Tag: Madison Square Garden

Flashback: Phish Busts Out The Covers at MSG, December 30, 1997

One of the most influential years in the history of Phish couldn’t end without a stop at MSG, The World’s Most Famous Arena, and it was 1997 that would bring the band to new highs, including their first ever three-night headlining bill at The Garden.

Today marks the anniversary of the second night in this run, a show marked by one of the greatest bust outs in terms of show gap, a legendary “Harpua” with assistance from Tom Marshall, and a handful of fan favorite cover songs played alongside some of the traditional heavy hitters. In addition to all the clips seen below, the entire show can be streamed here.

1997 Holiday Run shirt design by Erin Cadigan via PhanArt

After a quick discussion, Phish casually greets the Garden crowd with one of the greater bust outs of all time. It’s merely the first “Sneakin’ Sally Through The Alley” in 920 shows, last played at Ian McLean’s party in Hebron, NY in 1989, a likely much more intimate gathering. After shaking off some of the early rust, Phish easily settles into a funk groove so reminiscent of this era, fueled by Trey Anastasio on guitar with Page McConnell eagerly aiding and abetting on the clav.

Instead of ramping up towards a (now) customary vocal jam, the funk jam slowly devolves and Anastasio adds some digital delay loops as the tone shifts towards a much more ambient feel before the opening guitar lick of “Taste” ensues. McConnell throws down some thunderous play on the baby grand piano before yielding the floor to Anastasio for a spellbinding crescendo of electric guitar.

Things cool off a bit with the relatively new “Water In The Sky” that follows, still in its early, slower tempo. But Anastasio puts a stop to that quickly at song’s end, starting up the familiar strumming that initiates “Punch You In The Eye” and a quick stop at Gamehendge.

“Punch” goes off without a hitch and after some brief high-intensity feedback, Anastasio seems to make the audible call for “Stash.” Aside from the opening funk produced in “Sally,” this provides the other real notable jam of the first set, a brooding, mesmerizing sequence that has some distinct touches of “evil” Phish. Drummer Jon Fishman continues to push the pace to an almost alarming rate before the reigns are pulled back in, somewhat quickly, and the song finishes rather meekly.

To rev things back up, Phish resorts to a reliable figure, “Chalkdust Torture.” Fishman and bassist Mike Gordon steer the collective ship more than ably as Anastasio reaches back and delivers one last scorching first set guitar solo that the Garden crowd visibly devours with delight.

The first set that opened with a bust out comes to an end with a cover, this time The Beatles’ “A Day In The Life,” with Page McConnell on lead vocals. Some more extended feedback from Phish ends the song in a flourish as MSG collectively shows their appreciation at the conclusion of a rather short opening set, one that barely lasted an hour.

Anyone who would complain about that fact, would soon be put in their place thanks to the giant second set and extended encore for which this show is best remembered. It all starts off with, arguably, one of the better “AC/DC Bag”s ever played. It starts out innocently enough, but soon shifts back into that sinister tone that was prevalent in the first set. In vintage Phish style, simple melodies are stretched out, reexamined and continually revisited until all four band members are firing in sync like gears in a well-oiled machine. Throw in some classic ’97 funk, more relentless guitar play from Anastasio, a sprinkling of Gordon-supplied bass bombs, “Pyscho Killer” and “Third Stone From The Sun” teases and, 25 minutes later, you’ve got the latest in a (now long) line of Phish gems mined at MSG.

After an opening number that took up almost half of the length of the first set, Phish wastes no time in bringing it back to Gamehendge for a well-received “McGrupp And The Watchful Hosemasters.” The band deftly makes its way through the composed section of this classic song before giving way to a brief but beautiful two-person duel between Trey and Page on their respective instruments before it comes to an end.

Afterwards, the familiar oom-pa-pa intro of the first ever “Harpua” at MSG rings out and the Phish crowd erupts with glee. They would have good reason to as this would be a special one, dubbed the “Pentagram Harpua” based on Trey’s “life changing” narration. The following sequence includes nothing less than a Lost In Space reference, a young Trey crafting a pentagram out of lunch boxed goods, and Tom Marshall joining the fray for a hilarious cover of The Proclaimers’ “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).”

Phish keeps the proverbial pedal down after all of this madness and launches right into some more classic rock, this time it’s Jimi Hendrix’s “Izabella,” a now revered cover selection that debuted only earlier this summer. Anastasio simply annihilates the guitar solo and MSG is nearly combustible at this point.

Seizing this opportunity, Phish then goes all in with a majestic “Harry Hood” to cap a special sequence of music. A mild glowstick war early on gives way to a “Hood” that’s anything but, with Mc Connell producing a bevy of dulcet tones on the electronic keyboard and the customary mesmerizing guitar solo from Anastasio. It’s as well executed a “Hood” as they come and, along with “AC/DC Bag,” serves as a more than willing co-anchor as far as second set exploratory jams go.

In fact, the normally euphoric outro jam eventually develops into a full-on blues one and instead of bringing “Hood” to an end, Phish slides right into another cover tune – “My Soul.” Steady bass play from Gordon provides the floor for another scorching guitar solo as the band romps effortlessly through another recently debuted favorite. This is followed up with a “Sleeping Monkey” that brings a little levity to the ending portion of the set. Trey then thanks the MSG crowd, promising one “last” song that turns out to be “Guyute,” one of the key tracks from the yet-to-be-released Story Of The Ghost.

Phish fan shirt from the 97 Holiday run via PhanArt

Tonight’s encore gets the 1997 New Year’s Eve celebration off to a rollicking start. Trey begins the encore noting the closeness to midnight and that the band may as well “play two New Year’s Eve shows.” Turns out he wasn’t kidding as Phish then proceeds to drop down one of the more legendary encores of their playing career. Things start off with yet another new number to live repertoire, “Carini,” which features a quick stand-in by the man himself, Phish crew member Pete Carini.

After those pleasantries are dispersed, Phish then immediately drops back into a molasses-thick funk jam that soon reveals itself to be “Black Eyed Katy.” Although not known at the time, this instrumental steeped in cow funk would be the last one ever played before lyrics were added and it would go on to live the rest of its days as “The Moma Dance.”

“Katy” then eventually turns back into “Sally” as Phish slyly segues back into it and revisits the bustout opener in the encore for another go ’round. And as if all this weren’t enough, “Frankenstein” replete with feedback galore, strobelight insanity and Jon Fishman on vacuum for good measure. When all is said and done, it’s a near 30-minute encore that wraps up one memorable New Year’s Run gig, or just another ho-hum Phish show at MSG depending on how you look at it.

Phish Madison Square Garden – New York, NY 12/30/97

Set 1: Sneakin’ Sally Through The Alley -> Taste, Water In The Sky > Punch You In The Eye > Stash, Chalkdust Torture, A Day In The Life

Set 2: AC/DC Bag > McGrupp And The Watchful Hosemasters, Harpua > I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) > Harpua > Izabella > Harry Hood -> My Soul > Sleeping Monkey > Guyute

E: Carini -> Black Eyed Katy -> Sneakin’ Sally Through The Alley > Frankenstein

December 30, 2021
Not So Stupendous: Phish Postpone MSG run, Citing Omicron Concerns

Less than a week before they were slated to take the stage at Madison Square Garden, Phish announced today that due to the concerns over the wave of COVID-10 Omicron variant that is sweeping through New York City and elsewhere, the MSG shows will postpone to April, rather than being outright cancelled.

Phish will honor all tickets for the December 29-January 1 shows at MSG on the rescheduled dates of April 20-23, marking the first time Phish has played New York City in April since 1994 at the Beacon Theatre. Get the Webcast here.

The band said in a statement:

With the Omicron variant of Covid-19 surging in New York City, we have made the very difficult decision to reschedule next week’s run of shows at Madison Square Garden.
The health and safety of Phish fans, our crew, and venue staff is paramount in our minds. While Phish has played shows this year as the pandemic has continued, this variant’s ability for rapid transmission is unprecedented.
We are also mindful that a significant number of people travel for these shows and then return to their communities, and we want to avoid accelerating transmission of the virus.
Finally, even with the strictest of tour Covid protocols, the prolonged exposure of a four-night indoor run (plus the days of preparation and travel) to critical crew and staff considerably increases the possibility of having to shut the shows down once they’ve started.
We’re fortunate to have found a four-night window in The Garden’s schedule, and the shows will now take place April 20-23, 2022, including a three-set show (as originally planned for New Year’s Eve) on April 22.
Ticket holders can request a refund anytime over the next 30 days, beginning today, if they cannot commit to the rescheduled show date. If a refund is not requested during the allotted time, tickets will be valid for the new show date. Please note: If you purchased from an authorized ticket sales channel (Ticketmaster, Phish Tickets, CID or venue website) these ticketing partners will be contacting all buyers shortly with further instructions.
Thank you all for your understanding. Stay healthy and safe, take care of each other out there and please get vaccinated and boosted if you haven’t already.

No word yet if Phish will stream archival shows in place of the anticipated New Years run at Madison Square Garden.

The April shows would mark the second ever ‘Island Run’ of shows, although unofficially so.

The rescheduled shows also mean that Phish will start the rescheduled dates on 4/20/22. Phish has not played on April 20 since 1994, so there’s that.

December 23, 2021
Burna Boy Announces One-Night Only Show at Madison Square Garden: One Night in Space

Grammy-winning Afrobeats artist, Burna Boy, is on the verge of making history with the announcement of his one-night only show at the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. Set for April 28, 2022, the performance will see the “African Giant” singer become the first Nigerian artist the headline the iconic venue.

One Night in Space Follows several sold-out performances by Burna Boy at some of the world’s most renowned arenas and music festivals. As part of his 2021 Space Drift tour, Burna Boy has performed in front sold-out crowds at LA’s The Hollywood Bowl, he delivered electrifying performances at the 2021 Global Citizen Festival and The Governor’s Ball, as well as sold out international shows at London’s O2 Arena, Paris’ Accor Arena, Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome and more venues around the globe.

Burna Boy is also on a musical high as his last two projects, 2019’s Grammy-nominated African Giant and 2020’s Grammy-winning Twice as Tall, have seen him go from a star within the afrobeats community to a legitimate mainstream headliner. While he hasn’t released a body of work in 2021 after releasing projects in consecutive years, he has kept his sound in circulation, collaborating with several diverse and well-known artists. 2021 saw him on the records “I Feel It” with Jon Bellion; “Want It All” featuring Polo G, “Question” ft Don Jazzy, and “Rotate” with Becky G, which featured in Pepsi’s global football campaign “Music Keeps Us Fizzing.” The African Giant also allied with Justin Bieber on the 8x Grammy-nominated album, Justice, and with 9-time Grammy-nominee Sia for “Hey Boy.”

Tickets for One Night in Space will go on sale to the general public at 12pm ET on Friday, December 17th at Ticketmaster.com.

December 17, 2021
Twenty One Pilots “The Icy Tour 2022” Coming to New York Next August

Grammy Award winning duo Twenty One Pilots have announced “The Icy Tour 2022,” which will find the band headlining arenas across North America next summer, including a stop at Madison Square Garden on August 23 and the new UBS Arena in Belmont Park on August 24.

The coast-to-coast 23-city outing will kick off on August 18^th in St. Paul, MN and make stops in New York City, Toronto, Nashville, Anaheim, and more before wrapping up with a performance at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena on September 24^th.

Twenty One Pilots quietly emerged as one of the most successful bands of the 21^st century and redefined the sound of a generation. After billions of streams and dozens of multi-Platinum certifications around the world, the history-making Columbus, OH duo—Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun—ascended to a creative and critical high watermark on their new full-length album, Scaled And Icy. The album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top “Rock Albums” and “Alternative Albums” charts, while landing at No. 3 on the “Billboard 200,” marking the biggest opening week for a rock album in 2021.

In celebration of the upcoming tour, Twenty One Pilots have also surprise released a digital deluxe version of their acclaimed new album, Scaled And Icy. Scaled And Icy (Livestream Version) includes never before released performances of fan favorite tracks from the group’s pioneering global streaming event, “Twenty One Pilots – Livestream Experience”.

Written and largely produced by Tyler Joseph in isolation over the course of the past year at his home studio, with Dun engineering the album’s drums from across the country, Scaled And Icy is the product of long-distance virtual sessions and finds the duo processing their upended routines along with the prevailing emotions of 2020 – anxiety, loneliness, boredom, and doubt. The duo had to forgo their normal studio sessions but reached a new of level of introspection in the process, adopting a more imaginative and bold approach to their songwriting. The result is a collection of songs that push forward through setbacks and focus on the possibilities worth remembering. Scaled And Icy is Twenty One Pilots’ first studio album in three years and follows their RIAA Platinum certified LP, Trench.

Twenty One Pilots “The Icy Tour 2022”

Aug 18 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center

Aug 20 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena

Aug 21 – Cincinnati, OH – Heritage Bank Center

Aug 23 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

Aug 24 – Belmont Park, NY – UBS Arena

Aug 26 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre

Aug 27 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena

Aug 30 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse

Aug 31 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena

Sep 02 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center

Sep 03 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena

Sep 04 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center

Sep 07 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena

Sep 09 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center

Sep 10 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center

Sep 13 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center

Sep 16 – Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center

Sep 17 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center

Sep 18 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center

Sep 20 – Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Arena

Sep 22 – Portland, OR – Moda Center

Sep 24 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena

Tickets and more info available here.

December 1, 2021
Dave Matthews Band and Dumpstaphunk Funk up The Garden on 2021 tour closer

Prior to the tour closing performance of Dave Matthews Band at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, November 13, frontman Dave Matthews introduced Dumpstaphunk, who would open the evening’s festivities. Sharing with the sold out New York City audience that he was so damn lucky,

I got to listen to sound check yesterday with Dumpstaphunk and then I got to listen to them last night, then at sound check again today. So you guys only got two, by the end of this set I’ll have four. This is one of my favorite bands in the world. This band also saved my life but that’s a different story anyway have a good time with my friends Dumpstaphunk

Photo by Joseph Buscarello

Matthews’ story was referring to his sold out Labor Day weekend shows at The Gorge where Tony Hall of Dumpstaphunk and company helped sit in to perform three nights of Dave’s music on the spot. DMB keyboardist Buddy Strong sat behind the drums and Tony Hall held the low end down on bass & backing vocals. It was as an alternate format to help the shows go on without Carter Beauford and Stefan Lessard’s rhythm section for the first time in thirty years.

A similar situation of musical chairs unfolded at Madison Square Garden as saxophonist Jeff Coffin was forced to sit out the two-night run. Rashawn Ross opened Leroi Moore’s original brass section to Ben Golder-Novick, Alex Wasily and Ashlin Parker to the 7th Avenue stage. The Dumpstaphunk horns sat in on “Cornbread” and a “Jimi Thing” that led to a cover of Sly Stone’s “I Want To Take You Higher.”

Ben Golder-Novick, who was only a guest at New York’s Irving Plaza for a Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds acoustic set in January of 2018, was on saxophone for every song. Dave kept the big door open by calling him a day before the weekend shows to send the invite.

Photo by Joseph Buscarello

Tim Reynolds sat in during Dumpstaphunk’s MSG debut set for their cover of Buddy Miles “United Nations Stomp” on Friday night. The song has been considered for the 2022 Best American Roots Performance Grammy. Saturday night’s set included a special guest spot by Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds for Led Zeppelin’s “Ramble On.” Tony and Dave traded howls on Robert Plant’s words…I gotta keep on searching for my baby.

It marked the first time Tim, Dave, and Tony played the Empire State together since they encored with Led Zeppelin’s “Fool in the Rain” at Rochester’s Blue Cross Arena for the Dave Matthews and Friends Some Devil Tour in December 2003. It was reminiscent of Dave sitting in with the Funky Meters in Albany in 2000 as well. Tony Hall told NYS music, “What’s so bad ass about Dave is that he sounds like nobody but himself, it’s like no other shit.”

Dave Matthews Band celebrated their 25th anniversary at Madison Square Garden this November. It was the last stop of their 2021 tour that included shows in Syracuse and Saratoga Springs. They performed 23 songs each night, filled with originals, covers, and tour debuts.

Friday night’s show that was broadcast live on Sirius XM channel 30 included the debut of “Mad Man’s Eyes” which Dave simply said is about a crazy man. “So Damn Lucky,” off Dave’s 2003 Some Devil record, resonated so right for all those who’ve had close calls in the crowd. The crowd replied singing in unison to Sly Stone’s “Thank You Falletinme Be Mice Elf Again.”

Tony Hall told NYS Music about his recording experience on Some Devil. “I had a lot of fun with that record. some of my favorite songs were So Damn Lucky and the end jam on Too High is killing”

Photo by Joseph Buscarello

Dave goes to the city with the car horns, corners and the gritty during “Proudest Monkey.” Buddy Strong and Tim Reynolds stretched out great jams during “Typical Situation” and “Lie in Our Graves.” Friday night’s encore included a “Two Step” left unfinished by the band as they launched into a chilling version of “Halloween.” It turned back the clocks, buried the past, and sent the crowd trick or treating into the Manhattan night.

Saturday night’s tour closing show at the world’s most famous arena was a celebration with DMB family, friends, and their legendary crew. Dave made sure to thank all of his on road family that made this crazy year’s tour possible each night. “After this year to be in New York City and Madison Square Garden is overwhelming. Its like damn how did I get here?”

Dave Matthews Tour Bus

They wasted no time encouraging all at the Garden party to eat, drink, and be merry with a “Tripping Billies” opener. Matthews played his deepest cut “Stay or Leave,” off the Some Devil album as well. The rare “Water in to Wine” made its way round and round again for the first time in 2021.

Tim Reynolds told NYS Music about an experience he had at Madison Square Garden during a Sting & Peter Gabriel performance. “When Peter did The Rhythm of the Heat with both bands I screamed like a woman and I only have one vocal chord.” Tim was able to feed in the rhythm from the stage at MSG with Dave Matthews treating the New York crowd to a killing version of Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer.”

The band welcomed the Dumpstaphunk horns to the world’s most famous stage for “Cornbread.” During the improvisational classic “Jimi Thing,” the brass section helped launch Dave to sing on Sly Stone’s classic “ I Want To Take You Higher.” It helped solidify the funk vibe that was in the air both nights.

During Saturday night’s encore Matthews performed his moving “Christmas Song” that helped flicker some holiday lighting inside the Garden. Before these crowded streets of DMB’s 43-city tour came “The Last Stop.” This fitting jam during the final encore was left unfinished as it segued into Carter Beauford’s iconic snare drum hit to kick into “Ants Marching” to end the performance.

Dumpstaphunk and Dave Matthews Band made this another two-night run of legendary entertainment history at the World’s Most Famous Arena. The custom basketball jerseys helped count it in.

New Yorker Carrie Band-Leshin told NYS music at MSG, “I’ve been seeing him since he played the Wetlands club in Tribeca until now, its like the same shirt on a different day though. I’ve never seen him play any song the same way twice this whole time.” Dave Matthews told the Garden, “I remember coming here when I was a little kid for the Barnum and Bailey three ring Circus. Just to tell you how old I am.”

Dumpstaphunk Setlists

November 12, 2021 – Dancin to the Truth, I Wish You Would, Let’s Get At It, Where Do We Go, Justice, United Nation Stomp*

*Buddy Miles cover with Tim Reynolds

November 13, 2021 – Meanwhile…., Do You, Make it After All, Street Parade, Ramble On**

**Led Zeppelin cover with Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds

Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)

Dave Matthews Band Setlists

November 12, 2021 – That Girl is You, Best of whats Around, Crush, Sweet, Funny the Way it is, Don’t Drink the Water, Again & Again, So Damn Lucky, Why I Am, Proudest Monkey, Satellite, Madmans Eyes, What Would You Say?, Lie in Our Graves, So Much to Say, Too Much, Everyday, Grey Street
Encore: Two Step >Halloween

November 13, 2021 – Tripping Billies, Dancing Nancies, Warehouse, Stay or Leave, You Might Die Trying, Lying in the Hands of God, You & Me, She. Grace is Gone, Song That (bridget) Jane Likes-> Water in to Wine, Pantala Naga Pampa->Rapunzel, Sledgehammer*, #41, Cornbread**, Jimi Thing**, Where are You Going?, What You Are, Stay
Encore: Christmas Song, The Last Stop >Ants Marching

*Peter Gabriel Cover ** Ashlin Parker & Alex Wasily trombone & trumpet

November 15, 2021
Dumpstaphunk Grooves Brooklyn Bowl ahead of Madison Square Garden Debut

Dumpstaphunk last performed in the Empire State at the 2019 New York State Blues festival in downtown Syracuse. Later that evening, band members Tony Hall and Deven Trusclair kept the groove going at the Funk n Waffles club for a sit in on “Standing on Shaky Ground” by the Temptations that Funkadelic’s Eddie Hazel co wrote. A month later they opened for the Rolling Stones to 40,000 people in their hometown at the New Orleans Superdome.

Dumpstaphunk kicked off 2021 by releasing their first record in seven years, Where Do We Go From Here, which was just nominated in four Grammy categories. The band has been on the road promoting its sound this summer leading them up to a Labor Day Weekend of shows with Dave Matthews Band at Heavens Amphitheatre, The Gorge. All members of Dumpstaphunk sat in with DMB for Sly Stone’s “Thank You (Falletinme be mice elf again) and Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” to close the night.

Tony Hall sat in with the DMB as part of an alternate format the entire weekend on bass and vocals as well. He was reunited with Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds on stage for the first time since their infamous Some Devil Tour in 2003. Dumpstaphunk will also be joining Dave Matthews Band at the World’s Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden, on November 12 and 13.

Dumpstaphunk @ Brooklyn Bowl, Photo by Russell Mangicaro III

All of this momentum could be felt on stage at Brooklyn Bowl on Saturday, October 23. Rotem Sivan Band opened the show as Dumpstaphunk hit the stage at 9:45 p.m., crushing their entire set for the Williamsburg crowd. Brooklyn Bowl founder, Peter Shapiro, appeared behind the curtain dressed as a pilot while the band took off on stage. Shapiro gave them a quick fist bump of delight after their tune “Itchy Boo.”

Come on lets get at it Brooklyn! Get up, Get down, Keep it stepping, keep it moving. Every band member was fully engaged with the Brooklyn Bowl crowd the whole set. Tim Reynolds told
You know those guys when your playing a gig, he’ll look right at you? That’s him. He’ s a bad ass.

Tony Hall, Photo by Russell Mangicaro III

Everyone was dancing to the truth that this band lets out. Lucky nobody slipped onstage due to the greasy lane funk levels. Sly Stone’s words carry on through their take on his cut “In Time.” Well, well, there’s a feelin’, oh, so real in every human On time (About time) There’s a reelin’ when you don’t know what you’re doing, In time…

If there was a clip that examples their on stave vigor, it would be from their performance of “Justice” (that features Trombone Shorty on the new album). Tony Hall took the electric guitar for a ride down the adjacent lanes to end the jam. New Orleans cats Ivan Neville, Ian Neville and Nick Daniels hit hard on Tower of Power’s “Soul Vaccination,” resonating with the New York crowd. I’m talking bout soul (soul vaccination) Everybody get in line (soul vaccination) Horns!

During the final song horn players Alex Wasily and Ashlin Parker made their way through the Brooklyn Bowl crowd for “Street Parade” to close the set like the Saints go marching in.

For the encore, the band paid tribute to legendary drummer and singer Buddy Miles. as his song “United Nation Stomp,” featuring Marcus King was nominated for a Grammy Award for best American roots performance.

In recording a new album, Tony Hall shed some light with NYS Music about the group’s creative process.

We recorded a bunch of these songs and didn’t finish them lyric-wise. Vocal-wise we can always change. It goes kind of like vice versa. We’re all a band that can sing and play too, ya know?

Photos by Russell Mangicaro III: Dumpstaphunk – Brooklyn Bowl – October 23, 2021

October 28, 2021
Phish announce 4 nights at Madison Square Garden for 2021 New Years Eve Run

Vermont jam-lords Phish will celebrate the end of 2021 with four nights at Madison Square Garden, capping off a remarkable year for the group.

To say Phish is no stranger to Madison Square Garden would be a huge understatement. The band has played ‘The World’s Most Famous Arena’ a total of 64 times, with only Elton John and the Piano Man, Billy Joel, eclipsing their mark on the venue. The band played their first show at Madison Square Garden over New Years Eve in 1994, and playing one of their greatest shows ever on December 31, 1995, featuring the Gamehendge Time Factory.

Read The Phish Before The Storm: December 30, 1995 At MSG, a look at the night before their historic 12/31/95 show.

The band continued to perform on New Years Eve for many years to follow, including 4 night runs in 1997 and 1998, a single show to mark their return from hiatus on December 31, 2002, and finally returning to the venue in early December 2009 for three nights. New Years 2010 marked the first of a near consecutive string of runs over the end of the year, with the exception of 2014 when the band performed four nights in Miami. Since 2015, the band has performed at Madison Square Garden every New Years Eve since, sans 2020 due to COVID-19 and the ensuring music industry shutdown.

Revisit Phish New Years Eve’s at Madison Square Garden from 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019

2017 marked the Baker’s Dozen, a run of 13 historic shows that featured no repeats, choice covers and bust-outs galore, a hallmark for the band in their storied career at Madison Square Garden.

Tickets for Phish at Madison Square Garden for New Years Eve 2021 are available via lottery starting now through Monday, October 4th at noon ET). Public on sale begins on October 8 at noon via Phish.com

September 29, 2021
Maroon 5 Cancel Dates at SPAC and Madison Square Garden

Maroon 5 has made the decision to cancel dates at SPAC and Madison Square Garden, but plan to continue on with the rest of their tour.

The concert at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center was scheduled for Monday, September 13, 2021. People who had purchased tickets in advance were notified by Ticketmaster this weekend with no explanation as to why it was cancelled. On SPAC’s website it states that people will receive a refund for their tickets directly through Ticketmaster or Live Nation depending on where they acquired their ticket.

The concert at Madison Square Garden which was scheduled to take place on Friday, September 10, 2021 has been cancelled as well, without explanation. On their website they state that tickets purchased with a credit card online or over the phone with Ticketmaster or directly through the Madison Square Garden Box Office will automatically be refunded to the original purchaser’s credit card account. People should expect to receive their refund in as soon as 30 days. If people purchased their tickets through the Madison Square Garden Box Office with any other form of payment, please call the venue’s Guest Relations Department at 212-465-6225 for more information.

Maroon 5 is still advertising tour dates at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, VA on September 7, PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte, NC on September 8, PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ on September 10, Fenway Park in Boston, MA on September 12, Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek in Raleigh, NC on September 15. So far it looks like just the New York dates have been cancelled.

For more information visit Maroon 5’s website.

September 8, 2021
More Venues Across New York to Require Proof of Vaccination for Audiences

More venues across the state of New York are starting to require proof of vaccination for entry. With rising outbreaks of COVID-19 across the country due to the delta variant, the requirement of proof of vaccination to enter premises is becoming more and more normalized.

Photo by Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images

On August 3, 2021 Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that NYC would be moving to require proof of vaccination for indoor dining, gyms and performances areas by mid September. Since then venues in NYC have been rolling out their vaccination proof protocols but more and more venues across the state are following in their footsteps.

Madison Square Garden announced that all guests 12 and older must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination, meaning they have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Guests may also show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination, meaning the day of your event is at least 14 days after your final vaccine dose, which, depending on the type of vaccine, may be one dose or two. Fully vaccinated guests are not required to wear a mask. Everyone else must wear a face covering while in The Garden, except while actively eating or drinking. Children under age 12 – not currently eligible for COVID-19 vaccination – can attend events with a vaccinated adult, but please note that children ages 4 to 11 must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test (an antigen test taken within six hours of the event start time, or a PCR test taken within 72 hours of the day of the event.)

The State Theatre of Ithaca announced on September 2, 2021 that it will now be requiring proof of vaccination for entry. They also stated that results from a negative COVID-19 test will NOT be accepted for entry for individuals over the age of twelve. In addition, masks are required to be worn at all times while at the venue and in any common areas. People who already have tickets to an upcoming show and are unable or unwilling to adhere to the new policy can request a refund at the following link at any point until end of day, September 16.

The Capital Theater in Port Chester announced as of August 18, 2021 they would be requiring attendees to have either proof of their vaccine or a negative test result taken within the last 24 hours at the event. People can use the Excelsior Pass, NYC COVID Safe App, CDC Vaccination Card or NYC Vaccination Record for proof of vaccination.

On September 11, 2021Nietzsche’s in Buffalo announced that in will now require all patrons to provide full vaccination proof in order to attend a show and will go into effect on Friday, September 17th.

The KeyBank Center in Buffalo announced that people will need to have received their second dose of the Pfizer-BioNtech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine or single dose of the Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to the date of the game for entre. People who are fully vaccinated can show their vaccination card at doors. The venue will also accept Proof of negative antigen Covid-19 test (test must be taken within 6 hours of puck drop) or proof of negative PCR Covid-19 test (test must be taken within 72 hours of puck drop). They will also have Quest Diagnostics as an option that will offer antigen tests for $30 with test results within 30 minutes. Quest will also continue to offer PCR tests for $64 for people who have purchased tickets.

Many more venues across New York State will likely be announcing proof of vaccination requirements. For live music to survive, masking up and getting vaccinated are becoming the most useful way to insure it does.

September 7, 2021
NYC and Surrounding Areas Forced to Postpone Shows Due to Hurricane Henri

NYC and surrounding areas have been forced to postpone various shows due to Hurricane Henri. Concerts and events have been cancelled and postponed in Hudson Valley, NYC, and Long Island.

Hurricane Henri

Hurricane Henri originated in the 200 miles north-northeast of Bermuda and is currently threatening Long Island, NYC, Hudson Valley, and the New England area as a whole. On August 16, the storm system became designated Tropical Depression 08L and a mere eighteen hours later the system strengthened into being declared a Tropical Storm Henri.

On August 21, 2021 Madison Square Garden announced that due to the state of emergency that was declared from the impending hurricane that the Eagles performance scheduled to take place tomorrow, Sunday, August 22, 2021, has been postponed to Wednesday, August 25, 2021. Tickets for Sunday’s show will be valid for the rescheduled date and will not need to be exchanged. The Eagles performance scheduled for Tuesday, August 24, 2021 at Madison Square Garden will proceed as planned.

The Eagles.

Bardavon Presents announced that due to the unpredictability of Hurricane Henri and the potential for dangerous storms in Kingston, New York they have postponed the Trombone Shorty performance. The performance was supposed to take place on Sunday August 22 and has now been rescheduled to Sunday September 26 at UPAC, 7PM.

Trombone Shorty ©EMily Butler Photography

Outside the State of New York performances are getting cancelled as well. Due to the state of emergency issued by the State of Connecticut Jason Mraz has been forced to postpone his performance which was originally scheduled for the evening of August 22 at Mohegan Sun Arena. Updates on a rescheduled Jason Mraz concert at Mohegan Sun Arena will become available via mohegansun.com and Ticketmaster.com. Guests can hold on to their tickets for the rescheduled date.

Jason Mraz

Scotty McCreery’s show at Indian Ranch in Webster, MA scheduled for Sunday, August 22 has been cancelled. The pre-concert cruise on the Indian Princess is also cancelled. Samuel Slater’s Restaurant will be closed all day Sunday.

Scotty McCreery

Pix11 is currently giving updates on events across NY state that are being cancelled. Visit their full list here. Hopefully Hurricane Henri will pass through the area without return to stages across NYC and surrounding areas.

August 22, 2021