On Sunday night, Phish closed their first of three weekends at Madison Square Garden. Following Friday’s “Coconut” theme and Saturday’s “Strawberry,” spectacle, the tone had been set for the run, with an “anything-goes” vibe permeating throughout MSG. Phish harnessed that energy and excitement for Sunday’s “Red Velvet” theme and used it to put together arguably the most solid two-set performance of the summer (so far), with a pair of beloved Velvet Underground covers book-ending a night of red-themed lights and wild full-band improvisation around every corner.
Toward the end of the first set, after a rocking “Theme From The Bottom, Phish broke into “It’s Ice.” The song, stretched out to 15+ minutes, easily pushed its way into the realm of the best versions of the Trey Anastasio/Tom Marshall gem ever played–a perfect layer of “It’s Ice”-ing on the proverbial Red Velvet donut. The song’s typical funk breakdown was ditched for type II improvisation, complete with a dark, sci-fi vibe (something that Phish has been toying around with for the entire tour so far). Page McConnell leaned in on his synth pads as the rest of the band built up a minimalist groove, the reverberating tone and the understated blue/purple/white lights lending a cavernous texture to the jam, submerging the audience 20,000 leagues under the ice. Trey added a rhythmic, jazzy lead that shepherded the band towards a psych rock peak before rising to the surface for the song’s closing stanza.
Phish resumes their thirteen-night stand at Madison Square Garden tonight, with a “Jam-Filled” donut theme. See you there!
SETLIST: Phish | Baker’s Dozen Night 3 | Madison Square Garden | New York City | 7/23/17
SET 1: Sunday Morning*, Axilla I, Your Pet Cat, Back on the Train, How Many People Are You, Glide, Theme From the Bottom > It’s Ice > More
SET 2: AC/DC Bag > Wolfman’s Brother > Twist > Waves > Miss You, Boogie On Reggae Woman, Wading in the Velvet Sea
ENCORE: Sweet Jane
* Debut; Trey on drums; Fishman dressed as the pope and waving incense at the crowd
[photo by Andrew Blackstein]
If you’re heading to New York for Phish’s 13-night Baker’s Dozen run at Madison Square Garden, don’t miss all the incredible late night shows going on in the City during the run! Check out Our Official Guide To Baker’s Dozen Late-Nights for all the info.
Live For Live Music Phish Baker’s Dozen Run Late-Night Shows
July 25 – Turkuaz at Irving Plaza (tix) *
July 28 – Dopapod @ Gramercy Theater (tix) *
July 28 – James Brown Dance Party – 2 Shows @ Highline Ballroom (early tix/late tix) *
July 29 – Dopapod @ Gramercy (tix) *
July 29 – Perpetual Groove @ BB King Blues Club (tix)
Aug 2 – Matisyahu @ The Cutting Room (tix) *
Aug 3 – Greensky Bluegrass w/ Marco Benevento @ Ford Amphitheatre At Coney Island Boardwalk (tix) **
Aug 4 – “Kraz & Taz” – Eric Krasno Band w/ Brandon “Taz” Niederauer Band @ The Cutting Room (tix)
Aug 5 – Spafford @ BB King Blues Club (SOLD OUT)
* (L4LM & CEG Presents)
**(L4LM & Live Nation Presents)
