The debut recording from timing – featuring members of punk rock bands Public Access and The Slaughterhouse Chorus – will be premiered on Saturday, January 28 at The Hanger in Troy.
photo by Yuliya Peshkova.
The album, Storm’s Coming, is more of a recording project and one that cannot be performed live. However on this night at The Hanger, the album will be played in its entirety, set to a 30 minute video that follows the flow of the album. On Storm’s Coming, the weather seems fine -but it could change at any time.
timing’s formation was a reaction to an ever-changing forecast and the debut recording a song cycle about the storms of uncertainty that was borne on the winds of most uncertain times. In the strange, scary summer of 2020, four lifelong musical comrades – Chris Jordan (vocals, resonator, keys), Jason Bonafide (pedal steel guitar), Bob Watson (bass) and Mark McKenna (drums) -reconvened after their first extended break in nearly 20 years of weekly rehearsals for their reasonably regionally successful punk rock bands, Public Access and The Slaughterhouse Chorus. With the doors wide open and plenty of room to breathe, the four dragged some instruments into an old horse barn in rural Rensselaer County to start again.
art by Mavis McKinley
A handful of fingerpicked resonator riffs and bits of melodies collecting dust were finally given a place in the sun as the band developed a series of Jordan’s instrumental ideas into the basis of “Storm’s Coming” over that eerily quiet summer in the barn. Jordan and Bonafide traded their distorted guitars for plucked acoustics and steel guitar swells, learning to play as they went, while Watson and McKenna locked into backcountry rhythms that occasionally spiraled into chaos. Inspired by Radiohead’s approach to Kid A, the band forced itself to embrace the uncertainty of the times by substantiating those early demos with unusual instrumentations, unconventional songwriting, and unfamiliar production techniques.
Live recordings from the barn were brought back to Bonafide’s basement studio, unraveled, ripped apart, and reassembled, with the traditional sounds forming the dirt floor for an off-kilter skyscraper of strings, synthesizers, drones, and impressionistic lyrics delivered in rich harmonies. Built up brick by brick over the course of the next two years into a multifarious musical collage, the EP attempts to interface Nine Inch Nails‘ industrial dread with the organic warmth of Crosby, Stills, & Nash without losing course.
art by Mavis McKinley
Mixed by Scoops Dardaris (Prince Daddy & The Hyena, Undeath) and mastered by Nick Sebastiano (Another Michael), timing’s Storm’s Coming is a concept album where meteorology is the metaphor for life’s everyday anxiety and unease, where the thunderheads are always lurking somewhere on the horizon, where the river is always threatening to flood its banks. The alt-country heart of the record skips into arrhythmias of crashing doom, swirling post-rock, pastoral indie-folk, and glitching electronics. Tossed around somewhere in the trailing wakes of The Band and The Books, Aphex Twin and Aaron Copeland, the resulting mini-album is an amalgamation of the new and the old, the familiar and the unknown, blurring the lines between acoustic and electronic and riding the fence dividing tradition and experimentation.
Doors open at The Hanger on January 28, with music starting at 8pm. Admission is free.
Listen to “The King” below or on various streaming services here. The rest of Storm’s Coming will be released on Friday, February 3rd on Bandcamp.
After a light 2022, Aqueous announced this past week that they would be going on hiatus, with only 7 performances remaining for the time being.
Earlier last summer, guitarist David Loss took time off the road from Aqueous, as he had just become a father and wanted to dedicate time to his family. At the time, Loss said: “When my son is born it’s going to be such a life changing experience that I want to fully be there for all of it. I don’t want to miss a thing! A lot of first time things and time you just can’t get back later.”
On Friday, January 13th, Aqueous shared the following message with fans:
An important message from Dave concerning the band’s future tickets to the remaining shows before we go on hiatus are on-sale now
‘These past 16 years with the band have been nothing short of incredible. It has been a journey that has shaped my life in more ways than I even know. I’ve traveled to so many amazing places and met so many incredible people along the way. Making friends that will last a lifetime and meeting musical heroes that I can now call peers. The 18 year old me wouldn’t believe some of things Aqueous was able to do. And not to mention, doing all this with your best friends?! Pretty damn cool if you ask me.
Music and this band have been the priority in my life for a very long time, but with the birth of my son that started to change. My wife and I love our son more than anything in this world and want nothing but to be the best parents possible. I want to be there for as much as I can and I don’t want to miss a thing. That being said, touring and being away from my family is just not something I can do right now.
I have decided that it is time for me to step away from the band to be home with my family. Although it was a very difficult decision, I know it is the right one for me. There will still be some music for me to play going forward, but the full-time touring musician gig is just not one that fits my life at the moment.
I would also just like to say that Aqueous has always had the most amazing and passionate fans. It seems like every other day I’m learning about someone else being a huge AQ fan. It fills my heart with such joy to know that our music has meant (and continues to mean) so much to so many people. That has been the greatest part of this experience hands down. So thank you, thank you to all of you for being here supporting us, and sending us friendly messages letting us know what our music means to you.
The band will be playing a handful of shows in 2023 that are listed here, but after that we will go on hiatus. It makes me sad to say it, but I do find comfort in knowing we are certainly not closing the door on Aqueous, but rather just taking some time away. We’re not entirely sure were the future will take us, but wherever that is we know there will be music.
Love you all more than you know. Let’s make these last few shows ones to remember!
Bandmate Mike Gantzer offered support for Loss, saying “Life can be unpredictable and beautiful, challenging and rewarding, and so many other wonderfully contrasting things, but I’m genuinely happy and excited for all of us on our current/respective paths in life. Embracing change has been one of the great lessons of my life (that i’m still learning) and I look forward to everything to come as I reflect on everything that has been with gratitude and love ♥️ ♥️♥️ thank you to everyone who has contributed to making our literal dreams come true, and know that every step I take in music moving forward seeks to honor that “
Aqueous got their start in 2009 in Buffalo and quickly rose to prominence in Western New York, gaining a fanbase well into the Midwest. As this era of Aqueous comes to a close, be sure to catch one of the final seven shows, with the first weekend of March the last chance to catch Aqueous in Albany and Syracuse, before hiatus.
2/03/23 Tuscon, AZ Gem & Jam Festival 3/03/23 Albany, NY The Hollow (with Litz) 3/04/23 Syracuse, NY Westcott Theater (with Litz) 3/11/23 Erie, PA King’s Rook Club 4/07/23 Baltimore, MD 8×10 4/08/23 Philadelphia, PA Ardmore Music Hall 5/27/23 Chillicothe, IL Summer Camp Music Festival
Dark Star Orchestra’s Winter Tour East 2023 will be find the Grateful Dead tribute group playing eight shows in 6 cities, among them a pair of shows on Friday, March 10 and Saturday, March 11 at the Palace Theatre in Albany.
Performing to critical acclaim for over 20 years and over 3000 shows, Dark Star Orchestra carries on the Grateful Dead live concert experience, building shows off the Dead’s extensive catalog and the talent of these seven fine musicians. On any given night, the band will perform a show based on a set list from the Grateful Dead’s 30 years of extensive touring or use their catalog to program a unique set list for the show. This allows fans both young and old to share in the experience.
By recreating set lists from the past, and by developing their own sets of Dead songs, Dark Star Orchestra offers a continually evolving artistic outlet within this musical canon. Honoring both the band and the fans, Dark Star Orchestra’s members seek out the unique style and sound of each era while simultaneously offering their own informed improvisations.
Dark Star Orchestra offers much more than the sound of the Grateful Dead, they truly encapsulate the energy and the experience. It’s about a sense of familiarity. It’s about a feeling that grabs listeners and takes over. It’s about that contagious energy…in short, it’s about the complete experience and consistent quality show that the fan receives when attending a Dark Star Orchestra show.
For us it’s a chance to recreate some of the magic that was created for us over the years. We offer a sort of a historical perspective at what it might have been like to go to a show in 1985, 1978 or whenever. Even for Deadheads who can say they’ve been to a hundred shows in the 90s, we offer something they never got to see live.
keyboardist and vocalist Rob Barraco
Fans and critics haven’t been the only people caught up in the spirit of a Dark Star show. The band has featured guest performances from six original Grateful Dead members Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, Vince Welnick, Tom Constanten and even toured with longtime Dead soundman, Dan Healy. Other notable guests have included Mike Gordon and Jon Fishman of Phish, Keller Williams, Warren Haynes, Steve Kimock, Peter Rowan, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot and many more.
Tickets to all shows go on sale Friday, January 13 at 10 AM ET via ticketmaster.com. Tickets are also available for purchase at the Palace Theatre Box Office, located at 19 Clinton Ave. Box Office hours are Monday – Friday Noon to 5PM as well as select days and hours for events and on sales.
Dark Star Orchestra Winter Tour East 2023
March 9 – Red Bank, NJ – Count Basie Center for the Arts
Just two weeks after his very special appearance at moe.’s New Year’s Eve performance in Philadelphia, founding guitarist Chuck Garvey has announced that he will be returning to the road full-time for the band’s 21-date winter 2023 tour.
Chuck Garvey projected onto the walls of The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY – photo by Filip Zalewski
The tour will kick off on Long Island with the January 19th performance at The Paramount in Huntington, recently named the top club worldwide, by PollStar.
Thank you for your well-wishes and your donations, without which my recovery would not have happened, This year has been a really long, difficult one for me, but a rewarding one, in that I learned what a person needs to do to achieve goals. Some are basic, everyday things like speech, and some are more about universal things that I noticed about family, friends, and community that keep us all afloat.
Garvey in a letter home to fans, in November
The long-awaited announcement comes 13 months after Garvey suffered a stroke, just after the band’s Halloween 2021 performance, which would not have happened without the support of the moe. community, according ot the band.
Bassist Rob Derhak, who himself battled cancer and took time away from moe. in 2017, gave perspective to Chuck’s return to the band:
This past year has been a trying time for moe., as a band. We were faced with an unthinkable decision of replacing our brother Chuck with another guitarist. Suke stepped in and stepped up. He brought his unique style, unparalleled talent, and hyper-focused work ethic into the group. Without his help, we wouldn’t have been able to survive the last year, and I think I speak for all of us when I say that we are eternally grateful. Thank You Suke Cerulo.
Rob Derhak
See Chuck Garvey on tour with moe this winter, which covers much of the Northeast and Southeast. Get tickets at moe.org.
moe. 2023Winter Tour Dates
Thursday, January 19 – The Paramount – Huntington, NY Friday, January 20th – 9:30 Club – Washington, D.C. Saturday, January 21st – Wellmont Theater – Montclair, NJ Friday, February 17th – State Theatre – Portland, ME Saturday, February 18th – State Theatre – Portland, ME Friday, February 24th – Palace Theater – Albany, NY Saturday, February 25th – Palace Theater – Albany, NY Thursday, March 9th – Brooklyn Bowl – Nashville, TN Friday, March 10th – Mars Music Hall – Huntsville, AL Saturday, March 11th – Minglewood Hall – Memphis, TN Sunday, March 12th – Vinyl Music Hall – Pensacola, FL Wednesday, March 15th – Music Hall – Charleston, SC Thursday, March 16th – The Plaza Live – Orlando, FL Friday, March 17th – Culture Room – Ft. Lauderdale, FL Saturday, March 18th – Jannus Live – St. Petersburg, FL Sunday, March 19th – PV Concert Hall – Ponte Vedra Beach, FL Tuesday, March 21st – Lincoln Theatre – Raleigh, NC Wednesday, March 22nd – Jefferson Theatre – Charlottesville, VA Thursday, March 23rd – The Orange Peel – Asheville, NC Friday, March 24th – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA Saturday, March 25th – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA
Born from the depths of the 2020 Pandemic, Neon Avenue is a group of Capital Region musicians came together to play the music of the Grateful Dead. With the stalling of the music industry, a creative outlet was needed for these 5 individuals. What was first a casual get together playing some dead tunes quickly escalated into a singular goal of putting together a live stream. Something special happened during these early sessions/shows and a “one-and-done” livestream turned into something much more.
In less than 2 years as a band, Neon Avenue has made quite a stir in the ever popular (and saturated) Gratefully-inspired tribute scene, growing quickly to become one of the bigger draws in the Upstate NY capital region Dead scene. The band brings a fresh take on the Grateful music that you know and love while placing an emphasis on improvisation, unique setlist construction, deeper cuts into the grateful songbook and a primal energy that they draw from their loyal fans during live performances. With past appearances at the Town of Hoosick Falls concert series, Long Lake’s “Meat.Beer.Music” music festival, as well as scheduled appearances at Lake George Steamboat Company’s “Rock the Dock Music Festival”, “Rockin’ on the River” for the city of Troy, and numerous headlining shows around the Capital region, the word has certainly gotten out about this band. Composed of veteran musicians from numerous local groups like Formula 5, Slipknot! (80’s/90’s Dead tribute), Stone Revival Band, Knot Dead, Jocamo, and more, this combination of players has set out to push the boundaries of the standard Dead tribute.
The group of Joe Davis (Formula 5), Mike Urbon (Knot Dead), Mike Cassels (Stone Revival Band, Jocamo, Knot Dead), Mike McDonald (Formula 5, Knot Dead) and Doug Klein (Slipknot, Robanic, Knot Dead) were re-inspired playing the music of the Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia Band, Ratdog, and others. While existing in an endless sea of 1970’s era Grateful Dead tributes, this group strives to separate itself with a dedication to unique arrangements of setlists and song segues, utilizing extended improvisation, playing deeper cuts from all eras of the Dead, JGB, and Ratdog songbook.
In the midst of the band’s 25th year, Umphrey’s McGee will once again return to Colorado, performing two nights at the fabled Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and they’ll be bringing along longtime friends moe. for the shows.
Umphrey’s McGee will start their Colorado run with one night at Dillon Amphitheater on June 15th, followed by two nights at Red Rocks on June 16th and 17th. moe. will be performing an extended set each night at Red Rocks, opening up for Umphrey’s.
Umphrey’s McGee shared in a statement, “We are thrilled to be welcoming our long-time compadres moe. for an extended set both nights at Red Rocks! Dillon Amphitheater easily became one of our favorite venues following our debut last year. And if you have rocked the Rocks with us before, you know it is not-to-be-missed – if you have’t, make this your year.”
umVIP will be offering enhanced experience packages for Dillon and Red Rocks to make the Colorado weekend smooth and seamless. Enjoy program perks including exclusive pit access in Dillon and a private set at Red Rocks, signed posters, merch and more. Read up on the works here.
Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, January 10th, with general on sale beginning Friday, January 13th.
Tuesday, January 10th, 10:00 am MT: umVIP tickets go on-sale
Wednesday, January 11th, 10:00 am MT: Two-Day Umphrey’s Pre-Sale tickets for Red Rocks only
Thursday, January 12th, 10:00 am MT: Limited venue Pre-Sale for all three shows
Friday, January 13th, 10:00 am MT: General on-sale begins for all three shows
Tuesday, January 10th, 10:00 am MT: umVIP tickets go on-sale
Wednesday, January 11th, 10:00 am MT: Two-Day Umphrey’s Pre-Sale tickets for Red Rocks only
Thursday, January 12th, 10:00 am MT: Limited venue Pre-Sale for all three shows
Friday, January 13th, 10:00 am MT: General on-sale begins for all three shows
Two regional powerhouses, Rochester’s Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad and Buffalo’s Aqueous, descended on Water Street Music Hall, historically the area’s most prominent venue, which has come back in a big way this past year after being absent from the scene for some time. In two nights, Panda on the 30th and Aqueous on the 31st, they helped Water Street and the music fans of the area celebrate 2022 and welcome in 2023. It was the first time Rochester had live music as a New Year’s Eve option in three years. Panda returned to the venue for the umpteenth time, many of those for their year end shows, while Aqueous was there for the first time, and their first time bringing in the new year in Rochester. Though they’ve long found themselves a second home in the Flour City, having played many a special show here, including Halloween and an all-improv set.
After long stretches of no music at all, and too many continued COVID-19 cancellations to count, stretching to the present day, surprises have grown a bit tired. Surprises have mostly consisted of cancellations, so it is enough joy to just have show without a hitch, period. Each of these shows was billed as an “and Friends” affair. Who would be the friends? The opening acts would leave little guesswork as to who these bands would invite to join them on stage. Most everything proceeded as was expected, but there was nothing lost, maybe even something gained, without that element of surprise in the mix.
photo by Washington Torin
On the 30th, GPGDS opened up both sides of the Water Street venue, both the Club and Hall, maxing out it’s potential. The audience could move freely between both, utilizing both bars, and the ample space in the balconies, while two stages left minimal time with no live music to enjoy. The evening got going with party funk outfit The Sideways on the main stage. Hm, wonder if we’ll see that tight three-piece horn section a little later? Immediately following on the Club stage was The Frank White Experience, a full eight-member band paying tribute to the Notorious B.I.G. to incredible effect. There was a hip-hop party going on and the “raparazzi” were in full force capturing it from all angles. Hey, their lead man, Grant, he’s played with Panda before, guessing we’ll see him with them again tonight? Then even after Panda’s main stage set, Roots Collider took over on the Club side to keep the party going into the early hours of the 31st, not letting the joint cool down too much before Aqueous’ New Year’s Eve throwdown.
photo by Washington Torin
On the main stage, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad did not disappoint. The dub was grooving, and the legal weed was permeating the air. The band strung together a set of oldies, newer tunes, and as-yet released ones, with an announcement of a new album coming April 7. The songs flowed together, stitched by pitch-perfect instrumental breaks or blasted into each other with abrupt but chill needle jumps.
photo by Eli Stein
As was foretold by the obvious booking and later, staging, those horns from The Sideways did make it back on stage. Horns and reggae are like peanut butter and jelly. A glorious combination, and on this night, for these songs, they hit just right. A “Cool It” > “Stop Fighting” combo with the horns may have been the highlight of the night. A deep bass pocket, punched up organ, swirling echoed effects, those infectious reggae rhythms and then tasty horn blasts cutting through it all. Pretty much perfect, and a perfect vibe to either forget and/or enjoy the year that was quickly coming to a close.
As the horns departed, the good vibes continued as Grant entered and the band kicked into “Mr. Cop.” He added some quality rapping while throwing joints out into the crowd, as the band sang “We been all day workin’, Just a little herb that we smokin’, They calling up the cops, Cause it smell like ganja.” There was no stopping the party at Water Street on stage or off on this night, nor the next.
Hours later another friendly party would get started. New day, same place, similar vibe. For their New Year’s Eve show, Aqueous invited local jazz-forward trio The Pickle Mafia to kick off the night. Drummer Marco Cirigliano’s kit remained on stage for The Funky Dawgz set and even after theirs as well. Hm, wonder if he’ll be playing with Aqueous some? The Funky Dawgz, a brass band out of Connecticut, revved up the crowd with their upbeat and familiar set, mixing in Gnarls Barkley and Snoop Dogg in with similarly fun originals. You had to wonder though, think we’ll see some of those horns again?
Aqueous themselves were unsurprisingly ready to jump head first into lengthy improvisations. An hour-long first set featured only four songs. Each one built and existed within it’s own universe. “Second Sight” and “Kitty Chaser (Explosions)” built up layer by layer, the musicians patiently developing soundscapes, finally realizing their final destinations which they then explored even further, funky for the former, spacey for the latter. The two saxophones from the Dawgz and Cirigliano came out for the first set closer, a cover of LCD Soundsystem’s “Daft Punk is Playing at My House,” which brought more of the funk, on a tighter scale, that had the floor positively bouncing.
photo by Eli Stein
The slinky funk continued with the start of the second set a few ticks before midnight, the last few minutes of the year. With some heavy “2001” teases, a la Phish via Eumir Deodato via Richard Strauss, the groovy jam wound its way to the traditional “Auld Lang Syne.” With little to no bombast Aqueous did what Aqueous does best, just kept playing. A monster “Don’t Do It” followed, featuring some of guitarist Mike Gantzer’s best playing of the night.
Craig Brodhead served incredibly filling in for David Loss who is on paternity leave. Brodhead sang lead on a cover of the Grateful Dead’s “West LA Fadeaway” that quickly left West LA for aural landscapes as yet undiscovered. Deep into the jam they were joined by a saxophone which re-centered the jam completely. Before long he was stepping off and Cirigliano was back behind the second kit. This double-drummer version of the band was really something, locked in and firing on dual engines. Eventually they found their way back to “West LA Fadeaway” and the dream of a two-drummer Aqueous was over.
But the dreams of a music-filled 2023 were just getting underway. Dates are already on the books for Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad and an album on the way. Road warriors Aqueous are sure to continue their rock and roll journey throughout the year, and Water Street Music Hall’s calendar is filling in nicely.
Aqueous – Water Street Music Hall 12/31/22
Set 1: Second Sight, Kitty Chaser > Weight of the Word, Daft Punk is Playing At My House¹²
Set 2: Also Sprach Zarathustra jam³ > Auld Lang Syne, Don’t Do It, West LA Fadeaway ⁴⁵, Strange Times > Mandela Effect, Everybody Wants To Rule the World⁶
Encore: One Headlight ⁷
1 LCD Soundsystem 2 Rob on vox, Marco Cirigliano on drums, Tommy Weeks and Colin Walters on sax 3 Countdown 4 Grateful Dead 5 Craig on vox 6 Tears For Fears 7 The Wallflowers
Check out more photos of Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad from Water Street Music Hall here and photos of Aqueous here.
Happy New Year! Hopefully you are all rested up and ready to kick off January 2023 with a bang Rochester! January brings a big slowdown in touring acts around these parts, and in most parts of the country. But luckily for us, Rochester has a broad and deep pool of fantastic local talent to sate our live music appetites and this January they are coming out in full force to get us out of our warm abodes and out into the bars, clubs, theaters and anywhere else live music can be squeezed into.
Here are five+ must-see shows happening around town this month, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg, so make sure to get out there and support the local music scene and treat your cabin-fevered brain to some much needed aural relief.
We’re recommending two different shows on the same night, but if you play your cards right you could do both. Herb Smith plays trumpet for the Rochester Philharmonic but with the Freedom Trio he expands his sound palette with plenty of effects and literally the freedom to explore the outer boundaries of jazz and beyond. With Peter Chwazik on a massive 9-string bass and Joe Parker flying free on drums, the possibilities are endless and the results are a joy to hear and be a part of.
One of Rochester’s many recent breakout bands, Mikaela Davis kicks off a three show residency at our favorite honky tonk, Abilene Bar and Lounge, that will warm January and creep into early February. Each night will feature two sets and as yet unannounced themes. We wouldn’t recommend missing any of these Thursday night throw downs but really, you absolutely have to get yourself to at least one. A favorite of Bob Weir’s and ours alike, this harpist and her band Southern Star are as can’t miss as they come, and Rochester gets three intimate opportunities to groove down with them in a cozy and intimate bar.
Shows January 19, 26 and February 2 will start at 8pm and tickets are $15/$20 dos.
Certainly you can get out to all of these awesome individual local shows, but there won’t be any better option for celebrating the local music scene than the annual (until Covid stopped it for 2 years) Homegrown Festival thrown by Lovin’ Cup. This year’s show will feature performances by Teagan and the Tweeds, A Girl Named Genny, The Mighty High & Dry, The Moho Collective, Friday In America, and The John Payton Project. That’s a full day of some of the best music you’ll here in Rochester, plus there’ll be tons of local food, beers and crafts to enjoy as well.
Fresh faced instrumental progressive rock quartet Vertices is putting on a festival of their own at Flour City Station. They’ll play a full set of their heavily improvised high energy jams and are a new band that you’ll want to keep a close eye in 2023. Painted Birds will also perform and everything will be stitched together with DJ sets from DDH PVH. There will be catered food, live painting, and art vendors making this another cant-miss celebration of the local art scene.
Everything gets going at 8pm and tickets are $10/$15 dos.
With one last night of their first Madison Square Garden run since 2019 remaining, Phish left not a single note on the table as they brought fans on a journey through the gags that have rung in the new year, dating back to 1992.
Sticking with a recurring theme of time and time manipulation, Phish would make this night among their most memorable at Madison Square Garden, and not only as they enter into their 40th year, but as they tie Sir Elton John for the second most shows ever played at The Garden, with 72. A post-show tribute of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” was a fitting nod to The Rocket Man, who performed his last ever show at MSG in February, and his final North American show in November.
Fans who had already been through three nights of Phish this run, and many having been at the April shows – which were rescheduled from December 2021 – were eager and anticipating something special, given that 2023 will bring in the 40th year of Phish and more celebrations to come. But how would they kick the night off, and more importantly, ring in the new year? Patience is a virtue and those who waited were rewarded, and then some.
Kicking off the show was a highly-anticipated “Tweezer,” which set the tone for the night as playing their greatest jam vehicle in the opening slot never fails. A shift into “Halley’s Comet” netted a smooth segue into “Set Your Soul Free” which gave way to “Rift,” all energy-filled songs to start the show, following the trend of the past few nights and no let-up from any of the band, or the audience for that matter. “Cavern” gave way to the second “Tweezer” of the night, followed by the ballad “Shade” and a proper “Mike’s Groove” to close.
Heading into Set 2, the band would begin to hint at a theme they revisit reguarly, time. Each song in the second set would have some nod towards time, even if hidden in the lyrics. The opening “Say It To Me S.A.N.T.OS.” (you will always remember where you are) and never dull second set appearance of “Also Sprach Zarathustra” (aka “2001”) gave fans the start they hoped for, with the “Kill Devil Falls” (who knew a day would turn into a week) following. A throwback to 2018’s New Year’s gag in “Mercury” (your day is longer than your year) would follow, as well as “Light” (memories fall behind; future is less and less there; past vanished in the air), “Waste” (wasting my time with you) and “Drift While You’re Sleeping” (I’ve seen the day go by; one brief moment; the days are few) providing even more direct hints as the set progressed, but mid-set, when you’re tuned into the music, the lyrical connections are up for setbreak discussion. And if a final hint was needed, “Backwards Down The Number Line” gave the clearest indication the band was getting nostalgic, as one does on New Year’s Eve.
Phish sprinkled some musical bread crumbs during the second intermission that helped shed a little light on the traditional New Year’s Eve gag. Attentive fans picked up on music from Parliament Funkadelic (“Tear the Roof Off the Sucka”) and The Breeders (“Cannonball”) being played lightly on the PA, along with aptly titled songs like “Umbrella” (Rihanna), “Steam” (Peter Gabriel), “Mockingbird” (Carly Simon) and “Send In The Clowns” (Grace Jones). It all hinted at a retrospective look back at the band’s career and that’s exactly how the manic yet celebratory third set played out.
In true Phish fashion, the final set started out with a barbershop quartet proclaiming that the stroke of midnight would mark the band’s 40th year together. As a birthday “wish” of sorts, Trey makes one for a time machine, so as to do it all again. In response, a cube-like object then descended from the rigging above the stage, showcasing both audio and video from all of the band’s storied New Year’s Eve showsa and gags such as Halloween shows Wingsuit and Sci-Fi Soldiers. Dancers from all different eras then began to emerge, including a Wombat, sadly not costumed by Abe Vigoda this time, who winds up “breaking” the machine and setting off a wave of more ghosts from Phish New Year’s past.
With the fitting set-opening “Ghost” now in full swing, a full fledged choir emerged from backstage and the band steered into “Bohemian Rhapsody” in a nod to their 12/31/96 show in Boston, MA. The song was also visited by an entire marching band as well as it made its way into “Jungle Boogie,” which had not been played since 12/31/03 in Miami, FL. A “Wilson” castaway merged the 2002 “Tom Hanks” appearance with Trey Anastasio being stuck on a platform in 2019, and was unveiled from atop the stage as the music shifted into the namesake song before a final New Year’s countdown and a confetti-filled “Auld Lang Syne.” The constant set of revolving characters also saw ones like Father Time from 12/31/99, the “Meatstick” dancers from 12/31/10 and the “Petrichor” dancers and umbrellas from 12/31/16 make apperances.
2023 was greeted by “Carini” and a host of “naked dude” dancers reveling in the new year’s energy, even forming a chorus line during “New York, New York,” before eventually, as expected, shifting back to “Tweezer” one last time. An explosive “Crosseyed and Painless” > “Piper” section may have been the pure musical highlight of the set, before “A Life Beyond The Dream” and the always raucous “First Tube” closed out the final set of the run.
In their 14th overall New Year’s Eve performance at Madison Square Garden (and 22nd over the last 40 years), Phish celebrated what has made these shows so unique – the music, the antics, the special guests and the unexpected gags that continue to influence and be emulated throughout the jam band world. The only question left from this New Year’s Eve show is, how are they going to top this? We’ll get an answer to that question later this year.
Phish Madison Square Garden – New York, NY 12/31/22 – setlist via Phish.net
Set 1: Tweezer, Halley’s Comet -> Set Your Soul Free > Rift, Cavern > Tweezer > Shade, Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove
Set 2: Say It To Me S.A.N.T.OS. > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Kill Devil Falls, Mercury > Light > Waste, Drift While You’re Sleeping, Backwards Down The Number Line
Set 3: Ghost > Bohemian Rhapsody > Ghost -> Jungle Boogie > Wilson > Auld Lang Syne > Carini > Theme From New York, New York > Tweezer > Prince Caspian > Crosseyed and Painless > Piper, A Life Beyond The Dream, First Tube
The Park Theater in Glens Falls has announced upcoming events for the month of January including comedy, jazz groups, and bands.
The Park Theater was the first movie theater in Glens Falls upon its opening in 1911. In 1937 the theater was converted into a printing plant for the Glens Falls Post, and it was changed back to a performing arts center in 1984. After renovations in 2014, it reopened as a theater in 2018. During the month of January, the Park Theater has a little bit of everything happening.
On Jan. 14, the theater presents Hiroya Tsukamoto, back by popular demand. He is an award-winning innovative guitarist, composer, and storyteller, who recently won second place in the International Finger Style Guitar Championship. His instrumental abilities are both groundbreaking and breathtaking. The show opens at 7:30 p.m. with music at 8 p.m., and tickets are $15 now, and $20 the day of.
Experience some of the best jazz music in the Capital Region with “Third Thursday Jazz” featuring The Matt Niedbalski Trio featuring organist, Will Gorman, and guitarist, Eric Zolan on Jan. 19. Tickets are $10 and the show starts at 7:30 p.m.
The Park Theater Foundation presents ‘Live & Local’ featuring Reese Fulmer & The Carriage House Band on Jan. 26. Dubbed “one of the Capitol Region’s best singer/songwriters” by David Van, Fulmer is an engaging performer, performing his own music. The Carriage House Band returns with a fluid lineup of some of the most versatile musicians in the Capital Region. Early bird tickets are $15, and the day of the show is $20, with the show starting at 7:30 p.m.
Reese Fulmer & The Carriage House Band
Lastly, on Jan. 27, The Park Theater Foundation presents ‘Comedy After Dark’ featuring highly-acclaimed NYC-based comedian, Caitlin Cook. She combines witty one-liners and mixes them with musical comedy to create her shows, bringing her to stages like the Comedy Cellar, the Stand, Comedy Works, ACME, and more. Tickets are $22 for the early bird special and $25 the day of the show, starting at 8 p.m.
For more information about upcoming events and to purchase tickets, go here.
tickets to the remaining shows before we go on hiatus are on-sale now 
