Phish Cap First Week at Sphere with Return to Gamehendge and Nod to Joe Walsh

April 19, 2026

Photo: Keith Griner

On April 18, Phish returned to Sphere to cap their initial three-night stretch at the state-of-the-art Sin City location. Last night’s performance represented the band’s week one close-out after commencing their current residency on Thursday, April 16. Attuned to past performances at this particular location, the Vermont foursome’s Saturday stage time conjured rampant improvisation paired with exceptionally hypnotic visuals. The band’s latest concert included a nod to another famous Sphere performer who was in the crowd, as well as Gamehendge references.

Like the shows that preceded Saturday’s return, Phish took their positions in front of the Barn backdrop, a visual reference to their Vermont recording studio. As they ignited the concert’s starter, “Buried Alive,” light streamed through the windows, engulfing the screens and removing the structure from view, and instead presenting a wall of soaring windows. “AC/DC Bag” went beyond its standard delivery, offering a high-energy conduct before kicking it into “Reba.” The latter was complemented by Chris Kuroda’s mastery of hues, movement, and, of course, luminosity.

After the band’s whistles concluded the aforementioned number, they treated the crowd to a rarity, “Colonel Forbin’s Ascent” into “Fly Famous Mockingbird.” The pairing brought forth visual references to Gamehendge, only the second time the band had reached those heights in two years [before Saturday, the group had referenced Trey Anastasio’s senior thesis in its entirety during their New Year’s Eve gag on Dec. 31, 2023].

Part one of the coupled songs saw a trippy display of cartoon-y graphics, including Icculus’ penned mythical document, the Helping Friendly Book. Pages flooded the screen before a door offered an opening to a castle fixed to an island, with lizards on the opposite side of the scene. All the while, the book remained above the aforementioned visuals. In time, the backdrop evoked a look at Gamehendge with complementary flowers and grooving lizards. The arrival of “Mockingbird” was paired with a door with water running through it, while psychedelic trees swayed in response.

In direct reference to the number, enlarged songbirds cut through the synthetic horizon. They stuck around during “Sigma Oasis,” through shadowed references to two chicks incubating. Along with the music, the eggs cracked, then hatched a pair of newborns. After being fed by their mother, the cycle continued, and the birds soared out of view. At this point in the show, the extemporized jamming took on a moody tone, elevated by a day-to-night shift on screen. In time, the birds returned, taking flight over an alpine scene in line with a pinnacle portion of the instrumental.

Following “Sigma Oasis,” Anastasio acknowledged Joe Walsh’s presence in the audience and spoke of the Eagles’ longtime member, telling him that his songs were some of the first pieces played by band members and “the basis for everything that we do is you.” They referenced their guest’s James Gang days via “Walk Away,” before capping set one with “Bathtub Gin” paired with lava lamp visuals.

The second frame started with “Oblivion,” which brought back returning characters from Phish’s initial Sphere residency. While “Simple” received an apology from Anastasio after a false start, the acknowledgment ended up being unnecessary, considering the band’s 25-minute press through the song. “Tweezer” took the audience on an amusement park excursion that entered an enlarged mouth, was swallowed, and reached the stomach, as evidenced by pipes, waterfalls, and the presence of rubber ducks. A set of breathing lungs kept up references to the interior before a return to the mouth, where a tongue hosted a furniture setup. Eventually, the wrecking ball busted the teeth to mark the jam’s completion.

“Waste” ensued before entering psychedelic territory via “Twist.” “Run Like an Antelope” took the crowd inside a honeycomb that hung from a tree, with honey dripping from the walls and into a sweet lake of bee-produced stickiness. For their encore, the band went with a beloved nod to The Beatles on “I Am the Walrus,” before closing out the night with “Tweezer Reprise.”

Next, Phish is scheduled to return to the Sin City stage for the onset of week two at the Sphere, beginning Thursday, April 23. Learn more about livestream options.

Read a recap of the band’s Friday night performance here.