Photo by @rene_huemer

Last night, Phish kicked off their two-night stint at the Ervin J. Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio. The show marked the Vermont quartet’s fourth appearance in Wright State University’s basketball arena following two iconic shows in the ’90s and a 2017 performance before their Baker’s Dozen run.

Phish opened the show with “Sigma Oasis,” which saw fluid modulation and stylish flourishes from each band member. Next, they dipped into the still-fresh ink of their Sci-Fi Soldiers set from Halloween 2021, with “The 9th Cube” marking its first time played since its debut. The instrumental, though brief, arrived smoothly before Anastasio shredded into “Theme from the Bottom.” Another rarity from the Sci-Fi Soldiers came next: “Cool Amber and Mercury,” last heard in August of 2021. After the technicolor jam, Mike Gordon handled vocals on “555” before the core improvisational vehicle of the set “Bathtub Gin.” Next came a contained rendition of “Broken Into Pieces” before a pairing of “Reba” > “Chalk Dust Torture” brought the frame to an end.

Phish opened the second set with “Mike’s Song,” marking the first time they performed the song since their massive exploration at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 4. In Ohio, they jammed over the song’s structure for around 19 minutes before they flowed from “Prince Caspian” into “No Men in No Man’s Land” back into “Prince Caspian.” “It’s Ice” followed before the third-ever showing of “Pillow Jets.” The jam then came to a close with “Weekapaug Groove.” The energy continued to peak as Phish moved into a penultimate “Twist,” which was peppered with licks from Anastasio, followed by “Slave to the Traffic Light,” which was just as seasoned.

Phish had much in store for the encore. They opened with “Joy” before “Buffalo Bill”–following the song, Anastasio quoted Silence of the Lambs‘ iconic and haunting line “It puts the lotion on its skin,” before a final coupling of “Wilson” > “First Tube” which brought the evening to a close.

Phish will perform at the Ervin J. Nutter Center again tonight. Enjoy the show from home and this weekend’s three-night run in Chicago via LivePhish.

Phish
Ervin J. Nutter Center – Dayton, Ohio
Oct. 10, 2023

Set I: Sigma Oasis, The 9th Cube, Theme From the Bottom, Cool Amber and Mercury, 555 > Bathtub Gin, Broken Into Pieces, Reba > Chalk Dust Torture

Set II: Mike’s Song > Prince Caspian > No Men In No Man’s Land -> Prince Caspian, It’s Ice > Pillow Jets -> Weekapaug Groove, Twist > Slave to the Traffic Light

Enc.: Joy, Buffalo Bill, Wilson > First Tube

“Cool Amber and Mercury” was performed for the first time since August 29, 2021 (106 shows). Following “Buffalo Bill,” Trey remarked that the song is a classic and “they don’t write ’em like that anymore.” He then quoted Buffalo Bill from the film The Silence of the Lambs, saying “It puts the lotion on its skin.”