_Dave Vann_

Phish returned to Lockn’ Festival last night for their second of two shows as the festival came to a close in Arrington, VA with another two sets from the Vermont quartet. While the band didn’t perform on Saturday, Mike Gordon did hang around for a performance in the Super VIP area as he teamed with bassists Phil Lesh and Dave Schools (along with Hard Working Americans) for a special “Steal Your Bass” set, highlighted by a Gordon-led “He’s Gone” featuring Susan Tedeschi.

With a standout showing during their first performance, Phish followed it up and an equally impressive pair of sets, complementing strong song choice and flow with moments of improvisation. The first set relied heavily on songs, with the band not stretching their improv legs in any particularly notable fashion. Tunes like “Sample in a Jar,” Chilling Thrilling Sounds standout “Martian Monster” and more rock-oriented cuts like “Axilla” and “46 Days” all anchored the first set.

Of note, the rare and quirky “Fuck Your Face,” which returned for the second time this year and just the second since 2014. Phish closed the spirited set with the Mike Gordon-led “Possum” and guitar theatrics from Trey Anastasio on “First Tube.”

The band wasted no time maintaining the energy created in the first set as they launched into “Carini” that quickly found its way into a second set “Chalkdust Torture.” While most second-set “Chalkdust”‘s have typically been treated with extensive improv, this one stayed true to form as the band opted for “Twist.”

The centerpiece of the show came during “Light,” an expansive version of the song that saw the quartet move together through the improv leading to one of the finest performances of the weekend. From there, Phish kept the hits coming with a “Tweezer” that forayed into Led Zeppelin’s “No Quarter,” giving Page McConnell a chance to shine. The set closed with “2001” and a “Harry Hood” pairing with “Tweezer Reprise” before the “Loving Cup” encore.

Phish returns to the stage this weekend at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Colorado.

Here’s a look at the setlist:

Phish
Lockn’ Festival, Arrington, VA

Set I: Sample in a Jar, Martian Monster, Axilla > The Moma Dance > Halley’s Comet > AC/DC Bag, Fuck Your Face > 46 Days, The Line, Limb By Limb > Possum, First Tube

Set II: Carini > Chalkdust Torture > Twist > Light > Tweezer > No Quarter > 2001 > Harry Hood > Tweezer Reprise

Enc: Loving Cup