Phish Turns Madison Square Garden Into 1992

Trey Anastasio walked out sleeveless, and anyone who has spent time with a 1992 soundboard knew immediately what that meant. What followed at Madison Square Garden was more a time machine than a concert. They played twenty-six songs that were drawn entirely from the band's 1992 repertoire, and many were delivered at a clip Phish simply does not play at anymore. The trampolines came back. Songs returned that had been gathering dust for decades, including one that had not been performed since Bill Clinton was still a candidate. On the opening night of a five-show Garden run, and the band's ninety-second appearance at the iconic New York, NY building, Phish did not just nod at their history, but rather they moved in for the evening.

The band was all smiles as they began the show with "Glide," a song shelved since August 31, 2021, a gap of 225 shows. Anastasio was precise out of the gates on the intricate Rift tune, which quickly folded into "Runaway Jim." This was short by modern "Jim" standards, but the succinct version packed a powerful punch. Bassist Mike Gordon dropped some tasty thumps as the band moved into "Foam," a Junta piece that had sat out nineteen shows. Multi-instrumentalist Page McConnell was dialed in on the baby grand, and drummer Jon Fishman excelled in the jazz-rock fusion beat.

"Axilla" followed, absent since August 18, 2024, a gap of eighty-two shows, with the Part II variant having been favored in recent years. The tune was a staple in the early 90s, and the crowd bounced along, loving the throwback. "Stash" was the first song of the night to open into a meaningful jam, with Gordon and Anastasio blissfully dancing around the chords.

Then came the moment that turned the night from a fun theme show into a genuine event. As "Stash" wound down, McConnell started playing the riff to "Cold as Ice" on the Hammond B3 while Anastasio shifted to the drums. The Foreigner cover had not been performed since May 18, 1992, a gap of 1,468 shows. Fishman grabbed his vacuum, walked to the front of the stage, announced that "this is a terrifying experience," and introduced the rest of the band, including himself as Henrietta. He sang "Love You," last heard on July 16, 2016 and 382 shows earlier, before diving into a vacuum solo while the remaining three laid down a jazzy backing riff. He ran around the stage and jumped on the baby grand, arms in the air, then got back on the vacuum as the band launched "Hold Your Head Up." This was another one hundred thirty-five show bust-out dating to July 29, 2023, and Anastasio punctuated with a "GOOOAAALLL" announcement. Upon conclusion, Anastasio returned to guitar and Fishman to the drums, and the show carried on as if nothing unusual had happened.

A breezy "Sparkle" followed. The Rift tune's own forty-one show gap was almost lost in the shuffle, and was proceeded with a vibrant "AC/DC Bag." A stellar segue launched the band into "Reba." Fishman accented on wood block through the refrain, and McConnell nailed the choreographed passage on the baby grand. The jam ran at a slightly faster tempo than the modern norm, with Anastasio razor sharp through the bubbly sequence before blossoming brightly. The band skipped the whistling ending entirely and dove instead into "Possum."

Gordon took the honors on vocals and drove the jam along with McConnell on baby grand. Anastasio layered in as the music stayed largely within "Possum." The crowd loved the transition back into an old tune that remains in heavy rotation today.

It felt as though the band might stop, but Fishman never did. Gordon joined with heavy bass undertones that morphed into "The Vibration of Life," the deepest cut of the night at 1,027 shows since November 19, 1996. CK5 killed the lights. Anastasio told a story about the purpose of the song and mentioned that the Knicks had hired them to play this everyday at 6 a.m. The atmospheric interlude flipped into "David Bowie," with the drums seemingly already in place. The jam sat squarely in major-chord territory and stayed super tight, and ended the set with an absolute bang.

Set two kicked off with the heavy hitter "Mike's Song." Out came the trampolines, and Anastasio and Gordon ran a routine much like the one they normally save for "You Enjoy Myself." The jam was darker than anything so far, with Gordon firmly driving and CK5 drenching the stage in alternating red and yellow, then pink and blue. The trampolines stayed put. McConnell switched to the Hammond B3, the quartet sank their teeth in, and they brought the fifteen minute jam home with another trampoline jam.

That led into "I Am Hydrogen," where Gordon and Anastasio lay on the ground doing bicycle kicks as they played, a bit of 1992 stagecraft that lasted right up to the start of "Weekapaug Groove." Gordon dropped those signature bass bombs as McConnell elevated the funk on the clav. Anastasio kept dominating with light, airy riffs.

"Bouncing Around the Room" followed and continued down a dark path. Normally not a jam vehicle at all, they took the fans on an almost eighteen-minute journey that may well have been the longest version the song has ever received, and was comfortably the longest piece of music of the evening. Fishman drove while McConnell elevated on piano. The jam began to shift with Anastasio using the wah-wah effect. Gordon and Anastasio traded something inaudible into their microphones. Fishman led the charge as the band flowed into "My Friend, My Friend," where the evil vibes continued and Anastasio pulled feedback out of his guitar between lyrics. A dark, atmospheric jam rolled in, a sharp contrast to a first set that had featured very little jamming, with McConnell on electric piano and a "The Well" tease surfacing along the way. There was no "Myfe" ending. Gordon flipped the bass and the band was magically in "Split Open and Melt." That jam was layered and stayed on the darker track, where Fishman was a beast on drums and percussion. The jam eventually found way back into "My Friend, My Friend."

"The Lizards" was up next, and the crowd surrendered to the flow. Chairman of the Boards McConnell really shined on baby grand and slipped in a tease of the "Speed Racer" theme for anyone paying close attention. Another pivot found the band in "Harry Hood," which was aborted and quickly restarted before going strong. McConnell's clavinet added a nice effect. After the intense build, the jam mellowed into a much-needed breather, and Gordon once again took the helm. The "Hood" was quick, but featured nice peaks from Anastasio and real elegance from McConnell on the baby grand to end this raucous set.

The band stepped off and returned with the melodic "The Horse," which led into its frequent partner "Silent in the Morning." Both were standard versions. After a show like this one there was no way to end there, so the intensity got dialed up by a factor of an uptempo "Big Black Furry Creature from Mars," a White Tape relic last aired August 9, 2024, or eighty eight shows ago. The music paused as Anastasio and Gordon moved to the front of the stage, Gordon lying on the ground and yelling into a microphone pointed at the floor while Anastasio yelled up into his. Still not done, the band capped the evening with "Run Like an Antelope." The four were grinning end to end, clearly proud of what they had just pulled off.

Phish is back at Madison Square Garden for four more nights, on July 24, July 25, July 27 and July 29, where they will continue to honor their early nineties repertory. A two-night stand at Fenway Park in Boston on July 31 and August 1 follows. The Summer 2026 run then closes with the traditional Labor Day weekend at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado on September 4, September 5 and September 6. Full details are at phish.com.

Check out more photos from the show! Also, view our prior coverage of the Phish summer tour at Merriweather Post Pavilion (review/photos).

Band: Phish
Location: New York, NY
Venue: Madison Square Garden
Date: July 22, 2026
Set One: Glide [1], Runaway Jim, Foam, Axilla [2], Stash, Cold as Ice [3] > Love You [4] > Hold Your Head Up [5] > Sparkle, AC/DC Bag > Reba [6] > Possum > David Bowie -> The Vibration of Life [7] -> David Bowie
Set Two: Mike's Song [8] > I Am Hydrogen [9] > Weekapaug Groove, Bouncing Around the Room -> My Friend, My Friend [10] -> Split Open and Melt, The Lizards [11], Harry Hood [12]
Encore: The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Big Black Furry Creature from Mars [13], Run Like an Antelope
Notes:
[1] Last played August 31, 2021, a gap of 225 shows.
[2] Last played August 18, 2024, a gap of 82 shows.
[3] Foreigner cover. Last played May 18, 1992, a gap of 1,468 shows.
[4] Syd Barrett cover. Last played July 16, 2016, a gap of 382 shows.
[5] Argent cover. Last played July 29, 2023, a gap of 135 shows. Fishman on vacuum, with a "GOOOAAALLL" announcement from Anastasio.
[6] No whistling ending.
[7] Last played November 19, 1996, a gap of 1,027 shows.
[8] Trampolines returned
[9] Included bicycle kicks
[10] No "Myfe" ending; contained "The Well" teases.
[11] "Speed Racer" theme tease from McConnell.
[12] Aborted and restarted.
[13] Last played August 9, 2024, a gap of 88 shows.