In Focus: Phish Blast Off into Space at The Mann

The Mann Center in Philadelphia hosted Phish for two steamy nights of music over Tuesday and Wednesday, July 19-20, including a space-themed “Tweezer”-fest on night one of the run.

Phish Mann

Opening up Tuesday’s show were a trio of space songs, “Space Oddity,” “Martian Monster” and “Halley’s Comet,” perhaps inspired by new photos from the James Webb Space Telescope. A second set “Tweezer” segued freely in and out of “Cities,” “Passing Through,” Hendrix’s “Izabella” (which seems to be firmly in the rotation once again), “Mercury” and “Piper.” Trey Anastasio seemed to quote Lou Reed and Velvet Underground’s “I’m Waiting for the Man” during “Character Zero.”

Phish Mann

Wednesday night, an appropriate “Steam” opened the night, given the steamy temperatures at showtime hovering around 90 degrees. A surprising “AC/DC Bag” opened the second set, with a nonstop segue threough “Soul Planet” > “Simple” -> “Light” -> “Party Time” with a romantic encore of “Waste” and “Loving Cup”.

Catch Phish in Bethel this weekend, then Hartford and Jones Beach next week!

Setlists via Phish.net

Phish – The Mann Center, Philadelphia, PA – Tuesday, July 21

Set 1: Space Oddity, Martian Monster, Halley’s Comet > Stash, The Moma Dance > Gotta Jibboo, Shade, The Old Home Place, Walls of the Cave

Set 2: More > Tweezer -> Cities -> Tweezer -> Passing Through > Izabella > Tweezer > Mercury > Piper > Tweezer > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Character Zero

Encore: Drift While You’re Sleeping > Tweezer Reprise

Space Oddity was played for the first time since July 28, 2017 (154 shows). The third Tweezer contained teases of Izabella and Cissy Strut. Trey teased Dave’s Energy Guide in Piper. Also Sprach Zarathustra included Space Oddity quotes from Trey and Martian Monster quotes from Trey and Page. Trey quoted I’m Waiting for the Man in Character Zero.

Phish – The Mann Center, Philadelphia, PA – Wednesday, July 20

Set 1: Steam > Runaway Jim, Tela, Kill Devil Falls, Theme From the Bottom, Birds of a Feather, I Didn’t Know, Funky Bitch, Split Open and Melt

Set 2: AC/DC Bag > Soul Planet > Simple -> Light -> Party Time, Lonely Trip, David Bowie

Encore: Waste > Loving Cup

Runaway Jim contained a Nellie Kane tease by Trey. David Bowie featured an In Memory of Elizabeth Reed tease by Trey.

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