Phish kicked off their annual New Years Run at Madison Square Garden, the band’s 16th overall at the ‘World’s Most Famous Venue’ and a feather in the cap of a band who have had a remarkable 2024.
With shows at Sphere in Las Vegas and a stellar summer tour culminating at Mondegreen festival in Delaware (plus 4-night Mexico and Dicks runs) the foursome from Vermont have much to live up to at MSG, where the most recent performance by the band last New Year’s Eve featured a two-set stage production of the band’s Gamehendge rock opera, the holiest of Phish grails.
So while the bar is set high – let’s face it, Phish fans eternally set the bar high for the band – and the band doesn’t always reach that bar. It would be impossible to do so, but they gave it the ol’ college try on Saturday, December 28.
The show opening “Simple” would end up being the longest jam of the night, clocking in at 13 minutes, and when that’s the case, there’s a lack of flow that follows. “Free” followed and had some meat to it, but gave way to a sedate “Farmhouse”. Throw in “Poor Heart” and “Tube” plus a rare “Driver,” and the crowd was content to fall into a well placed first set “Reba,” with a beauty of a bliss jam within. A late first set “Oblivion” thankfully did not jam out for a change, and instead gave way to “Antelope” to close, as it so often has at the Garden.
Set two looked to get things started with “Back on the Train,” and while things were headed in the right direction, “Axilla (Part 2)” limped out of the gate, with Anastasio being a bit ahead of the band. The song struggled until the outro, which worked its way nicely into “A Wave of Hope,” a jam to enjoyably get lost in. “Round Room” – which let’s be honest, needed a little more practice – was performed for only the seventh time ever, and first since 2016, yet an apropos song for Madison Square Garden.
Just as the excitement over “Round Room” died down, “I Always Wanted it This Way” (aka, Page EDM) took over mid-set, and after that, the rest of the set played out with a standard “Twist,” a pleasant “Mango Song”, “Blaze On”, “Cavern” and to close things out, “David Bowie.”
For the encore, “Mountains in the Mist” to start meant a multiple song encore was in the works, but the bar was set high when you’ve seen “Mountains” at Sphere. “Fuck Your Face” followed and random, but possibly influenced by a recent tech CEO tweet. “46 Days” to close was on par with much of the show – fun and energetic, but nothing incredible to write home about.
Phish fans have three more nights left in 2024, including the 25th anniversary of Big Cypress to celebrate. What does Phish have in store to close out 2024? Stay tuned!
Set 1: Simple, Free, Farmhouse, Poor Heart, Tube, Kill Devil Falls, Driver, Reba[1], Oblivion > Run Like an Antelope
Set 2: Back on the Train, Axilla (Part II) > A Wave of Hope > Round Room, I Always Wanted It This Way > Twist > The Mango Song > Blaze On > Cavern > David Bowie
Encore: Mountains in the Mist, Fuck Your Face > 46 Days
[1] No whistling.
Reba did not contain the whistling ending.
Round Room was played for the first time since June 22, 2016 (322 shows)
Nineteen ninety-five was as formative and important a year for Phish as they come. So, it should come as no surprise that it ended at Madison Square Garden, a venue the band today calls “home.” However, the New Year’s run for 1995 would mark only the second and third times Phish ever played MSG. Even though New Year’s Eve ’95 may get all the “glory,” it’s lead-in from the night before has a lot to offer as well.
The show began with the relatively new “Prince Caspian,” from then yet to be Billy Breathes album. It’s a relatively quick and nondescript version. But immediately at its conclusion, some familiar feedback ensues, the signature drum beat kicks in and Phish is off and running with a rare first set, “Also Sprach Zarathustra,” or simply “2001” as it’s commonly referred to today. Phish packs a decent punch in this arena rocker that certainly is a short version when compared to contemporary ones. Yet again, the next song begins before “2001” can even finish. This time it’s “Suzy Greenberg” with Page McConnell leading the way on piano, completing a unique opening trifecta.
Another quick, familiar-sounding feedback jam slows things down a bit before Phish takes off again. This time it’s fueled by Jon Fishman’s signature drum intro to “David Bowie.” This gives the band their first real opportunity to explore the New Year’s space at MSG, and they do just that. A patiently crafted jam is accentuated with some brilliant Anastasio-provided guitar licks, which grow slowly in ferocity. This yields a hearty response of approval from the crowd as the first real jam of the night.
The first set also features a “Kung” sandwich, with the opening and closing sections of “It’s Ice,” ably serving as the bread. There’s even a nod to Gamehendge, courtesy of the ensuing “The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday” sequence, with the Mike Gordon-led “Avenu Malkenu,” placed right in the middle per usual. Emotions then come to a peak in the first set with an absolutely rousing “Divided Sky” that features a noticeably long “pause.” A quick romp through “Sample In A Jar” brings a first set that seemed to pull a little bit of everything from the band’s mid-90s repertoire.
Native New Yorker, Mike Stone, got to make the chess move, on behalf of the audience prior to the start of the second set. This was the second of two chess matches between the band and their fans in 1995. These wound up being split. And for those unaware, the rematch looms.
While the second set doesn’t offer up as much in the way of rarities as the first, it more than makes up for it in execution. “Ya Mar” opens the second stanza and includes a perfectly placed “Auld Lang Syne” tease from Trey. Another fairly new song still finding its legs in “Free” follows this. But the highlight of the set, and possibly the show, is the triumphant “Harry Hood” that comes next and builds to an incredibly emotional peak. When this is paired with a thunderous “AC/DC Bag,” it creates one of the earlier special Phish moments at MSG.
“Lifeboy” serves as the well deserved ‘breather’ song after this impressive sequence of music. But that’s the last of its kind for this show. “Scent Of A Mule” sees a particularly drawn out “Mule Duel” between Trey and Page before its maniacal klezmer-esque finish. And the set ends in fine fashion with a double closer of sorts. A standard take on the Picture of Nectar classic “Cavern” begets an absolute whirlwind of a “Run Like An Antelope” and the typical musical chaos that comes with it.
For an encore, Phish trotted out “A Day In The Life,” a Beatles cover that was also new to 1995. This would be the only non-instrumental cover of the evening. An impressive performance of nearly all originals, both new and old, defined the second ever Phish show at MSG. And it certainly laid the groundwork for what would be the third time’s “charm” the following evening.
Phish MSG New York, NY 12/30/95
Set 1: Prince Caspian > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Suzy Greenberg > David Bowie, Simple > It’s Ice -> Kung -> It’s Ice > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Avenu Malkenu > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Divided Sky, Sample In A Jar
Set 2: Ya Mar, Free > Harry Hood > AC/DC Bag > Lifeboy, Scent Of A Mule > Cavern > Run Like An Antelope
Ross Goldstein released his brand new album, Blunders on November 15 on OddCat Records. The nine track, polished LP takes a deep dive into the world of psychedelia and features producer Eric Goulden (Wreckless Eric). This is Goldstein’s fifth full-length record, following his 2021 release Chutes and Ladders.
Artwork by Robert Beatty
Recorded in Catskill, NY at Goulden’s home studio, Blunders was co-produced and engineered by Wreckless Eric. Both Goldstein and Goulden are credited with playing almost every instrument on the record. Despite a morose subject matter, there’s a noticeable warmth that encapsulates Blunders.
Goldstein refers to the LP as “bummer psychedelia” and states that he was “aiming to achieve a cinematic mood and a feeling of being alone and lost on the road in America. Living on the road and feeling lonely and isolated are central themes of the record – attempting to pick up the pieces after relationships fall apart – both accepting and embracing failures.”
Goldstein cites 60’s and 70’s pop, artists like Neil Young, The Beatles, and Grateful Dead as his primary influences as a songwriter. He also references Holland, the 1973 release by The Beach Boys as a major source of inspiration.
Goldstein’s arrangements, eclectic songwriting and heavy use of imagery in his lyrics allow for each song to stand alone – yet they are pieced together in a way that not only establishes his goal of cinematic musicality, but creates a captivating piece of art from Blunders’ first note, to its last. From the country americana, tinged by psychedelia vibes of “My Slippers”, to the dreamy, albeit uneasy soundscapes on tracks like “The Village”, this record has a welcoming yet dark in nature attitude.
His eccentric tones, emotional guitar solos, goosebump inducing textures and production techniques are reminiscent of bands like Pink Floyd and Ween. His use of spoken word on “Carrizozo” and “Ticker Tape”, the funk grooves of “Odd Man Out” and the seemingly not so lyrically serious “I Forgot To Comb My Hair” are just a few examples of how this genre-blending, borderline defying release synthesize under an umbrella of psychedelic folky goodness.
Blunders is currently available on all streaming services – learn more and support Ross Goldstein here.
With this, Creative Entertainment Group (CEG)Â has announced the initial lineup of pre and post-shows for each date with more announcements to come.
CEG has also shared that $1 of each ticket will be donated to Phishâs WaterWheel Foundation.
Dec. 28 – Steely Dead, Neighbor
Steely Dead will be playing both a pre-party at 4 pm and an after-party at 11:55 pm at the Hill Country. The price is $25 per person and pre-party and after-party tickets are sold separately. The Steely Dan and Grateful Dead cover band began in Denver, Colorado and is now a national touring band. Learn more and purchase tickets here.
Neighbor will be playing a live after-party at the Cutting Room from 11:55 on through the night. The band has a diverse catalog of hundreds of songs that brings elements of Americana, Funk, Rock, Jazz, Soul, and more. Tickets are $25 per person and the event is 21+. Learn more and purchase tickets here.
Dec. 29 – Space Bacon, Near Dead Experience
The Near Dead Experience is a Brooklyn-based Grateful Dead cover band, fronted by a group of musicians who connected on Reddit. They will play a Phish pre-party hosted at the Hill Country Live. Doors open at 3 pm, and the show starts at 4 pm. Tickets are $24.90 and the event is open to all ages. Learn more and purchase tickets here.
The Brooklyn-based future jam quartet Space Bacon will play live at the Hill Country from 11:55 pm through the night. Tickets are $20 for tier 1 which includes general admission and $25 for tier 2 which includes DOS. This event is 21+. Learn more and purchase tickets here.
Dec. 29 & 30 – Medeski, Martin, Metzger & Cline
For two nights the supergroup of Medeski, Martin, Metzger & Cline, will play the after-party at the Sony Hall starting at 11:59 pm. John Medeski and Billy Martin of Medeski Martin & Wood will be joined by Joe Russo’s Almost Dead guitarist Scott Metzger and Wilco’s guitarist Nels Cline. The group first performed together in 2019 on Dec. 28 then again in 2023 on Dec. 30 and now for the first time, they will play two nights.
The price is $45 a ticket for standing room and $65 for VIP reserved seating. Purchase tickets for Dec. 29 here and Dec. 30 here.
Dec. 31 – Funk Sauce Dance Party, Tad Cautious, Shakedown Citi
Grateful Dead cover band, Shakedown Citi, channels the spirit and energy of the Dead without trying to copy them. They will perform a pre-show for the NYE Phish concert at Hill Country Live, beginning at 4 pm. Tickets are $24.90 and the event is open to all ages. Learn more and purchase tickets here.
Host on Sirius XM’s Phish Radio, Tad Cautious, will be joined by friends Ari Fink, DJ Blender and DJ Cooley, to perform at the NYE post-party. Doors open at 11:30 and the show will go until 4 am on Dec. 31 at the Hill Country Live. Tickets start at $28 and the event is open to all ages. Purchase tickets here.
Closing out the four nights of Phish after-parties is the Funk Sauce Dance Party hosted by dj AF (Ari Fink) & Tad Cautious with DJ Cooley and the mysterious DJ Blender. From 1 am to 4 am, the Senior Director of music programming at SiriusXM, and host of The Bunny on SiriusXM, will make you party into the new year. Learn more and purchase tickets here.
Up and coming jam band Dogs In A Pile have announced their plans for a 2025 Spring Tour which includes an opening two-night stand at Brooklyn Bowl in New York City. The spring tour also includes a number of return trips to cities with shifts up in venue sizes as well.
The two tour opening shows at Brooklyn Bowl will mark the band’s headlining debut there and first visit back since October 2021. The band will then make stops in Bethlehem, PA (April 3) and Buffalo, NY (April 5). In between those dates, they’ll play their largest indoor space in Western PA yet at Mr. Smalls in Pittsburgh (April 4).
The spring tour then sees Dogs In A Pile playing exclusively Midwest gigs with shows in Ferndale, MI (April 8), Cleveland, OH (April 9), and Columbus, OH (April 11), before heading further west to Kalamazoo, MI (April 12), Madison, WI (April 13), and Indianapolis, IN (April 15). The spring run also includes several Southern shows, including Charlottesville, VA (April 18) – where a massive October 2023 performance at The Southern Café and Music Hall has earned them a headlining slot at the Jefferson Theater.
The tour later wraps up with two shows in New Orleans, LA during Jazz Fest at Chickie Wah Wah on April 29 and May 3, before the band heads to Mexico for Viva El Gonzo in San José Del Cabo on May 8, 9, and 10. See below for all newly added dates.
Presale ticketing is already underway and tickets will go on sale to the general public this Friday, December 20 at 10 am ET. To view all tour dates and learn more, visit dogs-tour.com.
Dogs In A Pile Spring Tour 2025
3/8 – Chicago, IL – Salt Shed (indoors)*
3/28 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl
3/29 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl 4/3 – Bethlehem, PA – Musikfest Cafe 4/4 – Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls 4/5 – Buffalo, NY – Buffalo Iron Works 4/8 – Ferndale, MI – Magic Bag
A tour-de-force combination of acclaimed jam band artists, the Skeleton Krewe Trio composed of Rob Barraco, Barry Sless, and Stephen Inglis have announced their debut tour along the east coast, including dates in Williamsburg and Woodstock.
Born from what was intended to be a one-off performance partnership, the Skeleton Krewe Trio is possibly one of the most exciting collaborations of today’s jam band scene.
Comprised of Rob Barraco of Dark Star Orchestra, Phil Lesh & Friends, and The Dead, Barry Sless of Bob Weir and Wolf Bros, David Nelson Band, and Phil Lesh and Friends, and the GRAMMY-nominated Hawaiian slack key guitarist Stephen Inglis, the Skeleton Krewe is a set of individually talented artists whose skills, distinct backgrounds, and natural musical connection culminate in a sound definitively their own.
In an exciting development, the Skeleton Krewe Trio has announced their debut tour across the east coast, including nights at the Brooklyn Bowl on February 22 and the Bearsville Theater on February 28.
In addition to their own talents, the unit will expand to a quintet for two nights with the addition of Barraco’s DSO bandmate Skip Vangelas on bass and his son Tom Barraco on drums- one of which includes the Brooklyn Bowl.
“This collaboration represents a unique moment in time where three distinct musical paths converge. We’re creating something entirely new while honoring the traditions we each bring to the table.”
– Rob Barraco
The Skeleton Krewe Trio’s debut tour promises a variety of sounds spanning original compositions, interpretations of works by the Grateful Dead, and dynamic improvisations that span genres from traditional Hawaiian to psychedelic Americana.
Tickets for the Trio’s tour are on sale now. For more information on the tour and the Skeleton Krewe Trio as well as ticketing information, visit their official page here.
The full list of tour dates are available below.
TOUR DATES
Feb. 20 • The Hamilton • Washington, DC
Feb. 21 • 118 North • Wayne, PA
Feb. 22 • Brooklyn Bowl • Williamsburg, NY
Feb. 23 • Newton Theatre • Newton, NJ
Feb. 24 • Rams Head On Stage • Annapolis, MD
Feb. 26 • Space Ballroom • Hamden, CT
Feb. 27 • Portland House of Music & Events • Portland, ME
Feb. 28 • Bearsville Theater • Woodstock, NY
Mar. 1 • Narrows Center for the Arts • Fall River, MA
Dopapod brought it’s Best Friends Tour to Essex in Rochester on Tuesday, December 3.
About a month away from their last shows before an indefinite hiatus, guitarist Rob Compa brought the band to his hometown for a throwdown at the newish venue, Essex. Before the show, Rob asked the crowd if they wanted one long set or two, and of course the crowd voted for the usual jamband two set format. The band warmed the crowd from the frigid cold with a heater of a first set before bringing out their ex-employee, Goose’s Peter Anspach. Anspach first shredded guitar on “Nuggy Jawson” before jumping on keys for the set closer, “Indian Grits.”
Dopapod leaned heavy on the classics for set two, including versions of “8 Years Ended,” “Bubble Brain” and a Zappa cover in the middle of a song, “FABA” > “I Am The Slime” > “FABA.” They brought up Anspach again for the encore, and he helped them with “Best Friends” and “Runny” for the encore.
Dopapod next head west to Colorado, before wrapping up the year in the Midwest. They are playing their final shows on New Year’s Eve in Columbus, Ohio, so catch them if you can.
Dopapod – Essex, Rochester, NY – Tuesday, December 3, 2024
Set 1: Welcome to Paradise, Draculas Monk> Nerds> Two Somebodies> Nerds, Wizzy, Turn By Turn*, Metal Nuggy Jawson^, Indian Grits$ Set 2: Cloud World, 8 Years Ended, Brand New Home, Test of Time, Bubblebrain, FABA> I Am The Slime> FABA Encore: Best Friends#, Runny^
* MGMT Kids tease ^ Peter Anspach on Guitar $ Peter Anspach on Keys # Peter Anspach on Vocals and Guitar
There are certain years in Phish lore that are held in higher esteem than some others. 1997 would certainly be one of these. The Fall Tour this year, aka “Phish Destroys America,” produced some of the greatest moments in the band’s storied history. 23 years ago today, the legendary tour stopped in Rochester, NY and delivered a few monumental jams as well as the debut of a soon-to-be Phish regular.
Phish runs right out of the gates tonight in Rochester and sets the tone early with a massive three-song opening sequence. A raucous War Memorial crowd is greeted with a quick trip to Gamehendge first via “Punch You In The Eye.” The popular opener choice revs the crowd up even more with its signature lyrics, fun calypso rhythms and, of course, the customary Mike and Trey salsa dance.
While “Punch” may not have been a surprise, the absolutely monstrous “Down With Disease” that immediately follows surely must have been. Phish’s second song in Rochester was played like a second set with an electric Anastasio-driven jam that starts around the five-minute mark. From there on out, it’s a masterclass in controlled chaos with the band firing on all cylinders. This eventually devolves into an ambient-type jam replete with digital delay loop effects, giving it that vintage late 90s sound.
20 minutes and one funky start-and-stop jam later, the “Disease” slowly crawls to an end. At this point, anything is possible. But then the familiar high-hat drum pattern of “Maze” arises from the mist. The dark organ tones produced by Page on keys combined with Trey’s relentless guitar rhythms shine on this one. This marks the end of a mesmerizing, and certainly exhausting, opening 1-2-3 on the lineup card tonight in Rochester.
Things understandably cool down a tad afterwards, starting with the “Dirt” that follows. Trey leads the band on a quick trip beneath the surface with this new tune that debuted earlier in the year. Afterwards, another new tune makes an appearance in “Limb By Limb.” This one is supplied with a quick, blissful jam on the back end. “Limb” would later be featured on Phish’s TheStory Of The Ghost album released the following year.
These two up and coming songs are then followed by two cover selections to close out the opening stanza. McConnell and his baby grand piano take charge and lead the way on a take of The Rolling Stones’ “Loving Cup.” And a rip-roaring “Rocky Top” then closes the book on a first set that’s certainly going to be most remembered for its impeccable start.
Phish goes deep once again to start the second set with a thorough take on yet another cover, The Who’s “Drowned.” Trey wastes no time before unleashing a plethora of notes with the rest of the band close behind in another frenetic early set jam in Rochester. This yields a pleasant, improv-heavy jam that once again devolves into a loop-heavy ambient segment, stretching to the 20-minute mark once again.
Suddenly, Trey begins strumming a distinct melody as they segue a bit awkwardly into the next number. But it’s one they’ve clearly been practicing (Mike especially), as memorialized in this clip from the movie Bittersweet Motel seen below.
A cover that few saw coming, Phish takes on Ween’s “Roses Are Free” for the first time ever. They get through it ably enough and some more inspired guitar play from Trey drives it home nicely. Quite suddenly, it then shifts from a debut to bust out of sorts as “Big Black Furry Creatures From Mars” rears its head for the first time in 118 shows. The old school, nonsensical rocker shows no real signs of dust as the usual mayhem it produces ensues.
Out of the feedback-heavy ending arises “Ghost,” the title track of the aforementioned 1998 album. This lays the groundwork for one last notable Rochester jam. Mike’s thunderous bass play and Page’s work on the electric keys lead the way early on. A beautifully patient and slowly progressing sequence then takes shape as Trey and Fishman begin to get more prominently involved.
At the end of yet another monstrous jam, a distinct “Down With Disease” section is played, as if in a nod towards its first set brethren. An incredibly random but blistering take on Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” then closes out the second set in grandiose fashion. This would be the second to last time it’s ever been played at a Phish show, to date. And as a complete juxtaposition, the delicate ballad “Waste” wraps things up as the encore selection on this chilly Rochester evening.
Phish Rochester War Memorial – Rochester, NY 12/11/97
Set 1: Punch You In The Eye > Down With Disease -> Maze, Dirt, Limb By Limb, Loving Cup > Rocky Top
Set 2: Drowned -> Roses Are Free -> Big Black Furry Creature From Mars > Ghost -> Down With Disease -> Johnny B. Goode
On December 7, Lespecial brought their genre-defying prog-rock energy to Albany’s Lark Hall for a night of unforgettable music.
The evening kicked off with a lively performance from Timbre Coup, the Capital Region-based jam/prog-rock foursome. With plenty of local supporters in the crowd, the band’s energetic set got the audience primed for Lespecial to take the stage. Their engaging performance left an impression, and fans should keep an eye on their Facebook page for future shows.
Timbre Coup setlist: Firestorm, August, 55, Arnold Schwartzeneggar, HTRAB, Machine Head (Bush cover), January
Lespecial, a prog-tronic power trio took the stage with their signature sound that defies expectations. With each member contributing vocals and synths in addition to guitar, drums, and bass, their music filled the room with a robust energy that was hard to believe came from just three people. Seamlessly blending genres, the band moved effortlessly from smooth, swaying jams to heavier riffs that had the crowd headbanging in unison.
The band made several references to an incident after the previous night’s show in Syracuse, where their van was broken into, and bass guitars, along with Luke and Rory’s luggage, were stolen. Despite the setback, bassist Luke Bemand powered through with help from his trusty Ibanez Soundgear bass, which he hadn’t used in years, while both musicians rocked Lespecial merch as an improvised wardrobe solution.
As the set approached its finale, drummer Rory (check out his Primus audition reel) delivered a jaw-dropping solo while the other band members took a short break to prepare for the final songs. The crowd was left in awe of his stellar performance, capping off an unforgettable night of progressive rock brilliance. Exiting the warmth of Lark Hall, concertgoers were greeted by a steady snowstorm blanketing the streets—a fitting end to a night that will be remembered for its electrifying energy and unique challenges, both on and off the stage.
lespecial – Lark Hall, Albany – Saturday, December 7, 2024
Setlist: Repeater, Machine Elf, Snell’s Fleet, First Light, Rays, Divider, Bitch Don’t Kill My Dub (Kendrick Lamar cover), Disassociate, Fruit Wolf Dance, Orb, Vessel, GDH3, Unearthed, Drums, Thela Hun Ginjeet (King Crimson cover), Lungs of the Planet
1995 was a year that defined the 1990s. Michael Jordan came out of retirement to return to the game of basketball. OJ Simpson’s verdict was “Not Guilty.” TLC encouraged listeners to stop chasing waterfalls. Pixar changed the future of animated films with the release of Toy Story. And if you were in the jamband music scene, you experienced a seismic shift in the atmosphere.
Just 49 days after Jerry Garcia passed on August 9, Phish kicked off a massive 1995 Fall Tour in the guitarist’s home state of California. The Vermont foursome played more than 50 shows through December, hitting over 30 states and making a pitstop in Canada. Fans will argue over the best shows (or even best month) during this transformative time period, but most are in agreement that The Who’s Quadrophenia Halloween show in Rosemont, Illinois was a career-defining moment for one of the year’s top-grossing acts just half-way through the megatour.
Official poster for 10/31/95 by Jim Pollock
As the rising stars ripped through the frigid Northeast in December, they were only getting hotter in their raunchy, rock-forward, improvisational playing and it all culminated on Sunday, December 31, 1995 at New York’s Madison Square Garden. The date marked the third time Phish would play “The World’s Most Famous Arena,” but the first time they would sell it out for New Year’s Eve. From the 12/29/95 Worchester show to the 12/30/95 opening night at the Garden, it was hard to imagine how the well-polished act would continue getting better night after night, but Phish is always poised to shock the brain.
There was and always will be a special energy when you see Phish’s name in big bright letters on the midtown Manhattan marquee. As Jon Fishman’s father so eloquently put it, he realized his son had “made it” after the band played their first performance to a capacity NYC crowd on 12/30/1994. As fans anxiously anticipated the first note of the last show of 1995, they were greeted by their hungry party hosts with the first-ever, one-two punch of “Punch You in the Eye” and “Sloth.” It was a high-energy attempt to sonically bottle the energy of the 1995 Fall Tour and to kick off a show considered by Rolling Stone as “one of the best live performances of the ’90s.”
Flip to page 824 of the 2nd Edition of The Phish Companion, and you’ll find that five of the songs performed that night are considered some of the “best versions ever.” With a fiery first set “Reba,” the second set’s “Runaway Jim” and closer of “Mike’s Song” to introduce the Gamehendge Time Factor laboratory loop, and the unfinished and unhinged “Weekapaug Groove” from Set III with a “YEM” to top it all off, Phish had made a statement—not only in their community—but in the history of live music. They showed the world what fans had been trying to say for over a decade. They were not just a talented, pot-smoking cover band from Vermont, although they did have the chops to cover and expand upon some of the most highly regarded artists in the rock genre. Any band can cover a popular song to get a reaction from the crowd, but Phish reinvents the music they love, and one example of this is their nod to The Who in Set II’s “Drowned” > “Lizards” opener. Not only did the band double the length of the Quadrophenia studio version, but they interweaved the Grateful Dead’s “Fire on the Mountain” to pay tribute to a band that had sold out six shows at the Garden just 14 months prior. Look past the epic jams, the tribute to legendary rock bands, the New Year’s Eve shenanigans, and the three-set masterpiece performance, and you will find a band on stage that wants fans to get their money’s worth – Phish at their core.
The 1995 New Year’s Eve performance was a launchpad for great things to come. 1996 was the year Phish released one of their greatest studio albums in Billy Breathes; they created a blueprint for music festivals by welcoming 70,000 fans to North America’s largest concert event of the summer, The Clifford Ball; brought their unique sound across Europe; dressed up as The Talking Heads for Remain in Light on Halloween; and claimed the throne as the most popular jamband of the 1990s. And they were just getting started.
But the purpose of this piece was never to recap one of the greatest shows in Phishtory, that has been dozens of times before. I’m here to tell you why it sparked a new generation of Phish fans nearly 10 years later.
This is the story of the New Year’s Eve 1995 – Live at Madison Square Garden, the official album release.
If you were in high school during the early 2000s, you had limited ability to enjoy Phish like your cooler, older family members (or maybe even parents). With the first hiatus in 2002 followed by the official farewell in 2004, it felt like maybe you just weren’t cut out to go on a full summer tour with your future college buddies like you dreamed about sitting in Earth Science, doodling pictures of ugly pigs in your notebook.
The internet was starting to get better, but looked nothing like what it does today in 2020. We didn’t have smartphones for Spotify, LivePhish, 4K professionally shot footage, or a girthy YouTube catalog of Vermont’s greatest rock band. You could risk destroying your family’s Gateway or Dell PC by downloading Phish shows from Limewire or Napster, but a lot of them were low quality, poorly recorded, or not even actually Phish (see their “Gin & Juice” cover) and took days to transfer. Apple iPods were expensive, and the use of .mp3s was becoming more common for those somewhat technologically-advanced, but didn’t completely take over until later that decade.
We did have CDs.
Before 2005, the year I graduated high school, the only officially-released Phish shows you would find in retail record stores were Slip Stitch and Pass, A Live One, Hampton Comes Alive, and drips and drabs of the 20-set LivePhish series. If you were lucky enough to have an older friend or family member serve as a Phish mentor, you could scrounge up hand-me-down, fan-traded tapes and CDs by the dozen, but if you had no path to follow besides seeing the band at SPAC in 2004, you were shit out of luck trying to level up from “noob” status in Upstate NY.
This all changed during the holiday season of 2005, when the retired jam band released New Year’s Eve 1995: Live from Madison Square Garden. At the time, the global Phish community was still mourning the loss of their fallen heroes much like the Deadheads of December 1995. The band members were still touring, and I was lucky enough to catch Page McConnell sit in with Trey Ananastio Band at Roseland Ballroom as a college freshman in NYC. That was NOT the Phish experience I had been dreaming about throughout high school.
Official shirt by Jim Pollock
Santa was extra heady that Christmas and next to NBA2K6 and the iconic Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 for PlayStation 2, the best gift was undoubtedly the three-disc, week-old live release. From the opening “PYITE” on disc one, followed by “The Sloth,” I was hooked. I had never even heard “The Sloth” before Christmas morning 2005, likely because it was never officially released until that album.
It was like in the movie Neverending Story where Sebastian finds the book and runs off to immerse himself in the incredible journey. I had spun through Slip, Stitch and Pass and A Live One until the discs were scratched and raw, but I had never understood the importance of a full show experience until MSG 1995. It was part performance and part theatrics. The show is the blueprint for quintessential Phish. Gamehendge narration, fantastic themes about the creation of time, covers from the recently performed musical costume The Who’s Quadrophenia, and of course, driven improvisation. In the twelve years of Phish music up to that show, December 1995 is widely considered the best. An entire tour of above-average shows was summarized during that hallowed night in the world’s most sacred rock space.
The live release made a new generation of fans appreciate the show as much as those that were in attendance. It made us extremely jealous we were still in elementary school in December 1995, and if we had just known about Trey Anastasio, maybe he would have been even more important than Michael Jordan, Derek Jeter, or Hootie & the Blowfish.
Big egos can get in the way of sharing in the groove and surrendering to the flow. The most obsessed Phish fans like to think they know more, feel more, and enjoy more than their fellow fan. Although I wasn’t fortunate enough to see Phish 1.0 and barely caught the tail end of Phish 2.0, I was able to listen to the Old Testament of Phish and memorize one of their greatest shows from the front of “PYITE” to the back of the “Johnny Be Good” encore. New Year’s Eve 1995: Live at Madison Square Garden proves that everyone begins their journey in different ways. And if you want to learn how to swim, you’ve got to jump in the water.
