Set 1: A step down from the last two shows' quite good first sets, but not unworthy of your time. Gin (as it does in its current incarnation) stays in the Gin envelope but builds to a very satisfactory peak, much the same way the version from Dick's this year did, Wombat shows even more potential with the realization that there's room to stretch out without being tethered to a dance routine, and Lawn Boy is particularly amusing this time around. Liked the PYITE call later in the set as well, even if the version wasn't the strongest they've ever played.

Set 2: Interesting, to say the least. CDT lobbed its hat into the ring as one of the jams of the year, starting off at a lower boil (as Trey wrung some really fugly notes out of his guitar) before Page moves to the forefront and the energy level picks up and they build towards a darker jam space with Trey firing off minor chords and Mike pushing things forward. We then get a bevy of effects as Trey switches to the Echoplex (one of the MVPs of this run, for sure) and the jam gets heavy pretty fast, then the heaviness strips away and we enter a more contemplative space. Trey hits upon a cool repeating pattern as Page goes to the clavinet, and the band blasts off yet again, with Fish adding some nice cymbal accompaniment. A vicious stop-start segment comes next (so vicious they leave no room for woos), then they gun the engines for one final rock blast before coming to a bubbling close. There's a lot to chew on in here, and it may not always be to your liking, but in my mind it covered nearly as much ground as the AC Carini and thus should be considered a success.

A surprisingly early Mike's comes next, and it's a nice 3.0 version, then they break out Devotion to a Dream (an odd choice, and something of a misstep to my ears), which is followed by a Ghost that straddles the edge between funkiness and rock (it almost sounds like Guy Forget at times) and foregoing Type II for a propulsive energy that builds to an exciting hose-laden climax. Then rather amusingly, Trey starts the concluding chords to Ghost, but Fish (who is a real champion this entire set) has other ideas, and we get a true segue into a laid-back Weekapaug. Simple is next, a surprise call given how often it's *in* a Groove as opposed to right outside it, and it brings a dreamy bliss jam at the end as buzzing effects enter the fray and Page steps to the forefront (with a Mike bomb for good measure). Fish then leads them into Hood, a neat version that builds a great deal of tension by nearly breaking out LA-style but never getting there (by design or not, who knows), which makes the usual Hood peak all the more satisfying. Cavern and First Tube close the set in energetic fashion, and a truncated but still good Slave ends the night.

Final thoughts: Very close (if not right there) with last night's fantastic effort. CDT is a tremendous jam, and there's as much improv all throughout this set as there was in last night's affair (though the setlist is not as tightly constructed). Ho hum, another damn good show in 2013.

The Kill Devil Falls opener seemed inevitable. We had joked earlier about “missing the KDF opener.” The jam in KDF started out sparse and quiet – building off the minimalist energy of 12/29 – with Trey playing some quick sharp rhythmic chords. From there it went to its KDF place (soaring Chalkdust-like rock peak), but it was a good start. Bathtub Gin was next. It was great. Every Bathtub is great. But, people don’t like to talk about how stale 3.0 Bathtubs have become. It’s always (almost) in set 1. And, it’s basically the formulaic build to a peak….every….single…time. They do it well. Most of the time the reviews will claim after every single Gin, “That was an above average Gin.” But, they all can’t be above average right? As someone who has seen some downright epic Gins (8/17/97, 7/29/98, 2/22/03), here’s an idea: Open a second set this summer with it. And play if for 20-25 minutes and take it beyond the peak and into some interesting type ii territory. Just saying. This all said, I can honestly say 12/30/13 WAS an above average version. Trey and the band really locked into a melodious theme that had the crowd going ape shit. Next – Wombat! So much fun. This is like Tube on steroids – so much thick funk. Yarmouth Road featured Trey doing the Sugar Shack (“Wait…how does this Mike song go again????”) routine. He even tried to practice the lick before the song started, but to no avail. 46 Days was a standard rocker and seemed unnecessary to me after KDF and Gin reached similar places, but Lawn Boy was a nice cool down song. Mike’s solo was particularly nice. Heavy Things is pure joy to me. Trey’s solo sounds very Jerry-esque and I kind of love it despite the cheesy pop of it all. PYITE as you know by now was brutally flubbed. Trey tried to count it off fairly quickly out of Heavy Things, but the band wasn’t quite ready. Then, Trey completely got lost in the Landlady section. Oh well. It’s a hard section. It happens. These guys aren’t gods. Sample actually had an above average solo at the end and Jibboo was a bit awkward as the closer. It never really was able to pick up much steam.

Set II. With few jam vehicles left, Phish launched into Chalkdust. Essentially, since Dicks ’12, Chalkdust has been reliably going type II in the second set (even if briefly ala the Alpharetta version). This is a great development (perhaps Gin could do this as well!). This particular Chalkdust was not Dicks ’13 version, but it was still fantastic if a bit schizophrenic. The jam quickly left Chalkdust territory and went into a soaring melodic (and oddly dissonant) major key soloing from Trey. As the jam winded down it seemed like it might end, but Trey brought the jam out of the ashes to then explore something like 10 separate themes in the span of 8 minutes or so. But, even if it felt rushed, it just showed how effortless Phish can transition between keys, styles and grooves these days. Mike was the MVP of this jam by the way. An early set Mikes followed getting every excited for “Is this the time Mike’s gets jammed out????” No. Even more bizarre than the lack of type ii jams in Gin, is the status of Mike’s these days. Still fun and high energy. Devotion to a Dream is a nice little ditty that we should enjoy before we can’t stand to get live in concert anymore (this will happen mark my words). Ghost came next. Not much of an exploratory version, but it featured some really amazing expressive and melodic soloing from Trey. He was purposively thematic with his lines – and that is preferable to just playing lots of notes really fast. Weekapaug had some thick funk transition into more thematic melodic soloing for Big Red. Fantastic stuff. Simple was a bit of shock out of ‘Paug (apparently only time since 1999). The type I jam was laid back and beautiful and the little ambient outro was beautiful even if it didn’t reach the heights of say 1/1/11. Next – Harry Hood. I guess there are no piss breaks in this set! This one picked up where Ghost and Weekapaug left off and featured Trey really purposively developing a thematic melody and pushing it and pushing it to its logical peak – and then – and only then – was the band allowed to return to the standard DAG chords of the end of Hood. This wasn’t exactly a type ii Hood ala 8/5/13, but the melodic territory Trey found was somewhat “out” of the normal D major Hood territory it seemed to me. A nice Cavern set closer fake out into a First Tube that sounded awkward at first – but once again laid the basis for more melodic thematic soloing from Trey. The encore was Slave. I think this is the third time in 2013 where Phish has paired Slave and Hood late in the second set. It’s an odd choice because both jams are soaring, major key melodic beauties. Yet, it’s also a kind of embarrassment of riches. I simply love these two songs and if Phish wanted to play a set 1 entirely of Hood and set 2 entirely of Slave I probably would not complain. Overall, I personally feel this show was not as good as 12/29. A weaker first set and a bit more meandering improv in set II - but it was far better than 12/28 and a very solid commendable effort for 2013.

Lots of speculation and rumors swirling around for tonight. I’m always hoping for something new and interesting, but it might just be three sets of standard Phish songs – which will be fine by me (as long as they play Fuego at some point).

Pretty much a textbook 3.0 show. High energy, strong playing, one big jam, and a host of smaller jams densely packed with interesting ideas. The jamming isn't as ambitious as last night, but all things considered I'd say the two shows sit right alongside each other.

Set I gives excellent versions of KDF, Gin, Heavy Things (love what they do with this song these days), and Sample (Trey shines). I was very curious to see how Wombat would go, and thankfully they seem to want to do much more with it than a quick few minutes of generic rhythm funk. This version is damn good, and makes me think even better versions await in 2014.

The CDT is the first stop in Set II. Big, open, experimental version. Not 100% successful, but still an amazing jam that is worth hearing ASAP. Given the placement, I thought for sure we were going to finally get a juicy, exploratory Mike's, but instead we got a standard, solid jam and the very unusual pairing with Devotion to a Dream--not one of my favorites of the new songs, but played well enough. I like the "It's today!" lyric, but I doubt this tune will ever go big. For now, I'd say keep it in Set I.

The rest of Set II is your typical "Phish is at the top of their game right now and so obviously they killed it" affair. Check out the Ghost>>Weekapaug for some joyous guitar solos and groovy dance music, then end with a blissful, wide-open-spaces Simple, and call it a day.

New York is such a cool city. I’ve liked it since my first visit and have always enjoyed my time there. I invariably find myself in town because of one show or another, but NYC has so much going on I generally try to get out and do something touristy, though there is still so much I haven’t seen, and some biggies too like the Statue of Liberty and Ground Zero.

That said, the end of December isn’t the best time to see the sights in the city. Tourists packed into town to watch the ball drop (what is wrong with people?) also pack out every museum and attraction the city has to offer, the weather is cold and blustery making outings like Central Park less attractive but most importantly, the Phish circus is generally in town.

I’ve been fortunate enough to make my way to two Phish NYE runs in NYC (and another in Miami), and if there is ever a time and place when everyone I’ve ever met at a show is in the same place it’s during a Phish New Years run at Madison Square Garden, and everyone always wants to meet up. So brunch meet-up here folds into a preshow meet-up there, then it’s off to the show itself followed by the inevitable series of afterparties, which doesn’t leave much time to see the city itself.

Not like this is a problem or anything. Friendships are confirmed, alliances formed, memories are made and epic journeys are forgotten with friends both old and new. It’s always a people-oriented run; the city and its endless attractions can wait for other trips.

And so went December 30th, 2013, the middle night of my second Phish NYE MSG run: friends, fun, and another fine, fine performance by the boys in the band (followed by more friends and fun at one of those inevitable series of afterparties I mentioned earlier). Oh, and pizza. There is always pizza. This time it was from the place next door to Tempest, a bar that somehow lets my crew take over the backroom like we own the place and have guards at the door. The pizza next door was fan-freakin’-tastic.

toddmanout.com

This show is sneaky good. Set I is fine with a pretty good (but typical for 3.0) Gin and some decent song selection (but no great playing). Punch You in the Eye is amusingly awful.

Set II, though, has some pretty special jams. Chalkdust is the standout but Ghost -> Weekepaug is also pretty terrific. Ghost doesn't travel very far but it's a fun, chunky, rocking version of the song, and 'Paug features a couple of neat ideas. Hood is also a very unique an exceptional strong version. It doesn't rage, exactly, but there's a minor key jam that ends with a graceful, tuneful, and expertly executed transition back into the main Hood theme.

Mike's > DtaD is a buzzkill, but the set built around it is bursting with subtle creativity. Definitely worth a second listen.

My first show! Had a blast and there will be many more!
Song by song:
Kill Devil Falls: Always a good choice for the opener that got the crowd going. Nice solo by trey on this one.
Bathtub Gin: Although a pretty standard version, this had a great jam.
Wombat: My favorite Wingsuit song that I was really hoping to hear. No Vigoda appearance though, haha.
Yarmouth Road: Didn't recognize this one, checked in with .net and gave me a chance to catch my breath. Pretty sweet song though.
46 Days: I could feel the floor bouncing up and down during this one, something I'll never forget.
Lawn Boy: Thought it was cool to see page take center stage for this one. Great Bass solo by Mr Gordleone
Heavy Things: Knew this was next when I heard trey record the guitar loop before it started. Some we're saying Maze, as they're the same note, but page plays the first note in Maze.
Punch You In the Eye: although it was flubbed, I didn't notice while I was there.
Sample in a Jar: really felt like a real phan during the chorus, as everyone in the building was singing along at once. Good Solo at the end.
Gotta Jibboo: good playing in this one, although I wasn't expecting it to end the set.
Second Set
Chalkdust Torture: one of my favorite phish songs. I knew it was going somewhere about 3 or 4 minutes in. Jam of the night for sure. Page on the clav near the end was incredible.
Mikes Song: good type 1 version, even if we were all hoping for more.
Devotion to a Dream: Didn't recognize this one either, although I was really feeling it about this point(must of been the pot in the air )
Ghost: Raging version, lost my mind at the peak.
Weekapaug Groove: nice, nice, nice
Simple: I remember the place almost exploding when the first riff was played. Great Version
Harry Hood: Good playing, glad I got it my first show.
Cavern: Fishman rocked on this one
First Tube: two words, FACE MELTING!!!!!!

Slave to the Traffic Light: Nice way to wrap up the evening.

After Night 2 I didn't know what to expect.

Set 1 - KDF was a nice opener pretty solid rendition. Loved the Bathtub Gin and Wombat was great. I was sitting Page Side and he was really bringing the funk the first 3 songs. I always love 46 days. And who can complain about Lawn Boy. Heavy Things was a nice. Trey had a few fumbles in PYITE but they killed it during Sample In a Jar. I was humming Gotta Jibboo all they way through the restroom line.

Set 2- This Chalkdust Torture is a must listen. Mike's Song was nice. And, I wanted that ghost even though it felt unexpected. I loved Weekapaug Groove and Simple. Harry was fun and then Cavern>First Tube was amazing as well. Great 2nd Set!

I left this show wondering, "What do they have left to play tomorrow." High hopes. Great show...and I swear I heard almost heard a maze start to form at one point.

When Phish returned to the stage after that song-focused first set, Mike had a yellow scarf wrapped around his neck. I was secretly hoping it was there to keep his head from floating away in the middle of a particularly spacey trip. Anastasio revved up the rollicking "Chalk Dust Torture," and an arsenal of cow-patterned balloons exploded from the center of the crowd. Trey's guitar evolved into a humpback whale, searching for mates across a swirling sea. Then Mike dropped "the brown noise," clearing the air for a short, gentle section prior to the final uptempo groove. By this point, I had accepted my view of the stage. I was listening to the music. Surrendering to the flow. "Mike's Song" developed into a funk rock piece that just begged to be made into a "Frankenstein" monster.

Read full review here: http://www.drypaintsigns.com/2013/12/phish-1230-setlist.html

First set was fine, particularly the opening trio. I'm not a huge fan of Sample or Heavy Things so maybe it was better for people who like those songs. My only issue with the Jibboo is that is felt more like a penultimate song to me. If I had my druthers the 1st set would've ended Jibboo>SOAM with less filler before that.

Second set was filthy. To me, the Chalk Dust is up there with Tahoe Tweezer and AC Carini. My take on the 2nd set opening jams is some of them are more suited to webcast/mp3 because it is difficult to hear all the nuance in the venue and it's easier to get the crowd going with a high-energy jam. AC Twist is an example that comes to my mind, great jam but I didn't totally realize how good it was until I was listening to it on the way home. Anyways, I was at MSG last night and this Chalk Dust was absolutely jaw-dropping. There was hardly any standard solo before it took a quick detour into relative major territory, at which point Trey began to let loose. But Fishman kept the beat of the Chalk Dust jam for some time, leaving open a possible return to type I territory. As exciting as that possibility was, the band clearly had more sinister plans. The end of the Chalk Dust jam is the type of thing that separates Phish from everyone else. Sure it was funky clav jam, but it wasn't Wombat or Ghost or anything else, it was new and awesome and each band member contributed something unique.

The rest of the set was strong with no filler. I admit to seeing a man about a horse during Devotion to a Dream, but still that song is starting to grow on me. The type I Ghost was actually pretty good, with a great segue into Weekapaug. Simple>Hood was beautiful as was the Slave encore.

Never miss a December 30th show is what my long-time Phish Phriends say. They were right. Again. They layed down the nasty in what felt IMHO in many ways to be the NYE performance one day early, the thunderous peaks came early and often, especially in Set II.

But that is not to take away from the glory that was still Set I (spoken from attending 12/28 and skipping 12/29). KDK had an extra kick going for it straight out of the gate and then a pleasantly early Gin had us lapping up the beverages and what-not for a delightful romp in the Bathtub. Wombat whacked me upside my head and Yarmouth Road sounded really nicely fleshed out on this go-around. Then the point where myself and many of my fellow peeps felt that they took it to the next level: 46 Days and I watched myself and my Phriends furiously trying to hang in with the band, who in turn was trying to outpace itself. The trip clicked in, the sound sounded like it got totally dialed in and the band worked as one. Add CK5 to the mix and it was a feast for both eyes and ears. Sensing the collective masses needed a breather, Page walks out to Gordon's side for a fab version of Lawn Boy, The Chairman taking Center Stage and then sharing it with both Mike and a surprised-looking Fishman, who was all too happy to take credit on a song that he had nothing to do on, ha ha ha! The joke's always on us, isn't it? Heavy Things ended on a heavy jam, PYITE was super-ecletic to my ears tonight, it is a Phish song thru and thru and Sample>Jiboo was just wayyyyy too much fun, the Jiboo jam signaled only good things for the 2nd set.

And who wasn't feeling that the opening CDT was going to go to special places? To these ears it did and it ended up being the beginning of the one note that the 2nd Set sounded to me, one long note with different subdivisions, the next being (like the Gin in the 1st Set) an unusually early Mike's song that kept on going and going, everybody leaving space for the other to explore. At its thrilling conclusion the segue to Devotion To A Dream was to these ears an inspired choice and signaled the beginning of the spectacle that was to turn MSG into a full-on danceathon that went full-blown with the Story of the Ghost. Everything 'bout this Ghost screamed 30 on the 30th celebrating their 30th, it was the acknowledgement of their past, present and future all rolled into one.

At this point I lost all track of time, had no idea when the set started and when it might end and from this point on I was so musically satisfied that they could have walked off the celebratory Weekapaug and I wouldn't have known any better. But better was Skyscrapers and Skyscrapers are Grand and the roar of the crowd on that line should have blown off the roof off the newly renovated skyscraper that is MSG and the ensuing jam was yet another musical peak in a set full of peaks. Hood on the 30th just felt perfect afterwards didn't it? In full hose mode, drenched in musical manna disguised as mother's milk. Really thought they were walking off at this point. But evidently not before the reminder that one needs to take care of their shoes, a most valuable lesson indeed. Once again thinking they were going to walk off after it they still had one last major hosing down left up their musical sleeves, it now feeling like an embarrassment of riches, ending with First Tube, Trey triumphantly holding his guitar high above him as would the winning medieval warrior who had just finished slaying the musical dragon with his excalibur. But make no mistake, it was a group effort thru and thru and their individual stars shone brightly within the collective effort, it was a potent attack. And the cherry on top, a beautifully fleshed-out Slave.

There were a number of unsolicited roars from the crowd during many parts of this show that told my ears that tonight was a pretty special night going on. It really felt like a nice way to end the 3 night run, with NYE being bonus time as it takes a life of its own. Viva la 30th! Onward to the 31st on the 31st, viva la gag!

A special thanks to my many many peeps in Section 118, nothing beats out having a great show and being able to share share it with your Phish Phamily of Phriends. Phish won. Again.

Peace,
Alex

Fall Tour was great and this is my first showReally happy with the KDF, Gin, Wombat. Lots of fun and energy. Trey had some flubs in Yarmouth. 46 Days, always a favorite. Lawn Boy, can't be wrong with anything by Page! I really thought Maze was next, but Page just teased us with the G percussion on the B3 and it turned out to be Heavy Things. Not what I wanted to hear, but OK. PYITE could have been better, but none the less, I was happy to be hearing it. Sample was OK and a funny Jibboo, if you ask me and no one has!
2nd set just didn't do it for me. Looks good on paper, but didn't seem to have any flow. Devotion was good, just not the song I would have picked to follow Mike's. Ghost is always a crowd pleaser. I got a good Simple at MPP this year and this one didn't compare, IMO. I love HOOD, but not this one. First Tube should have been the Encore.

I don't give to many reviews, because...who am I to judge 4 dudes that are kick ass up and down, no matter how you look at it. I tend to be upset with some song choices sometimes, but it doesn't mean that they aren't played well or someone else's favorite. I personally wasn't too crazy about this show, but I am dam happy that I was there and experienced another show. I have been seeing this band since 1997 and they never let me down. I wouldn't change anything they have done or will continue to do. Tonite should be a great show. Anyone that is going, have fun and be safe!

Last night, Phish played their 30th show at Madison Square Garden, in their 30th year, on December 30. Phish hasn't done or said much in wake of celebrating their 30th anniversary, but that would seem to mean that they are looking into the future and not the past.

The band came ready to play as the band ripped through two hot versions of "Kill Devil Falls" and "Bathtub Gin" to open the show. Around the 8:24 mark of the "Gin" Trey starts this repetitive riff and from here on, the jam just explodes with the band harnessing the energy of the crowd and putting it back into the music.

The band continued the streak on the run of each show containing two songs from Wingsuit. First up tonight was an unbelievably funky version of "Wombat." This will be a nice addition to the rotation as I feel that "Boogie On," although a fan favorite sounds cookie cutter at times. John Fishman used a mid-set "Days 46" to shed some energy with some absolutely thunderous drumming.

Trey seemed a little lost during the late set "Punch You in the Eye," but held it together the band finished strong. After a standard "Sample in a Jar," the band ended the set with a spirited version of "Gotta Jibbooo." For the most part I enjoyed the first set with my highlights were "Kill Devil Falls, Bathtub Gin, Wombat."

When "Chalk Dust Torture" opened the second set, my mind immediately wandered to the money performance from the Saturday night Dick's show this year. While this version was nearly four minutes shorter, the band wasted no time in exploring several different sections. One thing Trey has done during the jams this run is catch a riff and ride it while the rest of the band joins in. He was also used with new Echoplex, which makes an appearance in the jam. The jam takes a turn toward more ambient pastures about half way through. I was hearing some possible "Joy" or "Caspian" teases before the jam took off in a funkier direction with Fishman leading. The jam would eventually dissolve rather quickly into "Mike's."

After a solid "Mike's Song," Trey made what I feel was an awkward song selection in "Devotion to a Dream." I was hoping for "Fuego" in that slot, but that wasn't meant to be. I do like the song, but I don't see it finding a permanent home in a "Mike's Groove." A nearly 10 minute straightforward "Ghost" was the final piece to Mike's sandwich before Fishman started "Weekapaug."

The end of the second set features classics "Harry Hood > Simple > Cavern > First Tube." The show ended with another glorious "Slave to the Traffic Light." Phish will close out their 30th anniversary this evening at Madison Square Garden.

My last show of the year. Ahhhh, recovery time. First set highlights were Wombat and Yarmouth Road. First time I've seen either of those songs live and that's a treat; I thought they worked well played back-to-back, too. First Wombat I've listened to since downloading the Halloween show. If tonight was any indication this song has some monster potential. PYITE got me all ramped up and promptly settled back down for a nice ride and I was happy to see them take Jibboo out for a spin. Nothing like the Jibboo's I remember seeing during the summer of 2000, but a fun song to close the set.

Chalkdust isn't a favorite of mine, but maybe times are-a changin'. This version had a strong jam that brought me back to Wombat. Can't wait to re-listen so I can figure out why I labeled it as such. Mikes -> Weekapaug filled the second set and then came a Simple that ended in cool dank fashion. Hood > Cavern > First Tube. nice > Nice > NICE. Thankfully that closed the set, because it's possible my heart would have exploded out of my chest had they ripped into something else.

Slave. I took the train home, so this really didn't resonate with me the same way I'm sure it did for a lot of you

These YEMSG shows have been somewhat of an anomaly for me, as I'm usually a 2nd set kind of guy who enjoys the bust-outs and a cover or two with type II / type III jamming (see "Boogie On" 6/7/2012). What I've enjoyed most these past 3 nights though, have been the solid versions of standards like Sample, Chalkdust, Simple, Hood and Cavern that were bestowed upon us tonight. Thank you, Phish. See you all NYE from the couch!

2nd set was definitely more cohesive than the first. Trey had some huge misses in Yarmouth Road and PYITE as it relates to the lead parts. I don't think I've ever seen him flub those parts so bad, especially in PYITE (at the Landlady riffs). It didn't help I was couch touring, so I noticed it up close.

He recovered well though and knocked it out of the park with that CDT 2nd set opener and use of the Echoplex. Hood had a good feel to it and I liked the Slave encore. They've left a bunch of goodies on the table for tonight, let's see it fellas!