This isn't a review of this show. I wasn't at this show. Apart from bits and pieces of the first set, I haven't heard a note of this show. No, Phish fan community, this is a finger-wagging at YOU ALL.

Phish is a band that, 8 years ago, succumbed to the demons of its guitarist. Myself and a great number of fans were devastated. We enjoyed 2 years after a nearly 3 year hiatus, only to have the rug pulled from beneath our feet again. It stood to reason that we would never see another Phish show, and they all but told us as much. This could have been the end.

Fast-forward nearly 5 years to Hampton. Phish was back, and the fans were excited about the possibilities. Fans, such as myself, took whatever we could get, because our boys were back in the saddle. An outcome that many of us hadn't expected. I wasn't able to see a show since '10's Deer Creek outings, and I haven't seen Phish since. I just haven't been able to afford it. But I have listened to every show, and read the reviews.

Ahhhh, the reviews. Where a bunch of spoiled brats come to kvetch about such petty matters as where songs are placed in sets, how songs aren't long enough, how Trey flubbed a note, or Fish missed a cue, or Page's voice isn't what it used to be, or Mike...you get the picture. SHAME ON YOU GUYS! As I mentioned earlier, this is a band that seemed to be gone for good, and all you can think about is insignificant inconveniences to you, personally? Here's a novel concept for 2012: If Phish plays shows this year, just take them as they come.

As an attendee at 30+ Phish shows between 1998 and 2010, I was grateful for each and every one of them. I was grateful that Phish wanted to play shows, and my enthusiasm never waned to be a part of the magic. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that not every show I saw lived up to my impossibly idealistic standards of what a Phish show should be, but that was part of the experience. Sure, I'm bummed that I've never seen an Esther, but maybe I'll be able to catch one next time!

If you don't hear what you want to hear at any given show, just be thankful that you got into a show! That is not difficult. I guarantee you that Phish didn't give a second thought to your dream setlist. Nope. They were too busy trying to make a raging show happen for EVERY PERSON IN THE HOUSE!

Fom the desk of one who hasn't been able to afford to see a show since 2010, I leave you with one last message. I would KILL to be in your shoes. Seeing my favorite band. Partying with my favorite people. Feeling one of my favorite feelings! And it wouldn't phase me one iota that the first set was "just standard" or that Sneakin' Sally was "flubbed." Next time you want to bellyache about a Phish show not being up to your standards, stop yourself, send the rest of your ENTIRE TOUR'S WORTH OF TICKETS to me, and let the guy who loves Phish, even on "off nights" do his thing.

P.S. Maybe you should also give Scents & Subtle Sounds another listen the next time you aim to snivel and whine about that Show of Life encore.

If you would only start to live
One moment at a time
You would, I think, be startled
By the things that you would find.

Like Scents you never noticed
And many subtle sounds
Like colors in the landscape
And textures of the town

Then the winds would lift you up
Into the sky above
And you'd be treted to a view
Of everything you love
And if the moment passes
You should try it once again
For if you do it right
You'll find the moment never ends

If you would stop and notice that we number every day
But allow the many moments left uncounted slip away

You don't have to count them, just enjoy them one by one
Then things would take a different hue and sparkle in the sun
The winds would lift you up into the sky

The winds would lift you up into the sky above
Where you would see a trail of treasured memories you love
A rainbow record of the thoughts and moments you've enjoyed
Arcs behind the earth as spectral colors in the void

In the void
Scents and subtle sounds

I know the reviews will come in today critical of some song selections, the gag, jamming, yada yada yada... I think this show had a bit of everything. Solid opening segment with ACDC, Wolfmans and Scent Of a Mule. Some crooning from Page. A fantastic Fluffhead with the aprapros "came to NY" lyric and auld lang syne teases. Very cool type II with Page on theremin in Light going into Golden Age. And some humor in the form a nod that Sneaking Sally and 46 Days are very similar (I assume a nod and a great 46 Days at that). I personally thought the flow of the show was great. Somewhat of an arc. It built up through the first set and took off for the phenomenal second set kept going into the Steam/stunt/DWD. The vacuum flying behind Fishman was hilarious. The energy was off the charts at the Garden. The Wedge, Alaska and Velvet Sea that followed began our decent back to earth but not in a disappointing way. The feeling I got, starting off the year with great versions of these songs, especially the sentiment of Sea, was, in my opinion, as satisfying as it gets. Follow it up with the best First Tube I have heard from 3.0 and the Slave I hoped with all my might for was as good as it gets. We can argue where this show sits amongst the history of New Years shows but to be honest I just don't care anymore. Was this show 12/31/95? Nope, it was 12/31/2011 and wouldn't have asked for it to be anything else. Happy New Years all.

Had to run out on Slave to catch a train, so this (early, and subject to change) review is sans-encore.

Set 1:

The first of many callbacks to last year was the Bag, and it was a fine reading. Average continued until Jibboo, which was nice and jammed, and worth catching. End this with a song I've never caught on to, ol' Fluff, and this set had me worried for the night. Luckily, this only made future sets better out of surprise.

Set 2:

My god, this was everything set 1 was not. Nice long jams, an epic segue (Light/Golden Age), and energy that could only be stopped by the coming end of year gag. I could spend a few hours writing about each track, best I can say now is grab this show.

Set 3:

Between the two sets I saw people setting up for the stunt, and I was confused. Dude next to me nailed it, called Steam. I owe him a drink.

Cavern pumped the place as always, and Steam (The undisputed king of 2011)/Lang/DWD understanably hightened the crowd's energy. The next few songs were all cooldowns until the most amazing First Tube I've ever heard. Great job boys, we owe ya for this.

E:

Didn't see the E D: I apologize.

Download this when you can, totes worth it.

wow...

I NEVER post on here really but had to share my .02... listening to all these peeps say this or that about the band while looking to see where THEIR phishtory started(many of whom 2003 or later) is laughable. While the NYE run this past year wasn't the greatest phish run of all time, it certainly wasn't the shit show that a lot of planners made it out to be. had a lot of fun at these shows. Saw a bunch of people I hadn't seen in a long time, and spent the evening with my GF and favorite band. Sure I wish that velvet sea wasn't played in the 3rd set.... sure I didn't want to hear pebbles and marbles on NYE in particular.... sure I think that the show lacked bustouts of any kind.... but the bottom line? this was phish at MSG on NYE....end of story. It was a great show and would do it all again in a heartbeat... seems to me that a lot of people don't remember when phish had quit "for good" and don't remember how they spent their NYEs... I bet they wouldn't be whining then....

like I said, .02

carry on

So I'm gonna be bluntly honest here, and I hope y'all take these words to heart before just hating on me for it... I was at all 4 shows of the Phish NYE run at MSG and EVERY NIGHT was absolutely perfect. The bar started really high with Wednesday night, my 50th show, and just continued to get consecutively better. However, I look at all 4 nights as one consecutive event, an event that could EASILY hold its own against any festival to date. To come home and find you people whining about hearing a song you didn't like or not getting a better jam out of a certain tune just brings us all down. "Couch tour"ers DID NOT ATTEND THE SHOW, did not feel the energy of MSG or experience the madness pre and post show that they call New York. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I more than welcome open and honest discussions, but to come home from such an epic experience to find a bunch of people who weren't there sh*t on the event they DIDN'T ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE is a serious downer. I've been using this site for many years, but after seeing this- I'm done for awhile.

Much ado is all I see, in fact it is surrounding me, the seething crowd intrudes all day, I'm out before I'm Swept Away...

While it was apparent even from the tight Bag that opened that the Boys came to play, I do have a real issue with this show. Put another way, I am gonna say here what nearly everyone at the Garden was thinking: the setlist gods wholly abandoned us. The song selection is particularly poor. Go find me a festival, Halloween or NYE show that has so many new and oddly placed songs. With as many nuggets left to play on the fourth night as there were, it is as if the band made a conscious decision NOT to play crowd favorites. I will admit that a good portion of the night was spent hoping the band would just stop their admittedly competent version of whatever new song they were playing in favor of more fertile territory (am I the only one who hoped every song was this run's Melt??). This sentiment just kept on. Don't get me wrong, I love the Boys (my first show was 7-30-93), but fuckin' A. Alaska, Velvet Sea and First Tube to end the year. Really? Bitch session over.

Highlights: Jibboo, Fluffhead (one or two ALS teases), Golden Age and its segue outta Light, 46 days (Trey went Jimi on us), First Tube.

Also, the cabled, smoke-emitting, color-changing rocketpack dancers during Steam and DWD were far out, I'm sure more than one person lost their lysergic mind watching that crazy shit. The fun starts before Steam with Trey grabbing a tea kettle filled with dry ice that appears to be steaming before Steam, and includes Trey and Page playing wirelessly while they are elevated maybe 6 or 7 feet into the air during DWD!

Excitement doesn't even begin to describe how I felt attending this show...It was my first NYE show since the 98 run...Upon finding our seats..which were the best seats I ever had in msg..sec 108 row 4...I sat down and soaked up all the goodness and excitement that had filled up inside the garden...there was definitly a different buzz about the room..then there was the previous nights...And then the house lights went down...

Set I

AC/DC Bag: Thought it was a good choice for an opener...got the crowd going...nothing crazy about this version...

Wolfman's brother: Worked well coming out of bag...Glad to see this show up..was afraid it might not happen...a well played version, that didn't stray too far...not as funky as I thought it might get..but a nice groove throughout...

Scent of a mule: Always a crowd favorite and a fun song...

STFTFP: Not one of my favorite songs...starting to grow on me..Trey did a nice job with this short version...

Lawn Boy: Page was solid as always...came out from behind the keys to the front of the stage and worked the crowd...

Jibboo: Always liked this song...there's quite a few good versions out there...Thought this one went rather well..Trey sounded good, picking up the pace when need be...

Farmhouse: A pretty standard version...little surprised by the set placement..thought the pace would keep up after coming out of Jibboo...but still enjoyable

P&M: My first one...Wasn't too sure what to expect with this..as I must admit I don't give this as much listening to as I probably should...Overall, I was happy with it...had some punch to it..

Ocelot: Another one of the newer songs that has really grown on me...A pretty solid version

Fluffhead: Good choice for closing out the set...Crowd was really into it..

Overall enjoyed the set very much..pace wise it seemed to jump around a bit..but I can't complain..

Highlights of set I: Wolfman's, P&M

Set II

Party Time: My first one..and thought it was a good way to open up the second set..

Light: A good version imho...gets really dark and spacey with Page on theremin...although I thought the theremin jam might go on longer..a real highlight of set II

Golden Age: Also a first for me...a lot of chatter wondering if this was going to be played during the run...Phish plays this tune really well and when worked liked it did coming out of light...it's a real treat..picked up the pace and was enjoyed by everyone..including myself..

Theme: Was excited about this...one of my favorite songs...nice set placement..worked well coming out of golden age..always good to see live...a pretty solid version I would say...didn't soar to uncharted territory..but it did the job...

Heavy Things: Was kind of surprised to hear this...especially the way the set was going...a pretty standard version..

Ghost: This is what everyone was expecting to hear this run..considering last years ghost..a pretty solid one...I think that a lot of people's expectations of them playing a monster version of this during this run were pretty high..and while it wasn't the spaciest ghost I've heard...it did the trick...some good stuff by Trey on this one I thought...

Sneakin: Didn't see this one coming..but then again..sneakin sally and msg almost go hand in hand...I'm a little biased when it comes to this song..as this would be my 3rd Sally..my first was the nye run in 97...and I think, myself included thought that they would really break out the funk with this one...a nice little vocal jam during it...but then it starts to die out...

46 days: Probably the best version I've heard...Trey shreds..everyone killed it...the garden was rocking during this...Trey was having a lot of fun with this one...a definite highlight of set II

Suzy: Good choice for set closer....page was solid as always...crowd was pumped...

Highlights of set II: Light -> Golden Age > Theme, Ghost > Sally > 46 Days > Suzy

Set II was the definite highlight of the night...

Set III

Cavern: Didn't expect them to open up the set with it...but always glad to hear a good cavern...

Steam: A little tea kettle that was on a speaker started to whistle with some steam coming out of it...hence we knew where this was going...My first Steam..and I was pumped...Think it's one of the better songs that they have debuted in a while and one that has a lot of potential...this was a really good version...gets a little dark and murky at times...as it should...while the band is jamming...about 15 people begin to hang, then proceed to dance from the rafters..all the while a keytar, amp, bass, and vaccum went up and down behind the stage..each was producing steam...I know I enjoyed it..as well as everyone in the house..it was really a cool sight...girl hanging in front of the stage did the countdown and then it was on to ALS...

DWD: Right after ALS...mike does the intro for dwd...I thought this was the perfect placement for it...there's nothing like a ripping dwd going on..while thousands of balloons are taking over the garden...for sure the boys were having a lot of fun with this...as Trey and Mike did a few laps around the stage..kicking balloons, all the while jamming...at one point trey and mike were lifted about 20 feet up in the air by these pedestals and the jamming continued...a cool sight for sure and one of my favorite memories from this night...

The Wedge: Nice...was happy to get one of these..nothing out of the ordinary with this one..a pretty solid version...I enjoyed it a lot...

Alaska: While it's got a lot of potential...I was surprised to hear it at this point during the show...thought the set was heading in a different direction...

Wading: A beautiful song...done well by Page...was a perfect choice and was happy to hear it...this song never gets old...

First Tube: Good way to end the set...got loud..not 09' loud..but loud enough...place was rocking...

Encore:

Slave: A perfect end to the night I thought...one of the more beautiful phish songs..the way it just comes full circle....was happy to hear this as an encore...

Highlights of set III: Steam > ALS > DWD, Wedge, Wading, Slave

Thank you Phish for an amazing year...I couldn't have asked for a better way to end my year...

***Disclaimer: I did not attend this show, and I did not watch the live stream. My comments are based on listening to it as if it were any other show in my CD listening queue. (Yes, I'm a f***ing dinosaur!)***

Overall, I'd say this is a solid, average Phish concert. No epic jams or groundbreaking song selections. Many songs were shorter than usual, but plenty energetic. There were a few pockets of tasty improv hidden in the mix. Highlights include Steam thru Wedge, Light > Golden Days, last song of each set, and the encore.

Set One:
-AC/DC Bag - a bit underpowered at first, and solid / routine version overall. Interesting transition into...
-Wolfman's Brother - short, but mighty hot!
-Scent Of A Mule - tight and typically fun.
-Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan - energetic rocker, well within the box.
-Lawn Boy - standard version. No surprises or major miscues.
-Gotta Jibboo - odd intro at first. Very well-played but not noteworthy.
-Farmhouse - understated but poignant. Rough re-entry to vocal reprise.
-Pebbles And Marbles - sets perfect mood for this spot in the set. Spirited effort, but very sloppy.
-Ocelot - typically playful romp. Not as fiery as summer '09 versions.
-Fluffhead - Worthy set closer. Even better than usual. Hilarious falsetto vocals on the bundle of joy segment. Auld lang syne tease into triumphant final crescendo + nicely drawn-out finish.

Set Deux:
-Party Time - standard, fun enough.
-Light - unremarkable at first, but had to listen to the deep space finish twice in a row. Theremin!!!
-Golden Age - emerges forcefully from the chaos. Tight + upbeat. Generic crunchy funk-rock jamlet recedes neatly into...
-Theme From The Bottom - typically moody & dynamic. Well-executed.
-Heavy Things - below-average version. Brief + less bouncy than usual.
-Ghost - first few bars of intro recall The Cars' "Let the Good Times Roll" + then rest of band joins Trey. Solidly funkular, but doesn't really go anywhere. End just sort of fizzles
-Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley - fun as usual, but no great shakes. Perfunctory vocal jam.
-46 Days - big + crunchy as usual, with a nice series of guitar peaks. Not epic by any means, but plenty satisfying.
-Suzy Greenberg - less over-the-top than other thundering 3.0 versions. Kind of minimalist solo on Trey's part, and Page's piano solo is somewhat understated, but these actually worked well + complemented each other nicely. Hilarious improv interjection on "neurologist" #2! Falsetto "thankyouverymuch" to close.

Set the Third:
-Cavern - Standard version - i.e. tight, energetic, and enjoyable.
-Steam - Absolute rager!!! Intro gag works well in audio-only format. Thunders right into the new year countdown + deftly segues into...
-Auld Lang Syne - Fiery instrumental. No shortage of emotion here!
-Down With Disease - Good start. Balloon drop audibly distracts band during first chorus, but good recovery in time for the big guitar solo. An 11-minute DWD without a segue looks dodgy on paper, but on listening it translates to a good enough jam which resolves into an eerie & contemplative space, fading effectively down to silence.
-The Wedge - Very tight. Also quite energetic. One of the better versions I've heard.
-Alaska - solid enough version. Sounds like Trey, and especially Page, are having fun with this one.
-Wading In The Velvet Sea - excellent placement...if it had been played better. Trey's guitar solo is stately & tasteful, but it's truncated and falls well short of the screaming catharsis that elevates the best versions to transcendent heights.
-First Tube - Thunderous energy! Loops more twisted & biting than usual. Very nice!

Encore:
-Slave To The Traffic Light - Strong version. Trey's sustained notes around 5:30-6:30 really hit the spot. Chills!!! Strong final crescendo to end 2011 in style for The Phish!

Have to say that I absolutely adored the "New Year's Gag"

The level of audio / visual stimulation of that raging Steam jam going with extremely crowded airspace of the Garden seemed like a great way to do it. Instead of taking you out of the show for New Year's Time, they intensified the experience painting it in broad strokes of surrealist genius. Such a blitzkreig of psychedelic madness easily tops hearing 'Meatstick' sung for 20 minutes.

I like it. In a run full of times where Phish took you to the brink of the stratosphere before gleefully slamming the air-brakes and throwing you for a loop, the Steam/DWD segment seemed like a kind of payoff. So unfortunately, while The Wedge was a much better "back to earth we go" number than the utterly heartbreaking 'Curtis Loew' and 'Bug' on the 28th- two daggers that just kept it from being a Bethel level cohesive, forward-thinking and improvisationally democratic show.
The Alaska on the other hand seems almost comical as I haven't heard people seem so terrified of a song coming along to crush their set since before people accepted Velvet Sea. And oh, there's Velvet Sea.

So while that was kind of weird, I'm going to continue deluding myself into the conspiracy theory that sometimes they just want to play the song or botch the segue so hard that you can't imagine anything else being stranger. It makes me smile to think of it that way. What can i say?
"OMG Fish let's totally 'Bug > The Horse > Silent in the Morning > Weekapaug Groove, Joy > Character Zero, Encore: Show of Life' them- their minds are going to straight break trying to figure out what's going on.

Also love the Light, and nice to see Pebbles & Marbles after Trey either accidentally or purposefully seemed to play it's intro chords instead of the MFMF ones the other night.

Great show! even though I couch toured, it was epic...46 DAYS!!! Damn, they were letting out some aggression on that one...Must have been the less than stellar Sally...not sure what happened there..ended kind of strange...the Gag was a little sub par but at the end of the day how do you possibly top what they did last year for Meatstick and also how do you top that DWD not to mention Steam which is a beast song...all in all, great show and look forward to seeing these guys back in full swing come summer time!!!!

All I want to know is why in the world this Fluffhead didn't make the jam chart???!! The peak begins at 12:41 and Trey at 13:00 is everyone's favorite rage Trey with the OHHHH YEAH after ...off your head! The little Auld Lang Syne tease at 13:19 is as fun to me as 12/31/93 DWD. I revisit this video on YouTube constantly.

NYE Floor seats, aisle seats, 5th row center, in the legendary MSG. Amazing!! Although being the last night of the run the boys did seem a little drained. Also being a country gal it makes for very weary traveling dealing with NYC since we rode the transit in from Jersey. Still an amazing experience wouldn't trade it for the world no matter how I really felt deep down about the show. Plus we hit up the .net meet up a few blocks from MSG. Good times!

You can put slave in any slot, any set, any show and I will love it.

pt is waaayyyy to harsh...

.net is waaaayyyyy to nice...

i need to find a new phish board where people are just honest critics.

Very special show for me, got engaged after Steam

I did say i would eventually get to reviewing this show in my previous post and im finally getting around to it. Now, i know there has been a lot of negative talk about this NYE show. NYE has always been the day for Phish to tear shit up and ring in the new year the most perfect way. But saying you were at the worst Phish NYE show is like saying you have the most crumpled hundred dollar bill. This was my first NYE show and it was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had in my life. It wasn't the best Phish show i've seen musically but it certainly changed my life for the better

AC/DC Bag: A lot of people saw this coming, i thought we were gonna get Llama. Fun way to kick the show off and had a nice spacey ending into..

Wolfmans: This song has been great this summer, they always have fun with it. Short version but always fun.

SOAMule: My first Mule, been wanting this. Great placement in the the set, not much of a "mule-duel" unfortunetly but very fun!

Lawn Boy: Gotta love this one. Standard but well placed.

Gotta Jiboo: Nice, spacey intro. I love this tune, the jams can be nice and this one didnt really let me down.

Farmhouse: Great tune, always a nice solo from Trey. One of the tunes you look around and see how great of a time everyone is having, love it

Pebbles & Marbles: YES. The first Phish song i ever listened to. Not an amazing version but i was jumping for joy that i was hearing it!

Ocelot: I like this tunes jam potential. Another well placed song

Fluffhead: Perfect set closer. Had everyone rocking. Nice ALS tease that i didnt even notice at the show!

Set 2:

Party Time: Got everyone moving, great opener:

Light: Dark, incredible theramin jam.

Golden Age: Love this tune but the transition from Light was a bit forced, great plcement though.

Theme from the Bottom: Rocker. Everyones jammin having a good time

Heavy Things: Great solos from Trey and Page, i am a sucker for this song.

Ghost: Nice version. Nothing like last NYE but was good

Sneaking Sally: Really groovy, another song i wanted bad.

46 Days: Jam blew the roof off the garden if i remember correctly

Suzy: Very fun set closer, cant go wrong

Set 3:

Cavern: Didnt see this coming as the set opener but certainly set the mood for the night

Steam: LOVE THIS SONG. So dark, murky, and jammy. I thought this was going to be the song with the stunt.

ALS: Tears man.

DWD: Perfectly placed. Theres a reason it's followed ALS on so many NYE shows!

The Wedge: Becoming one of my new favorite tunes. The boys were on key fpr it and the lyrcis are fun.

Alaska: Yes it was oddly placed but it's a great tune and sets a nice mood.

Wading: Very nice, i thought it was Strange Design at first which i would have enjoyed more but Velvet Sea is still amazing.

First Tube: Forced the energy right back up

Slave: Perfectly placed, great way to cap off an amaing experience for me. A song i was wanting dearly

I hope all who attended had as much fun as me and made it home safely! Happy New Year to everyone and i hope you all know what 2012 has in store for us!

-Tim

These guys do their best every night. Can you imagine the pressure they must feel to live up the the expectation? Ups and downs this week and every year. Its all about being there. Phish is the best band ever.

Here we go. Phish "fans" over-analyzing what was a GREAT show! All three sets, AWESOME! Sure, the encore wasn't my fav, and sure, they missed a few beats, but I've been listening to the download, and I'm just as in awe as I was when I left the Garden two nights ago. I don't (nor does anyone else) need to give you a play-by-play, just trust me, if you were there, this was an AMAZING show.

I've been seeing these guys for a while, and other than the Clifford Ball, and Nassau 2003, this is the best show I've seen them do. I spent a small fortune for my tickets, and feel I got what I paid for MANY times over.

Well done boys!

Until the tail end of set 3, I loved the song choices but their just wasn't enough jamming for my tastes.

Not a very experimental show overall, not sure what was going on, lacked emotion for me.

Highlights:

Jibboo raged, a def peak of the run for me.

Fluffhead was air tight and powerful, possibly the best one I've ever heard.

Party Time was great!

Light, a good thing here, starting to grow on me.

Theme, a favorite of mine, but this one was quick, not much to write home about, just a check off the list.. Next time!

46 Days, it should be mentioned that Trey actually says 47 days here at 1:14. I recommend 1/2/03's 46, if you're looking for a 20min face melt.

I loved this show! I was watching this on LivePhish.com. Set I was pretty good. A good AC/DC Bag opener that goes into a good Wolfman's. Scent was pretty great. When I saw Trey and Mike doing the foot dance, I heard a strange type of music. This is the Mule Duel. And I thought Mike was Jewish. Anyway, good song. STFTFP was Great! Then we go to Lawn Boy, with Page like always. Then we go into Jibboo, great! But Farmhouse was good, but not Pebbles and Marbles. Ocelot into Fluffhead (Great song to end the set!) with an Auld Lang Syne tease from Trey. Overall, I would give a 7 for the 1st set.

2nd Set, pretty good opener. Party Time! Good version. Then we go to Light, with Page on theremin, pretty good into Golden Age (never heard these songs before) into Theme from the Bottom, pretty good. Then, we got Heavy Things, Ghost, Sally, 46 Days, and Suzy. All good to end the set! Overall, I would give a 9 for the 2nd set.

Then we go to the New Year's (3rd) set. Cavern, pretty good. Steam, I never heard before, but I loved it, with a Spooky tease from Trey, it was one of the best songs in the show! Going to Auld Lang Syne, and once again, DWD, which was unfinished. Then, we got The Wedge, which is on Rift. Pretty good. Then we got, Alaska? Wasn't expecting that. Then we got a beautiful Wading. Then one of the best songs in the show, also. First Tube! Really great. Great job, boys! You deserved to do that! Overall, I would give a 8 for the 3rd set.

E. Slave! Pretty good to end the show!! Overall, I would give a 9 for the encore. There you go! Pretty good show! I would rate 5 stars for this show in my book! Peace out!

I absolutely loved this four day run. I am not over critical, I am a happy fan to have phish back! It all began in 95 for me so I am indebted to them for making my life so amazing. Back to the show, the steam gag was absloutley awesome!!
The first set was great, rcking stealing time was a highlight for me, but the fluffhead set closer was a GREAT choice.
Set two had many great moments. The Sally was awesome and though the Golden Age segue wasnt the best, the song was rocking!! Gloden Age has such a great vibe to it live. The crowd was soo into it-they could feel us!!!
Then to start set 3 with cavern was awesome, hence my username. I loved the DWD with the arielists and of course the wedge placement and closing the set with first tube was incredible. The slave encore was a perfect way to end four days of bliss-as always thank you phish for giving me the time of my life.

OK so before set 2 starts on NYE they release an Aud from 12.31.91 which in my opinion looks smoking. They could have worked out the run in such a way that this set list from 91 is repeated and I bet it would have met with praise from every phan everywhere. Like an anniversary show which would have taken no thought whatsoever.

I thought it was offdahook. Every single song was awesome...each reminded me of so many eras in my life. This entire four night run was complete in every way musically. Thank you Phish!

Even the worst NYE Phish show (which I feel last night was) is still more than you get with most bands.

Time to refocus in 2012 and get back to that band that melted minds (save for a few nights) last summer. To me that's Phish's brand: the unexpected deep end of spontaneous creativity.

By *that* standard, last night completely missed the mark...

Unsolicited suggestion for a new years resolution for Phish: resolve to never play Alaska when it's time for a deep dive.

Happy New Year!

first 3 nights standard on the couch (im assuming they were fun in msg) last night show was awesome.....slave ending was awesome....please do a west coast spring tour guys i can't wait til summer...

Magical.

It's not every day you feel the feeling that theres no where in the world you would rather be, but that happened for 48 hours to me this weekend. I will write a review once i get back now but happy new years everybody and i hope you all had a great run whether in the garden or on your couch!

-Tim (Timber) nickname courtesy of @BePhriendly92

Solid

**Complete Honest Review** (If you're very sensitive don't read)

Set 1:
AC/DC Bag - Solid Opener
Wolfman's - Solid
Scent - Fun
Stealing Time - Solid
Lawn Boy - Boring
Jibboo - Pretty Good
Farmhouse - Unusual, good placement
Pebbles and Marbles - Unusual, good placement
Ocelot - This version was good, don't really like the song though
Fluffhead - Best thing in the set

Overall I would give it an 7.5 for a 1st set.

Set 2:
Party Time - Solid Opener
Light - Possibly best Light of 3.0
Golden Age - Fun
Theme - Solid
Heavy Things - Played good, but bad placement
Ghost - Solid
Sally - Great Placement, played bad
46 Days - Awesome! One of the best 46 Days I've seen
Suzy Greenberg - Also very good

Overall I would give it a 9 for a 2nd set

Set 3:
Cavern - Solid Opener
Steam - Loved the gag, good jam in Steam
DWD - It was cool seing Trey and Mike in the air, the Jam shouldn't have been cut short though.
Wedge - Unusual, played good
Alaska - Awful placement, please don't play that in NYE 3rd set.
Wading - Awful placement, please don't play that in NYE 3rd set.
First Tube - It was good, but wasn't a set saver. Here's an analogy, If your baseball team is losing 10 - 1 in the bottom of the 9th, and your team gets a home run, great, but it's not going to get you a win. Thats what I though of the 1st Tube

E: Slave - Great

Overall I would give it a 3 for a 3rd Set.

That being said, fun show, bad 3rd set, and may be one of the worst NYE's in Phish's history, but I would do it again.

phish.net reviews are such bs... i hate to tell all you hippies this... i know its going to harsh your buzz and spread bad vibes around the .net... but get over it... This run was extremely weak. the first night was the best. which is kinda sad... im not saying i hate phish, i love em... ill see them forever. but part of loving something is being critical at times. and this is a time for criticism... sorry the8298bowie but its true. im sure they will play better in the future... but im not going to ignore a weak show just because im sooooo grateful to see phish at all... if the fans werent paying attention why would they push themselves to make their music great.

sure im "glad i got into the show" brah... but that doesnt mean im going to censor myself and act like it was a great run. phish pushes themselves because they know we, the fans, are paying attention... this whole site is devoted to the idea of critiquing the music. we all love it... when they play a run thats not great its not the end of the world or the end of the band,,, but we are going to talk about it... get over it. and btw... alaska? after midnight? really? if you all want to hold your tongue you can... but im going to be honest... thats a party killing song choice right there.