WEEKLY ENCORE: Your Must-Read Setlist

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July 12, 2025

NEWS

On Wednesday, Paul McCartney took to social media, where he teased his North American comeback. The spark of possibility caused a fan frenzy and enticed folks with the prospect of catching the great in song and story. The bassist and original member of The Beatles confirmed a series of concerts, beginning on September 29 at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif.

NEWS

Gov’t Mule has announced new live dates, including their Halloween festivities. The Warren Haynes-led ensemble has added locations to their Back In The Saddle Tour. The run comes amid the band’s 30th anniversary of their self-titled 1995 debut LP and serves as the first “big tour run” since February 2024.

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NEWS

Bob Dylan’s touring streak ceases to slow. The Greenwich Village bard has subtly dropped a series of concert dates that will take him to Europe, the UK, and Ireland this fall. The new slate of appearances effectively extends his Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour into late November. The first new date of this tour leg is scheduled to take place on Thursday, October 16, at Veikkaus Arena in Helsinki, Finland.

NEWS

The San Francisco Giants and Relix’s event, The Heart of Town—a three-night concert series celebrating the Grateful Dead’s 60th anniversary and the city that shaped the band—has shared daily lineups for the July 31-August 2 gathering hosted by Grahame Lesh & Friends. Also joining the roster are BERTHA: Grateful Drag and Roger McNamee of Moonalice.

RECAP

Last night, July 9, Phish touched down in Columbus, Ohio for the first time since July 2000. Since that staging near the end of their first era, the foundational jamband has undergone countless evolutions in the 2.0, 3.0 and arguably 4.0 eras, and Wednesday’s performance was an apt representation of the sort of even-handedly retrospective and exploratory approach that’s made their 2025 touring so engaging. The Vermont quartet’s latest show was defined by the oddball ambitions of its setlist, pairing sleeper hits, bust-outs and some underrated jam vehicles for a performance that deftly moved from mellow lows to blissful highs.

RECAP

Last night, July 8, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country cruised into Manteo, N.C., for the second performance in their highly anticipated co-headline Summer Tour with Railroad Earth and Yonder Mountain String Band. After setting off the 14-stop series in King of Prussia, Pa., on Sunday, the three-band caravan raced down the coast to a follow-up at Roanoke Island Festival Park, where Donato’s tried and true band of kaleidoscopic country-jam masters welcomed the first live collaborations of the run. With a cast of three adventurous, genre-bending and virtuosic outfits on the road together, on-stage crossings were bound to happen, and Tuesday’s sit-ins were a promising sample of jams to come.

NEWS

The music industry’s proprietor of peace and love, Ringo Starr, celebrated his birthday on Monday, July 7, at Beverly Gardens Park in Beverly Hills, Calif., with a little help from his friends. The 18th annual “Peace & Love Birthday Celebration” was a semi-private gathering, with some fans and members of the media in attendance, as well as friends and collaborators, who offered musical tributes to the esteemed backbeat.

RECAP

Phish began their two night holiday run at Jones Beach in grand fashion, busting out “Skin It Back” for the first time since the late 80’s, much to the pleasure of everyone in attendance, but especially the guy standing in front of the soundboard section who was holding a large yellow “Skin It Back” sign. The song started with something sounding a bit like “Spanish Moon,” but maybe it just sounded like Little Feat, and ended with a really excellent jam, Trey soaring over a big groove—a bit like “Birds of a Feather.” It was a very strong opening card in a summer filled with truly stunning performances and extremely interesting and engaging set lists.

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