In which the band effectively washes away the stink of the last time they were here (6/25/00, the worst show I had seen until Coventry) and continues to destroy all doubts about whether they can still bring it. Consistently.
As with the Mann shows, Phish also reminds us that the first set is not merely a warmup. Even my least favorite song ("Yarmouth Road", which everyone else seems to like), and a mellow oldie for which I still have a soft spot ("Bouncing Around the Room", which everyone else seems to dislike) sounded fresh and spirited.
There were none of the new songs tonight, but the slowed-down funk version of the "Llama" opener suggested that anything old can be new again, even if "Chalkdust Torture" didn't quite break open the way it did last week. But do not ever count out a first-set "Maze", as it rocked the house tonight. "The Moma Dance" funked, "Waiting All Night" chilled, "Devotion to a Dream" popped, and "Lawn Boy" lounged. A fiery "Wolfman's Brother " gave way to surprise set-closer "Suzy Greenberg".
The second set was very different from Wednesday, but no less powerful, though the less-than-stellar "The Wedge" opener was no indication. However, things picked up with the endlessly danceable "Golden Age" and "Tube", a precise and flowing "Reba" and a hard rocking "Mike's Song". The segue into "Ghost" was weird, but the song ended up being a highlight, with Chris Kuroda's light show doing visual wonders.
"No Quarter" was a crowd-pleasing treat (and it sounded huge) and "Weekapaug Groove" would have ended the set nicely. But the most rocking, face-melting "First Tube" I have ever heard knocked it out of the park.
The "Farmhouse" encore fell flat, but it was followed by an insanely kick-ass "Fire" (and so what that Trey screwed up the words to that and "Golden Age"?)
Maybe it was a case of "had to be there", but I think something very special went down tonight in Raleigh.
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