Photo by @rene_huemer

Last night, Phish brought their 2023 Summer Tour to a single-night stop at the scenic St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater At Lakeview in Syracuse, N.Y. To celebrate the homecoming of Jon Fishman, the band dished out an array of highlights, including a 28-Minute “Tweezer” that flowed into another 20-plus minute jam in the form of “Oblivion” during the second set.

The band took the stage to an enthusiastic crowd and started the night with a special “Happy Birthday” dedicated to Fishman’s mumu-maker Lisa Simpson, who had made him a Syracuse-colored dress for the evening. Next, “Free” served as the true opening track, which felt slightly shorter than usual but featured a quivering bass solo by Mike Gordon that resonated through the venue. As the evening progressed, Phish settled into the serene lakeside setting, delivering standout performances of “Steam” and “McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters,” the latter making its first appearance since their destination event in Mexico earlier this year.

The first set, while not heavily jam-focused, exhibited great energy and execution: “Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan,” “Meat,” and “Walk Away” all kept the momentum and communication flowing. A minor flub during “Theme From the Bottom” was quickly compensated with a captivating jam, creating the perfect sunset vibe. However, it was the set-closing “Kill Devil Falls” that highlighted the frame: What could have been an ordinary set-closer turned into a blazing Type II jam led by Trey Anastasio’s guitar work venturing into an upbeat zone with seamless modulations and tone shifts and improvisation accompanied by several Chris Kuroda white-light moments.

After a short set break, Phish returned to the stage with “Suzy Greenberg,” which was swiftly overtaken by an extended “Tweezer.” Anastasio’s melodic phrasing, impeccable throughout the summer tour, continued to shine in this section. Over its 28 minutes, “Tweezer” took unexpected turns, exploring various musical avenues. It briefly teased Genesis’ “That’s All” and incorporated Page McConnell’s outstanding synthesizer work. As the jam continued to flow, the song gave way to the newly-debuted “Oblivion,” exploring deeper and darker waters which also expanded past 20 minutes. Notably, the two songs marked the first back-to-back 20-plus minute jams since Feb. 22, 2019. The frame marched on with a breath in the form of “Miss You” before the band got into the funk grooves of “Wolfman’s Brother.” They then capped off the 80-minute set with a raucous rendition of “Possum.” The encore featured Fishman playing the vacuum during “I Didn’t Know” and a rare “What’s the Use?” followed by an obligatory “Tweezer Reprise.”

As the crowd reflects on the evening of music in upstate New York, Phish heads to The Mann in Philadelphia for a pair of concerts before their highly anticipated seven-night residency at Madison Square Garden.

Watch all of Phish’s Summer Tour from the comfort of home via LivePhish in 4K or HD + 48 hours of unlimited replay here.

Phish
St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview – Syracuse, N.Y.
July 23, 2023

Set I: Happy Birthday to You > Free, Steam > McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters, Evolve, Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan > Meat, Walk Away, Theme From the Bottom, Kill Devil Falls

Set II: Suzy Greenberg > Tweezer -> Oblivion, Miss You, Wolfman’s Brother, Possum

Enc.: I Didn’t Know, What’s the Use? > Tweezer Reprise

Notes: Happy Birthday was performed for Lisa Simpson (she had made Fish’s “Syracuse colored” dress for the evening and was in attendance). Trey and Page teased That’s All in Tweezer. Page teased Hold Your Head Up after I Didn’t Know. The soundcheck’s My Soul had Dog Log lyrics.