Ruby Waves

Best version2019-07-14VenueAlpine Valley Music Theatre, East TroyScore97Hear itListen · Details

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1. 4.037 shows2021–2026

2. 2026-07-19SunMerriweather Post PavilionColumbia, MDRated 61 · ListenBefore / afterBeneath a Sea of Stars Part 1 >> Backwards Down the Number LineGap8SET 2
3. 2026-07-07TueKohl CenterMadison, WIBefore / afterSand> Suzy GreenbergGap0SET 2
4. 2026-05-02SatSphereLas Vegas, NVRated 66 · Listen

   Jam chartOne last 20-minute jam before the run ends. The jam starts out energetic, as most “RW” jams do, and keeps its pace for a while until it turns into time to try and see if the aliens can be summoned. Fish seems not ready to stop rocking, so he finds a way to get the rest of the band back on that path. There’s a peak because it’s “Ruby Waves” and it almost always gets a peak.

   Before / afterKill Devil FallsMeatstickGap10SET 2
5. 2026-01-29ThuMoon PalaceCancun, Quintana RooHighly rated 84 · Listen

   Jam chartEvery time you wonder what "Ruby Waves" has left to say you get a version like this. Building upon loops and a driving riff, Trey leads the band into an uplifting peaking jam that hits the summit at 1630 via aggressive chord swells, only to find another gear and peaking with swirling madness some two minutes later. Akin to the Mexico 2024 "CDT" there's a relentlessness to this jam that rewards repeat spins. Dig the 8/30/24 "Ruby" call back as Trey pushes through Fishman's return to the song, aligning with bizarre alien invasion tones from Page and Mike, and launching this jam into the ether. Spellbinding stuff, sometimes the band is just so locked in. Breaking down around 26min we fade out via drones into "Lonely Trip."

   Before / afterA Wave of Hope ->> Lonely TripGap3SET 2
6. 2025-12-30TueMadison Square GardenNew York, NYRated 65 · Listen

   NoteUnfinished.

   Before / afterGhost >> LightGap5SET 2
7. 2025-09-19FriHampton ColiseumHampton, VA

   NoteUnfinished.

   Before / afterTweezer >> No Men In No Man's LandGap9SET 2
8. 2025-07-23WedForest Hills StadiumForest Hills, NYRated 61 · ListenBefore / afterWhat's the Use? >> Backwards Down the Number LineGap14SET 2
9. 2025-06-28SatMoody CenterAustin, TXRated 71 · Listen

   NoteUnfinished.

   Jam chartAs yet another outsized, aquatic crimson portal opens up, the jam begins in a swirling rhythmic push. This platform remains steady until play breaks into spacier territory around the 11 minute mark. Mellowing space then forms up into darker territory, and oscillates back and forth between brighter and darker textures/moods. Then, the band begins another push towards an anthemic zone, executing a steady climb towards a bright-sized peak, before after-burning into introspective textural territory and > "Monsters".

   Before / afterTwist >> MonstersGap10SET 2
10. 2025-04-22TueBill Graham Civic AuditoriumSan Francisco, CARated 79 · Listen

    Jam chart> from "NMINML". Score one for another massive "RW". Never stagnant and never wandering, there are few notes wasted as the band moves from theme to theme. There is no reliance on tropes as they keep the jamming fresh. The only thing unlikable is the jarring return to the song which seemingly comes out of nowhere.

    Before / afterNo Men In No Man's Land >WasteGap10SET 2
11. 2024-12-29SunMadison Square GardenNew York, NYHighly rated 86 · Listen

    Jam chartA colossal, must-hear "Wave" washes over Madison Square Garden. The jam expands exponentially through multiple sections, including contemplative but optimistic melodicism, driving rhythmic play, and harmonically dense electro-funk before finally crash landing back to the "Ruby Waves" theme, concluding the epic journey.

    Before / afterBathtub Gin >WasteGap3SET 2
12. 2024-10-26SatMVP ArenaAlbany, NYBefore / afterDown with Disease >> FuegoGap4SET 2
13. 2024-08-30FriDick's Sporting Goods ParkCommerce City, CORated 75 · Listen

    NoteUnfinished.

    Jam chartAct One: Listen for Fish playing with the rhythm of Trey's feet. Act Two: Enjoy .... Intermit. Act Three: Listen to Trey listen to Page's melody (11:14-ish), follow the line, and go CRAZY. For a bit, it sounds something like "Guyute" chasing "David Bowie" around "Esther's" cemetery before... Well, while there is a conclusion, the whole thing is better off listening to, rather than reading about. It is that cool.

    Before / afterSand> What's the Use?Gap4SET 2
14. 2024-08-16FriThe WoodlandsDover, DERated 79 · Listen

    Jam chartBananas - there's possibly something like six (or whatever) key changes - Phish arguably performs a parody of a "Type II" Phish song. While there may be segments one might not recommend, it's almost as if there's willful-sh*t in this version. And so perhaps you'd rec. it all. It's crazed. The ending might leave you thinking, "WTF?", too. Awesome. > "Pillow Jets."

    Before / afterNo Men In No Man's Land >> Pillow JetsGap6SET 2 · 2×
15. 2024-08-06TueVan Andel ArenaGrand Rapids, MIBefore / afterSand >> Harry HoodGap4SET 2
16. 2024-07-31WedChaifetz Arena, Saint Louis UniversitySt. Louis, MORated 78 · Listen

    Jam chart> "Twist," a great, driving version which finds Trey (possibly) teasing "Holiday in Cambodia" after the ten-minute mark. Either way, dramatic, somewhat (pleasantly) droning play continues until, around 13:15, Trey strums - signals - a decisive shift, and play becomes more plucky, with more by way of sonic separation, before the jam bleeds out and > tease-driven "NMINML."

    Before / afterTwist >> No Men In No Man's LandGap6SET 2
17. 2024-07-23TueMohegan Sun ArenaUncasville, CTBefore / afterCarini >> PiperGap6SET 2
18. 2024-04-19FriSphereLas Vegas, NVBefore / afterWhat's the Use? >Lonely TripGap2SET 2
19. 2024-02-24SatMoon PalaceCancun, Quintana RooBefore / afterNo Men In No Man's Land >-> Golden AgeGap4SET 2 · 2×
20. 2023-12-31SunMadison Square GardenNew York, NYBefore / afterTasteA Life Beyond The DreamGap7SET 1
21. 2023-10-11WedErvin J. Nutter Center, Wright State UniversityDayton, OHHighly rated 80 · Listen

    Jam chartA multi-section monstrosity that features highly inspired melodic playing, atypical modulations, an extended passage based on either "Roll with the Changes" or "Paradise City", and a false ending that catalyzes a deep dive of inter-dimensional sonic alchemy rarely heard in the modern era. Must-hear.

    Before / afterDown with Disease >LifeboyGap8SET 2
22. 2023-08-31ThuDick's Sporting Goods ParkCommerce City, COBefore / afterMercury >> Character ZeroGap9SET 1
23. 2023-07-28FriMadison Square GardenNew York, NYBefore / afterMore >-> PlasmaGap5SET 2
24. 2023-07-21FriThe Pavilion at Star LakeBurgettstown, PABefore / afterFuego >Gap5SET 2
25. 2023-07-14FriAmeris Bank AmphitheatreAlpharetta, GARated 79 · Listen

    Jam chartA Fish propelled, space hopping rocket that sizzles thanks in large part to the drummer's restless shuffle. A big version that only gets bigger, gathering speed from a brief orbit near a certain planet, it explodes in loopy peaks before a full return.

    Before / afterGhost >...And Flew AwayGap3SET 2
26. 2023-04-23SunHollywood BowlHollywood, CABefore / afterWolfman's Brother >> Gotta JibbooGap6SET 2
27. 2023-04-15SatClimate Pledge ArenaSeattle, WABefore / afterFree >> Prince CaspianGap4SET 2
28. 2023-02-24FriMoon PalaceCancun, Quintana Roo

    Jam chartVeritable monster of a version. The band enthusiastically sets up a passage of dense, funky psychedelia off the back of Fish's propulsive engine. Inspiring play follows as Trey, Mike and Page all shine with affected tones and loops. Without ever dipping in energy, the band then patiently builds to a seriously rocking peak section before returning to the main theme of "Ruby Waves."

    Before / afterWaves >ShadeGap4SET 2
29. 2022-12-29ThuMadison Square GardenNew York, NYRated 77 · Listen

    Jam chartCool version > from "YEM." Straight from the song, proper, Trey wastes no time, leaning into his solo, a shearing sort of sound carving up space and backed by great Fish. As play seemingly cools, Trey augments his tone, his play offset by Page's inspired, sonic soundwaves. Form and structure dissolve into wild and inventive improv, full-band jamming near raucous at times, celebratory, and ubeat. More patterned play, highlighted by dynamic Fish, breaks for a nasty "Heartbreaker" tease and a return to the song's riff, thus resolving another memorable MSG moment.

    Before / afterYou Enjoy Myself >> Lonely TripGap5SET 2
30. 2022-09-01ThuDick's Sporting Goods ParkCommerce City, CORated 77 · Listen

    Jam chartThe band is locked in early and gives us a series of scorching, rolling peaks that modulate and are eventually capped off by soaring trilling from Trey. The jam then downshifts into a not quite ambient section that maintains its forward momentum, growing more hypnotic as play gradually accelerates towards another peak and a clean return to end the song.

    Before / afterTwist >> Don't Doubt MeGap7SET 2
31. 2022-08-05FriAtlantic City BeachAtlantic City, NJRated 79 · Listen

    Jam chartRuby emerges from the ether of a big "Down with Disease." This jam gallops along through various vignettes in butter-smooth fashion (including a brief passage of dissonant jamming) before the band lands on a super connected major key rock groove. Trey begins a repeated lick that builds patiently to an absolutely incendiary hose-y peak. Fishman kicks it into an overdrive with a tempo change and the band segues into the "DWD" ending in once again, butter-smooth fashion.

    Before / afterDown with Disease >> Down with DiseaseGap5SET 2
32. 2022-07-29FriCoastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut CreekRaleigh, NCBefore / afterWaste >> Beneath a Sea of Stars Part 1Gap10SET 2
33. 2022-07-14ThuXfinity CenterMansfield, MABefore / afterBack on the Train >I Been AroundGap3SET 1
34. 2022-06-03FriRuoff Music CenterNoblesville, INRated 71 · Listen

    Jam chart"Ruby Waves" asserted itself early as a Phish staple, and the song's versatility, as evinced on 12/30/19, and again, here, seemingly cements its status as part of the new Phish order. Powerhouse play, replete with "Lizards" licks and impassioned improvisation, creates, a la "CDT," a new sort of joy, erasing anything by way of sentimentality and flips the set, which unfurls as if from an earlier era.

    Before / afterJoy >> The LizardsGap23SET 2
35. 2021-10-20WedMatthew Knight ArenaEugene, ORRated 77 · Listen

    Jam chartMoves from a warm and hearty jamming zone into something darker and Mike-driven, then Trey hits on a really nice repeating riff as the playing gets sparser and more delicate. The band moves smoothly into "rock out, man" mode, then an absolutely wild disco groove emerges, eminently danceable and tinged with weirdness. A thirty minute jam that feels like fifteen, one of the many hallmarks of 2021.

    Before / afterAC/DC Bag >> Lonely TripGap5SET 2
36. 2021-09-05SunDick's Sporting Goods ParkCommerce City, COBefore / afterMeatstick >> BlissGap11SET 2
37. 2021-08-11WedHersheypark StadiumHershey, PARated 74 · Listen

    Jam chartA wonderfully multi-faceted jam that touches on fiery effects-laden minor key grooviness, a twinkly Page-heavy relaxed jam, and a superb rockout that builds to a gigantic peak before coming to an echo-laden close. Right up there with any of the year's lengthier behemoths. > into "CDT".

    Before / afterParty Time >> Chalk Dust TortureGap6SET 2
38. 2021-08-03TueAscend AmphitheaterNashville, TNBefore / afterNo Men In No Man's Land >> PossumGap10SET 2

39. 3.07 shows2019–2019

40. 2019-12-30MonMadison Square GardenNew York, NYRated 58 · ListenBefore / afterTweezer> SteamGap8SET 2 · 2×
41. 2019-12-01SunNassau Veterans Memorial ColiseumUniondale, NYBefore / afterCarini >> Twenty Years LaterGap6SET 2
42. 2019-07-14SunAlpine Valley Music TheatreEast Troy, WIHighly rated 97 · Listen

    Jam chartAn unflagging improvisational behemoth that moves from moody rocking out to a low-simmering groove to a propulsive Trey-led anthemic rush to swampy blissfulness to reggae (!) to motorized power riffing with a thrilling peak to ambient space to a surprising and welcome effects-laden gallop into the unknown to a breathless and ferocious finale (and second ambient deep space segment, for good measure) with neither muss nor fuss. At the time of writing, the longest modern era jam and seventh-longest ever to date, and not a second wasted on top. Listening to this masterpiece is non-negotiable.

    Before / afterMercury >> TwistGap3SET 2
43. 2019-07-10WedMohegan Sun ArenaUncasville, CTBefore / afterChalk Dust Torture >> Seven BelowGap7SET 2 · 2×
44. 2019-06-29SatBB&T PavilionCamden, NJRated 69 · Listen

    Jam chartSmoothly pivots to a fuzzed-out and warm space, then grows darker and heavier with some real nice work from Mike in particular. Page flashes his stuff on the keys as the jam grows busier and more intense, and with a few strums of his guitar Trey moves the band into a quicksilver blissful upbeat hose jam. Things get murkier and heavier, a perfect setting for "DDHVL" to emerge.

    Before / afterGolden Age >> Death Don't Hurt Very LongGap4SET 2
45. 2019-06-23SunMerriweather Post PavilionColumbia, MDRated 73 · Listen

    NoteUnfinished.

    Jam chartFirst improvisational version wastes no time delving into a dark swampy zone with Page's synths leading the way, Mike going to the envelope filter to add some extra filthiness. Fish picks up the pace and Trey moves to a nice low-key groove with some "Weekapaug"-y tones, with some "Crosseyed" quotes for funsies. The band gooses some woos, then finds a nice -> into "Twist".

    Before / afterEverything's Right >-> TwistGap4SET 2
46. 2019-06-18TueBudweiser StageToronto, OntarioRated 71 · Listen

    NotePhish debut.

    Jam chartDebut. Compact, and coyly > from Halley's Comet, playful licks, a meandering, breezy, and open-ended feel following the main chorus, offers a glimpse of what soons becomes a signature, second set staple.

    Before / afterHalley's Comet >Lawn BoyGapDebutSET 1

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