Phish just played their their fourth of four shows at Madison Square Garden to ring in the new year. The band chose to bring on 2019 with an elaborate stage design with aerialists performing while the band delivered “Mercury” to kick off their third set. After the countdown and “Auld Lang Syne” that followed, the band kicked off the second performance of “Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S.” with Trey and Mike getting hoisted into the air via cables and showing fans “what space smells like”.
The band webcast the show live via LivePhish so you could watch along at home. We were on the couch but had tons of friends in attendance that said it was amazing.
Set III kicked off with “Mercury” and Mike and Trey were both wearing astronaut outfits (shiny!) and they were both playing their white instruments from the Kasvot Växt Halloween 2018 set. As the song progressed, red confetti started to fall and the stage was adorned with 10-12 spacey characters dressed in outfits that resembled fairies. As they were levitated into the sky, they dropped their long capes and started to perform aerial maneuvers above the band.
30 seconds ahead of New Year’s Eve, a loud female robotic voice came over the PA and counted down Happy New Year in a very monotone way. The balloon drop featured the silver ones people could see in the nets above the crowd. And tons of streamers, like everywhere!
When Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S. started Trey and Mike were pulled up into the air and continued jamming as they were “in space” above the stage. They looked like they were having a ridiculous time, too. So funny.
Then they sorta flew around a little bit and eventually came back to stage and kept the set going.
At the end of the set Trey thanked the crowd for an incredible year and said “we’ll see you in 2019” before correcting himself and saying “We’ll see you this year!”
Scroll down to see the setlist…
Phish @ Madison Square Garden, New York City 12.31.18
Set I: The Moma Dance, Stray Dog, 555, Sand, Lawn Boy, Steam > Chalk Dust Torture > What’s the Use? > Play by Play, Waste, Ass Handed*, Run Like An Antelope
Set II: Down with Disease > Farmhouse > Seven Below > Twist > Harry Hood > Passing Through > Harry Hood
Set III: Mercury > Auld Lang Syne > Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S., Simple > Saw It Again > Limb by Limb > Rock and Roll > Suzy Greenberg
Encore: The Lizards > Character Zero
Notes:
* – Trey and Mike joined Fish on vocals for earlier in the song doo-wop style
Tweets
I'd have to think Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S. will have something to do with the NYE gag tonight (with a space theme for “this is what space smells like”) but it seems so obvious and was already part of the Halloween “gag.” We’ll know soon enough. #phish
— Scott Marks (@bizarchive) December 31, 2018
We've got SKYSCRAPERS! SHOW # 6️⃣0️⃣ #Phish #PhishMSG #YEMSG #NYE 🎹🎸⭕🌵🎉 pic.twitter.com/WVSaFhpvQl
— MSG (@TheGarden) December 31, 2018
https://twitter.com/_Brian_Rafferty/status/1079898191804448768
Boys sounding quite relaxed just like last night out the gate!#Phish #YEMSG #NYE
— 𝖄𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖌 𝕭𝖔𝖚𝖗𝖉𝖆𝖎𝖓 (@skoisirius) January 1, 2019
Page needs to give that shirt back to Ted Nugent #phish
— KingPHISHer83 (@KingPHISHer83) January 1, 2019
"It's still Lawn Boy!" – Page #Phish
— Chris Gebhard (@chrisgebhard) January 1, 2019
There is a runway in front of the stage; that and balloons are the only obvious signs of the gag. pic.twitter.com/z6Qt0RvbWm
— Justnoah (@col_forbin) January 1, 2019
— Scott Marks (@bizarchive) January 1, 2019
Smoke from the lights pic.twitter.com/UI5RVNHtHy
— Scott Marks (@bizarchive) January 1, 2019
https://twitter.com/mikeh0rn/status/1079964531454025730
How can #phish outdo itself seemingly every New Year, every tour, every run, every show? It’s mind numbing
— RA JM (@LNKJonBoy) January 1, 2019
You will always remember where you were. #phish #kasvotvaxt #yemsg2018 #NYEgag pic.twitter.com/CRwaEy0foc
— Phil (@the_man_mulcahy) January 1, 2019
Boy these solar blanket suits are really hot
— J7creative (@J7creative) January 1, 2019
NYE 2018 setlist art MSG NYC #phish pic.twitter.com/IkwbXvBMeH
— Coventry Music (@CoventryMusic) January 1, 2019
