Photos by Rene Huemer, via @phishfromtheroad

Phish once again used their Halloween costume set to debut a slew of new music (and new alter-egos).

Their Sci-Fi Solider set arrived with a 14-page comic book, handed out to fans as they entered Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Arena on Oct. 31. The outing was not unlike their Kasvot Växt set on Halloween 2018, which included an album’s worth of new material, much of which remains in the Phish live rotation.

The Sci-Fi Soldier comic included Easter-Egg allusions to Phish’s Baker’s Dozen run, Trey Anastasio’s Madison Square Garden platform mishap and more, as it tells the tale of a team of heroes in the year 4680: Clueless Wallob (Anastasio), Pat Malone (Page McConnell), Paulie Roots (Jon Fishman) and Half-Nelson (Mike Gordon).

According to Phish.net, for their second set, “the band performed in elaborate costumes (helmets and all), with alternate instruments, each playing within a flashing/glowing shape (two circles and two squares), after descending (in the form of holograms) from the ceiling in cylinders of colored light.”

The set opened with “Knuckle Bone Broth Avenue” and all of the new cuts contained lyrics save for “9th Cube.”

Tracks like “Inner Reached Of Outer” and “The Howling” included pyrotechnics, and set-closer “I Am In Miami” saw the band crowd around a single microphone, with Anastasio leading them exclusively on acoustic guitar.

Phish returned to their own identities for their third and final set, which opened with “Carini”> “Lonely Trip.”

They later encored their four-night run with a rocking “Harry Hood.”

Check out photos, the full setlist and a clip of Sci-Fi Soldier opener “Knuckle Bone Broth Avenue” below:

Phish
Oct. 31, 2021
MGM Grand Arena, Las Vegas

Set I: Buried Alive, Roses Are Free > Ghost, Wolfman’s Brother, Kill Devil Falls > Free, David Bowie

Set II: Knuckle Bone Broth Avenue[1], Get More Down[1], Egg in a Hole[1], Thanksgiving[1], Clear Your Mind[1] > The 9th Cube[1], The Inner Reaches of Outer[1], Don’t Doubt Me[1], The Unwinding[1], Something Living Here[1], The Howling[1], I Am in Miami[1]

Set III: Carini > Lonely Trip, Soul Planet > Death Don’t Hurt Very Long > Twist, Drift While You’re Sleeping

Enc: Harry Hood

Notes:
[1] Debut