On Tuesday night, Phish kicked off their 9th night of the Baker’s Dozen run at Madison Square Garden with a “Maple” theme. With “Coconut,” “Strawberry,” “Red Velvet,” “Jam-Filled,” “Powdered,”  “Double Chocolate,” and “Jimmies” under their belt, the tone had been established for the run, with an “anything-goes” vibe permeating the Garden. The energy and excitement continued for “Maple” night, which included “O Canada,” “Sugar Shack,” “When The Circus Comes To Town,” and “Maple Leaf Rag” to solidify their theme.

When The Phish Circus Comes To Town: Maple Night Spells Canadian Vibes At The Baker’s Dozen

After a huge “Golden Age” opener and a tangentially theme-related “Leaves,” the band soared into two of the biggest bustouts (or, really, one combined biggest bustout) of the night, as “Swept Away” > “Steep” was performed for the first time in a whopping 192 shows. “Swept Away” was short, of course, but beautiful. “Steep,” however, was remarkable, as the band took the short ballad–which usually falls in just under two minutes–and stretched it out to over twelve minutes long. The jam started off as an ambient plinko-esque jam, reminisecnt of the band’s playing in 2010, before Gordon dropped some huge bass bombs. This whipped the crowd into a frenzy, and the band picked up on that excitement to give the crowd another huge improvised rock moment. Kuroda focused his lights behind the stage, and the combination of the energy in the room, the gorgeous jam from the band, and the unique and interesting lighting design combined to make this perhaps the top moment of the show.

Phish has released pro-shot video of “Swept Away > Steep,” which you can enjoy below, or you can download the entire show or stream via LivePhish+ here.

SETLIST: Phish | Baker’s Dozen Night 9 | Madison Square Garden | New York, NY | 8/1/17

SET 1: O Canada[1], Crowd Control, Sugar Shack, When the Circus Comes, Daniel Saw the Stone, Army of One, The Wedge, Guelah Papyrus, Maple Leaf Rag[2], Guelah Papyrus, McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters > Limb By Limb> Walk Away

SET 2: Golden Age, Leaves, Swept Away > Steep > 46 Days > Piper > Possum

ENCORE: Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide

[1] Phish debut; instrumental.
[2] Phish debut; performed solo by Page.

If you’re in town 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
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)