For those who were knowledgeable Phish fans and attended this show, it goes down as one of the best. I’m amazed at the lack of love for this show. I guess it may have to do with the lack of an amazing quality tape. But let me tell you why... It was a beautiful night. You had kids from many colleges descending into Binghamton from all over. What that meant was - kids from Syracuse met up w their pals from Binghamton and Cornell and All over. The lot scene was magical and this is before phones, so it just all happened. On the marquis it said “Reba McIntyre” and Phish “sold out.” Believe me My friend and I made note of the Reba mention...more on that... I was GA floor up front between Trey and Mike. Magilla opener!!! What?? That didn’t happen very often if ever. Fishman with just a raging New Orleans groove. Page’s opening licks were just stellar, Trey’s solo was so tasty and then Fishman did a solo!! What a start. After super solid Rift and Wilson, an absolute tight Gin that was so sticky and slinky. Another thing - this show was the first I saw since Hoist was out. Full disclosure - didn’t like the album at first. I was into the jamming and this album had little - save for the Melt jam after Demand. So when Julius started, we were primed from the amazing start of the set, but still had to be convinced. I think Trey knew this as well and holy f*** was that convincing. He just RIPPED. The Stash was great and the Coil was gorgeous to end the set...always love when Page gets to say - “stick around.” As we sat in the GA floor going over the first set, we were psyched and ready for the next set and.... Sample - rocking as always And then - perhaps one of the all time best Reba jams that never gets discussed. Yes - there was a little feedback but once the jam starts...oh man. It’s just so good. Peaches!!! An always welcome Big Ball Jan and then... Demand debut! Wow! Nice but what would it go into? MIKES - ok now during this Mikes Trey started playing with his pedals in a way that he hadn’t ever before. It was menacing. Angry. Dramatic. This was when Kuroda let loose with what seemed like the most fog/smoke ever during the Mikes jam and only had slow strobes. You actually couldn’t see the band or basically anything more than a foot in front of you. Just strobes and then that crazy menacing squibble effect Trey had. When Hydrogen came on it was actually literal Oxygen and I finally took a breath. How do you reward such horror darkness? With an absolute insane Weekapaug-Tela-Slave. Come on people!! This is up there w 12/30/93

This was my first-time seeing Mike solo and he did not disappoint! Right out of the gate they started hitting peaks. Scott Murawski takes you there in a unique way and Chicago was along for the ride. Mike does a special shoutout to his Chicago fans to show his appreciation for us. Part of that, Mike said "since we were 'with us' that he was going to share some new songs." The band is obviously built around Mike and the bass is upfront as it should be. Which lead to some pretty funky jams. At times it reminded me more of a P-Funk show than Phish. Then it got trippy with Craig Myers and Robert Walter adding the effects. Some dude that looked like Indigo Montoya fell on me. The band played mostly Mike songs and they were great. You know when you finally hear something live and "get it?" Then there was the Mike Phish songs. I gotta say "Meat" was actually more enjoyable for me than when I've seen it with Phish. Maybe it was the extra magic of the small venue. Maybe something else in the recipe..? "Waking Up Dead" really woke the dead! And "Funky Bitch", what else do you have to say? Hard to say the most outstanding moment for me but the jam with "Steps ->Victim 3d" was nirvana. Before the encore, Mike said something like "I don't usually do this, but I'll be out there by the thing". (As opposed to driving around in a golf cart? #gordoninagolfcart) So I ran to the merch table before they walked off stage. After 25 years I was finally going to meet someone from Phish! I got a poster signed and a fistbump from one of my heroes. Thalia Hall was built in like the 1890's and was boarded up for a long long time. There were renovations to open it again. The theater is probably not what it was in its heyday with elaborate painting and such but the sound was spot on. We were about 2/3 back on the floor which was right in the center of the room. Mostly a GA floor with like a 3-row ring and some boxes above. Nice small place to see someone we love like Mike. I hope Mike makes this an annual visit. It was a very special night. Peace.

(Disclaimer: my reviews of shows are not affected my the quality of the bootleg recordings) 2001 was solid, an interesting start to a show. Definitely gives the feeling of “lift off!”. Once we’ve reached a cruising altitude, Funky Bitch seems like a true “start” to the show. All the members are shining on this one. Mike seems to be trying some new things vocally while Trey plays a furious solo while page brings some true funk in his. After sparkle comes Tweezer. During the tweezer jam, Trey plays a lot of long sustained notes to slowly and more intently build tension. Part way through this, Mike adds dissonant counterpoint “melody” to create sort of a tug of war feeling with Trey’s playing. Page takes a lead near the end. I don’t know if it was planned but there is an incredibly smooth transition from tweezer right into Theme, which still sounds slightly “unsolved” by the band at this point. Talk sounded very new still and the vocal melody sounds pretty out of range fro Trey’s voice. However Page compliments this song very well. Character Zero is fantastic in this recording. That band is definitely really excited to play this and having tons of fun as it was still new to them. It almost sounds like they’re teasing a vocal jam near the end! Everything until Gin is pretty typical. Gin at this point is still played with disorienting rhythms to start and just gets darker and darker harmonically throughout. Scent of a Mule has a cool spot where Trey does some vocal jamming alongside his guitar playing. Always found this song to be fascinating. Wish I knew more about it’s origins and the writing process for it. Later in the set, the band debuts an a cappella Star Spangled Banner and is prefaced with the explanation that the Lakers invited them to perform it before a game. The crowd really seemed to love this... I mean who wouldn’t (; David Bowie isn’t quite as shreddy as I’ve heard from some other shows before this tour. Trey plays with some more intention. There’s a very dark and spacey start to the jam, with Fishman not supplying much of a back beat, which creates a feeling of forever floating while the jam slowly builds with much discipline. Perhaps a hint at what was to come in 97’. I’d give this show a 3.75 out of 5

First time seeing Mike Gordon and his band, and boy was it a good time! Great jams, some minor technical issues, a modest yet energetic crowd and some killer songs to end the night! First set had some pretty nice jams that really clicked, in Yarmouth Road a few other spots, and that new midi instrument was mesmerizing! Second set was just killer too, intense jamming and some "woo" moments (but everyone resisted the urge to "woo") and some nice melodic/ambient moments that had you staring at he sealing following the pretty moving lights. Ruby Soho was energetic and had a massive jam that really ended the show on a high note. And Sugar Shack is just a different song when Mike does it with his band, and it was a great encore tonight! Fun night and lots of people were having their fair share of good times!

Unquestionably one of the top three or four 3.0 shows and definitely among the all-time greats. A fun side note - on the way in, I was telling my son Seth about being at 12/30/94 and the first ever "Wilson!" chant, and we both agreed that we were going to be getting a Wilson opener. As Trey walked on and grabbed his guitar, Seth loudly mimicked the "BA-dah, BA-dah" E chords, which rang out for real two seconds later, and got a perfect "Wait, wut?" look from the guy next to us.

Anybody else hear the Ginseng Sullivan tease in the Tweezer? It's around the 23:30 mark of the official video of Tweezer. I love that section of the song, and if I'm having a shit day at work, I immediately put that section on bc it's just so damn beautiful and calming. I prob listened to it 30 times before I recognized the GS lick.

My question with a show like -- who are these raters who are NOT giving it 5 stars? If this isn't a five star show....there is no five star show. Everything any person could ever want from a concert. And more. And more. And yes, there's more. Perhaps *the* classic show, from arguably Phish's greatest creative peak.

12/28 shows tend to be overlooked, and the first one ever doesn't do the date many favors at the start. Quite the shaky 1st quarter to this show, some weird audio issues as well as overall iffy playing through the middle of Reba. It's only the third-ever Horn, definitely leaves a lot to be desired and it's impressive how far this little ballad has come. In the middle of the Reba jam, it feels like Trey relaxes and the band gets locked in, and for the rest of the show they are tighter, more confident, more what I expect from 1990 Phish. Llama is *hot*, my first set highlight. Set 2 on phish.in sounds even better. The Coil outro jam is actually quite funky, not the usual Page solo - my favorite thing in the show to this point. There is a weird, choppy segue into Tweezer and some quality jamming, mixing in Manteca into what I believe is the first-ever Tweezer sandwich!! It sounds like they're having way more fun than the beginning of set 1. Page goes bananas in Divided Sky and we land in the Fishman segment, which is a riot . . . and then Popper shows up part-way through to yet more sparkle. Must've been a blast to be at this show as it just keeps getting better and more fun. There's a very YEM-like VJ in Don't Get me Wrong, and another dose of Popper in Funky Bitch before winding down with a standard encore. Coil and the Tweezer sandwich are definitely worth a listen, as is Llama. The whole John Popper sequence works quite well, he's always blended better with the band than some other special guests.

Tweeprise in the most wonderful place! Magilla > Guelah Papyrus is one of my favorite medleys, I'm partial to Nectar. Then the vibe went sideways fast... =( Yet, I believe it was truly 6 years 9 months 3 days later that he pulled out the stops that he said he would. Closing Nassau With a Firey Tweeprise, to open next show In PROVIDENCE at Civic Center with a brutally confident Tweezer. It was only the start of that 2 night run's fuse. =) (~) ;}

Took MDMA for the first time in my life at this show. What a trip. I had a few Sec 119 chicken sandwiches, so the stuff didn't kick in until set break. We tried to link up with an extended crew, but couldn't find them so went back to our seats. I now get Phish on another level. And hell it doesn't get any better when I get a Punch opener while high. At the end of the second set I blurted out "THAT'S IT?" in disbelief at how short the set was. And then the gag kicks in and boy was I on another level. Capping it off with a YEM too, holy crap what a night. The MDMA wore off half way through YEM. Still though, I had a great night. I don't know though. 12/30 vs 12/31 high will be a battle I'll have internally trying to figure out what's better. Set 1 picks: Sparkle, Fluffhead, Maze Set 2: That whole set from start to finish. Set 3 picks: Sand, You Enjoy Myself. ( I think Trey getting stuck, WTU, and Drift really made the energy go wonky. I know I felt different while getting hit with it)

Another solid outing in this fantastic tour, this one has much to offer with numerous highlights in both sets. In the first, the Helter Skelter to open is notable as they had debuted it earlier in the tour as part of the Halloween set and is also the last time it’s been played. I’d love to see this as a bust-out! The Maze is chaotic, frenzied and fantastic. The Divided Sky, another highlight, is splendid. We also get an always-welcome Forbin’s > Mockingbird, which has a Vibration of Life in there as well, that transitions nicely into the narration. The set-closing DWD is a raging version that caps off this fine set with lots of pep. The second set is stacked with highlights, with the Bowie being particularly fine. This one rages and is worthy of several listens. It was a strong year for Bowie, and, while I prefer a few others from this year over this one, this one holds its own. The mid-set YEM is a classic version, and serves as a nice centerpiece to this great set. The Slave a few songs later is another highlight, and this is a beautiful, majestic version that should be heard by anyone who’s a fan of the tune. This has now become one of my favorite versions, and its recognition on the jam charts is well-deserved. The encore contains some nice acoustic numbers, followed by a wonderful take on Fixin’ to Die. Rev. Jeff Mosier joins the band once again for these last couple of tunes. Overall, this is very solid show with multiple highlights including versions of Bowie, YEM and Slave that are worthy of numerous listens.

This was my favorite show that i've been to (I was at Alpine3 this summer). First show was in 2003 (i'm 34yo so I missed the 1990s, sadly). This show had tears flowing during the Tweezer jam, people around me also wiping their eyes. I had "the feeling I've forgot". I felt like I was truly free and experienced the feeling I had as a teenager when I first started listening to phish - longing for my first show and imagining what it would be like. I've never fully felt that feeling until the Tweezer jam. It was absolutely beautiful. My love for this band may be at an all-time high after 2019. Thank you, phish!!!! -Maggie from Michigan

Long review ahead: My girlfriend and I did the 4 night run in NYC. We had the same seats all four nights in section 114 looking at page’s beautiful bald spot. Most of our regular crew was not in attendance so these shows felt a bit different. She came down with a cold pre run. On top of this, seats are hard for us, we like to dance and flail about. First couple nights were certainly an adjustment. By night three it was make it or break it time. During the day we ventured out with some local friends and did the overcrowded MoMa that was somehow still worth it. Get to the show and it looks like we have at least one empty seat on each side of us, a tear of joy? Maybe. The guy to my left comes in and we are quickly having an awesome conversation. Things are looking up! [b]Wilson[/b] Ok OK we off [b]Final Hurrah[/b], the guy next to me incorrectly calls it as party time on the first note, we are both pleasantly surprised when its some scandanavian fire. I find the line “I am in a square, dangling in mid air” very apt for Madison *Square* Garden that happens to be 7 floors up. [b]46 days[/b] My brain tries to will the band into playing it just like the Trey Trio did in Nola two years ago, but it ends up being a simply SOLID rendition and nothing too brain melty. Ok [b]Ballad of Curis Loew[/b]. I’ve seen 82 shows at this point, i’ve seen 7 curtis loews. I say something about this inflated stat, my new seat mate and dare I say friend this early into the show? Yes, yes i do; replies “well its my first”, immediately I’m put into a new headspace. What’s this coming around the bend? [b]Blaze on[/b], a song who has become such a jam and energy powerhouse when used well. This version does not disappoint, we find Trey blissfully riffing within a few bars of starting the song, feels like something jerry would do occasionally at the beginning of an eyes of the world when he was FEEELING it man. The jam explodes in a familiar and awesome way getting deep for just a few moments. Next up we have [b]Corinna[/b], a song I wasn’t sure if I’d seen or not and certainly was not familiar with at this point. Side note: while recapping the show with my dad he let me know that its a Taj Mahal song who actually comes from where I am currently living WESTERN MASS. I found the song refreshing and fun, the best kind of bustout. Next we have an incredibly tight [b]Mike’s ->Contact->Weekapaug[/b]. Its as if Mike gordon hand selected all the best oranges and juiced them down into the distilled nectar we crave for our ear mouths. Nothing but the juice, and contact is somehow extra juicy. By this time our small group of three new friends was calling ourselves a team and forging the road to a simply mind blowing second set. About to run is fun but honestly not too memorable but thats OK. [b]MORE[/b] caps off the set in a way that gets me thinking about all the good things this year has seen and we all share in the vibrating love and light. Go TEAM! OK onto the second set. [b] Tweezer [/b]-> Trey is locked in, fishman seems determined. Mike and Page are scheming some sort of nefarious plan. What the fuck is going on? Time and space seem to bend at the bands will, we are transported into a world of pure improvisation. Our consciousness is lifted, the room is a ball of energy. We float in an ambient life force of PHISH pure and unadulterated. This is what we are after. No one is talking, no cigs in our section, the occasional “what the fucccccc” or gasp is all that gets uttered as the band plays on. I like to use the word transcendental for stuff like this. The band and audience are at one in flow. At the end of the jam, Tweezer turns into some sort of song I should probably be familiar with but its lost on me and it frankly doesn’t bother me. [b] Pan story[/b] follows and I loved every minute of it. [b]Ruby waves[/b] is the obvious followup and tonight seems like the perfect canvas for it to paint its beautiful melody. I found myself waking up the following morning with the lyrics bouncing around my head. [b]Steam[/b] follows and provides a nice space for our brains to re-congeal just for a moment. The band, eager to play with its obviously captive audience, decides to weave[b] Steam[/b] into [b]Tweezer[/b] and then back to [b]Ruby Waves[/b]. Nothing like a tweezer reprise that isn’t tweezer reprise if you ask me ;). To cap off this beautiful night the band decides to treat us to a well deserved [b]slave to the traffic light[/b]. When it caps a night like this you can’t help but love every note while you reflect on all that is. The band leaves the stage before encore. Could this really be a 4 song second set? My mind can’t seem to fathom. At any rate the band comes back and brings the NYC vibes with the Velvet Underground’s [b]Rock and Roll[/b] and its def gonna be [i]alllllright now[/i]. We walk out different people than when we arrived. Go team! Go Phish! Mission Accomplished.

Coming back to this show many times over the years, I really feel it's necessary to give this show a fresh perspective. At the time, this show stood out for the lack of Type II jams and the very short sets. For context, the ISU campus had put tight restrictions on tailgating and the time the venue would close. This caused minor hysteria that led to several arrests (minor "riots") and the band starting early with short sets to rush through before the venue shut down. For those reasons, not to mention the poor fan audio recording due to the small, round venue, this show has been overlooked. That said, if you're a fan of Trey's shredding, this show is nothing short of a must listen! Because of the conscious lack of jams, Trey used the natural acoustics of the room to make his guitar ring throughout. The acoustics were definitely annoying for fans, but you'll notice throughout the night, especially "Sand", that Trey was pushing the limits of the venue to make his guitar soar. On top of that, these are must hear versions of "Jesus Left Chicago", "Rock and Roll", "Sand" and definitely "DwD". Trust me, you didn't often hear Trey going off in this manner as much as he did in this show in 1999. You'll also want to hear "Vultures" (one of my favorite versions), "AC/DC Bag" and "Makisupa". Again, I won't argue this is best Phish show by any stretch, but this is a show that deserves a relisten. Check it.

the possum from this show is absolute must-listen phish. possible the best (read: my favorite) version ever. really wish there was a SBD for even just that song, but the AUD available on the spreadsheet/relisten is pretty sweet bc you can really feel the energy of the crowd. peak after peak in the classic, frenetic-but-controlled fall 95 style. fishman is bonkers, trey shreds and mike and page build tension like it's nobody's business. another sick one is niagara from a month and a half later, just ftr.

I hesitated at first to provide a review because I think I'm still processing what I saw a day and a half later. [b]TLDR version:[/b] Solid show overall, and where would you rather be on NYE? [b]Set 1[/b] Martian Monster gets the party rockin with some filth right off the bat. From section 322, the party was full-throttle; a short but sweet opener to get us up and moving. With the opening to Buried Alive, we all knew it was gonna be a great night. AC/DC was standard--but that's still great! Halley's has a special place in my heart, and was welcome in any capacity. However, this longer-than-usual in 3.0 version was excellent. I hesitate to use the "R" word, but it certainly felt like it would have blasted off if given a few more minute to breathe. Alas, Caspian is an excellent set 1 sing along and The Garden is bubbling with smiles. The train keeps rolling for Sparkle. Just a good ole fashioned throw-down. Axilla was fun to experience in this environment and the anthem-rock nature of the refrain was just plain perfect when looking out on the crow of phans screaming "AXILLA!" in unison. Here we pause for some stage banter, which admittedly, we couldn't really understand from up in our area. However, the weirdness was welcome as the entry-point for my first ever Maze. This one has got quite a few bags of goodies to pass out. Don't skip it! I needed a breather after raging the Maze, and I could barely believe the opening notes of Fluff! While not perfectly executed, it was still a welcome /unexpected treat to hear this behemoth. Rise/Come Together sends us packing on the first set with some smiles and high fives. [b]Set 2[/b] For many of us, we like to think we know what the Phish from Vermont have up their sleeve. If you haven't figured out that abandoning your expectations is the only way to really get the most of your Phishing, then I don't know what else I can say for you. Conversely, when the lights went down for the second set, I said, "I feel a PYITE" to my seat partner. Holy cow was that surreal to just "know" it was coming like that!!! (And now I will go my entire life without being able to call it ever again I'm sure.) Wolfman's gets dark and dank with the whole room swaying. This entire set flowed beautifully. Light is magnificent and for this listener's ears, there was a "flavor" of some ABB influences--not necessarily prominent to be called a "tease". The Twist is where it's at if you can only listen to one thing from this show. I could feel my brain liquefy and puddle on the floor around me. This is why we Phish. While I could sense some folks in my section not feeling the Soul Planet, I was most certainly fired up. This one goes for a quick dip into funk-town. While perhaps not jam-chart worthy, I felt it very unique. Mercury continues to be a steady workhorse and never disappoints. My third and final of 2019!!! Finally, a much needed Type 1 Possum brings out the rowdy in us all. Up from the 300's, I felt like I was at a football game with the crowd gearing up for 3rd down of the opposing team. A little extra mustard on our road kill in this one. [b]Set 3[/b] I won't give a detailed account of set 3 because much will already be written and spoken of with the whole Trey being stuck debacle. All I'll say is that I thought the gag was a home run (aside from the technical issues) and the band handled the whole situation with great professionalism. It's a mark of how truly awesome this fanbase is that most people were more concerned about Trey's well-being than for the show to go on (but I mean come on.....we all wanted him to just finish it up right?). The song choices for set 3 were the perfect "jukebox Phish" and I use that term here in a positive manner. Loved the call to play Sand 20 years after Big Cypress. Amazing crowd energy during the quiet parts of WTU? and a clone-produced extra vocals in YEM were all I could ever want. Considering that I have seen two shows in the last yearish with a Tweezer but no Tweeprise, it felt fitting that my 2019 come to an end this way. Rescue Squad the cherry on top of a great time, and happy for Trey to get down safely.

General consensus seems to be that 12/30/19 was the champ, and it's understandable. If you were lucky enough to be in the house you probably still have goosebumps from that Tweezer. Not to mention the 1st set 17+ min Blaze On which should not be missed. That said, I have no problem declaring 12/29/19 as my favorite of the run. Set I highlights: From the opening Turtle which featured the most emphatic HOUSE PARTY cry I've heard yet, to the amazing KDF (UNTIL I DO IT AGAIN!!!) to the bust out and best Beatles cover I've ever seen live in While My Guitar Gently Weeps and then closing with a raging WOTC. And then there was set II. People talk about flow. I've never seen a set that was a better example of flow than Carini>BOTT>Gin>Golden Age>2001>Sally>CDT>Hood. It was honestly like one long incredible jam. Actually, I have seen a set with that flow, it was my first show on 8/12/15 which featured Gin>NMINML>Twist>S&SS>Hood (see some similarities?) But as it was my first show I couldn't appreciate it like I did this one. Show of Life encore made me think about the faces of the friends that I recall, and then to cap it, they set the gearshift for the high gear of our soul. Every night of the run was special, and 12/30 maybe had the biggest individual moments, but for a full show, and the one I'll relisten to the most in the years to come, I'm all about the 12/29.

S177375 continues to leave these long meandering treatises that clearly seems like they are just begging for the old thumbs down. I have read everyone that I have come across to its completion and would just like to say that these might be a little more well received with a little bit of punctuation. The rambling quality lends to its judgmental nature. Quite possibly if there was more of a focus on grammar and punctuation and sentence structure some of the tangential thoughts could come full circle and add some context to the narrator’s POV. I think we all agree that this is a safe place for everyone to be able to wax intellectual on Phish. Aside from racist remarks, bigotry, etc...which it doesn’t seem are present in any of these submissions (it mostly seems righteous indignation and religious) everyone should have the opportunity to submit. I love hearing different perspectives, I do just prefer when there are judgments made that the structure be taken into account so as to be able to take it more seriously. If that is the intention of the author. If you are just out to get a ride (which is probably the motive) then just keep on keeping on.

I don't even know how to begin this review (of 12/30/19). Phans are in the habit of throwing out superlatives in praise of most any show. And although I'm as guilty as anyone on that front, I lament the linguistic results: when a show or jam is truly SPECTACULAR, BLISSFUL, EXOTIC, and AESTHETICALLY AWESOME, the use of those words, in this context, comes with less of a punch. The words become watered down from overuse. Weaker. Less impactful. Aldous Huxley once said that words can be like X-rays, you read them and you're pierced. For just this once, I ask you to suspend your sensitivity to the linguistic norms that have corrupted language within the phish community. Let Huxley's observation apply. Let these words pierce you once again, because last night really was one of those nights. I mean it. First set all around was very strong, as seems to be the pattern this 2019 NYE run. Highlights for me included a very well executed Ballad of Cutis Lowe. Trey had near-perfect tone on this one. Bluesy, lazy, and wailing. A 17-minute Blaze On was the clear highlight. Starting in funk soup, this one soared around for a while, eventually morphing into a funky jazz-fest that rivals any at Newport. And in a first set to boot! Wow! Corinna followed to bring us all into a gorgeous headspace of lovely vocal harmonies. Page shined on the Whirlister, sending soft tones out over horizon. The set ended a bit strangely with uber-short renditions of Mike’s and Weekapaug, sandwiched around a Contact, which itself is, admittedly, always a rare treat. The real sublimity came in set two. A four-song set tells you almost everything you need to know. Almost. For this tweezer was without doubt the most artistic and interesting jam I have ever heard live. After launching out of a beautiful section of on-point tweezer-based jamming, they pressed onward and outward, first into wide and titillating staccato space explorations. At around 21 minutes, they land into an absolutely transcendent post-rock anthem, reminiscent of Talk Talk’s beautiful album Spirit of Eden. This is post rock at its finest. Move over Sigur Ròs. The Phish are in town. All jokes aside, however, I cried during this portion of tweezer. It was one of those really spiritually motivating chord progressions. Know what I mean? Emotions ran. More funk jazz psychedelia followed, into standard bluesy phish rock, into happy happy rock music, eventually taking us all to a “lets go blue” chant to finish it all off, reminding us that even after producing renaissance-quality art, the Phish don’t take themselves too seriously, and we love them for it. "Pan story" antics made us laugh. Ruby Waves jammed too, alluding to the summer’s epic version at Alpine. Back into tweezer. Back to Waves. Wow. A gorgeous if standard version of Slave capped the set. Rock and Roll encore brought the dance party back, with lots of feel good vibes to send everyone home. This show will go down in Phishstory. And I mean it.

Man o man. The fact that at this point in their career this band continues to push the envelope, all for our enjoyment, speaks volumes to their commitment and loyalty. While musically speaking it was going to be impossible to recreate 12-30, NYE was just super fun. And fucking dangerous! It’s 2020 and Phish is at the top of their game. 20 years ago I was walking out of the big cypress set wondering what on earth they could do to top the millennial set. It seemed like that was the defining point of their career. In those 20 years since it is crazy to think about what this band has seen and done. Good and bad. Right and wrong. No clue how much longer this party will continue, but at this point, the greatest rock band of all time is well known. At least by those lucky enough to be in the know. Cheers to you all. Thank you Phïsh.

@jmart said [i]"One wonders exactly what must have been going through Trey’s mind as he lay dangling above 20,000 spun-ass wookster minions. Probably something about fate’s cruel hand. If ever there were an alter fine enough to be dashed upon, this is surely what it must look, and smell, like."[/i] This is a heavy, time-stopping comment/image/notion to contemplate.

Best NYE production in years. Pure magic...a true feast for the eyes, ears, and heart. I guess I need more words for a proper review, but what's to say....awesome Halley's. Wolfmans>Light>Twist gonna get a few repeat listens too. Nice to see Sand get some midnight lovin. And that vocal jam......Shit! That was fun.

I’d like to be the first to add, on behalf of everyone in attendance, it took a solid five minutes of seeing Trey dangling in space for us to realize something was off. I’m not sure how it came across on the screen, but in person the colors were amazing. Oh yeah, the music was also pretty good! Haley’s went on juuust long enough to make you wish they had taken it further. Other than that, first set suffered from any real attempt at cohesion. On a NYE run show in the recent past, the reviewer described the pace of AC/DC as “weir-esque,” which to this day stands as my favorite sentence written about Phish music. So whoever that was, take your bows. The underlying point remains the same: they played slow as shit out of the gate. Huge jams out of wolfmans and twist in the second set are great. One wonders why they would choose to play mercury in the slot leading up to the gag given its obvious prominence last year, and this version isn’t much to remember. The real fireworks started with First Tube to ring in the new year and it sounded AMAZING. The whole band was popping with energy and the sound was crystal clear at the back of the floor. As above, it may have been towards the end of Sand when it became increasingly obvious that our fearless leader was actually, well, stuck in mid-air in the middle of his own beautifully choreographed piece of art music theater. It does bear mentioning that, at least in my mind right after the show, a lot is going to be made of the rig mishap and it would be a shame if that were to overshadow what was an astounding display of color and sound, all delivered on the grandest stage in rock ‘n roll. I was fortunate enough to be in section 112 last nye and remember thinking there was no way they were ever going to be able to top that. WRONG. Just as they always have, Phïsh managed to obliterate expectations. There we go with that word again. If WTU weren’t in the original set list, it sure as hell fit the occasion perfectly (some are saying a little too perfectly). A short but muscular YEM ends a truly bizarre and beautiful set of phish music. One wonders exactly what must have been going through Trey’s mind as he lay dangling above 20,000 spun-ass wookster minions. Probably something about fate’s cruel hand. If ever there were an alter fine enough to be dashed upon, this is surely what it must look, and smell, like. This decade starts the same way the last one stopped: Phish (stuck) up on top. Happy New Years everybody.

I only come to you with bully antagonism to get the best creativity out of my favorite band. Of course you had to play YEM and Tweezer Reprise. . .. and of course you love and hate your fans. . .this one maybe especially has a place of hatred in that Ghost of the Forest lyrics song part of Treys heart. .. you told me you hate critics in Bittersweet Motel . .. "sometimes it is like with critics it is like what's the deal . . .maybe i cant know that i play shit but i love it . . .and the phans seem to eat it up" which gives me the pride self gratification that i need to do drugs and justify doing those drugs and now it may just be caffeine and THC and no longer heroin coke molly magic mushrooms LSD or maybe the lines blur because to a non christian perspective i mean .... define SOBER. . .Trey is not sober he is just not on hard drugs but soft drugs alter brain chemistry because we are unsatisfied with God's chemistry I drink coffee and take ambien so i hate God too on a certain level . . .but then again Jesus whom I SERVE not a band made alcohol as his first miracle which is a mind fuck for me . . .he made alcohol which kills more drunk drivers and those they hit on the road tonight more than any other drug and more on this date than any other date. I actually made it into 20- 20 sober which is so ironic because i am struggling with weekend binge drinking so i am basically a functioning alcoholic. I think weed makes people silly happy creative yes but slow lazy and dumber and i want to be smart sharp and a good worker bee (Yarmouth Road shout out) I love the song on Kasvot about "Its off to work we go" SITMS is so growing on me because i love saying I HO I YO I HO on the way to shitty work. . .. . and the pussy drop interrupt doesn't hurt either on the album . . .i don't care what space smells like or think about myself during 911 as a child . . .so i think that song is over rated but some of the album has grown on me Ghosts of the Forests is the better work the far superior of the 2. . . Trey is actually honest on it and tells how he hates life and himself and is drowning in alcohol or hatred or bitterness or whatever sin he is into after Heroin Only JESUS can make sense of the longing in his heart. Not a song called More that is half of it the ? without the answer. He doesn't want the answer. He wants his sin. Read the bible. People hate Jesus the light because they are afraid of their evil deeds their darkness to be exposed by God who we assume hates us but actually just wants to be a daddy and scold yes but then embrace read Prodigal Son. I am that son. I hated God my whole life but never could deny his existence. Evolution is the biggest lie the devil ever used. . .well 2nd to his own pride which made him fall . . .he wants us to believe Darwin that we are all monkeys from 6 billion old earth. . we are all connected but not how Darwin says we are. . .he had a crisis of faith and fucked the whole human race over with the origin of species (the false lie creation story) the real one is crazier still but true at least. All i care about is truth. Trey lives a double life of some truth and half lies as he says in More That song is good but only the yearning the wanting to understand the universe u so don't as a evolutionist. I was never a monkey i was made on a whole separate day by a God who not only Loves but IS LOVE. Fuck Lifeboy Bug Friends and songs like it. . .they are lies from Satan but in a band i still consider my favorite of all time . . .with 2 Jews in it and God loves y'all above all other humans on earth. So get with it Gordon and Fishman u are special but not because you descend from apes MORONS!! you are smarter than that and you know it . .. your donuts theory of the multiverse is hilarious and somewhat in jest but at least in reality in science and in principles derived from truth. Darwin was just an asshole like me like Mohammad like L Ron Hubbard liars who buy their own snake oil. Jesus was uniquely true in that he became man as God and died to pay for what i write on blogs here and all your affairs of adultery all my lies all your stealing all my not honoring my parents as "gods" lowercase as God commands us to. We all deserve hell most will go there as trey says we are on the Highway to Hell but it need not be that way. You can listen to the best rock stars and still go to heaven. Just believe God became man not just at Christmas but all year and all your years and that Santa is the lie and wanting EXCESSIVE presents for US ME and MYSELF is the lie not Jesus in the manger that is the only real part of Christmas they even got the date wrong he was born on June 21 not December 25th but pagans fucked it up with gifts st nick and this worship of pine trees which is Satan doing his best work. .. just like Easter is about what to you? Jesus resurrecting from death??? of course not that would just be silly . .. it is about the god of fertility and bunnies and sex and pastel colors and all that sinful great stuff . . .what a crock of shit this world has made of true HOLIDAY. At least Hanukkah gets it sorta close to right This run is amazing one of their best NYE runs to date and from 1995 to 2020 that is saying something. Think about the 1997 the 2000 best ever and the 2010 2012 2013 2017 and now another exceptional run. This band sometimes like in 2017 and 1998 feels like they can do no wrong. The Magnaball was 2nd only to Cypress and only by a hair and with 5 hours less music is saying something huge. They can achieve greatness and they did these last 4 nights. I am so proud of my favorite band but they will still all go to hell if they live life with Me Myself and I on the throne of their life. Only 1 person made them and it wasnt science that made the big bang and matter is eternal and we all made ourselves that is horse shit. We were made to worship a King and his name is not Trey Anastasio or even Jimi Hendrix Eric Clapton John Lennon Barak Obama these are all fallen sinful men who must answer before the man that was never meant to be a man but had to humble himself to save us . .. the only man that matters. . the GOD man Jesus Christ the savior of the universe if only we could get our satanic pride out of the way and bow our stubborn knees to him . Love the band but Jeff H was the correct one and all of u 4 are liars just saying

Rescue squad is my new favorite P-Phish song. Overall a great NYE show. First set was a bit jukebox. They take Haley’s deep for the first time in a long time, but Trey Rip-cords it to caspian... although the prince shows well in the end. Haley’s, Fluff, and surprisingly rise/come together are worth a re-listen. Second set is deep and heady. Punch-through-Twist are a solid run of songs. Mercury - my 3.0 favorite - is cut short here, but not at the expense of the set. The NYE clone gag is good. IMO it falls behind meatstick and Petrichor in the 3.0 era, but was great to see on couch tour. Props to first tune ringing in 2020! The songs that follow struggle a bit, but understandably since try was stuck in the air. Watching him squat to hear his monitor explains the miscues, and also shows just how much he cares to put on a quality show. As I said up top, all miscues in the last set are forgiven by the rescue squad and the glimpse into what our guy is really about - a good ol’ time. Happy 2020 to all.

Rescue squad. Enough said. Phish is safe in the new decade, for now. Overall, I thought it was a good show. Caught the live stream mid-way through the second set at Light. Twist was absolutely phenomenal. From there, they played a solid version of soul planet (albeit one of my least favorite songs). I thought the gag was entertaining and not too distracting. Trey getting stuck was both incredibly nerve wracking and incredibly awesome. Glad they eventually got him back to earth. Happy New Year

Well this is the show that made me finally create a phish.net account to write my first review! I have been a freeloader on the site for a looong time. I was there on the floor last night. So, I have been seeing phish for 26 years I guess, first shows in 94. Over that time I have watched this band evolve and morph several times. While I am guilty of wishing we had the old days back, the latest avalanche of new material is simply outstanding. Last nights show ranks in the Rarified air of top 5 shows for me. From the opening note of Wilson to the blissful jam out of r&r, it was perfect. The energy at MSG last night is something I have not seen in a long time, the overwhelming applause at the end of tweezer was deafening. Trey was just scratching his head in awe. It was a magical night. I will not run on about the songs in detail, as many have already covered this, but what happened last night at MSG was the reason that we all chase this band around. For the chance that you will get to see THE show. Last night was THE show since they reunited. I have no idea how else to put it, and no clue how they can still be playing this well. It was pure magic. High fives and hugs with complete strangers and jaws in the floor. The only place in the world where that reaction is possible these days. Thank you phish.

I am not one to discuss anything publicly on social media. However, after digesting what I heard and saw last night, I feel like it is my responsibility to discuss my own feelings. For many, if not most of us, music...live music...Phish music...is a transcendent experience that has the power to mark a moment in time while simultaneously bringing us all to a spiritual place that is difficult to get to on the best of days. With that being said, 12/30/19 is one of those moments when we, as a community, were part of a collective experience that was incredibly special and much bigger than any one of us. The energy in the building was electric and that energy transfer from audience to stage and then back again was palpable and powerful. It is THIS type of night why we go and we listen over and over and over again. Looking around me, I didn't see strangers, but thousands of friends who I hadn't met, but who understood, like me, that we were all in this together in the best way possible. That, my friends, is life as it should be - A celebration of all that is good and pure in the world. Happy New Year to you all!

The thing about this second set is that it's reminiscent of '97. And I don't say that lightly. I don't mean that it necessarily sounds anything like '97, or is as great, but its construction and overall effect are eerily similar. Listen to 12/6/97 II, or 11/14/97 II and compare. Sometimes brevity really is the soul of wit, and the short duration these sets share lends itself to a singular musical statement. And this set is nothing if not singular, at least in this age.

My first show. I was 16 and I new kid had just moved into town from Boston. I had been into the Grateful Dead for about 2 years seeing three shows around that time. I asked Seth if he wanted to play ultimate frisbee and I had a dead sticker on my frisbee. He later told me he knew we were going to be good friends after seeing the sticker. Later that day he played Junta in the car and then popped in a tape from a show pre 93. I was hooked. First chance to see live Phish was this date. I remember jumping around with Seth during Golgi apparatus. We’d purchased our tickets from some kids at school and they turned out to be counterfeit so we had to pay again to get in. We held up our counterfeit tickets laughing and trey noticed us with ticket stubs in our hands. I also remember Fishman playing washboard and the supper sexy hippy shushing everyone so we could hear. I remember meeting two guys from Texas that we’re on tour. I more remember the experience then the music. Anyway Seth died in a car accident before we ever saw another show together. I backed off phish for a bit after this because all I could see was his giant smile and him jumping around to GA every time I listened. That hurt has faded but every show I’ve attended after I’ve done so in his memory. Not much of a show review I know but that’s what I remember about that time.