Let's keep it short and sweet:

Set 1: Really interesting that 3 of the four "new" songs are Phish debuts as opposed to full debuts (much like 2/26/03's debut-laden first set); Heavy Rotation, even though it took a toll on poor Page's voice, had a nice "second jam" worth hearing again. Mercury might be my favorite of the songs debuted so far, the opening Stash was nice and jazzy as opposed to deep and gnarly, and both Maze and BOTT had some real bite to them thanks to Page/Trey synergy (Trey, in particular, absolutely *wailed* on Maze, which I think should make the chart). A very fine opening half to the show.

Set 2: I'm sure there will be folks upset that the midpoint of the set was taken up by Wingsuit and Farmhouse (although, again, if you think they didn't play songs like this back to back mid-2nd set back in the day, you are lying to yourself), but even cursory listens to both reveal some fine playing (especially Wingsuit, which is as much a signature song now as Fuego is), and I will never say no to either in any set. But the real attention should go to the bread surrounding that meat - an Ocean > Waves combo on one side that features a nifty melodic peak in the former and a dissolve into spaciness in the latter, and a Simple/First Tube closing duo that features some raucous energy in the latter and...

Well, you see that green up there for Simple, right? It's richly deserved. The band moves right into a minimalist groove out of the usual Simple closing chords, Trey shifting to minor chords as Page goes to the organ and Mike hits on a nice bassline. You might think they'll just ride this groove out, but then Trey shifts to what sounds like his 2003 guitar tone and they reach a growling space not unlike *that* growling space in the 10/20/13 Tweezer, and Trey starts laying down some powerful licks as Page heads to the piano instead and the two lock into perfect sync before the jam comes to a surprisingly perfect close. All in all, a very nice signature jam to close out the Bend run. A fiery Classic Gin in the encore (!) helps send everyone home with smiles on their faces.

Final thoughts: 7/12/14 is underrated too. There's a lot going on in this show, so even if the rest of the summer blows it away (knock on wood), make sure you don't miss this one. I mean, it's the mp3 age, make sure you don't miss any of them.

Some context that's important to keep in mind: last year, Phish released an album called "Fuego." Then, on Halloween, they played eleven high-concept songs (essentially an entire additional album). On the first night of this run, they premiered three brand-new pieces of music, and at this show, debuted four more (three of which had been played with side projects, but still needed to get the Phishy treatment). In short: this band is alive and kicking.

STASH served as a fun, tone-setting opener. It grooved a little more than usual, and featured some very dextrous playing by that kid who replaced Jerry. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE YOU is where the set really takes off for me, with Mike Gordon reminding us that he has no qualms about kicking our front doors in and stealing our girlfriends. The song rocks as something around an 80% ragefest, with Page supplying some hardcorde organ work over the intro. Many observers (self included) drew comparisons to The Who, as the song's open rocking felt somewhat Bargain-esque. Thinking that we were in for more of the lugubrious funk that marked the end of last night's show, we were given a surprise WINTERQUEEN, which Trey promptly nailed in the solo section. The Dead tours really paid off here, giving a bit of a boost to Trey's already-strong melodic soloing. Then came another new one, HEAVY ROTATION, with Page (the songwriter) on vocals. It definitely started a little clunky, with some low-key verses, but the instrumental section was that followed was very fun and can definitely get opened up into all sorts of jamming later on. BOTT's solo section was surprisingly splendid; this is definitely an above-average version. Plus, the Streets of Cairo tease made me giggle. SCABBARD, the third new song, really helped show off the band's versatility, as it ended with a very dreamy, ambient section, featuring Fish supplying some well-laid rolls on the good ol' marimba lumina. MAZE was an absolute barnburner. This is not a Phish song that I usually look forward to hearing, but once the instrumental section came in, I was absolutely delighted. Page and Trey had some fantastic, high-risk, high energy interplay that could have become a huge mess but instead really grooved. If you listen to anything from this show, listen to this song. MERCURY, the only new song which had not seen a debut with a side-band, followed. I spent most of the first minute or so emotionally recovering from Maze, but Mercury proved to be worth paying attention to, with some moderately-paced verses, then a brief instrumental thumb-twiddling section, then a really lovely section that I can really only describe as uptempo Slave. There was a false ending, and then a bit more jamming, much to the bewilderment of your Phish.net chat room, but a little extra grooving was more than welcome. POSSUM came next, and the group showed that, while they can accomplish incredible feats like those four debuts and that raging Maze, they can also do basic, twelve-bar blues incredibly well. Probably an above-average Possum.

I was not prepared for an incredibly uptempo Set II after all of the craziness that the first set delivered, and Phish seemed to be in a similar state of mind. ASIHTOS set a tone for a very mellow third quarter, and was played very competently (I really don't like this song). The > WAVES kept the low-key attitude going, and the version supplied was predictably gorgeous. WINGSUIT was an absolutely perfect choice for the moment; if the band had gone into something blazing after that Waves, the juxtaposition just would've been weird. FARMHOUSE, a song that I find entirely delightful, was next, and was done rather competently. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, came SIMPLE. I don't necessarily agree with the > on .net, thinking that this one is just a comma, but okay. The cymbals, saxaphones, skyscrapers, and bebop brought the energy way up high for a nice little danceable segment, and then things dropped out as we entered the first type II jam of summer terr! Hooray! The version Phish gave us was rather complex, and stripped away any concerns that last night gave about the band become a guitar solo vehicle. Very strong playing by all, not only in terms of dexterity, but in terms of improvisational know-how and risk-taking. FIRST TUBE was not that great in the beginning section, but then started to come back together as a fun party tune to close out set II.

BATHTUB GIN was definitely a surprise as the encore, but the version did not disappoint. Phish navigated this hilarious song very deftly, and then brought us through a slightly modest, but definitely still impressive jam session.

Is 7/22/15 a date that we're going to be throwing around left and right, like 12/31/95 or 11/17/97 or even 7/27/14? Probably not. Does it have a landmark jam? No, I don't think we're looking at the Bend Simple (although, I would advocate for the Bend Maze becoming a big thing) too much in the far future. Should you hear it if you haven't already? Absolutely. Should you listen to it ten times? Probably not.

But this was an important show, an ambitious show, a show by a band that knows that what it's done for the past thirty years has worked, but that they are still going to try to reinvent themselves. Four new songs in the first set and a pretty mellow second set definitely give us something interesting, but the most important thing about this show is that it proves that the rumors are true: this is an important time for Phish. This band is for real.

This is my first review. I don't consider myself the best person to review phish, let alone any musical act. It was a generic email from phish.net that beckoned me to review this show, so I decided "why the hell not" and took the opportunity to share a few thoughts.

My girlfriend and I raced to the show in a rented Prius, intent on entering the venue at doors so that we could ride the rail and be as close to Trey&co as possible. We almost killed ourselves a couple times navigating the winding roads through the forest of central OR.

Alas, the confounding roundabouts of Bend proved our undoing. Practically convulsing with pre-show jitters, we kept exiting each circle the same way we had entered... several times. We at last entered the amphitheater at 4:30. That proved too late to get on the rail itself. We nosed forward hopefully toward an empty space, but some ornery (and quite old) fans angrily shooed us away, saying it was "their" spot and that they had been there first. We settled down in the center of the concrete "pit" instead, and I quietly asked my girlfriend to please kill me if she ever saw me at age 50 desperately defending a scrap of frontline territory against college age phans. In retrospect, they did have the right. Early birds and all that.

The 2 hour wait in the direct sunlight took a toll. By showtime, we were a bit exhausted, dehydrated, and sunburned... but as the band took the stage our spirits soared.

The first thing I noticed about the concussive blasts of Stash's opening phrase was that Fishman was beginning the show at full throttle with a broad grin on his face. What followed was a clean and "by the book" Stash. it was a bit subdued. I have no problem with that. I like hearing classic songs get a "standard" treatment while the band warms up, and I like first sets. I will avoid making a trite analogy to sex and foreplay to explain why I like 'em, but it's there in my mind. While they worked through Stash, my mind buzzed with anticipation for what was in store for us. I worried a bit that the brutal heat and dry conditions might cause the splendor to dim as happened later in Austin.

No such thing. HMPAY is a raging song, and its debut performance was laden with shock and awe. The pulse of this one is incredible. Once Page, Mike, and Fish are all locked into the groove, your body is twisting and jerking along to Fish's mechanical precision like a clockwork ninja. You are raging WITH the machine. Their debut of this song was masterful: early in the set and not missing a beat. My girlfriend doesn't know all phish songs and even mixes up their names on occasion, but she remembered this song and knew its title without asking. She's been singing it in the shower for weeks afterword. This is how new phans are created, when new material is introduced with confidence and enthusiasm, and crusted old heads can only remain speechless when asked "which song is this?"

The energy carried directly over to Winterqueen. After Waiting All Night, Winterqueen is easily my favorite Fuego song. I had listened intently to all prior versions, always feeling like there was so much room for this song to grow great, but always a little disappointed as it ended after five or six minutes. The version in Bend was 11 minutes long, with a beautiful, patiently built peak. Fans all around were gazing with sharpened longing and appreciation for the brilliant sky and water encapsulating us. This won't be glossed as "noteworthy" by the powers that be, and that's too bad. This is one you can't miss, especially if you've been eagerly awaiting new jams out of Fuego songs.

Heavy Rotation was the next debut. A punchy and uplifting page workout. I can't emphasize enough how potent this double debut combo of Mike's fury with Page's finesse was for this show. Again, using my girlfriend as the barometer of "the outsider" (although she's at 2 shows now and claimed to have been "converted" at Eugene last year), this was the other song of the night that she knew the name of without having to ask. This was what stuck with her and made her want to see it again. I can't agree more. I feel like it took at least a year for much of the Fuego material to really light up, but these new tunes are roaring out of the gate.

BOTT was rocking, high energy, and endowed with a certain hypnotic playfulness by Fishman's perpetual motion drumsticks. However this version was utterly "normal," as if it were being played with the Sheet music in front of them. BOTT is one of my favorite Phish standards and it would take a lot to not leave me wanting more...

but before I had a chance to catch my breath, we were on to another debut. For the record, I think Scabbard is a lame song. The lyrics to me sound as if Trey sat down in a room one day, beset with writer's-block, and said to himself "I'm going to write lyrics to this fucking song in the next hour and I don't care how bad they are." Once the singing stops however, a mellow melody unfurls. The musical dialogue between Trey and Page in this part is tremendously moving, and I know one day we will see great things come out of this. As an aside, nothing captures Phish's "musical maturity" better than this.

The band then pushes off from the watery depths and up into a ferocious Maze. I was quite surprised to be getting a Maze in broad daylight in the first set, as this spooky tune is best suited to cooler, indoor spaces with lazer lights tracing maze patterns on darkened walls. This Maze is all peak. Fans of shredding insanity will want to check it out. I was at the time hoping for more spacey and experimental fare and was left feeling a tad restless.

Mercury provided just what I wanted. Of the two "Trey song" debuts, this one made a bigger impression on me. I was glad to see that someone had been paying close attention to the unusually bright points of light of to the lower right of our moon around dawn and dusk recently. They are Venus and Mercury. I don't know much about astronomy, but I'm convinced this song is layered with allusions to the two planets, which (I'm pretty sure) can only be seen together at dusk and dawn. I was also tickled by the line "Your day is longer than your year." Very true. Love those Tom Marshall lines that catch your attention. At least I assume it's Tom Marshall.

Then they played possum, it was awesome, and the set ended.

Set break saw me and my lady rush back to get water, destroyed by the afternoon spent in the fierce heat. Once the Sun had sunk beneath the treeline, I thought: "now I can finally enjoy this show for real!"

the ASIHTOS that opened set two was enthusiastic, and seemed to make clear that the raging fire of the first set would give way to deep waters with sunken treasures to explore. Waves was one such treasure. Pretty and playful, this dreamy-yet-snappy waves was what some might call the first certified "hetty" jam of the night. By that point, I was so feeling so sated and grateful to have heard 4 debuts in set one that they could have segued into "row row row your boat" and I likely would have kept cheering.

Wingsuit was, along with Winterqueen, the other Fuego song that was taken to a new level at Bend. I challenge anyone to point to a Wingsuit with a more patient build or a more soulful climax. Again, it won't be called "noteworthy," but it was in my book. For someone keeping track of the growth of the youngest phish songs, while not particularly concerned if this-or-that older song is "too short," this Wingsuit was a highlight. Up to that point, my rating of this show was a solid 5/5 stars on the strength of the debuts, the Winterqueen, and the Wingsuit.

And then they played farmhouse. I was pretty much like "oh... ," and I LIKE farmhouse. The placement was terrible for reasons that bear explaining: farmhouse is either a happy song to send people off as a set II closer or encore or possibly an early set icebreaker, to reassure people that "at least we won't get a farmhouse later!" Here it served as a breather song, as the band seemed a bit unsure as to where to go after Wingsuit. This farmhouse was the only real flaw to speak of. However, after a minute I was into it and swaying along happily. Along with first sets, I also like Cute Phish Songs. Just not when they barge in on sick second set jamming.

After the interlude, it was back to mind expanding music. This simple is special. I feel it to be a cousin of the fabulous dick's simple from 8/29 last year. Like that simple, it is patient and innovative in a way unique to the 3.0 Phish sound. Unlike the soaring bliss of last year's however, this one was dark. It tugs the listener, playfully at first, then with gut wrenching insistence as mike strikes the bell at 7:04, into a yawning abyss. I had never known Simple to be capable of sinking to such purple-black depths, but I can't say I was surprised. After hearing the song of the ocean and diving beneath the waves, we had finally arrived at the deepest and most prized sunken chest in this ocean. I felt this Simple was strangled early out of fear that it would grow into an enormous hairy monster. I was not complaining. I think it's fitting that such a dark take on a happy song wasn't extended too long. There will always be a chance to resume this evil experiment in the future...

First tube saw raging intensity from Mike and Fishman and I was immensely happy to see it. I hadn't ever seen it before, and was caught totally off guard. Although I couldn't help feeling that Trey was dragging the tempo ever so slightly and wasn't sure if it was intentional or not. Perhaps it was just my mind racing ahead of the music.

Then the show ended as it began, with a by-the-book take on an old classic. I was hoping for more from this gin, but like most fans I am greedy. I don't really begrudge them of wanting to move away from the older tunes. Improvisation takes tremendous wit, and cannot be forced. They are very wise to save as much space as possible for new songs and new ideas. I and many others in my age cohort see phish for their famed creativity and freshness, rather than in pursuit of re-visited versions of epic Gins, SOAMs and Tweezers from years past (although I would of course give my left nut to attend a show with a jammed out version of any of the above)

If you've read up to this point, I have to congratulate you. This review has been far too long. If I could only write and critique music as well as Phish jams, it might not have been such a chore. It's been fun to write and to recall though, and I hope to improve my reviewing skill with time.

Big thanks to all the Phans who turned out in bend, big thanks to the mockingbird foundation for providing this wonderful website free of charge, and biggest thanks of all to Trey, John, Mike, and Page for putting up with greedy and insatiable fans like myself and continuing to make beautiful music for us all to enjoy.

The highlight of set 1 for me was Fishman's melodic work on the marimba lumina during Mercury, and watching Trey's face as he was doing so. Other highlights continue with the new material- I hope Scabbard finds a home in the Phish catalog, because that song has never sounded so good before. Even though Page didnt quite nail the vocals in Heavy Rotation, the jam has serious potential, which excites me. There's a precedent for an awesome jam here- seek out the extended studio version for a real gem. Listen for the unabashed Fire on the Mountain quote at the beginning of Winterqueen, Trey doesn't beat around the kush bush this time when it comes to playing the riff in its entirety during the first progression of the jam.

ASIHTOS shifts into some 3.0 hose before winding into Waves. The band is humming along like a sportscar at this point, up a hill in third, wait the road is ending! Here comes a cliff! oh wait no fear, they have their Wingsuit on everyone. Soaring high they settle down for Farmhouse. Though other sets have bought the farm in the 3.0 when they bust out this millennial tune, this one sees a post FTW Trey, who hits the high register of his guitar with a refound passion. This solo is a keeper. Simple reignites the dance throw down and first tube does its faithful job of turning us all into a bunch of cavemen and cavewomen running around a fire and shouting and jumping for joy, throwing our hands up into the heavens, rejoicing.

The shows at bend in my opinion honored the 09/12/99 Portland shows in subtle and not so subtle ways with some similar song choices, notably the Ghost second set opener and Theme encore in night 1, and the Gin encore, a rare spot for a hallowed tune often relegated to the near end of first set. Trey hits a trilling passage at the end right before he brings back in the refrain that evokes the 09/12/99 version, one of their holiest of jams. Maybe it's all a coincidence, it doesn't matter, this show rocked.

4 Noteworthy jams and this show still sits at 3.9? Probably has something to do with the fact that only 8,000 people were there (some heavy shut out/ couch tour votes) the limited CK5 factor, all the debuts or only one prior show of tour to compare it to.

Either way I think this show is underrated. Everything is beautifully played, including the debut's, and how cool it is that they snuck them in every other song. Stash was very good for this era and Scabbard was a standout to me on the re listen so I hope they opt for it in the future instead of some other overplayed tunes. Glad my first Winterqueen came in Bend with snow capped Mt Bachelor in the distance and what a great Maze we got!

I'll take Wingsuit over Joy or The Line any day and this was the best live version I've heard. It's a fitting pick for a town thats an outdoor sports mecca. In fact, tubers and my homies and I alike (drinking beer by the river nonetheless) were treated to a great soundcheck jam earlier in the day! The incredible ASIHTOS>Waves 2nd set kickoff got me dancing my ass off early, so the slow song "meat" didn't bother me as it was great bathroom/beer intermission music prior to that nasty Simple I rave battle danced with some cute chick to (you could hear everything perfectly from the beer gardens/port o potties as it was such a small venue). First Tube closer, Bathtub Gin encore? I'll take it. I think I even got some nice ass slaps in during Gin, GIN SLAPPERS! It's also so nice to get close when you want to as this venue was entirely general admission. Great show!

Listening to the second set again last night has prompted me to register and leave my first review here. Despite including only one true jam (and not a big one actually), this set is awesome. The opening ASIHTOS/Waves/Wingsuit combo is top-notch, a melancholy trip to remind us that the band plays great tunes, not just great jams, and they play them with style (Fish in particular is great here). The ">" between Waves and Wingsuit feels so good I think it should count as a true "->", even though the two songs are clearly demarcated. The eerie opening to Wingsuit emerges beautifully from the dissolution of the preceding Waves.

Farmhouse lifts the mood a bit, but still retains (at least to me) a nostalgic tone that suits this second set very well. Then who can resist Simple, especially a jammed-out Simple? It has already been remarked upon, and rightly so. A high-energy First Tube propels the set to a screaming end, and good night. Oh no, here comes Bathtub Gin as an encore; the band exsudes confidence, Page is having quite some fun, as does the audience singing along.

If you're mostly interested in titanic jams, the next show at Shoreline will probably best suit you, but this second set is extremely coherent and could stand on its own as some kind of concept album by some progressive band (and of course there is no lack of solos by Trey and rich interplay between the boys). I have played the first set only once, but it has already been noted that it is quite unique in its song selection. So, as a whole, this concert should be remembered as a high-density performance by four awesome musicians. I find its current rating of 3.85 or so quite unjustifiably low.

Omg, faces were melting, lasers were beaming, skies were falling...and that was just in the sic-fi movie I watched before the show.

Set 1 is a lot of fun. I love the mixing up of the debuts and solo stuff (Mike, Page, Trey) and throwing in a Phish debut. Mercury is going to only get better and better if they continue to play it.. I love Heavy Rotation. The vocals were a bit off, but I enjoyed the little jam on it. How Many People Are You was sweet, as well. The Maze was excellent +. The Possum was totally rockin. It was definitely an unusual first set, but that is why I like it so much. Even Winterqueen (a song I like, but can skip) grabbed hold of me. I want more weird first sets like this.

Set 2 is awesome, even if it feels a little short. If they had tapped on Bathtub Gin at the end of the set, instead of the encore, this might have been a 5 star show (or 4.5, but it won't let me give that). Loved the whole set. ASIHTOS > Waves is so smooth and groovy I felt like I was surfing in an endless barrel in slo-mo at 5000 fps > Wingsuit was nice placement. Farmhouse was strange but I like that they went for it there, maybe just to see. And, then the Simple got so dark and groovy I didn't want it to end. The First Tube was nice.

Love this show. I recommend it. It's definitely a good start to a summer tour.

I attended this show, and was supposed to be in Bend for the previous one also.
On the drive to the Venue, while passing through a Native reservation, we came to a standstill waiting for the car ahead of us to make its left turn. Well although it seemed like we were the only two cars for miles around on this highway, and even though it was a straight highway in the middle of the desert with no visual obstructions at all, we where hit by some teenage girl and her friends going about 70 mph. They had to been hurling towards us for atleast 5min of straight road, and we actually watched them for a second in disbelief before stomping on the gas to try to get out of the way, but it was too late as both cars were completely destroyed. The funny/frustrating part was this girl had no insurance and was probably on drugs at the time, but it didn't matter because we were on Native lands (and she lived there) LOL. And the whole time we are waiting for cops to show up the driver's friend is saying to her in a heavy Mexican accent "AYE ISH NOTCHOE FAULT ESSA" hahahhaha. Anyway, my friend and I ended up renting a car and got TF out of there, so we ended up only making this show.

The highlights of the show for me were Stash, BOTTrain, Scabbard, Mercury, ASIHTOSS>Waves, SImple and Bathtub Gin. Glad I made it.

I'm surprised no one mentioned the 'Timber' tease from the Halloween set at the end of the Simple jam. Not quite as intense as the first time it was played but it may be in different key here. Trey begins playing the riff and Page hears it and jumps on board. In the video you can see Trey look over at Page at that point and laugh.

Bathtub Gin is hilarious on several levels...Lyrically, of course with, people on window sills and kings climbing gates, purple humpback whales and jesters with sad tales...brilliantly non-sensical. Typical Trey picking words that sound good together, regardless of their meaning. Then there's the musical humor going on, from the Page intro, which sounds like the mutant child of Gershwin and Cage, to Trey's big-top inspired melody line that Fishman chimes in on....there's a lot to giggle at there. Make no mistake, it's totally on purpose...it seems like my favorite musicians are always closet comedians and cut-ups. With all that silliness, the song, at it's heart is full of space for the guys to throw down some serious jamming that really shows off their 30+ years of building musical "conversation skills."

I was at this show. It was fun, but it's near the bottom of my list of shows I've attended. I never really got jacked or pumped up. I was missing "IT". Mercury was the highlight for me after listening to them rehearse it during soundcheck. Actually listening to them rehearse it during soundcheck was the highlight...that was kinda cool.

If they're going to chill mid-second, Farmhouse has a cool outro jam; it just always feels good. Like it.

Wingsuit, though; I've tried. Maybe it's the words, or the repetitive/fixed nature of the playing - but it's like: heard one, heard them all. Maybe to build a bit of energy during the first; Trey likes the solo, cool enough. But here the tune *simply* erases any element of surprise. Which I guess is (or isn't) ironic, given the name of the song.

I remember when Simple was once such a Trey song. Think Fish said it was his favorite Trey riff or whatnot.

Cool to see Page give it a go - picking up where he left off last year.

Maybe it'll be this year's Dust.

Gonna be a fun summer.

The three shows in Oregon since this past October have all been superb. This I believe is the best of the bunch. The Stash is a nice way to start. How Many People Are You, the MGB cover, is very good. Winterqueen, a surprise and welcome placement. Heavy Rotation is nice, Page a little rough on the vocals to start. BOTT and Scabbard are the weak links in this set, but well played. Maze rages in Oregon again. Excellent version. Mercury is excellent. Like this song, look forward to future versions. Possum is simply a well played blast.

Ocean>Waves is well played and a nice start to the second set. Another Oregon Wingsuit. This one much better than October. The Farmhouse is the weak link in the second set, and still a nice version. Simple is delicious. Nice spacy jam at the end. My favorite part of the second set. Love this version. First Tube ends the set on a great note. Gin for an encore? Well all right! Both Bend shows are worth a listen. Of the two, this is slightly better. Enjoy.

Franklin - how is Bathtub a "hilarious" song? Funny how? Like a clown? The only funny thing here was Wingsuit / Farmhouse as the meat section of the second set.

Stash opener was a great choice but seems like the breaks were put on after that idea. Don't worry they'll get there before summers end

Franklin - how is Bathtub a "hilarious" song? Funny how? Like a clown? The only funny thing here is Winterqueen / Farmhouse as the meat section of the second set.

Stash opener was a great choice but seems like the breaks were put on after that idea. Don't worry they'll get there before summers end