Phish at BB&T Pavilion, Camden, NJ - June 29, 2019

A “Mike’s Song” show opener is quite rare.  A classic “Mike’s Groove” (“Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove”) is also quite rare.  So a classic “Mike’s Groove” to open the show?  That is how you start things off on the right foot.

Set list statistics are fun, but when it comes down to it, Phish is only getting half the job done by playing rarities that make us get all giddy with excitement.  The songs also have to be played well and, thankfully, the execution was precise – not only on the opening trio of tunes, but the entire first set, which was comprised almost exclusively of classic-era tunes. “Divided Sky” was lovely and perfectly appropriate as sundown approached with an orange-tinged sky; “Guelah Papyrus” was spot on and fun (even the middle “The Asse Festival” section was well-played); “Sparkle” had its usual hoot of an ending; and “Roggae”, though not the best version I have heard, was pretty. “Everything’s Right” was the only 3.0 (modern-era) tune of the set and it is hard not to groove on its funky beat and positive vibe; and the 2.0 (middle-era) “46 Days” closed the set with total blistering rock.  Though the jams were good, this set was not about that. Much like first sets such as 12/30/1994, this was a master class in how to play a killer set without even needing to create jams that people will talk about for the ages.

The second set followed suit, for the most part, with the only song that was more than 10 minutes long being the new Ghost of the Forest song “Ruby Waves” – and quite a jam it was.  The set opening “Blaze On” also stretched out nicely, but “Golden Age”, usually a good launching pad for a long and varied jam never really lifted off.  The Kasvot Vaxt tune “Death Don’t Hurt Very Long”, a vehicle for scorching slow-blues soloing in previous renditions, stopped short at three minutes this time around. “NICU” was standard, “Rift” left a bit to be desired (Trey Anastasio hit a lot of clunkers in the closing section), and the lack of a bigger jam in “Ghost” would have been disappointing if not for the quite-natural segue into a big, loud “Say It to Me S.A.N.T.O.S.” (another KV tune that was great to hear for the first time live) to close the set.  Still, it was the slow section of the set that really moved me – the Ghost of the Forest tune “Beneath a Sea of Stars Part 1” and “Waiting All Night” played back to back provided 13 minutes of prettiness that some fans might find tedious (I am looking at you, Marshall), especially if they want to dance and rage, but I find to be a perfect showcase for the way Trey can paint a beautiful aural picture with his guitar.

With the set ending at around 11 p.m., there was plenty of time for a long encore, and we got one – 20 minutes of Phish’s signature song, “You Enjoy Myself” (excellently played), along with an a cappella “Grind” (hilariously botched) closed out the night on another satisfying note.