Helping Friendly Podcast – 2025 Late Summer (Early Fall) Tour Recaps: Hampton
Host: Osiris Media
Date: September 25, 2025
Episode Overview
The HFPod team gathers to recap Phish’s highly-anticipated three-night run at Hampton Coliseum during the late summer / early fall 2025 tour. The hosts—Brian, RJ, and Megan—dig deep into the performances, tour themes, venue lore, setlist construction, memorable jams, and some broader reflections on Phish's ever-evolving improvisational approach. The episode also features spirited debate around Hampton’s legendary status, discussion of best and worst tour stops, and personal highlights, providing both context and thoughtful critique.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
Defining the Season: Tour Naming Banter
[01:26–04:33]
- Lighthearted debate about what to call this tour: late summer, early fall, or simply "fall."
- The naming conventions reflect ongoing fan feuds; Brian, notably, appreciates naming accuracy.
- Small talk around weather, tour logistics, and reference to fan community conventions.
The Importance (and Overhype) of Hampton
[10:32–35:13]
- Return to Hampton for the first time since 2018 stirs up nostalgia and rumors the venue may be demolished soon.
- Entry to the venue reportedly difficult, which triggers some light lamenting.
Hampton’s Reputation Examined
- Brian challenges Hampton’s status: “I think Hampton is a very overhyped Fish venue.” [21:36]
- Cites its revered legacy based mainly on vibes and historical context rather than consistent musical excellence.
- Detailed recaps of past Hampton shows: 1995–2025, emphasizing that only a handful are musically elite.
- RJ agrees, connecting the Dead’s historic runs at Hampton as a root of the venue’s mystique, remarking:
“The whole, like, jam band kind of lore of Hampton is a much bigger deal than even Fish's time there.” [29:23]
- Megan adds: “It's a venue that both suffers from and is given credit for a lot of nostalgia and a lot of lure.” [28:18]
- Ultimately, the consensus is that the room “has vibe shows,” but few meet its enormous expectations.
2025 Jamming Styles: Shifts from Summer
[13:02–20:06]
- RJ observes a shift in jamming style:
- “...fewer kind of big, huge peaks than this three night run... there’s a lot of soft peaks.” [13:13]
- The atmospheric, contemplative, and melodic approach replaces the high-energy, climactic jams of summer.
- Megan elaborates:
- “...the highlights to me were really the patient, super melodic, really sophisticated, really contemplated jams and most of them did not peak. And I think that is a huge change from the summer.” [14:23]
- Points to jams like Carini > Light > Sand in Alpharetta and the Sense from Hampton as strong examples.
- Brian agrees, noting the “focus of the jams become...strategically about exploring melody and interplay rather than building to massive peaks.” [17:04]
- All three agree the changes represent Phish’s willingness to push boundaries and avoid complacency.
Setlist Construction and Song Placement
[35:30–37:12]
- Megan praises setlist construction: “Their set list construction has been way better than average on this tour in general and definitely in Hampton as well.” [35:30]
- Noted improvement in “fourth quarters” (the show’s ending segments).
- Effective integration of new songs as improv springboards—Life Saving Gun, What’s Going Through Your Mind, Ether Edge.
- There is acknowledgment that while not every closing sequence soared, variety and inventive segues (see: Beneath a Sea of Stars > Gotta Jibboo) outshone formulaic endings.
Tour Highlights: Jam and Song Segments
[42:03–54:40]
- Megan spotlights the Sunday, Night 3 sequence “What’s Going Through Your Mind” > “Sense and Subtle Sounds” as the run’s crowning achievement:
- “...contains my favorite minute of fish I've heard since the Woodlands jam...the segue to Sense...is one of the most organic and interesting segues. I was like jaw on the floor.” [42:03]
- RJ echoes: “The landing after the sense and subtle sounds in a lonely, lonely trip, also just like perfect, like the kind of like underwater weirdness from what's going through your mind into sense and then like the lonely trip landing after. That's a good, good segment...” [47:18]
- Brian highlights the exploratory “Simple” in Set 2 (Night 2) [49:36], noting its return as a true jam vehicle in the 4.0 era.
- Gumbo (Night 1), the Tweezer > Ruby Waves > No Men > Tweezer sandwich (Night 1), and the Beneath a Sea of Stars (Night 2) are also celebrated for their unique atmospherics, segues, and funk.
Memorable Quotes & Moments
- On Hampton’s Reputation:
"I think Hampton is a very overhyped Fish venue... We amplify this venue based on the vibe versus the music."
—Brian [21:36] - On the New Jamming Style:
“...the highlights...were really the patient, super melodic, really sophisticated, really contemplated jams and most of them did not peak...a huge change.”
—Megan [14:23] - On Fan Nostalgia:
“Fish fans are uber nostalgic, and so I think that, you know, they want to buy into that...”
—Megan [30:50] - On Musical Evolution:
"I think Fish is still pushing to evolve even in this just short little eight tour run... they're doing something different than they did this summer when this summer worked really well."
—Megan [59:29] - On Critical Perspective:
“We're definitely being more critical of this run than I think we would have been had this run been played in 2022 or 2016...it’s almost like a good problem right now how good Fish is playing because you just have to end up being critical of, like, good just to put it in proper context.”
—Brian [53:36]
Tour Rankings & Final Takeaways
[54:59–59:56]
- Brian delivers a comprehensive ranking of 2025’s three-night stands:
- Lowest: Boulder (“unquestionably the worst three-night run of the year”)
- Middle: Hollywood Bowl, Hampton, Chicago, Charleston
- Top: Manchester (rave reviews for Life Saving Gun, Twist, tweezer sandwich), SPAC (clear #1—“probably the best three-night run that we've heard the band play since Dick's 2012”)
- Megan and all agree:
“I think Phish is still pushing to evolve...even when it's working, they're always evolving.” [59:29]
- RJ sums it up:
“They could have just continued to do exactly what they were doing this summer...but they didn't. They're amazing.” [60:24]
Notable Timestamps
- 01:26–04:33 – Tour naming banter; jam-band community quirks
- 10:32–13:02 – Hampton’s return, venue rumors, and ticket entry issues
- 21:36–35:13 – Brian’s critique on Hampton’s legendary status
- 13:02–20:06 – Analysis: Jamming style shift from summer to fall
- 35:30–37:12 – Improvements in setlist construction and “fourth quarter” planning
- 42:03–54:40 – Breakdown of standout jams and improvisational highlights
- 54:59–59:56 – Brian’s three-night run ranking; tour-wide perspective
- 59:29–60:30 – Hosts’ final takeaways on Phish’s continual evolution and willingness to defy expectations
Overall Tone
- Analytical but playful; the hosts blend deep musical knowledge with the lived experience of dedicated Phish heads.
- There is reverence for both the music and community, but also a willingness to challenge “groupthink” or nostalgia that isn’t backed up by the music itself.
- The discussions are collaborative, welcoming, and critical in the spirit of deepening collective appreciation.
For Listeners
If you missed the episode (or the shows themselves), this recap gives you insight into not only what happened musically in Hampton but also how these shows fit into the broader 2025 Phish tour narrative, both in terms of setlist strategy and the ever-evolving approach to improvisation. The hosts’ honest critiques and passion for the band shine through, offering both context and companionship for listeners following the tour from afar.
Next Week:
Mailbag episode—listeners’ questions, reflections, and commentary.
Stay tuned for more analysis and fan perspectives!