This show is a perfect example of Sat night Phish. It is a Saturday night special in the best way possible. It rocks your face. Rocks it stupid. There are no deep exploratory jams. If that is what you need from your phish show, you should listen to last night S2, and from tonight you can skip to Ruby Waves (!!) and Beneath a Sea of Stars Pt 1, with the latter more in order to get a sense of its promise than see it fulfilled.

If you would like to enjoy energetic fun peaking phish, basically a party from top to bottom of a show, and have your face rocked, this show provides that experience. In spades. (Without the Party Time.)

The band comes on a bit earlier than expected, and opens with a classic Mikes > H2O > Groove. Mikes jam opens the show with shredding, and gives us a taste of what’s to come. Hydrogen was beautiful albeit not quite perfectly played. Weekapaug brings a funky Mike segment before more straight ahead rocking and funky rhythms, and shreddy peaks.

Divided Sky recognizing the storms that have passed over Philly and Camden in the last 48 hours. Tomorrow should be a nicer day. Divided rocks face as per usual.

Everything’s Right basically told you how the rest of the show would play out. They have taken ER deep plenty. But not tonight, instead just inspired soulful rocking peaks on peaks. No time to spend in outer space tonight! Guelah > Sparks continue the party vibe instead.

Then Roggae beauty gives way to a headbangingly satisfying 46 Days S1 closer.

Ok. Face rocked, set break reached.

S2 is 10 songs. None are longer than 14 min. Deep breaths everyone: Phish still slayed. Sorry but this is a fact.

Blaze On, thought it would be a Cinnamon Night-length version but instead of going into the unknown, Trey jams straight into NICU, fun segue and a funky NICU jam-let ensues.

Is this what you call “micro jamming”?

Golden Age vocals are dialed-in, and this jam is a short and dirty shit kicker. Grimy Jersey funk.

Ruby Waves ring out and this GotF track gets what seemed like its first feature jam spot, and it did not disappoint, 14 min of inspired jamming possibly becoming the nights apex.

The Ruby Waves transition into DDHVL is fluid, sick nastiness. DDHVL indeed, Death hurts for less than 3 funky minutes in fact.

Then they play Rift. Headscratcher of a setlist call at this point in S2, but the band nails it, Trey high energy trilling away.

Beneath a Sea of Stars will be an amazing Type II monster. One day. Soon, with any luck.

Instead we’re Waiting all Night, reminding some of us old-heads that there might be people who are waiting for us to get home from our rock concert.

Then Ghost, which seemed like it was coming all night, breathes hot fire straight into a SANTOS fist pumping closer.

Your encore? You Enjoy Myself, the archetypal Phish song, prog rock epic and funk party combined. Grind is a cherry on top of the vocal jam weirdness.

I had an *extremely* good time having my face rocked by Phish tonight, but I suspect the fan base will be divided on this one. What kind of Sunday show is Camden in store for?

First set opened strong with a locked in Mike’s Groove, followed by a well executed Divided Sky, possibly hunting at the storms that rolled through Camden this weekend. This was my 21st show and my first Divided Sky, so I was pretty pumped. Nice and sweet Everything’s Right, followed by an always welcome Guelah and Sparkle, had the crowd jumping. A blissful Roggae and a SMOKIN’ 46 Days closed this set out in fashion. Really good set.

Set 2 starts out with a tight Blaze On which quickly rolls into NICU. I thought Trey was just quoting NICU, but alas a second NICU in less than a week. I thought Blaze On had more in the tank, but Trey had other plans. Golden Age jam started nicely, and shortly rolls into Ruby Waves, which I love. I think this has such great potential, and these last two versions have been stellar. This was the highlight of the second set for me. DDHVL is always fun, but I could use a break from it. I thought the Rift transition was cool, and thought it was well executed. Not sure if that’s where I want to hear Rift, but I’ll take it! Beneath the Sea of Stars was really cool to hear, and I hope they start to explore more with that. I’m a sucker for Waiting All Night, especially Mike’s bass in that song. Ghost was strong and sweet, and no complaints for S.A.N.T.O.S. Non-traditional, but super fun set.

YEM encore for my first ever YEM after 21 shows? HELL. YEAH. This one sounded great and was totally on cloud 9 this entire time. Followed by an always fun Grind acapella, a great way to close out a Saturday night!

I had a ton of fun. You can say it was a Saturday Night Special, but a fun one at that! Let’s do it again tonight!

In an unexpected turn of events an impromptu trip to Camden NJ commenced. Throwing bias and expectations out the window, I made the trek for a weekend of miracles and a free hotel room. Phish friends are the best. Crossing state lines to get to BB&T from our hotel in Philly was effortless and upon arrival at lot, it was apparent that my judgments of the venue were unfounded. That’s because Phish shows up like a mirage even in the least savory of cities. The lot was banging and the crowd was pulsing so it was no wonder that the band picked up on that delivering another stellar performance just as they always do.

Now I’ll just take a minute here to say I hold Phish in the highest regards, maybe even too high. As artists, performers, musicians and humans they shine so brightly in a world full of shadows. Any chance I get to witness their incredible expression is a gift and an honor and this night was no exception. My philosophy about the band and their performances could be seen as rose colored in the eyes of critics. I am open and receptive to any expression the band chooses to share with us and as fans I believe it our job to appreciate the risk they take every time they walk out on stage. I always say I want to hear whatever phish wants to play. For me, being a spectator is a tribute to the rawness and open heartedness that the band shows up with every single time they go on stage and it’s this pureness of expression that keeps me coming back for more with deeper and deeper reverence all the time.

Musically, night 2 of Camden hit all the points I want in a phish show. The boys successfully delivered every range of emotions and stylistically it was all around sound. Again. Fist set opened with an elusive and beautiful Mike’s Hydrogen Groove; a funky, coveted gem of phish’s repertoire that has eluded me for years. A score right out the gates. It was followed by a beautiful Divided Sky that paved the way for a soaring first set. Everything’s Right arrived in all its glory, with plenty of energy and a grooving jam. All I need in life is for phish to tell me over and over that “everything’s right so just hoooold tight!”
Expect the unexpected always with phish, even when you maybe suspect it. I’m not one to call songs but I did get the Guelah vibe earlier and tossed it out as a possibility, so I was pleased to hear this bust out come our way. Sparkle hit fast and furious lifting the energy in the venue just before dropping into an intricate and smooth Roggae. While it sounded like there might have been a yank at the end, a successful save made for an equally smooth transition after this tasty musical treat. Before segueing into the 46 Days that followed, I’ll take just one more moment with Roggae if I might. This is another one of Phish’s beautiful transmissions that hits me in the feels every time, “if life was easy and not so fast, I wouldn’t think about the past.” Thank you for reminding me of thing that I forget phish, I know I can always count on you! Remembering to stay present and living moment to moment is one of the lesson I learn over and over the longer so stay with the school of the phish.
Where was I? Oh yeah, 46 days. To be expected it got down and dirty with Mike filling the jam with deep visceral vibrations. The explosive quality of it’s strong finish gave the classic set closer punch, delivering everything I want from this rocker. It perfectly set the stage for the set break firework show over the river that was visible from the top of the lawn, a fun surprise!
Second set opened with the light hearted notes of Blaze On. Touring with my fellow rock climbing friend, this song warranted a shared smile. Our belay banter has gravitated toward this pun so when approaching wall, we announce being safely prepared for the challenge ahead with a confident and supportive “Blaze on!” The jam felt like a get pumped primer for the second set flow that followed. The set slips effortlessly into NICU, a bust out making a second appearance this tour. Short and sweet, light and fun, the vibe of set 2 stays lifted right into Golden age. A crowd pleaser and rightfully so because of it’s fun, funky, nature with sentiment and an airiness that sends it floating buoyantly above the crowd from start to finish. Paige kills the jam with some weird sounds, which the rest of the band follows right into Ruby Waves.
Ah the point of contention amongst the lovers and the haters, enter GOTF. Ruby waves is IMHO one of the stars of Trey’s deeply personal side tribute, this jam goes places. “The ocean of love caries me away from this ocean of lies” Ah Phish. This band truest provides the most incredible escapism imaginable where one can find a nugget of joy around every corner if only you know how to open your eyes and allow the beauty to enter even where you don’t expect it. Like Camden, NJ. Do yourself a favor and if you must, skip the lyrics but just listen to the waves without judgment, perhaps your opinion may change. FYI Trey can shred any song, don’t forget it! The ruby waves jam gets spacey and ambient taking flight into jazzy electronic instrumental territory before finding its way into soaring bliss; weaving through the depths of the mysterious unknown of dark phish this jam will have you wondering where you are (don’t worry, phish will reminds us soon that you’ll always remember where you were.) Surfing the Ruby waves continues to impress. Next time you bash GOTF... just don’t.
Ok I’ll get off my high horse and continue this review because we just got a delivery of phederal donuts and the pool is calling.
The first of 2 KV songs, Death Don’t Hurt was a fun, but short transition that pales in comparison to the MPP version in length and intrigue. Death gave way to a welcomed Rift, it’s burst of emotive sing along energy drawing the crowd together.
The set hit a bit of a turning point as we return to GoTF with Beneath a Sea of Stars Part 1. Another beautiful instrumental section brings us into the show’s home stretch. Riding the end of set two with just a few more ups and downs stars floats into Waiting All Night. This one has a kind of bubbly island elevator music feel that’s just lite and easy going. Sail on sail on.
To finish off the set, a predictably enjoyable Ghost gave way to S.A.N.T.O.S. Ending on a high note, the crowd came together with this high vibe sing along.
No complaint when the tell tale notes of a 20 minute encore are played and this YEM was no disappointment. In fact, it could be deemed exceptional even perhaps with gloriously executed sections that defy the nature of composition by pressing the boundaries between what is written and moving into the realm of improvisation. If you wanna know what I’m talking about, check out minutes 2-4 esp Paige at 3:30. Amazing. And of course Phish delivers the rest of YEM flawlessly, with trampolines, Trey dance, and a satisfyingly weird vocal jam taboot. These quirks of YEM are amongst the few predictable parts of Phish’s offering that gives a sense of security that we as fans can count on in the ever changing reality of an aphishiando’s experience.

Wrap it up with an incredulously performed Grind where our beloved band shared their amounting rotations around the sun with us; humorously divulging a combined 80,000+ days lived on this Earth. And if we have nothing else to celebrate there is Phish. When the world seems cruel and cold, there is refuge and respite in the walls of the weird and wacky cave that is the community of phish. Where we come together to share in the groove that has been developed in those 80,000 days. Humbled and grateful I am revived, renewed once again by the awe and inspiration of the phish and the sea in which we swim together with them. I’m certainly ready for this Sunday show, looking forward to seeing all you weirdos out there again tonight!

Keeping with the Camden Gas theme a VERY SOLID Mike's> Groove was a nice start. I have really missed Hydrogen in the groove, being it was the norm at one time (many moons ago), I have missed that threw out the years, I've come to appreciate a True Groove when they offer one. This is the work of two very different sets. Guelah Papyrus is always welcomed. Many funky, dirty, nasty fun nuances (i.e. 46 days) through the evening. Blaze On> NICU> Golden Age> Ruby Waves is just a FANTASTIC MEDLEY, good noise! Of course YEM as an e) is just A+. Good Times in Camden.

This was, unfortunately, the only show I managed to catch this summer. I had planned to hit all 3 nights but I procrastinated on getting tickets and then funds didn't line up. To say I was kicking myself for missing night 3 is an understatement. Still, this show was a lot of fun, as they all are live. Not sure how much relisten value there is, but they took some risky set list choices, some payed off while others...not so much. Also, a side note, the friend I came to the show with had just gotten out of his sister-in-laws funeral (suicide at 21, very sad) so the KV stuff & GotF stuff was much more pertinent than it probably would have been if not for that. It was much easier to relate to where Trey has been coming from with his recent song writing style.

So we got stuck in line for Mike's, but I could hear it from outside the venue and it instantly got everyone pumped. A Mike's Groove opener is usually a sign they came to play (thinking 12/30/17). We got into the venue during Hydrogen (also when the party favors started to hit!) which is always such a beautiful song. I did notice they played a good amount of repeats from the 2 night stand last year. We were using the bathroom and finally got to our spot on the lawn (center, about 3 rows from the rail) during 'Paug. Pretty standard but well played. I always hope they take Weekapaug out (like they did at MSG last year) but it was not to be.

Divided Sky was its beautiful self, this song really has a much different feel outside than it does at indoor venues. I'd go as far as to say that it shouldn't be played if not outside. ER had an insane year in 2018, and while some of the versions this year were definitely very good, none really hit the heights of the previous year. Still, a nice groove developed and lasted about 10 minutes. It seemed there was a distinct intent to 'micro jam' this tour. Maybe because they were trying to shove so much new material into the sets. Sometimes the micro jamming was great, it's cool to hear songs go straight to type II. Guelah is always super hype, love this song like mad. Sparkle is fun (another one from last year) & roggae was also very pretty. 46 Days closed out set 1 just as it had the previous summer. Typical scorching rendition.

One of the people next to us must have eaten some stuff during set break because all during set 2 he was using me and my friend to jump up and down on & would literally grab every glow stick he could find and hurl them at the pavilion. It was funny at first but definitely got annoying after 30 minutes.

Anyway, Blaze On opens it up, my expectations were high, and while the jam was solid & the transition into NICU was interesting (as well as its placement in the show) it would start a trend of jams being cut far too short. This was a running theme during this tour. I'm not sure if, as I said before, Trey was rushing songs to their conclusions to make room for the new KV and Ghosts stuff, but for me personally it's frustrating to hear a ripcord just when the jam is starting to take off. Golden Age was an example of that. I adore the song and the jam was nice and funky and interesting but then got cut short for Ruby Waves.

A word on Ruby Waves; I LOVE this song ever since hearing it. The chorus was really impactful with my buddy's sister's funeral earlier in the day. I think I listened to the song on repeat for a few days after the show. The jam was pretty good as far as I remember & showed real promise for the future (which we didn't have to wait too long for at Alpine). DDHVL is a perfect example of another big issue I had this tour: they seemed to not want to jam the KV stuff at all this tour. For me, it makes more sense to showcase the music they made as a group last year and a good portion of the fan base loves. I do like the Ghosts stuff, but KV feels more at home in Phish than GotF. Unfortunately every version of DDHVL was sub 4 minutes this tour. They could do soo much more with these songs.

Rift was very confusing at this point in the show. I'm not a huge fan of it to begin with, but I know most are. Stars is a really sweet song, sorta like Terrapin & the jam on it was very interesting and experimental, with Mike whipping out the drill at the end. The playing here sounds a lot like a 70's era Dark Star. Then comes Waiting All Night, another song I like a lot, but not at this point in the show. They really lost a lot of momentum from Rift through WAN. Ghost picks it back up though and is going somewhere cool before... yup, another rough ripcord into SANTOS. I was at NYE last year so I dig the song a lot. It seems to be taking the place of Zero which I'm ok with, but they gotta let these songs come naturally if they want to win people over.

We got one of a very few encore YEMs, always a blast live. Nothing mind blowing outside of the encore spot though, but a tight version. We left during the vocal jam to beat the crowd since I thought that would close the show. I was a bit upset I missed Grind, but I'm glad it was that and not Space Oddity or something else a bit rarer.

Overall, I don't think it's a show most people will go back to much. It was a lot of fun live though, but they lost a lot of steam mid way through set 2 (another common theme this tour). I actually liked set 1 a bit more myself. I think N3 was the obvious best of the run, but N1 is pretty close to this show in terms of quality, if it didn't have that amazing Mercury in it. That alone makes that show a good bit better than this one. Not knocking this show at all though!!

Sorry for the loooong book I just wrote haha! I only review shows I go to so I had a lot to say about the only one I attended. Here's to hoping we get to go back to MSG for NYE again!

Decent show, but they were nowhere near as locked in as they were N1, in no small part because of how much trouble Trey had with anything intricately composed. And unlike that show (which was great but on paper is underwhelming), this one looks like it SHOULD be great...it’s just...not. Still a really good time to be there but ymmv on whether it’s worth a deep listen. Say It to Me S.A.N.T.O.S. was a definite highlight, and I enjoyed the almost-a-transition-but-fuck-it that led into NICU out of Blaze On

Obviously the first set was really strong. They started quite early so we missed Mike's and Hydrogen (including a buddy of mine who was at his 49th show and hadn't ever seen hydrogen - yikes). We were in the bathroom and you can't even hear the band from inside that concessions area on the east side of the venue! But we came in to Weekapaug and it worked well as a start for our show. Divided Sky, especially given the weather that day, was amazing. Everything's Right was a perfect call next as a gigantic, dark black storm cloud loomed in the early sunset. Guelah is one of my favorite songs of all time, and I got my first one 39 shows after its last appearance. Definitely feeling lucky at that point. Sparkle, I assumed, was somewhat of a nod to the fireworks that came at set break. The song isn't about fireworks but we've all had bigger mental leaps about song placement before. Roggae is always welcome during a great sunset - and really felt like another homage to the present moment. There was a huge ferris wheel lit up seemingly in sync with the music across the water, and the "shiny music that descends from overhead" lyric was cheeky. The 46 days closer was hot fire, as it tends to be. That black cloud had engulfed the entire lawn by the end of the song, and my friends and I got prepared for the worst. Had my stuff in a drybag, ready to get wet and dance in the rain. Next, the fireworks show came and it was brilliant and perfectly timed with the early setbreak. We only wished that there had been some fireworks in the background during 46 days.

After the fireworks, we settled in for set 2. Blaze on to start - for me, and I'm sure many, this is a pretty lukewarm S2 opener. But I think the vibe of the song in that moment was perfect. "The band plays on" a day after a massive rain delay when the whole crowd was nervous it might happen again. "The storm is passing through". etc. Trey has clearly been feeling the cheeky references this tour and that weekend. After a few minutes of Trey tugging at NICU the band finally concedes. I love NICU and it was the last song I expected in the 2 slot of the second set. I was really hoping they'd take it out for a long walk this time, but no dice. We get another Play it Leo (Leo Leo Leo!) and the crowd is wondering if this set is somehow going to start with Blaze On -> NICU -> Ya Mar -> Rocky Top. As NICU fades out, Trey kicks up Golden Age. (I now wonder if Trey put this here with the lyric "And your arms in the air stir a sea of stars and oh here it comes and it's not so far" knowing they'd debut Sea Of Stars later in the set.) I'm actually not usually a huge fan of their take on Golden Age, for a few reasons - one, they don't do the vocals in the chorus right (coming rou-ah-ah-ah-ound!), and two, Page usually inexplicably decides to put the emphasis on the grand piano in the intro and verses. Personally, I'd love to hear him throw some meaty synths in there, y'know, like how TV On The Radio does it. But this time he seamed to be leaning into the clav a lot more, which was a welcome change of pace. I really enjoyed this version quite a bit and the jam gets off to a hot start with Page working the synths, then quickly dissolves to where we're thinking it might be What's The Use. I heard a little subtle chugging build from Trey and thought they might be diving into Free, which I would have loved, then I heard what I thought was the intro to BDTNL (dammit). Then I realized it's the new tune Ruby Waves. I don't really like this song at all. I actually like a lot of the new material but this song is Soul Planet Pt 2 and this was a bad ripcord. They start jamming in literally under 3 minutes though, and pick up right where the Golden Age jam left off, Page rocking synths, and Trey doing some nice bluesy licks. I couldn't help but feel like they basically interrupted a great 18-20 minute Golden Age with 3 minutes of the composed section of Ruby Waves. This jam is really pretty cool. Gets real dark at the end and then a rough transition > DDHVL. This is a great tune but they really came into it weird here. Next is Rift. I'll take Rift wherever the fuck they want to play it. (The passion that sparked me one terrible night and shocked and persuaded my soul to ignite; another nod to the lightning we all expected to come?) At the end of Rift we hear some light guitar and I'm literally thinking HOLY SHIT THEY'RE PLAYING TERRAPIN STATION. Then I realize it's a new song I'm not familiar with. Dammit. But I ended up loving it. AGAIN - the lyrics here are a direct reference to what's happening around us "we're all here together and the weather's fine" "the lights are flashin and the waves are crashin". Beautiful. Next is Waiting All Night. I get it, people don't like this song. I actually do, and thought it was brilliantly placed after we had been out on the lawn expecting a huge rainstorm for hours. I was 100% fully convinced that we were going to get a Crosseyed closer to this set at this point ("still waiting"). Yeah, Trey forgets how to play this one again. But he does so in a less obtrusive way than usual. Otherwise it was well played and carried the vibe of Sea Of Stars very well. Ghost next. This is a welcome surprise! They get a nice jam going and we're thinking it's gonna be a big fiery Ghost to close the set, and then....ripcord city to SANTOS. I love this song. It's dumb and this was a bad ripcord (I suspect there will be many more awful ripcords into this song), but this was a solid, albeit short set closer. I'd generally love for this song to replace Character Zero entirely.

After the second set ended it was still quite early. I'm still thinking they are going to play Crosseyed and Painless, even though they had just played it a few shows prior. For context here, this was my 27th show and I'd never seen YEM - so my friends turned and said "hey you're about to get a YEM" and I'm thinking "nahhh no way". Sure enough, it's YEM. This version is pretty solid but nothing totally outrageous. The Vocal Jam was really fun - having never seen YEM live, I don't think I had grasped just how crazy it sounds when you're there. The recordings just don't do it justice. Fish was playing with some of his drum pads in this one too, giving it a bit of a unique feel. Then they step up to the mics and we're sure they will do "in the good ol' summertime". But it's Grind! Great way to cap off a show.

All in all, I get that this show isn't exactly a killer listen on the couch and doesn't have all that much relisten value, but I do think that some of the song placement made a lot more sense in the context of being at the show and given the circumstances of ominous weather and a great fireworks show, and I definitely appreciate that it was unique in a lot of ways. I got a few debuts I was really happy about, and the band was clearly having fun. The show is also sandwiched between two of the best shows of the tour, both of which were stacked with rarities and bustouts, so I think it kind of goes to show that when you have that sort of attitude and willingness to go out on a limb, it's not going to be perfect every time.

Mike’s Song: great way to start the show. Lots of energy

I Am Hydrogen: nice

Weekapaug Groove: stays type 1 but like Mike’s this is high energy

Divided Sky: love Trey’s tone here. Stunning performance

Everything’s Right: doesn’t completely break free but has a good patient build

Guelah Papyrus: 39 gap. Mike and Trey get their dance on

Sparkle: standard

Roggae: fantastic interplay in the jam

46 Days: awesome set closer. Page clav and Mike action + heavy Trey early on, afterwards giving way to a spectacular and blissful peak and back into the song. Great stuff

Blaze On: getting the second set started with the first type 2 jam of the night. They find a nice groove and tease NICU before actually going into it

NICU: LEO LEO LEO LEO LEO

Golden Age: first cover and another type 2 excursion. Trey and Page playing around with a bunch of effects before the jam sorta falls apart and Trey decides on

Ruby Waves: the “new” TAB 2008 classic from Ghosts Of The Forest. And this version solidifies its place as one of Phish’s best new jam vehicles. It flows along through many different effects, themes and patterns before growing more evil and finding

Death Don’t Hurt Very Long: sick evil song from Kasvot that comes appropriately from the Ruby jam

Rift: small oldie break from the newer evil second set antics

Beneath A Sea Of Stars Part 1: debut. Another GOTF song. Perfect second set cooldown. Trey’s ambience at the end is so frickin gorgeous and Mike drills along creating a passage into an even more beautiful song

Waiting All Night: love it

Ghost: we get a bit more type 2 late in the set

Say It To Me SANTOS: this is the ultimate closer

You Enjoy Myself: Page using some Chilling Thrilling and Kasvot samples during the lyrics section. BASS+DRUMS FOR LIFE the only part of any Phish show I dance to at home

Grind: days

Fun show in the middle of the 3 night run in Camden. First set starts tremendously and has some more rare treats. Some old 1.0 pholks might complain about the song choice later on but in my opinion in this situation it’s a great display that they can throw in a bunch of new songs and still create an amazingly structured and flowy set. The jamming is good and creative, but also downright evil at some points. This is a 7.5/10 show. Highlights are Divided, 46 Days, Blaze On, Golden Age, Ruby Waves, BASOSP1, Ghost, and YEM of course