Review: Phish kicks off final Sphere weekend in a mellow mood

The world’s greatest jam band was in a rather mellow musical mood as it kicked off the final weekend of its 2026 residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas on Thursday (April 30).

No, this was not the take-no-prisoners Phish that “Phans” often get — the one that melts faces with incendiary guitar solos from the amazing Trey Anastasio and blazing jams from all four of Vermont’s finest.

Instead, it was the let’s-vibe-tonight Phish that sometimes shows up, especially on opening night of a run.

And you know what? It was all good.

Night 7 of this nine-show run — conducted over a trio of three-day stands, lasting from Thursday through Saturday in each case — was another epic affair that ran more than three hours (plus set break) and included equal amounts of fine musicianship and massive visuals shown on the incredibly vivid and clear 16K resolution wraparound LED screen that dominates the interior of this 366-foot-tall Sphere.

The Vermont quartet — consisting of lead vocalist/guitarist Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon, drummer Jon Fishman and keyboardist Page McConnell — took the stage right around the advertised start time of 8 p.m. and the visuals immediately kicked into gear with a giant turntable appearing on the screen. The needle dropped on the spinning record right as the group kicked off its two-set, 17-song show with a trippy turn through “The Wedge.”

Then one record after another began lifting off the turntable, revealing all sorts of strange creatures (robots, jesters, aliens, monsters, etc.) dancing along the platters. The vinyl grew bigger — and bigger — seemingly moving right off the screen and into the venue itself, until it felt like we were swallowed up in the grooves and now boogeying alongside those the other beings.

“NICU” followed and provided a little bit of a burst of energy — but it was still on the low wattage side, for sure — then came a gorgeous take on “Halfway to the Moon,” the 2014 “Fuego” cut that nicely showcases McConnell’s melancholy vocal work. It was accompanied by perhaps the strangest visuals of the night, as thousands of porta-potties were used, like Legos, to construct such monuments as the Golden Gate Bridge, Eifel Tower and the Leaning Tower of Pisa (and, we must add, you really don’t want the latter to tip over).

A sweet, mediative workout of “Leaves,” from 2020’s “Sigma Oasis,” ran some 15 minutes, while huge forests were created out of colorful tiny pixels (which, given the scale, might have actually been the size of washing machines).

This evening’s version of “Dirt” was about as gentle and delicate as Phish gets, nicely setting up a funky double-shot of “Punch You in the Eye” and “Golgi Apparatus” to close out Set 1.

The nightcap opened with a rather meditative take on “A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing,” which drifted about for nearly 17 minutes before crashing into a deeply enjoyable — and lengthy — “A Wave of Hope” that ran the better part of a half an hour. “Prince Caspian” proved as stately and regal as usual, finding a particularly nice pairing with the introspective title track to the 2020 Anastasio solo album “Lonely Trip.”

The show got an adrenaline bump with the fast-moving country-rock rambler “Runaway Jim,” which led into the band’s groovy cover of the Allen Toussaint-penned “Sneaking Sally Thru the Alley.” The set 2 closer, the dreamy, contemplative “Drift While You’re Sleeping,” sure didn’t feel like much of a finale.

Fortunately, Phish quickly returned to the stage and kicked off the two-song encore with a rocking version of “The Sloth.” The night’s best moment would prove to be its last, as Phish delivered an absolutely transcendent take on “The Squirming Coil.”

As the song — and the show — drew to a close, the band members began to leave the stage, one by one, until it was just McConnell left under the bright lights to deliver his magic. It was a memorable finish to a rather mellow evening of music performed on Night 7 of this nine-show Sphere run that concludes on May 2.

Setlist

Set One

1. “The Wedge”

2. “NICU”

3. “Halfway To The Moon”

4. “Leaves”

5. “555”

6. “Dirt”

7. “Punch You in the Eye”

8. “Golgi Apparatus”

Set Two

9. “A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing”

10. “A Wave of Hope”

11. “Prince Caspian”

12. “Lonely Trip”

13. “Runaway Jim”

14. “Sneakin’ Sally Thru the Alley”

15. “Drift While You’re Sleeping”

Encore

16. “The Sloth”

17. “The Squirming Coil”

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This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 10:53 AM.