Phish: MSG 2009 Montage [VQ: A, AQ: A]
MSG: Go See Phish at Least Once [Village Voice]
Incredibly, last Wednesday night’s three-hour-plus Phish extravaganza at Madison Square Garden—the first of their three-night run there, and my first Phish show, period—is not, in fact, the most indulgent, meandering, patience-obliterating concert I have ever experienced.
MSG: Review - Phish @ MSG Night Two [Hidden Track]
Slowly the Disease jam disintegrated and bled into the opening chords of Piper, which brought with it the promise of more improvisation. Having gone through the vocals, Phish bumped up the tempo slightly. Anastasio took a fairly rhythmic solo, punctuated by Fishman’s own flourishes on the drums. Eventually the band hit a groove they seemed to like and the jam gave way to a double-time funk.
Phish: 12/03/2009 MSG Night Two ENTIRE SHOW Playlist [VQ: B-, AQ: A]
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=5F2F9DA2E406A260MSG: Review - Phish Find Themselves A City To Live In [Hidden Track]
The must-listen songs from the first set that provided the most blatant energy boosts were Boogie On, Julius, and Back on the Train. Boogie On had the place on fire. Although this version did not stretch out or differentiate itself too much, the pure enjoyment of just people watching during this one probably made it the best tune of the set.
Phish: 12/04/2009 ENTIRE SHOW Playlist [VQ: A, AQ: A]
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=B89AC9F3ACB8A87AMSG: MSG #3 - The Grand Finale [Coventry]
First Tube started out flat then took off in a thousand directions at once — sort of like being shot out of a canon, er, make that a thousand canons. A few minutes into the song, the crowd went bat shit crazy. Screaming. Yelling. Like everyones’ drugs kicked in at the same time! A fat kid puked on himself.
Phish: 12/02/2009 ENTIRE SHOW Playlist [VQ: B, AQ: A]
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=4A2AC69D17CF2600MSG: Phish Turn Up Volume But Can’t Turn Back Clock [MTV]
Then there’s the light show. Seriously, if Phish want to really evolve what they do, they ought to wise up and stick a rack directly over the head of lighting engineer Chris Kuroda. He sits behind and a little above the soundboard, surrounded by lit candles and glowing LCD screens, a mad wizard conjuring up colorful shifting landscapes tailored to each song.
MSG: Phish @ MSG - A Review [A.V. Club]
One of the most impressive elements of a Phish concert, aside from the crackerjack light show, is the degree to which fans personally invest themselves in the music. When a song is performed sloppily or a solo doesn’t last as long as it could have, there is an odd sort of familial disappointment, like a son’s embarrassment at his father’s shortcomings. But when the music is strong, it’s like a feedback loop that drives the band higher and higher. You can see it on stage and you can see it in the crowd. Even if the songs don’t do it for you, the whole pageant is a thrill to watch.
MSG: Phish / 12/03/2009 Review [JamBase]
The Talking Heads’ “Cities” was another extremely welcome treat and again saw the band deliver on some very relaxed funk before an absolutely slamming “Free.” I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, “Free” is the quintessential Phish song - lyrically, stylistically and spiritually. Gordon owned this tune, like always. “Halley’s Comet” followed and the slight flub didn’t even matter as the Garden was bouncing to the line, “I’m going down to the central part of town.” MSG is not only the central part of town, but might be the central vortex of the world’s greatest city.
MSG: Back In The Garden Again [Phish Thoughts]
But in the highlight of the evening, the band let themselves go in a far-reaching exploration of “Light,” crafting one of the best – and most original sounding – pieces of improv of fall tour. Building on this run’s many standout versions of their newest jam vehicle, the band placed the song in the spotlight of the second set, taking the song on its most interstellar journey of its young life.