July 22, 2015 – Les Schwab Amphitheater, Bend, OR

Set One

Stash — 11:36
“Stash” is at it’s best when it’s whipped up in a frothy frenzy! And this ain’t it! Man, once Trey gets into that intricate composed section, the tempo is so low that he probably had a couch pulled on stage so that he could lie on it like a stoned Pink Floyd fan plucking his guitar lazily until his dad comes downstairs to yell at him.

How Many People Are You — 7:58
If there’s any song that I simply cannot believe fell out of rotation, it’s “How Many People Are You”. Ten times — TEN — over the course of six years (not counting the 2020 COVID-travaganza), having last been played in 2021 as of this time. I think that’s fucking criminal. I think all four members of Phish should go to jail over this. Right to jail. Right away.

It’s bluesy and upbeat and perfect. Fuck, man. And meanwhile, fucking “Winterqueen” gets thrown in at least once of year. Speaking of which…

Winterqueen — 12:16
“The Winterqueen looks up and sighs” are the first six words of this song and it gives me a goddamned heart attack. Do you hear the way Trey says “queen”? It’s like “queeeeen”. Gag me with a spoon.

However, “Winterqueen” gets a solid jam. Fanciful keyboards from Page and Fish keeps it light and mid-tempo; Trey stays in the upper register. I don’t know what Mike’s doing. Probably fucking a groupie.

Heavy Rotation — 5:56
And while we’re talking about songs that get absolutely no rotation, “Heavy Rotation” has ironically only been played three times, and two of those times were in 2022.

I don’t like this song that much. I guess this is a Page McConnell original that the rest of the band was like “OK, we’ll play this literally once this decade” just to shut him the fuck up. I imagine Page handing Trey the single while crying and wearing a ball gag, Trey whipping him in a leather teddy.

Back on the Train — 9:00
“It took me a long time to get back on the train” is obviously a reference to Trey taking a long time to get back on the wagon after snorting so much cocaine it would’ve given Artie Lange a run for his money.

This version of “Back on the Train” is nothing too special, but I always enjoy the chugga chugga choo choo of the jam that rumbles along on its Type I tracks. Safe and easy stuff. I love not being challenged!

Scabbard –5:37
What the hell is Scabbard? It sounds like a Grateful Dead throwaway that Jerry Garcia played only three times before entering a diabetic coma.

I guess this used to be a Trey Anastasio Band staple until they gave it up and played it only twice during two 2015 Phish shows. So far 07/22/15 is proving to be a little heavy on who-cares songs and not enough everyone-cares songs! Take that one to the bank.

Maze — 10:57
“Maze” is always good, even when it’s not! But a lot of the jam involves Page/Trey interplay, and I can never get enough of Page’s circus organ keyboard setting. Hands down the highlight of Set One and I’m even counting the two songs I haven’t even heard yet! That’s how much faith I have in this “Maze” and I’m always right, so stop fucking arguing with me.

Mercury — 11:02
Yet another debut that will start seeing regular rotation eventually. Some of these lyrics are bordering on happy horseshit, but something about the “The days that are met with onlyness/Aid and abet this loneliness” refrain is catchy and poetic. You know, like lyrics in a song!

The beginnings of the jam are uneasy and cautious as it ramps up to something that resembles musical playfulness by about 4:50. It’s enjoyable like a vacation of Mercury. That is to say, it sounds like cool time. Or a hot time. Whatever, shut up.

Oh wait, there are more lyrics? Does that jam actually start at 7:05? Are there two jams? Preposterous! What is this, two pieces of bread? I’m livid. The audience claps when there are still two minutes and thirty seconds left, because they don’t even know what the fuck is going on either. Let’s tighten this up, Phish. A song about a planet shouldn’t be this difficult to deal with.

Possum — 10:10
What a way to end a set by playing “Possum”? And by that I mean pretending to be dead because this version blows chunks all over my butthole. No way, that’s rude! This is a rousing song, indeed, with most of the emphasis on Page’s fanciful piano over Mike’s throbbing bass. It feels like you’re riding down the road one day and someone hit a possum. Sad, poignant, yet relatable.

Set Two

A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing — 9:13
This song is always a great jam vehicle, and always a good set opener. Trey gets melodic as shit with his solo, downright sounding like a baleful Hendrixian ripoff artist! A harbinger of an excellent Set Two? I sure hope so, you fuckers, because if I’ll be downright pissed if “Waves” brings me out of the ocean and into a sandy beach that’ll shoot all that stuff right into my vagina. Making me crabby.

Waves — 11:30
I’ve always liked the main melody of “Waves”. It sounds pretty watery, you know? Not only watery, but oceany. Like waves in an ocean. It’s like they took this concept and put it to music and succeeded! That’s enough effusiveness for one paragraph.

Jams on “Waves” are never slouches. Trey dances around the higher register while Page sticks around the low. Mike SWIMS around the both of them. Fish hits that cymbal like it’s his wife. What more can I say? Set Two is coming up Milhouse!

Wingsuit — 10:00
Ugh, “Wingsuit”? Set Two is crashing and burning as I write this pitiful sentence.

Sure, it’s a pretty song, but it’s a hell of a momentum killer for the first half. Nobody wants a sleepy tune gunking up a precious Set Two. Put your wingsuit on indeed. And fly off a cliff! Ha!

Trey hits some good high notes though. Real good stuff. I take it all back.

Farmhouse — 6:24
AND THE CROWD GOES MILD. Literally, there is not one clap from the audience when “Farmhouse” starts up because they all know they’re not going to get a tasty, extensive jam from this one. If they’re lucky, they’ll get a solo that doesn’t suck before the band hopefully moves onto some SUBSTANCE.

SUBSTANCE!

Simple — 14:10
“Simple” has the worst riff ever. If you could even call it a “riff”. I certainly did and shouldn’t have. DOO-DOOOO-DO-DO-DO-DOO-DOOO over and over again. Give me a break.

Extended “Simple”s can be fun, though. After the inane bullshit is done at 4:00, the guys play smoothly and sublimely. Mostly, this is driven by Page’s pretty, pretty piano noodlings. I like that guy! The other members of Phish should take a PAGE out of his book, tee hee.

Things get cool around 7:10. They maintain this steady mid-temp groove, Page turns on his organ widget, and Fish flutters the snare here and there. It makes me want to get up and dance, but since I’m white I won’t.

First Tube — 9:32
It takes a while for the jam to settle in, but it finally uproots from the “First Jam” syncopated opener and starts soaring around 3:30. Which is great, because the last thing that I experienced soaring was MY CHOLESTEROL! ARE YOU WITH ME ON THAT, FELLAS??

The show’s almost over. Everyone get your piss breaks in now, the encore is starting up in about a minute.

Encore

Bathtub Gin– 12:19
Speaking of piss, nothing like an entire bathtub full of gin to flush out those pipes something fierce. I always like hearing what Page is going to come up with during the free jazz piano opening, but this was underwhelming. A whole “Bathtub Gin” ruined already!

So next it’s about how clean Trey plays the breakdown. Pretty clean! Oh wait, he flubbed that one. And that one. Oh well, can’t get them all!

Then next it’s about the jam itself. Really gets the blood pumping! Really gets the crowd going for more! More! More! Wait, the show’s over.