A monster first set "Sigma Oasis" heralded a second frame full of outstanding jams.
By Nate Todd Aug 6, 2022 • 8:29 am PDT
Phish took it down to the shore to launch a three-night run in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Friday. The concert on the beach was full of location-appropriate songs with highlights including a monster late set “Sigma Oasis” which heralded a second set bursting with outstanding jams.
Phish got night one in AC underway with “Chalk Dust Torture.” Guitarist Trey Anastasio began shifting gears briefly before heading back into the song via the chromatic transitional riff. Anastasio then hit the “Wilson” chords signaling a quick trip to Gamehenge.
Next, the quartet dropped into a fitting third song “Sand” with keyboardist Page McConnell lacing drummer Jon Fishman and bassist Mike Gordon’s groove with clavinet. A mellow jam followed which Fishman accelerated as the band swerved into a major key jam and Page switched to his phased-out Fender Rhodes electric piano adding Yamaha synth accents. The quartet linked up on a descending chord progression over which Anastasio found some circular licks before sliding back into “Sand.”
“Sand” then melted into “Plasma.” Fish shuffled the snare leading the band into a vibey jam with Page on his Wurlitzer electric piano and Mike bubbling on the bass. Anastasio then peeled off some rocking riffage as Fish worked fills and McConnell switched to a gritty Hammond organ as Trey brought the “Plasma” riff back in ahead of the conclusion.
“Theme From The Bottom” then bubbled up out of “Plasma” as the dark and deep Atlantic Ocean looked stretched off into the horizon. Anastasio led the band through a breezy jam which saw the guitarist finding overdriven licks that led into the song’s coda and the layered vocal arrangement. The countrified funk of “Back On The Train” followed. Anastasio had some twang in store for the tune alongside Page’s clav as Fish shuffled the groove around. Page then switched to piano as Trey brought things to a quick boil.
“Sigma Oasis” swung into action next. Anastasio led the band through storms in the harbor and ripples at sea before jumping into the song’s uplifting chorus. Cactus had some tasty bass work on deck for the breakdown. “Sigma” has been a nice new jam vehicle for the band and Phish delivered the longest version to date in Atlantic City at over 21 minutes. The band quickly began sailing into uncharted waters with Page working Wurly on a jam that toggled between light and dark with Trey finding some flighty runs on the fretboard.
The band then coalesced over booming toms from Fish as Trey looped some notes and the quartet got into one of those delightfully disjoined jams out of which Trey and Mike linked up on a rocking riff as Page switched to a growling organ and worked the piano at the same time with Anastasio unleashing some backward effects. Fish then kicked it up a notch and things took a decidedly more full-tilt boogie psychedelic rock vibe.
A reggae-tinged groove emerged from the raucous with Page working a hollowed-out, full Leslie percussion tone on the Hammond. Trey landed on another series of rocking riffs that led nicely into Talking Heads’ “Cities,” although whatever key they were was different from the usual “Cities” key and the band had to transition into the proper key. “More” would count as the final song of the first frame.
Read on after The Skinny for the rest of the recap and more.
Atlantic City Beach [See upcoming shows]
9 songs / 8:07 pm to 9:26 pm (79 minutes)
8 songs / 10:06 pm to 11:46 pm (100 minutes)
Sleeping Monkey LTP 02/26/2022 (29 Show Gap)
A Picture of Nectar - 1, Hoist - 2, Billy Breathes - 2, The Story of the Ghost - 1, Farmhouse - 2, Big Boat - 1, Sigma Oasis - 1, Misc. - 6, Covers - 1
Visit JamBase’s The Skinny Hub to explore past shows and tours.
“Axilla (Part II)” got the second set off to a rocking start. Lighting designer Chris Kuroda brought the lights down for the “don’t shine that thing in my face” jam with the only glow coming from Atlantic City. “Soul Planet” surged out of “Axilla (Part II),” another ocean-referencing song. The band dropped into a groove with Mike working an almost vocal bass effect as Trey circled and Page trickled in Wurly.
A low-volume groove emerged and slowly waxed major in a pretty sequence. Fish worked the ride cymbal masterfully to bring the tempo up as the band still painted in gorgeous shades of understated tones. Trey hung up a lattice of circling licks and Page intertwined bell-like electric piano through it. Anastasio then revved things up with some rocking rhythmic work over Fish fills as things waxed darker again with Page working some dirty clav and Trey getting swampy on the Languedoc, working in some of his newer effects which he looped and then devolved into wash out.
Next, Mike’s “Down With Disease” tone swirled over the sand as he thumped the band into the classic. Trey had a big smile on his face during the song’s iconic riff and wasted no time soaring into a buoyant jam which swirled down into a more vibey affair. Anastasio and Gordon would link up on a lick with Trey continuing it and slathering it with his backward effect and doing some looping as McConnell brought in some big pads on his Moog synthesizer which flipped Trey back into rock mode.
The jam then dropped into a staccato groove as Page stretched out on both his electric pianos. Anastasio began some more rhythmic work as McConnell swelled on the Moog. Trey dropped his clav-like tone and layered different effects over it while exhibiting inventive left and right-hand work. Things continued down an electronic-tinged path as Trey continued his wizardry and Page matched him on the Moog. Trey then began teasing “Midnight Rider” before soaring through some riffage. A more laid-back sequence emerged from the electro-jam and led into “Ruby Waves.”
The song saw the quartet flowing into another low-key groove that saw some great interplay between Trey, Mike and Page. The major key segment then swayed into a more sinister sequence that waxed funky with Page moving from piano to clav as Fish rolled on the toms and Gordo bounded on the bass. Trey manned some rhythm work accentuated by echoes ahead of some soaring notes on a two-chord turn-around groove. Anastasio had some more wailing in store as Fish, Mike and Page built around him until Trey brought things to a masterful, tiered climax which Fish kicked into double time as Trey shredded back into “Down With Disease’s” triumphant conclusion.
Next, Anastasio jumped right into a tight and groovy “Ghost.” Gordon kicked off a deliciously dark bit of interplay between him and Trey which melted into a swaying and simmering jam that rocked out on the “No Quarter” riff. The jam cooled down and melted amazingly into “Harry Hood.” Mike had a synthy tone in store on the bass and Trey walked over and added his own effects in a saucy exchange before getting into the “Harry” “Hood” call and response with the audience. The band cycled through the composed sections before Trey led them through a jaunty rendition of the final segment which he fired up into the “feel good” coda ahead of a cacophonous conclusion to close the stellar second set.
Phish returned to kick off the encore with the tour debut of “Sleeping Monkey,” which carries the “take it down to the shore” with Trey noting that was the Jersey Shore. “The Jersey Shore, the only shore, the best shore in the world!” Anastasio added. Phish then jumped into “Free,” which saw Anastasio changing up the line to “you’ll be splashing in the sea.” Mike had some characteristically bumping thumping on the breakdown over which Page added some Moog lasers. Trey then came in with the swampy stuff before the band went floating in the blimp a lot and set the audience free on The Boardwalk. Phish returns to the beach in Atlantic City tomorrow. Livestream are available via LivePhish.com.
“If you pour some music on whatever’s wrong, it’ll sure help out.” — Levon Helm
“Just give me one thing that I can hold on to.” — John Prine
Your comprehensive live music resource for show listings, artist tracking, music news, photos, reviews and more.
Already a member? Log In