Well this show had a lot to live up to from night one and at the get it was aiming for the stars. Back on th Train was for me and my wife who had not seen the band in over four years because of the pandemic and having two kids. Then shit got down with disease like nobodies business. I clocked it at 18 minutes and it did not disappoint until Trey decided to jettison the song and feed it to the dogs. There was some sort of loop in the dogs that was like growling and metal grinding together and I thought my wife was gonna leap from our fake aisle seats and rip someone’s head off.

The rest of set one had huge shoes to fill compared to the previous night and unfortunately it was like amateur hour in comparison. While the band tried to achieve lift off, no song quite elevated but as Moonage Daydream drew to a close Kuroda’s light rig nearly smacked me in the face and the syncopation of the strobes transported me to setbreak.

Set 2 decided that I was gonna go for the jugular. The band dusted off the setbreak tightness with The Wedge and then Fuego took us to Elysium. Spanning 30 minutes, this Fuego secured its spot in the jam charts with a sonic brilliance that puts any question of this bands relevance to rest.

Just when I thought I could call this night a success, Wingsuit came in and made me realize that I am in love with this song. While it didn’t go far the 10 minute set two catalyst just brought the pain. From here the set could have fizzled and I would have still found satisfaction but 2001 decided it would play reverse negative to its earlier visage and go straight for the jugular. No slow build here but once the build happened the band went interstellar deciding not to close the loop on this bad boy.

What happened next is stuff of legend. A sparkly Fishman takes center stage for a cracklin Rosie bust out and then the band reminds me that I will always remember where I was when THAT happened.

Simple delicate farmhouse first tube encore and I find myself at the halal stand trying to make heads and tales of the night.

So it didn’t get the treatment like Friday. But, this was one that on paper might cause some head scratching but to anyone’s ear was top notch Phish, still destroying America, 40 years later.

Mahalo and Namaste

Wanted to quickly add a note about the vibe regarding the collective energy in garden last night. At one point in 2001 the entire place erupted akin to an old school glow stick war (but there wasn’t one glow stick in sight) and I looked around to try to see what was driving the uproar and it was just a bellow of excitement that was emanating from every goddamn soul in the place. It was like a care bear stare from the masses that crescendoed and peaked…and was the culmination of excitement that was coursing through the arena all night.

Also shout out to my new friends from Queens and Manchester New Hampshire. A wonderful little pocket of energy in section 1!!

At this point the bar has been set so high at MSG over the years that anything less than transcendent often feels open to criticism. I agree with another reviewer that the show started off quite strong but took a bit of a dive once the Dogs began barking through the PA. Maybe I liked it, maybe I didn't. Still can't decide.  But aside from a well played Bug which always sounds incredibly big in MSG, the next segment all the way up to Moonage didn't quite get me to where I was hoping to go on a raucous Saturday Night.  Fun readings of Horn and Foam are always welcomed, but it was really Moonage that lifted the set and brought the fire back into the building and set us up for the 2nd frame. The Wedge caught me by surprise a bit.  I have grown so accustomed to the 2nd set opener long being a monumental jam vehicle that I raised my eyebrow a bit when they eased into Wedge.  However, it was pleasant nonetheless. And then we get Fuego. And we're off!  Worth a listen for sure. If size matters it had both length and girth and definitely delivered. That was legit. Oblivion and Wingsuit? Okay. Not bad. Not great.  But 2001 actually was great and had some sizzle in it for sure.  The rest of the set was all pretty solid and the crowd seemed to be in full rage mode for most of it.  It was a strong finish without question. In summary I would say this was a very solid show.  Song choices definitely had an impact on the evening for me, but that's just my opinion.  The fire was there.  The jams were there.  The crowd was there.  It was all there.  But somehow I left feeling like there could have been more.  With so many incredible shows over the years to go back to at MSG I'm probably not burning this date into my mind for anything other than that Cracklin' Rosie bit for when I need a good chuckle. Overall it was a very good show. But I'm already onto the next.  It's Sunday.  It's the 30th.  It's MSG. The weather is perfect. The boys are warmed up.  If I were asked to pick a night to be the one....tonight could very easily be my pick. But you never know.  And never knowing is what has kept me coming back decade after decade. Enjoy the show.

God damn this band fucks. These setlists are exciting and I love how the vibe behind these MSG shows just being a completely different tour from the first leg.

This shit is EXCITING as hell. And I am so proud to have been loving this band for so long. Who cares about setlists, I hope they play whatever the absolute fuck they want. I feed on the tears Vultures.

Oh, Doopes, fellow reviewer, I’m sorry to hear that you consider most of the show to be a bathroom break.

Let’s talk about these “bathroom break” songs.

The Dogs and Sugar Shack are becoming rarities, and I was happy to hear both of them. Trey played the Sugar Shack solo pretty well.

Evolve is my favorite Lonely Trip song. This one had the most improvisational legs it’s gotten since the 10/17/21 version. After over a year without an Evolve, we’ve gotten three this tour. My ears are blessed. For others maybe not, but I don’t care. Go piss if you have to.

Oblivion is probably the best of the new songs from the tour, and while it didn’t get the Syracuse treatment, I wasn’t expecting it to after a 30 minute Fuego.

Wingsuit is a great cooldown. Placed perfectly here. Also becoming rare, makes me appreciate it that much more when it does show up.

The rest of the show speaks for itself.

Missed last night but just coming in on this one blew my mind. Energy in the garden I haven’t felt since 2017. That Fuego is an all timer, honestly the whole 2nd set is worth your time. Classic example of a show that looks one way on paper but feels totally different when you listen. They are energized like you wouldn’t believe, the excitement of the crowd and the sheer fun the band is having right now is shaping this run up to be something really special. There’s nothing like phish MSG, no live experience you can have that equals this band in that room. Sure set one had some strange choices and there’s a hyhu rip chord in the middle of an unbelievable 2001 jam but it’s Saturday and the 2nd night of the run. For show #2 out of 7 you get a phenomenal 30 minute Fuego and a 20 minute disease in the first set not to mention some great new stuff, creative playing, and unmatched energy. Oh and that is one absolutely beautiful bug if that’s your cup of tea. GREAT show, don’t miss what might be the best Fuego ever played. Solid stuff all around

SET 1:

Back on the Train: Thought this was played with a ton of energy and played well in general. Great selection out of the gate. >

Down with Disease: Good version for sure. Nice peaks that start around the 12 and half mark and then really ramp up in a big way around 13 and a half and then effects take over the rest of the jam around 14:20 until it eventually peter out about 4 minutes or so later. Another big jam in the two slot of the first set to follow the pattern set up by A Wave of Hope the previous night.

The Dogs: Standard.

Bug: Dedicated to Jovie.

Sugar Shack: This has been tough for Trey in the past. He must have practiced this one a good bit as it sounded great. Not a big fan of this tune but recognize the challenges associated with playing it. Bit of a bustout here as LTP was 8.14.22 which was a 34 show gap.

Evolve: Standard.

Horn: Definitely a bust out here as this was LTP exactly one year ago to the day, a 45 show gap. Well played. >

Foam: Very well played, my hat is off to the whole band and especially Trey. Tough tune to play. They did it justice for sure. They have been practicing.

Moonage Daydream: Absolutely crushed. This was spectacular. Hope I get to see this in person someday. I bet this brought the house down!

SET 2:

The Wedge: Page comes in with the lyrics a measure too soon.

Fuego: Total powerhouse jam. Front to back and top to bottom. Pretty unreal that the band in their 40th can pull off a comprehensive 30 minute jam that has no filler. Obvious all timer right here. Replay value for days, highly recommended. >

Oblivion: Very upbeat jam outside of the Trey reverse reverb/backwards effect going on in the 6 minute range. This version seems more on par with the debut at Huntsville. Syracuse and Wilmington are the best versions so far. >

Wingsuit: Standard. >

Also Sprach Zarathustra: Crowd goes nuts after the first jam, very impressive – place was on fire. My Pet Cat tease in second section. Brief, cool jam that is outside the normal 2001 box around 6:15 or so. They forgo the second climax to segue neatly into… ->

Hold Your Head Up > Cracklin' Rosie > Hold Your Head Up: Fishman has a tough time with the lyrics, lol.

Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S. – Standard.

ENCORE:

Farmhouse: Standard.

First Tube: Standard.

Summary: This show is obviously anchored by that monster Fuego. I give the band points for some risk taking with some complicated tunes that they executed well in the first set. Down with Disease was cool. That peak in 2001 must have been awesome to witness. I would rate this as a 3.9/5.

Replay Value: Down with Disease, Fuego.

It was HOT on the NYC streets pre-show, which seemed to lead to less congregating around the Garden - phans made their way swiftly inside. A local with a Nazi skull ring told me he owned the corner of 33rd and 8th and to shove off with my attempted sticker sales. Other than that run-in, the vibes were high and there was still chatter about the previous night's 'Melt.'

Got to see the show from Sec 1 which has to be my favorite place in the building. Perfect sound, you get to see Kuroda at work, and the light display is laid out in all its glory. Great row-mates - a crew of young guys, one of which was seeing his first show with zero expectations. It was really fun to see the night through his eyes. Fist bumps all around.

BOTT got us grooving and felt very appropriate having spent the day on the train down from Maine. A very nice Disease which was surprising in the 2 slot and brought me memories of the Bangor Disease, the last show I'd seen over a year ago. 'The Dogs' was rockin' per usual - would love to see it as a blistering jam platform as opposed to a set piece. I must confess that I rarely seek out any of the 'Thrilling Chilling" material.

A great 'Bug' for Jovie - don't know how this is considered a bathroom break tune with it's white lights, fist pumping anthem... I'll never complain about hearing it. Sugar Shack and Evolve definitely sapped some energy from the room, for me at least. SS is a fun, bouncy tune but Trey often stumbles with the solo - he managed to make his way through this one mostly unscathed. Whether SS or 555 or other Mike tunes of that ilk, I generally find them to interrupt setlist flow, and they don't tend to appear in any of the EPIC shows. It is what it is. I'm happier to hear them in the context of MGB.

Horn, a tune many consider another opportunity to head to the concourse, is a special treat for me always. It brings my back to the days of listening to Rift on cassette - Trey's solo melody is IMO one of the more beautiful written parts of the early Phish canon, alongside melodies found in Golgi, Divided Sky, and the Lizards. The 1-2 combo into Foam brought a decidedly old school feel, and I literally jumped for joy finally catching the elusive tune for the first time in my 27 years of seeing the band. Worth the price of admission!

Moonage to close the set and good lord, the energy level was through the roof. I have not been particularly impressed with previous versions I've heard them do - this was the best yet, to my ears... just blazing. The Garden went absolutely bonkers. Hell of a way to cap off a set. The guy who was catching his first show said "Ok, I get it now!!" and was glowing with sweat and a smile.

Set 2 -

The Wedge also has its detractors but its another favorite of mine. For the guitar players out there - have you ever tried to solo over the jammed part of Wedge? It takes a lot to wrap your mind around the progression - very challenging stuff! For me, the tune transports me back to the Went and the huge cheer going up with the line "Limestone blocks so large..."

Fuego was bananas. I can't really review it without a proper re-listen, but it reminded me of the 12/30/19 Tweezer with all of the different themes and moods that it moved through. Must be a longest-ever version of the tune, and an instant entry into the jam charts and probably a JOTY candidacy.

Oblivion is my favorite of the new material - it feels so comfortable right out of the box, like its been in the catalog longer than a month. I expected that it was going to go DEEP and that we would be looking at a 4-5 song set, but I think they covered so much territory in Fuego that there was less to say with Oblivion.

Some audible disappointment when Wingsuit began, but then we were all swept up into its crystalline beauty. I've had its theme running through my head all morning. It's such a gorgeous composition, though I could do without the "Cuz it feels good" lyrics.

2001 is something I hope for at any and every Phish show as I am, first and foremost, a fan of the Cow Funk. When the first theme was complete and they dropped into the jam segment, the crowd began to roar... and Roar... and ROAR and it just got louder and louder until it was almost deafening - the collective crowd energy in that moment was such raw, goosebumpy power - I wonder if it will be noticeable on the SBDs. Bonkers! As the official reviewer commented, this 2001 had legs - big time - visions of a huge version a la the Vegas numbers show danced in my head, but then the beat cut out - whoa... what? Had this ever happened before? I couldn't think of any version I'd ever heard where the beat stopped but the jam continued... My row mates and I were all mystified and then cheers and laughter broke out as the HYHU theme began, with Trey beaming over at Jon, as if they were getting a good one over on him by forcing him to do his schtick. And a schtick he did.

Henrietta took center stage with two giant cymbals, one with a taped-on letter B, the other similarly taped with 'AH' spelling 'BAH'. If there was a reference there, I missed it. But Trey hopped on drums and then began...Cracklin' F'ing Rosie. We laughed, we sang along at the top of our lungs... Glorious Phish weirdness at its best. Afterwards Trey joked something to the effect of 'Anyone seeing their first show, that's all we've got" which of course led to more fist bumps with our row mate getting his initiation.

Santos closed the frame and brought me back to standing in that same section, watching Trey and Mike suspended in their silver space suits a few NYE's ago. I will definitely always remember where I was.

As we waited for the encore, first-show guy says "Watch them come out and play Farmhouse!" Everyone laughed. I think it was the only tune he knew coming in. And then they did. We lost it. More fist bumps. As Farmhouses go, this was a really beautiful, contemplative version... My other row mate called First Tube to close and bang, 2/2 calls made by row 17. Super high energy version, as they all are, but the ending was just an explosion of light, color and sound, as Kuroda blitzed our eyes with a grand finale of light show fireworks and Trey held the 'Doc aloft.

Back out onto the NYC streets - the fan vibe seemed to be that we had left it all on the floor and gave the band all the energy we had. I like walking away from the venue - the further you go, the fan base peters out until they are all left behind, and the only the city remains. Tonight, a Sunday show awaits....

I completely forgot to add in my previous posts that we are getting a lesson in Phish Quantum Garden Mechanics, a theory first theorized and tested by Moses Dewitt while dabbling into alchemy at a young age. Dewitt espoused that:

ph = m[sup]2[/sup]g

He was unable to stress test this theory during his lifetime but certain amateur physicists have aimed to prove this theorem and I am certain the calculation holds up. We will have to wait and see what the rest of the run produces. If anyone attending the rest of the run can help keep the experiment going, it would go a long way for science.

On July 29th, 2023 I woke up in my Manhattan hotel room at 7:30am with the previous night’s Phish show still ringing softly in my ears.  Though I had no reason to wake up early there would be no sleeping in for me.  My inevitable early rise was due to a) the ninety minute time difference between NYC and NL that was still freshly tugging at my inner cuckoo clock, and b) feline conditioning (which is to say, on those rare occasions when my cat isn’t meowing me awake by 7:30 I wake up anyway and lie there wondering if he died in the night).  

I managed to sneak myself out of the room without rousing m’lady and went downstairs to check out the free breakfast.  It was nothing to write home about but it sure beat the hell out of their free Happy Hour, which I had experienced the night before.  After making my way back upstairs laden with an armload of absconded coffees and muffins m’lady and I ended up spending the bulk of the day lounging lazily in our tiny hotel room.  It wasn’t until the late afternoon that we finally ventured out into the New York City bustle, when we hit the sidewalk and aimed ourselves towards some bar that was hosting a Phan Art expo.

Along the way we stopped in at a dramatically flamboyant bar called Oscar Wilde’s.  The place was an absolute feast for the senses, with animatronic flowers winking from the ceiling, huge white rabbits scattered around, and general craziness at every turn of the head.  We met some friends there and had a few drinks and even more laughs, although we soon ducked out on the growing crowd of acquaintances so we could check out that Phan Art thing, which turned out being pretty lame.

Then it was off to another bar - this one called American Whiskey - where even more friends and laughs awaited.  NYC Phish shows are great for this sort of thing.  During the hang m’lady and I slowly grazed through a pound of wings and finally it was off to the Chase Lounge, which is inside Madison Square Garden itself.

We arrived to find the Chase Lounge was closed to the public until 7pm because of a Waterwheel thank-you party.  That was only ten minutes away so we lounged outside the Lounge until then.  When we got in we learned that the Chase Lounge wasn’t offering free anything on this evening so m’lady and I bailed and grabbed a pair of delicious spicy chicken sandwiches at a rather famous kiosk inside MSG called Fuku.  After poking around for a comfortable place to sit we decided to go back to the couches in front of the Chase Lounge and we ate them there.

And thus concludes our pregame activities.

For each of the five nights we’d be seeing Phish during this MSG run we were sitting in completely different areas of the arena, which offered five wholly different concert experiences.  And none so different as where we sat for this show: The Skybridge.  

Ten years earlier Madison Square Garden had undergone a renovation that resulted in the Skybridge, two thin strips of bleachers (total capacity: 900) that are suspended from the ceiling of the cavernous venue, dangling ninety-four feet above ice level.  Our tickets were near the middle of the Skybridge in the front row of, was it maybe four rows total?  We got to our seats just a few minutes before the show began and I was really impressed with how unique a vista the Skybridge offered of The World’s Most Famous Arena.  We were essentially up in the rafters, and the only thing between our seats and the open air was a chest-high pane of ultra-clear glass, making it seem like we were almost floating up there.

Unfortunately, just before the lights dimmed to start the show I happened to cast a glance over that pane of glass and straight down onto the crowded floor directly below me.  Craziness.   

Now, if I am in an enclosed area then I am not afraid of heights in the least.  But get me on an open balcony or a Ferris wheel or anywhere else where I could conceivably succumb to a momentary impulse to jump and, well, I just get the willies.*  

So when the band kicked into Back on the Train to start the show I was gripping the top of that pane of glass pretty tightly and keeping my dancing footprint small.  I soon succumbed to my nerves and spent most of the first set sitting firmly in my seat.  Fortunately with that glass reaching all the way to the floor I still had a good view of the band (and more importantly, Chris Kuroda’s light show).  It sort of felt like being on couch tour, only live.  However, it was from this view that I realized that each pane of glass was completely independent from the others (or anything else); none of them were connected to anything except the thin brace that attached each pane of glass to the floor.  Well now, that didn’t look very sturdy.

Midway through the set I cast a glance to my left and saw a young usher casually leaning backwards into one of these freestanding squares of glass.  Whenever someone came to the section he jumped up the steps and checked their tickets before returning to his spot and flopping back against the glass without a care in the world.  And to my absolute horror, whenever he did this that pane of glass would flex a good inch or two backwards.  It totally unnerved me, and to this day it turns my stomach to picture it.

The dude sitting behind us was super-nervous.  He told me he was going to bail for the second set and try to find somewhere else - anywhere else to sit.  

Personally, I was much better during the second set.  Dude did indeed bail, which afforded us a little extra room.  I’m not sure if not drinking during the show helped or hindered, but I didn’t, and I managed to remain standing up for most of the set.  I still kept my dancing to a minimum, but it was another pretty jammy show, so I didn’t really have to rein in my booty very much.

It was pretty unique to see the light show from the Skybridge, though obviously not as good as seeing it straight-on like we had on the first night.  I was excited when Phish played their cover-of-a-cover 2001, as the song always gives light-guru Chris a chance to shine but as cool as it was, I’m sure it would’ve been better with a straight-on view.

I did notice that CK5 was controlling the venue’s house lights that ring the 200 level entryways.  I was pretty sure that he hadn’t been doing that the night before, or perhaps he had and it was just my bird’s eye view that allowed me to notice them on this night.  Either way, over the ensuing days I noted that he incorporated the house lights into his repertoire for all of the remaining shows.

The band encored with Farmhouse and then First Tube which, together with the previous night’s Good Times, Bad Times encore fuelled a rumour that the theme of this MSG run was going to be in the encores.  After ending the first night with one “G” song and the second with two “F” songs, clearly they were going to encore the third show with three “E” and next with four “D” songs etcetera, until they would finally close out the seven-night run with a marathon encore of seven songs that begin with the letter A.  

Spoiler alert: they didn’t.

Just like the night before, by the time the show was over so were m’lady and I.  With a repeat of my first paragraph (see above) surely in the cards, we once again bee-lined it back to our nearby hotel room and dove straight into bed.

*I remember the first time it happened too.  My buddy John had a La-Z-Boy balanced atop a stack of milk crates out on the balcony of his 12th floor apartment so he could enjoy unimpeded views over the railing.  When I climbed up into that chair for the first time I experienced a gut-twisting urge to jump that persisted until I retreated back inside his apartment.  Ever since then I get the same feeling (to varying degrees) every time I am high up and unrestrained.

https://toddmanout.com/

I was welcomed back to MSG on night 2 by the same usher I had the previous night. I brought with me a co-worker who was curious about Phish. He told me he didn't listen to them at all before the show, just one song on Spotify called "Farmhouse" he thought was cool.

For this night, and the only night of the run I was behind the stage. BOTT > Disease was as solid as a 1-2 punch they could have chosen here. I was very stoked to hear my first Bug, its a lovely tune. Next was the dreaded Sugar Shack, my first time getting shacked. Yeah I could have passed but ive heard worse Phish songs. Highlight of this first set was the moonage daydream which re-injected life into MSG - (it would be back later) - solid version and a solid set. B-

Set two gets us going again with a wedge, pretty whatever choice. What would be next? How about a 30 min fuego jam chart for the ages? - definitely the best jam of the night here, and you should listen to it. It was loud where I was behind the stage and i was definitely engulfed in this one.

Alright, i never heard wingsuit live before and i was happy to catch one from high and above the stage. it was a cool vantage point for a cool song. it met my expectations 100% - 2001 up next was high energy. MSG got LOUD - now its always loud but this was LOUD it was a simultaneous explusion of good vibes by this crowd and set the tone for the band to have some fun with HYHU and Cacklin Rosie. Phish being phish. Trey remarked something about this being someones first phish show and being confused. Well it was my coworkers first show, he was confused, and we had a laugh.

What was truly remarkable was that as they came out for the encore, they played farmhouse, the one song my co worker knew and liked. that was odd and funny. we enjoyed it and a ripping, raging first tube before making the descent down the street to get back on the train.

Night 2 might be the lowest rated of the run but I promise it was still good and fun.

This was my first show at MSG and for that, I am glad. It was a great show. I think you will hear a lot of folks talk about the first set's Bug, Sugar Shack, Evolve stretch in not a very positive light and I get that as it represented a dip in the energy that the BoTT, DWD, Dogs frame, but you won't hear any of that coming from me. When Sugar Shack hit, it was done well and I enjoyed the Calypso feel this song injected into the rest of the set. It seemed to me that Fishman was playing with those rhythms in the jams for the rest of not only the night, but into the next night as well. Horn and Foam were well done and enjoyable, but man - that Moonage Daydream was something to remember. Played with fire and passion, this version will stick with me for life.

Second set started off The Wedge which is a song I catch at what feels like every show I have seen, but soon we got that FUEGO. Probably the best I have ever seen and that is without considering the sweet extended jam that it evolved into. This turned into my first Oblivion which was well received despite being new this tour and that contained some great jamming in the Fuego style. I am a huge fan of Wingsuit with my favorite version bring from Dicks in 2019. This version was a little rusty around the edges, but still had that David Gilmore-esque vibe that I have always liked about the instrumental sections. The rest if the show was everything I ever wanted from Phish. That 2001........holy shit. The Garden exploded with cheers as people in every seat shook their asses to this incredible take. The lighting for this one was especially remarkable. Its been a while since I have gotten any Fishman antics, so Cracklin Rosie was very welcome and very fun to watch. Some jackass complained that it was not played well in the LP reviews of this show which blew me away? Like, do you even Phish, bro? SANTOS is always a baller set closer. While people were not into the Farmhouse encore, I loved it. Very beautiful version that had me swaying and thinking about the Farmhouse moments of my own life with fondness. They then blew everyone away with an always fantastic First Tube.

I was thrilled to be there. I had a great time and loved every second.

Fuegoblivion—World’s Greatest Dad (Rock)

Well normally I’d have filed this review sooner, but I spent the last 24 hours driving from New York up the coast and all the way out to Nova Scotia for some much needed time by the ocean, away from the city and the heat. It’s been a disturbing summer, starting with an incredibly dry start that saw forest fires all over the province out here, and then across northern Quebec, with smoke that hit my hometown in Montreal a few times, briefly providing us with the worst air quality in the world, before making its way down to the US. Then we got massive rain and flooding, not just Vermont and New York State, but throughout Quebec and in Nova Scotia as well—historic levels. The lawn swallowed by the lake in the Eastern Townships. The backyard in Petite Riviere in Nova Scotia filled with swimming geese. Then there was this past week in New York, blisteringly hot. There may not be an official theme to each show of this residency, but Heat would be on full display on this night. (Tl;dr—You’re going to want to at least hear the last 10 minutes of this Fuego).

I wasn’t supposed to hit any of the MSG shows—the Hollywood Bowl run was my treat this year—but an opportunity and invitation to housesit in Brooklyn with my girlfriend resulted in some new plans, and wouldn’t you know it, coincided with the start of the MSG run. After taking my girlfriend to her first show on opening night—a hot show in its own right that’s sounding better as time passes—Saturday was an opportunity to bring my 14 year old son to his second show. I had brought him to a bit of a dud when he was 7 in Portland in Summer 2016—the only time I’ve ever left a show early (he fell asleep). Needless to stay that didn’t happen tonight. I want to extend a special thanks to all the kind folks who chatted him up and invited him into our world. Seeing our strange language spoken with so much enthusiasm in the flesh was clearly a big highlight for him, and it was special to consider that he was basically the same age I was when I saw the band for the first time in 94. (The show itself and CK5 didn’t hurt, either.)

Alright, enough context setting—how did the music measure up? It’s hard to top the way they came out swinging on Friday, with the stock on that A Wave of Hope, Cities combo rising by the minute. But they gave it a shot! Back on the Train played the warmup role before Down with Disease surprised in the number two slot with only a two show gap since the last performance. At 18 minutes it certainly has something to offer: the initial excursion has a patient pulse, followed by a somewhat repetitive-cheap Trey riff section (sorry, not sorry), which mercifully yields to the last few minutes of slow gnarly crunch. It sounded like it might be a setup for a segue (into Death Don’t Hurt Very Long, like we saw in Toronto last summer maybe?), but they basically just stopped the jam on a dime and Page started up the sample to The Dogs. Were they trying to segue into The Dogs and just couldn’t pull it off? Had they, this would have been very slick and mean. Still a welcome performance, and it worked here even if it made the set seem a little .. impersonal?

I’ve always been a Bug fan, and had a feeling I might hear one this week—I’ve been revisiting some of the shows from July 2003 recently, and you could argue it features some of the song's strongest performances. This one didn’t disappoint, and was dedicated to Jovie (another kid in the building!). Bug did set a different tone, however, and made it hard for the sequence of songs that followed to bring a lot of power and flow to the middle section of the set. Sugar Shack and Evolve each have their respective charm—and there’s no mistaking which one is a Mike song, and which is Trey’s. But they each have their weaknesses too (for my tastes), and I was a little let down by this point, hoping we might get something a more old school and classic to share with my son—a Reba or Divided Sky, perhaps? Not a Horn hater either, but as a bookend to this stretch it didn’t do much to lift things up. But we don’t dwell on this shit in 2023.

The set ended pretty strong—at least for me. I was almost stunned when they started playing Foam and couldn’t quite believe or place it. Not because it was unfamiliar but because in almost thirty years of seeing the band I had never seen one. Foam had been sitting on top of the Most Commonly Played Songs Not Seen for probably 20 years. Cross it off the list! Nice performance, too.

I hadn’t seen Moonage Daydream, either. And like when they played Starman on 8/6/17, I couldn’t have been more amped and emotional. This wasn’t just a novelty performance though. They’ve been killing this song ever since it debuted on Halloween 2016, and this one may have been the most fiery they’ve done. Trey’s new tone really lends itself to these blistering, slightly down-temp arena rock-outs. I first noticed it in earnest at the Hollywood Bowl on About to Run and No Quarter, but when he’s in this mode he’s sounding more and more like Neil Young at his Down by the River dirtiest. Must hear fire shit.

So not the strongest first set—especially by the standards they’ve been setting in them since 2021—but Disease, Bug and Foam are worth hearing, and Moonage Daydream is a must.

How did Set 2 fare? Well if they’re going to continue opening Set 2 with short warmups, I’ll take a Wedge over a More any day. I get the desire to maybe warmup a little, and no need to jam straight out the gate … but one thing I’ll say about all four of the set openers on both nights I saw—not one of them came out of the gates loud and assertive.

Loud and assertive would definitely follow, though. I’m not a big Fuego fan. I find the lyrics a little cheesy and some of the composed sections a bit disjointed—but it has certainly been delivering some jammy goods of late, and this version, while not start-to-finish perfect, may be the best of them all. At 30 minutes, there’s a lot of material to cover. And if all that existed was the the first 20, and you argued that it was an example of how Phish can pull off long jams right now but not really do anything too interesting, I wouldn’t protest. But stick around for this one—the final third is a pretty spectacular, cohesive blast off. And they band has even done us the service of sharing the 4K video complete with CK5 accoutrements to digest what we witnessed with full body bliss.

I’m a fan of Oblivion, and happy to hear Treys songwriting taking a darker more nuanced turn. And I’m an even bigger fan of the fact that it appears to be launching jams. This one was a nice tonal extension of the narrative from the Fuego. Fuegoblivion? I mean I don’t want to alarm anyone but that very well may be what’s in store for us on the other side of all this heat.. In any case, like some of the choices in the first set, the flow suffered by complementing this incredible section with Wingsuit. I don’t dislike Wingsuit, but it was a let down for me in this slot after getting Simple here on Friday after a similar opening trio of 3.0 material. The lyrics “Nothing lasts, nothing stays / Caught in this procession of unchanging days / What's new is old, what's old is gone” amplified this for me.

The band has injected some new life in 2001 this year, with standout versions (for the era, anyway) on 4/22 and more recently 7/11 in Alabama, which features a nice long intro. I’ve always thought 2001 and it’s spaciness made for easy wins in terms of long spacey intros, but we don’t get many these days! (For the best such example, see the version I was lucky enough to be in the room for at MSG on 12/29/98). Well we didn’t get much of an extended intro here (or the second half of it!) but what we did get was excellent, with a fully deconstructed jam and ensuring -> to HYHU that was really cool.

And seeing Cracklin Rosie was a huge huge highlight for me, despite it being such a train wreck. Too bad I wasn’t on the rail, I could have helped Fish with the lyrics, belting them out as I was jumping up and down from sec 119. Last time played in 2012, only the second time played since 96? “That’s called bust-out, son!”

SANTOS smelled just fine, but with lines about space you could say there another missed opportunity here to close the 2001.

Finally, the audible gasp from the room at the Farmhouse was downright funny. No hate on Farmhouse, but this is a MSG residency, guys. No theme is fine, but that was a terrible call. First Tube was terrific…and did not make up for it.

Of course I had to hit the road and miss the Sunday show, with Izabella redeeming last nights encore, and all those 1.0 classics compromising the entire 1st set, tongue in damn cheek. Enough to make me wanna freak out and throw stuff.

Kid had a blast, though. And yeah, in case you’re wondering, so did I.

Long time listener, first time poster. This was only my 5th show (should be way higher, I know) and I was reminiscing about my last MSG show (4/20/22).
The venue is unlike any other venue I've ever been to, but I stretched it a little further and grabbed tickets for section 420 this time. It was by far the best view of the whole band I've ever seen. Got a direct line of sight to Fishman. Epic. Sounded great up there, too. Watching everyone on the floor was a blast. I'm normally a lawn/Pav person so it gave me a really great view of the whole thing. Suggest anyone sit behind the stage at some point.

May seem bush league, but this isn't just the best Phish show I've been to, but probably the best show I've been to, period.

It was a real pleasure to hear Horn, The Wedge, and 2001, some of my favorite tunes the past year or so.
The HYHU->Cracklin' Rosie->HYHU was just a blast. Didn't see that coming. 2/5ths of my Phish shows now feature Trey on drums lol, not bad.

Gotta say I'm not the biggest Farmhouse guy, but that was just splendid, not I'm sold on it. Jovi in the crowd was also a nice touch. Thanks Jovi!

Very good show with some nice highlights.
GBOTT is a nice opener , gets ya moving a bit... Down w Disease was great, really big jam! Loved it .. but personally, the show fell off a cliff after that Disease, Dogs? Ok.. Bug? Overrated lol .. It's not a bad song, one of the better bathroom break songs ???? Sugar Shack? Meh, thought we just had a bathroom break... And then Evolve ????... Seriously I don't need to use the bathroom anymore
But then they climbed back up with Horn and Foam, great old school jams that bring me back to when I first discovered Phish... And Moonage Daydream was ripping, great first set closer.
2nd set started off nicely w The Wedge, another old school song I really like... Then came the monster Fuego, took off and didn't land for a long time, peaks and valleys, loved it all!!
Then into Oblivion, alright, not as good as the Syracuse one, but alright I guess? Wingsuit, good time for a bathroom break if you didn't just go and waited to see if Oblivion was gonna do anything
2001... Hot damn a smoking 2001, would have taken more, but it was smoking while it lasted, very good 2001... Then the fun surprise Cracklin Rosie in the middle of HYHU... Yea, Fishman didn't know the lyrics and it was barely passing musically, but it was still a huge bust out ????!! And then Say it to me Santos, a nice crowd pleasing set closer
Encore: Farmhouse, yea I know... Farmhouse... But I will say, it was an above average Farmhouse.. and then ending the night with First Tube!! Who doesn't love a ripping First Tube, great ending.

Very good show with some nice highlights.
GBOTT is a nice opener , gets ya moving a bit... Down w Disease was great, really big jam! Loved it .. but personally, the show fell off a cliff after that Disease, Dogs? Ok.. Bug? Overrated lol .. It's not a bad song, one of the better bathroom break songs ???? Sugar Shack? Meh, thought we just had a bathroom break... And then Evolve ????... Seriously I don't need to use the bathroom anymore
But then they climbed back up with Horn and Foam, great old school jams that bring me back to when I first discovered Phish... And Moonage Daydream was ripping, great first set closer.
2nd set started off nicely w The Wedge, another old school song I really like... Then came the monster Fuego, took off and didn't land for a long time, peaks and valleys, loved it all!!
Then into Oblivion, alright, not as good as the Syracuse one, but alright I guess? Wingsuit, good time for a bathroom break if you didn't just go and waited to see if Oblivion was gonna do anything
2001... Hot damn a smoking 2001, would have taken more, but it was smoking while it lasted, very good 2001... Then the fun surprise Cracklin Rosie in the middle of HYHU... Yea, Fishman didn't know the lyrics and it was barely passing musically, but it was still a huge bust out ????!! And then Say it to me Santos, a nice crowd pleasing set closer
Encore: Farmhouse, yea I know... Farmhouse... But I will say, it was an above average Farmhouse.. and then ending the night with First Tube!! Who doesn't love a ripping First Tube, great ending.