No idea what show you guys were listening to (I see rating right now in the 3s) but Phish laid down another heater tonight.

Life Saving Gun > Steam was a good opener, followed by Mcgrupp. The Line gets dusted off (its a good song dont get the hate) Ocelot also got dusted off, which also gets hate but its really not a song that bothers me. Also its a first set slot. Ya Mar was a welcome treat. Golgi is always a fun time and most events arent planned seemed like a nice bonus

But here we go. This 2nd set is why its a heater. Tube, ASIHTOS and DWD were all sick versions. Pillow jets raged as usual, and a 2001 > Chalkdust 1-2 punch to end it? Sign me up

The gently wheeps is a sick cover that phish always slays and first tube is always a good time. This was a good show, elevated by a sick 2nd set.

Set One: B-
Set Two: A-

Score: 4.20

Ridiculously fun 1 st set full of unexpected songs and capped off by a blistering Most Events Aren’t Planned closer which perfectly encapsulated the unpredictable nature of the songs which preceded it.

The opening notes of Tube for the second set, laid an inconspicuous foundation for what was to come. What unfolded was nothing less than a masterpiece of a set. Ignore the set list and do yourself a favor, actually listen. Jealous, I wasn’t there but happy for those that were.

McGrupp is always a treat. The MEAP to close the 1st set went somewhere I didn't expext and got pretty heavy. The Tube was impeccable; it was jammed just enough, but the ASIHTOS was bliss. I'm gonna be listening to that one back again multiple times. D>7>D had its moments for sure. All in all, solid night.

Set 2 is classic. As a 4.0 phan, this show definitely in consideration as one of the more “had to be there” shows in recent memory.

For Set1, that McGrupp was a great surprise and set the tone for thr rest of the night- that everything was on The Line…. But that Golgi and Most Events to end are heavy hitting!

Attendance bias I am sure, but s2 really smoked and the call back -7 is just something you can’t skip!!

2001 dance fest- duh. Always!

Into that CDT was fun build up and set mood for a fiery finish with Guitar gently weeps and the energy inducing First Tube. Solid show. Set 2 truly delivers but they go there in set 1… just listen to the show is all I am trying to say!!!

another great show. this one’s for the “quality-over-quantity” crowd—no jams over 20 minutes but the second set packed a ton of great improvisation and amazing energy.

a note on the first set: as i saw mentioned in the setlist thread, this first set was a bit sleepy, as it were. mcgrupp is always amazing to hear, but besides that there isn’t much to write home about in this frame. the energy seemed fairly low, to be frank; as my show partner @colforbin310 put during the set, it felt “like a festival day set than a saturday night arena show.”

but who cares about all that? not me man. because that second set absolutely ripped.

in yesterday’s show recap, @thewatchfulhosemaker used baseball as an analogy for phish. i will build off that here. tonight’s show was as if your favorite baseball team gave up 2 runs early in the game and looked a bit lost at the plate for a few innings. then, suddenly, in the bottom of the 5th, they get a big extra base hit to put a guys on second (the absolutely awesome tube jam), then hit a monster 2-run second-deck homer to tie the game (a searing, face-melting, roof-raising ASIHTOS).

after that, they just break the game wide open. DWD -> -7 verse > DWD was sweet, pillowjets got deep despite its short duration, and 2001 featured a standout second jam with some intoxicating interplay between trey and page. the Chalkdust was another monster home run just for good measure; machine-gun trey reared his head and injected the united center with a shot of pure adrenaline. cap it off with While My Guitar Gently Weeps > First Tube encore and you’ve got yourself a nice win. great show, despite a lackluster first frame.

I know I’ll probably get roasted for this, but hey—that’s just, like, my opinion, man.

The energy in the first set was a total roller coaster. “McGrupp” and “The Events”? Absolutely dialed in—definite highlights. But the rest? Kinda felt like filler, to be honest.
And I’ve gotta say it: I’m just not feeling a lot of Trey’s newer material. Yeah, some of the songs are pretty, sure—but they’re not the kind of tunes I come to a Phish show to boogie to. These newer Trey Band crossovers feel like a shift away from the wild, layered jams we grew up on and into something simpler… maybe too simple. Dare I say it—boring.

And let’s not dance around it: Trey’s voice has never exactly been the band’s secret weapon. So when he leans into these slow ballads, it really puts a spotlight on… well, let’s call it what it is—not his strength.

Then we hit “Pillow Jets” in the middle of the second set. And man… just no. It’s already hotter than a camel’s backside in that indoor sweat lodge, we’re packed in with no room to move—and that’s when you bust out a sleepy slow-burner time for a bathroom break in the middle of the 2nd set, come on....

I mean, I get it—Trey’s gotta follow his muse, and that’s cool. Do your thing. But when I show up for Phish, I’m hoping for a dance party, “Pillow Jets” just drained the whole vibe for me. Total setlist speed bump.

Anyway, that’s my take. If you loved, it? Right on man, but if not, sorry man! We always have the Sunday Show!

Edited down from the home page recap that I had the pleasure of writing:

https://phish.net/blog/1753043209/chicago-2-recap-clowns-and-aliens-in-michael-jordans-house.html />
“Life Saving Gun” gets its first ever shot at opening a show, continuing the rave pace established by the first hour of last night’s second set. Though not quite as revelatory as the standout version from Columbus a week and a half ago, LSG is an invitation to step into the psychedelic murk almost immediately, showcasing the throbbing, muscular rhythm section that’s been exciting us all tour long, upping the ante with atmospheric synths, and constantly propelling forward. An excellent, improvisatory set opener that feels like the band is picking up where they left off in last night’s entry.

“Steam” is in the two-slot. By the end of the track, the set’s unique energy is beginning to manifest. Last night Phish came to town red hot and looking to prove something, and tonight they’re so hyper-relaxed that it feels like they live here now and are playing a club gig. The rest of the set plays out like the antithesis of any other rock band’s sold-out Saturday night arena rock concert, leaning on rare tracks instead of greatest hits, embracing a cool, confident downtempo energy, and projecting an overall palette that’s more reminiscent of an outdoor Phish set than an indoor one. We’ll gladly take the glorious A/C though.

Next up is the always welcome “McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters”–another sort of languid pick, but massively appreciated for its beauty, technical precision, and whimsical transportive energy. After a brief but glorious visit to Gamehendge, we find ourselves back on planet Earth in a basketball stadium in which Phish has decided to play their only basketball-themed track “The Line” for the first time in many years. Most people didn’t like this song back when it was in the rotation, and I’m not sure how many people like it now, but I’m appreciating that the band is dusting off all of these Fuego-era tracks and paying reverence to the period of Phish that felt very special when it was happening.

“Seven Below” continues the theme of rare, downtempo, but very welcome selections–further dialing in this set’s consistent mood. Instead of going into the verse, the band accidentally kicks straight into the instrumental bridge from the intro, skipping all vocals, and ripping past the song into the solos. This is the kind of risk that presents itself in a set where the band relies on lesser utilized material–there are simply too many songs to keep it all well-rehearsed and to intuit every change. Instead of stumbling, however, the band confidently moves forward together, resulting in the second improvisatory highlight of the set. Though largely type 1, the winter-y shuffle of -7 finds similar ground with the skittering rave-like beats that were so successful last night, and the band delivers a compelling peak.

“Ocelot” and “Ya Mar” glow with a carefree outdoor summer aura, both lesser played tracks in the current catalog that fit right into this set’s whole situation. I’m really enjoying how individualistic and understated this show has been so far, but I’m also starting to think that the energy is perhaps starting to dip a little too low.

“Mountains in the Mist” is not what I was hoping for at this moment, and the crowd also seems to deflate. This track can be such a special and ethereal part of a Phish show, providing a crystalline moment that serves as a gentle hush to counterbalance the constant overstimulation. It feels misspent in this moment, when they’ve already turned the dial down a good amount.

Possibly sensing that they’ve gone a bit too catatonic, Trey wrangles the set back together with a peppy “Golgi Apparatus”, a choice well received by the audience. It’s probably the most recognizable Phish track of the set so far, and feels absolutely triumphant, even with a little bit of slop.

“Most Events Aren’t Planned” nicely wraps a bow around the set, beginning in a confidently cool, relaxed, nowhere-in-particular-to-be sort of space that perfectly tethers it to the preceding set, before sending everything back out again into the stratosphere with one final rave-up.

In front of a nearly sold out Saturday night audience, Phish delivered a knotty, mellow set, almost completely devoid of greatest hits, leaning into an almost leisurely energy. Prior to the summer tour, people both in my social circle and on the forums were complaining about the song selection and set construction getting stale, leading towards shows becoming somewhat predictable. This set is wildly exciting from a song selection standpoint, and notable for its coherency of vibes. It’s not necessarily a set I’ll be revisiting often, but one that was unique, laser focused on a mood, and full of surprising songs that even the most diehard of fans haven’t seen in a few years. Overall it was a pretty ballsy move for Phish to deliver that particular set to the Saturday night crowd in the biggest arena show they’ll play all summer. When you think they’re going to zig, they always zag.

Continuing to craft a unique narrative, set two kicks off with “Tube”, which surprisingly hasn’t opened a second set since 10/30/2010. And to that I ask myself: “what took you so damn long to figure out that this is the perfect set opener?” On a personal level, with this play, “Tube” regains its status as my most seen Phish track. I’ve been fortunate to be a firsthand witness to the resurgence of the track, attesting to the revelations unleashed in the Chula Vista ’16 version, proudly getting to see that idea solidify and expand at The Baker’s Dozen the next summer, and then become one of the most exciting features of just about every show it appears in.

This “Tube” is perhaps even more special, it feels like this is a moment they’ve been building up to for several years. After the initial funk jam, they lock into a little situation, collectively latching onto a brief melody to make sure that all members are cruising the cosmos in sync, before returning to the funk center, now whizzing off with loopers and effects, with Gordon robustly loping about, all the while Fishman is keeping it absolutely grooving with breakneck dance beats. They lock into a shift into major key territory, Fishman keeping the tempo animated, alternating between a lockgroove and fluttering fills. The collective direction leads towards a huge, church-like, gospel-inflected, uplifting peak, with Fishman maintaining the propulsive pace throughout, eventually escalating the tempo, Gordon feeling so visceral and strong throughout, and all members feeling fully realized and heard. They soar into a triumphant space, somewhat reminiscent in tone to the esteemed “Chalkdust Torture” from Camden ‘99, before shredding it up to another blistering white-light peak, increasing the tempo even further, and transitioning on a dime into the ending of “Tube.” The band comes to a full stop, wrapping up (and stat nerds please correct me if I’m wrong) the third longest “Tube” in history, and one of the more improvisationally substantial versions ever played. SOOOOOOOO STUPENDOUS LIVING IN THIS TUBE. Dear Phish, please keep this in mind when opening future sets. Thank you for your consideration!

“A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing” is the next card drawn - a selection that’s unfortunately becoming all too rare in the catalog, but clearly has some serious Chicago-area energy, with some of its other recent entries including Alpine Valley ‘24 and United Center ‘23. Like the hallowed Baker’s Dozen version, this ASIHTOS quickly dips into murky waters, unsettling waves, and all of the other bad ocean metaphors you could possibly think of at 4:00AM when trying to efficiently recap the Phish show. I often refer to this style of Phish as “the clown portal”, and my face is starting to hurt from the sh*t-eating grin on my face, thrilled to bear witness to the wormhole opening up yet again.

I’ve noticed that in 2025, Phish has put an emphasis at creating disquieting, “evil Phish” moments through atonality, or rather absolutely wrecked sounding, completely inharmonic playing. It’s been a very positive development. Things continue through a creepy, gooey, carnivalesque space as Mike locks into yet another sinewy groove, as Trey masterfully drives the clown car, teetering on the edge of insanity, maintaining an ecosystem of loops while slithering and flitting over non-recursive atmospheres with cheeky, finger-wagging play. Page cues up some shimmering synths, and things sputter into controlled chaos as the UFO hovers over the Madhouse on Madison, abducting us all and whisking us away to a faraway planet for our bodies to be examined in a land where clown metaphors and alien metaphors live in perfect harmony. It’s getting pretty spooky in here, so it’s time to say bye bye to the alien overlords and close the clown portal. The band collectively finds their way into a major key passage, recalling some of the more gospel-y predilections from the preceding “Tube”, but this time presented in a hazier fashion, and while still delivered at a brisk pace, a bit more staccato than danceable, soon reaching a shreddy peak with chittering piano tones serving as a counterpoint to Trey’s deeply effected guitar. The idea comes to a natural conclusion, transitioning into feedback and noise, and a gnarly little intro into “Down with Disease” with some well-placed Fishman samples.

In a night that has been rife with perplexing setlist calls and rarities, this is the first time that it truly feels like a Saturday night Phish show. The band triumphantly blazes through DWD in grand fashion, confidently brimming with elegance and athleticism, very similar in feel to a certain beloved championship Bulls team, forever in our hearts, dribbling down the court, shooting baskets, expertly darting around their opponents, and dazzling with every moment. They aren’t going anywhere in particular, just wonderfully cycling through brief melodic and rhythmic ideas all within the framework of DWD, with Page standing out for his shimmering synths keeping the supremely psychedelic contingency of this set going strong, and Fishman finding another opportunity to showcase more of the rave onslaught energy he’s been bringing all tour. At about 13 minutes, Trey locks into “Dave’s Energy Guide”-like King Crimson-like riffing, as Mike briefly falls into a glorious descending riff for just one satisfying moment, before collectively and quite surprisingly transitioning back into “Seven Below,” albeit in a different key. The idea is very well implemented by both Trey and Mike, but a little bit clunky from Page and Fishman. It’s very well received in the stadium though, the crowd thrilled about Phish’s humorous act of retribution: an admission that they may have had a bit of a whoopsie moment earlier, but that they’re still totally in control of the situation. You gotta love it. After singing the verse of “Seven Below”, they quickly pivot back into the DWD-jam space, before concluding the track, also in a different key than usual, and a bit sloppy as well, but earnest, lovely, and positively thrilling.

It has been an absolutely pummeling and unrelenting Phish set so far, and in the ballad slot (in five sets of quotations), we’re so lucky to get “Pillow Jets.” Before a run of shows, people often make little lists of the songs they want to see, often shooting for the moon asking for their first “Forbin > Mockingbird”, “Harpua”, or “Dinner and a Movie”, but for this run I wasn’t asking for anything too lofty… I just wanted to see my first “Pillow Jets.” The song unfolds a lot like “McGrupp” in many ways, with its soft prog energy, fantastical themes, beautiful harmonies, and an atmosphere that shifts between delicate and powerful. The real reason I wanted to see this song though is that it has become a sort of “Split Open and Melt”-lite and provides an invitation back into the Dark Carnival where we can re-visit our smiling friends in the clown portal. After a few minutes of glorious, soupy, slow motion, cyborgian play, Trey kicks into some siren-y loops, Page moves into more synthetic territory, while the rhythm section playfully pulls at all of the seams, culminating in an intoxicating, disorienting, headbanging choogle, before taking us from the circus and back into the alien abduction in the form of “2001.”

I recently listened to an episode of the HF Pod where the hosts were bemoaning 4th quarter “2001” placements. While I love the podcast a lot, and think the hosts have a lot of interesting things to say, Phish’s play tonight is forcing you all to actively reconsider your position. After such an atmospheric, psychedelic, mind-plumbing set, “2001” was the most appropriate call to tie it all together. This version features excellent play throughout, with every band member playfully pushing out just a bit further than a normal take - prominently featuring masterful implementation of atonality, both in cleaner tones and deeply-effected ones. Though not one of the all-time great performances of the track, this one is brimming with personality and only served to enhance and unite the set’s psychedelic energy, rather than kill the set as our lovable friends at HF Pod suggest it often does.

Continuing the absolutely unrelenting, preposterous vibes of this set, Phish rages into arguably their greatest track “Chalkdust Torture”. It is FULLY SATURDAY NOW! It might’ve taken the whole show to entirely get there, but here we are, and it feels really, REALLY good. One of the most versatile songs in the canon, tonight’s take is purely shred-tastic, another chance to showcase the ferocity and athleticism I’ve been suggesting throughout. It’s absolutely manic, sending the set into chaos, sheer madness at a heart attack pace, capping off an absolutely thrilling and cohesive set of Phish music.

For the encore, Phish reminds us all that we’re indeed at a rock and roll concert and it’s not all kooky clowns versus creepy aliens, delivering a searing and respectful version of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” And if that wasn’t enough for you, how about a dusty, bubbling “First Tube” to cap it all off. At the end of the night, we meet up with our corn friends and non-corn friends for a quick chat. A friend shows off this weekend’s poster, one that perfectly reflects the carnivalesque funhouse on display during the greatest moments of the second set.

Thus concludes yet another very fun, very wow, very inspired night of music. This is the kind of show that seems likely to be underappreciated for a long time: not an absolutely top tier show, but one that is brimming with personality and swagger. The two sets each have their own sense of purpose and are particularly coherent: each its own little universe with distinct musical themes and narratives explored. It’s not going to win people over with its kind of fugly looking setlist or its lack of a tentpole 20+ minute jam, but will be quietly hallowed by fans who are seeking something a little different, something a bit off the beaten path, a show with a distinctly different feel than the tour surrounding it. What an absolute joy to attend. We’re so incredibly fortunate to have the pleasure to do this together. Can’t wait for tomorrow night (tonight when you’re reading this). See you all there!

I know I’ll probably get roasted for this, but hey—that’s just, like, my opinion, man.

The energy in the first set was a total roller coaster. “McGrupp” and “The Events”? Absolutely dialed in—definite highlights. But the rest? Kinda felt like filler, to be honest.
And I’ve gotta say it: I’m just not feeling a lot of Trey’s newer material. Yeah, some of the songs are pretty, sure—but they’re not the kind of tunes I come to a Phish show to boogie to. These newer Trey Band crossovers feel like a shift away from the wild, layered jams we grew up on and into something simpler… maybe too simple. Dare I say it—boring.

And let’s not dance around it: Trey’s voice has never exactly been the band’s secret weapon. So when he leans into these slow ballads, it really puts a spotlight on… well, let’s call it what it is—not his strength.

Then we hit “Pillow Jets” in the middle of the second set. And man… just no. It’s already hotter than a camel’s backside in that indoor sweat lodge, we’re packed in with no room to move—and that’s when you bust out a sleepy slow-burner time for a bathroom break in the middle of the 2nd set, come on....

I mean, I get it—Trey’s gotta follow his muse, and that’s cool. Do your thing. But when I show up for Phish, I’m hoping for a dance party, “Pillow Jets” just drained the whole vibe for me. Total setlist speed bump.

Anyway, that’s my take. If you loved, it? Right on man, but if not, sorry man! We always have the Sunday Show!

Really fun night at the UC! Vibes were high and the boys were locked in.

First set flow could've been better but the song selection all worked. Instrumental Seven Below and MEAP is what you'll come back to but McGrupp, The Line, and Golgi were all well done.

Tube through DwD is silly good. ASIHTOS is always underrated and love seeing that song continue to get legs. Not gonna harp on Pillow Jets as it got interesting toward the end and did fine as a segue into 2001. Open or close, Chalkdust works in any spot.

Seen better versions of WMGGW and 1st Tube but never going to complain with either of those as encores and left us riding high into Sunday.

Only notable criticism from the show is that it was one of the weaker CK5 performances in recent memory, particularly the front half of the first half set. Seemed like there was some brightness balancing issues too for the arena.

Show Rating: 3.8
Performance Ranking: 1 - Fishman 2- Page 3 - Trey 4 - Mike