Photo by @rene_huemer
Last night, Phish performed the third show of their seven-night run at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The show was an explosion of sights, sounds, and ideas multiplying and mutating throughout the evening, touching upon familiar and fresh material.
From the outset, the atmosphere was charged with anticipation, and rightfully so, following two evenings at the arena that had exceeded expectations. The band’s energy from the offset and speculation about setlists and encore numerology proliferated across social media and fueled fans’ excitement.
As the quartet took the stage, bassist Mike Gordon’s green attire caught fan’s eyes, as did drummer Jon Fishman’s outfit and guitarist Trey Anastasio’s shirt. The concert hall was bathed in shades of green as the opening song, “AC/DC Bag,” set the tone for a night of musical exploration. The “Bag” jam was an immediate sensation; each band member had time to contribute their unique improvisations. Anastasio, Gordon, and keyboardist Page McConnell took turns in a mesmerizing display of diverse styles, covering a vast amount of musical ground over 15 minutes. “My Friend, My Friend” continued the night’s proliferation of musical ideas, with Chris Kuroda’s lights adding to the spectacle onstage. Fishman’s beats multiplied and mutated as the song continued, leading the band into a dark jam, enhanced by McConnell’s haunting organ playing. Next came a steady “Bathtub Gin” and two parings: “Theme From the Bottom” > “Llama” and “Tube” > “Golgi Apparatus.”
As a whole, the second set demonstrated Phish’s evolution over the years. The opening song, “Sigma Oasis,” showcased the band’s ability to create deep improvisations, while the following “Life Saving Gun”–the debut of the evening from McConnell and Anastasio studio LP January–unveiled their evolved compositional style, perfectly aligned with their improvisational spirit. “No Men In No Man’s Land” came next, allowing for diverse modes of improvisation, with peaks and ambient moments expertly interwoven. A mid-set pairing of “Lonely Trip” and “Frankie Says” highlighted Phish’s quieter yet significant contributions to their repertoire, delivering a mesmerizing and psychedelic experience for the audience. Notably, the latter hasn’t been played since 2021. The nearly non-stop frame was closed by a pairing of “Gotta Jibboo” > “Light,” which epitomized the band’s evolution, featuring grooves giving birth to new grooves, each one building upon the other.
The encore offered a retrospective of Phish’s journey, as “Suzy Greenberg” took fans back to the band’s early beginnings, juxtaposed with a powerful rendition of Hendrix’s “Izabella,” which they busted for the first time since 1998 during The Baker’s Dozen in 2017 and have played selectively ever since.
Phish are set to take a well-deserved rest from performing at MSG tonight, with shows continuing into the weekend. Watch all remaining Phish’s Summer Tour 2023 shows at MSG via LivePhish in 4K or HD + 48 hours of unlimited replay here.
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Phish
Madison Square Garden
July 30, 2023
Set I: AC/DC Bag[1] -> My Friend, My Friend[2] -> Bathtub Gin, Theme From the Bottom > Llama, Tube > Golgi Apparatus
Set II: Sigma Oasis, Life Saving Gun[3] > No Men In No Man’s Land > Lonely Trip > Frankie Says > Gotta Jibboo > Light
Enc: Suzy Greenberg, Izabella
Notes: [1] Unfinished. [2] No “Myfe” ending. [3] Debut. This show featured the debut of Life Saving Gun. AC/DC Bag was unfinished and My Friend My Friend did not contain the “Myfe” ending. After Llama, Trey said he wasn’t sure if they had already played Llama and after Fish said they hadn’t, Trey said “let’s play it again!” and Llama was started again for a few seconds.
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