Phish returned to Hampton, Virginia on Friday September 19 to begin the finale of their Summer 2025 tour.
Let’s check in for a progress report. It’s been 198 months since Phish came back for good at Hampton in 2009. At first heavy on nostalgia and vibes, the 2009 Hampton run was understandably tentative but still heartfelt. They knew what they had lost, and they were going to be careful with it this time. In the years since, they have had their ups and downs but if 2009 Trey could see what 2025 Trey was up to, he would have dove in headfirst and smiling.
Phish opened Hampton with “Fluffhead,” again, a nod from the past while looking ahead. On this night the first set felt like a second set. “46 Days” had a forward motion that let you know that they were going to lock in tonight. The first set had strong 2003 IT Festival vibes. The second half of it leaned heavily on some Round Room material, and it sounded like the band was getting out some angst, especially in a stellar version of “My Friend, My Friend” earlier in the set. Trey capped “Ya Mar” off with a beautiful solo, the set finished with a rocking “Walls of the Cave.”
Set two opened with a cover of The Apples in Stereo’s “Energy.” It was a nice little treat before the main course as the “Tweezer” that everyone was hungry for was served up next. “Tweezer” was beautiful, patient, a little scary, spacious, built up and peaked hard. “Ruby Waves” was next and they jumped right back into the incredible improvisation. “No Men in No Man’s Land” kept things moving until my favorite part of the night, the segue back into “Tweezer.” The band slipped into an incredibly thick, funk jam, a jam that would have made Parliament-Funkadelic proud. “Waste” cooled things down before an always welcomed The Velvet Underground’s “Rock & Roll” ended the set.
A “Prince Caspian,” “Bug” and “Tweezer Reprise” wrapped up the night as an encore. Phish plays two more shows at Hampton this weekend, September 20 and 21. If you can’t make it, you can always stream it at Live Phish.
The team at NYS Music has put together a map (with the help of Alex Grosby from the Phishsonian) that features every show Phish has played in NYS, including a link to reviews and articles on the various shows and festivals in New York State that Phish has played since 1986. Browse around the map, uncover a show you may not have heard before, or find a show you went to and check out the reviews and photos contained in the map info!
Setlist via phish.net
Phish – Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA – Friday, September 19, 2025
Set 1: Fluffhead, 46 Days, My Friend, My Friend > Rift, Gumbo, Pebbles and Marbles, Army of One > Ya Mar, The Wedge, Walls of the Cave
Set 2: Energy > Tweezer > Ruby Waves > No Men In No Man’s Land > Tweezer > Waste > Rock and Roll
Encore: Prince Caspian > Bug > Tweezer Reprise
→ Continue reading at NYS Music
