On Thursday, Dec 28, Dogs In a Pile took center stage at Sony Hall, just a stone’s throw away from Madison Square Garden, where Phish kicked off their much anticipated four-night New Year’s Eve Run. Branded as “The Dog Pound” by the band themselves, fervent fans flocked to the venue, securing their spots before Phish even finished their encore. The eclectic crowd, covered in classic Phish donut wear, Aztec patterns, and tie-dye attire, brought an energy that permeated the air.
Having traversed the entire country on a busy fall tour, Dogs In A Pile had recently graced various New York venues, from Lafayette to Trumansburg, and Williamsburg. Smiles were seen all around as Keyboard player Jeremy Kaplan kicked off the night with a solo opening number, a classical-sounding ballad that set the tone for the night—soon joined by Jimmy Law (guitar and vocals), Joe Babick (drums and vocals), Sam Lucid (Bass), and Brian Murray (guitar and vocals).
Taking the stage shortly after midnight, fans were jumping, jiving throughout the venue from the rails to the back. Dogs In A Pile’s unique sound is a harmonious blend of the unfamiliar and the strangely familiar. Elements of funk, jazz, and classic psychedelic rock ring out, and their songs are carefully constructed, invoking a circus of sound and feeling. The show was complemented by vibrant lighting, captivating The Dog Pound until the wee hours of the morning, almost reaching 4 AM.
A special moment came when the band paid homage to the maestros themselves. The iconic notes of “Harry Hood” rang out, showcasing the band’s technical prowess and precision. With an encore of their popular song “Truck Rum”, the evening winded down and fans retreated home just before sunrise. The echoes of this night continued to reverberate. Dogs in A Pile kept the Phish party alive and elevated it to new heights- a testament to the band’s overall aura and momentum.
For fans in Saratoga Springs, Dogs In A Pile will be at Putnam Palace on 12/30 & 12/31 for what’s sure to be an incredible New Year’s Eve celebration!
Setlist: G Song, Tillie, Feel Like A Stranger, Look Johnny II, You Didn’t Hear It From Me, Let U Go, Go Set > Gumball, Spun > Drums > Harry Hood, Craig and Pat, Appleseed, Linus and Lucy
The four men of Phish returned to Madison Square Garden, their live music home base, to begin another four night run to close out another successful year. It was already their eighth visit in 2023 and their nice-round-number eightieth of their career. It all started with a show almost exactly 29 years prior, with their first traditional four-nighter 25 years ago.
Needless to say, the band felt right at home on the Midtown Manhattan stage. There’s really no need to warm up to the room that plays like their living room, and their comfort was evident from note one. The final shows of the year began with “No Men in No Men’s Land,” with the nod and wink appropriate lyric, “You’re happy that we’re here.” which received a huge roar from the anticipatory crowd. The band found room to let loose as a unit right away, with Mike Gordon’s bass driving the early action.
From there the set would take a sharp nostalgic turn, diving deep into the bands early catalog. Classic Phish fare from the irreverent barbershop-esque “Halley’s Comet,” to some of their earliest “hits” like “Sample in a Jar” and “Bouncing Around the Room” provided the crowd a trip down memory lane. Solid takes on other favorites “Runaway Jim,” “Axilla Part II,” and Son Seals’ “Funky Bitch” set the table for a strong finish.
Sticking to the early material, “Bathtub Gin” would provide the first real fireworks of this New Year’s celebration. Gordon once again pushed the agenda in the early going as the rest of the band remained within “Gin’s” lines. Page McConnell flinched first, moving to his clavinet while Trey Anastatio added sustained wails on guitar. McConell dug into some of his weirder tones and the whole thing got a bit dissonant. John Fishman pushed it forward with a marching beat and eventually locked into a dark groove with Gordon. The dark turned bright in a flash as Anastatio discovered a happy rocking theme that brought the whole thing back into the “Bathtub” to wrap it up neatly.
“Ghost” would top off the set with some more interesting improvisation, all four members combining to find an interesting theme. They quickly worked it to a peak which they sustained at for an incredible high energy workout. Gordon mixed in some “No Men’s” lyrics into the chaos but it all settled back into the “Ghost” groove as the first set of the run came to a close.
“The Howling” got things started in set two, as howling sounds bounced around the room, echoing in surround sound.
“A Wave of Hope” followed, and started innocently enough. The band coasted along for a little bit until you could almost hear the safety line being cut. The whole band dropped any semblance of a connection to the source material, diving into the deep end into a slow ooze. From there they entered mind meld territory, flipping from theme to theme without cue and without hesitation, like it was scripted. The pace quickened, slowed and sped up again. Dark, bright, rocking, cosmic, it was a journey and the map was being drawn in real time. The stage was surrounded by points of white light in a spastic swirl as Anastatio carried the final segment into bliss territory. They found their way to a slick transition into “Rift,” one of a few solid segues on the night.
A quasi-classic “Mike’s Song” > “Simple” segment gave the set more solid anchors to hang some cred on. Gordon played around with the rocking groove as the lights rode the deep end waves, undulating high above. As a counterpoint to the one-ness found throughout “A Wave of Hope,” in “Mike’s” the band fractured, fragmenting and deconstructing pieces of the jam. It got heavy and industrial, but never lost the underlying groove. It roared up to an unusual “Mike’s Song” peak that had hints of “Tweezer Reprise” hidden just beneath the surface.
The ensuing “Simple” again provided a contrast, staying spacey and ambient for most of it’s runtime. And as that time ran low, it transitioned excellently into a rocking “Blaze On” set closer, which featured solid in-the-pocket jamming from the whole unit.
Between new songs, old songs, and a full smattering of influences on display, Phish was setting the table nicely as they invited their fans into their home away from home to celebrate another year in the books. But with a long four-song encore that had multiple “ok now it’s over” moments, they were the hosts who couldn’t let their guests leave without a few proper good-byes. They welcome another party in the next three nights at the Garden. Shows 81 through 83 and year 2024 await. But who’s counting?
Phish – Madison Square Garden – Thursday, December 28, 2023
Set 1: No Men In No Man’s Land, Halley’s Comet, Sample in a Jar, Runaway Jim, Bouncing Around the Room, Axilla (Part II) > Funky Bitch, Bathtub Gin > Ghost
Set 2: The Howling > A Wave of Hope -> Rift > Mike’s Song > Simple > Blaze On
Encore: mercy, The Squirming Coil, Weekapaug Groove > Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S.
Trey teased San-Ho Zay in No Men In No Men’s Land. Mike quoted No Men In No Men’s Land during Ghost. Mike’s Song contained sound effects used earlier in the show during The Howling.
A series of Phish After-Parties have been unveiled as part of the band’s upcoming Madison Square Garden shows this December. As a recurring staple of Phish’s frequent MSG shows, the afterparties are once again brought to fans by CEG (Creative Entertainment Group).
Here are the already announced shows, with more to come! Get tickets for the shows soon, as these shows are often a hot ticket following each night of Phish.
Hill Country Live hosts Loop Troupe’s LSD Soundsystem, a jamified LCD Soundsystem, on December 28 at 11:59 p.m.
Sony Hall will host Dogs in a Pile, a psychedelic jazz-rock group on December 28 following Phish’s performance at MSG.
The Cutting Room’s December 28 afterparty will feature a Prince/Bowie theme, featuring appearances from members of Twiddle, Pink Talking Fish, The Machine, Deep Banana Blackout, and more to come. The musicians will play the music of legends Prince and David Bowie throughout the night at Midtown Manhattan’s The Cutting Room.
Hill Country Live will host a pre-party on December 29, featuring a happy hour with Dude of Life Band. The five-piece genre benders will host the event beginning at 4PM, with doors opening at 3PM. More information available here.
The Cutting Room’s December 29’s afterparty will be headlined by the Pink Talking Fish, playing hit 90s tracks from Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, Phish, and more.
Hill Country BBQ Live will host Space Bacon, a progressive funk jam band, known for immersing audiences in audio-visual displays during shows. The afterparty will also take place on December 29.
The afterparty on December 30will feature John Medeski, Billy Martin, Scott Metzger, and Nels Cline. The group will play a night full of improvised music, following the Phish show at MSG that night. The party will be hosted at Sony Hall.
On New Year’s Day, Hill Country Live will host David Yates, performing his Wook Comedy Show. The event will take place at 1PM as a pre-party ahead of the NYE Phish show that night. Information available here.
In addition, Hill Country will host Marcus Rezak as yet another pre-party on New Year’s Eve. Performing his “Shred Is Dead” jam show, Rezak will perform at 4PM ahead of the NYE Phish show. More information here.
The night of New Year’s Eve, Hill Country Live will feature dj AF and Tad Cautious, two DJ acts performing to ring in the new year. Three tiers of tickets are available now for the NYE celebration afterparty.
Phish holidays runs are beloved events at Madison Square Garden, and afterparties around Manhattan are part of the adventure. Check back for updates on more after parties to be announced as the MSG shows approach. More information available at phishafterparties.nyc.
After months of rumors, Phish has announced four performances at Sphere in Las Vegas, NV, from April 18-21, 2024.
Considered the world’s most cutting-edge venue, Sphere will host the Vermont jam band as they perform four shows with completely unique setlists AND visuals, making each shows a truly once-in-a-lifetime audio-visual experience.
Sphere is powered by next-generation technologies, including a 160,000 sq. ft. LED display inside the main venue bowl that wraps up, over, and around the audience, creating a fully immersive visual environment. At 16K x 16K, it is the highest-resolution LED screen on earth. The venue also features Sphere Immersive Sound, powered by HOLOPLOT, the world’s most advanced concert-grade audio system, which delivers audio with unmatched clarity and precision to every guest.
From the moment we first heard about Sphere and its potential, we’ve been dreaming up ways to bring our show to this breathtaking canvas. We’re thrilled to present this completely unique experience to Phish fans.
Trey Anastasio
The ticket request period is now underway at tickets.phish.com and will continue through 9 AM PT/noon ET Monday, December 11. All remaining tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, December 15 at 10AM PT/1PM ET. In addition, travel packages will go on sale Friday, December 1 at 10AM PT/1PM ET, exclusively via phishatsphere.100xhospitality.com.
These shows mark the beginning of a new relationship between Phish and Sphere, but they will be the only shows Phish will perform at the venue in Las Vegas in 2024.
It was inevitable that the band would get something going for their 20th anniversary run, as you just don’t disregard an occasion like that for any reason – you just play. Fans waited for the announcement by the time IT was over, figuring that the band would go on its first Halloween run since 1998, adding to anticipation that the band would put on another musical costume, with endless limits.
poster by Hollie Dilley
However, as the band inspected exactly what the date of the first show was, so that a 20th anniversary was correctly timed, it seems that the date of 10/30/83 was incorrect, even though they had a 15th anniversary out in Vegas of 1998. As it turns out, the first show for the ROTC folks was 12/2/83, and they arranged a four night Northeast run to celebrate, with special guests at the first show, and an elongated show at the final destination, Boston’s Fleet Center, with a myriad of special guests guessed at in anticipation of something spectacular. The Boston show had its highlight in the set break montage video, but no special guests to mention of. Fans were happy though, as it was by far the hardest ticket since NYE 2002 to obtain, and those who were warm inside had no complaints from where they were sitting.
By far the coldest Phish run ever, the shows had snow, ice, wind, and more snow as the band progressed from Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, to the Wachovia Center in Philly, to the Knickerbocker Arena (note: not the Pepsi) in Albany, and the Fleet Center in Boston as part of a four-day run of shows many fans attempted to see all four of. The run could even be characterized as one gigantic show: Nassau was a solid opener, Philly was the bathroom/cigarette/beer break, Albany was the second set heat, and Boston was the after-party.
Outside at all these shows, it was far too cold/rainy/snowy to have a lot scene of any kind, so fans simply piled into bars and parking garages to peddle what they had to keep the tour afloat for themselves, in hopes they might make the next show, and/or home in the coming days.
Artwork by Drew Suto
Some fans felt that this run was spectacular, and perfectly executed, even though others wondered where the spark from summer 2003 went. At least a few older fans looked at the run as sealing the bands fate in their eyes, with the best years clearly behind them, especially after the Vegas 2004 run. Many fans wondered what happened, although Miami might have swayed some opinions in the end.
Nassau featured not only the highly appropriate guest in The Dude of Life on vocals for a rare (and final) ‘Crimes of the Mind’, but also a setbreak wedding of two highly committed fans of the band and each other. Making a Phish show your wedding venue was only done previously at the Clifford Ball, and a tribute to the concentrated community spirit of Phish.
poster by TRIPP
Philly had high-energy crowds a day after Nassau, but execution had some fans wondering what was up. Tom Marshall came up to sing lyrics to ‘Buffalo Bill’, a departure from his regular appearances on ‘Run Like an Antelope’. The Philly show left fan waiting for more indeed.
Albany, the second hometown to Phish, one of the regular tour starts, endings and all-around in-betweens, the Knick was the home to famous Dead shows and disks, as well as memorable Phish shows (see 12/13/97 – Bring on the Dude!). The entire atmosphere of this show was positive, as special guests at the two previous shows made fans wonder who was next to sit in. Following “YEM” in the second set, Trey brought up a very special guest, the band’s first guitarist (aside from Trey), who left the band under mysterious circumstances – Jeff Holdsworth. The original songs that he had written – “Camel Walk” and “Possum” – were played with a degree of both difficulty and success by Holdsworth with the band he left behind almost 17 years ago. A cover of “Long Cool Woman”, by the Hollies was played by the part-time quintet, a tribute to the first show that Holdsworth was playing at. By the time the band broke into Antelope, you could no longer hear Jeff, as his guitar was turned down to inaudible levels, as his playing could not keep up with the boys who ventured beyond the three-year mark. Tom Marshall came up to sing the original lyrics that he penned, and the show ended with a monster version of Hendrix’s “Fire”, again with Holdsworth. Fans were pleased to see him on stage again, but a computer operator in Canada definitely overstayed his welcome that evening in Albany.
However, the overall purpose for bringing Jeff out was a symbol that Phish was and is about family. Boston featured a memorable second set and a video montage during the setbreak that fans clamored to see, particularly since the first notes of Fluffhead were heard in a dormroom video from the early 1980s. This more than made up for a first set that many wondered if anything special would be brought out for the second set, particularly the special guests everyone talked about coming – Santana, the Giant Country Horns, anyone and everyone?! Fishman handed out a cake towards the front row during setbreak for fans to dive into, as many did, regardless of sticky hands that would not be cleaned till after the show. The second set did bring the heat fans were looking for, with monster versions of “Maze,” “Frankenstein,” and “Piper,” that made this show and run well worth it. Regardless, the detractors are present on the vibe/performance of this run, as it was an asterisk to many between a hot summer and even hotter time in Miami for New Years Eve.
Phish – Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY – Friday, November 28, 2003
Set 1: Bouncing Around the Room, Runaway Jim, Ghost > What’s the Use? > AC/DC Bag > First Tube, Frankie Says > Bathtub Gin -> Free
Set 2: Waves > Sample in a Jar > Down with Disease[1], Walls of the Cave, Two Versions of Me, Crowd Control[2], Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove
Encore: Crimes of the Mind[3]
[1] Unfinished. [2] Debut. [3] The Dude of Life on vocals.
Disease was unfinished. This show included the debut of Crowd Control. Trey introduced Mike to sing “his song.” Crimes of the Mind (first since July 10, 1994 at SPAC – 504 shows) featured the Dude of Life on vocals. During the song, the Dude congratulated Phish on their 20 years together, and wished them success for 20 more.
Phish – Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA – Saturday, November 29, 2003
Set 1: Wilson > Cars Trucks Buses, Limb By Limb, Dirt > Seven Below, Divided Sky, Fast Enough for You > Julius
Set 2: Twist -> Simple > Taste > Makisupa Policeman[1], Buffalo Bill[2] > David Bowie, Strange Design > Character Zero
Encore: Friday
[1] Keyword referenced waking up in “Hempstead.” [2] Tom Marshall on vocals.
Trey teased San-Ho-Zay in Seven Below, Julius, and Twist. The lyrics to Makisupa referenced waking up “in Hempstead.” Later in Makisupa, Trey commented on the upcoming 20th anniversary of the band, and noted Makisupa as the first original Phish song ever played. Trey also commented on his long-standing friendship with Tom Marshall and said that Tom had written Makisupa when he was a child. Trey brought Tom out on stage and noted that he thought Makisupa was written in 1969, leading Tom to note that we “have a 60’s song.” Prior to Tom singing on Buffalo Bill, Trey noted: “Tom is now going to sing you a song about a boss, a log, and a piece of rope.”
Phish – Pepsi Arena, Albany, NY – Monday, December 1, 2003
Set 1: Chalk Dust Torture, Stash, Guyute, Thunderhead > Sparkle, Wolfman’s Brother > Good Times Bad Times
Set 2: Tweezer -> Also Sprach Zarathustra > You Enjoy Myself, Camel Walk[1], Possum[1], Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress[1] > Run Like an Antelope[2]
Encore: Fire[3]
[1] Jeff Holdsworth on guitar and vocals. [2] Jeff Holdsworth on guitar and Tom Marshall on vocals. [3] Jeff Holdsworth on guitar.
Tweezer was preceded by a Dixie tease. Camel Walk through Fire featured Jeff Holdsworth on guitar. This was Jeff’s first known performance with his former Phish brethren since May 17, 1986 (1,348 shows). Camel Walk, Possum, and Long Cool Woman (first since October 30, 1998, or 180 shows) also featured Jeff on lead vocals. Antelope featured Tom Marshall on vocals.
Phish – Fleet Center, Boston, MA – Tuesday, December 2, 2003
Set 1: Harry Hood > Cavern, Birds of a Feather, Ya Mar, Horn > Piper > Anything But Me, Water in the Sky, Down with Disease
Set 2: Rock and Roll -> Weekapaug Groove[1] -> Tweezer Reprise[2] > Frankenstein -> Kung -> Frankenstein, All of These Dreams, The Wedge, Boogie On Reggae Woman > Cities > Maze, Waste
Encore: Bug
[1] Unfinished. [2] Mike’s Song lyrics sung by Trey.
This gig commemorated the 20th anniversary of the first Phish show. In the audience, a section of seats were roped off to make way for a music stand. The music stand held a three-ring binder that contained lyrics from the Phish canon, but it did not play an active role in the performance. Ya Mar contained teases of The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana). At the end of Disease, a video screen descended behind the stage. As the house lights remained down, a 25+ minute video was played featuring retrospective highlights from throughout Phish’s career. Before the second set, Mike brought out a tray of desserts and shared them with fans in front of the stage. Highway to Hell was briefly teased by Trey before Rock and Roll. Weekapaug was unfinished. Tweezer Reprise included lyrics (sung by Trey) from Mike’s Song. Appropriately, the post-show house music was the Beatles’ song Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band (which begins with the lyric, “It was twenty years ago today…”).
In April of 1994 Phish appeared at the Alumni Arena on SUNY Buffalo’s campus. Trey fell through a hole in the stage during soundcheck which would hobble him for the remainder of that spring tour. It’s possible the band held that incident against the entire city of Buffalo. They didn’t return until two and half years later, and that show, on October 19, 1996, would be their last ever visit to the Western NY metropolis. That was 27 years ago.
Fall 96 Postcard via PhanArt.net
Fall 96 Postcard via PhanArt.net
It was a show I had the pleasure of attending. A junior at Syracuse, I had netted just one show that summer, and was determined to take advantage of the Mid-Atlantic start to the tour that would wind them down the coast to Atlanta for the famous “Remain in Light” Halloween show. Tucked between Wednesday night shows in Lake Placid and Hartford, CT, which in retrospect I am not sure how I pulled off either, let alone both, was an easy rust-belt Friday-Saturday run from Pittsburgh up to Buffalo. So out we headed.
The band was a bit uneven at this point, early in the tour, and in 1996 in general. Lake Placid was nothing special, Pittsburgh was solid and this Buffalo show, was generally forgettable. And forgettable is a pretty apt word from my personal standpoint, I really don’t have a lot of strong memories from that night, couldn’t even tell you a single song they played offhand. And popping the show in for another listen, I can’t really recommend anyone put this in their queue. The playing is fine, the song selection is fine, but there’s just nothing really notable here to be worth anyone’s time.
I have but one strong memory from this show.
In those days, I was stubbornly determined to be in the front row. I literally had nothing better to do with my time. If it meant sitting out in the baking sun all day and then sprinting like my life depended on it, I did it. If it meant waiting out in the bitter cold singing “Tweezer” with some newfound friends, I did it. If it meant weaseling my way down to the floor and sneaking my way past multiple levels of security, I did it. The latter worked like a charm the previous night in Pittsburgh, a far superior show which I enjoyed front and center.
Fall 96 shirt via PhanArt.net
Fall 96 Phish via PhanArt.net
At Buffalo, I again snuck onto the floor and was biding my time chatting it up with some friends who were right on the wall of the 100 level. We were talking about the Pittsburgh show and I mentioned where I sat. They asked where I was sitting that night, and I coyly mentioned I would be in the front row again. They didn’t think I could do it, so now I definitely had to come through. Shortly before the lights went down I walked down the aisle right to the front row and there was an empty seat just waiting there for me, right in front of Trey. Easy peasy!
Fall 96 shirt via PhanArt.net
Some blurry footage of most of the entire show on YouTube can be found below. I watched it all. Like I said, I can’t recommend it for the music. Even for a nostalgic look back at the band and how the lights were back in “the day” is ruined by excessive zoom and blurrier than blurry footage. As I sat through the whole thing trying to figure out what I could possibly say about this show, it took until the end of the very last song for it to dawn on me. The video finally panned out to show the full stage, lights and crowd during the peak of “Run Like an Antelope.”
There is a blurry visage of a young guy in the front row bouncing up and down and throwing his fists wildly into the air as the band goes into manic climax mode. That would be me. Two plus hours of feeling somewhat down on the memory of a ho-hum concert was erased instantaneously. There’s just something about seeing a 27-year younger version of yourself, no matter how blurry, finding ultimate bliss for a few minutes. Guess the show wasn’t all that bad, that guy seemed to be enjoying it.
Phish – Marine Midland Arena, Buffalo, NY – Saturday, October 19, 1996
Soundcheck: Funky Bitch, Reggae Jam, Life On Mars?, Billy Breathes
Set 1: My Friend, My Friend, Rift, Free, Esther > Llama, Gumbo, Down with Disease > Prince Caspian > Frankenstein
Set 2: AC/DC Bag, Sparkle > Slave to the Traffic Light, Bouncing Around the Room, Split Open and Melt, Fluffhead, Swept Away > Steep > Run Like an Antelope, Hello My Baby
Encore: Fee[1], Rocky Top
[1] Trey sang verses through megaphone. The second set started with a Wish You Were Here tease.
Six years after the fateful Curveball, Phish will once again host a summer music festival, this time in Dover, Delaware, on the grounds of Firefly Music Festival.
The news was broken on social media today, with a Save the Date for August 15-18, 2024.
The announcement – nearly 11 months before the event kicks off, included the following message:
“Save the Date for the next Phish festival! August 15-18, 2024 at The Woodlands in Dover, Delaware. More info about tickets, camping, Glen Close and travel packages coming later this fall. Make sure you’re signed up for the Phish Update to hear about it first (via email + our shiny new SMS list). Sign up at phish.com/update.”
Phish last held a festival in 2015 with Magnaball in Watkins Glen, their 11th overall music festival. Curveball in 2018 was cancelled just before the musics started, due to water supply issues, leaving many fans wondering if a Phish festival would ever return to Watkins Glen, or anywhere else. Today, Phish fans can rest assured as they plan for a unique music festival experience, featuring only Phish as well as plenty of unexpected surprises, art installations, and much more. Stay tuned for updates on Phish’s first shows in Delaware since 1994.
Phish welcomed legendary guitarist Derek Trucks during the second set of their show on Saturday, August 26 at SPAC. For roughly an hour, Trucks traded guitar licks with Trey Anastasio and jammed on classic Phish songs as well as TV On the Radio’s “Golden Age.”
Photo by Derek Java
The late August shows served as a benefit for the Vermont and Upstate New York flood recovery effort. While rumors of Trucks abounded during the day, only when his amp was brought out on stage following a speedy “2001” did the audience let out an electric cheer for the guitarist of Allman Brothers Band, Derek Trucks Band, and currently, Tedeschi Trucks Band.
Photo by Derek Java
Trucks had joined Phish once prior, in Charlotte, NC on July 7, 1999, for “Funky Bitch” and “Possum,” the latter of which would serve as the encore this evening as well. Additionally, Trucks and Susan Tedeschi were joined by Anastasio at Lockn 2019 for a recreation of Derek and the Dominoes Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs.
Watch Derek Trucks join Phish for “Golden Age,” “Everything’s Right,” “First Tube” and “Possum.”
Phish – Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) Saratoga Springs – August 26, 2023
Phish returned to Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on Friday, August 25th, for a pair of shows that served as a benefit for victims of flooding in Vermont and Upstate New York this summer. Their first time playing at the historic Upstate amphitheatre since 2019, Phish will record their 24th career show at SPAC, following the show on Saturday night.
Earlier in the day, Phish connected with New York Governor Kathy Hochul, announcing that the band had donated $3.5 million dollars raised from the pair of concerts, to support flood relief for Upstate New Yorkers, as well as Vermonters affected by flooding earlier this summer.
That number is sure to rise, with donations being raised during the shows through the Waterwheel Foundation’s 2023 Flood Recovery Fund, supporting victims and their families, area businesses, and non-profits. The Recovery Fund will support both shorter-term needs and long-term recovery and resiliency projects.
We are so grateful to everyone who donated their time and resources to make these benefits possible, and those that attended the shows or watched online. The joy in the room at these concerts was undeniable. But for the people affected by the flooding, it is an ongoing struggle. That’s why we are continuing to accept donations, raise awareness and distribute the funds.
Page McConnell
With rain in the forecast and a blanket of clouds enveloping the Saratoga Spa State Park grounds, fans arrived early and in great numbers, setting up a Shakedown off Route 50 while sprinkles fell intermittently throughout the evening. Filing into SPAC, fans dispersed to find spots on the lawn or head down to the pavilion, with the first notes of the evening at 8:05pm.
What might look like a pedestrian set on paper was energetic and rocking from the start, with “Kill Devil Falls” and “The Moma Dance” opening the night, the latter finding its familiar home in the two-slot, clocking in at nearly 14 minutes. The trio of “Ocelot,” “The Wedge” and “Mull” packed a punch, especially “Mull” which deftly found a segue into “Punch You In the Eye,” with fans erupting upon the first notes, carrying the energy into “Sand.”
It was within “Sand” that a classic film was paid homage to, as teases and jams based on “We Welcome You to Munchkinland” spiced the jam vehicle nicely, a tribute to The Wizard of Oz on the 84th anniversary of the film’s initial release. This tidbit had fan’s ears perking up, searching their internal database to find where this ditty derived itself from, occuring later in a second set “Chalkdust Torture” and the original recording played outright as the postshow music.
For a band that has played “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “If I Only Had a Brain” over the years, including with the legendary Ken Kesey, the band didn’t miss the chance to celebrate an inspiring American film. Drummer Jon Fishman even went so far as to put his hair in a pigtail to mimic a munchkin hairdo in the second set. The incredible “Sand” is a must hear, and led into a set closing “Rock and Roll” courtesy of Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground.
What would amount to a five song second set began with an Anastasio-penned quarantine tune “Evolve,” serving as an appetizer for the feast that was about to be plated. “A Wave of Hope” and “Simple” would pair up for back-to-back 22-minute jams, following in the vein of the excellent recent shows at Madison Square Garden. To follow were a pair of 11-minute jams in “Fuego” and “Chalkdust Torture,” wrapping up a powerful set, a true treat for the many first-timers in the crowd this evening.
For an encore, the first breather of the night arrived as “Wading in the Velvet Sea,” giving way to Kasvot Växt’s “Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S.” which has found a home in the set closing/encore slot to send fans on their journey to Oz.
Phish – Broadview Stage at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs – Friday, August 25
Soundcheck: My Soul, Fast Enough for You, Wombat Set 1: Kill Devil Falls, The Moma Dance, Ocelot, The Wedge, Mull > Punch You in the Eye, Sand, Rock and Roll Set 2: Evolve, A Wave of Hope -> Simple > Fuego -> Chalkdust Torture Encore: Wading in the Velvet Sea, Say it to me S.A.N.T.O.S.
This performance was a benefit for Vermont and Upstate New York flood recovery efforts and was a free webcast with all proceeds via donation going to those efforts. Coinciding with the 84th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz being released in the United States on the date of this show, Trey teased We Welcome You to Munchkinland (or It Really Was No Miracle) several times in Sand as well as at the end of Chalk Dust Torture, Fish wore his hair with a single pigtail sticking out of the front of his head like a munchkin for the second set, and We Welcome You to Munchkinland was the postshow music. Trey also teased Dave’s Energy Guide on Sand.
We are now atthe end of Phish’s seven-night run at Madison Square Garden, and the band has continued their hot streak, finding new room for jamming in old standards, and then some.
Opening up the Friday, August 4th show with “Buried Alive,” “The Moma Dance” and “46 Days,” Phish was driving out of the gate, energetic and not missing a beat over this 25-minute opening segment. The only lull of the set came in the form of the debut of “Back in the Bubble” and “Bouncing Around the Room,” both of which were, in hindsight, well placed, as the remainder of the set had little room to breathe. “Birds of a Feather,” welcome as always in the first set, which led to a substantial “Halley’s Comet” that followed, with Trey Anastasio changing the lyrics to “I’m going down to the central part of New York City,” his second nod to the Big Apple in the last two shows. On par with the ever so smooth segue found late in the first set on Wednesday, Phish segued fluidly into an ethereal “Roggae,” before sticking the landing of the set with “Run Like an Antelope.”
If there was a theme of playing better than the previous night, the second set maintains that theory, with an immense “Mike’s Song” with a jam that had people wondering, “Is this still Mike’s?,” all while getting deep into the more than 23 -minute jam, which stands to be the second longest version of the song ever. Shrugging off a potential turn towards “Tweezer,” the band eventually shifted into “Sand,” getting even deeper with Trey finding a familiar riff that segued sveltely into the Talking Heads “Crosseyed and Painless.” The lone breather of the set, “A Life Beyond a Dream” gave way to “The Lizards,” well-placed deep in the second set. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” closed the set, only the third appearance of the Beatles song in the last 10 years.
During the breather before the encore, the crowd knew what to expect and the band delivered – an encore of “Weekapaug Groove” had the fans as hyped as at any point this run. And when the band could have called it a night, the opening notes to “Fluffhead” kept the crowd cheering on, shouting “Fluff came to New York” along with the perma-grinned Anastasio, an exclamation point on the penultimate show of a legendary run at The Garden for Phish.
Phish – Madison Square Garden, Friday, August 4, 2023
Set 1: Buried Alive, The Moma Dance, 46 Days > Back in the Bubble[1], Bouncing Around the Room, Birds of a Feather, Halley’s Comet[2] -> Roggae, Run Like an Antelope
Set 2: Mike’s Song > Sand -> Crosseyed and Painless > A Life Beyond The Dream, The Lizards, While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Encore: Weekapaug Groove > Fluffhead
[1] Phish debut. [2] Lyrics changed to “central part of New York City.”
With one last night to play with, Phish left very little to chance and delivered a powerhouse Saturday performance featuring a completely unexpected bust out to go out on the highest of notes. After a fan’s wedding proposal and successful engagement on the floor prior to the show, the band seemingly picked up on this and fittingly opened with “Loving Cup.” A shift into “Maze” immediately afterwards produced another spine-tingling crowd roar early on that signaled MSG’s collective readiness. A mid-set “Divided Sky” felt perfectly placed and the “Prince Caspian” that came next followed in the footsteps of other recent ones and went especially deep. “Drift While You’re Sleeping” then wrapped things up in its now familiar set closing spot.
With one last set to go, and still no “Tweezer” in sight, it was almost a matter of when, not if, Phish was going unleash its second set staple. Fans wouldn’t have to wait long once the set opening “Set Your Soul Free” finished with Trey Anastasio quickly jumping into the signature opening licks of the song everyone was expecting. This “Tweezer” was no certainly no slouch and served as the springboard for Phish to usher in the return of “Guy Forget,” the first time played since 2011, over 400 shows ago. It certainly came out of left field, but Phish stuck with it, making it well more than a tease and turning it into a full on jam, with “Tweezer” quotes continuing to weave in and out effortlessly. As the jam wound down into near ambience, “What’s The Use?” followed, showing just how quiet MSG can get as well when needed. A full scale “Scents and Subtle Sounds” brought things back to life and with it, another discernable “Tweezer” jam that paved the way for “Everything’s Right,” an accurate statement about the evening, and the entire run, as a whole. A brief little “Manteca” quote even managed to sneak in here. After a completely raucous “Tweezer Reprise” that closed out the set, Phish delivered one last classic with a mesmerizing and patient take on “Harry Hood,” closing out the run in style and setting the stage for what promises to be two incredible shows at SPAC in a few weeks.
Phish – Madison Square Garden, Saturday, August 5, 2023
Set 1: Loving Cup > Maze, Martian Monster > Divided Sky > Prince Caspian->NICU>Steam, Drift While You’re Sleeping
Set 2: Set Your Soul Free, Tweezer->Guy Forget>What’s The Use?>Scents and Subtle Sounds->Tweezer->Everything’s Right>Backwards Down The Number Line>Tweezer Reprise
