Photo by Steph Port

After a steady and robust night one and a pristine jam-fueled night two of YEMSG, Phish, fully locked into their places on the stage, shared a show shimmering with a sonic glow of golden champagne. All the members of the band–Trey Anastasio, Jon Fishman, Mike Gordon,  and Page McConnell–were entirely in their element, individually and connectively, offering a smooth and mellow opening to the first set and a full second set comprised of just five songs.

The show opened with McConnell gliding over keys hitting the opening waves of “Down with Disease.” As fans exclaimed their delight with the favorite as an opener Chris Kuroda cast a shimmering orange glow over the stage as the band dug their heels and locked in. Following the 14-minute jam and business well underway, they flowed into the ever-funky “Moma Dance,” allowing Fishman, the band and the sea of fans to bob their heads to the infectious beat. As the song moved along, Phish allowed the funk to flow towards the more improvisational, remaining equally, if not more, grooving through a more sparse sonic approach before they returned to the funk core of the song for its conclusion. Next came “Pebbles and Marbles,” allowing those who desired to take a seat to do so and take in the lyrics of Tom Marshall. Phish then moved into an extended jam of “Theme From the Bottom” before ushering in the darker inclinations of the opening to “Reba.” They then concluded the first frame with a jam of their Sci-fi Soldier personas’ song “The Howling” into the venue’s beer namesake “Foam” before rounding out with a straightforward “Run Like an Antelope.”

After a somewhat lengthy set break, Anastasio welcomed fans back with the line “You’re happy that we’re here” on “No Men In No Man’s Land.” The song went on for over 20 minutes, lush with improvision, eye contact, and nods between the band members gathering heat from the massive arena. Fully united, Phish moved into their first cover of the evening, TV On the Radio’s “Golden Age,” which saw everyone coming together and clapping in response after the band howled, “Clap your hands if you think you’re in the right place!” After using “Golden Age” as a vehicle for a time, they moved into a paring of “Sand” into “If I Could” – Before the former melded into the latter, the set was well into an hour. To close the second set far from over, Phish performed “I Always Wanted It This Way” from 2016’s Big Boat, which was let loose with cascading layered effects and overwhelming cadence from start to finish. After a short break, Phish returned for one final song for their encore: “Chalk Dust Torture,” ending the evening on a high.

Phish will return to Madison Square Garden for the final evening of their New Year’s Eve run tonight. Those who cannot attend in person can stream the shows here.

Phish
Madison Square Garden – New York City
Dec. 30, 2022

Set I: Down with Disease > The Moma Dance, Pebbles and Marbles, Theme From the Bottom > Reba, The Howling > Foam > Run Like an Antelope

Set II: No Men In No Man’s Land, Golden Age, Sand > If I Could, I Always Wanted It This Way

Enc.: Chalk Dust Torture