Phish closed its first tour in five years last night at East Troy, WIs Alpine Valley Music Theatre. As a nod to Fathers Day, the children of all four band members emerged at the start of the night to sit onstage in a bathtub while their fathers played the song Brother for the first time since 2003s IT festival. The group continued to revive material from its back catalogue, including a package of Trey Anastasios The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday and the traditional Jewish prayer Avenu Malkenu, the late Chicago blues guitarist Son Seals Funky Bitch (by request) and a cover of Talking Heads Crosseyed and Painless. After thanking their crew and offering a barbershop quartet arrangement of Grind, the band closed its tour with a humorous version of Frankenstein that found Page McConnell playing keytar, Mike Gordon strapping on his flame bass guitar and Anastasio debuting a new over the top guitar with five necks.
The previous nights show also continued numerous noteworthy moments. During the narrative portion of Makisupa Policeman, which traditionally references Phishs drug scene, Anastasio discussed his own arrest by saying, woke up in the morning pissed in a jar, woke up in the afternoon called my parole officer. The band also cut You Enjoy Myself before its encore and segued into NICU, Prince Caspian, Waste and the first cover of Jimi Hendrixs Fire since reuniting.
Friday nights performance at Noblesville, INs famed Deer Creek was, unfortunately, marred by inclement weather and, after the groups first set, McConnell instructed the audience to return to their cars until the weather cleared up a bit. The band returned after an hour-plus break for the thematic segment that included A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing and Drowned. Earlier in the night Phish also performed the Undermind single The Connection live for the first time. The group will hit the road again in July for a four-night run at Morrison, COs Red Rocks Amphitheatre. The bands next album is expected to hit stores later this summer.