Phish - April 19th, 2023

Strong version that features great Trey from the jump. Fish dominates, though, his offbeat, cerebral play warranting multiple listens, and informing the version's primary direction. Cool play arrives when, late, Page switches up his sound and runs through his rig. Play cools before the jam truly breaks, but a welcome return to classic form - or, hopefully, a sign of things to come.

The jam initially begins in standard "Jim" territory before a Mike-led tonal shift signals new directions. Fishman's inspired melodic drumming retains a familiar vibe, as the rest of the band shifts through several moods in seamless fashion. This gradually escalates towards a lushly-textured minor key romp before wrapping up with the traditional "Jim" ending.

While not "Hydrogen," the version functions similarly; what has now become familiar, airy play, a welcome transition from "Mike's" strong, driven, punch. What follows is a wonderful, psychedelic, excursion. Fish fans would do well to tune in around 6:25. What follows is remarkable as the improvisation itself transitions, Trey picking up Fish's pattern, or call for action, with the version quickly assuming darker over- and undertones.

After some standard outro riffing, the jam quickly hones in on a more focused vein as it traverses a few intermediate phases before landing on a fiery psychedelic zone with a recurring descending motif. Around 15:00 the groove thickens with churning bass, synths, and twinkling octave-upped guitar over top a splashy beat and ends > "WTU?".