Photo by Rene Huemer

Last night, Phish returned to the Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek in Raleigh, N.C., for their first performance at the nearly 21,000-person capacity outdoor amphitheater since 2018. The quartet played two sets, the first closed with the longest “Rise/Come Together” to date, and they closed with a four-song encore.

Phish kicked off the show with “The Moma Dance,” marking the 22nd time they’ve warmed up the crowd with the song – despite the 92°F weather. Next came “Possum,” which flowed in the fitting “Steam,” which transitioned into “Stash,” which was unfinished, before returning to “Steam.” Phish bassist Mike Gordon then led the group through a cover of Son Seals’ “Funky Bitch” before they moved into a pairing off Rift “The Wedge” then “Horn.” They closed the first set with “Rise/Come Together,” which stretched past 20-minutes doubling its usual average length of eight minutes.

Set two kicked off with the rocking “Big Black Furry Creature from Mars” and kept with the heavy theme as they moved into “Carini.” From there, the second set remained a nonstop jam starting with a tender and breezy “Waste,” which gave way to a menacing linear second segment with “Ruby Waves,” into “Beneath a Sea of Stars Part 1,” then a dynamic “Piper” into “Light” and finally “Shine a Light.” During the string of songs, guitarist Trey Anastasio brought the lyrics of “Big Black Furry Creature From Mars” into the mix and minutes later, Gordon did the same.

After a short break, Phish returned to the stage for a four-song encore, which kicked off with “Strange Design” and closed with a run of “Heavy Things” > ” Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley” > an unfinished version of “Wilson.”

Phish are set to perform tonight, Saturday, July 30 with a two-night run at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Md. 

Phish
Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek – Raleigh, N.C.
July 29, 2022

Set I: The Moma Dance > Possum, Steam -> Stash^[1] -> Steam, Funky Bitch, The Wedge, Horn > Rise/Come Together

Set II: Big Black Furry Creature from Mars, Carini > Waste > Ruby Waves > Beneath a Sea of Stars Part 1 > Piper -> Light > Shine a Light

Enc.: Strange Design, Heavy Things > Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley > Wilson[1] Unfinished.

Setlist via Phish.net