Hello, old phriends! A business trip serendipitously dropped me into NYC on Night 4 of the band’s Baker’s Dozen run at Madison Square Garden. Despite letting my Phan status lapse long ago, I had to go. I’m glad I did. The experience reminded me why I fell in love with Phish shows in the first place: face-melting musicianship, a light show without equal, and the energy of the best fans in the world. My Baker’s Dozen night theme was “Jam-Filled” and boy was it. Proof point: I got the longest song played in tour history — “Crosseyed & Painless” (a favorite of mine!) coming in at over 33 minutes. If that sounds horrible to you then you would’ve hated this show. The music was insanely good — they’re at the top of their game at this point — but the real takeaway for me was simply being there and basking in those familiar feelings of euphoria and respect and curiosity. It rekindled my interest in attending Phish shows (see Phish, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, 9/3/17 caught just a month later) and reminded me that, even after all this time, Phish are the best live act on the planet. Setlist