On Wednesday night, Oct. 11, Phish concluded its Ervin J. Nutter Center stand on the Wright State University campus in Dayton, Ohio. The mid-week appearance represented the halfway point of their current run and resulted in a heaping portion of egg references in the shape of song titles and nicknames landing during the performance. Also included was a first set bust out of  “Crazy Sometimes,” last played on  December 8, 2019, and a second frame 30-minute extended rendition of “Ruby Waves.”

Tapping into their current motif of extended jams to start the night, the Vermont musicians commenced the show with a 16-minute ascent on “Set Your Soul Free,” mixed with improvisational moments that captured their comfortability honed over decades. Taps of Jon Fishman’s cymbals accompanied by Page McConnell’s synthesizers birthed a follow-up on “Funky Bitch” helmed by Mike Gordon. “Roggae” arrived before a speedy “Kill Devil Falls.”

The first part of the night continued with “Steam” into “My Friend, My Friend” sans its sought-after “Myfe” ending. Instead, the band opted for “Crazy Sometimes,” which ended a 132-show gap since its last live run-through, arriving upon “Walls of the Cave,” which was the set closer and segued into halftime. Upon their return to the stage, the band jammed for 17 minutes on “Down with Disease.” 

Trey Anastaio’s swelled jam burst into an extensive take on “Ruby Waves.” The tune clocked in around a half hour, simmering and popping, eventually receiving top status during a night of massive jams. In time, Phish turned from “Lifeboy” into “Piper” before continuing their display with “Backwards Down the Number Line,” the trio of tunes clocked in at 47 minutes.

For the final song of the latter frame, the group pulled out a cover of The Beatles’ “I Am The Walrus.” The 1967 classic represented the first eggy-rumblings, captured with the beloved lines, “I am the egg man/ They are the egg men/ I am the walrus/ Goo goo g’joob.” Sticking to the aforementioned theme, Phish toasted to “Egg in a Hole” for the first song of the night’s encore. Prior to arriving on the last tune, “Possum,” Anastasio turned to Gordon, calling him the “Eggman” and ultimately laminating the night’s embryonic theme. 

Scroll down to view last night’s setlist. Watch a clip from Phish’s Oct. 11 stand at Ervin J. Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio. 

Learn more about the band’s forthcoming fall tour stops via their official website. 

Phish 

Ervin J. Nutter Center – Dayton, Ohio 

Oct. 11, 2023

Set I: Set Your Soul Free, Funky Bitch, Roggae, Kill Devil Falls, Steam > My Friend, My Friend > Crazy Sometimes, Walls of the Cave

Set II: Down with Disease > Ruby Waves, Lifeboy > Piper > Backwards Down the Number Line, I Am the Walrus

Enc.: Egg in a Hole > Possum
Notes via Phish.net: “My Friend My Friend” did not contain the “Myfe” ending. “Crazy Sometimes” was performed for the first time since December 8, 2019 (132 shows). Trey referred to Mike as “the Eggman” in the “Possum” intro.