Into the Sun 2022 Sep. 9-11, Pembroke, MA
A 23-minute "Simple" was among the highlights from the second night in Charleston.
By Ryan Storm Jun 2, 2022 • 5:51 am PDT
Phish returned to the Credit One Stadium in Charleston, South Carolina on Wednesday for the second of two nights in the middle of their eight-date spring tour. After a show anchored by the fifth-longest opener in Phish history, expectations were high after a thunderstorm narrowly missed delaying the show’s start time.
Opening a Phish show for the first time ever, The Velvet Underground’s “Cool It Down” got the crowd grooving ahead of a well-executed “Foam” and the first “Knuckle Bone Broth Avenue” since its debut during the Sci-Fi Soldier Halloween set. Rounding out the opening quartet of 2022 debuts came “Dirt,” offering a quick breather before “555” and “Gumbo” picked the dance vibe back up. After being teased with a +15-minute rendition at a soundcheck in Alabama, Phish opted to make us “Gumbo” jam-chasers wait a little bit longer and jumped right into keyboardist Page McConnell’s ending piano solo.
A rare first set “Backwards Down The Number Line” followed by “The Wedge” kept the energy going before Trey Anastasio showed off his guitar prowess on “About To Run.” Fans continue to see the fruit of both Trey’s pandemic-inspired commitment to practicing his instrument as well as how beneficial to Phish a short TAB run before tour can be.
The first set then came to a close with compositional classic “Divided Sky,” which appeared in the slot last night for the first time since July 17, 2003.
Read on after The Skinny for the rest of the recap and more.
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Credit One Stadium [See upcoming shows]
10 songs / 7:11 pm to 8:26 pm (75 minutes)
9 songs / 8:56 pm to 10:29 pm (93 minutes)
The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony 1:52
Junta - 2, Lawn Boy - 1, Rift - 1, Billy Breathes - 1, Farmhouse - 3, Undermind - 1, Joy - 1, Fuego - 1, Big Boat - 1, Sci-Fi Soldier - 2, Misc. - 7, Covers - 2
Visit JamBase’s The Skinny Hub to explore past shows and tours.
Taking the stage and quickly ripping through “Wilson,” it was evident from the get-go that the deep improvisation missing from the night’s high-energy first set would be delivered in spades for the second frame.
Of late, “Simple” really delivers on the massive jams both in quality and quantity, and this 23-minute rendition would be no different. Departing the initial outro jam gently thanks to Trey’s urging, the quartet flirted with darkness but kept the vibe in major key initially in a groove dominated by Page’s Wurlitzer electric piano. Slamming into an aggressive minor-key groove, bassist Mike Gordon pushed the music to its first significant peak before Page took the helm with his Yamaha CS60 and new Prophet Rev2 synthesizers. Trey immediately latched on to Page and rode the waves of synth to an absolutely incredible peak atop a strong foundation laid by Mike and drummer Jon Fishman. A smooth return to “Simple” (in the wrong key akin to August 6, 2021) wrapped up an immediate contender for best jam of the year thus far.
A quick breather gave way to “Prince Caspian,” a song that Trey seems to be enjoying a LOT lately. A reverse-delay-fueled peak dropped into a synth-filter jam that quickly resolved itself into the dark machine madness that is “Egg In A Hole.” Receiving a more complete reading than at MSG in April, the band laughed their way through the absurd lyrics before a brighter modulation led smoothly into the beginning guitar chords of “Piper.”
As he is wont to do in “Piper,” Jon Fishman became a runaway freight train behind the drum kit, blasting into an insistent and unrelenting groove peppered with “Guy Forget” teases and quotes from himself, Page and Trey. Hinting close to “Low Rider” briefly, the band drove to one last peak before dropping into the end of “Caspian.”
“Lonely Trip” was the lone ballad of the second set before “Back On The Train,” “Most Events Aren’t Planned” (complete with a “First Tube”-like jam) and “Blaze On” closed out the second frame.
A curfew-defying four-song encore containing the first “Nothing” since January 15, 2017, relative cover rarity “When The Circus Comes” and a classic pairing of “The Oh Kee Pah Ceremony” (first since October 20, 2018 and second +100-show gap in the encore) > “Suzy Greenberg” sent the capacity Charleston crowd out happy.
Perhaps the strongest show of the leg so far, June 1st boasts an all-timer “Simple,” well-executed compositions and some strong setlist shenanigans tied together with even stronger improv in “Caspian” > “Egg In A Hole” > “Piper” > “Caspian.” While Wednesday night’s first set lacked the open improvisation we have come to expect, the energy was there and it acted as the appetizer for a second set rife with jams and flow.
Phish continues to defy odds and innovate in ways a band in their 39th year has no business doing, and we all wait with much anticipation to see how the rest of tour will unfold.
Phish are primed for a three-night run this weekend at the legendary Deer Creek Music Center (currently known as Ruoff Music Center) in Noblesville, Indiana. Livestreams are available for all three nights via LivePhish.com. Fans can also hear the Noblesville concerts on SiriusXM's Phish Radio.
“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
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