PHISH, SUNDAY 12/31/2023
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
New York, NY

SET 1:

Everything's Right: Very solid jam, focused and delivered with clear intent. Great way to get the NYE show off the ground!

Tube: Good version here, nicely jammed. Not quite up to what Seattle and Alpharetta this year delivered but entertaining nonetheless and perfect placement.

Ether Edge: Standard. >

Reba: Standard.

Taste: Standard.

Ruby Waves: Standard.

A Life Beyond The Dream: Standard.

Character Zero: Standard.

SET 2:

Down with Disease: Shortest since 6.17.12.

Harpua[1] - Whoa. This is nuts!>

The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday: Place just goes absolutely bonkers! So incredibly cool. >

The Lizards: Page sounds amazing during his solo on the baby grand! Treys tone in his solo is on point, sounds awesome. >

Punch You in the Eye: Standard. >

AC/DC Bag: This jam starts oof patiently – love that. It is organic and it is taking time to get there when it gets there. By the late 9’s and early 10’s they are absolutely soaring, beautiful stuff. This is fairly brief and by the mid 11’s they seem to be diving into the muck and the mire. They trudge around in those depths but not for too long. There is a gradual rising and by the mid 13’s you will find Page killing his baby grand and egging on Trey to bring his best Hendrix game. He does just that. He absolutely wails like this might be the last time. The effects that accompany this are mind bending. Wow, this is exceptional Phish, in any era. Mike obviously approves as he cannot keep his foot off that fight bell, lol. Big props on how they wind this one down too. Lots of patience is shown as they gradually bring it down yet at the same time Trey is still crushing some big runs, yet the effects are still loudly in play. There is a segue notated here but honestly the song really does end and there is dead space before Tela starts up. That AC/DC Bag is an easy all timer and highly recommended! >

Tela: Wonderfully done. >

Llama: Lots of that nasty reverse reverb, woo hoo!!! Nasty! >

Wilson[2] - Fun! >

The Sloth: Slowest gun in the west, lol. >

Divided Sky: Oddly enough, the last time they played this was at MSG, 8.5.23. The last 5 times they have played DS, it has been sub 13 minutes. Kind of interesting in that – for the most part since 94 – this tune has been at least a 15 minute affair. Trey’s note – the note – at the end of this one is note perfect. Beautiful.

SET 3:

McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters: Love the story telling in here, very funny. >

Colonel Forbin's Ascent: Standard. >

Fly Famous Mockingbird[3] - Outstanding, love the outro vocals, powerful! >

Auld Lang Syne: Happy New Year! >

Split Open and Melt: First time they have ever opted for this coming out of ALS. Cool placement. This one is very dark and psychedelic with just the right amount of effects without losing those listening at home. I like the section where they boil it down to not quite nothing but they definitely back it out of all that intensity and then set it up for the closing homestretch. Would recommend this version. The very last part of the conclusion is a bit rushed.

You Enjoy Myself: Very chill jam coming out of the tramps section that gradually builds to some loud rock and roll. Great trilling by Trey at the end. >

Loving Cup: Lengthy version, longest since 6.12.19 in St. Louis when the Blues won the Stanley Cup. They solicit a brief woo jam in here. Still, they rip the hell out of this one. Would recommend! >

Possum: Ahh, the old ‘loosely associated with the Gamehendge saga song. Brings the house down for sure. The last two tunes played in this set were raucous!

ENCORE:

Cavern: More old school, LOVE IT!!! >

First Tube: How are these old timers able to muster all this energy? Killed this one somehow. Another raucous tune. >

Tweezer Reprise: Nice!!! What a way to end this one and cap the run. Phish rules!!!

Summary: Never thought they would play GH again. Most didn’t. But what an epic throwdown this was! This band continues to surprise after all these years. Love them so much. Thanks Phish for staying true to your roots. Happy New Year everyone! I am not attempting to put a rating on this one, wouldn’t even know where to start. The current rating on Phish.net is 4.743/5 (813 ratings)

Replay Value: Gamehendge, Split Open and Melt, Loving Cup

[1] Unfinished.
[2] Jo Lampert on additional vocals.
[3] Annie Golden on additional vocals.

Tube contained teases of the theme to The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Harpua was unfinished. During the Harpua narration, a bed appeared from beneath the front of the stage, with an actor playing Jimmy and a puppet version of Poster Nutbag. Trey talked about some of the Harpuas of the past 40 years, then interrupted the song before the "I want a dog" lyric. Trey said Jimmy had lacked a strong female influence over the years and introduced actress Annie Golden as Jimmy's grandmother. While consoling Jimmy, she told him it was time to tell the truth about the owner of Harpua. After telling Jimmy that the old man had given the puppet to Esther and helped Reba make liquid meat, a book was brought forth, and a glowing rhombus rose to frame the entire stage. The band then began the first performance of the Gamehendge saga since July 8, 1994, with Golden and Trey providing the narration and performers acting out the parts of Colonel Forbin, Rutherford, the AC/DC Bag, Tela, Errand Wolfe, and the Sloth. The Multibeast and McGrupp were also performed by puppets. Tela performed acrobatics on wires during her song, with Jo Lampert (as Errand Wolfe) providing additional vocals during Wilson. Colonel Forbin ascended the rhombus during Colonel Forbin's Ascent, and a large Famous Mockingbird puppet flew over the crowd during Fly Famous Mockingbird, which also featured Annie Golden on additional vocals. Before Melt, Trey asked Jimmy's grandmother if she knew that the mountain was a volcano, and the Lizards reappeared to dance to the ensuing Melt jam, eventually leaving the stage one by one as the rhombus was lowered again.
SHOW RATING
Your rating:
Overall: 4.743/5 (813 ratings)
TEASES
Theme to The Mary Tyler Moore Show tease in Tube