Phish Worcester Setlist and The Skinny: Night One

Phish returned to the stage for the first time since New Year’s with tonight’s start of Summer Tour 2012 in Worcester, Mass. This marked the quartet’s 13th performance at the venue known to many as The Centrum and the first night of a two-night stand at what’s currently known as the DCU Center.

[CC-BY-SA-3.0  /PVMOutside at Wikipedia]

The opening stanza saw the band dip into their extensive catalog for the first Buried Alive in 26 shows, the fifth-ever version of the Stones’ Torn and Frayed and the returns of Undermind track Nothing (last played – 06/24/2010) and Page McConnell’s Beauty of a Broken Heart (last played – 12/28/2009). There were also a fair share of setlist staples in Funky Bitch, Rift, Ocelot and Possum.

For set two, Phish showed off their improvisational chops in delightfully extended versions of Carini, Ghost and Boogie On Reggae Woman that won raves on Twitter from many in attendance. If I Could filled the ballad slot, the first time the Hoist track saw action in 102 shows (last played – 11/21/2009). From there, the group covered Quinn The Eskimo, dropped the beautiful Harry Hood and then the high-energy Cavern. In a quintessentially Phish maneuver, Phish ended the set with a brief reprise of the evening’s opener – Buried Alive. A second Rolling Stones cover – Loving Cup – served as the encore. All in all a closing stanza that set the bar high for what’s to come over the next three weeks and beyond.

Surprisingly, there were no new originals debuted tonight beyond Buried Alive Reprise and the band only played eight songs recorded for their 11 official studio albums.

We’ll have a full review and photo set from Parker Harrington tomorrow. Below you’ll find the setlist and “The Skinny,” our “box score” of sorts about each gig.

Setlist:

Set 1: Buried Alive > Runaway Jim^[1] > Torn and Frayed, Funky Bitch, The Moma Dance > Rift,Nothing, Ocelot, Beauty of a Broken Heart, Possum^[2], Rocky Top

Set 2: Carini -> Taste^[3], Ghost > Boogie On Reggae Woman > If I Could, Quinn the Eskimo > Harry Hood > Cavern > Buried Alive Reprise

Encore: Loving Cup

[1] Buried Alive tease.
[2] Beauty of a Broken Heart tease.
[3] Norwegian Wood tease.

Notes: Runaway Jim included a Buried Alive tease, Possum included a Beauty of a Broken Heart tease and Taste included a Norwegian Wood tease (all from Trey). If I Could was last played on November 21, 2009 (102 shows).

[via Phish.net]

Here’s The Skinny from Night One of Phish in Worcester…

• Venue Capacity / Attendance / Type: 15,000 / 14,500 (Estimate) / Multi-Purpose Arena
• Previous Shows at Venue: 12 Shows – 12/31/1993, 12/28/1995, 12/29/1995, 11/28/1997, 11/29/1997, 11/30/1997, 11/27/1998, 11/28/1998, 11/29/1998, 02/26/2003, 12/27/2010, 12/28/2010, (Highlights)
• Number Of Songs / Length – First Set: 11 / 8:14 PM – 9:30 PM (76 Minutes)
• Number Of Songs / Length – Second Set & Encore: 10 / 9:59 PM – 11:28 PM (89 Minutes)
• Total Number of Songs / Covers / Originals: 21 / 6 / 15
• Biggest Bustout: If I Could (Last Played – 11/21/2009: 102 Shows)
• Debuts: Buried Alive Reprise
• Weather: 61° Light Rain at Show Time
• Wardrobe: Trey – Black, Grey and White Checkered Button-Down Shirt / Jeans | Mike – Jeans / Vest, Scarf and Black T | Page – Navy Blue Button-Down Shirt | Fish – Dress
• Average Song Gap: 19.24
• The Spread: Picture Of Nectar – 1, Rift – 1, Hoist – 1, Billy Breathes – 1, The Story of the Ghost – 2, Undermind – 1, Joy – 1, Misc. Originals – 7, Covers – 6
• Longest LivePhish Track / Shortest LivePhish Track: Ghost 14:34 / Buried Alive Reprise 2:18
• Audio: Live Phish

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