 23 and Undermind then led to the first Petrichor in three years. I’m a big fan of “Broadway Phish,” and the many musical themes in this 14-minute piece were delivered crisply and cleanly. First set ended with a swirling, stomping, dark and dirty Life Saving Gun, almost 20 minutes’ worth. Very impressive.

To everyone’s surprise, Sample In A Jar opened set two, followed by a 26-minute Wave of Hope. Distinctly different jam segments cascaded one after another until a screaming guitar peak crashed back into the chorus and the crowd erupted into a several-minute ovation. We were hushed by the atmospheric intro to Waiting All Night, a gorgeous ballad from the original Wingsuit suite not played live since 2021. Every member executed the song’s layered vocal parts so sharply, you’d never have guessed it.

The pranksters onstage immediately swerved into the metallic crunch of Axilla (Part II), whose drippy outro bled directly into the musical centerpiece of the evening: A fire-breathing red worm named Piper. Tonight’s performance of the late-‘90s classic was its longest and finest since the band’s reunion in 2009, and the jam maintained explosive momentum across its entire 22 minutes, driven by Jon “The Machine” Fishman’s hairpin rollercoaster percussion. This was Phish at its antigravitational psychic-network best, the kind of playing that recently has so many jaded veterans shaking their heads and admitting the band might be better now than ever. Brisk jaunts through Lonely Trip, Number Line, and Loving Cup felt like a victory lap.

With dopamine surging, I could feel the hooves of my Antelope encore approaching from a mile away, but the band had two more surprises beforehand in the form of Bug and The Mango Song. Finally, Rocco and Marco made their triumphant appearance and carried us across the evening’s finish line at a dead sprint.

What a show. Phish wins again! We emerged into the humid summer night completely satisfied, reassured that Phish *always* wins, and our favorite band’s intent is *still* all for our delight.