photo by Rene Huemer (via Phish From the Road on Twitter)

Phish returned to the BB&T Pavilion stage Sunday evening in Camden, N.J., delivering the third show in as many nights that included bustouts such as “Pebbles and Marbles” in the first set and a second set filled with significant improvisation.

Prior to the show, word began to circulate that Phish had soundchecked many old favorites, including “Pebbles and Marbles,” “Colonel Forbin’s Ascent” and “Tela.” Fans were eager to find out if the band would actually play songs like these come show time, and Phish responded in style, opening with the wonderful composition “The Curtain With.” After a short “With” jam segment, the band moved into “Fast Enough for You” settling into the show with these two relatively mellow but still exciting songs. “Buried Alive” then ramped up the energy considerably, and “Camel Walk” kept up the excitement.

Next came the first real treat of the show: the fan-favorite “Reba.” A quality 3.0 version, the tune saw guitarist Trey Anastasio weave together intricate melodies before storming to a peak. A standard “Sample in a Jar” followed, and then Phish delivered the bustout of the show, “Pebbles and Marbles.” Not seen since the Baker’s Dozen, this song electrified the crowd, and the band executed the song quite well. This set just never quit, however, as the group followed up the bustout with the sequence of “Tela” into “The Mango Song” and “Driver,” three more beloved Phish classics. Finally, “David Bowie” closed out the set with an excellent jam, complete with many roaring peaks.

Set two began with “Mr. Completely,” the Trey Anastasio Band original that has been played twice already this tour. The 17-minute jam quickly went type-two, and it would have been a fitting marquee jam for the set, had it not been for what followed. “Twenty Years Later” emerged from the “Mr. Completely” jam, and features its own stunning improvised section. Clocking in at over 20 minutes, the jam went from funk to bliss to blues seamlessly, with all four band members eventually locking in on an unmistakable lick that was then interspersed in the rest of the show. From the ashes of the “Twenty Years Later” jam came another old school, goofy Phish song, “Big Black Furry Creature from Mars,” followed by the always welcome “Tweezer.” This version of “Tweezer,” while not straying far from its home structure, featured some incredible tension and release playing from all four members.

“Shade” provided the cool-down for the set, followed by the Page McConnell original, “Most Events Aren’t Planned.” “Makisupa Policeman” provided one more brief cool-down before the band closed the set with “Chalk Dust Torture” into “Suzy Greenberg.” The encore provided more excitement, with the band opting for the atypical combination of “Punch You in the Eye”> “What’s the Use?”> “Julius.” “Tweezer Reprise” was nowhere to be found; perhaps they have a plan for Saratoga Springs.

Check out the full setlist below as it appears in our Box Scores section, along with pro-shot video of each set opener via LivePhish’s webcast of the show. Phish continue their summer tour on Tuesday night in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Phish
BB&T Pavilion – Camden, NJ

Set I: The Curtain With > Fast Enough for You > Buried Alive > Camel Walk, Reba > Sample in a Jar, Pebbles and Marbles, Tela > The Mango Song, Driver > David Bowie   

Set II:  Mr. Completely > Twenty Years Later > Big Black Furry Creature from Mars > Tweezer > Shade > Most Events Aren’t Planned, Makisupa Policeman > Chalk Dust Torture > Suzy Greenberg      

Enc: Punch You in the Eye > What’s the Use? > Julius       

Source: Phish.net