2025 Summer Tour Recaps: Folsom

Summary

Helping Friendly Podcast: Episode Summary Episode: 2025 Summer Tour Recaps: Folsom
Release Date: July 6, 2025
Host/Authors: RJ, Brian, and Megan from Osiris Media

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Introduction

In this episode of the Helping Friendly Podcast (HFPod), RJ, Brian, and Megan delve into their experiences and insights from Phish’s 2025 Summer Tour performances at Folsom Field. The hosts provide a comprehensive analysis of the shows, discussing everything from venue comparisons to standout performances and fan interactions. This summary captures the essence of their detailed discussions, enriched with notable quotes and timestamps for reference.

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Venue Comparison: Dick’s vs. Folsom Field

One of the central themes of the episode is the comparison between Phish’s traditional venue, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (often referred to as "Dick's"), and the newer Folsom Field in Colorado.

Brian’s Headline on Folsom Field: “At [07:11], Brian encapsulates the overall performance with his headline: “Fish on five days rest comes back with B level shows in an amazing setting.” This sets the tone for their evaluation of the venue and the shows held there.”

Positive Aspects of Folsom Field: Both Brian and Megan commend Folsom Field for its aesthetic appeal and functionality. Brian notes, “Aesthetically, it’s really beautiful. There’s something about walking across a college campus to see Fish” ([17:35]). Megan adds, “There is something so magical about seeing Fish on a college campus” ([17:59]).

Sound and Space: The sound quality and spaciousness of Folsom Field receive high praise. Brian highlights, “The sound was awesome. Wherever I was in the venue, I was in a different spot throughout the entire weekend” ([16:50]). Megan echoes this sentiment, appreciating the ample space and excellent sightlines.

Stress-Free Experience: Unlike Dick’s, where logistics can become stressful due to high demand and crowded conditions, Folsom Field offers a more relaxed atmosphere. Brian shares, “It felt like a very choice, stress-free, FISH experience at Folsom Field” ([16:52]). Megan adds that the community vibe is respectful and enjoyable, contrasting with past experiences at Dick’s.

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Thursday’s Show Recap (July 3, 2025)

The hosts begin their detailed show-by-show analysis with Thursday’s performance.

Set One Highlights: Brian describes the first set as a solid entry with surprises and solid flow: “It was a really good entry level, like, opening set” ([18:36]). Notable songs included were “Tube” and “Kill Devil Falls,” which Brian praises for their groove and band connection ([20:23]).

Audience Feedback: A listener named Alex commented, “I traveled from the UK to these shows, and some moments in the second sets were better than Dick’s 24 for me” ([20:50]). This underscores the positive reception from international fans.

Megan’s Observations: Megan notes the inclusion of rarities and a focus on songs not frequently played, such as “Roses.” She expresses excitement over “Roses” not being performed since 2010 ([21:13]).

Quotes:

• Brian: “For anyone thinking about coming out to Colorado, if they do this again, I would say, you know, even if you stay in Denver, it’s not that far of a drive” ([16:50]).
• Megan: “I was pretty bummed not to hear [Roses]. I’ve been chasing that since 2010” ([21:13]).

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Friday’s Show Recap (July 4, 2025)

Friday’s performance coincided with the Fourth of July festivities, adding a unique flavor to the night.

Opening with “Bathtub Gin”: Brian praises the opener, stating, “It was one of those moments when you actually put your book down and started looking at the stream, and I thought it was great” ([34:42]).

Set Two Excellence: Brian considers the second set as his favorite of the weekend, highlighting songs like “Sigma Oasis,” “Oblivion,” and “Blaze On.” He emphasizes the narrative arc and structure of the set, comparing it to classic Phish performances: “Every single one of these songs is a certified jam vehicle” ([41:08]).

Megan’s Favorite Jam: Megan singles out the “Oblivion” jam as one of her top three moments of the weekend, praising the rich and textured synths and Trey's inspired soloing ([35:59]).

Interactive Moments: Brian shares a personal anecdote about attending his son’s second Phish show, emphasizing the familial and memorable aspects of the concert experience ([43:00]).

Quotes:

• Brian: “This set reminded me a lot of Monda Green. Night three, set two” ([41:15]).
• Megan: “The Oblivion jam was absolutely killer” ([35:59]).

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Saturday’s Show Recap (July 5, 2025)

Saturday’s performance continued the positive trend, with the hosts discussing various musical highlights and community interactions.

Set Two Dynamics: Brian describes the second set as a blend of old and rare Phish tracks, noting the thematic cohesion: “It’s like four songs that flow really well together” ([58:16]).

Megan’s Insights: Megan appreciates the incorporation of synths and the seamless transitions between songs, particularly highlighting “Fuego” and “My Friend” ([65:52]).

Unique Performances: The band’s ability to mix classic tracks with newer sounds like “Cross Eyed Jam” and “Everything’s Right” is commended for keeping the performances fresh and engaging ([65:59]).

Quotes:

• Brian: “They locked in very quickly and found a lot of terrain and a lot of spaces of music to explore” ([37:36]).
• Megan: “I can’t imagine what it was like in the room. I mean, I guess I can because I’ve been to Fish shows with huge peaks” ([46:43]).

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Sunday’s Show Recap and Reflections

Sunday’s performance marked the culmination of the weekend tour, with the hosts reflecting on the overall experience and Phish’s evolution.

Vibe and Evolution: Brian reflects on the tour’s routing and the band’s ongoing evolution: “They’re always evolving, they’re always tweaking, they’re always updating their sound” ([56:29]). He discusses how the isolated event nature of Colorado’s Folsom Field run contributes to a unique and enjoyable experience.

Community and Fan Engagement: Megan shares positive feedback from online comments, noting that despite concerns about jam lengths, the community largely loved the setlists and performances ([50:28]).

Future Shows and Expectations: The hosts touch upon upcoming shows in Columbus and Charleston, expressing excitement for continued performances and potential new highlights ([73:20]).

Personal Anecdotes: Brian recounts a special moment from the Sunday show, where the band played emotionally charged songs like “Lizards” and “My Friend,” creating memorable experiences for attendees, including his own family ([59:00]).

Quotes:

• Brian: “Ultimately, this will be kind of what it was slightly designed to be based on the tour routing as a kind of isolated event” ([69:46]).
• Megan: “The community loved, I want to say, in general, this whole run” ([49:58]).

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Event Promotions and Future Plans

Toward the end of the episode, the hosts promote upcoming events and merchandise:

Heady Meat Sticks Event: Megan announces an upcoming barbecue event benefitting the Cancer Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, featuring live music and HFPod merchandise for sale ([05:43]).

Mailbag Episode Tease: The hosts express plans to address fan voicemails and questions in a future mailbag episode, encouraging continued audience engagement ([04:43], [05:55]).

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Concluding Thoughts

The Helping Friendly Podcast episode offers an in-depth and enthusiastic recap of Phish’s performances at Folsom Field during the 2025 Summer Tour. RJ, Brian, and Megan’s analyses reflect a blend of technical musical appreciation and personal storytelling, providing listeners with a rich insight into the concerts’ dynamics, the band’s musical direction, and the overall positive vibe of the tour. Their balanced critique and celebratory remarks make the summary both informative and engaging for fans and newcomers alike.

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Notable Quotes:

• Brian: “Fish on five days rest comes back with B level shows in an amazing setting.” ([07:11])
• Brian: “Aesthetically, it’s really beautiful. There’s something about walking across a college campus to see Fish.” ([17:35])
• Megan: “I was pretty bummed not to hear [Roses]. I’ve been chasing that since 2010.” ([21:13])
• Brian: “Every single one of these songs is a certified jam vehicle.” ([41:08])
• Megan: “The Oblivion jam was absolutely killer.” ([35:59])
• Brian: “They locked in very quickly and found a lot of terrain and a lot of spaces of music to explore.” ([37:36])
• Brian: “They’re always evolving, they’re always tweaking, they’re always updating their sound.” ([56:29])
• Megan: “The Oblivion jam was absolutely killer.” ([35:59])

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Join the Conversation: Listeners are encouraged to continue sending in voicemails and reviews, with the hosts promising more interactive episodes in the future. Engage with HFPod on Apple Podcasts and social media to stay updated on upcoming episodes and events.

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This summary was generated based on a transcript from the Helping Friendly Podcast episode released on July 6, 2025. For a full experience, listeners are encouraged to tune into the episode directly.

Transcript

[RJ]

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[Brian]

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[Brian]

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[RJ]

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[Brian]

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[RJ]

All right, guys. We, we're, we're back. This is the Helping Friendly podcast. I'm rj. If you got used to just hearing Brian and Megan, then sorry to tell you, but I'm back. I'm so back. Brian. I got the, I got the Phillies game on this other screen over here. We got after the 4th of July, we're like, we're just cruising through summer here. Guys. How you doing?

[Brian]

Good. I've got Wimbledon on right now, trying to will Carlos to victory. He's, he's in a tough match here in the middle of the first set. Cubs are on Sunday night baseball tonight and I get to hang out and watch Sunday night baseball. You know why? Because this is not a four night run here in Colorado. It's a three night run. We're done. We're over. We can webcast for the rest of the year. This is a great moment.

[Megan]

I'm so happy about that because I've been staying up really late and I haven't even made it to the end of these shows most of the nights. But I just want to let you know I don't have any other sports on. I am laser focused on this episode today. I'm just focusing on fish, unlike you guys.

[Brian]

Draft, you can hang out.

[Megan]

It's okay.

[RJ]

Well, I'm actually now that Brian mentioned that, I'm trying to figure out if I can do a split screen on YouTube TV to have Wimbledon and the Phillies game on. I'm trying to figure that out.

[Megan]

Now is the best sport to watch.

[RJ]

Guys, I was, I was at Wimbledon during Wimbledon and I didn't go to Wimbledon. So. Yeah, it shows you what kind of sports fan I am.

[Brian]

Talk about a NIMBY town that really thinks about curfews and really effective like curfews in the middle of important matches. Great job, guys. I know another NIMBY town that cares a lot about curfews, too. Let's talk about them.

[RJ]

Let's talk about it. So, one thing I want to say is that we have a ton of voicemails and I appreciate you guys leaving them. Of course, I am the person in charge of them, as you may have heard from all the times I couldn't get them to play in the past. But we are going to figure out a way to catch up on those. So stay tuned for that. Maybe we'll do that later this week. Maybe we'll do a short voicemail episode, a mailbag episode, as it were.

[Megan]

Yeah, let's do that. That'd be fun.

[Brian]

I like that.

[RJ]

I like that idea a lot. So stay tuned for that and keep sending the voicemails. Keep giving us reviews on Apple podcasts and all that stuff. It's great to come back and be ready to talk about these three shows that Brian got to see. Megan, you just got back from a week vacation also, right?

[Megan]

Yeah. I was at the beach in North Carolina and I was streaming these shows. It was fun. And everybody would come in. My niece and nephew would come in and they'd want to see the lights and they want to know what was going on. So it was good. Everybody gets to know about fish when they're playing and I'm on vacation with them. Everybody gets an education.

[RJ]

They sure do. Well, it's good to see you guys. Okay, Brian, let's just. Let's get right into this.

[Brian]

Can I just say one thing to the crowd out there because I like what you mentioned about the mailbag episode. If you guys want us to do more of those, do not hesitate to just send in non relevant voicemails about just random thoughts you have about fish, about questions you have about their history shows. You want to get like, quick, just like, what do we think about this? What do we think about this period? Because we love your voicemails and we would love to actually do more voicemail bag episodes if stuff outside of the immediate content of the show was provided. So I'm just, you know, it's a PSA to our crowd out there.

[Megan]

We like it even when they make us mad.

[Brian]

Exactly. It inspires great conversation. You guys are all the best. And when you needle at us, it gets even better, you know, return on your investment from us and from our conversation here.

[Megan]

It's true.

[Brian]

RJ is talking and muted. This is great podcast. This is how they do it in England.

[Megan]

I guess he's rusty. He's rusty.

[RJ]

Megan.

[Brian]

Like, you gotta read my lips, Megan.

[RJ]

Tell us what else you want us to know about what's going on.

[Megan]

There is something fun going on. We have an event at the Man. We are going to be doing an event Night two in the parking lot. It's called Heady Meat Sticks, I'm sorry to say, but it's a barbecue and it's benefiting the Cancer center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. It's going to be Man Night two, as I said, in the parking lot. I think it starts at about three. RJ and I are going to do a live HF Pod recap of the Man Night one. And I think that's what we're doing. Right, rj?

[RJ]

Yes, that's right.

[Megan]

Okay.

[RJ]

That's right.

[Megan]

And then there's going to be some music there, too, which will be really fun. And my daughter's going to be there, her first show. And we're also going to have some of our merch there because the T shirts that we printed, the first HF Pod merch in a long time, they're being shipped right now. So thank you. If you're one of the awesome people that bought one and supported the pod in that way, we really appreciate it. And they're coming to you this week, and we've got some extras, and we're going to be selling them at the man show. So come to our event. We'll put more information about it up on our socials and everything. But I hope people stop by. It'd be really fun to see all of you there.

[RJ]

And I just want to say about that. So this guy Dean, who's a friend of mine who lives here in Philly, he started this barbecue a long time ago, I think maybe 2016 at the man, maybe 2018. But anyway, they basically have built this thing where everyone from Federal Donuts to Monks Cafe to the guys from the Alchemist people all come to this. This big event fundraiser. And it's. Everyone brings, you know, there'll be a bunch of Federal Donuts there. There'll be Heady Topper. There'll be other things that the guy from Monks is bringing. And everyone just comes to hang out. And this guy Dean, who. Who organizes it, is amazing. And he has. Has basically created this really big fundraiser for chop, the Children's Hospital here. And it's turned into just a really cool thing. So come check it out and support that. And we'll be there. We are going to be there.

[Brian]

Cause it's good.

[RJ]

Cause we're going to be there, guys. Okay, so I guess, Brian, can we just get into it with like a headline? Can we get into. Can we get a headline from you, from this, this run? Do you have a. Do you have a headline for us? And as you don't think about headlines, Headlines have to be short.

[Brian]

That's why I'm thinking really hard for my headline here. Fish on five days rest comes back with B level shows in an amazing setting.

[RJ]

I love it. I love it. I really love that headline.

[Megan]

It's a good one.

[RJ]

Megan, do you have the baseball vibe.

[Brian]

Of it really comes through on this run.

[Megan]

I like that. I like that.

[RJ]

Megan, do you have an alternate or anything? Or do you want to write the subhead or do you want to write your own headline?

[Megan]

I'm going to write my own headline.

[Brian]

Subheads can be longer.

[Megan]

Yeah, that's true, that's true. We'll just see which category it falls into, heading or subheading when I'm done. Because you never know where these things are going to go. I would say Fish continues to jam, but not bigly, bigly.

[RJ]

I, I gotta say, like, I didn't get to listen to these as closely as you guys because I was traveling and stuff. But the, the thing that came to mind was the word, like cruising. Like, it kind of just feels like they're like cruising in a way. Yeah, I think that's like good and that's like good and bad. You know what I mean?

[Brian]

That's a really interesting way to put it. I was thinking a little bit about that in our last episode where Megan and I were going back and forth about how this just feels like the new normal and we can't really envision it getting any better than it had been. And I think I agree with you because this run felt just like, hey, man, Fish is a great rock show to go see. Like, at the end of the day, they deliver on what the baseline of who they are is. I think what we chase at this point and the reason why we continue to talk about this band is that there are moments like, you know, I was at Mexico 24 and Dick's 24. Those are two of the top, top, top runs I'll ever see my entire life. With like boundary pushing, challenging, jamming, the band really pushing each other. It felt like musically, throughout the run, this felt like a band somewhat trying to figure out what is next. And also a band that was just cruising and having a good time on a beautiful weekend out west over holiday. Like that there was a, you know, not a conflict so much. It was just kind of like dueling goals and like dueling ambitions for the band. It felt like at this point in the tour, perhaps that's the routing, perhaps it was the setting. I think we'll get into it, but I think your, your comment on Cruising, like really sets the baseline of where I felt like they were much of this weekend, which wasn't reaching too high, but also was just delivering really, really solid sets of music throughout.

[Megan]

Not dueling banjos though, huh? Although maybe we.

[RJ]

I was.

[Brian]

I just for the first time a couple months ago and I was very into getting to dueling banjos and like a creepy ass Karini that is if you haven't seen that movie. That movie will mess you up in a really brutal way.

[Megan]

Really disturbing movie. But yeah, I think I like the Cruising comp too. I think that one thing that I think they're doing so well on this run is set listing like a champ. I mean some of these sets had absolutely killer flow. I think night two, well, I think night one, set one, amazing flow. Night two, set two had incredible flow. And I think night three, set two also had really great flow. And even though we're not getting, you know, Brian and I spent a lot of time in our last episode talking about this. What we think is potentially unprecedented number of over 20 minute jams in the first six shows. We had six. And we don't know if that's actually happened in history before. We're still working back, I think. What'd you get Back to, Brian? 2003, you said.

[Brian]

I got back 2003 and we've never seen six shows in the first or six jams in the first week of a tour. I have to go through the late 90s and I just haven't at this point in time. But it's a long time.

[Megan]

I can't remember it. It's a long time and I don't even know if it's ever happened. So that was interesting because if the band's doing something they've never done before or that very rarely happens, it's so exciting. But I think what was interesting is that I looking at the numbers from this run and night one had four jams within the 12 to 17 minutes, night two had six jams within 12 to 18 minutes and night three had four jams within 12 to 16 minutes. So they're jamming a lot in this kind of micro level jams, but they're just. None of them hit 20 minutes, which is Just interesting. I'm not necessarily saying it's good or bad, although I know what I prefer. But I do think it's interesting. After coming from such a high number of really big jams in the first six shows.

[RJ]

People might be asking why I'd be qualified to. To. To say things about fish. And. And part of the reason that I'm qualified is I heard in passing that the last summer draft results were announced. I just got like. It was sort of a side comment that I got that was like, oh, by the way, you won the draft. When other people win drafts, there's, like, parades and there's like, celebrations. There's, like confetti on the screen. And it's just a.

[Megan]

I guess you haven't listened to our episodes. I guess you weren't keeping up with HF POD when you were gone, because Brian and I did announce it. Did we not, Brian?

[Brian]

We announced it. It was a very special moment. We gave you lots of praise.

[Megan]

Special moment.

[Brian]

It was.

[Megan]

I know we made a big deal out of it. I'm sorry that you didn't listen to your episode.

[RJ]

Well, I haven't listened. I've never listened to an episode of HFPod, so I don't even know what it sounds like. No. Okay.

[Megan]

It's pretty fun most of the time.

[Brian]

Let's get Trey. Never going to a fish show, but being at every single one of them, being like a moment of, like, regret in his life, it's like, bro, you are the guy.

[RJ]

God.

[Megan]

Okay, someone's asking me about the yam on 7:3. And no, a 20 minute yam doesn't count because it's yam. It's like a fluff head. You know, when you have a super long composed song, it doesn't count for a 20 minute jam. Sorry.

[Brian]

It does.

[RJ]

Yeah, Yeah, I think that's fair. But also, there's a question about whether we're just. Do we just expect too much. Because these shows, you know, their fault, though, it's their fault being very far away from them. I thought, like, it was there, like you said. I mean, now that you guys weren't saying this, but it's just they're so good, you know? And like these moments, it's crazy.

[Megan]

That's why we talk about them like this.

[RJ]

Okay, let's talk about. Let's just go through the highlights from each night. Does that make sense?

[Brian]

Well, can we just. Really quickly, can I do a Dicks vs. Folsom just break?

[RJ]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Brian]

Because I've gotten a couple questions about it. And I just want to, like, share those thoughts, and then we can get into it. Ultimately, like, I kind of went into this already having, like, a bitter edge against Folsom Field, because Dix is this, like, fish lore. It's. It's the second most played venue besides msg. It feels like RMSG here in the middle part of the country. It's become this, like, tradition where I have friends who come in every year for it. We've done podcasts out in the lot. The shakedown is always epic. We have.

[RJ]

So dusty.

[Brian]

It's so dusty. But, like, it's just. It's. It's its own community right there. It's awesome. We have very specific section that our group goes to, and we get, like, 15, 20 people in there every year. That said, in the last couple years, it has gotten very intense. Like, the wait to get in the way. There's a lot of waiting throughout the Dick's experience because they do tend to sell out. And so it ends up being a very packed, somewhat just, like, stressful environment where you're trying to get to your space to hear the music the way you want to hear it, and you have to put in a lot of work to do that. And it felt increasingly like you had to do that more and more and plan more and more each year. Plus, the weather stuff that we've happened, we've had happen in the last couple of years, I think soured some people, in some cases, to the overall experience there. Last year's run, musically, was top tier, epic. Some of the best fish I've ever seen in my entire life. Maybe the best, I don't know. But I was. I was totally cool with a change and to see what. What the change would be. And I thought ultimately, Folsom Field, if this were to become the new venue In Colorado, be 100% favor of it. Aesthetically, it's really beautiful. There's really something about walking across a college campus to see fish. Downtown Boulder is really charming. The first night, we parked in the neighborhoods right by the Fox Theater, walked to a bar, met up with some friends, had, you know, a couple drinks, a couple appetizers, and then walked in. We were 10 minutes away from the venue, walked right in, zero lines, walked right to our section. Like, it filled up slowly, and there were tons. There was tons of space within the venue. You could really just like, map out a section for you and your friends to be in. Everyone had tons of space. The sight lines were great. Wherever I was in the venue, I was in a different Spot throughout the entire weekend. The sound was awesome. Where we were. We sat actually up in the 200s. Fishman side the first night and then page side the second night. I had amazing sound the whole week and I felt like I could see the band, I could see the lights. I had tons of space. It was really easy to get around. Like, very choice, stress free. Beautiful setting for Fish. A venue that they could potentially grow into. You know, the fact that it's bigger than Dick's and they undersold it here. If they came back and they played shows on the quality of like those 2012 fish shows, this could become its own destination of itself. I think that's the one thing missing here as we'll get into is like, there wasn't that. Epic. Epic. Holy crap. I have to go to that venue next year to see what they do. But for anyone thinking about coming out to Colorado, if they do this again, I would say, you know, even if you stay in Denver, it's not that far of a drive. It's a really easy in and out. They run it really nicely. The people that work there were all really pleasant. Not a ton of like security in your face. Just very ideal. Stress free FISH experience at Folsom Field gets an AAA from me. I would be very happy to go back there.

[Megan]

There is something so magical about seeing Fish on a college campus. I just kept looking at it. My younger daughter is interested in the college and I just kept looking at it thinking, how awesome would that be? Like, fish came to your college. That's so fun. And everyone I talked to said the same thing about the venue. And on the stream last night I was looking at it and even the floor was super spaced out. People had tons of space down there, which is just the best.

[Brian]

Yeah, that's awesome stuff. Awesome.

[RJ]

It sounds like all around everyone was happy, which is great.

[Brian]

Good.

[RJ]

No complaints, right?

[Brian]

Zero complaints.

[RJ]

Zero complaints.

[Brian]

Epic.

[RJ]

Zero complaints from Brian Brinkman. There you go.

[Brian]

Couple notes, but no complaints.

[RJ]

All right, let's get into the notes. Let's get into Thursday's show. July 3, 2025. So. Well, Brian, I guess why don't you just tell us your. Your take on kind of the first set and then let's just like highlight one or two, you know, things per set and then we'll go through the shows that way.

[Brian]

I really love this set. In the moment. I thought it just was kind of that mix of like the opening set to a run that has some surprises. Couple bust outs, couple jams. You weren't expecting. Pretty solid Flow also without, like, going way too far out into the ether that you're like, whoa, where is this band coming from right now? Just a really good entry level, like, opening set. It was interesting because there was a pretty big storm that was moving from the mountains out east just to the north of us, and we had a ton of lightning visible. I was definitely worried that we were going to get canceled just knowing what we have experienced at Dicks in the past. Our mutual friend Jeremy Smythe was standing next to me during that set, and I kept looking at him like, do you think we're gonna get canceled? And he kept going. It's so far north. We're good. It's so far north. And as it got, like, increased, like, literal, like, lightning bolts, like, down, you know, felt like it, like, touched the ground right outside the stadium. It's so far north. So we were at least, like, in good spirits at that point in time. Musically, my biggest highlights are probably the Tube and the Kill Devil Falls tub. We all. That was kind of like the. You know, it doesn't go too far, but, like, it was. It was really the moment where, like, the sound in the venue met with the band connecting around a groove. And there's just something about seeing this band live when they connect around, like, a singular groove, and you hear them all jump on the same page and they build it up to a peak and then it goes back in a tube and, like, it was just welcome back, you know, that. That type of vibe. It was awesome. Kill Devil Falls. Really?

[Megan]

Yeah.

[Brian]

Kill the Falls went to some cool space. Not as big as the most recent ones that we've heard, but a good type 2 diversion with some awesome lightning at that point in time. On the whole, I just. I dug this set. I think this is the right place for a set like this. I think if this had happened the next night or the following night, maybe there's a little bit of a bummer at that point in time, but it was a great opening set to the weekend.

[RJ]

I just want to show this note here from Alex, who said, I traveled from the UK to these shows, and some moments in the second sets were better than Dick's 24 for me, and I went to that, too. Alex, sorry we missed each other. We were crossing at the same time, but that's interesting. That's awesome. I'm so glad that people leave these shows feeling so good. Megan, do you have anything to add about that set?

[Megan]

Yeah, I thought there was some fun rarities played, which I think is really nice, and Something that they kind of followed up with on from week two, last week of playing some more songs that we don't hear as much. And I thought there were some really nice peaks in these jams too, and just solid playing. I really love the Roses. I was pretty bummed not to hear it. I've been chasing that since 2010. I haven't heard it since then. And this is the longest show gap it's had since its debut in 97.

[Brian]

So wild.

[Megan]

Yeah, it hadn't been played since 7-16-2022. I saw it last at Walnut Creek on 7-1-20. It's only been played 51 times and it's just not played that often. And this is the longest gap, so hopefully that will get shortened up so I can see it again. But the solo in that is just so beautiful. And I thought it was really fun to see Nellie Kane to last time they played that. I saw that in Grand Rapids last summer, but it was Billy Strings, so it's nice that they're bringing the bluegrass back. I think there was a little bit of bluegrass almost in every show, which is pretty fun.

[Brian]

Yeah. We got three bluegrass songs throughout the weekend, which felt very much like an old school nod. We started picking out other bluegrass bust outs we wanted to hear throughout the weekend, just in case. But yeah, it was really, really great.

[RJ]

Um, I thought that Brian, like you said, they kind of landed in. Landed in Colorado and fired up that jam first. First set, first night. That tube was just. It was really, really good.

[Brian]

Yeah.

[RJ]

Really cool. Um, okay, so set two, we get a. Well, we. We get a. Not a. Not counting you. Enjoy myself as a 20 minute jam. But the carini before that, I mean, that was like. I mean, can it. I guess my main question about this is, can it be considered a ripcord? If you go into. You Enjoy Myself. It feels like there should be like a. This feels like there should be an asterisk. I mean.

[Megan]

Yes, but it is. It is like, maybe okay, but. Yeah, I think you still can. But. Yeah, it's. It's. No one's ever going to be mad that they're playing you. Enjoy Myself.

[Brian]

Yeah.

[RJ]

My question, what do you guys think?

[Megan]

I mean, like, I loved where the jam was right before it went into that. You know, they were. It was just. I thought they were in a really interesting spot with the dueling banjos. I think Mike and Trey, the way that they're communicating and their guitars are talking to each other on this tour has just been so thrilling. And it got so quiet and I really loved where they were. So I was. I was a little sad that they left the jam. But.

[Brian]

Yes. I mean, in the moment, I was like, okay, that's still the first show, and you want to play Yem now. And Yem has been great of late. And the fact that they are playing Yem in really interesting spots I think is like, you know, one of those. Why is Fish still playing it 42 years in their career while they're still trying to figure out, like, hey, what if we did this with you? And dry Myself, like, the song that had been defined as, like, you're set to closer of a big show and.

[Megan]

Doing smaller, shorter vocal jams and then jamming after, which is. Yes, yes, yes.

[Brian]

However, in hindsight and when thinking about these shows in full context, the. When I listen back to this Carini and then the Yam, it kind of strikes me as what was slightly off in my ears to this run. And maybe people disagree. That's fine, Carini. Like you said, Matt got to a really, really exciting place. I thought the dueling banjos jam was creepy and weird. And then it seemed to be, you know, finding that footing to take, you know, wherever that next step is within the jam, as we've been hearing for the last two and a half years in Fish, it did seem to me, and we'll get to this as we move through the set, like, there were issues in communication between Trey and Fisherman, that the two of them could not get on the same page rhythmically, and that they then started kind of searching for, well, what songs will allow us to kind of break through to this. And so Yem was a big call. I agree with you. I think it's, like, not necessarily a rip chord if you're going to go into a song like that. But it also was kind of emblematic that something's not working here in this. Karini and the Yam. You're absolutely right. Like, we've gotten the shorter vocal jam. The second jam. The second jam here kind of sounded just like a Yem jam. So it was a little. I was just like, why tack on the second jam if we're just going to play, like, the yam jam again? And then we go into Sally, which is the first version since, I think, 2023. So nice mini bust out there. 8. You know that Mini Baker's Dozen that they did in MSG Summer 2023, we get a version there here that, like, approaches some of the best jamming versions of Sneak and Sally that we've ever heard. It did seem Pretty like, it was a trade show. This was, like, Trey building up to a very heroic solo. The place was going wild. White lights, you know, like, strobes and everything. And, like, he looked like a freaking, like, hero on stage, playing his heart out. Awesome, awesome stuff. But then we go into light, and we go immediately back into the type of jamming we were getting in Carini. But it just doesn't seem to be working. And at that point, Trey, like, calls for the ultimate ripcord, which is eight minutes into light. No more jam. What's the use? We're going as minimalist as possible because we can't get on the same page, and we'll figure it out later. And then we get kind of a fourth quarter that, you know, just happens. Perfect show for Opossum.

[RJ]

Yeah.

[Megan]

Really was Sally, though. It's one of my favorite jams of the run. I mean, it's. It's awesome. It's, like, murky. It's really murky funk. And then it, like, segues really nicely into some really uplifting playing. It has that rocking, effortless groove and almost some Allman Brothers like, vibes from Trey. It's like, honey Rich.

[RJ]

Totally.

[Megan]

So pretty. Like, I was like, yes. And they find, like, a nice way back into the song. I. I heard I was at the last time they played this song, and I didn't realize it had been that long. It was. So. I'm really glad you guys got it, and I love that song, and I just. I thought this jam was fantastic. And when they started playing Light after, I was like, well, this could be really great. Like, we've had some really great lights recently. And. And then it was. It was not. I mean, that. What's the use that. That segue is like. I don't even know if you'd call it that. It's. It's not. It's not good. It's not good. And it's like, what's the use?

[Brian]

That is a rip cord.

[Megan]

That is a rip cord. And it's like, what's the use? Is just so evocative. And when it's placed perfectly, it's. It's so intense. It's one of my most favorite things that Fish plays. And I can't remember another time when I was like, whoa, this is. Should not go there. But that's how I felt. So, yeah, it felt off in the beginning, too, that the opening notes to what's the Use didn't sound right. I don't know if they were off key a little bit or it Just didn't sound right to me. But maybe it was just because it was jarring. Coming out of Light.

[Brian]

I mean, I wasn't extremely close by any stretch of the imagination, but I had a very clear shot of Trey of the stage at the end of Light. And I just remember seeing Trey look at Fishman and kind of, like, lift his guitar up. Like, we are ending this. Like, he played, like, a chord of just like, now we're going to, like. There was like a you need to fucking listen to me right now type of moment, at least. Like, from my vantage point. I don't know what people thought who are webcasting or saw it or were closer, but I've not gone back to rewatch it. But it did seem. Because there were moments where, like, Trey was playing something, Fishman was doing something else, and it just didn't seem like the two of them were connected. Sherman, with a comment that I agree with. Ultimately, yeah, other people might not, but the story of the set for me, every song was like, this could be the one. Carini Light, Pillow Jets. And it never quite happened. But again, first night of the run. Cool. Like, I. I've seen that happen before. And then the band, like, figured things out. But it was kind of emblematic of musically what I heard throughout the weekend.

[RJ]

Yeah, I mean, I thought. I thought that's during the Sneak and Sally. I thought they were, like, totally on the same page. Like, it was like a. It felt like the groove was, like, really, like a driving kind of groove, you know, but, like, basic, but. But it worked.

[Brian]

So that's. Yeah, you talk off often about, like, am I hearing new sounds? And I. And I think the Sally is kind of perfect in this sort of standpoint of. That is a. That is a tried and true Fish groove. You know what I mean? Like, that is they can do that in their sleep, and they do it great. It's an awesome version, but you're not, like, getting it like, the Carini, the light. You were getting into kind of these weird new spaces that I just wonder if they still need to, like, build up to be able to get their every show. Who knows? You know? Who knows? Or maybe it's just, like, so special they can't get through every show.

[Megan]

I mean, they were doing it in the first six shows. I don't know. You know, maybe it was the days off. I don't know. You know, maybe it was the time off. I don't know. But, yeah, it's interesting because I think even the next night, there's some Moments when they find that space that's really interesting and has a lot of new sounds, but it's. Yeah, it never goes really far, which is maybe okay. I mean, I thought that one too.

[Brian]

Many old ladies with the in this house, we believe signs in front of their house came up to Trey all weekend and we're like, please don't play too loud. This is a nice community. Please don't play too loud tonight. And he was just like, fine. Like, I can't win.

[Megan]

I don't understand the curvy thing. Brian and I were talking about this before we went live, but, like, why would half an hour or 45 minutes affect this community so much? Like, what is the big deal? I don't understand why they want to, you know, are so intent on that. And it just. I don't know. I don't like it.

[Brian]

Sherman mentioned something in the comments that I agree with. I. I didn't see any nitrous the entire weekend. And when you come out of Dicks, it is like, oh, really? Swarm of tanks and balloons that you have to like, muscle your way through to get to your car. And even at your car, it's just like these guys, like, come out behind the cars, like 18 tie dye balloons in their arms. Like, there was. I. My brother said, you know, I didn't see any of it. This was literally like we walked through campus into the neighborhood after the first night, and it was quiet. Like people were having.

[Megan]

How do they do that?

[Brian]

I don't know. But, like, this is like, to your point, Like, I don't know why the curfew became an issue.

[Megan]

Yeah, yeah. So you're saying. Yeah, like, the first night wasn't like something horrible happened after the first night.

[Brian]

This was such a different vibe from Dicks in that sort of sense. People were like, quiet and respectful. Like.

[Megan]

Yeah, it's not like it was like Morrison 1996 or something, right?

[Brian]

Exactly.

[Megan]

Yeah. Yeah. Weird.

[RJ]

All right, so, well, let's talk about Friday. Fourth of July fireworks, America, hot dogs. Do you guys do it? Did you do all that stuff, Brian?

[Brian]

I mean, we saw fireworks in the distance. I did not have a hot dog. I had a shogi. Quite a nice show.

[Megan]

You also had special shirts on you and your son.

[Brian]

I brought my son to his second show. He and I, for Halloween last year. Went as. He was the Declaration of Independence. I was the Constitution. So we wore those shirts the fourth of July because, you know, anyone who studies their American history knows, like, it's cool to declare your independence. There was like a Seven year fucking war that we almost lost like eight different times. And then a bunch of states decided not to actually pay for the military that just won them this war. And then we had this horrible constitution that like, was not accomplishing anything, was going to actually, like, break the country apart. It's really 1787 that we should be celebrating because that was the moment that we came together and realized, realize, like, how to create a lasting republic if you can keep it. So, you know, We've got a nine year old Declaration of Independence and a 40 year old Constitution.

[RJ]

I got it. I got to. We were walking around Buckingham palace the other day and I got to tell. Give my kids a brief version, almost as short as that, what you just said, Brian, of why. Why America exists. And it was fun. It was like all I could. I could only get them to pay attention for, you know, four minutes. So I had to make it.

[Brian]

Make it work.

[Megan]

That's.

[Brian]

Did you get. Did you get to, like, why there should have been guillotines in the streets of London or. No, okay.

[RJ]

No, no, we didn't. We didn't make it that. A couple years later, that bathtub gin, man, what a. What an opener. I feel like every. Like if every show opened with bathtub gin, I'd be fine with it. You know, it just. How does the. How did the energy work in that. In that space then?

[Brian]

Well, I really thought it worked great. You know, they came on half an hour earlier than the night before, so it was noticeably sunnier, which added this kind of cool, just like, overall vibe to like, seeing them and like the sun in the bowl. I don't know. Like, the. The aesthetics of this venue got me from every, every angle that I was at. I kept thinking, at its best, this song is like fish recreating, like big band music. Like, the build up to the peaks just sound like horn charts in, like, a really cool way. And. I don't know. Yeah, it's just like, not, this wasn't the greatest bathtub gin you'll ever hear, but like, one of the things about bathtub gin, we talked about this in our Mount Rushmore episode is it's one of those songs that when it's played well, you're like, is that the greatest piece of music I've ever heard in my entire life?

[Megan]

Definitely.

[Brian]

You're just like, oh, my God. You know, So I loved it. I thought it was a great way to kick this overall show off. Yeah. Awesome stuff.

[Megan]

You know, this is only the 13th time it's ever opened a show it's been played 316 times, and that was only the 13th time it's EVER opened a show. Yeah, I agree.

[RJ]

Stupid.

[Brian]

That is pretty.

[RJ]

Why would you do that? Yeah, yeah, just do it every show. Who cares? So, okay, so that, I guess there's. The Oblivion jam is the thing we really need to talk about, I think. But I do.

[Megan]

I did classic, too. It's like old school Fish. Most of this set. Yeah, most of the whole show. There's, like, you know, three modern songs and a, like, beloved, rarely played cover. But the rest is just all classic Fish, which is fun, I think, which added to the flow.

[RJ]

Yeah, I really liked the little, like, riff that Trey found in Theme, which I thought was cool. They were, like, moments, I thought, where they kind of. I don't know, I felt like. It felt a little bit more like they were more comfortable than the night before, but. But also, like, just sort of, like, on paper, it's sort of like a. It looks like a set that you could maybe skip, but. But that Oblivion jam in the middle is pretty awesome.

[Brian]

Yeah. I mean, this is kind of where I accepted that we are getting the vibes run. You know, we're not getting, like. We're not getting the. Like, let's really test your metal. Let's, like, elevate this style of. Of where Fish is at in 2025. But let's just have a good time. And I had a good time. The Oblivion jam was the deepest that we went. It got into really cool funk spaces. You know, we've started to hear more of the synth pedal again this year. That had kind of faded away a bit in 2024, and that, combined with where Mike is playing right now, is great compared to the night before. Fishman and Trey sounded fully connected here around kind of a unique groove, and it kind of tells the story of the run in a lot of ways. To me, they did an amazing job of. When they locked in. They locked in very quickly and found a lot of terrain and a lot of spaces of music to explore. And then it's around 15 minutes, they'd close it down and they move on to the next song. And that is just a very different move than what we have heard in recent Fish, which I think is notable. I don't know exactly why that's the case, I can speculate. But, like, this Oblivion was an awesome jam that followed that kind of template throughout the entire weekend. This was right around the time the sun was setting. So, like, in the venue, this was just like an ideal little Moment here. Guy Udi was cool. My buddy Ross was calling for that, asking for that all weekend. First in 49 shows. Little bit rough.

[Megan]

He started singing high.

[Brian]

They were, like, a little off at times on the compose stuff. You know, it's so interesting to me that they can play Fluff Head so well consistently, and yet, like, David Bowie and Gayudi are like, ooh, can we really, can we make it through? Is everything everyone gonna be okay? Like, practice him a little bit more? Like.

[Megan]

Right. Because guy YouTube, they play like, once a year. Strangely, I was at the last three Coyote performances before this one, which is weird. Yeah. But, yeah, I think I, I, I think they maybe just don't play it as much as Fluffhead, but I think that's it. Yeah, I love this.

[RJ]

It's also.

[Brian]

Really.

[RJ]

Sorry, I was just gonna say about Coyote, like, just from talking to, like, the guys, the reprise guys. I mean, Gayudi is insanely hard song to play. It's probably maybe the hardest composition that Trey's written, which is saying something.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[RJ]

So I don't want to be too hard on, but it does kind of. It's kind of. It's not fun.

[Brian]

I think it's that and Fluff Head because, like, for a while they didn't play Fluff Head because it was so hard. And I think Gaidi could just use a little bit more time working out the changes.

[RJ]

Need some more. Need some more work. Sorry, sorry. Megan, you were talking about the Oblivion jam.

[Megan]

I just want to say it's one of my favorite jams of the weekend, like, top three. I thought that that sound that Mike finds, he's got this new effect that's really bouncy and has rounded edges. It's really funky. It's like a space funk noise. It's so good to me. And this is the first time I heard it over this weekend. And then he goes to it a bunch, like, in a bunch of other jams that we'll talk about. But I thought it was absolutely killer. And it was one of those moments when I actually put my book down and started looking at the stream, and I thought it was great.

[Brian]

Well, you were reading during this, and you think that you have an authority to talk about this band. What is going on here?

[Megan]

Yeah. Sitting and staring at a screen for three and a half hours is tough for me. So I have to, you know, I've got it on the tv, and then I've got my book. And then I'll put my book down and take notes. But, yeah, I mean, I gotta Say I multitasker just like you guys in your sports.

[Brian]

You know, I know I'm just giving you shit right now. The space that I had, I could sit down multiple times throughout the weekend. Nobody in front of me, nobody around me, no dumb conversations about the apartment that you're looking to rent with your maybe girlfriend. Like the type of stuff you hear it like a goose show constantly, like talking about, like the branded jeans that you buy, like in the middle of a rosewood heart. Like, none of that. And I was like, I should have brought my book because, like, this is as good as webcasting. Like, I could have just like had the perfect experience sitting in the mountains.

[Megan]

Somebody would have totally found you. And then like Ryan Brinkman, here he is reading a book. It's worse than Rick sitting at Fish. You reading during Fish would have just been so viral. I wish that happened.

[RJ]

It would have been good. I would have been good. Next time, do it.

[Brian]

Um, I'd still been reading the Blind Assassin. I would have. But like, I forced myself.

[RJ]

Oh my God. So. So we had a second kind of a second quarter here that was in. In my. In my quick listening was worth skipping instead of a fourth quarter. The fourth quarter in the show kind of worked. But that end of the first set was. I don't know. It's fine.

[Megan]

Yeah, it's fine.

[Brian]

Great.

[RJ]

Okay, Brian. Set to tell us about it.

[Brian]

So I think Set to is.

[Megan]

I.

[Brian]

Don'T know if I would say a perfect set, but it is, it is as close as we got to an a quality set this weekend. Amazing song selections. Every single one of these songs, with the exception of no Quarter. And there's an asterisk to this because no Quarter has jammed in the past. But every one of these songs is a certified jam vehicle. All of those songs being like fueled together to create essentially one long kind of set jam is a great, great move. I. I love it. These were all then, you know, jam vehicles that were kind of repurposed as high octane rock jams. You know, there wasn't anything too weird, too out there, too risky. It just all worked. The simple what's going through your mind had kind of the most airy spaciousness within it. But on the whole, I thought this set, like it had narrative arc, it had structure. I loved. It's the type of set you press play on simple. And you do not need to do anything until Ghost is finished. No Quarter being like the cool down song, if there even is even such a thing. Like, that's a great move. This set Reminded me a lot of Monda Green. Night three, set two. It reminded me of 11, 11, 2, 18, set two. You're not coming here for like deep off the beaten path jams. You're coming here for flow. Great song selection. Excellent plane from the whole band. I loved this. I will just note personally two things really quickly and then I'll shut up. Number one. So this is my son's second show. He and I were hanging out during set break and they'd gone off the stage at like right around 9:00'. Clock. It was like 9:15. And he goes, Dad, I gotta go number two. And I was like, right now? Right now? Like, we just can't wait till after the show. And he was like, right now. It's like, fuck. So the one downside to this venue is that whereas in Dick's, you go up to the concourse and you're basically still a part of the show and you can hear the show wherever you are in the venue here, there's it's, it's cut off so it ends up being pretty muffled. I take like pretty diligent notes during the show. Like I track when they walk on stage, when they start a song, they all track that all throughout the show. So I had to text my wife to be like, hey, I'm gonna be out in the bathroom with Wally. Can you please text me like exactly when they come on stage? So we had like a whole system down. Everything worked out fine. He was great. Powered through quickly enough, we returned back for the jam and then midway through the set, he started to get a little tired and he has to sit on my lap. And so for the tweezer, no Quarter Disease Ghost, I had him on my lap, kind of resting his eyes, watching Fish. Had that happen last year during the kill. Delvile Falls. What's going through your mind? Cross eyed at Dick's. Look, I don't want to bring my son to every single show. I need a little bit of like the escapism myself, you know, it's like part of why I do this. But like incorporating music with your kids and having moments where you can like share like this amazing music of this amazing band with them right there, like curled up in your arms. That's like some priceless for me. So again, why on the vibe scale, amazing, amazing weekend on the Will I go back to this run and be like, that's some of the best music I've ever heard. Fish a little bit less.

[RJ]

Yeah.

[Megan]

I'm gonna make my daughter sit on my lap. I don't know if she will. At 15.

[Brian]

She's a little older. She's kind of like.

[Megan]

I'll try. I'll try.

[Brian]

That.

[RJ]

Thanks for sharing that, Brian. That's. That's. It's cool to hear that experience. Um, I thought that the. So what's going through your mind is definitely like, the. It's like the biggest jam vehicle Fish plays at this moment, which is great.

[Brian]

Yeah.

[Megan]

I mean, besides, like, loves it so much.

[RJ]

Loves it, loves it. But it's interesting. They did a lot, I think, in that jam before the Tweezer, a lot of that kind of shifting into, I guess, what I would describe as, like, kind of what they would. What they would typically do, you know, kind of, like kind of ambient, and then they kind of pick it up into that and driving into the. The kind of end. Into. Into Tweezer. But, Megan, I know. I think I saw you post that. You really love that Tweezer jam.

[Megan]

Yeah, this is my favorite jam of the weekend. It's just. First of all, I just want to give a shout out to Paige on the synths this weekend. Like, wow, he's just making every jam so much more rich and textured and awesome. This is. Again, Mike found that kind of bouncy and deep funk effect, and I just thought it sounded incredible. There's so much texture, but still tied to rhythm. It's really steady, but it also has that huge peak. That's why I love it. I think it does everything they're doing well right now, which is soundscape kind of space funk, and then that's really rhythmic still. But then they still have that huge peak in this jam, which I think think Trey's just been peaking so much in a way that sounds really inspired. And I love that a lot of.

[Brian]

Huge Trey peaks all weekend. That's a great point. Yeah.

[Megan]

Massive. Like that to me, was like, he. He's been doing it this whole tour, but this weekend, even more. It just seemed like he was really, like, focused on that. And I think, again, when they're building this peak, especially in this tweezer, and I've heard this on this tour as well, definitely in the. What's going through your mind? The big one from Pittsburgh, he's adding textures to his peak, and it's giving this, like, crunchiness to the build, which is different and cool and a way that they can take, like, a classic jam band, you know, trope building to a peak, and they can make it more interesting because they're Fish. And then you have the post peak melt into A song that I have never heard. It's only been played 20 times, but I am chasing no quarter. And I was pretty devastated that they played it. But, yeah, best Cooldown song. And I just think this set is thematically perfect. Like, you get, you know, a really kind of ambient, shimmery, pretty simple, and then it gets dark and intriguing, and then that darkness takes you all the way through Ghost, which ends at this. Absolutely. I can't even imagine what it was like in the room. I mean, I guess I can because I've been to Fish shows with huge peaks, but that peak was, like, epic. Just an absolute, huge, thrilling peak at the end of the set. And I'm so glad they just, like, walked off the stage after that. I was like, don't do it, Trey. Like, don't play another song. And it was just. He didn't. I was so happy. But, yeah, this. I thought the set was my favorite set of the weekend. It's pretty perfect. I mean, if that tweezer had gone, like, 30, it would be like, lights out. Like, that would have just been crazy. But I feel like it was a perfect jam. It didn't need to. I'm not advocating for that. I'm just saying that I think I was surprised it didn't because it sounded like it could have, but just a killer set. Paige sounded amazing on the vocals. And no quarter, too.

[Brian]

I mean, there were a couple moments where I was like, the band sounds like they're playing a jam right now. Where they're going to go, 25, 30 minutes. Like that. That's just, like, how locked in they were at times. I think you're right. Like, I. I don't know what the, like, larger community perception is around the set. I would imagine most people really like this because of the song selections. Everything does jam. It flows really nicely. I think if you have, like, a bigger jam in either Tweezer or Simple or what's going through your mind, it is elevated a little bit. But I also like for what they were going for in this set and what they delivered on from just, like, a huge, rocking, big song, kind of greatest hits sampler pack. Awesome stuff. Awesome stuff. And. And to your point, about, like, the. The roar in these peaks, it was interesting dicks because of the way it's built and because of how many tickets they sell. When a big moment happens, it's this, like, you are overtaken by the crowd almost. When, like, the place erupts because of how big and spread out this was. You would hear this, like, roar from the floor. And then it would kind of like spread upwards and it had just like. It was just a very different vibe to anything I've ever seen from this band. Like msg, you're all contained in the same room. A big moment. Like, you feel that in your bones. This was almost like a ripple in a way that, you know, if they grew into this venue, it'd be interesting to hear what it would be like in five years.

[Megan]

That's awesome. And shout out to the floor people for bringing the vibes and the energy. But I, the community, loved, I want to say, in general, this whole run. I had some comments online about jam length and just how interesting it is that they didn't play anything over 20. And people kind of went after me a little bit just because I think people really like Colorado fish and they don't really want to hear that if it wasn't, you know, anybody say anything else otherwise. But, yeah, I think people love, loved this set, especially it seems that's to be the highest. Highest praise for sure.

[Brian]

But I've never heard of anyone in the fish community being upset at, like, notes and criticism for a fish. That's an interesting.

[Megan]

Yeah, it was really interesting.

[RJ]

It is interesting.

[Brian]

Good conversations. Music was good. Cool.

[Megan]

Yeah, it was awesome. So fun.

[RJ]

You know, we have to take a break before we go to night three, which I should have done earlier, but, you know, I'm rusty, as Brian pointed out, so. So let's shake it off.

[Brian]

I pointed out. I think you're pointing it out right now. I think you're pointing it out right now.

[RJ]

Maybe Megan said it. Thanks, Megan.

[Megan]

I said it. Sorry.

[RJ]

Thanks. I'll be waiting for my congratulations on the draft during the break. See you guys. Back here in a sec.

[Brian]

This episode is brought to you by State Farm. Knowing you could be saving money for the things you really want, like that dream house or ride is a great thing. That's why the State Farm personal price plan can help you save when you choose to bundle home and auto bundling. Just another way to save with a personal price plan. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts, and savings and eligibility vary by state. Have you ever spotted McDonald's hot crispy fries right as they're being scooped into the carton and time just stands still.

[RJ]

All right, Brian. Instead of a Sunday show, we get a Saturday show. Never miss a Saturday show, especially at Folsom Field. That's what. That's what they say. They've always said that even the experts.

[Brian]

I did see like three people wearing a never miss a Sunday show shirt last night, which I really appreciated because that is like deep, layered fish joking on a Saturday night.

[RJ]

Oh, man, that's awesome. Brian. What, what was the. What was the vibe going into night three and, and, and maybe talk about like the first set and kind of what you thought about it.

[Brian]

Absolutely. Whatever you guys are asking for, I can deliver on. Like I said, somewhere midway during set one of the fourth of July, I accepted. We. We were getting a vibes run. And so I went in kind of just like, hey, I. I was doing some reflecting and I was like, man, I got unquestionably the best Fish I've ever seen in 2024. I saw the Mexico run and I saw the Dicks run. And for what I seek from this band and for what I look for, nothing will ever top that, at least. I can't imagine anything topping that at this point in time. I got to the century mark. I got to take my son to his first show, like 2024. Fish was like a huge, huge period for me, and I am forever grateful for it. And one of the things we talked about this in top 25 tours. We talked about this in 40 for 40. One of the eternal rules with Fish is they're always evolving, they're always tweaking, they're always updating their sound. I think one of the more accurate critiques that RJ has made in the last couple years is when jams go long but sound in a very similar space. And I would imagine that's something the band is slightly aware of at times where you hear like a 40 minute jam and you're like, but did I hear anything new? And I do get the sense right now that they're trying to figure out what that new thing is. Where is the next step? What do we do next? And that converged with, you know, odd touring, routing. We talked about this in our draft episode that RJ won playing new venues, a lot of new venues, a lot of indoor. And then, hey, suddenly we're in the outdoors. The curfew thing, the weather delay that ended up happening, all of this contextually is just to say, like, I went into this run, this, this show being like, like, whatever happens, happens. I have had a great time, I've had no stress. Great crew that we're with. Walked in just after Doors, found our spot, hung out. Weather delay happened around 7:15. I've been through two weather delays at Dick's. One that was managed pretty well. The Other one was atrocious. And I still have complaints. I'm still being a Karen about it. This one was handled great. The storm was hilariously moving just to the south of us. We could watch it happen the entire time. I felt two raindrops throughout the weather delay. I saw zero lightning. They didn't actually push people off the floor the way that they did at Dick's 2022, which was the right thing to do in that event. They let everyone kind of chill when they uncovered the instruments. Huge, huge roar from the audience. Band came on stage. First set. I would say in terms of the three first sets, this was my second favorite, right behind night one, I thought on the whole 46 days, Sigma, Oasis and Blaze on were the clear improvisational highlights. With Blaze on specifically being this like just great late set. One performance that goes a little bit deep, gets a little bit weird, ends in a really raucous peak in a really profound way. I thought in the, like the lighting in the venue at that time and the way that the lights were hitting the crowd, like it just looked and felt really nice. Beautiful version of Blaze On. I'll get into the end of the first set here after I hear your guys thoughts, because I have one more thing to share, but just good stuff, man. Good fish vibes. Carefree fish. Vibes.

[Megan]

Vibe Sky. Brian Brinkman. Five Sky. You heard it here.

[Brian]

I became one man. I'm accepting of it. You know, it all happens.

[Megan]

You did text us during Night two before the second set and say it's a Vibe show. It's Vibes runs fine. And then you wrote back during the tweezer. Okay. We might be back. So I don't know if you were fully. Fully.

[Brian]

I was hoping I kept open.

[Megan]

I kept hoping you kept hope alive. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I. I thought the Sigma Oasis. First of all, I just love this song. I. Some of my favorite Fish lyrics. But I think it's the perfect launching pad for the epic soundscapes they've been painting lately. And I was really hoping that this one maybe might go there. I have to get over wanting Bowie to jam. I'm not over it. But I was looking at the numbers and it hasn't gone over 15 minutes in 20 years. And it hasn't gone over 20 minutes in 25 years. Years. So I think I just have to give up on it. And. But I was hoping that because they did kind of botch the entry that I was like, okay, they're playing this like mid first set. They kind of botched the entry Maybe they'll make it up by being like it. Let's take it for a ride. And I think we had a little bit of a tease this spring, so I. I was hopeful, which I just need to stop doing. I have to just stop. Yeah, it's over. But I thought the blaze on was great. He again, trade. Just another super gassed up peak. Like perfect reentry. Just a great blaze on right in the first set there. And anytime Fish plays the Beatles, you know, this is a song I haven't heard since 1997. It's a good. It's a good moment.

[RJ]

Yeah. Yeah. I thought it felt a little bit all over the place for me from listening, but I also had to kind of like jump around. So that's actually. Nevermind. Because that seems like more like my.

[Brian]

Fault than anyone else's.

[Megan]

It's fair. It's a fair critique regardless.

[Brian]

To be fair, the show didn't appear on live Fish until like two hours ago, so.

[RJ]

Yeah, that's true. They. Yeah, that was. That was crazy. I was. It was race against time. Um, the second set, though, that. That combo of fuego, my friend, fuego, and that's basically all that I made it through, I thought was awesome. But Brian, tell me. Tell me about the second set.

[Brian]

Well, let me just say one more thing about the first set because, you know, second to last vibes moment of the weekend for me, so. So my wife and I are chasing two songs. For me, it's Albuquerque. For her, it is a day in the life. I had never seen it either. I'd always wanted to, but this is like, this is. This is her Albuquerque. And I, when lizards started, I was like, either we're getting one set because I was trying to do the math in my head of like the curfew and blah, blah, blah and the rain delay. But I was like, we're probably going to get lizards. And then like cats. And so I went use the bathroom, filled up our waters. Need more water stations at Folsom. Okay. They go really fast, so the water line moves really, really quickly. But we need a couple more water stations. But I took a nice little walk and I was coming back and I stopped as they ended lizards to see what we were gonna get started with here. And I saw Trey looked Paige, and Paige started to play the piano. And my initial thought was, oh, walls of the cave. And then I was like, wait, that's not. Walls of the cave starts with a piano. Oh, my God. And like, I like, yelled and I ran back to our seats and Everyone was in hugs, there were tears, There was. It was a very, very epic special moment for Fish, for, For, though, you know, for. For our group of friends seeing Fish. My wife was incredibly happy and now she's like, well, what. What do I do now? Like, I've. I've got it. Like, what. What do I keep going to see this band for now? And I feel like I will feel the same. An Albuquerque, a 40 minute jam and a four song second set. So we're still chasing things here.

[Megan]

You got a few on your list.

[Brian]

I got a couple things I'm still waiting for. But we're. We're still, we're still chasing that.

[RJ]

The.

[Brian]

The chase continues. But this was a very, very special moment.

[RJ]

That's really cool sharing that.

[Brian]

Of course. Set two, I think this was my favorite set of the weekend. They've. I think the second set of 4th of July was probably like the like, best, like compact. This is a set of Fish, like zero frills. This set though, got to this like weird space. I got to that kind of like disorienting. What song is this again? What is going on here? What is the band trying to do? Very spacey weirdness. Especially in Fuego Cross side. Everything's right. Like that whole segment. Fuego, my friend. Fuego cross side. Everything's right. That's why I go see Fish. You know the conversation we've been having throughout this episode about like no 20, 25 minute long jams. This felt like that alternate approach of, well, what if we played a 25 minute long jam style, but across 60 minutes and four songs? And it's kind of a yin and yang. We've talked about like, what is our preference. I love the deep, deep jams off of one song, but I think the counter to that is this, which is like four songs that flow really well together. They all felt thematic. It was all surprising. It all worked really well. And each of them, the second they left the song were just like, Paige, when can you go back to those synthesizers? When can those lights do the spinny thing again? And when can we just get into like some weird, weird zones? So I was super into it. I'm a fan of More Slave. I don't understand why they play Harryhood as well as they play Harryhood. And they don't really seem to do the same thing for Slave. It seems like Slave has kind of become this like, afterthought of, well, we need a set closer. We'll throw it in nine minutes. It's almost like where Bowie is Right now. And like, Slave and Hood are kind of like the same structural song when it comes down to it. It's just like three chord peak. Like, just give us the hose over and over and over again, and we don't really get there. So I'm. I'm a little confused by that, but on the whole, that 60 minute midsection was everything I look for in this band. I love it. I was so, so into that stuff.

[Megan]

Yeah, I was excited when I heard it. Go ahead, rj.

[RJ]

Well, I just have a theory. I think that. I think that Slave has been more like taken over by. What's the use. In terms of. It's like, where in the space that it. Yeah, like the space that it used to fill because. Cause it to me feels like that's just, you know, used to just be this quiet, like, contemplative place that would last for three or four minutes. And that was kind of like the point of Slave, you know, and then, of course, the peak. But, like, it's weird. Like, it's weird to look at the live Fish app or archive or whatever and see it like an eight minute Slave, and you're like, can you even do that in eight minutes? Like, is it even possible? Like, you'd have to. Like, you have to try.

[Brian]

Yeah, that's the thing. Like, the emotional payoff kind of requires the extended contemplation. Yeah. That's why 95 pockets were so good.

[RJ]

That's why this podcast was like 15 minutes to be like, how can they even do that? They can't.

[Brian]

Why? You just took quick hits out of this. You just stopped with quick hits. We gave that to nugs.

[RJ]

We gave it to nugs.

[Megan]

We don't want to do it quick.

[RJ]

God, such a great name. Good luck. All right, well, let's talk more about this. Like I said that this match, this matchup is. Or that's what it sounds like to me. You know, it's like a. I don't know, it's cool. Like you were saying, Brian, not knowing where things are and all that, but, you know, like, this idea of, like the going in and out of songs is just so great.

[Brian]

But.

[RJ]

Megan, I think I interrupted you. I can talk more about that segment, but I want to hear what you have to say.

[Megan]

Yeah, I was just thinking a lot about Fuego when it started, because for the last two years, it's not gone more than eight shows without being played. And. And historically, it has a 26% chance of being jammed, but lately it's more like 50 to 60% like every other version of Monster. And you know, it was great. He was. Mike was doing that stuff he was doing in Oblivion and in the Tweezer and everyone else jumped on and was playing this like repetitive matching moment with him. It just sounded awesome. You know, I think that it was a bit of a rip cordon to my Friend My friend, which is why I don't love this set as much as has the Night two set to. But the way that they. First of all, if you're going to ripcord, I do think My Friend My friend is actually like. Like that's maybe one of the best things you can rip for, especially with.

[Brian]

What it's proven it can do.

[Megan]

Totally. Like, it's also like fuego, like in a great spot right now. And just such an old song. It opened my first show. There's something to me that hits about this song so hard and playing a fuego riff inside My Friend My friend is so cool. Like both of those songs have that kind of edgy darkness, like anger to them that. That is really sick. And I love that they got into that weird spot. It's like really a lot of weird shit for Brian. Weird shit Brinkman, which I was happy for you about. Just, you know, the way that Trey also like slowly and patiently dragged them out of the weird stuff and just turned it into this really soulful soloing. It was. And Paige was laying down these icy synths. I love that jam. I thought it was awesome. And cross eyed. We have a moment when Trey says Wu Tang forever. Because RZA actually sound checked with them and he was there. And as a 90s hip hop girl, world's colliding in just an awesome way. I heard that they're both playing in Columbus this week. We could get a sit in, I don't know. But that would be so sick and terrible at the same time, I'm sure.

[Brian]

But yeah, hip hop and jam bands go great together. I think every example of it has been awesome.

[Megan]

I know my brother who, like, you know, is not into this. Well, you don't know, but my brother is not into the. Into jam band music at all. And every time he. He's really into hip hop, though. And every time he comes across like a moment, he always sends it to me on like a TikTok or something. He sent me, you know, the Jay Z time that he played with. With Fish in Brooklyn. And I'm like, we don't talk about this. Like, this is not something we're. We're interested in. Mike, please don't send me this anymore. But yeah, I thought the Cross Eyed jam and is awesome. It gets so soundscapey and it's cool because it's a little different than the other ones and then it kind of melts down into this kind of feels like a river of a jam. It's really forward moving and really effortless and pretty. I loved that Cross Eyed jam. I thought that was killer.

[Brian]

Yeah, that was a huge highlight for me.

[RJ]

So, Brian, go ahead. Do you have more on the second set?

[Brian]

No, I mean I was just gonna add that like Fuego, you know, for a while it's just an interesting. As the band's history goes on, what happens. Like for a long time Fuego was kind of lost and didn't really seem to connect and it seemed kind of just a little clunky and they didn't really know where to place it. But I seem to recall definitely since spring 23 they played a version at Berkeley that was one of the best jams of that year. And then they played the. The version of MSG that was one of the best jams of the year. Last year we've had a bunch of great versions. Like, but even I think in parts of 2022, like, I seem to recall the Earth Day show had a great version. I think Merryweather Post had a really solid version. Like, it's just wild what these songs can do and how they can evolve and that when you think back on this week and the big highlights would be relative rarities in Sneak and Sally. What's going through your mind? Tweezer, Fuego and Cross side, like and Everything's right. Like, it's just an interesting mix of like new and rare fish that are. That is inspiring the band at this point in time.

[RJ]

Yeah, that a lot. That kind of reminded me of like the. I mean not as. Maybe not quite as interesting, but like the catapult catapult machine thing from a few years ago, like, you know, very similar vibes. It's. It's just cool when they get into this space where it's totally unpredictable and we have no idea what's going on.

[Megan]

I actually thought it because I'm so chasing catapult.

[Brian]

So I actually thought at times that we were getting a catapult. Just the way the music was going throughout that set, it reminded me of parts of 1112018 where like catapult is just lingering around the corner there. And it made me realize we need a catapult, not Rushmore. So I added it to the larger list for 2018.

[Megan]

That's fun. And there's not as many versions to listen to. It's not like a daunting.

[RJ]

No.

[Brian]

And it's short, so you'll be able.

[RJ]

To do it exactly.

[Megan]

They're like three minutes. Yeah. I want to hear that song so bad. Yeah.

[RJ]

Brian, you know that. You know that. I love Buffalo Bill so much. They did the Buffalo Bill Harry Hood combo Encore, which I think is a great combo.

[Megan]

Buffalo Harry, that's so great.

[Brian]

Little nod to playing in Dion's house. I did find it funny. I think you'll appreciate this. I wish you had been here for this moment more than anything else. They played Rocky Top on night one in F. Like, that is like, what a. What a pro move to be like, we're gonna play Tennessee's fight song here in Beyonce house.

[RJ]

Yeah.

[Brian]

Amazing stuff.

[RJ]

Eventually. Eventually they went back or at least played Buffalo Bill. But what were the. What was the vibes like coming out of here? What do you think about the. And any, like, recap on your. On your overall run here?

[Brian]

I think ultimately this will be kind of what it was slightly designed to be based on the tour routing as a kind of isolated event. You know, they tend to make Colorado these sort of destination holiday events, which really works out when, like, the music is as high quality as you can imagine and feels slightly, I don't want to say underwhelming, but just feels like a really good time when they play a run like this. I don't think that the music will be the defining factor of this run for weeks or months or years to come. I think it will be that Folsom Field was a beautiful, stress free, high vibes, awesome place to see the band that I would 100% go back to. I think my heart hopes that they return to Dicks next year just because I love the legacy of that venue and I definitely missed it at times. And I think that them playing out here over Labor Day and ending the summer here is just a good tradition they should continue carrying on. But if they ultimately decide to switch to Folsom Field for the foreseeable future, I will not be complaining because I thought this venue ruled. And I'm pretty happy to go back to three nights. I know that's shocking to some people, but like, I'm glad I don't have to organize a fish show tonight. And that whole night is a lot.

[Megan]

It's tiring.

[Brian]

Four nights a lot.

[Megan]

It's a lot.

[Brian]

I thought this was just like a really fun mid summer stop off. I feel like we are going to hear the best of what this band can offer when they get on that tour cycle of, like, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. I think that that just, like, rhythm, that routine. Yeah. And they're coming back to, like. Well, yeah, because they're coming back to the Northeast. They're going to play some pretty familiar venues. Obviously, Forest Hills is a new spot, but playing in New York City is going to really amp them up. Columbus, they seem like playing Charleston. Philadelphia, always love playing there. And then they're ending the tour with three nights at Spock, which is, like, as home turf as it gets. Like, I think that this run will ultimately be. Colorado was fun. Mid summer fish. Now we're back to, like, fish.

[Megan]

I feel like this is so mean, but there's this evil part of me that's really happy that my fish isn't going to be, like, upstaged by Dicks this year. Like, it. Like it was last year. And, like, it is so many years. I feel like I left Mondegreen. Like, it was awesome. I had the best time. Like, you know, last night was, like, a little underwhelming. Fuego. Saved the day. But, like, whatever. It was amazing. And then they went to Dick's, and I was like, great. Thanks a lot. You know, so this year, that won't happen to me. So selfishly, I'm a little happy about that.

[RJ]

Wow. Wow. All right.

[Brian]

She wins the drafts and she wins the shows. You know what else?

[RJ]

Exactly. Megan wants it all. She wants all the best shows and all the best. All the best. All the wins. Megan's going for the wins.

[Megan]

Yeah, exactly. I haven't hit those wins as much lately. I mean, I've had some awesome, awesome stuff, but I. I haven't hit Mexico or Dick's 24 lately, so I didn't hit the Pitts. Pittsburgh this year. You know, I haven't. I haven't had them, so. Well, see, we'll see what happens.

[Brian]

Well, this is your year.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[RJ]

As. As Corbin 777 says, the gift that keeps giving, which I think refers to monitoring. Night four.

[Brian]

Believe so.

[RJ]

Or day four, rather. Okay.

[Brian]

There was no night about that. You saw Trey sweating.

[Megan]

God.

[RJ]

Was that when he was wearing, like, a big jacket on top of his.

[Brian]

Glasses kept falling down to his nose. Like, he really looked miserable.

[Megan]

I felt we were like, take off your jacket. Or a T shirt. And Folsom.

[RJ]

The Trevor. The Trevor thing. But it's just. Taking off your jacket.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[RJ]

Okay, guys, we'll be back next week. We are going to recap Some shows. I have no idea what shows are this week, but apparently there are some.

[Megan]

Columbus and Charleston.

[RJ]

Columbus and Charleston. Okay. And so we're going to. There's one night in Columbus at the Schottenstein Center. Schottenstein center is a place that, you know, not that anyone cares, but that is near and dear to my heart because it's where. Where your house. State Buckeyes play basketball.

[Brian]

So we're going back indoors.

[RJ]

What's that?

[Brian]

We're going back indoors. This is not.

[Megan]

And Charleston too, right?

[Brian]

This is not the amphitheater that.

[RJ]

This is an arena. It opened while I was in College there. In 1998, we upgraded from St. John arena to the Schottenstein Center. It's a big arena, big basketball arena. And then, yeah, three indoor shows at Charleston before we start baking, baking, baking at the Man. I think it's gonna be hot and. And probably rain. It'll probably thunderstorm and it'll be hot. It'll be. We'll get everything at the man, but. And then maybe we'll do a mailbag thing in between. In between now and then, but I guess that's it. That's all I got. You guys got anything else?

[Brian]

No, we said it all. Good times. Really good times. Cannot wait for more fish from the castle. Ouch.

[RJ]

Vibes to her, vibes to her. Guys. Keep the vibes. I will talk to you guys soon.

[Megan]

Bye, everyone.

[Brian]

Sam Osiris.

[D]

This is Lawrence Lanahan, journalist, musician, and host of Rearranged, an Osiris Media podcast about music arranging. Once a song is written, arrangers make musical decisions that shape how we end up hearing the song. We're not just talking about adding orchestral accompaniment like horns and strings. Or doing a cover version of a song. Arrangement can be putting happy music over dark lyrics, using samples, recording all acoustic, even tiny decisions, like putting an electronic loop into an acoustic song to draw your attention to an important turn of phrase. It's all arranging. Rearranged Episodes are documentary essays on where I use arrangements to answer some big questions, like what is a song? And what can a song become? And how can the sound of a song change the meaning you take from it? Listening this way has changed my relationship with music. Tune in to Rearranged and maybe it'll happen for you, too. Learn [e-mail].

[RJ]

Osiris.