Photo by Rene Huemer via Phish’s Facebook page

Phish kicked off their summer tour at Manchester, NH’s SNHU Arena last night. The concert was the opening night of a three-show run and also marked the Vermont Quartet’s first time in New Hampshire in almost 15 years. The evening opened with “The Moma Dance,” and, like some other tour openers, the first part of the show focused on a few of the band’s most reliable and best known songs, with a few winks to being back on the road after a break sprinkled in. The first of those nods arrived next with “Back on the Train,” and then the group ran through an almost 13-minute “Wolfman’s Brother,” an over 14-minute “Theme From the Bottom,” “The Old Home Place,” “46 Days,” “Birds of a Feather” and “Slave to the Traffic Light.” The fittingly wistful bluegrass ditty “The Old Home Place” had not yet been played in 2024. Also of note, the group opted to return to their side-by-side formation on stage for the first time since 2012; the band used the unique formation from the 1980s through 1998 and then again from their 2009 reformation until 2012.

Phish’s second set commended with a pair of radio-friendly favorites, “Bouncing Around the Room” and “Sample in a Jar.” As the settled into the set, though, the group launched into an unfinished 19-minute “Life Saving Gun” that segued into an unfinished 18-minute “Twist” and then a nine-minute “Piper.” The segment then concluded with an over 16-minute “Everything’s Right.”

As an encore, Phish offered an unexpected three-song segue. The frame started with their first take on “Strange Design”—whose lyrics recall leaving loves ones for tour—of the year and then moved into “Harry Hood” and “Suzy Greenberg.”

Phish will return to SNHU Arena tonight.

Here’s a look at last night’s setlist via Phish.net

Friday, June 20, SNHU Arena, Manchester, NH

SNHU ARENA
Manchester, NH

SET 1: The Moma Dance, Back on the Train, Wolfman’s Brother, Theme From the Bottom, The Old Home Place, 46 Days, Birds of a Feather, Slave to the Traffic Light

SET 2: Bouncing Around the Room, Sample in a Jar, Life Saving Gun[1] > Twist[1] > Piper > Everything’s Right

ENCORE: Strange Design > Harry Hood > Suzy Greenberg