On Saturday evening, it was announced that Phish's performance the following day had been moved to 1:00 PM in an attempt to avoid potentially dangerous weather. Fans deconstructed the cardboard City Hall structure, while others began breaking down their campsites. Although this wasn't an ideal scenario for the final day of Mondegreen, everyone on hand made the best of the scorching heat during the Sunday fun day set
The rescheduling continued as the late-night DJ set by Roots drummer Questlove was moved to 11 AM, coinciding with the venue's opening. Despite the threat of ominous weather, the skies remained blue, and the sun scorched the earth for most of the afternoon, including during this fun set. From his post at the top of the Heliograph, Questlove mixed in everything from Daft Punk to Michael Jackson. This bumping DJ set was the perfect warm-up for Phish's afternoon performance and solidified a very dark tan for this reviewer, who otherwise tried to avoid the sun.
Phish began their set full of smiles, with the sun still shining. They did their best despite the less-than-ideal conditions. The music kicked off with the playful and infrequently played 'Party Time.' The energy ramped up considerably for 'Axilla,' which featured the 'Axilla Part II' ending. A seamless transition into 'Maze' followed, as the band clearly aimed to deliver cohesive jams, despite the possibility that the set could end at any moment due to inclement weather.
The slow-building, funky groove of 'Steam' followed, serving as a bit of a metaphor for the humid weather conditions. Next up was 'Martian Monster,' followed by an 'AC/DC Bag' that grew into a jam with legs. Guitarist Trey Anastasio and multi-instrumentalist Page McConnell teased 'Mercy, Mercy, Mercy.' Another smooth sequence followed with 'Sigma Oasis' > 'Rift.'
The heavy-hitter 'Stash' brought a subtle yet profound jam, with bassist Mike Gordon teasing 'Express Yourself.' Fans began to realize this was turning into one long set as the sky slowly shifted from blue to gray. 'Ya Mar' and 'Timber (Jerry the Mule)' followed next, both songs firmly rooted in Phish 1.0 history and only played once or twice a year in the current rotation.
Phish wisely saved 'Bathtub Gin' for the impending shower that, incidentally, never arrived during the show. There's nothing better than yelling, 'We love to take a bath!' while taking a bath—though thankfully, this lyric was sung without any falling moisture. The twelve-minute jam then took a right turn into Jimi Hendrix's 'Izabella,' which has been re-integrated into the mix in recent years.
The music didn’t stop as drummer Jon Fishman drove the band full speed into 'Simple.' Anastasio was still feeling 'Izabella' and dropped a tease into this classic Phish original. By this point, the sky was completely overcast and dark, but Phish soldiered on to end the set with the longest jam of the evening in 'Golden Age.'
The band returned for the encore, with Anastasio commenting that he wasn’t sure where the storm was. Fans were relieved to hear at least one final tune, 'Fuego,' and without experiencing bad weather. Although this wasn’t the desired ending for anyone, many quickly departed the festival and headed home instead of enjoying the last night with old and new friends. The weather held out that evening and never quite reached the intensity promoters had feared. However, this was pure luck, as areas slightly north and west experienced torrential downpours and flooding, which easily could have impacted Mondegreen.
After bringing the heat in The First State, Phish is well-oiled for their annual run at Dick's Sporting Goods Stadium in Commerce City, CO, beginning on August 29, 2024. Night one tickets are available via this link. Additionally, they will host four nights at the Riviera Maya in January 2025. Click this link for more details.
Check out more photos from day four at Mondegreen. Also, view our prior coverage of the Phish Summer 2024 tour in Mansfield, MA, Noblesville, IN, Grand Rapids, MI, and Bethel, NY, as well as nights one, two and three from Mondegreen.
Date: August 18, 2024
Venue: The Woodlands
Set: Party Time, Axilla2 -> Maze, Steam, Martian Monster, AC/DC Bag3, Sigma Oasis -> Rift, Stash4, Ya Mar, Timber (Jerry the Mule), Bathtub Gin > Izabella > Simple5 > Golden Age
Encore: Fuego
Notes:
1. This show was part of the Mondegreen Festival and was originally planned as two evening sets. The start time of the show was moved to 1:00 PM EDT due to possible inclement weather.
2. Axilla had the Part II ending.
3. Trey and Page teased Mercy, Mercy, Mercy in AC/DC Bag.
4. Mike teased Express Yourself in Stash.
5. Trey teased Izabella in Simple.
Set list courtesy of phish.net
