Great to see that the band hasn't taken a breather show as of yet. We're now on five consecutive heaters. Having never seen the boys in Texas, but remembering the average/below average 2016 Dallas shows, I was cautious in my expectations. Just like the four shows that proceeded it, this one is...
[b]Punch You In The Eye:[/b] One of the best ways to start a show. Very extended intro which is cool
[b]Free:[/b] First repeat of tour. Great solo from Trey
[b]My Soul:[/b] raging
[b]555:[/b] Trey switches the key for the jam. Big fan. Yikes on the ending though
[b]Reba:[/b] Couple...
Absolute beast of a show - Trey had a few sour notes here and there, especially early in the evening, but if such is the price to be paid as trade-off for a night of ambitious, explorative, über-creative type 2 jams, blended with high-energy bustouts (the Set I “Moonage Daydream” closer...
Kicking off what has seemingly become a trend in 2025 of extended "2001" style intros, what we get here is the first truly significant departure from rote play since 8/16/97. A noticeably slower tempo in the "Landlady" section still slightly mars these modern outings but the relatively clean performance and extra love shown to the intro demand our attention.
Trey switches key for the jam, and the band responds accordingly. Around 4:10 Trey leans into, and repeats a phrase that works to serve as the foundation for a rockin', confident jam, which finds all four musicians contributing in equal measure. The return to "555" is somewhat abrupt, and leads to a clunky conclusion, but, overall, this is an exciting version.
As yet another outsized, aquatic crimson portal opens up, the jam begins in a swirling rhythmic push. This platform remains steady until play breaks into spacier territory around the 11 minute mark. Mellowing space then forms up into darker territory, and oscillates back and forth between brighter and darker textures/moods. Then, the band begins another push towards an anthemic zone, executing a steady climb towards a bright-sized peak, before after-burning into introspective textural territory and > "Monsters".
A song very much of its time (check the excellent 12/29/22 debut). Perfectly at home between canonical "Reba" and nu-canon "Plasma," this is next generation material. No song > improvisation, the jamming is organic as play from any "Moma," inventive and musical ideas rising from the fabric of the structured material. Trey's strumming after the seven-minute mark sets off Fish and the play becomes forceful, ultimately leading to the fiercest play to date.
This efficient single jam version begins with familiar, groovy "Mike's" probing, before a downshift steers the music into optimistic major key territory. As the music shifts back towards minor key, a repeated lick from Trey builds a subdued peak, with the closing chords for "Mike's" coming in to shut it down and > "Cities".
> from "Mike's Song", play is fluid, almost languid, great bass and drums accented by Trey's liquid tone and Page, who twice 'sprays' synth across the stage. Following a really cool line, listen for the locked-in audience (5:45) response before Trey, and the jam, takes off. What follows is Phish at its finest, post-21 refinement, perfect unrushed balance, improv that rolls, roils, and, refreshingly, doesn't build to peak but, rather, smartly draws to a close.
Shortly after 3:00 the jam enters a segment of edgy, heavily-effected play backed by synth bass which culminates with "I'm a Man" teasing before snapping back to typical closing fare.
Another major "Fuego" drops in the 2-hole of Set 2. Fish's relentless drumming combined with Trey's attack ensures this jam remains upbeat and aggressive. Stay until the end to hear the distorted take on the song's riff. > to a huge "Golden Age".
Narrowly surpasses 10/28/16 for the longest version to date, and it's a doozy. Opening with minimalist funk which becomes increasingly reliant on synths and distortions of all shapes and manner, the jam seems to be crawling to a stop around 15:00, but is then resuscitated with a half-time, super-duty march of doom, and carries that same power as it transitions triumphantly to an ecstatic hose-peak finale.