Article Contributed by Scott Kepnes
Published on 2026-08-07
Fenway Park | Boston, MA | July 31st, 2026 - photos by Scott Kepnes
“Just everyone in here, try to imagine what it would feel like to hit a baseball from right there…over that!”
—Trey Anastasio, just before “Harry Hood,” 7/31/26
Phish delivered a powerful show on Friday, July 31, at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, to a sea of endearing fans. Coming off a five-night run at Madison Square Garden, where the band celebrated its 92nd through 96th performances at the venue, fans were eager to see what would develop next.
The four players took to the stage at the very full, 37,755-capacity historic ballpark: Trey Anastasio (guitar/vocals), Mike Gordon (bass/vocals), Page McConnell (keyboards/vocals), and Jon Fishman (drums/vocals). The fifth player, lighting designer Chris Kuroda (CK5), was ready at the lighting console.
The sound and video support staff were in place: front-of-house sound engineer Garry Brown at the soundboard, monitor engineers Mark “Bruno” Bradley and Robert “Void” Caprio, and video director Trey Kerr, who was stationed in front of the stage to catch the play-by-play.
Helping to preserve this evening’s musical experience, dedicated tapers had their recording gear set up, including legendary Grateful Dead and Phish taper Charlie Miller. The captured audio would be destined for Archive.org.
Inside Fenway Park, the community atmosphere was festive, with newer fans, longtime fans, and families with children all celebrating together.
Balloons bounced over the crowd, getting knocked back into the air before drifting down to someone else. And yes... there would be the occasional—and sometimes frequent—glow-stick fly-by.
Who was it that said, “Go get some more of those things, man,” anyway?
Busting out the first set with “Carini” pumped the energy in the ballpark up to eleven. An enjoyable jam ensued. Phish bounced right back with “Everything’s Right,” which jammed on and segued into the train-rhythm-funk-laced “Back on the Train,” followed by “Free.”
The band then tore it up with “Kill Devil Falls,” continuing to build the energy and rock the stadium with a massive extended jam exploring cosmic territory.
Launching into the masterpiece that is “Harry Hood,” the band flowed effortlessly through shifting dynamics and emotional peaks. Mike’s bass playing harmonized and shimmered, adding dimension to the musical canvas. Page’s piano playing and winding melodies created warmth and texture, while Fishman consistently drove everything forward, circling through intricate rhythms. Trey’s guitar soared. Clearly, a home run.
As “Hood” welcomed the sunset and the sky darkened, the lights shifted into colors that would enhance the music throughout the evening. The band’s musical explorations were seamlessly matched by Chris Kuroda’s immersive light design.
Phish returned for the second set with “What’s Going Through Your Mind,” followed by “Fuego,” both tunes flowing through elements of rock, funk, jazz, ambiance, and abstraction.
The quartet then busted out “Melt the Guns,” an XTC cover, for its first performance by Phish since 1987.
“A Wave of Hope” found the band diving deep into a percussive jam with the addition of Trey’s side drum kit, which was reintroduced during the previous MSG run. “Golden Age” came next. The entire stadium was filled with good vibes, dancing, and shaking.
Enter the 9th inning… with “Run Like an Antelope.” The musical momentum is in full swing. The tension is built. An enthusiastic crowd is fully connected with its home team. The Phish time-space continuum is alive and swerving through space like a curveball—landing teammates Cactus and Greasy Fizeek on first and second base. The Chairman of the Boards is up at bat.
Trey gives the signal: “Rye, rye, Rocco—Marco Esquandolas—Been you to have any spike, mon?”
The Chairman swings! A solid hit—straight through the swirling red and blue lights shining outward into the stadium.
“Set the gear shift for the high gear of your soul.
You’ve got to run like an antelope out of control.”
The audience goes wild as The Chairman of the Boards sprints to first base and Cactus makes it to second. The ecstatic crowd erupts as Greasy Fizeek runs and slides into third!
With “Antelope” wrapping up set two, Phish took a bow and graciously thanked everyone before walking off stage. Returning for the encore with “A Life Beyond the Dream” and “Say It to Me S.A.N.T.O.S.,” and thanking the crowd again, the evening’s performance was complete, leaving a very satisfied audience.
As part of a two-show run at Fenway Park, the conclusion of the 9th inning would come the following day during night two, promising a stellar finish to an unforgettable game.
Make no mistake, this was an excellent stand-alone show. A grand slam that left the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th, with Trey up at bat.
Special thanks to:
Charlie Miller for his help in confirming details for this review.
And Mike Bogigian, whose excellent recording enabled me to re-experience the show while writing.
Phish — Fenway — 7/31/26 on Archive.org
Phish Setlist
Fenway Park — July 31, 2026
Setlist courtesy of Setlist.fm
Set 1:
Carini
Everything’s Right
(unfinished) (->)
Back on the Train
Free
(with “Martian Monster” tease by Trey)
Kill Devil Falls
Harry Hood
Set 2:
What’s Going Through Your Mind
(Trey Anastasio Band cover) (Trey on percussion kit) (>)
Fuego
(>)
Melt the Guns
(XTC cover) (Trey on percussion kit) (last played 4/29/1987, or 2,051 shows)
A Wave of Hope
(Trey Anastasio song) (Trey on percussion kit) (>)
Golden Age
(TV on the Radio cover) (->)
Run Like an Antelope
Encore:
A Life Beyond the Dream
Say It to Me S.A.N.T.O.S.
Note: Soundcheck: “My Soul,” “Funky Bitch”
