When Trey picked up his guitar, I knew immediately this night wouldn’t be about lollipops or unicorns. There was an insidious stare in his eyes as if he would find your childhood pet, dig it up, and eat that son of a bitch for breakfast. Phish was hungry this evening with an insatiable appetite, ready to feast on limbs and entrails of wooks. The impact of the first note was like a meteorite discovering the dinosaurs. It was if Trey was trying to comfort me by saying, “I’ll dragon kick your grandmother so hard her colostomy bag will explode all over your old family photos.” It was at this point I knew I had to get closer to the stage so I made my way through the crowd like a shark’s fin in water. During the DWD jam Mike was slinging out meatball bass wraps as Halloween candy that tasted like the souls of ten thousand unborn panda bears. It was like he went to the Gamehendge market, stole the testicles off a T-Rex and blended them into hollandaise sauce that he included as delicious gravy. If I had been raptured at that moment, I would have told Jesus to wait. Page was not to be overshadowed; he played as if he was possessed by a cherub because no human mortal could have conjured up a symphony of naturals and accidentals like that. He declared martial law on that keyboard and serenaded us in a beautiful anarchy of harmony. This was precisely the moment I had the feeling of pure freedom, like I was naked and rollerblading, having my junk flap around like a sail and I pretend my penis is an eagle, flying free over the mountains of this great nation. I can’t forget to mention Fishman because his arms were assaulting those drums faster than a coked out butterfly flaps its wings. There was something magical happening inside those drums like each were a gargantuan bucket full of cheddar bay biscuits. Phish was on fire tonight and if it were possible to gauge that temperature, this show would be hotter than the asshole of a dying star.

Set 1 didn't have anything on the level of last night's Wolfman's, but was constructed very well, featured much more confident playing all around, made room for two Wingsuit highlights, and ended in strong fashion with a nice Stash, a nasty funk breakdown in It's Ice (with Trey and Mike having a Laser Floyd-off as Page abused his trusty clavinet), Page getting to show off at the end of Gumbo, and a WOTC with Trey just throttling his guitar and leaving it for dead. That's a pretty darn good start to a show (and it's nice to see that The Line and 555 fit in just as snugly as anything off of Hoist or Rift).

Set 2 was being heralded as an instant classic more or less from the moment the lights came up after the encore last night, and the big-time duo to lead the set off makes that praise entirely justifiable. After a quirky and very short ambient jam, DWD steps up to the plate, and the band delivers a version that surpasses not only every version from this year, but last MSG run's spectacular version as well. Things book along at the usual DWD pace until Trey hits upon a neat minor chord sequence, which then leads to a dark rumbling jam as Page goes to his bag of tricks and Trey matches him step for step while Mike and Fish hold things down in the boiler room. Trey then shifts to land of bliss mode as things open up and become more optimistic, and the band floats along before the tempo picks back up, a light bulb goes off over Trey's head, and we make our way back home (with a "Rhapsody in Blue" tease by Page at the very end just for funsies). There are multitudes in this DWD jam, exceptional cohesion and communication between the group, and yet another killer jam.

Did I say "yet another killer jam"? I meant "yet more killer jams", as the Carini that follows puts an enthusiastic exclamation point on one of the finest years any song in Phish's catalog has ever had. Things get dark and contemplative right off the bat, with wah-wahs melding with a thick bassline and Page on the electric piano, and the band steps into a nice relaxed groove as Fish mischievously plays games with the usual rhythm. Trey hits upon yet another cool repeating chord pattern, which allows Mike and Page to take the forefront (Page, in particular, is having a blast conjuring up alien noises), until Trey starts hammering out chords and Page goes to the organ to take things to a new level. Mike pushes his way to the forefront and things build to a demented peak, then the jam ends in glorious fashion with a "woo" segment (yes, the "woo"s work here, especially as the band drops down a step with each new stop-start). Carini has a lot to live up to at MSG, and after that monster it now has even more to live up to next year. Waves and Twist both step up and deliver very nice Type I versions (the Twist, in particular, really makes its usual Santana affectations count, thanks to Page having a scorcher), Golgi gives the band a breather, and Bowie nicely finishes off a superb set of music that was every bit as coherent as last night's set was disjointed.

Final thoughts: Yet another winner from what has been a very special year indeed. The first set is a very nice hour plus worth of work, and the entire second set flows remarkably well (nearly as well as Hampton3 II and AC1 III do), with two *massive* jams thrown in. Go listen!

The Scene: This was my first time watching the Phish from the FLOOR of MSG. At past new years runs I've always been high up enough in the 300, 400 Levels to touch the CEILING. Anyway, the change in location made a big difference, and being so up close made it feel like I was watching a performance just for me and my close friends. So intimate.

The Music/Set 1: I secretly chase that 30+ monster jam, but last night I was in the mood for the Phish to show off their songwriting prowess, and Set 1 delivered. After the party funk of Moma Dance (this song never fails to move the crowd), Trey busted out Rift, a song whose lyrics push the music, and whose music pushes the lyrics to a huge emotional climax (a very special song, it reminds me of Divided Sky, but with the perfect lyrics to express itself).

Roggae and Sparkle were their typically awesome incarnations. The Line and 555 fit right into the set perfectly, and in my humble opinion these songs are more than welcome at any show I go to in the future ;D

I've heard Trey screw up It's Ice soooooooo many times, but this version is top notch. I don't know what it sounds like on replay, but live it was solid.....and hilarious when they broke down into funk half-way through the song. It took the audience a split-second to be like, "Oh shit, it's time to dance hard again, Yes!". The funk rules the crowd.

And damn, Page is on fiiiiiiiiire. The dude is unbelievable, and he's playing like I've literally never heard him play before. Maybe he's just taking more risks? I dunno. He can't catch roses for the life of himself, but so be it. ;D

Gumbo kept the funk alive.

And Walls of the Cave is always a treat to hear. Trey murdered the solo at the end.

Music/Set 2: Not much to write about for this set....words wouldn't really do it justice. I'm wont to say you had to be there, but I'm sure replay will do justice to the DWD and Carini. Unreal music. Somewhere around the middle of Carini, Trey and Page began breaking down the rhythm in a way that was so alien to my ears.

This band is becoming unreal in the way they manipulate sound. It doesn't happen every show, or every set, or every song.....but when it happens and you get to watch it and hear it live, its akin to a palm slap to the head. I'm not really sure how they keep it together while pushing the boundaries of rhythm, but it's awesome to watch.

If you're willing to spend just a little more cash, get yourself a ticket on the Floor for one of the next two shows. It's worth doing at least once. And plus the huge arena monitor above your head looks like a gigantic UFO..... even if you're not tripping balls ;D

Peace

This is the best show I have ever been personally in attendance for (#18 overall). Start to finish, both sets are finely constructed and wonderfully executed. "Flow" is such a lame word, and so eternally hard to pin down in the Phish world, but whatever it is that that word means, last night was a textbook example.

Set I has a surprisingly competent Rift (rare these days) and a standard-excellent Stash, but the real highlight is in the amazing run of 555>>Ice>>Gumbo>>WOTC. Each version of those songs is a keeper--particularly WOTC, which brought a ton of energy to its closing moments, and saw Trey hopping up and down in excitement (always a good sign for Set II).

As for Set II. You can probably see for yourself that it is something pretty special. Disease>>Carini represents the essence of the band, and the reason why we go see so many shows each year. Waves works perfectly as both a breather and as a lovely type-I mellow jam. Twist doesn't go All World, but shows that when they are locked in, everything is just more fun in the world. See how Page just chills out in the opening to Twist, and Trey takes his time diving into the lyrics.

This kind of loose, hey-let's-just-chill vibe from the band usually means they're about the kill something, or they just recently slaughtered something. I think in this case, both are true.

Something clicked right around '555'. After that, they said "fuck it, let's roll" and it was all strikes.

I'm the first to shoot down over-hyped, real time sausage talk with my customary curmudgeonly bastard quips, but from the Couch, set two 12/29/13 was some of theee finest this guy has witnessed in 22 years of Phish. I love where these guys are at.

Out of the 6 shows I went to, this is number one. Like 5 of them (Dick's N1 being the exception), I brought someone to their first Phish show. He hadn't heard any of their songs, didn't know a thing about the scene, so he was excited. We had some of the best seats in the house, in the section behind the GA.

So they come on, and open with Moma Dance, and go into Rift (a first for me!) At this point I figured this show would be lots of fun. They played Roggae and Sparkle, two songs I never thought I'd catch. I didn't recognize The Line or 555, but Stash fucking rocked. During the jam, CK5 did some crazy things with the lights, and let me tell you, I (and my friend) were entranced by it.

Now, Walls of the Cave was a shredder. It just rocked really really hard.

The 2nd set was something really special. It started with a small little 1 minute 'jam', ending with Trey saying "we wrote that!" Then, they moved into Disease, which quickly moves into full-on Type II weirdness. More amazingly, however, it comes back to Disease. Then, they do Carini, which had some crazy glowstick throwing going down, amazing lights, and it ended with a perfectly placed set of 'woo's'. Waves, a song I called for the 2nd set, showed up, and went into Twist, both of which didn't go amazingly deep (after the Disease > Carini I don't think we really needed it). Golgi is interesting because I thought it was at least 6 min long, turned out to not even be 5 (also I kept hearing the chorus as "I SAW YOU! With a chicken sub in your hand!"). A really sick Bowie closed out the set. At this point most people were trying to find where their faces were, but they either melted together with everyone else's, or were stuck to the dried beer on the floor. Possum, as always, was high-energy. A perfect closer for what was essentially a perfect show.

My friend loved it, had a great time. The only downside to this show is that I have no damn clue how they'll top it tonight or tomorrow.

What a difference a night makes. 12/29/13 was a stellar show from start to finish. It started with a beautifully crafted first set. From my perspective, I look for three things from first sets. (1) early composed Phish material (e.g. Foam, Fluffhead, Divided Sky) (2) A jam or two of some significance (3) Interesting bustouts. Last night covered all three bases. Compositional icons It’s Ice, Rift and Stash were all well played. Roggae, Stash, It’s Ice, 555 and Gumbo all contained excellent improvisation. At this point “The Line” and “555” are not “bustouts” per se, but they are new songs that were exciting to see. Ultimately, my enjoyment of first sets is dependent upon the song selection, and I can honestly say I was not disappointed when any of the songs started last night.

“Moma Dance” is a song I must admit I’ve grown tired of – it never varies – but it worked so well in the opening slot (a rare place for it actually) to get the blood flowing. Rift is excellent in the #2 slot and delivered a solid version, even if Trey tried to get too creative during his “second” solo and lost the chord changes in the process. Roggae is a beautiful number and I love the jam (but this version was a bit too heavy on the whale call for my liking). 3.0 Sparkles reveal that Trey does not have the same finger speed/dexterity he did in the mid-90s. Nevertheless, it’s a fun time and great placement. When the opening notes to “The Line” started, I first wasn’t sure which Wingsuit number it was. I thought how exciting/rare it is to NOT know what original Phish tune they are playing within seconds of the first notes. “The Line” is a great song, and while we may tire of it after a while, it was exciting to see its second appearance ever. “Stash” was actually a rather standard/unremarkable/short version, but had dynamic melodic interplay between Trey and Page – and given what came later the set did not need Stash’s jam to anchor the set. “555” is just another ho hum super funky bluesy awesome Mike song that contained a simply nasty wah solo from Trey at the end. “It’s Ice” is one of the hardest songs in the catalogue and they pretty much nailed it. In 2013 fashion, the break in the middle contained a nasty little funk jam with Trey working his echoplex again. Fun! As everyone knows, 3.0 Gumbos have been as standard as standard can be. But, the Glens Falls Gumbo contained a little nice type ii jam at the end, and this one continued that trajectory by transforming Page’s outro into a weird echoplex inflected space jam. Will 20 minute Gumbos return in 2014? A raging “Walls of the Cave” closed out the set (2013 has seen WOTC more firmly entrenched in the rotation – and often as the set 1 closer – a good role).

Set II. As if a sign of things to come, Phish came out and created a beautifully ambient texture, quickly stopped, and Trey commented, “Thank you. We wrote that.” Great fun and before we knew it that same motif was lurking in the Disease intro. Don’t let the heat of the moment persuade you – this was not the best DWD of 2013 – certainly not as good as Reading and probably Atlantic City, Toronto and others I’m forgetting exceed it. Nevertheless, it was an awesome jam. After some melodic type I soloing, the moment the jam went “out” you can hear Fishman playing a “1-2” beat – the beat lurks for 2-3 minutes as Trey tried various melodic or chordal vamps without much success. Eventually, Trey decides to get on Fish’s idea on the 1-2 beat and the jam turns dark and oddly beautiful at the same time. The jam then easily transitions into major key territory with that bliss-Phish melodies that have been the hallmark of 2013. Again, this bliss does not erupt into a joyous peak ala 10/29/13, but, nevertheless, it is beautiful and transitions into a more pentatonic rock feel – and suddenly we can hear the drums shift us back into Disease territory. The only problem is we’re in the wrong key. Trey plays the riff in D a couple times to signal to the band and then they switch keys on a dime back to “A” and the crowd erupts for the joyous return to DWD (I just recently listened to 12/31/93 on the “Helping Friendly Podcast” and the guests were spot on the comment on just how awesome this DWD riff is – and how amazing it was to ring in 1994 with this very riff for the first time ever). I thought we might get a breather, but next came perhaps the best jam vehicle of 2013, Carini. This one delivers yet again with a thick funk groove that just builds, and builds, and builds, until finally, the band is ferociously locked into a two chord vamp by Trey with Page just absolutely GOING OFF on the organ. This is a classic rhythmic “peak” – a peak that does not rely on Trey wailing high on the neck, but just is full on band interplay that the crowd cannot resist eruption. And, then Waves? Wow. Relentless. This is certainly not on par with the Worcester or other type ii 3.0 versions, but the type i jam in Waves is so beautiful it was the PERFECT cool down song – it also featured more excellent melodic interplay between Trey and Page. Twist also did not exceed Fall versions, but was a fun, high energy, rhythmic type i version. The classic Junta song “Golgi Apparatus” was nicely placed and brings a lot of energy to set up the inevitable close of Slave, Hood, or Bowie. And, it’s Bowie we get with another stellar 2013 version that had several interesting diversions from the standard Em dorian jam. As many have pointed out, Bowies have been stale for quite some time, and 2013 has been a resurrection of the song (even if it will never return to its 1994 glory). Encore: Possum. Hey – Possum is classic Phish and a perfectly fun encore song. I’ll actually take it over Good Times, Bad Times, Loving Cup, or Show of Life any day. It was a great high energy choice and continued the lack of covers. Is Phish cooking something up with this lack of covers? We shall see! 12/30s are historically the best of the NYE runs – so strap in.

This was, in short, the best of the New Year's shows and one of the very best shows of the year. Portions of this show transcended form and function and entered into that rare and timeless realm of ART.

Like always, Phish at their best meld together bliss, joy, fine musicianship, risky improv, flubs and gaffes and surprising genius. This show, particularly the end of the first set and the entirety of the second, are rich in all of the above.

The show starts off with a somewhat surprising Moma Dance, though nothing is very surprising to me anymore with these guys. This Dance is a loping, let-me-check-you-out affair that hints at freshness but never really takes the dip. A clean and well-placed Rift follows. A lazy, yet strangley hypnotic Roggae seemed emblematic of the first set. By itself, not a stellar version, but seemed to bring the appropriate mood to the procession. Trey seemed to be feeling it, and Page was downright dangerous. Fishman appeared a bit off, but then, he has appeared that way often since the summer. Mike sounds solid but reserved at this point.

Nicely, Trey picks back up on the Rift theme by strumming into a very average Sparkle. Nothing special here, but it seemed to fit the mood and was really a pretty good call. This gave way after a few shuffling moments to the second ever performance of The Line, a delicious little story-song that show off the band's versatility nicely. What could become a trite, thematic bore along the bent of Show of Life, this composition is both original and creative, with the arrangement really adding depth to the lyrical message. Nice. The opening bars of Stash are well-received, as they should be at this point in the set, and this is a ripping version. Stash is followed by the dirty funk of 555, one of Mike's better songwriting efforts of recent years and this version is hot. Much hotter than the Halloween version. You can tell the boys have been working it and this is six minutes of slippery sex with lights. Looking forward to more of this. It's Ice, in classic idiosycratic phishiness, is very well played. This could be the finest version in a year of excellent versions for the song.

An unexpected Gumbo erupts out of this, much to the crowd's delight, and Page and Fish simply own this version. Short, but very original, this is a must-hear version for fans of the tune. Ditto for Walls of the Cave, which starts out exceptionally sloppy (all are guilty this time), but Trey gets outside of himself as he pours the fibers of his soul through this outstanding must-hear Walls. The crowd is stoked, as is the band and the best is surely yet to come.

This Disease is original and outstanding. It deserves the pub it has received. The jam morphs into a true space-trip near the 10 minute mark. All the members are in sync, with Page and Mike taking turns leading the jam and Trey content to provide fills and ambiance, until just shy of the 17 minute mark, when Trey goes Hendrix (he's been doing this more and more aka '95-'98 and I love it) and just rips into a brand new idea, which really is just a more omnipresent and speedy version of what they were already playing (listen for it) before shocking everyone, perhaps even the rest of the band, and actually finishing Disease.

Not losing a step, Trey deftly takes the reigns and leads the band into perhaps finest Carini I've ever heard and certainly the highlight of this show. Now, the Carini from Hampton is all-time great and I love it so, but this Carini is something from another planet and a great snapshot into my love of this band. It is evil, succulent, dreamy, orgasmic and the stuff of therapy sessions. From a truly fulfilling jam, the boys are completely locked in to each other as the tone turns dark and gooey and goes Captain Trips on us. Trey sounds like a puppeteer threading velvet in and out and around the think chunks of rock laid down by Mike and the sonic waves floating across the pavement by Page and Fish. Only, it's not pavement, but the Milky Way, and Trey is weaving his way from Mars to Jupiter to Pluto and back to earth. It's the kind of jam that births new fans and reinvigorates old ones. As an old DeadHead, this groove is epic by any standard. The woos at the end of the jam are not the fans fault, but were initiated by the band, I felt, and therefore were appropriate and brought a fitting conclusion to 35 of the finest minutes of jamming the band has put together since they reunited.

Waves followed almost seamlessly and was a perfect call. Nothing spectacular, just achingly appropriate and it kept the vibe strong and warm. I will say, as well, that lyrically this show has it's own secondary flow and in this respect this show reminded somewhat of the first night of the Gorge from the summer, which had trememdous flow and consistent energy throughout the second set.

Twist was almost inevitable after the "woos" at the end of Carini, or at least I felt so, and this Twist is surprisingly deft and mature. Not a long version, it doesn't lack for creativity and carries plenty of punch for late-second set offering.

Golgi follows, and as a cool-down you really couldn't ask for a better call here. Well-played too. Bowie ends this very strong set of music in classic fashion. I'm not a fan of Mike's drill trick, which really does nothing for me in terms of sound, but he seems to be having fun with it and it certainly isn't hurting the songs he uses it on. This Bowie makes a very strong showing. No type 2 here, but nonetheless it rocks and rips in all the right places and provides a fitting exclamation point.

Love the Possum encore. Perfect fit for the song this night. Great show. In spite of some sloppiness in both sets, it really represents the best of Phish these days and would be an excellent choice if you were to acquire only one of the four NYE shows.

[Written 12/30/13, 12:51 AM]

The 2nd show of the MSG run and only my 2ND PHiSH SHOW EVER was a total powerhouse. This was also my first concert at Madison Square Garden, which was an incredible experience in and of itself. Musically, the second set continued the amazing jamming streak that was fall tour, and the first set sits among the best ones of the year (ummmmm, WALLS OF THE CAVE!!!!!!!!!) The band sounded like it had a ton of fun, and the audience was right with them the whole way.

THIS is the PHiSH 2013. Cheers to the PHiSH 2014!

Got a pretty cool limited edition phan-made poster afterwards. Good stuff.

This show rocked. A bit of background: I attended 51 shows between 1994 and 2000, but unfortunately haven't seen the band since for a variety of reasons, mostly scheduling. I haven't listened to them much in recent years has have been focusing on 50's Jazz, live Grateful Dead and Indie Rock. This was my first time seeing a webcast of the band and won't be the last. It was my kind of show: tight, concise and nice flow to the setlist. The energy really felt like 1998 / 1999 vintage Phish to my ears.

Lots of highlights, but the Stash, It's Ice and Gumbo certainly stand out from the first set. The Disease was excellent and towards the end of the jam it sounded like it had some elements of the legendary Bathtub Gin from the Great Went. The way Trey hooked it back into the song was stellar. The classic Golgi, high energy Bowie was a great end to the show along with the rowdy Possom.

Happy New Year and have fun to those going tonight and tomorrow!

AMAZZZZING!!!!First of all I want to say Sick show better then last night Phish was Tight Loved opener Moma Rift and My first Roggae sooooo sweet. This was my 28th Phish show and just keeps getting better . 2nd set was just killer the jamming was so tight love the song choices Waves Awesome one of my favorites
and that they are taking Carini out of the box gift wrap style . And Possum encore Really Special love that song. Thanks again for an awesome 2nd show look forward to the next 2 nights what can come up with next. ( Curtain With would be SICK ) PS never been done at MSG / just saying lol .
( Much love from a friend of bills)

Best Show of the Year contender with Hampton3, Reading, and 11/1. This beast just keeps on beating every organ of our bodies. The more I listen to it, the better it gets. Stash, 555, Ice make it it probably best 1st set of '13. But it's the second set that really makes it special. 6 perfect songs..DWD->Carini..are you serious?? A killer Bowie to close it out. And of course our little pet Possum...always a fine way to end a stellar show.

What a show. Every note was perfectly placed. The band flowed from one song (interestingly none of which was a cover) flawlessly. And went to some dope-ass places in the process.

First set is beautifully executed. Again, every note feels perfect. Also, "The Line" is a wonderful song. I really dig that song! Anyway, such beautiful, cohesive, group-mind playing in the composed sections of every song. And the jamming - most notably in "It's Ice," gives us a taste (a delicious, filthy, wonderful taste) of the balls out, raw, blissful, stuff that's coming in the second set. Walls of the Cave closes it out, and that song is absolutely beautiful, as always. First set kicked ass.

Second Set was some of the most pure, filthy, weird, blissful, unified, and delicious playing I have heard in a while. The DWD speaks for itself. I will be listening to that DWD for the rest of my life. The last Carini of 2013 is, IMHO, the best. Paige and Trey weren't taking any shit from anyone in that thing jam. Holy crap I love you guys. After Carini, one song floats boldly and smoothly into the next (and who doesn't love a Possum encore?), culminating in arguably the best show of 2013 (I said arguably doe)

Can't wait for summer 2014. It's a great time to love Phish.

Awesome show. Spectacular. When the It's Ice and Gumbo are so special that they are taking us by surprise, you can bet all 5 cylinders are firing perfectly. This show had two great sets. I was completely in the groove from Stash through Walls of the Cave in the first set. The last 5 songs of the first were all great versions.

And the entire second set had me in the zone too. The Carini was awesome. The DWD, Waves,Twist, Bowie...all great. What a tremendously phun and moving phish show. Thank you Phish

Attended this show as well as the 28th. For a variety of factors, I had a much more enjoyable experience on the 28th. I was solo here, but attended with my best friend (and recently minted Phish head) on the 28th. Was amped up and ready to go on the 28th...was exhausted after sleeping on a couch for this one (and admittedly one or four too many post show cocktails the night before, it is NYC after all). Had awesome people around me on the 28th (may have broke the record for high fives with strangers, with a total lack of irony in how cheesy high fives are)...was surrounded by drunk college kids for this show.

All that being said, the 29th is the better show. I subconsciously knew this as I was watching, and confirmed it as I relistened to the livephish upload on my late night drive home.

The 6 songs of set 2 hang together perfectly. Trey's playing during Carini is particularly striking, as he doesn't really play any "notes" for a major portion of the jam. This has been something he's actually been doing since Fall tour, but coming to fruition in this jam. Like a sorcerer laying down spell after spell on his band mates, Big Red plays a repetitive but ever so nuanced series of effect laden power chords as Mike and Page led the jam. Throughout their career, Trey has searched for ways to sit back and let his band mates take more of the burden, so that jams don't sound like an endless guitar solo. This technique is the latest in the trend of the 96 drum kit, the 97 minimalist funk chops, the 2000 mini keyboard. Whatever the technique, Trey consciously hanging back usually leads to great things as it allows the others to come to the forefront and inject more of their own ideas. Page in particular, with some of his new toys, has been a more noticeable leader this year...definitely for the betterment of the band.

To sum it up, set II is patient, late night music, with contrasting lightness and darkness, airiness and deeper segments. Much like how I see Wingsuit perhaps coming together, which I have written before. This set is definitely another highlight of this historic year.

Fun show from start to finish. Leo really shined during the latter portion of the first set. I love when he gets room to mess about. Last night he got funky.

Others have already mentioned the Disease and Carini. Both featured sick jams and exceptionally pleasing transitions back to the song after the jam. Waves was very nicely placed following these monsters.

At the end of the second set, someone threw a bouquet of roses at Trey. He passed them to Fish, who tossed them to Mike. Mike then launched then across the stage, aiming for Page, but instead landing on his piano. After all this, I wanted a Roses encore. Instead we got Possum, a song I love, and for me the perfect cap to an energetic evening.

Highlights: Stash, It's Ice, Gumbo, DwD, Carini, Waves

The first set is air-tight, and nothing beats a Moma opening paired with a Walls closer. Walls just ends the First Set in style, and takes you on a journey to the more exciting Set 2 with ease.

The Disease and Carini deserve all the highest praises, but I also love the Waves/Twist combo that follows. Just a well laid-out set overall.

Thanks for an awesome first show in my personal history.

DWD review: Timing based off the following, which I think is LP release
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwlox8tak5A />
Normal DWD jam:
5:15-Post Disease theme jam begins, Page on the grand piano and Fishman on the ride cymbal.
7:45 Page plays some beautiful lines on the Grand Piano and Trey answers with some trills of his own. At 8:35 Trey vamps on a chord and Mike answers by hangin on a note which shifts the jam.

Driving rock/space:
9:00 Trey plays a nice chord progression and then begins to scratch chords. It gets darker with Trey putting on some echo pedal effects and Page playing some lines on his Rhodes and synth.
10:45 Trey and Mike both vamp on a single note and modulate the jam as Page lays his synth on top. Trey plays a distortion heavy delay, a sound reminiscent of 2003/2004. Page does a wonderful job in this section laying down a wall of sound with various keyboards as Mike and Trey both use heavy effects.
13:20 Fishman drops out, Mike drops a bomb. Trey comes in with a clean riff, seems to commit to it at 14:37 and Page answers on the Grand. This is a great section where they all kind of gel together after patiently navigating the space. It's never disjointed, rather they take their time finding room within the sound.

End section (rocking)
15:43 Mike comes in with a clean bass sound. Fishman kills it with a variety of fills here which compliments the interplay between Page and Trey well. This section reminds me of 7/01/12 Fee.
16:25 Jam immediately picks up as Trey vamps on a chord. Everyone comes together with a driving jam.
17:17 Trey plays a trill, leading into a melodic solo high on the fretboard. He eventual stumbles on the disease riff and seamlessly brings it back to a finish, though Mike is a bit awkward getting back on key.

One of the better shows of 2013 and IMO the best show of the MSG run. Trey flowed with Page beautifully during disease. Seems like every Carini this year was money. Song of the year is Carini. My vote goes for Trey for the tour MVP. Can't wait for next year guise.

Many people above , with better writing skills have painted a better picture of the show than i could dream of so ill just give you the skinny.

This show had IT, the Flow and Energy control that really separates the great shows from the good shows. Song selection and placement was excellent all night.

Set 1 was a great set 1.

I really liked the Rift , Roggae , Sparkle segment.

Stash was Tension-y goodness

The real winners from the first set was a MONSTER "Its Ice" jam and a Gumbo to actually talk about, with Page going off on his Clav.

Oh and Trey Machine GUnnin that "Silent Trees" jam in Cave.

Set 2: Phish stepped up and delivered some of the finest jamming of the year with DWD > Carini. Carini is a must listen, a true drop all things and listen to now kind of jam.

Waves was floated in a blissfull way

Twist Rocked the house out , a great "3rd quarter jam" that we beg for so often.

Golgi is always a treat

the only "let down" and in the grand scheme of things it was still great, was the Bowie, expected more out of it, but after everything that came before i can let it slide, and they crushed the Bowie ending so all is well for me.

Encore:

Will always love a Possum encore and this one was a dance fest, real fun hoe-down Possum.

5 stars, top 3 shows ive seen had a blast from start to finish..

THANKS PHISH! SEE YOU IN THE SUMMER!

This show blew my mind. Yes, I was on the floor which probably added to my mind blown factor. It felt like they really read the crowd and knew this is what we needed. The first night was fun, but they knew we were ready to get lost in the jam.

Set 1 - The Moma Dance was the perfect opener. Awesome Gumbo. And, WOTC was amazing. I was glowing after that first set.

Set 2 - This is where my mind was blown. Halfway through DWD I was so lost in the jam I started to wonder. Where are we? I heard the guy behind ask his buddy, "What are they doing?" to which he replied, "Their f--kin sh-t up, Man." He was correct. They were indeed. The Carini that followed was one of the best I have ever heard. Loved the Golgi. The crowd was really participating and it felt great. I always love David Bowie and this was no exception.

Encore- Who can complain about that Possum.

Must Listen: Set 2

Great show and had a blast!! Love a Possum Encore too!

Anyone got an extra mail order ticket stub from the show? For the first time in nearly 80 shows I lost my stub. I don't need a active barcode just want the hardware. Kinda bumming about it. If you have one you can spare same me a direct message and make my week!

Wow what a show. I'm not here to review the show because 9 times out of 10 it'll be repeating everyone else's review. SO, I'm just here to say it was one of the best nights of the year 2013 for me, and that I want to thank everyone in my section for looking out for my puking boyfriend, and even though I spent half the night listening from outside the men's room, everybody cheering me on while I danced by myself in the lobby area made my night. Thanks, Phans, along with Phish themselves, you truly rock my world. Also, to Katie in section 113 front right row, thank you letting me enjoy that Gumbo in your seat. It was one of those "I can't believe I'm hearing the song I was praying they'd play, I'm gonna go ahead and cry now" moments. Rock on!

anytime I get a 5-6 song second set I am in my glory. Last night's second set was very good. The highlight being DWD-->Carini (must listen material). Don't get me wrong im not going to go crazy and say this is the best set ever but like I said it was very good. I still think the DWD from reading takes the cake over this version but not by much. IMO Carini was the gem of the whole show. Seems like we've heard that a lot this year and I for one have absolutely no problem with it (song of the year imo). I got called into work the grave shift the next two nights so i'll be missing the shows. Hope everyone has a blast. stay safe enjoy the shows. I'm hoping for a 4 song set Happy New Year all

Then they busted out the dankest funk since the previous night's "Wolfman" with "It's Ice." Gordon made meatballs while McConnell poured on the clavinet sauce. With the arena pre-heated, it was time for the cooks to serve up some steaming "Gumbo." Page simmered on the organ for a bit, but he really brought things to a boil once he returned to the clav. Sous-chef Gordon snuck in some well-timed notes, but he dropped back and let Page continue his ride, all the way to the final farty flourish: a single staccato note to end the song with a laugh. Closer "Walls of the Cave" suffered from a little too much guitar grandiosity from Anastasio, but it wasn't a total misfire.

Read full review here: http://www.drypaintsigns.com/2013/12/phish-1229-review-stepping-up-their-game.html

Not so much a full review, but wanted to note that the 'intro' music was very reminiscent of the "Walk on .... No Pussyfooting" variants heard during King Crimson walk on/walk off the stage moments during their 1973/1974 tour. Kind of neat. Surprised no one heard a DEG tease in there (joking...)

Thanks to NYC for letting us have some fun. Best show I have seen in a decade. Thanks to phish and all the good people who showed up - never miss a Sunday show. True story. This show left me speechless just like the old days. Words cannot convey the convergence of the Gordo bass bombs with lucky Leo to show, Trey "warming up" his digits with Rift, and Fish's freshly dry cleaned floral print. Fuck you Captain Tom, pretty much rounded this show up to 6 out of 5 stars. Gratitude is the attitude!

Before last night's show, I found a little slice of Chicago at The Overlook, a bar in Midtown that advertises itself as the #7 ranked Bears bar in the country with the first six being in Chicago. It was a great way to pre-game as I had visions of a Bears win and the Phish show would just be the icing on the cake. Well, the Packers won the game, but I still had the icing on the cake as Phish delivered a remarkable performance.

Like last nights opener, "The Wedge," the boys threw another curveball with "The Moma Dance" opening things up. It was only the fifth time it opened a show since July 24, 1998. "Rift" kept the energy up before the band took us on a dreamy ride through "Roggae." I was completely tuned into Mike once the jam began as his bass work was the perfect compliment to Trey's soaring solo.

The Wingsuit songs continued in the first set with "The Line." I was not at Halloween, but I was a big fan of the Wingsuit set. Of all the songs, this was the one I was most looking forward to hearing. It's such a well written song and it will a welcomed addition to the rotation. After a fairly standard mid-set "Stash," we got our second offering of "555." Judging by the Atlantic City performance, I pictured this song as a second set jam vehicle. The song stayed pretty true to it's structure, but we have to be patient with all the new music as they will all find their places in sets.

The first set ended on a high not thanks to a funk infused "It's Ice," a slightly jammed outro in "Gumbo" and an excellent "Walls of the Cave." I really dug that set as it had much better flow than the previous night. But the band had bigger plans for the second set.

The lights went down and the band went into a short ambient jam in which Trey noted "We just wrote that song." It reminded me a little of the intro to "David Bowie" from December 28, 2003. Mike started shaking his bass and that means, one thing, "Down with Disease." I love this song as there is something about Trey's riff that just makes you smile. Right before the jam began, Trey took the opportunity to take a look at the crowd and he was all smiles.

Over the course of the 20+ minute jam, the band seemed to let the music come to them as nothing seemed rushed. Fishman took a back seat in the jam as he let Page, Mike and Trey lead the way. At 13:42, Page starts a beautiful riff on his clavinet and Trey would eventually follow. For a minute I thought we could see "Winterqueen," but the blissful jam would slowly build up and we got a Disease Reprise! I love opened ended DwD's, but it's magical when they bring the song full circle.

A little over halfway through "Disease, " I turned to my friend, Jessica and told her that "Carini" would be next. And sure enough, Trey wasted no time and jumped right in. The band was locked and loaded during this whole jam. Fishman came to the forefront with a solid beat and the entire band hopped on. In addition to excellent bass work from Gordon, Page lived up to his Chairman of the Boards title.

Song selection after two incredible jams is key and last night's selection of "Waves" as a come down song with absolutely perfect. While the jam didn't reach the length or sound of the previous two, the openness of the jam allowed fans to catch their breath and try to wrap their head around the last 35 + minutes. The "Twist," featured a funky "Oyo Como Va" vibe and "Golgi" brought the energy back up before a set closing "David Bowie."

So we had a six song second set complete with two songs eclipsing the 15 minute mark and just magnificent playing. The old time staple, "Possum" brought the evening to a close but it really didn't matter what they encored with because it was merely the icing on the cake!

Show Highlights: The Line, It's Ice, WoTC, Down with Disease > Carini, David Bowie

The formula for a satisfactory show with tasty jams is digging down deep, finding that pocket, hitting it until its just right, and THEN flowing towards another section. This has been seen in the best 2013 shows, as opposed to the mindless meandering, where the band just can't give a groove a chance, so they move to a new theme, which is probably triggered by Trey's ADHD and angst. Its probably the biggest struggle as a 3.0 fan.

That was not the case tonight. If a good groove was founded, it was kept until liftoff, and then they would continue finding another groove. DWD > Carini truly showed that. It was all about the rhythm tonight. I haven't listened back to it so I can't really give a detailed report, frankly, I'm a little scared to listen back to it myself since it could possibly give me another impression and hinder the memory that was so stunning, (Cypress'd).

I don't really have more to say. Setlist choices were superb and they kept the second set short and sweet without pounding on songs at the end that very few want to hear, like Wading.

First set didn't phase me to much, but I remember the It's Ice was pretty dirty. Some other songs were a bit rusty like Roggae in particular.

Thanks for letting me spew my thoughts .net. I don't review shows often but the after effect of it sure is nice.

I can't wait for NYE. I won't be there tonight (the 30th), but I'm sure it will kickass.

[Written 12/30/13, 12:51 AM]

The 2nd show of the MSG run and only my 2ND PHiSH SHOW EVER was a total powerhouse. This was also my first concert at Madison Square Garden, which was an incredible experience in and of itself. Musically, the second set continued the amazing jamming streak that was fall tour, and the first set sits among the best ones of the year (ummmmm, WALLS OF THE CAVE!!!!!!!!!) The band sounded like it had a ton of fun, and the audience was right with them the whole way.

THIS is the PHiSH 2013. Cheers to the PHiSH 2014!

Got a pretty cool limited edition phan-made poster afterwards. Good stuff.

On December 29th, 1967 I met my mother for the first time. I’m sure she remembers the occasion much better than I do; after all, I was very young (aged a mere 0) and quite overwhelmed with a brand new world unfolding so quickly around me. In addition to the bright lights, the relative cold, and the abrupt, surprising (and uncalled for, really) slap upon my bottom, The Beatles had recently released Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band and Jimi Hendrix’s first album had just dropped a few months before. So I had a lot to take in.

Fast-forward forty-six years into the future (to the day) and I found myself in New York City. I’m a huge lover of birthdays (particularly my own)* so m’lady and I had driven to Connecticut and stayed with friends the night before so we would be able have the whole day together in the Big Apple to celebrate.

And we did.

Shortly after we checked into our high-rise hotel somewhere in Manhattan m’lady suggested an outing, so out we went. Our unspoken destination was the Morrison Hotel Gallery, a very cool rock photography gallery that is housed in the very spot where the album cover for The Doors’ Morrison Hotel was shot. I was thrilled on both levels, and after gaping appropriately at the oh-so-familiar front window of the shop I started flipping through their photos with gasping glee.

Meanwhile, behind me m’lady was surreptitiously retrieving a framed print from behind the counter, her pre-purchased over-the-top birthday present to me.

“Hey Todd…” she called.

I turned and there she was smiling, handing me a framed print concealed in brown paper. “I hope you like it.”

It’s a picture of Keith Richards sitting on his amplifier practising, with a blurry Charlie Watts sitting at his drum kit in the background. The picture was shot in black & white by Ethan Russell during The Rolling Stones American tour of 1969, it measures 8.5” x 13” and is numbered 15/350, and of course I loved it. Still do. It hangs as the centrepiece in my practise room.

Oddly, I don’t remember much else from the day, though I’m sure we had a great time and it probably involved an overpriced gourmet burger somewhere, as my birthdays tend to do. Oh, and we went to see Phish at Madison Square Garden.

And because it was my birthday (of course) the band played a bunch of my favourites: Sparkle, Golgi Apparatus, David Bowie**, and Stash. Because it was undoubtedly other peoples’ birthdays as well, they added a bunch of other songs like Gumbo, Walls of the Cave, Waves, and The Line. Surely they are somebody’s favourites, and there’s no reason why those somebody’s might not just be early-to-middling Capricorns like me.

And then, an hour or so after the concert ended, so did my birthday. But as usual I still had New Year’s Eve coming right up, and a whole day in between to prep and recover.

Birthdays are awesome. Well, mine are.

*Unlike my father. While I look at the anniversary of my birth as the marker of another successful year living, laughing, and loving my brief time amongst the living, my father saw his birthdays as reminders that he was one year closer to death, and he treated them with due dread (sometimes I think he looked at every day the same way). A guaranteed way of putting my dad in a bad mood? Wish him a Happy Birthday. I learned early on not to.

**To avoid confusion I should point out that Phish has an original composition entitled David Bowie, which is decidedly not a David Bowie song. The lyrics go (in their entirety): “David Bowie UB40”. The music goes longer.

https://toddmanout.com/

The first set is air-tight, and nothing beats a Moma opening paired with a Walls closer. Walls just ends the First Set in style, and takes you on a journey to the more exciting Set 2 with ease.

The Disease and Carini deserve all the highest praises, but I also love the Waves/Twist combo that follows. Just a well laid-out set overall.

Thanks for an awesome first show in my personal history.

This review was also published in STTF #41 Summer Tour 2014 Edition.

When you step to the line you better bring your A-game. Well, that is what 12/29/13 was all about...Pure FUEGO! The boys were back for night two of four enchanted evenings in the Garden of Infinte Pleasantries. As they did every night of the run the band played original tunes only + kicked off this party with The Moma Dance.
Often in the 2nd slot, Moma works well as an opener (as she originally was) with her instantaneous funk beat dropping the crowd into a slow dance. The moment didn't end as this musical mast set sail and rolled into a Rift. Bouncin' around at high speeds can be dangerous so the boys took heed and slowed things down a notch to the relaxed rhythms and tempo of Roggae. Pretty, soft and simple this song is ocean-deep lyrically and a 1st set treat.
Continuing in this up and down trend the boys sputtered a spectacular Sparkle. All laughter aside, after falling apart what better a remedy is there than a Stash sandwich? One with brand new slices of The Line and 555 as ITs bread and butter. Even after 30 years the boys are still taking risks, gliding forward and forging today's material into a solid foundation for the future. Both making their sophomore appearance, The Line has a feel reminiscent of Undermind + 555 was appropriate for my wife Amy's 55th show.
Negotiating navigation is not easy in rough waters as the flow picked up and the boys took us through an insane It's Ice adventure. Switching gears again and rattling around Gumbo was uncaged. As that pot bubbled and the funk oozed out we all raged. Sensing the end of Set 1 my buddy Mike turned to me and said, “Walls!” Sure enough we were delighted with a definitive Walls of the Cave. Another song rich in lyrics and sound, WotC also reflects upon and shines a light on the horrors of 9/11.
Set break arrived, and I learned that IT was my buddy Prof. Donny Walker's 29th b'day on 12/29 @ Phish's 29th show @ MSG. I reflected with my friends John and Roe about how different and the same the journey was, is and ever shall be.
Set II dropped with a Down With Disease > Carini combo which jumpstarted this jam session. DWD was actually finished before a dark, yet “WOO” filled Carini came crashing down. There wasn't much time to catch your breath as we washed back into the theme with Waves. Short and sweet, Waves provided the perfect power drill-punch needed to segue into Twist. A Type-1 Twist sent us into a standard Golgi Apparatus. The 2nd set ended with David Bowie; a great choice for a show closer as this ship had now sailed.
This concert was packed with heavy hitters from bow to stern, starboard and portside and Possum perfectly played its part as an anchor of an encore. The night's journey was over, ITs end was the road, but as we really know the journey into the next 30 years was soon to begin.

~ James Fitzpatrick Peitler
Glenwood Springs, CO

End of the first set (from Ice on) was fun, and the 2nd set was really really nice. I thought the woo killed Carini. Shame, because that could have been another 10/18 Hampton-like blowout. But no matter. Overall I give this show a 7/10, so I can't give it 4 stars. But maybe that's a bit harsh. Nonetheless, I liked it. I would have loved it had I been there, probably.