Phish - December 31st, 2022
Madison Square Garden · New York · NY
1 Dancers and characters from Phish's past on stage.
2 The Late Show Gospel Choir. Lyrics changed to reference Ghost.
3 The Late Show Gospel Choir and the BD Entertainment Marching Band.
4 The Late Show Gospel Choir and the BD Entertainment Marching Band. Last verse only and unfinished.
5 "Naked dude" dancers.
6 "Naked dude" dancers and singers. Lyrics changed to "if I could be naked there."
7 The wombat ran and danced across the stage.
8 Tweezer Sandwich: Tweezer bookended Halley's Comet, Set Your Soul Free, Rift and 1 more in Set 1 - the 33rd on record, the first since July 31st, 2022.
9 Ghost Sandwich: Ghost bookended Bohemian Rhapsody in Set 3 - the 4th on record, the first since July 14th, 2022.
Song length in play order. Tap a point for that song. Swipe the chart to see the rest.
Tonight's unique songs by the era Phish first played them.
- '83-'896
- '90-'945
- '95-'009
- '03-'041
- '09-'144
- '15-'196
The studio home of each song, from phish.net. Covers count as one slice.
- A Picture of Nectar3
- Billy Breathes2
- Sigma Oasis2
- Farmhouse1
- Joy1
- Rift1
- The Story of the Ghost1
- Covers13
- No studio album7
Shows since each song's previous appearance. A big number is a bustout.
- 1-21
- 3-512
- 6-1512
- 16-503
- 51+ · bustout3
Whose songbook tonight drew from.
- Phish original18
- Trey Anastasio5
- Ghosts of the Forest2
- Kool and the Gang1
- Liza Minnelli1
- Queen1
- Strauss, as interpreted by Deodato1
- Talking Heads1
- Traditional1
A deep-cut night - 3 songs shelved 50+ shows.
Gap = shows since the song was last played, at the moment it was played.
Standard celebratory fare made interesting, as ever, by Trey, who toys with tone, meter, and "2001's" signature theme, amidst the song's backdrop beat. Things get interesting come the six-minute mark, with more by way of full-band improvisation, play offset by groovy Page and marked, come 7:00, by truly unique Trey, his strange (cool) sort of slow-as-melting-snow descending pattern (kind of like "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star") inciting more synth-driven jamming.
> from "2001". The upbeat song turns on a dime and becomes subdued from the jump. The tempo gradually picks back up again and then abates again. In a tight timeframe, this versatile jam goes from introspective to rocking and then back again. Trey eventually winds his way back to the song proper to close things out.
Versions phish.net's jam charts single out as noteworthy.
Page teased The Little Drummer Boy in the first Tweezer. Trey teased Super Bad in Weekapaug. The second setbreak music was comprised of songs referencing past Phish New Year's Eve gags. Before the third set began, a barbershop quartet appeared with a singing telegram for Phish. The telegram said that at the stroke of midnight it would be 40 years for Phish and to make a wish. Trey wished he had a time machine so they could do it all again. A cube descended from overhead and a time machine was revealed near Mike. The quartet activated the time machine and the cube played audio and video from past years of Phish. Dancers from various past new year's gags appeared on stage as well as a wombat (from October 31, 2013). The wombat broke the time machine and Ghost began with dancers and characters (like Father Time from December 31, 1999 and the Famous Mockingbird from December 31, 1992) continuing to appear from the band's past performances. Ghost featured Meatstick lyrics sung from the band as well as by dancers in different languages in a nod to December 31, 2010. The first Bohemian Rhapsody since December 31, 1996 (852 shows) featured the Late Show Gospel Choir singing on risers behind the band and Ghost quotes from Page and the choir with subsequent lyrics changed to reference Ghost. The first Jungle Boogie since December 31, 2003 (544 shows) featured the BD Entertainment Marching Band marching band along with the choir. The marching band and choir were also featured in Wilson where a platform above Trey that had appeared for the entire New Year's run descended and the clone that had been lying on the platform rose and was revealed to be a Tom Hanks actor from Cast Away. Inflated Wilson volleyballs were then tossed into the crowd. Only the final verse was sung in Wilson which contained Jungle Boogie quotes and was unfinished. During Auld Lang Syne, Phish briefly stopped playing and ate cake in front of the stage while the marching band and choir continued to perform. Carini featured several dancers in "naked dude" costumes emerging from a birthday cake in front of the stage and dancing and running around with security trying to catch them. The Theme from New York, New York was performed for the first time since December 31, 1997 (774 shows) and featured the naked dude dancers performing a kickline in front of the stage while adding vocals and Trey changing the lyrics to "if I could be naked there." Page teased Tweezer in Caspian. Piper contained Crosseyed quotes. During Tweezer Reprise, the wombat ran and danced across the stage. The post show music was Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, which was a nod to Phish playing their 72nd show at Madison Square Garden, tying Elton John.
Setlist, gaps, jam charts, and notes from phish.net, a project of the non-profit Mockingbird Foundation.