NYS Music 20​17

Tag: Madison Square Garden

  • Phish Delivers Strike Three at The Garden

    With two nights in the books, and raised expectations thanks to the lore of the “30th” show, Phish dealt a musical hand that would be hard to beat last night.  The first set played like an epic second set at points and saw an old favorite song get revamped.  The second set featured the Vermont rock stars in peak jaw-dropping improvisational form and was bookended with two of the more legendary songs in Phish canon.  And the encore was filled with thousands of fans singing the keyboardist’s favorite song before “Tweezer Reprise” ended the show in ragingly appropriate fashion. All this and it’s not even 2018 yet.

    phish the garden deliversTo the delight of many, Phish went back to its roots with a classic opening sequence of “Mike’s Song” > “I Am Hydrogen” > “Weekapaug Groove” that was once more than a regular sequence on set lists but seems to have petered out in recent years in favor of different permutations of “Mike’s Groove.”  The iconic opening guitar lick was met with a resounding roar from the crowd and the band never looked back from there. “Hydrogen” gave Lighting Director Chris Kuroda a chance to show off his mood lighting as he added a perfect visual backdrop for the moody instrumental number. No sooner had the closing notes of “Weekapaug Groove” been played before guitarist Trey Anastasio ripped into another iconic opening guitar riff – this one belonging to “Tweezer,” a first set rarity to say the least. By this time, The Garden was in full “bouncy house” mode with the ground noticeably shaking and seemingly moving along in unison with everything else.

    Following a soaring jam that touched on a myriad of themes, Anastasio huddled with Jon Fishman briefly before the drummer belted out the crowd favorite “Ass Handed.”  Before long, the entire crowd, with nothing but the house lights on, was singing along in full unison, the first of two memorable sing-a-longs this evening.  As if not to stem the energy too much, a blistering “Kill Devil Falls” followed that flowed ever so effortlessly into “Bathtub Gin” which had a majestic jam attached to it, further solidifying the second set feel to this first one.  Soon after another energized reception from the crowd, bassist Mike Gordon began soloing in what turned out to be a new take on the old school number “Brother,” with this version taking a slower, more rhythmic approach.  First set closer du jour “More” then capped off a first set that already felt like an entire show’s worth of music.

    Topping a first set like that would normally be difficult, but Phish attempted to do so with another epic jam vehicle, this one being a more traditionally placed “Down with Disease” second set opener.  The ensuing improv was Phish at their finest, with a jam that grew in scale and intensity before settling into “Steam.”  This newer song evoked memories of New Years’ past when the band used it as part of their “gag” and played it while elevated on risers.  “Light” kept the energy going in full force, highlighted by steady play and typical sound melodies from keyboardist Page McConnell. “Farmhouse” then delivered the second set “breather” song everyone had been waiting for before the set was bookended with another Phish staple, a breakneck speed, intense “Run Like an Antelope.”  With no encore even necessary after a performance like that, it did offer the crowd one last chance to join together in song via “Sleeping Monkey” before the expected “Tweezer Reprise” closer blew the lid off the world’s most famous arena…again.  Three special nights of music are now complete as Phish begins plans for its 17th show at Madison Square Garden in the year 2017.  What they have left in the tank is anyone’s guess.

    Setlist via Phish.net

    Set 1: Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Tweezer > Ass Handed, Kill Devil Falls > Bathtub Gin, Brother, More

    Set 2: Down with Disease[1] -> Steam > Light > Farmhouse, Run Like an Antelope

    Encore: Sleeping Monkey > Tweezer Reprise

    [1] Unfinished

  • Phish Break New Ground on December 29 in Push for 17 in 2017

    The members of Phish returned to Madison Square Garden for an unprecedented 15th time in 2017 on Friday, December 29, 2017, and while the first set showcased a few stumbles along the way, the band showed it’s still pushing brand new boundaries heading into its 35th year.

    With biting winds and the repetitiveness of yet another MSG jaunt, fans filled the sideways, bars and restaurants of midtown Manhattan, pre-show prepping for an unpredictably wild night. Off the bat, the band slid into the slinky intro of “Cavern,” typically a set closer. While Trey Anastasio mixed up a few lyrics, he set the tone for the evening. A lengthened “Blaze On” followed that fell into jazzy ambiance before bassist Mike Gordon leaped into his song, “555.”

    phish december 29 2017“I Always Wanted It This Way,” keyboardist Page McConnell’s tune, stretched out from 1980s-like quirkiness into a vast yet quite dark jam. “Martian Monster” and “Heavy Things” saw the band have a little fun, notably the interplay between Anastasio and McConnell in the latter. “Destiny Unbound,” somewhat of a rarity, injected a breath of life into the crowd. Stretching to nearly nine minutes, this version of “Destiny” is longer than all in recent memory, but it was clear the band hadn’t practiced it much prior.

    “Ocelot” slowly turned into a jam that featured Anastasio’s slinky fretwork, built up to a peak rife with tension. A little bit of his old school bravado from the mid-1990s was on display, dancing runs of notes up and down with little abandoned. While some fans are growing a bit weary of The Garden, Phish doesn’t appear to be among them. Launching into the set closing “Walls Of The Cave,” Phish was set to send us all to the restrooms and beer lines with a little extra pep in our steps. Anastasio had a little trouble with the intro, but he was pushed by excellent drum work by Jon Fishman, who was quietly the most important piece of the band in the set. With his extra effort rubbing off on Anastasio, Phish set “WotC” into orbit with a frenetic finish, capped off by incredible lighting from Chris Kuroda, who has incorporated seemingly every house light in the building with his rig to make for quite a stunning visual component.

    The tone was immediately set when the first strums of “Sand” echoed through the sold out Garden. Anastasio quickly made use of his new toys on his completely redesigned guitar rig. Designed by Custom Audio Electronics, the set features new cabinets and a wide array of new options for Anastasio to incorporate.

    With the “Chalk Dust Torture” that followed, the band unleashed a jam that quickly became the highlight of the night. After the typical song portion, Anastasio bullied his way into a quiet jam that really felt forced and out of place. It seemed as if they simply decided they’re going to launch a completely separate segment, which really should be titled “Chalk Dust Torture->Jam” on the official setlist. That was quickly forgotten, as the quiet melodies bled into an Allman Brothers-sounding jam. Gordon and McConnell continued forcing Anastasio to enter new territories before dissolving into what can only be described as a siren-sounding jam.

    The execution of the segue into “Ghost” was as smooth as it gets. Almost contrary to the jam before it, this “Ghost” was led in force by the rhythm section. Gordon and Fishman landed on a smooth groove, to which McConnell responded with wavy synth runs to give the jam a dreamy finish.

    “Backwards Down The Number Line” may not be everyone’s favorite song, but no one can argue that it’s about as fun of a Phish song as there is. The previous 41 minutes was Phish showing us that nothing gets stale with this band. The following eight minutes was them telling the crowd how it’s as important to the show as the band is. When Anastasio sang the closing “you decide what it contains” lyric, the people on the Chase Bridge went into pure bliss. A very quick “Simple” gave way to the drums of “Split Open And Melt.” This “Melt” was the perfect cap to a show that took a left at every right hand turn. The middle segment was eerie, haunting and quite strange. It was a dissolution into some ambient work by McConnell and Gordon, before Anastasio brought the song — and set — to a close. It was the most improv heavy “Melt” since the SPAC, 2013 version.

    For the encore, that bravado of Anastasio resurfaced. “Julius” may have been about the only predictable part of the show, but it gave Anastasio one more chance to show he’s most exciting and innovative guitarist in rock and roll today. The rocking finish was coupled with Kuroda lighting the Garden in some of the most impressive ways of his career, and that’s saying something.

    Tonight Phish goes for No. 16 at the Garden. If the first two nights are foreshadowing tonight, we are in for another gem.

    Setlist via phish.net

    Phish, December 29, 2017 Madison Square Garden, NY, NY

    Set 1: Cavern > Blaze On, 555, I Always Wanted It This Way > Martian Monster, Heavy Things, Destiny Unbound, Ocelot, Walls of the Cave

    Set 2: Sand > Chalk Dust Torture[1] > Ghost > Backwards Down the Number Line > Simple > Split Open and Melt

    Encore: Julius

    [1] Unfinished

    Phish, December 29, 2017 Madison Square Garden, NY, NY

  • A Triumphant Return: Phish at MSG, December 28, 2017

    Four long months after the final notes of the Baker’s Dozen’s “Tweezer Reprise,” Phish retook the Jell-O stage at MSG on December 28, 2017, for their “Triumphant Return” to the world’s most famous arena. If there were any doubts as to whether they could play with the intensity and passion of the Baker’s Dozen, they were abandoned almost immediately as New York was treated to a show that carried a similar magic to those of the previous run at the Garden. The only noticeable difference was the bitter cold and lack of gourmet donut wrappers on the floor.

    The band took no time getting the show on the road with a spacey ‘AC/DC Bag’ which saw Trey sitting back on the solo and letting the rest of the band organically develop a patient groove, which would foreshadow the jamming style of the night. ‘Wolfman’s Brother’ emerged out of the white lights and provided the first (of many) jam highlight of the evening. The band quickly transitioned from the classic Wolfman’s funk to a dark, murky jam that gave the feeling that you took the wrong turn down a shrunken alley on the lower east side, but there was no going back because you already devoted to making it past the sketchy brown walls and back to a world of streetlights and pretzel vendors. An early first set ‘Roggae’ broke out of the darkness and saw masterful interplay between all four band members as they reached a glorious peak that shook the garden.
    phish msg 2017

    Another first set highlight came next in the funky ‘Tube’ which saw an extended jam reminiscent of the Dick’s 16 ‘No Men in No Man’s Land.’ Trey played around with his effects to create an echoed funnel over the fast-building Mike led jam. It was brought so far into space they had to take a couple of seconds to catch themselves before fumbling back into the final verse of the song. There was so much packed into this short ‘Tube’ that I still almost don’t believe it only clocked in at just over eight minutes. A standard ‘Bouncing Around the Room’ came next and gave everyone a chance to catch their breaths before the band went right back at it with an exceptionally rocking ‘Back on the Train.’ For a while in recent years, this song played the role of keeping the energy in a setlist up without doing anything too special, but the last few we have seen has broken that mold and become must listen to first set highlights.
    phish msg 2017

    A funky ‘Your Pet Cat’ followed and kept up the energy in the room before a dark ‘Waking up Dead’ showcased Mike’s songwriting ability and Trey’s prog-rock roots in the solo. An oddly placed, but much appreciated, set closing ‘Theme From the Bottom’ followed, and quickly broke the mold from a traditional ‘Theme’ jam as the band built a peak similar to a summer 2014 ‘Bathtub Gin.’ The only other time ‘Theme’ closed out a first set was 12/13/1999. While the first set may look standard on paper, it was anything but. Nearly every song saw the band taking a risk and going off the deep end, as they have been doing all year.

    After a smile-fueled set break, the band to the stage with a rocking ‘Wilson’ which got everyone in the crowed fired up and ready to boogie. As soon as the opening notes of ‘Wilson’ began, there was a feeling in the air that the second set was going to be special, as second sets that open with Wilson are historically very strong (the last two prior to this shows were 9/6/15 and 7/27/14). ‘No Men in No Man’s Land’ came hot off the high energy ‘Wilson’ produced and catapulted the show from “Wow” to “Did that just happen?!?” The multi-part behemoth saw an array of the band’s play styles from funk to rock to space, and created soundscapes that swirled through the air from Page’s new synth, which defined the sound of 2017 Phish. Clocking in at just over 24 minutes, this NMINML is a jam that will be listened to for a long time. Out of the madness came a familiar riff as Trey transitioned into another anticipated jam vehicle, ‘Twist.’  The band took no time getting things going as they built the versatile song into a fervent funk jam which shot laser beams from one end of the garden to the other. Out of the funk peak saw a push back into darkness from Mike and Fish, which lasted for a few minutes leading many to believe they were going into ‘Steam,’ though Trey had different ideas.
    phish msg 2017

    The transition to ‘Everything’s Right’ wasn’t the cleanest, but once the vocals started it did not matter one bit. The new song has been a consistently strong jam vehicle since it’s debut, and this version was no exception, as it dissolved into a misty canal then slingshot the band back into space as they effortlessly transitioned into ‘2001.’ While this ‘2001’ didn’t really break the mold of the song’s structure, it was played exceptionally well with a little extra mustard and no (blatant) missed notes. The band was not about taking a break during this set, so what better song to cap it off with than ‘Harry Hood?’ This Hood saw a patient build with all four members contributing to the jam leading to the peak. While it wasn’t the most over the top peak they’ve played, there was on old school feel to the way Trey approached the ending solo which filled the garden with uncontrollable joy and plentiful high-fives.

    A standard ‘The Wedge’ was placed in the encore role for only the second time in the song’s history (the first being the infamous 11/14/1995 show), and just when everyone thought they were done Trey played the opening notes to “Slave to the Traffic Light” and ripped us back in. Slave is another song that will always keep you satisfied while not quite living up to the glory of it’s younger days, but this version seemed to have a little extra something in it. The jam leading to the peak showcased a band that did not want to stop as Mike, Page and Fish pushed the structure of the song to its limits while Trey held a note for what felt like an eternity and drove the crowd wild. When he finally let go and exploded into the peak it was as if 20,000 people who had just been holding their breath underwater for two minutes came up for air at once and completely let go of any control they had of their bodies. It was a phenomenal way to end an amazing show, and this was only the first night.

    Setlist via Phish.net

    Set 1: AC/DC Bag, Wolfman’s Brother, Roggae, Tube > Bouncing Around the Room, Back on the Train, Your Pet Cat, Waking Up Dead > Theme From the Bottom

    Set 2: Wilson > No Men In No Man’s Land > Twist > Everything’s Right > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Harry Hood

    Encore: The Wedge, Slave to the Traffic Light

  • Online Voting Helps Create Most Diverse List of Nominees in GRAMMY’s History

    The Recording Academy has released its list of nominees for the 2018 GRAMMY Awards, taking place in Madison Square Garden in New York on Jan. 28. This year’s list of nominees will be the most diverse in the history of the Recording Academy. The academy has, for the first time, allowed online GRAMMY nominations from its 1,300 members which has helped increase participation in the voting process.

    Album of the Year nods went to Awaken, My Love! by Childish Gambino, 4:44 by Jay-Z,
    DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar, Melodrama by Lorde and 24K Magic by Bruno Mars. This marks the most minority nominees in the Album of the Year category since 2005. Jay-Z is nominated for a total of eight Grammys. Lamar is next with seven, followed by Mars with six Grammy nods.

    A noticeable snub in the album category this year is perennial nominee, Ed Sheeran. Sheeran was nominated in the categories of Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Solo Performance.

    Nominees in other categories include Gregg Allman’s posthumous release, Southern Blood, for Best Americana Album. Allman’s album is nominated alongside Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit’s The Nashville Sound, Iron & Wine’s Beast Epic, the Mavericks’ Brand New Day and Brent Cobb’s Shine on Rainy Day.

    The Infamous Stringdusters received their second ever Grammy nomination, this time in the Best Bluegrass Album category for Laws of Gravity. Other nominees in that category are Noam Pikelny, Michael Cleveland, Bobby Osborne and Rhonda Vincent and the Rage.

    The Best Contemporary Blues Category nominees include Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm, Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’ Tedeschi Trucks Band, Robert Randolph & the Family Band and Sonny Landreth.

    Leonard Cohen, who died late last year, is nominated in two categories. Cohen’s nods include one for Best American Roots Performance and, curiously, for Best Rock Performance. Bob Dylan also garnered a nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for his album Triplicate, his third consecutive album to mine the Great American Songbook. The Rolling Stones tribute to the blues, Blue and Lonesome is nominated in the Best Traditional Blues Album category.

    The 60th Annual Grammy Awards, hosted by James Corden, will be broadcast on CBS Jan. 28. For the complete list of nominees, visit the Grammy Awards website here.

  • Dead & Company Kick Off Their 2017 Fall Tour At Madison Square Garden

    Dead & Company kicked off their 2017 Fall Tour on Sunday night at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, NY. This was the first time back to the famous venue since their inaugural Fall tour in 2015. Dead & Company members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti took the stage shortly after 7 p.m.

    dead company Madison Square GardenWith the crowd excited to see what the band was going to open with, they started the night off with a unique “Shakedown Street.” Next, Dead & Company finally debuted “Greatest Story Ever Told.” The crowd erupted, making it one of the highlights of the night. This was followed by “Bertha,” giving John Mayer his first chance to sing. After a jam filled “Cassidy,” the band gave birth to the live debut of “Beat It On Down The Line” which was led by Bob Weir.

    Following the live debut was “They Love Each Other.” Towards the end of the the song, the band had a hiccup. It took them about a minute to figure out where to transition from the end of the song into “Cumberland Blues.” Once they were fully into the song, they shook off the cobwebs and went ahead leaving the awkward moment in the dust.

    Dead & Company started off the second set with the familiar combo of “China Cat Sunflower”>”I Know Your Rider” followed by “Ship of Fools.” Next was an electrifying “Terrapin Station,” leaving the Rhythm Devils to follow with their regulatory “Drums” > “Space.” The second set ended with “Casey Jones” giving the crowd another chance to sing along. With the crowd roaring for more, Dead & Company took the stage for a double encore featuring “Samson and Delilah” and “Werewolves of London” where Mayer and Weir traded verses.

    dead company Madison Square Garden

    Setlist:

    Set 1: Shakedown Street, Greatest Story Ever Told, Bertha, Cassidy, Beat It On Down The Line, They Love Each Other, Cumberland Blues

    Set 2: China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Ship of Fools, Terrapin Station > Drums > Space > Standing on the Moon, The Other One, Casey Jones

    Encore: Samson and Delilah, Werewolves of London

    dead company Madison Square Garden

  • It was Still Lawnboy: Phish Glazes the Crowd on the Final Night of Baker’s Dozen

    It took 13 consecutive shows for Phish to perform 237 songs at Madison Square Garden, with not a single repeat among them. It will take far longer than this Baker’s Dozen of shows to fully grasp the historic nature of this run of shows by Vermont’s famous quartet.

    On the final night of Phish’s Baker’s Dozen of shows at The Garden, a Pink Glazed donut was the flavor du jour, tickets were nearly impossible to acquire and fans flocked inside early to get ready for the last night of bustouts, first time covers and extended jams that have been the hallmark of Phish’s residency. While the donut flavor did not directly correlate to anything performed during the show, the audience and band were both glazed with joy, reaching the end of this unprecedented run of shows.phish baker's dozen

    The first set of the evening featured songs phans chase, including “Dogs Stole Things,” “Ha Ha Ha,” “Camel Walk,” and “Sanity,” among others. Vida Blue’s “Most Events Aren’t Planned” was a surprise cover, one of a handful that Phish learned in advance of the run. The long awaited bustout of Hendrix’s “Izabella” left many flat-footed with the original intro preceding the stand alone set closer, but once Trey kicked into familiar riff, the crowd cheers began to arise while some stood in disbelief and others with jaws dropped, as the cover shelved for 19 years finally made an appearance in the 25th set of the run.

    Set 2 began with “Simple” which wandered past the 25 minute mark, nearly matching the Northerly Island jam from July 14, kicking off a five song set. The new tune “Rise/Come Together” had a powerful, unifying message tied within the ascending rocker, and was greeted by fans with cheers as the “Rise up…. Come Together” lyrics were matched with Chris Kuroda’s growing light show. Bowie’s “Starman” followed, only the second version since The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars was covered in full last fall in Las Vegas.

    “You Enjoy Myself” finally arrived, with all the pent up energy you would expect after nearly 2000 minutes of music, and the release on the lyric “Boy” was as powerful as it’s ever been. Prior to the vocal jam, Mike began to tease the “Izabella” bass line and instead of the usual vocal jam, Trey put his guitar back on and, began to jam back into “Izabella” on more time, one of those ‘Holy shit’ moments that kept happening night after night. The set was capped with The Rolling Stones’ “Loving Cup,” a perfect ending to the high energy, jam filled set.

    For the encore, Trey choked back tears as he began Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again,” which was followed by Page leaving his key rig while the band kicked back into a jam on “Lawn Boy” that was last heard on July 25, jam-filled donut night. Page told the crowd “A lot of people have been asking me if this is still ‘Lawn Boy’…. It is,” referencing a fan made shirt that appeared only days after the half hour version of the typically standard three minute lounge singer tune.

    The laughs that erupted from the audience were due in part to the band being in on the joke and the audience/band interaction solidified as the run came to a close. Page sang a few bars of “Lawn Boy” and while he retreated to his rig, Mike and Fishman laid down the opening bass and drums to “Weekapaug Groove” to fake out the audience (there would be NO repeats this run) before the final release of “Tweezer Reprise” was finally laid out for the fans.

    Phish had done it – 13 consecutive shows, no repeats, over 200,000 tickets sold over the course of the run, and a gleeful crowd embracing the joy of the final night of a piece of music history. But most importantly, it was still ”Lawnboy.”

    Setlist from Phish.net

    Set 1: Dogs Stole Things, Rift, Ha Ha Ha, Camel Walk, Crazy Sometimes > Saw It Again > Sanity > Bouncing Around the Room,Most Events Aren’t Planned[1], Bug, I Been Around, Izabella
    Set 2: Simple > Rise/Come Together > Starman, You Enjoy Myself, Loving Cup
    Encore: On the Road Again > Lawn Boy Reprise > Tweezer Reprise
    [1] Phish debut

    phish baker's dozen
    phish baker's dozen
    phish baker's dozen
    phish baker's dozen
    phish baker's dozen

  • Lemon Yellow Fun: Night 11 of the Baker’s Dozen

    The final weekend of Phish’s historic Baker’s Dozen, a run of 13 shows at Madison Square Garden, kicked off on Friday to much fanfare and a lot of fingers in the air, with Friday being lemon donut night.

    These shows sold out in advance and were a hot and dwindling commodity throughout the week. On Friday, Phish came on stage and performed a cover of Blind Lemon Jefferson’s “See that my Grave is Kept Clean,” before jumping into a standard, but well played take on fan favorite “Punch You in the Eye,” which bled into a fun, short “Party Time.”

    lemon baker's dozen

    “Big Black Furry Creature from Mars,” “Dinner and a Movie,” a rousing and Trey-led “Ocelot,” “Poor Heart,” “Winterqueen” and “Bold as Love” continued what turned out to be a straight rock set without too much in the way of improvisation. Just when it felt that Phish may have laid a clunker set, they dropped into “First Tube,” which had the Garden shaking and crowd going absolutely ballistic heading into setbreak.

    To open the second stanza, Phish performed an acapella “Dem Bones,” before leaping into “No Men in No Man’s Land.” A long and spacey jam followed, something Phish has displayed it can do with utmost patience this run. Out of “NMINML” came “Everything in its Right Place,” by Radiohead. There was confusion over what the song was, before word spread that Phish was playing Radiohead. It was well played, if not spectacular.

    “What’s the Use?” blended into “Scents and Subtle Sounds,” which featured the most interesting jam of the night, a nearly 17-minute type-II journey that finished when Mike took the lead at the end. A nice and jammed out “Prince Caspian” led directly into “Fluffhead,” and it’s safe to say that the Garden crowd ended the set on the highest of notes. “Frankenstein” served as the encore, which was a fun ending to a rather unspectacular Phish show. But if you place this show in the middle of any typical tour, it will be talked about as a highlight for years to come. That’s how spoiled we have become during these 13 nights.

    Setlist via Phish.net

    Set 1: See That My Grave Is Kept Clean[1], Punch You In the Eye > Party Time, Big Black Furry Creature from Mars, Dinner and a Movie, Ocelot,Poor Heart, Winterqueen, Bold As Love, First Tube

    Set 2: Dem Bones, No Men In No Man’s Land > Everything In Its Right Place[1], What’s the Use? > Scents and Subtle Sounds[2] > Prince Caspian >Fluffhead

    Encore: Frankenstein[3]

    [1] Phish debut.
    [2] No intro.
    [3] Page on keytar.

  • Boston Dream Pie: Phish’s Baker’s Dozen hits Night 12

    With 11 nights down and only 4 sets left, Phish still had not repeated a song at their Baker’s Dozen run of 13 shows at Madison Square Garden. 198 songs in 11 nights is no small feat but Phish stepped up to the plate for the penultimate show of their residency.

    phish boston bakers dozen

    Saturday proved to be an even harder ticket than the night before. The last show with a weekend day following wasn’t going to be easy to get in if you didn’t secure tickets in advance and especially not for this end to the Baker’s run of shows

    “Soul Shakedown Party” got the night off to a groovy start, before “Uncle Pen” and “The Sloth” got the rowdy crowd even more fired up.

    “Gotta Jibboo” provided the first bout of improv of the night, stretching past 12 minutes of Trey-led bliss. Just when you thought the song would wind down, Trey began hitting new licks and taking the song, while within its typical structure, beyond the scope of its typical role.

    “Fuck Your Face” was standard, with Mike having a bit of a lyrical gaffe midway through, before Phish decided to mash up Boston and Cream songs for an epic medley. “Sunshine of Your Feeling” began with Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love,” before the band began dropped suddenly and seamlessly into Boston’s “More Than a Feeling” to which the crowd erupted in shock and awe. “Foreplay/Longtime,” “Tales of Brave Ulysses” and “The White Room” all were woven into the Boston/Cream mashup that the band admitted right after, that they had been waiting 20 years to play, and tongue-in-cheek, the genesis for the Baker’s Dozen concept. 

    The Trey ballad “Frost” then gave way to a super fun and danceable “Scent of a Mule,” which saw Mike and Page extend the Mule Duel portion longer than usual but without Trey taking to the Marimba Lumina. Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire,” “Alaska” and Trey Anastasio Band tune “Plasma” rounded out the first set, with the closer featuring a slowed down funk jam that built to a nice peak.

    “Ghost” opened the second set, and will undeniably go down as a must hear jam from the Baker’s Dozen. After a bliss jam, the band turned the keys to Trey, who brought the song to a soaring peak, complete with one of the more creative light shows Chris Kuroda has put on this run. The feeling was all happiness and smiles.

    “Petrichor,” the song Phish rang in 2017 with at MSG, took over, for a straightforward and well executed version. “Light” featured a nice, relaxing jam, before the band started the opening notes of “The Lizards.” Every fan in attendance turned their attention to the stage as Phish ran through one of their most beloved songs, singing in unison.

    trey anastasio

    “The Horse”>”Silent in the Morning” had a fun segue into “Quinn the Eskimo,” before the set closed with the ever energetic “Rocky Top.”

    After all that energy, Phish came on and played “Joy” for the encore, which elicited a few groans, but as the band delved deeper, it became apparent that they were thanking the fans for being a part of this unique and intimate part of Phish history.

    Let’s see what tonight brings!

    Setlist via Phish.net

    Set 1: Soul Shakedown Party, Uncle Pen, The Sloth, Gotta Jibboo, Fuck Your Face, Sunshine of Your Feeling[1], Frost, Scent of a Mule, Fire,Alaska, Plasma

    Set 2: Ghost, Petrichor, Light > The Lizards, The Horse > Silent in the Morning > Quinn the Eskimo > Rocky Top

    Encore: Joy

    [1] Debut

  • Syrupy Jams Highlight Night 9 of Baker’s Dozen

    On Night 9 of Phish’s Baker’s Dozen residency, Maple was the donut theme of the night and with that came jams that slowly dripped out from Phish’s tap, leaving 4 nights to go and not a single song repeated thus far.

    A tribute to our Maple loving neighbors to the north started the show, with a spotlight on the Canadian flag and one on Trey as he tore into ‘O Canada!’ A dozen songs followed through in the set, with nothing overly ambitious or stretched out like the previous 8 nights but the band dove into their catalog for fan favorites and rarer tunes. Highlights included the upbeat “Daniel Saw the Stone” that felt like a church revival as the lights brightened the entire arena; “Guelah Papyrus” which included Page performing Scott Joplin’s ragtime classic “Maple Leaf Rag” in between sections; “McGrupp” and a firey “Walk Away” capped the set of a full Baker’s Dozen of songs.

    mike phish maple bakers

    Set 2 brought out a usual jam vehicle “Golden Age” that stretched for 20 minutes and could have been the jam of the night if it were not for the latter half of “Swept Away” > “Steep” which took a spacey spin for 12 minutes and grew into an improvisational jam that has been a staple of the residency. Growing from “Steep” was a trio of heaters: “46 Days,” the long awaited (but not slow built) “Piper” followed by “Possum” made for 35 minutes of firey rock n roll to cap the show. An encore of Bowie’s “Rock and Roll Suicide” didn’t have the emotional impact that the debut during Halloween in Las Vegas had, but Trey singing the Ziggy Stardust coda still packs an emotional punch.

    Holes is the theme for tonight’s 10th show of the Baker’s Dozen. Could Phish pay tribute to the late Chris Cornell with “Black Hole Sun?”

    Setlist via Phish.net

    Set 1: O Canada[1], Crowd Control, Sugar Shack, When the Circus Comes, Daniel Saw the Stone, Army of One, The Wedge, Guelah Papyrus, Maple Leaf Rag[2], Guelah Papyrus, McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters > Limb By Limb > Walk Away

    Set 2: Golden Age, Leaves, Swept Away > Steep > 46 Days > Piper > Possum

    Encore: Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide

    [1] Phish debut; instrumental.
    [2] Phish debut; performed solo by Page

  • Phish Layers the Garden with Jimmies                     

    On the second Sunday of the outstanding Baker’s Dozen run at Madison Square Garden, Phish once again left its mark in the building and reminded us why we should never miss a Sunday show.  When they opened with the classic, “The Curtain With,” the audience knew that they were in for an extra tasty treat.  On Night 8, the band showed patience, confidence, and, of course – a sense of humor.  Launching into a short but sweet first set “Runaway Jim” the band brought smiles to faces as the first donut reference of the night was revealed. Phish has magically decorated all their sets with delicious toppings during the Baker’s Dozen, and they continue to please the crowd with the lyrics we know and love.

    phish jimmies bakers dozen

    Unlike the outrageously raging Saturday night, the quartet took the “slow and steady wins the race” approach on Sunday.  The unexpected Junta jam “Esther” poked its head out for the first time since 2015.  A hush filled the chapel and the people looked happy as the boys eased into two more slower tunes in “Home” and “Brian and Robert.”  After a straight forward “Nellie Kane” Trey Anastasio led into an unforgettable “Colonel Forbin’s Ascent> Fly Famous Mockingbird” while Chris Kuroda took the lights on a legendary adventure in “the World’s Most Famous Arena.”

    A spine tingling “David Bowie” finished off the set highlighted by Trey’s exceptionally tight guitar playing.  The first set may have been slow, but it certainly wasn’t dull as several bust outs and sought after trophies were obtained by the ravenous audience.  During the set-break, it was clear that fans had made the right choice in buying tickets to the Garden rather than staying home to catch up on Game of Thrones.

    While there was no mention of “Jimmies” in the set two opener, “Drowned,” there was certainly enough improvisation to write home about.  Clearly the MSG residency has done something to the Vermonters as they are playing with a Nectar’s-esque level of commitment.  The ambient and mind-altering “Song I Heard The Ocean Sing” that swam its way out of the “Drowned” jam was the perfect addition to an already stellar second set.  Dialed in, Page anchored the jam with some incredible synth play and Gordon acted as the lift-guard and threw in a floating bass line to build the jam up.

    phish bakers dozen

    After two songs and almost 40 minutes, the crowd was left speechless, but thankfully Phish did all the talking during what will be known as the “Baker’s Harpua.”  The never-ending tale of Jimmy and his cat’s unfortunate fate has not been narrated since 1997 at the Garden, but this time around Trey, Mike, Page, and Jon sat down to tell us a story about the universe.  Donuts have covered mid-town Manhattan as fans anxiously await the details of the next flavor each night.  During the historic version of “Harpua,” Phish let us in on a little secret by informing us all that the entire Universe is just a donut!  In the expansive narration of Jimmy and his comrades, Trey consistently made the connection between current events and what is happening in Jimmy’s world.  The insanely entertaining story that was told on Sunday night will not just go down as one of the greatest things to happen during the 13-show run, but possibly one of the best renditions in Phishtory.

    The band made it clear that they were not ready to head back down to planet Earth as they remained in outer-space for a cosmic “Also Sprach Zarathustra.”  The crowd seemed perplexed and were still trying to wrap their minds around the “Harpua” story when the spacey and instrumental jam morphed into a familiar and grounding “Golgi Apparatus.”  While I am not at liberty to assume how Trey writes his set lists, I imagine there was some thinking behind the second set on Sunday night.  The band went from a water and ocean theme to explaining the massive and mysterious universe before looking into a microscope and focusing in on one of the smallest elements of a cell, the Golgi body.

    Under the light, they couldn’t get anything wrong on this particular night as they settled on yet another a cappella song, “In The Good Old Summer Time” to finish off the amazing set.  Phish acted as our genie and granted us the third wish of the night by debuting the Jimi Hendrix classic “The Wind Cried Mary.”  While die-hard fans were hoping to hear the recognizable “Izabella” by Jimi, we got a slow and fitting “best-of Hendrix” tune instead.  The Garden screamed Mary as smoke billowed and couples embraced during the well-executed cover.  The “Jimmies” night of the Baker’s Dozen run was a huge success and solidified the second Sunday as another classic Garden performance for the band that knows it best.

    Setlist courtesy of Phish.net

    Set 1: The Curtain With > Runaway Jim, Waking Up Dead, Esther, Home, Brian and Robert, Nellie Kane, Colonel Forbin’s Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird > David Bowie

    Set 2: Drowned, A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing, Harpua > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Golgi Apparatus, In The Good Old Summer Time

    Encore: The Wind Cries Mary[1]

    [1] Phish debut.