Not sure how you compete with the last two nights, much less top them. I mean, it’s not about the best this or the best that. Still, this was probably the most complete show of an already wildly complete run. I lost count of the humbled moments I realized I was
at the mercy of towering rock gods. This band *is* a skyscraper.

Listen to….everything.

Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. My mind was actually blown tonight. This show was absolutely fucking incredible!!! The energy in the garden was insane. I can’t believe what I just witnessed. That was unbelievable. This is why we live and breathe the band. Thank you for a night I’ll never forget. Phish is just the greatest.

Phish puts the cherry on top, and then some. What an amazing show. First set is as good as it looks on paper. Simple was clearly the highlight for me.

NMINML was probably the best jam of the run. Awesome stuff all the way through Jibboo. AWITS was unexpected but I didn’t care at that point, still danced and so did everyone else. I’m a sucker for Lonely Trip and Walls is always welcome. Trey put some extra mustard on the ending tonight.

Very fun encore and cap to a phenomenal run!

After 4/21 and especially 4/22, I was asking myself, “how do they follow that up?” In typical Phish fashion, they deliver.

4/23 is a very full and complete show. Set 1 is as good as it looks on paper. Simple is the obvious highlight, but getting Fluffhead/Divided Sky in the same set is just marvelous. And how can you not love a set closing first tube? Aside from the Egg in a Hole teases, this was a front to back 1.0 set. Quite amazing considering this is night 4 of the run with so many options already done. Now that I’m thinking about it, I don’t think there were any covers at all during this run? Just some Phish Food for thought…

Set 2 opens with what I believe is the jam of the run, a fat 27 minute No Men’s. Lots of great musical ideas are explored during the jam, and much like Simple things get dark. I can see why people would be upset with the Prince Caspian ripcord but damn, that was one of the tightest Caspian jams I can remember. Felt like a 1.0 rendition. Piper gets weird in the best way possible, I’ve never heard a Jibboo live that doesn’t rage, and then Walls of the Cave in the S2 closer slot is a tour de force. Trey put some extra mustard on that one to close out an incredible four night run.

Wilson, Bowie and More in the encore slot tells you all you need to know about how great the night is. I always see people groan at More and start packing up, bums me out a little. I think about how the band is up on stage, their family and friends are in attendance, they’re at the center of the universe in MSG, and we reflect with the words “they must be something more than this.” Beautiful stuff. See y’all at the next one.

Every single person in attendance contributed to this amazing show. It was a double second set show, with 3 solid type II’s (simple, nminml, piper) in one show … easily noteworthy jams imho.

Love this band, our scene, and friends with the new ones made each show.

Cant wait for summer.

This was an excellent night of music punctuated by two very different but memorable sets. Set I was filled with Phish treating us to a veritable greatest hits compilation that was accentuated by an absolutely wild Simple. It seemed like the first Simple jam fizzled out, and just when you thought they would move on to something else, they dropped into this sinister and evil feast for the ears and eyes that showed everyone that, after the "NYE" show, they were not gonna let us off the space ship yet. Just looking at set I on paper, and you have enough to make even the most jaded phan happy.

However, during set II, Phish took the Simple blueprint and ran with it. NMINML was outstanding and seemed like it would go on forever. And the Piper...oh man the Piper. I looked over at my friend, and said to him, "Is this really happening?" It was scary and beautiful and ultimately euphoric. IAWITW was super cool and edgy. Lonely Trip was just beautiful and is another reminder that, while we might be alone at times, we always have each other to fall back on. You are truly never alone with this band. WOTC peaked and then peaked again...and then peaked again. I think I still have my hands in the air in triumph.

I shouldn't be amazed anymore because Phish has done this to me time and time again. I chase "that" feeling over and over. I'm sure you do too. We are so lucky, and we should all be grateful that we have these moments.

So I turn to my seat mate and say "Geez, this 2nd Set is sounding like a victory lap to my ears". Then Prince Caspian starts up. And all in the world was good, again.

So, out of the three nights attended (4/20, 22 and 23) I thought two were utterly brilliant in their vision and one nearly flawless of the two. That'd be 4/22/12/31. But damm if they didn't give it some sort of whirl last night. But even they proved that they were at the end, like all of us, mortal. Trey was gassed by the Encore. But can anyone really imagine playing to that level for four nights?

Once again it turned out to be an embarrassment of riches for those fortunate enough to be in the building for these shows. 4/23's 1st Set was divinely crafted, and played, to these ears, perhaps too much so? It just felt like a 2nd Set. And thus, why I felt the 2nd Set itself ended up feeling like a Victory Lap, but what a lap it was.

Just loved how Trey had 20,000 of us "stop" for about five minutes and have us appreciate our Lonely Trip. It's these little things that count. That takes balls and a lovely sense of self imho. Before then they seriously brought the heat with what sounded like a never ending, in a good way, version of NMIMML, a beautifully drawn out Piper and a Gotta Jibooo that had the joint both rocking and smiling in unison. The IAWITW that preceded Lonely Trip was rather incendiary and so was Walls Of The Caves, which was very deliberately sung until the musical fireworks re-exploded into a thundering crescendo.

Ok, Trey was gassed out by the encore. He's human, go figure. And with that being said, all I can give is thanks. That we live in the life and times of a band that truly gives a shit about us. I'm not going to shy away from my disappointment in 4/20 but 4/22 and 23 was the stuff of dreams. They're living theirs, and we are just along for the ride. May it continue safe and sound for everyone.

Phish won. Again.

After N2 and N3 of this run, I came in expecting continued greatness to wrap up YEMSG Spring 2022. From the first notes of Fluffhead, I knew we were in for it. This was a spectacular way to finish the week, full of crowd favorites from the earlier days and some pleasant nods to the newer catalog. The jams were great, and the energy in the room was off the charts. I had an absolute blast.

I actually could not believe Set 1 was performed in 2022. I mean, just reading the setlist, you might think that this was straight out of '99 (if you overlook Egg In a Hole, which I count as a quote/tease and not an individual song). This was one of the most fun sets I've ever personally attended, as the crowd was experiencing communal euphoria from start to finish. Fluff came to New York, Arrival, We've Got Skyscraper, the transition back to Simple proper after a crazy dark jam, the band turning around to face the back of the stage during Divided Sky pause, and ALL of the First Tube closer--these moments are cemented in my brain due to the absolute batshit cheering we produced in that room. Musically, I really love Trey's solo at the end of Fluffhead; some of the lines he pulls out are just so triumphant and celebratory. The Simple jam here may have been my favorite of the entire run (though DwD, Ghost, and SYSF are good contenders), especially from ~14:00 on when things get real dark and doomy. Add to all of the magic the fact that this was my first Fluffhead, first Hydrogen-filled Mike's Groove, AND first Divided Sky? Absolute platinum tier.

Set 2 had some work to do to keep the pace. Although I felt it fell just a bit short of the mark, there's still some really awesome material in here, starting with NMINML. By far the longest single-song jam of the run, NMINML explores a few different Type II themes and energies without evolving too drastically in any one direction. Plenty of meat in there to pick at. A compelling Prince Caspian (another first for me!) gives way pretty quickly to Piper, which stood out as a Set 2 highlight for me. Trey shreds over a steady upbeat, darkish groove where Mike really stands out for his creative bass approach. As Phish fans love, Piper transitions right into Gotta Jibboo (ahem 6/19/04). Trey harkens back to the gag of the previous night and and Jibboos of yesteryear with his funk siren in the jam section. Always Wanted it this Way and Lonely Trip take a step back from the heavy hitting for some nice loftiness and a slow breather. Finally the boys bring us home with a beastly Walls of the Cave finish. The energy on the jam here is sky high again, and Trey shreds above and beyond.

Though the encore didn't deliver the YEM I'd been looking for all run, we got three more tunes before going home and I can't complain. I was stoked to see my first Wilson since my first show (this time I knew the call and response intro, lol), relish in a sweet David Bowie (my fave Phish tune) with some excellent Mike in the jam, and close the run with a spirited More. Like a beloved little one leaving Grandma's house on Thanksgiving, I went home sleepy, stuffed, and super satisfied. Absolutely killer run.

Others have dug into the setlist/expirence. I wanted to call attention to this being the Mangold Set Trey speaks about after meeting his NFL hero and inspiration for what it means to be a good teammate and showing up to work hard. I take this as a reminder to be grateful for every opportunity we get to share space with our community! Tao Nick on the stairway to the stars!

As Harris Wittels once said, phish is my temple, synagogue and church, and the place to heal….after a very long 26 months without being able to go to a show, this was the perfect return. Fluffhead opener kicked the crowd energy to an insane level that lasted through Mike’s grove, an amazing Simple jam that got dark and dirty, incredible Divided Sky, and culminated with First Tube. Energy carried through most of the second set til the lull better Gotta Jibbo and Walls of the Crave. Wilson and Bowie encore would have been perfect if it ended then…definitely one of the best shows I’ve seen at MSG

I don't know if it's harder or easier to do a show right after what was essentially a NYE show with arguably the most beautiful stunt/gimmick Phish has ever done. But the pressure is off, so let it rip, right?

And that's just what Phish did in the first set! A barn burner opening with Fluffhead, Mike's, the best Simple I've heard in ages which segued into Egg In A Hole - the highlight for me! Round that out with a Divided Sky and First Tube? Hell yes!

After starting with a jammed out No Man's and stellar Piper, set 2 had its bumps (most notably a jam at the end of Piper that seemed to collapse and rip cord into Gotta Jibboo followed by an awkward I Always Wanted It This Way.) The boys rallied with a nice Lonely Trip and solid Walls Of The Cave.

The the three song encore of Wilson, Bowie and More was the cherry on top!