This is Part 4 of a series looking at the history of Phish in Albany. Read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 here.
With 20 shows in Albany under their belt as of 2024, Phish has made it clear their affinity for the Capital Region, kicking off a Fall Tour in 2018 and three stand alone shows in 2024 that were among the only Phish shows that fall. This is in addition to their frequent performances at SPAC, not to mention the three shows this past July that closed out a remarkable Summer Tour.
As part of our series looking at Phish’s history in Albany, let’s take a look back at the shows in 2018 and 2024, two very different runs – one from a tour that birthed Kasvot Växt, and one that raised over $4 million for the Divided Sky Foundation.
Times Union Center, October 16-17, 2018
Two nights into their Fall Tour kick off, Phish was already breaking records to make up for their harsh Curveball fallout. Ousting Billy Joel with all time attendance at Times Union Center, a brand-new, celebratory banner welcomed the deep grooves and thoughtfully selected set lists to come from the Albany double-header.
Moma Dancin’ their way back into the NY state capital after nine lingering years, a delicious take on the The Story of the Ghost tune got the packed party underway as Kuroda quickly proved his light show came to steal part of the opening show. “Tube” followed next as phans waited to see what territories the experimental track would wander into. It’s foundation was uprooted in its entirety and before you could predict it, the quartet threw you right back into familiar grounds. While all four members rode the high-energy wave of the tour opener, Page kicked it into high gear, grabbing the reigns throughout the course of the jam and foreshadowing his exuberant and demanding presence throughout the night.
Read more on the 2018 shows here.
Setlists via Phish.net
Phish – Times Union Center, Albany, NY – October 16, 2018
Set 1: The Moma Dance, Tube, Theme From the Bottom > Free, Army of One, Halley’s Comet > Everything’s Right -> Cities > Walls of the Cave
Set 2: Ghost > No Men In No Man’s Land > Piper > Twenty Years Later > Show of Life > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Character Zero
Encore: Harry Hood
Phish – Times Union Center, Albany, NY – October 17, 2018
Set 1: Crowd Control, Chalk Dust Torture, All of These Dreams > Wolfman’s Brother > Scent of a Mule, NICU > Gumbo, Steam > I Didn’t Know, Bathtub Gin
Set 2: Set Your Soul Free > Birds of a Feather, Mercury > Light, The Wedge, Wading in the Velvet Sea, Wilson > Slave to the Traffic Light
Encore: Julius > Rocky Top
MVP Arena, October 25-27, 2024
On a crisp fall day full of anticipation for Phish’s return to Albany, a mist hung over the pre-show festivities with the news of the passing of Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh. The chatter of whether this would be noted or honored by Phish – when, and how – was debated by fans gathered around South Pearl from Beaver St. to Hudson Ave.
Those conversations were quickly put to rest with the opening notes of “Box of Rain,” Phish’s first ever performance of the Lesh and Robert Hunter penned tune, and the first time for the four members to cover the Grateful Dead in more than 26 years (not including Bob Weir’s 2016 Nashville sit-in)
And with that, the show was off and running. Following the emotional “Box of Rain,” Phish dropped “The Moma Dance” into a traditional second slot, followed by a boisterous “Free.” The flow was set early with this trio of tunes as the first three-night Phish run in Albany was underway.
Read more on the 2024 shows here.
Setlists via Phish.net
Phish – MVP Arena, Albany, NY – Friday, October 25, 2024
Set 1: Box of Rain[1], The Moma Dance > Free, Dirt, Wolfman’s Brother, No Men In No Man’s Land, Theme From the Bottom, Steam, Sand
Set 2: Blaze On -> Piper -> Light -> Tweezer -> The Wedge, The Howling, Monsters, Backwards Down the Number Line > Carini
Encore: Sleeping Monkey > Ghost -> Tweezer Reprise
[1] Phish debut.
Box of Rain made its Phish debut after the passing of Phil Lesh earlier in the day. Carol of the Bells was teased in Piper. Mike teased the bass line from Shakedown Street in The Howling. This show was a benefit for Divided Sky Foundation.
Phish – MVP Arena, Albany, NY – Saturday, October 26, 2024
Set 1: Possum, Sigma Oasis > Back on the Train, Nothing, Stash, Bouncing Around the Room, Tube > Bathtub Gin, More
Set 2: Prince Caspian > Down with Disease[1] > Ruby Waves > Fuego > What’s the Use? > Golden Age > Lonely Trip, Harry Hood
Encore: Golgi Apparatus > Slave to the Traffic Light
[1] Unfinished.
Trey teased Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 during Back on the Train and In Memory of Elizabeth Reed during Stash. Nothing was played for the first time since June 1, 2022 (118 shows). Down With Disease was unfinished. Page teased The Little Drummer Boy at the end of Harry Hood. This show was a benefit for Divided Sky Foundation.
Phish – MVP Arena, Albany, NY – Sunday, October 27, 2024
Set 1: Heavy Things, What’s Going Through Your Mind, Access Me, My Friend, My Friend, My Sweet One, Limb By Limb, Mountains in the Mist, Kill Devil Falls, Walls of the Cave
Set 2: Everything’s Right > Chalk Dust Torture, Mercury, Wading in the Velvet Sea, Most Events Aren’t Planned
Encore: Gotta Jibboo, Waste > Bug > Character Zero
Access Me was played for the first time since August 31, 2019 (185 show gap). Trey teased We’re Off to See the Wizard during Limb By Limb. Stash was teased during Chalk Dust Torture. This show was a benefit for Divided Sky Foundation.
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