NYS Music 20​16

Tag: Madison Square Garden

  • Phish Blaze On: Night Three at MSG Review, December 30, 2016

    In a sea of tourists, NYC inhabitants and phans with one phinger in the air hoping to score a miracle ticket for less than their internal organs, Madison Square Garden welcomed all walks of life back through its doors on December 30, 2016 for night three of Phish and their annual four-night NYE run.

    phish december 30 2016The third night was most certainly a charm, as the foursome wholeheartedly delivered with their highly anticipated NYE gigs, bringing a juggernaut of material both new and old to the forefront of their explosive jams. The penultimate gig kept up with tradition of openers from both the 28th and 29th,  kicking off with an acapella rendition of  “Carolina,” leaving a sardine-packed and immensely energetic MSG crowd silent and still. Following the 28th’s acapella opener of “The Star Spangled Banner” and the 29th’s  “Sweet Adeline,” “Carolina” found Trey, Mike, Page and Jon digging deep in their archives and offering their first bust out of the night–having not played the tune since 2003 at Greensboro Coliseum.

    phish december 30 2016Phish “Blazed On,’ through the second set with crowd-favorite “The Moma Dance,” “Gumbo” and a fitting choice of “Cities” which had the whole building hypnotized on foot. ‘The Old Home Place,” eased into a “Bathtub Gin”  scorcher, complete with arena rock vibes, dense jams and enchanting licks.

    phish december 30 2016“Things People Do” served as the first “Big Boat” performance of the run, before launching into “My Friend, My Friend.” The first in a triad of Joy tracks sprinkled throughout the night, came fully equipped with face-melting jams and moody red and black lighting. The next track found every phan in the house shouting “Wilson” across a sea of wide eyes and color spectrum donut lights. A light-hearted “Sugar Shack” delighted the audience as the night’s second track hailing from Joy, before a fully-welcomed “You Enjoy Myself.” Complete with trampoline bounces and all, YEM closed out a magnificent first set for a thankful MSG crowd.

    phish december 30 2016The second set magic quickly rolled out with a funky take on “Tweezer” which led into The Who’s 1969 Tommy track, “Sparks.” A crowd sing-a-long was incited on “Ghost,” until the Joy trifecta came to an end with “Light,” as things dove into a lengthy, swampy “Party Time” jam.  Ease washed over the crowd with a soft take on “Wading in the Velvet Sea” just ahead of closing out the second set with another cover, The Osborne Brother’s “Rocky Top.”

    Played last time in New York for a SPAC crowd, Phish encored with The Velvet Underground’s “Rock n’ Roll.” It felt more appropriately placed this time, however, in the city that front man Lou Reed often based his music on. A transcendent segue led into a fiercely received “Tweezer Reprise,” which closed night three with energy spiking through the roof.

    Between page’s keyboard kinetics, phishman’s double down drumming, gordon bumpin’ bass slaps and trey’s fireworks across the fretboard, phish left little to the imagination. The beloved jam band has so far proven that they can cap off a year filled with an abysmal onslaught of celebrity deaths, political turmoil and environmental concern, making you forget all of the madness if only for a few hours. 
    Tomorrow will end the NYE run and after three nights of unforgettable music at the world’s most famous arena.

    Setlist via Phish.net

    Phish, December 30, 2016, Madison Square Garden, NY, NY

    Set 1: Carolina, Blaze On, The Moma Dance > Gumbo > Cities, The Old Home Place, Bathtub Gin, Things People Do, My Friend, My Friend, Wilson, Sugar Shack, You Enjoy Myself

    Set 2: Tweezer > Sparks > Ghost > Light -> Party Time Jam, Wading in the Velvet Sea > Rocky Top

    Encore: Rock and Roll, Tweezer Reprise

  • We’ve Only Just Begun – A Phish Night One Recap

    Phish opened their annual 4-night New Year’s run in grand fashion last night at Madison Square Garden. For night one, perhaps picking up on the palpable political tension this year has brought us, an a capella rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” served as a somewhat fitting opener.

    With a raucous Garden crowd now energized, “Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan” followed, allowing guitarist Trey Anastasio to shine early with some fierce guitar licks. The first of three first set covers (not including our national anthem) then appeared in the form of “Lonesome Cowboy Bill,” a song prominently featured on the band’s cover of the The Velvet Underground album Loaded done in 1998 for their musical costume. This fun, semi-bustout of a cover then gave way to “Free” which picked up the energy level in the building significantly and seemed to have everyone dancing in unison for the first time all night.

    Phish Night One However, the pace settled back down again afterwards as “Train Song” and “Prince Caspian” followed, two songs featured on the now 20-year-old album Billy Breathes. “Roggae” kept the mellow first set vibe in full gear, allowing lighting director Chris Kuroda to show off some new lighting techniques in addition to some old favorites. A cover of the blues classic “Funky Bitch” then followed, highlighted by tremendous vocal and bass work from Mike Gordon. “Halfway to the Moon,” a song penned by keyboardist Page McConnell, gave him a chance to take center stage before another bust out of a cover in the form of a beautifully melodic “Corrina.” The first set wouldn’t be complete without one last jam and chance to stretch out a little and “Stash” fit the bill perfectly for that before a standard first set “Cavern” closer ended an enjoyable yet fairly laid back first set.

    Phish Night One The second set that followed was anything but laid back as a three-headed monster of musical mayhem kicked things off. A top notch rendition of “Wolfman’s Brother” started the proceedings and saw the four musicians in perfect harmony with one another. Then, although it may not have been up to the epic level of the previous version played in Vegas a few a months ago, the “Golden Age” that followed was not that far off and featured some of the most inspired interplay of the evening which eventually led into a seamless segue into the classic arena rocker “Simple.” This three-song section of the evening was, by far, the highlight of the night, prompting one show goer to call it “her new best friend.”;

    Phish Night One After a typically splendid “Simple” outro jam, the band picked things back up with an uptempo number in “Chalkdust Torture” that, once again, seemed to have the entire arena moving as one. The “Martian Monster” that followed was anything but typical as sound effects delivered by McConnell and steadfast drumming by Jon Fishman soon gave way to a full on “Tweezer” outro jam that took everyone by surprise and even had Anastasio integrating “your trip is short” lyrics sung to the tune of “Tweezer.” Phish playing around both musically and lyrically is when they’re at their best and this was no exception. “Wingsuit” then followed as the requisite breather song to slow things down a little before a fairly standard run through of “Possum” closed a ferociously enjoyable set of music. One last cover in “Good Times, Bad Times” served as the encore, undoubtedly sending everyone on their way ecstatic from a great night of music with, presumably, three even better ones to follow.

    Phish Night One SET 1: The Star Spangled Banner, Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan, Lonesome Cowboy Bill > Free, Train Song, Prince Caspian, Roggae, Funky Bitch, Halfway to the Moon, Corinna, Stash, Cavern

    SET 2: Wolfman’s Brother, Golden Age -> Simple > Chalk Dust Torture, Martian Monster -> Tweezer Reprise Jam -> Martian Monster, Wingsuit > Possum

    ENCORE: Good Times Bad Times
    Setlist courtesy of Phish.net

  • We Keep it Rollin – Night Two of Phish at MSG, December 29, 2016

    Phish is halfway through their 4 shows at Madison Square Garden and we’re looking at one of the best holiday runs in recent memory. Starting off each of the last two nights with an acapella number (“Sweet Adeline” on the December 29, 2016, “The Star Spangled Banner” on the 28th), bust outs galore (“Lonesome Cowboy Bill,” “Kung,” “Secret Smile”) and powerhouse jams that are sending us into 2017 with a head full of steam.

    Phish December 29 2016The 29th featured an intense “Peaches en Regalia” post-“Adeline” that dropped into a strong “Mike’s Song,” and while many were itching for the elusive second jam in “Mike’s,” the vibe was interrupted by “Secret Smile,” the first since 2013. “Smile” cast a lull before “Weekapaug Groove” and “Roses are Free” provided a needed jolt of energy, “Theme from the Bottom” > “Split Open and Melt” was a fantastic pairing to cap a well rounded set.

    Phish December 29 2016Opening the second set with “Down with Disease,” Phish launched into an expansive jam with an awkward shift into a blissful “What’s the Use?,” followed by “Fuego” which grew into a “Meatstick” that was well jammed. “20 Years Later” gave up its jam for “Kung” which slowly drifted into “Makisupa Policeman” with a “vaping” keyword from Fishman. A perfectly placed “Harry Hood” ended the set with incredible bliss and joy throughout the audience, especially this guy and ended with a “Julius” encore that literally had the venue bouncing with joy.

    Two down, two to go.

    Phish, December 29, 2016, Madison Square Garden, NY, NY

    SET 1: Sweet Adeline, Peaches en Regalia > Mike’s Song > Secret Smile > Weekapaug Groove, Roses Are Free, Poor Heart, 46 Days, Brian and Robert, Beauty of a Broken Heart, Theme From the Bottom > Split Open and Melt

    SET 2: Down with Disease[1] -> What’s the Use? > Fuego > Meatstick, Twenty Years Later -> Kung -> Twenty Years Later > Makisupa Policeman, Harry Hood

    ENCORE: Julius

    [1] Unfinished.
    Setlist courtesy of Phish.net

  • David Gilmour Mesmerizes NYC for Three Nights at Two World-Famous Concert Halls

    After almost immediately selling out one show at Madison Square Garden, the voice of Pink Floyd added a second night, and with the ticket demand still high, added a third night at Radio City Music Hall last month. David Gilmour recently concluded the North American portion of his Rattle That Lock world tour at the two famous NYC concert venues, and the rock legend mesmerized audience members fortunate enough to score tickets for one, two or even all three nights with his iconic guitar work. Photos by Carl Scheffel/MSG Photos

     

    david gilmour madison square gardenGilmour’s NYC run began at Radio City on April 10 with many ticket holders still in line outside on 50th St. as he struck the first notes of “5 A.M.” Aside from this minor setback, the experience of this performance was quite special. The acoustics in the 6,000-seat music hall created a big, clean sound that washed over and enveloped every seat. Rather than a typical concert feel, the  aesthetics of this performance made it seem like Gilmour was playing an intimate home living room show.

    On the other hand, the arena setting of Madison Square Garden created a larger-than-life rock concert atmosphere for Gilmour’s performance. Not as cozy of a setting as Radio City, the crowd feel was looser and livelier. If we were to compare the two venues for an act such as Foo Fighters, MSG would likely claim the title for best event. However, the experience of Radio City was unsurpassed for seeing such a legend as Gilmour.

    The set list for all three shows remained the same, save for a swap of “On An Island” and “The Girl in the Yellow Dress” during the second set. While it would have been interesting to hear more variety between each night, there were no complaints in having more opportunities to absorb the solos on “High Hopes” and “Comfortably Numb,” just to name a few. Gilmour’s overall selection of songs covered a palatable range of Pink Floyd classics and his 2006 and 2015 solo releases.

    david gilmour madison square gardenBefore claiming disgruntlement for the sets not including more Pink Floyd staples, it’s important to remember that these weren’t Pink Floyd shows, as some MSG concert-goers expected. The new songs appearing on Gilmour’s Rattle That Lock were met with mixed paces of acceptance (typical for an artist’s first live performance of new material), but for the dedicated Gilmour/Pink Floyd fans, his shows hit the mark and lived up to expectations.

    The fundamental anticipations of Gilmour’s NYC run were his extraordinary guitar work, performed on his Workmate (1955 Fender Esquire), The Black Strat (1969 Fender Stratocaster) and his Jedson lap steel, among others. Whenever the cue came that Gilmour was about to break into his solo, cheers erupted before he even started. Particularly during “High Hopes,” the audience melted into their seats as Gilmour backed away from the front of the stage to take a seat at his lap steel. Gilmour’s big intro on “Sorrow” knocked everyone back as it inflated Radio City’s art deco ceiling and shook some dust from MSG’s recently renovated canopy. The only disappointment was that “Comfortably Numb” did not last all night.

    david gilmour madison square gardenJoining Gilmour on this tour were many of the musicians who recorded on Rattle That Lock and some who have performed with him on previous tours, including the final Pink Floyd tour. To his right, the Roxy Music alumnus and renowned writer/producer Phil Manzanara complemented Gilmour’s guitar lines. Also joining Gilmour were Jon Carin and Kevin McAlea (keys), Steve DiStanislao (drums), João de Macedo Mello (saxes), Guy Pratt (bass) and Bryan Chambers, Louise Marshall and Lucy Jules (backing vocals). Although Gilmour remained in the spotlight, members from his tight-knit backing band occasionally took the lead or shared part in vocals Chambers’ memorable lead in the chorus of “In Any Tongue.”

    On the visual front, lighting designer Marc Brickman and his crew nicely balanced painting a canvas behind the songs without over-dramatizing, and threw in a few clever chases from the lights around the moon screen that played on its geometry. Though the stage took a very similar form to Pink Floyd’s The Division Bell tour in 1994, it fit well for Gilmour’s solo performance.

    If Gilmour’s shows were entirely about his guitar work, it wouldn’t be the mark of a well-rounded performance. Several moments throughout the show made it wholesome in that regard. The simple guitar duet “Wish You Were Here” solicited a 6,000- and 18,000-person sing-along (heard all the way down in the Financial District) that joined the audience together early in the set. “Money” took a funky turn after de Macedo Mello’s roaring sax solo as Gilmour doodled over his rhythm section, ending the song in full energy. The driving performances of “Astronomy Dominé” and the vocal call-and-response of Gilmour and Pratt on “Run Like Hell” breathed life into the second set, and also nicely bookended the set with two distinct periods in Pink Floyd history.

    MSG may have been particularly subdued for the jazz-driven “The Girl in the Yellow Dress,” but the change in pace showed a songwriting side of Gilmour not seen before and gave de Macedo Mello an opportunity to show his chops in a more conventional setting. On a more serious subject, some found themselves transfixed on the animated video set to “In Any Tongue,” a very powerful and personal song resonating with those affected by recent wars. With so many moments speaking louder than words, we’ll have to wait for a DVD of one of his tour stops to be released to speak for itself (though video of another venue cannot enumerate the experience precipitated by Madison Square Garden and Radio City).

    While this will likely be Gilmour’s last big tour as hinted in his Rolling Stone interview last year, it hopefully won’t be the last the U.S. will see of him. After cheers of “David! David!” following “Comfortably Numb” on his final night at MSG, Gilmour concluded his thank-yous with, “we’ll see you again one of these days.” With Roger Waters performing The Wall at Yankee Stadium in 2013 and Gilmour’s three nights in NYC in 2016, many bucket lists for younger Pink Floyd fans now have a few more checkmarks. Regardless of whether or not Gilmour will again gift stages here in New York with his presence, these three nights will be remembered forever.

    Gilmour continues his Rattle That Lock tour in Europe, including two nights on July 7 and 8 at the Pompeii Roman Amphitheatre, where Pink Floyd’s Live at Pompeii was recorded, and several evenings at The Royal Albert Hall, London, in September.

    Set 1: 5 A.M., Rattle That Lock, Faces of Stone, Wish You Were Here, What Do You Want From Me, A Boat Lies Waiting, The Blue, Money, Us and Them, In Any Tongue, High Hopes

    Set 2: Astronomy Dominé, Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Fat Old Sun, Coming Back To Life, On An Island*/The Girl In The Yellow Dress**, Today, Sorrow, Run Like Hell

    Encore: Time->Breathe (Reprise), Comfortably Numb

    *Radio City Music Hall only
    **Madison Square Garden only

  • MSG Execs Caught in Ticket Scalping Scandal

    Several MSG employees have been terminated following an investigation that revealed scalping – taking tickets to events and reselling them for profit.

    Madisonsquaregarden

    According to the New York Post, about a half dozen sales executives were caught reselling tickets to Knicks games on the after-market ticket site StubHub. The internal investigation uncovered a scheme where the employees would buy the lowest priced tickets, often those the teams would reserve for group sales, and sell them at a higher price online. The purchase of tickets by MSG employees is restricted by company policy. Employees must have written permission to purchase tickets. However, because the sales team has direct access to the tickets, their process is different.

    This is not the first time MSG employees have been caught in a ticket scalping scam. In 1996, then-CEO Checketts terminated five ticket office employees for reselling tickets following a six-month investigation.

    PIX11 also reported that the New York Attorney General’s office has accused MSG sales executives and a senior executive of illegally assisting ticket brokers with acquiring tickets for popular events to sell at huge profits. The Attorney General has said that oftentimes the tickets are given to the online ticket brokers before they’re even made available for public purchase.

    This comes around the time the Attorney General released a report from a three-year investigation into the concert ticketing industry, as we previously reported.

    Thankfully, websites like cashortrade.org are building a community of people who are only willing to buy and sell tickets at face value, bucking the trend of screwing fans out of money to see their favorite musicians perform.

  • 20 Years Lost and Found at the Garden

    This is not a review of the 2015 New Year’s Eve run but rather a fan’s retrospect on seeing Phish 21 times at Madison Square Garden since 1995. – ed.

    Twenty years ago, on December 31, 1995, I descended upon New York City for my first Phish New Year’s Eve show at Madison Square Garden. I was 18, new to the city and accompanied by my two 16-year-old best friends. Our tickets were floor; row X to be exact. Soon after the show began, my two friends retreated to for the security of the well-lit hallways leaving me by myself with nothing but their shoes as reassurance that they would eventually return.

    After deducing that I was alone, scared and a little bit lost, the two men situated beside me took me under their wing. One of them was old enough to be my grandfather. He gave me a smooth stone adorned with a yin yang to hold in my palm and bought me ice cream. That night, as Phish’s Time Factory counted down the minutes to midnight, I remember looking up into the stands from the floor and thinking everyone looked like ants. I tried putting the fact that I did not know where I was staying on Long Island or how to use public transportation in the back of my head and surrender to the flow.

    The GardenI left that show that night unsure of what exactly I had just witnessed, filled with feelings I could not put into words. One thing that was for certain, I would never quite be able to see live music the same ever again.

    Fast forward 20 years. Just as I had from 2010 to 2014, I hopped on a train down to New York City with Phish on December 29, 2015 for my 18th through 21st Phish shows at Madison Square Garden.

    It was night 2 and the excitement for the New Year’s Eve stunt was building as I snuck away before set 3 to fill some water bottles for my crew and I. I was standing at the drinking fountain filling three empty Dasani water bottles when a security guard walking through the halls stopped in his tracks and gave me the dirtiest look, quipping incredulously, “Three?! Really three?! You’ve really got to be that greedy?”

    First, I tried to put myself in his shoes … maybe he felt I was somehow taking money from his pocket by not purchasing three new bottled waters from the venue. Then, I found myself wanting to explain how much I hate purchasing bottled water, especially when there was no recycling in the venue. I wanted to stop and make him understand that these bottles of water were not just for me, but for my friends. I was able to eek out a meek apology, for what I wasn’t sure. As I made my way back to my section, I realized I was spinning my wheels for no reason. The security guard simply “doesn’t get it.” And how lucky are we that we do?

    The lights dimmed and a laser beam visual-effect gave way to what some have called a teepee or a cone. I immediately perceived it as an hourglass, the sands of time slowly dripping from the upper bulb to the lower bulb where the band was situated. As an ambient jam out of “No Men in No Man’s Land” escorted us into a new year, I looked around the Garden, reflecting on the sharp contrast between how at home I felt amidst 20,000 strangers at that moment to how alone and scared I had felt twenty years ago in this same spot. Instead of ants, this time I looked around the Garden and saw individual faces of friends, waves of people I’ve met through the years. We are, after all, just one Phish show away from being friends.

    Ironically we got a “Carini” in the final set, and as kitschy as “Backwards Down the Number Line” is, it played right into my mindset. Maneuvering through “Cavern,” I couldn’t help but feel the time was growing nearer and my mission was clearer than ever. The lyrics “Whatever you do, take care of your shoes” hit me hard. I looked at my girlfriend with tears in my eyes and we both smiled knowingly at one another. This wasn’t about our shoes. We are the lizards, destined for no man’s land if we don’t do something to change our future.

    The GardenAs we made our way out of the show, someone tried to take a balloon out onto the streets of New York City. As they gently prodding the orange ball around the snaking stairwell, I realized the balloon was not much different than quest to find meaning in the shows and to carry a message home that lasts after the music ends. As I laid my head on my pillow in the wee-morning hours on January 1 and removed the faded glow stick from my wrist, I began a text message to myself, letting the thoughts flow, still unsure what form they would take.

    Everyone knows there’s got to be one slow night in a four-night run. For some that was night 3. For me, night 3 took on a poignant tone, shining light on another example of just how connected we are to the band and they are to us. I had read in a Facebook group that the ashes of Gayla Samuels, a phan whose light was snubbed out by cancer in 2015, had been tossed onto the stage on New Year’s Eve. I couldn’t help but draw some correlations to the band’s song choice on night 3 from “Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan” and “Heavy Things” to “Down with Disease” and “Dirt” and think of a young life ended much too soon. Maybe it was just me, but during “Farmhouse,” it seemed to me Trey put a bit more emphasis on the line “every man returns to dust.”

    Night 4 was a bang-up, drag-down rock-n-roll show that shook the Garden to the rafters. At the close of set 2, with a “Harry Hood“and “You Enjoy Myself” behind us and a “Tweezer Reprise” on the table, what could they possibly encore with? If there was any doubt that I needed to try and make sense of this crazy show of life we’ve been on for the past 30 years, it was immediately washed from my brain when the first notes of “The Lizards” rang out. In my 20 years of following Phish, I had no intention of writing a review ever, fearful I didn’t know enough about stats or the band or the music to have anything relevant to share, certain whatever I might say would be met with criticism and negativity. Then, I finally got the message loud and clear.

    The GardenWe are no longer children blindly following a band searching for their footing. We are a functionally dysfunctional family of teachers, engineers, entrepreneurs, accountants, writers, artists, lovers, friends and acquaintances. We are inspired by the music to create art, pins, posters, t-shirts, merchandise, and we support each other by purchasing it. We are an economic powerhouse that can fill hotels in New York City, coordinate trips to Mexico and Europe, all in the name of our band. We generated at least $720,000 in local and state tax revenues during the three-day Magnaball concert, according to Watkins Glen International racetrack.

    The real question is how do we represent ourselves and our band the other 300 plus days of the year when we aren’t on tour? How do we harness that energy that keeps us coming back year after year to venue after venue and channel it into doing something to have a positive impact on our communities and our world? If we are willing to do things like wait in six hour re-release lines or have our entire campsite destroyed in storms at Deer Creek, only to come back for more, then what else are we capable of?

    Together as a fan base, we have help each other score tickets, bring down the hammer on scalpers, fund Mariachi bands, sky writers and fellow phan’s medical bills. What would happen if we carried that message and energy beyond the shows and into our everyday lives? Perhaps it’s just as simple as picking up a few glow sticks or used balloons after a show or buying a new or young fan an ice cream cone at a show. Maybe that means volunteering at a nursing home, gathering donations for our local food pantry or participating in a fundraiser to help the homeless?

    There are plenty of opportunities to give back which we as a fan base have staunchly supported. Founded in 1999, the Mimi Fishman Auction has worked closely with bands like Phish, The String Cheese Incident, Yonder Mountain String Band, moe. and Umphrey’s McGee to provide high quality sought-after items for online auctions which have raised approximately $350,000 for The American Glaucoma Society, among others, and launched The Mimi Fishman Adventure Camp at the Delta Gamma Center for Children with Visual Impairments. Phish’s WaterWheel Foundation has raised over $1 million dollars for more than 425 groups, primarily benefiting women and children and the environment with a focus on clean water and land conservation, as well as food banks, urban gardening and more.

    Surrender to the Flow (Phish) Yoga has raised more than $10,000 for Street Yoga and The Mockingbird Foundation, an entirely volunteer run, non-profit organization founded by Phish fans which has raised over $843,000 to support music education for children, providing 261 grants in 45 states since 1996. And in 2015, over 1,600 volunteers logged over 30,000 hours diverting over 2 million pounds of waste from landfills through recycling and composting at 37 concerts through Clean Vibes.

    Graphic provided by Clean Vibes, January 2015.

    We have the potential to be a force for social change. We can make a difference by deciding to vote with our money and our voices, by being more aware of our economic footprint and purposeful with how we spend our spare time so we can raise our children in a world we can be proud of. We are living in times of uncertainty, but each show gives us a glimmer of hope for a brighter future. Over the past 30 years, we have covered many miles, lost our possessions, lost our inhibitions and our minds. But together we’ve also found so much more.

    What remains long after the show is over is the human connection; the companions we take along on our ride, singing, laughing or crying, brought to our knees by the pure beauty and unadulterated madness of it all. Suddenly, all those nonsensical lyrics, they’re beginning to make a heck of a lot of sense. Your trip is short, so make it count. If we have to be stuck in this tube, why not be stupendous? If nothing comes down, then we’re forced to swim up. We’ve got one life to live and our worst days are gone.

    After all these years of following Phish, nothing has changed, but everything is different. If Phish can make a comeback, keep redefining themselves and pushing the envelope decade after decade, why can’t we?

  • Phish Saves the Best for Last on January 2, 2016

    And then there was one. One last night of Phish, their last show in the U.S. until June or July, one last night to get down and dance with 20,000 of your best friends in the World’s Most Famous Arena. Bringing the run to a close meant following up from January 1, a disjointed night that was tame compared to the two juggernauts that preceded. Phish picked up on January 2, 2016, where the “Blaze On” > “Carini” > “David Bowie” left off in the early morning of January 1.

    phish January 2 2016When I got into MSG around 8:15 P.M., I heard the opening notes to “AC/DC Bag,” and it seemed like the classic opener had returned to blast us off into the night, but having wrapped things up at the PhanArt show in the hour prior, I missed the Chilling Thrilling Sounds of “Your Pet Cat,” which does the same trick as “Bag” but with a more recent incarnation of adrenaline pumping funk. All the same, walking in for “Bag” and the trio of early 90’s tunes followed – “NICU,” “It’s Ice,” and “Horn,” felt like the show was on track for classic MSG run status.

    The gap between halves of the set was bridged by a fluid “Divided Sky,” but it was the “Axilla” that followed that questioned the structural integrity of the Garden, as the crowd jumped up and down, expelling the pent up energy that “Sky” tends to bottle, and shaking the arena throughout the song. “Maze” kept the energy high as Page tore up the organ and had Trey watching intently and parroting off the Chairman of the Boards.

    phish January 2 2016With Fishman gently brushing his drums, a balancing “Train Song” arose, bringing tears to the eyes of those chasing the soft Billy Breathes tune, a rarity these days, but a beautiful one at that. Julius reinvigorated the crowd to close the set, one that started strong and finished out the same. Fans then awaited the final of nine sets that Phish would play this run, ventured around the concourse one last time and saw friends they may not see until Summer Tour or beyond, or perhaps resting their legs and reflecting on a crazy, music-filled weekend in the Mecca of music.

    phish January 2 2016As the lights dropped and Trey softly played the opening notes to “Tweezer”, the second set jam vehicle of legend, the audience exulted. The jam slowly built and never let up, and had some back and forth between Trey and Page for a bit, but the final two minutes of Tweezer really shone in an accelerated “What’s the Use?” jam that brought the 22 minute tour de force to a close before pouring into “Sand.” Even still, after “Tweezer”, there was no let up on this “Sand,” which garnered cheers from the “Flowing through the hourglass” line, now forever intwined with the ‘Hourglass Jam’ that rang in 2016 two nights prior.

    “Limb by Limb” and “Suzy Greenberg” were well placed between two heavy duty bookends to the set – “Limb” played safe and standard, while “Suzy” brought MVP Page back to slather some mustard on the piano, New York deli style. While “Harry Hood” was perfectly dropped out of “Suzy,” it felt as if it was cut short by Trey, just before an even more exploratory jam was about to begin. “You Enjoy Myself” capped the set in the way no other song can, carried out with a funk jam and Trey hopping on drums for a bit before closing out with a trippy vocal jam.

    Returning to the stage, the buzz was centered on “Fluffhead,” which hadn’t been played since August 2014. What feels like years of waiting will feel a little longer as Phish opted for a combo of “The Lizards” and “Tweezer Reprise,” one that constitutes a single “Fluffhead,” which is one part rarity (The Lizards) and one part energy builder with a huge payoff (Tweezer Reprise). There were no complaints with this set, let alone the entire show. While January 2, 2016 marked the best show of the run, with the Mayan Riviera shows coming up in a week, the bar for the year is set high with this final performance from the New Years run.

    Setlist via Phish.net

    Set 1: Your Pet Cat, AC/DC Bag > NICU, It’s Ice > Horn > Divided Sky, Axilla >Maze, Train Song > Julius

    Set 2: Tweezer > Sand > Limb By Limb > Suzy Greenberg > Harry Hood > You Enjoy Myself[1]

    Encore: The Lizards, Tweezer Reprise

    [1] Trey briefly joined Fish on drums.

  • Phish Jams Their First Show of 2016

    After an energetic night one and spectacular New Year’s Eve show, the boys took the stage for night three at Madison Square Garden. The first Phish song on Jan. 1, 2016 was “Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan.” The lyrics could not have related more to a crowd of people nursing hangovers and wondering what exactly happened last night.

    Phish 2016

    Page McConnell got down to business early in the first set with “Heavy Things.” After a few moments of onstage, private discussion between Trey Anastasio and each other member of the band, they picked back up again with “How Many People Are You?” a Mike Gordon and Scott Murawski original. The song was upbeat and Gordon seemed pleased to be in the spotlight, while Anastasio added flare on guitar. On to “Stash,” the crowd fulfilled its duty to sing the “whoa-ohs” and to double clap right on cue. The song also provided an opportunity for a rather spacey and almost eerie jam in which McConnell and Anastasio played off one another quite well. The “Stash” jam eventually crescendoed into an intense, screaming guitar solo that left the crowd cheering for more.

    Like “Stealing Time,” “Undermind” was the perfect chance for McConnell to pounce on the keys, providing the light, playful sound to an already funky tune. Then came the best part with Anastasio circling back to incorporate the riff from “Stash” and then to a “Stealing Time” tease.

    Phish 2016A straightforward but near perfect “Rift” and phans were ready to put their wingsuits on. “Wingsuit” allowed both concertgoers and the band to relax if only for a few minutes. Since its release in 2014, the song has solidified itself in their repertoire, beginning with a breezy intro but making its way to an explosive display of instrumental technicality. The pressure from “Wingsuit” subsided with an easy-going “Ocelot.” McConnell the lounge singer stepped up to the mic and delighted fans with “Lawn Boy.” He introduced Gordon who took a few minutes to deliver a bluesy bass solo. “Run Like an Antelope”—an eternally pleasing song—included a scorching solo from Big Red, which hit every single note. “Antelope” returns with teases of “Stash” and “Stealing Time.”

    After set break, the boys returned to the stage and captivated the audience with the unmistakable, ominous intro and bass line of “Down with Disease.” The jam provided opportunities for each member to put their best foot forward. It was a perfect second-set opener that seamlessly blended into “Dirt” and then to “Halfway to the Moon,” where McConnell stole the show with a thunderous storm of keys and vocals. “Theme From the Bottom” was passionate and heartfelt, characteristically starting out slow and chill, as it built into an incredible jam (my personal favorite of the evening). This was followed by a 17-minute “Light” that delivered a round-the-world deconstructed jam with ups, downs, space and intensity that was largely led by Anastasio with a “Manteca” tease.

    The evening, already speckled with Fuego, led to a strong performance of the album’s title track. Although relatively new, fans sang along enthusiastically—a sure sign of both acceptance and enjoyment. The band then segued into “Slave to the Traffic Light,” a senior song for the quartet, that provided a passionate and emotional close to the second set. After a brief intermission, Phish returned to the stage for “Farmhouse,” the solo encore track that ended the evening.

    Night three of Phish’s New Year’s run was filled with some amazing and thoughtfully layered jams, but there was an uncharacteristic lack of band-to-crowd dialogue; they even seemed to leave the stage more abruptly than usual. Perhaps we weren’t the only ones feeling the fatiguing effects of the prior evening that left a blank space where our minds should be.

    Setlist via Phish.net

    Set 1: Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan, Heavy Things, How Many People Are You, Stash, Undermind > Rift, Wingsuit, Ocelot, Lawn Boy, Run Like an Antelope

    Set 2: Down with Disease[1] > Dirt, Halfway to the Moon > Theme From the Bottom> Light > Fuego > Slave to the Traffic Light

    Encore: Farmhouse

    [1] Unfinished
    · Stash, Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan, and How Many People Are You teases in Undermind
    · Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan, Stash, and How Many People Are You teases in Run Like an Antelope · Manteca and Linus and Lucy teases in Light

  • Phish New Year’s Eve 2015

    When Phish walked off stage after the encore of their New Year’s Eve show on December 31, 2015, I had to take a few moments to begin to digest what I just witnessed. I found myself posing the same question I ask myself after monumental Phish experiences: “Are Phish fans insatiable?” Perhaps there’s never a light at the end of the tunnel and as fans, we’re generated by the fear of missing out on moments of pure musical bliss.

    We make huge sacrifices; we miss weddings, funerals, take time off work and spend every hard earned dollar on Phish chasing those irreplaceable moments. There’s a reason even the most seasoned veteran feels the exact same fear of missing out as a new fan – because Phish is really fucking good at what they do and after closing out 2015, their most successful year as a unit since they reunited in 2009, the band still found a new creative space to step into and out of as they pushed the envelope further than they ever have at the Garden.

    Phish New Year's Eve 2015The band took a new approach to how fans see and experience a show in Madison Square Garden by utilizing an innovative space in the room for the first time during their New Year’s gag. As the third set started, all four members rose up on a small stage at the back of the house. Once the band was positioned under a funnel shaped screen a curtain suspended fully encapsulating the quartet in a full cone shaped hourglass complete with a full light show. This new, visually aesthetic treat was something that shed a light on why Phish fans come back time and time again. The deeper undertone of the hourglass is open to interpretation, but it looked like that band was literally lost in time and in full control of their musical destiny.

    Phish New Year's Eve 2015New Year’s Eve is one of the most anticipated nights for live music all year and along with Halloween is one of the toughest tickets to get. Phish delivered three sets and an encore full of musical highlights, stretching many of their songs well beyond their traditional norms and as the band broke into a new stratosphere there was no looking back. The first set saw some serious heat in a nice extended, delay-based jam from Trey in “Wolfman’s Brother,” the sold out crowd singing the outro to “I Didn’t Know” and a smoking “Reba” > “Walls of the Cave” to cap off the first set was just a warm up, though packed full of heat. The second set was where Phish took standard songs and stretched them into something great through some stellar improvisation. The “Kill Devil Falls” -> “Piper” -> “Twist” was some of the most beautiful pieces of improvisation and the most fluid transitions of the entire run. With two sets under their belt, the band was flexing their range and evidently having so much fun on stage.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c677Pft7rWo

    As the band completed their appearing gag and jammed “No Men in No Man’s Land” under the cone, the band returned to the main stage for “Blaze On,” which they jammed out for over 15 minutes. Phish debuted “No Men” and “Blaze On” when they kicked off their summer tour on the west coast and both songs have quickly become crowd favorites. It was promising to see the band bookend their last notes of 2015 and their first notes of 2016 with new music wrapped around the traditional New Year’s number “Auld Lang Syne.” In my mind, I had a similar feeling to the Wingsuit set on Halloween of 2013. It felt like a promise to the fans, a promise that spoke vividly about how that the best was yet to come. In 2015, Phish hit a stride that was unmistakable and a lot of that had to do with Trey coming off five extremely successful shows with the reunited Grateful Dead. Phish has been on the road longer than they were on hiatus and a rumor of a new album is picking up traction with these new songs fully embedded in the band’s history from last year.

    Phish New Year's Eve 2015Being a fan of improvisational jam band music means that you’re open to trying new things and after your ticket gets scanned and you walk into the venue, you’re taking a musical leap of faith and a risk to explore parts unknown. As Phish closed the chapter of 2015 they proved that they’re firing from all cylinders with their foot firmly pressing down on the gas pedal looking into 2016. It seems as if the band is unstoppable of even being slowed down and no matter what they do next, they’ll do it with grace and conviction. There’s simply no better way to ring in the new year than with a garden party and whether the band is flying in on a hot dog, being raised on hydraulic lifts, literally staging a runaway golf cart marathon, playing on top of an equipment truck or fully encapsulating themselves under a psychedelic hourglass, for that brief moment perhaps you can quench that insatiable thirst for more Phish.

    Setlist via phish.net

    Set 1: The Moma Dance > Possum, Wolfman’s Brother, Birds of a Feather, I Didn’t Know, Happy Birthday to You[1], Martian Monster, Reba, Walls of the Cave

     Set 2: The Wedge > Wilson > A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing, Yarmouth Road, Kill Devil Falls > Piper > Twist

     Set 3: No Men In No Man’s Land, Auld Lang Syne > Blaze On > Carini > David Bowie, The Horse > Silent in the Morning > Backwards Down the Number Line

     Encore: Tube > Cavern

  • Phish Show no Signs of Rust in MSG Opener, December 30, 2015

    It really shouldn’t have come as even the slightest surprise that Phish opened their four-night New Year’s run at Madison Square Garden on December 30, 2015, looking and sounding fresh, full of energy and playing with something to prove. Sure, we know the four-piece needs not do anything to further cement the Vermont band’s legacy, yet coming off maybe the best summer tour in 20 years, Phish came out at the world’s most famous arena and showed they continue to take steps forward heading into their 33rd year.

    Phish December 30 2015This show started off as a Trey lover’s wet dream. “Sample In a Jar” kicked the festivities off in fine fashion, with Anastasio showing the renewed vigor in his fingers had carried over from the summer. His short lead was crisp and fluid, and featured bursts of notes that show he has been practicing a lot. “Free” continued the Trey-led theme, as Anastasio was a rapid-fire genius from about 6 minutes on, up until the song’s closing coda. “Simple”>”Back on the Train” displayed a little full-band interplay, but again it was Anastasio who owned the section, before “Waiting All Night” and “555” slowed things down and funked them back up.

    Phish December 30 2015A sublime “Roggae” gently gave way to a story of a child being frightened by a big, scary dog. A rollicking version of 2014 Halloween favorite “The Dogs” gave way to a set-closing “46 Days,” where Anastasio and Page McConnell traded haunting, yet tasty licks, sending the crowd completely amped up heading into set break.

    Opening up the second set was “Chalk Dust Torture,” and like so many in recent years, this version delivers on all cylinders. About a third of the way in, McConnell begins playing a progression around bassist Mike Gordon’s repetitive but catchy bass line. Anastasio falls to the background, strumming chunky chords laden with effects while drummer Jon Fishman added his special touch by seemingly hitting every piece of his kit. This then gives way to a groove best described as ambient-jazz-funk and then into pure ambient territory before Anastasio starts hitting chords reminiscent of “After Midnight.”

    Phish December 30 2015Up next was “Ghost,” and it wouldn’t be a notable version if it didn’t sandwich a brand new song, “Can’t Always listen,” which I honestly thought was “Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad” for a handful of seconds. A line from the chorus, “The stars are sitting pretty/and the world’s just spinning fine,” made for an upbeat and happy vibe of the song that simply made me smile and think that everything will be fine. Sit back, forget about everything else, and enjoy these four nights with four guys on stage and 20,000 of my closest friends.

    Phish December 30 2015A segue back to a short “Ghost” jam gave way to a “Waves” that proved inspired, but wasn’t anything to get crazy over. Phish decided that during the 15:17 that followed, the duration of “Bathtub Gin,” that they were going to take us on a sonic journey. There are so many times in my years of seeing this band that I am convinced they read each other’s minds, but this “Gin,” which did not contain a moment of down time or any confusing parts, proved my thoughts right. The last five minutes soar to a level that only Phish can climb to. If the Magnaball “Gin” was a surprising treat that brought the song back to its improvisational roots, then the “MSGin” surpasses that in stature and cohesion alone.

    “Mike’s Song”>”Bouncing Around the Room”>”Weekapaug Groove”>”What’s the Use?”>”Weekapaug” closed out the set in superb style, because who doesn’t love a “WTU?”? Sandwiched in a “Mike’s Groove” is a pretty way to serve it up. “Character Zero” in the encore slot was raging and saw Anastasio blow the roof off the Garden.

    Walking out in the mass of people, I couldn’t help but be crazily animated and excited by what I just saw and heard, and what was about to come.

    Setlist via Phish.net

    Phish December 30, 2015, Madison Square Garden, NY, NY

    Set 1: Sample in a Jar, Free, Simple > Back on the Train, Waiting All Night, 555,Roggae, The Dogs > 46 Days

    Set 2: Chalk Dust Torture > Ghost > Can’t Always Listen* > Ghost > Waves >Bathtub Gin > Mike’s Song > Bouncing Around the Room > Weekapaug Groove ->What’s the Use? > Weekapaug Groove

    Encore: Character Zero

    *first time played