Phish finished up their summer tour last night with the third and final show at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Denver, a strong show front to back with an amazing set of transitions in the second set that was really flooring me as it was happening live. The show started off with “The Curtain (With)”, still one of the best songs to hear at a show if you want to feel the quintessential Phish. One of my new favorites, “Wombat”, somehow appeared in the second slot, and I love the way the band brought out a little bit of a jam before closing things off with the refrain of the song again. A set of first set “standards” followed, including “A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing”, a strong jam in “Wolfman’s Brother”, and two new Fuego tracks (“Waiting All Night” and “Winterqueen”) getting back to back treatment.
Second set was all about the groove straight through — “Chalk Dust Torture” kicked it off and never fully finished before transitioning into “Twist”. After the Chicago version, everyone was pretty psyched to hear “The Wedge” placed third which provided some breathing room in the set before “Tweezer” kicked off a serious dance party. “Sand” rose out of an amazing jam segment in “Tweezer” and continued with the funk before the band dropped into a bit of “Tweezer” to end it out (but played at “Sand” pace and beat). Then the band got into a crazy, delay jam that felt very reminiscent of that “Rock and Roll” the band had fun with at the Gorge 2011. Crazy fun moment right there, which then made way for “Piper -> Joy” to keep people moving and then bring people down for a quick break. Must-listen moment is the “Tweezer -> Sand”, don’t sleep on that.
I thought it was impossible for the band to fit much else in before someone in my crew rightly called “Mike’s Song” which proved to be correct. A solid sandwich of “Mike’s > Sneakin’ Sally > Weekapaug” closed out the set to plenty of exhausted cheers. “Loving Cup > Tweezer Reprise” closed the show and the run, a fitting end to an amazing set of shows played this summer.
Here’s the setlist via Phish.net:
Phish @ Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO 8.31.14
Set I: The Curtain With, Wombat, Kill Devil Falls, Bouncing Around the Room, Poor Heart, A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing, Lawn Boy, Wolfman’s Brother, Waiting All Night, Winterqueen, Funky Bitch, Tube > Possum
Set II: Chalk Dust Torture* > Twist > The Wedge > Tweezer -> Sand* -> Tweezer > Piper -> Joy, Mike’s Song > Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley > Weekapaug Groove
Encore: Loving Cup > Tweezer Reprise
* – Unfinished
Download the show here; I’d definitely recommend it as the strongest show from the three nights.
