Phish - September 1st, 2023

In contrast to Trey's typical whammy-oriented soloing in "Halfway", this version's outro finds Trey opting for thoughtfully melodic and fleet-fingered soloing, which in turn inspires a fully fleshed-out melodic conversation between himself, Page and Mike. Gorgeous.

Another year at Dick's produces yet another monster version of "Sand." Strong play from Mike and Page kicks this jam off in fun fashion. Ideas are thrown out from each band member, with nothing ever sticking for too long. If a portion of this jam doesn't hook you, just give it two minutes and the next section will. Trey finds some lilting riffs towards the end, and then the whole band locks into a rocking, fun jam before meandering back to the familiar territory of the song proper, briefly jamming the outro. > "NMINML".

Making a rare encore appearance, "Melt" again provides a space for the more sinister spirits of improvisation to brood and bend reality, pushing the limits of musicality in a truly alarming jam that is both anxious and angular. Listen especially for Mike to ratchet up the tension in the last few minutes. This extended finale is frightening and fantastic.