Phish played the first scorching night of their two sold out shows at The Mann Center in Philadelphia, a night of exploration, fire, and full-on improvisational mastery on Tuesday, July 15.

The band kicked off around 8 p.m. with a tightly wound “Punch You in the Eye,” complete with playful teases of the “Theme from S.W.A.T.” Trey Anastasio orchestrated a smooth segue into “Everything’s Right,” which soon exploded into a lean funk jam before morphing back into song structure, establishing an early groove for the night.

The highlight of the first set came as “Camel Walk” made its return after roughly 100 shows—an infectious, dance-fuelled moment—but it was the trilogy of “Theme From the Bottom,” “Prince Caspian,” and “It’s Ice” that showcased a dynamic contrast between soaring solos and tight, rhythmic interplay. The set closed with a dark, lyrical “About to Run” and fiery “David Bowie,” peppered with a crisp Caspian tease .

Set two soared into the stratosphere with an epic, 40-minute rendition of “Sand”—now being referred to as “The Mann Sand.” The jam cycled through three distinct movements: beginning with a tight Type I groove, transitioning into a deep improvisational dialogue between Trey and Page, and ultimately exploding into a free-flowing, high-energy maelstrom with Mike and Fish diving deep into rhythmic abstraction

From there, “My Friend, My Friend” launched into an evil, doom-funk breakdown before coalescing back into a sweet, almost “Simple”-like coda . The intensity remained unbroken into “Boogie on Reggae Woman” and “Blaze On,” culminating in a savage “Carini” that layered dense, frenetic chords in contrast to the earlier conversational jams—closing the set with raw power and cohesion .

The four-song encore added playful and thoughtful moments: a rare tour-debut of “Shade,” a soulful version of Richard Wright’s “I Didn’t Know,” followed by high-voltage “Wilson” and the classic tale “Possum,” wrapping up what many are calling a transcendent Phish experience in Philly .

Altogether, July 15 marked a night when Phish flirted with the sublime: from tight, thematic jamming in Set 1 to full-on exploratory freedom in Set 2. Fans will be buzzing about “The Mann Sand” for tours to come—it was big, bold, and utterly unforgettable.