Photo by Rene Huemer, via @PhishFromTheRoad

Despite cold and rainy weather, Phish brought the heat to Bangor, Maine on Tuesday night. For their first of two shows at Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion, the band offered a first-set “Mike’s Groove,” as well as two monstrous second-set jams.

The show began with a rocking sequence of “46 Days > Back on the Train.” While neither song strayed from its structure, both had quality type-one jams. Next, guitarist Trey Anastasio declared that the band would like to invite “a local politician” on stage to sing the next song.

He then introduced drummer Jon Fishman – who holds a seat on the Board of Selectmen in Lincolnville, Maine (he was elected in June of 2017) – to lead the band through the short and lighthearted “Ass Handed.” Next came the first improvisational highlight of the evening: “Bathtub Gin.” This 14-minute version contained some excellent type-one jamming to begin, then morphed into a funkier type-two section before returning to the “Gin” structure for a final peak. A short rendition of “The Dogs” came next, followed by a well-placed “Waves.”

Anastasio then played the familiar intro to “Mike’s Song,” which certainly excited the crowd. This “Mike’s” was a fairly standard version, clocking in at just over eight minutes. “Water in the Sky” was a fitting choice for a segue, as overhead rain was just beginning to fall in earnest (it would continue for the rest of the show). From there, “Limb by Limb” made its second appearance of the summer, and it again contained a lively and inspired jam. As this fizzled out, Anastasio led the band into “Weekapaug Groove.” This version, while also just eight minutes, saw the band opting for a funkier jam that almost felt type-two. A standard “Julius” closed out the set.

Set two began with one of the finest sections of Phish yet this summer: a stunning, 45-minute sequence of “Down with Disease > Play by Play > Simple.” The 19-minute “Disease” jam began with an extended type-one section, before moving into deep type-two. The dark, funky jam perfectly led into “Play by Play,” a song which the band had played during sound check. After the short composed section, the improvised section picked up right where “Disease” left off, with some more gritty funk. The short jam arrived in the key of F, which gave Trey the chance to launch into “Simple.”

Another 19-minute masterpiece, this version of “Simple” contained sections of blissful hose jamming, more funk and classic Phish peaks. As the superb jam settled down, Anastasio started up “Piper.” This version, while staying within its structure, was no slouch, as the band was clearly feeling quite comfortable. “Miss You” followed, offering a chance for the crowd to catch their breath. However, the energy quickly ramped right back up, as the band ripped through “Llama,” played perhaps because of the lyric “through the cold steady rain.”

“Meatstick” and “Rise/Come Together” kept the energy high, and “Slave to the Traffic Light,” as always, was a choice set closer. A standard “Loving Cup” encore capped the evening off, and left the crowd cheering for more.

Phish tour continues tonight at Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion.

Check out Tuesday’s full setlist – as it appears in our Box Scores section – below:

Phish
June 25, 2019
Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion Bangor, ME

Set I: 46 Days > Back on the Train, Ass Handed, Bathtub Gin, The Dogs, Waves > Mike’s Song > Water in the Sky > Limb By Limb > Weekapaug Groove > Julius

Set II: Down with Disease* > Play by Play > Simple > Piper, Miss You, Llama, Meatstick > Rise/Come Together > Slave to the Traffic Light

Enc: Loving Cup

Notes:
*unfinished

Source: Phish.net