I traveled down from Cleveland, Ohio with my brother for a much-needed weekend adventure, and man, I was not prepared for the night that unfolded. This show ended up being my 44th Phish concert, and somehow the band still found a way to surprise me. To make it even more special, I finally got my very first “Old Home Place”—a song I’d been chasing for years—which immediately elevated the night into unforgettable territory.

From the opening notes of Back on the Train, the band wasted no time locking into a groove. Cities kept that funky momentum going, setting the tone for a first set that balanced energy and flow beautifully. Sample in a Jar and Theme From the Bottom reminded everyone of Phish’s ability to deliver familiar classics with fresh vitality. Then came the highlight for me—The Old Home Place—a perfect breather with rootsy charm, made all the more meaningful as a personal first. The set closed strong with a raucous one-two punch of Bathtub Gin and Runaway Jim, both stretched just enough to let Trey dig in while the rest of the band pushed and pulled the jams with their usual telepathy.
S2 was a journey. Sigma Oasis set the mood with its expansive optimism, leading seamlessly into a roaring Down with Disease that hit liftoff mode early. The segue into Life Saving Gun and then Pillow Jets showed how easily Phish blends the new material into their live tapestry—fresh songs that already feel road-tested and natural. Mountains in the Mist was a gorgeous, emotional breather that had the entire crowd hushed, before Blaze On reignited the fire with its joyous sing-along energy. The Ghost closer sealed the set with a deep, murky groove that had everyone dancing with abandon, reminding us once again why this band is unmatched when it comes to improvisation.

For the encore, Phish went straight to the soul. Shine a Light was pure catharsis, sending waves of gratitude through the room, and then they wrapped the night with Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S., a high-energy exclamation point that had the whole crowd shouting in unison: “This is what space smells like!”

Walking out, I couldn’t help but feel blown away. After 44 shows, Phish somehow managed to give me a “first,” deliver both deep jams and heartfelt ballads, and remind me why I keep coming back. It was a night full of surprises, connection, and pure joy—everything you hope for when you set out on a Phish adventure.

To put it simply, of the 15 shows I've been to since 2017 (and many, many more listened to), this is peak Phish jamming. They operated on a level I'd never seen in person before. Easily the best show I've attended and one of those moments where only this band can take you. Truly a transcendent experience and masterful musicianship throughout the night. Throw on this night in the middle of a '98-'00 show playlist, and nothing is out of place other than some new songs in the mix. This is why we go to shows: to catch something like this in the flesh and be moved beyond imagination. For the guitarists out there, it's also pretty cool to hear a $100k+ Dumble amp in real life haha.

Heading into the Saturday’s night show in Birmingham, I couldn’t help but notice an unmistakable energy in the air. It wasn’t just the normal pre show, giddy restlessness. This event had something else working for it. Something that Phish is known for embracing, this night just had an extra dose of the unknown. You see, the Coca-Cola Amphitheater was brand spanking new, I mean brand new, having opened not even two months before. It’s safe to say the band were feeling this energy as well and decided to take full advantage of it.

Some Personal Highlights

— I’m was happy to see they went ahead and played Cities early and I was even happier that they “went in” and jammed it out.
— Bathtub Gin was perhaps the deepest dive of the night. Jaw on floor.
— As Gin was winding down, I was certain it was the end of the set, but lo and behold here comes Runaway Jim. A++
— For the 2nd Set, it was time to push the petal to the floor. Sigma Oasis>Down With Disease>Lifesaving Gun was a weird, scary, and beautiful stretch of music.
— During the LSG jam, I really thought we were going to make first contact with aliens right there in Birmingham. Far Out indeed…
—The Encore was perfect. They tugged at my heart with their version of Shine a Light causing me to shed a tear or two. Then they brought the whole thing home with a high energy final wind up with Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S.
— During the PEAK of the final song, one last jet airliner , flew directly over the venue, which raised the energy that much more. Oh I forgot to mention, the unknown really did come into play that night in Alabama. To my surprise (and I’m sure many others), the venue was right beside the airport. So at least a dozen or so times through the night, a huge jet would fly (fairly low) right over us. This aspect will always make this show special to me. Oddly enough, even though the planes were pretty close to us, I couldn’t hear them at all so they didn’t affect the show negatively at all
All in all, it was a great weekend in Birmingham and Sundays show the next night was no slouch (shout out Fee), Saturday reached heights rarely seen. 5 Stars.