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.
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?”
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
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.
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.
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.
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
Phish is doing something unprecedented at Madison Square Garden. They’re in the midst of a 13 show residency that is more than your average run of shows. This isn’t just a residency: it’s a historic Rock ‘n’ Roll experience that is falling under the radar as Phish often does. But what they’re doing deserves attention from music fans of all ranges.
With this ‘Baker’s Dozen‘ residency, Phish will have performed 53 times at The Garden in their career, dating back to 1994. As of Sunday, they will only be behind Elton John and Billy Joel for most times played at MSG. The band has played New York State more than any other state in the country, with a large chunk of their shows now in one building. The national media have been takingnotice and givingcredit where it is due to the band.
After 8 nights of shows since July 21, Phish has performed 141 different songs, debuted 11 covers and originals, played 9 20 minute+ jams and have left the audience wanting more. The final 3 nights of the run coming up this weekend have become a ticket as sought after as New Year’s Eve at The Garden, if not more so. The energy at the shows emanates through the bars and music venues that Phish fans populate daily before and after each show, building a beautiful buzz that grows each time Phish takes the stage. In short, Phish is doing something few rock bands can do during a residency of this nature, let alone play 13 shows at one venue, not get the slightest bit rusty and improve as the run progresses.
Credit: Fans.com
The Themes
Each night, donuts that are handed out for free, courtesy of Philadelphia’s Federal Donuts, and the donut flavor is reflected in the setlist each night. On Velvet donut night, two Velvet Underground songs were played, “Sunday Morning” and “Sweet Jane.” On Strawberry donut night, “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Strawberry Letter 23” were debuted. On Chocolate donut night, “Chocolate Rain,” and on Powder donut night, Neil Young’s “Powderfinger” debuted, to the laughter (chocolate) and awe (powder) of the crowd. With so many flavors of donuts, fans are anticipating song selections while avoiding the predictability that Phish eschews. With Maple Glazed donuts on Night 9 of the residency, fans wonder if they can expect “Maple Leaf Rag” by Scott Joplin and how that will play into the band’s themed set for the night. Keeping the theme of the run going each night, not just with physical donuts but music to accompany them, the band is giving their fans a treat in more ways than one.
The Jams
All time jams have been performed by Phish at MSG before, but during the residency, this has not been your typical jamming. We’re talking hallmark jams that can stand the test of time. The typically 3-4 minute lounge lizard “Lawn Boy” was performed for 30 minutes on July 25, and in the second set that night, Talking Heads “Crosseyed and Painless” hit the 33-minute mark. Upon listening back to these jams, you don’t notice time passing as the jams continue to build and escape the noodly uncertainty that improvisation can lend itself to. Versions of “Chalkdust Torture” (24 minutes), “Down With Disease” (20 minutes), “Fuego” (20 minutes), “Blaze On” (23 minutes), “Drowned” and “A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing” (40 minutes combined) as well as “Tube” (15 minutes) are just a some of the standouts in the first 8 shows. Phish is jamming on typical jam vehicles and non-traditional songs as well, keeping the audience on their toes. Expecting the unexpected is part of the Phish experience, but that has never been truer than during The Baker’s Dozen.
Debuts
Phish has debuted originals from side projects, seemingly as part of the effort not to repeat any songs during the run. The Trey Anastasio Band song “Mr. Completely” returned for the second time this year and only third version since 2003, while Mike Gordon Band’s “Waking up Dead” appeared on July 30 to the surprise and delight of fans. The Story of the Ghost closing track “End of Session,” was performed for the first time ever on Jam-filled donut night. Digging into their side projects and giving them the Phish treatment rarely turns out to be less than impressive, as the new twist reintroduces the songs to fans. You can expect more tunes from side projects to appear as the band (unofficially) attempts to deliver on a no-repeat run of shows.
The Covers
Name a classic rock artist and Phish has covered them this run. The Beatles. Velvet Underground. David Bowie. Led Zeppelin. Neil Young. The Who. Ween. Talking Heads. Then add in some funk via Prince, Hot Chocolate, and Deodato, with Tay Zonday and Fleet Foxes catching fans off guard on separate nights with acapella renditions of their originals. The list will continue to expand as Phish stretches well out of their comfort zone and surprises fans with a dose of something out of left field.
No Repeats
As of Sunday night, Phish has performed more than 140 unique songs with 5 nights to go. The band is on pace for close to 230 total unique songs by the end, without a single song repeated. There is no band performing today with a catalog that deep who could perform at this level for 13 shows over 17 days.
You may or may not be a Phish fan, but the musical history being written inside Madison Square Garden is worth paying attention to as the run comes to a close this week.
Chocolate donut night on the sixth night of the Baker’s Dozen MSG residency brought Phish to cover an American Idol contestant’s viral hit, bringing “Chocolate Rain” to life, along with “Ass Handed,” tying the theme to the music once again before letting loose with a set of rarities and surprise jams. “Free” and “Sand’” marked the high points of Set 1’s jamming, with ‘Weigh’ and ‘Destiny Unbound’ garnering the loudest cheers as fans crossed songs off their bucket list for yet another night. During “Divided Sky,” Trey held ‘the note’ for such a long time that Chris Kuroda lit up the arena, with one spotlight shining down on Trey as he slowly looked around the entire arena, in as much awe of his surroundings as the crowd was.
The ever rare “Have Mercy” was the bustout to start set 2, opening the way for “Chalkdust Torture” which clocked in at 24 minutes and stood out as the jam of the evening. Ascending jams that rose and rose with full band builds with no let up highlighted “Chalkdust,” creating a jam vehicle that found its way towards Hot Chocolate’s “You Sexy Thing.” Hearing the opening notes of the funk from this 70s classic, the audience erupted in the glee of an out of left field bust out that led to a funk jam for the ages.
“Mercury,” while fresh and left off Big Boat, bridged the ending of “You Sexy Thing,” a jam the band sought to return to at the first opportunity. By the time the funk ended, the audience welcomed “Backwards Down the Number Line” with as much energy as they could muster and with “Rock and Roll” following, the crowd went into a frenzy listening to that New York Station. An encore of the ever rare “Fee” and “Space Oddity” capped the night as Phish continued to raise the bar during their historic run at Madison Square Garden.
Setlist via Phish.net Set 1: Chocolate Rain[1], Ass Handed, Free, Weigh > Undermind > The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony, The Dogs, Destiny Unbound, Divided Sky, Things People Do, Sand
Set 2: Have Mercy, Chalk Dust Torture[2], You Sexy Thing[3] > Mercury -> You Sexy Thing > Backwards Down the Number Line > Rock and Roll
Encore: Fee[4], Space Oddity
[1] Phish debut; a cappella, with Page on a midi controller keyboard.
[2] Unfinished.
[3] Phish debut.
[4] Lyrics changed to “have a chocolate donut and catch your breath.”
Phish returned to the comfy confines of Madison Square Garden for Night 7 of the Baker’s Dozen residency on Saturday with a show that had all the Phishy elements fans love, starting off with with the energetic scorcher “Llama,” fastening in the crowd for a memorable, cinnamon flavored night.
Many fans who didn’t figure out their ticket situation in advance were left with their finger in the air come show time as it seemed many were shut out. Inside the venue, a recording came on urging the crowd to “not eat the brown donuts,” as they are not so good, surely a play on the famous brown acid announcement at the original Woodstock.
After the straightforward “Llama,” Phish launched into “Wilson” and the crowd was instantly ready, painting the famed venue walls with only the type of energy a Phish crowd can bring. Normally a quick hype song, this “Wilson” stretched beyond the nine-minute mark with an atypical jam out of what normally closes the song, which caught few off guard after the surprises Phish had in the first six shows.
Standard takes on “Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan” and “Ya Mar” warmed up for the semi-rare, and ultra sought after “Tela.” The band nailed the song and Trey played the closing guitar section masterfully, igniting a rousing applause from the capacity crowd.
“The Birds”>”The Line” was a nice segue, with the latter containing a bit of full band improvisation. “The Line” takes a lot of heat in the Phish world for being a bathroom break song, but this one was well placed and you can just tell how much Trey and Mike enjoy playing the song based off their mutual grins.
A brief “Water In The Sky” came as a warm up for the close of the set, which began with a very well played “Vultures,” another song that seemed to add an extra layer of frosting on an already rocking first set. Mike took the lead to sing “Train Song” that led into a segue into “Horn,” in which the entire band played each note almost perfectly. In recent years, Trey has taken some online flak for not playing the composed guitar part of “Horn” perfectly, but he did last night.
Not many expected what came next. When Page hit the two notes on the clav and Trey played the fuzzy lead line, the crowd nearly exploded with energy as everyone realized Phish was covering The Beatles’ beloved “I Am The Walrus.” As the band and crowd sang in unison and Chris Kuroda turned the Garden into a rainbow light dance party, a guy leaned in to my ear and said, “So dude, I really think they’re not going to repeat a single song.” Me too, kid. Me too.
After set break, Phish started up with “Blaze On,” a song that debuted two summers ago and quickly found its place as a first set rocker, late set jam vehicle and the coveted second set opener. It was apparent that Phish was going to sink their fins into this one as Trey didn’t waste a second before jumping into a nearly five-minute lead solo that was him wield his Languedoc high, bending notes in his signature rapid fire licks. It was some of his finest playing of the run, which was a bit of foreshadowing for what’s to come.
“Blaze On” then started to devolve, until Phish reconstructed it into a major key with a mildly funky and ethereal jam that kept everyone’s interest before bringing it back to a swirling crescendo finish that clocked in at nearly 24 minutes and left some speechless. This band is clearly as comfortable as they’ve felt in a really long time.
After a segue into “20 Years Later,” which seemed to contain some Led Zeppelin type elements in the jam, Phish broke out “Alumni Blues”>”Letter to Jimmy Page”>”Alumni Blues,” two of their oldest songs. While the segment was very textbook, it was very well played and featured Trey and Mike facing each other for a short bluesy segment, after which Trey shouted “it’s alright now, ‘cuz Mike’s playing the bass,” which elicited a crowd roar, before Mike took a short but powerful lead solo.
Out of the soundscape came fan favorite “Meatstick,” which has a rich history with MSG. In 1994 and 2010, Phish used the song as part of their New Year’s Eve gags. After the dance part, Trey and Page led the band into an atypical and psychedelic jam which landed perfectly on “Dirt.” While “Dirt” is typically a first set song, last night’s placement couldn’t have been any better, giving fans a bit of a break after nearly an hour of some pretty unique music. But, hey, that’s why we follow this band.
With time winding down in the night, anticipation was high in regard to what they’d close the set with. When Fishman hit the drums, “Harry Hood” made it’s Baker’s Dozen appearance and did more than close the set. Clocking in at 17:20, this “Hood” broke itself down into ambient space before Trey, Page and Mike revved the sing into the highest gear with very Allman Brothers’ “Mountain Jam”-esque teases and quotes. Approaching 17 minutes, “Hood” finished with a peak that only that song can bring. When this is all done and said, “Harry Hood” will go down as a very notable jam from this run.
Almost forgot that the theme was cinnamon donuts? Well, after a somewhat lengthy encore break, Phish came out and lit into a cover of Neil Young’s “Cinnamon Girl,” which was last played by the band 19 years, 364 days ago. The crowd had anticipated the song all night and Phish delivered with a stellar take on the song that sent 20,000 people flowing onto the streets of midtown Manhattan.
The stage is set for what we in the Phish world gear up for: A Sunday show. I think the saying goes something like, “never miss a Sunday show!”
In reality, it should be, “never miss a Phish show!”
Set 1: Llama, Wilson > Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan > Ya Mar, Tela, The Birds > The Line, Water in the Sky, Vultures, Train Song > Horn, I Am the Walrus
Set 2: Blaze On > Twenty Years Later > Alumni Blues > Letter to Jimmy Page > Alumni Blues > Meatstick > Dirt > Harry Hood
On Wednesday July 26 at Madison Square Garden, Phish devised a plan to make hump day a great day. Keeping in form with the powdered donut theme, the foursome launched into an acappella version of Fleet Foxes’ “White Winter Hymnal” to get the party started. The “white snow red as strawberries” lyric reprised the Saturday night donut theme to the delight of MSG regulars and set the tone for a cover-filled evening on Night 6 of their Baker’s Dozen.
Fans entering the Garden after work could relate to the traffic -jammed “Cars Trucks Buses” that took the second spot in the rotation and saw Page McConnell work his magic on the boards. The always welcomed “My Soul” kept the energy building before a “Roses Are Free” completed the back-to-back cover annihilation. The Chilling Thrilling Sounds “Very Long Fuse” received some extended love as the powder keg audience realized they wouldn’t be getting another five song first set.
Rarities like “Pebbles and Marbles” have been filling the donut holes in a magical way throughout this run and it has become so common to hear bust-outs that the audience didn’t even detect how special it was. While speaking about special moments, the almost 15-minute “Tube” was explored by the band as if it was in a 1990’s Discovery Zone. The bouncy punch initiated by Mike Gordon was only outshined by Page’s dirty synth orgy. Trey found his groove and dissected the jam into what will be known as the “Baker’s Tube” for years to come.
When second sets begin with hard-rocking machines like “Carini,” Phish followers know they are in for a sweet treat. The 16-minute lumpiness dug its feet into the ground and setup another rarity in “Mr. Completely.” The TAB classic has only been played a handful of times by the quartet, yet it made its second appearance this tour to the delight of die-hards. Trey’s ditty may or may not become a staple in the band’s repertoire, but for now there is still much work to be done with the jam.
“The World’s Most Famous Arena” experienced a flashback to 1998 as the Vermonters destroyed Price’s “1999.” The second set was familiarly baked with incredible choices but the highlight may have been the jam that ensued. “Steam” rose out of the stage as a seamless and perfectly placed transition before Led Zepplin’s “No Quarter” shocked and awed an already speechless crowd. Page’s well-executed vocal takedown mixed with the ferocious Jimmy Page-like guitar antics by Big Red solidified this version as possibly the best one ever played. An overly ambitious “Character Zero” closed the set and proved that surprises come in all forms during this epic 13-show run.
Where is the powder? There’s the powder. Phish never lets us down in terms of donut symbolism. The encore debut of Neil Young’s “Powderfinger” closed the night and permanently gave us a new motto to live by: “Never miss a Wednesday show.”
Set 1: White Winter Hymnal[1], Cars Trucks Buses, My Soul, Roses Are Free > The Very Long Fuse, Gumbo, Yarmouth Road, Pebbles and Marbles, Farmhouse, Tube Set 2: Carini -> Mr. Completely > 1999 > Steam > No Quarter, Character Zero Encore: Powderfinger[2]
On a night where jams were promised, jams were delivered. The complaint ‘Phish doesn’t jam anymore’ is now an antiquated phrase reserved for jaded vets and those looking for a reason to justify not attending a show. On Honey Dipped Jam-Filled Donut night, Phish’s Baker’s Dozen shifted into high gear starting the show with a 5 song first set with no song shorter than 10 minutes. By the time the show was over, the band had two 30 minute jams under their belt, as well as the debut of “End of Session” from 1998’s Story of the Ghost. The fourth night marked the best of the run, with nine nights still to go.
Starting for the fourth show in a row with an ‘S’ song, the normally simple “Sample in a Jar” topped out at 10 minutes, far longer than usual. It was when “Lawn Boy” started that fans were in for a treat among treats, and 29:59 later, after enormous blissful jamming that began when Page stood up to get his keytar, everyone knew they’d gotten something far out of the ordinary. Repeated listens will be required to fully absorb what Phish threw into this jam filled “Lawn Boy,” no, “Lawn Man.”
“My Friend, My Friend” and “Stash” both topped the 11-minute mark with stronger than normal Type I jams that kept the set flowing. “Bathtub Gin” followed suit, and despite these last three songs having as much punch as any first set jam this run, “Lawn Boy” slightly overshadowed the others, more for the factor of jamming “Lawn Boy” among all the other songs in their repertoire.
The second set started with “Fuego” clocking in at close to 20 minutes, followed by “Thread” which debuted in Chicago as a unique prog-rock number but also provided a bridge between jam vehicles, as “Crosseyed and Painless” provided an additional dose of jam that was promised. The Talking Heads cover veered into the usual improvisation and picked up speed as it dipped into a “2001” prelude that shifted gears and instead continued the “Crosseyed” jam in a third, or even fourth altogether different section.
“Makisupa Policeman” with nods to Page and Mike from Trey and the jam out of Makisupa melted into “End of Session,” which debuted to the delight of the few who recalled the final track on Story of the Ghost, an ambient composition on many fans bucketlists. The set was capped by “Tuesday” and “Cavern” and fans picking up the jaws that were dropped in the 33 minute “Crosseyed.”
To end the show, “Julius” came out rocking and segued into the ending of “Lawn Boy” to the intense delight of fans who saw the show come full circle, heading into Powdered donut night.
The Werks kicked off the first night of Bakers Dozen after parties at American Beauty on Friday July 21. The band teased “In the End” by Linkin Park as a tribute to the late Chester Bennington.
After two nights of Phish extending jams amid bustouts and debuts during the Baker’s Dozen, it was clear that these donut themed shows would be filled with jam and not jelly. On Red Velvet donut night, the audience was treated to a pair of Velvet Underground covers bookending the show, as a red hue illuminated the Garden and once again the mantra ‘Never miss a Sunday Show’ held true.
Opening with Velvet Underground’s “Sunday Morning” with Fishman in a Cardinal’s stole and mitre, he sang a perfect song to fit the day and theme, all while blessing the crowd with the ‘holy water’ that was in his scepter. And with that, the show amped up the energy with “Axilla” driving the crowd into a frenzy, “Your Pet Cat” throwing in a dose of funk, and an 11 minute “Back on the Train” that easily ventured beyond the usual length for the Farmhouse fan favorite. “How Many People Are You” kept the energy flowing, and while “Glide” isn’t an intense song, the oft-chased after song was greeted by all as another example of working through the band’s deep catalog to ensure no repeats throughout the 13 show run.
After a standard “Theme From the Bottom,” the jam of the evening took off inside “It’s Ice,” with the band stretching this version out past the 15 minute mark with a deeply exploratory jam built on patience from all four members. Setting the tone with jams in non-traditional jam vehicles has been a hallmark of this tour (see: Dayton “Wombat,” Pittsburgh “Mr. Completely”) and “It’s Ice” with its jazzy improvisation follows this trend. Closing the set was “More,” something everyone was asking for after the “Ice” jam.
After a creamy first set, Phish came out firing with a brief, but punchy “AC/DC Bag,” which a lot of fans were hoping would get lengthy jam treatment. While it clocked in at its typical time, “Bag” still got the Garden dancing as Anastasio brought some youthful playing to one of Phish’s oldest and most played songs.
Whatever song was up next was sure to get stretched out, as the band has displayed incredible improvisational prowess on this tour throughout each show, but especially in the second sets. So, with the opener providing more of a quick rocker, “Wolfman’s Brother” brought out a very audible cheer from the crowd, as Chris Kuroda followed suit with maybe the most intense lights of the run so far. From behind the stage, it appeared, at times, that the red lights morphed into a reflective orange, which made the crowd appear, at times, on fire. Meanwhile, after Phish got through the song portion of “Wolfman’s Brother,” the band kicked it 50 yards past high gear with a sort of circular feeling ambient jam that saw Mike Gordon lead a layered approach to another old and beloved song, which bled into “Twist.”
This “Twist” can really be described by its several distinct sections, and was highlighted by Page McConnell’s stellar use of his new synth toy. It seems that every member of the band has added something new, at it showed in this jam, which gave way to a series of loops from Anastasio. When it all came together, the peak settled back gently into the song’s theme. “Waves” came next, and quickly went dark and deep, but the jam was the only flat part of the entire set. Some around the section were loving it, but others were not sold on the jam. “Miss You” filled in where “2001” seemed to be emerging from the spacey jam out of “Waves.”
“Boogie On Reggae Woman” and, of course, “Wading In the Velvet Sea” closed out the set in funky and somewhat emotive fashion. Everyone knew “Velvet Sea” was coming, and it was pretty well placed after a set chock full of improvisation, landing well.
For the first time since Deer Creek 2012, Phish busted out a fan favorite in the Velvet Underground’s “Sweet Jane.” Kuroda brought back the red light theme, and Phish played the song flub free, ending with the crowd in a frenzy as the Anastasio jumped up and down to conclude another stellar show of the Baker’s Dozen.
Night 4 of Baker’s has been announced as Jam Filled, with mini Raspberry donuts the theme of the night. Few things can get a phan’s heart pumping than to know a night full of jamming is on tap.
Setlist via Phish.net
Set 1: Sunday Morning[1], Axilla, Your Pet Cat > Back on the Train, How Many People Are You, Glide, Theme From the Bottom >It’s Ice > More Set 2: AC/DC Bag > Wolfman’s Brother[2] > Twist > Waves > Miss You, Boogie On Reggae Woman, Wading in the Velvet Sea Encore: Sweet Jane [1] Phish debut. Trey on drums. [2] Unfinished.
As the first weekend of Phish’s Madison Square Garden Baker’s Dozen residency rolls on, and with a memorable Friday night show already in the books, Saturday delivered another rousing two sets of music set to the tune of the next donut flavor of choice: Strawberry milkshake glaze. Once announced, speculation ran rampant as to what the band could pull out of its hat in order to comply with tonight’s theme. Perhaps a rare Strawberry Alarm Clock cover? An extended “Halley’s Comet” with strawberry jam? As usual, The Phish from Vermont did not disappoint.
The show began with all four band members at the front of the stage in barbershop quartet formation as they debuted an a cappella version of one of the more popular cover song guesses of the evening, The Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever.” Those in the “Halley’s Comet” for an opener crowd were then quickly rewarded next with the standout version that followed, replete with thousands of delighted fans singing in unison about the preferred method of their strawberry goo intake.
Things escalated quickly from there courtesy of a sterling rendition of “The Moma Dance” that was delightfully stretched out, showcasing the steady and patient jamming style the band has featured of late. The “Breath and Burning” that followed was in the same vein and the normally straightforward reggae infused number took on an entirely different feel this evening with a complex and, at times, dark jam attached to it. Bassist Mike Gordon took over on lead vocals for the next two songs, a typically energetic and rocking cover of “Funky Bitch” and the old school staple “Mound.” To the delight of many, the first set continued with another Phish staple of yore, the rarely played “Foam” which is featured on the band’s first major release, Junta. “Roggae,” always a popular first set selection followed before “The Squirming Coil” with Page McConnell’s signature piano solo capped things off.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0bdLdTJdKI
Saturday’s second set kicked off with “Down with Disease” and its typical massive, psychedelic infused jam that seems to get deeper and more epic each time it’s played. Only true musical nerds could have possibly guessed what was next as Phish brought out their second debut of the night, “Strawberry Letter 23,” a song first written by Shuggie Otis, popularized by a cover from The Brothers Johnson in 1977 and sampled endlessly in popular music ever since. Before the shock of seeing this out of nowhere cover could wear off, Trey Anastasio’s opening guitar riff to “Birds of a Feather” rang through the Garden and sent the crowd into a frenzy, birds of a feather all singing and dancing in unison.
Another somewhat unexpected song selection followed with McConnell once again taking lead on the synthesizer fueled “I Always Wanted It This Way” which is found on the band’s most recent album, Big Boat. As the ensuing jam slowly winded down, a true bust out emerged with the first “All of These Dreams” played in over 250 shows which served as a true “breather” song. The last segment of the second set was classic Phish in a nutshell. The rhythm section of Gordon and drummer Jon Fishman initiated a “Split Open and Melt” that featured its typical dark, heavy improv section before eventually morphing back into the main riffs of “Down with Disease,” bringing the set opener full circle and leaving fans with mouths agape.
To close out the set, Phish played a popular encore-like selection with another cover, this time The Rolling Stones’ sing along “Shine A Light.” The actual encore was one for the books with “Peaches en Regalia” making an appearance there for the first time since the late 80s. A fitting high energy but brief cover of The Talking Heads’ “Cities” followed before “My Sweet One” closed out the evening. One of the highlights of the night was the extended pause at the end of the song that had everyone in attendance roaring in approval with a force so strong that it seemed to bring up the house lights – a fitting end to a most epic Baker’s Dozen ‘Strawberry’ show.
Setlist via Phish.net
Baker’s Dozen Night 2 – Strawberry
Set 1: Strawberry Fields Forever[1], Halley’s Comet > The Moma Dance[2] > Breath and Burning > Funky Bitch, Mound, Foam, Roggae, The Squirming Coil
Set 2: Down with Disease, Strawberry Letter 23[3] > Birds of a Feather, I Always Wanted It This Way[4] > All of These Dreams, Split Open and Melt > Down with Disease > Shine a Light
Encore: Peaches en Regalia > Cities, My Sweet One
[1] Phish debut; a cappella. [2] Unfinished. [3] Phish debut. [4] With Trey on Marimba Lumina.
Phish played the intimate Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh on Thursday. The small indoor arena on the University of Pittsburgh’s campus was a nice respite from the scorching heat outside. Fresh off the band’s opening run in Chicago and a one off show the night before at a similar style arena in Dayton, Ohio, the band offered up a unique show featuring some bustouts, new songs and jam or two in unexpected places.
The crowd was locked in and was giving back the energy, which was first very apparent during one of the better versions of “The Divided Sky” in quite some time, with the crowd completely losing it during the pause. The first set ended with “Prince Caspian”. It seemed like it would be a standard set closer but the band decided to give the Magnaball Caspian a run for its money and they took it deep. The jam first sounded like it could have came straight out of Maganaball’s Drive-In jam, before picking up speed into a Pink Floyd-like groove before it escalated into some soaring solos from Trey.
After getting things started back up again with a “Punch You In The Eye,” the band played the Trey Anastasio Band song “Mr. Completely” for only the second time. This was the jam of the night as the band played patient and loose while drummer Jon Fishman was the backbone, keeping it driving forward with momentum. This kind of relaxed jamming from the band usually doesn’t happen until the middle or end of the tour so it was very promising to see. Next up was a pairing of the rarely played but often loved “Mercury” into a new song called “Come Together.” They then went into a more song based portion to end the show, with solid versions of “Contact”, “Steam” and “Backwards Down the Numberline” being the highlights.
Phish heads nest to New York City for their 13-show residency at Madison Square Garden.
07/19/2017 • Peterson Events Center • Pittsburgh, PA
Tour: 2017 Summer Tour
Set 1: My Soul, NICU, Halley’s Comet, Undermind, The Divided Sky, Marissa, Home,Prince Caspian
Set 2: Punch You in the Eye, Mr. Completely, Mercury> Come Together, Contact, Axilla,Steam, Backwards Down The Number Line
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?”
Unlike the outrageously raging 
