Phish’s “Garden Party” Tribute
January 3, 2013
On Monday night at Madison Square Garden, Phish opened their show with “Garden Party.” The song resonated on a number of levels. First off, the Ricky Nelson composition shares Nelson’s account of being booed at Madison Square Garden when he performed at a Rock ‘n Roll Revival concert but focused on country-flavored material rather than the 50’s rock that had once gained him renown. In addition, as Phish archivist Kevin Shapiro has posted, the tune was performed “on the 27th anniv of the plane crash that took Rick Nelson & his band.”
