Photo by Joshua Timmermans © Phish 2012 via Phish’s Facebook page

Despite an extreme heat warning, Phish played one of their most theatrical shows in some time last night at Noblesville, IN’s Klipsch Music Center, the shed best known as Deer Creek. The Vermont Quartet kicked things off with a string of former extreme rarities that are back in rotation but still haven’t been played since June of 2011. Phish opened the night with the Undermind barbershop quartet outtake “The Birdwatcher”—which was released on Party Time in 2009 and has only played two other times—and truly kicked things off with the cherished composition “The Curtain With” (which was out of rotation from 1988-2000 and has not been played in over a year).

From there the band moved into another ‘80s Phish number, Mike Gordon’s fierce “Fuck Your Face.” Gordon recorded a solo version of the oddity for Phish’s early album “The White Tape,” but the band only played “Fuck Your Face” a few times live in the ‘80s. After reviving the song in 2010, Phish has performed “Fuck Your Face” a few times, most recently in Cuyahoga Falls, OH in June of 2011. After that, Phish busted out their first take on the bluegrass-inspired “The Old Home Place” since December 5, 2009. Later in the set, the group also offered the seldom played “Weigh,” the Gamehendge classic “Tela” and the first cover of Velvet Underground’s “Cool It Down” since December 27, 2010.

Continuing the playful feel of many of this summer’s Phish shows, the band switched things up second set. The meat of the set was constructed around a unique Mike’s Groove segment that unexpectedly moved from “Mike’s Song” into the Gamehendge number “McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters,” “Back on the Train” and a Jon Fishman routine that included “Hold Your Head Up” and “Bike.” As he usually does during “Hold Your Head Up,” Trey Anastasio moved to drums so Fishman could front the band. But in an unexpected move, Anastasio remained on drums and Fishman picked up his guitar as the band continued into the final section of Mike’s Groove, “Weekapaug Groove” (Fishman quibbled, “I think we’re a better band this way!”). Like they did when they were learning to play their instruments and in Mansfield, MA in 2004, Fishman and Anastasio then drummed together for a bit before the band finished the song in their classic formation.

Phish will return to Deer Creek this evening.

Here’s a look at last night’s setlist via Phish.net

Thursday, June 28, Klipsch Music Center, Noblesville, IN

Set 1: The Birdwatcher, The Curtain With, Fuck Your Face, The Old Home Place, Pebbles and Marbles, Weigh, Chalk Dust Torture, Wolfman’s Brother, Cool It Down, Tweezer, Tela, Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan

Set 2: Mike’s Song > McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters > Back on the Train > Hold Your Head Up, Bike > Hold Your Head Up > Weekapaug Groove [1], Prince Caspian [2] > Waves > Bug > David Bowie [3]

Encore: Show of Life > Tweezer Reprise

[1] Trey on drums and Fish on guitar at the beginning — said Fish: “I think we’re a better band this way!” — followed by Trey and Fish on drums together, then Trey back on guitar.
[2] Unfinished.
[3] Bug tease from Trey.