photo by Rene Huemer (via Phish From the Road on Twitter)
Phish began their two-night run at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY, Tuesday evening with a well-balanced show that featured an amazing first-set “Carini” and a massive second-set “Down with Disease.”
In surprise fashion, last night's show began with the Phish debut of “Cathy’s Clown,” a song originally by the Everly Brothers. After finishing the short tune, guitarist Trey Anastasio referenced bassist Mike Gordon’s pants, which had orange and white stripes, similar to a clownfish. Next, the band dropped into the “Tweezer Reprise” that was missing on Sunday night in Camden, using the high-energy song to properly start the show and carry some huge energy into a fantastic “Carini” that followed. While this version was only 11 minutes, the band made a stunning move to a major key and built into a glorious peak, then followed up the great jam with a particularly energetic version of “AC/DC Bag,” before dropping into the funky “Moma Dance.”
Next came “Theme from the Bottom,” which made its second appearance of the tour, followed by the tour debut of “Meat.” “Home,” written by pianist Page McConnell, came next and contained a short but sweet type-one jam. “Bathtub Gin” appeared to be the set closer, as the band again worked their way to a glorious peak—however, Anastasio signaled for McConnell to start up “Walls of the Cave,” which brought the thrilling set to a close.
Set two began with the Kasvot Växt tune “Cool Amber and Mercury,” before dropping into the highlight of the evening, “Down with Disease.” This sprawling, 20-plus-minute jam showcased the band’s current improvisation strategy, in which they seamlessly move from key center to key center before finding inspiration to really explore. Next came “Scents and Subtle Sounds,” which included its intro segment. This jam also did not disappoint, with the band returning to many of the themes they had established during “Disease.”
“Twist”—which also featured a short jam—offered a celebratory chance for audience participation, as did “Wilson.” “Scent of a Mule” made its first appearance since this past fall in Albany, NY, and “Fuck Your Face” was played for the first time since last summer in Alpharetta, GA. Both were fun versions, albeit a bit sloppy. “Halley’s Comet” got the entire crowd singing along, and “Harry Hood” was a perfect choice to end a fantastic set. The band has been opting for extended encores lately and continued with this one, which featured the beloved “Fee,” an emotional rendition of “A Life Beyond the Dream” (originally performed by Anastasio's Ghosts of the Forest) and a rocking “First Tube” to close it all out.
Check out the full setlist below as it appears in our Box Scores section, along with some fan-shot video from the performance. Phish's summer tour continues tonight with a return to the SPAC stage.
Phish
Saratoga Performing Arts Center Saratoga Springs, NY
Set I: Cathy's Clown*, Tweezer Reprise > Carini > AC/DC Bag > The Moma Dance > Theme From the Bottom, Meat, Home > Bathtub Gin > Walls of the Cave
Set II: Cool Amber and Mercury > Down with Disease^ >Scents and Subtle Sounds > Twist > Wilson > Scent of a Mule^^, FuckYour Face > Halley's Comet > Harry Hood
Enc: Fee, A Life Beyond The Dream, First Tube
Notes:
*Phish debut
^Unfinished
^^Lyrics changed to reference Cathy’s Clown.
Source: Phish.net
