I know we always say the same thing when in the glow of the show…. But That might have been the best show I have ever seen. Such great flow, great song placement, and a pinch of phish wackiness to cap it all off. These fine gentlemen truly are the BEST BAND of brothers in the world! The egg man put his egg right into my brain hole. Hail Dayton!

Another Nutter at the Nutter? Hard to believe they would be able to equal, or one can easily argue, exceed Tuesday's epic show. 2 Magic nights in a row! But Trey made it very clear at the end of this one, that they LOVE playing the Nutter!! To quote, this venue is "unbelievably Sick!" Tuesday had some special gold dust sprinkled on it but wednesday was just flat out epic jamming whenever they went for it. In case you missed it, the theme for the night (a la Frank Zappa) was Eggs and the Eggman!
Set 1: Soul was probably the best opening song jam this year...certainly from the tour. I can only think of 1st night Seattle that can rival it. Funky Bitch was ripping. As another reviewer mentioned, Mike's Growl in the first vocal part was just epic!!! Whole place yelled in joy! I could hear it on the feed even. Roggae was very sweet. Kill Deveil rocked hard. Steam had a real slinky groove and good jam. Regular length but killer. My Friend was standard > Crazy which was nice to hear. Great groove and Mike killed it! Walls was better than any I heard this year.
Set 2: This set. Especially the 3rd quarter, which went over time, was superlative improv!!!!! Disease was a very good one around 15 minutes BUT the Ruby was off the charts!! 30 minutes long and everything you could ever ask for from the improv masters!!! Jam of the year? Probably. Phew! Lifeboy to settle it down > a VERY good Piper! All night. Every imrov that went long was really really strong! Some may not like Number Line....but tough luck you whiners! It has a nice feel to it and Trey loves playing it. People can dance and if you let one song you don't love ruin your night, you are following the wrong band! I personally like the song and it was great. Then the surprise Walrus to end it!!! They are the Eggmen!! Here is where the theme got started! Trey was saying Mike is the Walrus!!
Encore: I had no idea what the first song was at the time, nor did my buddy, BUT it was comedy Central!! Great little song that conveniently has lyrics about getting back to Chicago! But Trey now kept saying Mike is the Eggman!! And when I found out later the Song is called Egg in a Hole!! i couldn't stop laughing. THEN, before Mike could start singing Possum (great night of singing for Mike btw)....Trey goes "He is the Eggman!" What a night!! What a 2 show run!! Best 2 shows in a row since who knows when?!?!

Wowwww, just wow. I must say when trey first started the notes to sysf I was a bit underwhelmed, but that changed very quickly. The energy inside the butter was infectious. I was lucky enough to be 2nd tie front right in front of big red. And man oh man did he play into the very depths of my soul and yes it “set it free” the funky bitch just added to the insanely epic show this far. And I know when the boys play mfmf they’re feeling good! The second set was just as energetic as the first and all in all I’d give this show a 8/10 and Tuesday 7/10. Great venue…. Amazing shakedown & lot scene….. no complaints from this phan! Till the next “whatever you do take care of those shoes”

This is what phans hope for when going to a show! The band is locked in and it doesn't matter what songs they play, because everything is on point. Band members were having a blast, and the crowd was contributing to the energy in that old, small gymnasium.

Absolutely BEAMING at the office today and telling every pal I know to listen to that show. If you don't have time, listen to the Ruby Waves. The last few minutes of RW had everyone in attendance hooting and hollering and audibly projecting "WHAT THE FUCK?!?!" with a smile from ear to ear. GOD BLESS THE PHISH!

They say your favorite Phish shows will always be the ones you were at, but THIS SHOW… a simple SYSF to start and a great move into Funky Bitch. Steam and My Friend, My Friend were the highlights of the first set, and then handing us the best Ruby Waves I have ever heard. That boy went Type II 10 different times, and boy HOWDY it was certainly the fall tour jam that will be talked about for quite some time. Piper was very ethereal and energetic once into the jam, my favorite Piper along with Oswego Piper (7/18/99). BDTNL was well played and IATW went balls to the wall. Egg In A Hole was the cherry on top for me. If you’re looking for a crazy “melt your brain” show, this is it. Thank you Phish, and please come back to Dayton soon.

Best show of the tour. Best Phish show I’ve ever been to. This show was an absolute face-melter.

SYSF got me right into the groove out of the gate.

My buddy wore some short shorts with Funky Bitch inscribed on the butt, so just playing this song made my night.

I’m not a Roggae fan, but this was a good version.

Kill Devil Falls was through the roof in the Nutter.

I love how Trey is adding those vocal ooooh oooh oooohs to Steam. I hope they keep that. Nothing fancy here, but so tight. I’ve been listening to this version multiple times a day since the show.

My Friend My Friend is the real dark horse of the show. This version is straightforward and to the point, but it’s virtually mistake-free. I love this tune, and I’ve heard almost every version. Tight ones like this are very scarce. They almost always fumble it at some point, but this version is money, if you can live without an extended type 2 cut.

I walked into this show not a fan of Walls of The Cave, and I left a fan. Trey’s guitar in the second half might have been my favorite part of the show. I lost track of my face toward the end.

All of that said, this first set was the peak of the tour for me. Most people key in on the second sets, but don’t sleep on this first set. It’s as good as Phish gets, ever.

As for the second set, I mean, Ruby Waves, come on! Not a huge fan of this song, but this is definitely the best version I’ve heard. I dug it.

Lifeboy was a treat, happy to get that one.

Backwards Down The Number Line is always a happy time.

Walrus sounded better in the venue than it does on Live Phish. It was pretty wild.

Newfound appreciation for Egg In A Hole. More please.

Possum was a pedestrian finish to the best show I’ve seen in my life.

Everyone has their show. This is mine. Usually, I’ll re-listen to a show once after seeing it live. I’ve listened this show (especially the first set) at least 5 times, and I’m ready for more. This just might have been the show of my life.

I mostly came here to say how much I love hearing the joyous scream of someone finally getting their Lifeboy on the aud I just heard. Brought a big smile to my face.
Also, sick Ruby Waves, you should go check it out. I see some people calling it the greatest they’ve heard but I’m not sure how you can listen to some of the other huge versions they’ve thrown down since it’s 2019 debut and say that, but it’s pretty glorious.
I’m a recovering jaded 90s kid, and didn’t look closely at this song until I saw it on 7/28/23. Can’t believe what I’d been missing.
Since 2015 they’ve pretty much turned me into a true believer again, but I’ve still got some hangups I’m trying to let go of. Some of these new songs I’m never going to love, but when the jams that emerge are massive I don’t care so much where they came from. This song is great though, I’m not just waiting for them to get to the jam with this one. I love how they bring the Ruby Waves theme back in this version around 20 minutes in before going out to sea for one more 10 minute exploration. They could’ve easily brought it to a close there, but they always seem to go the extra mile these days.
Thank you Phish for continuing to Destroy America while you melt my brain and feed my soul.

The Dayton Ruby Waves. I felt it was jam of the tour worthy at the 15 minute mark. What happened next was absolutely transcendent. The closing seven minutes are all time. I’ll be riding this high for the rest of the week. Had a similar feeling during 7/26 Carini and 7/28 Melt, but to me this surpassed both.

Other highlights for me was what seemed to be a semi extended Funky Bitch, anyone who was there will remember that one line Mike belted out. Excellent outros on Walls and MFMF. Loved the foreshadow to Chicago in Egg, and IATW was so fun.

I’m sure this will settle around 4.4, but I’m giving it a 5 for the Ruby Waves alone. An all time post hiatus jam in my opinion. Can’t wait to see what Chicago brings!

Set Your Soul Free: awesome type 2 show starter. After some beautiful playing from Trey, Mike adds a sick spacey effect to his bass and Page plays around with some cool synths. Later the jam starts to build and returns to end the song proper

Funky Bitch: raging

Roggae: stunning jam

Kill Devil Falls: another first set type 2 jam. Great Trey+Page interplay. Never extensively breaks off but a very exploratory build

Steam: sick type 1 playing

My Friend My Friend: standard

Crazy Sometimes: 132 show bustout. Love this Mike song

Walls Of The Cave: well played high energy Cave to end the set

Down With Disease: super cool intro with Fish going ham on the samps. The jam is pretty standard (still type 2 of course) with Fish keeping a good groove and Trey soloing around. After a while Trey finds the DWD riff again and they finish the song off

Ruby Waves: wow wow wow, jam of the tour for sure. Cowbell Fish comes in and we get a great groove going. Spacey effects from Page and Trey lead to a Paradise City jam (like 7/20/2014 Wedge) which has a great satisfying build. Once they're done with that Fish starts the Ruby Waves drumline again and it appears it’s done but NAY! The jam continues with a mellow spacey theme until it picks up with another good groove and Trey goes nuts with his drunk robot effect

Lifeboy: appropriate cooldown after all the jamming that just took place

Piper: more type 2 action. One of the closest intros to a slow build recently but Trey once again jumps in early with the lyrics. Stays high energy for a bit before fading out into

Backwards Down The Number Line: great playing from Trey

I Am The Walrus: wild high energy closer

Egg In A Hole: gotta get back to Chicago

Possum: awesome long version for 4.0. Perfect show closer

Spectacular night 2 in Dayton. Plenty of jamming, some rarities, and tight playing. This is a 8.5/10 show. Highlights are SYSF, KDF, DWD, Ruby Waves, Piper, and Possum

SET 1:

Set Your Soul Free: Solid jam, thought Page sounded great throughout. This is a good way to get the show opened up. But as far as I am concerned it doesn’t have any replay value. Surely it does for some though.

Funky Bitch: Standard.

Roggae: Standard.

Kill Devil Falls: They destroy this one. The first part of the jam is fairly unique and interesting. The rest is pedal to the medal major mode stuff, but it is killed. Great held note in the mid 10’s. Would recommend.

Steam: Broadway Trey. >

My Friend, My Friend: Standard. >

Crazy Sometimes: Performed for the first time since December 8, 2019 (132 shows). Should have left this on the trash heap that was 12.8.19. Song is awful.

Walls of the Cave: Broadway Trey to the MAX. He sounds so ridiculous.

SET 2:

Down with Disease: Below average version and the ending is completely jacked up. >

Ruby Waves: Great jam especially if you are a bliss lover. The first half is bliss, and the second half is full of sinister murk and effects – and overall just some pretty intense playing. This one obviously has a ton of length. But, outside of that it definitely does have replay value.

Lifeboy: Broadway Trey big time. >

Piper: Extremely forgettable. >

Backwards Down the Number Line: Oof. That’s a shame.

I Am the Walrus: Standard. Not close to the one from MSG.

ENCORE:

Egg in a Hole: Standard. >

Possum: Page sounds neutered during his part, but Trey murders his solo. Good stuff.

Summary: Pretty average show right here. A couple of tunes to revisit but other than that? Meh. Doesn’t do too much for me. 3.5/5.

Replay Value: Kill Devil Falls, Ruby Waves

sysf did little to energize the crowd. poor opener. decent jam
funky bitch should have opened
roggae too early but love roggae
kdf standard major key jam
steam was dark and brooding nice version
mfmf standard
crazy sometimes shelve it
walls of the cave standard
pretty good first set with a menacing steam
dwd jam of the night
ruby waves ok song good jam but 16 min to ~20 min is the chicago wedge (11 min to ~14 min) and after is 10 min of meh
lifeboy perfect landing pad after some serious improv. beautiful version
piper nice song choice. rushed opening but they raged hard. powerful
bdtnl party time. treys victory lap after a gorgeous second set.
walrus mike drop
egghole embarrassing lol sorry i just do not enjoy sci-fi soldier
possum pretty subdued version for a show closer.
Overall a good first set with a solid steam and great second set with an outstanding disease jam and a good ruby waves jam. 4 stars