Phuck that, this show was simply spectacular from note 1 of the wink and a sly smile opening Garden Party to the ridiculously great final notes of one of the most beloved songs of its generation, Iron Man. Ozzy would give his left nut, if he hasn't already given it to the devil for prior deals made, to sing it as well as Page did last night.

With some minor exceptions here and there, I'd really like to hear/read from an ATTENDEE, who basically didn't have the time of their lives, if not only the year...:-wink/smile...last night at the world's most famous arena. This was stupid sharp, dope in every respect, once again paying proper homage and giving MAD props, in EVERY sense (and senses) back to those that love them. "A lover's love and not fade away...". Indeed.

This was a Phace-Phucking of the highest order, that's really all that needs to be said. No need to go into the blah blah blah of every song because on a night like this it was about the big picture and leave it to them to present it like no other band can. Rather IMHO, this was about leaving yourself open to the possibilities of what the circus bought with it when it rolled into town and doesn't the future look just a little bit brighter after last night's dazzling performance. Taken as a whole, this was five of the most glorious hours of my life. Phucking Phish wins. Again. Phucking A. Long live the gag!

And how 'bout that Fly Like A Eagle and Iron Man!

Peace,
Alex

Anyone calling Iron Man sloppy just doesn't appreciate things that are COMPLETELY FREAKIN' AWESOME.

The whole show kicked ass, but that was an epic end note.

Happy New Year!

I'm confused - @themindpilot definitely heard last night's show, with a second set oozing with Summer 2012-style jamming, and yet one big huge party show is leaving him "nervous"?

And, of course, this IS a big huge party show, far more tilted towards the goofy and joyous (if not particularly deep) fun of a NYE '91 or NYE '97 (which some folks seem to conveniently forget when bringing up The Ghosts of Christmas Run Past); comparing this to the Kansas Cities and Riverbends of the world seems entirely pointless, especially given the insanity of tonight's third set. Set 1's just a set, probably interchangeable with 12/29 or 12/30's first set, although I enjoyed the Mike's/Walk Away combo (Mike's was about as good as it's ever going to be in this incarnation of Phish), and you have to like that they got a lot of the "song" songs out of the way early on. Set 2 would probably be *infuriating* if they played it at any other show this year - not only was the Ghost/Piper/Light sequence, a guaranteed 45-50 minutes of kickass jamming normally, just barely 30 minutes here, but the jamming within was good enough (a relaxed groove in Ghost, a killer peak in Piper...well, Light was standard, but still) that you'd WANT that 45-50 minutes, and to not get it was a bit of a buzzkill. But, again, it's NYE, and it's a damn party, so you'll have to excuse them if they wanted to get things wrapped up a wee bit early for the 3rd set.

The third set, as you all know by now, is yet another example of how good Phish have gotten with gimmicks, and given the age bracket all four members have entered, focusing on golf (the ultimate middle age signifier, next to a fast car and a girlfriend 20 years younger) shows that Phish are still funny bastards. The Wedge had a neat little jam at the end, Fly Like an Eagle was an inspired debut that needs to come back in the future (don't tell me you don't hear jam potential there), and the encore was definitely sloppy but still funny as shit (and who honestly gives a crap if the ENCORE is sloppy?).

Think of it like this - there are 3 actual NYE shows that have passed into legend for their music, those being 93, 95, and 99 (maybe throw in 2011 or 1998 if we're being generous? 91 for sheer nostalgia?). Every other year has basically been a big old party, just like this one, and nobody feels the need to hold any of those years up to the standards set by the big three. There's no need to hold this show up to those (probably impossible to reach) standards, either. I bet everybody in that arena tonight had the time of their lives. I just listened to the show, and I might not be going back to this one too many times in the future, but it was still a damn lot of fun, and it sure as shit beat getting drunk at a party and passing out before the Times Square ball dropped.

The jamming really didn't start in earnest until Piper, and was sporadic from there, but it didn't matter. Great song selection and flow, particularly sets II and III.

Set III was a hilarious pun-filled party from beginning to end. Chaos everywhere.

Fly Like An Eagle was a nice treat, as was an a capella Lawn Boy and Iron Man encore with Page doing his best Ozzy.

Lots of fun. For the great jamming, grab 12-30.

Awesome run this year, something to love in each show, particularly the last two. Way better than last year.

Onward to year 30!

Awesome show! I'm sure someone will catch it soon enough, but it wasn't mentioned in the notes- all the songs after the gag were golf references, I.e sand bunker, pitching or sand WEDGE, Wilson brand, DRIVER IS A CLUB, etc.... Pure genius if you ask me. The boys still surprise me! Thank you for another great year!

I was not at this show and i haven't yet heard the whole performance. I'm writing this for one reason :GARDEN PARTY ! It's like this, Phish are my favorite band(BIG surprise huh) and not to get heavy but to be honest, my father played guitar in the Stone Canyon Band(Rick Nelson's band) from 1979-1985. They were a really close group and as tight as you can get on stage. Sadly, my father along with the rest of the band died in a plane crash on 12-31-1985. New Year's Eve for me has always been kinda "off" for that reason. Over the years i've felt that Rick Nelson and his band have been overlooked in the musical scheme of things. I was sitting at home on 12-31-2012 when a friend of mine messaged me that "Garden Party" was "HAPPENING" and a few minutes later he sent me the video. I can't even begin to tell you guys how great it made me feel, to know that my favorite band...honestly the best musicians i've ever heard acknowledging Rick Nelson and the Stone Canyon Band on that fateful night. It was a graceful eloquent rendition of a great song, now performed by two great bands (Stone Canyon Band and Phish) and now on New Year's Eve i will think of this moment and i will smile all day long!!! There is no way for Phish to know how much this one performance helped me and i'm okay with that but i'm going to say it anyway.... From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU PHISH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know if there's any real standout versions of anything, but this was a great show, beginning to end. IMO, the short but really really sweet jams cause it to play out like a well planned studio album; the energy never lets up and the playing was largely very-polished (aside from Iron Man, which was clearly just a fun cap to the evening and not a serious attempt at nailing a song down).

I would gladly suck the toes of this tweeprise until the sun goes down. The back up singers add a lot of flare and I think the band stepped up to push it into overdrive; its very theatrical, very beautiful. The Sandwedge is fantastic and Fly Like an Eagle fit snugly in the set and occupied a perfect spot for a debut.

Set three was a party for sure. Set two was a road trip. They covered a ton of jamming ground within the shorter-set time crunch. Ghost was very reminiscent of the 12/31/2010 edition, but didn't nearly reach its humongous peaks. Piper stole some people's lunch money for sure, with a killer and sudden build and release. The opening of 2001 was beautiful and a fun YEM closed out.

I was hoping Page would drop a few hints as to what the 30th Anniversary Year would hold during his pre-Iron Man speech, but I guess we'll have to settle for the mere acknowledgment for now. All in all, the band sounds as excited about 2013 as the fans, so onward and upward. Happy New Year .Net.

This occurred to me this morning....

MSG - Meatstick, Steam, Garden party

I love these guys

good show why waste your time saying that the weekapaug wasnt on fire. get a life

Not a review at all; just a comment....

Gave this show another spin this morning after seeing it live less than 12 hours prior and I have to say the second set was probably the most telling of what's to come for 3.0 phish. Which is to say - more pitch perfect short set lists and tight coiled jams that are smack-dad in the center of their collective wheelhouses. Now, I am in no way saying this show top to bottom or even the entire run collectively was perfect or epic, or the beckoning of a new era and that in some ways it is was a step back from Dicks...but there's a ton of really good things to take away from all 4 nights and the 2nd Set of last night specifically.

Sparing any analysis - that whole set has some segments that flow very well for any era. I've listen to a lot of phish and last nights Ghost->Piper (which had some hosey Trey/Page and several great full band moments) was as concise and satisfying as anything I have heard from them since the late 90s. That says to me there's a lot less bullshit noodling and effects posturing going on and a lot more creative structure and direction. There was very little to no wasted energy in that combo or in that 2nd set at large and that in itself is awesome and incredibly hard to do considering the occasion. So cheers to that and what that will lead to as they prepare for the next stretch of shows.

Overall these past 4 shows leaving me dreaming on the next tour I get to witness. Till the next....and happy new year.

I wonder, if when Trey wrote Kung, he envisioned last night's Chalkdust's runaway golf cart marathon. He was finally, after all these years, able to see his vision put to motion!

I was on my couch, & could not imagine anyone being there not having an absolute blast. I'd love to see the guy sulking in his seat toward the end of the show, complaining that s/he's heard better versions of Fly Like an Eagle, and "why to they have to make a joke out of everything."

This was one of those shows that you probably won't throw in because you want to hear the best Ghost-Piper ever, but if you're throwing a party, this show would be at the top of my list to put on.

And I gave this show a 4 simply because they didn't jam out Kung enough. That song was crispiest in `95.

In direct response to "pilotyourmind" -- t, or gtfo.

12/31/12 was a great show. The golf set was ingenious, clever without being over the top. Direct without being obvious, well played without being flamboyant. You want to criticize a "sloppy" Iron Man? FU - Phish played Iron Man to close NYE 2012... that is so bad ass. That you don't understand that, or appreciate it is a shame.

Personally, I called a Possum opener. And I still claim rights to this. Nobody could have speculated the golf set that was hinted at with Garden Party. First set was fun and energetic. Walk Away is a great Phish vehicle and demands that we pay attention. Alaska is coming into its town as a jam-tastic song. Give it a few more tours and you'll be begging for Alaska.

Set 2... if you just started listening to Phish in 2009, maybe you can't appreciate this set.

Set 3... give it time. This will go down as one of the most hilarious sets of all time. So creative and funny. Iron Man closer will always be epic.

You Enjpy Myself, first time played

"The lights dimmed a little after 8:30, and Phish took their places amongst the foliage. They started things off with Rick Nelson's "Garden Party," a first for the band, and a fun little welcome to the fans. "You can't please everyone, so you've got to please yourself," went the lyrics, and this was the mentality that Phish applied to the three-set show. Nelson actually wrote the song about being booed offstage at MSG for playing country music instead of his bread-and-butter '50s rock, but no one would be booing Phish offstage this night."

Read full review here:
http://drypaintsigns.blogspot.com/2013/01/phish-1231-review-garden-party.html

Fishman was killing it all night. Really impressed with his playing. Trey brought out the big guns tonight. He looked like he was having a great time. The best guitarist to walk the planet. Page side rage side was grooving. Mike certainly held down the fort and showcased his ability in YEM. Great night

no better way to spend my new years day toasted, streaming phish live from the madison square garden in a 40+ degree day in Syd.

Could not have asked for a better 60th show. Remove Silent Horse and it would have been perfect. Was by myself, not much different from my first show. Mike's > Walk Away > Groove was exceptional. Ghost through 2001 is bomb. Got the YEM I always look for. Set 3 is filled with songs I fuking love. Lost my shit during Fish's first notes of Iron Man. Phenomenal show.

So did anyone else see trey slip on the ping pong balls and fall? He slipped twice walking off before finally wiping out it looked like.

Not mentioned was Page's Caddyshack-yacht club-scene-like outfit and the I'm Alright walk out music. Maybe not the most jammed out but possibly the most fun I've had at a show. I thought most was well played and I'm a sucker for some of the non jammed songs like Rift and Silent. Jams were shorter but all high energy with some cool ideas being shared by band members And by the way, don't tell me you don't appreciate the lyrics to Driver. Was fun to dance to with my fiancé on NYE. By the way, Driver, Iron Man encore, if you called that you're talents should be utilized elsewhere.

yes

Best Wedge ever!

Finished up the Couchtour tonight.

Set I: A fun, but average set. First few songs kind of boring. I like hearing Sample for the Trey solo, but when paired with Rift and Alaska, I wasn't too interested. When Mike's came on I was really excited, but the excitement didn't last long. There was neither an exploratory jam (not expecting that), or a Simple (which I wanted). Walk Away is fun though, and my friend told me that Walk Away has never followed Mike's Song before now. Walk Away ends, and here's my second biggest problem with the night. The Weekapaug just seemed to be dropped in there, really forced for me. It also wasn't the best 'Paug I'd ever heard. The set took a turn for the better though with a really high energy Character Zero in which Trey was going absolutely wild. So that was really fun. 3/5

Set II: This was really a great set for me. Began with BoaF, which is a song I really love. A very well played version as well. Next came Ghost, which I was really hoping for tonight. First song of the night that was really jammed. A very nice jam. Good transition into Piper, which also is very well jammed. This moves into Light, which has been getting a lot of jamming this past year. Again, well jammed, but none of these songs were anything really, really special, like the Tweezer from night 1, or the DWD and Carini from last night. We move from light to 2001, which also (to be completely redundant) is very nicely jammed. Although none of these songs were incredibly good, the entire second set basically consisted of jammed songs, which made it incredibly enjoyable for me. The next two songs obviously were not jammed: The Horse and Silent in the Morning. I love Silent, and it was extremely well played and beautiful as always. I hear Trey count off and I know what's coming next. Sure enough, the opening arpeggio drops, and we are off into YEM. A great version to end a great, very jammy (although not really any type II) set. I really enjoyed the vocal jam in this one, and I'm not usually one to enjoy those very much. 4.5/5

Set III: The band comes out hitting golf balls, and Fish in a crazy donut golf outfit, which really made me laugh. They launch into Party Time, which was fitting. Next comes Kung, which I always get a kick out of. Chalk Dust is next, which I love. But now we get into the part of the night that was my biggest problem. I'll start off by saying that the golf cart race was really cool and really fun, but I still wish it had not existed. For me it was distracting. But that's besides the point, it was fun. What was not fun was having a bunch of random, seemingly untalented people running around the stage in faux-golf outfits, and then counting down into Auld Lang Syne. They were really distracting me, and took away a lot of the energy in what otherwise was an extremely high energy set. So that was annoying for me, but no matter. Still a lot of fun and a lot of energy. Of course, Tweeprise comes right after Auld Land Syne. I would have preferred it without the backup singers, but they were fine I guess. When the song ends and the lights go black I'm praying for all the random people to just get off the stage so we can get back to real Phish. And they do! We then begin Sand, which I think was the highlight of this set. A great groove, and a well played version. Next is the Wedge, which I love. A great transition from Sand also. Next is Fly Like and Eagle which isn't my favorite song, but really high energy so it was fitting. Then, the next most highlight, Wilson. Crowd was really into it, as was the band. Very fun. A barbershop quarter Lawn Boy, which was extremely amusing. Overall, a really high energy set, but I felt is was dampened by the golfer people, and sort of by the backup singers. I would've preferred straight Phish doing their thing. They don't need help generating energy. 3/5

Encore: Trey messed up Driver at the beginning, but that actually made it more fun. Then a great rendition of Iron Man, where Page absolutely killed the vocals, and the rest of the band did a great job. Really nice ending, although I would've preferred if they had ended with a Phish song. No matter, really fun ending to a really fun run of shows. 3.5/5

Overall, a fun show. Two average sets, and one great set (the second). It had a lot of jamming songs all in a row, which was really great. Last set could've been better, but was fun and high-energy anyway.

To put in some extra, unneeded opinion:

IMO, best show was 30th, then 28th, then 31st, then 29th.
Even though the run wasn't perfect, there were some absolutely incredible moments of Phish music. Each and every show was fun, obviously with some things standing out. I had an amazing time Couchtouring, and hopefully I'll make it to a show for real next year.

Thanks for reading.

Surprised that no one has mentioned Page's Encore costume; he even asked if anybody knew who he was. Iron Man, of course, but disguised with blazer, USS Nimitz naval cap, and golf club. He's Bob Hope, whose statue is on display across the the (now museum) USS Nimitz in San Diego .

I was in sec. 2 for this show and i raged my face off all night, from the opening note to the walk off music, as did every phan around me!!!! It was an amazing show. What a beautiful way to end/begin a year!!!! "They didn't play this! They shoulda jammed this!" Really? I was just happy to be there to see the greatest band in the world and rage with all my amazing friends!!!! Cant wait to see what this year brings!!!! Rage on phriends

Anyone who was ACTUALLY AT THIS SHOW that didn't have a great time should probably never go back. Seeing as though I only drink in moderation, no drugs anymore, I get off on the energy of the crowd/band. I have a completely different perspective then most fans and consider myself to have a better mindset to critique a show with. To say the energy for this show was through the Phucking roof is an understatement!!

I was at all 4 nights and there shouldn't even be a question as to which show was the best. I myself am an avid golfer so the fact they had a golf theme blew my mind. This NYE blew last years away and minus the hotdog in 2010 it blew that show out of the water as well.

70 shows later I can say Big Cypress was the best NYE/show I've seen compared to this one. I can't vouch for years prior to 1999 and know their were some NYE's that were up on the list but the amount of preparation and intricacies involved in pulling these recent NYE gags off tops any NYE's in the 90's.

I can't wait to see what antics the 30th Anniversary year brings!!

Pauly 7917 -- we are on the same page. Trey totally started playing Summer of 89 melody instead of Driver, & then stopped & started over.

Didnt the begIning of Driver sound like Summer of 89?

party time is an awesome song. the lawn boy was awesome. tweezer reprise was sick, i would love to have seen the looks of dissapointment on the sour faces in the crowd of these newbs who put up the negative reviews. just relax and have some fun!

Great show. The first set didnt have much to it though. I love roses r free and really really love 2010-2012 walk aways and like the Phish songs they chose but these were not particularly strong versions of anything in the first set. Fairly weak versions, in fact, of most of the songs in the first set compared to other versions. The second set was great Phish music and the third set was great Phish phun. Never got off on hearing Driver as much as I did with this one. What a wonderful spectacle. Such fun. 4/5 may be a little high because the first set was so flat but its a three set show and with such great moments in the last two sets I still give it a positive review. Having not missed a NYE concert since 1992 I can say its nowhere near the best NYE (1993) but also nowhere near the worst (2002 & 2011). They can take a mulligan on the first set, they aced the next two. Great wedge. Called wedge and lawnboy pre-show but couldn't possibly anticipate a sandwedge or a barbershop Lawnboy. Loved it.

Anyone who thinks this show wasn't straight up great just doesn't get it... and probably never will.
Being there, I can tell you that there were no sad faces leaving MSG last night (this morning)
They played their asses off!
Happy New Year to y'all
Happy 30th to Phish
Happy 20 years of seeing Phish to myself!

AWESOME end to a good run.

I think whoever wrote the notes on the show missed the "Joke" in the NYE encore description... Both songs were golf references. Obviously, a "Driver" is a type of club, but when Page went to the front of the crowd holding a "golf club", it was more accurately, I believe, a "three IRON"... hence his new nickname of "Iron Man".

3 fun filled sets that start with a Ricky Nelson cover & end with a fucking Sabbath cover? Whatever Yankees charge for tickets these days.
A totally rad & bitchin' year of Phish that ended with 2 shows full of great jams & a 30th year Anniversary that promises some supreme face melting? Whatever it's about to cost me to bring my 3rd kid in 29 years into this world! Just found out tonight, & maybe I should buy some fucking golf clubs!
See yall at Oak Mountain! Roll Tide!

This show was spot on perfect 3.0 phish. While the jamming could have been more far out I think this is exactly what the band is going for these days. lots of cool covers. tight jams and some funny shit thrown into the mix I had a great time.

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A couple of you named a few of the golfing references, but I'll just elaborate them all here (pretty much the whole third set):

Kung (obviously), Sand Wedge, Fly Like an *Eagle*, Wilson (brand golf balls-- Wilson branded golf ball on the jumbotron during this part), Lawn Boy (i.e. grass), *Driver*, *Iron* Man.

And these are a stretch that I heard others mention: Bird(ie)s of a Feather, *Par* *tee time*; but those are bullshit IMO.

Weekapaug Groove - (8.5/10) - This version has some subtle exploratory jamming mid-song and is played quite well. One of my favorite's from 3.0.

C-Zero- (9.0/10) High Octane lift to end the first set! Trey's first solo (E-jam) has some nice wawa action with some sweet hammer-ons towards the end. Trey dances all around the E major with some gorgeous E-G-A transitions. The lights interchanged between black and blues throughout giving this song some sweet eye candy.

BOAF - (8.0/10) Trey's watery wawa in this version adds some sleek sexiness to this song which had the audience grooving very "warmly" from start to finish. The lights dripped dark hues of blue and purple adding to the ambiance. At this point my friends and I looked at each other with ear to ear grins in anticipation for what was to come. I hear some subtle exploratory jamming for about 30 sec a third of the way through.

Ghost - (9.0/10) - This song smokes and has some fantastic interplay between Trey and Page. The Fender Rhodes complimented by Trey's choice of tone in the first jam was blissful. The

Surprised that no one has mentioned Page's Encore costume; he even asked if anybody knew who he was. Iron Man, of course, but disguised with blazer, USS Nimitz naval cap, and golf club. He's Bob Hope, whose statue is on display across the the (now museum) USS Nimitz in San Diego .

@CentralScrutinizer pointed out a mistake in my review: I meant NYE 2010, not NYE 2011. Sorry.

Ratherbeontour must be on drugs. Just to say that his critique is more valid than the rest of the phans who take drugs is ridiculously hilarious and moronic. What a piece of chest thumping self centered work that guy must be. And saying these antics like the golf and hot dogs are better than anything in the 90's is the least informed thing I've ever heard a fan say, mostly because his precious hot dog came from the 90's. And the 12.31.93 phishtank will never be surpassed as the best new years set and gag. And this show wasn't clearly the best of this run, the first set was very mediocre. I'd say all 4 shows were comparable with one another and each fan will have their own favorites because each show had it's amazing moments and it's dull ones. And of course this one blew last years away, last years was the worst new years eve concert they've ever played or perhaps the second worst (12.31.02 being the worst) The conceit and ignorance of some people astound me.

From Sand through Iron Man all had a golf themed title. That's why Phish is absolutely they best band in the world, they keep things fresh and fun everytime you see them. Can't wait until summer tour and hopefully a huge 30th anniversary fest!

Nice catch, goldphish! I wonder if any of the boys actually thought about that. I'm guessing not. Probably just one of those phishy coincidences we all love. Too cool though. Man, that Meatstick with all the different languages was the best... Phish rules...

Everything felt rushed....but the YEM was dope. Set III was fairly cool all in all. And the encore was awesome.....otherwise: pretty average.
I'll give it a 7/10.

Only real negative from the show was a brief moment of horror when my brain connected the golfing to retirement...

Page dispelled it for me, though, happily saying this was the beginning of Phish's 30th year and his 50th year. Let's go for 30 more!

Happy new year to all, hope to see you in... May? June?

one thing i would like to remind to those who might forget or not realize...
the whole thing that phish does(that ohmygod precision of energy and heights) is VERY dependent on the energy of the room. The energy of NYE after 10pm after a fair amount of attendees(including the 4 late 40's band members) have been at this for four nights(without a whole tour of practice and pacing) tends to droop a little. I felt it. I was fresh and ready to go, but when your in the minority of 18,000+ you tend to get left out of the gestalt. So i understand that this does tend to happen, NYE could be billed: two strong sets and a third wash of sound with pandamoniom on stage. But as long as you know thats the deal, it feels just fine. And remember there is only so much a band can do with a tired crowd.

NO one has mentioned it yet: what the fuck was up with that tweezer reeprise??(was there a tweezer from the run that really stood out?) or where they making a play at the impending ice age...it aint over till the skinny lady sings her ass off? in what turned out to be about 10 seconds of me thinking my ear drums were gonna pop or the roof was gonna cave in. and, in case you were wondering. the phish mind-fuck is still in working condition folks.

Almost as bizzare as the Tweeprise was that they didn't even get cheered back on for the second set..i mean seriously..trey even did a mock "im looking out in the audience to make sure your all still here" becuase the place was so damn silent. i did my best to hoot and hollar but it seemed that a strange majority was fine with quietly "expecting" them back to the stage. heathens i tell you

K, here is another theme from the showthat i personally was picking up on---vacation/retirement..(golf, sunbathing, phish TV saying "stay tuned", senior moment where the Driver in Trey's head just forgot to tell him what to do lol)..i felt it, i saw it, could of just been me but i wonder what the future years will bring for touring, etc. According to pages calculations, Phish just finished 30 years and Page is pushing 50...

and ok: Zero is a favorite and was the best one ive ever seen. Piper has never been at the top of my list, but won me over completely last night. And while this may sound strange to some, Driver was played very well. A song like that takes that nuance and space and I really thought that was one of the finest, sweetest versions ive ever heard. A perfect encore if you ask me. At that point the energy of the level in the room couldn't of handled and didn't diserve a high energy tune. The place needed the space and plus, Iron Man was up next...

FINally: TO me the true gag was page coming up at the end. It totally fooled me and I wonder how many others, still waiting to hear details on how and when he switched out of the board-cave he lives in onto center stage, but it got me..(im thinking tom marshall maybe, had no clue really...etc)and then singers iron man, which is of course an ozzy nod and a golf pun, but also a nod to Page as the most solid, grounded being in the foursome. just awesome. TO me the rest of the gags were just to seem big enough to really pull that final prank at the end.."How many of you know who i am.. no im not tom hanks.." hahah!

A good night all around. I had fun. Garden Party was a dream(literally) come true.

I rate this show a 5 out of 5. Because I achieved ecstasy and insight and revelation. Becuase of synchronicity and the interlocking of 18,205 souls and minds and bodies in a pool of light and liquid dreams. Becuase Phish is so damn practiced they always know where to go and how to get there. And we get to collectively take the ride.

Happy Year of the Snake to you all!

I wasn't there and I watched the webcast and honestly I had a pretty miserable New Year's (not Phish related - just stuff that never gets resolved). Phish was definitely the high point for me on a low night. Even so, I'm probably not going to do this for New Year's again. I'll get the webcast and watch it another day.

Anyway, my impression was that the gag was probably a lot more fun in New York and I have no way of evaluating it objectively. The spectacle of the gags has to be enjoyed first-hand to be totally appreciated. That's just the way it is. As it goes, I'm not a golfer, but I thought it was still pretty funny. It definitely was not what I expected.

With respect to expectations, I definitely did not expect more than the night before musically (12/30 - especially the 2nd set - was one of the best shows of the year and probably in the top 20 for Phish 3.0).

12/31 first set felt a bit rushed and had two great moments for me: Character Zero (which SMOKED) and Alaska (which didn't hit Ocelot levels from the night before, but was at least pretty interesting). I'm pretty ho hum on the rest of set 1.

Set 2 had some good shit though. Ghost through 2001 was fine Phish and almost hit the level of the night before. It's sure nice to hear a good Piper. I would have been pretty happy to see that live. Yes, I would have enjoyed *more* jamming and some Type II stuff thrown in (Ghost seemed like it wanted to go there as did Piper), but time was limited by the upcoming set so there was a physical boundary. Oh well.

12/31 had some distinctive moments aside from the gag (I though Kung was pretty cool in the gag, Sand about average for Sand (good), and I thought the Fly Like an Eagle space jam could have put it right over the top - missed opportunity). Solid 3rd set.

In any case I totally enjoyed the run and I thought 12/31 was a good show. My rank would have been 12/30, 12/29, 12/28, 12/31 in the jamometer (best to worst), but they were all pretty decent shows. You are lucky if you were there.

Did anyone else feel like Trey stopped Driver as to be like "haha got you guys, we're just kidding. We wouldn't play this slow boring song for an encore" I thought it was hysterical, 'till they actually did play it.

I was in the building all 4 nights and most reviews on here are pretty spot on. Last night was great, fun, awesome time and me and all my friends were able to sit together up top which was cool. The show coulda been a lil more groove based or inprovisational but still a great time. I think i had almost unrealistic hopes after the 30th, whih had to be the best night of the run. Like 1 commentor said, i wasnt nuts about the golf gag either. Its funny i dont feel comfortable conplaining about a show right after cause i dont wanna put a damper on anyones mood but I did leave slightly disappointed, which definitly is not to say i didn't have a great time, just slightly let down, only slightly.
All 4 nights i found a trend of the band hitting its hard rocking climactic crescendos only to melow out a lil too soon. Was hoping they coulda kept the energy up a lil longer at times, and DEFINITLY wish 2001 was a good 10 minutes longer.

All in all great run with no bad shows but **tweezer, DWD, carini!! Fuhgedaboudit!!

A fun show.

1st set. There was mention of the lack of transition from Walk Away to Weekapaug and the same can be said for the Mike's>Walk Away. I thought there was clear Tweezer Reprise jamming in the Walk Away but it's not mentioned in the show notes.

2nd set. Nothing spectacular but enjoyable. I liked Mike's work in the B+D segment of YEM. I thought they were going to take Ghost further but they stuck to their game plan. 2001 was short but well played.

3rd set. More fun. Little People Big World ringing in the New Year atop a golf cart. The Wedge was solid as was Fly Like an Eagle.

Encore-They played Iron Man. How can you not love that?

Overall, the show wasn't what I would call memorable, but definitely a fun one. It'll be interesting to seeing the touring schedule for next year. I really would like to see some more indoor shows played. Mini Spring and Fall Tours would allow for that of course. There's got to be some buildup to that 12/2/13 30th anniversary show right?

It's been almost a decade since, but i was wondering if anyone had mentioned this in their review so I read almost all of these and didn't see it- I'm 2012% sure Trey botched the beginning of Driver on purpose because lots of people play golf using what's called a mulligan. Which means when the golfer tee's off (using a driver or any other club) and hits a bad shot, the golfer can take their mulligan (typically only 1 is allowed per 18 holes when ya play with friends, and you can only take a mulligan when you tee off), and rehit their drive.
I'd love to know if Trey did this...

Set 1: This show was great right from the get go. I actually knew Garden Party (did not know the backstory to the song until after this), so that was cool to start things off with. The obligatory Possum was relatively run of the mill, but was high energy as always, so definitely was fun to hear and got me dancing from the beginning of the show. Roses are free is probably my favorite cover that Phish does regularly, so that was cool to hear, although again, relatively nondescript. Sample was meh, but I've never been that big of a fan of that song, but Alaska picked things right back up and gave way to one of the best Mike's Grooves I've ever heard, certainly the best I've ever heard live. The standard Character Zero closed the first set and was, if anything, a little higher energy than usual.

Set 2: BOAF and Ghost were stellar, high-energy, starts to the second set. Then the rest of set 2 literally melted my face clean off my body. I almost shat myself during Piper, was able to rest up a *little* during Light, and then 2001 was just perfectly timed and awesome to hear. Silent is always a special song for me, because I walked down the aisle to it at my wedding, and I was at this show with my wife, so that made the night even more special. One of the top 10 YEMs I've ever heard closed set # 2.

Set 3: I could have done without the set 3 opening Party Time, but I quickly forgave as I finally got the Kung I had been wanting for a long time, lol. And then...what will ring in 2013? A mindfucking Chalkdust that blasted the few remaining pieces of face that I had left. Running on all cylinders, the boys jammed out the entirety of the 3rd set, including ending the show with 7 consecutive golf-themed songs which was cool, and the midget on top of the golf cart to count down the new year just really was the icing on the cake. Great show, great jamming, had an amazing time, and I can't wait to see them up in Saratoga in July!!

I have been a fan for over twenty years with this year marking 20 years of live Phish. My first show was Spac 92 opening for Santana. After 10 years off from seeing Phish live, in my 40th year I decided to see how they were doing. I caught the Spac finale, and then the Dicks finale, and was fortunate to see all four at MSG in grand fashion. I would like to say that after 30 years Phish is still the most exciting, dynamic, and creative bunch of musicians that we have had the honor to see over 30 years. Thank you Phish for one hell of a Garden Party. I am glad you did it the way you wanted, it was a fun run.

There are a million critics and everyone has an review or opinion of every song, set, show. There is an expectation that the band has to deliver on every note or the show is a bust. That band lays it down every night and they are having a blast again. As fans, lets just enjoy that, it is not hard. I saw some magical moments in 2013(Dick's Sand-Ghost-Piper was the jam of the summer, hands down) and I am pumped to see what happens in 2014, 30 Years, Wow. How time flies when you are having fun.

Thanks again Trey, Mike, Page, and Fish. Nice work. Happy Anniversary.

Eric

Ok... let me first get something straight. I was not at this show. I was not at any of the shows of the run. (unfortunately). I was at a new years party at a friends house during this show. At this party was a friend of mine who helped turn me on to Phish. Him and I were always on our phones, checking the setlist so far. So even by just doing that, I felt the extreme vibe of energy radiating all the way from MSG in New York at this show. I felt like I was there; that's how good I felt about it.

The Garden Party at the beginning was a funny little gag... as soon as I saw that they had played that, I was like "woah, this is gonna be different." In a completely good way.

And then Possum came. Always a good opener of a show, so I thought of Garden party as kind of an overture, a prelude to the fantastic night that was about to come. But this possum had killer energy.

And when Roses are Free came, my friend said, "Man, do I love Roses are free." and Im like "so do i." I absolutely lovvvveeeee this song.

Rift = great. Sample = the song that got me into phish. Great. Alaska is a good song... I enjoyed watching that later on YouTube.

The Mike's Groove that follows isn't the best ever... but still maintained that energy that carried throughout the show. And a nice character zero really wrapped the first set up well. But the real fun hadn't even started.

Birds of a feather... wow! Don't hear that song that much these days. But it made for a great set 2 opener. This Ghost was, for me, one of the low points of the evening. It is a good song, but something just seemed sort of "off" about it tonight. And the piper that followed had a pretty good jam segment to it, even though I am not such a big fan of the song itself. And then Light. A great 3.0 jam song. And it's smooth slide right into 2001 was incredible. Always love to hear 2001. And the horse>silent was a nice addition to an average set.

And then here comes a YEM. Let me tell you a story about this yem. I have a friend who is best friends with Page McConnell's daughter. As a result, she got free backstage VIP passes to this show. I was soooooo jealous. So i asked her to request a yem tonight for me. I don't know if she ever got around to it, but the band played it anyway. So, even though it was kind of average, I will always feel something special about this YEM, like it's "my Yem".

The second set ends, and the third begins. About 25 minutes before midnight, the band comes out hitting golf balls into the crowd, followed by Fish in a donut-themed golf outfit. I am beginning to love this NYE gag. (btw, Trey had some good strokes in there.) And then they start up Party Time. Great way to kick off the best set of the show. This is getting me very excited for the fun soon to come.

Kung. Kung! WE CAN STAGE A RUNAWAY GOLF CART MARATHON!!!!!!!!!! I am literally jumping up and down watching the show on youtube a few days later. Chalk dust, and then, the countdown begins: 10! 9! 8! 7! 6! 5! 4! 3! 2! 1! HAPPY NEW YEAR! What a great way to begin 2013. Auld lang syne starts up, and it makes me so happy to hear these guys, 30 years into their career, pouring their hearts into this song. Then Tweezer reprise with backup singers. So much fun. And then the Golf songs start. Sand, The Wedge, Fly like an Eagle (Please, phish, continue to play this song live regularly), Wilson, and an acappella Lawn boy are incredible. Then the encore, and everybody leaves happy. What a great NYE show.

Haters may hate. They may say there is not enough jamming and disjointed setlist picks. But who cares? It's phish. The band we all know and love, playing their hearts out in one incredible NYE show. What more can we ask for?

Good Times!!! 95 was the year that fish got the cut. Loved the Kung gag

This is the best show top to bottom since the reunion outside of the (F)uck your face show. No question. This was my 20th and best show ever attended. Not a dull moment. Teasing gamehendge up the ass. On to the Glen

I also loves the between set golf play. Does anybody remember which New Year's Eve show it was where Fishman got his haircut on stage in between sets? Was it 1994? I can't remember which year it was but I remember loving it when it was happening.

Did boymangod just ask of they played a good tweezer this run? Guess you missed 12/28, had a great tweezer. What do you mean "what is up with the tweezer reprise?" I don't think anybody was wondering whats up with it. It was expected by everybody in the room.
And KungPow, trey slid down more than he slipped. He tried to slide down on his feet and the second time he intentionally slid down on his ass. I was front row right corner of sec 108 and he anticipated sliding on it and went to slide on it more than he slipped and fell.

This was a fun show. Opening with Garden Party was a nice surprise. I give the show overall a 3 out of 5. Again, not a great show, but a lot of fun.

Sorry!! TAKE BAKE THE GHOST COMMENT!
wish i could edit the review.. anyways, just saw the set list a little clearer and realized that ghost is what i missed when i was driving during set break and by the time i got the stream back at my house on they were mid jam. my bad!

I believe i heard a birds tease from trey in Piper!

Show had its ups and downs... I just hate the downs! lol

Happy New Year everyone.

Welp it looks like they should have saved the Show of Life Encore for tonight after all. At least they know how to rock that and instead of giving us a botched driver and sloppy iron man...

Where the hell is the big ol' Ghost???

No where to be found.

IDK what to think. I was there on the 28th and i could swear they were back after 3 months and on fire! but then why does it fizzle by 3 nights later?

they be makin' me nervous