Well this is one of the best Phish shows I've ever been to. First part of the first set contained some good bluesy funky type I jamming, culminating in the groovy No Men's. Ocelot was actually a standout version with some very patient interplay that briefly led to a minor key jam unique for the tune. Reba was great and the ending for Axilla was stretched out a bit. Nice to hear them play around with that ending. Antelope peaked hard and led us to set break.

Sigma Oasis is growing on me as a song and the jam quickly got good, heading for ambient waters as Mike entered with a familiar bass rumble. Down With Disease arrived with a bang with fiery improv pushing the total length over 30 minutes. This jam was relentless and Fish was absolutely killing it at points. No weirdness or space in this one, just a rock and funk workout that got better and better. They followed up with a well placed What's the Use? that was pretty unique to my ear. It wasn't crazily jammed out or anything, but the band was playing around and varying the theme in a way I haven't heard from them before. They even extended the quiet middle section for a bit in a way that conjured up the early 90s silent jams. Fluffhead was well placed and pretty well executed save for a few flubs from Trey before Bundle of Joy. Twist was very fun and playful with a Sigma Oasis jam at the end (it never fully segued imo, Fish was playing the Twist beat most of the time). Overall, an incredible show with a well executed first set and an adventurous 5 song second set.

This was my 10 year old’s third show (first since the pandemic). On the drive up, we talked about songs we thought they’d play and I explained that, in my opinion, the best way to experience Phish is with no expectations because there’s so much to be gained by being open to what they give.

As we walked back to the car after the show, I told him that I wouldn’t have chosen to see DWD (my most seen song) but that tonight it was exactly what we needed to hear. Fantastic show from top to bottom, but that second set is an all-timer for me.

It was a little bit of a slow burn start but the vibe TL felt right and there definitely seemed to be some energy coming from Trey from the jump. The first set seemed to really start to lift off mid-Ocelot and that’s really when the night turned special. I’ll let others dissect the jams, but from the Pit this was just top shelf all around. Reba was well played. Axilla II had a couple of hiccups, but was still raging, and Antelope pretty well set the tone for what was to come.

That second set though… yowza. The DWD is sure to become the stuff of legend. What a journey. But the Sigma opener was super tasty on its own and really appreciated how they brought it back home with it to close a special set. Fluffhead was pretty much impeccable. Trey was dialed in all night - slaying the composed sections left and right. The whole band was just super tight and seemed to have a huge pocketful of energy and fire all night.

Lastly - huge props to the venue for some fantastic improvements to the experience. This is going to be a top notch venue when it’s completed. Worth a return visit for sure.

This was one of the most fun shows I've been to in a while, and I recently did the Deer Creek run. The new Venue is definitely better than back in '19, we were on the lawn and while it was a bit tight the views were great. I hope once the venue is finished there's a bit more space, but sound and sightlines were phenomenal. The bathrooms and whatnot are a huge improvement over last time. I like that the band did the poster pop-up before the show too, met some cool people in line and it was very well run with friendly event staff.

One thing I like about the Bangor shows is they're totally outside (no shed) so you get to see the sunset which just made for a magical experience. Also, the eagles flying around at the start of show was damn cool...

Lot scene was really chill and nice, good lawn to hang out, not too many balloons, easy to get out, but I do think they need some better line management to get people into the lawn entrance.

And the music... so fun! Set one was some standards to warm everyone up with a fire Antelope... and the set ii sigma sandwich was so tasty... that's going to be a show that gets many spins. I'd nominate that DWD for a LP on LP release one day in the future.

The energy from this show never let up. This might have been the cleanest version of some of these songs I’ve seen. being only a small guy in this huge ocean. (37shows) To my ears it was extremely tight performance. The DWD Is just transcendent and everything you want from Phish. That fluff was super clean and really tight. I will be listening to this one for years to come. What a banger in Bangor. HOLY SHIT! Can’t wait for my home town show in Hartford. Over the moon the way they played this night. They love us

My first review. What a moment.

Attendance bias is real here, but a relisten made me want to share my feelings about this show. The weather was unreal and the venue was buzzing. The Eagle that flew over the river pre-show made an appearance for the Free opener which was super cool. But I will be clear to state that Set 1 really doesn’t have any standouts. A well played Reba is always welcomed and I do like the flow of song choice but it’s not anything to truly write home about.

Set 2 is a different story. A couple of flubbed lines in Ocelot must have eaten at Trey because he came out looking for blood. Sigma Oasis was a good version, but DWD is an absolute gator tail. Its length is not why it’s so highly regarded by me. It’s the fact that each time you believe it’s ending, someone picks up the slack and won’t let it be. Fishman is the standout here and they even finish the song! In the moment it was excellent and it holds up against the sands of time. A true must listen. They flow perfectly into WTU and then they play an excellent Fluff. Twist leads back into Sigma and brings home a banger of a five song second set.

I also think this is the last time Roses was played which is both interesting and makes me wonder if a comeback is due. Trey goes guitar god for First Tube and everyone goes home happy.

Maine is the way life should be. I’m proud to call it home and love how much history the band has here. Please come back soon!

Got some sleep and then we headed North to camp one night in Bangor. Took some time getting there/ setting up camp so we got to the venue just before the show started. The venue was much better than 2019 sound wise. We were on the lawn and it was a good view, they really built it up.

Set 1 starts with Free, honestly didn’t mind the call. It was a beautiful summer day and just seemed fitting. After the standard affair we get I Never Needed You Like This Before which was fine but standard. 555>Possum has good energy, but still nothing special at the moment. No Men In No Man’s Land is good, but stays type 1. Ocelot> Reba is a very good combination. Ocelot is my highlight of the first set, I thought they really ripped this one. Reba is nice to hear as always and they play it well. Axilla (Part II)> Run Like and Antelope is a very fun way to end set 1 and they play both well.

Set 2 starts out with Sigma Oasis. This is a good version that doesn’t stray to far from itself. It gets a little strange at the end of the jam and it lands in Down with Disease. My lord this is such a fantastic version of this song. So many ideas and the band just keeps pushing themselves further and further. 30 minutes went by so quick, just listen. I think this may be my favorite jam I attended in 2022. This lands beautifully into What’s the Use? Once again this song delivers and is just so amazing, I always love getting this song. Fluffhead emerges and it just hit the spot at the time, perfect placement. A very well played Fluffhead goes into Twist-> Sigma Oasis. Twist is pretty standard, but it morphs into Sigma Oasis nicely to complete the sandwich. Encore of Roses Are Free> First Tube just absolutely delivers after that awesome set, what a way to end a show!

Set 1 Highlights-> Ocelot

Set 2 Highlights-> Sigma Oasis> Down With Disease(Highly Recommended)> What’s the Use?> Fluffhead. (Another set you should just listen to the whole thing).

I really enjoyed this show. First set was pedestrian, but still fun and I liked most of the song choices. Set two just absolutely brought it, one of my favorite sets I saw this year. I’d rate this show a 4.25/5.