This show has it all. Classic opening of Jim-Foam including a well executed Foam. The detestable Mexican Cousin aside, the remainder of the set was great including particularly tight and rocking versions ASIHTOS and HTTM. Page was super creative all night and you might have thought that there was a PLP (people for a louder Page) movement as his piano was nice and up in the mix. The type 1.5 Bathtub was top notch, 12-14 minutes with lots of interplay with the Bathtub melody itself in the reconstruction phase of the jam. The crowd went nuts for the Martian Monster quotes in Free, which should be on the short list of best versions of Free ever played. The Chalkdust and Piper had longer exploratory improv, a good 25 minutes between them. The always welcome Theme was followed by a tasty run through Wombat, which ought to be saved for funky occasions such as this one. Bowie didn't break any new ground so far as I remember but Kuroda brought in the chandelier lights to good effect. The Line was an odd choice of breather but whatever, the YEM that followed was absolutely epic, far better than the San Diego version on this tour and I'd predict on the the top versions in the past decade. The crowd for these Vegas shows, while talkative at times, was also very appreciative and loud, the band totally loved it, what an incredible atmosphere. I hope phish plays here again, despite the crazy ticketing, the venue itself -- GA vibe, few poor seats, ample concessions and bathroom, good acoustics, not to small or big, rooms available on site -- was outstanding. A magical weekend. This was the best 2 set show of this tour and a no-brainer 5 star show. Thank you phish.

So the band ended their surprisingly great, and no doubt wonderful Fall Tour 2014 with the only Sunday show. The last two nights were filled with great jams and even better segues to back it up. Tonight would prove to be the icing on the cake.

The first set started with Runaway Jim which was decent, for an opener, which led into Foam and the bustout of Mexican Cousin. Ocelot through Halfway to the Moon are just fairly standard takes, but the Bathtub Gin > Free wins for best jam of the first set and then Walls of the Cave finishes the whole thing off. Good inclusion of Martian Monster quotes.

Of course, as we all know, the second set can make or break a show, and tonight's was no exception. Chalk Dust Torture provided a solid, fluid Type II excursion with a stellar transition into a dark Piper which in turn produced a buttery segue into Theme from the Bottom, which reaches a nice peak. The better of the two settle-down songs is Wombat, which I like, so that was nice. David Bowie is in an interesting place here in the middle of the second set, and provides its usual energy burst and fun groove.

The only low point of the entire show occurs now. The band goes into The Line which is a song that cannot be jammed well and is nearly at "Jennifer Dances" level in terms of bubbly quality. It kind of deflates the energy of the show, but to put it in the fourth quarter of the show is a bit of a stretch even for people who like the song. Anyway, the familiar 1,2,3,4 kicks off the YEM and all troubles are forgotten. Man! Talk about show closer and tour closer! That 26+ minute monstrosity is a good candidate for jam of the tour, plus all the fun craziness that happened during it. Trey and Mike running around, megaphone, fight bell and drum kit theatrics, I highly advise the listener to find a way to view the spectacle as well. I also don't think that it would be an understatement to say that this is the best YEM in years; all to close out the best Tour in years.

The first-ever Moma Dance encore that flows into Slave To The Traffic Light is just icing on the cake to a wonderful show, and one of the few encores this year to pass 15 minutes in length. You could tell the band was just having fun out there.

In closing, I think that there was doubts in the Summer Tour that Trey's guitar work was not up to par, but this 10/17 to 11/2 stretch proved me wrong, and I think that whatever he has done (probably practiced a lot) has worked, and it is a pleasure to listen to.
I nominate this tour as best in 3.0 so far, and I think there was a little something extra in these last couple weeks that made it so great to listen to and enjoy each show. Not to mention the surprise of the decade Halloween show.

Set 1: An amusing juxtaposition between Runaway Jim and Foam (which could have opened a set in 1993) and the next 5 songs (which, well, could not have), Halfway to the Moon is a quite strong version, and the Gin > Free combination features the now-usual (and rather peppy) "Classic Gin" jam in the former and some very charming Martian Monster quotes to spice up the latter. Possibly the best first frame of the Vegas run.

Set 2: Remember when Chalk Dust Torture was just a sweet energy booster for either set and not one of Phish's current mightiest jam vehicles? CDT kicks off the set here, and right out of Chorus 2 the band drops into a lower Page-led boil before making a quick move into major key land, a beautiful segment akin to the now-famous Randall's version. Page then moves to the clavinet (even this is low-key!), and the jam starts developing some hip-shaking swing (I should note that Trey is mostly hanging back and letting Page and Mike shine, which maybe explains the two reviews at the bottom, maybe?), until the tempo picks back up and Trey starts hitting on a neat guitar line and Page switches back to the grand piano until they build to a low-key finish, and then Piper kicks in.

Piper revs into a nice groove with Page going to work on the organ and Trey building a fog of noise, then things slow down as Page heads over to the clavinet and Mike takes over. Fish starts urging the band forward, and then they make another move into major-key bliss, more effects moving to the forefront, everyone playing with a gentle intensity (if that makes sense). This resulting jam is one of the beautiful highlights of the entire Vegas run, Mike bringing the power drill (I think) into the mix, loops flying and Page playing his trademark twinkly notes and the sort of thing you'd hear in 2000 when the band was feeling it. So that's 30 minutes of very nice music to start a 2nd set.

A sharp Theme comes next, then Wombat (of all things) to keep the party going (remember, this is a tour-ending set as well as a Sunday set), followed by a nice call with a mid-set Bowie that doesn't break any new Bowie ground but lets us know that they're still willing to kick it in the 4th quarter (gotta love Trey's Martian Monster quote while he's nailing the Trill-Off at the end, too). The Line follows, and Lord knows I enjoy The Line and defend it on this website, but this was not the place for it at all. Shrug emoticon.

Fortunately, YEM comes bounding in to close out the set, and this is a YEM for the record books, one of the strongest since the return. The jam out of the tramps section is stripped-back and relaxed, as minimalist as the standout Reading 2013 version, with some Laser Floyd effects thrown in on top. But that's been done, so the band picks up the intensity, Page returning to the clavinet one more time, Fish firing away, loops flying all over the place. This YEM jam is just pure energy, an absolutely thrilling jam that moves to another level when Trey puts his guitar down and decides to dance...well, until he gets a better idea and grabs his Fee megaphone to fire off the siren. The resulting few minutes, with Mike chasing Trey around the stage, don't quite translate (although Mike does keep playing his bass, which is a pretty nifty feat when you stop and think about it), but then comes the Drums segment, where Mike goes to the fight bell, Trey adds his input to Fish's kit, and then everybody convenes on Fish's kit to clang and clatter their way to a fine finish. The vocal jam, again full of Martian Monster quotes, closes out one hell of a YEM, and Moma > a nicely peaked Slave ends a great show and a great run.

Final thoughts: one of their better tour closers, headlined by a glorious second set that features sweet improv, a YEM for the record books, and our good pal Wombat. Highly recommended.

So I thought the first set was decent, some Halloween quotes, and decent song selections.

But the money here lies in the second half stretch, in particular the CDT -> Piper -> Theme which is straight cash, and then the amazing YEM.

A couple thoughts I had on the show - The placement of The Line was terrible and it would have sabotaged that show if not for the beautiful YEM.

-Loved the YEM more than any other one I've heard in at least a decade, it was THAT good.

This 3 night stand, man. Something clicked, and the boys were on fire.

At this point, Phish had delivered the goods two nights in a row, and I do not think there was one person in the room that didn't think they were going to do it again.

The first set kicked off with the classic Jim>Foam pairing. I've always been a fan of this opening sequence, but I had yet to see it in person. It was executed well, and they made it evident that they were on point again this evening. They did follow this with one of the biggest turds in the catalog, Mexican Cousin. I'm always a bit surprised to see that people actually like this song. Whenever Trey opts to play this, I wonder where his PO is to drug test him. At least it's short. Ocelot started to shift things back in the right direction. Then came Sugar Shack. This another I do not really care for, but they did buried it. Trey in particular seemed to have actually put some time into learning the changes. I'm not sure I've seen a cleaner version. SIHTOS worked well here. It gave this set a tinge of darkness, and you could tell by Trey's wailing that he was ready to wallow in it. Halfway to the Moon was a solid selection after SIHTOS, but it wasn't a pick that really blew anyone away. BT Gin, on the other hand, pulled everyone's focus right back in. This played out like many 3.0 1st set versions, but they took it for a slightly longer ride and gave it a little more pop. As the jam wound down, they cranked up Free. I always feel like Free feels out of place in the first set, but it worked here. Trey was booming with energy as they moved through this one. When they started dropping the "Your Trip is Short" lines, the band and crowd went crazy. Like BOAF the night before, this may not be the most musically adventurous version, but it was full of energy and tons of fun. WOTC sent everyone into setbreak happy and anticipating the final set of the run.

Set 2:
I was certain DwD was poised for the opening spot, but instead, they offered me my first live taste of their new 2nd set opening jam darling, CDT. I've seen CDT plenty of times, but I have never caught one that went deep. This version pushes through almost every genre Phish loves to borrow from, rock, jazz, funk, etc. Fishman keeps the beat like a champ thoughout bringing several fresh twists. Right when you get comfortable with this jam and think you have a handle on how it will play out, Trey comes over the top with one of his most riveting guitar lines of the year. After that, there really is no reason to keep pushing this jam, so he delicately directs them into one of the most consistent improvisation vehicles of the last five years, piper. Piper explodes out of the gates but quickly lands in a ambient funk land when Gordon fires up his space bass to signal the rest of the band to let the bottom fall out. They conjure up a jam that feels like it came from one of the best parts of Fall '98. Trey slowly bends everyone towards Theme from the Bottom. It was a pretty straight forward take. I'm a fan of Wombat, so I really enjoyed it's placement here. After a mind bending sequence to open the set, this centered everyone for the homestretch. Bowie, despite being past its peak, fits just about everywhere for me. This concise version really felt like a set up for a set/run closing Mike's Groove. Then they drop The Line? At first, this was a bit of a head scratcher for me. Then it hit me. We aren't closing this show with a standard old Mike's Groove. They are going to close this down with a bitching YEM. I love being right. For the first time in over a decade, they played a YEM with some freaking muscle. Trey played like he had balls the size of grape fruits through the composed part. I feel like almost every other version I've heard in 3.0 either felt rusty or like they were just walking through it. They were focused on making this version count. They made sure to hammer home the dance party funk on the back end and even left time for some good phishy mayhem. Trey chased Mike around the stage while they were both jamming. I have to give it to Mike. The dude was still laying it down despite having a ginger hot on his heels. The jam concludes with everyone trying their hand at percussion over at Fish's kit, and it only seemed fitting that the last song of the run ended with all of them so close simply having a blast.

Moma Dance was the perfect call for the encore. As "the moment ended," the dirty funk of Moma made it less of a bummer and gave everyone one last chance to get down. Slave is, in my opinion, the best way to end a run. It's delicate beauty, even if played in an unspectacular manner, sends me out the door in a nice blissful place. After they finally brought it to a close, I was certain we'd get one more song. I have never heard a crowd so insistent in my life. They left the house lights on for just long enough to believe this wasn't done yet, so when the lights finally clicked on, all you heard was a low "Ahhh..." from the audience as it became clear that this fantastic time was over.

I have seen a lot of Phish. I won't say this is the best 3 night run ever, but I will say, it's probably the best 3 night run I have seen. Summer '15 has not started, but I have a feeling that they laid the groundwork for a mindblowing year in Las Vegas.

So the band ended their surprisingly great, and no doubt wonderful Fall Tour 2014 with the only Sunday show. The last two nights were filled with great jams and even better segues to back it up. Tonight would prove to be the icing on the cake.

The first set started with Runaway Jim which was decent, for an opener, which led into Foam and the bustout of Mexican Cousin. Ocelot through Halfway to the Moon are just fairly standard takes, but the Bathtub Gin > Free wins for best jam of the first set and then Walls of the Cave finishes the whole thing off. Good inclusion of Martian Monster quotes.

Of course, as we all know, the second set can make or break a show, and tonight's was no exception. Chalk Dust Torture provided a solid, fluid Type II excursion with a stellar transition into a dark Piper which in turn produced a buttery segue into Theme from the Bottom, which reaches a nice peak. The better of the two settle-down songs is Wombat, which I like, so that was nice. David Bowie is in an interesting place here in the middle of the second set, and provides its usual energy burst and fun groove.

The only low point of the entire show occurs now. The band goes into The Line which is a song that cannot be jammed well and is nearly at "Jennifer Dances" level in terms of bubbly quality. It kind of deflates the energy of the show, but to put it in the fourth quarter of the show is a bit of a stretch even for people who like the song. Anyway, the familiar 1,2,3,4 kicks off the YEM and all troubles are forgotten. Man! Talk about show closer and tour closer! That 26 minute monstrosity is a good candidate for jam of the tour, plus all the fun craziness that happened during it. Trey and Mike running around, megaphone, fight bell and drum kit theatrics, I highly advise the listener to find a way to view the spectacle as well. I also don't think that it would be an understatement to say that this is the best YEM in years; all to close out the best Tour in years.

The first-ever Moma Dance encore that flows into Slave To The Traffic Light is just icing on the cake to a wonderful show, and one of the few encores this year to pass 15 minutes in length. You could tell the band was just having fun out there.

In closing, I think that there was doubts in the Summer Tour that Trey's guitar work was not up to par, but this 10/17 to 11/2 stretch proved me wrong, and I think that whatever he has done (probably practiced a lot) has worked, and it is a pleasure to listen to.
I nominate this tour as best in 3.0 so far, and I think there was a little something extra in these last couple weeks that made it so great to listen to and enjoy each show. Not to mention the surprise of the decade Halloween show.

I would like to apologize for my extremely negative douchebaggery review above (I tried to delete it, but that is not an option). I wrote the review on Monday afternoon while waiting in line at the DMV in Phoenix. A big reason I did not have a good time at the show was because I took too much and was focused on the yappy talkers around me and the cigarette smoke instead of the music. Nonetheless, the sound in the nosebleeds was definitely awful, but that is no excuse for the destructive comments about the band I love. I should have just moved closer and away from the distractions, and I would have if I could have gotten my f’d up butt out of the seat.

After relistening to the show in the comfort of my own home with a sober mind I am disappointed that I did not make the most of a fantastic show where almost every single song is played above average. Love the Gin, Free, Walls combo to close out the first set. And, that CDT > Piper opener is perfect. The crazy YEM shenanigans that went down are instantly legendary.

And, does Fishman say “Australian assless chaps” in Wombat? I’m ready for that funky song to make an appearance again.

What I learned from this show is to not let other people negatively affect your show and to know what you are getting into when you take foreign substances before the show.

I loved this show, and the whole run. First off, the MGM thing was awesome. For those that actually stayed at the hotel, you know how awesome it was. Practically every other person in the casino was a Phish fan, even during the day (when I was gambling). What fun to spin Roulette with other fans!

I called Runaway Jim, which was cool, and got the night off to a great start. Foam I thought was especially fun and was sooooo nice to hear! Mexican Cousin was fun for a sec, then I ran to pee. Trey's solo in Ocelot was really really good. I haven't listened back yet, but it was actually my favorite Trey guitar moment of the night. Sugar Shack was campy feeling and a good time. I have never been a huge ASIHTOS fan, but this version definitely changed my mind about that...great moments throughout. Moon is a great tune, never heard the Rhapsody tease. Then we get to the meat: Gin > Free... not my favorite Gin, but a cool jam out into Free, which is by far my favorite Free ever. Loved it! Cave was a good closer.

Set 2 was ridiculous. I really thought they were going into the Wedge out of CDT. Good solid Piper, Theme was haunting an beautiful (always welcome). Wombat was funky as hell...I love it in a later set 2 spot. Bowie was standard. Line was oddly placed, possibly my only moment of "meh" but I was so spaced out by that point anyways until... YEM!!!! That YEM was unreal. Not only musically, but the insanity that ensued when Trey started running around like a madman with the siren on the megaphone was nuts. It doesn't state it in the notes, but after he ran around a while, Mike got out of his bass area and started chasing Trey around the stage in circles...the crowd went insane! Can't wait to hear that again in the recordings. Fight bell, etc. Great stuff! PHISH!!!!

Encore was unexpected...Moma?? Are they playing Moma?? > Slave. I'll take it!

November 2nd, 2014 marked the final night of a Phish triple-header in beautiful Las Vegas, and what a run it was. With a little bit of effort Las Vegas can really be a whole lot of fun and so, so much more than tables and slots and tables and slots, and I gotta say m’lady and I made the best of it, as we tend to do.

(Always remember: Whatever happens in Vegas, occurs in Vegas.)

In retrospect it’s amazing that we managed to pack so much into our stay considering there were three Phish concerts at the centre of it all, and multi-night Phish runs can be rather exhausting. And also in retrospect (isn’t everything from the past “in retrospect?”*) I can’t really figure out whether seeing Phish in Vegas makes it more or less tiring. One thing I can assure you: seeing Phish in Sin City is a unique experience.

First of all, for the multitudes staying at the MGM Grand the venue itself was just an elevator-ride away. One could safely go to the concert in slippers. And boy, did those MGM patrons make out like bandits when we all discovered that concertgoers were allowed to leave the arena during setbreak and re-enter for the second set (something I have never, ever heard of before)…bada-bada-boom straight up to the room to fill your boots for a fun set two. And get this: the venue allowed people to bring in their own drinks as long as everything was in plastic cups. I saw people filling Big Gulp containers with straight whiskey, and no need for sneakin’. So far the score is: two points for more exhausting, one point for less.

Not to mention the very salient fact that when the doors opened at the end of the concert every night they expelled 17,000 revelling friends-in-waiting straight into the belly of the biggest party-town in North America, a match made in…well…not Heaven exactly, but Vegas and Phish fans seemed to work well together (3-1? 2-2? As the weekend moves on it gets increasingly difficult to score). Heck I saw dudes with backpacks vending stickers and shirts alongside banks of slot machines while a dready wook wandered amongst blackjack and roulette tables strumming out-of-tune songs to no one and everyone.

Oh, and the band delivers nicely too. They started off this run with a Disney-inspired Hallowe’en set that has become legend, followed by a rockin’ rager to keep us all interested on night two. By the time we get to this show you’d think the fans and the band alike would be worn to the frazzle, but they ground out a second set that had me jumping to the rafters for seventy-five minutes straight (metaphorically of course. In reality I was swaying slowly from side-to-side with both feet planted firm and hard on the floor. Which is my way of raging), through the David Bowie and the YEM and to the very end of the almost inevitable run closer, Slave to the Traffic Light.

But the very, very best thing I saw, the single greatest thing about seeing Phish in Vegas, and the main reason I can’t wait to go back and do it again was something I didn’t see, hear of, or possibly imagine until about ten minutes after the final concert ended. And when I saw it I was so full of admiration and pride in my jamband brethren that I had little room for the jealousy that should have been searing through my soul…In retrospect (sorry…) I can’t believe I didn’t think of it myself.

But man, when I was standing outside the arena on the swirling carpet of the MGM Grand gaming floor and saw two heady-headies walk out of the show and immediately mount a pair of those for-hire handicap carts my brain almost broke. As I watched them race off towards the elevators with drinks in hand and spouting wide-smiled yee-haws the whole way it occurred to me that I had missed out on having my very own room-to-venue all-terrain vehicle for the weekend and I vowed to either a) turn back time and rectify my mistake or b) go see Phish in Las Vegas again at my next opportunity.

And here I sit, having broken both promises. What has become of me?

*I would point out how redundant it is to point this out, but it feels like doing so would be redundant and repetitive.

https://toddmanout.com/

The craic in this show occurs in the opening combination of the second set (average-great Bathtub Gin in the first set notwithstanding.) But before that... it's nice to see the classic Runaway Jim, Foam pairing, as well as the bustout of Mexican Cousin. A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing also makes a welcome appearance, though strictly Type I. Now, the Chalk Dust Torture features some really strong clavinetting from Page > Piper which is a thematic (teary-eyed, @Icculus?) jam that is one of the most noteworthy versions in recent memory, along with being a rarely stretched-out version of the song. From there, if you're a big fan of You Enjoy Myself you have 28:12 of it (on the soundboard, including pre-encore crowd noise) including all four members on percussion. The Moma Dance makes a rare encore appearance > Slave to the Traffic Light and there you have a show that I will mostly remember for the Chalkdust > Piper.

I agree with spoonie b. I think something was up with Trey during that second set. I noticed him sipping on something during the show. Was he sick? Or drunk? This show was not worth me missing work on Monday. Part of the reason was because I was stuck in the nosebleeds and the sound sucked. First set was pretty good, with nice highlights in Runaway, ASIHTOS, Bathtub, and Free. I was hoping that ASIHTOS would have stretched out the groove a little bit more, but it would still be my favorite song of the first set. Gin caught a solid groove for a minute and I would have like their vocals to be louder if they are going to do Martian monster quotes. It sounded like Cookie Monster quotes. The 2nd set had huge potential because of all the heavy hitters left in their arsenal. When I heard CDT start up I was excited for some dancing and thought we were getting ready for shred fest. I want to relisten, but from where I was standing it sounded like Trey couldn't find a note. He seemed hesitant the whole 2nd set. I would rather have an 8 minute quality jam rather than a 15 minute jam that goes nowhere. Piper has it's moments and is my favorite song of the 2nd set. Other than that I was bummed and couldn't believe what I was seeing and hearing. For the first time ever I sat down during a Phish show. Part of that was because I was exhausted from Friday and Saturday nights spectacular shows, but mainly because it seemed like the band couldn't find the groove. I think The Line should never be played again, it's a show killer. I can't believe it beat out Steam to make it on the new record. They had one last chance to save face when YEM started but never really caught ground and I think Trey started running around and playing drums because his fingers were not working. The encore was also a let down and could not get me out of my seat. I like the thought of Moma Dance right here but it's tough to hit when the guitar parts are sub par. I could have done without Slave. They should've just sang Grind and called it. I was very disappointed with the venue. Way too smokey. Never doing another indoor venue that allows cigarette smoke. And way too many talkers at all 3 shows, but that seems to be the norm these days. And it's not just Phish. Probably worse with more mainstream bands. Why go to a concert if you are going to talk the whole time? The answer is because You Are Rude. I encourage applause after songs but talking during music (especially when you're talking about something other than the music that is playing) is stupid.

I LOVED the Halloween show. Saturday night had its moments. But last night... Did anyone else feel like Trey forgot how to play guitar? I mean, listen to the second set (which I streamed and listened to again this morning). CDT>Piper is all Page. Until Bowie, all Trey does is play some loops and seem confused about which song he was in the middle of. And his Bowie solo is disjointed, and though he did well through the composed part of YEM, he basically sat out the entire jam (which I loved, but no thanks to Trey). He finally put some mustard on the encore, and that was that. I don't know, I'm not trying to be a hater, and I'm not saying the band sucks. But I've seen nothing but positive reviews (aside from PT of course) of this show and I don't really get it (energy in the venue aside). Trey seemed distinctly lost for most of the set to me. I missed most of the first. Thoughts?