Phish kicked off the West Coast leg of their summer tour last night at the Gorge Amphitheatre up in Washington, a place you simply need to experience for yourself if you’ve never been, and fans at the venue as well as fans at home (via a LivePhish.com webcast) were extremely pleased with the playing and the setlist choices the band busted out last night. All the reports, texts and confirmations we got from friends on Couch Tour confirmed that the band was playing confidently last night and letting things simmer in the mix. Tour debuts of “Timber (Jerry),” “McGrupp…” and “The Ballad of Curtis Loew” were great additions to the first set and the second set flowed in and out of teases around the 18-minute set opener, “Crosseyed and Painless.” The set ended with the band howling at the moon during “Character Zero.” I can’t wait to hear the “tapes” on this one.
Phish @ The Gorge (Night One) 7/26/13
Set I: AC/DC Bag > Timber (Jerry), Wolfman’s Brother, Funky Bitch, Happy Birthday to You*, Wilson^ > Possum, Tube, Secret Smile#, McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters > The Ballad of Curtis Loew, Split Open and Melt
Set II: Crosseyed and Painless > Twist% > Steam% > Waves -> Twenty Years Later > The Mango Song, Bug > David Bowie%, Rocky Top > Character Zero$
Encore: Harry Hood > Fire**
* – For Chris Kuroda. Contained a Call to the Post tease from Mike.
^ – Trey, wearing a Russell Wilson t-shirt, talked about how he wanted to hear the Wilson chant this season in Seattle.
# – Bustout last played at Festival 8.
% – C&P teases galore on these
$ – Trey asked CK to turn off the lights for a “Moon Jam” that featured band members howling at the moon…
** – Alternate lyrics “Move over rover and let Jon Fishman take over!”
Notes: This show was webcast via LivePhish.com. Happy Birthday was played for Chris Kuroda (last played March 8, 2009 Hampton, 186 shows) and contained a Call to the Post tease from Mike. There was a full-band Satisfaction tease before Wilson. Before the “blat-boom!” in Wilson, Trey, wearing a Russell Wilson t-shirt, talked about how he wanted to hear the Wilson chant this season in Seattle. Secret Smile was performed for the first time since November 1, 2009 (Festival 8, 156 shows). Twist contained a Tequila tease. Steam contained a Crosseyed tease. Bowie contained Bug teases from Trey. Bowie also contained Crosseyed teases and quotes. During Character Zero Trey asked CK to turn off the lights for a “Moon Jam” that featured band members howling at the moon! Fire featured alternate lyrics from Trey “Move over rover and let Jon Fishman take over!”
[Setlist and notes via Phish.net]
Download the show via LivePhish.com here.