When the Circus Comes
Played 77 times. Current gap: 1 shows. · phish.net ↗ · jam-chart notes ↗
As a jam vehicle
Longest versions
| Date | Set | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1998-07-25 | Set 2 | 7:10 |
| 2014-10-21 | Set 1 | 7:09 |
| 1999-07-10 | Set 2 | 7:09 |
| 1998-12-28 | Set 2 | 6:32 |
| 1999-07-03 | Set 1 | 6:31 |
Length by set
Where a song lands changes what it is: a Set 2 version of a jam vehicle runs far longer than the same song opening Set 1. One catalogue-wide average would hide exactly that.
| Set | Versions | Median | Average | Longest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Set 1 | 33 | 5:20 | 5:20 | 7:09 |
| Set 2 | 27 | 5:16 | 5:19 | 7:10 |
| Set 3 | 2 | 5:32 | 5:32 | 6:03 |
| Encore | 14 | 5:05 | 5:07 | 6:16 |
Based on 76 of 77 performances — only phish.in tracks that map to exactly one song are counted, so bundled segues and in-set repeats are left out rather than guessed at.
Every performance
| Date | Set | Venue | Gap | Length | Before | After |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-05 | Encore | DICK'S SPORTING GOODS PARK, Commerce City | 56 bustout | — | (opens set) | Carini |
| 2025-07-11 | Encore | NORTH CHARLESTON COLISEUM, North Charleston | 53 bustout | — | (opens set) | First Tube |
| 2024-07-20 | Encore | XFINITY CENTER, Mansfield | 8 | — | (opens set) | David Bowie |
| 2024-02-23 | Encore | MOON PALACE, Cancun | 32 | — | (opens set) | Character Zero |
| 2023-07-19 | Set 1 | LIVE OAK BANK PAVILION AT RIVERFRONT PARK, Wilmington | 12 | — | Back on the Train | It's Ice |
| 2023-04-15 | Set 2 | CLIMATE PLEDGE ARENA, Seattle | 25 | — | Piper | Tube |
| 2022-07-27 | Set 1 | NORTHWELL HEALTH AT JONES BEACH THEATER, Wantagh | 12 | — | Axilla (Part II) | Run Like an Antelope |
| 2022-06-01 | Encore | CREDIT ONE STADIUM, Charleston | 25 | — | Nothing | The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony |
| 2021-10-15 | Set 2 | GOLDEN 1 CENTER, Sacramento | 17 | — | Brother | Golgi Apparatus |
| 2021-08-03 | Set 2 | ASCEND AMPHITHEATER, Nashville | 15 | — | Possum | Light |
| 2019-12-04 | Set 1 | PETERSEN EVENTS CENTER, Pittsburgh | 45 | — | Halley's Comet | Victim |
| 2018-10-23 | Set 2 | ASCEND AMPHITHEATER, Nashville | 37 | — | Set Your Soul Free | Weekapaug Groove |
| 2017-08-01 | Set 1 | MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, New York | 23 | — | Sugar Shack | Daniel Saw the Stone |
| 2016-10-28 | Set 1 | MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA, Las Vegas | 19 | — | Home | Steam |
| 2016-07-18 | Encore | BILL GRAHAM CIVIC AUDITORIUM, San Francisco | 26 | — | (opens set) | Run Like an Antelope |
| 2015-08-22 | Set 1 | WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL, Watkins Glen | 10 | — | How Many People Are You | Undermind |
| 2015-08-04 | Set 1 | ASCEND AMPHITHEATER, Nashville | 22 | — | Funky Bitch | Stash |
| 2014-10-21 | Set 1 | SANTA BARBARA BOWL, Santa Barbara | 12 | — | Yarmouth Road | Heavy Things |
| 2014-07-25 | Set 2 | PNC MUSIC PAVILION, Charlotte | 22 | — | Twist | Piper |
| 2013-11-01 | Set 1 | BOARDWALK HALL, Atlantic City | 9 | — | Possum | Sugar Shack |
| 2013-10-18 | Encore | HAMPTON COLISEUM, Hampton | 6 | — | (opens set) | Suzy Greenberg |
| 2013-08-02 | Set 1 | BILL GRAHAM CIVIC AUDITORIUM, San Francisco | 23 | — | Sand | Babylon Baby |
| 2012-09-01 | Set 1 | DICK'S SPORTING GOODS PARK, Commerce City | 8 | — | The Moma Dance | Theme from the Bottom |
| 2012-08-18 | Set 1 | BILL GRAHAM CIVIC AUDITORIUM, San Francisco | 8 | — | Tube | Sugar Shack |
| 2012-06-30 | Set 1 | ALPINE VALLEY MUSIC THEATRE, East Troy | 25 | — | Poor Heart | Timber (Jerry the Mule) |
| 2011-08-10 | Set 1 | LAKE TAHOE OUTDOOR ARENA AT HARVEYS, Stateline | 5 | — | It's Ice | Ya Mar |
| 2011-07-02 | Set 1 | WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL, Watkins Glen | 43 | — | Susskind Hotel | Timber (Jerry the Mule) |
| 2010-08-14 | Set 1 | ALPINE VALLEY MUSIC THEATRE, East Troy | 20 | — | Taste | Lawn Boy |
| 2010-06-17 | Set 1 | THE COMCAST THEATRE, Hartford | 14 | — | Divided Sky | Sugar Shack |
| 2009-11-29 | Set 1 | CUMBERLAND COUNTY CIVIC CENTER, Portland | 9 | — | Weigh | Kill Devil Falls |
| 2009-10-31 | Set 3 | EMPIRE POLO CLUB, Indio | 9 | — | Ghost | You Enjoy Myself |
| 2009-08-05 | Set 1 | SHORELINE AMPHITHEATRE, Mountain View | 7 | — | Divided Sky | Time Turns Elastic |
| 2009-06-18 | Set 2 | POST-GAZETTE PAVILION, Burgettstown | 9 | — | Piper | Harry Hood |
| 2009-06-02 | Set 2 | NIKON AT JONES BEACH THEATER, Wantagh | 37 | — | Weekapaug Groove | Kill Devil Falls |
| 2003-07-29 | Set 1 | POST-GAZETTE PAVILION AT STAR LAKE, Burgettstown | 42 | — | Timber (Jerry the Mule) | McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters |
| 2000-10-01 | Set 2 | BLOCKBUSTER DESERT SKY PAVILION, Phoenix | 6 | — | Guy Forget | Camel Walk |
| 2000-09-22 | Set 2 | ALLSTATE ARENA, Rosemont | 3 | — | The Wedge | Meatstick |
| 2000-09-15 | Set 2 | HERSHEYPARK STADIUM, Hershey | 5 | — | Jam | Character Zero |
| 2000-07-17 | Set 1 | KLRU STUDIOS, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, Austin | 9 | — | Driver | Twist |
| 2000-07-03 | Set 1 | E CENTRE, Camden | 3 | — | Fluffhead | Run Like an Antelope |
| 2000-06-28 | Set 2 | PNC BANK ARTS CENTER, Holmdel | 9 | — | Gotta Jibboo | Mike's Song |
| 2000-06-11 | Set 2 | Hibiya Outdoor Theatre, Chiyoda City | 2 | — | David Bowie | Back on the Train |
| 2000-05-23 | Set 1 | ROSELAND BALLROOM, New York | 7 | — | It's Ice | Back on the Train |
| 1999-12-30 | Set 3 | BIG CYPRESS SEMINOLE INDIAN RESERVATION, Big Cypress | 1 | — | The Sloth | Mike's Song |
| 1999-12-17 | Set 1 | HAMPTON COLISEUM, Hampton | 4 | — | Punch You in the Eye | Water in the Sky |
| 1999-12-11 | Set 1 | FIRST UNION SPECTRUM, Philadelphia | 4 | — | Weekapaug Groove | Scent of a Mule |
| 1999-12-04 | Set 2 | FIRSTAR CENTER, Cincinnati | 5 | — | The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday | David Bowie |
| 1999-10-07 | Set 1 | NASSAU VETERANS MEMORIAL COLISEUM, Uniondale | 13 | — | Possum | Gotta Jibboo |
| 1999-09-17 | Set 1 | SHORELINE AMPHITHEATRE, Mountain View | 3 | — | Water in the Sky | Back on the Train |
| 1999-09-11 | Encore | GORGE AMPHITHEATRE, George | 11 | — | (opens set) | (closes set) |
| 1999-07-21 | Set 1 | STAR LAKE AMPHITHEATRE, Burgettstown | 7 | — | The Moma Dance | Taste |
| 1999-07-10 | Set 2 | E CENTRE, Camden | 4 | — | Birds of a Feather | Fluffhead |
| 1999-07-03 | Set 1 | LAKEWOOD AMPHITHEATRE, Atlanta | 7 | — | Taste | Tube |
| 1998-12-28 | Set 2 | MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, New York | 2 | — | Birds of a Feather | Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn) |
| 1998-11-27 | Set 1 | WORCESTER CENTRUM CENTRE, Worcester | 9 | — | Vultures | Birds of a Feather |
| 1998-11-11 | Set 2 | VAN ANDEL ARENA, Grand Rapids | 16 | — | Limb By Limb | Ghost |
| 1998-08-16 | Set 2 | LORING COMMERCE CENTRE, Limestone | 2 | — | Fluffhead | Wading in the Velvet Sea |
| 1998-08-11 | Set 2 | STAR LAKE AMPHITHEATRE, Burgettstown | 4 | — | Limb By Limb | Down with Disease |
| 1998-08-03 | Encore | DEER CREEK MUSIC CENTER, Noblesville | 6 | — | (opens set) | Run Like an Antelope |
| 1998-07-25 | Set 2 | SOUTH PARK MEADOWS, Austin | 5 | — | Tweezer | Limb By Limb |
| 1998-07-16 | Set 1 | GORGE AMPHITHEATRE, George | 2 | — | Fast Enough for You | Run Like an Antelope |
| 1998-07-09 | Set 2 | ZELESTE, Barcelona | 11 | — | Theme from the Bottom | Scent of a Mule |
| 1997-12-31 | Set 2 | MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, New York | 3 | — | Piper | Roses Are Free |
| 1997-12-13 | Set 2 | PEPSI ARENA, Albany | 9 | — | Llama | Weekapaug Groove |
| 1997-11-30 | Set 2 | WORCESTER CENTRUM CENTRE, Worcester | 7 | — | Piper | Run Like an Antelope |
| 1997-11-17 | Set 2 | MCNICHOLS ARENA, Denver | 4 | — | Jesus Just Left Chicago | You Enjoy Myself |
| 1997-08-17 | Encore | LORING COMMERCE CENTRE, Limestone | 5 | — | (opens set) | Tweezer Reprise |
| 1997-08-09 | Encore | ALPINE VALLEY MUSIC THEATRE, East Troy | 4 | — | (opens set) | Rocky Top |
| 1997-07-31 | Set 2 | SHORELINE AMPHITHEATRE, Mountain View | 5 | — | Runaway Jim | Vultures |
| 1997-07-22 | Encore | WALNUT CREEK AMPHITHEATER, Raleigh | 8 | — | (opens set) | Harry Hood |
| 1997-07-01 | Encore | PARADISO, Amsterdam | 6 | — | (opens set) | (closes set) |
| 1997-06-20 | Encore | DIVADLO ARCHA, Prague | 2 | — | (opens set) | Rocky Top |
| 1997-06-14 | Encore | THE S.F.X. CENTRE, Dublin | 11 | — | (opens set) | Rocky Top |
| 1997-02-22 | Set 1 | TEATRO OLIMPICO, Rome | 1 | — | NICU | Talk |
| 1997-02-20 | Set 1 | TEATRO SMERALDO, Milan | 2 | — | Gumbo | David Bowie |
| 1997-02-16 | Set 2 | ALTER WARTESAAL, Cologne | 1 | — | Simple | Swept Away |
| 1997-02-13 | Set 2 | SHEPHERD'S BUSH EMPIRE, London | debut | — | Slave to the Traffic Light | Maze |