Phish - August 4th, 2024

Cool version. Near the 6:00 mark, Trey lays into languid, off-kilter, near-melodic variation, his soloing seemingly aimless before, with Fish, settling on a great passage unsettling previous play, the segment completely discordant, before abruptly, yet adroitly, returning to close and > "McGrupp."

In latter-day Phish, extended "Ghost" intros typically portend greatness and this version is no different. Around 23:00, Trey and Mike link up and push the jam into a new territory and it takes off. Fish's driving play ensures the entire band keeps exploring the space. When the jam is seemingly still in a cool place, Trey forces the band back to the "Ghost" melody. He can be forgiven, given the huge version of "Soul Planet" that follows.

Along with preceding "Ghost", this "Soul Planet" makes up one of the great 1-2 punches of the year as it sets off at a good pace and introduces dial-tone and other wonky effects in the opening minutes before a shift around 8:00. From there it drifts upwards into major bliss and is driven into gorgeously inspirational territory by Trey's coalescing riff for a terrific mid-jam hosing, after which the band briefly gestures towards a return home, only to quickly launch into more locked-in improvisation. With the vibe now turning towards hard-rock, the jam once again gels around Trey's riffage and surges to a head-banging peak, then > "Billy Breathes".