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
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.
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
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.
Phish has made their way across New York State in the Fall many times over the years, particularly in 1995 and 1997. Those stand out years in Phish history overshadow 1999, and the December 5 show in Rochester deserves a second look for more than the “Jennifer Dances” premiere with which it has come to be associated.
A warm afternoon before the show gave way to a cold and windy night, just the weather shift you’d expect near Lake Ontario in early December. Two years removed from their December 11 show at Blue Cross Arena, which featured a monster “Down with Disease” and the debut of Ween’s “Roses are Free,” you’d be forgiven if you didn’t listen to the other Rochester Phish show from the tail end of the 90s. But what a show this one was too.
An overlooked Fall Tour show, this one captures ‘Never Miss a Sunday Show’ perfectly. Give a listen via Phish Tracks and you’ll see why. The first set begins with “Carini” busting out of the gate for a short and sweet version. “Gotta Jibboo,” was just beginning a span of heavy rotation that went through Fall 2000, and featured deep bass from Mike Gordon who tucked himself right into the pocket of the groove, with Trey Anastasio accelerating towards a hearty finish.
“Back on the Train” follows, adding another of the four Farmhouse tracks heard this night, then a top tier “Taste” that clocked in over 13 minutes is a must hear version as well. “Bug” and “Sparkle” follow, and then BAM!, a strong “Tube” with added keys from Trey who explored this added outlet many times on this tour, all the way through Big Cypress.
“Lawn Boy” and “Ginseng Sullivan” filled in before a new twist on “Twist” emerged, with a new arrangement that would continue to evolve over time, and may feel even more familiar to fans these days than versions prior. This long and winding “Twist” keeps it up for 12 minutes to close the first set.
Starting set 2 with “Mike’s Song” boded well and ol’ reliable did not shy away from stretching its legs until an unexpected segue into “Meatstick,” which had been finding frequent plays since that summer. While this version clocks in at a strong 12 minutes, it is only the second most notable version from New York State (at that time,) as the band led an effort to have the crowd perform the “Meatstick” dance at Camp Oswego enter the Guinness Book of World Records. Little did the Rochester audience know that this song would usher in the new millenium a mere 26 days later.
This version of “Meatstick” is now unique in that it does not feature Japanese lyrics, something that would not appear until the next summer in Japan, and later in America, becoming a staple of nearly every version of since 2009.
After “I am Hydrogen” segued out of “Meatstick,” a fiery “Weekapaug Groove” with no let up wrapped up this Mike’s Groove. A loud speaker hiss can be heard before the start of “Brian and Robert,” and after this breather, Trey spoke to the audience, saying,
Thank you, we played here a few years ago and we were talking backstage, this is definitely a very favorite room of ours, people are very cool and its a special place and we apprecaite being here. we’re going to trying out a brand new song on you, it’s called “Jennifer Dances”
Trey Anastasio, preparing the world for “Jennifer Dances”
With a little less salt in the gravy this night, the excitement and elation of getting a debut original was palpable, and the crowd got the first of the storied “Jennifer Dances.” Maybe you enjoy it, maybe you chase it, and perhaps you loathe the mention of this ‘ballad,’ but on this night, the audience was laser focused on the new tune.
The remainder of the set picked up after the dip in the middle that the interrupted the flow. The “Maze” clocks in at nearly 15 minutes, full of driving funk via Page McConnell’s keys, and is followed up nicely by “Fluffhead,” adding an exclamation point to the “Maze.” But wait, there’s more! “Chalkdust Torture” > “Frankenstein” closed the set with as much back to back energy as pounding a Red Bull and following up with a 5 Hour Energy – hearts were pumping at full capacity for the final half of this set.
For an encore, the band left the stage and returned to a microphone set up on Page Side, so those on the floor gravitated over for an up close version of the barbershop quartet “Hello My Baby, ” by then a fading acapella number and the last one until 2009. “Character Zero” found the energy from the second set, bottled it up and unleashed on the crowd to close the night.
Phish have made their presence known in Rochester over the years and made their December 1999 show as memorable as the 1997 show that garners the most attention. In that way, December 5, 1999 is the Jan Brady of Phish shows in the Flower City. Stream the show via Phish Tracks.
Phish, December 5, 1999 – Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, NY
Set 1: Carini > Gotta Jibboo, Back on the Train, Taste, Bug, Sparkle, Tube, Lawn Boy, Ginseng Sullivan, Twist[1] Set 2: Mike’s Song -> Meatstick > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Brian and Robert, Jennifer Dances[2], Maze, Fluffhead > Chalk Dust Torture > Frankenstein Encore: Character Zero, Hello My Baby [1] Slightly new arrangement. [2] Debut.
Phish and the City of Albany have always had a cozy relationship. Going to back to 1989 and their first gig at Pauly’s Hotel, Phish has played a total of 17 shows in Albany during the course of their career. Shows in the early 90’s at the Palace Theatre helped establish their Upstate New York following. So it would come as no surprise when their 2003 20th Anniversary Tour rolled around that Albany would be one of the stops. This would only be a short, four-show trek around the Northeast, culminating in the “anniversary” of their first ever show on December 2.
The first two shows of the tour did not disappoint at all. Special guests like the Dude of Life popped out for the encore in Long Island on November 28, and Tom Marshall joined in on a classic version of “Buffalo Bill” the night before in Philadelphia. Now it was Albany’s turn and the band went even further back in their history for tonight’s guest selection.
Picking up on the palpable December pre-show energy, the show begins with a “Chalkdust Torture” that ramps it up even more. The entire Pepsi Arena crowd seems to join in on the “Can’t I live while I’m young” line. A blistering guitar solo from Trey Anastasio highlights this one before all is said and done. The “Stash” that comes next allows for plenty more audience participation. It eventually develops into a dark, yet fairly uneventful jam. A standard run-through of “Guyute” then follows, with the Albany crowd audibly loving every minute of this first set Phish staple.
An interesting little juxtaposition of both styles and song histories then proceeds this. The delicately mellow “Thunderhead,” from 2002’s Round Room release, makes a rare appearance. It’s only the sixth live performance ever of this song. And, to date, it has yet to be played a seventh time. After a tidy little jam that gradually picks up in intensity, “Sparkle” emerges. The high pace, first set romper dates all the way back to 1991 and has been played hundreds of times.
“Wolfman’s Brother” finally gives the band a chance to stretch things out a little again. Aside from “Stash,” this is really the only other true “jam” of the first set. Mike Gordon’s aggressive bass play provides the fuel for this one and dominates throughout. Gradually, the rest of the band seems to catch up in this “Wolfman’s” that easily glides past the 15-minute mark after an exuberant finish. “Good Times Bad Times” then puts a cap on a rockin’ but relatively quick first set. Perhaps this was done to allow some additional set break practice time with the still-TBA special guest.
Before said guest would be revealed, there was still some business to tend to first. Phish would grace the Albany crowd with three classic songs sure to make any show memorable. “Tweezer” promptly begins the second set. It sees more inspired guitar play from Anastasio atop the funky rhythms generated by Gordon and drummer Jon Fishman. The jam continues to ascend accordingly until about the ten-minute mark, when it takes an ambient hard left turn. The music continues to devolve and get spacey for another few minutes before Fishman slyly increases the tempo and the band is off and running with the instrumental “Also Sprach Zarathustra” aka the theme to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Keyboardist Page McConnell takes control early on with his standard electric keyboard fills complementing Anastasio’s iconic guitar riffs.
Before the last remnant of “2001” even finish echoing, Phish launches into “You Enjoy Myself,” further delighting the Albany faithful with an epic start to the second set. There’s no issues with this version at all as the band rips through the composed sections with ease. Then another cohesive, psychedelic jam emerges with McConnell continuing to dazzle on piano.
Finally, it was time to reveal tonight’s special guest. It would be none other than Jeff Holdsworth, one of the original members and co-guitarists of Phish from its inception in 1983. Jeff would eventually leave the band before they gained much notoriety. Tonight marked the first time he played with Phish since a gig on May 17, 1986 at Goddard College in Plainfield, VT. As befitting for an anniversary run, they would play a few of the songs he wrote that are still regular fixtures at Phish shows to this day.
The first of these was “Camel Walk.” Holdsworth seems to have a little issue with the lyrics early on, but manages to keep it together for this longtime favorite. Trey then gives him proper thanks for writing that song as well as the next one, “Possum.” Despite some feedback issues, they manage to maneuver through this Phish classic as well, with Anastasio doing a lot of the heavy lifting.
Jeff stays on stage and even takes lead vocals on the first song Phish ever played as a band, a cover of The Hollies’ “Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress.” Understandably, he seems to be a little more comfortable singing on this one than the Phish songs he hadn’t played in more than 17 years.
“Run Like An Antelope” would then go on to close the second set. While Holdsworth would remain on stage to play guitar, he must have been turned down fairly low in the mix. This also gave Phish one last chance to surprise the Albany crowd. Longtime lyricist and friend of the band Tom Marshall emerged to deliver the song-ending vocals. One last cover, Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire,” would complete one of the more interesting and memorable Phish show in Albany’s rich history.
Check out the full audio below, or go here for track-by-track selections.
Phish – December 1, 2003 – Pepsi Arena – Albany, NY
Set 1: Chalkdust Torture, Stash, Guyute, Thunderhead -> Sparkle, Wolfman’s Brother -> Good Times Bad Times
Set 2: Tweezer -> Also Sprach Zarathustra > You Enjoy Myself, Camel Walk, Possum, Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress > Run Like an Antelope
Encore: Fire
Note – Camel Walk through Fire with Jeff Holdsworth on guitar
It has been just over a week since Phish played three shows in Albany, raising $4M from ticket and merchandise sales, as well as live stream fees, all to support the Divided Sky Residential Recovery Foundation and the recently opened facility in Ludlow, VT.
photo by Conor McMahon
The non-profit addiction recovery organization started by Trey Anastasio has set a $10M fundraising campaign goal to support the facility through capital improvements, future property acquisitions, increasing staff and ensure a scholarship fund that remains accessibly to anyone in need, regardless of their ability to pay.
“It’s hard to put into words how grateful we are to Phish and their fans for this generosity. But this isn’t about words–it’s about action. And because of these concerts, we will be able to help many more people take charge of their lives and to recover from addictions.”
Melanie Gulde, Program Director and co-founder of Divided Sky
Watch the video below for an overview of the Divided Sky Residential Recovery Program featuring testimonials from Anastasio, Gulde, guests, alumni, and staff.
This type of fundraising haul is not atypical for Phish. In 2023, Phish performed two benefit concerts at SPAC, raising over $3.5M for flood recovery efforts in Vermont and Upstate New York and welcoming special guest Derek Trucks. There are also two Phish charities – the band’s Waterwheel Foundation and the fan-based Mockingbird Foundation – have both raised millions of dollars for local causes and charities since their inceptions in the late 1990s (Ed. note: I am on the Board of Directors of Mockingbird Foundation, supporting music education across the country.)
The hometown show feeling provided a unique buzz in the air to the pre and post-show festivities, for although Phish was here in 2018, the mid-week shows were marked by cold and rain, and aren’t the most memorable shows the band has played on South Pearl Street.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PofMFlw8MJI
The mellow anxiety of seeing so many people at the hometown venue fed into the buzz, a unique combination as a trio of shows were upon the crowd. Friday night’s show paid tribute to Phil Lesh, who passed away earlier that day, and the band brought out the jams early as well as throughout a huge second set.
Saturday night opened with “Possum,” just as the Saturday show in 2000 began, and a well rounded set highlighted by “Stash,” “Tube” and “Bathtub Gin” laid the groundwork for an action packed Set 2. From “Disease” onward, there was hardly a moment to breathe, let alone be distracted by Game 2 of the World Series, until late in the set during “Lonely Trip” where the unfortunate few who looked up at TVs near the bar had to suffer for the only letdown of the weekend. The “Dave’s Energy Guide” tease in Fuego (around the 9-minute mark) was just one highlight of this set, where deep improv driven by Page McConnell aided in keeping fans as dialed in as the band was.
By Sunday, where the banner hanging in the rafters would need to change from 16 to 19 shows, this friends and family affair started with shout-outs contained in the lyrics to “Heavy Things” and the newer “What’s Going Through Your Mind.” A bust-out of “Access Me” followed, along with spooky jams in “My Friend, My Friend” and an intense, never-ending jam in “Kill Devil Falls.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MguC2nYEK7U
For the five-song second set, “Everything’s Right” led the way for a 16-minute installment, followed by “Chalkdust Torture” going beyond the 23-minute mark, and “Mercury” – complete with a restructured intro – following suit. A breather from “Wading in the Velvet Sea” gave way to the original McConnell Vida Blue number, “Most Events Aren’t Planned” which has found a second life since appearing during Phish’s Baker’s Dozen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9w1K0pIncw
To close the run, you might have expected “Divided Sky” but that would mean Phish doing something predictable. Instead, a four song encore, punctuated by the opening “Gotta Jibboo” (shout out to Albany’s Jibboo Crew!), with “Waste,” “Bug” and “Character Zero” closing the run of three incredible and charitable concerts.
Now, for those who attended the shows, you knew the cause was charitable given the month of rumors preceding the announcement of the shows, but there were times when the local media might have otherwise not known. The initial news of the concert announcement was shared of course, but when Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple sent out his press release noting a total of four arrests from the concert weekend, this is where the local media in Albany (like WTEN) could have made a small effort to tie the charitable aspect of the shows to the minor number of arrests (with around 50,000 tickets sold, that’s a ridiculously small percent of attendees – if they even were – at 0.008%) or go a step further and compare these few arrests to other local concerts held at MVP Arena.
Running pat-on-the-back news makes sense for Sinclair-owned WRGB, but the disservice begins with ignoring the purpose behind these shows, which supports those most affected by opiate addiction, by eschewing the steps taken by the other 99% of attendees to these shows that supports the treatment center in Ludlow, VT.
Beyond that, three concerts in a row at MVP Arena are an economic boon to the city, with sold out hotels across the region, full restaurants and bars on Pearl Street, and Downtown Albany seeing a busy weekend of tax revenue coming into the region, much from out of state. These tax dollars from music tourism are a real thing that continue revitalization efforts in the local economies of music destinations like Albany; whether the local media wants to investigate this angle remains to be seen.
WNYT’s Zach Richter gave ample coverage to the shows with a focus on the Divided Sky Foundation, one that presents the cause as tied to the band through Anastasio’s recovery journey since his 2006 arrest in Whitehall brought him to sobriety. But when the arrests are shared in a Monday segment, no connection between the two is made.
The Times Union did not run the story on the arrests, instead opting for a brief review and gallery of the shows, a true look at the shows with a focus after the fact on the charity side of the shows. Why is the TU the outlier here, when all the information on the shows is readily available to anyone seeking the answer? But therein lies the rub – you have to want to seek out more than what is spoonfed to you. Otherwise, you’ll eat anything they feed you.
With $4M raised from the shows, I would challenge these outlets to find out what other bands and artists out there do anything similar, and focus on the benefits of these shows – in and out of the arena – rather than the few bad apples.
You can support the Divided Sky Foundation by picking up merch from the shows, or visit the website directly here
Less than two months to go until Phish celebrates their 16th New Years Eve at Madison Square Garden. Get more info here.
There are cover bands and tribute bands, and then there are bands who take the tribute to another level. One of those bands is Dark Star Orchestra, who recreate classic Grateful Dead shows in their entirety, as they were once performed. Enter Reprise, a band that does for Phish what DSO does for the Dead – but with the added bonus of not only playing a classic Phish show from the town/area they’re playing in, they also make it a point to have the show be as accurate as possible to the original performance, in terms of song length, antics, commentary, and even interplay between band members and crew.
Photo by Chris Bobillo
On Saturday, November 2 at Lark Hall in Albany, Reprise – Cal Kehoe (Pink Talking Fish – guitar), Scott Chasolen (The Machine, Ulu – keys), Chris DeAngelis (Kung Fu, The Breakfast, RAQ, The Machine – bass) and Adrian Tramontano (Twiddle, Kung Fu, The Breakfast, RAQ, Marble Eyes, Mihali – drums) – brought to life one of Albany’s classic Phish shows, calling back to December 13, 1997, the Fall 1997 tour closer.
Photo by Chris Bobillo
For me, this was not only my first Reprise show, but they were recreating the first Phish show I ever saw live. While my memories from that show are limited to “Sample in a Jar,” “Good Times Bad Times,” the lights going out during “Hood” and the cacophony of ‘bringing the Dude’ during “Mike’s Song,” I have relistened to that show more times than I can count. The tour closer stands out in one of Phish’s greatest tours, and begged for regular relistening to see what I missed that night when I was still a noob.
The show is chock full of jams, some rarities and new songs (for 1997) and some silliness that you only find at a Phish show when the band is dialed in and wrapping up a tour. I know this show by ear, and without looking at the setlist, let the show play out as it originally did just under 27 years ago, seeing what surprises were in store, but more importantly, how well Reprise did their homework on the recreation of the improvisation within the show.
To that end, as students of this particular show, they nailed the assignment with flying colors. The “Ya Mar” was played to nearly the same length as the original 18+ minute jumping off point for the show, including the end of the jam that never really ended the song proper. A good chunk of the first set beyond that may appear on paper to be pedestrian, but the tempo of the “Theme From the Bottom” ending, the 11-minute “Vultures,” and the thrilling “Tube” that gave way to a set closing ball of energy in “Good Times Bad Times” gave an ebb and flow to the show that lines up with the original show, no complaints registered.
Photo by Chris Bobillo
The second set opening with “NICU” kept that free-flowing vibe going out of setbreak (were these the same length of time as well? A good question for manager Tom Marshall.) and into “Punch You in the Eye,” which never lets down but especially never in the second set. With dancing in “The Landlady” from Kehoe and DeAngelis, the full recreation is there, all the way down to the sudden intro of a ’97 “Ghost,” which is the jam of the night in both cases, overlooked for the “Mike’s” that follows, but still worthy of inspection.
Then again, that “Mike’s Song” is one of the odder things to catch at your first show, especially having no idea who this ‘Dude’ was they were suggesting to bring to the stage. The weirdness that Phish, and now Reprise, feed to fans amid an improv-vehicle is the launching point for the most furious part of this jam. By the time the weird returned in “Catapult,” wrapped up in a “Weekapaug Groove,” the set had flowed with the same ‘final show of the tour, all jams must go!’ intensity, wrapping up with a “Harry Hood” that saw the lights turned off, only a disco ball illuminating patrons and the stage.
photo by Pete Mason
The encore of “My Soul” paired with the sentimental “Squirming Coil” closed the night as Kehoe, DeAngelis and Tramontano walked off stage to cheers while Chasolen closed the song on piano, before departing the stage to cheers from a dedicated audience who hung on for every note of the show.
The only way this could have been more accurate (beyond the setbreak timing) is if an oddball opening act – ala J. Willis Pratt and Bionic, who opened for Phish this evening in 1997 – were to have performed ahead of Reprise.
Even though you can never go back and see your first show a second time, no matter how many times you relisten, Reprise offers the next best thing – four top notch musicians who do their homework, nail the songs and jams and master the interplay of Phish with self-assured panache.
Reprise plays Northampton, MA on December 19, 2024, recreating a classic show from the area. Tickets and more info here.
Setlist via Phish.net
Reprise – Lark Hall, Albany – Saturday, November 2, 2024 – recreating Saturday, December 13, 1997
Set 1: Ya Mar[1] > Axilla[2] > Theme From the Bottom, Ginseng Sullivan, Strange Design, Sample in a Jar, Vultures, Tube, Good Times Bad Times Set 2: NICU > Punch You in the Eye > Ghost > Mike’s Song[3] -> Llama, When the Circus Comes, Weekapaug Groove -> Catapult -> Weekapaug Groove, Harry Hood Encore: My Soul, The Squirming Coil [1] Unfinished. [2] Contained Axilla II ending. [3] Chants to “Bring in the Dude.”
Ya Mar was unfinished. Mikeâs Song included Foxy Lady quotes from Fish and some memorable vocal interplay from the band that included a chant to âBring in the Dude.â During Hood, Trey asked Chris Kuroda to turn off the lights for a Blackout Jam and the audience responded with a shower of green glowsticks. The opening act was J. Willis Pratt & We’re Bionic.
On a crisp fall day full of anticipation for Phish’s return to Albany, a mist hung over the pre-show festivities with the news of the passing of Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh. The chatter of whether this would be noted or honored by Phish – when, and how – was debated by fans gathered around South Pearl from Beaver St. to Hudson Ave.
photo by Conor McMahon
Those conversations were quickly put to rest with the opening notes of “Box of Rain,” Phish’s first ever performance of the Lesh and Robert Hunter penned tune, and the first time for the four members to cover the Grateful Dead in more than 26 years (not including Bob Weir’s 2016 Nashville sit-in)
And with that, the show was off and running. Following the emotional “Box of Rain,” Phish dropped “The Moma Dance” into a traditional second slot, followed by a boisterous “Free.” The flow was set early with this trio of tunes as the first three-night Phish run in Albany was underway.
photo by Conor McMahon
A mellowing “Dirt” gave way to “Wolfman’s Brother,” which Lesh notably performed a stellar version with Phish in April 1999 at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco. “No Man in No Man’s Land” and a deep “Theme From the Bottom” filled in next, with “Steam” and “Sand” closing the first set.
Setlist art by Coventry Phish
The second set began just before 10pm with a nearly 10 minute “Blaze On” (9:59 to be exact), giving way to the one of the biggest jams of the night in “Piper,” with a “Carol of the Bells” tease in “Piper” bringing Christmas a little early to the Capital Region.
photo by Conor McMahon
Segueing from a steady “Piper” jam into “Light,” the second set vehicle of “Tweezer” kept the improv-heavy set flowing, dipping into “The Wedge,” and a pair of songs perfect for Halloween, “The Howling” and “Monsters.” And while “Backwards Down the Numberline” could have closed the set, a fan on the rail very likely influenced the closing rocker found in “Carini.”
photo by Conor McMahon
An encore that kept the show rolling close to midnight began with “Sleeping Monkey,” the first in more than two years. Just when you think they’d wrap things up with “Tweezer Reprise,” the opening riffs of “Ghost” appeared, pushing the expected encore into the realm of the unexpected, finally seguing into “Tweeprise,” just as Freddie Freeman ended Game 1 of the World Series with a grand slam. Not the ending Yankees fans wanted, but a celebration nonetheless for Phish fans in Albany or home on the couch.
photo by Conor McMahon
Phish continues their run on Saturday night. Get the scoop on what to do before and after the shows here.
Box of Rain made its Phish debut after the passing of Phil Lesh earlier in the day. Carol of the Bells was teased in Piper. Mike teased the bass line from Shakedown Street in The Howling. This show was a benefit for Divided Sky Foundation.
Phish – MVP Arena, Albany, NY – Saturday, October 26, 2024
Set 1: Possum, Sigma Oasis > Back on the Train, Nothing, Stash, Bouncing Around the Room, Tube > Bathtub Gin, More
Set 2: Prince Caspian > Down with Disease[1] > Ruby Waves > Fuego > What’s the Use? > Golden Age > Lonely Trip, Harry Hood
Encore: Golgi Apparatus > Slave to the Traffic Light
[1] Unfinished.
Trey teased Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 during Back on the Train and In Memory of Elizabeth Reed during Stash. Nothing was played for the first time since June 1, 2022 (118 shows). Down With Disease was unfinished. Page teased The Little Drummer Boy at the end of Harry Hood. This show was a benefit for Divided Sky Foundation.
Phish – MVP Arena, Albany, NY – Sunday, October 27, 2024
Set 1: Heavy Things, What’s Going Through Your Mind, Access Me, My Friend, My Friend, My Sweet One, Limb By Limb, Mountains in the Mist, Kill Devil Falls, Walls of the Cave
Set 2: Everything’s Right > Chalk Dust Torture, Mercury, Wading in the Velvet Sea, Most Events Aren’t Planned
Encore: Gotta Jibboo, Waste > Bug > Character Zero
Access Me was played for the first time since August 31, 2019 (185 show gap). Trey teased We’re Off to See the Wizard during Limb By Limb. Stash was teased during Chalk Dust Torture. This show was a benefit for Divided Sky Foundation.
