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 Howdy folks! As the title says, welcome to my archive of live show reviews as I have posted on the Steve Hoffman Music Forums website! I pr...

Saturday, April 26, 2025

2022-07-30 Columbia, MD

 7/30/22 Columbia, MD

Set 1

Great choice of Sand as opener. Unfortunately, it takes forever to really develop any heat whatsoever, and when it does, it never fully explodes like you are hoping leaving an unsatisfied taste behind. Its not bad, but its utterly unimpressive, imo. Bummer.

After a nice but poorly placed If I Could, it's like they decide to restart the show and launch into Buried Alive. If I Could is spectacular and definitely must hear. Just outstanding. Buried Alive is just killer. A perfect, high energy reading. Sick.

Even better is the 16 minute, type 2 beast of a SYSF into a nuclear bomb Llama. Total X Factor all over thi pair. SYSF goes prope type 2, moving from dark and growly playing to major key rock before getting strange in the back half. The segue into Llama has to be heard to be believed abd the song itself is blazing.

Wow.

The fun continues with Halfway ti the Moon. THIS SUCKER GOES PROPER TYPE 2!!!! WTF!!! The song itself is good as ever, then during the jam Trey shockingly, and perfectly, moves them into...Shafty!!! And its no tease, they play and jam the whole thing! ALL HAIL X FACTOR MAGIC!!! DUDE!!!

AND THE HITS KEEP COMING!!! Strawberry Letter 23 is one of the tightest, most well played versions Ive ever heard. Terrific jamming, it quickly deviates, going into dark funk before getting into starry night sky territory. Another insane segue is executed out of that abd into an excellent Lizards.

Lizards is an exceptional reading and an outstanding set closer tonight. Definitely must hear!

Hot mothereffin damn .

All in all, this set is almost 100 percent must hear aside from the bland Sand opener. Absolutely insanity!!! SYSF>Llama, Halfway>Shafty, SL23, Lizards, If I Could - all must hear, and Buried Alive kills too.

Wow. X Factor Magic overload!!! 


Set 2

The set-closer-as-set-opener trend continues with a First Tube as surprise opener! Unfortunately, its not a very good version. Kinda sloppy overall, it just doesn't work tonight as an opener.

What DOES work though is a terrific 19 minute Fuego!! Very hot and tight, its terrific from the start. And holy crap what a Fuego it is!!! The jamming is insane - extremely rhythmic, the interplay is ridiculous, everyone reacting amazingly to one another. This is one of the nastiest stank-face-inducing jams Ive ever heard. Unique and downright magical. My god. Nothing but X Factor, in spades.

The jam winds down with an incredible segue into one of the most perfect and ass kicking Sigmas Ive ever heard. Absolutely magic once again. Holy crap.

The segue fun continues with a perfect slide into an outstanding Caspian!!! THIS IS KILLER!!! THIS FLOW AND CONSTRUCTION IS IMPECCABLE!!! Delivers a cathartic release of fantastic proportions.

And on into Waves!!! The momentum keeps going and this Waves is downright explosive!!! Just magic, magic, and more friggin magic. Insane.

Holy....for the love of God. This Fuego>Sigma>Caspian>Waves was one of the most incredible sequences Ive ever heard in my 7 years of listening to Phish. THE FLOW! THE ENERGY! THE X FACTOR!!!

The flow keeps going with a terrific move into a highly inspired Meatstick. The type 1 is killer - high energy, tight and definitely noticeable better than most. The X Factor strikes and they take it type 2, going into a SICK funk jam for about 3 whole minutes with some awesome stutter jamming to close it. Yet another absolutely essential piece of music from this show!!!!!

Perfect segue into Simple!!! Simple is an excellent type 1 reading. Briefly going type 2, Trey ripcords them into a flawless Oh Kee Pah (no, seriously).

A fiery Suzy then closes the set.

Terrific encore of the Alumni Blues suite and C Zero. Both are must hear!!! Both are absolutely ON FRIGGIN FIRE!!!

All in all, despitea couple setlist and intro song bumps, this show was like 90% all killer or must hear. The Fuego through Meatstick is hands down an essential sequence. Absolutely killer and the encore is insane as well.

3.9 rating on .NET is BS. This is a 4.2 or 4.3 level show all day imo.

My God.

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