Phish - July 25th, 2017

"Jam"-flavored show opener, Trey wastes no time busting "Sample" wide open, the spirited intro a sort of anthemia which unfolds via a huge, warm, solo. Play considerably cools, and the band enters a jam proper, with Page providing great fills, alternating between electric and acoustic piano. Trey works the version up and through a euphoric build, before a perfect change delivers the band to the song's closing verse.

Page keytar solo + sharp and funky groove + dark and lovely Mike-driven minor-key rocking + smooth turn into major-key bliss featuring a sustained note from Trey and excellent piano from Page + blastoff into a charging fiery jam that devolves into spaciness + immense playing from Trey as the band drives towards a massive peak + delicate finale and > into "My Friend, My Friend" = an all-time jam. Yes, in "Lawn Boy".

> from a "Lawn Boy" so incredibly long that Trey forgets some of song. But what of it? Page assaults any semblance of calm with his "screaming" effect, and Trey, following some great interplay with Mike, sparks an extended improvisational passage, working a funereal line to create a sedate and spooky atmosphere, awash in a spray of Fish's cymbals. Page's stately play resurrects the jam from this welcome darkness, and the jam bleeds to brighten before a period of pleasant ambiance closes what was, at the time, the longest "MFMF" to date.

Patient and serene, the play here illustrates a band at the peak of their collective powers. Trey's smooth and textured play is matched by Page, whose work on the piano adds an effortless air. A subtle shift finds Page going electric, and the version assumes a sound surreal, with Mike working his drill, which seemingly opens a portal through which any number of ideas are released. Trey's tranquil strumming cum soloing provides a colorful legroom, which is filled by particularly fine play from Fish and produces a super > into "Thread".

An astounding version which opens up with some exquisite, melodious grooving and surges to a peak that would serve as a worthy finale, but as this took place in the "jam-flavored" show, there's still lots more to come. The second half begins with some quiet, uneasy space, only for another lovely progression to emerge from the void and produce one more exclamation point. A final funky segment leads back into the song's refrain to wrap up a magnificent display of improvisation and the longest "C&P" to date.