Phish Celebrated the Fourth of July by Focusing on Phish: Review

When Phish comes to town on a holiday weekend, there's a general sense that something big is about to happen. Whether it's the full album covers and themed Halloweens or the annual gag during the Madison Square Garden New Year's Eve runs, phans have become accustomed to unique treats in the setlist and heightened stage antics.

And the Fourth of July show at Folsom Field in Boulder was a unique treat in itself, because the holiday was largely ignored by both the band and the phans, aside from a few band-centered red, white and blue shirts in the crowd.
Outside the show, the phans mulled around the CU campus from entrance to entrance with a small group chanting, "We want Dick's!" after becoming frustrated with not being able to find the correct entrance for their tickets. One other fan lamented the band's previous summer run of 42 shows at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, saying, "This makes for a better vacation than it does a Phish show." Once inside the venue any sentiment of the venue and city not being good enough for the phans seemed to vanish completely as the anticipation set in.
Starting at 7:30 sharp, Phish kicked off a packed first set with "Bathtub Gin" and continued some of the twangy themes from night one during "Rift." Phans seemed to have been waiting on the song "Guyute," and a rocking "Back on the Train" featured teases of Bob Dylan's "Rainy Day Women #12 and #35."

After a quicker-than-usual set break, the band came back out with a "Simple" that really locked the crowd in for a deep second set. Glow stick wars erupted to the opening "Tweezer," and a spacey jam led into a perfectly placed cover of Led Zeppelin's "No Quarter." If there was any statement to be found it was here — playing a song by UK rock legends, on Independence Day, about going down "the path where no one goes" and not expecting any mercy.
Rather than a holiday, Phish fans were reveling in the simple fact that the band was following up a killer night one set with yet another. A very short encore break before "Character Zero" and "Tweezer Reprise" capped off a welcome reprieve from all the goings on in the world.

Phish will finish its holiday run in Boulder on July 5th.

See more photos from the show below: Find more concerts on our concert calendar.