Last night was a classic 12/30 show. Excellent setlist, excellent jams, the whole room was buzzing!

Set 1 starts things out with a great Possum into a Wolfman’s jam that sets the tone for jams to come. I was hoping for a Maze, but to get Lengthwise > Maze was special. Theme is always welcome. The placement on More was interesting to me, a nice cool down in the middle of the set. It worked a lot more for me than that Farmhouse on N1. Divided Sky placement was excellent too, and then NMINML out of left field with a tight jam! Most Events delivered the goods too, and then just as Trey says “we’ll be right back!” he rips it into Fluffhead, an excellent version at that.

Set Two begins with a welcome Hey Stranger. Great new tune that I’m happy to hear. But as it ends, the sounds of Mike slapping his Bass are like a warm blanket swaddling the audience up on a cold night… Down with Disease has arrived, and they’re going to jam it. Clocking in at 20 mins, it mellows out and goes perfectly into Winterqueen, a song I had not heard live ever until tonight. Cool-Down songs are interesting to me. You want something refreshing, but you don’t want something you’ve heard a million times. That’s why I like this pick. As it’s wrapping up I think to myself, is there anyway they drop into a Tweezer right now? And oh boy, they totally do. This Tweezer was a religious experience for me. Starts off with some great Gordo bass interplay, and then jumps off into some incredible spacey territory. Kuroda had been on fire all night, but his expertise really shines through. I noticed he kept the Garden really dark for the first half of the song. Then Trey builds to a peak that brings the song back to the main Tweezer riff, and you think… will they end it here? Of course not. They build upon that to an incredible peak. Kuroda blasts the white lights from the stage, the Jumbotron, then rings that surround the garden. There’s multiple circles of light surrounding everyone, and at the center is Trey blasting us with straight hose. That was a religious experience, I felt like I saw God. Seven Below and Piper were both great, but 2001 was much needed. Albeit short, a dance party nonetheless. Everything’s Right placement here was odd but I liked it! Not used to seeing it close out shows, but here it is and it rips!

A Life Beyond the Dream is an encore song I welcome because it’s warm, loving, positive, and centers me for the inevitable heater that’s about to follow… While it wasn’t Tweeprise, it was an all time version of Harry Hood. Trey held that note for about 82 seconds, and then still managed to rip into an incredible peak.

3 hours and 23 mins later, we have a beefy show that proves that 2024 is going to go down as an all time year for Phish. The Mexico run, the Sphere run, an incredible summer tour capped off with Mondegreen and an exceptional Dicks. The Albany run was special, and now we find ourselves here, after back to back incredible Phish shows on the precipice of New Year’s Eve… How will they follow up Gamehendge from last year? Can they close out 2024 as strong as they started it? You know the answer. See you all tonight.

There are only 2 reviews of this show so far, so I thought I'd add one. I had an amazing seat in 102 for this show. I got to see the full effects of the light show. This is a rarity; I'm usually behind the stage or on the side of the stage at MSG.

This Wolfman's is sneaky excellent. A really funky, churning jam. Quite fantastic for only an 11 minute version. Hearing this Wolfman's live gave me a nostalgic flashback to 12/28/16, my second show.

I don't think I've ever seen Divided Sky and Fluffhead in the same set. Quite good versions of them both. The set seemingly was about to end after Most Events Aren't Planned, but Trey went into Fluffhead after thanking the crowd. This was a fantastic move, and it rounded out the set at 1 hour and 32 minutes! That's a long Phish set!

Set II is terrific, even masterful. I caught the debut of Hey Stranger on 12/29/22 and hadn't seen it since. I loved the version off the studio album and had it on repeat during the late summer. So it was nice to hear it opening this set.

DwD is the musical highlight for the show to me. A very deep jam emerges that made me feel like the Garden was a vast ocean. The oceanic themes of this jam reminded me of Drowned > ASIHTOS from 7/30/17 a bit.

Winterqueen is a song I have been chasing. Just over a year ago, I was listening to the studio version of Winterqueen over and over again, hoping to hear it live one day. A year later, they delivered one for me. A perfect, slightly extended version.

Tweezer has a very strong jam. Towards the beginning of the jam, after the Uncle Ebeneezer lyric, Trey is in rock star mode, but is also playing in a funky, almost minimalist way. Stupendous playing by Trey.

Seven Below is another song that I had been craving to see live. The last time I saw Phish perform it was Mohegan Sun 2019!

A phenomenal Hood to close out the encore! What a peak at the end!

I love how this show contains a top notch second set plus Divided Sky, Fluffhead, and Harry Hood all in the same show! None of those three songs are even in the second set!

This show has fantastic setlist decisions by Trey and great jamming. I would recommend listening to this show.

Phish did it again for us at the garden tonight. The night prior, 12-29, was a serious scorcher that really had me doubting they would "surpass" that show. But, if anyone could do it, its this band in this arena. Lets get to the show.

Possum opener, pretty standard but gets the place rocking well early. Wolfmans was a great follow up and had my section moving.

The first set gets its first major highlight during Divided Sky. This song inside MSG is just a cathartic experience. Simple case of "ya had to be there"

The no mans that followed up was a serious treat. Love that song in the first set as a jam vehicle. MEAP > Fluffhead were 2 great calls here. Both played very very well and you could not ask for more from those tunes. A fantastic 1-2 punch to end it.

Hey Stranger is an odd choice to open the 2nd but that song really isnt too bad and has gotten some good jam material as of late. Disease gets us rocking hard - an intense jam to open the floodgates in the 2nd set. The transition to winterqueen was very sweet. I had never heard winterqueen live before and always thought it was a nice ballad. Needless to say I was happy about it and its sick transtition out of DwD.

Alright, time to strap in! The Tweezer pulls in and it was very very focused. Tight ass jamming going and just had me and my section with a glued on smile. What a treat. No it was not the 12-30-19 Tweezer but this one was its own flavor of amazing. Cant wait to relisten. And then we get a sick transition to Seven Below - again a song I never had the ability to hear live before (12-30-24 was my 30th show ever) and was a song I always truly loved. I think Phish did it justice for me on this night, well played, nice little jam after and hit the mood just right!

Piper was short but i think did hit the vibe right. But its all about what came after - getting a 2001 is great any time, but when you get a 2001 inside the mecca of MSG, you strap in. Because your spaceship is about to FUCKING BLAST OFF!- and we did blast off - in bliss to a sick version as the 2nd set peaked.

This crazy ]world I know indeed. It was a good cherry to top a really well done 2nd set.

People love to hate LBTD but imho its as good a ballad as you can get from 3.0/4.0 , yes I would liked Silent in the Morning here more but thats a personal preference. Trey still shredded the fuck out of it, and it was a moment to reflect and cool down from the insanity of the tail end of the 2nd set.

Me and my neighbors thought the Tweeprise was coming out of it, but instead it was a much bigger treat. A very strong Hood - trey held the note , shook his head , and we all just couldnt help but cheer it on. Magic in MSG, with our favorite band, in the year 2024.

I dont have a ticket tonight, and im a poor piece of wook trash. And it is going to pain me knowing I will not be in that building with that band my phish family. Breaking my heart actually. But what a 2024 it was.

Set One: A-
Set Two: A

Score: 4.5

What could you even do the next day after that incredible display on 12/29? Well, me and my sister checked out the Guggenheim and Chinatown, and finally ran to some vegan hot pot that was absolutely delicious (Bodhi on Mulberry). Chilled in some local parks, enjoyed the vibes, and then linked up with the Phishcord crew about 2 hours prior to showtime. It really is special to have a crew that you can hop to preshow and postshow, it makes things so much better!

Again settled into MSG and soaked up all the different levels of the venue prior to the showtime. I love arenas and stadiums with character and this really enhanced the experience for me. I was struck thinking about all the long-standing frustrations at the success (or lack of it) from NY sports teams that play there, and how it is kind of a cosmic coincidence that now Phish attempts to redeem things at the end of every year for them.

12/30 began with Possum. A great selection for opener, continuing the stretch of very recognizable 1.0 opener tunes. Wolfman's is always welcome for me - I'd take one every first set of every show I attend. This one gets out a fair amount and has a nice close. I actually called Lengthwise to someone online as a joke prior to this show and so it was absolutely nutty to see this - the first time I've gotten one of course and the first in 4.0. Prior to it, there was some discussion with Trey and Fish and I think it was a gametime decision to spice things up like that. Maze was solid as usual, and then Theme from the Bottom came. I was definitely expecting one of these this run, as they have been playing it a lot lately. Solid renditions and then More was a surprise hit - I was super hyped about this as I love More. I really loved being able to sing along to the newer tunes that they dropped this run and really shine out a lot of positive energy on these - it actually seemed to help those who were sitting around me become more interested in them as well. Interesting timing for that, and I figured a big one had to come next, so I was not shocked to see Divided Sky. This was electric - I felt the Garden shake during the cheers for the pause.. it was as good as it gets.. Simply a magical moment in time. I recalled the very loud Divided cheers from 10/19/2021 Eugene and it was very similar in my mind, although this was awesome because the ground was vibrating. It was so lovely. And so many glowsticks and balloons! No Man's was next and it was a nice return to the dance. The jam didn't really take off but it did seem like there was more to come in this set. Most Events was next and I really do enjoy that song. Was getting down to the dance for sure and I definitely did expect it to end the set as it has done recently... but of course, Trey had better ideas, faking us all out for the FLUFFHEAD. Absolutely brilliant. The crowd was so fucking loud once everyone realized what was happening. They really went hard on the Fluff Went To New York merch this run so it was a given that it would be played; this was as good of a spot as it gets for it. They played it really well and when it finally got to the FLUFFHEAD peak.. I could feel the Garden shake yet again. Just another magical moment in a run full of them. So cathartic. I was just again on cloud nine as they went into setbreak - every show so far, they have completely nailed the end to Set 1, and made the anticipation build for Set 2. Setbreak music was 24 Hours In A Disco 1978?-?82 by Kiki Gyan, they've been dropping that one a lot lately as it's so good.

Hey Stranger started the second set, a bit of a surprise choice for me but hey, you gotta love a new song that extolls the beauty of collectivism and how it's always better to get to know someone than to live a shut-in life. Vital insights in the current days where they want you to be individualized. Down with Disease was fantastic. This has a lot of nice exploration and they take their time to get some themes developed. Winterqueen is an absolutely amazing song. The lighting that CK5 did on this needs to be studied. It felt like a stage presentation. I love this song so much and it was a complete pleasure to hear - there was a great solo and I was completely enthralled and engaged. Tweezer hit next and I was just having a blast. Everyone was dancing, so many glowsticks and lights. It was another phantasmal journey that just made me so happy to see - it was a great feeling that overtook me that there was no other place in the world that I would rather be than here at this moment. Seven Below was a surprise - it's been a bit of a rarity lately and I was going wild - but would you believe that no one in my row recognized this song? I was so happy to catch one but I feel like it's a very recognizable hook. This sort of led me to think there was a "cold" theme during this evening - and it definitely seemed that way with the green, purple, and blue-heavy lighting. Piper is always great and this was no exception, and then motherfucking Dance Party time with 2001.. so much fun and this was such an incredible set. Everything's Right is an incredible song and easily one of my favorites since it debuted, so this was a treat and it capped off a set - they didn't even need a closer, just raging to an end with Everything's Right. Lovely collection of a set, great flow, and it was just so pleasurable.

A Life Beyond the Dream started the encore and honestly it was really sweet. Then came the Harry that I thought was coming N2, and this is an exceptionally strong Hood. I've heard quite a few lately and Trey really brings the juice specifically on this one - there's a repetitive riff towards the end that gets to the "next level" that not a ton of Hoods after 1.0 do. Must hear for sure. I didn't catch the Dreidel bit live but looking back at the video it's pretty funny. A fantastic close. This show will likely not get the same attention that 12/29 or 12/31 get, but it was extremely strong. Fluffhead bit to end the first set and honestly DWD through the end of the set is an hour and a half of pure solid stuff, and then the Hood.. absolutely 10/10 night for me this night.

After the show and after taking in the cool night air, I stumbled a few blocks away to the Taco Bell Cantina, the Taco Bell that serves alcohol and has a special menu and all that jazz. It continued the incredible evening. Afterwards, I met up with the crew at a K-Pop themed bar (shoutout to my favorites Aespa and TWICE) and it was a funny scene as everyone was eating from that restaurant and I was eating the Taco Bell Cantina inside as if it was normal food. Everyone was in such a good mood and it was hard to believe that we had still one more evening of this... the big daddy.. 12/31.. Even if the NYC experience ended for me after this night it would have been more than enough emotional fulfillment. But there was still one more to go...