Photo by Rene Huemer via Phish’s Facebook page

Last night, Phish concluded their rescheduled New Year’s Eve run at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Following the band’s spectacular Earth Day display, the final night of the Vermont-foursomes’ Big Apple showcase saw fan favorites and elaborate improvisations from start to finish. 

The first set got underway with “Fluffhead.” Next, Phish continued to pull from their ‘80s repertoire and performed fan-favorite “Mike’s Song,” followed by the beauteous instrumental track “I am Hydrogen.” Then, they played a fast-paced jam-heavy take on “Weekapaug Groove,” which highlighted Page McConnell’s ability to transcend the crowd with his keyboard. 

Set one continued with a three-part serving of 1994’s “Simple” into the second-ever live performance of “Egg in a Hole”– which debuted on Oct. 31, 2021, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas– and back into “Simple” to end the monumental jam. Next, Phish performed an extended “The Divided Sky” before Trey Anastasio led the band through a funk-weighted “First Tube.”  

After a 45-minute set break, Phish returned to the stage to deliver a staggering 27-minute long “No Men in No Man’s Land,” which emphasized the band’s energy as a unit: highly-developed grooves, extended improvisations and the sonic ability to communicate with one another using only their instruments. The set opener morphed into “Prince Caspian.” The band continued with 1997’s jam-epic, “Piper.” 

Upbeat number “Gotta Jibbo” off 2000’s Farmhouse came next. The tune emphasized the interconnectedness between McConnell and Anastasio’s stage presence as the guitarist riffed off the keyboardist’s passionate fingerwork. “I Always Wanted It This Way” came next, which featured an illustrious jam that stretched and morphed the track.

Next up, Anastasio led the band through “Lonely Trip,” a tune off his 2020 solo album. The sweet ballad allowed fans to reconnect with their surroundings following a head-spinning, hip-shaking second set that kept folks on their feet. Guitar-heavy “Walls of the Cave” closed the set.

For their encores, Phish began with fan-favorite “Wilson,” followed by a lively take on “David Bowie,” off the seminal LP, Junta. Then, for the final song of the band’s four-night Madison Square Garden run, they performed an emotionally fueled take on “More,” which appeared on 2016’s Big Boat.

Following Phish’s rescheduled New Year’s Eve shows, the band will hit the road for their spring and summer tour, which begins with a three-night stand on May 27 through 29 at The Wharf Amphitheater in Orange Beach, Ala. The 34-stop tour will stretch throughout the summer months and will end on Sept. 2, at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo. Read more here. 

Madison Square Garden– New York, N.Y.

Set I: Fluffhead, Mike’s Song, I am Hydrogen, Weekapaug Groove, Simple > Egg in a Hole > Simple, The Divided Sky, First Tube 

Set II: No Men in No Man’s Land > Prince Caspian, Piper, Gotta Jibboo, I Always Wanted It This Way, Lonely Trip, Walls of the Cave 

Enc.: Wilson, David Bowie, More

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