This show featured the debut of Life Saving Gun. AC/DC Bag was unfinished and My Friend My Friend did not contain the "Myfe" ending. After Llama, Trey said he wasn't sure if they had already played Llama (during the band's seven night residency at Madison Square Garden) and after Fish said they hadn't, Trey said "let's play it again!" and Llama was started again for a few seconds. Trey teased ...And Flew Away in Tube. Page teased Let's Spend the Night Together in Suzy Greenberg.
Teases
...And Flew Away tease in Tube, Let's Spend the Night Together tease in Suzy Greenberg
Debut Years (Average: 1999)

This show was part of the "2023 Summer Tour"

Show Reviews

, attached to 2023-07-30

Review by mindleftpants

mindleftpants It is truly a blessing to see this band each and every night. A lot to be said about the first hour, so I'll leave it to people who could better describe the face-melting glory with which we were bestowed.

The second set is full of more inspired playing by the band, very neatly tying a debut in like it's been played for years. Has anyone noticed the eagerness to jam new songs this tour? Sheesh these guys are never lacking in evolution.
I understand that some people don't like the band to play free and loose and about love or light, but if such a second set is "aimless" and "meandering," it might be time for you to start letting people who still get it take your seat at the venue.

Encore was an absolute home-run. See y'all Tuesday!
, attached to 2023-07-30

Review by sheikyerbouti

sheikyerbouti Never miss a Sunday show folks. If you don’t know this by now, then that’s on you.

Highlights Set 1: Power Gin, Funky Theme, Double Llama, Disco Tube.

Highlights Set 2: Sigma, Life Saving Gun, NMINML, Light.

Bag and MFMF both got a little jam treatement, but Gin came in and got things kicked off. After that, the next stretch of songs was spectacular. Theme featured a mini “Free” dual between Trey and Mike at the start, and proceeded to be vocally distinct from other versions. Llama with the extra mustard, so much extra mustard actually Trey played it a a second time. And then Tube went into full on Disco party. Exactly what the doctor ordered.

That Life Saving Gun debut was cool. No Men’s right after was a much needed deep jam for the evening. Light brought the heat for the proper close.

While Suzy packed a punch, Izabella brought the house down. Nuff said. Great fucking show.
, attached to 2023-07-30

Review by dublindeuce

dublindeuce Almost every song in this first set gets a bit of a special treatment. Bag has a gorgeous jam; 11 minutes is long for Bag! Theme has a very interesting and unique introduction. Totally unlike any Theme I’ve ever heard. Then they do a longer than normal, bubbly jam. A fantastic version that sounds different than any other. Llama gets played at the speed of light, and this is one of best Tubes in the past few years.

Life Saving Gun was a phenomenal debut. I’m happy to see them play a song off Trey/Page’s recent album, “January”. I was worried that none of those songs would enter the Phish repertoire. This has quite the nice jam in it. Fishman is driving the jam like crazy. Trey and Page do their job too and it results in a great 13 minute excursion. It felt a lot longer than 13 minutes; I was a bit shocked when I saw it was only that long.

This No Man’s has some of the finest playing of this year. Absolutely jaw dropping. Unbelievable how much brilliance they pack into these 18 minutes. Trey leading the way. Now this is must listen Phish.

Life Saving Gun > No Man’s was so good that they felt way longer than they actually were.

Gotta Jibboo > Light is some above average Phish to cap off a great set.

Set 1 will get more love, but this set 2 is brilliant. I love being surprised by a set like this.
, attached to 2023-07-30

Review by Shafiq

Shafiq There’s something different between a show like tonight where the band is intentional about taking songs for a whirl vs., say, Friday night where we get a more natural 4.0 show of jams throughout. But…

Who cares!! When Phish is locked in and having fun that night, so is the whole fucking fanbase. I’m here to largely review the 1st set.

The boys come out with a Sunday Bag type 2 opener and we’re off to the races. The thing about 2023 and 40 years as a band is they say so much more in 10 minutes than they have in the past in say 30 mins. The jam finds a quick groove before Trey says it’s MFMF time, which gets its own type 2 treatment that neatly segues its way into a Bathtub Gin that peaks in its usual glorious type 1 ways. Theme starts off atypical with a Trey and Mike jam (why are people going to the bathroom during this set do you not see what’s happening in front of you?!) that nicely weaves itself into the song’s structure before eschewing the ending for a funk jam that turns out to be full speed ahead into a FAST Llama (2nd in a week? What year is this?) which gets a type 1 jam treatment that LIGHTS MSG on fire! At this point the floor of MSG might collapse 48 mins into this show.

But the band finally gives us a breather of Tube. Right? No? Not a breather? Ok. Has anyone told you that Mike is incredible and a leader of jams and inducer of groovy dances this summer? No? Ok now you know.

Did Tube jam? Yes are you stupid or even paying attention? Of course it did this night is relentless.

Golgi closes out a very very fine set and feels like an appropriate energy stamp to what we just witnessed. What could set 2 bring after THAT?

The second set starts with Mike changing into his shiny silver shirt, or Sigma Oasis into the Page/Trey song Life Saving Gun. LSG gets a dabble before Trey turns it into No Men in No Man’s Land. Lonely Trip > FRANKIE SAYS > Jibboo > then…

We get back to our modern day roots + the 1st set vibe during Light which gives us the seminal jam of the night and closes the second set. This will probably be the jam you revisit. Suzabella sends us home on the stomping note the first set energy gave us.

——

“Never miss a Sunday show” is revived. I’m reminded of how a “I was there” Phish show and the energy it creates, let alone at YEMSG, is unparalleled. I think in the long run, some of these jams may lose their luster to the debates we have. I also think that if you combined the first set from tonight with last night’s second set, we’d be done here (ok maybe that’s where the Friday show nearly got). But in the short term, def listen to the first set and maybe the whole show from beginning to end and enjoy the feeling of experiencing THAT.

Highlights: Gin, NMINML, Light
, attached to 2023-07-30

Review by hdorne

hdorne I couch toured this one so I could live vicariously through my friend who was in attendance. The first set put a huge grin on my face. Tight playing, loose jamming, smooth segues, a playful duel, a “let’s play it twice” gag. This set will definitely be in my re-listen rotation. My only complaint is that it ended too soon.

Set II had some fine moments, but just didn’t seem to find its groove in the same way Set I did. Life Saving Gun and No Men in No Man’s Land are fairly indistinguishable and unremarkable as songs, and the jams didn’t do a lot for me. Frankie Says was nice to hear, but it was abruptly ripcorded in favor of Gotta Jibboo. Ouch. Luckily the Light jam went to some very cool places and rekindled some of the telepathic interplay of the first set. This set wasn’t outright bad, it just lacked the effortless flow and inspired interplay of the first.

The first set is must-hear. They just swung too hard in the first and didn’t have much mustard left for the second. Which honestly, is a pretty endearing thing to happen. People would have absolutely lost their minds to get a first set like that in 2009. How lucky we are to have this band 40 years into their career, still willing to take risks and make weird, dorky magic happen.
, attached to 2023-07-30

Review by spreaditround

spreaditround AC/DC Bag: Nice, little jam. Interesting that of the last five played, 4 have been over 9 minutes. I guess jamming out Bag is making a comeback! This one is upbeat and then mellow and then you can hear Trey angling for the next tune a good 20 seconds before they actually… ->

My Friend, My Friend: Very cool jam! Dark and ominous. Almost sounds middle eastern in parts. Would highly recommend! A killer segue into… ->

Bathtub Gin: Solid, straight ahead jam. Reminded me of early 3.0 Gin versions.

Theme From the Bottom: My first listen, I thought someone screwed up and they just went with it. Second time through, sounds intentional and possible rehearsed. Trey singing in that higher register though is not good. Outside of that, this version is unique and highly recommended. They 97 funk jam the very end of this and segue neatly into… >

Llama: Absolute hellfire. Sounds like Trey from 99 with that intense reverse reverb/backwards effect, no kidding. Really impressive and a complete face melter. Highly recommended. The banter at the end is very funny. Did we play that already? What are the rules? I remember the old Madison Square Garden, back before you kids were born. It was crazy back then!

Tube: What a killer jam. Just no filler in here at all. Most of it is just balls to the wall rocking out. Really good stuff would highly recommend! >

Golgi Apparatus: Trey making up new and annoying ways to sing the lyrics to one of the oldest Phish songs there are.

SET 2:

Sigma Oasis: Seemed fairly straightforward to me.

Life Saving Gun: Not good. Hope to never hear this again. Jam seemed rather listless and lost at times. >

No Men In No Man's Land: I liked the hard edge and rocking nature they find themselves in around the 12 minute mark. Sounds like Hendrix there briefly in the late 12s. Good stuff! Outside a few minutes after this part, this jam doesn’t do much for me. >

Lonely Trip: The set is on life support at this point. >

Frankie Says: Love this tune, but tough spot for it. I think how Page forgot how to play the intro. Trey and Page seem to have a tough time getting the intro off the ground. This is the shortest and most awkward version they have played. >

Gotta Jibboo: Very forced segue out of Frankie Says. Intro here is sloppy as well. Most of this jam just does not relay that confident swagger that much of this tour has had. >

Light: The early part of this jam has that distinct summer 97 sound to it in the 6 minute range. Love that! They could have kept moving this forward but instead lean on that major mode crutch. Too bad.

ENCORE:

Suzy Greenberg: Standard.

Izabella: The intro sounds so odd to me. Has been that way I guess since they brought it back. But outside of that, always happy to hear this.

Summary: First set was great fun and very creative and then not really sure what happened backstage that they would come back out for the second set so flat? Strange. Would rate this as a 3.7 out of 5.

Replay Value: My Friend, My Friend, Theme from the Bottom, Tube
, attached to 2023-07-30

Review by Lydos

Lydos Saw this from the first row of seats behind the floor. TBH some of the songs sound better on LivePhish than they did at the Garden, notably Gin which seemed halting in person but is quite good on headphones. Its opening notes mark the moment where the glowsticks started flying and the crowd really lost its shit. By the end of Lama they (erm, we) were in a frenzy. Overall this first set is hard-rockin' 1995-era Phish, with lots of shredding; if you are thrilled when Trey plays Hendrix (as opposed to admiring his chutzpah) then this is absolutely the show for you.

Me, I'm in it for the hose. And it's here that I direct your attention to Jibboo. This is not Phish's best song (even if Camden 2000 is grand). But I am writing this review to say that this version is gorgeous. I was startled to see how short it is when I logged on the next morning—in the moment it felt like a trip to the stars. CK5 certainly helped, turning the ceiling of the Garden into Monet's waterlilies. But it holds up on repeat listening. There's not much to this Jibboo, just that descending figure repeated until it approaches the ambient. You may be underwhelmed, but check it out: worst case, you've lost 10' 13" that you won't get back; best case, you've made your day.

The encore returns to the Set 1 space: have rarely seen a crowd as delirious as during Suzy Greenberg, and Izabella was like when a big wave dunks you at the beach. So all in all this show was a blast. Definitely in the low 4's, which as of this writing is exactly where the voters have put it.
, attached to 2023-07-30

Review by DownWithSteam

DownWithSteam Watched from the chase bridge lounges. This first set was some classic amazing stuff. One of the best sets I have ever seen live, At setbreak me and my friend both agreed Phish was on to something special this night. We were sure that they were going to rip a 2nd set for the ages and this would be the best show of the run. No, that didnt quite happen because the 2nd set didnt ever reach the peaks and valleys of the previous nights at msg so far. Still, the shows pretty damn underrated.

Must hears: Entire first set, No Mans, Light

Set one A
Set two C
Show score: 4.25
, attached to 2023-07-30

Review by CloudStar845

CloudStar845 That first set was one of the best I've seen in years. I thought we were in for an epic show...
Second set started out okay with Sigma Oasis but that god awful Life Saving Gun song from the Trey & Page sessions was terrible and wouldn't end. IDK what the song is about but I can't help but to think the 2nd amendment gun nuts have gotten to Trey. There is no such thing as a "life saving gun". Period. The more guns, the more deaths. Look around. There should not be a song about it. Especially after such a fire first set. NMINML was a good save but Lonely Trip was more of a stumble. Come on, guys! Frankie Says was the best part of the second frame and it was the shortest song. Jibbo was a jarring juxtaposition but always a good, upbeat song to hear (usually in a first set) RIP Tony. Light was the icing on the slap in the face cake. Decent version of a shit song. I'm sorry. Do you remember what the first set was?!? And then Suzy as an encore?! Come on, guys! Izabella was maybe the highlight of the show. But again too short. Show over by 11:15? IDK... The weekend started out better than the Baker's Dozen and ended up worse than some shows I've seen in Camden. I love Phish and MSG (it was my 65th Phish show at MSG) but I was hoping for more, especially after that first set. I hope they don't have a hard time with attendance the rest of the shows bc of the lackluster performances Saturday and Sunday. Just sayin'... Thanks for an adequate performance.
, attached to 2023-07-30

Review by AdamanskyJr

AdamanskyJr I know, I know… on Phish.net we’re only supposed to post glowing reviews. Each show is the BEST CONCERT IN HISTORY. But In 200+ shows I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed a delta between first and second set like 7/30/23. Did they know the show disintegrated after intermission? Is that why they played one of their shortest shows in recent memory? Honestly, the last time I saw that many people sitting during a Phish show was the NYE warm up at the (mercifully defunct) Capital Center in December 1997. It seemed like they knew they went off their rails and got off stage as fast as they could.

Life Saving Gun and parts of No Men were fine in Set 2, but what happened during the set break? Phish was spitting fire in Set 1: even though it was only 66 minutes, they played the living daylights out of each song. Super strong My Friend and Theme>Llama. It was the kind of set that keeps you on your toes, dancing, singing along…and then THUD. Set 2 crashed like a led zeppelin, and never found its footing. This is where I wish the band did post-“game” interviews like in sports. “Trey, you broke out zero songs in Set 2 that even your most casual fans could get excited about. The songs you did play were aimless and meandering…what did you want us to get out of that second set?”

As is always the case, I’m sure some people got something out of this show. But overall, everything after 9:15pm is perfectly skippable. Here’s hoping Tuesday is better…
Add a Review
Setlist Filter
By year:

By month:

By day:

By weekday:

By artist:

Filter Reset Filters
Support Phish.net & Mbird
Fun with Setlists
Check our Phish setlists and sideshow setlists!


Phish.net

Phish.net is a non-commercial project run by Phish fans and for Phish fans under the auspices of the all-volunteer, non-profit Mockingbird Foundation.

This project serves to compile, preserve, and protect encyclopedic information about Phish and their music.

Credits | Terms Of Use | Legal | DMCA

© 1990-2024  The Mockingbird Foundation, Inc. | Hosted by Linode