Photo Credit: Danny Clinch

Yesterday, word traveled quickly from NPR headquarters in DC that Phish, at long last, had made its debut performance on the massively-acclaimed Tiny Desk series. In the hours after a midday recording session, images and information from the band’s recording session made the rounds, including photos of the band with the obligatory trampolines for the classic “You Enjoy Myself.” The quartet’s long-awaited appearance arrives as part of a ramp-up to the release of its 16th studio album Evolve, due to release this Friday, July 12.

Among the primary sources for sneak peeks from Phish’s Tiny Desk set was NBC News reporter and well-known friend to the jam community Jake Sherman, who offered a few first glimpses of the band behind Bob Boilen’s famous desk. Sherman also detailed a setlist for the endeavor: After opening with “Sigma Oasis,” previewing the upcoming title track “Evolve” and likely bouncing through “You Enjoy Myself,” the band returned for a two-track encore of “Sample in a Jar” and “Chalk Dust Torture.” Check out Sherman’s photos from the event below.

While this marked Phish’s first formal appearance on Tiny Desk, the members of the endlessly influential jam band are no strangers to the series. Back in 2015, Trey Anastasio appeared on the program for a solo set–including a riff on the All Things Considered theme aptly termed “All Things Reconsidered.” Then, when NPR introduced the Tiny Desk (Home) series to sate fans through the height of the pandemic, among those artists tapped were a duo of Mike Gordon and collaborator Leo Kottke, who roped Jon Fishman in on the fun. From offstage, Anastasio participated again as a judge in the 2017 Tiny Desk Contest, throwing his vote behind the winners Tank and the Bangas.

Beyond the torrent of anticipation for its Tiny Desk set, Phish elevated expectations for its upcoming release to new heights yesterday with the album’s fourth adn final preview single, “Life Saving Gun.” In keeping with the theme of. its three predecessors, the new full-band approach casts Anastasio’s COVID-era solo original in a brand new light, giving a sheen of studio polish, and a healthy helping of psyched-out grit, to a track that has rapidly become a live staple for the band. Stream the new single here or via YouTube below.

Evolve is set to drop in two days and is available to pre-order now from the Phish Dry Goods store. Read more about the project and check out the preview singles here. Learn more about Phish and its 2024 tour plans at phish.com.