Photo by Rene Huemer

Last night, Phish returned to Berkeley, Calif.’s Greek Theatre for their second of three nights, following an opening evening that included a bust-out and an explorative and abstract 42-minute “Tweezer.” For their second appearance on the iconic stage, the Vermont-based band dug their heels in for two 20-minute jams during each set and shared a few 2023 debuts while they were at it.

After stepping on stage, Trey Anastasio–still glowing from the night before–said, “This place is alright!” before opening the show with two songs that have yet to be heard in 2023: “Olivia’s Pool” and “Seven Below.” The pairing flowed into a heated rendition of “Maze” though it was cooled off with a drafty “Mist.” The band then gripped their respective instruments for a 24-minute improvisational jam of “Bathtub Gin,” which saw an array of interplay and moods – twisting, turning, and climaxing before returning to its roots. The jam found its way into a heavy, funk-fueled “555” lush with improvisation before “Possum” brought the frame to a close.

They opened the second set with a jamming psychedelic tapestry comprised of “Don’t Doubt Me,” followed by unfinished takes of “Kill Devil Falls” and “Fuego”– which clocked in at over 20 minutes and saw some of the finest improvisation and ambiance of the evening–followed by an ephemeral “Light.” The four songs reached out over an hour before they took a reprieve in the form of “Lonely Trip.” Next came the “Woos” of “The Howling,” followed by a tender penultimate “Farmhouse” and a set closing “Backwards Down the Number Line.”

Phish returned to the stage for an encore of “Character Zero,” which was lush with riffs from Anastasio and runs from Mike Gordon ahead of the venue’s 10 p.m. curfew.

Phish will perform their final show at the Greek Theatre tonight. Watch via LivePhish.com here.

Phish
The Greek Theatre – Berkeley, Calif.
April 18, 2023

Set I: Olivia’s Pool > Seven Below > Maze, Mountains in the Mist, Bathtub Gin > 555, Possum

Set II: Don’t Doubt Me > Kill Devil Falls [1] > Fuego [2] > Light [3] > Lonely Trip, The Howling > Farmhouse > Backwards Down the Number Line

Enc.: Character Zero

[1] Unfinished
[2] Unfinished
[3] Unfinished

Kill Devil Falls, Fuego, and Light were unfinished.