Words and Images: Tim Hara

Last weekend, Phish made their triumphant return to Cincinnati for the first time in six years. They played the U.S. Arena, a 17,000 person venue located downtown right next to the stadiums where the Reds and the Bengals play. Although the place was packed both nights, fans could find cheap tickets – some even free – in the lot with ease. You could feel the excitement in the air as the crowd funneled through the doors and into the venue to begin what would turn out to be an incredible two-night stand in the Midwest.

Phish kicked off the first night with good, but standard versions of Chalk Dust and Moma Dance. The entire building shook as the audience roared during “the pause” in The Divided Sky. After a solid rendition of Alaska, things were slowed down for Fast Enough for You, which was played for only the second time this year. The high point in the set came for Gotta Jibboo > Fluffhead, two crowd-pleasers that closed out the first half. Overall a solid, fun set, but it was obvious that the band was just getting warmed up.

The real magic came in the second set with the Tweezer > Light > Back on the Train > Possum sequence. The quartet jammed patiently and absolutely nailed the transitions in this segment; especially the segue into Possum. After a blissful, standalone Slave to the Traffic Light, the funk dance party started up with a monster You Enjoy Myself that clocked in at over 20 minutes to close what was a perfectly executed set. Phish then treated the crowd to a three-song encore that started with Joy and Golgi Apparatus and concluded with a Tweezer Reprise that ensured the show ended on a high note.

READ ON for more of Tim’s thoughts and photos on Phish…

Everyone had high expectations for Saturday’s show after such a huge second set the previous night. The venue seemed to be slightly more crowded on this night and fans raced inside to grab the best views they could as staff did not make any effort to enforce “reserved” seating. The house lights cut, the crowd exploded, Phish took the stage, and round two was underway.

The first set was kicked off with an energy-filled Wilson > NICU pairing, two fun sing-along tunes to get everyone in the mood. This was followed by a funky Wolfman’s Brother. The band was completely locked in as they ripped through this staple in their repertoire.

Soon after they repeated the Rolling Stones cover, Torn and Frayed, played at Festival 8 in Indio, CA just a few weeks prior. Strange Design, Ginseng Sullivan, and Albuquerque followed next, which were three tunes that had only appeared a handful of times in the last decade. Rare treats to those fans keeping track. Limb by Limb and Run Like an Antelope closed the set with energy that was through the roof and the crowd was finally given a chance to catch their breath at intermission.

After a 30-minute setbreak, Phish took the stage for the final set of the weekend. They came out firing on all cylinders for a 15+ minute Rock and Roll that got weird and spacey before an effortless segue into a huge version of Ghost. The crowd couldn’t have asked for a better 1-2 punch to open. They let the band know as they roared in approval before Ghost came to a halt and the opening notes of If I Could began, another bust-out for stat freaks.

After a solid Backwards Down The Number Line, from the new album, Joy, Phish eased into Prince Caspian. It was Page’s time to shine on the keys during a funky Suzy Greenberg that transitioned into a short, but tight 2001. The Squirming Coil closed things out and the band left the stage one by one leaving Page to solo on piano. He stood, took a bow, and the entire building shook with the crowd’s cheer.

Phish took the stage for the encore for what would be the final time of the weekend. After Fish sung the final lines of Sleeping Monkey from behind the drums, Trey explained they wished they could play in Cincinnati for an entire week. He thanked the fans and said that the band would grant the request from one of the signs being held up in the front rows. With that, they broke into Axilla. The room went wild as Kuroda’s light show was perfectly in-sync and the crowd pumped their fists in the air singing along. A fun song to cap off a perfect two days of music. You could be sure that no one in attendance would soon forget when Phish destroyed Ohio.

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