Over the last week or so, Mike Gordon has traveled through California with his solo band, making stops in Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Solano Beach.

Phish haven’t performed in The Golden State since July of 2016, and while their upcoming dates at The Forum and the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium have west coast phans eagerly awaiting the summer, California welcomed Gordon and his band with open arms.

The bassist took over The Catalyst in Santa Cruz on Feb. 12, treating fans to a “Victim”> “Equilibrium” opener before serving up three covers. First, Gordon nodded to guitarist Scott Murawski’s band Max Creek by covering their tune “Just A Rose,” then they segued into keyboardist Robert Walter’s “Don’t Chin the Dog,” followed by John Cleary’s “Got To Be More Careful,” a newfound favorite tune for Gordon this tour. The bassist closed the show with a Tom Petty tribute (“Mary Jane’s Last Dance”) and his OGOGO track “Victim 3D.”

The next stop was San Francisco, where Gordon and company performed two nights at The Independent. Night one highlights included the first appearance of “Andelmans’ Yard” in 2018, and a “Sweet Emotion” encore. Night two opened with a cover of Barika’s “Angatta” and featured a debut cover of Spencer Davis Group’s “Gimmie Some Lovin.’” Set two included several OGOGO tracks, as well as Tame Impala’s “Mind Mischief.”

Gordon then made his way down the coast for another two-night stand, this time at Los Angeles’ Teragram Ballroom. On Feb. 16, Gordon opened the show with Overstep‘s “Long Black Line” (the first since October 2017), and later unveiled a second-ever performance of Robert Walter’s “Treat Dust.” During the second set the band jammed “Ether” into “Take It As It Comes,” marking the first 2018 performances of both songs. They encored with Here We Go Magic’s “How Do I Know.”

The band’s second show in LA was made special by the appearance of Emily Elbert on guitar/vox and Madi Diaz on keys/vox. The two musicians sat in for most of the second set, starting with Gordon’s reggae-infused original “Yarmouth Road.” They stuck around for the encore which included Diaz’s original “Do You Still Drink About Me” (a first for Gordon) and ended with his own “Victim 3D.”

Finally, Gordon stopped at the Belly Up Tavern in Solano Beach, Calif. After set one included Phish tunes like “Destiny Unbound” and “555,” set two was punctuated by a lengthy “Normal Phoebe” > “Jumping” > “Check Your Pepper” > “Jumping” jam. Gordon and his band encored with OGOGO‘s “Steps.”

Mike Gordon’s tour continues this week with shows in Phoenix, Austin and Dallas, before heading back toward the east coast.

For a full list of upcoming tour dates click here.

See below for complete California setlists:

Mike Gordon
Feb. 12
The Catalyst, Santa Cruz, Calif.

Set I: Victim > Equilibrium, Just a Rose > Don’t Chin The Dog, Got To Be More Careful, Pendulum > Babylon Baby

Set II: Whirlwind, Different World > Peel, Destiny Unbound, Ruby Soho, Let’s Go

Enc: Mary Jane’s Last Dance > Victim 3D

Mike Gordon
Feb. 14
The Independent, San Francisco

Set I: Crazy Sometimes, Yarmouth Road, Cities, Marissa, Andelmans’ Yard, You Strike My Main Nerve, Face

Set II: Stealing Jamaica, Jumping, Noon to Noon, Meat, Go Away

Enc: Sweet Emotion

Mike Gordon
Feb. 15
The Independent, San Francisco

Set I: Angatta, Equilibrium, Cruel World, Got To Be More Careful, Trapezoidal Sunshine, Whirlwind, Gimme Some Lovin’^

Set II: Victim, Steps, Peel, Mind Mischief, Pendulum, Victim 3D

Enc: Let’s Go

Notes:
^ – Debut

Mike Gordon
Feb. 16
Teragram Ballroom, Los Angeles

Set I: Long Black Line, Just a Rose, Steps, Surface, Treat Dust, Traveled Too Far, Crazy Sometimes

Set II: Go Away, Jones, Ether > Take It As It Comes, Cities, Pendulum

Enc: How Do I Know

Mike Gordon
Feb. 17
Teragram Ballroom, Los Angeles

Set I: Whirlwind, Equilibrium, Sleep to Dream, Got To Be More Careful, Noon to Noon, Ruby Soho, Face

Set II: Say Something, Yarmouth Road%, Steps%, Marissa%, Peel%, Victim%, Mind Mischief% > Gimme Some Lovin’%

Enc: Do You Still Drink About Me%^> Victim 3D%

Notes:
% – Emily Elbert on guitar and vocals and Madi Diaz on keys and vocals
^ – Mike Gordon debut

Mike Gordon
Feb. 19
Belly Up Tavern, Solano Beach, Calif.

Set I: Stealing Jamaica, Cruel World, Destiny Unbound, 555, Angatta, You Strike My Main Nerve, Go Away

Set II: Victim 3D, Normal Phoebe > Jumping > Check Your Pepper > Jumping, Meat, Crazy Sometimes, Let’s Go, Sweet Emotion

Enc: Steps