Oh Phish, welcome back to Madison Square Garden... you were missed.

The expectations for 12/28 are usually lower. Its always seen as a "Warm up" show and could be missed.

Something tells me that trend just got broken tonight.

The vibe and theme of the 1st set was pretty old school. Lots of 1.0 tunes. (its literally just Sigma that isnt)The garden added another spectacular Bag to its resume in the 1st set and the rest of the set is well played and flows beautifully. My first ever sleep was cool to hear, gotta love getting a rare tune. Antelope, like usual, was an explosion of greatness. Right out of the gate the NYE run was going strong, the band in midseason form.

2nd set got nice and weird, as it should be. Oblivion Disease Simple Jibboo.. 4 fantastic choices there, all getting nice little jams. When theme came next, it perhaps felt a little out of place. But oh boy that thing went freaking deep ... it belonged right here in the meat of this show. Simple even made another appearance out of it. I was barely tripping but i definitely had to ask at a certain point if that mind bending jam was theme or simple at first....

Encore was a standard pick and the show ended earlier compared to years past i think, so i guess that would be my only nitpick. But holy balls that was such a fun show and I had a blast - I cannot wait to do it again tomorrow!

Set One: A-
Set Two: A-

Score: 4.45

I don’t say this lightly: last night reminded me exactly why I keep coming back. I was considering not attending initially (and breaking my streak of being at 100% of NYC shows since 12/31/19) as the past few 12/28’s I’ve been to have largely been the warm ups you might expect, but boy am I glad I didn’t miss the Sunday Phish! They just keep on surprising me, including a big bust out of Sleep, which I’ve been chasing for years!

From the jump, the room felt locked in. Great song choices and jams front to back first set. Can’t wait to relisten!!

Set two stretched out exactly when it needed to. My only slight criticism would be the weird aborting of disease. I thought they’d go the distance on that one but everything that followed was phenomenal. Can’t complain!!

What a start to run, can’t wait to see y’all back at the Garden for round 2 tonight!

Really enjoying the N1 re-listen. Also, pretty sure this is my first ever review! Let's go!!

Set 1 has energy, flow, and momentum - almost 12/29 scorcher vibes.

As folks have said: when Trey opens a set with Buried Alive, he’s feeling it. Straight into AC/DC Bag - fun and dialed-in without letting up. Not “transcendent,” but that’s not the job description in this slot. High energy groovy openers.

Then comes the real question: where are they taking us, and what kind of night is this? Roggae answers. Gorgeous and basically perfectly played. Tight and leisurely; confident and sublime. Also: one of my favorite Phish lyrics, which I’d quoted to friends earlier that day: “If life were easy and not so fast, I wouldn’t think about the past.” Every so often, Phish is profound. This Roggae is mellow and peaky, a true both/and. Right out of the gate, it felt above-average N1 with that delicious sense that it could go anywhere just 3 great songs in.

Rift was perfectly placed. And in this whole set I’m not clocking one band member more than another - it’s just Phish as a cohesive unit. My buddy had joked earlier about hating Rift (maybe exaggerated), but my other friend and I - 226 Row 8, aisle seats baby - are big bluegrass heads, so we start skipping like a rodeo. Anti-Rift bud in the aisle seat bails to find a different zone. I chuckled: we scared him away with that cowbell. He'll return soon enough.

Okay, so the energy continues: Wolfman’s!! I feel like there’s a history of great N1/N2 Set 1 YEMSG Wolfman’s, and this one is phat and full. The last several minutes are perfect. More energy and more bliss than we have any right to expect.

Then: PYITE. Hot hot heat. Extended, punchy intro-jam. The building is moving. They simply haven’t let up - this Wolfman’s → Punch stretch is the highlight of the set, and it’s just ridiculously fun. Dialed in!

Sigma keeps the current running, into Taste, which felt above average too. A friend at his first show actually named Taste as a highlight, which I love, mmm.

And then: Trey grabs the acoustic. Interesting… a little cool-down in a set where we didn't get many, for a short, sweet rarity (Sleep).

The closing Antelope felt like they were reaching for something slightly new-old - like a door they haven’t fully figured out how to open yet. It had some extra mustard, even if they fully missed the landing after the high-driving chaos peak. Still: listening back, I swear I can hear them trying to push Antelope somewhere beyond the “shell of its former self” it has basically become.

Taken together: N1 S1 is a magnificent set of music, pretty much a perfect start to the run. The Garden energy felt a touch sleepier than I’m used to, it was a little hotter than usual in the room, and security snatched some joints from my buddy’s shoes - but none of that mattered by setbreak. This is my fucking holiday.

Set 2 (briefer)
Set 2 had a different vibe: mellower, sludgier, under-the-water — someone here called it “moodier” - that tracks. Whatever the merits of the first four tunes, they’re all ~10 minutes and it felt like they were searching for the sound.

With the 24-minute Theme, they find it. That’s the jam of the night by far- it emerges and submerges, you get lost and found, and that’s what this whole thing is about. The return to Simple is a delight - almost like a statement to seal the deal, cream the theme. Everything’s Right is always fun, sweet, anthemic; I like it as a closer, even if this one didn’t drive as hard or fully as it can.

Slave encore is beautiful and soaring, as always, if perfunctory as it has become. I didn’t get the sense - like with Antelope - that they were reaching for “more.” I got the sense Trey was totally present and grateful: this is exactly how I’m supposed to play this song right now. Not Machine Gun Trey - current day Trey. And if (WHEN!) they tear a hole in the ozone layer later this run, it’ll be current Trey doing it. Phish will still be the best living psychedelic rock band, and Phish at MSG will always be magic as long as we’re lucky enough to have this, have them.

All told: above-average N1 with a nonstop, rip-roaring Set 1 and a Wolfman’s > PYITE peak. Set 2 is solid throughout, but the Theme is a triumphant revelation of improvisatory music.

Three shows / seven sets left --- Anything can happen --- I'm feeling lucky, and excited for tonight.

Gentle Parenting by the Band

Remember being a kid, standing at the gates of the greatest amusement park you’d ever seen? You wanted to sprint through the turnstile, hit every thrill ride immediately, spin yourself dizzy, and not stop until you were dragged out at closing time. But then a gentle hand landed on your shoulder.

“Jimmy, we’re here for four days. You don’t have to rush. You’ve got time. Slow down. Enjoy it. Don’t just run from ride to ride.”

Night One felt like that reminder.

We have four days. We get to ride this roller coaster. We get to slow down and savor the moments instead of chasing them.

We stepped through the gates buzzing with anticipation, pockets full of wish lists and must-ride dreams. And just like that, Buried Alive kicked things off ... the perfect starter ride. Enough speed and motion to wake the senses without overwhelming them. A warm-up spin before the real thrills. AC/DC Bag followed, immediately shutting down any Gamehendge speculation, stretching and building for ten patient minutes... that long, clacking climb up the first big hill. You know the drop is coming, but the suspense is the point. Hanging there, high above it all, we finally tipped over into Roggae: the smooth, floating descent. A wide, scenic glide with the reminder, “If life were easy, and not so fast, I wouldn’t think about the past.” The lights softened, the pace eased, and everyone collectively caught their breath.

Then the familiar click of the track pulling us forward again... Rift. Tight harmonies, quick turns, controlled chaos. A reliable coaster that thrives on tension. Still not ready to stop moving, Wolfman’s Brother beckoned like a winding dark ride, howling and grooving, promising something larger just ahead. No time to get comfortable ... Punch You in the Eye shoved us forward into Sigma Oasis and then Taste, each transition another sharp turn, another unexpected drop.

Then came a rare moment of stillness: Sleep. A quiet overlook tucked inside the park. Benches. Soft lights. A pause to take it all in. A core memory moment... peaceful, reflective, and grounding. Space held for the dreamers. Of course, the only way out of that calm was to bolt straight into Antelope, bursting back into motion like a runaway coaster screaming toward the exit gate.

Obligatory concessions break.

Set Two was where we wandered into the Fun House... mirrors warped, colors brighter, rules a little looser. You don’t hop back on the biggest coaster right after snacks. You ease in. Oblivion and Disease felt intentionally restrained, stretching their legs and setting the tone. Then the real ride opened up: Simple → Jibboo → Bottom → Simple. Forty-seven minutes of curves, dips, grooves, and a few janky transitions that only added character. A ride so fun no one wanted to step off.

But again, that gentle reminder arrived... Everything’s Right. A hug. A hand on the shoulder. “You did good, kid.”

As the park lights began to glow and we drifted toward the exit, there was still time for one last classic attraction. Slave to the Traffic Light... reliable, familiar, and essential. A closing ride that doesn’t try to dazzle, just to remind you why you fell in love with the park in the first place. A soft promise whispered on the way out: Tomorrow is another day.

If Night One is any indication of what the rest of this run holds, this is an amusement park I never want to leave.

12/28 has historically been the warmup show. I’m sure many people skipped tonight, but as the rule goes… never miss a Sunday show.

Buried Alive into AC/DC Bag had the crowd pumped up. Roggae, Rift, and Wolfman’s with some jamming were great 1.0 selections in the first set. Then… PYITE. Mid set. Hot damn. And they jam the intro too. Beautiful. Sigma and Taste were good. Trey wraps up Taste and takes his guitar off… “they can’t be done?” … picks up the acoustic guitar and then we get Sleep. Beautiful. I heard it once at SPAC ‘19. A welcome bustout. Antelope to close is classic. Truly an above average first set, especially for N1.

Set 2 begins with Oblivion, DWD, Simple and damn, it got weird! 40 mins of jamming led to a little Jibboo cool down that wasn’t really a cool down, and then… Theme. I thought this was the part of the night where they just stop jamming and rattle off 4 more jukebox songs. WRONG. Instead? Longest Theme ever. Jesus Christ. I need to listen back, but I was grooving in the moment. Back into simple for good measure, then throw in an ER for the vibes. Great show. Slave in the encore slot is as predictable as the sun coming up every morning. Glad they got it over with night 1.

TLDR: Shows like this are why we Phish. You never know when they’re going to happen, so that’s why you do the whole run. Fingers crossed they maintain this energy through the whole run.

Bag has a short but sweet jam. They went out there and took it back in

Great roggae

Could be the best Wolfman's and PYITE I’ve seen

One of the best Antelope peaks I’ve seen

Oblivion, DwD, and Simple were all really well played jams. They got out there. Def gonna give those a relisten. Great textured jamming but none went super long.

Jibboo wasn’t my favorite version but it was decent

Theme was the highlight of the show. An enormous groove! Trey played it patient in the beginning and I was questioning why he wasn’t playing guitar, but then it paid off with a huge ambient groove.

I was super happy with this for a 12/28

What an excellent N1 of the run!

Set highlights-
Punch You in the Eye was incredible and had the crunchiest, funkiest opener I’ve heard, very 2001-esque. Definitely hitting the jam charts.
Wolfman’s brother worth a listen
Roggae and Taste were beautifully played and Sleep was a nice bust out with the acoustic.
1.5 hr 1st sets are always welcome!!!

Set 2 they were searching for a great jam vehicle, and started with 2 reasonable choices where they pulled the chute early. DwD also started with some sloppy play but then, like a phoenix from the ashes, they hit it with Simple, taking it into a few new places, with a smooth transition to a very well played type 1 Jibboo into Theme, an absolute banger that never let up, the jam that they were searching for! They rode that all the way to the end. And a sweet encore with Slave.

Theme to Everything’s Right and Punch You in the Eye are must listen material!

Theme from the Bottom: a view from the top.

Scorching first set and a solid second. Weird show closer/encore.
First set had some highlights, but PYITE coming mid set with a sick 6 minute intro was my peak. There was no failure to launch like last year’s run opener. They came to bang. Roggae was perfect to my ears. I’ve come to realize when Trey calls for Buried opener, he’s feeling himself and he did. Set 1 edged out set 2 IMO but set 2 was no sloth.
Second set was a little more moody. Theme from the Bottom came in at 24 minutes, longest ever and definitely went type 2. I had to check the setlist to make sure it was still Theme, it was way out there like Sand or WGTYM of late. Theme has been getting its due the last few years and this was the pinnacle of that momentum.
I feel strongly that Theme ate the second set and Everything’s Right was an accidental closer due to time. I bet Traffic Light was the planned closer. But you know how it goes: most events aren’t planned.
4 star show as there were some flubs(disease, composed section of Theme Trey tried and gave up on his signature solo). Definitely had 5 star potential and I feel like they’ll get there tonight as there is zero rust left on this Tinman.

So I built this little Phishow Rater over the summer on GitHub but haven’t been to a show since to use it. Last night was my first chance to do so. I was tired of guessing on show ratings so this was my attempt to get more precision. (It’s in beta so only the rating functionality works, haven’t had time to go back and build out the log in UX, etc…).

Show Rating: 3.65
Favorite Moment: Sleep on accoustic
First Set Highlight: Wolfman’s Punch
Second Set Highlight: Theme~>Simple

Surprised the wife with a night out away from the kids for the holidays. Didn’t have plans and was playing it all by ear. Had sushi in Fairfield and Tycho came on the sound system. Checked ticket prices at 6p and too high, finished my sashimi and ooey gooey chocolate cake and rechecked prices: well below face value. Scored 100 section fish side behind stage. Raced into Manhattan with the wife and parked across the street. Didn’t miss a lick of music because of the Sirius stream but entered during wolfmans. Vibe was loose with a Sunday kinda of love. No expectations, like the day had played out; I was just grateful to be listening to my favorite band at one of my favorite venues.

Aside from the bag and wolfmans, the acoustic sleep and raucous antelope were highlights even if they completely missed the landing after the crazy build up. Fever pitch. I sing Sleep (poorly) to my oldest at night so it was tender moment.

Set two’s oblivion opener set the stage for some deep dives into Phish staples. While the first two segues left something to be desired(disease to simple and simple to jiboo), prior to the abrupt transition into Simple, Trey appeared to be trying to get fish’s attention for like a full minute, trying to make eye contact. His shift to Simple got his attention for sure. Probably not what actually transpired on stage but that is how it looked from 111 row 15. While the transition left something to be desired, the Simple that ensued was made up for it. Crowd pleasing owing to its mention of saxophones and sky scrappers, it devolved into a charcuterie of sonic effects fitting of a holiday fest.

The next segue was equally as abrupt but landed in siren loop heaven with Jiboo, which became an after thought because of the subsequent Theme. This was THE Theme from Theme from the Bottom if there ever was one. The song melted to oblivion, cascaded though sonic landscapes fitting of the upside down and any grudges held by the not so smooth transitions and obvious flubs that abounded throughout the night were forgiven by the buttery slide back into simple. All Smiles! Alls well that ends simple.

Everything’s Right rounded things out, my son’s second favorite Phish song (after Ghost) brought more tenderness and we were ushered into the midtown evening with Slave.

I was excited to finally dust off the show rater and put it to good use to give me an accurate 3.65. Let me know if it works for you.