Phish's annual New Year's Run at Madison Square Garden has become the stuff of legend.
The beloved jam band has played a yearly show on New Year's Eve at venues throughout the country in a tradition that dates back to 1989 (December 31st is the most-played date in Phishstory), but this year marks the 13th time Vermont's finest will have rung in the New Year at MSG – the venue that famously hosted their "Baker's Dozen" residency in 2017.
On the last night of the run, the band traditionally puts on some type of gag for fans, which over the years has ranged from pirate ships to flying hot dogs.
The four-night extravaganza kicked off last night, December 28th. The group debuted two songs in set 1: "Evening Song," a new original, and a cover of Gene Autry's "20/20 Vision (And Walking Around Blind)." They also treated fans to back-to-back rarities "Weigh" (which was last played in November 2018) and "Dog Faced Boy" (last played October 2016) after crowdpleasers "Ghost," "Gumbo" and "Rift."
A rockin' rendition of "Twenty Years Later" seemed fitting, as Phish are close to celebrating the 25th anniversary of their first-ever show at MSG (their first performance was December 30th, 1994 ... see the setlist). The band kept the funky grooves going, closing the first set with 2019 setlist regulars, "Tube" and "Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S."
Set 2 commenced with a trio of Trey Anastasio Band's "Everything's Right," "Beneath a Sea of Stars" (making its fourth-ever appearance) and a killer "Set Your Soul Free" jam before segueing into "Gotta Jibboo" and "Free."
"Piper" sent fans into a frenzy before the band transitioned into The Who's "Drowned" for the first time since August 2018, with Mike Gordon at the helm. Nostalgia was certainly in the air, as this cover also made an appearance at Phish's first MSG show in '94.
They closed out the second set with favorites "Ass Handed," "Chalk Dust Torture" and "Character Zero" before bursting into a two-song encore of "A Life Beyond the Dream" and Felice & Boudleaux Bryant's "Rocky Top," the latter making its first appearance since December 2018.
Peep the full setlist:
The party continues tonight through New Year's Eve. Check out the rest of the dates below, and head to Phish's website for ticket info.
Phish's New Year's Run 2019 dates:
12/29 – New York, New York @ Madison Square Garden
12/30 – New York, New York @ Madison Square Garden
12/31 – New York, New York @ Madison Square Garden
