You Sexy Thing is one weird opener. Perfect tonight, with the chocolate reference. But weird.

When Wombat downshifts into further strangeness, then, and jams from the second slot, it should come as no surprise to anyone who's been following along with this tour, but it's still shocking somehow in its own right. Even more so when You Sexy Thing comes back and everything melts together into a sticky, gooey mess, but, hell, we should have expected that too.

Free serves as an anthem of sorts for this tour and we get a version here that's been brewing since Arkansas, unhurried and slithery smooth. ASIHTOS takes a turn mere moments into the jam, revealing the fluid heart of this set, and You Sexy Thing manages to flow in yet again before the song's traditional ending.

Things are getting downright peculiar now, and Halley's fits perfectly with the mood. Sometimes a handful of Phish songs don't work together on a given night, but the assembly here mesh and reinforce, becoming something larger. When Halley's lifts off at the conclusion of the song proper (here featuring extra vocals), a certain sort of fan (me) holds their breath, then laughs with abandon when the band finally bursts through the membrane that's been holding the song back for much of the past decade.

So that's what pure joy feels like again. Missed you, old friend.

This is, for my tastes, the best first set of tour so far, expansive and explosive, with an internal cohesion that not many first sets have, this year or any other. Trey's new song, Lonely Trip, finds a comfortable spot it might not have otherwise enjoyed without the sparkling Halley's as an intro, and pretty much everything flat-out works tonight.

A sultry Jibboo and funky-as-all-get-out Meat do nothing to break the spell, and a rocket-fueled Maze punches a hole in the stratosphere to close the set.

Whew. You absolutely need more than 15 minutes after all that.

Second set's opening Theme feels of a piece with the first set, and Trey holds and bends a celebratory, cathartic note during the jam, proving a clarion call for the set to come.

Birds takes off and soars, lighter and airier than many of the jams the past week or so, though touched with some of the same strangeness. Bug seems a cooldown to a set that didn't need one, but soon heats up before giving way to a bouncy Light, whose jam's unhinged ragtime ratchets into a live-on-the-fly Party Time remix. And of course, it's Sexy Time too, and first set and second set are now inextricably linked.

Ruby Waves fragments and fractalizes, offering a vision of your cybernetic future and the inscrutable AI you'll come to worship. Even at its weirdest, however, (and it does get plenty weird) there's an underlying happy buzz, that note from Theme ringing throughout the set.

The closing Chalk Dust skews a bit sloppy, but makes it up for it with a hell of a peak, and Trey compliments the audience's sexiness before walking off.

This set makes an excellent companion piece to either 8/4 or 8/6 II, yin to those sets' impressive yang. You can make the argument, perhaps, that this show as a whole is a bit top-heavy, second set a tad too relaxed. But set two is best viewed as a slow burn, and the non-local quantum jam in Ruby Waves will likely be recycled and repurposed into larger jams later down the road, as this tour continues to rip through the apocalypse already upon us.

Well I can’t write a soliloquy like the other guy but I can tell you that this is top tier phish. If you enjoy phish, and I must assume you do, then you will like this show.

Song selection, pocket, several great jams (including a halley’s taken for a proper walk!), great flow and of course some phishy silliness for all the sexy wombats out there. This one had a taste of all the things I love about this band.

That’s it. I recommend you go listen now

This was a really fantastic show. Just got home from the run and had the chance to re-listen this morning on the drive. It definitely holds up!

These were the first two shows of my tour, and I have to say they sound really tight. N1 was fun, albeit setlist wasn't necessarily one I'll revisit. However, they hit a lot of songs I enjoy hearing live. But N2 had it all: funk, humor, looseness, shredding, and layers.

Set 1: Trey was clearly in a funky mood right off the bat, as he wah-ed through You Sexy Thing, (You Sexy) Wombat, and Free, putting some extra mustard on the latter two. I'll take ASIHTOS in the four hole any day, that jam is always a ripper! Next came Halley's which I believe is the longest since 2.0. Everyone was getting down when they realized they'd be taking a ride on the comet. Halley's impact into Lonely Trip was gorgeous - for a moment I thought Page was taking them into No Quarter (in the first set!?) but the segue was beautiful. I absolutely love that ballad, reminds me a lot of Mountains in the Mist and they nailed it. Picking it back up with Jibboo is always welcome, and the subsequent Meat was really funny and full of teases. They were clearly having a lot of fun with that one! The closing Maze was a heater. Trey was really locked in with Page, jumping up an down the whole time. The peak was long and loud, so much so that CK5 kept missing the peak cause Trey just kept building. A fantastic closer!

Set 2: I will say, in the moment I wasn't thrilled with a Theme opener but when the jam comes in on that one it really gets me going. I like that they're opening some second sets with "warm up" songs. Seems to get them right back in the groove. On the same note, the BOAF was stellar. Deep, layered, and fast. Fishman was on fire in this one. The way they brought it back into the proper song in the end was really smooth. Bug was a cooler the band needed, and you're lying if you weren't singing along with that one. They pick it right back up with a Light that finds a great groove early (sounded like a Destiny Unbound jam!) and they sneakily bring it into Party Time. I didn't even see it coming! The following Ruby Waves was a real treat - dark, deep, heavy jam that hit some really cool melodies. I've enjoyed just about every Ruby Waves jam since it's debut and this one is near the top of the list. Chalkdust closer was more than welcomed with a ferocious peak. Overall, a really well executed set.

Encore: Might be in the minority here but Show of Life is one of my favorite encore ballads. I see it as a big thank you from the band. It's a song where I really feel the sincerity between the band and us fans. Of course, getting SANTOS was the cherry on top. What an end to a really fun run!

I love where they are right now. I know people love the really long jams and all, but man they're finding grooves so much quicker this tour. None of the jams in this show were really slowly developed or drawn out, they were firing on all cylinders from the moment they started.

See everyone in AC!

A quick look at the setlist might produce some skepticism about this show. Don't judge a book by its cover and don't judge a Phish show by its setlist. This show smokes.

Songs being performed 'well' was the bare minimum for the evening (Free, Jibboo, Maze, Theme, Bug, Chalk Dust). The big jams came out of somewhat atypical places with a monster first set Halley's Comet and the second set Birds being the highlight of the evening. Light-> Party Time -> Ruby Waves was an extremely well executed sequence in the 4th quarter before closing down with the aforementioned Chalk Dust.

Phish is back and this is must hear 2021 Phish.

Now this was a Phish show. This set of shows were my wife’s first two shows and after night 1’s snooze fest I was a bit worried if they didn’t hit tonight she might give up. But I’m glad to be relieved by two well constructed sets for an overall rock solid show.

Set 1 was tight and focused with each song having a purpose. Lots of goofy You Sexy Thing teases and a few nice jam moments before closing out with a fiery Maze. One of the best I’ve heard in a long time.

Set II opening with Theme was a bit underwhelming but had a nice little peak before launching into a soaring Birds of a Feather with a really cool mid section before returning to the main melody. Definite must listen. Bug was a breather that wasn’t quite necessary but still was grand and served as a mid set marker. Next we get a Light which dissolves into Party Time with You Sexy Thing teases. Wonderfully fun segment that I’m officially calling “Sexy Party Light.” A late set Ruby Waves goes deeper and weirder than expected for a solid 4th quarter piece and we close with Chalkdust as a cap to the night.

I skipped the encore to beat the traffic as night 1 was horrible trying to leave and tonight I was successful out of there before everyone and didn’t miss anything crazy for the closer. Overall very nice show. On to AC!

This run was a hell of a good time. Very chill vibes on lot both days, next to zero negativity - no hassles with security - the only challenge were the big thunderstorms prior to each night's show, which abated leaving a rainbow over the venue two nights in a row. Night one's rainbow had forked lightning going through it at one point - something I've never seen in my life.

Capacity for the arena was 30,000 and I would guess it was only at 2/3rds capacity which left lots of dancing room on the field - much appreciated during a time where social distancing mattered.

Heard the drop into You Sexy Thing while in line to get into the venue, and grooved to Wombat walking onto the field. It was a hell of jam to start the show with - as funky as you please, with a golden-orange sky enveloping the venue. A very strong Free and ASIHTOS to follow... and then the bouncy-happy Halley's which proved to be a winner - a 2nd set type of jam as a set 1 surprise. A beautiful and natural segue into the Lonely Trip debut. A tasty Jibboo, a very funky Meat with the return of the 'You Sexy Thing" theme and an absolutely ripping Maze to close the set. The peak of the Maze had me jumping in the air with pumping fists - just glorious. What a set!! Could Set 2 follow suit and make this a real deal, complete top-to-bottom show?

We stayed towards the back of the field for set 2, plunked right in the sonic sweet spot of the central speaker stack which provided some of the loudest and most clear sound I've ever experienced at a Phish show. First Set 2 Theme opener since 95 - which immediately gave the set an old school feel - I'm always stoked to hear this tune and this was a sweet one. One of the things that has become a constant for me with Phish is that as soon as you proclaim "I don't like this song" or "They always/never do this..." the band will surprise you by doing exactly the opposite and changing your perceptions. Within the past weeks I re-watched the Polaris 99 show with some friends, and while watching that absolute behemoth of a BOAF I said "Man, I wish they would jam out BOAF like this again - it's top shelf Phish and they never do it anymore!" Well, ask and you shall receive - the BOAF that followed Theme was a true gem - heady, mind-blowing, face melting - I literally had moments of my jaw hanging agape at what I was witnessing. The sound was so MASSIVE. The 'Bug' to follow seemed like a cool down but with the triumphant power chorus, complete with Kuroda white lights and fists in the air, it was pure rock n roll. A beautiful 'Light' as always with another seamless segue into Party Time which I never think of as a Set 2 tune, but it worked. The Ruby Waves that came after proved again that it's one of the consistent jam vehicles of the modern era - always sure to send the band into a psychedelic space reserved for only a few tunes. While not a match for the Alpine version, this one got into some really interesting terrain, and along with Halley's and BOAF was a top 3 jam of the night. Chalkdust was Chalkdust, with some different vocal inflections than usual. 25 years ago, Chalkdust opened the first show I saw, and almost to the date all these years later, it closed this one.

The encore was a nice 'Thank You' from the band, but neither added nor subtracted to my feeling about the night. All in all, it was a VERY solid show - one worth re-listening to in its entirety - and arguably one of the most cohesive shows of the first leg of summer 2021 tour. I found a group of about a dozen like minded folks also in the sonic sweet zone, and we danced HARD all night - it was a like a Zumba workout - drenched with sweat by the end of the night. Going that hard with a mask on isn't easy, but we did it, and it added some level of comfort considering the virus in our midst. I had as much fun this night as I've had at just about any show - absence does make the heart grow fonder - and with some 20 months since my prior show I really soaked this one in. Give it a listen. The psychedelic alien space funk of 2021 is on full display and its absolutely fantastic.

LONELY TRIP! That debut alone could save so many lost souls at sea. . . .The Spirit inside of them wants to be free but they are tied to the ground and sometimes the Dirt is friendly and the only Brian and Robert around. . .where walls close tightly and anxiety holds close those we love and we hate the demons of our past spread on the ground and I hate that I cannot show you me now because of some virus made in Lucifer's mind a long time ago because he wants to kill us and destroy our brains now . . . .it is so lonely lonely lonely lonely on this trip called life A Show Of Life that only one carpenter from Chicago sees and luckily he loves Judas more than you and me We are all disciples in the cult called LIFE I hate viruses worms but i love Phishing . . .. . .. . . . .. . . . . ..

Night two was a fun one. After recovering from the late-night partying the night prior, me and my buddy hit Hersheypark durinig a scorching hot day that was interrupted by the incoming rain. We met up with a few of our other buddies in the park and took shelter in our car before it started downpouring. When it subsided, it was showtime and the group of the six of us headed into the venue.

Definitely did not have a You Sexy Thing opener predicted but it definitely let us know that we were in for a funky night. I can't hear Wombat without thinking about Abe Vigoda coming out on Halloween but it's a perfect balance between a light, fun song and an impressive jam instrument. At about three minutes, a nice jam session led by Trey took off. The vocal fusion between 'Wombat' and 'You Sexy Thing' was absolutely awesome-- if you'd had told me these two songs would lift the crowd's vibes beyond the extent of N1 S2 before the show, I would've thought you were crazy. Free's an awesome tune generally, and about four minutes in, they start to let loose on a funky jam that Mike sounds really defined in. I'm not a big ASIHTOS fan, but Trey takes off in this one too at about 2:30 in-- what a start to a jamming first set! Near the end of the jam I was sure that they were going to go into Sand, but instead, they went into my highlight of Summer Tour's first set, a blazing Halley's Comet. At 4:55 the band lifts off and Trey and Page are obviously locked-in, in sync right now. The jam gets really experimental and departs from the theme after a few more minutes thanks to Fish's control of pace. Lonely Trip gave the band a chance to cool down, but it was definitely nice hearing some stuff from Quarantine Trey. Gotta Jibboo even gave Trey some time to jam out for a little bit as they built up to close the set strong. Meat gave us another callback to You Sexy Thing and this is one of my favorite songs that you can hear all four of their vocals on. Maze is a sweet ass closer as well, and this is a pretty traditional one to close out one of the most jammed out first sets I've seen. Trey gives us one last 'You Sexy.... Thing!' before heading back for break.

Set two we got up to maybe five rows back, right at center stage. The sun set and the guys come back with Theme. I thought that they were going to absolutely bust it open after Trey started scaling succeeding the vocal section, but they wrap it up pretty nicely to give us a concise warmup jam. The BOAF, though, is a whole different story. They essentially immediately jump into heavy riffing before fully departing the atmosphere-- I saw the '19 BOAF at Blossom and, while less deep and spacey, this was a substantially more chronological jam that continued to build on the feel of the band. Each of the four members had no trouble feeding off of eachother and nobody hesitated to give another member lead for a few minutes-- the 4.0 guitar sounds great in this one. On Instagram before N1, Mike showed a picture of a butterfly on his mic, and me and my buddy guessed that Bug was gonna make its appearance in Hershey-- here it is. Page has just generally sounded really good tonight, kind of a mystical feel to the keys. To build off this lightheartedness, the band segues into Light. The vocal section leads into a contemporary, alternative, smooth jam for about five minutes that almost fully engulfs Party Time and its succeeding jam as well. Ruby Waves is the other monster jam in this set, getting right into it and getting much darker than this set's complementing jams. This jam is high-paced and definitely worth a listen (definitely not an Alpine Ruby Waves but a solid version nonetheless). Chalk Dust was used as the culminating point of the set to burn off the remaining energy prior to encore.

Show of Life into SANTOS couldn't be any more opposite end of the spectrum, but, at the end of SANTOS, everyone was high-fiving eachother and the energy in the place was palpable. What a fun show-- everyone was on (CK5's rig looked absolutely unbelievable) and this was easily the better night of the two. Probably a 4/5 given the tour's relative performance, definitely earning some replays in my book.

Set 1: The brief jam in A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing stays in Type 1 territory, but has some enjoyable moments nonetheless. The Halley's Comet jam reminds me that Trey seems to be particularly in love with delay these days. (He seems to go through phases with effects. I remember when he was using the hell out of that Leslie effect in the mid-to-late-90s which got old pretty fast.) Meat was fun (which is exactly what one hopes for with that song...at its best it's fun). Overall a decent first set, though nothing mind-blowing. Pretty standard first set type of stuff.

Set 2/e: I love Theme From the Bottom. There's no two ways about it. This was a routine Theme, which is still enjoyable for me. Birds was pretty good. Of Trey's "serious" songs, Bug might be the best. He's made a lot of attempts at writing "serious" material, and most of those attempts are pretty bad. I think Bug is a downright good song though. It doesn't hurt that I have memories like Big Cypress tied to that song. The Ruby Waves jam had some good moments. Chalk Dust was fun. Altogether a decent second set that was mostly pretty good but not remarkable. Maybe slightly above average. Not much to say about the encore.

A slightly above average show because of the fun factor, but nothing to write home about.

Queef setlist on paper but this Halley's is a contender for best in nearly 20 years. The second set is no slouch either - BOAF, Light, and Ruby Waves being worth a listen. I am a bit bored of Santos, but they're doing Col Forbin tomorrow night so can we really complain? Right?
Night one has that Lizards I've been chasing, but let's face it, all Lizards are basically the same, except the old ones are better, and old ones this is not. So skip the first Hershey and give this one a spin. Seriously, the Halley's takes a large dump on Nashville's limpdick version.