Photo by Jesse Faatz

Phish returned to the stage at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Mass., last night for their summer tour opener. The quartet started the night off with a 20-minute “Ghost,” performed the first “Mound” since December 2019, and treated the audience to a rare “Punch You In The Eye” encore.

The evening kicked off with “Ghost,” which included “Set Your Soul Free” interspersed within. The 20-minute jam served as the perfect vehicle for the band to stretch the improvisational and explorative proclivities moving from gritty to funky to blistering. Buttery leads from guitarist Trey Anastasio also kicked the crowd into gear, previewing what was to come later in the night. The quartet followed up the jam with “The Wedge,” and a bust out of “Mound,” which hasn’t been heard in 60-shows and was last played in December of 2019.

Phish then gave the audience a chance to breathe with a slower number, “Mountains in the Mist.” However, the break was short-lived as they brought out even more energy with “Back on the Train,” which went into an 11-minute jam of “Ruby Waves.” Keyboardist Page McConnell then took the microphone for the piano bar-inspired, “I Been Around,” much to the audience’s delight. Phish then launched into a funky, jammed-out rendition of “Tube,” before going into the heavy, high-energy “About To Run” to close out the set. 

The band shifted into overdrive for their second set – a segue-filled jam fest. After taking the stage, Phish launched into a 12-minute performance of “Chalk Dust Torture,” before flowing into a jammed-out “Plasma.” The sonic ship kept its momentum as the band steered into a funky “Weekapaug Groove,” which then transformed into the dark and gritty “Saw It Again.” The band then attempted the calm the roaring audience down a bit, turning “Saw It Again” into “Prince Caspian,” which morphed into “Backwards Down the Numberline.” Phish kept the segues going, launching right into “Bug,” and finally, “Sand” to close out the night.

After a brief break, Phish took the stage once more for a rare encore of “Punch You In The Eye”–the sixth in the band’s history–as they opened the song, the audience raged with applause. They then took “Punch You In The Eye” into the catchy “Say it To Me S.A.N.T.O.S” to close out the night.

Phish will return to the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Mass., for another show tonight, July 15. Tickets for their upcoming shows are still available to be purchased here.

Phish
Xfinity Center – Mansfield, Mass.
July 14, 2022

Set I: Ghost > Set Your Soul Free > Ghost, The Wedge, Mound, Mountains of the Mist, Back on the Train > Ruby Waves, I Been Around, Tube > About to Run

Set II: Chalkdust Torture > Plasma > Weekapaug Groove > Saw It Again > Prince Caspian > Backwards Down the Number Line > Bug > Sand

Enc. Punch You In The Eye > Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S