There are a lot of dates on the Phish fans’ calendar that have become sacred over the years, a reason to celebrate, a simple arrangement of numbers that raises the burden of expectation for the band even higher than usual. I’m thinking of obvious ones like 12/31 and 10 /31 or historically significant ones like 12/29. Suffice to say that if you walk into an arena in any given year to see Phish on one of those dates you’re expecting greatness because, more often than not, that is what they have delivered. In tandem with these significant dates come particular venues in Phish history. If you happen to pay a visit to Red Rocks, Alpine Valley or the Hampton Coliseum for a show you’ll be in the mindframe that something special is going to happen. Madison Square Garden is no different; we all know the history of the venue and the dates of significance.

So the feeling of walking into the world’s most famous arena on New Year’s Day to see Phish on the heels of two straight nights of webcast viewing for me was a little surreal, almost akin to watching the Super Bowl on TV one night and then going to see a regular season game at the same venue on the very next day. Playing a show on New Year’s Day, at Madison Square Garden of all places, raised a lot of questions for an admittedly overly analytical Phish fan. Would it be anti-climatic playing right after NYE? Could the crowd’s energy level possibly be as high? Would the group construct one of those had to be there/kitchen sink set lists or play it straight? Could it live up to the formidable legacy of what is, in essence, my home venue? One thing any football fan knows though is that oftentimes a regular season game can be more entertaining and significant than the championship, and it was this analogy that ultimately proved applicable. I’ll let someone who witnessed both nights in person decide on the worthiness of NYE vs. NYD but what I can tell you is there is no reason to fret anymore if they decide to make this an annual addition to the calendar, as Phish delivered once again.

Placed into the context of 2009-2010 Phish, this show had everything you could ask for: a thoughtful setlist that flowed well with a couple of surprise inclusions and jams that eked towards unbridled improvisation without ever fully crossing over but still managing to captivate.

Large chunks of the setlist probably wrote itself after perusing the selections from the first four holiday tour shows. It’s a shame you can’t gamble on those selections because anyone who follows the band could have called “Tube,” “Reba,” " Runaway Jim," or “Simple” with reasonable certainty and made some safe cash. That is not to say that all the selections were perfunctory, as those willing to take a risk could have hit big on “Crosseyed and Painless,” “Round Room” and “Walls of the Cave,” which were all long shots.

The night’s first surprise inclusion, “Round Room,” emanated after much onstage discussion in the middle of the first set. It was the first version since 2003 and it was well rehearsed and very welcome, as I’ve always been a fan of its quirky lyrics and lilting groove. As for “Walls of the Cave,” I’m guilty of probably never listening to this one outside of the one time I saw them perform it in 2003 and maybe one full sampling of the studio version. I can’t say I was thrilled when they started it up but by the time the first set closed I was a convert, it positively dripped with passion and was an excellent way to close out the first set.

While many of the 2009-2010 “Reba’s” have not felt inspired to me, the version they dropped was a monster, the highlight of the first set along with an excellent “Divided Sky” and the two surprise Round Room tracks. Check out the trilling, bird call runs that Anastasio pulls off in the build up to the shredding peak of this utterly transcendent take on the old classic. If all that is not enough to convince you of the worthiness of this first set than check out “Walk Away,” the James Gang cover, for more evidence of the re-emergence of Trey Anastasio’s guitar pyrotechnics.
It is hard to believe they have only played “Crosseyed and Painless” in concert 16 times, and that is probably because it has been such an important part of some pretty monumental shows that it has the feel of a song that’s been played a lot more since its 1996 debut. So it was a surprise second set opener and while it didn’t contain the improvisational fireworks of some of the more legendary versions of years gone by, it did feature some incendiary peaks before landing in an ambient segue into “Twist.”

Everything that is excellent and yet mildly frustrating about the current iteration of Phish could be neatly summed up in this “Twist.” The middle section was very well played, Anastasio and Mike Gordon both delivering delicate runs while Page McConnell layered bulbous chords from the fender Rhodes underneath. There were a couple of times where it looked like they might un-tether themselves from the song’s structure and head out into the unknown but they seem very hesitant these days to do that for any length of time and those moments proved to be fleeting as they never fully cut the cord. There is still nothing like seeing a Phish concert but I would be lying if I didn’t miss getting lost in long stretch of improvisational brilliance and I wonder sometimes why the band doesn’t feel the same way.

But that, as they say, was then and this is now and it all turned out just fine as they launched into the meat of the second set: “Simple” , “Sneaking Sally Thru the Alley” and “Makisupa Policeman.” I urge you to listen to this “Simple” as no combination of words I could write could do justice to the intricate elegance of its outro jam and improvised coda attached to it. If “Twist” summed up the paradox of this era of Phish than “Sneaking Sally” served to highlight the fresh perspective that the maturing band has brought to this portion of its career. The inclusion of the vocal jam, with Anastasio scat singing along, has breathed new life into the Robert Palmer cover. “Makisupa Policeman” was another pleasant surprise, the band delving deep into the ambient territory that they pull off so well yet employ so sparingly. “David Bowie” is probably the most versatile of all of the old Phish jam vehicles in that it can work just about anywhere in a setlist and be effective. The same could said of “Fee” which nonetheless is perfect for the encore slot. The same holds true for “Frankenstein,” where I never get tire of seeing Page McConnell ham it up for a crowd vis-a-vis his keytar antics.

On the first night of Festival 8, I ran into my dear friend Doug Nyman, with whom I saw Phish the first time they played Madison Square Garden and many times after that. “You know I feel weird saying this,” I explained, “I mean, I am looking forward to all this but really, I am really, really looking forward to MSG.” Doug smiled a knowing smile, “Me too.” There is one truism that will remain for the rest of Phish’s career, no matter what date it happens to fall on: There is nothing like a Phish show at MSG.

Setlist:

Set I: My Soul, Tube > Runaway Jim > Foam, Guelah Papyrus > The Divided Sky, Round Room* > Walk Away > Gotta Jibboo > Reba^, Walls of the Cave

Set II: Crosseyed and Painless > Twist** > Simple, Sneakin’ Sally through the Alley > Makisupa Policeman^^ > David Bowie

Enc: Fee***, Frankenstein^^^

Notes: Last time played 7/22/03 ^No whistling *Manteca quotes from Trey ^{^“I went home late last night after doing the New Year’s stunt, I laid back on my couch and rolled myself a blunt” lyrics. “Kick drum solo.” ***Trey sang verses through megaphone ^}^Page on keytar