As the Phish summer tour rolls on, the jams continue to heat up. Their first night at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts on August 9, 2024, was no exception, as the band honored the legendary venue adjacent to the grounds of the original Woodstock Festival with a raging show. The venue was quite soggy for most of the performance, as the remnants of a former hurricane had passed through Bethel, NY, earlier in the afternoon. Despite some drizzle during the show, the weather mostly cooperated, and those on the lawn danced in the mud.
The evening kicked off with a red-hot 'First Tube,' setting the energy sky-high early in the show. Guitarist Trey Anastasio was all smiles during this version as the lights reflected off the water on the stage. He hoisted his custom Languedoc guitar in the air, producing those unique feedback noises, and the crowd was in full-on dance mode.
The band moved on to 'No Men In No Man's Land' next, taking this Big Boat tune on a fourteen-minute voyage. Keyboardist Page McConnell elevated the song on the piano, while Anastasio drove the jam home. This stellar version is worth a re-listen. Anastasio started laughing as the band transitioned into 'Cavern.' This Picture of Nectar tune generally appears at the end of the set, often in the second set. Tonight, the band wildly broke tradition.
The next tune, 'My Friend, My Friend,' brought darker vibes early on before giving way to a vibrant blues-rock jam, with bassist Mike Gordon leading the charge on this absolute eighteen-minute heater. Incidentally, this was the longest version of 'My Friend, My Friend' to date. Upon its conclusion, Anastasio uttered, 'What the hell was that? I gotta regroup after that one. Hi, everybody! That was weird. I know we’re gonna be here for three days... why not?'
The remainder of this raging set didn't quite reach the jamming depths of the first half, but it still crushed. 'Bug' was up next, followed by a crispy 'Julius.' An electrifying 'Also Sprach Zarathustra,' with lighting director Chris Kuroda making great use of the textured ceiling, found its way into 'Taste.' The set ended on a high note with the fist-pumping original, 'Character Zero.'
The band returned for round two and delivered 'The Wedge,' which was played for only the second time in 2024. Jam vehicle 'Tweezer' followed, taking the music into the freezer for twenty-four minutes of jam-rock heat. Gordon established his presence early, creating a deep groove that fostered further exploration by Anastasio and McConnell.
The new tune 'Pillow Jets' brought more of Phish's darker vibes, which morphed into a funky ending. This launched the quartet into a tasty, non-stop sequence that returned to 'Tweezer.' This short, funky segment was the perfect launching pad for 'Piper' and eventually 'Tweezer' again, before landing squarely in the feel-good tune 'Shine a Light.' The set closed out on a high note with 'Chalkdust Torture.'
The band returned for an encore trio that began with 'Big Black Furry Creature from Mars.' This eventually settled into a groove-laden 'Gotta Jibboo' and veered into 'More' before ending the night.
Phish is back in action later this week at their first festival in six years, Mondegreen, located in Dover, DE on August 15-19, 2024. Tickets are available via this link. Head on over to their tour page for more details about the remaining dates on their 2024 summer tour.
Check out more photos from Night One at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. Also, view our prior coverage of the Phish Summer 2024 tour in Mansfield, MA, Noblesville, IN, and Grand Rapids, MI.
Soundcheck: My Soul, Dinner and a Movie, Waves, Tequila x2, Jam
Set One: First Tube, No Men In No Man's Land, Cavern, My Friend, My Friend, Bug, Julius, Also Sprach Zarathustra > Taste, Character Zero
Set Two: The Wedge, Tweezer, Pillow Jets -> Tweezer -> Piper -> Tweezer > Shine a Light, Chalk Dust Torture
Encore: Big Black Furry Creature from Mars, Gotta Jibboo > More
Set list via phish.net
