Phish Madison Square Garden Setlist And Skinny

BREAK DOWN OF SUNDAY NIGHT PHISH AT MSG

Phish returned to Madison Square Garden in New York, NY on Sunday night for the second of four shows at the legendary venue that close out 2013. The Vermonters continue to focus on original material during this year’s New Year’s Run as for the second night in a row they didn’t play any covers. Tonight’s first set contained extended takes on “Roggae,” “It’s Ice” and “Gumbo.” Lighting director Chris Kuroda had plenty to work with thanks to an improv-heavy, six-song second set. The closing stanza started off with a masterful, 35-minute “Down With Disease” > “Carini” sequence and ended with an impressive “David Bowie.”

The band came out of the gates with high-energy romps through “Moma Dance” and “Rift,” before slowing things down on “Roggae.” “Roggae” gave the quartet a chance to stretch their improvisational wings ever so slightly for the end in jam foreshadowing what was to come. “Sparkle” continued its comeback as a rotation mainstay as last night’s version was the band’s fifth of 2013 after only one a piece in 2011 and 2012. “The Line,” a song based on the struggles of college basketball player Darius Washington, Jr. was the evening’s first tune off the Wingsuit suite debuted on Halloween. A delicious “Stash” saw impressive interplay between guitarist Trey Anastasio and keyboardist Page McConnell as the pair mixed the typically dark riffing found in the tune with an occasional burst of pretty and light major-key jamming. Bassist Mike Gordon led the way on Wingsuit’s “555,” a composition that owes much to Little Feat and displays the lessons learned when Phish covered Waiting for Columbus on Halloween in 2010. McConnell was front and center for the previously mentioned extended takes on “It’s Ice” and “Gumbo” as the keyboardist made full use of his touring rig including a wily “Gumbo” outro performed on clav. Trey was back in the spotlight for a raucous “Walls Of The Cave” set closer that featured a number of strong peaks which drove the capacity crowd wild.

2013 has seen the return of extended jamming as a regular part of the Phish experience. Sunday’s second set showcased many of the songs that have thrived over the past year. Phish kicked off the closing stanza with a glorious 35-minute “Down With Disease” > “Carini” sequence, with each tune enjoying multi-dimensional improvisational wizardry. The quartet moved with ease as they explored dark and funky soundscapes as well as more light and airy ambiance. The whole sequence jumped to the front of the list of the run’s highlights, thanks in part to the synth’d out fuzz-tones Gordon anchored each jam with. Most second set well-jammed “Down With Diseases” remained unfinished, but not on this night. After 20 hearty minutes of jamming, the band returned to finish the song. Just when fans thought a breather might be in the offering, Phish was ready for more improvisation as Anastasio kicked off “Waves.” While the Vermonters didn’t stray too far from the song’s main theme, “Waves” was well played and appreciated by the crowd. The six-song set continued with a rock-heavy “Twist” in which the guitarist gave his best Santana impression. A tight “Golgi Apparatus” then gave way to an outstanding “David Bowie” set closer featured an extended intro and massive climax. The “Possum” encore made it clear Phish was content to celebrate their 30th anniversary by focusing on their originals.

Setlist…

[via Phish.net]

Click here to view the full breakdowns of every show Phish has played in 2013 including setlists, recaps and our statistical rundowns.

Venue Capacity / Attendance / Type: 20,000 / 20,000 / Indoor Arena/li>
Previous Shows at Venue: 28 Shows -12/30/94, 12/30/95, 12/31/95, 10/21/96, 10/22/96, 12/29/97, 12/30/97, 12/31/97, 12/28/98, 12/29/98, 12/30/98, 12/31/98, 12/31/02, 12/02/09, 12/03/09, 12/04/09, 12/30/10, 12/31/10, 01/01/11, 12/28/2011, 12/29/2011, 12/30/2011, 12/31/2011, 12/28/2012, 12/29/2012, 12/30/2012, 12/31/2012 and 12/28/2013
Number Of Songs / Length – First Set: 10 / 8:19 -9:37 (78 Minutes)
Number Of Songs / Length – Second Set & Encore: 7 / 10:13 -11:35 (82 Minutes)
Total Number of Songs / Covers / Originals: 17 / 0 / 17
Biggest Bustout: It’s Ice -14 Shows (LTP -9/1/2013)
Average Song Vintage: 1995
Debuts: N/A
Weather: 42° and Light Rain at show time
Average Song Gap: 4.41
The Spread: Junta -2, Picture Of Nectar -1, Rift -3, Hoist – 1, Story Of The Ghost -2, Farmhouse -1, Round Room -2, Wingsuit -1, Misc. -3
Longest LivePhish Track / Shortest LivePhish Track: Down With Disease 20:29 / Sparkle 4:38
Audio: Live Phish