Just when you think they might finally be out of tricks.

What, no 40th anniversary tour?

Ho hum, another NYE MSG run. They had already done 7 shows at the Garden this summer, and while it had its moments---and 2023 has had its moments (with arguably Spring Tour containing the most dense population of them)--is it heresy to say that things were starting to feel a little stale? After the post-Covid revival of 2021 that saw Phish reach musical career highs not seen since arguably 2003 or the late 90s, and a solid if less consistent follow-up in 2022, it only made sense that things might start to drag a little this year.

I thought the summer run was fun, but it was missing something. The sense that anything could happen, maybe? The sheer volume of shows and long jams (not the kind of thing you'd normally complain about!), many of which share similar DNA that can start to feel too familiar. You take it all for granted, just as the venues and tiered ticketing and concessions take your dollar for granted in turn.

It had to happen eventually, didn't it?

And why wouldn't they do it on New Year's Eve at home, on the 40th anniversary year? Why didn't we see it coming? Ok, apparently lots of folks saw it coming; if you were poking around .net or otherwise in the days leading up to the show, rumours were spreading—but rumours always spread, Gamehendge is always the .0001% chance rumour, isn't it? It looks increasingly like there may have been strategic leaks, who knows. If you're one of the folks that made a last minute effort to get to the Garden on such a tip, my hat's off to you. If you did most of the run but skipped NYE, or sold a ticket, I weep for you. If like me you were only checking score from afar with mild curiosity, we'll just have to be content to know that it happened. So how was it?

I've only given the Gamehendge a single listen through, and haven't even heard the rest of the show, so a comprehensive review this ain't. But I gotta tell ya, I got chills hearing them slowly reveal what was gonna go down towards the end of Harpua, and tears when I heard the roof blow off when it was clear what was going to happen. A tight, rehearsed, but not rigid performance, just the right amount of flourish from third parties, a phenomenal jam in Bag, and a real sense of purpose and significance through the classic songs. Page so enthused on Lizards, Trey and Fish really locked in and giving 'er old school and up-tempo on Llama. Slow Llama who?? A gut-wrenching Divided Sky.

I'll save the updates to canonical Gamehendge lore to other scholars. But suffice it to say that they had fun with it all, weaved the 40 years together so seamlessly.

The thought now, is what happens next? This really does feel like the closing of a chapter. Sure, there's Mexico, The Sphere, Dover on deck. But beyond the venues and travel packages ... now that the cat is out of the bag (and Jimmy has a grandma!) ... what kind of story are they gonna tell? Where's the music gonna go?

I'd argue there's a thread they were starting to weave in Spring that never really took off. Looking back now, it's not wild to think that knowing the year would be working its way towards this moment, how could they really stray too far from the narrative (or the narration, if you like)? The summer MSG run now has the spectre of this performance, and indeed much of the year will end up a footnote to this moment (that's not a problem; we don't usually have difficulty indulging countless footnotes).

But with that tidy bookend now in the rear-view mirror, it's anyone's guess where things could go next. Jazz Odyssey 2024!

Happy New Year all. Stay safe and kind this year.