Not a review. Just want to say thank you to the band. These 13 nights, plus the 5 that preceded them, were nothing short of magical. I know a lot of people were talking about parallels with 2016 being kind of average much in the way 1996 didn't quite compare to the year before and after it. And then the prophesies about 2017 mirroring the greatness of its two-decade ago partner began to crystallize with every phenomenal show that we were privileged enough to witness this summer. In many ways, summer '17 has eclipsed summer '97.

But I'm just overwhelmed with joy in knowing that I love a band who has NEVER become a shell of itself or a nostalgia act. How many bands out there can match their own fire from 20 years ago? It's amazing beyond words. Thank you for bookending the summer with quite possibly the best Simple ever played in Chicago with another Top Tier version to close out MSG! Thank you for the Pitt Caspian and Completely. Thank you for Lawn Boy and Chalk Dust and Mike's and 1999 and ASIHTOS and that glorious YEM/Loving Cup combo to close out the second set tonight! Thank you so much for instilling within me, within us, the joy of being little kids or teenagers or college freshmen again, hearing the music with such awe that we feel young at heart. I know Keats wasn't talking about Phish or music or anything remotely close, but I can't help but feel, after witnessing this summer tour, that beauty is truth, truth beauty. Sorry for being such a maudlin sap, but I'm just so overcome by the past few weeks, I had to try to put it into words. I know they don't make much sense, but I'm just trying to convey my sense of gratitude to the band as well as the community that supports it.

It feels really difficult right now to consider any of the Baker's Dozen shows in complete isolation. Considering the band didn’t a repeat a single song the entire run (unless you count the Lawn Boy Reprise), you could almost say it’s more like they played one incredibly long show. The dust is still clearing from the nuclear donuts these four guys just dropped on New York, and I imagine the discussion around it will be going on for some time. Suffice it to say that this was one of Phish’s best tours in their entire career, and the finale last night, to which I’ll try and restrict my comments here, may have been the best of the bunch.

It’s difficult to understate just how great the crowd vibe was at MSG, and you got the sense that it had been getting more and more enthusiastic and loud each night. There was a real sense that the whole community was there, that everyone knew exactly what was going down, and that love and frenzy just wound itself up all night before culminating in tears in the encore (if not before). Picture if you will what happened at Coventry, how the band’s career was supposedly ending, how they wrapped it up, and what those tears were like. Now invert it into something retrospective but also forward looking, just as emotional but without a sense of loss or disappointment. That’s what we got last night. Oh, and there were some amazing jams.

The show was tight from the get go, Dogs Stole Things was a welcome surprise, and a nod perhaps to the “one more night” left at MSG. The Rift was actually pretty tight, and Camel Walk had a bit of an extra funk jam tagged on too. The first really juicy sequence of the night was the Crazy Sometimes->Saw It Again->Sanity combo. Frankenstein-esque and filthy and definitely worth hearing. Most Events Aren’t Planned was even better (and I remember screaming “Izabella!” during one of its crunchier moments; it sounded like it was coming). The Bug > I Been Around pairing was the first taste on the night of the appreciative, emotional tone that ended up putting this show over the top for me. I’ve always loved Bug and Trey sustained a note at the end of this one like it was 1993. Fantastic. I thought they might bust out New York New York, but I Been Around was clearly just as apt with its “I been around awhile / I lived in town a while / I threw it down a while / and the town threw down on me.” Finally, I thought there was a good chance we might hear Izabella given Jimi Hendrix had slipped into the the first set two nights running already. The room went absolutely nuts for the bustout going back to 1998 and Trey rocked that machine gun like nobody’s business.

I’m not sure what to say about the second set other than it’s perfect start to finish, and should stand next to just about any 5 song set from any era. The Simple and YEM are both 25 minute giants: engaging, dynamic and danceable in a way that made me feel like it was 1997. I can’t say enough about either. Just hear them. I loved the Rise/Come Together, especially its finale; it felt really earnest and heartfelt. And the tears came early for me when the band kicked into Starman. I wrote a review of the Halloween show (which I didn’t attend) that speaks more to this, but of all the possible Bowie songs to trigger those tears, they picked the right one. There’s nothing in the band’s repertoire I would have rather heard in that slot, and you have to keep in mind too that they were just coasting on a high by this point that nothing was going to subdue. Trey’s phrasing through the end of Starman is phenomenal. This carried through an absolutely blistering old school YEM that’s probably the best version of the song since 2003, complete with a return to Izabella out of the drum and bass section, and a vocal jam that has echoes of themes from the entire run. And Loving Cup’s beautiful buzz was clearly the only option to bring things home.

What I’ve been listening to over and over so far, though, is the encore that followed the Baker’s Dozen banner being raised to the rafters at MSG. Trey and Page both audibly break down in tears during their respective opening verses of On the Road Again: “the life I love is making music with my friends,” “seeing things that I may never see again.” If you’ve been seeing this band for twenty years or more like so many of us have (and even if you haven’t), you know how fortunate we are to even still have them at all, let alone have them still able to put on a show like this. Those tears seemed to me like a catharsis containing that awareness, the bittersweet realization that they’re probably never going to do something like this again, and a joyful appreciation of just how rich an experience it was, for all of us. I don’t know how much longer this band is going to be making music together, and with us, but I hope it’s for a long time. Eventually though this is going to end, like everything does. And I don’t know about you, but when the time comes to face that inevitable reality, I’m sure grateful that we’ll have this Baker’s Dozen as one of the comforts that remain.

Have fun at Dick’s!

WOW. WOW. WOW. So this was my 251st phish show and I was just left completely speechless. Just to mention a few quick things (I'll leave the detailed writing about each song to others)....this was by far the greatest phish show I've ever been to. I've always had difficulty trying to compare great shows to others (because every show ends up being amazing in the end) but holy shit, this one was unlike any show I've ever experienced. I've also never heard the band this locked in. The energy throughout both sets was incredibly high and the songs were played with so much confidence throughout the night. During parts of Izabella you could feel MSG shaking. Izabella was played for the first time in 574 shows and Trey (and the rest of the band) played it perfectly and tore the roof off the place. Also, their debut of Most Events Aren't Planned was sooooo good and I can't wait to hear it played more in the future. The second set was just flat out ridiculous. The jams in Simple and YEM were unreal. Both sets flowed so well. I am so fortunate to have had a band like this one influence my life the way it has (I pretty much live and breathe Phish). It's a night like tonight that leaves us all in awe, inspired, and eager for what's to come. Thanks Phish for such an incredible night!

"THIS...IS PHISHCENTER"

"Welcome to the big show, everybody! Alongside Keith Palmer, I'm Dan Wilson. We start off tonight with Phish's 13th and final show of the Baker's Dozen...and boy, did they have a lot to live up to, Keith."

"You got that right. Bustouts galore, incredible jams, wacky covers, fun themes, astounding full sets...this run has really run the gamut. But did the band have enough to cross the finish line in a blaze of glory, or would they limp over like they'd stubbed their toe? Let's find out together...as a family."

"Well, after some fun rarities brought on by the 'no-repeat' policy, the band had their first cool moment in Set 1 with Gordon/Murawski newbie Crazy Sometimes worming into a neat bit of improv and transitioning very nicely into Saw It Again. But that wasn't the highlight of the set, was it, Keith?"

"No siree Bob, Dan, that'd be Page's Vida Blue composition Most Events Aren't Planned, which carried an energetic Mike-driven groove on the back end and really allowed Trey to shine in the final stages. But just when you thought that was all they had in store, they capped off Set 1 with the good clean fun of I Been Around...and, could it be?"

"It sure could, Keith, the return of Izabella, for nearly 2 decades one of the most coveted of bustouts! And Trey shreds like mad, too! So what could they have in store for us in Set 2?"

"Well, kicking off with Simple's not a bad start, and we all know what happened last month [quick footage of the 7/15/17 Simple], so we knew this bad boy's gonna get comparisons right out of the gate to that mammoth jam. But we also knew they'd be up to the challenge, and right out of the usual Simple jam Mike starts picking up the energy, Page pulls out those synths he's used brilliantly all tour, and they ride into a groove so disgusting David Lynch would have nightmares of it -"

"Is that the woodblock Fish is going to, Keith?"

"Sure is, Dan! The band rides this unreal filth for a few minutes, then with a turn sweeter than Ray Allen's J they make the move to major key, Fish really turns up the heat to a tempo so quick the band almost has to hang on for dear life, and Trey pushes the boys to a MONSTER peak, one of the biggest of the year. So I'd say that has to qualify as yet another contender for jam of the year, right, Dan?"

"You're darn tootin'. Rise/Come Together and Starman are great breaths of air after that sledgehammer jam, then they give us a You Enjoy Myself comparable to the old days, full of brisk jamming, Trey tearing off his fingertips shredding, a tremendous Izabella tease, and a vocal jam replete with some of the previous songs played this run [quick footage of The Lizards, EIIRP, and White Winter Hymnal], then Loving Cup takes us home in fine fashion. But that wasn't all for the night, was it, Keith?"

"Not even a little bit! After a truly touching banner raising and an even more touching tear-filled On The Road Again, the band gives us two more cool surprises with a funk-filled Reprise of Lawn Boy [cut to Page saying 'people keep asking me, is this still Lawn Boy? It is], Mike getting that bass solo he missed out on during 8/2 II [quick cut to the botched entry into Paug on 8/2], before Tweezer Reprise brings this whole massive shebang home."

"Final score? What else could it be but 'Phish wins again'. Keith, back to you."

"Thanks, Dan. Now, on to the Dick's run..."

The last night of the historic bakers dozen and my 9th show of the run. Tonight was one of those moments, you know the ones if you're reading this. While I've thoroughly enjoyed this run, ive been going through some personal issues and my first real case of jaded vet syndrome. I've found myself heavily criticizing a lot of this run due to flubbed composed sections or misplaced songs. i traveled into the city 9 times and got horribly sick 3 nights in, I've enjoyed every show but there's been something inside me asking me why I'm still seeing this band so much, why am I still following them around after nearly 20 years. Tonight was why. Every night they've surprised me, every night they have done something fresh and new. And only upon reflection have I realized this might be the greatest period of phish. I spent so long analyzing when what I really should be doing is surrendering to the flow. My favorite band in its peak form, and I was there to witness it. Only during tonight's phenomenal simple did I realize that everything the band has been doing in the past few years has all culminated in the bakers dozen. The heavy experimentation of 2016, the return to 90's form of 2015, the well of original material pouring out of the band in 2013-2014 combined with those classic 20+ minute jams we all love and missed. There is no doubt in my mind that phish has completely raised the bar for themselves, and live music in general. And all the haters and jaded vets (including myself) need to just stop for a moment and listen to tonight's legendary show. Thank you phish for being there for me throughout my life, and thank you for teaching me so much about perception, expectation and reaction. And thank you for being the best fucking band on the planet.

It's funny. I wasn't going to attempt any sort of recap/review for this show/run. The task seemed impossibly daunting. But here I am today trying to mend my scattered mind due to this exceptionally epic stretch of Phish.

This was perhaps the most spiritual and emotional Phish experience yet (save for perhaps Big Cypress). You could feel it in the music, in those quiet multi-textured ambient sections that Phish navigated with unlimited patience. This was simply put, a completely different band than we have previously seen in 3.0.

Tonight was a full on celebration. Phish was at the peak of their powers, in complete control. After so many epic shows this run they were somehow able to deliver an all-time performance as their song list had dwindled to slim pickings. The whole first set was played impeccably, with some charming flubs here and there but never a dip in the energy. The way the band dropped Izabella on us was masterful...these guys are the kings of unpredictability.

Set 2 was...just amazing. Simple steps up and delivers a perfect jam that navigates from blissful hose to dark funk and back...seamlessly. Trey's Come Together provides a spiritual uplift and Starman gave me that "This is it" moment. But then...YEM steps up. YEM has been famously tame during 3.0 unfortunately but you could feel it...no way that would be the case tonight. They thoroughly hosed us down throughout its 24 minutes. Loving Cup hits and I realize I'm crying throughout the entire song. I don't know if I've ever sang along to "Oh, what a beautiful buzz!" with more energy and passion.

The band was feeling it too. The image of the banner going up with the band in tears will forever be cemented into my brain. Our band...our heroes accomplished something that no other band could do. In that moment...with the banner flying high up into the MSG rafters...all of the jokes and negative connotations that Phish has received over the years from people outside of the scene completely melted away.

They did it. I'm honestly choked up writing this. Thank you Phish for this run, this tour. Thank you Trey for getting sober and not dying 11 years ago. All of this magic could've have easily not happened. But Phish is here and strong as ever. They persevered and won. The consistency and depth of this marathon run will go down as nothing short of legendary.

We love you Phish. Thank you so much.

Where to begin? This is my first show review. In Canada, the band is not a known commodity, but I was introduced to them at summer camp in the mid-90s and have been a phan ever since. Still have the tapes that were shared with me of the famous gamehenge show

Unfortunately, as you can deduce from my year of birth, I wasn't old enough to go follow them in their golden years. Then I pursued a long medical training and unfortunately, couldn't commit the time or money to travel to the US to see them. I had deep regret when they broke up, knowing that I had my chances but would never have the joy of seeing them live in concert.

So I sure wasn't going to make the same mistake again after they got back together, but kids and more training delayed me a few years before I finally made my first show, at tender age of 30, a few years ago. It was a euphoric experience, but I'll be the first to admit I had been hoping for some greater/longer jams, some of that older magic.

Fast forward to the Bakers Dozen. The kids were finally old enough that I wouldn't feel guilty leaving them with the grandparents, and I ably convinced my wife, a casual fan, to take a 5 day vacation to NYC. I need to gather my thoughts a bit more about the awesome shows we attended (Powdered and double chocolate) but as many have noted, it's been an incredible time to be a fan and each night may hold an extra special meaning to you for a unique reason.

But this show, which I did watch as a webcast... left me floored. Even though I knew which classics were still left on the table, I was still surprised with how good they were and how much jam was still being packed into these donuts. I had predicted the last night's flavour would be original/old-fashioned, and it might as well have been, given the bust outs of side project songs, Izabella, YEM, etc. Was there even a nod to glaze tonight? I don't think anyone cared, myself included!

Set 1 was great. Rift maybe had maybe 1-2 slight hiccups but was really tight. The camels seemed to have a bit of extra bounce in their step. Crazy Sometimes was a nice rendition, well rehearsed. If you had told me prior to tonight that a 15 year old Vida Blue song would be the highlight of Set 1 on Night 13, I would have predicted to be disappointed - and would have been dead wrong! Great energy throughout, nice interplay there on the jam. Trey has seemed genuinely proud and pleased when showcasing a Gordon or McConnell song during this run, trying to make them work as best as he can, and these 2 were hits tonight IMO. Sanity, Saw it Again, and I Been Around were all especially fun and lighthearted. Even a straight forward bouncing around the room was music to my wife's ears, an all time favourite for her, and I've always enjoyed the sweet melody of Bug. And Izabella, come on! I had just listened to the Auburn Hills version yesterday, and would respectfully put this one up there.

Someone has presumably already ventured to break down all the factors that came together to make a stellar Set 2. Simple really had it all contained in its jam, riding high throughout much of its course. Starman and Rise/Come Together were nice, but really helped build tension for the song we all hoped, but knew, was coming... YEM!!! Have heard plenty of YEM over the years, but as my seat neighbour at Double Chocolate and I had previously lamented, we took it for granted. For me, not hearing YEM live will likely be my punishment for years of missed opportunities, now that it seems to come all too infrequently. Nostalgia aside, it was an amazing edition to hear from my couch, and I was so happy for all who got to hear it live. If synchronized trampoline was an olympic event, Trey and Mike would not be able to compete because they've long turned professional... vocal jam was solid. Smiles from band members from here on must have been highly contagious! Loving Cup was an intense and pleasing end.

Suddenly, it was Encore time and I couldn't believe this was all ending... Classy to raise a well-deserved Phish banner to the MSG rafters, extremely well earned. I was thinking Tweezer Reprise was coming but... Lawn Boy reprise? Shut the front door! Hilarious! Now I wonder if we will have to choose between 2 reprises to end future shows, but I am instantly proved wrong with a (Weekapaug tease?) base solo into the most fitting end to one incredible show lasting 13 nights. Lest I forget the tug at my heartstrings watching an emotional Trey and Page singing "On the Road Again," which is what I will certainly be doing more of in the future to see this band. I'm just glad I could finally be a part of this live magic from both near and afar. Thank you for an incredible few weeks that I will surely remember!

Here I am, sitting at LaGuardia basking in the afterglow of the final 3 nights of the Baker's Dozen. The atmosphere in the terminal is generally dull, blank faces waiting for airplanes. Everyone wrapped up in their own personal world. Worries about flight delays, or the rain, planning their coming days and weeks, remembering past events with fondness, despair, or indifference; it can be so hard to tell from a blank face.

But sprinkled throughout the terminal, there are a few faces that at first glance may look no different than anyone else. Perhaps they seem a little tired, dare I say haggard, but there is something else there; a little sparkle in the eye, a thin smile still lingering, that something that says, "I was there! I climbed the mountain! I felt the cool breeze against my skin, and all my worries and cares washed away. I'm in the club, I know the secret, and I am accepted!"

The final 3 nights of the Baker's Dozen were my first shows of the summer, my 33rd, 34th, and 35th shows in total, and this is my first review. Perhaps it's taken 35 shows to be able to come up with the words I want to put down. I won't comment too much on the music, as I'm sure this has and will be discussed much more elegantly than I could do right now. The shows were a whirlwind with countless unimaginable peaks, surprises, beautiful jams with seamless interplay, and all four members channeling their soul, spirit, and entire being into their instruments simply for our enjoyment. 20,000 people from all walks of life, different jobs, different cities, different priorities, different views; creating a collective conscienceness with four members of a band we so luckily stumbled across. Creating an atmosphere of love and kindness, being neighborly and helpful, doing random favors for new friends you just met, and them doing random favors for you. No insults, no judgment, no animosity, a temporary utopia and the cost of admission is just a single piece of colorful cardboard, and a willingness to leap into the unknown and surrender to the flow.

I am eternally grateful for this band, and how much they do for us. They pour everything they have into their music. They push the boundaries and define what live music can be. Phish is Dali, Phish is MC Escher, Phish is Bach, Phish is Stephen King, Phish is Tom Robbins, Phish is Albert Einstein. Extraordinary visionaries channeling something vast and wonderful that can hardly be put into words. Creating beauty and childlike astonishment because that's what they're here to do. They do it for us, and our screams of elation and joy can only scratch the surface of the true appreciation we feel for them. THANK YOU Trey, Mike, Page, and Fish! THANK YOU PHISH!!!

To all the beautiful smiling faces, all the friends new and old, all the random phans you high five and hug, your show neighbors, the guy next to you in the bar line, the people you give unsolicited genuine compliments to, and the ones who give them to you... Thank you!!! You are part of the collective that makes Phish such a beautiful experience! The light is growing brighter now, and this is your song too! See you at Dicks or wherever our paths cross again!

~Gary K from Denver

Second show I attended of the Baker's Dozen (+6 or so couch toured). Hard to treat this as an individual show as much as the intense and amazing final set of a really long (26 set) show. Loved the guitar up-to-11 first set with my surprise favorite being Most Events Aren't Planned (I guess most favorites aren't planned). Izabella was also a special moment as almost 20 years ago I attended my first show - 12/30/97 - which also feature Izabella.

Set 2 was a beast! Everyone knew Simple and YEM were coming so the emotional energy in the room was off the charts when those exceeded even the highest expectations.

The banner raising was a special moment. It was like we were all in it together with the band.

Page's Lawn Boy bit at the end was great fun. And Tweezer Reprise was everything I wanted in the final moments of a special night.

Thanks Phish for continuing to bring it! I hope to be going to shows at MSG at least 20 years from now too.

And thanks Phish.net and Mockingbird for all you do as well!

Glaze on!

@pancake4table on Twitter and Instagram

The excitement and energy in the building before the show was unlike anything I had ever seen - strangers were literally stopping strangers to shake hands and high-five before the band had even taken the stage!

Despite having played 217 of the songs in their catalog without any repeats prior to this show, Phish was still able to surprise the crowd when they launched into Dogs Stole Things to kick off the first set. Rift was played exceptionally tightly. The spirited composed section after Trey's "soul to ignite" cranked up the energy and by the time the familiar opening riff to Ha Ha Ha rolled around you could tell they were just loving the moment. Camel Walk followed and continued the set's early feel-good, old school vibe.

Then from the abyss rose a trio of dark songs like the band had taken a cue from the red "Make Phish Evil Again" hats that were being sold outside the Garden. The first highlight is Crazy Sometimes, a strange new Mike song, that showcased Page's willingness to take the synth to spacy, cerebral places. Bouncing brought with it the return to equilibrium, setting the stage for the next highlight. Immediately after the last verse to the Vida Blue song you probably hadn't heard before called Most Events Aren't Planned the band pauses before Fishman ignites a punchy '70s detective groove with a quick snare fill. I'm reminded of the Murat Gin when Fishman gives everyone a swift kick in the ass before the second jam. Easily the best song of the first set, the intensity doesn't let up for a second of the 7-minute jam. Additionally, it should be noted that aside from the amusing I Been Around dialogue between Trey and Page, this can be considered the only earnest nod to the Glazed donut theme of the night in that there seemingly hadn't been any planned mention of the theme otherwise.

For the most unpredictable run of Phish's career it is perhaps fitting that the set closed with Izabella - a rockin' Jimi bustout they hadn't played in nearly 20 years! The novelty alone is worth a listen, but they really nailed this version and had clearly been in a Hendrix mood given that this was the third night in a row they played one of his songs.

I managed to get my first donut during setbreak and fuck it was delicious. Pretty much everyone and their mother could have predicted that they'd play Simple in the second set, but regardless the anticipation was nigh unbearable. Surely they'd give it its proper Baker's Dozen treatment, but I don't think I'm alone in that I was wondering how it would ultimately stack up against the glorious Chicago Simple from just a few weeks prior. Well, in short this Simple did not disappoint! Not only is it the third longest song of all 13 shows, but similar to MEAP this one does not lack in intensity in the slightest. Trey's beautiful, no-space-between-notes noodling reminds me of Jerry's style and Mike does a fantastic job of keeping the energy high. In my opinion, this surpasses the version from earlier in this summer hands-down.

After this is a new Trey song that has yet to grow on me, and then a couple of ace classic rock songs bookend the best YEM I've seen live! Starman was such an epic celebration, and I'm glad to say I witnessed all Bowie songs of the run. It was good to see which Halloween songs may make it into normal rotation. When they launched into YEM, I don't think I had ever seen so much excitement from such a huge crowd all at once. The you-know-what-I'm-talking-about notes and the "BOY!" were absolutely explosive. This was a very fiery version and they even did a little Izabella jam! Loving Cup was an awesome way to end the second set, I don't care what anyone says about this spot for this song I will always defend it.

Before the encore when Phish raised their banner to the ceiling of MSG I thought to myself, "Damn, these guys have earned it." On the Road Again was teary-eyed, I guess, but I couldn't hear from the crowd and though I've never been one to well up at shows I can certainly see why folks would. Then the Lawn Boy Reprise - are you kidding me?! It was all Lawn Boy all along, I knew it! I really hope they revisit this groove in the future. The Tweeprize encore was the most epic way to end the run of a life time, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Twitter posts like, "The Baker's Dozen Tweezer lasted longer than Scaramucci in office." The greatest band on earth just did the greatest thing on earth and it is a wonderful time to be alive.

I've been listening to Phish for 25 years and I have never heard a show like that. Not New Year's '99, not Fall 97, summer 15, jam filled night, you name it, nothing. This is the kind of show where you need to put down the flubs, the bustouts, the analysis of any kind for a few hours and just listen, because on this night they truly left everything on the stage. Listen to this show, loudly.

What is there to say...Phish unleashed a perfect show.

13 beautiful wonderful nights at the best venue on Earth, all culminating to this. Zero song repeats throughout the entire run, what ever could the band unleash for this final 13th night?

Dogs Stole Things was a great way to open this finale of a show, a fun little number from 20 years ago. Rift I'll admit is a song that took a VERY long time to grow on me, it's not my type of song at all but after learning the song is basically The Curtain With but played differently has allowed this song to grow in likeness. Ha Ha Ha is always fun to play but as the third song of the show it was quite perplexing, something was up their sleeves. As Camel Walk grooved on and was played beautifully, the doses started to kick into full gear, just in time for some short little clean shaven guy in glasses to ask me for a "marijuana joint" and promptly shoving a 20$ bill into my hands thinking I was gonna give him some. All the red flags started firing in my head and instantly I thought "NARC DO NOT GIVE WEED OR SMOKE AT ALL HE IS A NARC" and as Crazy Sometimes geared up I literally started to feel like I was going crazy. Having the transition into a very psychedelic Saw It Again and trying to get my bearings, Sanity comes into play. A bustout I've always wanted to witness live! But as the "narc" next to me kept staring looking for his marijuana joint, the anxiety started to rise just in time for the most intense psychedelic experience of my life as they started teasing all sorts of song sound bits throughout the song. I quickly handed the 20$ back to the narc and tried to relax, and thank God Phish was done fucking with us as they went into a very bright and much needed Bouncing Around the Room. At this point the narcs brother came back who I met and talked with before the show and he vouched that his brother was cool but just awkward and never smokes and doesn't know anything like that, as the good vibes of Bouncing went on and on and the anxiety and worries of a Narc quelled, I gave him a joint to enjoy and sparked one of my own to have a nice breather. Just in time too, as Most Events Aren't Planned made it's debut and this was just the most techno funk style song ever! Was pure Phish in it's rawest, even though I later found it's a Vidya Blue song, but still! MEAP was perfect and it was a great song in a fantastic spot! Bug comes next as things are finally back to "normal" and the lyrics are truly right, it doesn't matter! I Been Around came back around since the MPP14 show with the Tweezerfest, thinking this was the final song of the night it was very fun to hear as reminisce about that epic night...and then it happened...Trey grabbed a new guitar from behind him and started jamming a little riff... for a split second I thought they were going into a pure jam ala cavern island tour...but no...IZABELLA made it's return! The fabled song in which dozens of phans proclaimed Trey wouldn't play it anymore because it's "too hard" came out of the wood works and fucked all of our faces! A huge rocking song to end the most psychedelic, mind fucking first set I've ever experienced!

Set Two rolls around, I tell to my show buddies...Simple -> YEM, that's it, 2 song set, boom! As the band strolls on stage Simple begins and becomes one of the most epic jams to ever grace our ears! 25+ minutes of pure beautiful soulful Phish rock, you couldn't ask for a better jam! As things fizzled down, Rise/Come Together came out and at the moment I was admittedly a little sour for it "ruining" my Simple-YEM 2 set prediction, but after many relistens this song as grown on me fondly and has become a HUGE favorite! A perfect song to cool things down after a huge jam with uplifting lyrics that just make you want to rise up! Starman came back afterwards from it Halloween debut and goddamn Mike! What a voice!! This song was very amazingly played and was perfect for the 1-2 cooldown before the YEM that came next! The Baker's Dozen You Enjoy Myself, 13 nights of waiting/knowing this will pop up on this night...it surely did not disappoint! With a very fun Izabella style jam for the best little tease. Loving Cup ending this epic set is always fun and helps lifts the spirits up even further! A classic ender of many epic shows.

On the Road Again was encored with a very humbled Trey who choked up a bit during the song from the grand emotions, it tugged at all of our heart strings knowing this incredible band will be back on the road again after staying with us for 2-3 weeks in a row without going anywhere else. Lawn Boy Reprise as a nice upbeat funk rock song was PERFECT to close out this 13 night run which debuted the only jammed out Lawn Boy reaching nearly 30 minutes at 29:59. Tweeprise as always perfectly ends an amazing show, encompassing the entire Baker's Dozen since they played Tweezer the first night and didn't play Reprise until this night.

Big Cypress was THE show with them playing endlessly all night long until dawn...but this...the Baker's Dozen..this was truly The Long Gig.

I don't have much to add - I'm physically and emotionally spent from the last 17 days, and what more can we even say at this point? Nothing any other band has ever done in the live atmosphere compares to what Phish just pulled off.

A quick note re: Izabella, since I have not seen it mentioned here, and it's pretty awesome. A few women on the floor brought a big pink sign with IZABELLA in big black block letters on it to every show, and Trey acknowledged it a few times with a point and a smile, but by night 13 I figured they were just gonna let this one go... and then BOOM, close the first set with it. An even further level of fan service to a 13 show run that was the pinnacle of it.

Is it really over?

So, sets 25 & 26 along with encore 13 got played on this evening. This 26 set / 13 encore show that lasted 19 days was absolutely stellar in every conceivable way. I can't even nitpick anything! Seriously.

I've been saying for many years that this is my favorite band (at least after the Touch of Grey thing ruined that avenue). And then there came a day, sometime in 97 when I said that this is truly my favorite band (even if you compare them to prime time GD). And now there comes a day when I say that I've just witnessed the absolute coolest thing that has EVER happened in music.

I mean, can you picture if Beethoven had shown up one night and played all 9 symphonies for the first time all at once? That's the magnitude that we're talking about here. Or if the Beatles had debuted all 13 albums at the same time.

And this time around, I'm smart enough to know that what I just witnessed was serious history. I don't need to wait until long after the event to say, "Damn, that was really good!"

The first set was a bit all over the place, sort of, I suppose because so many songs had already been played according to the no-repeats schematic. Most Events Aren't Planned was certainly welcome, as even moreso was the return of Izabella, last played 7/31/98. Trey started it out a bit slower than they used to play it, but Fishman kind of egged him on into moving it into a faster tempo. Another majestic Simple opened the second set, and You Enjoy Myself was the other highlight of that set. The encore is classic, in my opinion, with Lawn Boy Reprise hearkening back to the Chalk Dust Torture Reprise from 12/30(?)/94 and 7/11/00, as well as reminding me distinctly of Stereolab, or at least of lounge music in general. Then Mike gets his Weekapaug Groove bass intro, which had been "ripcorded" a few nights prior, and we all luxuriate in the predictable yet eagerly anticipated Tweezer Reprise to cap off this magical, mysterious Baker's Dozen run of shows that will surely go down in Phishtory.

You are my favorite band Thank You for everything you do for us the phans we love u guys more than you will ever know. You make us Mr Completely and feel like Caspian floating on the Joyful Waves in our Life Show that goes on after the Lights go down and onto the road again to the next tour.
I was thinking about Dog Stole Things for awhile now that is so wierd.

Thank you Phish!!!!

This show was everything we want from the boys from Vermont...energy, community, patience, catharsis. Everyone knew that this was the end of something special, and that it was time to let it all hang out. Plus, Izabella! Holy moly!

Come for the historic Night 13 energy, stay for the crushing 2nd set, a donut sandwich with a loving cup digestif to send us on the road again. Phish is the best band, now and forever.

What can I say that hasn't been already?? It was a magical 2+ weeks of shows, with unparalleled quality of music in a long time. N13's encore was both soaring and emotional...definitely bittersweet, because it had to end at some point. I consider myself blessed for being a part of it. Post Phish Depression Syndrome in full effect.

Definitely one of the best phish experiences I've ever had. Last night was so special. from start to finish the show was electric. Incredible to end the 1st set with Izabella. Super special. Nearly 20 years TJ the date that I saw my first and only Izabella (8/13/97$. What a treat.

And the 2nd set, wow. Both simple and yem did not disappoint. But the entire set was

This band takes us high. They take us low. Comparing years, tours, shows is all a part of the dedication and fandom. Though there is no more machine gun Trey or digital loop delay '99...this phish is well aged, sophisticated, and impressively calculated.

Regardless of what era / style you prefer it's hard to deny that these four guys in their mid 50's are far from a nostalgic act and even more so seem to actually relish the challenge of what it means to test new boundaries and redefine themselves.

Tonight was an amazing victory lap that was more then earned it was also one of the strongest shows of the run. All together "I love this band"

August 6th, 2017 was the culmination of Phish’s sure-to-become-legendary run of concerts at Madison Square Garden which they had dubbed The Baker’s Dozen. What had started as a joke twenty years before (“Wouldn’t it be funny if we did a medley of songs by Boston and Cream…it would be like the doughnut…”) became thirteen consecutive concerts at the world’s most famous arena – okay, they took Mondays and Thursdays off but the room stayed dark on those nights so it totally counts – with each night following a doughnut theme. Heck, the band even handed out real doughnuts to the crowd every night.

And get this, they didn’t repeat a single song during the entire run.

13 concerts

26 sets

176 original songs

61 cover songs

19 debut songs

Now I ask you: what other major act could pull off such a feat? And do it so well that die-hard fans would suggest that these might stand as some of the best shows of the band’s career? The answer is: none.

None other bands could even come close to doing anything like this.

It was a great room to be in on that final night. As great as the show was, as excited and appreciative of the whole experience as everyone was on that night (band included), as amazing as the encore was, replete with the hilariously perfect Lawnboy Reprise and the bone-chillingly magnificent Tweezer Reprise, how can anyone that was there not instantly think first of The Banner rising to the roof when we remember that night.

It was to absolutely thunderous applause that a banner commemorating Phish’s unprecedented thirteen-night run rose to the rafters of Madison Square Garden before the encore, where it will remain until someone (undoubtedly Phish) bests the record.

To be fair, Billy Joel holds the record for performing the most-ever shows at MSG; as of this writing he’s up to eighty-eight concerts in the classic room versus Phish’s fifty-two. But really, has Billy Joel even played forty different songs in all those concerts? Fan as I am, the dude has been on his Resting On My Laurels tour since the mid-’80’s.

And yeah, then there was that mind-numbingly great encore. Part comic (Lawnboy Reprise), part sentimental (On The Road Again), and part over-the-top cathartic, celebratory raging rock and roll (Tweeprise), when taken together it was the perfect coda to an utterly epic run.

I feel very blessed to have attended the final five nights of this historic string of concerts and I promise you: crazy as it sounds and pricey as it will undoubtedly be, if they ever do it again I’ll be going to every single show.

I’d be crazy not to, really.

http://www.toddmanout.com

Where to begin? This is my first show review. In Canada, the band is not a known commodity, but I was introduced to them at summer camp in the mid-90s and have been a phan ever since. Still have the tapes that were shared with me of the famous gamehenge show