Hose Hose Hose and more Hose. This is a spectacular show.

First set highlights:

Gumbo>Cities. Page really shines on the clavinet during his solo in Gumbo and Cities is super fierce. Then came the first big and hosey jam of the night… Bathtub Gin. Reminiscent of the Went Gin, this one displays some SERIOUS hose jamming to an incredible, uplifting peak. A must-hear! Trey showed off his tapping skills in the solos of Wilson, providing a fun different sound! Eddie Van Treylen! A short, but sweet, YEM closes off a great first set.

Now, the second set… oh boy…

Tweezer kicks things off. A filthy jam ensues which turns into a blissful hose peak! Sparks is busted out after 201 shows, and I’m pretty sure nobody complained about that. Next comes a sick Ghost. This one got crazy good and type II with many dimensions. More hose as well! Light comes next, a seemingly “classic” segue now out of Ghost. In this light, one can hear NFA, Mountain Jam, and The Wheel-like jamming. Then out of nowhere, surprising all of us, PARTY TIME! One of the butteriest transitions of 2016. Whether you hear Light->Party Time or just a Party Time jam, this one packs a serious punch! Wading tones down the vibes a bit, and is played well. Then the energy is brought back with Rocky Top! A fun end to a fantastic jammy set.

The encore is the icing on the cake. R&R is the perfect fit for the end of the show, the vibes are uplifting and Trey soars to a nice peak. Tweeprise finishes things off, with Kung and Martian Monster quotes. Beautifully thought out.

This show is special. One of the best 3.0 shows to date. Recommended listening? All of it.

It makes me shudder to think that reviews of this show so far have failed to identify how big of a deal the Sparks song choice is. Some haven't even acknowledged that it was played. For shame!

Sparks is perhaps one of the few rarities with the highest correlation to epic shows of the entire Phish catalog. From the get-go, Sparks was present at Ian's farm, at Full Moon at the Zoo, where Paluska solidified his role in expanding Phish's regional network through dionysian Productions, and Phish's last gig at Wetlands. It showed up in 3 of the most famous early 90s shows: The Ritz 8/2/93, Tinley Park that became a LP release, The Bomb Factory show. It also appeared at the Dick's S gag, and now for a second time in 3.0, reared its head at this show. Before this show, you're batting 7/15, or over 50%, which is incredible. I wonder if any other song with fewer than 20 versions can compare? (The Delay Loop aka Big Show jam is the only one that comes to mind)

That has to give us pause and assess why the selection here. Surely the band has settled into the New Year's run. My thoughts focus on the Tweezer-jam preceding it, a la the 93 and 94 shows that were 'sparked' (ugh, sorry) by jam vehicles. Sparks seemed to come early in sets in those shows too, and got the band to kick it up a notch (which they did here as well). That's definitely a good sign, and not a bad one. The Light->Party Time is a show-stopper in what has to be the best Party Time ever.

Anyways, you be the judge of the overall integrity and rank of the show. I'm not so sure I'd place this (yet) in any of the epic shows also featuring sparks, but its call signifies that the band was moving on all cylinders so it's worth a listen a posteriori.

Have a sparkly New Years everyone!

Wow. This MSG run has been exceptional. Each show a gem. Each show a reminder why I love this band. This show has everything. The first set opens with more barbershop singinging of Carolina, and then a nice Blaze On. The Moma>Gumbo>Cities is a tasty highlight. The Gin rips. The Wilson crowd response literally gave me chills. The YEM finishes up the set in an awesome way.

The second set is just exactly perfect.

Tweezer>Party Time is the jam of the year for me. Wonderful transitions. Fantastic song placement and jams. Quite literally a wow experience.

Velvet Sea was perfect. Perfect placement. Welcomed like an old friend and beautifully played.

Rocky Top. The last time this ended a show was my first show attended in Eugene in October 2014. I love that show, but I love this one more.

Growing up in NY, Lou Reed was always a favorite. Starting with the VU. R&R was the perfect, quintessential encore selection for this show. I was grinning from ear to ear.

tweeprise was perfect. This show will demand many listens in the future. Quite possibly the show of the year. Enjoy. Happy New Year!

Funk, bluegrass, and bliss.

Tweezer: heavenly.

Light: a lyrical transmission raising the vibration of the Garden to powerful proportions.

Party Time: I didn't even know I wanted it, but it turns out, I needed it!

Velvet Sea: I never saw him live, but I felt Jerry all through this beautiful, majestic, and best version I've heard Phish play. Actually, I felt the Dead throughout the whole night.

Rocky Top: MSG really does bounce!!!

Rock and Roll: it was alright.

Tweeprise: it was the Phish.

Best Phish show I've seen, since the last time I've felt like that, which is not every show. Just perfect. This is Phish you need to listen to. And I don't just mean you need to hear it -- you need to listen close, especially during Ghost, to appreciate the talent of this band's immediate spontaneous communication and skill. Master class second set. And it felt damn good.

This is a really good show. The first set is well played and fun. They pretty much destroy Gin, a stellar version. I need to relisten, but Old Home Place seemed to be played in an unusual way...Maybe I was just imagining at the time. Other 1st set highlights were MFMF and, obviously, YEM.

As to set II, if you tend to like patient, bordering on ambient but still complex phish jamming (happens to be my favorite), you're not going to do much better than Tweezer thru Party Time.

Tweezer is immediately worthwhile and a great version, IMO. Both Ghost and Light take a little more time to develop but ultimately payoff. The transition into Party Time (jam) was both unexpected and perfect, and they all gave it some extra mustard to be sure. I'm not overlooking or even arguing with the Wading, Rocky Top closer, just saying the balance of the set is really, really good phish.

This was my one year Phishaversary and I couldn't have asked for a better show. I've now seen 12 total, and only once before did I experience what I call (for lack of a better term) Phish magic. At Wrigley 6/24 when they started up Space Oddity for the first time--chills. You could feel it in the crowd. It's not an emotion that can be put into words. Some call it IT, I guess, but to me it's something else. I'd been chasing that feeling again since then, having loads of fun along the way in Hartford, Syracuse, and North Charleston. Yet still missing that feeling. That Phish magic.

Then they segued in Party Time and the feeling was back. For those that were in MSG this night, you know exactly what I'm talking about. A wave of orgasmic bliss that swept over an arena bathed in fluorescent blue light while a bunch of 50 year old men screamed "PARTY TIME!" over and over again. My favorite Phish show to date. The entire show is worth listening to.

I've been revisiting this show for almost two months now and I'm more and more convinced that it's just that good. It's worthy of all those superlative all-killer-no-filler mantles and excels in song choice, flow, and jamming.
Each of the major jams (Gin, Tweezer, Gnost, and Light -> Party Time) contains a cohesive, complete idea, explored to its logical conclusions before seamlessly segueing to the next vehicle. Hell, you could even say that about Wading. The Ghost jam, particularly the The Wheel/Mountain Song section is one of the most transcendent pieces of live music I've heard. Oh, and did I mention that they played fucking Sparks?
Kuroda's immersive Garden rig is on full display here, and I recomend hunting down a copy of the excellently produced webcast.

All I can say is "Wow". This show is the exactly what I have been looking for in a phish show for a long time (3 years lol. Laugh at me jaded vets). This show was a barn burner from start to finish, and I wasnt ready for it. Me and my friend (who brought me to my first show) kept looking at each other during the first set in disbelief of the quality of music.

My friend has been calling for gumbo all year long (me consoling in disbelief) were ecstatic when it came within her first 3 shows! the cities was rocking and they kept the house moving with old home place (I love this tune) and went right into a Gin that had IT. Trey had sounded fantastic the previous nights, but on this jam he was patient continuing the groove with page with tasty licks and multiple peaks. By the end of my friend my friend I felt as tho I was both out of energy and just getting warmed up for more. Then I got my song....

Let me give some pretext to this - I had jinxed it. Me and my friend at Magnaball had gotten into camp and we were talking about the songs we were looking for and chasing.. Among many I named Wilson (because I really love that rocker) and my friend said "Ohhh we'll get a dope one, dont worry, were here all weekend." Never again will I talk with such certainty about this band. it took me 19 shows but I finally got my WILSON!

But anyway - the end with a Sugar Shack (which trey nailed ) and with a short, energetic, to-the-point, house grooving YEM. IN THE FIRST SET. my 3rd of the year, 2nd in the second set. I love this band.

The second starts off with the Tweezer energy and never looks back. I LOVED the sparks breakout. Me and my friend Matt have been listening to a ton of bomb factory (94 TX heat if your not familiar) and were going nuts for the bustout. Ghost>Light kept up that great 3.0 jam sesh going (and I cant stress enough how great Trey's new rig sounds). The party time was surprisingly AWESOME. This can lull sometimes (IMO) but after the lyrics bringing in the energy in the building together with fun lyrics that quickly navigated into a great peak.

I hate Wading in the Velvet sea, I actually kind of liked it. But I wish that they took 3 min off that and put it into Rocky Top. DAMN was the building going wild for that! Finally, Trey biffed my favorite riff in Rock and Roll but the jam was still soo great that I didnt even mind.

Guys, this is why we keep coming back.

All I an say is wow.

The jam in Ghost, beginning at about 8:30 on the LP track, is propelled by Trey's playing of what seems to be Kurt Cobain's refrain from the end of "All Apologies," ("all in all is all we are") and it continues for about the next four minutes as the theme that carries the jam into the stratosphere. Perhaps it was accidental but perhaps not.

Blaze On danceable, Moma disappointing compared to recent renditions, Cities had Trey experimenting with some new tone and never achieved liftoff, Gin...legit psychedelic dancefest. Second set was first continuous flow of the run. Just relistened to Ghost and I did hear a tease of Uncle John's Band around 10 minutes in, and then it sounded reminiscent of the Wheel for a bit. Light was lovely, and Party Time was wild. I think 'set of the year' may be hyperbolic, but it was solid. A few missteps, but thoroughly enjoyable; everyone was having big fun. Can't wait for tonight.

@SLAVEPHAN knows what they are talking with that "Sparks" praise!

The Phish have "blown their load" prematurely in the past and Sparks was involved, for instance:
The show from 10-29-94 in Spartanburg, SC absolutely DESTROYS the next show (Glens Falls - "White Album") that Halloween show is super over-rated IMO. Spartanburg is THE TRUTH (check that "noteworthy jams" crunchiness)! There is a soundboard version available on "the spreadsheet". Don't take my word for it, you owe it to yourselves to give it a spin - all the way through. It is pure F-I-R-E.

This show (12-30-16) is rather nice, as well. I wonder if we will witness the same "Sparks" phenomenon tonight?

Just had to add a quick comment here. I don't know when the Light-> Party Time was changed to Light with Party Time teases, and people (including myself) will definitely disagree with that call. Either way this is a fantastic Light and with the Party Time jam at the end, deserves to be a recommended version of the song. The peak that the Party Time scales is just incredible.

Overall, this show was awesome and a thing to witness. If this Gin doesn't make you move, I don't know what will. IMHO, the Ghost makes this show. Amazing, chilled out jam to end a show full of highlights. 2016 was a weird year, but this was a complete show.

Just going through a relisten of all 12/30 shows and I have to say this (IMO) maybe my favorite of the modern era. One thing I noticed was Moma through Cities has this great opening drum kick and funk beat. Gumbo sounds like a reverse Moma...just something I noticed almost two years later. Have a listen to this behemoth

Really exceptional show! Multiple peaks throughout, but also subtlety, texture, thoughtfulness and pure high energy…
Gotta say, the show really took off with a truly great, raucous Gin.
Tweezer>Sparks was just perfect, or close.
Ghost got really dirty and took us through the gutter. It got kind of (almost annoyingly) grating, and on one level was losing the crowd, and on the other, made the crowd uncomfortable enough that I thought fights were going to break out. I was thinking, ”I hope they bring some melody back soon, because some people are starting to freak out,” namely the guy in the aisle to my left that was starting to yell at people to dance…that is never very productive. Ha! But really, what a tremendous exploration of tone and texture
Something I thought was happening during Light (I think it was Light), was a composed sounding, deliberate jam that I was sure was a pre-planned and coordinated light show jam. Kuroda shot down light beams at points along the 100 level, ringing the floor. Then he made them dance! The jam seemed too simple and too well timed with the lights to be something that came up in the moment…but then the cohesion of that jam gelled into an explosive, melodic guitar rock solo/jam that eventually became the mightiest of Party Times.
And I know Velvet Sea gets a bad rap because of its ridiculous chorus, but its melody is endearing and this was a truly great version. I was so impressed how Trey built the solo very un-Morning Dew like…instead of slowly building from quiet sweetness to blazing brilliance, he used an economy of notes to sweetly dance around the melody, then Trey started making veritable stabs at peak notes that created a whole different kind of Velvet Sea Jam…by the end Trey seemed to be having a hard time singing the chorus while raging on guitar…just how it seemed to me.
Rocky Top was a slap in the face to Nebraska fans (being an alum), as much as a nod to the Tennessee fans for their sound whipping of the Huskers earlier that day. OK, so I doubt they meant to rub it in, but it was salt in MY wound. I felt, at least, that I was in on the rationale for the “breakout”.
Really looking forward to re-listening…I think it will hold up as one of the better shows of the year and maybe all of 3.0

Writing because I was going back on this show and realized .net no longer lists Party Time as part of the setlist following Light, but rather considers it an extension of the Light jam with Party Time teases and quotes. Reader, do not be mistaken. The segue into the jam is absolutely flawless - the uplifting calypso jam left behind by Light gets picked up by Party Time seamlessly. According to the LivePhish app, there is a standalone Party Time jam for 6:53, a complement to Light's 16:04.

I petition that Party Time be re-included in the setlist properly, as it deserves to be recognized. In fact, .net had even deemed it of Noteworthy Status, but that no longer seems to be the case as the only entry in the jam chart for Party Time is 7/8/12. Blasphemy! Not only does the jam "peak nicely" as .net had once put it, but it serves as the victory lap on the mammoth third quarter that had just transpired.

That aside, I agree with most of what has already been discussed. Song selection was excellent - was glad to finally get my Old Home Place. This was the best Sugar Shack of 2016 (huge upgrade from 7/3/16), a well-executed Wilson, and a surprising but welcome YEM first-set closer. However, the first-set highlight is the powerfully triumphant Gin jam complete with Free bird teases. Other than that, the second set speaks for itself. Back to back monsters in Tweezer and Ghost with an instrumental Who fill sandwiched between, and then a Light that fires on all cylinders keeping the energy high. These jams alone present a strong case for why this show should be considered among the best of the year, but the thrill ride that was Party Time should not be overlooked.

A cappella to open again, noice! Cities gets taken out to the ballgame, with synth and Echoplex interplay prominent. Gin is a standout version, IMO, reminiscent in some ways of a Summer 1998 Gin. Sugar Shack is performed better than is usual for 3.0. Tweezer > Sparks > Ghost > Light -> Party Time is the meat of the second set, and that's how I like it: long jam after long jam, not to mention a bustout and a segue! I don't know that I'd seek this show up for a relisten very often, that being said. But that's really not a knock on Phish, but more of a testament to how many truly great shows there are in Phishtory.

The Gin jam goes hard rockin’ but stays type I

Sugar Shack was poetically stretched out a little, perhaps avenging the slaughter of it during an off-night on summer tour (I forget which show)

Tweezer > Sparks is a smooth, naturally occurring segue

Light > Party Time is also a smooth, naturally occurring segue, and Party Time is stretched out a bit

Yes, there are type II jams in this show, hence the rave reviews. I didn’t hear anything in any of the jams that really stood out as “must hear” / noteworthy. Mostly deep muddy techno-funk, delay (echo) Moo-Tron type stuff which is quite fun and danceable and enjoyable of course. It’s just all a bit effects-laden and becoming somewhat homogeneous and predictable at this point. Golden Age and Light are clearly the new go-to jam vehicles, but after hearing so many similar ones, they are blending together for me. That’s just me. Remember, my goal here is to cull out “must hear” magic moments…. And I didn’t hear any.

On a light note – I can’t recall exactly where – a “super fan” can be heard yelling “DON’T PLAY THE F*CKIN’ MARIMBA LUMINA!!”. Chuckle.