Photo by @rene_huemer

Last night, after a break on Monday, New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden was once again filled with the mesmerizing sounds of Phish and an accompanying sea of fans. The evening was filled with rare performances and memorable jams, including the debut of “Broken Into Pieces” and fleshed-out jams of “Ghost,” “Wolfman’s Brother,” “Timber (Jerry The Mule),” and “Sample In A Jar.”

The show began with a captivating rendition of “Ghost,” setting the tone for an immersive musical journey and locking into the energy that built over the weekend that had not left the arena despite the day off. From there, the band tagged it and bagged it into “Reba,” with fans singing along before some improvision that led to whistling from the band back into the chorus of the song – an accentuated “Funky Bitch” followed. “Timber (Jerry the Mule),” arrived evoking thoughts of Jerry Garcia throughout the crowd who were aware of the late Grateful Dead guitarist’s birthday. They continued with the debut of “Broken Into Pieces,” the latest song from Trey Anastasio Trio’s Denver performance to be shared by the Vermont quartet. After the debut came the howling “Wolfman’s Brother,” dripping with funk and grooves; each of the members of Phish worked as one during the extended exploration. Notably, percussionist Jon Fishman nodded to “The Well” during the awe-inspiring peregrination adding a special spin to the jam. Though “Wolfman’s Brother” could easily have closed the set, Phish had one more gift ready for the first frame a psychedelic reinterpretation of The Beatles’ “I Am the Walrus” that painted The Garden with sonic technicolor strokes.

After the set break, excitement continued to climb to new levels, starting with the upbeat “Sample in a Jar,” which immediately had the entire venue dancing. New Yorkers who had experienced The Baker’s Dozen, and took notes, may have noticed the song had also opened the second set on a Tuesday back in 2017; however, this year’s rendition pushed the envelope further, expanding past 17 minutes. The song was fluid and climbed over waves at times while dipping under them at others. An unfinished rendition of “Kill Devil Falls” followed before they seamlessly launched into “Golden Age.” After a flood of applause, the band kicked off another run of songs this time starting with “Shade.” The song gave a moment of contemplation and reflection before Phish unleashed a high-energy rendition of “Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley” that was melded to “Twist.” Once again, the set could’ve ended there, but Phish had more in store by expanding the second frame into overtime with the YEMSG prerequisite “You Enjoy Myself.” The performance was ideal and experimental lush with beautiful piano from Page McConnell and shimmering percussion from Fishman, while Mike Gordon and Trey Anastasio added their skills to the beloved song right at home. Their comfort continued as the band began speaking in tongues to the elation of fans.

For the encore, Phish returned to the stage, kicking the show off with the resounding shouts of “Wilson,” then seamlessly flowed into a bust out of “Sanity,” marking its first appearance in a staggering 103 shows since August 6, 2021. The encore was then capped off with a jam of “David Bowie” into “Character Zero,” leaving fans on a high note. With the house lights bound to come on in moments, Phish thanked fans for coming out and shared their excitement for the next show less than 24 hours away.

Watch all remaining Phish’s Summer Tour 2023 shows at MSG via LivePhish in 4K or HD + 48 hours of unlimited replay here.

Phish
Madison Square Garden – New York
Aug. 1, 2023

Set I: Ghost, Reba, Funky Bitch, Timber (Jerry the Mule), Broken Into Pieces[1], Wolfman’s Brother, I Am the Walrus

Set II: Sample in a Jar > Kill Devil Falls[2] > Golden Age, Shade > Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley > Twist, You Enjoy Myself

Enc.: Wilson > Sanity, David Bowie > Character Zero

Notes: [1] Phish debut. [2] Unfinished. This show featured the Phish debut of Broken into Pieces and the first Sanity since August 6, 2021 (103 shows). Fish quoted The Well in Wolfman’s Brother. Kill Devil Falls was unfinished.

Setlist via Phish.net