Photo by Rene Huemer

On Feb. 23, Phish concluded their four-day Riviera Maya event in Mexico. After the previous two nights saw the band bust out rare covers, Phish treated fans to a six-song encore and flowing second set to close out the run.

This show, unlike the previous two, began at 5:30 p.m. local time, so the sun was still out for much of the first set. The show began with “Crowd Control,” followed by “Farmhouse” and “Breath and Burning.” After the band came to a stop, guitarist Trey Anastasio addressed being able to see the crowd so clearly.

“Man you guys are so lit up now we know what you look like! Normally it’s just like a big black thing out there. We’re on to you now, we see you. You in the way back with the yellow thing on, I see you, up on the platform,” Anastasio said. “You know we’re four mediocre-looking guys out here and you’re all these stunning model-looking people but now the secret’s out. It’s kind of like a whole beach full of mediocre people.”

Drummer Jon Fishman tried to signal it was a joke by playing the classic snare drum hit, but Anastasio cheekily continued, “That wasn’t supposed to be a joke. I’m serious!” before adding, “You’re all beautiful, we’re the mediocre-looking people.” Keyboardist Page McConnell then exclaimed, “except for our drummer,” which prompted Fishman to respond: “I’m the king of mediocrity. The king! … right down the middle!”

The band then played “Divided Sky,” which the band has a penchant to play during sunsets. The funk-laden “Meat” came next, followed by the improvisational highlight of the night, a wide-ranging “Everything’s Right.” “The Squirming Coil” came next, giving McConnell a turn in the spotlight. “Wingsuit” preceded a “David Bowie” set-closer.

The second set began with “Simple,” which turned out to be one of the marquee jams of the Riviera Maya event. The 16-minute beast moved through various sections (and included “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” teases and quotes) before finally sliding into “Golden Age.” The “Golden Age” kept the exploration going, getting particularly dark during the jam.

The band continued to move through songs without coming to a stop, this time pivoting to “Fuego.” The short-but-sweet “Fuego” jam gave way to “Undermind,” which then transitioned effortlessly to “Back on the Train.” During “BotT,” guitarist Trey Anastasio teased “Manteca” and “Plasma.” The set closed with “Passing Through.”

The encore began innocently enough, with a spirited take on “Rise/Come Together.” However, Phish just kept going. They quickly moved into the pair of “The Horse” > “Silent in the Morning.” After this pairing, they dropped into the relatively rare “Fee” (last played this past summer at SPAC), followed by “Funky Bitch.” Even after the energetic, bluesy tune, the band still had time for one “More,” pun intended. The show, and the entire Riviera Maya event, finished with the upbeat rocker.

Check out the full setlist below, via of our Box Scores section. Check out Phish’s upcoming summer tour dates here.

Phish
Feb. 23, 2020
Phish Riviera Maya
Moon Palace, Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Set I: Crowd Control, Farmhouse, Breath and Burning, Divided Sky, Meat, Everything’s Right, The Squirming Coil, Wingsuit, David Bowie

Set II: Simple > Golden Age > Fuego > Undermind > Back on the Train -> Passing Through

Enc: Rise/Come Together > The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Fee, Funky Bitch, More

Source: Phish.net