Phish @ the Comcast Theatre in Hartford – Night One: Setlist and Recap

The circus came to Hartford this evening as Phish Summer Tour reached the Northeast for the first of two shows at The Comcast Theatre in Connecticut. Tonight’s marathon show focused, once again, on older material with a jammed out Walk Away, a few well-executed segues and a high-impact Down With Disease sticking out as the clear highlights.

Here’s tonight’s setlist…

06/17/2010 The Comcast Theatre

Set 1: Punch You In the Eye, Ocelot, Dinner and a Movie, Stash, Esther, Walk Away, The Divided Sky, When the Circus Comes, Sugar Shack, Alaska > Golgi Apparatus

Set 2: Party Time > Down with Disease -> Sand -> The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Guyute, Farmhouse, Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove

Encore: Shine a Light

There wasn’t a cover bust out this time, but both Esther and When The Circus Comes were nods to Cirque de Soleil’s Ovo which was set up next to the massive venue. As far as the jams, when you listen tomorrow head straight for the Walk Away and the Disease -> Sand segment. Walk Away got the full arena rock treatment with Trey unloading one machine gun riff after another. Down With Disease started off faster than usual and never lost steam, eventually settling in a groove reminiscent of the cow funk so prevalent in ’97.

Out of the funk came a surprising turn into Sand marking the first of two interesting segues. After an adventurous trek through Sand came another impressive transition as Trey worked in the intro to The Horse while the rest of his band mates finished up Sand – almost a mash up. Last year, perhaps the transition wouldn’t have been pulled off so well, but the band seems to be firing well thus far this tour. While the quartet didn’t nail everything they played, they were clearly into it this evening and the crowd ate it up with one loud roar after another greeting each new song.

Phish returns to The Comcast Theatre on Friday night.