Last night, Phish closed out their three-night run at the Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville, Ind., ending their eight-night spring tour. The evening was flush with jams including a standout “Sand” which marked the second-longest in the band’s history.
The band kicked off the evening with a take on The Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” followed by “My Soul.” They continued with the title track from their 1993 album Rift and followed up “Horn,” – which was released on the same album.
The set moved on with the ever-fun “Wombat” and featured the band’s fourth performance of “Evolve,” which debuted Aug. 4, 2021, at Nashville, Tenn.’s Ascend Amphitheater. The band continued with a nearly 12-minute “Guyute” and seven-minute “Limb by Limb,” fittingly last played during their three-night run at the Ruoff Music Center last summer.
At the end of their first set, the band edged more into jam-territory, hinting what was to come after set break. The four-piece went on with a jammed-out “Mercury,” featured on their latest album Sigma Oasis. To close out the set, Phish brought out a funky “Moma Dance,” allowing them to flex their improvisational muscles in preparation for the second set.
After the set break, Phish came out blazing with a monster 34-minute “Sand,” their second-longest rendition to date and the longest since Dec. 31, 1999, at Big Cypress, Fla. Guitarist Trey Anastasio’s melodic and thematic playing led the band into Type II territory, giving each band member time to shine. As the jam progressed, the band went everywhere from ambient sounds to complete 2.0-style shredding to blissful, melodic peaks accented by lighting director Chris Kuroda’s moving light rig – at one moment, celebrating Pride Month by painting the stage with an iridescent rainbow.
“Sand” was followed by a “Sigma Oasis,” which melted back into a reprise of “Sand.” The band continued the night with “20 Years Later,” followed by the first “Mango Song” of the tour after an audience member gifted Anastasio with a basket of mangoes earlier in the night. The second set came to a close with the optimistic “Rise/Come Together” and a nine-minute fan-favorite, “Free.”
After the band left the stage, they returned rocking with the first “Grind” since 2021’s Halloween run at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Then, to close out the night, they performed a 10-minute version of “Slave to the Traffic Light.”
Phish will be packing up for a six-week break until they return to the stage at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Mass., for two nights of music on July 14. Tickets for the band’s upcoming performances can still be purchased here.
Phish
Ruoff Music Center – Noblesville, Ind.
June 5, 2022
Set I: While My Guitar Gently Weeps, My Soul, Rift, Horn, Wombat, Evolve, Guyute, Limb By Limb, Mercury, The Moma Dance
Set II: Sand, Sigma Oasis > Sand, 20 Years Later, The Mango Song, Rise/Come Together, Free
Enc.: Grind, Slave to the Traffic Light
