[We would like to thank Max Alter (@SplitOpenAndMalt) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

Thirty years subsequent to the band’s first New Years’ Eve at that arena above Penn Station, Phish continues to explore new ground.

After just over three months since their prior run, Phish’s return to their colloquial home arena was heavily anticipated. Succeeding an above-average Night One, anticipation was at its finest heading into 12/29. With significant standout jams the previous two years (with 2023’s "Chalk Dust Torture" and 2024’s "Ruby Waves"), each serving as arguably the pinnacle jam for each year’s respective New Years’ Eve run, I wondered if the band’s 89th show at the venue would yet again serve us with a massive and multi-elemental jam.

Personally, this run served as my first MSG run as a local to the city (conveniently, just one train away from my couch). After reviewing the second night of each of the prior years’ runs, I was looking forward to the energy that a night’s sleep in my own bed would service for tonight’s show. I walked out my door at 5:57pm and headed to The Rutherford for some preshow libation. For a part-bar-part-restaurant mere steps from The Garden, I was pleasantly surprised with the roominess of the bar and timeliness of its staff– after arriving just after 6:20pm, my girlfriend and I were in the venue by 7:01. Would absolutely recommend both the food and drink to those trekking out the next few nights.

After discovering the space in 2022, I’ve tried to exclusively sit on the Hyundai (formerly Chase) Bridge for all of my Phish MSG experiences. Tonight, I sat in Section 302, after acquiring the seats when a Phish.net forum alerted of a Ticketmaster re-release (see, sometimes sitting on Phish.net does pay off!). I’ve sat in over a half-dozen sections on the Bridge, though, and Section 302 was second to none. After receiving my wristband for Bridge access, I walked past my section multiple times, not realizing that the entire Section 302 was within the seats marked for ‘Lounge 302’. There was a plethora of dancing space behind the three established rows, a directly line of sight on the band (slightly towards Page side), and visibility of nearly all of Kuroda’s light rig, providing a direct line of sight over all angles of the venue. The whole Bridge is worth making an effort to experience, but 302 is crème de la crème. I settled into my seat at 7:19pm, and immediately made friends in the surrounding seats.

Our other buddy sitting with us eventually ventured to the seats, and lights went down on the sellout crowd at 8pm on the dot. Right off the bat, the band dropped into “Carini," one of their hard rock inspired anthems. This opening version (a first for “Carini” at MSG since 4/20/22) was no slouch. While initially focused on a slow, funk-based groove, uncharacteristic for show opening versions, Page’s audio came through immaculately. This segment followed an ever-proven formula: set the initial tone of the jam, build on that tone, peak. To my ears, this jam went “As The Crow Flies,” following the same initial tone set by Leo following the composed portion. At about eight minutes in, Mike began utilizing his pedal effects – a recurring theme we noted throughout the show’s first quarter. This led to a brief drive into a bubbly, more rock-based few minutes of music prior to the band’s transition into “Plasma."

Elementally, “Plasma” served as a continuation off the energy that “Carini” had built within Madison Square Garden. The aforementioned presence of Mike’s pedal effects was present in the composed "Plasma" portion, and it was easy to see that the band was feeling it quite quickly. After the composed portion, Page and Trey both brought a little extra Vermont-style sauce prior to the song’s formal jam. Ultimately, each independent portion built in synchrony – Page’s work on the keys, a build from Trey, and Mike’s pedal. This was, of course, pieced together by a fantastic use of cowbell by Jon Fishman. Not necessarily the most prominent feature of Fishman’s drumset (particularly pertaining to jam portions of songs), the cowbell and subsequent snare use kept the band paced together and in line with the elements each of the other three members were offering. If there were ever a question as to Fishman’s status among the best drummers in the world, this showcased his ability to lead while not dominating the sound. A nice listen.

After just over eight minutes of “Plasma," the jam returned to finish “Carini” proper. This consisted of just about two minutes of peaking, which served as the true peak to the “Plasma” jam, before wrapping up the lyrics to “Carini.” This “Carini” -> “Plasma” -> “Carini” opening sequence, accounting for over twenty minutes of the first set in aggregate, offered some inspiration for the crowd, containing a small showcase for each of the four members independently, and early on. A solid set of sustained notes from Trey, a number of peaks, and twenty minutes of dancing? That sounds like a strong start for me.

As the band paused before beginning its follow-up, this reviewer was at a loss for a second. Yes, I identified the soft tone and use of Fishman’s sample pad as a familiar tingle in my auditory nerve, but I couldn’t quite place the origin of the song. About forty seconds in, Katy, one of my show neighbors whom I’d met preshow, informed me that they were playing “Quadrophonic Toppling." Wow! The song that had once been only played at Big Cypress, that had then never been played (according to Phish.net subsequent to a bit of controversy over its status of play on 5/27/22), that ultimately has now been played three times. Any way you look at it, this was certainly my first time hearing the staple off The Siket Disc live. This is a really nice song, too. Not totally unlike “I Am Hydrogen” or fellow album-mate “What’s the Use?,” the smooth instrumental work asks questions and answers those questions in a soft manner that enables the listener to hone in on particular instruments at each given second. This selection fit like a glove after the opening sequence– thanks to @ItsGoodItsFunky for the identification!

Per usual, however, slower songs always beg the question as to whether or not Phish will embrace the softer tone or return to the energy preceding that section. Tonight, that question was answered mere seconds into the subsequent choice. While those in attendance were not initially sure whether we’d be provided with “The Curtain” or “The Curtain With,” the roar across the venue confirmed that, either way, we’d be returning to the high-energy feel introduced by the first two songs. This was well-deserved. As we’ve come to expect, the initial build within the written portion of “The Curtain” was played beautifully. Yet again, another instance of Page’s prowess came through the speakers hanging down from the rafters above the 300s, with the ivory bringing the listeners through the entirety of the song proper. I was not expecting the silence across the venue towards the composed ending “The Curtain,” but the venue’s silence was akin to that during “Squirming Coil” or “Divided Sky.” By eight minutes and fifty seconds into the composition, the audience was informed that we would, in fact, receive the “With,” becoming the first “Curtain With” at MSG outside of the Baker’s Dozen. Yet again, we were engulfed with the sound of Fishman’s drums, helping the band (most notably, Trey) read, weave, and generate. This is quite a difficult song to play (I say behind my keyboard as a non-musician), but Fish always delivers, making it sound seemingly as simple as anything else in their thousands-large repertoire. Fishman’s work enabled a beautiful peak from Trey, delivering yet another jam-based sequence in the band’s first quarter.

The most notably peak of the set (and maybe the night), came from the subsequent selection. Through the years, “Bathtub Gin” has been present as one of Phish’s most reliable jam vehicles, and unlike its counterparts, is highly variable as far as the jams delivered. Tonight, though, “Gin” offered a piece that capitalized on the best parts of the preceding selections. After a transition away from Type 1 jamming at about six minutes and ten seconds into the song, the following six embraced one and only goal: peak. After the initial peak at just under seven minutes in, already the best peak of the show, the crowd and band provided a feeling paralleled to the previous night’s “Run Like An Antelope” – rapid lights and enraged Trey notes filled the air and an earned release from the crowd responded. In essence, this peak at seven minutes nearly never stopped. Certainly, the underlying notes altered and the tempo continuously evolved, but the underlying tone of the initial peak remained consistent throughout the remainder of the piece. This is one of those sub-fifteen minute pieces worth checking out– we love to take a bath.

At 8:49, the band jumped into “NICU.” As the band headed into the meat of the second quarter of the show, I made an ill-advised run to the bathroom as the song began. “NICU” is a tricky song to digest, because the two keynote elements of the song (the first being its lack of improvisation while remaining high-tempo and the second being its use as a transition into deeper, heavier jams or a transition away from the feel of earlier on in the set) makes it a crapshoot as to whether or not “NICU” really is a bathroom break song. Of course, you can always rely on some nice interpolation from Page and consistently well-performed sections from Trey, but this song in particular is the sum of the parts coming subsequent. Tonight, this was answered by the one-two punch of “Evolve” and “Mountains in the Mist” coming immediately after this straightforward performance.

“Evolve” is a beautiful piece with meaningful lyricism and a solid groove, serving as the namesake of Phish’s most recent album. Without question a first set song, “Evolve” challenges the audience to identify (and appreciate) the setting of the show – the miniscule nature of life compared to chasing venues, jams, and shows is something to never take for granted. I absolutely love seeing this song from time to time (see my review of 12/29/23 for more detail), but the song’s frequency has made it a bit of an unwanted surprise in my sets, having been played eight times a year each year since 2023, accounting for nearly 16% of all Phish shows in that time. A similar sentiment can be shared for “Mountains in the Mist.” Initially one of my favorite slowdown pieces by the band, “Mist” has become a staple for this slowdown spot over the last few years. There’s no question about the spacey, slow, and aware notes from Trey coalescing the crowd into a beautiful and together spirit. Unfortunately, the placement after “Evolve” gave the crowd fifteen minutes of music not totally catered to dancing the way that the previous fifty five minutes had done.

Thankfully, the band recognized its need for a particular type of song to bring the energy up one last time before setbreak. The band went to one of its most reliable high-energy pieces: “Fluffhead.” An MSG staple that has not been skipped during the New Years’ Run since 2018, “Fluffhead” is about as sure fire as you can get. Pretty much anything you might like about Phish can be found in this song just about 100% of the time. Beautiful Page play? Check. Bass lines? Check. Fishman vocals? Check. Tonight was no exception. Each independent element of “Fluffhead” was played to perfection, begging the crowd to join into the penultimate peak after “Bundle of Joy.” At this point, those in Midtown Manhattan were waiting for another explosive moment, and, of course, the band provided that boost of energy. Yet again, peak after peak filled the arena, and the third instance of “Fluffhead” as a Set 1 closer did exactly what it intended to do: bring the energy back up.

The set concluded at 9:26pm, offering fans a chance to rest their feet after a tale of two sets. Traditional setbreak activities ensued: procuring another round of drinks, talking to your show neighbors, running to the bathroom. (Reviewer’s Note: With all the positives offered by 302, the closest Men’s Room is on the floor below. Plan accordingly. The Women’s Room remains on the floor of the Bridge). My girlfriend’s sister joined us for the second set to celebrate her first Phish experience (congrats, Julia!), and discussions over plumbing, Ohio State football, and the city of Chicago ensued around.

After a twenty-five minute setbreak, the lights in Madison Square Garden dimmed at 9:51, with the notes of the Set 2 Opener beginning a minute later. Off the bat, “Mike’s Song” was a very welcomed choice. The opening notes reverberated through the arena with an evidently energized band jumpstarting the enthusiastic crowd. Serving as the third time “Mike’s” has opened Set 2 in 2025 (a role this song plays much more frequently over the last ten years compared to its preceding thirty), this version infused the energy from the beginning of the show the band was hoping to replicate in Set 2. At about five minutes and forty-five seconds into this choice, Trey pushes the band into a softer tone that serves as the driving force for most of the opener. Nearly two minutes later, Page joins Trey in his tone, separating the stage into the melody and the percussion (as driven by Mike and Page). Unsurprisingly, this worked quite well. The band jumped back into the song proper at nine minutes and eight seconds, wrapping up a strong and appreciated opener.

The band transitioned into “The Final Hurrah” at 10:03pm. Initially, I had written “Blaze On” in my notebook, where I took notes for this review. Call it the lack of play over the past few years or my relatively-slower 2025, but the intro to each song sounds quite familiar. “The Final Hurrah,” much like many of its “Kasvot Vaxt” companions, is, by nature, quite a dancy song. Nearly jazzy in nature (although genre-transcending), “The Final Hurrah” represented one of Phish’s most creative placements of the night. This was the first time “Hurrah” had been placed after a "Mike’s Song," and I thought it captured much of what Mike offered conceptually and built on it. Ironically, the jam portion had a number of similarities to “Blaze On” jams, functionally serving as a replacement for the ballad tonight. Nearly eight minutes into the selection, the buildup had culminated and we received the beautiful payoff of the band’s efforts. Yet again, Mike’s bass came through really phenomenally within the speakers and we experienced the fruits of the band’s chemistry: synchronized playing and beautiful finishes.

The “Mike’s” sequence came to an end with the incoming “Weekapaug Groove,” a setlist certainty but unsure as its placement. Similar to a number of other “4.0 Weekapaug Groove” outings (see 1/29/25 for further reference), the pace on this "‘Paug" was slower than a number of those prior. This pacing difference did not impact the band’s ability to build, however, with this abridged version still offering some worth in this show’s bigger picture. Trey introduced a riff quite early on that displayed similarities to The Allman Brothers Band’s “Mountain Jam” that served as the main motif of the entire jam. While only eight minutes in stature, this is a nice crash course on Phish Building 101. I find the band succeeds when they find an early riff and build on that, and this might be tonight’s prime example.

The conclusion of the “Mike’s” sequence opened the door for pretty much anything Phish might’ve wanted to play for the rest of the night. Unlike Set 1, the band seized this opportunity to give us a pinnacle sequence that highlighted the show, none more significant than the subsequent “A Wave of Hope”. “A Wave of Hope” (or "WOPE"), has had a notable life cycle throughout its place in Phish Set 2s. Once hailed as ‘the next new prominent jam vehicle’, "WOPE" didn’t necessarily lose its noted jam ability so much as fall victim to tenure and overplay. Other new vehicles dropped (with “What’s Going Through Your Mind” largely taking its place as ‘Next One Up') and "WOPE" largely became that song you’d catch in the second slot of Set 2 every third show. Tonight, however, "WOPE’s" presence was largely appreciated. During the composed section, Trey utilized his Languedoc guitar largely in lieu of Mike’s backing vocals, and we were off.

“A Wave of Hope” began with a soft tone and a large emphasis on Page’s work on his keyboard facing away from the stage. This tone, nearly spacey, covers the first seven minutes of this portion of improv. Fishman challenges the other three members, begging them each to find a unique and more up-tempo space. Somehow, the band utilizes their original spacey tone to build into a rock-influenced section and peak by nine minutes and forty five seconds in. This is an incredible and irreplicable display of Phish’s ability– utilizing a completely distinct tone to listen rather than play and changing that energy into a different sound outright. I digress. Mike locks into this rock-influenced portion pretty heavily right off the bat, honing in on his same bassline for minutes at a time and all but forcing his bandmates to remain locked into this groove. This was a good decision by the bassist, as that rock-influenced sound is not only good but serves as the basis for the remainder of this jam. In doing such, the band was able to find a number of peaks (14:40 in, 16 minutes in), continuously implying a quick return to the song before peaking again. Kuroda’s finest work of the night came during this continuous peaking section, wherein he utilized every color of the rainbow and mimicking lights you might see at a circus. This led to a bit more bubbly play before an ultimate return to the song at 19:10, capping off this 20-minute behemoth. Sure, this was not the top-notch jam offered during the previous two years’ 12/29’s, but this was certainly not a jam to skip. Some really strong stuff here, including Trey’s best of the night.

Fifty minutes into the set, the band went into “Twenty Years Later." Initially to the dismay of the audience (which was evident from the number of fans travelling towards the aisles at its inception), “Twenty Years Later” did, in fact, have an above-average showing. Even with the less-than-ideal setlist placement, the band evoked an oceany feel throughout the jammed section. There was a build, yet again strong Mike play, and posed an interesting take on whether or not “Twenty Years Later” can be a second set utility player. Lots of this piece reminded me of the underwater portion of 4/19/24 at Sphere. While demonstratively different than the preceding high-energy "WOPE," "Twenty Years Later" offered a foray into the deep, inquisitive side of Phish– something a show is generally better with than without.

The band did, ultimately, return to its high-energy, rock-influenced sound for the remaining songs of Set 2. “Golden Age," serving as tonight’s exclusive cover piece, was coming off arguably its best year to date. 2025 offered a massive version in Seattle, a somehow even bigger version in Austin, and a notable version in the famed Sunday show at SPAC, making "Golden Age" one of this year’s biggest risers. This version, while not up to the esteem of those aforementioned, did satisfy. Tonight’s “Golden Age” saw an elongated Type 1 portion to build off the composed parts with some hints of “Crosseyed and Painless” in the jam’s first seven minutes. This jam evolved into a highlight reel of the second set’s best elements, with Trey melodies at points, a deep and spooky tone at others, and significant, beautiful bliss. The band’s final repeating sequence of riffs from Trey began at 12 minutes into the jam and, after transitioning keys, carried the bulk of the final jam.

This 15 minute outing transitioned into “Character Zero," serving as the final burst of serotonin. While not unique from its other standard versions, “Zero” constantly offers a last chance to dance and let loose. “Character Zero” has served as the song I bump while walking back into my apartment after work for the last few years, and this one will be added to the playlist.

The set ended at 11:13, rounding out Set 2 at 1:23 in length. Reflecting on last night’s “Slave to the Traffic Light” encore, we couldn’t help but wonder whether or not the band would provide us with a multi-song encore tonight. One of my other show neighbors, Matt (@Scissortail) suggested that we’d see “The Lizards” as the lights went down. Of course, “The Lizards” is one of the songs that any Phish fan will recognize in its first three notes, and we celebrated briefly as the band adventured into the Gamehendge classic. In my opinion, “The Lizards” offers the most beautiful guitar solo in the entire Phish catalogue. While it never deviates from the beaten path, this is one of those songs I could take at every show and never be disappointed. In its less-than-common encore placement, the band nailed every note. You could hear a pin drop on the floor of the Garden at Trey’s solo all the way in the 300s– exactly how the live-viewing experience for “The Lizards” should be.

While we would’ve been grateful to call it a night after “The Lizards," the band dove right into “Possum” to truly close out the night. Serving largely the same role as the “Character Zero” to end the preceding set, “Possum” provided the truly final opportunity to dance and sing along. This encore was aptly placed and in line with the theme introduced and concluded in Set 2, sending home about 20,000 fans smiling at 11:36.

We said goodbye to our show neighbors and began to leave the venue. As I’ve grown accustomed to, there was a lengthy wait on the elevators down. My girlfriend and I met up with our other buddy in Penn Station before saying goodbye to her sister and our other friend as they trekked back to Long Island (Reviewer’s Note: How convenient is it that the Long Island Railroad and NJ Transit are both hubbed below Phish’s home venue?). We caught an A train downtown, picked up some slices, and called it a successful night before I settled in to write this review. It’s worth noting that writing a review gets harder each year– detailing my emotional and physical experiences in translatable language is a difficult task. Thank Icculus for music.

I found tonight’s show to be a strong outing, but not quite up to the standard of 2023’s or 2024’s 12/29. There were a number of highlights (see: "Gin," "Fluffhead," "WOPE," "Golden Age"), but the weaker second quarter and lack of keynote jam brings it a step below those. I found 12/28 to be the superior show this year (check out that “Theme From the Bottom” if you haven’t yet), but by no means is this a show to sleep on. This night represented a strong introduction to Phish for those not fully acquainted with their style or discography, provided long-time fans a notable bustout in “Quadrophonic Toppling”, and did a wonderful job showing the juxtaposition of the evolution of Phish over 30 years of New Years’ Runs. On the Rating Scale I utilized in the prior years, I’d go so far to provide this show a rating around the B3 range, with "WOPE" serving as the jam of emphasis..

New Years’ Eve looms. I, personally, have no idea what might be in store – although one of the show prints may allude to a "Tweezer" gag? The one thing I do know: I’ll be eagerly awaiting in Section 302 tomorrow night for another rocking night of friends, family, and music.

Happy New Year to everyone!

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