Tonight's theme: Jam-Filled. Ooooh, sounds interesting!

Set 1: Oh, hmm, Sample opener? Well, that's not really keeping with the cool opener theme they've set so far for the Baker's Dozen, but I guess I'll give it a listen...

...wait, this isn't the normal Sample jam, is it? This is more soaring and majestic? Page's piano work is ruling it? And then they rolled into a really sweet rockout before returning home? Well, shoot, that was a nice surprise to kick off the show! Hey, Lawn Boy's always a fun Set 1 song, guess I'll kick back and...

...wait, Mike's taking an elongated bass solo? Page pulled out the keytar? He doesn't do that ever, right? And now...hold up, they're kicking into a tasty funky groove? What the hell? Now Trey's turning it dark and inwards as Page goes to work on his synths? And...shit, it's picking up steam, and really growing in power on top? This is fucking amazing??? Fishman is absolutely wrecking shit? Well, wonder what song's coming next...

...oh, they're STILL going? They've gone major key now? They're touching on the fabled 9/6/15 Disease jam? Okay, that was a massive peak, guess they're gonna wind down and...oh, they're not? Trey's speeding up??? Now they're moving into brooding effects-laden spaciness? Mike's really stepping up as they're hitting a brand new gear? Jesus, ANOTHER peak? This is still Lawn Boy, right? Okay, it's collapsing into weirdness and a chilled-out groove, it's gotta be over now, right?

...Jesus, that was 30 minutes??? Holy shit, what a hell of a ride that was! Hey, love My Friend, My Friend, great call for a landing pad after that j...wait, shit, we're not going into "Myfe"? They're jamming THIS out, too? Oooh, it's heading to major key land as well? Man, that was really lovely! Three awesome jams in a Set...wait, One? It's still Set One???? How much time is left???

...ah, just enough time for strong versions of Stash (really tense in the middle!) and Gin (really supercharged Type 1!). Well, I don't smoke cigarettes, but I'm off to buy and smoke an entire pack during setbreak. See you in "fifteen minutes"!

Set 2: Set-opening Fuegos tend to either be a way for the band to get warmed up for the rest of the set or a statement of intent, and this bad boy is somewhere in the middle - not quite on the 7/30/14 tier, but certainly a cut above the typical Fuegos of the world, as after the typical gnarled late-night Fuego jam Mike whips out the drill and the band use that as an entryway to a quicksilver groove that Fish pushes while Trey makes motor-riffing noises and then pushes the band to a nice little peak. You can hear the willingness to continue with improvising (honestly, something we've heard a lot of the last three shows), and that pays off in exactly two songs.

So, this Crosseyed and Painless. The second longest jam of the modern era, it's one of those jams that feels borne just as much out of sheer bloody-minded perseverance as God-given inspiration, and is all the better for it. The band drops into a lower-key groove out of C&P proper, Page on electric piano and Mike leading the charge. Trey and Page then slide into sweet blissfulness, the same warmth that they've delivered in spades this tour, and they head into Allmans-land with a brilliant patience before absolutely crushing the peak. But just when you think the jam's over, Fish decides to push the band along, a creepy fog floats over the proceedings (much like Sunday night's Waves), and the band floats off into space as the drill reenters our lives and a bevy of effects get fired off like we're back at IT or something, a perfect way to end the jam. Well, until Trey kicks into a lovely chord pattern, the band rebuilds itself like a friendlier version of the T-1000 reassembling itself in the factory at the end of T2, and the band rebuilds to yet another monstrous peak. The rest of the jam is a weird stramash, maybe not the most successful jamming moment (Mike first decides he wants to head back to C&P, then Trey decides HE does after Mike returns to improv mode, and we all know Trey's gonna win that battle), but that's hardly the worst thing after roughly a half hour of high-class hose jamming connected by scary 2.0-style weirdness. The beautiful Makisupa -> End of Session sequence is a wonderful way to close out the meat of the set, Tuesday/Cavern make for a head-banging end to Set 2, and Julius is always a fun encore, *especially* when Trey yanks the Lawn Boy riff out of nowhere and we get a reprise to end the whole dang show. I'm not sure Set 2 outdoes the first set (and how often can you say that about a show in ANY era???), but when both sets are this good, that's really just picking nits.

Final thoughts: An absolute no-doubter all-time classic show. Wonder if the next couple billion years ahead of us will prove me wrong on that count. Kinda doubt it!

On the sacred Mayan "Day out of Time" (their equivalent to leap day), Phish played a show out of time. A show for the ages, but, with a 30 minute jam in each set, a show outside of any age.

If there were any doubt creeping in as to who's currently the greatest improvisational group within the rock idiom, this show should dispel it. The band is at ease and locked in like no one else on the planet.

Thousands of phans fantasies were satisfied in a single show.

The highlights are the lead up to the show, the entire show, the excitement, the reviews.

This is not the best show for some but will go down as one of *those* shows forever - Jim Symphony, NYE 95, Cypress, IT, FYF, Magnaball....

...Jam-Filled

You know that feeling when you're either a new fan or an old fan who's just getting back into Phish? You go through the top rated shows on .net maybe to see what all you missed out on and need to catch up on, or where you might need to go to get started...

I'm laughing right now just imagining someone's face when they look at this setlist. Phish has done it again.

OK, I've had a week to reconstruct my brain. Here it goes...

Longtime lurker, first time reviewer. Quick Phish bio: loved Hoist and ALO in Jr. High, intro to the live experience was the epic Foreplay/Longtime opener at Great Woods in 1999. Didn't see them again until IT. Stepped in human poop (had tp and everything) walking down the highway to get to Coventry. Despite Phish consuming a disproportionate amount of my energy, ipod space, expendable income and wardrobe for the past 18 years, I have attended a relatively paltry 44 shows. However, it seems that whenever I make the effort and travel to a show (from Boston, which they seem to avoid) the band comes up huge. In recent years I've been blessed to be in attendance at the Gorge 2011, Dicks FYF in 2012, Vegas Halloween 2014, and the past few MSG Tweezers.

When the BD was announced I knew i'd get to a show or two but wasn't sure on the details. Summer calendar fills up quick, especially with kids, and the weekend shows all coincided with mandatory commitments. When the resolution of a large case made the first few weekday shows a possibility I decided to take the plunge - booked a hotel and initiated negotiations with the wife.

I got into NYC about 3 on Tuesday and checked into a hotel near Trump Tower so that I could give it the finger and dose the water supply if given the opportunity. Picked up my reasonably-priced ticket for the evening from a Stubhub location then went out to a pub to meet the guy that had my Wednesday ticket and grab a bite and a burger before the show. Got both tickets for face value, gotta love those weekday shows (may not apply to shows 9 & 10)!

Stomach full, I consulted with my trusted alternative medicine practitioner and decided to go with a healthy 1.5 serving of some very reputable sunshine-family-descendant stuff for the evening's psychedelic dessert.

My seats were fantastic, Section 2, on the floor but raised so I had a clear, front-and-center view right behind the soundboard and a seat to relax on during setbreak. Expectations were pretty high due to the "Jam-Filled" donut theme and Trey didn't make us wait long for the payoff, blasting off with a major chord before the final chorus in Sample. There were shit-eating grins and high-fives throughout!

And then Lawn Boy happened! When Page breaks out the keytar about 2 minutes in I thought we were going to get a fun little keytar/bass jam, which would still have been cool and unique for Lawn Boy, and then pack it up. Then at 3:30 Page holds a note and Fishman switches up the beat, sending it sideways and into deep space with an "Exodus" sounding jam for a few minutes while Page heads over to the synth for some gnarfunk craziness. I won't waste your time with a play-by-play, but its obviously a must listen/watch. There were many high fives and hugs in my section and we were only on song #2!

The lighting rig became sentient at some point. The video backs me up on this, should you doubt my ability as a reliable narrator.

They jammed the heck out of the rest of the set as my dessert kept climbing like a peak in the White Mountains with several agonies - when you think you're at the top you've still got plenty of distance to cover. MFMF was particularly beautiful while Stash and Gin were awesome versions that would have been standouts in any other set.

At setbreak a neighbor in my section mentioned that he was an engineer with the Department of Energy, and reassured me that the DOE staff is very capable despite the clown(s) at the top. I went into set 2 relieved that our nuclear arsenal was in good hands. If you're out there - thank you and keep up the good work! There was also a girl behind me complaining to her date that she didn't like the extended jams and wished they would play some songs she knew. That sounded familiar because my wife said the same thing after the Chilling, Thrilling set, which is why she doesn't get invited anymore.

As you know, the second set was chalked full of more ridiculousness, beginning with a patient Fuego jam that had some gorgeous moments. The ending to Thread was pretty cool, especially followed by the intensity of C&P. I think that was the pinnacle for me. A Talking Heads song in NYC just always feels perfect, especially that one, delivered at a time when the place was primed for an energy explosion. At a certain point in the C&P jam I remember thinking "they could ask the crowd to partake in human sacrifice right now and we would". Shit was wild. Big shout out to Section 2 for staying quiet during the "Space" portion of C&P as well. My jaw was firmly on the floor.

I was getting very strong and delightful visuals throughout, but especially during this portion. At one point, during a pleasant bliss jam section in C&P it seemed to me that something very similar to a Donkey Kong level was vividly playing out in the light rig with the music being played directing the movements of the characters. I remember having a deep thought that I can't fully grasp now, the gist being "of course this is what happens when Phish does this type of jam with such precision. Video games played through sound."

Loved getting Makisupa knowing that it might be jammed, but what came out of it was better than anything I could have imagined. Big props to the young dude in from of me that turned around and asked "is this End of Session from Story of the Ghost?" about three notes in. I'm sure that my reply was incoherent, but I had tears in my eyes by the end.

Tuesday is only acceptable on a Tuesday after they've played that show. It also had a nice little solo. Cavern was a perfect energy-valve release for the end of the set, and chanting those lyrics with 20,000 of my closest friends got me thinking again that it was a religious experience for everyone there (glad they didn't ask for the human sacrifice....). Julius was Julius - Lawn Boy reprise was a great nod to that instant classic.

After the show I chilled out in an empty Bryant Park for a bit to regain my senses until I was rudely asked to obey the "no smoking" signs. Was pretty exhausted by that point so I retired to the hotel to watch the patterns on my eyelids and rest up for the Powdered Donut festivities on Wednesday.

So, ah, in conclusion, it was a pretty good way to spend a Tuesday in NYC in July! Thanks for bearing with me through this trip report.

I've been to roughly 20 phish shows since 1/1/16, but nothing can really compare to this one. It was quite the special show. I always knew that this band played absolutely rippin shows on Tuesdays and this Tuesday in Particular proved that statement even further. I was kind of scrambling outside of the garden trying to buy a ticket but eventually got into the venue about 4 minutes into sample in a jar.

Ever hear of the man who stepped into yesterday? Well on July 25th, 2017, 4 men stepped way back in time where jamming out songs for 30 minutes was quite common.

Sample in a jar went places I didn't think it ever would and boy was it awesome.

And it seems our little Lawn boy has grown up into a Lawn Man who can support the weight of tens of thousands of people dancing their ass off in Madison Square Garden. This Jam went deep into a spacey realm and turned into an amazing blissful peak and transitioned beautifully into My Friend, My Friend. Stash was awesome, but that lawn boy was an extremely tough act to follow. Gin was an awesome way to close a 5 SONG first set, I love the crowd energy when the song drops into "And We Love To Take a Bath!!!"

Set 2...
Fuego got the place jumpin, and thread kept it going. But the Crosseyed and Painless went into such a spacey jam that I think I saw a few peoples spirits leave their bodies, fly around the garden a few times and re enter their body 33 minutes later. When the jam dropped into Makisupa Policeman, every one lit up with happiness. I mean, how could you not like makisupa and the little reggae funk that it brings. End Of Session caught me WAY off guard, I didn't even know what it was at first. With all these new debut songs being played, I don't think anyone expected a song that was released almost 20 years ago to be debuted. Tuesday and Cavern was just the icing on the cake at that point, that second set was one for the ages in my opinion. And in the encore, when Julius ended and lawn boy restarted, the place went wild. What an amazing show, I hope Phish does a few more jam filled donuts before its all over! What an absolutely amazing jam filled show!!!

I saw my first show in 2004, so I missed the "glory days." The 30 minute jams, the experimental and deep improvisational quests they would go on nearly every night. In my 76 shows since I started seeing them there have been some truly incredible performances, but regarding watching 4 friends make music that has never been played before, all of my other shows pale in comparison to last night.

If you want a note by note analysis you can read other reviews, or please do yourself a favor and listen to the audio of the entire show.

They came out to a Tuesday night crowd (the die-hards, if you will) with a "jam-filled" donut theme and many speculated as to what the theme would be tonight–she don't use jelly? raspberry beret? one long jam?
Instead, we were treated to one of "those" shows. A show that every fan wants to see, a show that every fan wants to hear, a show that leaves you speechless, a show that leaves you asking yourself, "What next?"

Onward and upward, always.

By the end of Summer '17 Tour, I swear 5 of the Top 10 3.0 jams will be sandwiched between the Northerly Simple and something ridiculous on the last night of Dick's. I know that sounds insane, but at the rate we're going, it's entirely possible. The aforementioned Simple and MSG Lawn Boy are already there. Honestly, I don't even know why I have to limit myself to a finite period like "3.0" anymore. I guess it's not so much to put things into perspective (as we all know it used to be), but to avoid the absurdly overwhelming nature of trying to compile a best jams list. Narrowing the scope eases that burden. Realistically, I think we're so bombarded with all sorts of Top 10 lists that we artificially limit ourselves without even realizing it (or at least I do). It needs to be a Top 23 List or Top 35. If we could do something like the Top 48 Phish Jams of All-Time, my brain wouldn't short-circuit trying to figure out why on earth I would exclude the Tweezerpants or Randall's Chalkdust, or to justify nixing all four of the monumental Diseases that have been played between '11 - '15.
Same goes for entire shows. It's just too hard to work it with just 10: Baker's Dozen #4, Magnaball #2, Dick's FYF, Halloween '14, Dick's Sunday '16, NYE '15 would all get included in my Top 31 Phish shows of all-time, whereas just the first two on that list would make my Top 10.

I'm just so happy for the younger Phish generation - the kids who were turned on to the band in middle or high school late last decade or sometime earlier in this one. For the past 3-4 years, they've gotten to experience super high quality Phish. And if they were lucky enough to be in attendance at MSG last night, they were exposed to the best that this band has to offer, no caveats or qualifications necessary. This show will match up with any two-setter from the golden era. I was 1,800 miles away in Colorado, yet even through my computer screen and HE-1000s (which are obviously no substitute to being enveloped by the sound, lights, and crowd energy in MSG), it was a sight to behold. And we still have 9 left, plus 3 shows at Dick's!!!
Name another band that can play as well as they did 20 years after their supposed "peak" (a.k.a. Phish Destroys America). Hell...just name a band that is still playing 20 years after their supposed peak with the same lineup. There are a few that can satisfy the latter requirement, but I can't think of a single one that still performs like its members are all 32 years old and in the prime of their existence.

This show will be talked about for as long as people out there talk about Phish concerts. A few things that might not get said in other reviews but are noteworthy: On top of everything, the debut of "End of Session"?!? What an unnecessary mega-bonus! Another interesting part of this show that is eclipsed by the rest of this amazing show is "Tuesday," which is one of those songs that, imo, no one exactly CRAVES to hear when they go to a Phish show, but it was SO well-placed, and it got the Garden RAGING. The second ending to Tuesday blew the roof off. It was insanity. And when "Tuesday" gave way to "Cavern," the 1-2 punch resulted in an insane explosion of crowd energy like nothing I've personally witnessed at a Phish concert. After "Lawnboy" reprise (!!!), Page gave Trey a big 'ol bear hug before leaving the stage! I cannot think of an entire 3.0 show, or even many ENTIRE 1.0/2.0 shows, that will be more re-listen-to-able than this one. Thank you Phish.

Phish gave an amazing performance in this show, and one that shows a dedication to satisfying their fans that some bands don't put the energy into (or so consistently pay off, in doing so.) Songs that are usually not jammed Type-II were, here, and in the first set! Five-song first sets are as rare as they come. I really appreciate that Lawn Boy, rather than tacking a jam onto its usual song structure, departed into a Stubblefield-influenced, Fishman-led, Fuego jam-sort-of rhythm to begin with. For me, the most successful jam of the first set and maybe even the whole night was Bathtub Gin, which I'll explain thusly: Gin jams tend to have an inspirational, sometimes soaring, usually victorious cast to them, which seems entirely fitting to end a five-song first set. That Phish is more than the sum of its parts depends upon all four members being locked in--listening intently, which is a lot harder to achieve even upon playback of their shows than one might think, let alone in the moment and surrounded by 20,000 discerning listeners, as well--but it also has to do with the individuals comprising the band sharing a musical adventure: one that's coherent because of a kind of serendipitous magic that also results from decades of blood, sweat, and tears invested in the project to the point that its vision comes across clearly to phans and innocent bystanders alike... There's something wholly profound happening at any given moment of Phish. I think maybe the constant push-and-pull (Loving Cup pun intended) of trying to remain wholesale true to oneself and the band is delicately balanced in this band with trying to attract, welcome, satisfy, and namely improve the experiences of an ever-regenerating, immanently oncoming barrage of perspectives about what this thing means, whether it means anything, what it should mean... maybe you can see that what I'm trying to say is that there are so many variables involved in the Phish phenomenon that the willingness to offer up experimentation and vulnerability in a context as visible as this is staggering in the first place. It's the sort of thing where maybe the journey is the destination. I know that listening to this night's show and seeing the reactions to it here on .Net have caused me to adjust at least one priority in my phandom, to wit, that I promise myself to direct more energy into supporting the band the way I would a close friend or even a romantic partner, and I'll tell you why. I was born in 1983, a few months before the band was founded, and so I have a lifelong connection temporally with what's happening in this milieu, but beyond that, Phish has aligned so closely with my own personal zeitgeist or spirit of the age so many times and even over sustained phases of my life, that my relation to the band really has come to resemble a love affair. And what is the Golden Rule? Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. I understand more fully now--and this is rambling reflection will soon come to a pause--that Phish represents and comprises something unique and valuable on its own merits and for its own sake, and that if we're not careful with it and respectful of it, we could lose it. Logistics require that shows be scheduled in advance, that some ideas have to take a backseat for a while or be put on hold (Page has been quoted as saying that the idea of a Baker's Dozen residency circulated before 2007), and through it all, I'm pledging myself to remain open to changes within the makeup of what makes Phish what it is and who they are, and who we are, because this is something I believe has power rarely precedented and scarcely seen, and which will continue to reward good faith as long as we all shall live. Amen.

If you were there, you know....

As much as Lawn Boy gets the biggest headlines, it was in fact, Sample in a Jar that created the most goosebumps.

We all saw "Jam Filled" as the forecast donut, and the anticipation was palpable. How would they play it out???

As Sample started, it seemed to be business as usual. UNTIL....

"The simple smiles and good time seem all wroooonnnnnng"......then the JAM FILLED part kicked in...in one of the least Jammed most straightforward songs of all...Sample in a Jar...which, on this night had a break in the action where the usual payoff would be. But wait, what is this???? Could it be? It is! It's a soaring, rising, climbing instrumental start to a very phishy jam indeed. We knew it was going to be a wild ride from this pont forward. This was it for me though. The AHA! moment when the jam started in Sample. The dastardly grin on Trey's face as he executed his plan grew with every note, as the crowd caught on to what was happening. The energy that formed in the first minute of that jam still brings me chills (I'm talking Hampton '88 chills for you Deadheads reading this).

Just glad I checked Ticketmaster after the announcement of Jam Filled and snagged some tickets.

If you haven't paid attention to the Sample...let it in.

It's special

Oh, and then they played Lawn Boy for half an hour.

I don't tend to review these shows; I both don't consider myself enough of a Phish scholar to be insightful, nor do I consider myself much of a writer. But in the wake of this show I have to let out some of the pent up excitement I have over how mind blowing this performance was.

In my limited number of Phish shows, the first set was undoubtedly the best single set of music I've ever heard, and is probably the best set of live music I've ever heard across every artist I've ever seen. Sample started with an incredible energy, and then the jam on Lawn Boy was mind blowing. Even despite a few bumps in the first verse of My Friend, My Friend, the band still was rocking, and the jamming (in the theme of the night's donut) was outstanding.

But Stash had to be the highlight of the first set. The energy just kept building and the entire crowd was feeling it. They'd captured the energy of the room in a way that was impressive even for them. Ending with Bathtub Gin was inspired, and Paige nailed it on that track.

(Side note: while all of them played out of their minds, Paige was the hero of the night. He was incredibly funky all night, and his work on Lawn Boy, Makisupa Policeman, and C&P was unparalleled).

The 2nd set was also phenomenal, but really it boils down to C&P. I am no Phish historian, but that C&P had to be an all-time C&P. The jam would not stop, and just when they brought the energy down to potentially jump into another tune, they came back strong into the C&P groove, and Trey was lighting it up on guitar. While the first set may have been the best cumulative set of Phish I've heard, if there's one track you get from this show, it's C&P.

The Tuesday>Cavern set finale was incredibly high energy and high tempo, and was a great way to climax the set without trying to eclipse what was a once in a lifetime performance of C&P (although if there were ever a night where they could have pulled that off, it would've been tonight). The Julius encore was also phenomenally rocking, and the Lawn Boy reprise was both hilarious and a phenomenal way to end the night.

I cannot recommend this show enough. It probably was the best show I've ever seen, rivaled only by the 5/28/11 and 10/27/13 shows (right now this was clearly the best of the three, but I still think I'm riding a high from the show, so I'm trying to be unbiased). An incredible night of music in every conceivable way.

Man it just keeps gettin better! This aptly named Jam-filled night of the Baker's Dozen run delivers quite heavily on a number of levels. We got the jam treatments on a few tunes that really don't often (or ever) get drawn out, making for a few spectacularly standout versions throughout the night. At points, the band felt a little aimless (particularly in the middle of Crosseyed and Painless), but overall this is a super fun show with a lot of great improv.

Setlist Thoughts
- Derailed in the middle of the tune, Sample in a Jar immediately confirms what the jam-filled donuts are for. Transitions in and out of the jam are real smooth.
- "Is this still Lawn Boy?" What a tune to get this 30-minute jam in the second slot of the night. Several awesome sections that allow for shining moments from all four band members. Definitely the highlight of the evening.
- My Friend, My Friend keeps the energy high with an excellent performance of the composed song. Once again we enter unexpected jam territory, though this one is a little bit more laid back than the first two.
- Stash and Bathtub Gin round out Set 1 with two more 10+ minute jams, though not super noteworthy in comparison to other renditions. Still some great stuff though.
- Set 2 opens with a near 20-minute Fuego whose jam divides into a few distinct moments. Most noteworthy to me are the few minutes where the beat all but fades out, allowing for Mike, Trey, and Page to lay out an airy ambience for a bit. Page on some sweet synths, and Mike busting out the drill.
- Thought Thread was fine. Nothing super awesome in my book.
- Crosseyed and Painless is a classic jam vehicle, and it certainly serves such function here. Clocking in as the longest tune of the night, this one seems to meander a bit. The peaks around 18 minutes in are awesome. Again we enter a more airy and ambient space here for a moment and it takes the band a little bit to get their groove back together. The transition back to Crosseyed is pretty well done (good job Mike!).
- After the behemoth Crosseyed, Set 2 ditches the jam-heavy theme for a bit. Makisupa -> End of Session is a great 1-2 in which Trey hands the floor over to his bandmates before a beautiful debut of an almost 20-year-old song. A great cooldown / reset if you ask me.
- Never heard Tuesday before, but this is a pretty fun tune! Page really crushes his piano solo and the end jam is full of fun energy from Trey. Super spirited vocals.
- And out we go with a pretty standard Cavern. I'll take it
- Loved this encore. Julius gets just enough Type I jamming in before the end of the evening, and the callback to Lawn Boy closes it all with a nice little ribbon.

THREAD, The second song in the STEAM Trilogy. Mark my words, this will be a special and highly anticipated song for years to come! We've only had two versions and admittedly they might not have it down yet, but they will soon and we will all be singing its praises................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

A few days removed from my second two last show and the famous "jam filled" night.

This was no ordinary show as evidenced by the set I opening Sample. We got in a few minutes later than normal and I was just grabbing a beer when Sample started. I figured, great I've got 5-6 minutes to get to my seat. Luckily as the jam kicked in we got settled and started grooving. Man, best Sample ever. Not anything so mind blowing musically per se, but a statement of intent and a very well executed jam. Plenty enjoyable.

Lawn Boy was next and I think had people pondering whether or not jam filled was going to be carried throughout. Well the keytar solo from Page was obviously an atypical move, but the jam that followed was pure unadulterated Phish madness. It's the stuff of dreams and legend. There's a ton to love in this 30 minute behometh, personally, the moment when Trey kicks into the warp speed hyper drive riff and fishman goes mad on the drums to pick up the tempo is my favorite moment. That said, amazing funky jamming, great deep space, peaks, and a nice smooth conclusion caps off this all timer, which slides quite nicely into MFMF.

MFMF is another amazing choice, which would have been welcome even if by the book, but of course this night was not by the book. Another stunning jam featuring some darkness, space, and lovely ambient playing makes for perhaps my favorite single passage of the set (but who's counting really).

Stash kicks in and is a crowd pleasing, but straightforward version. Still a nicely played and well jammed selection, which did nothing to diminish the energy and served as an excellent choice.

Bathtub Gin assured us of the (5-song!!) set's conclusion and the only question was whether they'd give this extra legs. It stayed linear, but slightly elongated from the typical 11 minute type I versions. This one was certainly by the book, but was an excellent and fiery conclusion to the set. Nothing under 10 minutes to be found here!! 5-song set. Best ever first set? (ok I'll still take 11/17/97) This was amazing. Simply amazing.

Well set II, how could they top that? Short answer, they didn't. Longer answer, they played an ALMOST equivalently amazing set full of stellar jamming and surprising song selection.

Fuego opened up with it's revelatory chorus and 3.0 charm (er, cheesiness). I love this tune and the jam was both long and excellent. This isn't your typical major chord bliss filled peak jam (has a nice peak though), but is a smooth and textured jam, colored by some chording from Trey, electric piano from Page, synthy stuff and Mike going to the drill. So it's one of those amazingly smooth, but equally odd jams that is absolutely a joy to behold. Sublime.

They slide into Thread, which I didn't know too well, but actually enjoyed in this slot. Not bad.

C&P is the big money jam of the night and boy is this a beauty. Super long jam that had it all. Serious groove, major leak peaks, multiple segment madness and some deep space that I think was only slightly less deep and trippy than the Waves on Sunday night. Basically this is perfection and some of the Phinest Phish you'll ever get, certainly in this incarnation. They make their way back to the C&P theme and complete a stunning over 30 minute version. Well just grab it.

Makisupa was up next and was a very fun call. Trey worked a jamming quote in there, gave some time to the other band members with the lyrics and they turned the end into a spacey section that slid effortlessly into End Of Session! This was perhaps one of my all time favorite moments. Sheer beauty and such a poignant selection to start winding down a legendary show.

Not to send us home with too calm a demeanor, the band kicks into Tuesday > Cavern, which really does cue a celebratory vibe, which was only outdone by the following night's 1999. Odd, but interesting choice to close the set. Certainly welcome to me and those around.

Julius was the encore, which felt a bit underwhelming, but the re-emergence of Lawn Boy provided that special cherry on top moment that only Phish can provide.

Overall, this is a classic show. Upper echelon and one of the most complete performances the band has given. It's right there with Magnaball N2 or any other show that might be your favorite. No reason not to love this, if you don't, Phish might not be your thing!

5/5

As others have stated, this is an absolutely awe inspiring stellar show! I can't say enough good things about it (and I really don't care if it's a Lawn Boy or a Lawn Boy -> Jam... it's fucking amazing!)

So... now that we definitively know that V3 can turn this kind of jamming on any time they feel like it, it seems like it is our (the fans) job to let them know that we would REALLY, REALLY appreciate it becoming the new normal!

I'm still a mess from this thing... just outstanding!

Copy-pasted from here: http://forum.phish.net/forum/show/1377439620#page=1 />
Whelp, I was honestly not going to write any sort of a review but after last nights show, I feel obligated.

This was my 11th show. First time ever on the floor or anywhere remotely close to the band. I live in Manhattan and went solo. I got to the venue around 2:50 to cop a Millward poster, waited in line until about 4:50 to get it. I was probably about 80-90 people back. Some of the people I met in line were some serious phans and poster junkies. Ended up meeting a nice couple from Kentucky and played Mario Kart with him on his Nintendo Switch to kill the time. Didn't get to say goodbye to them as we got split in line (they were letting 10 in at a time). Hope they enjoy the rest of the run.

I went to Stout NYC after that and their basement bar was completely empty when I got there. I made friends with the bartender and he let me use their outlet behind their bar to charge my phone (score!) and had some food and drinks. They were streaming Saturday's Strawberry show (which I was at) so it was an awesome post up spot. Gonna go again with friends this Saturday pre-show.

Since I was GA and had no clue what the experience would be like, I got in line around 6:15. Here I met some even crazier heads, including some girl who told me she and her friends have been riding the rail all tour, and that she was hanging with Pollock at a Waterwheel party earlier this week. Having never been GA, it felt like I was special. I got the jam-filled donut and it was great, then met some more people on the floor and found a good spot Page-Side Rage-Side, about 10-12 people back. Perfect position to get the full light experience and also see the band up close. Sound was sooo much louder than any other section i've been in, my ears were actually ringing after the show.

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As for the show... ***DISCLAIMER - I have not re-listened to the show yet***

Sample in a (jam) jar was a great opener, one of my favorites of what FZappa20 would consider "chomper" songs. But about 3 minutes into Sample, they jump right into a jam, and I knew we were in for a treat all night.

Lawn Boy came and I thought nevermind ....Until Page broke out the Keytar, they played the Lawn Boy riff for a bit, but then came a Mike and Page breakdown, and the rest was history. At one point it sounded like they went into a new song because it sounded rehearsed, but I checked the setlist later and saw that it was indeed still Lawn Boy. Some random woman was trying to dance with me during it, and I tried to shoo her away / ignore her.. Phish was playing a 30 minute Lawn Boy for God's sake!! Any other night and I might have considered it.. 8D

MFMF came next. And I actually thought it was Guyute for the first minute (total noob right?). After the breakdown I knew they would absolutely jam it, and from what I remember it raged pretty hard and got really dark too.

Then came a standard 3.0 Stash (not saying it didn't pack a punch, just nothing crazy) and a blissful Gin to end the set.

Woof. Everyone around me had shit-eating grins on their faces. SET 1: 5 songs / 5 stars (you do the math)

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Was feeling either a Mike's or a No Men in No Man's Land to begin the second set. Got hit with a Fuego instead. Thought it was going to go deep like Lawn Boy, but they held off until Xeyed for that. Still was a pretty good spacey jam iirc.

Had no clue what Thread was when I heard it, until it got to "You're ALONE!" part. And I drunkenly thought to myself "yeah I'm alone at this show but it sure doesn't feel that way."

Crosseyed was so hype. Dude in front of me was absolutely loving it. There was a part at the end where they mellowed out and then got back into a new jam. The mellow part was amazing. I was not high or on acid, but I seriously was seeing some crazy shit looking up into the lights. Second hand high maybe? Trey was doing some ambient whale-ish calls, and Page was laying on heavy with the synth (?). The lights were just flawless in this moment. When they brought it back to the chorus, it felt a bit forced. Still I couldn't complain after a night like tonight.

Makisupa Policeman was also awesome, and I had originally called Jammin' to open the show so it was fun to see Trey quote it.

End of Session - everyone around me had no real clue what they were playing, and I only found out on the train ride home what it was. Needless to say, that's a pretty special bust-out. Just wish I would have known at the time.

I was expecting them to end the set with Tuesday, but I learned yesterday to not expect anything from this band. Cavern is one song I've been chasing and had honestly forgot about it. I was so hyped up when they went into it. Crowd was loving it.

Not a big Julius guy but it was a good high-energy encore song after a jam-filled show like that, and I thought the show was over, but Trey was eyeing the other band members to break out Lawn Boy for one final closeout.

Set 2/encore: 4/5 (really good top to bottom but def not as good as first set - which isn't saying much!)

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As far as GA goes - it was definitely an awesome experience. It feels really intimate when you are that close. That being said, I don't think I mind 200 level seats that much. The sound is arguably better BECAUSE you can hear the crowd cheer a lot better, which is always fun. And you can really experience the lights completely from up there. The crowd talks a bit more though, so GA is better in that regard. Also, it seemed like the GA crowd was much younger. Everytime there was a huge cheer for a bust-out or something fun, it was mostly coming from the stands. The rail-riders seem crazy tbh, I would never put myself through waiting in line from 4am on, the band doesn't even notice them..

That was probably the best show I've ever been to, of any band. Honestly can't picture them topping it the rest of the run, but seriously what can we predict with these 4 amazing guys from Vermont?? Final two shows for me - this Saturday and Sunday.

Hope the donuts are scrumptious....Will be tough to top jam-filled!

Wow. I'm really glad I went to this show haha. I was part of the horde of raised of fingers wandering around the 7th Ave entrance, and fortunately got a cheap ticket from a phriendly phan (thanks!). By the way, all the "normal" folks asking me what the fingers up meant was pretty funny.

During set break, a guy next to me at the urinal asked what the opener was. When I told him "Sample in a Jar", his response was "Ok that's missable." Normally, I would agree, but Trey gave us a sign of what was to come when he extended his solo in the middle of the song, which was greeted with pleasantly surprised approval from the crowd. "Sample" rocked!

"Lawn Boy" in the second slot? That is surprising. What was even more surprising was Page grabbing the keytar after Mike's bass solo. And what was even more surprising was that Page's keytar solo led into a 30-min jam! On Lawn Boy! And this was not a throwaway jam. The amount of peaks and valleys in this jam was unbelievable. I was sitting up high Page-side, and what a good night to be Page-side. I watched Page use every piece of gear he had on that stage, it was awesome.

"My Friend, My Friend" is always a welcome song for me. The song composition is really cool, and the crowd gets really into it when the song breaks down after the intro. I will say I thought Trey struggled a little on the intro - I heard a lot of Page over Trey. Skip the "myfe" and head into another tasty jam.

"Stash" killed it, per usual. This song was very welcome. Always a crowd pleaser, love the crowd participation in this song. "Stash" always has really cool jam potential, and on a night where jamming was the theme, we knew we were in for a good one. The boys delivered. The guys next to me were going back and forth at each other, "This is a 4-song set! We are seeing a 4-song set!" Wrong (same guy was also wrong later in the show when he called "Buffalo Bill" during the first few notes of "Makisupa" haha). I was wondering too if that would end the set, but then here comes "Bathtub Gin", another crowd favorite. Always good for a fun, dancey jam, and this was no exception. I LOVED THE FIRST SET.

Blown away by set one's jam-filled donuts. What on Earth are we getting next?? The band came in with "Fuego" which can be kind of a polarizing song - some people like it, some people don't. I like it alright; it's a good jam vehicle with some cool riffs. "Fuego" jam was pretty good, lead into the song "Thread". Out of the new songs, this is one that I like more. Trey mainly stuck to the composition on this one, they didn't try to go far out. They ended "Thread" and went right into "Crosseyed". That really brought the crowd back to life! Huge applause of approval, time to dance! The back-up vocals seemed a little lost on the lyrics at times, but Fishman held it together perfectly. Fishman was hyped! I am a huge Talking Heads fan and this was my first time seeing Phish play "Crosseyed" so I was pretty stoked.

"Crosseyed" jam was definitely the highlight of the second set. Another long jam with high peaks and low valleys - very enjoyable. The band gets low and we move into "Makisupa" - universal 'light up your joint' cover. Time to toke and have some fun. This was a pretty good "Makisupa" too - Trey was passing off the lead to the other guys and the song held together pretty well compared to some other versions I've heard where they don't know what to say haha. We had a little "Jammin" tease from Trey, appeasing all the folks that called it for the jam-filled donuts theme.

"Makisupa" jam lead into the brief "End of Session" section, which I thought was pretty cool. It reminded me of some of the far-out, low, ambient jams you'd hear in 1.0. However, the set went way downhill from there. The low point of the show was definitely "Tuesday". I try to keep an open mind for the new stuff, but I'm sorry, this song stinks. I couldn't wait for it to end. Trey did his best to liven the crowd with some high-peaking guitar soloing, but it didn't work. At this point it was past 11pm and I was wondering, "Are they really going to close the show with this song?!" Thank God, they threw in "Cavern". I like "Cavern" a lot and I thought this one rocked well. I laugh to myself when the entire crowd is singing along with the last verse (the "Give the director..." part). It's just such a goofy verse - hearing thousands of people shout along to it is kind of funny to me, but also really cool. I think anyone seeing at their first Phish concert might be pretty confused haha.

Encore we got a mediocre "Julius" which didn't blow any one away. Fine song to dance to, but doesn't really ever blow the lid off the place. Getting toward the end of the song, and what do you know, Page is out from his station and has the mic in his hand. "Lawn Boy Reprise"!!! Loved it. Definitely capped a very unique show, I think one that will go down on that all-time list of memorable shows. Again, all I can say is... I'm glad I went!

Hello all, I am a new phan as of a year ago. The last few weeks I have really been getting HEAVILY into Phish. But for the past year I have on and off been enjoying their shows. But I keep a journey spreadsheet of all the shows I've listened to. I am journeying through the Baker's Dozen. This is my first time listening to a show again in full. I watched this show when it aired as a DAAM episode early on. But I don't remember much besides that Lawn Boy.
N4
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Sample started off Set 1 with a pretty decently lengthy 9 and a half minute jam. Already going for it. Love that.

Lawn Boy. Okay. I had heard this before. Its the Jam themed day. They jammed out fucking Lawn Boy for 30 minutes. Almost flat. Lawn Boy is like a 3 minute song that never went into a jam. 30 minutes. It was epic.

And then we got a >My Friend My Friend, another Rift song that I've fallen in love with. The longest one ever. 11 and a half minutes. It was spooky and weird.

>Stash which went deep and weird. I zoned out pretty hard during it while driving, and I just got lost in it. But I think that's a good thing.

And then they bust out this stupidly awkward and loveable mutant Gin. It's grungey and gooey and gunky and its so wonderful. Perfect set closer for Jam.

SET II
Set II opened with Fuego which was a dirty-riffed song that had passed me by when I listened to the record recently. I enjoyed it live much more. A strong Type I jam that shows that Type I can go deep.

Thread was a pleasant surprise. I always am pleasantly surprised when I'm reminded it is normal for songs to be live way before recorded release in the jam band world. I loved Thread on Sigma Oasis this year. It doesn't jam here, but the composition sure is awesome. It's only Thread's second ever performance. Prog Rock Phish in full force.

We then enter Crosseyed & Painless. The classic Talking Heads cover. Another 30 fucking minute jam. One in each set?? What the fuck is happening? This was epic. Its insane. It fills every emotion, suspense, tension, happiness, sadness, panic. This is a must hear.

Makisupa serves as a palette cleanser for being only 4 minutes long. It is what it is. Police man come to my house.

End of Session quite honestly passed me by. Can't recall it.

Tuesday was a super energetic 7 minutes that was very fun to listen to. I recommend this. I wasn't familiar, but I will look into this song more. It it seeming to be the set closer but on the final instrumental sting, they bust into Cavern.

>Cavern from Tuesday doesn't really jam much, but it serves as a great way to end the set. A classic that is always welcome.

Encore gave us a bright and jovial Julius with a happy go lucky jam, and >Lawn Boy reprise. A perfect way to put a bow on the Jam night.

When Phish announced the Bakers' Dozen in 2017, it sounded like history in the making...and judging by 7.25.17, it most certainly was. I've been trying to follow up on the Bakers' Dozen shows just now (more time on my hands, I suppose), and seeing 2 years later that the ratings for this specific show is still holding up made it all the more of interest to me.

Quite simply, when downloading it through Live Phish, I couldn't put it down for an entire week. At first, it seemed a bit awkward in some places, but that's how I usually am whenever listening to a new set of tapes or just albums in general. Putting Lawn Boy and Crosseyed and Painless aside for a minute, this show has some good moments on it: Thread and Tuesday are nice interludes after the intense renditions of Fuego and C&P; the debut of End of Session was a nice surprise; and, of course, you can always count on Stash and Bathtub Gin (the latter surprisingly not extended out that much) for a good time. However, the centerpieces are going to be Lawn Boy and C&P.

I've never heard (up to this point) Lawn Boy get an extended workout as it did here. Makes sense, since the show had a "jam" theme to it. Having the show end with Lawn Boy makes you wonder if all the songs in between actually happened...they go by that quick, and they're that mesmerizing. The 33-minute C&P has to be one of their best jams in recent years. What makes Phish compelling is that they're able to take a track and progressively deconstruct it as it goes on (i.e., dispense with each instrument one by one, thus stripping the music down to just ambient sound). They've been doing that with Down With Disease for years (the best example being the 23-minute version from 12.29.97); Simple, Bathtub Gin, and Halley's Comet; Kill Devil Falls got the extended treatment when I saw them in 2015. C&P is one of those countless numbers, but listening to how it disintegrates into space music (not too different from Klaus Schulze or Tangerine Dream*) made it that much more of a rewarding listen...only for the band to then float back to earth and then go back into the song...and end it! Other comparisons on this particular jam could be drawn to what the Dead did when they'd transition into Space in the 1980s OR Coltrane's improvisations (listen to One Down, One Up from 1965), where the rest of the instrumentalists sit back and let him go absolutely wild on the saxophone. Phish is most certainly worthy of these comparisons, and C&P is proof of that.

All this happens in less than 3 hours, which is no easy feat. However, what emerges is a highlight of the 3.0 years and has motivated me to listen to the other 12 shows. I'd gotten the sampler album released in stores (The Bakers' Dozen), and the other shows just sound like a tasty treat. Although, I must say, it was interesting to see that nothing from 7.25.17 was excerpted on that set, but it's one of those shows where you need to listen to it in its entirety...a song here and there just doesn't do it justice.

*If you don't know about Klaus Schulze or Tangerine Dream, do yourself a favor and pick up Schulze's Irrlicht and Tangerine Dream's Zeit...there were parts in the middle of C&P that made me think I put those albums on while drifting off into a semi-catatonic state. I wouldn't be surprised if the members of Phish had those albums on in heavy rotation while prepping for the Bakers' Dozen shows.

I'm not going to really cover the first set except to say it is absolutely fantastic, and probably the best front-to-back set Phish has played this era. It's definitely the best first set Phish has played this era. It will go down as the crowning jewel of the Baker's Dozen.

What I'm going to focus on, just to be different, is the most less celebrated second set, and much less celebrated for good reason. The centerpiece of the set is a 33 minute C&P that is likely the most splendor-laden jam of the run, and there are a lot of contestants for that title. C&P takes it. But everything surrounding C&P in the second set is a rather dismal affair. C&P is a show-stopper and the show more or less stops around it.

Fuego's jam ends 5 minutes before the jam actually ends. The commitment to jamming on Jam-filled Night seems to hinder the guys from recognizing when enough is enough.

Thread is, as of yet, unlistenable. Maybe this song will improve, but it's not there yet. Two songs in, nearly thirty minutes, and this set is full-blown skip worthy.

After the gargantuan of awesomeness C&P, Makisupa Policeman comes in a for a little light-hearted, simmering down fun. Cute, but that's that for Makisupa. Not much relistening value.

End of Session is the bust-out no one knew they were chasing. Awesome that it happened, but the story ends there. In the context of the show, it takes the energy way down to the doldrums.

Tuesday and Cavern come in an attempt to pick up the energy, before closing out but it's too late. That energy is spent, and these standard, peppy tunes aren't enough to revive the situation.

The first set is a masterpiece. C&P is a masterpiece. Everything else from the second set is better of avoided, unless you want to get ansty and bored waiting for the C&P or want a major buzzkill after it.

Waiting for headphones on the whole first set and a lot of the second... wtf?!?!?!?!?

Sample. Great.
Lawn boy? Lawn man.
Myfe? Meh
Stash and gin? Yeah alright I dig it.

Fuego? Sure.
Thread? It has potential.
Cross eyed? NOICE.
Policeman? Yaup.
End of Sessions? Great
Tuesday? My second in a week. Great.
Cavern? Yass.

Encore:
Yes.
Yes for the follow through.

Wow best show since 2282003 and before that cypress and Sugarbush 94 a acid trip lawn boy the grass is greener on the dark side of the division bell I am in aww of this show the stash is tight the still waiting is patience bliss and mfmf and lizards are my top 2 so anytime they play it I jizz in my pants precummers of the snl world unite wow