[We’d like to welcome guest blogger Tanya Sperry for today’s recap - PZ]

Saturday night is the sweet spot of Phish’s 3-day Labor Day weekend run at Dick’s. With Friday’s anticipation out of the way and Monday’s post-weekend let down in the distant future, we were primed to enjoy some middle show bliss. Plus, it was one of those beautiful Denver Saturdays whose giant blue skies mocked sleeping in and inspired at least some hang time in the sun, if not a hike in the foothills or a stroll to a farmer’s market.

Photo by Andy Man, © Phish, Phish From the Road

There were gems in the first three songs that held possibility: a rare “Free” opener accompanied by gentle rain, Page’s re-invocation of John Paul Jones early in the “Moma,” and that hint of exploration in “Halley’s.” Together, they offered promise that tonight’s show could develop in any direction. As the set progressed from “Stealing Time” to “555,” “Rift” and “Sample,” an anthemic spirit was established. Fitting for a sold out, 26,000 capacity Saturday show, it was not surprising that Trey took the reigns. The set was mostly fueled by speedy acumen and arena rock with the exception of the juxtaposition of contemplative relationship songs “Devotion to a Dream” & “Yarmouth Road” (humorously resolved by “Sparkle”). Thank you, “Wingsuit,” for transporting us back to sweeter pastures and gliding gently into “Bowie.” A botched “Cavern” ended the set on a “Saturday Night Special note.

Photo © Phish, Phish From the Road

A hearty “Down with Disease” laced with “Fuego” melted lusciously into “What’s the Use?” And then “Carini” > “Light” > “Fuego” harnessed the rock energy, producing mellifluous improvisation that, in contrast to the playful, funk-infused Friday “Simple,” stayed rooted in rock and roll. The “Carini” jam, although less lengthy than some of its monster 2013 predecessors, featured an ascension from dark to light which, for me, was tonight’s co-highlight along with “Slave.”

Photo © Phish, Phish From the Road

“Light” brought us to the land of rhythmic goo, which led to a brief foray into the fading territory of woo (thankfully, this brief assault does not sully the recording), before landing at the inevitable “Fuego.”

I loved tonight’s “Slave” because it defied the night’s expectations. In the context of a Saturday night rock show, we got a tender, gentle “Slave” whose patient, thoughtful quiet section gave rise to a decisive, cleanly-resolved peak.

Photo © Phish, Phish From the Road

Another Dick’s “Meatstick” (they just can’t help themselves) and a rare “Bold as Love” girded us with the range of emotions explored tonight.

Tonight’s triple (or quadruple) encore featured the return of “The Horse,” foreshadowed in an obvious way by the event t-shirt and more subtly by some quiet “Call to the Post” noodling at the beginning of the second set. The band feigned a walk off, but thankfully stayed to play a giggly “Silent in the Morning,” after which Trey explained, “We used to do stupid stuff like that so much” in reference to the Horseless Silents and then an almost Silent-less Horse, which reminded him of the 1989 gag song, “In a Hole.” “Fluffhead” perfectly concluded the encore.

Photo @ Andrea Nusinov

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