Phish’s 10th large-scale camping festival, and first in four years, has officially kicked off. Throughout Friday afternoon, thousands of Phish fans made their way to the Watkins Glen International Speedway in Upstate New York’s picturesque Finger Lakes region, gradually turning the concert grounds into a bonafide city complete with its own post office, restaurant and cocktail bar. The revelers came from far and wide to take in the sounds of their favorite Vermont quartet at the first-ever Magnaball and—much to their excitement—the band made sure to deliver a scorching first night.

Despite a four-day pause since their last show in Columbia, Md., Phish kicked into high gear early on, delivering a tasty, energetic set more characteristic of the deep Saturday and Sunday shows of their past weekend campouts. Things got off to a fun start as the quartet launched into a grooving “Simple” at the top of the show. The staple took a rocking turn into the Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House number “The Dogs” before moving on to the night’s first big surprise. With the sun going down and the Sabbath quickly approaching, the band paid tribute to their Jewish fanbase with the first “The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday”/“Avinu Malkeinu” sandwich since their July 4, 2012 show at Jones Beach Theater. They followed the bust out with a solid—though relatively concise—“Free.”

After “Free” came to a close, guitarist Trey Anastasio took some time to address the crowd, noting that he and his bandmates felt well suited for the festival setting. He went on to explain that the band’s first such event—1996’s Clifford Ball—took place just a few days prior to his oldest daughter Eliza’s first birthday. He added that, while Phish could collectively claim only one child in 1996, the members of the band now had 11 children between them (all of them here onsite). Finally, Anastasio announced that it was Eliza’s 20th birthday before inviting her on stage as the crowd serenaded her with “Happy Birthday.”

The music kept rolling with an on-point rendition of “The Wedge” that was followed by the night’s second big bust out, the extremely rare Mike Gordon Round Room tune “Mock Song.” Fans who were unfamiliar with the tune—which was only performed live one other time at The Gorge in 2003—could be forgiven for not catching a lyric change that referenced a few of Phish’s past festivals (“Clifford, Super, Magnaball”).

A blissfully jammed “Roggae” kept the set moving, as did the well executed “Rift” that came next. And yet the best was still on the horizon when the tune wrapped up, setting the stage for the glorious 23-plus minute “Bathtub Gin” that closed things out.

With the sun now down, festivalgoers were finally able to take in new aspects of their surroundings, including the array of glowing lights and mind-bending installations that dotted the landscape. The scenery provided a perfect backdrop to the majestic “Chalk Dust Torture” that marked the opening of the second set. Throughout the set, lighting designer Chris Kuroda truly made use of his expanded festival setup, not only illuminating the stage, but also the trees lining the concert field and the speedway’s permanent structures. The extended “Chalk Dust” jam gave way to the dark funk of “Ghost” before seamlessly melting into “Rock and Roll.” (Both “Chalk Dust” and “Ghost” also featured teases of The Siket Disc track “What’s the Use?”).

The Velvet Underground classic turned into something of a sing-along, though it was the first notes of “Harry Hood” that really pulled a crowd reaction. Phish delivered, churning out an excellent version over the course of 18 glow-stick-filled minutes (complete with a “Car Trucks Buses” nod.) The band then took a break from the big pieces when “Hood” segued into the night’s first ballad, a faithful rendition of the sentimental Billy Breathes classic “Waste.”

Phish shifted back into jam mode with the steamy “No Men In No Man’s Land,” a 2015 newbie that once again proved why it is fast becoming a fan favorite. With a catchy refrain and plenty of room to jam, the tune kept Magnaball on its toes before giving way to the gorgeous “Slave To The Traffic Light” that marked the end of the second set.

After a short break, Phish made their way back to the stage for a encore take on the tried-and-true “Farmhouse.” However, the night’s true grand finale came in the form of the explosive “First Tube” that closed to the opening day of Magnaball.

With the night’s music now behind them, festivalgoers dispersed across grounds. Many of them returned to their campsites to get some rest, while others lingered on the main site to take in a variety of immersive art pieces or get loose in late-night party zones like the M Lounge.

Phish will return to the stage at 3PM today when they dive into the first of three confirmed Saturday sets. This afternoon will also see the continuation of the ongoing corn hole tournament, as well as the Subtle Sounds game show and plenty of other activities.