New Year's Eve with Phish at MSG

It was the night for which I had waited 14 years - finally ringing in the New Year with Phish for the first time since 1999. I was not going to let anything stop me. I took the whole day off from work, ran my (tired) nine-miler, and drove to Hoboken in the afternoon. My brother, who lives there, had a parking pass waiting for me. When I showed up at his door, he took one look at my face and said, "Excited?"

Taking the PATH train to 33rd Street, I got to Penn Station in time for some pre-show eats, then it was upstairs to the Garden for my Section 210 "bar row" seats.

The bar row is at the very top of the section, with unfortunately inferior sound, but an interesting sight line, plenty of dancing room, and a counter on which I could put my belongings. The seat itself was literally a bar stool. Straight ahead, at eye level, was the new Chase Bridge which completely obscured the scoreboard. But the well placed, crystal clear screens attached to the bridge facing our section showed the whole thing - the webcast camera shots, the mini-movies, and the countdown.
 
Any speculation about a Gamehendge set was squashed right away with the "AC/DC Bag" opener. With that, the band continued to play all original songs, both old and new (notably, one of my favorite recent tunes, "Halfway to the Moon"), culminating in an enormous set-ending "Fluffhead" that had me leaping for joy during its entire ending section.
 
The references to Phish's past that came next were hilarious and poignant. Trey Anastasio and Page McConnell posing for a re-creation of the 'Colorado '88' album cover, except the keyboard was actually a huge cake which they shared with the audience on the floor. The mini-movie that followed showed Jon Fishman driving a truck hauling remnants of New Year's past - the hot dog, a disco ball, golf carts, etc. Suddenly the truck appeared on the floor of the Garden and was "driven" into the center of the arena.
 
With a simple stage setup on top of the truck, it recalled the "flatbed jam" from Clifford Ball, but more specifically echoed the band's bare-bones staging from its club days in the '80s. The set-break music was entirely from the early '80s (Eddy Grant, Duran Duran), setting the tone for the band to emerge on the truck and play a set that could have easily been from Nectar's in Burlington, Vt. Among the early gems was "Fuck Your Face", my first time seeing them perform it. It is still rare, though thankfully not absent as it was from 1988 through 2009.
 
During "Icculus" in that set, Trey, in his usual fervor in speaking about the fictional "Helping Friendly Book", kept referring to "the message" and how some people still had not gotten it. It became clear to me that "the message" was that Phish is what it is because it has always been Phish. Set list jokes, cover songs and albums, special guests, theatrics, and gimmicks are actually peripheral to what comprises the band we love.
 
We spent three days on Twitter, buzzing with theories and speculations about what zaniness was in store for New Year's Eve, and we forgot that the best thing Phish could give us was Phish. They did it on Halloween, and yet we still did not get "the message".
 
And so, in a strange but necessary reversal, that wrapped up the New Year's shenanigans which usually take place at midnight and into Set III. When they came back out and played "Character Zero" into midnight for a balloon-and-confetti drop so huge it had to be done in waves, the party was then re-focused directly on the original music of this extraordinary band.
 
Kicking off the New Year was "Fuego", easily the best track from the band's upcoming album. To my ears, it sounds like Weezer meets Emerson, Lake and Palmer. I am probably the only person that thinks so, but regardless of that, it still sounds 100 percent like Phish.
 
Perhaps the mass of balloons flying toward the stage was a bit distracting because this version of the instant classic was not nearly as good as the Halloween debut. But it still rocked the party in a big way, leading into yet another in a four-year streak of amazing renditions of "Light". And finally, they seem to have ironed out the sloppy kinks in the coda of "Twenty Years Later" a song that has continued to grow on me.
 
A co-worker recently asked me if Phish had a signature song and I told him it was most definitely a 10 to 20-minute little ditty he has never heard called "You Enjoy Myself". They saved it for the end of Set III as their 30th anniversary came to a close. It was wonderfully well-executed, excellently jammed, and included some funkier-than-ever dancing from Trey.
 
What followed was a 15-minute video montage of Phistory - photos and flyers of their very first gigs to the pics of the recent Halloween show. It was emotional, bringing back a lot of memories, including a bunch of "I was there!" moments, and showed the long, wild journey of this strange little band from Vermont.
 
The encore included another of my favorite songs of the recent era, "Show of Life", which played beautifully as a coda to the festivities and, for one last joke, "Grind", during which each band member recited, in days, how old he would be for their 60th anniversary in 30 years.
 
As we exited, a photo of Phish as old men showed on the screen, requesting that we "save the date" for their 60th anniversary show on Dec. 31, 2043. I doubt they will really be playing when they are 80, but it seems to me that Trey  got "the message" too - the band he broke up for five years is back to stay, for as long as they can still do it. And Phish will forever be Phish.

Message received.

Phish at MSG, Night Three, Dec. 30

I always leave Monday as an optional rest day, but I do not use that option very often. I typically will walk instead of run, to help with my recovery from the previous day's long run. Last week, I took the rest day.

I had gotten home around 1 a.m. and had to be at work at 9:15, then go to Secaucus train station directly from work in order to get to the show on time. By the start of the show, I was already exhausted. There was no time to run that day, and even if there was, it would have been awful.

December 30 is an important night for me in Phishtory. Of the 366 dates in a year, it is the one on which I have seen Phish the most (seven times), including six of their eight at Madison Square Garden on that date, the first of which was 1994. I was in the front floor section for that landmark show.

Though there was no disappointment with this year's 12/30 show, it might be the weakest of the run. "Punch You in the Eye" was rough around the edges, "Kill Devil Falls", "Gotta Jibboo" and "Mike's Song" never seemed to reach their full potential, and darn it, I still do not like "Yarmouth Road". A straight-ahead new pop tune, "Devotion to a Dream", was good though not the kind of song that makes for a highlight.

But when it was hot, it was on fire. One of the two new songs that seem to be instant fan favorites, "Wombat", (the other being "Fuego" which was saved for New Year's Eve to no one's surprise) was played with delightful energy, if not with the precision of its debut, nor the Abe Vigoda dancers. 

"46 Days" absolutely rocked the house, "Ghost" brought the funk and a slick segue into "Weekapaug Groove", and a relentless streak of jams in "Simple", "Harry Hood" kept me dancing the night away in Section 223LWC. 

The "LWC" stands for "lower wheelchair" which means I was in the front of the 200s, on the side of the stage, with tons of dancing room because the walkway has to be wide enough to fit wheelchairs. I assure you, I used all the extra space to its fullest.

The show, still relying on nothing but original songs, had two surprises at the end. After "Cavern", which is usually expected to end a set, Trey Anastasio seemed to not want to stop the party, so he quickly went over to Jon Fishman and called for "First Tube" (*see correction in the comments section*), the funky instrumental number that Trey often uses as the closer for his solo shows. The next surprise was a gorgeous "Slave to the Traffic Light" in the encore slot.

With so many of Phish's big jams already played, what was left for New Year's Eve? Lots of crazy speculations were abounding - an all covers show or set, crazy special guests - but we still had not gotten "the message". And the message was that this was all about Phish, by Phish, for Phish phans.

It would become abundantly clear the next night.

Chilly, rainy 17-miler and Night Two of Phish at MSG

"Train in everything so you can race in everything."

That is my mantra on days like last Sunday, but I have to admit, my resolve was put to the test. In the first half of my 17-mile run, I kept waiting to warm up, but the relentless pounding of the cold rain kept me in a constant state of chilly discomfort.  My lightweight cotton gloves were soaked and provided neither warmth nor dryness, my shirt - polyester but heavy - dragging me down.

In the second half, knowing things would not get better, I pushed the pace for the sake of finishing sooner, hurting with every step. My hands, by the end, were so frozen it took several minutes to get my apartment key from my pocket and maneuver it into the lock. I barely had any feeling in my thumbs and fingertips.

If you plan on running in those conditions, do not let the temperatures in the 40s fool you. Dress warm and with protective layers of non-absorbent fabrics. And run fast.

By the time I somewhat recovered and got on the train to New York City for Phish, it was already almost showtime, so it was straight to Section 109 (side stage, awesome view, excellent sound) with my $10 beer in hand. (Really, MSG? Ten bucks for a beer?)

In addition to the band's 30th anniversary, 2013 is also the 20th anniversary of their excellent album 'Rift' and I suspect they have been acknowledging that all year, seemingly playing more songs from it and more often, with the exception of "The Horse" which was abandoned in 2012. On this night they played three, including what might be the best version on "It's Ice" ever, if not the most adventurous.

"Ice" was coupled with "Gumbo" which also featured uncharacteristic jamming into strange territory. And the set-closing "Walls of the Cave" (still my favorite 2.0-era song) was shaky at first, but concluded with a fantastic and rocking climax.

And yet, with all that, the set highlights had to be the brand new "555" and "The Line". Name another band whose fans get thoroughly excited over new songs and do not treat them as bathroom or beer breaks. Go ahead. Try.

Still, as exciting as new Phish is, the second set - all classics - on Dec. 29 was easily the best of the four nights.

The set-opening "Down With Disease" wound its way through glorious melodic, rhythmic and key changes which were excellent but not unusual. What knocked us over was how, 20 minutes later, after exploring so much space and getting so far away from the main theme, Trey Anastasio managed to bring back the original melody and knock it back into the original key for the first chorus-ending version of the song since...who knows? Altlantic City 2012?

And that was only the beginning of a 70-minute set that included a mere six songs, concluding with a monstrous "David Bowie". The band was on fire for this set. One for the books, no question. Still not a cover song to be had, but if this is what Phish sounds like when they rely in their own material, then give me more of it.

Phish at Madison Square Garden, NYC, Dec. 28

As a 20-year phan, I have done my share of mini-tours, seeing well more than four *shows* in a row, but never four *nights* in a row. The only time they have done that in the past couple of decades is New Year's Run. This year, I finally landed tickets to the whole magilla. Let me tell you, for a 39-year-old with a job and a running schedule, it is quite a challenge to the stamina. Like a Phish marathon.

Saturday's show was excellent. We would not know it yet, but the theme of the four-night stand was Phish itself.  This sounds silly, but was actually quite poignant. It was their 30th anniversary and, building on the precedent set on Halloween by playing their own as-yet-unreleased album, they approached the milestone by celebrating their own music, history and fans.

This was not clear yet on Night One, so when they played no covers and bashed out heavy hitters like "Tweezer", "Seven Below", "Sand", "Piper", "Run Like an Antelope", "Free" and "Steam", we already started specualting what they would be saving for New Year's Eve.

I was in Section 119 of the newly renovated Garden and the sound was fantastic - loud and clear - though the dancing room was a bit lacking. My shins are still sore from the constant whacking against the seat in front of me. But it was impossible for me not to move with such a showing of quality and consistency in the jams and the precision in the playing. The band was off and running, firing on all cylinders. 

The celebration of Phistory began subtly - the return of the "secret language" signals from 1992 and the guitar duel reminiscent of Sept. 30, 2000 - but it was the tight, focused playing that was most memorable. "Steam" was the MVP jam of a night full of top-notch chops and the re-introduction of the brand new "Monica" (a decent pop song) and "Waiting All Night" (intoxicating in its repetition and dreamy vibe) kept things fresh.

This was only the first night. When I got home at 2 a.m., I wondered what would be in store over the next few days, but I also wondered how the heck I was going to run 17 miles before the next day's show.

A case of ice and snow

It has been cold here in New Jersey during the past week or so.  It has also snowed a few times.  To that, I say, "So what?"

Do not let the snow discourage you from getting out there and running.  Granted, icy conditions may be a problem and I certainly would not want to see my fellow runners falling and getting hurt.  But on snowy days like this past Saturday and yesterday, why not get on out there?  If you do, here are a couple of tips:

Dress warm.  For slower runners, that means bundling up - wear a few layers, a winter hat, heavy duty gloves and long socks.  Be prepared for those items to get wet from falling and kicked up snow as well as your inevitable sweat.  For faster folk, that means compression shirts and tights.  Even at 20 degrees, you will be surprised how quickly you warm up once you get going.

Your shoes will definitely get wet, so wear an older pair.  When you are through, crumple up pages from newspapers and stuff them into your shoes.  The paper will absorb the moisture, helping to dry out the shoes before you need to use them again.

Most of all, have fun! Remember how much you used to enjoy playing in the snow as a kid?  Now is not the time to worry about splits and pace.  Rather, get out there and channel that youthful energy to have a ball in the winter wonderland.  While you are at it, why not drop to the ground and make a snow angel or two?

I'm going to MSG for New Year's Eve!

I was 25 the last time I saw Phish on New Year's Eve.  I am now pushing 40.  It has been 15 long years.

That is not for lack of trying and also a bit for lack of options.  To wit:

After the mother of all NYE shows (Big Cypress in Florida, 1999), Phish only played two such concerts in the next decade, both of which were in Miami.  In 2003 and 2009, I was not in much of a position to do that kind of traveling.

Since then, they have done every Dec. 31 at Madison Square Garden and I have tried to get tickets each time, both through the band's own mail-order system and through Ticketmaster.  I am happy and grateful to have attended excellent shows on Dec. 28, 29 and 30 in the past three years, but the golden ticket of New Year's was ever elusive.

Until now.  This year, after applying for all four nights through mail order, I received only one, but the best one of all.  Two days later, I landed the 28th and 29th through Ticketmaster.

Finally, it's time to break out the party hat and champagne flute (do I still have my Big Cypress flute??) and party down like I did in 1995, 1997 and 1999.  I can barely contain my excitement.  

Christmas?  Who cares about that?  Dec. 25 is just a stop along the way.  The real festivities begin on Dec. 28.  I hope to see you there.
 

Trinity Academy Reindeer Run 5K

I was itching to get back into marathon mode, but after my surprisingly good showing at the Passaic Valley Rotary River Run, I decided to try my luck at the third annual Trinity Academy Reindeer Run 5K in Caldwell on Dec. 7, a mere six days after the PV race.

This would be my shortest turnaround ever, but I felt good about my short game. 

It was chilly that morning, but dry - only days before two snowstorms would slick up the region - so footing was not a problem.

Much of the first half of the race, mostly a straight shot up Smull Avenue, was uphill - not steep, but enough of an incline to warrant some extra work.  If you have read my race accounts before, you know that I make my move on hills, but usually not so early in the race. Nonetheless, I went for it and, during the course of that first mile and a half, worked my way from eighth place to third.

By the time of the turn onto Mountain Avenue, I had a pretty good lead over the fourth placer, but the two guys ahead (clearly a couple of college track kids) were long gone.  Literally.  I could not even see them anymore. I was in third, but had no one to follow.  It was a good thing there were no more turns on the course because none of the cops and volunteers at the intersections had any interest in directing me where to go.  At each previous turn, I had to point in a direction with an expression on my face as if to say, "This way??"  (I was working too hard to actually talk.)

At the Mile 2 sign, I started fizzling, but with a mile of mostly flat and downhill to go, I dug deep and pushed hard.  I grunted an awful lot.

I refused to look back, but I had convinced myself that the person behind me was closing in, so I extended my legs as far as they would go on each turnover (my tactic at September's Heroes Run), even though I could feel the burn in my groin.

Up ahead, I could see the crowd of people, just before the intersection of Bloomfield Avenue.  I knew that was the end, but...

Where was the finish line?  All I could see was a wall of people and tables, but no chute, no clock, and yet again, no one pointing me in the direction of where to go.  And here I am barreling at them at a sub-6:00 pace.  So I yelled, "WHERE'S THE FINISH???"

Startled, everyone started pointing to my left, toward the side entrance of the academy where the finish chute had been set up.  That did not allow me time for a final kick, but with the way I sprinted down Mountain Avenue, I would not have had much anyway.  Besides, I nailed my finish at 18:35 - four seconds faster than six days prior - so who am I to complain?

I grabbed some water, coffee, a bagel and a banana and headed straight back to the course, cheering as many people as possible to their finish.  One of my favorite things about finishing early is being able to give a little something to the folks behind me.  I may have somehow managed to get myself in the top 10 percent of almost all my races, but providing some encouragement from the sidelines is one of the most rewarding things about it.

Speaking of rewards, what a day for swag and prizes! The registration came with a cotton long-sleeve T-shirt and the prize for the top three placers in each age group was a comfortable and cozy wool knit hat with the race's reindeer logo on it.

Even though I received my prize, I hung around for another hour for the award ceremony, since I came in third overall.  I think it is impolite to place in the top three and then ditch.  Heck, maybe I would get a medal.

As with the PV race, there were no medals, but instead I was given a $25 gift certificate to the Fleet Feet running store in Montclair (at the PV race, I received a $25 gift certificate to the New Balance store in Hasbrouck Heights), so the race almost entirely paid for itself!

Plus, my gift bag also contained another one of those hats.  I have long been opposed to duplicate awards (when the overall winners also win the age group awards), so I found one of the volunteers and asked them to find the fourth placer in my age group and give it to him.

What can I say, I was filled with the Christmas spirit and the satisfaction of another successful race - my fifth best 5K (out of 29 since 2006).