Show Review - Phish 9/6/26 Commerce City, CO

Phish closed out their Labour Day Weekend and summer tour last night with the third and final show at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, putting the cap on what has been a banner season for the band with yet another strong show. With what felt a lot like two second sets, we were treated to more high-quality improvisation at every turn, and even some shockingly different takes on familiar songs. Subscribe and support so you don't miss a post! 'Ghost' got the night rolling and confirmed that its streak of being performed at every Dick's run would continue, the band quickly settling into a fluid groove thanks to drummer Jon Fishman. Keyboardist Page McConnell painted some lovely clav textures, interacting with guitarist Trey Anastasio's gently-probing melodies. The band subtly lifted into a pleasant major-key space as bassist Mike Gordon let loose some crystal-clear riffs, not dwelling there for too long before increasing the tempo and shooting forward into a space-funk zone. Gordon utilized a deep-impact synth effect to thicken the low end while the band locked in as one, feeling very much like it was later than the first song of the show thanks to the ease and depth of improv. Anastasio's clean rhythm work continued to be contrasted well by Gordon's incredibly deep bombs, McConnell taking to some light Wurlitzer work as Fish increased the tempo. Finding a nice earworm, Anastasio continued to build the intensity in a very patient lane, transitioning back to a more airy and bright space. Fish's incredible groove really took centre stage here, acting as the foundation for the rest of the band to work across the open space. A very pleasant peak began to take shape – but Anastasio had other plans and deviated into more exploratory play by way of off-kilter harmonized Whammy work. Seeming to accidentally stumble back into the 'Ghost' riff, the band hit strongly into the conclusion of the song – but then continued to jam, bringing us a fiery peak to wrap the 17-minute opening track. 'Kill Devil Falls' kicked in next with a strong backbone from Fish, immediately delving right back into improvisational territory. An active conversation emerged quickly with shades of 'Birds of a Feather,' all three melodic musicians constantly engaging with each other and feeding off their riffs. Mellowing out from there into a laid-back major mode, the rhythm section continued to dominate with aggressive play on both drums and bass, Anastasio and McConnell floating overtop with buttery tones on their respective instruments. Finding a shared riff, Anastasio began to flutter back and forth within, heading toward a peak while Fish pushed forward. Now soaring in full peak mode, the speed and joy continued to increase as the band crested the wave, creating an excellent conclusion to the first half-hour of the show as Anastasio blazed through the apex and conclusion of 'KDF.' After such a strong opening, 'Roggae' seemed as though it might be time for some standard first-set fare – but the band had other ideas and delivered the most twisted and weird version of this song played to date. While still in the song proper, Gordon laid down a heavy bed of hazy tones which seemed to set the table for the departure into more exploratory play. Hitting a nice and mellow peak, the insistent bass continued as Anastasio followed into dissonance, the band sounding disconnected for mere seconds before the off-kilter play resolved itself into a churning, evil motif that would be right at home in a 'Split Open and Melt.' Fish's tumbling beat combined with McConnell's jazzy piano chords to create a rising wall of tension, Anastasio's Whammy-bent notes screaming through the space plaintively. Chaos reigned as Gordon laid into a heavy bed of repeating figures, the whole band reaching a fever pitch before Anastasio cued them back into 'Roggae' proper, concluding one of the most unique song performances of the weekend. 'Blaze On' once again saw the band dive deep into Type II jamming, Fish also keeping tempos high with a peppy ride cymbal-led groove. Departing the song proper as the drummer pivoted to a snare-forward beat, Anastasio modulated up into a light major key, his nimble runs of notes continuing to pour out of the guitar. Now in full Type II mode thanks to the completely different tone and drumming from earlier, Fish hinted at a bit of a choogle as Anastasio and McConnell sparred overtop. The jam took on a fluid quality from here, seeming to unfold gently and constantly as the band evoked a sort of underwater feel. Gordon used more amazing hazy and textural effects in contrast to the grounded play of guitar and keys, then joining Anastasio's urging to begin a minor mode flip. Fish returned to a more 'Blaze On'-ish shuffle as Anastasio drew upon a darker take on the 'Mountain Jam' riff, McConnell moving to synth as the jam grew meaner. Anastasio hit some muscly chords that could have led to some 'woo' action, but the improv continued as Fish used a much heavier hand on the beat. Moving through a delay-drenched peak, the band flipped back to brighter pastures and looked to continue to build the energy – but instead mellowed back out into a serene space with nice doubled piano and Rhodes from McConnell. Anastasio led the band into a beautiful descending progression much like the masterful 'Blaze On' from 8/6/21, McConnell really laying into stretchy Yamaha CS60 synth in the brief period before 'Backwards Down the Number Line' emerged. A joyous run through the song saw the band really rip into the rock of 'Axilla II' right after, keeping the feral energy of the set going ahead of a nice run through 'Taste.' While the band took a few songs to play more standard fare, the set returned to jam for its close with 'Split Open and Melt.' After being hinted at in the earlier 'Roggae,' pulsating darkness took over as the band delved deep into the song's typical chaos. This wasn't the deepest version of the song, but took a more grounded path than some recent versions with McConnell sticking to piano rather than uncorking wild synth sounds for the duration. Gordon continued his assault on the senses with some absolutely wild riffs, Anastasio's drones coalescing back into the ending of the song before too long as Phish wrapped the 95-minute opening frame. This very easily could have been a second set – absolutely bursting with inspiration and jamming at every turn, it was a pretty crazy experience to begin the final show. The actual second set began with 'My Friend, My Friend,' Anastasio leading the way into the jam with some aggressive soloing. That very anchored and rocking feel continued with a slow-burn motif, developing as Fish deliberately hit into a languid pace. Anastasio and Gordon linked up on a crazy mind-read melody, McConnell's soft Wurli acting as a counterpoint to the heavier riffs that could have been right at home in a 'No Quarter' or 'Twenty Years Later' jam. Before too long, this theme spaced out into the opening of 'Fuego,' Anastasio digging in and getting ready for the night's longest song. Settling into a laid-back groove, Anastasio's clean rhythm work meshed beautifully with McConnell's silky Wurli chords. Gordon continued his trend of contrasting the upbeat play with heavier vibes, doing that as the guitarist and keyboardist linked up on a few different riffs. Fish pushed forward to build more momentum with dense cymbal washes, taking over some of the textural role usually filled by McConnell. The drummer then drove forth into a quicker-paced space, Anastasio pulling out an earworm-y progression reminiscent of 'Weekapaug Groove.' McConnell hit into some elastic synth tones as the pocket deepened, Anastasio looping a chord hit and turning to his percussion kit for its lone appearance of the show. Lead Moog took centre stage as Fish and Gordon executed a masterclass in groove, locking in much like Saturday's 'What's Going Through Your Mind' on some truly spellbinding play. Gordon hit on a particularly earwormy riff that reminded me a little bit of the 'Magic School Bus' theme song briefly as McConnell continued to soar on synth, the band really seeming to find their groove within these percussion jams whereas some of the ones from the last few shows have felt a bit tokenized or repetitive. Anastasio returned to his usual instrument and slipped naturally back into the jam, letting loose some anthemic leads immediately, full of his classic riffs. The intense rhythm section pocket continued unabated for a few more minutes, seeming to head for some darker territory via 'Ghost'-adjacent riffs, but abruptly ended in favour of 'Melt The Guns.' Now that the insane bustout novelty has worn off after its return at Fenway last month, I have to say that I felt this placement last night completely halted the momentum of the second set – especially since this one failed to reach the improvisational liftoff of August's performance. At any rate, it was a cool homage to whichever fan paid for a plane to fly over Folsom Field last summer with a banner requesting this song – hopefully they were in attendance to reap the stats. 'Light' returned us to jam world and got right back to where the earlier part of the set had left off, departing into a floaty minor-key space. Anastasio hinted at some 'Melt The Guns'-like riffs as he worked with McConnell to build some intensity, uncovering a new vein of minor play smoothly. Fish hit the toms for some deep, pounding sounds as McConnell took the lead on higher-pitched piano, Anastasio sticking with some stop/start-ish riffs. This continued for a bit before McConnell initiated a nice descending progression, continuing his overall leadership as things expanded out into more ambient territory. There still seemed to be some serious 'Melt The Guns' DNA circulating through this next section as the pace picked up a bit, Anastasio's smooth rhythm meshing nicely with the soft bed of Rhodes laid down by McConnell. Splintering into a sparse mode led by guitar fretboard scratches, the funk returned in earnest as Gordon deployed a distorted, almost bit-crushing effect and McConnell hit chunky clav. Pure greasy groove was on the menu here as Anastasio used some delay and evolved a stanky three-note ascending phrase. Despite the dense groove, a sense of euphoria emerged toward the end as the band hit a small peak, Fish developing a fast-paced and renewed pocket that was poised for liftoff – but Anastasio called for 'Everything's Right' instead to wrap the second set. A very strong Type I performance, Anastasio led the way with serious fretboard fireworks and finished out the final set of the weekend with one last long sustained peak, all 30,000 people packed into Dick's joining together in celebration of the best band in the world. A beautiful rendition of 'Waste' began the encore before 'First Tube' and 'Tweezer Reprise' delivered a volcanic explosion of energy, every member of the audience and band alike celebrating the amazing weekend and conclusion of the summer by dancing their asses off for the final songs. While the tour may be over, it's only another month until Phish plays again – with their eight-show fall tour coming up in early October. 2026 has already delivered every time they've taken the stage from Mexico to Sphere and Summer Tour, and I could not be more grateful to continuously have the opportunity to see my favourite – and the best – band in the world perform such amazing shows night after night. Subscribe and support so you don't miss a post! Labour Day Weekend at Dick's has been re-established and will hopefully continue for years to come – a special summer-ending tradition unlike any other. Three excellent shows with 30,000 of your closest friends at a soccer stadium in an industrial park in a Denver suburb. What beats that?