sick show.

will address the elephant in the room first: the aborted SaSS. that was definitely an unfortunate moment. the segue in was so sweet and considering how they were playing i thought they would take it deep. trey was obviously just not feeling it. it was a strange moment and the audience was clearly disappointed and puzzled. but as a whole show, besides that one blemish, this was one of my favorites that i've seen this tour (deer creek to now).

first set was near perfect as first sets go. no deep type 2 jams, but every single song choice was pretty much perfect. the highlight of the set was the reba: to my ears this might be the best version i have ever seen in person. composed section was nailed and the jam section was incredible. seemed like fish just kept pushing and pushing trey to take it up a notch and trey delivered. unreal. give it a listen. (melt was also an extremely quality version)

i also very much enjoyed set 2, besides the moment discussed above. INNYLTB is a fun opener--i hope they jam this one out one of these days. drowned was very fun to hear and they played a sweet jam along with it. ghost was amazing--it is incredible how much punch they can pack into such a short jam. deep type 2 achieved in just 12 minutes.

speaking of short-but-sweet--the CDT that followed the aborted Scents was absolute fire. just shy of 9 minutes but imo must listen phish. awesome dissonant jamming that sounded almost like it belonged in melt. give this a listen.

this show might get knocked for having no huge marquee jams or for the Scents ripcord; i'd say while i suppose i wish they went deeper at times, there was a high volume of sick jamming and basically not a single bad song choice (on paper at least). YMMV but i loved it

A Perfect Game

At the setbreak, I texted my buddy, “I hope they hop over the baseline on the way to the dugout. Their pitching a perfect game.”

From the get go, Llama in its slow funk half speed rendition woke the crowd. If this is where we are starting. Where the fuck are we gonna end.

The elasticized Tube didn’t stray from it’s frame but continued the faith and focus of this set. Destiny carried the momentum and, again, while staying within the confines of its boundaries, brought more forward progress.

The clear headed play of YaMar escalated to 46 days which peaked numerous times to a cataclysmic release before resonating into Reba.

Passionate play coupled with precision engulfed this Reba, it’s composed section and and chase scene eclipsed the previous version from this tour. Trey’s famed note, calling the beginning to the improvised section was crisp and clear. Culminating in the highest peak of the set, Reba struck its final chord and, sans whistling, soul shakedown party rung through the crowd, throwing everyone off guard.

The beach party funk vibe that had been building throughout the first set exploded in a cathartic epiphany that stretched this gem beyond its typical length. Smiles seemed to abound as the reggae classic was brought to its end.

Split Open and Melt appeared from the abyss and quickly gave way to the improvised section. The turn to a downward spiral though anticipated was still a shock and the deliberate craggy demise was reduced to dust and ash. Set one in the books????! Not quite.

Squirming Coil commences to the delight of the crowd and my buddy (who made the he early call to coil) had been made whole. An inspired ending to and inspired set came as Page regaled the crowd in a slow crawl to coil’s elegant end.

We are on uncharted territory my last perfect game was 2/28/03. There had been some close calls. 6/7/09 for one. But I had not been nervous like this since Who knows when.

I’d been calling Drowned for so many shows I’d been dismissed. So INNULTB was a perfect pump fake. Having caught this gem on Jimmy Fallon a while back, I knew this one could set sail and deliver us from evil.

Though it felt focused for the breakwater, it gave way to DROWNED and Drowned did not disappoint. Patience! Virtue! Control! Dynamic peaks. Drowned delivered the goods. Dark dingy, fearful and full of dread. Drowned did its job. Then Ghost took this show, this set, this tour to epic levels. Decibels, heart rates, pulsations, cryptic messages, they all came tumbling in.

Ghost frightened even the most seasoned spooktacular ghouls. Straying from its body, the eerie mysticism shrouded the crowd in a bright hued funk. Good night governor we shall see you on the Morrow. Ghost delivered Like Whoopi and Demi.

Satisfied that Phish could urinate into my ears and I would happily lap it up, SASS arrived with personal vengeance. Guinness book of world record winner for shorted SASS ever disappeared into the strongest portion of a final frame all tour. CDT/No Quarter/Slave felt like another lifetime from the start of the set.

No Quarter teases abounded in SOAM. So when it appears my wife woke from her stupor to recount that she had called it. Blazing away at the frittering of my mind, No Quarter oozed into Slave which would have closed the final set in some audacious wax…but…NO.

Suzy rings out completing the AC references and Page steps into Mario’s basement to collect an infinite amount of coins. Suzy plays best in the beach walking the edge of the shoreline.

A life beyond a dream is a blessing from the heavens and this humble narrator called it a night until Tweeprise resounded to punctuate an already winning hand.

Thank you very much.

Mahalo Nui,
Matthew

Wow just finished all 3 days of AC on 2nd relisten.
if you search for dark, spacey style phish then all 3 days has it. I dont know if we got cow funk, but we definitely got some sand funk.
Day 2 --Close the Door, Put out the Light !
Its not Vegas, or magnaball or Dicks, phish can bring it anywhere, and what they do best is feeling the vibes of a crowed and creating the sound that fits best. For Atlantic City they nailed it.
No Quarter for me is a great example, this is the song you want on your set list ,I admit seeing this live crushed all expectations. i loved this song for a long time. I really like phish's versions. Dark and haunting space, the sound effects and tempo hits me where it counts. catching this in AC i felt the first line summed up the weekend. Tube, Ghost, i never needed you like this before , brought the funk. Reba brought the heat, drowned brought the bliss.chalkdust went dark.46 days was nasty fun. 2021 phish is fantastic whole tour is off the hook. How they use the effects added so much to the overall sound. SOAM went to the scary place and the crowed loved it. we ended up in a dark section for all 3 set 2,s especially the second night, almost pitch black except the stage. like being in a room with only a candle and some of the most psychedelic sounds i have herd since the 90's. Sole Shake Down party for sure.

This venue might not bring the best light show depending where you choose dance, but the sound and atmosphere was just perfect for Whale calls, funk siren's, 1970'S SPACE TECHNO SOUND EFFECTS. along with some of the dirtiest sand funk you could ask for. During Sand Funk Llama i thought the green men were getting down dancing in the cosmos saying i called it. Yea Right. And Fucking Coil was just right. Damm.

I hope they play on the beach in AC in the future. I think they can improve on beer lines and staffing. but also see this as a big potential for a different phish experience. perhaps often.

not disappointed with tonight’s show at all, second set was definitely more about segues and song choices with sprinkles of exceptional improv, ie the drowned and the Chalk Dust that felt like it came straight out of 1993. very fun. i find the real highlight is in most of the first set, with the Slow Llama, absolutely ripping 46 Days, and a nasty, intergalactic Melt.

Super fun... slightly above average show due to song selection (Soul Shakedown, Reba, Soam, Slow llama), clean Reba, and venue that's incredible, despite it being in AC. Were the jams transcendental, at times. Great music gets made at the most average phish show, and this show will be worth a relisten.

Set 1

Llama opener is one of my favorites, slow version included (and especially in my opinion) It sets the tone for things to come. It getting my whole crew laughing and dancing is an understatement. Pages new effects and treys futuristic wa added so much to this version.

Next up was Tube. Of course this brought a little more pep in my step as it’s a faster song in general. Very trey-centric jam from this one and welcomed with open arms.

Destiny is always welcomed in my eyes. One of Mike’s best. A quick bouncy funky party jam in the middle got people bopping.

Ya mar gave everyone a nice little breather at the perfect time.

46 is always welcomed and celebrated by my crew quick ones like this included. Following quickly behind was reba with a an always beautiful bliss jam.

Soul shakedown party.. what can I say? It’s a classic and where better to play a bob cover than right on the beach with the sand between your toes. Great placement with this one.

The evil that came from Melt was one for the books. Definitley testing the limits of some of the new toys the band accumulated over the past year and a half.

There is something that can be said about a song that brings an entire crowd silent and (weather they admit it or not) their emotions to the surface. Needless to say page sitting up there on the grand at the end of a first set is one of my absolute all time favorite ways to salute this band and get ready for round two.

Set 2

A quick I never needed you like this before lead to an EXPLOSIVE (and I mean that litterally) Drowned. With fireworks going off from behind the stage perfectly placed with peaks of the jam. Very cool and gave a great crowd energy.

A spaced out ghost was next and perfectly placed after the bast off we had of the previous song.

A quick unfinished Scents and subtle sounds was up next then the dance party that always is chaulkdust and a great one to boot. All the myrth beaten workers were stumbling around with their fists in the air.

No quarter was another perfectly placed downtempo. (One of the bands best covers in my opinion) and page does it so well. Pushing the limits of the new gear again.

Round two of the bliss we all love was slave. )Always a favorite in my book.)

Ending the set perfectly and making us all stomp around cracking up at Bobby weaver was Suzy Greenberg. A great way to end such a diverse set.

Encore:

Life beyond a dream gave everyone a nice sway before answering the question everyone had on their mind, Is Tweeprise tonight or tomorrow nights encore? Capping off the show with an always appreciated bang.

The slow Llama really got the vibe high right out of the gate and they followed through with a strong set one. This was my fifth Soul Shakedown Party and by far the best. It was the first time it felt effortless to me and the harmonies were on point. This isn't really a review of the show as much as it's a review of the Soul Shakedown Party. As a huge Wailers fan, I'm a tough critic and they really nailed it this night. One live!

Just wanted to add a funny after-the-fact anecdote about this show.

This being my first show since the pandemic (the last being Fenway 2019), I was excited to say the least and well, I "went for it," as they say. I was way out there, or deep in there, depending on your perspective.

The first half of the second set is the story of someone who lost their life out in the ocean that lapped the beach to our right:

I Never Needed You Like this Before - when you are struggling in water, you've never needed anyone like that before. This person didn't get the help they needed, so they >

Drowned - very sad. Once they passed, this person became a >

Ghost - spooky. How do ghosts often make themselves known? Often, they emit >

Scents and Subtle Sounds - scary. Then, Trey freaked himself out and pulled the ripcord. It's OK...I was pretty freaked out at that point, too.

Enjoy your day.

After speaking extensively with two fellow Phans (Jack and Dan) who attended last nights show and meticulously sharing notes, we have concluded after two hours of internal debate and dialogue that AC is a fun venue, shakedown was non-existent, beach was awesome and the actual shows were B/B-. Between the 3 of us, we have attended well over 100 shows. Big thumbs up for Cherry White Claws and penny slot machines.