In addition to the Steelers, Penguins and Iron City Beer, Pittsburgh has been home to some legendary Phish moments. Since their area debut in 1992 at the now-defunct club “The Metropol”, Phish has gone on to play the Pittsburgh area over a dozen times, gradually moving their way through larger and more prestigious venues, including the Pittsburgh Civic Center and Star Lake Ampitheater, located just west of the Steel City, in Burgettstown, PA. While the Vermont quartet’s most recent trip to the Petersen Events Center on December 4th – home of the Pitt Panthers – may not have matched the legendary status of the 2003 Star Lake show, which featured a playful cover of Elvin Bishop’s “I Fooled Around and Fell in Love”, Phish still managed to deliver a typically fun-filled evening to the Pittsburgh masses.
With the weather outside featuring snow squalls and freezing temperatures, the band wasted no time heating things up as they opened with Mike Gordon’s funky original “555” before heading into the timeless Gamhendge composition “AC/DC Bag”. The first musical highlight of the evening came when keyboardist Page McConnell hit the opening notes to his jazzy instrumental “Cars Trucks Buses”, from the 1996 release Billy Breathes. Not played since 2017’s fabled “Baker’s Dozen” run, this lively interlude featured some patient playing from McConnell. This was followed by relatively standard – yet well-played – performances of three more originals “Water in the Sky”, “Sample in a Jar” and “Theme From the Bottom” before the band broke into a blistering version of Son Seals “Funky Bitch”.
This get-off-your-ass-and-dance blues number, popularized by Phish, featured fiery licks from Trey Anastasio and powerful vocals from Mike Gordon which led to a typically explosive climax. Up next was the beloved “Wolfman’s Brother” which featured another extended coda full of searing guitar lines from Anastasio. The opening stanza was then capped by a strong run of originals and a welcome cover as the band delivered solid versions of “Halley’s Comet” into the beloved Los Lobos’ ballad “When the Circus Comes to Town” followed by the live debut of a Gordon original “Victim” which segued into a rocking “Run Like An Antelope” to close the set.
As with most Phish shows, the real musical improv occurred in the second set. After opening with the funky rocker “Cavern” – the first time it has opened a second set since 1998 – the band masterfully segued into what would amount to the highlight of the evening. After singing the opening lines to”Runaway Jim”, the band immediately got to work on a lilting jam featuring some beautiful fluttering melodies from Anastasio and McConnell. This sonic tapestry eventually ventured into a dark and ambient groove that seemingly had the entire arena locked in. After 14 minutes of some sublime “type-II” exploration, Trey carefully guided his bandmates into the Phish debut of “Ghosts of the Forest”.
The title track to Anastasio’s 2019 solo project, and tribute to late childhood-friend Chris Cottrell, this somber composition was a welcome breather after the “Runaway Jim” madness that had just ensued. Up next was a spirited take on “A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing” which eventually led into a solid version of the anthemic “Prince Caspian”. Despite a slightly botched transition between Anastasio & drummer Jon Fishman at the beginning of the song, the band quickly recovered and eventually delivered “Caspian” to its typically triumphant ending, featuring soaring guitar lines from Anastasio. A standard-yet-rocking version of “Fuego” followed before smoothly transitioning into the legendary “You Enjoy Myself”, which featured some lively on-stage dancing and headbanging along to Mike Gordon’s driving basslines from Anastasio before delving into the infamous vocal jam. Trey then strapped his trusty custom-made Languedoc guitar back on to close out the set with an inspired take on Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times, Bad Times”.
As the band returned to the stage for the accustomed encore slot, the audience began to roar as front man Anastasio took a seat behind the drum-kit, prompting Jon Fishman to grab his legendary “Electrolux” vacuum and take center stage as the familiar notes to Argent’s “Hold Your Head Up” – the band began playing it in the 80’s once Fishman admitted his genuine disdain for the track – rang through the arena. This led to a hilarious version of Syd Barret’s “Terrapin” – the first Phish performance since 8/11/04 – followed by a well-deserved Fishman victory lap as he sprinted around the stage and jumped on McConnell’s piano, all while dressed in his trademark “Donut” frock. The show ended as Anastasio and Fishman traded places and led the band through a well-played “Julius” that sent the Pittsburgh faithful back into the cold with a warm smile.
One Response
Nice article! Just a head’s up that it was the Pittsburgh Civic Arena.