(Originally published on the legacy Phish.net site many years ago...)

If anyone can stand any more comments on NYE, here's my $0.02:

First, the show was amazing. And the crowd was also pretty cool. The costumes and "creative formal attire was really excellent." We stood next to Santa Claus! And some guy was dressed up like Waldo from those Where's Waldo books. When I went up to the balcony to visit some friends, we played a live version of "where's waldo." No scroll.

Second, I met a few netters. It was good to put these anonymous names with faces finally. I used my real name when I introduced myself though, so I'm not sure how many people recognized me!

Third--and this really shows how cool the band is--Phish did a dedication in the first set just befor the divided sky. Trey said, "We'd like to make a dedication to someone who's had a tough last five months or so. Chris Gainty, if you're out there, this is for you." Here's the story behind that. Chris (who lives in Paxton, near Worcester) actually introduced me to Phish back in 1988 sometime. He's been a fan for a long time, and has been to a lot (25+) shows. Well, he got hurt really badly in a car crash this last October (five months, three...what's the difference), and was in a coma for about three weeks. Well, he finally came out of it and is now walking and well on the road to recovering fully. But sometime during that ordeal, a friend of a friend of a friend of his wrote to Mike Gordon (whom this person went to school with) and asked if Phish could maybe do something to make him feel better--send a tape, visit, a card. Well, NYE was Chris' first outing since the accident, and Phish gave him his present: a dedication. What an excellent band.

(Published in the second edition of The Phish Companion...)

It was cold this day - not merely chilly, but cold. I think the high was fifteen degrees or so. And since my friends had forgotten to get me a ticket (Phish selling out a show? Come on!), I got there at around 9 AM. Sure, that helped me to get my ticket, but I was nearly frozen by the time doors opened. So I sat around, watched the people with their First Night buttons try to convince the venue that this was a First Night event, and waited impatiently to be let in.

Oh yeah, the show: The fall tour was a revelation of sorts, featuring longer jams and different arrangements. So I didn't know what to expect from the NYE show.

The first two sets were okay. "Brother", a song that could either be boring or intense was quite intense this night. I was still madly in love with "Sparkle" then, so that was a treat. "Buried Alive" was the last song of 1991, which kind of bookended the year, since it was played as the first song of the year too, having been played following "Auld Lang Syne" during the previous New Year's show.

The highlight of the show was easily the third set. Yeah, it was short, but it was really nice. Trey came out with one of those little insult boxes (you push a button and it says an insult) and it swore at us during the "Wilson" intro. Then as "Tweezer" was ending, I got a song I thought I would never see "McGrupp". An exciting (for 1991, at least) "Mike's" > "Hydrogen" > "Weekapaug" sent us home happy.

This show is kind of a "cusp" New Year's show. It was much more of a big deal than the `89 and `90 World Trade Center shows (especially the abysmal 1990 show), but it does not quite compare to the goofy stuff, song breakouts, and extravangazas that would start in `92. If you like Phish's playing from this period, you'll probably love this show.

(Originally published on the legacy Phish.net site many years ago...)

Just got back from NYE show... I didn't keep a setlist but they played just about everything you would expect (i.e., no big surprises... I think they had this one pretty much figured out before they hit the stage). Not to say that's bad.. the show was killer! They were really on fire.

The "New Aud" is a pretty cool place, great dance floor, unfortunately no alchohol sales (but you could buy some non-alcoholic brew for only $3.95!!) I was near the soundboard during the first set and the sound kind of sucked, couldn't hear a word being said (what did Trey say during a song break in the first set???)... but after that I moved up front and the sound was fantastic!!!

High points for me included... divided sky (1st set), runaway jim, and the entire third set... the most incredible Mike's Groove I have ever heard. The jam in Mike's song was driving! This was a very sizable chunk of the third set. Forgot 1st encore, second was rocky top (yay!) and then tweezer reprise ended the show.

Wierd points: I thought Antelope (2nd set) was pretty strange, halfway thru the beginning part Trey started doing the end part (y'know the chords where they are singing "run run run run run run run run"), and it was otherwise generally wierd. Squirming coil (3rd set) was pretty strange too, but sweet! And it took about three or four tries to get started on Esther, which was killer (one of my favorite tunes ;-} (And what was that thing Trey was doing at the beginning of Wilson? Some kind of little digital voice thing saying "fuck you fuck you" ... he was getting a big kick out of it).

Anyway, to sum up... hot show, great performance, no skeletons from the closet.

A very interesting show. Some great destructive playing mixed with a lot of "Playing it safe" versions of songs.

Possum rips the top off the building to start the show. Stash is a little sloppy but towards the end great peaks ensue. Straight Forward but well played Lizards. Very Strong Gueluh and Esther. Llama is one of the biggest highlights of the show (crazy right?) Pages organ solo is just insane and Trey comes in and tries to top Pages solo with an insane one of his own.

Brother is a huge version and kind of evil. Reba is not epic or peaky by any means but still well played. Also a very safe Antelope which I find very odd expecting them to go balls out with it.

The intro to Wilson is that of legends it's just hilarious and perfect. Tweezer has a nice jam pretty early on, a very clear view of what was to come in later years. Mikes song has a nice bouncy groove towards the end. And Hydrogen is just gorgeous and top notch couple of minutes.

Nice little quick 3 song encore.

This show is a glimpse of the past and the future. Great playing, a little messing around with songs, and the band still has that extra intimate feeling that would only last for another year or so.

(Originally published on the legacy Phish.net site many years ago, after being posted on rec.music.phish 1/3/92.)

Yes, the New Year's Eve show was intense. The first set, maybe set and 1/2 was only mediocre, but things definitely picked up after that. The new lighting and sound systems were absolutely used to the max, and the new Minkin painting is stunning - depending on the lighting Topher uses on it, it can resemble a startling array of different images and colors. Incredible.

Did anyone think that the light show might have been just a TAD overdone? I loved all of it, but at the end of the show when the fog started billowing out again and all the lights went on and the siren lights started spinning, it seemed like something approaching and Iron Maiden concert (I'm assuming, never having been to one). Just an observation; I certainly liked ALL of it.

Well, the boys have hit there first major coup in "the big time." This was the largest venue they've ever played, I believe, and the sold out show was a roaring success. I particuarly liked Trey's Aul Lange Syne over Buried Alive 2 minutes before midnight (and how about those confetti cannons!). Excellent. Simply excellent.

The only way it could have been topped (besides them having played something a bit more obscure and surprising than just McGrupp, which, for those who do not know, is NOT a new gamehendge song - it is the ORIGINAL gameghendge song, the one from which all others sprang. Don't ask me why they didn't include it in the Thesis) is if they had let me bring the PhishNet shirts into the New Aud and hand them out. But, as many of you discovered, no such luck. So as a result, I am going to start sending them out ASAP (tomorrow and Saturday, whatever time I can snatch), and they will be to you as soon as is humanly possible (given the limitations of the US Snail Mail service).

Compared to the New Years Eve party the year before in Boston, which was a dud, this was a top notch show and one of my favorites. The Worcester Auditorium was really set up beautifully and had an elegance and class that the night deserved. The crowd was dressed to the nines and there was a vaudevillian flare to entire event. I'm really curious to download the MP3's as my memory of the show was that it was flawless and super high energy. There was a lot of dancing at the shows around this time, but this was really night up there.

Having these soundboards released recently has me reading these reviews. One thing that I didn't see pointed out as that after the lights went up after Tweezer Reprise, a horrible dog-whistle type sound blasted over the PA. Clearly an attempt by the band to jack with the crowd, and it worked.

It was so cold outside that everyone was wearing very heavy jackets. It was so hot inside that everyone shed their jackets and piled them in the far corner of the dance floor. After the show, with that horrible noise blaring over the PA, it was utter chaos for a mind-altered crowd to sort out the mess. The frustrated staff was trying to herd everyone out to no avail.

And great show by the way. Still the best one I have been to.

One of the Top 5 Phish shows of all time in my humble opinion.

A great old school NYE show and a hint of what was to come in the future. Nothing absolutely ground breaking here, but some great takes on Phish standards with the added energy of crossing into a new year. Apparently this was a much bigger success than the previous year NYE show, and the crowd gets treated to a good one. Not quite the craziness of NYEs to follow, but great nonetheless. Note: Page is mixed loudly throughout, which makes for a different experience at times, especially Stash, Tweezer and Mike Groove.

Possum opens and the band dips their toes in to make sure the water is warm. By the 5.5 min mark, Trey is trying his darndest to blow the roof off in song #1, and nearly does at the 6 minute mark. Man, what a start, and the crowd is immediately stoked. Foam in the 2 slot is a typical (maybe safe) play, but the band plays it very well, Trey employing a staccato style during his solo, and then is really growing by the end, which is fun and interesting. Sparkle is up next, and Trey uses his new cursing voice box for the first time. At this point its just confusing. Sparkle is straight forward otherwise, well-played, though not at break neck speed and borderline out of control like later versions.

Next the boys jump into Stash. After shaking the rust off in the intro, the band locks in nicely. Page shines with dramatic comping behind Trey's stellar leads. At this point, the band has learned the tricks that make Stash a great far out jam, filled with tension and peaks. We get both in spades here, and the boys really push the boundaries, making the first truly standout tune of the night.

The Lizards visit us next, and it is a fine version, well played and enjoyable, and Page adds a little extra to his piano breaks. They slip in to Guelah Papyrus next. The band struggles a little to settle in. Page's organ playing is tasteful, but the bands timing is a little off at first. Luckily, the Asse Festival portion is played nicely, and the song concludes energetically, but this is the low point of the set IMO.

Trey takes the time to dedicate Divided Sky to Chris Dainty, which is a heartfelt moment. And, of course, DS pulls at the heart string on its own, so the next 12 minutes are pure Phish bliss, setting the bar higher and presenting the 2nd true highlight of the night. Trey shines for last 3 minutes, dancing around the peaks and egging his band members on, Fishman finally setting him up for the last big peak with a strong snare fill. At the 11 min mark, Trey is soaring, as good as it gets IMHO.

We join the circus in Esther, and Trey once again uses his cursing voice box, this time clearly saying "Fuck You", which gets a reaction from the crowd. Trey then tells the crowd that it was a Christmas present. Nice one. Esther gives Trey another opportunity to play a classic soaring sustained guitar lead, after kinda struggling through the middle section. It's a fine version, but the Llama that follows is from another dimension. Page comes roaring out of the gate in the intro, and the band is immediately locked in step. Page again smokes his organ solo, using a lot of chromatic runs to build tension, and, by the end, he is just wailing. He switches to the piano and Trey steps up to the plate. His solo is like a high powered drill to the chest; the energy is off the charts, but none of it sounds nice, very unsettling, even when he does reach the peaks And the valleys, they are just ridiculously demented. Leading up the 4 minute mark, Trey is a man possessed, and its great. Our 3rd highlight, in the first set! Call the exorcist after this one!

A typical closer in Golgi is fine. Nothing crazy, just a great tune played average good, Trey and Page playing around with timing in the middle instrumental section. It's different, and works OK. The set ends after the energetic chorus refrain, and Trey thanks the crowd, but I'm still reeling from the Llama as set 1 comes to a close.

Brother makes an appearance to open Set 2 at about 11:45pm. Mike slaps the bass energetically, and the organ swells above. Getting to the 2nd verse, the band stumbles a bit, but quickly locks back in. Apparently Trey's 2nd cousin, and someone twice removed, joins him as he enters the jam. They help bring back the nastiness from the Llama for a bit, not quite as chaotic, but twisted for sure. The crowd roars at the end, and then the girls in the crowd cheer (maybe some guys too) for the start of Bouncin'. It's an interesting call with less than 10 minutes until midnight, but I guess it was important to play a shorter song, so they could prepare for the countdown coming up quickly.

Buried Alive opens next, and Trey announces that they have about 2 minutes until 1992. He jumps into the lead, then teases Auld Lang Syne the 2nd go round. It works nicely, but not as smooth as some other teases in later years (NYE '95 Paug is my fave). Trey then counts down to HAPPY NEW YEAR and the band crashes into Auld Lang Syne proper. For the new year, Phish chooses Runaway Jim, a song that shred 1991 to pieces consistently. Things start all normal-like, but then Trey finds a riff at the 5 minute mark, which helps him ratchet the energy to a long sustained note. The jam continues to pick up momentum, then ends, of course, with a fiery performance from Trey and Fish in particular, the trill at the 6:30 mark making for an exciting peak. Its a great way to honor 1991, in straight Machine Gun style.

With 1991 behind us, Phish jumps into The Landlady, allowing the crowd to salsa dance with their date. Fun stuff, with Fishman really driving towards the end, but it's not til Reba that we get some more truly inspired play. Starts as normal, close to the studio version tempo. Everyone is playing well, and the lyrical part of the song, roll along nicely. The composed section is also well-executed (par for the course in '91...well '92). Fish's drum solo is precise, and the boys land in the jam smoothly. The crowd is ready, and Trey takes his time getting in. By 8 minute mark Mike is ready to drive, and he urges Trey to pick it up, playing impressive bass fills through his octave filter. This leads to the first intersting moment of the jam, as Page decides to ratchet up the tension, which eventually breaks with a peak around the 9 minute mark. Trey is then primed to soar, and proceeds to rev things up until Fishman cuts things off (a bit too soon IMO) and the band lands together at peak. The whitelisting ensues, and we bag, tag it, and sell it again.

Cavern comes next, and Fishman adds a little extra spunk in his beat. But Trey dances around the chords a few times, and just when ya think the band is gunna lock up, Trey stays out. It doesn't really work, but that's OK, cuz Pages queue to the lyrics is tasteful. Trey continues his long dragged out notes through the instrumental breaks. He also forgets some lyrics, which is comical, but doesn't help the relistenable quality of this version.

After a quick jaunt through My Sweet One, we close the set with Antelope. Bluegrass fans like me will enjoy the Nellie Kane tease in the intro, but will cringe when the band stumbles into the next part. Trey tries to make up for it buy playing what sounds like the Cities chords over the band, but it doesn't really pan out. They eventually make their way to the Em jam. It's hard for them to get settled from the start, and the jam kinda meanders for a bit. At the 5 minute mark things grow more tense and interesting, but the band isn't 100% locked in like other versions from this era. That being said, the build up at the 6.5 minute mark proves successful and the band hits one really large peak before breaking down to the final section. Trey plays some different chords in the Marco E part, which kinda works, but not really. We go through the motions, and the crowd agrees to reset their gear shift, and lets out a huge cheer as the boys close the 2nd set. A below average version of 'Lope for the era, really nothing special.

Ultimately, the 2nd set is short (about 50 minutes), which is OK, being that an absolutely stacked 3rd set is coming our way. Fishman starts with Wilson with just his kick drum, but Trey takes over and gets the band started. He also uses the cursing voice box again, and third time the charm. The voice is very clear now since its used in the breaks in between Wilson hits. It also works on another level, cuz Wilson IS a "Fucking Jerk". And this makes me realize, there is a connection to Trey using the voice box in Set 1 as well. First during Sparkle as it was a gift ("she buys a gift"), and during Esther, cuz fuck that doll is evil. Oh Trey, you so clever. The Wilson chant from the band starts and soon we are into the song proper, Trey shredding the guitar parts with fury. The breaks come around again, and again Trey nails the voice box.

Wilson ends in typical fashion, and the opening notes of Coil come forward. A standard reading here, average good, and a chance for new year's introspection and reflection during Page's extended outro. But the Tweezer that comes next elevates the energy back to party time. Trey starts the riff, and the band slowly slinks in gently. This Tweezer starts as normal, but gets a little extra mustard in the jam, and ends at roughly 13 minutes, taking its place as the longest jam of the evening. The band moves as one, and even though spend the majority of the middle part of the slowly building tense music, it works very well due to their patience. Trey is also back in the mix allowing the other guys to stand out, which also helps make the sound more cohesive. Around the 9 minute mark, the band starts chanting, which adds to the menacing feelings of the jam. It's very improvisational at this point, especially for the era, and Trey focuses on creating distorted soundscapes, and allows Fishman, Mike and Page to lock in to a straight rock groove, though, eventually, Fishman retreats back to the Tweezer beat, and Trey revs some Pete Townsend style chords over Page's echoing piano. They lock into hit the classic ending before Trey can take us to the next level. But what this jam lacks in a pick peak, it delivers in dynamic group interplay. A few years later, when the band learns to combine both, is when things really start to amaze. All in all, it's an interesting and above average take for the era.

McGrupp emerges out of Tweezer, and is a great juxtaposition of beauty after the previous jam. Despite a few stumbles (Page struggles a bit with chords during the verses), this version is well-played. By the time we hit the instrumental section, the band is humming along again, and Page delivers a nice solo, kind of reminiscent of the end of Coil. The Mike's that immediately follows again brings something a little extra. The song proper is tight, yet laid back. The 1st jam is pretty standard good for this era, Trey sustaining 1 long building screech, and Page really utilizing his organ's full potential. But when the 2nd jam ensues (pretty sure because the band stumbles after the classic Mike's build up) something is a little different. The band gets very punchy as Fishman retreats to his closed hi-hat. Trey joins in supporting Page as he continues to crush the organ. This section hints at what Phish would learn to do with the Mike's jam in later years (more groove, and less screech). After this pleasant section, the band hits the walk up build again, this time with even more gusto, and continue on to the proper ending. Great stuff, and a clear highlight from the 3rd set!

Hydrogen is beautiful, the crowd urging the band on, then and we quickly dive into Weekapaug. I really like Mike's bass solo here, with Page gently backing him up. Trey enters and we're off and running. Trey settles on a lion sleeps tonight quote for a while. When he abandons that theme, things start to peak back to standard Paug shredding territory. The band is locked in as ever, building a large foundation over which Trey can soar. Around the 4 minute mark, things really start to rage, Trey absolutely shredding, but it doesn't sustain, cuz by the 5 minute mark we are winding down to the ending refrain. A very powerful (albeit short) version that has a larger sound quality then versions from 1991. A great exclamation point to the final set!

Before the encore, Trey gives Mike's Mom a "new hand" for her new artwork acting as the stage backdrop. Fishman urges Kuroda to do some things with the lights so the band can see what it looks like in action. The Ooos and Ahhhs from the crowd are entertaining. For music, Phish chooses Lawn Boy, which is perfect in this setting. Page is my MVP for the night, so letting him croon a little is appropriate. Trey plays the Christmas song during his solo, which fits surprisingly well and is played perfectly, and is in honor of his favorite Christmas gift, the cursing voice box (LOL!). Next up is Rocky Top, which gets the crowd dancing again. And of course, out of the cheers comes the Tweeprise, and it blows the roof off one last time, just like when they started with Possum. People cheer and everyone goes home. What a night!

This is classic old school at its finest, nothing too outrageous to be found, but very well executed set lists. If you enjoy early Phish, the archival release of this NYE show is a must. Rage on!

PETTROUT...Good guess on the key chain; however, (Beavis and Butt-head is an American animated television series created by Mike Judge with Texas tie-ins to Judge's later show, King of the Hill. The series originated from Frog Baseball, a 1992 short film by Judge. After seeing the short, MTV signed Judge to develop the concept.[3][4] Beavis and Butt-head originally aired from March 8, 1993 to November 28, 1997) - Wikipedia

With this information it highly unlikely to be what you suspected although we do know that the boys do have a way of time travel. I believe the little insult box was a small black plastic device and plainly marked...this show took place when I was in 6th grade + I def. owned one of those little insult boxes for a brief period in 5th grade until it was confiscated by my teacher...no doubt to probably play with it @ the faculty meetings, but that's neither here nor there...I've been trying to find out the name of the damn toy for quite some time w/ no luck...I've tried the internet...maybe I need to dig deeper...for some reason "The Eliminator" comes to mind as a possible name, but I don't think I'm quite right! Can anyone help a nostalgic brother out?

First show. Made an incredibly lasting impression - still seeing them almost 20 years later. Best storage unit I've ever seen.

[btw, I think the cursing "digital/vox box" thingy may have been a Beavis and Butthead talking keychain? It also said "fucking jerk!", 2x.]

(Originally published on the legacy Phish.net site many years ago...)

Well, the NYE show was outstanding. It was only my second show, and quite a treat. After the opener (possum) I turned to a friend of mine (his first show) who had a huge grin on his face and said "And that's only the first tune." I really enjoyed the light show, especially the strobes near the end and the lights shinging on the disco ball sending little eyeballs of light zooming around the Aud. The siren lights didn't really do it for me, though. The painings were really cool. By the third set, which I thought was by far the most intense, I was almost too tired to dance! A note on the jumper: (a friend of mine saw most of what happened) Evidently, the guy (dressed in a pregnant nun costume) was playing bongos somewhere in the corridors when security came along. He dropped the drum and ran down the hall then up the stairs to the balcony (sending at least on guard sliding on butt). Once in the balcony, he moved to the railing and when the guards came towards him, climbed over the rail and hung there until they were on top of him, then dropped to the floor (making his escape, I guess). I hope noone was hurt when he fell. Other than that, i thought the whole thing was sort of funny. Not that this is the sort of thing that should go on at Phish shows, but I enjoy seeing security guards outfoxed. Earlier in the show, the guy had passed us and mumbled something about what he had for sale which is probably why he ran in the first place. Opinions as to whether this sort of thing belongs at a Phish concert will probably vary greatly, but all in all, it added to a great night of Phish and Phun.

This is a really sweet NYE show that, like Amy's Farm, does an excellent job of capturing the state of the band in 1991. With a deep catalog of tunes, intra-band familiarity, and some of the hottest musical chops in the game, the band puts together three awesome sets of music relying on no gag outside of the cursing voice box (which fits excellently in both tone and rhythm on Wilson).

From Set 1, a powerful Stash offers the dreadful dissonance, soaring soloing, and dastardly drumming present in many of the '94 performances; the band lifts Page to great heights in his solo on the Lizards; Trey and Fishman go ballistic on Divided Sky as Mike sprinkles some extremely tasteful bass riffs; and Llama runs absolutely wild in a '93 fashion. Set 2 opens with an unhinged Brother before bringing in the new year with Buried Alive>ALS. Immediately after this, Runaway Jim earns a spot in the jam charts with a celebratory energy driven by Fishman's jubilant bouncing and Trey's hose shredding. The subsequent Reba offers plenty of tasty snippets, though Trey's solo is cut a bit short and there isn't quite as much soaring as some of the better versions. That said, this performance has some really sweet band interplay, building energy as a cohesive unit. Some excellent moments of dissonant and chromatic soloing that resolves with bliss (~8:20-8:25 is sooo awesome), deviation from the typical harmonic pattern (8:45), and really spirited support from Page, Mike, Fishman.

Definitely check out the goofy Set 3 Wilson opener; Trey's new toy adds a fun musical and colorful element to the classic. In my opinion, the Tweezer from this set is the earliest to really achieve Tweezer greatness. While many previous iterations have some sweet jams, this version grows new life from the standard form, venturing into uncharted territory with developed riffing, vocal interjections, and perpetual droning guitar to keep the fire blazing. This performance foreshadows some great things to come for future Tweezers. Page's solo on McGrupp balances a dancey groove and musical spirit quite well, forming one of the stronger '91 versions. Finally, we close Set 3 with a great Mike's Groove that eats well in the second Mike's jam. Some confusion in where to land causes the band to break down with some spicy cowbell and organ energy, taking a step back to rebuild again into -> H2. Weekapaug finishes the year with triumph and a nice Lion Sleeps tease. Last call out for the show is the wonderfully sleepy and timely Christmas Song Lawn Boy--an instant favorite.

its called "the final word" .... so glad i bought this show

Good show, worth listening to. Wilson is priceless with the cursing intro. Great way to end 1991.