Set 1 contains some real treats, even if it's not *quite* as compelling front to back as last night's - a Free that doesn't so much quote Martian Monster a la 11/2/14 as outright morph into it for a few bars, a musical journey of a Stash that digs deep into the usual iconic Stash jam, yet another mega-funky It's Ice that adds tension to the funk proceedings, and the highlight in Cities, which starts off with a funky jam that turns dark and inwards thanks to a melding of Mike's wicked basslines and Trey's MuTron, then moves to a powerful and insistent minor-key jam, all connected by Page ripping things up both on the clavinet and the electric piano. That makes two superb Cities jams in a row!

Set 2 will draw a lot of attention for its number of songs, and even setting aside its opening duo (a Gin that goes Classic Gin and really lets Trey cook, a NMINML that explodes out of its funk trappings into something more rock-based Wolfman's style and hints at CYHMK at certain points) there's enough meat to get excited about the set beyond its five songs. Twist makes an almost immediate dive for the darkness as Mike turns on his envelope filter and things puddle into ambiance, pushes towards warmer pastures as the effects come in (much like the end of the fabled 5/26/11 Waves soundcheck, actually), snaps into a relaxed take on the usual Twist jam (note that Fish has gone back to the Twist drumbeat briefly, until he realizes that they're not closing things out), gets low-key and growly as Page moves to his elvish notes, then bursts into a triumphant peak as Fish takes control and Trey rips off a blistering solo, before returning home in nifty fashion. Putting all of that together, you've got yet another very strong contender for jam of the tour so far. Scents and Subtle Sounds makes its return, with its beloved intro intact for the first time since Superball, and it drops into a dark and churning jam space, then Page moves the band into a brighter space with some damn fine piano work and they build to another superb peak. Hood, as always, is a gorgeous way to end a fantastic set.

Final thoughts: this show would have absolutely blown people away in 2009 (maybe 2012; shit, maybe 2000 or 1999), and the fact that it's not even the clear-cut show of the tour should tell you a lot about the tour in which it resides. Ho hum, another Summer 2015 show that absolutely and unequivocally delivers the goods.

In lieu of a full recap, this show just deserves a glowing recommendation. Seriously, listen to it now -- right away, at all costs. There are so many wonderful things happening with this band in this moment that you will want to make an effort to hear them for yourself. That being said, there are a number of key observations that need to be made here...

1) The band has continued their streak of interesting first sets this summer with a wonderful standalone take on Cities that features a rich type II jam. The Stash that follows features an equally exploratory jam of the type I variety, and the BOAF -- while brief -- keeps an upward trajectory for the set. The other notable jam comes by way of It's Ice, featuring a second funky breakdown in as many appearances. Though on paper this first set may appear to be more conventional than the previous couple, its strength of performance more than makes up for its (relative) predictability.

2) The Line has proven to be a fairly divisive song since its debut and I generally find myself squarely in the "don't like" camp, but I felt it's placement last night optimized its potential by tasking it with the all-important cool-down role after three high-energy ragers. It worked beautifully here and I hope the band continues to use it this way.

3) It's awfully nice to hear Character Zero somewhere other than the encore slot for a change, isn't it?

4) Much has been written about this incredible second set already, but one key statistics demonstrates exactly how in command the band is right now. Yes, it was a five-song set -- really, the first in ages. With a 75-minute run time, that means you have an average song length of about 15 minutes. Though not unusual in a five-, six-, or seven-song set, it's important to note the running times of EACH of these songs as they relate to the average. Rather than have one 'signature' jam and a couple of standard readings skewing your average toward this mark, this set is incredibly balanced, with only Twist coming in on the high end and the other four songs just below the mark. The band let each one of these jams breathe and expand in an organic way before settling into a natural conclusion. They weren't watching the clock or consciously trying to elicit woos -- they were building improvisational opuses.

5) And speaking of natural conclusions, this second set almost seems like a conscious effort by the band to do away with the much-maligned "ripcord." Notice that it almost completely lacks segues, with only the absence of a pause between the conclusion of No Men and Twist being noted as such. There were no jarring transitions or battles for control a la the Carini > Waves transitions from Alpine two nights earlier. No, this was a band determined to find a natural conclusion for each song and, against all odds, managing to pull it off no matter how far out they took the jams. You will notice that they deliberately try to bring back the original theme or at least the original progression of each one of these songs before letting a natural conclusion emerge. This is an exercise in restraint that pays major dividends. Some may see the lack of segues as a detriment to the overall "flow" of the set, but I would argue that the lack of ripcords makes it more of a asset. I don't expect to see another set like this one for quite some time, but the skill they've nurtured here will enrich second sets for years to come.

6) Finally, I would like to welcome back with open arms the Scents intro, making its first appearance since Super Ball and only its second since 2003. This quirky, clunky addition doesn't lend itself to segues into the song proper, which explains why it has become a relative rarity, but it certainly adds a new dimension to the piece that can be quite enjoyable. Hopefully its success last night will encourage the band to keep it in their increasingly diverse regular rotation.

Again folks, I can't say enough good things about this show or, by extension, this summer tour. It's an exciting time here in Phishland and all us residents can sense a palpable change in the air. Whatever familiar patterns the band had settled into are slowly fading into oblivion and we are on the verge of a new frontier. There is no telling what will happen from night to night and it's a wonderful feeling! Kick back and take it in -- in a decade or so, people will look back on the summer of 2015 with the same kind of reverence we currently reserve for Fall '95 or Fall '97. And that, my friends, is a beautiful thing.

This 2nd Set is Amazing...
What makes it even more special is that my Son was born on this day in the early evening. My Wife & I streamed the show in our hospital room with our newborn Son. It was the perfect soundtrack to our first night as parents.

I must say it again...
This 2nd Set is amazing!

August 2015 is a treasure chest overflowing with replay value.

Another winner last night at The Mann! The boys kept things going from the night before in fine fashion. The two shows are completely different styles and both worked very well. The energy of the AC/DC - Free combo was off the charts topped only by the Character Zero with Trey running around the stage like a mad rockstar (I hope they release the video of that) while I can't recall hearing a louder crowd at that moment. Lots of other highlights including an intense Stash and amazing It's Ice which was so nice to hear and was the one song my buddy and I really wanted.

BUT I learned something at this show though. Something I already knew, but it really dug in last night. For the second set we got down to 10th row front and center. From that perspective, it's easy to put yourself right there on stage in the band's shoes and feel the waves of energy they must feel every night at any moment. You can see how even the more mundane songs such as Bouncin and The Line likely still sound incredible to the guys playing it. By playing what they want, they are keeping themselves, and therefore us, engaged in the shows which is really what we want. As long as they are happy then I'm happy. Keep up the good work, guys.

The first set was nearly perfect. Not a song out of place or poorly played. Nice Martian Monster quotes as well in the Free breakdown. Cities/Stash in particular brought the house down. Ice/Zero was a great set closer.

As for the second set, I'd probably rate the jams as follows:
1) Twist
2) Scents
3) Hood
4) No Men
5) Gin

That's an above-average Gin as the worst song of the set! Great Mike/Page interplay during the Twist jam. Scents builds into more of a face-melting Trey showcase. The Hood was type 1 but featured some nice plinko notes from Trey recalling the 12.28.10 version.

This was very high energy. First Set was awesome jammed out crunchy Cities, Stash, and it's Ice. Free is high quality, especially with the continuation of The Martian Monster from the previous night. The best way to end a ridiculous Set 1 is with a pumping Character Zero. Zero blew the top off the place, and Trey seemed to really feel the energy on it.

So how do you follow up this amazing 1st set you ask? With a 5 song 75 minute+ Second set. It jammed from start to finish. Gin peaked hard, No man was funky, Twist was amazing, Scents and Subtle Sounds nuff said. And Hood was the icing on the cake.

Great Show!

There was magic at the Mann last night. That Cities was pure fire...you could tell they were taking it for a walk before they even made it to Memphis. Once they get past the lyrics, Mike and Fishman turn it up a notch and Trey dives headfirst into a measured attack of awesomeness. The focus and intent he displayed as he weaved a wicked tapestry was matched by the intensity of Mike's bass as they found there way into the final minute.

Best Cities since the Greek, hands down.

Stash kept it going, and it's hard to go wrong with a 5 song second set. More later...but do yourself a favor and listen to this Cities ASAP.

If this Twist doesn't tickle your 2.0/3.0 Phish jam-bone, I know little that will. This has the finest elements of a spacey Scents a la Camden '03 with a little more clarity and focus. Fishman holds things together and Page plunks some straight keys, while Trey and Mike can play with their effects pedals and new directions. I hear a lot of the Bethel Waves soundcheck, albeit with some even tastier Gordo funkdown. These are the types of moments that keep me chasing the brass ring. I give these guys major props for being willing to let the musical spirits of the universe pass through them and take them for a walk some 30 years down the road. It's a risky business in front of 35,000 paying customers, and yet these guys deliver it like extra servings of gravy and cheese curds on some sweet poutine. Heck, there are even hints of Electric Ladyland bass lines swirling around Trey's massive '77 Dancing teases (extant in NMINML, too). What a carousel ride of joy and a think [sic] of beauty to behold.

Following up the fun from the night before, it was hard to predict what Phish had in store for night two at the Mann. The weather was gorgeous compared to the day before, making for a more relaxed vibe to the pre-show festivities.

What were they going to open the show with. Buried Alive? Fee? How about the tour's first Bag? Trey attacked the opening note from Bag and the show was in party mode right from the get-go. Free continued the trend from this tour of being fairly standard, straightforward and very solid.

Ya Mar followed and was the first real opportunity for Page to stretch out. Sample followed and what we had was a 4-song opener that didn't stray far from the trail but was a rock solid-beginning to the set.

Then we got the tour debut of Cities and were treated to another strong version following the NYE rendition. Trey employed a very raw, crunching tone with his rig during the composed section. Almost as soon as the song proper is finished, the band veers off into jam-space. Fish keeps a high-tempo beat going and everyone else locks in almost immediately. Page gives us a little Wurlitzer action as the jam picks up some steam and heads into some psychedelic space, seemingly stopping just short of a full-on Type II jam before rocking it's way back up to the surface. Definitely check this one out.

Stash follows and gets dark with a nice brooding tension. Between Stash and Cities, this combo gave a glimpse of what this night was all about: a band that was fully in-sync, not stepping on each other's toes in jams and allowing each member to be able to fully let their musical ideas breathe. Time seemed to be an afterthought; there was only patience with every song.

BoaF, to my ears, seems to be a hit or miss song over the past few years. Granted, my first Birds was 6/15/12 so my hopes and expectations will always be unrealistic. Still, this was a short and sweet version with some nice effects by Trey near the back-end. As if Trey hasn't gotten enough praise during this tour, this was yet another jam where his tone was so crisp and clear; a very nice punctuation on a full band effort.

Personally, I am not a fan of The Line, but can appreciate it's placement in this set as a cool-down. Come to think of it, the only other time I liked it's placement was after last year's Philly Pheugo (7/8/14). So, in a vacuum, whatever, it worked. I'll shut up and enjoy the music.

It's Ice follows and gets down with a sick funk breakdown. This reminded me of the 11/2/13 Shaft jam in AC but with a much darker, edgier grit to it. It was like a 70s car-chase-on-a-police-drama theme. Or, something like that. Nevertheless, it was an unexpected oasis of funk during the first set that got everyone dancin' before closing out the set with a rock-star Zero that saw Trey's inner hair-metal rock-god come out in animated fashion, turning around and facing his bandmates in full power stance.

But this show is as much about Set II than it is about Set I, right? As I sit here typing, it surprises me I had so much to say about Set I and here I struggle with Set II. Even the LP SBD doesn't fully do it justice. Classic Gin was Classic to open the set. It was a beautiful jam. No Man's departed from the standard funk and went into a clearer rock-like jam that we haven't really heard yet.

Twist went to places in Type II that experiencing it live seemed like there were 2, 3, maybe 4(?) separate jams. It was a spectacle of sound, an exercise in total band maturity and cohesion. Time seemed to stop on stage and it was nearly impossible to tell that only 20 minutes had elapsed once it was all said and done.

SaSS was great in the #4 spot and even better with the full intro. I don't really know if the vocals have ever been clean with this tune, but there is some inner bliss when I hear "colors in the voiiiiiiiid". Mike and Fish get the jam going and there's a lot of really great music here before they bring it back for a closer.

Has it really been over an hour into Set II already??? Only 4 songs? Hood closed out the set. With the renaissance that Hood has had since the Wood Hood of 14, it really doesn't matter what the band did in this version; you don't even have to listen to know that they nailed it. But you should listen to it.

Cup'd for the encore. Totally fine way to close it out. These words are a poor attempt at trying to do this show justice. As I sit here, I'm not even sure I can fully wrap my head around what happened. This show was one of many pinnacle performances over the years. It is not to be missed. As poetic or fluffing as it may sound, Summer 15 continues to roll along and make history. Surrendering to the flow has never been more appropriate. Throw away any pre-conceived notions you have about this band and just listen to what's going on right now.

Came in here a second time to remind everyone to listen in somewhere right after the 9:20 mark in Bathtub Gin for a legit quote of Dancin' in the Streets a la GDead 1977. This is a quick little EXACT copping of the lick before a tasty little Dancin' jam until the tempo change around 10:30 or 11.

I petition the admins to add it to the show's jam notes above!

This is an incredible phish show. The whole first set is great (yes even the line works well). AC/DC Bag>Free is a great way to start a show, especially with the Martian Monster tease. Ya Mar is always great to hear. Sample is a good song. The Cities and Stash are the meat of the set and both have great jams. I especially enjoy Trey during the very beginning of the Stash jam (5:50-6:20). Birds is its usual self and The Line works in its spot. It's Ice has another relatively long and manteca like jam that I love, and Character Zero will always get the crowd fired up.

As for the second set, what else can be said? It opens with an excellent although straightforward rendition of Bathtub Gin (mu-tron!!!) and closes with the same thing to be said about Harry Hood. The NMINML shreds before welcoming the improvisational highlight of the night in a version of Twist that is competing with Fukuoka and SPAC 04 for my personal favorite Twist. Scents is an incredible song and it includes the intro, which I think should always be included. Overall, every song played in this set was jammed out to its full potential and concluded. It isn't often when Phish plays a set where they try to explore every song and complete them without ripcords. This is a must hear show.

Feel very lucky to have chosen that show for my one show for summer 15. It really was relentless.

First set was good for a change. Cities being the standout jam for the frame. Very sick esp for a 3.0 first set jam. Ice was on point as well.

The entire second set was non-stop. The 3 songs they’re playing well this tour in a row.

Gin was a Trey lead frenzy. Great way to start the set. Trey fucked Noman in every position then jizzed on her with a shakedown like jam at the end.

Gordo during Twist in the pit was insane. He led the jam with the filter for a long time. And he was making meatballs on mars for 10 minutes. Was so sick. Fishman was right on it. Trey was patient and in the background. laying very nice lines. Then they served trey up a grapefruit tempo change into some rock line and he fucking walloped it out of the park. Smash…. I drooled.

Sass was a psychedelic tromp down an African river. They really are freaks.

Hood was decent.

Sound in Mann was sick. Pit was great. I rolled into work at 11:15 am with a nice head ache and an ice coffee from bucks.

both the finest show and best experience with live phish i have yet to have. this show had a vibe from the get go that is palpably different than most 3.0 shows. the band shone with confidence and the music seemed to flow perfectly naturally. they were set on jamming, and the first set was both thrilling, surprising, and a bit mind blowing. the stash was absolutely nuts, and the zero had the crowd losing it. then again every song they played had some "extra mustard", with a cool yamar and a funk jam in its ice.
the second set is what modern phish dreams are made of. Gin was gorgeous and felt like it was powered by rocket fuel, then NMINML was deliciously funky and had trey and page soloing at the same time.... nuts, and also a bit extended with some extra rocking if i am correct. if things in this set werent already real, the twist transcended the reality of seeing and enjoying phish in my humble opinion. the intro was tight, they were on a mission. this jam got heavily psychedelic, and was the kind of mega type 2, no single member out front jam that marks the finst phish improv. all i can really say is it was otherworldly and just stunning. to play the rare coveted scents with intro perfectly at this point was just icing on the cake, and had the whole place charmed. the jam that followed it felt so natural I thought it was customary, and at the time wasnt sure if i prefered it to the twist, since it was so incredible. and of course, to cap it off with a gorgeous hood and a raging loving cup encore was absolutely perfect.

although this show was fantastic from start to finish, it really only felt like it was getting better and better, with no disrespect to the preceding songs, as it went on. a truly a+ show in the 2015 era phish, while also holding a candle to other epic shows throughout the phish catalog. each band member played fantastically and i was blown away by how confident and free spirited the music was, especially after theyve been playing for all these years. highly recommended

Here's one Big Bad Boy. The baddest of the summer? Perhaps so, at least for me right now, although: 1. There are still 9 shows in the future as I'm writing this, including a festival and a Dick's run. 2. One remembers and rates best what one has just seen; I should relisten to Shoreline, Atlanta, etc. 3. Designating the best show is a ludicrous exercise (although we sure love that).

Anyway, the band is on fire, as in: every single moment is pure joy. Not only the jams, or the solos, or the complex composed sections, or the goofy moments, but each and every note. Not everything is the best X or Y, but there is not a moment of slack.

In set 1, for instance, I'll admit I don't care much for yet another AC/DC Bag, but you can feel the energy here, and it translates readily to a powerful Free replete with Martian quotes topping Mike's excursion. Ya Mar is another song I'm not particularly interested in, but here again it's extremely pleasant, especially Trey's solo. The same could be said of Sample, then we hit Cities, a song I simply find utterly boring, except now it's turned into a preview of set 2... actually I don't give a damn in which set we are anymore... a somber Stash confirms this is no common show (if you still had doubts after Cities), loosing no time in entering strange territory, and in case things were not totally clear a ripping BoaF nails it deep. After such a hot hand, The Line could feel like a bit of a letdown, but at the level the band is playing it's just great (I actually like the song anyway). And then, hey, It's Ice on fire again. You know when they play complex stuff as if they were jamming freely? And without a wrong note, too? As if the concept of a wrong note simply did not exist? I'm not sure I'm making much sense, but hey. Zero closes the set in the same way AC/DC opened it: with raw energy.

And now comes the thing that makes you salivate on paper: a second set made of five jammed-out songs.

The Bathtub jam is a standard Trey solo, which means an excellent solo building up to the usual yet no less enjoyable frenzy. NMINML is an irresistible invitation to cow funk, perhaps too much so if you're looking for more adventurous type II. At that point I'm almost missing the first set and thinking that a 5-song second set is not necessarily thoroughly exciting. But I must consider what will happen in a few weeks when I'm back to a normal intake of Phish music: I'll be more than happy to shake my booty on such a terrific groove.

Then there's Twist... Trey doesn't take the lead, so the jam drifts a bit aimlessly until Mike starts threading wonderful lines and the boys weaves a glorious ambient tapestry. When it seems to end, it starts again on a minimalist basis before an energetic finish. That's type II at its best. What I've just said can't begin to describe it. Listen to it at all cost.

Scents is a beautiful song that should be played more often (it's the rarity of the night), and its jam, while not on a par with Twist (if it were this show would be just unbelievable), is still a superb exploration. Hood is standard, but a standard Hood is great music; the composed section is perfect, and there is a nice interplay between Trey and Mike at the beginning of the jam. And Trey's high note is as beautiful as usual. They could have played anything as an encore, the state of bliss we have attained by now isn't going to dissipate very soon.

During a few hours after rating started, this show was at the top of the 2015 list. Now it's second, after 07/31. There is no point in deciding which is best (although right now, as Mike's bass in my ears makes a frightening trip through Stash, I know for sure). But listen to this show now. If anybody asks "What's Phish sounding like now?" make them listen to it. I could go on concatenating recommendations forever, but you're probably quite bored by now, and not reading this, and hopefully listening to the show.