_Dave Vann_

Phish returned to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas to kick off their Halloween run last night and got things started with a callback to the last time the band played the venue, opening with “Martian Monster,” a product from their Chilling, Thrilling set in 2014.

From there, the group dug into a strong first set with “No Men in No Man’s Land,” the first “Dogs Stole Things” since June 17, 2012 and “Beauty of My Dreams,” appearing for the first time since December 31, 2010. The second “Destiny Unbound” of 2016 followed before the quartet settled into with more familiar cuts like “Limb By Limb,” “Home,” “When the Circus Comes,” “Steam” and “The Wedge” before the rocking closing combo of “Cavern” and “Walls of the Cave.”

To kick off the second set, Phish delivered their biggest bustout of the night as they dipped into the Dude of Life’s “Crimes of the Mind,” the first since November 29, 2009. If that wasn’t enough of a highlight, the “Golden Age” that followed stretched to 25 minutes, marking one of their longest improvisations of the year.

After a brief “Simple,” the following “Light” provided another avenue of improv for the band. While this particular version didn’t stretch quite to the length of “Golden Age,” the group descended into an ambient section before finding their way into the Joy rarity “Twenty Years Later” before “Blaze On” and the “Squirming Coil” finale allowed Page McConnell his moment to play the band off the stage.

Phish returned later on for a two-song encore of “Bouncing Around the Room” and another McConnell moment, a finale of “Bold As Love,” just the second of 2016.

Here’s a look at the setlist:

Phish
MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, NV

Set I: Martian Monster, No Men in No Man’s Land, Dogs Stole Things, Beauty of My Dreams, Destiny Unbound, Limb By Limb, Home, When the Circus Comes, Steam > The Wedge, Cavern, Walls of the Cave

Set II: Crimes of the Mind, Golden Age > Simple > Light > Twenty Years Later > Blaze On, The Squirming Coil

Enc: Bouncing Around the Room, Bold As Love