Tony Markellis, seated left, plays Saratoga’s historic Cafe Lena

A number of unique moments marked Phish’s two-night run at Saratoga Springs, NY’s Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Continuing a gag from Friday night in Hartford, CT, the Vermont Quartet bookended its Saturday performance with the song “Tweezer Reprise” (Phish made up for not finishing its “Tweezer” segment last week by playing “Tweezer Reprise” twice Friday night). The band also debuted the new Page McConnell original “Halfway to the Moon.”

Sunday night’s performance began with a nod to Father’s Day. Like last year, the members of Phish opened their Father’s Day show with “Brother” and brought out their children to sit in a bathtub onstage. Trey Anastasio also noted from the stage that out of the eight “band kids” there is only one boy, Jack Fishman. Later in the band’s first set, Trey Anastasio Band bassist Tony Markellis sat in on a song he co-wrote, “Gotta Jibboo.” Markellis, a longtime Saratoga Springs resident, inspired Anastasio to attend the University of Vermont in the 1980s and later played the guitarist’s wedding as a member of the Unknown Blues Band. Mike Gordon switched to an electric Languedoc while Markellis played bass with the band.

“Makisupa Policeman” also featured some playful moments as Anastasio instructed each of his bandmates to solo. After messing around with the “Makisupa Policeman” lyrics, the guitarist continued to quote the song’s lyrics during “Piper.”
Phish will perform in Mansfield, MA tomorrow.

June 19, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY

Set I: Tweezer Reprise, Chalkdust Torture, Funky Bitch, Runaway Jim, Ya Mar, Sample in a Jar, Axilla > Fluffhead, Bathtub Gin, Suzy Greenberg

Set II: Rock and Roll > Free, Backwards Down The Number Line, Halfway to the Moon* > Prince Caspian > Joy, David Bowie, Show Of Life

E: The Squirming Coil, Character Zero > Tweezer Reprise

*First time played.

June 20, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY

Set I: Brother, AC/DC Bag > Back On The Train, Undermind, Cities, Gotta Jibboo*, Roggae, Sleep Again, Lawn Boy, Run Like An Antelope

Set II: Carini > The Mango Song, Wilson > Drowned > Swept Away > Steep, Makisupa Policeman, Piper > Also Sprach Zarathustra > You Enjoy Myself

E: Frankenstein

with Tony Markellis on bass, Mike Gordon on electric guitar

Setlists courtesy of PhantasyTour.com