Phish closed a totally surreal, weather-tortured weekend in Chicago with a high energy throwdown on Sunday night centered on both music and antics. The second set encompassed all of the elements that make up Phish—to-die-for open jamming in “Energy > Ghost,” a Gamehendge composition in “Lizards,” a prank within a “Harpua” narration, and a smoking contained jam in “Antelope” to close things out. Following a mediocre performance on Saturday, Phish capped the insane three-night run with a signature performance in the Midway.

Playing their second version of “Energy” in four shows, the guys opened up the jam considerably beyond Alpharetta’s revelation, pointing clearly to the emergence of the next preeminent jam vehicle in the Phish universe. And what a jam it is, containing a little something for everyone. Starting off in a wah groove, “Energy’s” path contains infectious rhythms while giving way to wide open cathartic playing and eventually ending with a spiritually haunting voyage into ambient space. Opening up a new galaxy of improvisational possibility, “Energy” is the best thing to hit the rotation since “Light” debuted at Fenway Park in ’09. By the end of the summer—and two more versions that diverge from structure—we will be looking at the new jump off for fall tour.

At the conclusion of “Energy,” the band dissolved into “Ghost,” finally dropping the second version of tour that had been looming since Merriweather. In terms of adventure, there’s nothing quite like Phish merging two open jams like they did last night. Instead of reeling the audience back to earth with a “landing pad” song, they kept everyone in orbit while amping up the intensity of the show considerably. The band continued to dish out the goods in this rhythmically dynamic “Ghost,” passing through beautiful and intricate sections, and sounding like they might follow Mike’s lead into “Seven Below.” Trey, however, steered the jam into “Lizards,” capping the opening triumvirate with the Gamehendge classic. And then things got silly.

With all of the crazy rain storms that have plagued Phish tour this summer, fans have been expecting to hear “Harpua,” with its iconic line “Look, the storm’s gone!,” for quite some time now. But Phish waited for the absolute perfect place to drop their elusive tale. Sunday night’s first set had to be cut short due to a torrential downpour over the city, and most fans waited it out in the unbelievable conditions. But believe it or not, deep into an extended setbreak, things started to clear up! Thus, when the “Oom Pah Pahs” signaled the first “Harpua” in two years, the place absolutely went bonkers.

And then came the prank. The band had planted actors in the crowd to look like fans, so when called up on stage during “Harpua’s” narration, everyone—for at least a bit—thought some fans were having a dream come true. The Second City troupe went on to tell Trey that they had actually been there for the Harpua versus Poster Nutbag fight, and that Trey had been telling the story wrong. At this point, I thought Trey had found the most tripped out fans on lot, but in the end the actors and the band had prepared an entire comedy act that provided a brief mindfuck at the same time.

The skit was funny and when the band brought back the “Harpua” music, fans began anticipating what might come next in this monster set. But then Trey passed the mic to Gordon. Launching into a second “Harpua” story, Mike wove a genuinely funny tale, but now the audience had been standing around for almost twenty minutes in the middle of the second set and things started to drag. When the guys finally wrapped up the sought after rarity, the crowd roared and the band responded with a second go at “Antelope” after the rains put the kibosh on the first set closer. Coming full circle in another smoking contained jam, the band sealed their most complete Chicago show with their favorite set closer of the summer.

Years from now, when fans think back on Northerly Island 2013 the predominant memories will surround the unprecedented weather that bombarded the shows for three days straight. Filled with enough moments over the first two to make them complete, the Friday and Saturday’s Northerly Island performances, were—creatively speaking—a step below the rest of tour. But on Sunday night in Chicago, the band bounced back with a vengeance in a memorable show that nobody in attendance will ever forget.

First Set Notes: The strongest first set of Chicago opened with the bust out of “Dinner and a Movie,” while containing superb versions of “Maze” and “Bathtub Gin.” These two pieces of improve—specifically “Gin”—anchored the set while high energy selections and sharp playing, less “Mound,” filled it out.

I: Dinner and a Movie, AC/DC Bag > Maze, Mound, Funky Bitch, Bathtub Gin, Wilson, Water in the Sky, Boogie On Reggae Woman,  Run Like an Antelope*

II: Energy > Ghost -> The Lizards, Harpua, Run Like an Antelope

E: Character Zero

*rains came and the band was forced off stage

On a hotly anticipated night north of the border, Phish added a monumental piece to their Pantheon of Summer 2013 jams in Toronto’s “Down With Disease,” while supporting the centerpiece with a thrilling “David Bowie” and two fun and energetic sets of music. Finally playing a dry show in a truly summer environment, the band and crowd rejoiced amidst a cool Canadian evening at Molson Amphitheatre. With the band playing a rescheduled date from July 9’s postponement, even some of the most hardcore and familiar faces on tour were absent from the scene as Phish bombarded Toronto with their most complete show of the weekend.

The guys got right to business with a one-two punch of “Moma Dance” and “Chalk Dust,” reversing the usual order of the show opening couplet. Then out came “Undermind” for the first time since Dick’s. Though the band remained within the musical confines of the song, it sounded so damn good to hear one of the their countless amazing songs that have been left for dead this tour. Even in an out-of-the-way show in Toronto, the band stuck to their minuscule summer rotation that has quickly become a bit of a joke. But song choices aside, the energy exchanged between the band and their undersized audience was off the charts for the duration of both sets—and that a crucial aspect to an amazing night with Phish.

The highlight of the opening half came in a sunset rendition of “Stash.” Trey’s chops are so on point right now that every jam sounds interesting, whether contained or open. His uber-proficient chops graced so many ferocious “type I” jams over the rain-soaked Chicago weekend, and they took over this “Stash” as well. When Trey fires out creative melodies and licks, it raises the game of his bandmates as they must match their own creativity to jive with him—and vice versa. But never has this rang so true in the modern era as Summer 2013, where contained jams like “Stash” “Mike’s Song” “Bathtub Gin” and “David Bowie” pop with psychedelic contours. This is an element of the Phish of old that has rejuvenated considerably this tour.

But as fierce as the band’s structured jams are right now, when they let loose and unabashedly dive into the abyss this tour, they have created jams that stand up to anything in their career. Examples are SPAC’s “Light,” PNC’s “Crosseyed,” Jones Beach’s second set, and now Toronto’s “Down With Disease.” In this refined conversation of the most virtuosic degree, the band showcased why there is no possibility of comparing them to any act in the history of live music. No band manipulates music as if Play-Doh like Phish, and this set opening “Disease” is a case in point. Soaring into the most uplifting music of tour, the band reached a holy plane—and stayed there for what seemed like an eternity, spinning into a cyclone of bliss. This is the real deal, folks. This “Disease” reaches a place we dream of jam’s attaining, and the band didn’t rush out—in fact, quite the opposite. As if they had discovered a new planet, the guys extensively explored this sacred ground, one graceful note at a time, and the result was staggering.

When the band finally reached the end of this incredible peak, the crowd roared but the band kept chugging. Slipping out of this heavenly realm and into a filthy section of groove, the band completely switched gears on the fly, and this wasn’t just a casual denouement. Instead of ending the jam at their earliest natural chance, they took the piece smoothly into a darkening ambiance. Without jumping the gun, the band wove their set-opening masterpiece seamlessly into “2001.” Though this version remained succinct, it served as furious exclamation point to Phish’s newest adventure.

At this point, the second set—and show—seemed primed for all-time status, but then things got both songy and choppy. After a standard “Free,” the band tore into “Piper” with all sorts of urgency. Springing to improvisational action, the band locked into a jam that felt destined for greatness. The guys were very clearly keyed into each other’s ideas and were crushing it hand over fist when Trey jumped ship and started “Tweezer” with no warning whatsoever. Though as abrupt they come, who’s gonna argue a drop into a second set “Tweezer?” Not this guy. But the “Tweezer” that had been looming so large in the Midway over the weekend didn’t really elevate. Settling into a slow, quasi-routine “Tweezer” groove, the band played around the song’s theme for the duration of the jam, but this time the creativity wasn’t really there. Used as a song rather than a launchpad last night, the “Tweezer” that had Canadian fans buzzing in the lot before the show wound up being less than powerful.

Though the songs continued with “Silent In the Morning,” “Number Line,” and “Cavern”—three that have taken the beating of a red-headed stepchild this summer—there was still a closer left. As the band played “Cavern,” one might have anticipated the subsequent “David Bowie,” as the two songs often pair up to close sets. And this one straight exploded. Another jam that didn’t leave its road map but enthralled to the fullest, this “Bowie” featured a major key flip that anchored its direction while the band’s crazy chops took care of the rest. Toronto’s “Bowie” truly touched its set-closing essence with a fluid fifteen-minute exercise that rolled like a steam engine through the living room of your mind.

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7.14.13 (A.Nusinov)

Treating their Canadian fans to a triple encore, Phish came back on stage with “Loving Cup,” the summer’s first “Squirming Coil” and a final good-bye in “Tweezer Reprise.” It’s safe to say that all who made it back to Molson Amphitheatre for the Phish show last night left home smiling, as the band dropped a real party show featuring a marquee setlist, a “lifer” in “Disease,” and plenty of supporting meat throughout. A northern fan base deprived of a home turf show since 2000 in the same shed, was kicked down a winner on Monday night, and I am blessed to have been there to share in the groove, eh?

I: The Moma Dance, Chalk Dust Torture, Undermind, Army of One, Halley’s Comet > Twist, Bouncing Around the Room, Stash, Yarmouth Road, Tube, Ocelot, Suzy Greenberg

II: Down with Disease > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Free > Piper > Tweezer > Silent in the Morning, Backwards Down the Number Line, Cavern > David Bowie

E: Loving Cup, The Squirming Coil, Tweezer Reprise

One of the pervading themes of Phish’s opening half of summer tour has been rain. For the past week, it seems like we’ve been walking out of shows soaking wet wearing shit eating grins just about every night, and Wednesday in Alpharetta was no exception. The rain came early and often, drenching the lawn-goers while blowing into the sides of the pavilion taboot. The band met the weather with yet another great second set—not to mention a solid first—that flowed from start to finish with no discernible lulls. Centered on the sequence “Energy -> Fluffhead -> Piper,” the band played a fast-paced second set that also featured a nod to the inclement weather in “Drowned -> Water in the Sky,” and a late-set dance party with teeth in the form of “2001 > Mike’s > Wedge -> Weekapaug.” With an opening frame that far outshone yesterday’s snoozer, the second night of Alpharetta balanced the grittier throwdown of the first with a quirky show that offered quite a lot.

Though the musical highlight of the night emerged in “Piper’s” dark and demented tale, the biggest take away of the show came in the return of “Energy” smack dab in the middle of the second set. The band hadn’t touched the cover since its well-received debut at SPAC, but it was only a matter of time before the song reared its head again—and this time, as suspected, it carried a new school jam in tow! Trey added a lyrical refrain of “Electricity” as the band vamped over the songs chords and drifted into uncharted waters for the first time ever. It’s been a moment since Phish has kicked down a new jam vehicle, and this one seems to have some legs. Progressing out of the song’s feel into a fast-paced groove, it wasn’t long before Trey was hitting his wah pedal and painting the textures with his signature sound. But aside from the jam, itself, simply dancing to a new palette of Phish music was pure joy.

And as the band brought the jam to an ambient close, they coyly slipped into a “Fluffhead.” It had been ages since I enjoyed “Fluffhead” as much as I did last night. Despite a few struggles on Red’s behalf, the placement of and transition into the anthem was superb, and above all else, it was only the first version of summer. Phish had all but beaten a dead horse for the years of 2009-2011, playing “Fluffhead” far too often for any 15 minute composition, but this time it just felt right. Continuing their summer of segues, as the guys wound down “Fluff,” they never got to the very end, instead slipping into a “Piper” that would soon explode. This tour, “Piper” has been used as a cathartic vehicle, but at Alpharetta, the band took the jam in the opposite direction, entering into a lair of dissonance and layered effects. You hate to see the band get stuck in ruts, thus, it was great to see them flip the script on “Piper” this go round, keeping things fresh and unpredictable. Without having respun the show, I can’t go much further into a description of the jam, but if someone could only listen to one track from this show, “Piper” would be my nominee.

“Drowned” hit a few nice places before segueing into “Water in the Sky,” a pairing that I thought—momentarily—would be followed by “A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing” and “Waves” in a nautical homage, but the band choose a different route. Phish closed the set with another dynamic “Mike’s Groove,” this time pairing “2001” with “Mike’s” in a classic combo that we haven’t seen in a minute. Each piece saw the attention it deserved, if not a bit more succinct than Merriweather’s versions. This time, the band slipped in “The Wedge” to bridge “Mike’s” and “Weekapaug,” including a surprise transition into “Weekapaug,” further cementing Summer 2013 as the tour that the band relearned segues.

The final piece of note to this show was the debut of Trey’s “Frost” in the first set. Translating gorgeously to the Phish setting, “Frost” is now waiting to be placed deep in the second set out of a long jam. I really dig this one and think it could be a fixture in the Phish universe from here on out. Beyond “Frost,” the first set contained some spunky dance numbers at the top set in “Moma,” “Funky Bitch” and “Gumbo,” but slowed a bit from there. “Guyute” sounded fresh and spot on in its only appearance of tour.

Phish has now put the east coast behind them sets their targets on Northerly Island in Chicago, a new venue that has received less than stellar reviews by other fan bases. Hopefully the venue has fixed things up as they claim they have, because there are a lot of Midwesterners who will be tasting Phish 2013 for the first time of of summer. And as Frank the Tank said, “It’s so good when it hits your lips!”

I: Runaway Jim > The Moma Dance, Funky Bitch, Divided Sky, Gumbo, Nellie Kane, Frost*, Alaska, Guyute, Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan, Suzy Greenberg

II: Punch You In the Eye > Drowned -> Water in the Sky, Energy -> Fluffhead -> Piper > Fast Enough for You > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Mike’s Song > The Wedge ->Weekapaug Groove

E: Quinn the Eskimo