On Friday, Phish began their first three-night run of summer tour at the BB&T Pavilion in Camden, N.J. The show was highlighted by quality versions of “Birds of a Feather” and “Wolfman’s Brother,” a monumental “Mercury” and a set-closing “Run Like an Antelope.”
Prior to the show’s start, there was a torrential downpour, which drenched many fans on the way in. The band responded by opening with “Set Your Soul Free,” perhaps because it contains the lyric “So take a little trip / Feel a little rain.” Clocking in at just under ten minutes, this energetic version was a great way to kick off the show.
Phish followed “SYSF” with their third-ever performance of “Strawberry Letter 23,” a song made famous by the Brothers Johnson. The song has now been played once a year for the past three years, beginning with the July 22, 2017 performance at the band's Baker’s Dozen. Next came the old-school classic “My Friend, My Friend,” and Fuego cut “Halfway to the Moon."
From there, “The Old Home Place,” “Train Song” and “Horn” provided a nice cool-down sequence, and the band nailed the composed section of “Horn.”
“Birds of a Feather” and “Wolfman’s Brother” provided the improvisational highlights of the set. Both around 11 minutes, these jams each contained powerful sections with roaring peaks. The goofy and funky “Wombat” followed “Wolfman’s,” then quickly shifted to “Timber (Jerry the Mule),” which also contained some interesting type-one jamming. The Ghosts of the Forest song “Drift While You’re Sleeping” closed out a solid first set.
Set two began with the undeniable highlight of the show, a 20-minute version of “Mercury.” The band was firing on all cylinders during this segment, with each section of the wide-reaching jam flowing perfectly into the next. “No Men in No Men’s Land” emerged from the ashes of “Mercury.” At only 11 minutes, this version packed a serious punch, with the band effortlessly building energy before multiple euphoric peaks. Next came a perfectly placed Kasvot Växt song, “We Have Come to Outlive Our Brains,” followed by Ghosts of the Forest’s “About to Run,” which gave guitarist Trey Anastasio a chance shred during the solo section. “Light” began next, and it too contained a short but sweet type-two jam, which segued into “Run Like an Antelope.” This “Antelope” raged so hard that drummer Jon Fishman accidentally played right through the typical ending of the jam. Regardless, it was a fiery version, and a great way to end an excellent set. The encore was “Sleeping Monkey,” which, like many songs performed at this show, was making its Summer 2019 debut. Also in that category was “Quinn the Eskimo,” which hadn’t been played since August 8, 2017 at the Baker’s Dozen. The Bob Dylan cover ended a fantastic show on a high note.
Phish tour continues Saturday and Sunday at the BB&T Pavilion.
Check out video of each set opener and the full setlist (as it appears in our Box Scores section) below:
Phish
June 28, 2019
BB&T Pavilion, Camden, NJ
Set I: Set Your Soul Free, Strawberry Letter 23, My Friend, My Friend, Halfway to the Moon, The Old Home Place, Train Song > Horn, Birds of a Feather, Wolfman's Brother, Wombat > Timber (Jerry The Mule), Drift While You're Sleeping
Set II: Mercury > No Men In No Man's Land > We Are Come to Outlive Our Brains, About to Run, Light -> Run Like an Antelope
Enc: Sleeping Monkey > Quinn the Eskimo
